Up Way Before The Texas 106 Degree Sun This 2nd Day Of August

I was real tired real early Sunday night. I think going for a second swim during the HOTTEST part of a very HOT day did me in.

So, going to bed early got me up early, as in very early, this 2nd day of August. I've been up since 3.

It is now half past 4. I have a while to go before the sun starts to turn the light on.

Looking down at the pool this morning it looks real inviting. I think I'll turn off the lights and go swimming under the moonlight.

Overnight the National Weather Service seems to have decided to turn up the temperature for today and tomorrow. To 106.

106 seems to be getting into the territory of being seriously HOT. Then again, yesterday it was 119 in Baghdad. So, it could be worse.

Walking Arlington's Veterans Park Maze & Seeing A Touching Memorial Plaque

I went to Veterans Park in Arlington on my way to Arlington's Chinatown. Well, more accurately it is more Vietnamtown than Chinatown.

There were a surprising number of disk golfers out playing that odd game. Surprising because it is rather HOT.

I opted to walk through the Xeriscape/Natural Trail area, which is heavily shaded. The trails are a bit of a maze, there are boardwalks like you see in the picture, rock bridges, big rock pavers, little creeks. And it is slightly hilly.

Veterans Park really is a gem of a park. Part is heavily, and beautifully landscaped. With about half of the park being pretty much totally wild with great trails running through through the wilderness.

True to its name, Veterans Park is one big memorial to veterans, with a big centerpiece memorial with a statue of a soldier overlooking names of those who died in the various American wars going all the way back to the War of Northern Aggression, also known as the Civil War.

Today I saw a new memorial plaque, set into the cement foundation of a bench donated in memory of a soldier.

The soldier's name is Glenn "Dale" Hicks, Jr. A Sargent in the U.S. Army. Killed in Action in Iraq. August 25, 1982 - April 28, 2007. Son, Big Brother, Friend.

Only 25 years old. Killed in Iraq. In America's first pre-emptive war, brought on by bad intelligence in more ways than one.

Had America not been caught in the quagmire known as the Vietnam War I doubt I would have been in Arlington today getting Asian groceries. After that war's bad end America gained a lot of very industrious new immigrants, one of whom owns the store I was in today in Arlington's Vietnamtown, the Saigon Cho Market.

Saigon no longer exists as the name of a city. It's now Ho Chi Minh City. Ho Chi Minh was a fan of Thomas Jefferson and America's democracy til we botched our budding friendship with the man after World War II.

Condolences to the Hick's family. And kudos to Arlington for Veterans Park. If you live in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metro Zone you should pay this park a visit. That includes you, George W. Bush.

103 In The Middle Of The Afternoon On The First Day Of August In Texas

As you can see, we have hit 103, as predicted, well, actually, the latest prediction for today is it will hit 104.

And the dreaded HEAT INDEX is back, making it feel like 106. Yes, those 2 degrees make a huge difference.

Adding to the HEAT the National Weather Service has issued one of those pollution alerts, of the Level Orange sort. The elderly, like me, are supposed to avoid exertion where you might find yourself breathing too much of the polluted air.

That snoopy Betty Jo Bouvier used her Wild Woolley Eyes to see what book I was reading that I said I was embarrassed to admit to. How rude.

I got halibut yesterday at Town Talk. Moving to Texas really caused a big hit to my seafood consumption. I used to be able to drive about 10 miles and put out a crab pot and get me some fresh dungeness crab. Or if the tide was low, dig me some clams.

I do not recollect when last I had halibut. Back when my mom and dad lived in Washington my dad caught a halibut in the San Juan Islands zone of Puget Sound that weighed over 180 pounds. My dad fought the fish for about an hour before a guy in another boat assisted with the capture. I've got a picture of my dad and that halibut somewhere. I believe it was in the local newspaper.

I've heard of catfish getting caught in Texas lakes that are quite heavy. But, if you've ever had fresh halibut, cod or salmon and then taste catfish for the first time, well, it is really shocking that anyone finds catfish edible, particularly the muddy-flavored variety. What does a catfish eater think the first time they taste real seafood? It's perplexing.

Below is the Fort Worth Forecast for the next 7 days. It's HOT!

103 The Predicted High In My Zone Of Texas For The 1st Day of August

I aimed my camera towards the pool again this morning, instead of towards the sky. You may be able to intuit from the fact that there appears to be more light than yesterday's photo of the pool, that on this first day of August I slept in til about the time the sun woke up.

The National Weather Service is claiming that the next couple days will be the HOTTEST of the year, so far, with today hitting 103.

Currently, at a little before 7 in the morning, it is a relatively chilly 78.9. So, even though today may end up being the HOTTEST day of the year, currently I have my windows open and my A/C off.

I'm not quite sure what I am doing today. I think I may go to Chinatown in Arlington. And I have a couple more places I want to virtually visit on the Texas Gulf Coast.

101 Texas Degrees While Visiting Fosdic Lake, Port Aransas, Harlingen, Corpus Christi, South Padre Island & The Brazosport Area

As you can see, on this the last day of July, we have hit the predicted temperature of 101. The HEAT has melted the humidity out of the air, so there is no Heat Index saying the temperature feels hotter than it is.

I had intended to get outside and make my way to the Tandy Hills around 3. But, there was little breezing going on, and the sun had already heated it up out there to 100, so I decided to go to my favorite reading spot at Oakland Lake Park and read for awhile, while glancing up at Fosdic Lake.

It seems every Saturday there is something happening at the Oakland Lake Pavilion. Today it was some sort of party, part of which involved smacking a pinata hanging from a tree.

A surprising number of Texans were out in the HEAT aerobicizing. But, not wimpy me. I was under shade enjoying reading. I'd tell you what book I'm reading, but it's sort of embarrassing, so I won't.

I was in need of a peaceful break because the morning had been spent virtually visiting the Texas Gulf Coast. I went to Port Aransas, but did not see the Songbird of the Gulf Coast, Alma Squillante.

The furthest south I made it was to Harlingen. Cool town with a lot of palm trees and parrots. I also like Corpus Christi. I need to move back near saltwater.

I enjoyed South Padre Island. I can see why this is where Elsie Hotpepper heads whenever she gets a hankering to find a new husband.

And then, heading back north, almost to Galveston, I visited the Brazosport Area, where good fishing and beaches can be found, but I caught none and did no swimming.

I did have a really good swim really early this morning though. And likely will have another one tomorrow morning on the first day of August.

Getting HOT On The Last Day Of July In Texas While Thinking About Deception Pass

We are looking down at my pool, from my patio, in the picture. As you can see the sun has not yet arrived on this last day of July. I think I'll head down to the pool in a bit for a moonlit skinnydip.

We are scheduled to hit 101 today in the temperature department. But right now, before the sun shows up to heat up the place, it is only 80, so I've got my windows open and cooling this place.

If I were up in my old home state of Washington today I would be heading out to Whidbey Island to Deception Pass State Park for the picnic party celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the opening of Deception Pass Bridge.

Deception Pass State Park was my Tandy Hills when I lived in Washington, either hiking from Rosario to the lighthouse or parking by the bridge and hiking up Goose Rock. Great hiking with great scenery the likes of which I've not found in Texas.

I hear the birds starting up their morning salute to the arrival of the sun. It's like each morning they are so surprised that the sun has shown up again that they burst into a chirping celebratory cacophony.

It's time to go join the birds and chirp at the sun while I swim.

Getting Hot Adding Balls To The Tandy Hills Shrine On Top Of Mount Tandy

The Tandy Shrine at the top of Mount Tandy in the shadow of the Fort Worth Space Needle continues to grow. It is now way larger than the original Tandy Shrine, at maybe, currently, 50 feet long.

Today I saw a pile of golf balls artfully arranged at the west end of the Tandy Shrine. A long line of rocks leads to the artfully arranged golf balls that sit right at the east entry to the Tandy Hills Natural Area, under the cable gate.

I am guessing that there is some clever symbolism regarding the rocks and the golf balls that escapes my limited imagination.

And that I may have ruined the clever symbolism, today, when I added another pile of golf balls, putting the pile on top of a disk golfing disk.

I don't know what was different about today than yesterday and the day before yesterday, but today I was in the mood to get really HOT and reap the salubrious benefits of enjoying the Tandy Hills Sauna/Steambath.

I got what I wanted, oozing what seemed like gallons of water, but was likely not as voluminous as it seemed.

Tomorrow we are scheduled to heat up to 101. I don't know if I'll be in the mood for the Tandy Hills Sauna/Steambath tomorrow.

The Last Friday Of July With A Moon For The Misbegotten In Texas

What does "Moon for the Misbegotten" mean, I found myself wondering when I stepped out on my patio, under cover of semi-darkness, and saw a piece of the formerly full moon hanging over head, on this, the last Friday of July of 2010.

We are scheduled to be HOT here today in my zone of North Texas. Currently it is only 78, so my windows are open.

I hear nary a bird chirping or a cicada cicadaing this morning. It is sort of an eerie quiet. It is dead calm out there with the only noise being the splashing of water from the pool fountain and vehicular noise coming from the I-820 freeway.

I fear this strange silence portends for a possibly odder than the norm day.

So, I think I'll go swimming and enjoy the peace and quiet.

Are We Finally Going To Have Some 100 Degree Days In Texas

I did not know the forecast had changed from incoming isolated rainstorms, with a slight chance of thunder, to no clouds, nothing but sun, for the next 7 days.

With the air finally warming up to over 100 starting on Saturday.

My power bill tripled this month. Due to, I assume, the A/C running. I suspect the next power bill will take another leap upwards.

Heavy Drinking While Hiking Heavy Thinking About Escaping Texas

I did not feel like overheating today. So, with the temperature being 91.3, with a Heat Index of 94, and not a lot of wind, I opted out of hiking the Tandy Hills and opted, instead, for the shady trails at Village Creek Natural Historic Area.

In the picture it looks like I'm talking on the phone. But what I am actually doing is imbibing in my drinking problem of consuming copious amounts of water, all day long and into the night.

I don't know how many gallons I'm drinking daily.

The only animal I saw today, while walking in Village Creek Natural Historic Area, was one squirrel. I saw a few dead cicadas. I heard birds, but saw none.

Formerly, Village Creek Natural Historic Area was the site of my most snake sightings. And my one and only gar fish encounter. Numerous armadillos. One bobcat. And an elderly lady in a mu mu who claimed to have had a cougar encounter.

Does it not look peaceful, cool and serene under the canopy of the Village Creek trees? The tweeting of unseen birds can be a bit unsettling and spooky. This was a killing zone. Who knows what, and how many, tortured spirits lurk about in the trees.

Betty Jo Bouvier, the Wild Woman of Woolley, told me today that I need to have some fun and get out of my routine. That it would be good for me.

Betty Jo is sort of right. It has been 2 years since I have been out of Texas. Two years. This is the longest I have gone without a Texas break.

I can't even remember the last time I was outside the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex zone. Maybe it was the last time I left Texas, 2 years ago.

I don't know what has gone wrong with me. I seem to stay within about a 20 mile radius, with some unseen force field stopping me from going further.

Maybe I am escaping during sleepwalking episodes. I have made note, of late, of unexplained miles being added to my odometer.

I'll have to ask my therapist, Dr. L.C., what she thinks about my routine issues. I suspect she'll just tell me to go do some saloon hopping with Elsie Hotpepper.