My North Texas Location Is Currently Chilled To 78 With A Heat Index Real Feel Of 101

78 degrees?

With the heat index making it really feel like 101?

I thought my computer based temperature monitoring device must be broken, so I checked the temperature on the Star-Telegram website to find it is also 78 degrees.

I just returned from a semi-extended stay in the outer world and it definitely feels closer to 101 out there than 78 degrees.

78 degrees is only 2 degrees warmer than the current temperature in my old home zone of Mount Vernon, Washington.

It is a little past the middle of this Labor Day afternoon. The sky has returned to blue. It can not possibly be only 78 degrees.

Then again, the air-conditioner does not seem to be running, non-stop, in fact I don't think it has cycled on since I've been back in air-conditioned comfort.

Very perplexing....

A Labor Day Morning Swim In The Rain With Mosquito Bites

This Labor Day morning I was surprised when I unblocked my view of the outer world to look out my bedroom window to see blue sky had been replaced by gray and droplets of wet were falling, covering the ground in water.

So, I had myself a really fine time swimming in the rain this morning.

As I pushed my way through water I saw flashes of light in the distance and heard thunder rumbling. But, it was a long ways away, so I had no worry about getting electrocuted by a lightning strike.

I do worry sometimes that I might get electrocuted by the pool's underwater lights. Something just seems not right about pools having  underwater lights.

The past week, give or take a day, I have been getting buzzed my mosquitoes whilst swimming. Most of these days of getting skeeter buzzed I have gotten one bite, always in the same location, resulting in a big red bump on my right cheek. That's the cheek to the right of my nose, just to be clear.

Speaking of getting mosquito bites in an unfortunate location. In Gar the Texan's extensive coverage of his most recent honeymoon, last month in Jamaica, Gar reported that he'd suffered multiple Jamaica mosquito attacks. Gar claims that Texas mosquitoes have never had a taste for him, but the Jamaican variant would not stop feasting on him.

Gar the Texan further shared the fact that many of the Jamaican mosquito bites were in nether regions of a delicate nature, regions with important honeymooning functions, which rendered the honeymooning painful at times.

What with the weather outside having the potential to become frightful I will have to be flexible with my Labor Day Picnic plans.

Later today blue sky is predicted to return, along with an extremely humid HOT high of 98.

It Feels Like 108 Degrees The First Day Of September In Texas

I don't remember my location getting heated to 104 this summer.

Til now.

Currently my computer based temperature monitoring device is telling me we are 104 degrees HOT with the heat index making it really feel like 108.

The air-conditioner seems to be conditioning nearly non-stop.

It probably was not a good idea to boil eggs a few minutes ago and fire up the oven to oven fry some spuds.

But, I wanted to make potato salad for tomorrow's very traditional Labor Day Picnic.

When I talked to my mom this morning there was not a lot of lamenting about the Arizona HEAT due to mom not being out in it during her convalescing time.

The only lamenting was over the fact that the seasonal monsoon rains have dropped water in locations all around them, but not on my mom and dad's location.

Instead of a good hard monsoon rain my mom and dad's Sun Lake location had itself a sandstorm.

I told my mom the past few days when I do my temperature monitoring her zone has been colder than mine. That is also the case this first day of September. With my location broiling at 104 while Phoenix is chillier at 103.

However, all that monsoon rain action and its resultant humidity has the heat index in Arizona having that 103 degrees really feel like 109. One degree HOTTER than my location's real feel of 108.

Fall will be falling in 21 days, on day 22 of September, when the Autumnal Equinox arrives. With the expected arrival of the Autumnal Equinox in a few weeks I think I will be able to experience a few weeks with natural cooling and less un-natural air-conditioning.

And maybe windows open all night long....

A Lounging Mom Call Thinking About A Town Too Mean For Bean While Being Gar The Texan's Nemesis

I did not feel like driving anywhere to go on a walk, hike or bike ride this HOT first day of September. I had myself plenty of aerobic stimulation via the swimming method this morning.

So, I walked up to Albertsons to get this week's DFW.com ink edition. On the way back to my abode I called my mom and had myself a mom chat whilst lounging on a lounge poolside.

I'd not called my mom since she got back home from her recent knee surgery ordeal. Mom was sounding very perky. Painkillers may have been enhancing the perkiness.

After mom was done talking to me I made my way back to my computer where I found I'd received an email from a S.Wolfe at BigBend.net informing me I needed to make an entry about the West Texas town of Sanderson on my Eyes on Texas website. I looked up Sanderson to learn it is known as the Cactus Capital of Texas and the Town Too Mean  for Judge Roy Bean. The Too Mean for Bean thing sealed the deal. I'll webpage this town.

After checking on Sanderson I checked on my blogs and saw that Gar the Texan has blogged about his remarkable resemblance to current day David Cassidy and James Bond.

I also saw that Gar the Texan had previously blogged about my new Durango World blog.

That is a screen cap from Gar the Texan's Gar's World blog, above. Even though Gar the Texan's Gar's World blog has a black color scheme it is not an adult material oriented blog, even though Google AdSense banned him for inappropriate adult material.

In part the following is what Gar the Texan had to say about my new Durango World blog....

A couple of weeks ago, my blogging mentor and nemesis, Durango, decided to create a Durango World blog. At first I thought he was joking. I thought perhaps he was just coming up with something to belittle my new blog title.

Well, he's finally started writing and I must say: I like the Durango World blog more than I do his Durango Texas blog. I read post after post today without slowing down or growing bored. I even felt inclined to comment a couple of times, but I decided to write my own post instead.

I don't know how much he actually reads my posts but he took one of my little asinine spoutings and spun it into gold with this particular post about Obamacare.

Anyway, come to my little blog site once a day, look on the right column and click on Infamous World of Durango. I'm quite impressed, but don't tell him that.

The main thing I got out of what Gar the Texan has to say is feeling shocked that he finds himself slowing down and getting bored when reading my Durango Texas blog. That and he thinks I am his nemesis. That really shocks me.....

Biking Gateway Park At 107 Degrees Before Doing Some Crowded Town Talking On The Last Day Of August

The outer world was already 100 degrees HOT when I left my abode's air-conditioned comfort to drive to Gateway Park to do some mountain biking.

100 degrees, with the vexing heat index making it really feel like 107.

But, it really did not feel like 107 to me. Or even 100. Most of my pedaling took place under the shade of the Gateway Park jungle.

On the left you are looking at the Fort Worth Mountain Biking Association's sign that shows the various loops of the various miles of trails one can pedal on in Gateway Park.

Someone has taped another sign to the glass that protects the map. That taped sign says "Life is better on a mountain bike."

Some days life does seem to be better on a mountain bike. Rolling along at high speed on a single track trail usually does manage to elevate my mood. Endorphins released due to aerobic activity may account for some of the mood elevation.

Changing the subject from pedaling to something else.

I am appalled that today is already the last day of August. This month was eventful and flew by at hyperspeed. September will also likely disappear fast and by the start of October getting in the pool in the morning will start to be a bit bracing.

I went two times around my favorite Gateway Park mountain bike trail loop. And then it was off to Town Talk.

I have never seen Town Talk so crowded, with such long lines at the checkouts.

But, due to how efficiently the Town Talk checkers check, the wait was not long.

I got a lot of rabbit food today. Romaine lettuce, Iceberg lettuce, 10 pounds of broccoli crowns. Plus some non-rabbit food type stuff, like red onions, chicken legs, cheese, tortillas, bratwurst for my Labor Day Picnic and other stuff I am not remembering right now.

Speaking of food products. The lunch gong just went off. Time for a feeding.

Another HOT August Day In Texas With No Cooling Glaciers Available

My great nephew Spencer Jack's grandma, my favorite ex-sister-in-law, Cindy, knowing I am HOT today, as in a 104 HEAT index level of HOT, emailed me the cool looking photo you see on the left.

That big white mass of white is what is known as a glacier. That  particular glacier is one of many sliding down the slopes of the Mount Baker volcano, near my old home zone in Washington.

My favorite ex-sister-in-law has turned into a hiking maniac, something I really would never have envisioned her ever becoming back when she was my favorite sister-in-law.

Cindy has been going on some of the more grueling hikes I have ever been on. Like her hike last week to the Park Butte Lookout, which is the vantage point from which Cindy took the above photo.

I have blogged about Cindy's hiking exploits a couple times. Last Sunday in a blogging titled Hiking To The Park Butte Lookout With Cindy & Michele and today in a blogging titled More Mount Baker Hiking With Cindy, Michele, Ginny & Jeremy.

Jeremy is my youngest nephew. In today's blogging about Cindy hiking I included a couple photos of Jeremy in the same location, one of which is one of my all time favorite photos. Jeremy was only 7 when that photo was taken.

I wonder if he remembers the trauma he experienced that day. I will have to remember to ask the next time I talk to my favorite nephew Jeremy.

Clicking through locations on my computer based temperature monitoring device my location is once again the HOTTEST.

HOTTER than Phoenix.

With Western Washington shivering in the 70s. Which is to be expected, what with all those big cooling glaciers sliding down mountains....

Pondering A Labor Day Weekend Visit To Turner Falls Park In Oklahoma With A Stop For Coffee At WinStar World Casino

In the picture you are looking at the biggest waterfall in Oklahoma.

Turner Falls.

In Turner Falls Park in Davis, Oklahoma.

That is my little head barely out of the water, directly under the raging water of Turner Falls.

The visit to Turner Falls Park that found me getting wet was during a very HOT August day in the year 2000.

A couple years after that visit to Turner Falls Park I returned, with Gar the Texan, on a cold winter day, with that cold winter day being the first Saturday of the new year of 2002.

I know the precise date of that winter visit to Turner Falls because I just looked at the Turner Falls Park in Winter webpage I made documenting that visit.

On the winter visit to Turner Falls there was a lot more water raging over the falls than there was during the August visit. So much water was flowing through Honey Creek that it was flooding over one of the creek crossings one crosses to get to Turner Falls.

The reason Turner Falls Park came to mind this morning is I noticed a HUGE jump in visits to my Turner Falls Park webpage when I checked my website stats.

For a second or two I wondered why there was a Turner Falls Park webpage visitor's spike. Then I remembered this is Labor Day Weekend.

Turner Falls Park will likely be packed with visitors this Labor Day Weekend, to the point access may be denied to late comers. It is a big park, but there is only so much parking in the park.

A Labor Day Weekend drive up to Turner Falls Park sounds like a really fine time. With a stop at WinStar World Casino on the way north, or the way back south. WinStar World Casino has one of the best buffets I have ever buffeted at. With what may be the most tasty coffee I have ever tasted.

On The Last Thursday Of August Texas Sizzles At 101 While Washington Shivers At 73

101 feeling like 102 this last Thursday afternoon of August.

I was not out in the HEAT too much today. My longest HEAT exposure occurred this morning in Arlington during one of the annual vehicle emissions inspections.

And then later there was a HOT walk to Albertsons to get this week's FW Weekly.

And then late in the afternoon I felt the need to yell at Miss Puerto Rico about something, so I hunted her down and did the necessary yelling, which had Miss Puerto Rico laughing because she's not heard me do all that much yelling. I think I may have been laughing too. It was a bit funny.

Checking temperatures this afternoon I found I am the HOTTEST of any of the temperatures I check. My mom and dad in the Phoenix zone are currently not even above 100 degrees, chilling at 98. With rain and flash flood warnings. It is the monsoon time of year in Arizona.

While my current home zone is being heated to a HOT 101, my old home zone is being naturally chilled to an icy 73.

I keep my air-conditioning set to around 80.

If I were up in Washington, right now, I would be shivering, with the locals not understanding why I am thinking I am cold.

Some of the Washington locals can be so insensitive when it comes to understanding how cold their climate is to one who lives in a HOT part of the planet.

This morning the pool actually felt a bit cool for the first time in a long time. That bit of cool is a harbinger of cooler pools to come.

If I remember right, by the end of September it becomes a bit more challenging to get in the pool. And then by the end of October I have to involve the hot tub in the process to make it work.

Tomorrow morning I do not think I will need to do any warming up in the hot tub.

Miley Cyrus Has Me Wanting To Go Twerking Friday Night At Billy Bob's With Connie D

Did Betty White really say what it indicates she said in the graphic on the left?

I saw this on Facebook, via the Fort Worth Connie D.

This is the funniest thing I have read regarding the extremely serious Miley Cyrus MTV VMA brouhaha.

The Miley Cyrus MTV VMA brouhaha caused me to learn a new technical term.

Twerking.

I had never heard of this twerk word before last Monday morning. I had no idea what twerking was. Even after I watched the Miley Cyrus MTV VMA embarrassment I still did not really understand what twerking was.

So, I researched this serious twerking subject and blogged about this technical twerking issue on my Durango Tech No blog in a blogging titled The Miley Cyrus MTV VMA Twerking Caused Me To Learn A New Word & Dance Move, where, in addition to sharing the technical definition of twerking, I also included a video that teaches one the art of the twerking dance moves.

I am considering replacing my salubrious daily hour of  early morning endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation, gained by swimming, with an hour of salubrious endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation gained by twerking.

I wonder if Connie D would like to go twerking with me Friday night at Billy Bob's?

A Discombobulating Detour Through Haltom City

Today started off fine with my regular early morning swim.

As noon approached a doctor's visit in Euless began to have a discombobulating effect on the day.

After an uneventful lunch I decided to drive north the short 6 mile distance to ALDI.

Driving to the ALDI in Hurst takes me through the 121/820 road construction mess.

On the way north through the mess the signage confused me, the new road alignment added to the confusion. I thought I was on the correct lane, the one heading to D/FW Airport and Precinct Line Road. Instead I was on the flyover that exits to Davis Boulevard.

No big deal.

I had intended to take the TCC/Davis Boulevard exit if the freeway appeared jammed when I got to that location.

When I got to ALDI I saw that Precinct Line Road was backed up worse than I'd ever seen it. My intention had been to take backroads to return to my abode, after ALDI.

When I exited ALDI and turned on to Precinct Line Road it soon became apparent that the 5 southbound lanes were being squeezed down to two. But, the freeway entry lane option was clear sailing. So, I changed my mind and decided to take the freeway, 5 minutes to home, option.

Big mistake.

Again the construction had changed the road alignment since I'd last passed through this mess. The signage again confused me. And before I could fix the mistake I found myself heading west on 820 for the first time in years.

I figured I'd get off at the first exit and make my way south on surface streets. Good plan, but there were no exits. All were closed. Til I got to Rufe Snow Road. Eventually, after waiting through maybe 5 green light cycles I reached the spot you see in the photo above.

I took a left when that light turned green and headed south on Rufe Snow. Eventually I came to 183. I headed west on 183, thinking I'd quickly come to Beach Street, then make my way past Town Talk, then home on Randol Mill.

Eventually I did make it to Beach Street, but not before a mighty fine tour of beautiful downtown Haltom City where I saw that the Haltom City Theater is celebrating being alive for 65 years and is in need of some sprucing up.

I think today was the most driving I have done in the D/FW zone since my mom and dad were here in 2009. By the time I got back to air-conditioned comfort I felt like I'd driven 70 to 80 miles. But, my odometer indicated the reality was I'd only driven 22 miles.

I don't think I will be driving to the Hurst ALDI anymore til the road construction is complete. Why is it seeming like deja vu, me saying that?