Getting Endorphins With The Village Creek Indian Ghosts While Making Pipeline Inspections

Walking with the Indian Ghosts who haunt Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area was my choice today of where to go to get myself some endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation.

A few drops of precipitation precipitated on me whilst I was getting endorphinized.

The pipeline across Village Creek, that you see in the picture, is a short distance south of the Village Creek Blue Bayou. A side trail, off the soccer field, leads to the pipeline dead end.

I have no idea what flows through this particular pipeline. It looks a bit flimsy, with its span supported by cable attached to its mid-section.

Changing the subject from flimsy pipelines to something else.

I have not heard from my favorite Chunky Monkey today. I do not know if I should be concerned and consider issuing a BOLO. Or not.

Did Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price Shoot Congresswoman Kay Granger At The Party In Fort Worth?

Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price's Pirate Entourage

I did not see the scene on the left when I was at Saturday night's The Party In Fort Worth, held in Fort Worth's private party club, the taxpayer paid Fort Worth Convention Center.

The only person I can identify, for certain in the scene, is Fort Worth Mayor, Betsy Price, who seems to be packing heat, which she appears to be firing in the direction of a pirate who appears to be, possibly, Fort Worth's notorious Congresswoman, Kay Granger, also known as Queen Earmark.

If that is Queen Earmark getting shot on the right, would that make the pirate standing on the left Fort Worth's poster boy for nepotism run amok, Kay's baby boy, J.D.?

All I know for sure is this is the first instance of a Fort Worth mayor engaging in gunplay in downtown Fort Worth since Fort Worth's former mayor, Mike Moncrief, shot up downtown Fort Worth with his fellow gun nut, Texas Governor, Rick Perry, in shots seen around the world.

The Next To Last Day Of February Thinking About Rick Santorum Throwing Up Over JFK

I stepped outside to take a photo from my secondary viewing portal on the outer world on the next to last day of the second month of 2012 to feel a light drizzle descending upon the earth at my location on the planet.

I heard a short rainstorm dripping down in the middle of the night. More of that is scheduled for today, along with some possible electric storm action.

Currently, with the nuclear sky orb having arrived to do its daily heating duties, the outer world is warmed to 60 degrees at my location, according to my computer based temperature monitoring device.

Changing the subject from my favorite one to one of my least favorite subjects, that being the current American presidential election process.

I may be wrong, because I often am, but I think Republican Rick Santorum may have shot himself in the foot by repeatedly saying that a speech made by JFK in the 1960 presidential campaign made him want to throw up.

Opining that an opinion in a speech made over a half century ago makes one want to throw up sounds very un-presidential to me.

JFK was a Catholic addressing the issue of the proper place for religion in the American political system. Rick Santorum, a fellow Catholic, thinking he should be the 2nd Catholic elected president, does not seem to understand the point JFK was making.

If Rick Santorum gets the Republican nomination I suspect it will cause me to do something I did not think I would do again. As in vote for Obama.

The Sun Sets Bright Orange This Monday Night In Texas

I exited my local neighborhood Sam's Club this early evening to see the setting sun casting a bright orange glow. It looked like what photos I've seen of nuclear bomb detonations look like. Which I guess makes sense since the sun is a non-stop nuclear explosion a long ways away.

I don't recollect ever seeing sunsets of this type whilst I watched the sun set in Washington. Does the special mix of air pollutants we are blessed with here in Texas contribute to the colorfulness? I have no way of knowing, but I suspect so.

Balmy temperatures this early evening. 66 degrees. I have my computer room window open.

Was That A Trout Lily I Saw Today On The Tandy Hills Along With A Man In Black?

This May Be A Tandy Hills Trout Lily

I have not gone on any of the annual Botanist led Trout Lily Nature Hikes on the Tandy Hills, so I am not certain I know for sure what a Trout Lily looks like, but I think this wildflower I saw today on the Tandy Hills may be one of the elusive Trout Lilies.

This particular bloom was located beside the trail that leads up the hill to the south of the Tandy Bamboo Teepee Grotto.

Signs of springs are starting to add color to the currently mostly brown Texas prairie.

I think we may be heading to a very good Texas wildflower season. If you have not visited Texas before and you want to see the state when it is being its most colorful, make your way here the coming Spring.

In addition to the alleged Trout Lily I had another unusual siting today on the Tandy Hills.

Tandy Creek Roaring Over Tandy Falls

As I hiked down Mount Tandy I saw on a distant trail another human. A Man in Black. I do not know who the Man in Black managed it, but somehow by the time I got my camera out to take a picture of the surprising amount of water flowing over Tandy Hills, the Man in Black suddenly was on the north side of the falls.

I howdy-ed the Man in Black, which is proper Texas trail etiquette. The Man in Black howdy-ed me back. And continued on his way, surprisingly via the still very muddy, formerly raw sewage flooded, Tandy Highway.

I then climbed the steep trail that leads west to the View Street trail. A short time after that I was surprised to encounter the Man in Black again. That was one fast moving Man in Black.

Changing the subject from the Man in Black to something else.

I think some armadillos should be moved to the Tandy Hills. It does not seem right that I've seen dozens of armadillos over the years at River Legacy Park and the Village Creek Natural Historical Area, but never a single armadillo on the Tandy Hills.

The Final Monday Of February Dawns Cloudy In Texas

Looking out my primary viewing portal on the last blue Monday of the second month of 2012 it appears clouds are currently clouding seeing the sun at my location on the planet.

By tomorrow those clouds are scheduled to thicken and eventually produce rain and lightning, according to the weather predictors.

Currently the outer world at my location is being heated to 55 degrees, according to my computer based temperature monitoring device.

Changing the subject from my favorite one to something else.

I made it through a couple hours of last night's 84th Academy Awards Show. I did not know that Billy Crystal was going to be the host. Having Billy Crystal doing the hosting greatly improved the Oscar Show from last year's terribly bad debacle.

Changing the subject again.

This morning I got an odd email from someone saying that I had called this particular person fat. I am feeling extreme umbrage at this particular accusation. It has been a long time since I have used the word "fat" in regards to any particular individual. I am feeling malignantly maligned due to this umbrage provoking "fat" accusation.

I wish I could say I was going swimming now to take my mind off of being fat. But I can't.

On The Mount Tandy Wagon Trail Looking West At Where The West Began

The Mount Tandy Wagon Trail

In the picture you are on top of Mount Tandy, looking west at the unpaved highway that heads towards the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth, well known as the location "Where the West Begins."

It is entirely fitting that an unpaved road that looks as if it has ruts worn by wagon wheels is heading towards the downtown of where the west begins.

I can't help but wonder if Fort Worth is the biggest town in America with an unpaved road so close to its downtown.

If that is the case, that is sort of impressive and I think totally brag worth, with an historical marker of some sort designating this unpaved road as such.

I do not know if it is still the case, but decades ago, when I was a kid, you could still see the wagon ruts of the Oregon Trail in places like Emigrant Springs State Park in Oregon.

Is the rutted wagon road that runs west from the top of Mount Tandy a spur of the old Chisholm Trail? I have no idea.

Changing the subject from wagon trains to rum swilling pirates and wenches.

I have heard from Elsie Hotpepper post her wench performance at The Party in Fort Worth.

Last night's festivities have Elsie still feeling groggy from too much grog.

Elsie Hotpepper does not feel like putting on her Margaret Thatcher costume to go to tonight's Red Carpet Oscar Party at the Fort Worth Modern Art Museum. I'm not much in the mood, either, to put on my Brad Pitt costume.

Speaking of which, this morning Steve A verbalized confusion as to who it was who was going to be Margaret Thatcher, with Steve A thinking it might be amusing to see me in that costume. That would be amusing. But, methinks Elsie Hotpepper would not make a very good Brad Pitt. Elsie has put on a lot of weight, while Brad Pitt is skinny.

The Wench Elsie Hotpepper With Me The Pirate Blackbeard At The Party In Fort Worth

The Wench Elsie Hotpepper & Blackbeard Durango
At The Party In Fort Worth

Can you find me being Blackbeard the Pirate, in the picture? With Elsie Hotpepper being my wench? At last night's The Party in Fort Worth at Fort Worth's private party club, the Fort Worth Convention Center.

My usual blogging rules forbid me blogging about anything that happens between 9pm and 5am. Those hours are reserved for the Durango After Dark blog, which has limited access.

But, I am making a slight exception to this steadfast rule, due to the fact that I did mention, in this blogging venue, about myself and Elsie Hotpepper going to a party with J.D. Granger, J.D.'s mom and Aubrey McClendon, with me being a pirate and Elsie being my wench.

Suffice to say a semi-good time was had by all.

Especially Elsie Hotpepper, who seemed to take her wench role quite seriously, with great authenticity, which included imbibing in what seemed to me to be an unseemly amount of rum.

I think I will go to the Tandy Hills now and try and work off some of last night's grogginess.

The Last Sunday Of February On The Red Carpet For The Academy Awards Tonight

I was up late Saturday night, which has me up late looking through the bars of my patio prison cell on this last Sunday morning of the second month of 2012.

Stepping outside was a bit bracing this morning. According to my computer based temperature monitoring device the outer world at my location is currently being chilled to 40 degrees.

Four mornings from this morning March is scheduled to roar in like a lion. Whatever that means.

Tonight is the Academy Awards Show. I can not remember the last time I made it through an entire Academy Awards Show or found it fun to watch. Last year's show was unbearably bad with unbearably bad hosts. I think I made it through less than an hour. I have no idea who the likely unbearably bad host is this year, which is indicative of how far the Academy Awards have fallen off my radar screen.

I only know of a few of the movies that have gotten award type attention this year. One of them, The Descendants, I only know about because I know one of the actresses in it, an actress I went skinny dipping with a long long time ago. The actress I went skinny dipping with is not up for an Academy Award tonight.

Speaking of the Academy Awards, I do not know if I am up to going to the Red Carpet Oscar Party at the Fort Worth Modern Art Museum tonight. Elsie Hotpepper and I are scheduled to go as Margaret Thatcher and Brad Pitt, but after last night's exhausting Party in Fort Worth at Fort Worth's private party club, the Fort Worth Convention Center, where I was the pirate Blackbeard and Elsie Hotpepper was my wench, the idea of going to another party so soon after last night's does not seem appealing to me at this particular point in time.

I wish I could say I am going swimming now, but I can't, it is too cold.

A Perfect Day On The Tandy Hills With Don Young & The Prairie Fest All Over The Place

The hiking temperature on the Tandy Hills today was about as near perfect as I can recollect ever experiencing.

The last Saturday of February is a beautiful day in North Texas.

On this incredibly prefect day I was the only sign of life I saw today on the Tandy Hills.

I did not get gas today, but I called my mom anyway to talk on the drive to the Tandy Hills.

My mom and dad are looking forward to the incoming visit from Spencer Jack in a couple weeks.

I was still talking to my mom when I got to my parking spot on View Street. A lady in a van drove up next to me and rolled down her window indicating she wanted to ask me something.

I rolled down my window after which the lady asked me if I knew where Don Young's house was. I did happen to know where that particular abode was and told her where to find it.

My mom then asked me who Don Young was and why I knew where his house was. I had no idea how to explain who Don Young was or why I know where his house is, so I just told my mom that Don Young is in the news a lot here and everyone knows where he lives.

Except for that lady in the van who stopped to ask me where Don Young's house was.

Apparently Don Young is destined to show up all over the place with me today. As in a couple emails about the upcoming Prairie Fests. I shall copy the latest one below.........

We all have a place that inspires us to take a stand against Big Gas & Oil. 

That place can be as vast as the Upper Delaware River Basin that inspired Josh Fox or a humble home in the suburbs. For me that place was and is, Tandy Hills Natural Area, in Fort Worth, Texas. 

I'm requesting your help to keep Tandy Hills "like it was."

The main thing you need to know about Tandy Hills is that it's one of the last of the breed. The few remnants of native Texas prairie are akin to Unicorns: Beautiful, exceedingly rare and hunted to near extinction.

The 160 acres of Tandy Hills prairie were stalked by the gas industry just like the mythical Unicorn hunters of old. Keeping them at bay has been one of the few victories in the local gas war. But it takes constant surveillance, unwavering commitment and creative subversion to keep them out of Tandy Hills.

That's what Friends of Tandy Hills Natural Area (FOTHNA) does, but in a non-threatening, positive way. FOTHNA helps people fall in love with the place so they will fight to protect it. Most importantly, we help educate the future guardians of the place.

Prairie Fest and Kids on the Prairie may look like benign activities but they are actually part of a subversive campaign to save some of Fort Worth by raising public awareness via wildflowers, music, art and environmental education.

Here's how it works:

---> Prairie Fest began in my front yard in 2006 as a direct attempt to keep gas drilling out of the park. Since then, the solar-powered festival has become one of the largest green festivals in north Texas, winning the Best Outdoor Cultural Event in Fort Worth in 2010 while demonstrating environmental stewardship to thousands of Texans. It even received an honor from the City of Fort Worth.

---> Kids on the Prairie is a partnership outreach program between Friends of Tandy Hills and the Fort Worth ISD. Funds raised at Prairie Fest pay for hundreds of public school kids to have a field day of learning at Tandy Hills. Most of these kids are low-income. They are led by a group of Master Naturalists recruited by FOTHNA.

As founder of FWCanDo, I have never asked you for money. Any service I provided over the years was done out of a sense of love and duty. As founder-director of Friends of Tandy Hills Natural Area, I ask you to help us save some of Fort Worth in one of the two E-Z ways listed below. 

• Membership in Friends of Tandy Hills Natural Area
• Sponsorship of Prairie Fest.  
• Friends of Tandy Hills website

Friends of Tandy Hills Natural Area is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation and is not directly affiliated with FWCanDo.

Don Young
FWCanDo
P.O. Box 470041
Fort Worth, TX 76147