Almost Knocked Unconscious Today In The Village Creek Natural Historical Area

I had myself a nice long swim early this morning, but, even though that did seem to provide me some salubrious endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation, by noon I felt the need to be outdoors for some more aerobic stimulation.

I chose to go to Arlington, to the Village Creek Natural Historical Area to walk with the Indian Ghosts and snakes.

The last time I was looking at Village Creek I saw a big snake. Miss Sarah R., in Seattle, identified that snake as a Blotched Watersnake. Sarah R. provided a link to a website that clearly confirmed Sarah R. had correctly identified that snake.

Today I was peacefully walking along the paved trail that leads to Village Creek when I was totally startled by a crashing noise and then a powerful thud at my feet.

The huge Horse Apple you see above was the culprit.

I don't know if it was the cool, in the low 70s temperature, that was causing Horse Apples to bomb the ground, or what. What I do know is the Horse Apple bombings were unsettling. I think getting hit on the head with one of those green bombs would likely knock a person unconscious.

Last year when I blogged about Horse Apples CatsPaw kindly elaborated on the subject, explaining the Horse Apple comes from the Osage Orange tree, also known as Bois D'Arc, used by Plains Indians to make bows.

I don't know if the Indians who lived by Village Creek used the limbs of the Osage Orange trees for bows before the Texans abused eminent domain to remove the Natives from their land.

Maybe it was some Indian Ghosts shaking the Orange Osage tree today that shook loose the Horse Apple that almost knocked me out. But I doubt that. I'm sure the Indian Ghosts know I'm one of their friends.

Rockin' The River 2012 Live On The Trinity River Starts Tonight With Some Questions

CORRECTION: All day long I thought today was Thursday, not Friday. So, the following was written thinking today was yesterday. I hope I did not confuse anyone, causing them to head to downtown Fort Worth tonight to float in a polluted river.

Early this evening the start of Season Two of the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's Rockin' the River Live on the Trinity Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats arrives.

Unless the recent rains have caused the Trinity River to rise too high for safe floating. That and whenever the Trinity River goes into flood mode an astonishing amount of litter floats on top of the flood.

I don't think it would be a lot of fun to float in the Trinity River with a lot of litter added to the already toxic mix.

Downstream, in Arlington, in River Legacy Park, the sign at the Paddling Trail kayak launch warns that the river is not safe to swim in.

I can't help but wonder what gets added to the Trinity River between Fort Worth and Arlington that makes it safe to get wet in Fort Worth and unsafe to get wet in Arlington.

Elsie Hotpepper had sort of promised me that she would put on her onesie swimwear and go kayaking with me at Rockin' the River today. But, as happens much too often, Elsie Hotpepper has gone missing again. I suspect she may not be in Texas.

Rockin' the River perplexes me for many reasons. I know the Trinity River Vision Authority is not a public agency, and so laws about transparency do not apply.

But, I can not help but wonder how much these Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats cost.

The ad you see above was in last week's dfw.com ink edition. In the ad we learn that admission is free, tube rentals are $5 and beer goes for $2.50 a can. And that, this year, you are forbidden to BYOB.

I know that even though the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle Authority is not a government agency it somehow gets tax dollars to spend on their frolicking good times. Like Rockin' the River and booze sodden junkets to other towns.

If the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle Authority was a government agency we, the public, could demand to see the books, to see how much is being spent on what.

Like, how much did the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle spend to build the little lake where the private business known as Cowtown Wakepark operates?

How much does the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle spend on leasing cars for its employees?

How much does the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle spend on the well stocked liquor supply at TRVB headquarters?

How much has the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle spent on Dallas hotel rooms, when it is such a short distance to drive to spend the night back home in Fort Worth?

How much is being spent on event insurance for the Rockin' the River floats?

And will J.D. Granger and his mama be floating with the feces, garfish, snakes, turtles, alligators and litter tonight?

An Under A Bumbershoot Rainy Walk Around Fosdick Lake With Carlotta Camano

Today, in the noon time frame, a slow, northwest type rain was drizzling down.

So, I went to Oakland (Lake) Park to walk around Fosdick Lake under a rain shielding bumbershoot.

Carlotta Camano went walking with me today.

Carlotta called me a couple days ago, leaving a voice mail, which I forgot to return til today.

Carlotta is probably the best verbalizer I verbalize with. Some verbalizers drive me nuts with their bad verbalizing, doing things like using way too many words to describe way too little.

Carlotta verbalizes in perfect English, with complex sentences and a narrative flow to the verbalizing that makes it effortless to listen to.

As I walked around Fosdick Lake, talking to Carlotta Camano  I was surprised to encounter other people under bumbershoots enjoying the chilly temperature and the rain.

Currently it is only 68 degrees in the outer world at my location. I do not know why my air-conditioner is running. I think I will go turn it off and open some windows.

Okay, the windows are now open and it is starting to get chilly in here. I'm sitting here wondering why the air-conditioner was running. Is it in some sort of malfunction mode?

I must cease with this important blogging and email Betty Jo Bouvier now, to tell Betty Jo what Carlotta had to tell me.

Seattle's Waterfront Ferris Wheel Has Me Wondering About Fort Worth's Waterfront Attractions

In the picture, I am guessing you're thinking you are looking at an artist's rendition of the future Lake Granger and the future stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth.

Well, you would be guessing wrong.

What you are looking at is the current state of part of the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Seattle.

With a new addition. That round thing at the bottom of the picture, in the middle, is a 175 foot tall Ferris Wheel, stuck on the end of Pier 57. The Ferris Wheel's air-conditioned gondolas are currently being installed, with the Ferris Wheel open for spinning this coming 4th of July.

When I first read about this Seattle Ferris Wheel my reaction was the same that I had when I first read about Fort Worth's Cowtown Wakepark. That there is no way this is going to make a financial go of it.

Unlike the Cowtown Wakepark, the Seattle Ferris Wheel is a private operation, not part of any bizarro vision run amok.

I opined my opinion about the Seattle Ferris Wheel to a fellow Washington exile in Texas. That person opined that he thought this would be a very popular addition to the Seattle Waterfront.

Then I read the comments to the Ferris Wheel article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, where a lot of people were opining that this Ferris Wheel is a good thing, with many anxious to ride it.

One guy commented that in addition to air-conditioning and heating the gondolas should also have windshield wipers.

I think my negative reaction to the idea that a Ferris Wheel would succeed on the Seattle Waterfront was caused by the way Texas has altered my perceptions.

Basically, I forgot what a tourist trap Seattle is these days. It's not a seldom visited outpost, like Fort Worth, where you don't see throngs of tourists or out of state license plates.

The last time I was in Seattle was Thursday, August 7, 2008. I spent most of the day in Pioneer Square. Then about 2 in the afternoon I walked to Westlake Center, and then through Pike Place Market to the Seattle Waterfront.

I was so used to the ghost town-like downtowns of Fort Worth and Dallas that I was sort of shocked at the amount of humanity on the streets of Seattle, with Pike Place and the Waterfront being a human traffic jam.

Five or Six cruise ships now use Seattle as their homebase. I suspect those boats account for some of the throngs of people.

If the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle ever comes to fruition I wonder if we will see throngs of tourists on the waterfront of Lake Granger, that being the ever shrinking pond that is a key part of the vision? Will there be a Ferris Wheel? Will a cruise ship take visitors on a cruise up the, likely to be infamous, un-needed flood diversion channel to nowhere?

Running From A Mount Tandy Downpour Thinking Of Driving North To Alaska & Getting Washington Apricots

A doctor's appointment in Euless this morning took up the entire morning, thus my regular endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation, via fast walking motion, had to be postponed.

I did get in some endorphin inducing swimming this morning.

By the time mid-afternoon arrived the air was heated to the mid 90s. And not very windy.

And then, quite suddenly, the predicted clouds arrived, followed by wind and a dropping temperature.

So, I decided to drive to the top of Mount Tandy and have myself a real fine time doing some hill hiking.

But, that did not work out.

When I parked on top of Mount Tandy I saw lightning striking to the south of me. I took off down Mount Tandy anyway. I was halfway down Mount Tandy when I stopped to take the picture you see above of the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth. As you can see, the sky looks a bit foreboding.

I took the picture, stuck the camera back in its pocket and then a downpour began to pour down an ultra copious amount of wetness.

Heading East from Town Talk on Randol Mill Road
You Can See it is a Bit Stormy

I ran like the proverbial bat out of hell back up Mount Tandy to the shelter of my vehicle. I do not remember the last time I ran so fast or got so winded from running. Which means I sort of got my endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation.

After the aborted hill hiking I drove to Town Talk.

I always seem to find good stuff at Town Talk on Wednesdays. Today it was apricots. I forgot to look on the box to see if these are Washington apricots. I don't remember if Washington apricots are ripe by early June. I suspect not.

I will go try one of the apricots right now. One bite and I should be able to tell you if it is a Washington apricot.

Well, blindfolded I don't think I would have guessed apricot, so I'm guessing this is not a Washington apricot.

Speaking of Washington, one of my two siblings, who are still residents of Washington, that being my big sister, took off for Alaska this morning in her giant RV, along with 3 dogs and my first ex-wife.

My sister is going to email me pictures and then I am supposed to blog them on a blog that my sister set up, the login info of which I have not yet been sent.

I like taking a vicarious trip via someone's pictures, so this virtual Alaska trip should be fun. We will be going all the way to the Arctic Circle.

Changing the subject from the Arctic Circle to ice closer to home.

My computer based weather monitoring device started blinking indicating a Special Weather Statement from the National Weather Service had been issued...

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
in effect until Wednesday, Jun 6, 5:00 PM

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR... EASTERN JOHNSON COUNTY SOUTHEASTERN TARRANT COUNTY

AT 425 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 3 MILES EAST OF FORT WORTH TO 3 MILES EAST OF KEENE...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.

CITIES IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE ALVARADO...ARLINGTON... BURLESON...CROWLEY...DALWORTHINGTON GARDENS...EDGECLIFF...EVERMAN... FOREST HILL...FORT WORTH...HALTOM CITY...KEENE...KENNEDALE... MANSFIELD...PANTEGO...RENDON...RICHLAND HILLS AND VENUS.

PENNY-SIZED HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED FROM THESE STORMS.

The Possibly Avant-Garde Tall Weed Infused Fort Worth Freeway Landscaping

Weeds Grow Wild  on Eastchase & I-30
in Fort Worth

When I was in Arizona a couple months ago I was not long out of the airport when I began noticing that, no matter what road or freeway I was driven on, landscaping made the landscape look real nice.

The Phoenix metro area's landscaping along roads and freeways was not just cactus and palm trees, there was also color involved in the form of many Bougainvillea plants.

For years I've been making note of the fact that Fort Worth does not landscape (or de-litter and de-weed) the two freeway exits to the town's #1 tourist attraction, that being the Fort Worth Stockyards.

A couple days ago, when heading towards Wal-Mart after biking along Village Creek I noticed the landscaping at the Eastchase Parkway overpass over I-30. I was appalled.

Yesterday the red light stopped me right before crossing the overpass, so I quickly grabbed my camera and took the photos you see above and below.

I see this type of Fort Worth only landscaping at all the Fort Worth freeway exits, entries and overpasses that I frequent.

Heading North Past Weeds on Eastchase Parkway

It occurs to me that this landscaping style may be a purposeful thing. Maybe some abstract avant-garde landscaping design designed to make people from other towns green with envy when they see the cool futuristic Fort Worth landscaping.

Other towns in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex subscribe to the more conventional West Coast/Arizona style of landscaping.

Arlington, for instance. The new overpasses over I-30 are very Arizona-esque with the way the road has been tarted up with murals and landscaping.

Arlington's next neighbor to the east, Grand Prairie, also does a fine job with its landscaping and tarting up its freeway exits.

Just north of my abode, the first exit from the I-820 freeway to the town of Hurst, is a nicely landscaped welcome to the town.

North Richland Hills is very Arizona-esque with the landscaping on its major boulevards.

And then there is Fort Worth. Very perplexing.

Today's Incoming Storm May Be As Bad As The Deadly Storm Of June 2007

The view in the picture is looking west from my secondary viewing portal on the outer world.

I see no clouds in the sky no matter which direction I look, west, east, south or north.

Beginning yesterday the weather predictors have been predicting incoming extreme weather, heading in from the west.

Yesterday there were some big, ominous looking clouds hovering about, but no precipitation precipitated, no lightning struck, no thunder boomed.

Part of the National Weather Services Alert regarding the incoming dire weather makes one think it is going to get rather stormy here....

IN THE PAST...WE HAVE HAD EPISODES OF HEAVY RAIN WHEN THESE CONDITIONS OCCUR. FOR EXAMPLE...18 JUNE 2007 FOSSIL CREEK FLOODED IN HALTOM CITY...AND PECAN CREEK FLOODED IN GAINESVILLE. THE FLOODING RESULTED IN FOUR DEATHS AND OVER 30 MILLION IN DAMAGE. WE CANNOT FORECAST THAT THIS EVENT WILL BE THAT BAD NOR PIN DOWN AN EXACT LOCATION...WE CAN SAY THAT CONDITIONS MAY BE SIMILAR AND THE POTENTIAL IS THERE. THE HEAVY RAIN POTENTIAL WILL LAST TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY AND INTO FRIDAY AS WELL.

I do not know why the National Weather Service shouts its alerts with CAPITAL letters.

It is interesting the National Weather Service is mentioning the killer Fossil Creek flood of 2007.

Since the tragic 2007 events on Fossil Creek, millions upon millions of dollars have been spent to prevent a similar tragedy from happening.

But, those millions have not been not spent on the Fossil Creek floodplain, instead the millions have been spent on the Trinity River as it flows through the north side of Fort Worth's downtown, where there are already big levees in place that have prevented flooding for over 50 years.

Among the many useless things the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle is doing, one useless, unneeded part of this misguided project is fixing a non-existent flood problem on the northside of downtown Fort Worth, by building a giant flood diversion channel, so the levees that have prevented a flood for decades, can be removed.

While no Fossil Creek Vision has been created to solve the actual, real, serious, deadly existing flood problem on Fossil Creek.

Fishing & Walking With The Snakes & Indian Ghosts Along Village Creek

Futile Village Creek Fishing

I was not in the mood to get too HOT today during my daily salubrious endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation.

With very little wind blowing, and the temperature nearing 90, I knew my delicate sensibilities would be better suited, today, for a nice cool walk under the big trees in the Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

I was not alone. A lot of people were taking a walk today with the Indian Ghosts which haunt this area.

I came upon a mom with 3 kids, fishing. That is them, above, in the picture. The picture was taken from the dam bridge that crosses Village Creek in this location, with the trail continuing on, turning into the Pioneer Trail of Bob Findlay Linear Park.

Where the mom with 3 kids are fishing is the location, where, years ago, I saw a huge water moccasin cross the creek and make a bee, I mean, snake line towards me. I quickly roller bladed to safety.

Snake in the Water

I climbed down the embankment to where the mom with 3 kids were fishing and told the mom about Chisholm Park, in Hurst, which has a stocked with fish lake. And shade. The mom was glad to learn of the park in Hurst. Apparently her oldest boy is a nut about going fishing, but seldom catches anything.

A short distance from where the futile fishing was taking place I came upon the snake you see above. I have no clue as to what type snake this is. It was not aggressive. It seemed to be enjoying itself in the water flowing over the dam.

Changing the subject from snakes to something else.

I think I must have had really bad nightmares last night. I've had this horrible sense of foreboding all day long. I thought a nice, long swim this morning would shake the sense of foreboding. But, it did not.

I think maybe I am having this sense of foreboding due to the fact I keep procrastinating dealing with fraudulent thievery perpetrated by something called M-Cube, in cahoots with Facebook, AT & T and their local enabler called Hawk Electronics.

Are You Heading To Seattle For The Fremont Solstice Parade Naked Bike Ride?

You have less than two weeks to get yourself to the Seattle zone if you want to participate in the Republic of Fremont's annual Solstice Parade Naked Bike Ride.

This year the Solstice Parade does not take place on the Solstice, due to the Solstice taking place midweek, on Wednesday, June 20.

The Fremont Solstice Parade happens 4 days prior to the Solstice, on Saturday, June 16.

I have never attended the Fremont Solstice Parade, but I have been in the Republic of Fremont many times.

Way back when there was a communist nation called the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics, Fremont seceded from the American Union and tried to join the Soviet Union. This attempt failed. However, when the Soviet Union collapsed, the Republic of Fremont acquired some Soviet artifacts, like a statue of Lenin, and, if I remember right, the remains of a missile.

As you likely can guess, Fremont is a rather liberal, free-spirited section of the rather liberal, free-spirited city of Seattle.

I can't quite imagine Fort Worth or Dallas having a naked bike ride as part of a Solstice Parade. I don't know why.

I can imagine Austin having a naked bike ride as part of a Solstice Parade. Austin is where Hippie Hollow is. And I've heard both males and females are seen topless at Barton Springs. I have not personally witnessed this, however.

You can go to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and read So You Want To Be Naked In The Fremont Solstice Parade to see more photos and read the guidelines for your naked bikeride.

I Did Not Get Too Hot On The Tandy Hills Today

In the picture we are looking north, on top of Lost Sunglasses Ridge, in the noon time frame, on the Tandy Hills.

As you can see, clouds were blocking direct solar radiation from getting me hot, unlike yesterday, when I got way too HOT hiking.

Since the noon time frame the skies have brightened a little.

I heard, on the radio, during a news break from Rush Limbaugh's ranting, that we have some likely incoming rain clouds, heading this way from the west, scheduled to arrive on Wednesday. Apparently these incoming rain clouds have the potential to drop a lot of rain.

So, tomorrow may be my last day of salubrious endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation til the hills dry out.