HOT Gateway Park Mountain Biking With Lizards Before Harvesting Giant Town Talk Cantaloupe

My handlebars were back in their regular Saturday position this 2nd Saturday of July, sitting atop a cliff, high above the Trinity River in Fort Worth's Gateway Park.

Today I was sharing the mountain bike trails with more fellow bikers than any previous time at this location.

The Gateway Park mountain bike trail is narrow single track, for the most part.

I prefer to do my bike riding when I'm not either asking someone if I can pass, or being asked by some young speed demon hotshot if he can pass the slow geezer blocking his way.

I keep reading reports about there being a lot of snake activity this summer. So far, I have not been seeing this. I did see a lot of reptile action today in the form of lizards.

This morning, for the first time this HOT time of the year, the water in the swimming pool is getting near to a lukewarm temperature warmer than the morning air. I prefer my pool dips to be cooling, not warming.

It being Saturday, and since Gateway Park is a short distance away, I did my regular stop at Town Talk to do some treasure hunting.

Today's best treasure was huge cantaloupe. I had one for lunch. Best cantaloupe I've had this century. Best I can remember since years ago, in Utah, camping in a KOA, next to a cantaloupe field.

Also got some jalapenos, dozens of chicken legs, extra sharp white cheddar cheese, jicama, a case of Siggi brand Icelandic style yogurt in the ginger/orange flavor. And likely some other stuff I am forgetting right now.

Today it is scheduled to be heated to over 100 again. But tomorrow, if the temperature predictors are predicting correctly, a cold front arrives, dropping the Sunday down into the low 80s. Not quite a get out the long underwear level of chill. But I will make sure I have a sweatshirt available.

Rain is also in the forecast for Sunday. I'll believe that when I can step outside for a natural shower.

Opening My Email To Find The Horror Of The Brides Of Frankenstein Scaring Me In Texas

This morning I was emailed the above from someone in one of the west coast states.

The person sending me this told me that someone in their neighborhood is having fun shooting a new sorta Mormonized version of 1935 horror classic, The Bride of Frankenstein.

With this new version's title being The Brides of Frankenstein, with the four "Brides" in the picture being the new Brides of Frankenstein.

I am just sitting here and hoping that the honeymoon scenes of this new version of The Brides of Frankenstein do not engage in the modern day R-rated type explicitness that was not allowed in movies way back in 1935.

If this movie does engage in modern day R-rated type explicitness that was not allowed in the movies way back in 1935, well, this movie will give new meaning to the term "Horror Film."

Under Village Creek Shade Calling My Mom About Gas & Disneyland & Six Flags Over Texas

Looking at the picture one might deduce that it appears that it might be cool to stand in the shade of this particular tree when the outer world is being heated to 100 degrees HOT.

In this case, appearances are not deceptive. It was cool to stand in the shade of this tree around noon today.

This particular tree overlooks one of the Village Creek dam bridge crossings in the Village Creek Natural Historical  Area.

Yesterday's brief storm that blew through downtown Fort Worth dropped well over an inch of fast blown rain in a very short time. At my location, about 6 miles to the west, I only saw a couple drops. But I did hear the thunder booming in the distance while downtown Fort Worth was being stormy.

I did not get gas today but I called my mom and dad anyway. I called on their Arizona land line, figuring if they were back from going to last Saturday's Tacoma Wedding of the Century my mom would answer that phone.

No answer.

So, I called the mom and dad cell phone. No answer, no voice mail.

Speaking of getting gas. I heard on the radio, two days ago, that we could expect a big price jump, with whoever it was who was talking on the radio, advising that it might be a good plan to top off ones tank.

And so I did. But, I did not make my regular call to my mom and dad at that point in time because it was too early to be calling the time zone of wherever their current location is, either Pacific or Mountain.

I topped my tank off at $3.29 a gallon. Today I saw gas has jumped  up 20 cents at the location I topped off a couple days ago. If I remember right I pumped over 20 gallons. I am really bad at math, but I think I saved $4.00.

I think I can remember when around $4.00 could fill up the tank of my now antique 65 Ford Mustang.

Back when I drove that Mustang I could drive it to California and go to Disneyland for about $15.95 for a ticket book that had 5 E tickets.

Today if I drove to California to go to Disneyland it costs around $90 to enter the park. And there are no E tickets.

I've always liked going to Disneyland. For years, back in the last century, I'd drive to California and go to Disneyland just about every year. The last time I went to Disneyland was Christmas of 1994.

When I moved to my current location I figured I'd get a season's pass to what I hoped was the Texas version of Disneyland, Six Flags Over Texas.

During my first year in Texas I went to Six Flags on the same day John F. Kennedy Jr. went missing. I had a free pass to go to Six Flags that day. Two years after that I had another Six Flags free pass.

After two visits to Six Flags Over Texas I felt no desire to return, let alone buy a season's pass. Suffice to say, Six Flags in no Disneyland.

Being Blocked By Fosdick Lake Fosducks While Enjoying A Sauna Steam Bath

Unlike yesterday, today I did not let the HOT heat keep me from enjoying a sauna steam bath.

I took today's sauna steam bath at Oakland Lake Park by walking around Fosdick Lake.

My walk around the lake required a detour when I found a flock of Fosducks refusing to give up paved trail territory.

I think the Fosducks may be being territorily aggressive under the apparent leadership of a white bird with a long neck.

The white bird with the long deck acted as if it was on patrol, waddling the perimeter around the flock of Fosducks, while the Fosducks quacked.

While walking around Fosdick Lake today I thought about how nice it would be to escape to a South Pacific Island with no Internet and few humans. And a lot of mangoes and fish to catch. I'd take Elsie Hotpepper with me because she is good at cooking with exotic ingredients and climbing trees, a skill which would come in useful for acquiring coconuts.

Speaking of cooking with exotic ingredients.

And who isn't?

Jicama is on the lunch menu today. I got used to my newfangled electronic oven much quicker than I anticipated. Once I figured out how to stop the oven from talking to me I had no more using the new oven issues.

One Can Not Help But Wonder What The Saddest Thing About Betrayal Is When One Thinks About A Moose

I saw the truism on the left courtesy of the ever amusing Miss Bev on Facebook.

Miss Bev really has a knack for putting good stuff on Facebook. Like yesterday there was a video with several moose and a lawn sprinkler.

The majestic moose has long been one of my favorite critters. This may go back to early childhood when a big moose ran amok on the flats of the Skagit Valley, becoming a minor tourist attraction til it left the valley or ended up in someone's freezer.

As for betrayal.

I've not been betrayed all that much. That I am aware of.

I have noted that when a betrayal has taken place that the betrayer may not have been an enemy prior to the betrayal, but, forever after, the betrayer lives in enemy territory.

I have had relative betrayers and former friend betrayers.

It has been my observation that those who betray a relationship reveal a deep character flaw in themselves that makes the betrayal easier to digest, because one realizes one is best rid of such a person, no matter what the relative relationship.

Well, that is enough of thinking about moose for today...

It Is Feeling Like It Is 106 Degrees HOT In Texas So I Am Drinking A Lot Of Iced Tea

Coming up on 5 in the afternoon on this 2nd Wednesday of July the temperature has gone into triple digits mode, 101, with the humidity making it feel like 106.

Around noon I had to be at a location on Beach Street. I figured a bike ride at Gateway Park would would be a good idea, since I'd be in the neighborhood.

However, upon leaving my air-conditioned abode, making my way to my air-conditioned vehicle, the non air-conditioned outer world knocked me for a sweaty loop.

I then decided today was a good day not to have any midday endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation. It was not like I was suffering a deficit of that type stimulation, what with a long post-dawn pool bout this morning.

Tomorrow the weather predictors are predicting some possible storm action with lightning bolts. I hope those bolts are accompanied by a lot of big drops of formerly frozen H2O.

Changing the subject from one type liquid refreshment to another.

Ever since my exile in The Deep South I have resisted the regional habit of drinking Iced Tea.

Until the past couple weeks.

I have now grown fond of drinking a big cold mug if Iced Tea, several times a day. Apparently there are myriad health benefits associated with this type tea drinking.

Welcome To The Karma Cafe Where You Get Served What You Deserved

Usually I  think a concept like "Karma" is silly.

Other times I can see where a particular individual, via his or her bad behaviors, sort of deserves to have the fates tormenting them.

The original Karma Concept is found in various Indian religions. That is Indian as in the nation, not the Native Americans.

In the West, as in the non-Asian, European/American part of the planet, we have notions similar to Karma, expressed with sayings like "What goes Around comes Around", "One Reaps what one Sows", "Live by the Sword, Die by the Sword" and "Violence Begets Violence".

The phrase "Karma is a Bitch" is also very popular.

Generally, Western popular culture's version of Karma is more of a mystically supernatural force, rather than a perspective on cause and effect.

The Karma Concept had me thinking about Facebook.

As in, if Facebook existed in the 1930s Adolf Hitler would have likely been on Facebook, with millions of Facebook Friends, hitting the "Like" button to Hitler's demented rantings.

Adolf Hitler brought some really Bad Karma on himself. And Germany.

Hitler was deathly afraid of dying from cancer, like his mother did, hence Hitler's vegetarianism, non-smoking and attempts at a healthy lifestyle, expect for being a  homicidal maniac. Hitler thought he had little time to make Germany the ruler of the world, because he thought he'd die young from cancer, hence the Blitzkreiging over-reaching that eventually led to Hitler's demise.

Hitler's Bad Karma did not have him dying from what he feared would kill him. It was not cancer that rid the world of Adolf Hitler, it was Hitler shooting himself that brought that evildoer to his just end.

Today I Found The Trinity River At Mallard Cove Park

Today I took my handlebars to Mallard Cove Park. I don't know how long Mallard Cove Park has been a park. I do know I only recently discovered this park. And I also know that it is the closest park to my abode.

As you can see, via the picture, Mallard Cove Park has paved trails, perfect for high speed biking.

Today, after a few times around the paved trails, I went off pavement in search of the Trinity River.

Going off pavement quickly turned adventurous.

Eventually I came upon an old road.

The old road led to another trail that finally brought me to the Trinity River.

This is the Trinity River in its natural state. No levees. No pond creating dams.

I could tell off road vehicles have fun in this location. At the location where I found the Trinity there is a shady grove above the river, with the river reached by going down a very steep bank. A steep bank that is deeply rutted by the off road vehicles.

I think Mallard Cove Park should expand to include the bucolic river scene you see above.

A Picture Of My Mom At Tacoma's Wedding Of The Century

On Saturday, I was being emailed pictures from Tacoma, pre the Tacoma Wedding of the Century. I was sure I would be being emailed pictures, live, as the wedding ceremony took place.

However, that did not happen. Instead there seemed to be a blackout of Tacoma Wedding of the Century information. I got calls about the wedding, before the wedding, but none after the wedding.

This led me to wonder if the Tacoma Wedding of the Century had turned in to a Runaway Bride situation. Or some other calamity, like I wondered if the relative some of us refer to as "BS" created a troublesome scene that spun the Tacoma Wedding of the Century out of control.

Well, today, via my cousin Jeff, I saw 35 photos of the Tacoma Wedding of the Century. Including the picture above of Spencer Jack's dad walking my mom to her seat. In the foreground is my sister who lives in Arizona, CJ & JR's mom. I am not certain, but I think that may be my favorite Aunt Arlene sitting next to my sister.

Most of the people I saw in cousin Jeff's pictures I did not recognize. It has been over a decade since I have seen some of these people.

All in all, after viewing cousin Jeff's pictures of the Tacoma Wedding of the Century, I almost feel as if I was there....

Pedaling The Bob Findlay Linear Park Trail Looking For Rain

In the picture my handlebars are under Green Oaks Boulevard, in Arlington, sitting on the Bob Findlay Linear Park Trail, about 2 miles north of the east entry into the Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

It was quite noticeable today that Village Creek is in dire need of a water infusion.

All of North Texas is in dire need of a water infusion.

I can not remember the last time copious amounts of incoming rain caused my location to go into flash flood mode.

Previous years, in Texas, my location would frequently go into flash flood mode. Flash flooding is one of the primary means of litter removal in North Texas. With no flash flooding the litter is starting to pile up.

I was scheduled to get a new oven installed today. A newfangled push button electronic oven. But the scheduled installation has been postponed.

I think I may have over-exerted this morning whilst swimming. My arms are sore, which is making typing unpleasant. So, I am going to stop this typing activity for now and go locate some ibuprofen.