You May All Go To Hell Because I'm In Texas Celebrating Texas Independence Day

I swiped the quote, supposedly from Davy Crockett, from MBK, this morning on Facebook.

March 2, 1836, a day that lives in infamy, because it was on that day that the Texas Declaration of Independence formally declared the independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico.

The Texas Declaration of Independence was adopted at the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836.

The formal signing had to be postponed a day after the conventioneers adopted the declaration so that errors in the declaration's text could be corrected.

I have not committed, yet, to going to any of the many Texas Independence Day celebrations. It is such a conundrum of choices.

A Sidewalk Free Fort Worth Walk With Poor People

Continuing with my very popular Sidewalks of Fort Worth series.

In the picture you are looking north at the well worn dirt path worn at the side of Bridgewood Drive in East Fort Worth.

There is no buffer between the well worn dirt path and Bridgewood Drive, so it is ever so slightly scary when a vehicle speeds by.

I have seen a mom with two kids in a stroller struggling to walk in this sidewalk-less location.

A couple weeks ago I blogged about my perplexation regarding the lack of a comprehensive public mass transit system in Tarrant County and the other counties that make up the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in a blogging titled The Befuddling Mystery Of Tarrant County & Texas Public Transit.

Someone named Dannyboy commented on the befuddling mystery of Tarrant County & Texas public transit,  with part of that comment informing me that, "It is a fact of life in North Texas. Mass transit is considered something that poor people use, and consequently, the funding and improvement of such transportation plans are not seen as important in any way."

Today, when I walked on the dirt path alongside Bridgewood Drive it occurred to me that Fort Worth's sidewalk shortage may stem from the same attitude that causes mass transit in parts of Texas to be a bit behind the modern world as lived in other parts of America and the world.

So, is that the reason for the Fort Worth sidewalk shortage? That being that in Fort Worth sidewalks are considered something that only poor people use?

That only poor people have the need to walk?

Tandy Hill Hiking With Europeans Thinking Of Moving To The Tandy Campground

In the picture you are looking south, across the Tandy Escarpment, over which currently dry Tandy Falls falls into Lake Tandy when a sufficient amount of precipitation precipitates to cause the Tandy River to flow with enough water to fall over the precipice.

Currently the Tandy Hills are in dry mode, even though some rain did fall on this part of the planet in the past week.

Even though the temperature had not risen above the 50 degree mark and even though a strong wind blew, when I hiked the Tandy Hills today I did not get chilly.

I also did not get hot.

Which means today was a perfect hill hiking day in North Texas.

There was a vehicle parked at the summit of Mount Tandy when I arrived today. That does not happen too often.

I was about halfway down Mount Tandy when I came upon the hiker who belonged to the vehicle. A lady in rather good shape who spoke with a very strong European accent, of which flavor I could not tell, for sure. But I don't think she was a German because my usual visceral, anti-German revulsion did not kick in.

A few weeks ago I mentioned that I came upon what looked to me to be a campsite on the west side of the View Street Trail.

When I saw this campsite, previously, I think the resident was in residence, so, I quickly scrambled out of there.

Today I came upon the Tandy campsite again. Today I got much closer. The camp appeared to be abandoned. The resident left behind some items, including a pair of Levis hanging from a branch.

A couple times I have come upon what appeared to be a possible homeless person camp on the Tandy Hills.

The Fort Worth homeless shelter zone is not too far to the west of the Tandy Hills.

Whatever became of the big homeless campsite that was removed prior to the Super Bowl when the Super Bowl came to D/FW a couple years ago? Did that homeless campsite later sprout up again in the same location? Or elsewhere?

I wish more effort were put into providing decent quarters for homeless people, with a lot of help given to transitioning the homeless person back in to having a place to live.

Trying To Get A Grip On My Democratic Whining While Watching Turtle Evictions

As this last Monday morning of the 2nd month of 2013 faded into history, the temperature dropped from the balmy 50 something degrees that heated me when I went for a quick pool dip soon after the sun arrived.

The temperature predictors have predicted that the temperature in North Texas would drop today, eventually getting so cold, by tonight, that there is a slight chance that snow flakes may fall.

By the time I drove to Oakland Lake Park, to walk around Fosdick Lake, a strong wind was blowing, and the temperature had dropped into the low 40s.

And now, in the middle of the afternoon, despite the temperature predictors predicting the temperature would be plummeting, instead we have heated up to a relatively balmy 55.

Even though it was not all that hot, the Fosdick Lake turtles, today, were having themselves a real fine time basking in the sun, turning their backs to me and the wind.

As you can see via the above picture a big duck was talking to the turtles. I could not understand what was being quacked. But it sounded very serious.

Soon, whatever it was that the duck was telling the turtles, it had several of the turtles jumping into the water.

The duck then jumped up on the open space left by the evicted turtles. You can sort of tell by the reaction of the turtles, on the right of the duck, that they were not happy about this intrusion.

Changing the subject from Duck/Turtle Turf Wars to me being a whiner.

A few minutes ago I got a short amusing blog comment from someone named Anonymous...

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "In Texas We Are In Great Danger From Terrorism, Severe Weather & Man-Made Disasters That Can Kill": 

get a grip you democrat whiner 

If Anonymous is referring to the party that opposes the Republicans, should not a capital "D" be used? I guess that lack of a Big D can be explained by Anonymous's apparent aversion to punctuation.

Why does Anonymous think I'm a Democrat, I can't help but wonder? I can understand thinking I'm a whiner. Whining is one of my favorite hobbies.

Dancing With Wolves While Thinking About Going To The Academy Awards

Since it is Sunday today, with this Sunday being the last Sunday of the 2nd month of 2013, I took my usual Sunday walk with the Indian Ghosts who haunt Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

I was a little surprised to see that the trail obstruction that has been obstructing the Pioneer Trail is still obstructing. I think this obstructing has been going on for around 3 weeks.

Today, looking closer at the "stump" I wondered if this may have been the work of a tomahawk being wielded by one of the Indian Ghosts.

There were a lot of people walking with the Indian Ghosts today. And for the first time I saw one of the big fireplaces being used. What I assumed was a couple of dads with about 10 kids. Hamburgers were the item being barbecued.

Speaking of Indian Ghosts, I think Dances With Wolves was the last time I saw a movie prior to it winning the Academy Award for Best Picture. That was sometime back in the last century.

I used to look forward to the Academy Awards Show. Way back in the last century. Not so much anymore.

The Academy Awards is broadcast live, like the Super Bowl, or the State of the Union Address. With Los Angeles being on the west coast this had the show starting at 5:30, if I remember right, in my old time zone. In this time zone I am currently in, the Academy Awards starts 2 hours later and ends way past my bedtime.

I think the time change may have contributed to my diminished enjoyment of the Academy Awards.

I have been in Los Angeles a few times on the day of the Academy Awards Show.

Way back in the last century I drove my friend, Miss Chris's, Ford Pinto, to California. Along with me and Miss Chris, Miss Maxine and Big Ed were also crammed into the tiny Pinto.

We were camping at San Clemente State Park and on the day of the Academy Awards decided to see how close we could get. It was way easier than I figured it would be. Found a place to park then started off walking to wherever it was the show took place back then. Miss Chris and Miss Maxine got a bit shy, but Big Ed and I climbed over a cyclone fence and found seats in the stands where people sat to watch the incoming celebs.

Seems so bizarre to me, in this post 9/11 era, to remember how lax security was way back in the last century.

The only celebs I remember arriving were the Bridge's family, as in Jeff, Beau and dad Lloyd. I think we got there near the end of the arrivals.

Miss Chris and Miss Maxine got a bit cranky waiting on the other side of the street. Eventually we all made it back to the Pinto. It was now dark and I quickly got a little lost. Eventually I got re-oriented and found my way to Sunset Boulevard where Miss Maxine spotted a Mexican joint she wanted to go to. And so we did, but I remember very little about it.

Tonight's Academy Awards Show's host is Seth McFarlane, the creative genius behind the cartoon called Family Guy. If there was a place to place a bet, I think I'd bet on this not going well...

Exhausted Doing the Hokey Pokey With Fosdick Lake's Sitting Ducks

Fosdick Lake Fosduck Convention

In the picture you are looking at a large convention of sitting ducks convening on the northeastern shore of Fosdick Lake in Oakland Lake Park in Fort Worth, Texas, on this last Saturday of the 2nd month of 2013.

Saturday began with the air temperature being below freezing. This made the cool pool feel much warmer than the air when I did a quick, pre-hot tub, dip, early this morning.

I got up later than my norm, this morning. I was a bit exhausted from an unexpected bout, Friday night, of doing the Hokey Pokey with the Queen of Wink.

Exhausted from an unexpected bout of doing the Hokey Pokey and also from being asked to dance, with the request verbalized in a shockingly profane manner.

Changing the subject back to the Fosdick Lake Fosducks.

Usually the Fosducks put up quite a quacking fuss when I get close. Today, while there was some quacking, there was also a strange tweety noise I'd not heard coming from ducks before. I thought ducks could only quack, so I was surprised to learn there is more than quacking to their vocabulary.

After walking around Fosdick Lake, since it is Saturday, I went to Town Talk, where I got myself an awful lot of avocados. I suspect I will be making a humongous batch of guacamole later today, if I don't find myself sidetracked doing the Hokey Pokey again.

In Texas We Are In Great Danger From Terrorism, Severe Weather & Man-Made Disasters That Can Kill

I've been seeing the above message stuck to Fort Worth city buses lately. I guess it is a newsworthy revelation that terrorism, severe weather and man-made disasters, like a natural gas pipeline exploding, can kill people.

To help people save themselves from a terrorist attack, severe weather or a man-made disaster, the message informs us that we can receive free emergency alerts via text message and email.

I must sign up immediately.

Because lately I have been spending a lot of time worrying about how I can save myself from getting killed in the next Texas terrorist attack. I think knowing that I will be getting a text message or an email telling me that there is a terrorist attack underway in my neighborhood will really give me some peace of mind that I've been lacking.

Not to mention the peace of mind I will have from knowing I will get a text message or email informing me if any of my neighborhood Chesapeake Energy Barnett Shale Natural Gas Fracking sites have gone into dangerous malfunction mode.

Yesterday I learned via the below poster that Texas has a really long history of fighting terrorism. All the way back to 1823.

Stephen F. Austin unofficially created the Texas Rangers in 1823. I don't know who the Texas Rangers considered terrorists way back in 1823.

Were the Mexicans and Indians, whose land Texans were expropriating, the terrorists?

I believe bad guys like gunfighter John Wesley Hardin and bank robber Sam Bass came along well after 1823.

Is Sam Bass related to the Fort Worth Bass Family of latter day robber barons, I have previously wondered and never remembered to ask?

Is what the Mexicans and Santa Ana did at the Alamo considered a terrorist attack?

I really need to do a much better job of learning Texas history...

Blue & Max's Effects Of Early Childhood Coffee Consumption Video Documentary

On the left is my nephew Theo John. In the middle is my nephew David Jay. On the right is my one and only niece, Ruby Jean.

This morning, Blue & Max, my poodle nephews, put a video of Theo, David and Ruby on their Blue & Max Blog.

I am guessing Blue & Max decided to share this video with the world as some sort of cautionary warning as to what can happen when kids become coffee drinkers at way too young an age.

I probably should not have sent the kids Starbucks gift cards for Christmas...

Dodging Obstructions On A Muddy Walk With The Village Creek Indian Ghosts Thinking About Floating On Willow Boughs On The Trinity River

Is the City of Arlington Parks Department on strike?

It has been well over a week since I first came upon the obstruction you see in the picture, obstructing the Pioneer Trail that trails through the Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

Detouring around the obstruction put ones footwear in contact with mud. I do not like it when my footwear is in contact with mud. Unless my footwear, at the time, are my mud boots.

Today's mud was the result of this morning's brief downpour that poured down at the predicted time, but not of the predicted duration, and with none of the predicted hail or winds up to 60 mph.

The downpour started, at my location, about 5 minutes before I headed to the pool for my lately regular cool dip and quick retreat to the hot tub. When I got out from under falling rain protection I opened my bumbershoot. This did not seem counter-intuitive at the time, getting under an umbrella to walk to go swimming, but it does seem counter-intuitive now, though, I must say, the bumbershoot did come in handy, keeping my towel dry.

Changing the subject from me getting all wet, back to walking with the Village Creek Indian Ghosts.

I think I've made mention before of the historical informational sign that sits at the western entry to the Village Creek Natural Historical Area's Pioneer Trail. If I remember correctly, I have copied part of the text on that historical informational sign before. Today I decided to copy the first paragraph, for the enlightenment of those who do not know the nature of the Native Americans that the incoming Texans rudely evicted from this part of the country....

The Village Creek valley was home of the largest concentration of Native Americans in Texas. From prehistoric times native peoples practiced agriculture along the banks of Village Creek safe from the periodic floods of the Trinity River. Archaeological digs have revealed arrowhead points from 5,000 B.C. The first accounts of recorded history of settlement along Village Creek came in 1542 when royal Spanish map makers recorded a camp that explorers had made here at an Indian village named "Guasco". They described this area as being the western edge of a "corn belt," west of which were the grasslands of unfriendly Indian tribes. Several of the first European explorers to wander through the region recorded visits to villages of the Caddos, a leading tribe of the Caddo confederacy. These were peaceful tribes who grew corn along the creek, lived in conical-shaped dwellings thatched with grass or bark and navigated the Trinity River on rafts and in canoes made from skins stretched over a framework of willow boughs.

Okay, that ends your history lesson for today....

Trying To Walk Around Fosdick Lake Under A Bumbershoot Before Going Yogurt Hunting

In the picture you are looking slightly northeast from the Oakland Lake Park pavilion overlook, looking at Fosdick Lake, on a stormy next to last Wednesday of the 2nd month of 2013.

When I left my abode precipitation was precipitating not too precipitously. Within a mile the precipitation was in downpour mode.

By the time I got to Oakland Lake Park the precipitation had slowed up. So, I parked, got out my bumbershoot and proceeded to see if going on a walk was doable.

I quickly found I was not attired to a level sufficient to provide the needed cold buffer. And I also quickly found that the wind wreaked havoc with my bumbershoot. Plus the wind blew precipitation past the bumbershoot protection, thus rendering that rain shielding device a bit useless.

I ended up going on a very short walk before retreating to the relative comfort of my vehicle's interior space.

On Saturday Town Talk was a bit low on yogurt. By this morning I was also low on yogurt. I like my yogurt. So, after the cold, wind and rain aborted my walking, I headed to Town Talk where I found myself a couple cases of yogurt. One of which was a new, to me, flavor, that being pear. The other was peach.

Early this morning I found myself throwing together a casserole, with no directions, I mean, recipe.

I cooked two cups of brown rice in the rice cooker, then tossed that in a big bowl. I had a large container of Chobani plain Greek yogurt that I mixed with the rice. Then I added a chopped up onion and a lot of celery. And chunks of ham. Poured in a little olive oil and some lemon juice. Then some garlic and pepper. Mixed this all up, then spooned it into a glass casserole dish. Then I grated a lot of cheese of various sorts on top. Baked this concoction til it got all bubbly and the cheese got a bit browned.

And the result?

Very tasty.

In addition to cooking something I'd never cooked before, this morning I also found myself giving instructions I'd never given before. That being instructions to a pair of poodles as to how to upload a YouTube video and then put the video code into their blog.

Poodles are such smart dogs. Almost like talking to humans...