The Final Monday Of 2011 Dawns Blue & Bloated

As you can see via the view through the bars of my patio prison cell, the day after Christmas is starting off as a very dark blue Monday.

The last Monday in the year 2011.

In another 6 days a new year will start.

2012.

The year the world ends if you are one of those morons who attach meaning to the end of the Mayan calendar.

I ate way too much yesterday. I have decided I will no longer overeat. It is wasteful and leaves me feeling way too uncomfortable for way too many hours.

I do not know how fat people do it.

Day after day of eating way too much is what one must do, I think, to reach the size of some of the behemoths I have known personally, or see, regularly, in Wal-Mart.

It is currently 8 degrees above freezing in the outer world at my location. My swimming pool is back in usable mode. I wish I was back, myself, in swimming pool usable mode, but I seem to have developed an inhibiting dislike of getting cold.

Godfather Don Young Leads Three Generations Harvesting Christmas Trees From Fort Worth's Tandy Hills Nature Preserve

Several hours ago I got an email from an unknown, to me, emailer, asking me what I thought about the Godfather of the Tandy Hills, Don Young, cutting Christmas trees on the Tandy Hills.

Since I knew of no Christmas trees on the Tandy Hills I thought the emailer was just an anonymous trouble maker trying to make trouble.

So, you can imagine my surprise when I logged in to Facebook, to chastise Tootsie Tonasket for poking me, to see Facebook postings from the Tandy Hills Natural Area Facebook page documenting, in more than one photo, the Don Young Gang removing a Christmas tree from the Tandy Hills, with the caption under one of the photos saying, "Three generations bringing home the Christmas tree to Young home."

Apparently the Tandy Hills Christmas trees are Junipers. Not exactly a highly prized specie of tree as far as Christmas trees go.

A minor brouhaha of comments has erupted following the Facebook revelation that the Tandy Hills is now a Christmas tree hunting ground.

Most of those commenting seem to be of the opinion that Don Young & his Gang are not Christmas tree poachers, but were instead doing some timely thinning of an invasive specie that is not native to the Texas prairie.

What I am wondering is how does one determine what is, or is not, native to the Texas prairie?

I've long had my eye on yucca roots and prickly pear cactus growing on the Tandy Hills. But I've been told they are native to the Texas prairie. And thus are not to be harvested.

I also would not mind harvesting some poles from the Tandy Hills bamboo thicket. I really don't believe bamboo is native to the Texas prairie.

Merry Christmas To A Fort Worth Native Exiled To Washington Who Hates It There

Sick From Organic Food

Tacoma non-native, MBK, put this on Facebook yesterday.

I found it amusing.

Particularly the "This is SO Seattle. I hate it here" part.

MBK is a Fort Worth native, exiled to Washington, living in Tacoma.

I am a Skagit Valley native, exiled to Texas, living in Fort Worth.

Yesterday when I was at Town Talk I had intended to take a picture for MBK, because she misses Town Talk. There is nothing in Tacoma like Town Talk.

I think MBK dislikes living in Washington way more than I dislike living in Texas.

I would never say I hate it here.

I'm sure MBK does not hate everything about living in Washington.

I suspect, due to all the cooking she does, that MBK likes the variety of fresh fruit, vegetables and seafood she finds in Washington.

For example, it is way easier than it is in Texas to find blackberries in Washington. And they are free for the picking.

Anyway, Merry Christmas to MBK and I hope being a Christmas caregiver is not exhausting her too much.

And, speaking of smoking Hookah. Just last night Tootsie Tonasket was talking about opening a Hookah Lounge in her town in Eastern Washington. Tootsie Tonasket will having nothing to do with that weed stuff, however, except for medical purposes to treat her painful sciatica.

It Is A Merry Christmas Morning Of A Wonderful Anonymous Life In Texas

Merry Christmas morning to the outer world.

I do not know if any of the predicted possible snow fell on my location on Christmas Eve. There does appear to be dampness on the ground. But it is not frozen dampness, due to the fact that it is currently 40 degrees.

I was shocked this morning to learn that neither the Dallas Cowboys or Seattle Seahawks got their Christmas wish to win a game yesterday to get into the NFL playoffs. What a tragedy. I thought they'd be playing each other in the Super Bowl.

Changing the subject from football to it being a wonderful life.

This morning I got a comment from someone calling him or herself Anonymous in which Anonymous informed me I've had a George Baileyesque impact on his or her life. Anonymous does not indicate if this has been a good or bad impact. Below is the Anonymous comment....

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Princess Annie Shoveling Snow On Christmas Eve After A Blizzard Blankets Wink": 

Durango--

For the past few years, I've had a new tradition. One that I actually enjoy. I'll explain.

Each Xmas Eve I watch the 1946 film "It's a Wonderful Life." What a great flick. I always enjoy hearing George Bailey's line: "If it hadn't been for me, everyone would be a little better off..." (this is of course before his guardian angel interrupts him and reminds Mr. Bailey of his importance in this world ((something he overlooks))).

Durango...you have had a huge impact in my life and I think Christmas time is a good time to sit and reflect on that. So thanks. As I don't need a guardian angel to remind me of this, just this movie once a year! And the fun memories.

Merry Christmas. Hope Santa was kind to you this year! 

_______________________________________

Who is Anonymous? I can't help but wonder.

Several suspects come to mind, depending on if I'm thinking the impact was good. Or bad.

I guess I"m gonna go with it must be J.D. Granger who is Anonymous. Yeah, I'm sure that's it.

Princess Annie Shoveling Snow On Christmas Eve After A Blizzard Blankets Wink

Princess Annie
 Trying To Clear A Path In Snowbound Wink

A blizzard of snow has descended upon West Texas and the Realm of Wink.

Throughout the day, the Queen of Wink has been documenting the ongoing snowstorm that has blanketed her realm in a thick coat of frozen white stuff.

Things have gotten so snowbound that the Queen of Wink had no one else beside Princess Annie to assign snow shoveling duty to.

North Central Texas is seeing nothing like the Wink Blizzard blowing in on us, so far, this Christmas Eve.

A cold rain dripped here in the noon time frame, which discouraged me from going on my daily, doctor prescribed, walk. I was in no mood to walk under a bumbershoot in an icy rain.

So, instead I went to the Beach Street Super Wal-Mart to play Dodge Humans With A Grocery Cart.

The Beach Street Super Wal-Mart does not attract as many super-sized humans to dodge as my neighborhood Eastchase Super Wal-Mart, where I regularly experience aisles blocked by plus-sized humans riding the electric carts that Wal-Mart provides for those unable to walk. Or unwilling.

Well. It is time for my annual Christmas Eve party to begin. I'll talk to you in the morning, late, because I'll likely be sleeping in past the arrival of the Christmas morning sun.

The Morning Of Christmas Eve With No Snow & Christmas Present Desperadoes In Fort Worth

Looking out my primary viewing portal on the outer world on this morning of Christmas Eve I see nothing white in frozen flake form falling to the ground.

If anything white in frozen flake form did fall to the ground, at this point in time, it would quickly melt, due to the fact that currently, at my location, the outer world is being heated to a relatively balmy 39 degrees.

My swimming venue is back at full pool, with new lights making the water glow bright at night.

I don't think I will go swimming this morning.

One of the more disturbing news items I read online this morning happened here in Fort Worth.

Desperadoes broke into a Fort Worth home, where an 11 year old boy was home alone with his dog, a Chihuahua. The thieving desperadoes shoved the boy and his dog into a closet and then proceeded to empty the house of its Christmas presents and other valuables.

The thieves left behind one of the Christmas presents, Dallas Cowboys slippers, which prompted the perceptive 11 year old boy to say, "I guess they don't like the Cowboys."

A Chilly Walk With The Village Creek Indian Ghosts While Talking To My Mom About Burned Russian Tea Cakes & Gas Along With Incoming Possible Snow

Dreary Village Creek On Christmas Eve Eve

I had myself a very chilly walk with the Indian Ghosts that inhabit the Village Creek Natural Historical Area today.

As you can see, via the view of Village Creek, gray is the dominant color for today in this formerly totally parched part of the planet.

The grayish white snow clouds that are hovering above Village Creek is scheduled to begin delivering precipitation tomorrow, on Christmas Eve.

Some parts of North Texas will likely see snow, while other parts of North Texas, like where I am, will, maybe, see snow mixed with rain.

My primary weather information provider provided me a Special Weather Statement a few minutes ago...

...ACCUMULATING SNOW POSSIBLE ON CHRISTMAS EVE...

The Weather Outside May Get Frighful
But Inside It is Just Delightful

AN UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS TEXAS THIS WEEKEND AND WILL BRING WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION. FOR MUCH OF THE AREA...THIS PRECIPITATION WILL FALL AS RAIN. AREAS TO THE WEST AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM GAINESVILLE..TO WEATHERFORD...TO LAMPASAS...WILL SEE THE POTENTIAL FOR SNOWFALL ON SATURDAY.

TOTAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE LESS THAN AN INCH...WITH MOST ACCUMULATIONS OCCURRING ON GRASSY OR ELEVATED SURFACES. TRAVEL IMPACTS WILL LIKELY BE LIMITED TO INTERSTATE 20...MAINLY WEST OF U.S. 287. BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES WILL BE THE FIRST TO BECOME SLICK.

ELSEWHERE...RAIN COULD BECOME MIXED WITH SNOW DURING THE EVENING HOURS ON SATURDAY. HOWEVER...SURFACE TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN ABOVE FREEZING...SO ACCUMULATIONS ARE NOT ANTICIPATED.

I don't know why the Weather Statement makers feel the need to shout their statement in CAPITAL letters.

Changing the subject from my favorite one to gas.

On the way to Village Creek I got gas. So, like I always do when I get gas, I called my mom to tell her I got gas and how much it cost. Apparently gas in Phoenix is still over $3 a gallon.

Weather-wise, Phoenix is also being cold, with snow in the high country that surrounds the Valley of the Sun making it so mom and dad are currently limited on where they can drive.

A couple days ago I mentioned getting a box of inedible Christmas cookies in the mail. I lamented not getting Christmas cookies from my mom anymore, due to mom not baking Christmas cookies anymore, due to her bad eyesight due to macular degeneration.

Well.

I was wrong. I don't know why I've not had any of my mom's Christmas cookies shipped to me, in what seems like years. But, mom told me a box of Christmas cookies was heading my way.

I mentioned the inedible Christmas cookies and the faux Russian Tea Cakes that tasted like rotten bananas, that I had to spit out. My mom told me she'd made some Russian Tea Cakes, but did not send me any because they were slightly burned. I told my mom that her slightly burned Christmas cookies would be more edible that the aforementioned box of inedible Christmas cookies.

I don't know why I had myself convinced my mom no longer baked Christmas cookies. The last time I was in Phoenix, at mom and dad's in Sun Lake, I was surprised my mom had made an apple crisp and, despite impaired eyesight, had dished up the apple crisp, with ice cream.

And, I had witnessed, with my own eyes, my mom and dad being a pair of canning machines the last time I was in Tacoma, watching them work for hours making raspberry jam.

In the jam making operation my dad is the eyes while my mom gives directions. I suppose the cookie baking is done in the same way.

So, I guess if you want to get technical about it, it was my dad who burned the Russian Tea Cakes. He likely caught a lot of grief over this.

The Morning Of The 4th Friday Of December Ashamed About Corrupting The Morals Of People

Looking through the bars of my patio prison cell on the morning of Christmas Eve eve, I see a swimming pool being refilled and a sky that appears to be full of clouds, possibly in preparation for Christmas Eve's possible falling snowflakes.

Currently, in the outer world, possibly in preparation for those possible snowflakes, the air is being chilled, with the chill level at this point in time being 36 degrees.

Changing the subject from my favorite one to bingo.

I do not believe I have previously mentioned on this blog that the Paradise Center has moved to a new location. And that the Paradise Center is now licensed to operate a charity bingo game in the big bingo hall next to their new location on Camp Bowie Boulevard.

So, with that being said I was a bit surprised at a very earnest comment this morning from a concerned Christian named Anonymous......

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Trying To Hike The Muddy Trails Of The Tandy Hills While Being Confused By My Closed-Head Injury": 

Y'all are helping to promote gambling and corrupting the morals of people, esp. them mentally ill people with that paradise cult you seem to be so supportive of. Then again closed head injury and mental illness ain't that much different, is it? No self respecting Christian would help promote or participate in such sinful activity as Bingo, conducted in their dirty smoke filled cramped dens they call bingo halls. Shame on you. 

I don't think it was very Christian of Anonymous to make fun of my closed-head injury in this manner. Or to refer to the Paradise Center as a cult.

But, I am sure, like all good Christians, that Anonymous means well, even though he seems to be a tool of the Devil.

This is the point in the morning where I used to say I was going swimming now. I don't know when I am ever going to be able to say that again.

It Is Now Official That The Dallas Cowboys Are Not America's Team Because The Green Bay Packers Are

ESPN's Skip Bayless, Lomas Brown & Rob Parker debate
The Poll That Determined The Packers Are
"America's Team" Not The Dallas Cowboys

A few minutes ago I got an email from one of my regular emailers with the subject line, "Did you cause this?"

A link in the email went to an article in the Fort Worth Business Press titled Poll: Cowboys no longer ‘America’s Team’

I don't see how I could cause the Dallas Cowboys to no longer be America's Team.

However, I long ago did opine that the idea that the Dallas Cowboys were America's Team was a local delusion.

Several years ago, back when the Dallas Cowboys and the City of Arlington were abusing eminent domain to take homes, apartments and businesses to build Jerry Jones a new football stadium, I did add a page to my Eyes on Texas website on the subject of this delusion titled AMERICA'S TEAM: THE DALLAS COWBOYS?

Apparently something called Public Policy Polling took a survey and discovered that the Green Bay Packers are the most popular team in the National Football League, which, apparently, makes the Green Bay Packers America's Team.

The same survey revealed that not only are the Dallas Cowboys not America's most popular team, they are America's least favorite team, with 22 % of those surveyed picking Dallas as the worst.

The Packers were seen positively by 57 % of those surveyed, with only 13% having a negative opinion.

While the Dallas Cowboys were seen negatively by 41 %, with 29 % having a positive opinion.

In the ESPN online coverage of this serious issue you can watch a video where some talking heads discuss why it is that Dallas is not America's Team, along with one of the talking heads verbalizing how upset he is over this shocking fall from grace by the Dallas Cowboys.

What I am wondering is why is it no national polling entity had not put an end to the silly Dallas Cowboys being America's Team conceit a long time ago?

Waiting On A Turkey Walking Around Fosdic Lake Thinking About My Relative Weight Gain & The Wounded Knee Massacre

Duck Hunting Is Not Allowed On Fosdic Lake

Before my thawed too early turkey was scheduled to be pulled out of the oven I drove to Oakland Lake Park to escape the heat of the kitchen by walking around Fosdic Lake.

That would be Fosdic Lake in the picture, looking very blue, peaceful and serene. With a large number of ducks and geese making a formidable flotilla of loud quackers.

That tall skinny thing in the left side of the background is the Mount Tandy Tower, also known as the Fort Wort Space Needle.

It has been a long time since I have parked at the base of the Fort Worth Space Needle in order to hike the Tandy Hills.

Due to being unable to go swimming, for a variety of reasons, and due to being unable to hike the Tandy Hills, for only one reason, that being the trails are too muddy, I find myself quickly putting on weight.

I think it is my Dutch genetics that cause me to be able to put on weight real fast. All the Dutch people I know are easy weight gainers. Now that you are making me think about it, pretty much the only Dutch people I know are relatives. So this easy weight gain thing might not be something all people of Dutch descent are blessed with.

On July 22 of 2012 it will be 10 years since I flew up to Washington, to the fairgrounds in the town of Lynden, about 5 miles south of the Canadian border, for the biggest family reunion of my Dutch relatives since my great great grandpa and grandma sailed from Amsterdam to New York City in 1889.

1889 is one year before the Wounded Knee Massacre in South Dakota ended the Indian Wars, which is one of the reasons I am so judgmental regarding how you Americans, prior to my relatives landing on the continent, treated the Native Americans, because my ancestors had no part in it.

I have been to the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre. It is an eerie location.There is a big sign telling what happened there, from the Lakota Sioux point of view.

There are no Native Americans left in Arlington to put up a sign in the Village Creek Natural Historical Area to tell what happened there, courtesy of the Texans, to the Indians that called the Village Creek area home.