Arson On The Tandy Hills

Sometime between noon Saturday and noon today someone lit the Tandy Hills on fire.

The burned area is near the end of the trail that enters the Tandy Hills from the View Street Park.

The Tandy Hills are still green. Not in wildfire mode. To have burned this area I suspect some flammable liquid had to have been used, like gasoline or lighter fluid.

When this fire was burning it would have been visible from the I-30 freeway, which you can see part of in the background, in front of the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth.

The burned area is surrounded by rocky trail, thus making a fire stop. Without the fire stop I don't know if this fire would have spread, what with the Tandy Hills prairie is in its current mostly green state, seemingly non-combustible state.

But, regardless of whatever level of combustibility is current existing on the prairie, the Tandy Hills Arsonist must be stopped..

UPDATE: Now this is embarrassing. I have been informed that when I was at the Tandy Hills on Saturday that the burned mesquite bush I saw today was already burned when I walked by it on Saturday. I really need to learn to be more observant of my surroundings.

The 3rd Sunday Of May Dawns Late

I had an overnight guest who had me up late last night and up late this Sunday morning.

I am not a huge fan of having overnight guests. Although there are some aspects I find entertaining.

So, the view from my primary viewing portal on the outer world comes well after the arrival of the sun this Sunday morning.

I think I have grown bored with showing my one longtime reader the view each morning from either my primary or secondary viewing portal on the outer world, and then informing that one longtime reader what the current temperature is at my location.

I have already gone swimming this morning. It was a very pleasant swim.

Of late my Sunday habit has been to go to ALDI. I am not going to ALDI this particular Sunday.

A Windy Blue Sky Under The Tandy Bamboo Teepee Today With No Missing Prairie Dogs

In the picture you are looking skyward under the remnants of the Tandy Bamboo Teepee.

It is well over a year, now, that a dozen, give or take a pole or two, bamboo poles appeared near the center of the Tandy Hills, in a small open area, surrounded by a grove of brush and trees, with several of the bamboo poles assembled into being what looked like the framework of a teepee.

The Tandy Bamboo Teepee has blown down a couple times, but always gets resurrected.

It remains a mystery who it was who brought these bamboo poles to the Tandy Hills. Hauling in all those poles would have required a bit of effort, carrying them up and down a minimum of two hills.

A very strong wind was blowing whilst I was getting my endorphin inducing aerobically stimulating hill hiking today in the noon time frame. So, even though the air was being heated to a temperature somewhere in the 80s, the wind chill factor had it almost feeling chilly.

On the way to the Tandy Hills I saw that the big Dog Missing billboard on Meadowbrook Drive had been removed. As had other Dog Missing posters along View Street.

So, when I saw the Dog Missing sign was still up at Town Talk, I took it down.

I have been asked if a Welcome Home Olive party type deal is being added to next Saturday's Prairie Fest x3 Part 3.

How would I know?

But, it sounds like a good idea. Olive the Prairie Dog strikes me as the type dog who likes a good party.

The Saturday Morning Of May Day 19 With No Air Quality Alert

Looking skyward through the bars of my patio prison cell I see some clouds slightly clouding the clear blue sky this May Day 19, the 3rd Saturday of the 5th month of 2012.

Currently it is 69 degrees in the outer world at my location, heading to a high 20 degrees hotter.

The Air Quality Alert that I've been being alerted with the past several days is not alerting me this morning.

Last night, before the setting of the sun, I had myself a severe bout of eye irritation, burning, the likes of which I remember years ago in Los Angeles, whilst waiting in line at Universal Studios, that being the first time I experienced smog as a miserably bad thing.

I dripped Artificial Tears eye lubricant drops into the burning area, which fairly quickly abated the burning.

This is the first morning in 5 that we don't have a missing Olive the Prairie Dog to worry about.

The FW Weekly Blotch Blog has an amusing entry about the return of Olive titled Olive is Home.

It is that time in the morning where I am scheduled to go swimming, likely followed, later today, by some hill hiking. And then a visit to Town Talk.

Olive The Prairie Dog Is Home!

I was just finishing the previous blogging, where I mentioned, again, Olive the Formerly Missing Prairie Dog, when I got a call from Big Ed telling me he'd just seen on Facebook that Olive has been returned home.

On Facebook this is what Don Young had to say....

Guess who's back? OLIVE the prairie dog! Don't ever think that plastering the town with lost dog signs is an overkill. We did an overkill and it paid off. A nice gentleman who works nearby saw Olive outside last Sunday and was concerned animal control might get her. A few days later he saw our big signs and today we got the call that many wish for but few ever receive. Debora and I are very grateful for all your prayers, lighted candles and positive thoughts.

I'm being amazed at how fast the news of Olive the Prairie Dog's return is spreading. I'm getting emails, blog comments and phone calls telling me this happy, good news.

Getting My Daily Endorphin Fix Looking For Olive The Prairie Dog

On the way to the Tandy Hills today I came upon a big billboard offering a reward for the return of the Mascot of the Tandy Hills, Olive the Missing Prairie Dog.

I am guessing that Perro Perdido means Lost Dog in Spanish. But, this is just a wild guess. I am not bilingual.

The case of Olive the Missing Prairie Dog bothers me a lot. I don't really know why. I've only met Olive a couple times.

I remember how bad I felt when I was in college and learned our little poodle, named Peppy, went missing. I remember how bad I felt when my cat, Hortense, went missing for a few days.

My Prickly Pear Patch

I know how bad I felt when my bike was stolen. A bike going missing is nothing compared to Olive the Prairie Dog going missing. Having a bike stolen is just aggravating, it wasn't something that I felt mournful about.

After I took a picture of the Olive the Missing Prairie Dog billboard I continued on to the top of Mount Tandy to get me some aerobic stimulation and that peaceful feeling that comes from endorphins.

Being an endorphin addict is a difficult monkey to have on your back. If I don't get a regular fix I don't feel right. After I get a fix I'm good to go for a few hours. And then I need another fix.

I have tried to break myself of my endorphin addiction, but I am too much of a wimp to endure the withdrawal pains and always give in and go get another fix.

I wish there was some sort of support group I could join where I'd learn how to peacefully sit still for long periods in a sedentary state eating potato chips.

I just got some BIG news. I'm going to hit the publish button then go read about it and then blog it.

The Morning Of May Day 18 Being Alert About The Air Quality

Looking through the bars of my patio prison cell on the morning of May Day 18 it appears to be yet one more blue sky morning in North Texas.

A blue sky morning chilled to 68 degrees, heading to a predicted high of 87. Yesterday heated up into the 90s. I don't know why today is predicted to be colder.

Yet again we are being told to be on alert regarding the air quality.

I don't quite know how I am supposed to be vigilant about the air. I have my windows open so as to help me be alert regarding what is going on with the air this morning.

Currently the air seems to be fairly stationary, thus not enabling any wind chill effect.

I am hoping by midday a wind chill will be in effect to help mitigate the steambath effect that occurs whilst I go hill hiking on the Tandy Hills in the noon time frame.

In the meantime I am going swimming before it gets any hotter.

Biking With Bobcats Tonight In River Legacy Park While Looking For Olive The Missing Prairie Dog

River Legacy Bobcat

Tonight I decided to expand the search for Olive the Missing Prairie Dog to River Legacy Park in Arlington.

That and I've decided I don't get enough exercise.

That is not a dog in the picture. That is a River Legacy Park bobcat. It had been a couple years since I've had a bobcat encounter.

My first bobcat encounter was on the River Legacy mountain bike trail. Years ago. It was during a period of time when there were reports of cougar sightings along the Trinity River.

I was pedaling fast, deep in the woods of the mountain bike trail, when suddenly I saw a bobcat. I was sure it was waiting to pounce on me and have me for lunch. I skidded to a stop and had a stare down with the beast. Then I high tailed it out of there, going the wrong way on the one-way trail to hurry to warn the park ranger of the imminent bobcat danger.

When I found a ranger she acted like I was a silly kid getting all excited over nothing. Because, as it turns out, I was.

Politely Posing

I have had many bobcat encounters in the years since my first. I long ago learned if you act nonchalant, so does the bobcat.

When I saw the bobcat tonight, he was walking towards me on the paved trail. I stopped. He kept walking towards me. I got out my camera. Started taking pictures. He did not mind. He was intently studying something up in a tree.

After a couple minutes a pair of bikers came upon our serene scene and the bobcat ran into the bushes. The first biker saw what I was taking pictures of. He did not look too alarmed.

I think I am done with trying to get more exercise for the evening. I will try and be sedentary until morning when I go swimming.

A Shady Walk Today With The Indian Ghosts Of The Anadarko, Bidais, Caddo, Heechi, Kickapoo, Tawakoni, Tonkawa, Waco, Waxahachie and Wichita Tribes

Village Creek Indian Path

I was in no mood to overheat during my regular midday endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation today, what with the temperature approaching 90, not a lot of wind blowing and me already overheated due to having my phone against my ear for way too long this morning dealing with some ridiculousness that I later figured out was caused by something called Facebook.

It really is time for the next big thing to come along and replace Facebook, like Facebook replaced MySpace.

I digress.

So, with me in no mood to overheat, I opted to walk in the shade in the Village Creek Natural Historical Area with the Native American Ghosts of the Caddoan Confederacy, with that particular confederacy made up of tribes like the Anadarko, Bidais, Caddo, Heechi, Kickapoo, Tawakoni, Tonkawa, Waco, Waxahachie and Wichita.

I think only one state, that being my old home state of Washington, has more place names named after Native Americans than the current state I am located in, that being Texas. Washington is way smaller in size than Texas, so you would think Washington would have fewer Native American place names.

But, Washingtonians got along with Native Americans better than the Texans did. Which has towns in Washington, like Seattle, named after a well liked chief. While the biggest town in Texas is named after some white guy with the last name of Houston.

I decided to leave the paved trail today and take the old Indian Path that leads through the woods. This proved to be a bit of a mistake. All the excess precipitation has the old Indian Path a bit over grown. I was glad I had my trusty snake/spider web whacking stick with me.

I whacked no snakes, but I did do some spider web whacking.

The Mascot Of The Tandy Hills Olive The Prairie Dog Is Still Missing

I just read the above on Facebook.

Sickening.

If it is true that cretins are snatching small dogs to use as bait in pit bull fights, then methinks, even more so, what I've already opined.

That being that the Fort Worth Police need to be on the case of the missing Mascot of the Tandy Hills, Olive the Prairie Dog.