Stomping Over Mud & Litter Today On The Tandy Hills With Twisted Rusted Cable

A Keep Fort Worth Beautiful Litter Bag Littering
Currently Dry Tandy Falls

You don't mess with Mother Nature. She can be an arbitrary, overbearing Old Lady.

Some humans had the hubris to think they needed to clean the litter out of the Tandy Hill's Creek's creek beds.

That is Mother Nature's job.

Every once in awhile she brings upon the Earth a deluge which washes the Tandy Hill's Creek's creek beds clear of litter.

Mother Earth did not quite bring a creek cleaning level of deluge Friday evening, but she did bring enough of a deluge to keep people from picking litter out of Her Tandy Hill's Creek's creek beds.

Instead the Tandy Litter Stompers picked up litter before it entered the Tandy Hill's Creek's creek beds. This seems a much more pro-active way to deal with the Tandy Creek litter. Mother Nature, in Her infinite wisdom caused that to happen, with Friday's rain canceling the Tandy Hill's Creek's creek bed's Litter Stomping.

Washed Out Tandy Creek Crossing
With Moved Giant Tire

I was surprised to walk on as much mud as I did today, particularly on the Tandy Highway. The main Tandy Creek crossing, across Tandy Highway, was pretty much washed out, again, by yesterday's rain.

I don't know if was moved by Mother Nature or human intervention, but since I last visited it, the Giant Tandy Tire has moved to the other side of the creek and a distance to the south.

We must talk about the picture at the top. The picture with the big plastic yellow thing. The yellow thing is a garbage bag. I believe it is one of the garbage bags supplied by the City of Fort Worth for the Tandy Litter Stomp.

So, how did this Tandy Litter Stomp bag end up on the precipice of Tandy Falls? At one of the most remote locations on the Tandy Hills? The bag says "Keep Fort Worth Beautiful" and "Schedule a Clean-Up." Among other things.

Is this bag showing up in this location on the day of the aborted Tandy Hills Litter Stomp what is known as irony? Is this the work of the Tandy Hills Guerrilla Artist?

Tandy Hills Guerrilla Art Installation

This was not the only suspected Tandy Hills Guerrilla Artwork I came upon today.

Today I entered the hills from the top of Mount Tandy.

Taking the left turn on the new road built courtesy of the Fort Worth Water Department I found the new road blocked by the twisted cable you see in the picture, rising mysteriously out of the ground and twisting its way to pieces of abandoned metalwork.

Where did this twisted, rusty cable come from?

I am currently juggling three Tandy Hills mysteries.

Number 1 is where did the Giant Tandy Tire come from? Number 2 is how did the Fort Worth Litter Bag make it to the edge of Tandy Falls? Number 3 is how did the twisted cable get to be in this location? And why?

It is all very perplexing. I don't know if the Tandy Hill's Creek's creek beds will ever dry out again, allowing a successful Tandy Hills Litter Stomp. I suspect Mother Nature may cooperate at some future date. Maybe.

Rain Drenches North Texas, Elsie Hotpepper Is Found, The Tandy Hills Litter Stomp Is Still Stomping

I am up late this 3rd Saturday of September, due to being up late Friday night with the Elsie Hotpepper Search Party.

I am pleased to report the missing Elsie Hotpepper has been re-located.

All I will say about Elsie's latest disappearance is it was not rain-related.

Yes. We had rain last night in these parched parts of the planet. Up to half an inch in some locations.

While the majority of us North Texans were happy to feel some wet stuff falling from the sky, it has caused some complications. Such as the complication to this morning's Tandy Hills Litter Stomp.

Don Young's rain-related message about another change to the Tandy Hills Litter Stomp...

Howdy all,

It appears we have rain! And while that's good, that's not always ideal for clean-up hikes in yesterday-dry creek-beds. The event Saturday will be more of a low-key affair now. There is plenty of trash along View Street. 

UNLESS it's raining, we will be out tidying up. Come enjoy the hills. Grab some coffee and homemade sourdough and catch yourself a mess of empty beer cans.

So, 9 AM Saturday. 
Say hello to the Hills

Today, supposedly, we have a lesser chance of rain, than we did yesterday.

Before yesterday's semi-deluge we have had a whopping 16.89 inches of rain fall on the official rain measuring station for D/FW in 2011. The non-drought average, by this time of any given year, is 25.89.

Yesterday I saw the majestic Trinity River with what looked like a fair amount of water in it, gently flowing to the Gulf of Mexico.

Today I saw a headline in the Seattle P-I which said, "Snow Expected In Mountains This Weekend; Rain Here."

Which had me wondering, during a drought, when we have had, til yesterday, months with no rain, where does the water in the Trinity River come from? There are no snow covered mountains on this part of the planet. Washington rivers flow all summer long due to the melting snowpack in the Cascade Mountains. Where does the Trinity River water come from?

It's very perplexing. I think I will go swimming in the rain-charged pool and think about the Trinity River.......

A BOLO Has Been Issued For The Missing Elsie Hotpepper

Elsie Hotpepper Mugshot

I had no other option but to issue a BOLO (Be On Look Out) for Elsie Hotpepper.

Because Elsie Hotpepper has gone missing again.

Yesterday Elsie Hotpepper asked me if I'd go with her to the new In-N-Out Burger joint on West 7th, in Fort Worth, today. Elsie has never had a Double-Double burger from In-N-Out.

Elsie thinks the product of the locally infamous Kincaid's is a good burger. I told Elsie, in my opinion, that whole Kincaid's is a good burger thing is a local Emperor Has No Clothes type deal. In my humble opinion.

I was back here, from an earlier jaunt to the Village Creek Natural Historic Area and Pantego by an hour past noon. I got myself attired in Elsie Hotpepper approved attire and eagerly awaited the call that told me to exit my security perimeter to meet up with Elsie Hotpepper in the Peppermobile.

No call came.

Calls to Elsie Hotpepper's phone go to voice mail. Email goes unanswered.

Since Elsie Hotpepper is a self-employed freelancer there is no place of employment or boss I can call to check on the Hotpepper's welfare.

It is very perplexing and I am very worried.

The Village Creek Natural Historic Area's Water Level Is At An Historic Low

Dried Up Village Creek Bayou

I'd not been to the Village Creek Natural Historic Area for a few days. I went there today on my way to Pantego, before heading back here to go with Elsie Hotpepper for lunch at In-N-Out on West 7th in Fort Worth.

Which did not happen. More on Elsie Hotpepper in a separate blogging.

There is still green foliage around the now dried up Village Creek Bayou, but the brown/dead area is growing. We need rain soon. The surviving greenery is really starting to look very stressed.

I saw some stranded, trapped fish in the ponds that remain of the dried up Village Creek.

What did the enormous Indian Village on the banks of Village Creek do when the creek dried up? Move down to the Trinity River? I imagine back then there was very little litter or chemical pollution in the Trinity River.

A Dam New Walkway

Today at Village Creek I went off the paved trail, walking on the peninsula that is between the water that is supposed to be flowing through the Village Creek Bayou and Village Creek. Usually this terminates where water flows over an Interlochen dam, joining Village Creek, preventing walking any further.

As you can see in the picture, no water is flowing over the dam. I had not seen this before. The Interlochen Canals must be being very low on water.

I was able to use the dried spillway as a walkway and re-enter the Village Creek Natural Historic Area from its east entry. Something I'd never been able to do before. What a thrill.

If we don't get some rain in these parched parts of the planet we may need to form a posse and to cross the Red River and purloin some Oklahoma water. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Change Of Meeting Location For Saturday's Tandy Hills Litter Stomp

I wondered why the Tandy Hills Litter Stomp was meeting in such odd location, far removed from any creeks, at least that I know of. But, it's not my place to question these type things.

It did not surprise me to get an email telling me there had been a change of location to the much more familiar meeting place of the Tandy Hills Playground on View Street.

Below is the message about the change of plans....

Hello Tandy Hills Litter Stompers!
First off, thank you everyone. We have had a great response.
In fact, we have had such a great response that we need to make a small CHANGE of PLAN.

Instead of meeting at Stratford Park:

We will MEET at the Tandy Hills Natural Area Playground (the usual meeting place)
3400 View Street, 9am, Saturday, September 17th.

Don't be late or you'll miss the organic breakfast snacks donated by Whole Foods plus coffee & tea

Keep those RSVP's coming------>

RSVP & ADDITIONAL INFO:
Contact: Jen Schultes
jenschultes@gmail.com

cheers
jen

The Moon Glows Bright This Morning For Misbeggoten Me

I looked skyward this morning when I stepped outside on this first day of the last half of September to see a bright white moon looking as if it was being chased by some white fluffy stuff.

At 68 degrees it is very cold this morning. 68 degrees is 12 degrees colder than I have my air-conditioner thermostat set to.

Currently I have all my windows open, making it sort of feel like I am sitting inside a big cooler. By cooler I mean refrigerator.

Today Mother Nature has been tasked with heating the outer world to only 85 degrees. And there is a chance she will be putting on a Thunderstorm show. We have not had a good Thunderstorm show in these parched parts of the planet in a long time.

Before it gets any colder and before lightning starts striking, I think I will go swimming in my formerly warm pool.

My Nephew David's Late 9/11 Happy Birthday Blogging

My Nephew David's 9/11 Birthday Party

That is my nephew, David, on Sunday, 9/11, swinging at a Pinata at his birthday party in his backyard in Tacoma.

Last week, before David's birthday, I mentioned it was upcoming the upcoming weekend, but that I did not know if his birthday was 9/10 or 9/11.

I now know, courtesy of David's poodle caretakers, Blue & Max, that David was born on the 7th Anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.

One would think a good uncle would be able to remember such things without a blog having to remind him.

Today, 9/15, is the birthday of David's oldest aunt, my oldest sister. Also known, by many, as Miss Crankypants, and by others, simply as, "The Nag." I do not know, precisely, how old "The Nag" is today. I do know the number is significant and that "The Nag" is about to retire from her job of many, many years.

One of David's favorite aunts, my sister who lives in the Phoenix zone, was invited to and was able to attend David's 3rd 9/11 Birthday Party. I was unable to attend, but was not invited, so it really was not an issue.

I must hit the publish button on this blogging now and then go email "The Nag" a happy birthday greeting, which will likely make her cranky.

Swimming With The Fosdic Lake Turtles On A Cold Texas Day In September

Fosdic Turtles Getting Sunburns

Being a creature of extremely deeply entrenched repetitive habits, I am thrown out of my comfort zone every other Thursday by a mid-day visit to a doctor in Hurst.

Today was one of those Thursdays.

I got back to my comfort zone later than the norm this Thursday, which only made me more uncomfortable.

Coffee this afternoon, after lunch, only made me nervous. It did not perk me up out of my doldrums.

Around 4 I left my air-conditioned comfort zone, where the air-conditioning has not been running, because it is barely in the chilly 80s, to go for a walk with the turtles at Fosdic Lake in Oakland Lake Park.

The chilly temperature made for a pleasant, fully clothed walk.

I don't know why the Fosdic Lake turtles are not skittish, posing so willingly for photos, while the Veterans Park turtles are totally neurotic, camera-shy turtle divas.

Fosdic Lake is currently containing the least amount of water I've ever seen in that lake. If the lake continues to dry up one can not help but wonder what disturbing lake bottom things might be revealed.

I am optimistic Friday will be a better day for me than this Thursday has been, so far.

Up Early In Texas On A Chilly 3rd Thursday Of September

Up early in the pre-dawn hours on the 3rd Thursday of the 9th month of 2011, looking through the bars of my patio prison cell at a glowing turquoise pool heated by outer world air chilled to only 9 degrees warmer than the current temperature of 55 at my old home zone of Mount Vernon, Washington.

In other words, it is only 64 degrees this morning, awaiting the arrival of the skybound nuclear heat source who's thermostat is currently set to only warm us up to 83 degrees today in this formerly HOT zone of Texas.

A doctor's appointment this morning, up in Hurst, will keep me from my regular middle of the day aerobic endorphin stimulation. That stimulation will need to be re-scheduled til some time late in the afternoon, lest I tailspin into a bad bout of extreme endorphin withdrawal.

In the meantime I am going swimming, right now, as a temporary endorphin inducing stop-gap measure.

Dirty Ol' Town's History Of Drilling In Fort Worth, 2004-2011

Don Young, one of Fort Worth's better known YouTube Videographers, has made a YouTube Video detailing his experience with the Dirty Ol' Town of Fort Worth during the past 7 years.

Below is what Mr. Young had to say about this video, with the video below what Mr. Young had to say about the video...

I recently gave a talk to the Tarrant County Democratic Women's Club. My Powerpoint presentation was a condensed timeline, with photos, of my personal experience living in Fort Worth, Texas, A.D. (After Drilling).

It was NOT a Gas Drilling 101 with all the facts, figures and graphs. Rather, it's my personal story and remembrances in this complex experiment from, 2004 - 2011: Why I became involved and what has happened along the way, so far. Not every detail is listed (or remembered) but most of the highlights are present. Needless to say, it's a work-in-progress.

Thanks to masterful technical assistance from Jen Schultz, and the brain-jogging consultation of Debora Young, the Powerpoint is now a YouTube video titled "DIRTY OL' TOWN".....