29 Degrees Feeling Like 12 This Monday Morning In North Texas With No Big Snow Drifts

29 degrees early this Monday morning, soon after the sun showed up. A wind is blowing, which, apparently makes it really feel like 12 degrees in the outer world at my location.

I will not be going swimming this morning.

It is not big drifts of snow that are making me think making it to the pool would be a lot of bother, it is this extremely cold temperature that suddenly makes swimming seem unappealing.

A week ago we were breaking temperature records in North Texas, records on the HOT side of record breaking. Windows open, followed by A/C chilling.

And now, it would appear Winter has arrived, 12 days before the solstice.

I am thinking my #1 fun today will come from needing to wear long pants and a flannel shirt. Or maybe a sweater. I think I still have a couple flannel shirts surviving from my years of flannel shirts being a necessary part of a Pacific Northwest uniform.

Mount Tandy Politely Returned My Lost Sunglasses

This morning on my way to swimming I reached for my sunglasses and found I could not find them.

Remembering that I'd returned to my abode, Saturday night, after dark, I figured my sunglasses were likely in my vehicle.

I figured wrong.

Then I remembered that as it got dark, on my Saturday night sunset hike on the Tandy Hills, I took off the sunglasses and inserted them in my t-shirt's pocket.

When I got to my vehicle on Saturday night I removed the t-shirt and installed another shirt. I speculated that it was during the t-shirt removal that the sunglasses fell out of the pocket, and due to the fact that some noisy conversing was taking place, I did not hear the sunglasses hit the ground.

I had not intended to return to the Tandy Hills today. But, since I figured that the summit of Mount Tandy was likely the resting place of my lost sunglasses, I would return to see if I could find them.

Finding the lost sunglasses required no looking. As I drove to my regular parking spot I saw the no longer lost sunglasses. That is they, in the picture above, sitting on their overnight resting spot on the summit of Mount Tandy, looking no worse for having weathered a Texas, late Fall, night.

Mountain Biking With The Big Herd Of River Legacy Park Armadillos

I'd pedaled past a couple foraging armadillos on the River Legacy Park paved trail, heading to the western termination of that trail, to then pedal the mountain bike trail, when a blonde lady urgently signaled me to cease with the pedaling.

The blonde lady was excited to tell me she'd been seeing a lot of armadillos, 11 total by the moment she stopped me.

The blonde lady wondered if I knew why there was such a lot of armadillo activity, speculating that maybe they were out in heavy duty foraging mode in anticipation of the incoming scheduled deep freeze, which, incidentally, has begun to arrive, dropping the temperature from the relatively balmy 61, this morning, soon after the sun arrived to light up my morning swim, to the current temperature of 55, at mid-afternoon, as the heat begins to slowly exit as the freeze moves into town.

With possible snow.

On the mountain bike trail I came upon several armadillos, including the one in the above picture. He did not seem to mind me too much, ignoring me getting close, until I tried to have a conversation. That set the armadillo off into run away mode.

Today was the busiest I've ever seen the River Legacy Park mountain bike trail. The mountain bike parking lot was full. It  takes dozens of vehicles to fill up all those parking spaces. I was passed multiple times by bikers speedier than me, including a couple speed demons of the female persuasion.

I highly doubt I will feel motivated to get on my bike tomorrow, what with the temperature scheduled to be well below freezing, with some of that frozen white stuff possible.

Santa You Better Not Disappoint Spencer Jack On Christmas Morning

Spencer Jack's Cookies & Dear Santa Note

The past day or two I ran out of any Happy Holiday material with which to do some Happy Holiday themed blogging.

This morning, on Facebook, via Spencer Jack's favorite girl friend, Brittney, I came upon some fresh Happy Holiday themed material in the form of Spencer Jack's note for Santa Claus.

Spencer Jack is only 5 years old, and already he is one smart cookie. A smart cookie who already knows how to read and write.

I was also able to read and write before I started school. It must be genetic.

Spencer Jack figured out that it was very unlikely that Santa could possibly make all his deliveries, world-wide, by only working the night before Christmas. Spencer figured Santa likely starts making deliveries early in December, so Spencer has been laying out fresh cookies each night, next to his Dear Santa note.

Below is Spencer Jack's note for Santa, detailing what Spencer wants for Christmas. I hope Santa is able to do a better job of deciphering Spencer's list than I am able to do.

If Spencer Jack follows in his Great Uncle's footsteps, by the time he is 7 he will be totally disillusioned with Santa Claus, declaring the entire Christmas enterprise to be a total fraud.

So, to keep Spencer Jack's current Santa illusions alive as long as possible, methinks great effort must be made to actualize whatever it is that is on Spencer's list and make sure these items are under his tree come Christmas morning.

The only thing I can make out for sure that is on Spencer's list is "I WANT A BOUNCY BALL." I have a big bouncy ball that sits in my living room. I suppose I could wrap it up and mail it to Mount Vernon.

Getting Ready For Incoming Snow By Going For A Saturday Night Swim

As you can see, via the 7-Day Forecast, above, currently the forecasters are forecasting snow to be falling on my locale on Monday.

I am anticipating a blizzard.

Late this afternoon I took off to go to the library to get some books and to take my favorite librarian on a sunset hike on the Tandy Hills.

I get so much resistance regarding these type endeavors.

After the watching the sun set on the Tandy Hills, me and my hiker returned to my abode to go for a post-sunset swim.

Well, actually, for reasons I really do not understand, I was the only one who went for a post-sunset swim.

I have now been warmed up from that delightful dip and am now settled in for a peaceful Saturday night, anticipating being snowbound for who knows how long, in about 24 hours.

I have plenty of pomegranates to last the duration.

A Saturday With Dogs, Pomegranates, No Armadillos & Possible Incoming Snow

Fort Woof Dog Crossing

I did not see any armadillos whilst biking through Gateway Park, today, on my way to Town Talk, where I got the biggest pomegranates I have ever seen, giant grapefruit sized, for only 50 cent each.

The only critters I saw in Gateway Park, besides the usual humans, were squirrels and a lot of dogs having themselves a really fine time in Gateway Park's Fort Woof. 

I read  somewhere reliable that Fort Woof is one of the best, if not the best, dog park in the world.

Fort Woof does appear to be a well made facility.

Except there are no restroom facilities for either canines or humans. But, there are water dog faucets, which seems a very considerate touch.

Also very considerate is the fact that the small dogs are segregated from the big dogs. I assume this segregation is necessary due to the tendency of small dogs to suffer from small dog syndrome and thus bully their easier to get along with big dog counterparts.

Changing the subject from the dogs to the weather.

As you can see, at the time I went biking, this 2nd Saturday of the last month of 2012, clouds blocked direct access to warming solar  radiation.

The clouds have now been removed, for the most part, with the solar radiation currently heating my location to a relatively warm 66 degrees.

I have been going swimming after the sun goes down the past several days. That has been working out quite well. But, I think the swimming will temporarily come to an end in the next 48 hours, what with freezing temperatures and possible snow in the forecast.

Armadillos Are In Texas While Crocs Are In Washington's Skagit River

Skagit River Croc

The past couple days I've blogged a couple pictures of encounters with armadillos, one at the Village Creek Natural Historical Area and another, yesterday, at River Legacy Park.

Last night Spencer Jack's dad, my favorite nephew named Jason, emailed me with the subject line being "Armadillos."

The message in Spencer Jack's dad's email was...

Cool pics of the armadillos. I've never seen one. I did however spot this croc in the Skagit River today.

It took me a second or two to spot the croc in the picture.

Spencer Jack's dad has the Jones family sense of humor down pat.

I think I will go mountain biking at Gateway Park today, on my way to Town Talk to get me some Chicken Samosas.

I have only had one armadillo encounter at Gateway Park.

And that was not with a living armadillo.

My one and only Gateway Park armadillo encounter was with the armadillo victim of an unsolved murder committed with a gun.

December 7 May Be A Date That Will Live In Infamy For One River Legacy Jackrabbit

Today is the second day in a row I've had lunch with a friendly armadillo. Actually it is the armadillo who is having lunch, I just watch.

Yesterday's armadillo was at the Village Creek Natural Historical Area, today's was at River Legacy Park, whilst biking the mountain bike trail.

Today's armadillo was more friendly than yesterday's.

It was a rather wild wildlife day at River Legacy today, even before I had lunch with the armadillo.

Not long after I entered the park I was startled by a jackrabbit jackrabbiting at high speed across my path. I was a fraction of a millisecond into being startled by the jackrabbit jackrabbiting when I was even more startled to see a bobcat fast on the jackrabbit's tail.

There was no way I could possibly have been quick enough to get a picture of the bobcat chasing lunch. I hit the brakes and watched the duo disappear into the jungle of trees.

Changing the subject from the ruthless law of the jungle to the odd fact that only minutes ago did I realize that today is that one day of the year that President Franklin D. Roosevelt designated would live in infamy, December 7, Pearl Harbor Day.

And yet, even though this day, due to the unfortunate event 71 years ago, is supposed to live in infamy, I have seen no mention made anywhere, not in the online new sources I look at, not on the radio, not on the cable news, not on the 4 History Channels I get on my TV.

I suppose mentioned has been made about this being Pearl Harbor Day and I missed it.

That, or this day is not nearly as infamous as it used to be. We have had an infamous day, or two, since December 7, 1941. November 22, 1963 comes to mind. As does September 11, 2001.

The Latest Trinity River Vision Update Propaganda

In my mailbox this morning I was overjoyed to find the Volume VII - Issue 11 - Fall 2012 Trinity River Vision Update.

My little brother and my favorite ex-sister-in-law got to visit Russia back when it was still the Soviet Union and the center of the communist world.

I never visited an official communist country where the media is state controlled and propaganda flows unquestioned by the kowtowed citizenry.

And then I moved to Texas. My brother got to go to see Red Square. I've gotten to see Sundance Square. Both well known centers of propaganda.

Reading through this latest TRV Update makes me feel that I actually do get to sort of experience what it was like to live in the Soviet Union, with Pravda propaganda being my main news source.

In the Trinity River Vision's website we get to read what I think must be the Trinity River Vision Mission Statement:

The Trinity River Vision Authority (TRVA) is the organization responsible for the implementation of the Trinity River Vision (TRV) - a master plan for the Trinity River in Fort Worth, Texas. It is underway now - connecting every neighborhood in the city to the Trinity River corridor with new recreational amenities, improved infrastructure, environmental enhancements and event programming. The TRV will create Trinity Uptown, a vibrant urban waterfront neighborhood, expand Gateway Park into one of the largest urban-programmed parks in the nation and enhance the river corridor with over 90 user-requested projects along the Trinity Trails.

In the above piece of propaganda we read the surprising claim that the TRV has accommodated over 90 user-requested projects along the Trinity Trails?

Really?

What are these projects and who is it that did the requesting and how were the requests made, I can not help but wonder?

In the Trinity River Vision Update Fall 2012 Issue there is the following gem...

"The Trinity River is why we are here. Ironically due to the inherent dangers associated with the river we have never had the chance to build  near it and appreciate it for what it is," said Trinity River Vision Authority Executive Director, J.D. Granger. "As we move forward with Uptown revitalization it's important that we embrace Fort Worth's rich history and show our recognition with a memorial on the banks of the river," he said.

J.D. thinks we've never had a chance to appreciate the river for what it is? As in a ditched waterway that is seriously polluted?

J.D. thinks it is important that we embrace Fort Worth's history with a memorial? Has J.D. never heard of Heritage Park? Just a short distance east of the proposed memorial is an existing memorial to Fort Worth's history and founding, called Heritage Park.

Heritage Park over looks the confluence of the Clear and West Forks of the Trinity River. Heritage Park is a closed, cyclone fence surrounded, deteriorated eyesore that any grown up town wearing its big city pants would not allow to exist in such embarrassing decrepitude.

The memorial, to which J.D. refers, is announced in the headline on the front page of the TRV Update, "New Park Coming to Fort Worth Will Honor Ripley Arnold and John V. McMillan." The article does not refer to this development as a park, except in the headline. Elsewhere it is referred to as a plaza.

I believe that Lenin-like statue you see on the cover of the TRV Update, above, is the Ripley Arnold statue.

Also in the TVR Update we learn that...

The plaza will be located directly behind Tarrant County College Trinity River campus at the confluence of the Clear Fork and the West Fork of the Trinity River.

Correct me if I am wrong, but is it not true that that historic confluence of the Clear and West Forks of the Trinity River, formerly viewed so beautifully from the defunct Heritage Park  will be ruined by the Trinity River Vision if that vision ever becomes clear and actually builds the promised little pond at the location of the confluence?

So, this Ripley Arnold Memorial Plaza, that is being constructed on the north side of the defunct Radio Shack Headquarters, west of the defunct Heritage Park, will be on the shores of what many are already calling Granger Puddle.

And people wonder why I refer to this bizarre public works project, that the public has never voted on, as the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle.

Walking With Village Creek Indian Ghosts Wondering How One Gets Some Legal Washington Marijuana

Today, in the noon timeframe, I was walking with the Indian Ghosts, who haunt Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area, when I heard a familiar rustling noise.

It was an armadillo.

The State Small Mammal of Texas.

This was a big one. I made a noise to catch the foraging critter's attention, which caused it to sort of get on its rear haunches and quickly look around, too quickly for me to get a picture of an armadillo on its haunches before it got back to foraging.

Is an armadillo edible? I have no idea. I remember a restaurant one saw soon upon leaving the freeway, in Woodinville, in Washington, that seemed to indicate armadillo was on the menu, that indication made via text painted on a window. I always assumed this was some sort of joke, the humor of which escaped me.

Speaking of Washington. I knew that today is the day that smoking marijuana became legal in Washington. During lunch I watched coverage of this on CNN. Apparently you can have up to an ounce of pot in your possession. However, it is illegal to sell or grow the weed. I know the state already has medicinal marijuana growers, but that is not were you can get your recreational smoking material.

Very perplexing.

So, even though it is now legal to smoke the stuff in my old home state, there is no way to legally obtain the herb.

In addition to it being illegal to buy marijuana for recreational use, in Washington, it is also illegal to smoke it in public. Which seems a bit odd, to me. The CNN story showed a smoking celebration at the base of the Space Needle. In public. And way back when I still lived in Washington smoking the stuff in public was not all that frowned upon.

Methinks this new law in Washington has opened a can of worms, to coin a phrase (or is this already a cliche?) that may lead to some interesting twists and turns before the legal recreational use of marijuana in Washington situation becomes clear.

Does anyone know what the usual lag time is that it takes one of the non-progressive states to adopt the changes that the progressive states make? I know droopy drawers left Washington sometime back in the last century, while I regular still see that abomination, in Texas, as recently as on the drive to walk with the Indian Ghosts.

Prohibition ended in Washington back in the early 1930s,  while it lingers, in various forms, in Texas,  8 decades later.