Making A Prairie Note Of Tandy Hills Prickly Pear Cactus

The Prickly Pear Cactus patch, on Lost Sunglasses Ridge, on the Tandy Hills, that I've been keeping an eye on due to the many blooms and their future harvest potential when the blooms turn into pears, was looking particularly fruitful today.

All of the Tandy Hills was looking particularly fruitful today. I've never seen the prairie vegetation as it is being this particular spring.

Apparently a group of Fort Worth school children have been hiking the trails of the Tandy Hills. I came to this conclusion today when I came upon dozen of orange flags stuck in the ground, most of which simply said "FWISD" on them.

Some of the orange flags had messages on them, like, "Help the Others", or "View St. This Direction".

The May Prairie Notes arrived this morning. In his Prairie Notes Don Young waxes quite poetically about the current state of the Tandy Hills....

The Tandy Hills are so lush and beautifully painted with wildflowers right now that, to walk upon them feels like an unspeakable act of cruelty. Standing on the trail, I watch the western sunlight cut through the living, breathing canvas rooted in ancient limestone and nurtured by micro-organisms, earthworms, lizards and crawling insects revealing a tangle of Sensitive-Briar covered in pink puff-balls and colored currents of standing wildflowers in colorwheel-shades of yellow, white, purple, red and blue supported by delicate green stems and what seems to be billions and billions of butterflies, moths, dragonflies and bees zooming, spiraling and humming in mad harmony above the swaying wildflowers as pairs of Rabbits and Roadrunners scatter scurry and birds of all colors and sizes float and feed like Martha Graham dancers in the clear blue sky above the mysterious, rare, sweet-scented prairie in this most natural of worlds.

It's an Ode to Joy, it's a Hallelujah, it's a Starry Night, it's La Dolce Vita, it's Lomas de Flores, it's Le Prairie #5. It's got everything on it. Come on in and get re-connected with YOUR natural world.

Methinks the numbers are increasing of people taking the suggestion that they re-connect with the natural world. I see more people than I've ever seen in the various parks I visit.

May Day 3 Dawns Pondering Why Federal Grant Money So Easily Flows To Fort Worth

May Day 3 has dawned with just one tiny wisp of a cloud visible from my secondary viewing portal on the outer world.

Currently, at my location, the aforementioned outer world is heated to 68 degrees, headed to a predicted high today of 82.

Changing the subject from my current location to my old home zone of the Skagit Valley of Washington.

This morning I read an article in the Skagit Valley Herald that once again had me wondering why things are so different between my old location and my current one.

Construction began yesterday on a new road that will make it easier to get from Interstate 5 to where I used to live in East Mount Vernon.

Quoting from the article...

Of the $13 million cost, $3.5 million was allocated by local leaders through the Skagit Council of Governments, who borrowed ahead on future revenues to pay for this road upgrade.

Unlike an article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about something like the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle or Fort Worth's soon to open $3 million pedestrian bridge across the Trinity River, there is no mention of federal grant money. Or earmarks.

Maybe my old home zone didn't get the memo that you can beg the rest of the country for money to pay for public works projects.

Another difference is this new road in the Skagit Valley is a much needed improvement that will greatly help traffic flow, unlike an un-needed flood diversion channel added to an un-needed public works project so that getting federal money would be more easily facilitated.

It is time to go swimming now before it gets any hotter.

No Aches & Pains While Hiking The Tandy Hills With Gar The Texan Needing A Walker

Tandy Hills Hikers

Today I parked on top of Mount Tandy 10 minutes before noon, to have myself some fun, without sun, getting some endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation.

When I did my hill hiking it was a few degrees above 70, temperature-wise. Even now, a couple hours later, the temperature is still a relatively chilly 79.

The cloud cover has the air being very humid. At least I'm assuming the cloud cover is the cause for the humidity.

Today my route over the hills took me down the north slope off Mount Tandy, then crossing the Tandy Escarpment above the now dry, Tandy Falls, then through the jungle of the Tandy Rain Forest, eventually emerging on the trail that leads to the hills from the park on View Street, to see the group of hill hikers you see in the picture.

I do not know why the woman who was bringing up the rear brought up her rear when I went to snap a picture.

During the past year I may have whined about having aches and pains. As in aching joints, knees and feet. For well over a month all that has abated. I have no idea why. A long while back I thought it was the bike riding that caused my aches. But then my bike was stolen and the aches did not go away. Then I thought it might be the excessive swimming. So, I knocked off the swimming during the cold months. With the aches and pains getting no better.

And now, for over a month I have really amped up the exercise and I have no aches and pains, thus negating excessive exercise as the cause of my aches and pains.

My pain free state came to mind yesterday when I read Gar the Texan's sad Feeling His Age tale about all his aches and pains. He returned from his latest bi-monthly senior cruise to find his aging aching hips may require surgery. And a walking cane or walker. And then he found out that due to gum disease his teeth may start falling out. Then he was advised to stop coloring his hair and just let it turn naturally gray.

I'm not sure how old Gar the Texan is. I suspect, due to all the aging symptoms and all those senior cruises he goes on, he is likely 65 or older. If you just look at his face you'd never guess he was that old. But the failing body parts tell another age story.

Maybe Gar the Texan should try excessive exercising and see if that helps all that ails him. Minimally it should help with the age-related weight gain.

Day 2 Of May Thinking About Firing Chesapeake Energy's Aubrey McClendon

Looking through the bars of my patio prison cell on this morning of May Day 2, I see a swimming pool looking like it needs to be swam in. I also see it is yet one more breezy morning in Texas.

A breezy morning already heated to 70 degrees. Heading to a high 12 degrees hotter, if the temperature predictors are correct in their prediction.

I must have missed the news about Aubrey McClendon in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

The Star-Telegram has reason to spew news about McClendon due to what Chesapeake Energy has done to Fort Worth and its surrounding area.

While the Seattle P-I has reason to spew news about McClendon due to the shady way he moved the Seattle Supersonics to Oklahoma City.

Apparently the Chesapeake Energy shareholders have been complaining about McClendon's shady dealing in doing things like borrowing more than $1 billion to buy stakes in Chesapeake's wells.

So, on Tuesday McClendon was removed as chairman of Chesapeake Energy due to complaints that his personal business interests conflict with those of Chesapeake Energy. McClendon continues as Chesapeake's CEO. For now.

Enough about Chesapeake Energy and its corrupt CEO. It's time to go swimming now before it gets any hotter.

Mechanical Bike Dysfunction & A Walk Around The Green Slime Of Fosdic Lake

The Growing Green Slime On Fosdic Lake

I am not a mechanically inclined individual. This fact was freshly made clear to me this morning when I tasked myself with replacing an inner tube in a bike's rear tire.

The wheel came easily off the bike. The flat inner tube came easily off out of the tire.

And then the fun started.

I had trouble getting the new inner tube around the rim. Eventually I managed that. And then I started having trouble getting the tire to seat around the rim.

Eventually I overheated and hauled the vexing tire to an indoor location with air-conditioning. At that location I also had Internet access, so I Googled "mountain bike tube installation" and got myself some directions. From that point on it was only a half hour or so til I had the wheel back on the bike.

One thing I learned during this morning's ordeal was that working on a tire is aerobic exercise when one is an inept bike mechanic.

By the noon time I needed some peaceful walking time, so I went to Oakland Lake Park to walk around Fosdic Lake.

The green algae Fosdic Lake covering has grown larger since my last visit. And the duck population has decreased to just a few ducks from the 10 or 11 ducks I saw on my last visit. And I saw no turtles in Fosdic Lake today.

The Fish Consumption Advisory signs around Fosdic Lake currently seem a bit unnecessary. Would anyone eat a fish caught in this currently ever greener lake?

Celebrating International Workers May Day With A Flat Tire

Looking out my primary viewing portal on the outer world on the morning of May Day, that being the first Day of May, or what my fellow traveling communists celebrate as International Workers' Day, I see a sky with clouds blocking the sun and a breeze blowing the trees.

What I can not see, but can feel, is the temperature. It is currently 70 degrees, heading to a high of 81, if the temperature predictors are correct in their prediction.

Changing the subject from my favorite one to something else.

Apparently I'd not called my mom and dad since my mom called to tell me my little sister had a medical woe. So, my mom called last night to ask why I've not gotten gas lately. The Phoenix zone is being a bit hotter than my location. Arizona has had several temperature record days in the 100s.

Last night I discovered the rear tire on my new bike has gone flat. I've only pedaled on paved trails, so this flat vexes me very much.

This morning is the regularly scheduled day off, so no pool for this fool this morning. I think I'll get myself some aerobic stimulation by replacing an inner tube.

Tandy Hills Hot Humid Hiking With Smoked Turkey Legs

Wildflowers On Top Of Mount Tandy

The biggest patch of very colorful wildflowers that I have seen this year on the Tandy Hills is on the top of Mount Tandy, to the east of the Fort Worth Space Needle.

Getting technical about it, with getting technical not one of my few fortes, I don't know for sure if the area east of the Fort Worth Space Needle is considered one of the Tandy Hills. It may be part of the Broadcast Hills.

I am almost 100% that the area to the east of the Fort Worth Space Needle is not part of the Tandy Hills Natural Area.

The Tandy Hills hill hiking was humid today. Very humid. A steady breeze brought some relief from the muggy humidity.

Changing the subject from the Tandy Hills, and humidity, to turkey legs.

I got around to picking up the current ink edition of dfw.com on my way back from the Tandy Hills.

On the cover is a giant turkey leg.

The one person who reads my blog may remember that last month when I was in Arizona we spent a lot of time hunting for illusive turkey legs. When we found enough turkey legs my dad smoked them in a smoker.

My mom was not happy with the turkey legs after they got smoked.

I have not read dfw.com  yet, but I think I need to mail the ink edition to my mom and dad due to the fact that on the cover there is a giant smoked turkey leg with text saying Bird is the Word, Plus: How to smoke your own giant turkey legs at home.

I'd email mom and dad the link to dfw.com so they could read how to smoke a turkey leg  on their computer screen, but I think the snail mailed ink edition would have a better chance of being seen.

The Final Monday Of April Dawns With Possible Incoming Storms

Looking skyward on this last day of April it appears less stormy than yesterday morning. However, today storminess is in the forecast, with possible rain and lightning strikes.

I hope I can get in some salubrious endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation by doing some hill hiking before any precipitation precipitates.

It is 39 degrees above freezing, already, on this Monday morning.

I've got my windows open, but am not getting a satisfying incoming cooling. The ceiling fan is spinning and that is not providing a satisfying cooling either.

Something in the air is annoying my eyes, again. A burning sensation.

Among the many things I liked about being in the desert in Arizona, last month, was nothing irritated my eyes. And I did not need any sort of spray intervention to keep my respiratory system functioning correctly.

It is now that time in the morning when I quit whining in blogging mode and go swimming where I whine quietly to myself.

Visiting Veterans Park Before Visiting Arlington's International District

On my way to Arlington's International District, today, I stopped at Arlington's Veterans Park to visit the veteran who guards the Veterans Park Memorial.

As you can clearly see, this morning it was cloudy and windy in Arlington.

What you can not see is that both of the park's parking lots were almost full. There was not one large singular activity that accounted for the almost full parking lots, but a lot of individual activity of individuals and small groups of individuals.

After visiting Veterans Park I visited 3 stores in Arlington's International District. That being 2 stores that are Asian themed and one, Import Market, that is more Middle Eastern/Russian themed.

I got a jar of Ginger Paste at the Import Market. I have no idea what this is used for, but it was on sale for $3.99 and the description on the jar made it sound as if there are all sorts of uses for it. I also got Whole Wheat Pita Bread. I'd not seen Whole Wheat Pita Bread before.

I looked all over the Import Market for Hummus. I found cans of chickpeas, but no Hummus.

The customers in the Import Market appeared to be more multi-cultural than the Asian themed stores I went in, where I tend to be the only Anglo in the store.

I did see one other Anglo in one of the Asian stores. She was stunningly beautiful, exotically so.

Many of the Asians in the Asian stores are dressed very stylishly. The Asian stores are run very efficiently. The Middle Eastern/Russian store has some quirks in how it operates, with the quirks being part of what is interesting. For instance, many items have no indicator of the price. So, I bought the Whole Wheat Pita Bread not knowing what it cost til I saw it scan at $1.49.

If you live in the Arlington zone and have not shopped in Arlington's International District, you really should check it out.

I wonder why no one opens a Uwajimaya type complex in the D/FW zone? Uwajimaya is in Seattle's International District. Uwajimaya is an Asian store on steroids, with one of the best food courts I've ever had the pleasure of being pleased in.

The Final Sunday Of April Has Arrived After A Night Of Sleep Walking

Looking out my primary viewing portal on the outer world, on the last Sunday of April, gray seems to be the color scheme this morning.

Eventually today is supposedly going to be partly cloudy. Currently the sky is totally cloudy.

I've got my windows open so the steady breeze can blow in naturally air-conditioned air that has been chilled to 68 degrees.

Eventually the sky furnace will turn on and the windows will need to be closed. But, with the scheduled high today being only 83, maybe I'll be able to avoid turning on the un-natural air-conditioning.

Changing the subject from my favorite one to one of my personal problems.

I had a sleep walking incident last night. That makes two nights in a row. The previous night I walked in my sleep and opened the patio door. And left it open. Last night I woke up and could not find my pillow. I looked all around the bed. Then got out of bed. The pillow was nowhere to be found in my bedroom. Or the closet. Or the bathroom.

So, I exited my bedroom, looked in the kitchen, and then the living room, to find the pillow on a coffee table.

I find these sleep walking incidents to be very disturbing due to the fact that I have no idea what else I may be doing whilst sleep walking.

It is time to go swimming now. Later this morning I think I will go to Arlington's International District.