No Soft Toss At Gateway Park While Regretting Not Getting Parking Lot Tamales At Town Talk

On this final Saturday of 2012 I stopped in at Gateway Park on my way to Town Talk. I thought I might be able to endure the almost freezing temperature long enough to have myself some salubrious outdoor air exposure.

However, two long-sleeved layers on top did not provide a sufficient buffer from the cold. I walked around two of the Gateway Park ballfields and then returned to the shelter of my vehicle.

Can anyone explain to me what the "NO SOFT TOSS" signs mean that are attached to the Gateway Park ballpark fences at regular intervals?

I forgot to mention, on my way to Gateway Park, driving west on Randol Mill Road, east of the entry to Quanah Park Park, I saw what appeared to be Mr. Hometown by Handlebar, pedaling east.

I think I need to go hunting in my closet for my thermal long underwear so that I might be able to go biking in these icy winter conditions.

Today at Town Talk I was left feeling very Ebeneezer Scrooge-ish.

Pretty much every Saturday I get approached in the Town Talk parking lot and asked if I would like to buy some tamales. 5 for $5. I think that is the price quoted. I always politely say "no thank you."

Buying tamales at a parking lot seems like a bad idea to me.

So, today this little guy, speaking very heavily accented English, asked me if I'd like to buy some tamales. I think he said something like "5 for $5, 12 for $10, beef or chicken," but I'm not sure.

The little guy was smiling cute as he talked to me.

I said my usual "No thank you" and then asked "Do you make the tamales?"

"No, senor, my mama makes the tamales."

I asked, "Are they real good?"

"Si, senor, very good tamales."

As this dialogue was taking place the little guy was helping me load my Town Talk stuff from the cart to my vehicle. All the while smiling.

Then he said "Goodbye senor, I'll take your cart for you," or words to that effect.

I then watched as the little guy, shorter than the cart, wheeled it back into Town Talk.

Then I started feeling like a jerk, feeling bad, as in why didn't I give the kid a couple bucks? Or buy 5 bucks worth of tamales. The tamales can't be bad, what with them being sold at this location every Saturday, year round.

So, next Saturday, I will be buying myself some Town Talk parking lot tamales, if that little guy is back hawking them.

Escaping The Texas Drizzle By Treasure Hunting In My Closest

In the post noon time frame, on the 4th day before the end of 2012, it would appear, judging from my patio view of the outer world, that 2012 is choosing to go out with a drizzly whimper at my location on the planet.

Drizzle, with wind and only air heated to only 5 degrees above freezing.

Today this cold drizzle afforded me the rare opportunity, or more accurately, need, to wear one of the sweaters I imported from the Pacific Northwest, when I moved to Texas.

Neither my sweaters or my flannel long-sleeved shirts get a lot of use in Texas. I actually forget I have these items til a big chill causes me to dig deep into my disorganized closet. This morning's dig discovered a long forgotten pair of brown cargo pants. Venturing into my closet is sort of a treasure hunt. I also found some computer speakers with a big woofer I'd forgotten I had.

I seem to have had myself a bit of a relapse in the respiratory woes department. The woes may have been exacerbated by this on the ocean like drizzle that is currently plaguing this usually drizzle-free zone.

At some point in time I am sure warm air will return to Texas. Maybe not this year, but next year, for sure. I hope.

A Snowy Walk In The Village Creek Natural Historical Area Thinking About Crabs & Oysters

It was still freezing when I walked to the Village Creek Blue Bayou Overlook in the Village Creek Natural Historical Area today, to look at the Blue Bayou and the snow that remained on the ground.

The temperature is now 10 degrees above freezing, at my location, with most of the snow that had been remaining on the ground, now melted..

The Viral Annoyance that has been annoying me the past several days this morning had greatly lessened, pretty much going, overnight, from High Annoyance to Low Annoyance.

I heard from the mama of my youngest nephews and niece this morning, informing that they have all been having ailment woes. Reading about those woes made my woes seem to pale by comparison. For instance, I have feared it happening, but I have never projectile vomited on an airplane, that I can recollect.

I figure in a few days I should be back to full strength. Just in time for New Year's Eve.

I watched last night's episode of Top Chef Seattle whilst having Chinese food for lunch. Top Chef filming in the part of the world with which I am most familiar is being interesting. This episode started off with the Quickfire Challenge directing the chefs to drive to an address on Chuckanut Drive in Bow, Washington.

Those watching, not familiar with Washington, would think this must be a short drive from Seattle. The editing made it look like a short drive, but, the reality is, it is about 70 miles or more north of Seattle, heading north on I-5, til you get to my old hometown of Burlington, in the Skagit Valley, then exiting on to Chuckanut Drive, continuing north to Bow, where the chefs gathered oysters in Samish Bay. Then all the way back to Seattle to make a food item out of the oysters. Seems like this would have been an exhausting day.

And why did the chefs not stop at Sakuma Bros. Farms & Market Stand which they would have passed shortly after exiting I-5?

The chefs did seem to be appropriately enchanted by the scenery they were seeing. I have not been in that particular location since early August of 2008, when David, Theo and Ruby's mom drove me to Bow, and Edison, on the way to meet Spencer Jack at Bayview State Park.

Top Chef Seattle is making me homesick. For crabs, oysters, salmon and fresh berries of a wide variety. Along with mountains, fresh air and a lot of saltwater.

Checking Out One Of My Woodhaven Neighborhood Chesapeake Restoration Projects

Months ago one of my neighborhood Chesapeake Energy Barnett Shale Natural Gas Pad Sites started up the long process of inserting pipe underground so non-odorized natural gas could be moved to another location.

As part of that pipe laying operation Chesapeake Energy removed the Woodhaven sign that sat at the northwest corner of Bridgewood and Boca Raton. This had been a landscaped brick installation.

When this was removed I wondered how it is that Chesapeake Energy gets permission to do such things. Is is some variant of abusing eminent domain? Quite a large area was bulldozed, heavy equipment brought in, noise abatement walls installed. A big mess.

And then, to my pleased surprise, when Chesapeake finished with its pipeline laying operation a crew arrived and quickly restored the Woodhaven sign to its former glory. Well, actually, I think it is better than before, with a lot more landscaping.

A lot more landscaping, plus one thing that was not at this location previously. That being the white sign on the yellow post.

The sign informs us that this is now a Chesapeake "Cathodic Protection Test Station."

And, "In Case Of An Emergency Call 1-800-566-9306/"

What sort of emergency? Something Cathodic that has escaped that we need protection from?

What is a Cathodic Protection Test Station I can not help but wonder. Let's see if Googling relieves me of my wonderment.

Well, Googling Cathodic Protection Test Station brought up a lot of businesses trying to sell a test product.

Near as I could tell Cathodic Protection has something to do with preventing or detecting corrosion. I assume it is the metal of the pipeline we are worried about corroding, due to the extremely corrosive nature of the un-odorized wet gas flowing through the pipe.

I guess I should be relieved to have a Cathodic Protection Test Station so close to where I live.

Have A Wonderful Christmas Even Though You Have No Snow In Texas

This may be my final Holiday Season Themed blogging of the Holiday Season. We can only hope.

When my mom called on Sunday she asked if I'd gotten a card from them. I said I had. Mom asked if I'd opened it. I said I had not. I said I was saving it to open for Christmas, thus giving me something to look forward to.

And then a few minutes ago I realized I'd still not opened the Christmas card from my mom and dad. Or one from my favorite aunt and uncle who live in Ohio.

The card from my aunt and uncle in Ohio turned out to have been rendered very ironic by today's events in Texas.

To the sentence, "Have a wonderful Christmas" my aunt added "even tho you have no snow."

I read I "have no snow" as I looked out the window at what looks like a blizzard of sideways blowing snow.

A Much Whiter Christmas Than Expected Has Arrived In Texas

The weather predictor's predictions for Christmas for North Texas have only erred in underplaying the magnitude and length of the thunderstorm that began Christmas, with the light rain turning out to be a deluge and the slight chance of a little snow in the D/FW Metroplex turning out to be a lot of snowflakes falling, for over an hour now.

With the temperature currently 30 and continuing to drop.

As you can see, via the view from my pool overlook patio, snow is sticking to the trees. The ground is still resisting getting white.

I think a lot more rain fell than what was predicted, a lot of which was still wet on the ground when the freeze started. Will we be an icy mess by morning? I suspect so.

I don't have snow tires on the Smart Car I did not get for Christmas. So, I am not good to drive in the snow.

As you can see, the forecast is a bit chilly the next 5 days. I  see no hill hiking in my immediate future.

Or swimming.

If I can find my cross-country skis and deem them ski-worthy, I may be able to go skiing tomorrow morning.

Merry Stormy Christmas In Texas

The above photo of the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth, taken last night by Brian Luenser, seen by me this morning, due to Pete Charlton putting it on Facebook, appears to provide photo evidence that the Santa Claus myth is real.

However, I have found no presents hiding anywhere in my abode this morning and I made certain that my fireplace was totally obstruction free.

Judging by the somewhat clear sky, Santa flew over downtown Fort Worth before the arrival of the storm that has been banging big booms for hours.

The predicted Thunderstorm is Part 1 of the predicted Christmas Day Storm that the predictors have predicted for North Texas. Part 2 is scheduled to arrive this afternoon with continuing rain rapidly chilled by a rapidly chilling temperature, chilling, eventually, down into the teens, with the rain turning into white snowflakes at some point in time this Christmas Day.

I hope everyone will have themselves a very Merry Christmas.

Thunder Lightning Snow Ice Rain & Wind On Schedule For North Texas For Christmas

I am up early this morning of Christmas Eve, slightly optimistic that I might be having myself a small Christmas Miracle in the form of my pneumonia-like, bronchitis-like, hacking cough, cold misery may be quickly abating.

In other words I have awakened feeling better than I did yesterday morn.

My mom called me last night  to wish me a Merry Christmas. I'm sure that was a big boost to my immune system.

Changing the subject from my personal misery to my favorite subject, that being the weather.

Overnight the National Weather Service has ratcheted up what is being predicted for Christmas Day in North Texas, adding Thunder and Lightning to the mix, joining snow and temperatures into the teens.

Below is the latest for Christmas from the National Weather Service...

...WINTER WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR DECEMBER 25TH...

A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION ON CHRISTMAS DAY. THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF A COLD RAIN AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTH TEXAS BEGINNING EARLY CHRISTMAS MORNING. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL BLAST THROUGH NORTH TEXAS AROUND MIDDAY AND SEND TEMPERATURES TUMBLING DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. TO THE NORTH OF THE I-20 CORRIDOR...THE ATMOSPHERIC PROFILE WILL BECOME COLD ENOUGH FOR RAIN TO TRANSITION TO SNOW DURING THE AFTERNOON. WHILE MOST OF THE SNOW WILL BE LIGHT...PERIODS OF MODERATE SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE FOR THE COUNTIES BORDERING THE RED RIVER. TO THE NORTH OF A BOWIE...TO MCKINNEY...TO EMORY LINE...SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE HIGHEST TOTALS EXPECTED AROUND THE PARIS AREA. TO THE SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST OF THIS LINE...INCLUDING THE DFW METROPLEX AND I-20 CORRIDOR...LITTLE TO NO SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED.

TRAVEL MAY BE IMPACTED NORTH OF I-20 CHRISTMAS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WHERE THE HEAVIER PRECIPITATION OCCURS. TEMPERATURES OVERNIGHT WILL FALL INTO THE TEENS AND 20S WHICH WOULD ALSO CAUSE REFREEZING OF ANY REMAINING MOISTURE ON ROADS...RESULTING IN PATCHES OF BLACK ICE.

IN ADDITION TO THE CHANCE OF SNOW...VERY STRONG WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH ARE EXPECTED CHRISTMAS AFTERNOON AND NIGHT. THE FALLING TEMPERATURES AND STRONG WINDS WILL RESULT IN WIND CHILL VALUES IN THE TEENS AND 20S BY THE EVENING HOURS...AND EVEN LOWER OVERNIGHT.

BOTTOM LINE...WINTER PRECIPITATION IS FORECAST FOR THE AREA ROUGHLY ALONG AND NORTH OF THE I-20 CORRIDOR DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS OF CHRISTMAS DAY AND NIGHT. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE ALONG AND NORTH OF A BOWIE...TO MCKINNEY...TO EMORY LINE.

THERE WILL BE A VERY TIGHT GRADIENT BETWEEN LOCATIONS THAT RECEIVE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW AND THOSE THAT RECEIVE LITTLE TO NO SNOW. THE ULTIMATE TRACK OF THE UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL DETERMINE HOW FAR NORTH OR SOUTH THE SIGNIFICANT SNOW BAND WILL AFFECT THE REGION. PLEASE CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECAST UPDATES.

The Old Man & His Christmas Misery

On the left is an artist's rendering of my current condition.

It ain't pretty.

What started on Wednesday as a mildly nagging cough, five days later, has increased magnitude to being a sore throat viral malady that seems to be quickly passing Tropical Depression status on its way to full blown Hurricane.

Not counting feeling ill from allergic reactions to the bad air that I breathe, I believe this is the first time I have been ill with a viral infection type ill this century.

I do not handle being not well, well.

Unless the ailment totally knocks me out, like my worst case ever of the flu did, back in the early 1990s, I tend to proceed as if I am not ailing.

This morning I proceeded, as if I am not ailing, by driving north to Hurst to go to ALDI. I was feeling a bit loopy, due to being on anti-cold medications, so I opted not to drive the freeway and took the less intense surface streets. Negotiating through the 820/121 construction zone is a trial even when I am not on any meds making me loopy.

After I got a lot of stuff at ALDI I got gas at Fastrak and called my mom to tell her I got gas and how much it cost. $2.89 a gallon. I think. It's been several hours, and, like I said, I'm being loopy.

My mom did not answer my gas call, I got the answering machine instead. I think I was calling prior to their regular Sunday church attendance, but I'm not sure. I get confused with that Arizona time with its stubborn anti-daylight savings time anomaly.

Today is Day 3 of Winter. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. The day after that is Christmas. Currently scheduled to possibly be white at this location on the planet.

And unless a Christmas miracle abates my cold misery I won't be having me a Holly Jolly Christmas, it will more likely be a Loopy, Goopy Christmas.

Winter Weather Outlook For December 25 Is A North Texas White Christmas

I returned from a salubrious walk in Gateway Park and an even more salubrious walk around Town Talk to find my computer based weather monitoring device was flashing red.

Anything flashing red, to me, seems as if it must be something serious.

So, I clicked the option that provides the details of what the red flashing is all about to learn that snow is now in the forecast for Christmas.

The National Weather Service appears to be minimizing their prediction of how much snow may blanket North Texas. If I recollect correctly, and sometimes I do, the last time we had a really White Christmas on this part of the planet it came in spite of the prediction to the contrary.

I'd be thinking I need to get my cross country skis out and ready if I did not remember that the heat of summer, a couple summers ago, delaminated my skis. I had stupidly left them in a storage area that is not air-conditioned.

Below is the National Weather Service's White Christmas prediction for North Texas...

..WINTER WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR DECEMBER 25TH...

A STRONG STORM SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE REGION ON CHRISTMAS DAY. BASED ON THE LATEST FORECAST DATA...THERE WILL BE A GOOD CHANCE OF COLD RAIN ON CHRISTMAS DAY ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL TEXAS. ALONG AND TO THE NORTH OF I-20...ATMOSPHERIC PROFILES WILL BECOME COLD ENOUGH FOR THE RAIN TO MIX WITH OR CHANGE OVER TO SNOW BY THE AFTERNOON OR EVENING HOURS CHRISTMAS NIGHT. AT THIS TIME... SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED TO BE BRIEF WITH JUST LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE ALONG AND NORTH OF THE I-20 CORRIDOR.

AS THE CHANGE OVER TO SNOW OCCURS...NORTHWEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN INTENSITY TO 20 MPH GUSTING TO 30 MPH. ANY SNOW ACCUMULATION WILL BLOW AROUND IN THESE WINDS...WHICH MAY REDUCE VISIBILITY IF TRAVELING AFTER SUNSET ON CHRISTMAS DAY.

AS OF THIS MORNING...THIS UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WAS JUST ENTERING THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. AT THIS TIME...THERE STILL REMAINS A GREAT DEAL OF UNCERTAINTY REGARDING THE EXACT TRACK AND ANY ASSOCIATED WINTRY PRECIPITATION FALLING OVER NORTH TEXAS ON CHRISTMAS DAY.

BOTTOM LINE...WINTRY PRECIPITATION IS POSSIBLE ALONG AND NORTH OF THE I-20 CORRIDOR FOR THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS OF CHRISTMAS DAY. CHECK BACK FOR THE LATEST FORECAST UPDATES IN THE COMING DAYS AS THESE DETAILS ARE VERY LIKELY TO CHANGE WITH FUTURE FORECASTS.