After A Good Night's Sleep The Next To Last Day Of September Dawns Early

In the picture we are looking through the bars of my patio prison cell at the ground 30 feet below on day 29 of September, the last Thursday of the 9th month of 2011.

Dawn has cracked with the sky heater currently heating the outer world in my location to 72 degrees, heading to a high of 95 today.

I don't think Mother Nature got the memo that Summer is over in this parched part of the planet.

Which means the water in my pool should be at a pleasant swimming temperature this morning. I will find out if that is true in about 5 minutes.

My Chesapeake Energy Neighborhood Tower Has Vanished For No Fracking Reason That I Know of

Chesapeake Flatbeds Clogging Boca Raton Boulevard

When I left my abode this morning I was surprised to see a lot of trucks pulling flatbed trailers, lined up along Boca Raton Boulevard, waiting to do something at my neighborhood Chesapeake Energy Barnett Shale Natural Gas Drilling Site.

When I returned, a couple hours later, I was surprised, when I drove up Bridgewood Street, to see that the Chesapeake drilling tower no longer towered over my neighborhood.

What is going on, I thought to myself?

Unlike my previous experience with a Chesapeake Energy drilling operation, this one has been quiet and has not generated a lot of dust. I've heard no squealing noises from drills doing their drilling.

I'd assumed the actual drilling had not yet started, even though I saw mechanical movement on the tower.

I wish I'd walked to the Loop 820 Frontage Road, open view, to take pictures of the HUMONGOUS operation when all the equipment and the tower were in place. Because it is all gone now. As you will see in the following two photos I took a few minutes ago.

In the picture above I am standing with Loop 820 behind me, on a rare Fort Worth sidewalk, looking west at the now almost empty Chesapeake Energy drilling site. Yesterday you would have seen an enormous structure where you now see empty space.

If the earth did get poked by Chesapeake Energy in this location, above, I believe we are looking at the point of earth entry. I've no idea what the blackish, oily looking fluid might be. I suspect petroleum related.

If Chesapeake Energy has finished poking its hole in this location, and I've no clue whether or not that has happened, I do know for certain that no fracking has taken place. No water trucks or water pipelines have been seen.

All the flatbed trailers created traffic problems, blocking lanes and forcing drivers, like me, to drive on the incoming lane to get past the flatbeds. A couple hard hats with "Slow" and "Stop" signs helped with the traffic flow. And a big street sweeper swept up some of the dirt. I probably would have not noticed that, if it weren't for the sign informing me to beware of the street being swept.

Another interesting thing. A few weeks ago I was appalled to see that the chain link fence that Chesapeake Energy had installed along its border with Boca Raton, had fallen over onto the sidewalk. This remained unfixed ever since. Until today. The chainlink fence is back up and sidewalk access to one of Fort Worth's few sidewalks has been restored.

I don't know why, but I've got a feeling there is something going on in my neighborhood that is not quite meeting my eye. I think I just mangled a cliche.

On Top Of Mount Tandy With A Blimp Aiming At Downtown Fort Worth & The Tandy Trojan Horse

I am operating on very little sleep. Thus my perceptions may be a bit tired.

I'd not been to the Tandy Hills in several days. I thought maybe some hill hiking would make me feel better.

As I drove to the top of Mount Tandy I saw what looked like a bloated slow motion missile taking aim at the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth.

By the time I found a place to park on the Mount Tandy parking lot I realized the slow motion missile was a blimp.

I vaguely recollect reading somewhere that a blimp would be in the air in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex zone, offering very expensive rides to those willing to pay for such a thing.

As I walked down Mount Tandy I saw the blimp take a turn north before it ran in to the Fort Worth skyline. After awhile the blimp was a very distant white spot, heading, maybe, to Alliance Airport.

When I came to the trail junction, half way down Mount Tandy, I came upon the latest Tandy Hills Mystery. Or the latest Guerrilla Art installation.

Near the sign that says "FOOT TRAFFIC ONLY NO BIKES HORSES OR MOTORIZED VEHICLES" sat an object which potentially seemed to violate all three of those prohibitions.

The Tandy Hills Trojan Horse. On wheels.

Up Early The Last Wednesday Of September After A Night Of Extreme Insomnia

I'm looking through the bars of my patio prison cell at some extreme darkness on this last Wednesday morning of September of 2011.

It seems like the month of September started yesterday, yet, after today, there are only 2 more days left in the month.

Already I am hearing mention made on the radio of the "Upcoming Holidays."

My least favorite time of the year.

I saw yesterday that Wal-Mart is already purveying Halloween paraphernalia.

The early morning darkness perfectly matches my early morning dark mood.

I had my worst bout of insomnia in a long, long time, last night. I read in bed til past midnight, waiting for the sleep impulse to strike. I gave up on the wait and turned off the light. Sometime after 2 in the morning I fell asleep, apparently quickly going into nightmare mode, where I had a confrontation with a vicious house cat. In the nightmare I kicked a rock at the vicious house cat, but in reality I kicked the wall next to my bed.

Kicking the wall next to my bed had me back awake and tossing and turning for I don't know how long.

Eventually I did fall asleep, again, and then woke up and gave up and got up, before 6.

I think today is going to be a long long day.

I Am Not Going To Make Pie With Village Creek Natural Historic Area Horse Apples

I was not long into my Texas exile when I first came across lime green balls like you see in the picture.

I was long ago told these are called Horse Apples. They grow in a tree, like an apple. And then fall to the ground.

I saw this collection of ground bound Horse Apples today whilst walking in the Village Creek Historical Natural Area in Arlington.

If someone could properly identify the Horse Apples I would be appreciative of having my ignorance about this subject alleviated. 

Trying Hard Not To Drown On The Last Tuesday Of September In Texas

I am looking out my primary viewing portal on the world this morning well after the arrival of the daily illumination device in the sky.

This is the final Tuesday of September of 2011.

I start the day with a feeling of despondency, despair, disarray, disgust, disappointment, distaste and desire to take a break from way too much alliteration.

Every morning I check the obits in my old hometown online newspaper. This was one of the mornings when a name I know is listed in the obits.

Which may be part of why I am in a mood full of alliterative d's. Life is short and in the end, if we are lucky, we end up with a nice obituary notice in a newspaper.

Now that I am thoroughly depressed I think I will go swimming. And hopefully not drown.

Fort Worth's Shrinking Fosdic Lake Is Sprouting Shoreline Wildflowers

A Fosdic Flower Blooming On The Fosdic Lake Shore

I am currently at the extremely low ebb of my energy cycle pendulum. I may be worn out from an extremely tiring weekend. Or it may be what I mentioned earlier today, that being that I may be in the early throes of manopause.

Today I did not have the energy, or inclination, to entertain the notion of doing anything as strenuous as hiking up and down the hills of the Tandy Hills Natural Sanatorium Area, even though that usually totally revives me from a case of the doldrums.

In the noon time frame I did force my worn out carcass to Oakland Lake Park to walk around the ever shrinking Fosdic Lake.

Foliage is starting to sprout up on the newly exposed beaches of Fosdic Lake. That and things like tires, barrels, shopping carts and a varied collection of cans and bottles.

As you can see in the picture, some of the Fosdic Lake beach foliage is sprouting flowers.

Due to the ongoing Great North Texas Drought you don't see an awful lot of color in the outer world on this parched part of the planet. So, the Fosdic flowers were a nice colorful change from the usual, current, brown motif.

That has been my exciting last Monday of September, so far, with the highlight being seeing a flower.

The Last Monday Of September Of 2011 Dawns Sunny In Texas

Looking out my primary viewing portal on the outer world on the final Monday of September I can see it is yet one more sunny morning in Texas.

Currently chilled to 62 degrees, heading to a high of 88.

I am currently experiencing a really bad case of being in the doldrums. I suspect I may be in the early stages of manopause.

I do not know if going swimming will lift my spirits this morning. But I am going to give that a try.

Going To Birch Bay In Washington With My Nephew Spencer Jack

Spencer Jack's Sand Castle At Birch Bay

Today I have seen a thing or two that has me a bit homesick for Washington.

One homesickness inducer was reading a Facebook tale, with photos, of hiking last week from Lake Ozette to the Pacific Ocean on the Washington Coast.

I have only done this hike once. Much of it takes place on cedar planks through a cedar forest. It reminded me of where the Ewoks lived in the Empire Strikes Back. I think that is the correct Star Wars movie.

Lake Ozette is near the town of Forks. Forks has become a bigger tourist attraction, in addition to its pre-existing tourist attraction attributes, due to the town now being known as the town where the Twilight movies take place. You know, those vampire/werewolf movies that are inexplicably, to me, popular, with people way younger than me.

The other Washington thing I saw today, that made me homesick for Washington, was my Grand Nephew, Spencer Jack, with a sand castle at Birch Bay.

Birch Bay is a very shallow bay up near the Canadian border, in Whatcom County. In summer the tide goes out, the sun heats up the sand, and then, when the tide comes in, the water gets heated by the HOT sand. Resulting in an awful lot of people having fun in the water.

Birch Bay is a humongous tourist attraction, the likes of which I've not seen since I've been in Texas. I suspect, maybe, the beaches of Galveston may come close on a nice summer day. And maybe South Padre Island.

With Birch Bay you get a lot of Canadians. I don't think you get a lot of Canadians in Galveston. Or South Padre Island.

I like Canadians. They can be a tad annoying, but, for the most part, not. If only they could learn to not end every sentence with "eh". Like they doubt every single thing that comes out of their mouths.

Going to Birch Bay goes back as far as my memory goes. As a kid, more summer weekends were spent at Birch Bay than anywhere else. In my very early years my Grandma Vera had a cabin at Birch Bay. I can vaguely remember one very young birthday at that cabin.

Seeing pictures of Spencer Jack playing in the sand at Birch Bay induced instant melancholy in me.

I actually can not remember the last time I was at Birch Bay. I know I currently have relatives who have moved there since I moved to Texas. I vaguely remember driving up to Birch Bay to meet up with someone a year or two before I moved to Texas.

Birch Bay Driftwood

In all my decades of memory of Birch Bay there is a big piece of driftwood on the beach by Birch Bay State Park that haunts me in dreams. I used to have so much fun climbing on that big chunk of wood.

I must see if I can Google for an image of Birch Bay driftwood.

I think I may have found it. This picture is definitely from the state park part of the south end of Birch Bay.

Right now, at this current point in time, I really am in the mood to move back to Washington. I miss the diversity. And the scenery. And the saltwater.

The weather? Not so much.

The Mysterious Re-Appearance Of Water In Village Creek & The Village Creek Bayou

Village Creek Barnett Shale Water Pipes

Turning on to Dottie Lynn Parkway, heading south to the Village Creek Natural Historical Area I was surprised to see 3 water pipes running along side the southbound lanes.

You can see the pipelines in the picture, the pipelines being that line of gray you see on the other side of the road.

Why would I be surprised to see 3 gas driller water pipelines?

Well. Where are the 3 pipelines getting water? Village Creek has not been running water for a long time now. Even after the rains of Friday, September 16, Village Creek was still not moving any water.

So, imagine my surprise today to see water trickling under the dam/bridge across Village Creek. And then, when I got to the previously dry Village Creek Bayou, I was even more surprised to find it fully charged with water.

Village Creek Bayou Now Drought Free

From whence did this water come?

The nearest large body of water is Lake Arlington. I believe it is from Lake Arlington that Village Creek flows. But, I am not certain about that.

I highly doubt that the 3 pipelines running along Dottie Lynn Parkway were running all the way to Lake Arlington to get some fracking water.

So, I can not help but wonder, was water released from Lake Arlington to re-charge Village Creek so Chesapeake Energy could pump some water?

Other than the perplexing water mystery walking among the Indian ghosts of Village Creek was perfect today.