Hiking The Slightly Muddy Tandy Hills Admiring Fort Worth's Iconic Downtown & Bluebonnets

The Stunning Skyline Of The Downtown
 Of The Museum Capital Of The Southwest

I was back on the hills of the Tandy Hills Natural Area today for the first time in weeks. The hills were still a bit muddy in places from last week's heavy rain.

The wildflowers are being a bit more sparse than I thought they would be, what with all the rain.

Today was my first look at the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth since I learned that Fort Worth's arty aspects are the envy of many other older, larger cities.

I must concede, that, just like New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, Paris, Seattle, Moscow and countless other cities, the iconic skyline of Fort Worth is recognizable world-wide, with constructions as well-known as the Empire State Building, Golden Gate Bridge, Space Needle and Eiffel Tower.

It really is no wonder that Fort Worth draws art lovers from all over the world to experience the brilliance of the Amon Carter Museum, the Kimbell Art Museum and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth; the triumvirate that collectively makes Fort Worth the Museum Capital of the Southwest.

And soon, when the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle becomes clear, in addition to being the Museum Capital of the Southwest, Fort Worth will also be the Vancouver of the Southwest.

Imagine the waves of out of control envy that will bedevil cities, far and wide, when Fort Worth becomes the Vancouver of the Southwest.

Mysterious Un-Natural Arrow Point To What?

I can hardly wait.

Changing the subject to something else that makes Fort Worth the envy of the world. That being the Tandy Hills Natural Area.

Part One of the 2012 Prairie Fest takes place this coming Saturday. From 4 PM til the sun goes down there will be music, wildflower hikes, plus food & drink from Chadra Mezza & Grill, Good Karma Kitchen and New Belgium Brewing and Rahr & Sons Brewing.

Today, on the Tandy Hills I saw the arrow you see in the picture, spray painted on the ground. This did not seem very natural too me. There were additional flags stuck in the ground, in addition to the one you see in the picture.

A Bed Of Bluebonnets Glowing Blue

Marking off what? I could not help but wonder.

Mother Nature was also marking her territory, with the State Flower of Texas, the Bluebonnet, being the wildflower most abundant.

Changing the subject from something blue to getting  cold.

The A/C fix-it guy fixed my A/C today. So, I'm ready for a HEAT wave.

While I Was Out Of Town Fort Worth Again Became The Envy Of Other, Older, Larger Cities

I've been out of the Dallas/Fort Worth news orbit for less than two weeks. Somehow, during that short absence, Fort Worth's Fort Worth Weekly got infected with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram propaganda virus.

That being verbalizing, in print, the absurdly weird idea that anything in Fort Worth is the envy of other, older, larger cities.

Just the "envy of" verbiage makes me cringe.

Below are the first three paragraphs from this week's Fort Worth Weekly cover article titled Second Annual Visionary Awards....

Here’s a conundrum: How can Fort Worth have such an incredible array of art-related institutions and not be an “art town”? (At least not yet.)

Yes, there are arty aspects of the Fort that are the envy of many other, older, much larger cities. The tri-headed brilliance of the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Kimbell Art Museum, and Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth make Fort Worth the museum capital of not just Texas (sorry, Dallas; sorry, Houston; sorry, Austin) but arguably the entire Southwest.

So why isn’t Fort Worth considered an art town? Why would an established visual artist tell an up-and-comer seeking career advice to go to Dallas? (Names have been removed to protect the innocent. And the guilty.) Are Fort Worthians simply too enraptured by their Cowtown heritage to care about anything not bovine or floral, forcing progressive artists out of town?

I'm thinking that maybe Fort Worth is not considered an art town, or, really, even considered, by most Americans, to be a town they know anything about, because Fort Worth really is not on the American radar screen.

Example.

Flying back to the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, from Phoenix. At the terminal, prior to boarding, the announcements are along the line of "Zone 3 Flight 348 to Dallas now boarding."

While taxi-ing, prior to takeoff, the pilot announces that due to a tailwind we are hoping to land in Dallas a few minutes early.

About a half hour before landing the pilot informs the passengers that we are about 200 miles out of Dallas, where the temperature, in Dallas, is 64 degrees. Upon landing we get a welcome to Dallas.

Fort Worth was not mentioned once during the flight.

Same thing happens when one flies to Seattle. You hear no mention of Tacoma, even though the airport is the Seattle Tacoma International Airport. However, the population of Tacoma is barely over 200,000, while Fort Worth's population is approaching 800,000.

Regarding Fort Worth's "art" scene.

Well, I admit I am a very poorly educated, ill read moron, so it really is no mystery why I'd never heard of Fort Worth's museums prior to moving here.

I do recollect, soon upon moving here, being in downtown Fort Worth,  wondering where Sundance Square was, well prior to learning there is no Square in Sundance Square, and being amused by signs pointing to the "Cultural District," wondering why in the world would a town designate an area as its Cultural District?

I think a really good measure of how far below the national radar Fort Worth flies is the fact that there really is no iconic image of Fort Worth that anyone, anywhere, sees and instantly knows it is Fort Worth. The Fort Worth Stockyards sign does not count, because of the dead giveaway of having the town's name in that particular, sort of, iconic image.

The Fort Worth Weekly article asks "why isn't Fort Worth considered an art town?"

Well.

Have you looked at the town? Really looked? And compared what you see to what you see in towns that have a more elevated reputation?

I'm guessing a town that might be thought of as an "art town" might pay attention to something as basic as landscaping. Other big towns, with which I'm familiar, pay attention to the aesthetics of how their town looks.

In the Phoenix metro area every freeway exit that I saw is landscaped. Roads are landscaped. The entire area  is landscaped.

Meanwhile, in Fort Worth, the freeway exits to the town's only well known tourist attraction, the Fort Worth Stockyards, are un-landscaped, weedy, littered eyesores.

This type thing, that being littered eyesores, are not the type thing that causes envy in other, older, much larger cities.

Or so it seems to me.

The Final Tuesday Of March Dawns With Another Clear Blue Sky Morning In Texas

I looked out my primary viewing portal on the outer world at about the same time the nuclear sky orb was arriving to begin its daily lighting and heating duty on this final Tuesday of the 3rd month of 2012.

I have double-checked today to make sure I've got the day correct.

It is already 60 degrees at my location this morning, 3 degrees warmer than my previous location in the Sonoran Desert.

The splitting headache and overall misery that had me miserable the past two days seems to have abated overnight. So, this morning my mood is matching the cheerful chirping I am hearing through my open window.

Speaking of spending time in the Sonoran Desert. I expected to return to Texas having gained a bit of weight.

Instead the opposite happened.

I don't quite understand why, due to the fact that I was consuming copious amounts of food of the sort I don't usually consume. Like dessert. pies, cinnamon rolls, candy.

And various types of potato chips. And a lot of french fries.

And hamburgers.

Changing the subject from my eating disorder to something else.

My swimming pool warmed itself to a very comfortable temperature in my absence. I went swimming in the morning and the afternoon, on Sunday and Monday. I thought some afternoon pool lounging might get rid of yesterday's headache. But, it didn't.

I think I'll go swimming right now before it gets any hotter.

A Dizzy Sickly Headachy Walk Around The Green Grounds Around Fosdic Lake

I think I must have picked up a germ or two lately.

I've been not feeling all that well ever since I got back to Texas.

I've had a lot of potential germ exposure lately.

Multiple restaurants, church, crowded airports and airplanes.

My favorite brother-in-law sick with an undiagnosed ailment.

Dozens of retired people.

It's a well known fact that exposure to retired people is putting yourself in harm's way, in the same manner as visiting a day care with dozens of sickly little kids.

I am now on my second day of having a headache. My vision is blurry. I'm a mess.

But, I did manage to drive to Oakland Lake Park to walk around Fosdic Lake for the first time in awhile.

As you can see, via the picture, Oakland Lake Park is being very green today.

One thing about North Texas, it is quite a bit greener than the Phoenix Valley of the Sun zone. Greener in the sense of greener vegetation, not greener in the sense of being more environmentally responsible.

I must muster the energy, soon, to opine about the issue of water use restrictions as practiced in a desert and as practiced here, where there is a lot more water, and it is not a desert.

But, right now, I am going to need to lie down for a bit and hope the feeling of being dizzy dissipates.

Up Well Before The Sun On The Last Monday Of March

The Shadow of the Skinny Dipping Thin Man is up way too early on this final Monday of the 3rd month of 2012.

I got in the vertical position around 5 this morning. If I were still at my mom and dad's this would be 3 in the morning.

It is currently 62 degrees at my mom and dad's, 3 degrees warmer than my current location where the humidity is at 80%

I have had my windows open all night. My A/C is not functioning correctly. The A/C repair person will be repairing my A/C today.

I had a headache all day long yesterday. I do not remember the last time I have suffered that particular malady. Elsie suggested this was caused by 10 days of Hotpepper withdrawal. I do not think this diagnosis is correct because I heard from Elsie Hotpepper every day I was not in North Texas. So, I did not experience any Elsie Hotpepper withdrawal that I noticed.

I think the day long headache may have been caused by system shock caused by returning from a scenic wonderland, with clean air and water, to a desolate zone, with significantly less clean air and water.

Plus that vexing humidity.

I may go swimming this morning before the illuminating sky orb arrives. But, before I do that I must do something for the aforementioned Elsie Hotpepper.

UPDATE: Oops. Elsie Hotpepper informed that today is Monday, not Friday, so I time traveled back 4 days to the correct day.

Sunday Walking With the Village Creek Indian Ghosts

An Ethereal  Village Creek Walker

It seems as if it has been weeks since I've walked with the Indian Ghost who live in the Village Creek Natural Historical Area in Arlington.

So, I visited them today.

The small parking lot for the Village Creek Natural Historical Area was about a third full. Not the level of park parking lot activity I've been seeing in parks the past 10 days.

In the picture of the pair of paved trail walkers walking the paved trail today, I am 100% certain the one on the left is a living human. I am not 100% that the ethereal spectre on the right was not an Indian Ghost vision walking beside the guy.

I don't know if the Village Creek Indian Ghosts were able to sense I'd recently been walking with the Ghosts of their Apache enemies to the west. I suspect not.

I am not a big fan of today's humidity whilst walking. Between the humidity and the lush greenery, walking in North Texas today was very jungle-like.

Village Creek Dam Bridge

There was still a lot of water running through the Village Creek Dam Bridge today. I could see that last week's flood got very high, via the mud markers left behind.

I went swimming this morning and was very pleased to find the water much warmer than when I last got wet in it.

This afternoon I had an encore swim with some poolside lounging. It was so pleasant I forgot about the humidity for a minute or two.

I rarely get headaches. I did not get a headache in Arizona, no matter how strenuously my parental units strained me with their hyper-activity.

But, today I woke up with a headache. And it has lasted all day long. Reaction to Texas? To humidity? To bad air pollution? To a combo of factors?

Very vexing.

Up Late The 4th Sunday Of March Seeing No Palm Trees Or Cactus

Looking out my primary viewing portal on the outer world, on this 4th Sunday of the 3rd month of 2012, I can see no cactus or palm tree.

I do see trees with way more leaves than I saw the last time I looked out this particular primary viewing portal on the outer world.

Spring sprung while I was gone.

I suspect I will be seeing some wildflowers today, though none are visible from my current location.

I did not hit the horizontal nocturnal position, last night, til around 2 in the morning. I don't remember the last time I was in the vertical position, so late, or awake, for so many hours, having gotten vertical very early Saturday morning.

This morning I think I will go swimming in a non-heated pool.

I am 100% certain I will be the only one in the getting wet, with no group of well-seasoned ladies emulating Esther Williams.

Back In HOT Humid Texas After Ten Blissful Days In Arizona With My Mom & Dad & Sister

The Sun Sets On My Visit To Arizona

I have made it back to Texas. Leaving a place where the humidity was 18%, arriving at a place where the humidity is 78%.

I'm feeling like I've been hit with a wet blanket.

I turned the A/C on as soon as I walked into this place.

I've been going to bed early in Phoenix, by 10pm Central Time. Currently I am up way past midnight, Central Time.

I had myself a fine time in the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport this evening. I somehow got my sister flustered when we got to the airport, which had my sister on the wrong level. When I disembarked from my sister's vehicle, she told me to take the elevator to level two to get to the check-in level.

But, by the time I was inside the airport, what my sister had told me had changed, in my mind, to take the long elevator to the third level. I then walked the long third level past one restaurant after another, lugging a laptop, a backpack and a big check-in piece of baggage.

This was exhausting.

Eventually I found a flight of stairs that took me to level two. From then on the rest of the process went well, except for forgetting to take my camera out of my pocket.

I've never been in a plane following such a long line of other planes waiting to take off as I did tonight. I felt like we spent more time waiting to takeoff than we spent in the air.

The flight back to Texas seemed to go way faster than the flight to Arizona.

I'm a bit on the tired side, but I'm all wired up.

By morning I should know if it nice to be back. Or not.

I will say, right now, I am back in Texas freshly annoyed over how many things are so totally craptacular here.  And freshly vexed as to why this is the case.

Visiting The Leaf & Feather Farm Birds Planting Bougainvillea With My Dad

Bougainvillea At The Leaf & Feather Farm

What you are looking at in the picture is some Bougainvillea.

This particular Bougainvillea was found at the Leaf & Feather Farm, south of Maricopa, out in the Sonoran Desert.

I do not know how my sister and mom and dad find these remote locations. It is sort of unsettling. But, they seem to know where they are going.

Most of the time.

The Feather part of the Leaf & Feather Farm refers to birds. The farm has a lot of birds. Most of them exotic birds. Check out the Leaf & Feather Farm website to learn why they have so many exotic birds, in addition to exotic plants.

These Pretty Birds Did Not Speak To Me

The drive through the desert was quite enjoyable today. We saw a herd of wild horses near the Wild Horse Casino, which is why the casino is so named, due to all the wild horses milling about.

When we started today's desert excursion the tire sensors indicated we had a low inflation problem. This caused a slight outbreak of worry, that eventually abated.

At the Leaf & Feather Farm my sister and I met Snowball. A white pretty bird.

Snowball's mom and dad gave the bird up for adoption at the Leaf & Feather Farm due to neighbor's complaints about the bird's squawking being too noisy. We first met Snowball when his (or her) dad was in Snowball's cage, holding him (or her).

Snowball's Mom & Dad Playing Bird Ball

Snowball's mom was also there. She told us about Snowball, how she (or he) lived 15 years with a Korean lady, who taught Snowball Korean. I don't know how long Snowball lived with his (or her) new parents before moving to the Leaf & Feather Farm.

As we were preparing to leave I saw that Snowball's mom and dad had taken her (or him) outdoors to play ball. I wandered over to the ballfield and asked if  I could take a picture.

Obviously the answer was yes.

My mom got her rare Bougainvillea and my sister got an Easter Egg Emu bush. We'd seen these the week before at the Papago Desert Botanic Garden plant sale. I did not think we'd find this Australian plant at this nursery in the Sonoran Desert and remarked to my sister if it was there she would need to buy one.

The Easter Egg Emu bush was the first plant you came to as you drove to the plant zone of the Leaf & Feather Farm. So, my sister got one. And then my mom did.

Leaving the Leaf & Feather Farm we were soon back in Maricopa where we found one of those cool McDonald's restaurants we've been finding all over Arizona. I got another of those Filet O' Fish Sandwiches I always have a strong hankering for. After awhile my favorite brother-in-law showed up. He seems to often show up at the McDonald's we happen to happen upon.

Mom & Dad's New Bougainvillea Blooming Bright

After another drive through the desert I found myself back at my mom and dad's in Sun Lakes, where my dad and I had fun planting the Easter Egg Emu plant and the Bougainvillea. Desert dirt did not seem all that much different than dirt I've dealt with in non-desert locations.

After my dad and I finished the plant planting my mom made us chicken noodle soup, with cheese and crackers and lemon meringue pie. Those Meyer Lemons in the backyard are a gift that just keeps giving.

My sister is due to return in a little over an hour to drive me to the airport so that I can fly back to a non-desert, high humidity, no wild horses, part of the planet.

My Last Morning In Arizona Swimming With The Sun Lakes Ladies

This morning I decided to have one more swim with the Ladies of Sun Lakes before I depart this part of the planet.

However, this Saturday morning there was only one Sun Lakes Lady in the pool.

I decided to forgo going in the Lap Pool because I saw that the bald Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan had Jane with him today and the pair were stirring up quite a wake, which I felt was best to avoid.

So, I walked back to my lounge chair and did some warm up lounging before getting into the Chat Pool. The Chat Pool is what you see below my feet. The Chat Pool is not heated.

I was in the Chat Pool, for a couple minutes, when the Sun Lakes Lady, who you see in the Big Pool, got out to ask me if I knew the pool I was in was not heated. I told the Sun Lakes Lady what I did know the Chat Pool was not heated, that I got in the Chat Pool before getting in the HOT Big Pool, which then made the HOT Big  Pool feel super HOT.

The Sun Lakes Lady said she'd try that next time.

I am now out of the pool, back at my mom and dad's, waiting for my sister to arrive so we can make the trek across the desert to Maricopa, which apparently is the town in Arizona which has cornered the market on Bougainvillea bushes.

My mom has just left me with a super hot cinnamon roll which she says I must eat because I did not eat my second egg this morning. I just accept these type things and no longer question the logic.

My sister has now arrived, so it is off to Maricopa we go, hopefully to return with a Bougainvillea bush.