Another Painful Sunny Day In The Paradise Called Texas

Looking out my primary viewing portal on the world I can see that the 4th day of October is starting off with yet one more super sunny day in paradise, with the outer world in my location chilled to a pleasant 57 degrees.

I am on Day 2 of refraining from doing anything strainful to my aching musculature.

Even typing hurts.

Swimming is currently not being considered as a viable activity. Maybe it will be by tomorrow.

I think I will try and haul my aching carcass to the Tandy Hills today. My lower extremities are in less pain than my upper extremities. I'm thinking the endorphins released by salubrious aerobic hiking activity may have a pain killing effect.

I must cease typing now.

Hiking In The North Cascades To Hidden Lake Peak Today Instead Of Mount Tandy

Hidden Lake In The North Cascades

No, that is not today's view from the Tandy Hills in the picture. Though I can see where you might think that, what with the view looking so similar.

That is me in the picture, laying on top of a spire on which the Hidden Lake Lookout sits. The lookout is an old fire lookout, but nowadays it is the Lois Webster Memorial Shelter.

In the picture we are looking east, towards Cascade Pass and El Dorado. Hidden Lake is on the far western side of the North Cascades, about 50 miles east of my former abode in Mount Vernon.

I've only hiked to Hidden Lake once, sometime in the 1990s. I remember the road to the trailhead was a bit of a challenge. The trail itself is about 8 miles roundtrip, with an elevation gain of around 3,400 feet. The trailhead is at 3,500 feet above sea level.

The trail starts with switchbacks through lush vegetation and deep woods. Then you come to a granite juncture in the trail where you find yourself suddenly above the treeline, leaving the verdant lushness behind, crossing a meadow to alpine heather. In less than a mile you come to a notch between Hidden Lake Peak and the spire on which the Hidden Lake Lookout sits. The boundary of North Cascades National Park in along this notch.

The view from the lookout, on a clear day, is one of those you can see forever type experiences. Washington's most hidden volcano, Glacier Peak, is clearly in view. To the south you can see Mount Rainier. To the north Mount Shuksan and Mount Baker, with Baker being another of Washington's active volcanoes. The panorama of dozens of mountain peaks is a spectacle.

And here I am in Texas, where a Big Adventure, for me, is driving 4 miles to hike on some very short hills, covered with mostly un-lush vegetation.

I think if I'd not sold my house in Mount Vernon in 2003, I'd be really thinking serious about moving back to Washington. I miss it. Sometimes.

The First Monday Of October Dawns With Aches & Pains & Weather Geeks Descending Upon Fort Worth

Looking through the bars of my patio prison cell on the first Monday of October you can sort of tell that the sun has already begun its daily heating duties.

What you can not tell via the picture is it is only 58 degrees in the outer world in my location.

I am not going swimming this morning. Not going swimming is not due to the near freezing temperature. Not going swimming is due to not feeling too good. As in I'm sort of aching all over.

Yesterday I helped with the dismantling of a Big Screen TV so that it could be disposed of. You would think this would be no big deal. You would think wrong. So many screws to unscrew. So many heavy parts. It was interesting though. I did not know that inside a rear projection TV there was a giant mirror.

Switching the subject from my aching pains back to the weather.

I read an interesting bit of news this morning in Mount Vernon, Washington's Skagit Valley Herald that I did not notice in this morning's Fort Worth Star-Telegram. I may have missed it in the Star-Telegram, but in Mount Vernon's paper I learned that today in Fort Worth federal and state weather forecasters and climatologists are meeting to brainstorm about the Great Texas Drought of 2011.

The Great Texas Drought of 2011 has already cost the Texas cattle and agriculture business over $5 billion. And now a new La Nina is brewing in the Pacific's equatorial zone, which means it will likely be another dry winter.

I can't imagine what a bunch of weather geeks meeting in Fort Worth are going to do about the Great Texas Drought of 2011.

Maybe the weather geeks will issue a proclamation proclaiming that whilst Texas is in the midst of a drought, wasting fresh water with Barnett Shale natural gas well fracking should be refrained from and that a water pipeline should be built by the gas drillers to suck fracking water from the Gulf of Mexico instead of using scarce potable water.

My Favorite Ex-Wife's Cousin Dylan Sheffield From Wichita Falls Breaks Texas State High School Football Record For Passing Yards

Texas Passing Record Holder
Dylan Sheffield

As I walked around Fosdic Lake today my favorite ex-wife ignored the restraining order and called me because she had some exciting relative news to tell me.

My favorite ex-wife forgot what an ardent fan of Texas high school football I am and that I would have already known that her cousin, Dylan Sheffield, on Friday night, broke the Texas high school record for most passing yards.

Dylan quarterbacked 683 yards, scoring 7 touchdowns in leading Wichita Falls' win over Denton, with a final score of 53 to 49.

With 54 seconds left in the 4th quarter Wichita Falls was behind Denton, 49 to 46, after Denton's quarterback scored on a 5 yard run.

Then Dylan, with 28 seconds left in the game, threw an 81 yard game winning touchdown pass, with those 81 yards giving Dylan the state record, which had been set by someone named Mac Morse, who passed 634 yards in a game in 2009.

My favorite ex-wife also told me that Dylan was watching the Texas Rangers Saturday night, at the Ballpark in Arlington, and was shown on the Jumbotron, along with the info about his record setting football passing of the previous night, as if, me, ardent baseball fan that I am, did not already know this.

Okay, I have no idea who the Rangers were playing, though I think it's some sort of playoff deal that seems to have the locals being interested.

As you can well imagine, the story of Dylan's record breaking passing was all over the news in Texas. As well as nationally, what with Dylan's record being the second most yards thrown in the nation, that according to the National High School Sports Record Book.

Somehow Fort Worth's supposed newspaper of record, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, missed the news of Dylan's record, til the day after other Texas newspapers, like the Dallas Morning News, printed the story. The Star-Telegram eventually ran the AP wire story of Dylan's record.

What I'm not getting is how did the Star-Telegram miss this opportunity to use their patented "Green With Envy" verbiage, since, before moving to Wichita Falls, Dylan Sheffield was a Tarrant County boy, living in Burleson, the same town Kelly Clarkson came from.

A Pleasant October Sunday Fishing From Fort Worth's Fosdic Lake Beaches

Sunday Fishing In Fort Worth's Fosdic Lake

With a gentle breeze blowing and the air conditioned to a pleasant degree somewhere in the 70s, this second Sunday of October was a very pleasant day to walk around Fosdic Lake in Oakland Lake Park.

The Great North Texas Drought continues to shrink Fosdic Lake. Beaches have appeared as the lake has shrunk.

There were several people casting lines into the water to catch fish one is warned by multiple signs not to consume.

I imagine with Fosdic Lake growing ever smaller that whatever is bad in the water is getting ever more concentrated, with the fish ever more contaminated.

I took an interesting phone call whilst I walked around Fosdic Lake. It was sports related. My favorite subject. More on that in a subsequent blogging.

Speaking of sports, swimming this morning was slightly cold for the first time in months. The air was in the 50s, with the water not much warmer than the air.

The Galtex's recently returned from a month down south, in Buenos Aires. When they left their pool was almost HOT, upon their return Mrs. Galtex claims their pool is now too cool to swim in.

Mrs. Galtex, if you are reading this, all you need to do is spend about a half minute in the cold water and it won't feel cold anymore. Just jump right in. Of course, it helps to have a thick layer of insulative adipose tissue, like I do.

The First Texas Sunday Of October Is Only 27 Degrees Above Freezing

Looking out my primary viewing portal on the outer world on the 1st Sunday of October I can see that Sunday is starting off sunny.

If history repeats, as it often does in this parched part of the planet, this Sunday will continue to be sunny all day long.

Due to the extreme drop in temperature, as in this morning it is only 27 degrees above freezing, I slept under covers for the first time in months. In my brand new bed.

I slept well.

I flipped open my phone this morning to learn that Elsie Hotpepper had called me last night while I was trying out my new bed, wanting me to meet up with her at the Ozzie Rabbit Lodge.

Earlier in the Saturday evening I was out by the pool when my mom called. This was not a gas related call. It was a relative news call.

Yesterday made two days in a row my mom had called me. This is unprecedented. I am not complaining. I know an awful lot of people who would love to get a call from their mom. Or dad. Or both.

I'm going to go swimming now. And not take my phone with me.

Dragging Myself To The Tandy Hills In Search Of Horse Apples & Henry David Thoreau

After Don Young's rather pointed suggestion that I drag myself to the Tandy Hills, I did as instructed about 2 hours after being told to do so.

As I dragged myself around the Tandy Hills today I looked at what I was looking at with Henry David Thoreau in mind. Also due to Don Young's extreme mentoring influence.

The Great North Texas Drought has caused a lot of death and destruction on the Tandy Hills. And elsewhere in this parched part of the planet.

But there is still a lot of greenery, as you can see in the picture above. Big green trees near the now dry Tandy Falls.

The big green trees had me thinking back to hiking under even bigger green trees on the hikes I'd go on in Washington, often in the Cascades, sometimes over on the Olympic Peninsula, or out on islands in the Puget Sound, like hiking the trails of Deception Pass State Park.

This had me remembering one huge difference between hiking in Texas and hiking in Washington. A lot of the big green trees in Washington are evergreens; fir, pine and cedar trees. Fir, pine and cedar trees are quite odoriferous. So, when you hike a Washington trail, til you get above the treeline, it smells like Christmas. At times blackberries, wild blueberries and wild flowers will add to the odoriferousness.

I can't really recollect hiking on a Texas trail and thinking to myself that that sure smells good.  Unless someone is barbecuing nearby. Now that smells good.

A few days ago I learned that the Osage Orange Horse Apple tree is indigenous to this part of the planet, a native to North Texas that eventually was spread to other parts of America. This had me wondering why I've never seen any Osage Orange trees on the all natural Tandy Hills.

This Is Not A Horse Apple

Just as I was wondering about the absence of Tandy Hills Osage Orange trees I saw a lime green Horse Apple looking object in the distance.

I was about 20 feet distant from the "Horse Apple" when it became clear I had not uncovered evidence of a Tandy Hills Osage Orange tree.

Since we are on the subject of Tandy Hills foliage and fauna. Well, actually, we were not on the subject of fauna til now.

A couple days ago, at Village Creek Natural Historical Area, I saw a small armadillo. I've not had many armadillo sightings at Village Creek the last couple years. And no snakes. I've long thought a massive flood a couple years ago may have wreaked havoc with the armadillo and snake populations of Village Creek and River Legacy Park.

I have seen snakes only a couple times on the Tandy Hills. And unlike Village Creek and River Legacy, the Tandy Hills snakes have not been of the rattlesnake, copperhead or water moccasin variety.

And I have never seen an armadillo foraging on the Tandy Hills. It seems like this would be a nice location for the little guys. Maybe some armadillos could be imported to keep the Tandy Hills Roadrunner company.

I'm Being Urged By Horizontal Grandeur To Drag Myself To The Tandy Hills As Soon As Possible

It is the first day of a new month. The first day of a new month means Don Young's Prairie Notes will arrive in my emailbox. Which is what happened at 9:41 this morning.

The title for Prairie Notes #58 is "Horizontal Grandeur."

Horizontal Grandeur is not available, yet, for viewing on the Friends of Tandy Hills Natural Area website.

Below is a blurb from the start of this month's Prairie notes, a blurb which ends with Don Young urging me to drag myself to the Tandy Hills as soon as possible. I always do what I'm urged to do....

Just days before Henry David Thoreau died from tuberculosis in 1862, he dragged himself from his sick-bed for one last walk. The ever-curious Henry had to see what was new outside after a rainstorm the previous night. He described in his journal some patterns made in the sand by raindrops. Then he recorded the final line of his journal:

"All this is perfectly distinct to the observant eye, and yet could easily pass unnoticed by most."

Amen, Henry. Despite an epic drought, there is still plenty to observe across the horizontal grandeur* of Tandy Hills Natural Area. Not as much as normal, by a long-shot, but still there to the searching eye. With water in short supply, it seems like everything at Tandy Hills is searching more keenly than usual.

A single Monarch butterfly dances around the prairie, searching for an elusive bit of pollen; the silent, gliding of a Cooper's Hawk searching for anything that moves; prairie grass roots, searching deeper and deeper for moisture; and me, searching for solitude, inspiration and a photo-op or two.

With the advent of the Autumn Equinox on September 23, the days are noticeably shorter and the evenings cooler. A little rain shower on the night of 9/29/11 and a cool front is bound to liven up the prairie. I urge you to follow the lead of our friend, Henry, and drag yourself to Tandy Hills, ASAP.

DY

The First Day Of October Dawns Chilly In Texas

Looking through the bars of my patio prison cell on the first day of October does not look all that much different than it did on the last day of September.

What you can not see via a picture is how cold it is in the outer world in my location right now.

55 degrees. That is 45 fewer degrees than the 100 of a couple days ago.

I suspect the pool may be a bit bracing this morning.

I got gas yesterday and forgot to call my mom to tell her I got gas. So, my mom called me last night. I guess that will teach me to remember to call my mom when I get gas. My mom was sounding quite chipper last night.

I'm going swimming now. I expect to be shivering in about a half an hour.

Solo Tandy Hills Hiking Observing The Tandy Hills Roadrunner Bonding With The Tandy Hills Trojan Horse & Other Mysteries

I am having one of those rare days where I feel as if someone has sucker punched me in the gut.

Which is a tad disturbing, because no one has sucker punched me in the gut.

It has been over 3 years since I've been metaphorically sucker punched in the gut.

Hiking the trails of the Tandy Hills Natural Sanatorium, today, put me in a less sucker punched frame of mind.

Speaking of sucker punches, this week's Fort Worth Weekly Best of 2011 issue made no mention of the Tandy Hills this year. Or the Prairie Fest. In years previous the Tandy Hills has been mentioned as the Best Place to Stand. And the Prairie Fest as Best Outdoor Festival, or something like that.

Today whilst I was hiking the Tandy trails I pondered why so few people avail themselves of the pleasure of Tandy Hills hiking. Fort Worth has a population of over 700,000. While it is true that over half of the population is over weight and thus not really drawn to hiking up a hill, that still leaves around 350,000 people able to do so.

I know of no other big city in America with a big, wild, natural zone so close to its downtown.

If something like the Tandy Hills existed a couple miles east of Seattle's downtown I can guarantee the hills would be alive with the sounds of people enjoying the natural world. During the hiking season in Washington's Cascades you can go to any of the dozens upon dozens of mountain hiking trails and find a lot of people hiking. And that's after driving a long distance to get to a trail head.

Even as I type, Washington's Maxine W. A. Milling is hiking with a group, over Cascade Pass, to Stehekin, to spend a few days at Courtney Ranch.

With there being so very few hiking type options in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex zone one would think the Tandy Hills would get a lot of visitors.

Before the novelty wore off, I'd drive to places like Turner Falls Park in Oklahoma and Dinosaur Valley State Park. And twice to Enchanted Rock State Park, just to have a semi-good place to go hiking.

And on another Tandy Hills note, I had myself a real cute encounter with the Tandy Hills Roadrunner today. As I was ascending Mount Tandy the Tandy Trojan Horse that I mentioned a couple days ago came into view. I then saw that the Tandy Hills Roadrunner was looking curiously at the Tandy Trojan Horse.

When the Tandy Hills Roadrunner saw me the speedy bird took off running over the hill.

There was no sign that any of last night's thunderstorm deluge dropped any water on the Tandy Hills. I wonder if the Tandy Hills Roadrunner is still drinking at Don Young's birdbath. I have never found the mysterious water barrel that Don Young and his cohorts installed in some hidden location on the Tandy Hills.

Don Young used to be Fort Worth's Best Watchdog. This year Don Young has been in the news a lot, doing a lot of Watchdogging. But, somehow Don Young was supplanted as the Best Watchdog in Fort Worth Weekly's Best of 2011 compilation, supplanted by Kevin Buchanan and the North Central Texas Communities Alliance.

Very perplexing.