Up Early August 18 Pondering Drowning In The Trinity River

I got up way before the arrival of the sun on this 18th morning of August, already heated to 85.2 heading for a scheduled high today of 104.

Sad news, again, from Fort Worth's Trinity Park. A mom drowned trying to rescue her 8 year old son who had somehow fallen into the Trinity River.

The mom did not know how to swim. Bystanders safely pulled the boy from the river.

Currently, due to the drought, the Trinity River is running rather low. What is it about the section of the Trinity River that runs through Trinity Park that causes so many drownings?

Is being taught to swim part of the curriculum in Texas schools like it is elsewhere?

The sun has now sufficiently illuminated the outside world so I can find my way to the pool to go for my morning swim.

Walking With The Fosducks & Squirrel After Visiting Leadville Colorado's Baby Doe's Matchless Mine

On my way to Town Talk today I stopped at Oakland Lake Park to walk around the drought shrunken Fosdic Lake.

The Fosdic Lake Fosducks continue to struggle with the HOT temperatures. Today they were huddling in their regular shade spot on the eastern shore of the shrinking lake.

The Fosducks were doing a lot of quacking today. I think a heat-demented squirrel acting squirrelly was upsetting the Fosducks.

You can see the squirrel in the picture. I think it thought it was a duck. The Fosducks seemed accepting of the new bird in their flock.

Changing subjects from Fosducks and squirrels to Elsie Hotpepper. This morning Elsie Hotpepper shocked me by telling me I can be difficult. I have no idea what that means.

In addition to Elsie Hotpepper being difficult this morning I visited Leadville, Colorado and Baby Doe's Matchless Mine.

When I first moved to Texas a structure visible from Interstate 35E, in Dallas, intrigued me. The structure was by a big Coors billboard that had a waterfall falling out of it. Eventually I learned that the intriguing structure was Baby Doe's Matchless Mine.

Eventually I visited Baby Doe's Matchless Mine in Dallas. Finding ones way to Baby Doe's was a bit tricky. And required valet parking.

I can see why Baby Doe's eventually went out of business, though once you did mange to find your way to its entry it was rather cool, like entering a mine. With an excellent view of the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Dallas, with Reunion Tower putting on its nightime light show.

I believe there were several Baby Doe's Matchless Mines in various locations in America, inspired by the original in Leadville, Colorado. I do not know if the other Baby Doe's Matchless Mines have met the same fate as the Matchless Mine in Dallas.

Another HOT August Morning In Texas Pondering Bringing Democracy To Fort Worth

The light of the moon is being filtered through some clouds on this 17th morning of August.

The sun has just started its daily heating duties and already that overactive nuclear reactor has my zone of Texas heated to 86 degrees. This seems to bode ill for yet one more super HOT day in Texas.

Changing the subject from the temperature to democracy in America.

Something occurred yesterday in Seattle, a democratic city in the democratic part of America, that can not occur in Fort Worth, which is not much of a democratic city in a democratic part of America.

Some Seattle citizens collected enough signatures on a petition to put a referendum on a ballot, forcing a public vote on a public issue.

In Seattle the issue was the replacement with a tunnel of the Alaskan Way Viaduct. The Viaduct replacement is a multi-billion dollar project.

The Seattle Viaduct replacement project had already been approved prior to yesterday's vote. But the Seattle mayor opposed the tunnel.

Yesterday, Seattle voters, in Referendum 1, overwhelmingly voted to support the tunnel project, which had Seattle's mayor saying, "I worked to give the public a direct vote on the tunnel. The public said move ahead with the tunnel, and that's what we're going to do."

Meanwhile in Fort Worth there has never been a public vote on the almost $1 billion public works project that is known as the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle.

Why is it that, apparently, the citizens of Fort Worth don't understand that they have a democratic right to vote on projects like the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle? By vote, I mean a real vote, a straight up referendum or initiative on a ballot.

It is very perplexing.

I Lost My Way To The Farmers Branch Creek Waterfall And Ended Up Walking With Indian Ghosts

Around noon today I left air-conditioned comfort and, as per the suggestion of CatsPaw, intended to head west to hike to the Farmers Branch Creek Waterfall to see a "precious gem" and experience something "unique and natural."

Trouble is, I have experienced an awful lot of waterfalls. Roaring, powerful waterfalls, with big drops dropping an awful lot of water.

As the wheels on my vehicular transport began rotating I soon found myself directing the steering wheel to move those wheels in an easterly direction, not west.

Soon I found myself at the Village Creek Natural Historic Area where I walked in the shade til I came to the mysterious mirror on a stick.

It was nearly 100 degrees when I walked to the mysterious mirror on a stick.

Walking over all the crunchy leaves that have fallen on to the paved trail one would think it was already Fall, instead of over a month to go before that particular season of the year begins.

I suspect trees are starting to lose their grip on their leaves due to the drought. I know the drought is causing me to lose my grip on my leaves.

After I was done crunching Village Creek leaves I continued on to ALDI Food Market to get me some vittles.

Having a unique natural experience with the Farmers Branch Creek Waterfall will have to wait for another day.

CatsPaw Thinks I Should Shake Up My Tiresome Routine By Hiking To A Fort Worth Waterfall I've Never Hiked To

CatsPaw read my sad lament about overheating yesterday on the Tandy Hills, which had me vowing not to return to the hills until reasonable temperatures return to North Texas.

After CatsPaw read my sad lament she opined (I paraphrase) that I needed to shake up my tiresome routine.

CatsPaw then pointed me to a "precious gem" that exists in Fort Worth, but which has never been visited by me. CatsPaw's research indicated that this gem is "unique and natural," which is my favorite type of thing.

CatsPaw's source for the information about this "precious gem" is the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle website. I don't know how reliable this information is, the website says "visiting the waterfall is a sinch." I have no idea what a "sinch" is.

I suspect Farmers Branch Creek Waterfall is currently a dry falls, just like Tandy Falls.

Below is the verbiage from the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle website about this precious gem of a waterfall. I found it mildly disturbing that the TRV Boondoggle website is encouraging people to play in the water of these falls, just like they encourage people to play in the pristine waters of the Trinity River...

With the weather being absolutely gorgeous, now is the best time to get out and expore the Trinity Trails. One of our favorite spots on the river is the Farmers Branch Creek waterfall located in Westworth Village near the Naval Air Station/Joint Reserve Base. Until recently, getting to this precious gem was nearly impossible, but since the Tarrant Regional Water District completed the connection between the main part of the Trinity River and the length of the creek, visiting the waterfall is a sinch.

The quickest ways to access this new portion of trail is from Pumphrey Dr. off of 183 (this area will soon be home to a new trailhead!) or from the trailhead at White Settlement Rd. and Isbell Rd.. Once on the trail make your way to this unique and natural scene using the below map. Once you've reached the destination, take in the view from the new sitting area, snap some photos or even play in the falls!

The 16th Morning Of August In Texas Worrying That The Confederacy Of Dunces Thinks Rick Perry Is Presidential Material

Looking out my primary viewing portal this 16th morning of August I was surprised to have the camera's flash light up my morning.

I did not realize the camera was still in aquarium mode, set in that mode last night when I took a picture of my TV screen.

Tuesday morning is the morning I can not go swimming due to the pool getting its weekly shock so it can maintain that crystal clear chemically-enabled look one wants in water one immerses oneself in.

Unless it is the Trinity River. Then I want my immersing water to be an unnatural color, like lime green.

The past couple days I've been sort of depressed at once again having the bad feeling that I really do live in a Confederacy of Dunces. The bad feeling this time is coming from the fact that, for reasons I am unable to fathom, the current D-Student Governor of Texas, Rick Perry, is being taken serious as a presidential candidate.

Has America already forgotten what happened the last time they elected a Texas D-Student to be president of this formerly fine country?

It is very perplexing. And right now I can not go swimming to take my mind off my perplexations.

Overheating On The Tandy Hills While Helping Elsie Hotpepper Get Dressed

In the picture you are looking at my feet leaving the HOT Tandy Hills for the last time til it cools down in North Texas.

I'd not been on the Tandy Hills for well over a week.

I don't know what has been different this summer than previous HOT Texas summers, but something has been making HOT hill hiking not a fun thing this summer.

Is it the humidity? That always seems to be the fallback explanation.

Is it because I have layered so much adipose tissue on my possibly formerly skinny frame that the fat causes me to overheat?

I suspect excess adipose tissue is not the explanation.

When I realized I was overheating today I made my way back to vehicular air-conditioned comfort via the least hill climbing route.

Overheating today has left me a bit head achy. Not pleasant. I suspect I will survive this latest self-inflicted ordeal.

It was not even 100 when I tried to go hill hiking today. I remember 2 summers ago when a martinet working for the Fort Worth Police gave me a ticket (thrown out) for not wearing a seat belt, it was just under 110. I recollect being HOT that day, but definitely not miserable.

I just got a message telling me that Elsie Hotpepper needs help getting dressed. I need to go attend to that.

The Shadow Of The Bald Skinny Dipping Thin Man Ponders The Dark Full Moon

The Shadow of the Bald Skinny Dipping Thin Man is up well before the sun on the 15th day of August.

The moon is full this morning, hovering directly overhead, yet providing no darkness removing illumination.

A few weeks ago I saw photos of contemporaries of mine who have become follically challenged. When I saw these photos I thought to myself something I have thought to myself before.

As in if ones hair gets thin why not just go for a buzz cut instead of a diseased mange look?

So, yesterday I decided to see what it is like to have a total buzz cut. This is rather easy to do. I like the result. It is sort of convenient. Zero time spent drying hair. Definitely no combing is needed.

I don't think we made it to 100 degrees yesterday, but I'm not totally certain about that. If we didn't I am fairly certain that would make 4 days in a row under 100. Today the scheduled temperature is over 100.

Even though we are scheduled to be HOT today I think I will try to do some Tandy Hill hiking. I can not remember when last I have been on the Tandy Hills. Maybe 2 Saturdays ago.

In the meantime I am going swimming in the increasingly chilly pool.

Johns Hopkins Is Not Finally Admitting There Are Alternative Treatments To Chemotherapy For Cancer

I don't recollect if I've mentioned it before, but I probably have, that being that I am a 26 year cancer survivor.

This week a high school classmate of mine died after a 4 year battle with brain cancer.

He was not the first in my class to die from cancer.

Currently several girls from my class are fighting breast cancer.

I think a study should be done to see why so many of my fellow classmates from the Skagit Valley have contracted cancer. Could it be the pesticides used on the agricultural fields, where kids picked berries, that is the cancer causer?

When I found out I had cancer it was at the time that the AIDS epidemic was starting. AIDS compromised the immune system. What did most AIDS victims die from? Cancer.

But, when I mentioned the obvious connection between cancer and the immune system, back then, my doctor scoffed. This was to be the first of many incidents that thoroughly soured me on the medical business.

When the tumor results came back for my particular cancer there was a high necrosis factor, meaning the tumor was dying. I argued that my immune system was already taking care of the tumor. I argued that the human body constantly produces cancer cells which the immune system eliminates.

I was scoffed at.

I read all the alternative therapy info I could find.

I rebelled against the conventional treatment. After the surgery I refused a followup removal of half my lymph system, knowing, by then, that the lymph system was integral to the immune system.

It did not take much research to learn that the treatment protocol for my particular cancer had not changed since the 1950s, hence I was able to anticipate each recommendation by my doctor, to his increasing aggravation and eventual chastising of me for trying to be a doctor.

I am very grateful I did not follow my doctor's orders. Knowing what is known now.

Had I allowed the lymphadenectomy the next treatment would have been chemotherapy. Even though a CAT scan and a lymphangiogram and other tests found no tumors.

I was convinced my healthy lifestyle, at the time, of jogging, eating like a health nut and other immune system enhancing behaviors had me on the right track to beating cancer.

26 years later I think it would be hard to make the case I was wrong. Knock on wood.

What got cancer on my mind today, was Betty Jo Bouvier emailing me an article about a supposed Johns Hopkins Cancer Research Update.....

This is an extremely good article. Everyone should read it.

Well, maybe everyone should read it, but the trouble is, Johns Hopkins did not release this Cancer Research Update. It is what is known as an Internet Hoax. That is not to say that there is not a lot of truth in the points being made. It's just that Johns Hopkins did not make these particular points.

But, even though this does not come from Johns Hopkins, I'll print it below anyway, because a lot of it resonates with me as to what I believe to be the truth about cancer (I deleted what I thought were crackpotty parts of this pseudo Johns Hopkins Cancer Research Update).......

AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY ('TRY', BEING THE KEY WORD) TO ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHNS HOPKINS IS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY .

Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins Cancer Research:

1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size. 
2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime. 
3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors. 
4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, but also to environmental, food and lifestyle factors. 
5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet to eat more adequately and healthy, 4-5 times/day and by including supplements will strengthen the immune system. 
6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.
7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs. 
8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction. 
9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications. 
10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.
11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.
12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines becomes putrefied and leads to more toxic buildup.
13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.
14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the bodies own killer cells to destroy cancer cells.. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.
15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, un-forgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.
16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.

Sunny Sunday Melancholy Cured By Village Creek Oak Trees & Pico De Gallo

This semi-chilly sunny Sunday, heated to less than 100 degrees, had me feeling like a melancholy baby this morning.

Why?

I don't know.

Except the melancholy started with me thinking about Zion National Park. I do not care to elaborate.

Around noon I decided to become one with nature, such as it is in these parts of the planet, and walk in the shade under the giant old oak trees in the Village Creek Natural Historic Area.

The Village Creek oak trees always cause me to ponder all that those old trees have seen. Some of them likely date back to looking over a thriving Indian trading village with fields of corn and pumpkin patches.

Some of the Village Creek oak trees were likely providing shade the day the Texans arrived to issue their primitive eminent domain demands via lethal projectiles flying from firesticks.

I had not been back to see Village Creek since the rains of Friday. Enough rain had fallen that a dribble of Village Creek water was making it past the dam/bridge that leads to the bayou.

I was quite surprised to look at the formerly totally dry Village Creek Bayou today to see that it has been recharged with a lot of water. I don't know why Village Creek is running at a dribble pace, while the Village Creek Bayou appears to be full.

Walking amongst the tall oaks put me in a better frame of mind, sort of. Lunch, with made from scratch pico de gallo, totally revived me.