Almost Going Over A Cliff Again In Gateway Park Without Daylight Savings Time

My handlebars were back in Gateway Park on the FWMBA (Fort Worth Mountain Bike Association) mountain bike trail this first Sunday of the next to last month of 2012.

The location of my handlebars, this time, is different than the last time I took a picture of my bike about to go over a cliff into the Trinity River.

The Trinity River is that real slow moving slimy green water-like entity you see below the handlebars.

This morning it was a real nice thing to be rid of that annoying Daylight Savings Time aberration that has the sun arriving later in the morning than I prefer.

This morning I went swimming before 7. Yesterday if I had gone swimming before 7 it would have been in the dark.

There was a lot of soccer game action today in Gateway Park. The appeal of that sport has always alluded me.

There were also a lot of disc golfers today in Gateway Park. The appeal of that sport has also always alluded me.

There were not a lot of mountain bikers today in Gateway Park. The appeal of that sport has never alluded me.

I'm am sitting here waiting for the lunch buzzer. When the buzzer buzzes this will indicate that the oven fries I'm frying in the oven are ready for consumption. This morning I BBQed some pork product.

When the buzzer buzzes, lunch today will consist of the aforementioned oven fries and BBQ pork product, plus salad made from Romaine, with yellow peppers, cauliflower, tomatoes and olives. Today's lunch drink is  grapefruit juice lemonade. This tastes better than it sounds.

The buzzer will be buzzing in about 10 minutes. If you want to come for lunch you'd best hurry up and get here.

The buzzer is buzzing. I was off with my time estimate.

JFK Said There Are No Faint Hearts In Fort Worth

On November 22 it will be 49 years since John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.

JFK began his last day, alive, in Fort Worth, along with First Lady, Jackie.

JFK gave a speech in Fort Worth on his final morning. If I remember right Jackie remained in their hotel room, looking out the window, causing cheers to erupt from the audience, when she was spotted.

For years now, maybe going all the way back to when I first was exiled to Texas I have been hearing about the need for a memorial of some sort to JFK in Fort Worth.

Well, this is finally going to happen. I believe the statue has already been installed in its location in General Worth Square at Main and 8th Street in beautiful downtown Fort Worth.

The public is invited to the dedication of the John F. Kennedy sculpture at 9:00 AM Thursday, November 8.

November 8?

Why is this dedication not taking place on the morning of the 49th Anniversary of the JFK Assassination? As in the morning of November 22.

Very perplexing.

There is a JFK Tribute website where you can learn more about the JFK Tribute.

Hard Hats On The Fall Colorful Tandy Hills With Stevie Wonder In Town Talk

For my Saturday endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation I opted to do some hill hiking, venturing to the seldom visited, by me, northeast section of the Tandy Hills Natural Area.

That white object you see in the picture is a hard hat.    I do not know why a hard hat would be located in this isolated location. I did not look under the hard hat to see if there was a head inside.

With Fall well underway the leaves on the trees and bushes are beginning to put on their annual color show, as you can see in the picture with the hard hat.

In addition to the hard hat I was accosted by two humans today, along with their dog, Roxy. Roxy violated my personal space by putting her paws on me. The female half of the two humans tried to get control of the beast to little avail. Eventually Roxy ceased attacking me and we parted ways.

Above is another view of the Fall color coloring the Tandy Hills. This view is looking west from the trail junction halfway down Mount Tandy.

I had myself a nice long swim early this morning. Days with temperatures in the 80s have the pool not being cool. The Tandy Hills were also not cool today, with the temperature nearing 80, hot enough to require a minimalist approach to outerwear, but not hot enough to cause a very severe steambath effect.

After I finished my hill hiking I went to Town Talk. I got myself a lot of tomatoes today. Among other things.

Stevie Wonder, or a guy who looked a lot like Stevie Wonder, asked me for help in Town Talk. I'd bumped into his walking stick. He apologized to me, when it was I who was being a klutz.

Stevie Wonder then asked me if he could ask me something. Sure, said I.

It was only then I realized Stevie Wonder was slight of sight. He was using some sort of illuminated magnifying glass thing to look at products. He asked me if the chicken breasts were half price. It did not say so on the package, but did say so on a sign stuck to the freezer.

Stevie Wonder thanked me for helping him, and I continued on my way. Later I realized I should have asked him if he'd like me to help him  find stuff in Town Talk. Town Talk is not a brightly lit store. I have trouble reading the Town Talk labels sometimes.

I wonder how Stevie Wonder got to Town Talk? Obviously he did not drive himself there.

So, that has been my exciting Saturday, so far. I think I may go swimming again.

Log Jamming & Water Sucking With The Village Creek Indian Ghosts Thinking About The Paradise Center Scandal & Jalapeno Cilantro Soup

In the picture you are looking at the litter log jam that Village Creek has pushed up against the southernmost bridge/dam in the Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

Methinks it might be a good idea to un-jam this log litter jam before the next flash flood flashes.

I would not want to be the person or persons un-jamming this litter log jam. A week or so ago I saw one of the biggest snakes I've ever seen snaking around on that litter log jam.

Before I forget, I must mention I got an interesting blog comment to the Paradise Center Scandal blog this morning from someone named Jocelyn Kay. The comment was on a blog post from well over a year ago, titled Anonymous Research Into the MHMR-TC Relationship With BRAVO Health. This comment from Ms. Kay seemed blog worthy, so I turned it into a new Paradise Center Scandal post titled An Update on the Health of Bravo Health.

Now, let's leave the Paradise Center Scandal and go back to the Indian Ghosts who haunt the Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

Today I hiked to the end of a sort of peninsula that has Village Creek on one side, with the other side being a  waterway the name of which I do not know, but I do know it eventually becomes an Interlochen canal.

Today when I got to the dam that holds back the water in the creek without a name, and turns it into an Interlochen canal, I saw a strange thing on the far side of the dam. It appeared water was being sucked out of the canal, with a frenzy of activity surrounding the water sucking. The water sucker is that orange tube you see below. The orange to was attached to the boxy device on wheels you see on the right. I heard a motor noise which I assumed was a pump pumping. But where was the water going that was being pumped?

I really could not figure out what was going on above. I saw no water tubes except for the one that led from the water to what I assume was a pump. There is no gas drilling operation in this zone that would explain the apparent water suckage.

Very perplexing.

Now let's chain subject to something else. Like lunch.

I mentioned yesterday that I was making Jalapeno Cilantro Soup. The construction process took place yester evening. That went well with no jalapeno problems.

The Jalapeno Cilantro Soup was lunch today. This may be the tastiest soup I've ever made.

I altered the Reata Restaurant's version a bit. No way was I going to make soup with 8 cups of heavy cream. I used 3 cups of sour cream and 5 cups of skim milk instead. That was the only change I made except for using a few more Roma tomatoes than the Reata recipe called for and about twice as much garlic.

Below is the Reata's Jalapeno Cilantro Soup recipe in its un-altered state....

1⁄2 tbsp. unsalted butter
5 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
2 tbsp. garlic, minced
3⁄4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1 avocado, peeled and diced
4 Roma tomatoes, diced
8 cups heavy cream (use the highest fat content available)
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch cilantro, stemmed and chopped

In a large stockpot, heat the butter over medium heat.  Saute the jalapenos, onions, and garlic for about 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and the peppers turn soft.

Remove from the heat and add the avocado, tomatoes and cream. Lower the heat, then return the pot to heat, stirring constantly so the cream doesn't separate. Slowly bring the soup back to a simmer, cooking until liquid is reduced by 1/3. Stir often to prevent scorching or sticking.

Season with salt and pepper. Just before serving, add the cilantro, reserving about 1 t. per serving for garnish. Sprinkle with the reserved chopped cilantro and tortilla chips.

A Slightly Smoggy Tandy Hills Hike With Jalapeno Cilantro Soup

In the picture we are looking west at the Tandy Wagon Train Trail, heading towards the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth, a couple miles in the distance.

As you can see there is a slight smoggy haze above the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth.

This morning when I checked the air quality, something I have been doing for a couple months now, ever since I had myself a really bad bout of allergy woes, the Ozone Level was Good. That was before the sun arrived this morning. Now, at a few minutes past two in the afternoon, the Ozone Level is no longer Good.

The Ozone Level is now Moderate. I guess that explains the smog that hovers above the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth.

I have also been monitoring the Pollen Index. Until this morning, since I have been monitoring it, the Pollen Index has been either Extreme, Very High or High. But, this morning the Pollen Index was Moderate for the first time. And now, at the current point in time, the Pollen Index has changed to Low.

I do not know if Low is better or worse than Moderate.

What I do know is currently it is warm in the outer world at my location. As in 84 degrees. Today was a shirtless hiking day on the Tandy Hills, with a return to the summer-like steambath sauna effect that I find so salubrious when I am getting my endorphin induction via aerobic stimulation.

Due to yesterday also getting warmed into the 80s and it being above 50 when the sun came up, this morning I had myself a long and pleasantly refreshing swim for the first time in a couple days, with the pool not being so cool as to cause a quick exit.

Changing the subject from the Tandy Hills and the quality of the air that I breathe to something else.

This morning I was looking through a book I recently acquired, that being Texas from Moon Handbooks. In the section about Big Bend Country I came upon the section about the town of Alpine where the Reata Restaurant was mentioned with the suggestion that one start off ones cowboy gourmet experience with the Jalapeno Cilantro Soup.

Jalapeno Cilantro Soup sounded good to me, so I Googled "Reata Jalapeno Cilantro Soup" and found the recipe from the Reata on a lot of websites.

I already have all of the ingredients, except for the jalapenos. The recipe calls for finely chopping 5 jalapenos.

The fumes from jalapenos can chase me from the kitchen when first gutted.

After the chopping process I have to be real careful to thoroughly wash the capsaicin from my hands. I have had a painful incident, or two, where I touch a delicate area without sufficient capsaicin removal, resulting in an extreme burning sensation.

I'll keep you posted as to how the Jalapeno Cilantro Soup project goes.

Biking The Gateway Park FWMBA Trail Where The Trinity River Causes Me To Think About The Columbus Day Storm

Those are my handlebars you see in the picture, with the sun glistening bright off the longhorn handlebar extensions, on Gateway Park's FWMBA (Fort Worth Mountain Bike Association) mountain bike trail, today, in the noon time frame.

What you can not quite tell, via the picture, is that my handlebars are at the edge of a steep drop off that ends in that slimy green body of water known as the Trinity River.

Today, after I took the picture I looked down at the green slimy river and saw 3 big turtles luxuriating in the nutrient filled slimy green water.

Weeks ago, if I remember right, I mentioned that the river in my old home zone, that being the Skagit River, had shrunk to an extremely small version of its usually big self, due to a long drought.

Well, that drought has ended, with the Skagit River and the other rivers in Western Washington in flood mode. This morning I read 3 to 5 inches of rain had fallen in the mountains, with 1 to 2 inches falling in the lowlands. Hence the flooding.

I do not believe, in all my years of exile in Texas, I have ever read that a flood was coming due to a lot of rain falling in the mountains. I have read of a flood coming due to an incoming hurricane. I don't remember whilst living in Washington ever reading that a flood was coming due to a hurricane.

But, there have been floods in Washington, caused by a hurricane, we just don't call it a hurricane in the Pacific Northwest, I guess. Typhoon is the word that means hurricane. Or is a typhoon different than a hurricane or cyclone? I have no idea. I suspect I could Google this and end my bum puzzlement.

The hurricane, I mean typhoon, I am talking about was named Freda, but, by the time it hit Washington and Oregon it was known as the Columbus Day Storm.

This was one of the biggest storms in recorded history, sort of a Sandy of its day.

Below is the first paragraph of the Wikipedia article about the Columbus Day Storm....

The Columbus Day Storm of 1962 (also known as the Big Blow, and originally as Typhoon Freda) was an extratropical cyclone that struck the Pacific Northwest coast of the United States on October 12, 1962. The storm ranks among the most intense to strike the region since at least 1948, likely since the January 9, 1880 "Great Gale" and snowstorm. The storm is a contender for the title of most powerful extratropical cyclone recorded in the U.S. in the 20th century; with respect to wind velocity, it is unmatched by the March 1993 "Storm of the Century" and the "1991 Halloween Nor’easter" ("The Perfect Storm"). The system brought strong winds to the Pacific Northwest and southwest Canada, and was linked to 46 fatalities in the northwest and Northern California resulting from heavy rains and mudslides.

If I remember right the precise velocity of the maximum wind speed of the Columbus Day Storm is not known because over and over again the Big Blow blew out anemometers (wind speed measuring devices) at various measuring stations in its path.

The Shadow Of The Tandy Thin Man Walking & Talking With My Sister From Arizona While Theo Says Hi To Grandpa

That is the Shadow of the Tandy Thin Man you are looking at in the picture.

My sister, who usually lives in Arizona, rode with me to the top of Mount Tandy today to go on an hour long hill hike.

It was another perfectly temperatured Tandy day to get some salubrious endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation, though the endorphin induction was somewhat lessened due to some of the hiking energy being transferred to talking energy.

The City of Fort Worth Water Guys were back on the Tandy Highway. I've noticed evidence of their return for a week or so, with today being the first time in this current appearance of the City of Fort Worth Water Guys, that I've actually seen one of their white trucks in action.

Currently the outer world is being heated to 74 degrees at my location. I have my computer room window open.

This morning the outer world was chilled to the reverse of the current 74 degrees, as in it was 47 degrees when I attempted to swim in the cool pool.  The outer world is currently scheduled to be heated to the mid 80s by Thursday and Friday, which should make for a less cool pool.

My sister told me that she'd been Skyping on her phone with my Tacoma sister and my nephews David and Theo and niece Ruby, with my mom and dad present for the Skyping.

My mom also mentioned this to me when I called on Sunday.

What my mom did not tell, but my sister did, is that when less than 2 years old Theo got on the phone my dad was holding the phone in Arizona, with Theo blurting out, with no prompting, "Hi Grandpa."

Apparently Theo is known for his reticence and the fact that you can not get him to talk when you want him to. So, that "Hi Grandpa" made quite an impression.

My favorite ex-sister-in-law tried to get me Skyping so I could Skype with her grandson, Spencer Jack. I remember downloading and installing Skype, but, in my ineptitude, being unable to get it to work.

I have been told previously that David, Theo and Ruby's other grandma, who lives in Colorado, also was unable to get Skype to work. I suspect the Colorado granny and I both suffer from age-related techno incompetence.

The 2012 Election Is Over For Me Because I Have Voted

I have now done my civic duty, voting wise, for the 2012 election.

Just a few minutes ago a nice polling place worker lady slapped the "I Voted" sticker on my shirt you see in the picture.

It is 4 years since I last early voted. The last time I voted was in the 2010 election and I did that voting on Election Day, thus at my neighborhood East Regional Library.

Early voting, for me, takes place at the Handley Community Center.

There was no line to wait in to vote today. I walked in and handed my Voter Registration card a nice lady working a computer. I said something like, "You've gone to using a computer now, rather than look through a big book of registered voters?"

The lady looked perplexed at me and said, "this is early voting, the big books get used on Election Day."

Then I remembered how I was perplexed when I voted in 2010 due to the method being different, as in there was not the video game like voting method I remembered using previously, in 2008.

Well, the video game method is used for the early voting, not the Election Day voting.

After the first nice lady found on the computer that I was, indeed, a registered voter I moved on to the next nice lady, she being the one who gave me my personalized 4 digit ballot code.. And slapped an "I Voted" sticker on me before I'd actually completed the task.

When I got to the voting booth it was a repeat of what happened in 2008, with me being a bit bumpuzzled at first, til I remembered how to spin the dial and enter the personalized 4 digit ballot code, 7934.

I had another slight bumpuzzling moment when I could not seem to be able to move from voting for President to the next thing that required a vote.

A lot of electioneering seems to take place at Texas polling places, as in all the signs you see in the picture. What you can't see is 4 people waving a sign supporting a candidate.

A lot of the voting options on the Texas ballot had a Republican as the only option. I found that a bit unsettling.

Snake Free Walk Through The Village Creek Wild Zone

As you can see in the picture, looking north, deep in the wild undeveloped zone of the Village Creek Natural Historical Area, there are no hurricane clouds swirling overhead in North Texas this last Monday of October of 2012.

I walked the trail through the VCNHA all the way to Pioneer Parkway. I have no idea how far that is, but it seemed like a long ways.

I don't walk in this area when it is hot, due to the fact that years ago, on my bike, I had my most unsettling snake encounter ever, whilst pedaling fast. I came close to running over a very big, very colorful snake. After that I noticed what I figured were a lot of snake holes along this trail.

A few years ago I was pedaling the River Legacy Park paved trail, when ahead of me about 100 feet I saw what I thought was a stick of re-bar sticking out of the ground. I thought that odd. And then when I got closer, like about 15 feet away, I saw it was a snake, sticking vertical out of its hole about a foot. The snake retreated into its hole before I passed it.

So, I assume any small round hole I see on a Texas trail is a snake home.

Changing the subject to something other than snakes.

My attempt to swim did not go well this morning. The pool had greatly cooled, even though the morning temperature was warmer than Sunday's. I swam to the end of the pool, then back to the other end, and then got out.

Yesterday morning I turned on my furnace for the first time this heating season. It was below 60 in my abode when I got out from under my thick cover of blankets Sunday morning.

I got gas Sunday afternoon, so I called my mom. During that call I learned it was my mom and dad who sent me the small bag full of McDonald's coupons, that I mentioned yesterday,  from which I can get an awful lot of French Fries.

My mom told me I am expected in Arizona in late November. My mom also told me they no longer have an internet connection. My mom seemed surprised that I might need an internet connection.

I don't know about the flying to Phoenix idea. I am sort of suffering a small bout of relative fatigue.

Every Only Child I have known has been messed up to varying degrees. But, sometimes I can see where being an Only Child might be a mighty fine thing. I'd miss having nephews and a niece, though.

X Marks The Mysterious Spot On The Tandy Hills While I Discover Free McDonald's French Fries

An X or a Cross has appeared on the escarpment above the currently dry Tandy Falls.

Why would someone put an X or a Cross at this location?

I never get answers to the questions about the Mysteries of the Tandy Hills.

The bamboo tepee still stands. It seems like it has been years now that the bamboo tepee appeared near the center of the Tandy Hills. Who went to the bother of hauling all that bamboo such a distance? And why?

Then there is that rock crypt that appeared a couple months ago. The ice chest that was near the rock crypt soon disappeared, but the rock crypt still remains, undisturbed. What is buried under the rock crypt and how did someone manage to haul such a big chunk of rock such a distance, up and down hills?

It seems like there are other Mysteries of the Tandy Hills, but I'm not remembering them right now.

I just remembered another Mystery of the Tandy Hills.

It is a mystery to me why, on such a beautiful, perfectly temperatured day as today the Tandy Hills Natural Area is not swarming with locals having themselves a fine time hill hiking in the natural world.

Just as I was pondering that mystery today, thinking how odd it is I've seen no other humans on such a perfect day, two came into view, with the lady half of the pair greeting me with a very friendly Texas howdy. I told the pair what I'd just been thinking, with then them, a  pair of humans, suddenly appearing. The lady half of the pair verbalized agreeance regarding how odd it is that more people don't enjoy this slice of the natural world on such a beautiful day.

Speaking of mysteries of the eventually solved sort. This morning when I checked my mailbox prior to a very short dip in a very cool pool, I found a letter from Phoenix. After the very short dip in the very cool pool, upon opening the letter, I found what looked like a small version of the bag McDonald's French Fries come in. On the front of the bag it said "MONOPOLY. 1 IN 4 WINS. WAKE UP. PEEL OFF."

The upper right said "GO PEEL" with an arrow pointing me to the back side of the bag where I found a sticker waiting to be peeled. I peeled and found nothing under the peeling. I was very perplexed.

This Phoenix perplexation happened early this morning. After my salubrious endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation on the Tandy Hills I think my cerebral bloodflow had improved with increased oxygen improving my critical thinking and problem solving ability.

Because, a few minutes ago I thought to look in the bag and found a lot of little stickers with the words "Medium Fries" printed on them.

I am assuming if I hand one of these little stickers to an order taker at McDonald's I would then get a free bag of French Fries.

I have not been in a McDonald's since I was in Arizona last March. I regularly walk by McDonald's when I go to Walmart Supercenters, like this very morning, up in Hurst, when I went to Walmart across the street from ALDI, after I'd finished with ALDI.

Had I known about these little stickers that were hiding in this bag I might have had myself some French Fries this morning. Might have. But more likely not.