Hiking The HOT Tandy Hills Thinking About Lunch At Camp 18 With Elsie Hotpepper

The outer world was heated to 91 degrees when I hit the hills today. The humidity was 51%, which had the Heat Index registering at 102. The predicted high for today is 98 with the Heat Index a HOT 110.

Summer does not arrive for over a week.

In the picture we are looking north towards Alaska on a trail located near the heart of the Tandy Hills.

Today I realized my sister, ex-wife and 3 dogs have been heading north to Alaska since last Wednesday and I have not heard from them.

My sister told me I would be being sent pictures that I was expected to blog. Others were told to be expecting to see pictures on the aforementioned blog, including my mom.

By now the Alaska bound caravan should be well north of the border, deep into British Columbia.

Speaking of other people up north.

I got a postcard today from Elsie Hotpepper, sent from her namesake town of Elsie, Oregon. I do not know if Elsie stopped in Elsie at the Camp 18 Restaurant and Logging Museum.

I do know Elsie Hotpepper is an aficionado of anything that has anything to do with logging.

Keep Fort Worth Beautiful By Putting Litter In The Can

I am fairly certain I have previously mentioned the litter barrels that litter Oakland (Lake) Park.

The park has dozens of litter barrels stuck to posts which elevate the litter barrels off the ground.

To my eyes all these litter barrels are eyesores. These litter barrels are strewn all over the park. If you click the picture and look closely you'll see 3 or 4 litter barrels in the vicinity of the one we are close enough to read the sign on the litter barrel.

The sign on the litter barrel says...

Don't Litter - Put it in the Can!
Keep Fort Worth Beautiful

So, if litter is not put in the can this renders Fort Worth not beautiful?

Well, I see a lot of litter that is not in a can, in Fort Worth. I would not go so far as to suggest that this is what makes Fort Worth less than beautiful. Though, it really does not help with the town's overall prettiness to see so much litter blowing around.

Stick Your Litter in the Can

Oakland (Lake) Park is one of Fort Worth's parks which has modern restroom facilities, which is what you see in the picture on the left, next to one of the ubiquitous litter barrels.

I already mentioned that the sign on the litter barrels tell you to put it in the can.

I don't know if this is the case in Texas, but on the west coast the word "can" is slang for a restroom facility.

Telling people to put the litter in the can might result in having your modern restroom facility filled with garbage.

That would be unfortunate.

A Sunday Walk & Talk With A Sluggish Fosdick Lake Turtle

Usually the Fosdick Lake turtles who live in Oakland (Lake) Park are very skittish. A group will be sunning themselves on a log and before I can get my camera out of my pocket the group leaps for the safety of the polluted lake.

But today one of the Fosdick turtles was behaving very strangely. That is the turtle I'm talking about in the picture.

You can not tell it from the picture, but the turtle is sitting on a short log.

I got my camera out of its pocket, turned it on, with the turn on chirping noise usually spooking the turtles, if they'have not already been spooked.

But, this turtle was impervious to my camera's chirping noise. So, I started taking pictures. Each snap of a picture makes a chirping noise. The turtle just kept turning his head in circular motions like the possessed girl in The Exorcist.

Maybe the Fosdick turtle is traumatized by all that odd green stuff growing in its lake. I know I would be unsettled if green stuff suddenly started growing in my home.

All in all, this has been on odd Sunday, so far. I was up real early, went swimming soon after the sun arrived. The north to Hurst around 10 this morning. Late to Oakland (Lake) Park. Lunch was fried chicken and potato salad.

Yes, this has been a wild weekend so far. If it continues on this wild trajectory I am going to be exhausted by day's end.

A Saturday Evening River Legacy Bike Ride Appalled At Way Too Many Outhouses

The River Legacy Pavilion Restroom Facilities

It's been a few weeks since I've been to River Legacy Park, in Arlington, on a Saturday evening.

Usually River Legacy Park is very busy on Saturday evenings. Tonight, that was not the case.

Usually, on Saturday night, there is something going on in the River Legacy Pavilion. I've seen many a wedding celebration take place there, and reunions, and company parties, and other big get togethers the nature of which I was unable to determine.

Ever since the River Legacy Pavilion opened, and events started taking place there, I have been appalled by a couple things.

One thing that appalls me is there is no running water. No sink. Yet there is a big BBQ type pit where cooking meat products takes place.

In addition to no running water, there are no modern restroom facilities at the River Legacy Pavilion.

There are modern restroom facilities an inconvenient distance from the Pavilion.

Inside the River Legacy Pavilion Looking Towards the
Row of Outhouses

I know it would be difficult to engineer a modern restroom facility at the location of the Pavilion, due to the fact that this area floods. I have seen it under water twice. The existing modern restroom facility is elevated above the potential flood level.

River Legacy Park is one of the nicest parks in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. River Legacy Park would be a nice park in any city in America.

Except for this vexing modern restroom facilities and running water problem.

I don't understand why there is such a cavalier attitude at this location on the planet about something like modern restroom facilities and having running water available where people BBQ and picnic.

Is this cavalier attitude some holdover from the days when the South was way poorer and sort of behind the more advanced development of the North?

I have previously opined about this Outhouse Issue. I recollect verbalizing my appallation regarding the dozens upon dozens of specially designed Dallas Cowboy outhouses that are installed in the parking lots surrounding the stadium. A stadium that cost more than a billion dollars. It seems a little ironic to have that humongous futuristic stadium surrounded by dozens of outhouses.

At River Legacy Park, the Pavilion outhouses are not the only outhouses. Another line of outhouses is near the modern restroom facility, due to the fact that that modern restroom facility is not all that big, and so, likely, requires the extra outhouses to handle the crowds that crowd River Legacy Park at times.

There are more outhouses at the Collins Street parking lot on the north side of the Trinity River. This area also floods.

But, I really think the fact that these areas flood is not a legitimate excuse for not building modern restroom facilities like modern cities do in modern parks in more modern parts of America.

That also flood.

Having A Wild Weekend On The Tandy Hills With Mesquite Thorns

I believe, in the picture, that is a thorn on a dead mesquite bush that looks like it is about to hit me in the face, today, on Lost Sunglasses Ridge on the Tandy Hills.

Today was my first day back hill hiking since a downpour chased me off the Tandy Hills on Wednesday.

The trails on the Tandy Hills have dried out, for the most part, from the recent deluges.

It felt real good to be back doing some heavy duty aerobicizing.

It was 84 degrees when I hiked the hills, with the almost 50% humidity making it, supposedly, feel like 92.

How is 92 supposed to feel? I have no idea.

After I was done with the hill hiking I did some Town Talking, spending some time in the Town Talk cooler cooling off.

When I checked out, the checkout lady who always engages me in pleasant small talk, like last Saturday she told me her mom had died, today asked me if I had a wild weekend planned. I indicated I did not have a wild weekend planned. I asked the checkout lady if she had a wild weekend planned. She said she never has a wild weekend planned and only hopes to get to hear about other people's wild weekend plans.

I'm not quite sure I know what a wild weekend is. I suppose if one does not know what a wild weekend is it is likely logical to conclude that one has never had one.

Maybe I'll go on a Saturday evening bike ride at River Legacy Park. Would that constitute a wild weekend activity?

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.