A Freezing December Morning That Will Live In Infamy With A Japanese Attack Among Other Outrages In Texas

I'm looking out the very frosty view from my primary viewing portal on the outer world on a day that will live in infamy, December 7, 2011.

This day will live in infamy because it was the day I was shocked to read the usually mild-mannered Don Young cursing like a drunken sailor on shore leave, dropping F-Bombs in a comment in FW Weekly regarding something to do, I think, with a Happy Hour at a Fort Worth called restaurant called ZIOs.

This day also lives on in infamy due to another bombing. It is 70 years ago this morning that the Japanese went into hyper aggressive mode with a sneak attack on Pearl Harbor.

I remember December 7, 1941 like it was yesterday. Listening to the radio with the music suddenly interrupted with the shocking news. And then realizing that America was now in what was to become known as World War II.

The only thing in my lifetime that comes close, shock-wise, to Pearl Harbor Day, was the morning John F. Kennedy was assassinated. And the morning of September 11, 2001. Both Pearl Harbor Day and 9/11 led America into wars. JFK getting killed did not. Unless one thinks had he lived the Vietnam War would not have happened in the way it did.

Changing the subject from acts of bad behavior to my favorite subject.

It is only 23 degrees this morning in the outer world. One more day with it being too cold to swim.

Without my daily swim I am quickly putting on weight. Yesterday I reached a new high of 217. That is pounds, not kilograms. If I keep this up I will have a thick enough layer of insulating adipose tissue that I will be able to go swimming in icy water and not feel it.

Changing the subject from me getting fatter to Elsie Hotpepper.

I heard from Ms. Hotpepper last night. She is denying having 4 dogs. Claims to have only 2, admits one of them is anti-social, but other than the anti-social one having a tendency to bite random humans, both dogs are otherwise "good doggies," to use Elsie Hotpepper's verbiage.

Walking 6 Dogs With The Indian Ghosts At Village Creek Natural Historic Area Today

Photo Evidence That I Have Gained Winter Weight

I don't believe the outer world at my location has been heated above freezing at any point in time, so far, today.

It is currently 31 degrees. With a 15 mph wind still making it feel like 19 degrees, the same temperature the wind made the air feel like when the sun had barely arrived this morning.

I walked with the extremely cold Indian Ghosts at Village Creek Natural Historical Area in Arlington today.

I was not alone walking with the extremely cold Indian Ghosts today, which sort of surprised me.

As you can see, via my reflection in the mirror that is strategically placed at a curve in the trail, so that nothing can surprise you, like a fast moving biker, or a ghost, I am in full anti-freeze garb. Multiple layers, including a wool cap covered by the hood of a hoody and the hood of a windbreaker on top of the hoody hood and the wool cap.

Lady Walking 6 Dogs

Even with all that outer wear, I still got cold.

I expected to see more water flowing through Village Creek today than I saw. I was totally prepared to find the park access closed due to high water, which often happens after we get rain to fall on this formerly parched part of the planet.

I saw 3 people walking dogs with the Indian Ghosts today. One of the dog walkers was a lady with 6 dogs on leashes.

When I walked past the 6 dogs on leashes I said to the lady, "That is a lot of dogs you've got there."

To which the dog lady said she had 7 more at home. Then she asked, "Well behaved, aren't they?"

"Yes, they are very nice doggies," said I.

13 dogs? Isn't that some sort of code violation? I don't care how well behaved they are. I would not like to live next to a house with 13 dogs.

Elsie Hotpepper has 4 dogs that I know of.

That also seems a bit nuts to me.

Mitigating the nuttiness, slightly, Elsie has a big backyard where the dogs have plenty of space to roam. But, they are such poorly behaved mutts, unlike those polite 6 dogs I saw walking with that lady at Village Creek today.

The First Tuesday Of December Dawns Freezing In Texas

As you can see via the view through the bars of my patio prison cell the deluge of rain has ceased deluging on this 6th morning of the last month of 2011.

That turquoise pool you see looking so peaceful could turn into an ice skating rink today.

Currently it is 29 degrees in the outer world at my location with wind blowing hard making for a wind chill factor of 19 degrees.

It is warmer this morning up in the far north at my old home location that it is here in the semi-deep South.

That's cold. Real cold.

Listening To Fosdic Falls Roar While Learning That Nephew David Wants A Robot & The Identity Of Curious Anonymous

Water Roaring Over Fosdic Falls

Due to the absence of rainfall in this formerly parched part of the planet, it has been awhile since I've felt the ground tremble from water falling over Fosdic Falls.

Today I put on several layers of winter worthy outerwear and subjected myself to a 26 degree, wind chill factor-wise, walk around Fosdic Lake in Oakland Lake Park.

It was pleasant to hear the roar of Fosdic Falls above the roar of the cold wind.

A few days ago I blogged about my nephew David and his visit to Santa Claus. Today I heard from David's mom that when David saw Santa he climbed up on Santa's lap and earnestly told Santa all he wanted for Christmas was a robot and that "I have been a very good boy."

The last time I walked around Fosdic Lake I blogged about a strange series of comments from someone Anonymously Curious who is now no longer Anonymously Curious.

Last night I got email from someone calling him or herself "Fort Worth Observer." FWO asked if I knew who Curious Anonymous was and told me that s/he thought s/he knew. FWO asked me to make a guess. I really did not much care who Curious Anonymous was, or is. but I made a guess anyway.

Though I was pretty much 100% certain I was wrong, I, due to the mention being made by Curious Anonymous of the Tandy Hills, guessed that Don Young was Curious Anonymous. FWO replied back that I was very close and asked me to try again. This is growing tiresome I thought to myself, but then replied with Don Young's wife, Debra, as my next guess.

Wrong again. I then said I'm giving up on this quest.

Then this morning FWO sent me a picture and said Curious Anonymous was in the photo. And that Curious Anonymous is an ordained minister. And that he did something weekly. I assumed this meant Curious Anonymous preached weekly. Or weakly. It may have been a typo.

I could insert the photo into this blogging, but that somehow does not seem kosher. If the photo is of Curious Anonymous, someone could then identify him or her. (The picture has two males and one female in it, at what looks like a wedding)

If Curious Anonymous wants to be curiously anonymous, I think I should let him or her keep his or her curious anonymity.

Alma's Got Me Thinking About Putting Up My Annual Christmas Light Display & Going To Mexico

Alma's Christmas Lighting

Alma, the Songbird of the Texas Gulf Coast, sent me this photo this morning saying, "This is what I'd do if I lived in a house next to a house."

My only Christmas decoration is a little red stocking tree ornament my Grandma crocheted for me years ago.

I have never lived in an abode with a Christmas tree ever since I escaped living with my mom and dad.

I have never put any Christmas decorations on any house I've lived in. This frustrated my mom with the house I lived in in Mount Vernon, due to the fact that that house had 3 flat roofs, on three levels, with the edges easily accessed by simply walking out onto the roofs.

My mom could not understand why I would not put up lights. I think it embarrassed my mom that mine was the only house in the entire neighborhood of East Thunderbird not to have any Christmas decorations.

One year my mom brought over a big box of Christmas lights and told me I now had no excuse not to put up lights.

My Computer Monitor Christmas Ornament

I took some of my mom's lights and made a Star of David and put that up on top of the carport. I told my mom now the neighbors will think the reason I put up no lights is because I'm Jewish.

I don't think my mom understood, because she said something like, "Well, at least now you've got some Christmas lights up."

That is my one and only Christmas decoration, currently decorating my computer monitor screen.

My Grandma who crocheted my sole Christmas decoration has been gone since 1994. I can't believe that is already 18 years ago. Grandma's birthday was December 16. Every year this meant a family Christmas deal up in the Lynden zone, near the Canadian border. It'd be a combo Grandma Birthday and Christmas Party.

The year 2000 was the last year I had any relative interaction on Christmas. I was in Yuma for Christmas that year, with my mom and dad. Christmas Eve my dad drove us through Yuma's best decorated zone. It was warm, people were outside barbecuing, luminarias were all over the place, creating a cool glow.

Christmas morning started with 99 cent breakfast at a Yuma casino, named Paradise. Then it was on to Mexico, to Algodones, to do some Christmas shopping. That was a fun Christmas.

The First Monday Morning Of December Has Dawned Wet With No Snow At My Location

The view from my primary viewing portal on the world on the first Monday morning of the last month of 2011 is about the same as yesterday's.

Wet.

The rain continues to fall in semi-copious amounts. Since the deluge began the D/FW zone in various locations has recorded varying amounts accumulated, with a little more than 2 inches at the wettest.

And this morning snow is falling on parts of North Texas. Decatur, which is about 40 miles northwest of my current location has had around two inches of white stuff pile up on the ground.

Currently at my location the outer world is chilled to 35 degrees. I will not be going swimming this morning.

Changing the subject north, away from this wet part of the planet.

This morning I was surprised to learn that the town the Wild Woman of Woolley, Betty Jo Bouvier, lives in, Sedro-Woolley, in the Skagit Valley of my old home zone, is getting a Medicinal Marijuana producing facility.

I was not aware that Medicinal Marijuana had been legalized in Washington.

Dodging The Sunday Rain In Wal-Mart While Visiting Venice Italy

The weather outside has been frightful, but inside my neighborhood Super Wal-Mart and Sam's Club, the weather was just delightful.

Sam's and Wal-Mart were my walking location on this drippy first Sunday of December. Sam's Club was particularly challenging walking, dodging the multiple orange cones and buckets catching water leaking from the roof.

The last few days I have been in Italy, specifically in Venice, virtually, with the always traveling Fort Worthers known as the Galtex's.

I have no clue what the grammatically, punctuationally proper way is to add an 's' to Galtex. It just occurred to me, maybe it is Galtexes? That does not look right.

I've been enjoying Glimpses of Venice, courtesy of the Galtex's.

I have never been to the Venice in Italy. I have been to the Venetian in Las Vegas. I'm sure they are very similar.

In a couple dozen years, when the fast-paced Trinity River Vision Boondoggle finally completes its long promised canals, maybe a little bit of Venice will seem to be in Fort Worth. Won't that be something?

The picture of the Canals of Venice, in the picture, I swiped from the Facebook page of Gail Galtex this morning.

Mrs. Galtex is very cute. I wonder if this causes a problem due to those notorious Italian flirters flirting with her? They are likely discouraged by Mr. Galtex.

Speaking of flirting. We flirted with a thunderstorm here around 8 this morning. I saw one flash and heard one thunderclap.

The Morning Of The First Sunday Of December Raining In Texas & Thinking About Doris Day

The view from my primary viewing portal on the outer world is filtered through a window wet from rain on this early morning of the first Sunday of the last month of 2011.

Rain to varying degrees of volume has been falling for around 24 hours.

The rain is scheduled to continue to fall today.With thunderstorms.

The weather predictors have changed their prediction of snow or sleet for tomorrow. This morning no mention is being made by the weather prognosticators of anything falling to the ground in a frozen state.

Changing the subject from my favorite to Doris Day.

Doris Day At 87 Years Old

Every once in awhile I'll hear something that makes me think to myself that I am old.

Yesterday this occurred when I read that Doris Day is now 87 years old.

87.

How can perky Doris Day be 87 years old?

I could not find any recent photos of Doris Day. I've always liked Doris Day a lot. She has always reminded me of my Aunt Mike.

The rain just switched back to downpour mode. It is currently 39 degrees. I don't think I will be going swimming this morning.

I don't know where I will be getting my daily aerobic walking stimulation today. I don't feel like a repeat of getting wet under a bumbershoot like yesterday.

Walking In The Rain In Gateway Park Looking For Fort Worth City Gas Lease Revenue In Action

The Future Of Gateway Park Boondoggle

Today on my way to Town Talk I decided to take a look at Gateway Park. I'd not been to Gateway Park in quite awhile. I was curious to see if some of the Fort Worth City Gas Lease Revenue in Action had been in Action in Gateway Park like it has been in action a couple miles to the east, in Quanah Parker Park, where new trail has been paved and other amenities, like solar lighting, has been added.

I figured since Gateway Park is much more heavily used than Quanah Parker Park that the Gas Lease Revenue in Action would have likely repaired the paved trail damaged by Tropical Storm Hermine, and would have repaired the boarded up boardwalks. And maybe have added restrooms to Fort Woof.

When I started walking in Gateway Park a slight rain hit my big black bumbershoot. A slow northwest in winter type rain. After about 10 minutes this turned into a light Texas-style downpour. I was soaked from my knees south by the time I was back under cover.

Trail Is Closed Temporarily

I don't know if the Trinity River Vision decided to make their signage more accurate or if one of the signs was graffiti-ized. But, the biggest of the many Trinity River Vision signs by Fort Woof says "Go Gateway! The Future of Gateway Park Boondoggle."

I was optimistic when I saw the paved trail was no longer blocked by a barricade and a DO NOT ENTER SIGN, that the trail washed out by Tropical Storm Hermine had been fixed.

As is usually the case, my optimism was quickly dissipated.

As you can see the trail is not fixed. It is like this in two locations. As you can also see, there has been sufficient foot traffic to wear a new path next to the damaged paved trail. Thus sort of making it obvious that people walk here. The sign says "TRAIL IS CLOSED TEMPORARILY FOR MAINTENANCE DO NOT ENTER."

Close To Public

The trail has been temporarily closed for well over a year now.

There are three sections of chain link fence along this trail. On each of them there is now attached the amusing sign you see here.

"AREA CLOSE TO PUBLIC."

On two of the three signs someone has added a small "D" to "CLOSE."

I found this amusing. I am easily amused.

My optimism that the Fort Worth City Gas Lease Revenue in Action might have fixed the boarded up boardwalks also turned out to be a false hope.

It has been a very disappointing first Saturday of December, so far.

Snow Is In The Forecast But You Can Slide Down Mount Chesapeake Today If You Want To

Weather obsessed fanatic that I am it is ironic that til this morning I had not paid any attention to the current 5 day forecast beyond hearing on the radio that a cold front was heading our way.

Minutes ago I learned, via the weather thing at the bottom of this very blog, that SNOW is in the forecast for Monday. With a low of 29, followed by a low of 25 on Tuesday.

I checked out weather sources to see if the snow prediction is being universally predicted. It isn't. Other predictors are predicting Freezing Rain rather than SNOW. I prefer snow to freezing rain. Though the difference is subtle.

Freezing Rain can turn into an Ice Storm. I never experienced an Ice Storm til I moved to Texas, getting hit with one 5 days after my arrival in Texas.

I left Washington in a heavy rainstorm and arrived in Haslet, this little hamlet on the northern border of Fort Worth, to an even heavier rainstorm, with a lot of flooding. This was not what I was expected to find in Texas.

I was shocked.

And then 5 days later I was having lunch at the now long gone Riscky Rita's, in the Fort Worth Stockyards, enjoying the bad Mexican food buffet. It'd been warm when I entered Riscky Rita's. Warm and windy. When I left Riscky Rita's, an hour or so later, the temperature had dropped to just above freezing.

I was shocked. And had no coat with me.

That night the temperature dropped to 15 degrees. We did not know how to shut off the water to the pool. Or the barn. It was a nightmare.

By morning the ground was covered with what seemed to be several inches of ice.

I was shocked. I had no idea this type thing happened in this part of Texas.

Since then I've survived through 4 or 5 Ice Storms.

I remember the first time I walked into the house in Haslet remarking why in the world would there be a big fireplace in a house in Texas? Within 5 days I knew the reason.

My current abode also has a fireplace. I have only used it once. The power went out. It was way below freezing. I had to scrounge to find things to burn. I probably should get myself a supply of firewood.

Today is the day you can buy a slide down Mount Chesapeake for only 2 bucks, up in North Richland Hills. Wait a couple days and there is a chance you will be able to do some snow sliding for free in this usually snow-free part of the planet.