Thursday, March 8, 2012

The Stormy Second Thursday Of March View From Miss Puerto Rico's Balcony

Stormy View North From Miss Puerto Rico's Balcony
Rain today made going on a walk today only doable under a bumbershoot, if staying dry was desired.

So, I opted out of any outdoor salubrious endorphin inducing aerobic activity and went walking at Super Target instead.

On the way to Super Target Miss Puerto Rico called me. She was located at a Jack in the Box somewhere south of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.

Miss Puerto Rico told me a big storm was heading my way. She wanted me to unplug her three TVs so they would not get zapped by incoming lightning bolts.

So, after I was done walking around Super Target I drove to Miss Puerto Rico's and unplugged her TVs. So far, coming  up on 5 in the afternoon, no lightning has flashed in my location.

I had myself a very fine swim in the rain this morning. I do not know if a repeat will be able to occur tomorrow morning. It was 69 degrees when I went swimming this morning. The rainstorm that has blown in throughout the day had also blown in colder temperatures, as in it is currently only 44.

Regarding the photo above of the view looking north from Miss Puerto Rico's balcony at the stormy, dark sky.

A few months ago I took a picture of the late afternoon, dark, shadowy view from this same location. That photo generated an odd comment from someone named Anonymous who was so perplexed by what was being depicted in the photo that s/he used Photoshop to lighten the image in the important quest to figure out what was being depicted, even though the text clearly explained it was the shadowy view looking north from Miss Puerto Rico's balcony.

Well, today's picture is even darker than the one that so perplexed Anonymous, I hope I have made it really clear what the picture is depicting, this time, so as to avoid any anonymous time wastage.

Day 8 Of March In Texas Is Beginning Warm With Incoming Solar Flares

The solar flaring sun had already arrived, this morning, by the time I opened my primary viewing portal on the outer world.

I am almost 100% certain I am currently too deep in the South to see any Northern Lights.

I have only seen the Aurora Borealis once. It was a some point during the 1990s, in Mount Vernon, in Washington. The Northern Lights were far more spectacular than any fireworks display I have ever witnessed.

But, minus any loud booms.

Speaking of loud booms.

In addition to the sun's electric storm the weather predictors are predicting an electric storm of the thunder and lightning variety, for today, at my location on the planet.

Currently, at this early morning point in the day, that aforementioned nuclear sky orb is heating the outer world to one degree shy of 70 degrees this 8th day of the 3rd month of 2012. Already over a third of March has passed into history.*

I think I will go swimming now and obsess over how quickly the days of my life are passing.

*UPDATE: Oops. I should have said already a quarter of March has passed into history. Thank you for anonymously correcting me, Anonymous.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

I Almost Got Wet From Rain On The Tandy Hills Today

On my way to an appointment at a location on Beach Street I stopped on View Street to attempt getting some salubrious endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation via some fast bi-pedal motion on the Tandy Hills.

Soon upon exiting my vehicle I felt the telltale pinpoints of coldness that indicate precipitation is starting to precipitate.

Thinking a downpour might be imminent I got out my camera to take a picture.

As you can see we are being a bit stormy at this location on the planet today.

The precipitation did not go into downpour mode, but I altered my usual hiking pattern so as not to be too far from shelter if sudden precipitating precipitated a fast escape.

I had my longest swim of the new year this morning. Unless we get a sudden cold snap I'm thinking swimming is here to stay for quite some time.

I must go brave the elements again and drive up to Hurst. That is a town. One of what are known in these parts as the Mid-Cities.

The First Wednesday Of March Dawns Dry & Warm So I Am Going Swimming

On this first Wednesday of the third month of 2012 I stepped outside to my secondary viewing portal on the outer world to look through the bars of my patio prison cell at the very dark pre-dawn darkness.

I expected wetness to be covering the outer world, this morning, because that was what had been predicted to occur by the weather predictors.

The wind howled most of the night, but I don't think it blew in anything wet.

Currently the outer world, soon after the arrival of the nuclear sky orb has begun its daily heating duty, is headed to 62 degrees.

I will be going swimming this morning.

Speaking of swimming, last night I got an email from my mom and dad that said, "Remember to pack your swim suit. 84 here today."

As you can intuit from the above, my temperature fixation is genetic.

I'm going swimming now before it gets any hotter.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Hiking The Tandy Hills With A Howling Wind & Yellow Wildflowers

As you can see via today's noontime view from atop Mount Tandy, looking west over the wagon train trail that leads towards the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth, storm clouds have blown in to North Texas.

Blown in by a very strong wind.

I can not remember the last really bad storm to rattle my location. Stormy weather with bolts of lightning, downpours and tornado sirens blaring used to happen fairly frequently

I can not remember the last time I heard a tornado siren. Or Pete Delkus interrupting prime time TV with one of his breathless weather warning reports about a circulating cell somewhere within a couple hundred mile range.

The wind has turned up its volume and is now doing some howling and whistling.

An Early March Tandy Hills Wildflower Bloom
The best howling wind I've ever heard was during a blizzard whilst in a log cabin at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. That happened in late October, if I remember right.

Today on the Tandy Hills I saw several instances of a freshly bloomed yellow wildflower. I don't recollect seeing this particular wildflower before, but I'm sure I have.

I am fairly certain I will be missing Prairie Fest One that I believe happens later this month.

The Tandy Hills' wildflowers need to start waking up and coloring the hills for all the incoming Prairie Festers.

Day 6 Of March Is Being A Super Tuesday In Texas

This morning I am not as tired as yester morning.

So I mustered the energy to open the blinds on my primary viewing portal on the outer world on this first Tuesday of the third month of 2012.

Apparently this particular Tuesday is Super. Due to a lot of Republican primary elections taking place.

None of which I will be voting in.

The air in the outer world at my location has been heated to a much warmer temperature than yester morning. Currently, according to my computer based temperature monitoring device it is 55 degrees.

With it being a semi warm 55, and Sunday getting into the 70s, I am heading for the pool for what I am hoping will be a very pleasant Super Tuesday swim.

Monday, March 5, 2012

Soon I Will Be Leaving Texas & Greeting You From Phoenix

Starting Thursday, March 15, I will be sending blog greetings from the Phoenix, Arizona zone.

I called my mom and dad a few minutes ago to tell them I'd soon be incoming.

Apparently there will be a BBQ the day after I arrive. Spencer Jack will be there. I have not seen Spencer Jack since August of 2008.

I did not use the Southwest Airlines gift card I got at a Christmas party to book the flight. Flying Southwest to get to Phoenix is just way too much bother, what with that annoying Wright Amendment ridiculousness. I would have had to fly to Denver, Albuquerque or Las Vegas, before continuing on to Phoenix.

US Airways will be taking me directly to Phoenix, with no visit to Las Vegas, Denver or Albuquerque.

Now that I finally got around to booking a flight to see my mom and dad, sister, brother, brother-in-law, nephews, sister-in-law and Spencer Jack, I'm sort of looking forward to it.

Apparently I get to go to an olive grove, among other things. I don't recollect ever going to an olive grove before.

Today's Tired Shadow Of The Tandy Hills Thin Man Worrying About Texas Sharon's Freedom Of Speech Assault From Range Resources

The Tired Shadow Of The Tandy Hills
Thin Man
By the time the noon time frame came I'd grown tired of feeling tired so I took my tired self to the Tandy Hills Natural Area to do some tired natural hill hiking in the hope this might avail me of an energy boost.

It sort of did.

But now something in the air is irritating my eyes real bad, with itching, burning and eye precipitation.

In the picture you are looking at the Tired Shadow of the Tandy Hills Thin Man standing on the escarpment above the roar of Tandy Falls.

Why is so much crystal clear water currently roaring over Tandy Falls, I found myself wondering? We have not had any rain in weeks. Where is the Tandy Creek water coming from?

It is currently 76 degrees in the outer world at my location on the planet.

Currently on my mind, in addition to being tired, is the bizarre assault on Texas Sharon by one of the gas drillers called Range Resources. I must further ponder this latest outrage, but, I have currently pondered enough to suggest to Texas Sharon that she high tail it back to the United States of America where her right to free speech is constitutionally guaranteed.

Being Real Tired Of The First Monday Of March

Sunday night I went to bed tired. This morning I woke up tired.

I am tired of being tired.

I'm tired of my morning blogging ritual of looking at the outer world via my primary or secondary viewing portals.

As you can see, this morning I am too tired to even bother opening the blinds.

I was too tired this Monday morning to give any thought to going swimming.

I have a long list of things I need to do today, that I will likely procrastinate doing due to feeling too tired to bother.

I wonder if I accidentally bought de-caf coffee. I'll go check. No, it does not say it is de-caf. Maybe the label is wrong.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Sunday In The Pink With The Village Creek Indian Ghosts While Not Being Mean Because I Just Don't Like You

Village Creek Pink Blossoms 
Pink became the theme for this week's regularly scheduled Village Creek Natural Historical Area walk with the Indian Ghosts.

There were only a couple open spaces left in the parking lot. I've never seen so many vehicles parked at this parking lot before.

Methinks people are discovering this hidden gem of a park and are learning to enjoy walking with the Indian Ghosts.

There were a lot of colorful characters walking with the Village Creek Indian Ghosts today. 

The first character I came upon today was standing still looking up at a tree, holding three fishing poles and a big tackle box. I asked him if he was looking for fish in the tree. He seemed to take some umbrage over my question and expressed his umbrage with a good Texas twang.

A short while after walking past the guy with three fishing poles, two well-seasoned wiry dames on bikes came to a halt to ask me if I'd seen a pink cell phone. I said no, I had not, and asked if I should. Wiry dame #2 told me that a lady had stopped them to ask if they'd seen a pink cell phone that she'd somehow lost.

Soon I was crossing the dam/bridge across Village Creek. After I crossed the creek a lady came towards me looking happy. She was holding something pink. I asked her if she was the lady who lost her pink cell phone.

She confirmed it was she, and that she'd found it where she'd carelessly left it, sitting on top of one of the picnic tables that overlook the Village Creek Blue Bayou.

A short while after leaving the pink cell phone lady I came upon the pink tree blooms you see in the picture above.

Spring is springing out all over North Texas. This is my favorite time of the year.

On my way back towards my vehicle I came upon two young ladies with three dogs. Young lady #2 had a t-shirt with one of my favorite sentiments on her chest.

"I AM NOT MEAN. I JUST DO NOT LIKE YOU."