Running With The Village Creek Indian Ghosts Training To Jog Washington Park In Anacortes

In the picture you are looking at one of the dam bridges that cross Village Creek in the Village Creek Natural Historical Area in Arlington, Texas, in the noon time frame, this first Sunday of October.

The air was chilled to a chilly 49 when I took off to visit my favorite Indian Ghosts. The air is now one degree warmer, several hours later.

The water in the pool was cooler than yesterday morning, but still warmer than the air, thus I had myself a long swim this morning.

Yesterday I was in long pants for the first time in many months. Today I was in sweat pants for the first time in many months.

To work up a sweat, in my sweat pants, I jogged. This was my second jog since my return to jogging, which started two days ago with a one mile jog around Fosdick Lake, which, at the time, I thought was two miles.

Today, after jogging for awhile, I switched to running. Running feels way more natural than jogging. Running also is far more exertion than jogging, causing my sweat pants to live up to their name.

When I jogged around Fosdick Lake two days ago I was thinking I'd given up jogging in 1985.

Today I remembered that that is not the case.

After giving up jogging in 1985, due to a medical malady, apparently I started up jogging again, because I now remember that in 1993 I jogged around Washington Park in Anacortes with my little sister and a girl who said "rad" way too much.

That jogging around Washington Park coincided with a birthday milestone.

My little sister is 17 years younger than me. I remember at the time of jogging around Washington Park my little sister and I made a pact that when she reached that particular birthday milestone, we'd return to Washington Park and jog it again.

At the time, my little sister and her "rad" friend were impressed that a much older geezer, like me, was able to out-jog such young kids.

Well, my little sister passed that birthday milestone a couple years ago, with me in Texas and my little sister in Tacoma, with my little sister in no mood to jog several miles up and down steep hills in Washington Park. And with me, at my advanced age, likely unable to do so, either.

But, as God is my witness, on my next return to Washington I am jogging the trails of Washington Park, complete with photo documentation.

The First Cold Sunday Morning Of October

48 degrees is 3 degrees chillier than yesterday's morning low. It is a little windy, still, in the outer world at my location, making it, apparently, really feel like 41 degrees. I am cursed with being inept with arithmetic, but I am fairly certain that 41 degrees is only 9 degrees above freezing.

The last 24 hours have averaged, temperature-wise, slightly above 50 degrees. Averaging 50 degrees, or above, is my requisite temperature requirement for going swimming.

I suspect going swimming this morning is going to be a bit more refreshingly bracing than it was yesterday.

I learned this morning that my morning online news reading has now been shortened. I clicked to read an article, this morning, in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, to be solicited for a subscription in order to read the article.

99 cents for the first month, $6.95 a month after that first 99 cents month.

I  might consider paying this if it got rid of the annoying animated ads. But, I suspect the ads remain.

The sun has been up for around 45 minutes, so far this has not made the outer world any warmer.

It is time for my first chilly swim since last March.

Picking Quanah Parker Park Pecans With A Big Pile Of Litter

Quanah Parker Park Pecans

The Big Chill is being a bit of an adjustment.

Today when I left my abode to head to Quanah Parker Park to pick pecans off the ground I was wearing long pants for the first time since I flew to Phoenix in March.

That is around 8 months of being in short pants. We have a very long short pants season in North Texas.

I made the mistake of combining long pants with a short sleeved t-shirt. I should have worn something with long sleeves.

50 degrees is half of  100 degrees. I am really bad at math, but I am almost 100% certain I made that calculation correctly. It was not all that long ago we were being naturally heated to 100 degrees or more. And now, a short time later, Mother Nature has provided us a natural refrigerator.

I filled myself a plastic bag with pecans today. That is a couple of the pecans I picked up you are looking at in the picture above. What do I do with these pecans now that I've got a bag full of them? I have no idea. But, I think, maybe, roasting them in the oven is what needs to happen. I shall later Google for the answer.

Right at this precise point in time I'm not in the mood for any more oven roasting, because I just broiled 8 poblano peppers that I got at Town Talk today.

Speaking of Town Talk. Today was the busiest I have ever seen Town Talk. Inside the store there were no bad traffic jams. But, outside the store, there were bad traffic jams, with more vehicles than parking spaces.

Changing the subject from Town Talk back to Quanah Parker Park.

The Quanah Parker Park Garbage Dump

I was appalled to see what some litter bug on steroids has dumped in a ravine on the north side of the entry road, with the ravine leading to the Trinity River, a short distance away.

Someone had to be rather brazen to dump all this junk, risking someone driving in or out of the park, at any second, catching them in the criminal act.

I don't know why this type disposal method is used so much in Texas. Recently a lesser dumping of junk occurred next to the road that leads to the top of Mount Tandy.

One thing I do know. Where I lived in Washington, that being the Skagit Valley, I knew where I could haul junk to. I think it was called a Transfer Station, but I'm not sure of that. Time has reduced my ability to remember some things.

Where I live in Texas I have not the slightest idea where I would haul junk if I needed to get rid of it. Perhaps this is why, in desperation, slobby people do bad deeds, like throw away their garbage in a Fort Worth public park.

A Cold October Saturday In Texas Thinking About Harvesting Pecans & Not Pulling A Ryan

The morning of the first Saturday of October is the coldest it has been in North Texas for a long, long time. 51 degrees with the wind causing it to feel like 43 degrees.

The water in the pool was warmer than the air, this morning, which made for some very refreshing swimming, particularly after I overheated on the Nautilus machine.

The weather change has brought the ozone level down to being "Good" and the pollen level  has gone from "Extreme" to "Moderate".

My breathing apparatus is feeling like it is functioning totally back to normal. The idea of being stuck inside an airplane, and having a sneezing fit, no longer is mortifying me.

I was a little worried that yesterday's jogging episode around Fosdick Lake might cause some soreness.

I had erroneously thought I'd jogged around 2 miles, then someone named Anonymous informed me that the paved trail around Fosdick Lake is only 1 mile.

I don't know if it was the same Anonymous person, or another one, but someone named Anonymous made another anonymous comment on the blogging about jogging. This comment confused me at first, but I think I figured it out...

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Jogging Around Fosdick Lake With Grandma & The Fosducks": 

OK, so long as you're not pulling a Ryan on us. 

I had no clue what "pulling a Ryan" might be. Then I remembered that that lightly qualified guy that Mitt Romney picked as his running mate, Paul Ryan, has gotten some bad press for obviously fudging his time on some running event he ran in. I don't remember the details, but I suspect this must be that to which Anonymous is referring.

Changing the subject from Paul Ryan's fibbery back to the weather.

Rain is on the schedule for today. I do not know if copious amounts are predicted. What I do know is no rain has dampened my location, so far.

If the rain holds off I think I'll go pecan harvesting at Quanah Parker Park today, on my way to Town Talk. On Wednesday I saw a lot of pecans on the ground under the big pecan trees in Quanah Parker Park. It did not cross my mind to get myself some pecans til Steve A caused that idea to cross my mind.

Jogging Around Fosdick Lake With Grandma & The Fosducks

In the picture you are looking at a grandma with her granddaughter, today, tossing chunks of bread at the Fosducks lounging on the east shore of Fosdick Lake in Oakland Lake Park.

Grandma told me she'd not been to Oakland Lake Park for over 20 years, but came there today in the hopes of finding some ducks for the grandkid to feed.

Currently it is only 77 degrees, halfway through this first Friday of October afternoon. The outer world was chilled to the upper 60s when I drove to see the Fosducks. Tonight we are scheduled to chill to 47 degrees, with the high tomorrow, that being Saturday, of only 55 with a low of 45.

Brrrrr.

I need to locate my blankets.

Yesterday, at the Crystal Canyon Natural Area, in Arlington, I was surprised to find myself doing something I'd not done in a long time. The trail though Crystal Canyon is a not very long loop. Maybe a half mile long, or less.

I did the loop several times. On the final loop I was feeling real energetic so I started jogging.

A couple decades ago I was a regular jogger, easily going 3 - 5 miles. Then a medical malady intervened and after that I never got back into doing the jogging like I did before the medical malady. Mountain biking became my main source of aerobic stimulation. And hiking. Lots of hiking. This was back when I lived in Washington, a place were there are these things called mountains that one could hike and bike on.

In Texas I have attempted jogging a few times. Or running sprints, but I would quickly give up. It was in Texas I learned to roller blade, something I've given up, due to the fact that I was not enamored of the idea of recovering from yet one more spectacular, butt bruising crash.

Well. Today I decided to jog around Fosdick Lake. I believe the paved trail is a little over 2 miles. I jogged it all. This surprised me. I'm thinking I might be getting back into jogging as a regular thing.

Unless I wake up really sore tomorrow.

Looking For Crystals In Arlington's Crystal Canyon Natural Area

Yesterday Miss Connie asked me if I'd been to Crystal Canyon Park in Arlington.

I vaguely recollected reading something about a new park in Arlington, with Crystal Canyon ringing a bell in my ever more unreliable memory.

Miss Connie came across Crystal Canyon whilst reading Fort Worth Weekly's Best of 2012 issue.

I thought I'd read all through FW Weekly's Best of 2012, not missing a single thing, but, I'd missed the entry about Crystal Canyon and it being FW Weekly Critic's Choice for Best Green Space. Below is the Crystal Canyon blurb from FW Weekly...

Green Space
Critic's Choice: Crystal Canyon Nature Preserve
1000 Brown Blvd. Arlington

This is the newest and most welcome effort to save Tarrant County's vanishing green spaces, which are being paved over at alarming speeds. Crystal Canyon is a 39-acre oasis of old-growth trees, clear-running creeks, and sandstone outcroppings sparkling with the selenite crystals that give the preserve its name. Nestled among homes and shopping areas in North Arlington, the canyon has remained wild, its topography probably saving it from developer's bulldozers. With a grant from the state, Arlington recently added hiking trails, benches, three pedestrian bridges, a drinking fountain, interpretive signage, and a small parking lot. The city plans to maintain Crystal Canyon as a preserve where families, bird watchers, wildflower enthusiasts, and hikers can enjoy its unspoiled natural beauty and find respite from the concrete canyons of the Metromess.

FW Weekly's description of Crystal Canyon pretty much matched my experience there, today, it being today's location for my regularly scheduled daily endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation.

However, as you might notice via the sign at the top, this park is named Crystal Canyon Natural Area, not Crystal Canyon Nature Preserve.

Also, I saw no creeks with any water running in them. I did see some dry creek beds.

FW Weekly indicates there are sandstone outcroppings sparkling with crystals. Maybe the cloud cover stopped the crystals from sparkling, because I saw no crystals, of the natural sort, in the Crystal Canyon Natural Area.

Maybe that crystal you see in the picture is actually one of the illusive Crystal Canyon crystals, and not the piece of broken glass that I thought it likely was.

I hiked off the trail in my futile search for crystals. Which is where I found the "crystal" in the picture.

The FW Weekly article mentions interpretive signage. There was a lot of interpretive signage. Very well done interpretive signange. Interpreting the crystals, interpreting the flora, the fauna and interpreting the very well done, eco-friendly trail and bridge engineering.

Above is the interpretive signage interpreting "What are the Crystals in Crystal Canyon Natural Area" without a question mark.

The Fauna interpretive signage had a lot of birds on the sign. And a Southern Copperhead, Texas Rat Snake and a Bobcat. The picture of the Bobcat, shows an orange Bobcat. I've seen a lot of Bobcats in various Texas parks, but I've never seen a cute orange Tiger kitty looking Bobcat, like the one on the sign in Crystal Canyon.

There are 3 pedestrian bridges in the Crystal Canyon Natural Area, spanning the canyon, or a dry creek. The bridges are made of a hard plastic-like material. I'd not seen this before. It would seem that these bridges will experience no rotting wood issues, unlike some bridges and boardwalks in Fort Worth's poorly maintained parks, like Gateway Park.

You see the above rock formation, in the dry creek bed, from the plastic bridge. I climbed down into the dry creek bed, keeping a watchful lookout for Southern Copperheads, Texas Rat Snakes and Orange Bobcats, to see if I could find some of the illusive crystals, to no avail.

Above you are looking at a section of Crystal Canyon Natural Area trail, as it switches back and forth to gain some elevation. I was very impressed with the Crystal Canyon trail and the engineering that went into the design. The trail is made to handle a flood of water, with multiple drains designed to keep water from eroding the trail.

Utah is my favorite place on the planet, scenery wise. I never fail to be very very happy when I am surrounded by redrock formations, when I am in Utah. Crystal Canyon reminded me, very much, of Utah, at times. The above rock formation was like a mini version of a rock formation I might see in Utah's Zion National Park.

FW Weekly mentioned wildflowers in Crystal Canyon. The above pink wildflower was one of many I saw today, including climbing vines sprouting wildflowers. We are no where near wildflower season. I imagine Crystal Canyon will be very colorful, next year, starting in March.

Crystal Canyon Natural Area was very easy to find. I  got off I-30 at Collins Street, headed north about a mile, turned right on Brown Boulevard, coasted down a steep hill, with the Crystal Canyon Natural Area parking lot on the right, soon after coasting down the steep hill.

The parking lot is not very big. It might hold 12 vehicles, maybe less, I did not think to count the number of stalls. Methinks Arlington is going to want to figure out how to add some more parking spaces.

All in all, I'd have to say that Crystal Canyon Natural Area is yet one more jewel in the City of Arlington's Crown of Parks.

Crystal Canyon Natural Area is less than 2 miles from one of Arlington's other park gems, that being River Legacy Park.

UPDATE: Crystal Canyon Natural Area (CCNA) is on Facebook.

In Quanah Parker Park Gazing Up At A Giant Pecan Tree

I was up early and in the cool pool when the sun began arriving this morning to do its daily illumination and heating duties.

I am liking the cooler pool water. Very refreshing.

When the time of the day arrived for my scheduled daily salubrious endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation I found myself running late for a date, so I opted to go for a brisk walk with the pecan trees that tower over Quanah Parker Park.

That is the biggest of the Quanah Parker Park pecan trees you are standing under in the picture.

This is the pecan tree that is some sort of specially designated historical heritage tree.

I do not know if Quanah Parker ever parked himself under this tree, or not. There must be some reason this particular park is named after the most famous Comanche chief.

I Will Not Ride A Horse With My Cowboy Nephew David

In the picture you are looking at my nephew, Cowboy David, in the saddle on his horse, White Socks.

I will likely be seeing Cowboy David and his siblings, the twins, Theo John and Ruby Jean, in December, in Arizona.

I am almost 100% certain David will not be riding White Socks to Arizona.

David is mastering his horse riding skills prior to taking a trip to Texas, in January, to visit his favorite Texas uncle.

While in Texas Cowboy David will be going to the Fort Worth Stock Show to go to the rodeo in the decrepit, ancient Will Rogers Coliseum.

Prior to going to the Stock Show, David will be riding White Socks in the world's biggest non-mechanized parade, that being the Fort Worth Stock Show Parade.

I am hoping Cowboy David is not expecting his favorite uncle to ride a horse with him. Nothing good ever happens when Cowboy David's favorite uncle gets on a horse.

The last time Cowboy David's favorite uncle was on a horse was on the 4th of July, 2000, a date which lives on in infamy. The horse went crazy and tried to kill me whilst trying to get to a carrot that the beast knew was in the barn.

That is the short version. Suffice to say it left me traumatized, with recurring related nightmares which recur to the present.

Today I Biked The River Legacy Park Trail To Veridian To See If Homes Are Really Sprouting Up There

New Homes Being Built At Veridian In Arlington

Last week there was an article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about houses being built at the Huffines Veridian development north of the east end of River Legacy Park in Arlington.

It seemed to me that it had only been a month or two since I'd pedaled my bike in that zone and at that point in time all I saw were some bulldozers in road building, dirt moving mode.

It takes months to build a house, how could there be finished houses in Veridian, I thought to myself?

I also thought to myself that this could be another case of the Star-Telegram getting their info wrong. This has been the case, previously at this particular location.

I remember when the Star-Telegram had an article touting the opening of a new 4 mile section of paved trail in River Legacy Park, extending the trail to Highway 360, opened after a mile connector to the existing trail was finished.

However, the facts were that this trail had been finished and usable for months. There was no new 1 mile connector. But, more importantly, the trail did not and still does not, extend to 360.

The problem caused by a newspaper printing erroneous information can be a little thing. Like the very day after the Star-Telegram had this article about the trail extending to 360, I pedaled to the 7 mile mark end of the trail, thinking, well, maybe a new section has been added since I've pedaled to the end of the trail.

I got to the 7 mile mark and found a guy appearing to be very annoyed. I asked if he was okay. He told me he thought the trail went all the way to 360.

I asked him if he read that in the Star-Telegram. He replied in the affirmative. He'd told friends, flying into D/FW International, that he'd jog the new River Legacy Park trail and to look for him waving from an overpass, and to exit and pick him up. How he timed this or how he thought he knew what overpass he was going to end up on, I did not ask. I told him I didn't think he had any option but to jog back to wherever his vehicle was.

So, today I fully expected to see no houses built or being built on the Veridian development.

Well.

I was wrong. There looked to be, maybe, a dozen or more houses in various stages of construction. I thought it took 4 to 6 months to build a house. Have Texans figured out how to speed up home construction?

The Veridian development ground to a halt when the economy collapsed in 2008. Are homes rising in this location yet one more sign that the economy is coming back? I hope so.

A First Day Of October Walk With The Indian Ghosts Wondering How Many Were Murdered In The Battle Of Village Creek

Yellow Flowers in the Village Creek Blue Bayou

This morning's swim was quite refreshing, what with the air at my location on the planet being heated to a relatively chilly 58 degrees, the water in the pool was warmer than the air.

At noon I decided I needed to check in on the Indian Ghosts who haunt the Village Creek Natural Historical Area in Arlington.

I saw two large water snakes today in Village Creek. I was not able to get a picture of either.

This past weekend's rain has recharged the Village Creek Blue Bayou, causing the sprouting of a lot of green foliage, which is blooming yellow flowers.

In the Blue Bayou I saw a small turtle the likes of which I've not seen before, for a brief moment, before he or she dived for safety. The turtle had a red marking on it.

There were a lot of people in the VCNHA today, including a pair of canoodling smoochers sitting on a picnic table by the Blue Bayou. I don't think they noticed me.

I stopped by the historical marker that is stuck in the ground by the parking lot off Dottie Lynn Parkway, today, and read it, again.

I'd not made note, previously, of one of the paragraphs. I found this paragraph just a bit appalling in its nonchalant way in which it described what was basically a crime against humanity.

Below is the referenced paragraph...

The earliest days of the newly formed Republic of Texas record the end of the long history of Native American settlement in this area. Expeditions of scouting parties made up of the rangers, volunteers and militia were designated to clear the area of Indians to make way for colonists and the land hungry settlers who were being attracted with the sales of land grants in 1841 to the W.S. Peters' Emigration Land Company of Louisville, Kentucky. Before being destroyed in the Battle of Village Creek in 1841, a whole series of villages lay on either side of the creek extending for about five miles southward from near current-day Lamar Boulevard to a hill on which was located the largest village at the current location of the clubhouse of the Lake Arlington Golf Course near Spur 303. A large village was also located in the vicinity of Village Creek where it crosses this trail east of the marker. Three hundred acres of corn grew near the villages which supported over 1,000 warriors of the native local tribes, which included the Anadarko, Bidais, Caddo, Keechi, Kickapoo, Tawakoni, Tonkawa, Waco, Waxahachie and Wichita, all members of the Caddoan Confederacy.

I have not found any source which tells me how many Indians were murdered in the Village Creek zone in this primitive version of abusing someone's eminent domain. The number likely was very large.