It Is A Hot Monday In Texas Bringing Blooming Wildflowers On The Tandy Hills

It is currently 8 degrees short of being 100 in my zone of North Texas. I believe the temperature today on the Tandy Hills was the hottest hiking so far this year.

I believe it was in the mid-80s when I hit the hills. This had me wondering how it is I can manage to hike the hills when it is 110. I do know I bring water along. And drink it. I had 3 bottles of water with me today. But I did not take them on the hike.

The daisy-like wildflower was my new Tandy Hills wildflower sighting of the day.

Water is continuing to stream across the formerly dry creek bed near the point where the south trail down Mount Tandy meets the Tandy Highway.

Today I lingered a bit longer by the flood. Yesterday someone opined this was a sewage leak, opining this because of the smell and the look of the water. Today I did a better job of smelling and looking and I think I agree with the sewer system leak theory.

Then again, water in streams in these parts can be a bit polluted, creating the illusion of being an open sewer, like when the Trinity River is in flood mode, not in destination happy hour inner tube floating mode.

It is only 5 days til the Prairie Fest floods the Tandy Hills with humans and other stuff.

Some forecasters are forecasting T-Storms for Friday and Sunday. With Saturday, the day of the Prairie Fest being a non-stormy day.

Below is an optimistic 7 day forecast for Fort Worth. If this holds it bodes well for the Prairie Fest. I hope.

The Next To Last Monday Of April Has Dawned Blue In Texas

As you can clearly see, via one of my viewing portals on the world, it is yet one more blue Monday in Texas.

The outdoor air conditioner is currently conditioning the air to a comfortable 69 degrees. Soon the outdoor furnace will take over, heating the air to a predicted 90, likely forcing the need for the interior A/C to be activated.

Allergy symptoms, which I usually don't have, got to me yesterday, with watery, itchy eyes and overall congestion that was discomforting.

So, I searched the medicine cabinet and found a little blue pill. No, it was not Viagra. I don't keep my Viagra in my medicine cabinet.

The little blue pill was an anti-histamine. I was very pleased at how well the little pill worked.

The last time I had myself an allergic reaction to the air that I breathe here was way back in July of 2008. I was scheduled to fly to Seattle on July 20. I thought that as soon as I started breathing the cleaner Washington air that my sore throat and allergy symptoms would go away instantly.

But, that did not happen. It was at least a week later til the sore throat was gone. Upon my return to Texas, 3 weeks later, the sore throat did not return. Maybe it was not an allergy that caused it.

It is already well past 7 this morning. I need to go swimming before it gets any hotter out there.

A Second Cabela's Opens In Allen In The Dallas Metroplex

You are looking at a picture of the Grand Opening of the latest Cabela's, on April 14, in Allen, Texas.

From the Cabela's press release issued on February 15, 2011...

Cabela's Incorporated, the World's Foremost Outfitter of hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, will open its newest store in Allen, Texas. Allen is Cabela's third Texas location and the second in the Dallas Metroplex. The company currently operates stores in Fort Worth and Buda.

The Dallas Metroplex?

A few years back, when Cabela's was coming to town, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and its minions, repeated repeatedly Cabela's propaganda along the lines that the store would be the #1 Tourist Attraction in Texas. That it would attract (this number varied depending on the Star-Telegram writer) between 4 and 8 million visitors.

When Bud Kennedy went with the 8 million visitors number and repeated the #1 Tourist Attraction in Texas malarkey, I emailed him, pointing out the illogical absurdity. Bud Kennedy replied that I "must be against business."

No. I like business. I am against fraud. And wanton stupidity.

Turns out, I was right. Cabela's did not attract anywhere near the number of visitors it told Fort Worth it would attract, or generate the number of jobs Cabelea's claimed would be generated. So, Cabela's had to pay back some of the tax break goodies Fort Worth gave them.

Cabela's tries the same scam pretty much wherever they try and open a store. If it is in a desperate, unsophisticated, rube zone, without a real newspaper, they try the #1 Tourist Attraction, millions of visitors con.

When Cabela's tried the con in Boise, Cabela's was told if it was not economically viable to open your store, without subsidies, then don't build it.

I don't believe Cabela's tried either of its propaganda ploys when it built a store in Lacey, Washington, near Olympia. It would have caused giggling among the locals.

But, in Fort Worth, the locals bought the ruse and did Cabela's bidding, so that Fort Worth could have the #1 Tourist Attraction in Texas. In a sporting goods store attracting up to 8 million visitors a year.

Yes, Fort Worth is sort of a desperate kind of town. Anyone heard of the Trinity River Vision? That's another ruse, breathlessly sold, with lies frequently told.

When the second Texas Cabela's, quickly opened in Buda, Texas, down by Austin, did the Star-Telegram do any investigating in to how this could happen? And now that the Fort Worth Cabela's is not even the only Cabela's in the Dallas Metroplex, has the Star-Telegram had a look back at all that loony propaganda it printed, back when Cabela's first came courting?

Like I have said, more than once, Fort Worth lacks a real newspaper. Was it a real newspaper back when Amon Carter brought it to town? Or has it always acted as a shill for the Fort Worth Way and its Ruling Oligarchy?

Sunday Hiking On The Flooding Tandy Hills of Fort Worth

We have had no rain, in this part of America I am currently living in, for quite a few days.

So, I was surprised to come to the first creek crossing I come to after I get on the Tandy Highway after coming down the south side of Mount Tandy, to find that creek crossing to be flooding.

Did a sewer or water pipeline break upstream? My co-hiker today claimed it appeared to be sewer water due to the smell and grayish color.

But when I crossed the flood zone I detected no particular odor or grayish color to the water.

What I do know is a large volume of water was flowing. I don't recollect ever seeing water flowing through this particular creek bed before. An hour later the flood had not yet made it all the way to Tandy Falls.

On the way to the Tandy Hills today water was flowing down Bridge Street in large volume, heading west, entering a storm drain prior to Nolan High School and Oakland Boulevard.

I tell you, we are leaking water all over my zone of Fort Worth. But, that's no big deal. There is no water shortage in these parts.

Jim Lane Will Closely Monitor Barnett Shale Drilling Because He Will Be A Mayor For All Fort Worth Families

Yesterday in my mailbox I found a 13 x 11 inch Political Advertisement that was too big for my scanner to completely scan.

The politician being advertised, in the Political Advertisement, is Jim Lane. He is running for Mayor of Fort Worth.

Near as I can tell the Fort Worth Ruling Oligarchy has picked Jim Lane as the successor to Fort Worth's current mayor, the goofy Mike Moncrief.

With Jim Lane being the FWRO's chosen one, I think it can be safely be predicted he will win the mayoralty with around 70% of the 6% of Fort Worth voters who will bother to vote.

Unless somehow the multiple candidates who do not have the backing of Fort Worth's Ruling Oligarchy manage to convince the 94% of Fort Worth's voters who don't vote, that it is in their interest to stage a voting revolt against the FW Ruling Oligarchy.

Jim Lane is all about being Mayor for all Fort Worth families. Even those who don't vote.

Jim’s 12 Point Platform for Fort Worth Families...

    * Have all citizen calls to City Hall returned within 24 hours
    * Improve/Expand City – School Partnership Programs
    * Balance City Budgets with NO tax increases
    * Reform City Employee Pension Plan
    * Protect neighborhood integrity from undesirable encroachments
    * Improve Citywide Traffic Flow & Bus/Light-rail Mobility
    * Promote Citizen Volunteerism (Youth, Families & Seniors)
    * Ensure responsive City departments & City services
    * Support Fort Worth Police and Citizens on Patrol programs
    * Support Fort Worth Fire Fighters and Emergency Medical Responders
    * Support strong Fort Worth economy and job opportunities
    * Closely monitor Barnett Shale drilling activity

Jim's 12 Point Platform is on the flip side of the Political Advertisement, along with a list of reasons Jim Lane is "A Leader You Trust", plus reasons Jim Lane is "A Friend You Know."

So, if you really want the Fort Worth Ruling Oligarchy to finally install a mayor who will "Closely monitor Barnett Shale drilling activity" Jim Lane is your man.

The Dawn Of The Third Sunday Of April In Texas With A Blue Sky & One Week To Go Til Easter

I dawned about the same time the sun did this 3rd Sunday of April.

Looking through the bars of my patio prison cell, when I went outside to fetch my swimming suit, you can see it is yet one more clear blue sky morning in North Texas.

Except, I think there may be some smoke in the air. I can't get my eyes to quit watering. It is being very annoying.

On Friday there were big wildfires to the north, up by the Red River border with Oklahoma, and to the west of my location, in the Lake Possum Kingdom area, where dozens of homes were burned.

You mix in what the thousands of Barnett Shale Natural Gas drilling sites spew into the air that we breathe, with all these wildfires, with all the other air pollution that is allowed to be spewed in these parts, it is a wonder I am not more of a respiratory mess.

I believe today is what is known as Palm Sunday. My Sunday School days are so far behind me I don't remember what today is known as Palm Sunday. Except for Palm Sunday being a week before Easter Sunday.

Easter being next Sunday, has the 2011 Prairie Fest doing its festing on the day before Easter. I wonder if an Easter Egg Hunt is planned? An Easter Egg Hunt with the eggs hidden on the trails of the Tandy Hills might be a fun thing. Twelve and under, with a parental unit having to accompany their kid. This might make for an amusing spectacle.

It is a relatively chilly 52 degrees out there. I think I'll go swimming anyway.

Hiking Through The Tandy Jungle Thinking About Queens Crossing Snake Infested Creeks

The Tandy Hills called around noon, wanting someone to walk on them. And so I did.

In the picture we are in the lushly vegetated jungle foliage zone of the Tandy Hills, accessed north of the currently dry Tandy Falls.

The green light filtering through the Tandy jungle reminds me of summer in one of the Olympic Rain Forests. With no moss. Or elk.

A week from now the 2011 Prairie Fest will be having the Tandy Hills at its most populated.

The Queen of Wink is currently in the Metroplex. I do not know if she is staying til next Saturday to do the Prairie Fest. This morning, at 11, she was running a 3.2 mile course filled with obstacles, like mud pits and snake infested creeks. To me this seemed like a royally strange thing to drive 400 miles to do.

I need to eat lunch now and then go feed a cat.

Up Early Saturday Morning With Computer Woes And The Wind Finally Calm

You can not tell by looking out my window, but I can tell you the wind has finally stopped blowing.

This morning I found out the smoky air is being brought to us from massive wildfires to the north along the Red River.

It is a bit chilly this morning at only 45 degrees. The swimming pool will be way warmer than the air this morning.

I had myself some computer woe fun starting last night. I was looking for an image, clicked on one I wanted and instantly something called XP Security Update took over my computer.

It disabled the Microsoft Security Essentials, which I've now learned is essentially worthless. The XP Security Update tried to make me think I had some dire things on my computer that I could fix if I got out my credit card. This scam is actually quite clever in its sinister nefariousness.

I gave up on fixing this problem last night. This morning I was able to figure out the .exe program that was causing this from the Windows Task Manager "processes" list. I saw two entries that should not have been there in the MSCONFIG startup tab. Unchecked them. Then searched the registry for uaq.exe and removed all entries. This fixed the woe.

Now, the extreme irony of this latest computer problem is yesterday morning Microsoft sent out one of its security updates. This time it was at least a dozen XP updates due to threats being discovered that would allow an attacker to take over my computer.

So, the updates updated and then within a few hours an attacker took over my computer, turning off the Microsoft anti-virus program and disabling the Malwarbyte's Anti-Malware program, which is now running and has found 4 infected objects.

The Queen of Wink just called. She is in Roanoke to do some obstacle course thing.

I must go swimming now to relieve my stress.

The Smoky Windy View From Miss Puerto Rico's Balcony

I zoomed the view from Miss Puerto Rico's balcony so you could more clearly see how unclear the air is on this Friday, April 15 in my zone of North Texas.

The wind continues to gust.

I like a good windstorm, but I am ready for dead calm to return.

I would have gone for an afternoon swim if it weren't for the whitecaps on the pool.

By the time I got back here, from Miss Puerto Rico's, I realized I'd forgotten to check on the cat and its food supply.

Note to anyone reading this. It really is not wise to have me babysitting any animate creature. I did remember to reset the security alarm, so I'm not really totally 100% irresponsible.

Below is video I took a few minutes ago of the view from Miss Puerto Rico's balcony of the wind blowing and being loud....

I Came Back From The Tandy Hills Today To Learn I Have Been Handpicked To Help The Prairie Fest Get Setup

I made it to the Tandy Hills in the noon timeframe today for the first time in a few days.

It is not being particularly hot today, only in the low 70s. But it is being very windy. The windiest I've ever experienced on the Tandy Hills. Earlier today the gusts were up to 55mph. Currently 35mph.

The pink wildflowers in the picture look like they'd be blown apart by heavy wind, but they seemed to be surviving just fine.

The horizon to the north was looking very smoggy as I drove back from the Tandy Hills. I suspect this heavy wind is blowing in some wildfire smoke. I'm going over to Miss Puerto Rico's in a bit to take a picture of the panoramic view to the north from her balcony. And feed the cat.

I got an urgent message from Don Young a short while ago. Congratulating me for being a hand-picked individual. Below is the message....

Congratulations! YOU are among a few hand-picked individuals invited to be on the Prairie Fest set-up Posse. Your help is needed to prepare for the festival site for the 4 - 5,000 people who will attend Prairie Fest.

We need your help the day before the festival doing the following:

-Setting up a few tents
-Installing signs and banners
-Setting up the stage
-Arranging barricades and hay bales
-Unloading and setting up tables and other equipment
-etc.

• We need reliable individuals with willpower and stamina. Handyman-woman skills are a plus.
• Work will start Friday April 22 at 10 am and end about 7 pm with breaks for lunch.
• Bring tools, wheel barrows, garden wagons, hand-trucks, gloves and whatever else you need. Water will be available.

This is an URGENT request for assistance. RSVP.

Yesterday I told you I ran into Stenotrophomonas on the Tandy Hills, picking up litter and putting it into a black garbage bag.

Today, part way up Mount Tandy, I found a black garbage bag sitting beside the trail.

Was this the Stenotrophomonas bag?

My best guess is that his bag burst open, so Stenotrophomonas left it in this location til he could return with more garbage bags.

The wind was not impacting too strongly on the damaged bag. I'll bring a bag with me tomorrow in case this abandoned bag is still being a hazardous waste site.