Gateway Park's Muddy Mountain Bike Trails Had Me Pedaling On Pavement Before Getting A Town Talk Chill

The outer world was dark and foreboding when I exited my abode a short while before noon, to drive to Gateway Park to get myself some endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation via sitting atop two fast spinning wheels rolling over a mountain bike trail.

That plan was quickly aborted, about 10 feet on to the Fort Worth Mountain Bike Association Trail, when I found my bike tires sloshing through thick mud.

Rolling over paved trails was the back up plan. I soon rolled past the memorial to Gateway Park's most recent drowning victim, and the boarded up boardwalk eyesores, soon exiting Gateway Park on to the Trinity Trails.

In the picture above you are on top of the bridge one crosses to exit Gateway Park to the Trinity Trails. As you can see, the photo documents that dark and foreboding thing I mentioned a few paragraphs ago.

In the center of the picture, that slash of white is Trinity Falls. I am almost 100% this is not a natural water fall, but the result of the most easterly Fort Worth impoundment of the Trinity River as it flows past the levee controlled zone to the non-levee-ed section of the river that passes through Gateway Park.

I am finding the humidity to be a bit more oppressive than I remember humidity being in past humid times. The ultra humidity does not much impact my early morning swim, but does impact midday aerobic activity.

As long as I am pedaling fast the wind chill keeps me adequately cooled.

But, when I stop, as when I stop to do some hydrating, or the two minutes it takes to get the bike secured and turn on the engine and the A/C, I quickly over heat.

Today I had not planned on going to Town Talk, but since Town Talk was so close and I was so HOT, the Town Talk walk-in cooler sounded like a real good idea.

And so it was.

That and I got myself a case of Orange Juice, BBQ Pork, Cornish Game Hens and a big bag of Bleu Cheese among one or two other things.

Walking Around Fosdick Lake Thinking About Flying To A Washington Wedding While Mary Kelleher Draws A Cheering Crowd To A TRWD Board Meeting

Fosdick Lake was looking mono-chromatic and swan-less when I took a walk on the Oakland Lake Park paved trail that surrounds Fosdick Lake, today.

Lightning struck and thunder boomed around 4 this morning.

No lightning struck or thunder boomed, within my eye or earshot, whilst walking today.

I tried to get my sister, who lives in Arizona, to walk around Fosdick Lake with me today. But she was not available.

As I walked around Fosdick Lake, among the things I was pondering, was the fact that this upcoming July 6 there is a wedding happening in Tacoma that will be the biggest relative event involving my relatives since a relative event in the form of a Family Reunion, way back on July 26, 2002.

I am being very conflicted about making my way north for this relative event. On the one hand going to this particular wedding appeals to me. On the other hand, well, at times like this I wish I did not live 2,200 miles from the Western Washington zone of the Pacific Northwest.

Another event I was pondering, as I walked around Fosdick Lake, hearing crickets chirping, was this morning's swearing in of Mary Kelleher as the newly elected member of the Tarrant Regional Water District Board.

I did not attend this event, even though I sort of remember, vaguely, being invited to, but my sources tell me that it was standing room only for the swearing in ceremony in the TRWD meeting room.

When the first two newly re-elected board members were sworn in, no one clapped, you could hear the crickets chirping on the nearby Trinity River.

When Mary was sworn in, the crickets stopped chirping, while everyone in the room clapped, except, I assume, Marty Leonard, Jim Lane, J.D. Granger, and the two newly re-elected board members.

Just as I was typing about Mary getting sworn in, incoming email, from one of the above mentioned sources, pointed me to an article about today's TRWD swearing in ceremony, by Jeff Prince, in FW Weekly, titled Mary Kelleher Sworn In As New Blood On Water Board which said, in part....

There weren’t enough parking spaces for the cars outside, and there weren’t enough chairs for the people inside. Board members appeared a bit surprised to see a full house at this morning’s meeting.

Read the FW Weekly article and you may get the idea that a new day has dawned in Fort Worth.

It is a good thing when a new day dawns....

Crossing Arlington's Flash Flooding Village Creek Is Not A Good Idea

Optimistic optimist that I be, even though rain fell in copious amounts this morning, resulting in flash flood alerts, around noon I drove to the western entry to Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area, expecting the parking lot off Dottie Lynn Parkway to be open.

Instead I found a closed gate with a "Closed Due To Flooding" sign.

So, just like I did a week or two ago, I drove to the Interlochen side of the Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

In the picture above you are looking at the view from whence I was parked in Interlochen. I could see water flooding over the dam bridge, which meant there would be no shady walking with the Village Creek Indian Ghosts, unless I decided to try and cross the flooding bridge.

Watch the video below to see if I made it across the raging torrent.



After enjoying the salubrious benefits coming from all the negative ions shooting into the air from the broiling Village Creek water, I walked for a mile or two on the Bob Findlay Linear Park Trail and then decided I was not liking the ultra high humidity, so, it was off to Walmart to get some groceries in extremely cool air-conditioned comfort.

There was very little water flash flooding in Walmart, though the Lawn Whisperer made have had a few things to whisper about in the area surrounding Walmart.

The 3rd Monday Of June Dawns Stormy In North Texas

In the picture you are outside, standing on my patio, overlooking the swimming pool below. I believe those odd blobs in the foreground are big raindrops, due to the fact that, at the time I stepped outside, my camera was under its Popabrella, due to a downpour pouring down.

When I exited my abode, to go swimming, this morning around 7, a strong wind was blowing. A noisy strong wind.

By the time I got to the pool zone drops of wet began to dot the ground.

I was not long in the pool when the power went poof, rendering the pool's fountain and waterfall silent. The silence was pleasantly eerie.

And then the rain went into downpour mode. I was having myself a really fine time, swimming in the rain.

And then I saw a flash of light. The power came back on, along with the fountain and waterfall. Eerie silence had been replaced by the noisy splashing of multitudes of swollen raindrops. Another flash of light and I counted 7 seconds before the boom.

The flash was to the west of me. Then there was a flash to the south of me. Still 7 seconds distant. Then a flash to the east of me. Still 7 seconds distant. Then a flash to the north of me, this one only 3 seconds distant, bringing a very loud boom.

Soon the flashes started growing brighter and more frequent, with the booms louder. A total surround sound storm.

I decided to err on the side of caution and exit the pool,  even though it is at a low spot, surrounded by trees which I assume would be the first choice lightning would make for a strike if it was striking in my location.

As you can see below, via the data graphic from my computer based weather monitoring device,  it is cold. Only 68 degrees, with the Wind Chill Factor making it feel even colder at 63. Brrrr.

Is someone making a typo error when they type "AREAL" I wondered when I saw the above FLOOD ADVISORY".

As you can see, stormy weather is in store for today and tomorrow at my location on the planet.

I suppose around noon I will find out if Village Creek is flooding again, with the Village Creek Natural Historical Area closed. If it is open I think I will have myself a humid walk with the Indian Ghosts who haunt their former hometown.

Happy Father's Day From Texas To All My Relative Fathers

Around noon, whilst doing hill hiking on the Tandy Hills, I made my annual Happy Father's Day call to my dear ol' dad.

No answer.

So, I left my dad a Happy Father's Day message on the answering machine.

And in this blogging venue I'm wishing a Happy Father's Day to all my other relative Father's.

That would be Spencer Jack's dad, my nephew, Jason, plus Spencer Jack's dad's dad, my brother, Jake, plus my nephew's CJ & JR's dad, he being my favorite brother-in-law, Jack.

I think that covers all my close relative Fathers.

Dark Clouds Over Fort Worth's Dickensian Debtor's Prison

There was a dark cloud hanging over the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth, this Father's Day Sunday in Texas, when I got myself some salubrious endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation via hill hiking in the Tandy Hills Sauna Steam Bath.

By dark cloud hanging over Fort Worth, I am referring to the dark cloud in the picture, not the one I read about in this morning's Fort Worth Star-Telegram in an article titled Is Fort Worth too tough on traffic offenders?

Too rough? That seems to be an understatement.

Apparently Fort Worth is running a totally idiotic Dickensian Debtor's Prison, throwing victims into squalid conditions, incarcerated while the victim's traffic violation fine is wiped out, credited at $338.45 per day of incarceration.

According to the Star-Telegram, the people of Fort Worth, via their inept city government, are spending $248 per inmate to incarcerate the victims in an out of town jail. The article did not indicate if this $248 per inmate is the per day cost, or the average cost, factoring the total paid, by Fort Worth, of $5.96 million per year, for the out of town jail, divided by the number of victims incarcerated, which, apparently, is around 24,000 hapless Fort Worthers per year.

Isn't there something in the U.S. Constitution that indicates that cruel and unusual punishment is a bad thing?

Today I Ran Into Fowl Play In Quanah Parker Park While Unable To Prevent Theft By Removing My Property

On my way to Town Talk this 3rd Saturday of June, I parked in the Quanah Parker Park parking lot to have myself a leisurely stroll under a cloudy sky which was blocking direct solar ray heating.

Before I got to the Quanah Parker Park parking lot, barely past the entry to Quanah Parker Park, on the left road shoulder, there was a big, dead dog.

Really big.

The big dead dog looked like it might be a St. Bernard. It was bloated, looking as if it was asleep, with its big head resting on its paws. Turkey vultures scurried as I drove past.

I called 911 to report the scene of Fowl Play. (Get it? Turkey Vultures. Fowl.)

When I parked at the Quanah Parker Park parking lot I made note of a sign I'd not made note of previously. The sign, in part, said, "PREVENT THEFT - Remove All Property from Your Vehicle - REPORT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY DIAL 911."

Which is why I dialed 911 to report the Fowl Play.

When I read I was advised to remove all property from my vehicle, I was very perplexed, as in, where was I supposed to put the stuff I removed from my vehicle? I saw no lockable temporary storage units near the Quanah Parker Park parking lot.

It would not be possible to carry, walking with me, all that is in my vehicle. Among the property I haul around in my vehicle is a bike, tire pump, roller blades, snow chains, tool chest, ice chest and a big bag of golf balls, in addition to stuff I am likely not remembering.

After I was done being perplexing by this sign, not knowing what I should do with the property in my vehicle, I decided to walk on the wild side and take a huge risk by going on a walk without taking all my stuff with me.

Soon my attention was diverted by the scene you see below.

Acres of one type of wildflower, the name of which I do not know, a short distance from the Quanah Parker Park parking lot. Maybe Fort Worth's leading horticulturist, CatsPaw, can identify this sort of bee-like looking bloom.

I had myself a very relaxing Quanah Parker Park walk. I think I may have overdone the mountain biking yesterday, and, maybe, the swimming this morning. Hence I was feeling a bit over-exercised by the time the noon time frame rolled around.

Town Talk was busier than the Saturday norm today. Today's treasure hunting resulted in 2 bags of Clementine Oranges, 6 Orange Peppers, 3 bags of Bagels, 2 cases of Noosa Yogurt, one Strawberry-Rhubarb, the other Raspberry and a lot of Chicken Legs, plus other stuff I'm not remembering right now.

Today I Was Cautioned To Use Caution In River Legacy Park To Not Step On Anything Active

Those are my handlebars in front of a CAUTION sign that I came upon today before rolling my wheels on the River Legacy Park mountain bike trails.

Under the shouted CAUTION, the sign warns "In Spring & Summer animals are more active. Watch Your Step. Stay on Trails."

It is difficult to watch ones step when ones step is on a bike pedal.

It has been a couple months since I have biked the River Legacy Park mountain bike trails. These trails  cover a few more miles and are a bit more exhausting than the more sedate Gateway Park mountain bike trails I have been pedaling of late.

The only Spring & Summer activated animals I saw today were some humans, some squirrels and one harmless skinny green snake. I exercised extreme CAUTION and stepped on none of these critters.

Even though the outer world temperature was  in the 90 zone, with humidity making it feel hotter, zipping along on wheels creates quite a refreshing wind chill factor. Til one stops pedaling.

This morning's pool dip was not quite as refreshing, with the outer world chilled to the mid 70s and the pool warmer than the air.

Well, I see 3 urgent messages have arrived from Elsie Hotpepper that I must go attend to.

Enjoying The HOT 102 Degree Tandy Hills Sauna Steam Bath

In the picture you are midway down Mount Tandy, looking west across a Texas prairie at the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth.

What you can not see in the picture is it is hot, very HOT.

The actual temperature is not all that HOT, at 89 degrees, but as it so often does, the humidity has the outer world feeling hotter than the thermometer indicates.

As in, according to my computer based temperature monitoring device, right now while it is a relatively chilly 89 degrees, it feels like 102.

Whilst doing some strenuous, windless hill hiking, it felt HOTTER than 102 to me.

Today marks the first time in 2013 I felt the salubrious benefit of getting my endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation in a sauna steambath. Don't knock this activity til you try it, because once you get past the fact of being an ultra sweaty HOT mess, it feels real good.

Before I left my abode to do some hill hiking the plumber arrived to do some upgrading to my shower. The upgrade was done upon my return. The upgrade is quite an improvement. I am totally cooled down now.

The pool was less refreshing than my shower, this morning. This will only become more so as we approach the ultra HOT days of summer.

As I did my HOT hiking I had cause to ponder how and why it is that some people end up so brittle and humorless as they get older, rather than becoming more easy going, with a well developed sense of humor.

This type thing perplexes me. And no, I am not talking about you....

Today There Were Fewer Signs Of Danger In Gateway Park With Snakes

Last Saturday I saw a Sign of Danger at Gateway Park at the  location you are looking at on the left.

Today, at that location, that particular DANGER sign was gone, so I was able to take a picture of my handlebars overlooking the currently green, and running a lot of water, due to recent rain, Trinity River.

DANGER signs still block the other locations, with red tape, that I came upon last Saturday.

Today there was no DANGER sign to warn me that I was about to roll over a snake with a diamond pattern to its snakeskin.

I spotted the snake in sufficient time to avoid hitting it. Though this snake had a diamond pattern, it was not a Diamondback Rattlesnake. Those have big heads and very noticeable rattles, which the snake tends to shake when a human on, or off, wheels gets too close.

Due to the temperature being in the 90 zone, snake mobility is much faster than when the air is in the chilly 70  zone. Which means the snake slithered out of sight before I could get my camera aimed at it.

Speaking of the temperature, and who isn't? The temperature of the water in the pool has warmed up significantly in the past couple days. A week more of this near 100 degree HEAT and getting in the pool will start to be not as refreshing as one would like a dip in the pool to be.

You always hear people asking if a pool is a heated pool. No one ever asks if it is a cooled pool. A cooled pool would be a much bigger asset in Texas than a heated pool. In summer.

Every year there is a standard article in many North Texas news purveyor publications, advising people that it is not possible to add enough ice to ones pool to bring the temperature down to a noticeable degree of chill. Apparently there have been incidents where a Texan will order up a dump truck load of ice to be dumped into a pool, to find out that this was not such a good idea after all.

I noticed this morning that we have reached that time of the year where cold tap water is no longer very cold.  But makes for very refreshing showers, which I think I'll avail myself of, right now....