Sushi & Squirrels At Village Creek Natural Historic Area

No, that is not my bike sitting out on my patio. It is my bike sitting on the patio overlook on the Village Creek Pond.

The Village Creek Pond rose above the railing in the recent flood, leaving behind a lot of grassy debris stuck in the railings, some of which is of the vine sort that has now sprouted pink flowers.

Yes, I know, I went on a sunset bike ride last night at River Legacy Park. Why would I be back on my bike again today?

Well, the past three days I have spent a lot of time in Austin. Every once in awhile I need a break. So, today, at noon, the break was biking at Village Creek Natural Historic Area and the Pioneer Trail of the Bob Findlay Linear Park.

There was a surprising number of bikers biking today.

The only animals I saw, besides humans, were one turtle in the Village Creek Pond and one very squirrely squirrel that waited til the last second to make a dart for my bike's front wheel. I've decided to stop trying to avoid hitting the little monsters, because that is going to cause me a bike wreck. So far I have not ridden over one, but today was close.

Currently I am in I am stuffed with sushi mode. The sushi I got at Town Talk yesterday turned out to be about the tastiest sushi I remember tasting. But. There was way too much of it.

I may have to go on a sunset hike on the Tandy Hills tonight to work off this load of sushi. In the meantime I think I am going to San Antonio.

Early Sunday Morning In Texas With No Fireflies

As you can see, via the view from my patio, I am up way before the sun, for the first time in several days, this Sunday of September 19 in Texas.

I don't know what got me up so early this morning, particularly since I was up til past midnight.

I was pedaling in River Legacy Park last night when the sun made its exit, but I saw nary a single firefly. Maybe firefly season is over.

I have only seen fireflies on two occasions. Once at River Legacy Park and once at Concert in the Gardens in the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens. The night I went to Concert in the Gardens the theme was Star Wars. The fireflies fit the theme perfectly.

I have been told that fireflies fly above the Tandy Hills when the sun goes down. But, I have never been on the Tandy Hills when the sun goes down. Maybe today I will experience that.

I hear the birds starting up their morning meet and greet with the sun. Annoying little chirpers. This indicates I will be pool bound shortly. After the sun lights up the place.

A River Legacy Park Sunset With Bugs & Floods

At about the point where the 4 mile marker is, on the paved trail at River Legacy Park, I glanced to my left and saw the sun sitting on top of the tree line, on its final fall into sunset mode.

When I saw the sun, almost the entire globe was still above the tree line. The sun sets so fast in these parts that by the time I got the camera out and aimed, the sun had almost totally fallen behind the trees. I think no more than 15 seconds could have passed, maybe 20. That is one fast setting sun.

I was a bit disappointed in River Legacy Park tonight. Usually on Saturday evening the park is real busy, BBQs making for good smells, groups having parties. And often a wedding in the park pavilion. But, tonight there were not a lot of people. And no wedding.

Maybe people abandoned the park due to the annoying swarms of no-see-um teeny flies that hit me like a swat in the face, time and again, tonight, as I did my pedaling. I have been assaulted by these annoying insects previously. But why tonight? This is their first appearance at River Legacy Park since I've been back biking there.

I started off my pedaling tonight by heading out on the trail that leads to the west. Prior to the new trail being opened, a few years back, with the new bridge across the Trinity and miles of new trail, I used to bike and roller blade this section of trail frequently.

I thought I'd check it out and maybe see how the west end of the mountain bike trail is doing, as that is easily accessed from the west terminus of the paved trail.

Well, as you can see in the picture, I was thwarted in my attempt to pedal to the west end of the River Legacy Park Trail by water still being over the trail. The mountain bike trails are just to the south of this section of paved trail. This does not bode well for the mountain bike trails. It'll be a long long time before they are back in pedal mode.

So, that has been my exciting Saturday night, so far. A beautiful sunset, a bike ride. And a lot of bugs.

Yet One More Trek Down The Tandy Highway With Sushi & Survivor

In the picture we are looking north on the Tandy Highway, deep in the Tandy Hills Natural Area.

Yes, I know I was on the Tandy Hills last night. Being back again at noon the next day does seem a bit excessive. But, I had need for some peaceful solitude and aerobic stimulation. And nothing provides both quite as well as the Tandy Hills, that is within a short distance from my abode.

Last night the temperature was much more pleasant than I'd experienced on the Tandy Hills for quite some time. It had me thinking I might need to re-think when I schedule my hiking.

Today, at noon, it was 85, with direct sun overhead, making it feel warmer than last night's 92. The 85 may have felt hotter than last night's 92, but there was a good breeze today and sort of the sensation of a chill in the air. Very nice.

After I was done with the hills I headed to Town Talk.

Saturday is my favorite Town Talk day. It's busy and there seems to be a good chance that something randomly good will show up. That was the case today. Something was in the Town Talk cooler that I never would have thought I would see at Town Talk.

Sushi.

And people were grabbing up the sushi, many expressing surprise at finding sushi while doing their Town Talk treasure hunting.

That's my Town Talk Sushi Delights in the picture. 40 pieces of assorted California Rolls, Shrimp Rolls, Tempura Rolls and Shrimp Nigiri, with Wasabi, Pickled Ginger, Soy Sauce and something called Sweet Sauce.

I used to get a big platter of sushi like this in Washington Costcos. I've not seen sushi in a Texas Costco.

I would have had the sushi for lunch, but I'd already baked Cornish Game Hens and made mashed spuds. Sushi tomorrow.

While eating lunch today I turned on the TV and learned something new that I did not know my TV did. I had not realized the new Survivor started up this week. I knew it had moved to Wednesday night, but my DVR somehow did not get the memo and did not record it.

No big loss. If I really wanted to watch it I could watch it online, I thought.

When I turned on the TV and clicked the DVR to switch to my "Favorites" list I saw "Video on Demand." I'd looked at that before, but not too much. This time I saw something that made me click it. Next thing I knew I was in the Network shows on demand part. I got to CBS and there it was.

Survivor.

And so I watched Survivor during lunch. How does this type thing work? I don't get it. AT & T's U-Verse DVR thing somehow can send a TV show to one random TV set? I also don't get how this works on the computer. It seems as if it'd be such a bandwidth hog.

I try not to ponder too long on things I know I'll never understand. This is why I don't get headaches.

That and excessive exercise. As in, I think I'm going to go on a sunset bike ride at River Legacy Park tonight. Saturday night is the funnest night at that park. Lots of people. And if I am lucky a wedding will be taking place in the pavilion. Ask yourself what type of person would have a wedding at a place where the restroom facilities are a pair of outhouses and you'll get why River Legacy weddings can have an amusement factor.

Up Late September 18 Thinking About Gar The Texan's New Wife Search

I think it is 3 days in a row now that the sun is getting up before me.

I think this directly correlates to my new habit of viewing the sun setting whilst being aerobically stimulated. I like my new habit.

But, I do not like waking up after the sun does.

More than one person has asked me what's become of the Queen of Wink.

Well, the Queen of Wink is fine, but she has had to concentrate on her realm, which has left little time to be on the computer.

As for Gar the Texan. Okay, okay, no one has asked about Gar the Texan.

So, Gar the Texan is taking off for Germany tomorrow, staying in Europe for over a month, doing an intensive hunt to find a new wife.

I am assuming Germany is just the base of the wife search operation and that the actual search will take place in other countries. It seems to me, and I have done extensive thinking on this subject, knowing as I did, that a German was not a good match for Gar the Texan's extremely quirky personality, that an Italian, Spanish, Dutch or Swedish wife might work.

It will be interesting to see what Gar the Texan brings back with him from Europe this time.

In the meantime, I am going swimming.

Early Evening On The Cool Tandy Hills In Not So Cool Fort Worth

This new in the evening sunset activity kick I am on is sort of addictively fun. I got aerobic in bi-pedal mode earlier today. And before that I got aerobic in water immersion mode. Since I'd already been in bi-pedal mode today, that ruled out biking tonight out of Gateway Park or River Legacy Park.

That left the Tandy Hills as the natural choice for some sunset evening activity.

You are looking at the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth, in the picture, sitting under what looks like a hydrogen bomb exploding. I am fairly certain no hydrogen bomb was exploding over Fort Worth, rather hydrogen explosions on the sun were creating a big lighting effect over Fort Worth.

I have to say, hiking the Tandy Hills in the evening at 90 degrees is way cooler than hiking the Tandy Hills at noon at 85 degrees. Lots of shade. No blaring sun overhead. A strong breeze.

I was startled, on Lost Sunglasses Ridge, to hear auditory noises behind me. It was s human warning me that he was coming up behind me. A jogger. Guys jog on the Tandy Hills in the evening. I think I have seen that before, years ago.

In previous times I was not so rigid with my hiking schedule. I am working on loosening up my rigidity.

I started my sunset Tandy Hills Hike from the top of Mount Tandy, under the long shadow of the Fort Worth Space Needle.

The first thing one sees as one enters the Tandy Natural Zone is the Tandy Hills Shrine. Which, as you can see, is getting quite elaborately detailed. I added an element tonight, but felt at risk of upsetting the delicate balance.

I have so discombobulated my hiking and biking regimen, I have no idea what I am going to do on Saturday. I am sure it will all sort itself out.

Pedaling Across Arlington's Village Creek Then Seeing More Fort Worth Homeless People Suffering Without Sidewalks

The City of Arlington park crews are very efficient. Last night I learned that, except for the mountain bike trail, you'd hardly know River Legacy Park had been flooded a week ago.

Today I decided to head to Village Creek Natural Historic Area in Arlington to see if the efficient City of Arlington park crews had been equally efficient with that park.

They had.

I was amazed to be able to see how high the flood reached and how much of the park had been under water.

A couple days ago I showed you the view in the picture with some water still flowing over the dam/bridge and with a thick layer of mud covering the paved trail. Today, as you can see, the mud is gone, the dam/bridge is back being a dam/bridge.

A few days before I showed you the mud left by the receding flood, I showed you the actual flood. Had I been standing then, where I was standing today, to take a picture, I would have been in the process of drowning.

For the second time in 2 weeks I have been pedaling along the Pioneer Trail of the Bob Finlay Linear Park, in Interlochen, and someone stops me to ask for directions. This time it was a guy trying to find his way back to Division Street. There are basically 2 ways in and out of Interlochen. I can see how someone might get lost in the maze of streets and canals.

Last night I had an armadillo encounter at River Legacy. Today I had one by Village Creek. Both times I was not fast enough drawing the camera to aim and shoot a picture, before the critter escaped from my view.

What is speeding up the armadillos? My previous experiences with those cute little beasts have had them being very cooperative photo subjects.

On my way back from Village Creek Natural Historic Area I was heading north on Bridgewood Drive, by the Family Dollar store, when I saw a pair of what appeared to be homeless people trudging up the hill, a middle age woman pushing a cart with her possessions. Her equally middle-aged male companion carrying what looked like a knapsack. Or hobo bag.

This presented a duo photo documentary opportunity. A photo showing both Fort Worth homeless people and the lack of a Fort Worth sidewalk.

Now, this is no isolated in the middle of nowhere location. Family Dollar was across the street. Dollar General was ahead of them. And Krogers.

Yes, you in the civilized parts of America reading this, in Fort Worth, Texas there are grocery stores, in heavily populated neighborhoods, with no sidewalks for residents to use to walk to the grocery store.

Over the years walkers have worn a dirt path leading to Krogers. And another one on the other side of the sidewalk-less street. The pair of homeless people were not using the dirt path, I assume because it was easier to roll the cart on the street.

Now, I don't know what happened to me, but as soon as I had an impulse to pull into the Family Dollar parking lot to snap a picture of the homeless/sidewalkless pair, I had some sort of pang of conscience, thinking that would not be right to do, even though the photo would be from behind them, no faces shown.

I don't know what caused this sudden failing of my usual instincts. Maybe my brain is being over oxygenated by too much bike riding.

Does anyone know how many homeless people there are out on the mean streets of Fort Worth?

Up After The Sun September 17 With An Offer To Help With My Bad Grammar

It is the morning of September 17 and, as you can see from the view from my bedroom window, I am up after the sun.

I'm thinking these sunset bike rides I've been going on have me sleeping real good. Way too good.

This morning looking at my Feedburner stats I see that this very blog you are reading has lost about half its subscribers over night.

How does that happen?

Yesterday it was something like 555 subscribers. This morning there are 274 subscribers.

I actually do not understand the whole subscribe to a blog thing. If you like a blog why would you simply not just add it as a bookmark? Why would you subscribe to it? I think I need to get Feeds for Dummies. I recollect that Blogging for Dummies was a big help to me.

Speaking of helping me. As is common knowledge, I am severely challenged in the writing department, what with my bad grammar, bad spelling and poor sentence structure.

Well, this guy named Griff Gregory was looking for info about the movie, The Last Picture Show, and he came upon my webpage about Archer City. Griff says he'll be happy to edit my verbiage. I don't know when I have been so touched by such a kind offer.

Here is what Griff had to say....

I ran across your site when looking for information on The Last Picture Show.

The verbiage on the page needs a good edit. I’d be happy to clean it up for you if you wish. Otherwise, when one goes to read your writing, it is diminished by the poor grammar, run-on sentences, etc.

I’m not trying to insult you, but rather to say I’d be happy to edit it for you.

As for the pictures, thank you for posting them. They truly portray the town at least as it is portrayed in the movie.

Best wishes,

Griff Gregory

I probably need to see what I wrote on that webpage. It was written a long, long time ago.

Sunset At River Legacy Park With Armadillos, Flat Tires & No Homeless People

I am back from my sunset bike ride at River Legacy Park.

I saw some remnants of the flood, mostly some dried mud on the pavement, but other than that, and the closed mountain bike trail, River Legacy Park is back up and running.

With an awful lot of people back up and running and blading and biking and walking.

The soccer field, that a week ago was under several feet of water, tonight had dozens of feet on top of it playing soccer.

I have never seen so many bikes on the River Legacy paved trail. It felt congested at times.

I liked it.

Unlike the Trinity Trails in Fort Worth, tonight I saw no apparent homeless people on the River Legacy Trails.

I was not able to get good sunset pictures tonight, not like I was able to while pedaling the Trinity Trails the past couple nights. Why? I am not sure. It might have something to do with way more trees interfering with a direct shot.

I did not see a single firefly. But, I did have an armadillo encounter of the very quick kind, so quick, he or she, was gone before I could get my camera aimed at it. I was glad to see the little guy or girl had survived the flood.

A hapless soul had a flat at about the 6 mile mark. I saw him trying to fix it on my way out. On the way back I passed him walking his bike. So, I slowed to pedal beside the guy and empathize with his pain. I had to walk my bike out from that location once, in 100 plus degree heat. I called for rescue and was met at Collins Street. This guy had it way better, due to it being way cooler. Like barely 90.

There were a surprising number of solo bikers of the fit female persuasion tonight.

I tell you. A small, yet significant, percentage of Texans are getting themselves in shape. Did I mention River Legacy Park is in Arlington, one of the towns at the top of the Men's Health list of towns being way too busy with adult procreative activities? It helps to be in good shape for such things. I think Arlington is aiming to be near the top of the Men's Health upcoming list of the Fittest Towns in America.

I am trying to do my part. Even though I live in Fort Worth. Where it is pretty hopeless to get on any sort of most fit list.

Hoping To Take A Sunset Bike Ride At River Legacy Park, But Not On The Mountain Bike Trails

You are looking at a flooded River Legacy Park the time previous to the most recent flooding. The most recent flooding was worse than the previous one.

I learned today that the water has receded enough to re-open the park to pedaling on the paved trails.

Which I think I will do in a couple hours.

I also learned today, via a report from Glenn, on the DORBA (Dallas Off Road Bicycle Association) website, that the damage to the mountain bike trail is extensive. Some flooding may need to be pumped out, some areas have been totally altered, some basically destroyed.

A lot of work has gone into making the River Legacy Park Mountain Bike Trail. All voluntary. I believe the work to repair the trail starts this weekend.

The second picture is also from the last flood. The Trinity pushed hard against the new, at that time, pedestrian/bike bridge across the river. But the bridge held. I am assuming the bridge held up against the most recent flood, as well.

It will be interesting to see what I am going to see on my sunset ride tonight. I hope I see at least one firefly.

Below is Glenn's report, of the areas he was able to assess, of the damage to the River Legacy Park Mountain Bike Trail....

Well, I was able to navigate about two and a half miles of the trail today. So here is your Tuesday update.

The creek crossing bridge is out but was retained by the chain.

The old original drops through the creek bed are seriously muddy and silted but have no significant erosion.

EKG is off line completely. Even the bypass is seriously muddy. The climb to the top of the ridge that drops into the EKG exit is eroded and obstructed.

The EKG entrance is a total bog with water more than a foot deep. The EKG exit is totally blocked. I don't know about the rest of the loop.

The bridge into South loop appears to be undercut and the waterline in the adjacent undergrowth indicates that the water was four to five feet over the bridge.

The concrete crossing that served as the South Loop exit is gone.

The trail from south loop up and over Ricks Ridge is not eroded but is littered with tree falls, rubble and debris.

Starting about 100 yards from the top of the ridge the trail is a running water path and was impassable.

On the inbound side there is standing water beginning about two hundred yards west of the evacuation road. with various obstructions along the way.

The Tree Bridge Loop (noted for the wooden ramp over a large tree) is totally blocked on the entrance side, the ramp and associated tree, have been moved down trail and are now out of line with the trail. The exit to this loop is also mostly blocked.

The trail from the Tree Bridge loop back to the Majestic Oak Corner is in good shape but with much debris to be moved.

Oak that has has it's roots undercut and is leaning at a sharp angle over the trail. I doubt that it will make it until the Workday.

The Majestic Oak Corner is a wreck. Totally blocked on the entrance side and a mess on the exit.

Gordon's loop is partially blocked at the entrance and is a deep pond at the back with the trail being totally under water for some distance.

It appears that the water was at least briefly, several feet deep in the parking lot and across the entrance and exits to the trail. The Kiosk shows signs that the water got as high as the bottom of the posting box (i hope i kept copies of that stuff). There are large trees that have floated into the picnic table area, and the water line in the adjacent underbrush indicated significantly high water completely across the lot.

What I don't know....

I suspect, but don't know, that the Prairie Loop is a muddy mess for now with some sections in the west end likely under water.

I am told that some sections of North Loop may be part of a small lake that has formed and according to Parks Mgr. Armando may have to be pumped out.

Glenn