Chilled To The Bone & Starting Fires This Friday Morning In Texas

I don't know how cold it was, air temperature-wise, when I went swimming this morning. I do know, coming up on 9:30, this October 15 morning it is currently 51.

I also know that I stayed a long time in the pool this morning. Apparently this reduced my core temperature. Because, I am currently cold to my core. So much so I felt on the verge of shivering, a verge remedied by putting on a long sleeved shirt. And hooded sweatshirt. And sweatpants. And socks. And wool stocking cap.

I am starting to warm up, so I can begin to reverse this overdressing.

Getting warmer was helped by making Asparagus Soup. Somehow the melting butter to sauté onions part turned so smoky that the smoke alarm felt alarmed. I quickly got that situation under control when a paper towel began burning. Which got the smoke alarm alarmed again.

I believe I shall be going Bobcat hunting on a mountain bike at River Legacy Park. Unless I change my mind. Or catch something else on fire.

A Beautiful Fall Afternoon Hiking The Tandy Hills & Thinking About Asparagus Soup

Being on the Tandy Hills, late in the afternoon, on this particular mid-October day, you can see fall in the foliage. As well as wildflowers still blooming.

I think I may harvest some Tandy Hills oats and mill some homemade oatmeal. I'm sure that must be fairly easy to do.

You are looking north in the picture.

The trees that you see in the distance are on the other side of the I-30 freeway. Looking at this view one would not think, would one, that one is in the heart of America's 4th biggest metropolitan area, a short distance from the downtown of America's (I think) 17th biggest city.

Or that you are in the 15th Most Dangerous Neighborhood in America.

The Tandy Hills, to me, feels pretty much the opposite of dangerous. It seems safe and peaceful. Particularly on as perfect a beautiful day as today has been. Weather-wise.

Other than weather-wise this has not been a particularly beautiful day. Suffice to say I never cease to be amazed at how amazingly inept some humans can be, causing me to marvel that they can safely function well enough to make it through a day. And that these humans reproduce just gives me a shudder for the future.

On a happy note. After I was done with my salubrious Tandy Hills Hiking I went to Town Talk where I found, in addition to loaves of Marble Rye Bread, you know, the type bread Seinfeld stole from an old lady in an infamous Seinfeld episode, I found real good asparagus. I bought several bunches.

I'll be making Asparagus Soup in the morning. You are welcome to drop in for a bowl or two around noon.

My Therapist Diagnosed Me With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

I was certain I was going to be on the Tandy Hills hiking my little heart out at this point in time. But, that will have to wait til later. Lunch will need to occur before hiking can.

I had a very troubling incident occur this morning. This incident had me worrying that it was a symptom of senility or Alzheimer's. Very troubling.

I'll try and explain my sad situation.

Four weeks ago, or maybe five (symptom) the latest season of Survivor started up. I like Survivor. So, I watch it. And then I blog about what I watched, on my TV Blog.

When I went to blog about Survivor, this morning, I found that I could not remember what the first challenge was. Then I could not remember the name of who got booted.

So, I Googled "Survivor Guatemala." I clicked on the CBS link and was very confused to find myself transported back in time to 2005, when Stephanie and Bobby Jon were on Survivor. Then I clicked on the Wikipedia link. Same thing. Survivor Guatemala: Mayan Ruins, or something like that. (symptom)

I then somehow found Jeff Probst's blog about last night's Survivor. Reading his blog I had my answers. And I found something troubling.

Probst was blogging about Survivor: Nicaragua, because that is where the current Survivor takes place, not Guatemala.

So, I looked at my previous bloggings about the latest Survivor. In all of them I called it Survivor: Guatemala. Now the comments I was getting, saying variations of "It's Nicaragua" make sense to me.

I was so troubled by this serious mental lapse that I arranged an emergency visit with my therapist, Dr. L.C.

Dr. L.C. did not take too long to diagnose that I was not senile and that I did not have early onslaught of Alzheimer's.

However. Dr. L.C. did diagnose that I have something called Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Apparently I am a frenzy of activity and as a consequence of the frenzying my attention focus can wander a bit. Due to the sad fact that I can spew out verbiage at a fast pace without having to do a lot of thinking about it, I can easily overlook some obvious thing. Like typing Guatemala over and over again when I should be typing Nicaragua.

Dr. L.C. did not prescribe any medication for my ADHD. All she did to help me with my condition was to tell me to take a night off and go saloon hopping with Elsie Hotpepper on Friday night. I really do not see what good that will do regarding problems like Guatemala and Nicaragua. So, I am going to go against doctor's orders on that one and instead simply try and pay closer attention to detail.

I wonder what other whoppers of erroneousness I have floating around that I am oblivious about?

Up Early In Texas With A Chilly 48 Degrees

I decided to really be wild and mix things up this morning. Which means, though I was up before the sun and went swimming soon after the sun's arrival, I did not take a picture of the pre-dawn view and blog about it.

Instead, I am blogging about the post-dawn view from my bedroom window, looking out at another blue sky day in Texas on this, the 14th day of October.

I did not ride bike or hike yesterday, except to walk over to Miss Puerto Rico's to deliver a travel itinerary.

I will over compensate for yesterday's sloth by overdoing some Tandy Hills hiking today. The temperature should be quite conducive for pleasant hiking, with the high today supposed to only get to 76, and with it currently, at almost 9:30, only 16 degrees above freezing, at 48.

No wonder the pool was particularly refreshing this morning. It was almost cold. I guess our Heat Index days are over for the year. The Heat Index making the temperature feel hotter than what the thermometer reads. Now we are in the Wind Chill time of the year, with the wind, right now, making 48 feel like 44. Which is only 12 degrees above freezing.

I probably should close the windows and put a shirt on before I start shivering.

Delivering A Puerto Rican Itinerary While Trying To Nap & Eat A Ruby Red Grapefruit From South Texas

You are looking at the Wednesday afternoon northerly view from Miss Puerto Rico's. I have returned from delivering a printout of the itinerary of the trip to Puerto Rico, which will be several hours under way, a week from today.

I am not providing airport shuttle service. Other arrangements must be made.

I was up a bit early today again. I am constitutionally unable to take naps. For the most part. This afternoon I did have a nap impulse, but nothing came of it.

Around noon I had to be up in Southlake, so, since I was in the neighborhood, I dropped in on Sprouts Farmers Market and got 30 Ruby Red Grapefruit, among other good stuff.

Ruby Red Grapefruit comes from down in the South Texas Plains Rio Grande River Valley citrus growing zone. When you're down in the McAllen zone you can visit Eggers Acres and pick some Ruby Red Grapefruit. The Eggers Family runs a citrus market at the location where their grandpa developed the Ruby Red Grapefruit.

I had myself one of my newly acquired South Texas grown Ruby Red Grapefruit for lunch, along with a Philly Cheesesteak Pizza, BBQed Chicken and Broccoli. The Ruby Reds are one deep red-colored grapefruit. They are sweet enough that no additional sweetening is required. At least for me. I am not a fan of sweet things.

A 4.5 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Oklahoma Near Norman And Is Felt In North Texas

You are looking at the Richter Scale representation of what happened a short time after 9 this morning.

An earthquake.

Around that time I felt the earth move with that familiar vibration I experienced so many times when I lived in the Pacific Northwest.

This morning vibration was of short duration, about 10 seconds. There was none of the roaring noise I've come to associate with an earthquake.

I figured it was a passing large truck shaking the ground.

And then, a few minutes ago I heard from Elsie Hotpepper asking me if I'd felt the earth move in Fort Worth. Now, I am used to Elsie Hotpepper asking me cryptic questions, the answer to which, at times, is difficult for me to come up with.

So, I Googled "Fort Worth Earthquake" and to my great surprise I learned that at 9:06 AM, Wednesday, October 13, a 4.5 magnitude earthquake, at a depth between 3.1 and 4.4 miles, epicentered about 10 miles east of Norman, Oklahoma, 20 miles southeast of Oklahoma City, gave quite a strong jolt, felt as far away as my location in North Texas.

The biggest quake I've ever experienced was a 6.5, with me 60 or 70 miles north of the epicenter.

A couple years before I moved to Texas, where I lived in Mount Vernon went through a series of quakes of the 2 to 3 magnitude, epicentered just a couple miles east, by Big Lake. Those quakes felt real strong. They caused the windows to sort of bulge, made a real loud noise. The Big Lake Quakes cracked the ceramic tile in my kitchen. I remember, for one of them, I was laying on my waterbed. Suddenly it was like I was on the ocean in rough waves.

Usually with an earthquake there are aftershocks. So, far, I have felt none.

The Day After Columbus Day Thinking About McDonald's & The Texas Rangers Winning The World Series

I did not get up as early as yesterday's early start to Columbus Day, but I did get up well before the sun, this post-Columbus Day of October 13.

The sun should be appearing in about 20 minutes, if it has not been delayed.

I'm not a baseball fan, except sometimes. Like the year the hapless Seattle Mariners got in the playoffs. If I remember right I went to one of those games. I think they were playing the New York Yankees. I do remember, whoever the Mariners played, they beat. And that I was in the McDonald's luxury suite in the Kingdome. Being in a luxury suite made watching a baseball game much more tolerable.

I do not foresee getting to watch the Texas Rangers play in the playoffs whilst viewing from a luxury suite at the Ballpark in Arlington. I know no one who here who has a luxury suite. The Texas Rangers beat Tampa Bay last night to win their series. I don't pay close enough attention to know if this means the Texas Rangers are now in the World Series, or if they must win another playoff series to be in the World Series.

I know I could easily find the answer to precisely where the Texas Rangers are in their quest to win the World Series, but that would take at least 30 seconds to find out and right now I am more interested in going swimming.

I Biked The River Legacy Mountain Bike Trail Today With No Wrecks, Bobcats, Snakes, Alligators, Armadillos Or Wild Boars

I returned to the River Legacy Park Mountain Bike Trail today, early. My first time back since a slight mishap a week ago Sunday.

Today I avoided the quick dip that caused me a problem  a week ago Sunday.

I have never been a fall off a horse and get right back on type of guy. I'm more of a fall off a horse and realize horse riding is not for me type of guy.

There are several new sections of trail. The trails have gotten to be such a maze of options and bypasses. This new section eventually has a RED and a BLUE option. To me RED means it is for a guy under 30 who thinks hitting the ground hard is fun. I take the BLUE option.

I don't know that I've seen anywhere in River Legacy where it indicates a RED marker means more challenging and BLUE means easy. Maybe RED means only Republicans go that way, while BLUE is the Democrat route. Which pretty much means I'm making the right choice, either way.

The ponds left behind by the Hurricane Hermine flooding are something I am not used to whilst biking the River Legacy Trails. At times the trail is very close to one of these new water features. These new water features are now covered with an extremely green growth, which you can sort of see in the picture above. That is the trail passing close to the green pond on the left.

There are a few locations where one is suddenly upon a green pond. I can see where it could happen that one could find oneself suddenly out of control and in a green pond. Who knows what is lurking in these green ponds? I heard splashing.

But, I saw no critters today, except for humans. Several of that species. No bobcats. No alligators. No snakes. No armadillos. No wild boars.

It was very peaceful pedaling in the River Legacy forest today.

However, the leaves are beginning to fall. When the leaves fall they do not go gently to the ground. Texas must grow heavy leaves. The leaves falling make a noise. At times it is a bit startling. Like a footstep. Or cougar/panther/mountain lion prowl.

Perfect temperature. Mid 70s.

Up Early Celebrating Columbus Day In Texas By Going Swimming

I am up way too early this morning of October 12.

Was yesterday, with yesterday being Monday, Columbus Day? Even though today, October 12, in 1492, was the day Columbus landed somewhere in the Americas and began spreading European diseases to the natives.

When I went to take a picture of the way before dawn view from the patio, I was spinning the dial on my camera and it went into a mode I'd not seen before. I spun the dial some more and settings appeared I'd not seen before. I chose 'superfine' not knowing what it meant.

When I took the picture off the camera it appeared way sharper than previous ISO setting pictures taken in the dark. I really should read the manual that came with the camera. It will be interesting to see what 'superfine' does to pictures taken with the sun providing illumination.

I think I'll go mountain biking at River Legacy Park today and hunt for bobcats and wild boars. I suspect this is going to be a very long day.

Maybe I will go swimming before the sun arrives. I have not done that in awhile. It is sort of warm out there, at 63 degrees at a quarter before 6.

A Bobcat & Her Baby Playing At River Legacy Park

That is a mama bobcat and her kitty baby in the picture, frolicking last Wednesday at River Legacy Park in Arlington.

No. I did not see this pair frolicking. An NBCDFW photo journalist was shooting video of the nice weather when he saw the bobcats playing, with the bobcats oblivious to people walking by, with the people walking by oblivious to the cats playing. Except for the photo journalist taking the video.

It was Elsie Hotpepper who sent me the URL with the Video of the River Legacy Park Bobcats Frolicking.

I have had many bobcat encounters in River Legacy Park. In the first encounter I was sure I was about to be mauled in cougar-like fashion. At that point in time I did not know bobcats are harmless to humans. My nervousness, at that first encounter, was enhanced due to their being reports, around that time, of cougar/panther/mountain lion spottings along the Trinity River, including the infamous Mu Mu Lady cougar/panther/mountain lion encounter in Village Creek Natural Historic Area.

My first bobcat encounter occurred on the River Legacy Mountain Bike Trail. I turned tail and went the wrong way on the one-way trail so I could warn humanity as quickly as possible of the danger that lurked on the trail. When I found a park ranger she was amused to tell me the bobcats are harmless.

I had another encounter soon after my first. This time I was roller blading. The bobcat was walking on the trail. I slowed down, got out my camera and slowly bladed behind the lollygagging bobcat snapping pictures.

A year or two later I had another encounter with a bobcat. This time was also on the mountain bike trail. I'd gotten a flat and was taking a short cut back to civilization when I saw a big bobcat laying in the shade of a big bush. We stared at each other for awhile. I got out my camera. I don't think the bobcat liked  the beeping noise of the camera, so it slowly walked away.

My strangest bobcat encounter is also the most recent. I was biking on to the north side of the trail bridge across the Trinity when I saw a bobcat walking on to the southern end. By this point in time I had no bobcat anxiety. I was surprised when the bobcat kept on walking. I kept on pedaling. We met in the middle, both staring at each other, with me saying "howdy kitty."

Methinks the River Legacy Park bobcats are getting very used to humans and are not so skittish as they might be out in the total wild.