Up Late On The Last Day Of September In Texas

Looking out my bedroom window with me you can see I am up after the sun on this, the last day of September of 2010.

I overdid the bike riding last night, pedaling more miles than I had intended, which had me staying up late, watching Survivor and Hell's Kitchen.

With Hell's Kitchen over stimulating me due to all the shouting, with the over stimulation having me reading til the sleep impulse kicked in, some time well after midnight.

I have only blogged 1 of the 3 pieces of blogging fodder I acquired on last night's bike ride. I will try and get to the other 2 this morning.

In the meantime I am not going swimming this morning. Cutting the swimming will get me back some of the time I lost by not getting up at my usual early hour.

I do believe I will escape from here some time around noon to hike on the Tandy Hills. They should be dried out by now. I hope.

Trinity Falls Dries Up And Spawns A Potentially Dangerous Whirlpool

I saw something on Northside Drive yesterday that caused me to want to ride my bike, tonight, from Gateway Park to get some pictures. Well, I got way more than I intended. I am not referring to pictures, I am referring to blogging material.

The thing I went to check out on Northside Drive will have to wait til tomorrow to be blogged about. Along with another thing I came upon tonight that thoroughly disturbed and disgusted me. No, it was not an increase in the number of Homeless People. It was something worse. As in an unwanted dosing with Trinity River water.

The thing I am blogging about right now, that I saw on tonight's bike ride, was profoundly disturbing.

As you can see in the above picture the falls over Trinity Falls, outside Gateway Park, is no longer falling. The Trinity River has fallen so low that the river is now flowing through a channel under the dam/bridge.

No big deal. That is what you are thinking, aren't you?

Well, look at the next picture and think some more.

A very big, very noisy whirlpool forms when the Trinity River runs low at this location. This impoundment of the Trinity River is used as a boating location, with a boat launch tethered on the north side of the dam.

Recently the Trinity River Vision, in conspiracy with the Tarrant Regional Water District, has been leading people to believe that it is safe and sane to go inner tubing, and swimming, in the Trinity River.

A few years ago Fort Worth suffered a horrible tragedy when 4 people drowned in the Whirlpool feature at the Fort Worth Water Gardens. Fixing this problem, and paying for resulting lawsuits, cost Fort Worth a lot of money.

In the aftermath, in a bizarre overreaction, Fort Worth's swimming pools, like those in apartment complexes, were forced, by the city, to do totally unnecessary alterations to their water circulating systems, to supposedly prevent similar tragedies to what occurred in the Water Gardens.

Meanwhile, in the Trinity River, it being a river now in competition with the Guadalupe and San Marcos River as a destination inner tubing venue, there is a HUGE WHIRLPOOL swirling. I suspect each of the Trinity River dam/bridges have similar HUGE WHIRLPOOLs swirling during this low water period.

Somehow that whirlpool I saw swirling tonight seems way more dangerous than anything I've seen swirling in any Fort Worth swimming pool.

This is very perplexing to me.

In Texas Dipping In To Chilly Water On The Next To Last Day Of September

Morning of the next to the last day of September, 2010, dawns bright and semi-chilly at 60 degrees.

I heard from the outgoing Washingtonians last night as they made Amarillo by evening. They did not eat the 72 ounce steak at the Big Texan Steak Ranch.

And now I've heard from Amarillo this morning as the outgoing Washingtonians head out of Texas heading into a bright red morning sky.

I watched a smart phone demonstration yesterday that has me now seeing why I might want one. Previously I thought a smart phone seemed like a lot of bother.

Yesterday, when I left Mercado Juarez, I headed west on Northside Drive, wanting to see if I could make sense of something I saw the day previous while biking the Trinity Trails. My curiosity was more than satisfied by what I saw. It will require another bike ride on which I hope to get some good pictures.

In the meantime I am going swimming in some chilly water.

Incoming Washingtonians Having A Fine Time Getting Lost In Fort Worth Looking For Mexican Food

It was like a leg of The Amazing Race, trying to follow route directions, but getting hopelessly lost, for the pair of Washingtonians navigating to meet me for lunch at Mercado Juarez, in Fort Worth, today.

Relying on their phone-based GPS location locator, the address for Mercado Juarez was entered. The incoming Washingtonians were on I-287, heading north.

The GPS should have told them to continue on 287/35, exit at Northside Drive, and head west 1/4 mile to Mercado Juarez.

Instead, the GPS had the Washingtonians exiting from 287 on to Commerce, heading in to downtown Fort Worth, then taking a right on Main Street, heading north to take a right on Northside Drive.

Mercado Juarez is a bit hidden by trees when you come at it from the west. So, the pair of Washingtonians drove right past where they were to meet me, continued on, under the freeway, which should have been their exit zone and then proceeded to head east, into a Fort Worth neighborhood.

I was then called, just as I was exiting 35, on to Northside Drive. From what I was initially told, I thought they were to the west, so I said I'd head towards them. But, as I kept getting more information, I was totally confused as to where they could be.

I was told they'd driven under 287. Huh? In my mind, that had them far north, forgetting that at the Northside Drive location the freeway is 35/287, til 287 splits off and heads towards Amarillo.

When I realized what was meant by 287, I realized they were east of the freeway. I told them to head back to the freeway, that I was coming towards them. I was barely under the freeway when the Washingtonians came into view. I then followed them to the Mercado Juarez parking lot.

All in all, it was a great episode of mis-direction.

It was great seeing the Washingtonians. I'd not seen them in a long time. Both were looking very good. We had a great lunch and fun visit. And then it was time for them to program their GPS to try and guide them to Amarillo. I gave some verbal directions and hoped that that helped.

Like many Washingtonians, this pair takes their boat with them wherever they go. Texas was no exception to that rule.

Due to their traveling incognito, I did not want to take a picture of the Washingtonians. But I did snap a picture of them pulling back on to Northside Drive, on their way to 287/35.

When I was a Washingtonian I never pulled my boat behind me. My boat was an inflatable raft.

Woke Up By Audio Ads & Computer Woes So I Went Swimming

I was up way before the sun this morning. I did not get around to taking a picture of the morning view from my patio til well after the sun lit up the place.

The past 3 days I've been plagued by a bizarre computer invasion where random audio ads interrupt what I am doing. Ironically, I have only recently been running anti-virus software and now that I am, this is the first seriously annoying thing I've had to deal with.

Last night the audio ad woke me up at 1 in the morning. I shut the laptop lid to kill it. When I woke up the computer this morning it went into non-stop ad mode. Researching the woe, yesterday, I knew to look at what processes were using up the CPU. I saw explore.exe was the culprit. Killed it. Killed the ad.

I then ran two scans, one of Malaware Bytes and one of Microsoft Security Essentials. MSE found something called FakeYak. Malaware Bytes found two other bad things. Just yesterday neither found anything.

So far, all is working well. But, I don't trust it.

I just heard from my incoming Washingtonians. They have made it through Houston's morning traffic and are heading north on I-45. Expected arrival a bit before noon. We'll see how that works out.

While my computer was being scanned I went swimming. The water temperature has dropped significantly in the past couple days. I'm finding it hard to believe I get in that water all through the winter. But, I have photo evidence indicating I have done so.

Biking Fort Worth's Trinity Trail With Homeless People And Water Pumpers

I took a sunset bike ride out of Gateway Park tonight, on to the Trinity Trail. It was quite a bit chillier than the last time I pedaled the Trinity Trail. In the picture above I'm at the end of tonight's bike ride, standing on the dam/bridge that makes Trinity Falls, looking west, under the Beach Street Bridge, across the Trinity River, at the Fort Worth Mixmaster.

Before I saw the sun set I pedaled west about 6 or 7 miles. At one point I was surprised to see big trucks ahead. They left a cloud of obnoxious dust as they cockroached out of sight. And then I came upon part of what the occupants of the trucks were working on. A big new water sucking operation on the Trinity River. The biggest water sucking pipes I've seen yet. That is the pump below.

Practically every day I am annoyed by a billboard admonishing me to save water by getting a water saving toilet. Do all the water wasting toilets in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex "waste" as much water in a year as these water sucking operations "waste" in a day?

I pedaled under the I-35 bridge, across the Trinity, for another half mile or so. I wanted to take a picture, if I could, of the Mercado Juarez Cafe on the north side of the river. I found no vantage point that afforded the opportunity to take a good picture, this was the best I could do, with the Mercado Juarez being the white building, on the left, surrounded by trees. I am currently scheduled to meet a pair of incoming Washingtonians at the Mercado Juarez tomorrow. I had been erroneously informed that this was to take place today.

A short distance past where I took the picture of Mercado Juarez I came to a surprise. The Trinity Trail is being upgraded, with new cement. It does not seem all that long ago that the current trail was opened. A cement trail will be an improvement. I could not figure out how the detour worked, up over the levee, or what? So, I turned around.

When I turned around I saw, hovering above the Trinity River Levee, a mountain of pavement debris. I assume this mountain is made up of the old, now replaced Trinity Trail. What is it with making these type piles here? The mountain of litter where the Gateway Park trail joins the Trinity Trail is still in place, weeks after being built.

I thought I was done with this blogging. I forgot to mention tonight's homeless people. There was a group of 6 or 7 under the Riverside Drive Bridge. This was a co-ed group. They seemed quite settled in, with blankets and sleeping bags. They will need the blankets tonight.

So will I.

Gar The Texan's Birthing Trauma At Turner Falls Park In Oklahoma

I was looking on my computer for pictures of Fort Worth's I-30/I-35/I-287 Mixmaster to no avail when I came upon a folder full of pictures from Turner Falls Park.

Turner Falls Park is one of my favorite places I've been to in Texas. Only it is in Oklahoma. A short 60 miles, or so, north of the Red River border.

The crystal clear water of Honey Creek is what falls over a cliff, making Turner Falls. Turner Falls shares tallest waterfall in Oklahoma honors with a waterfall called Natural Falls. Natural Falls is in Natural Falls State Park in the Ozark Mountains part of Oklahoma.

In Turner Falls Park you will find the aforementioned waterfall and crystal clear creek. You will also find the remains of a castle, some caves, some cliffs to climb on, trails to hike and cabins and campsites to stay in.

In the picture, above, you are looking at Gar the Texan trying to relive his birthing trauma by climbing through a hole in one of the Turner Falls caves. I do not remember if Gar the Texan got stuck, or if he successfully birthed himself from the cave. I do remember being very surprised that Gar the Texan was being so adventurous, at great heights, with nary a sign of a case of the vapors.

Wildflower Wildscapes & Snake Skin At Arlington's Veterans Park

A few days ago I made note of the fact that, apparently, Fort Worth is no longer mowing the grass in some of its parks, Oakland Lake Park, for instance, which, unless it has been cut today, is currently a weedy hayfield.

Village Creek Natural Historic Area is still closed due to flooding. My fall back park, today, was Veterans Park in Arlington. One would think, looking at the picture above, that Arlington has joined Fort Worth in not mowing its park grass.

Well, one would be wrong to think that. What we are looking at is a large section of the open grassy area that is being left to vegetate in its natural state, which today meant a lot of flowers on vines.

Veterans Park has an area called "Wildscape." It is a very well done, wooded zone, with a maze of trails, creeks, thick with trees and foliage. And plenty of benches and a gazebo, or two, to enjoy the cool shade. If you live within easy striking distance of Veterans Park, in Arlington, you really owe it to yourself to give it a walk through.

And, if you have your own yard to tend, you can get a lot of good ideas, in the adjacent Xeriscape, of how to grow plants native to Texas that use much less water than some of the plants you might buy in a nursery.

I am a bit of a snake-a-phobe. I have never seen a snake in Veterans Park. But, today, while walking in the Wildscape, I was crossing the creek and looked down to see a thick, long snake skin in the water. I assume the skin did not travel far from its owner, and that owner was likely still in the neighborhood.

But, I really did not feel in too great of snake danger, due to the fact the cool temperatures would have a snake slithering at a greatly reduced speed.

Only 20 Degrees Above Freezing In North Texas On The Last Monday Of September

You are looking out my bedroom window at the dawn of the last Monday of September of 2010.

I had my windows open last night. Some time after midnight it got so cold I had to crawl under the blankets for the first time in months.

It is currently 52 degrees. In Seattle, right now, it is 11 degrees warmer, at 63.

It is a bit ironic, for me, that this cold front has arrived this morning, due to the fact that I have an incoming pair of Pacific Northwesterners who I had previously told to brace themselves for some HOT, humid misery when they passed through these parts.

Dallas finally won a football game, so did Seattle, so they are on track to play each other in this year's Super Bowl in Arlington. I have not bought my ticket yet.

This morning is likely going to be the first morning in a long time when getting in the pool may be a bit bracing. I will know in a few minutes, after the sun completely lights up the place.

I Am Behind Bars In Texas Again After Returning From Glen Rose & Applying To Be On The Amazing Race With The Queen Of Wink

I am back behind bars this Sunday afternoon in Texas. As you can see, laying with me on a chaise lounge, out on my patio, looking through the bars, the fog eventually lifted and a somewhat blue sky is the result.
For now.

Before the clouds finally parted, thus allowing some heating, it got down to 62. And very breezy.

Nonetheless, I needed a break from spending this morning down in Glen Rose, by Dinosaur Valley and Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, so I decided to brave the clammy cold and go on a bike ride.

First stop, Chase Bank, where I am proud to say, for the first time since Chase installed their new ATMs, I successfully deposited a check without incident.

Then it was on to Village Creek Natural Historic Area.

Closed. Due to flooding. Again. I decided against driving to River Legacy Park and finding it also closed, so for that reason, and the fact that I realized I was way under-dressed for a bike ride in such extreme chilly conditions, I aborted and came back here.

Where I learned I may be getting incoming from Washington, tomorrow, via Houston, en route to Amarillo and a date with a big steak at the Big Texas Steakhouse. If the logistics work out, I am having lunch tomorrow in the Fort Worth Stockyards with a pair of Pacific Northwesterners. That'll be nice. It has been awhile since I spoke Washington. Over 2 years. I don't know if I can speak Washington, anymore, without a Texas accent.

The latest iteration of The Amazing Race starts up tonight. The Queen of Wink and I are applying to be on The Amazing Race. The Queen will be the brains, doing anything that requires math or any other higher level thought process. While I perform, mainly, as the navigator, due to my uncanny navigational abilities. When our audition video is finished I will put it on YouTube for your viewing pleasure.