A Mostly Ice Free Walk Around Fosdick Lake Finding A Faux Chrysanthemum

Til today I had not been to Oakland Lake Park to walk around Fosdick Lake since before the Great North Texas Ice Storm of 2013 struck me immobile, motorized transportation-wise, for several days.

As you can see by looking past the Fosdick Fountain, most of the ice cover has melted, reverting the landscape back to a more natural green than the un-natural ultra white ice.

Currently the outer world is being heated to 42 degrees for the first time in about a week. When I left my abode to drive to Fosdick Lake the outer world was only two degrees above freezing.

I was not the only one out and about today enjoying the return to easy, much less slippery, walking. Some of those others who were out and about were having fun feeding the Fosducks. There were a lot of hungry Fosducks on Fosdick Lake today.

Regarding the above fountain. When it began to spout, out of seemingly nowhere, I inquired if anyone had an explanation. So far, all I have learned is that Google satellite imagery, from some point in the 1990s, showed the fountain spouting on Fosdick Lake.

Walking on the mostly ice-free grass I came upon the optimistic big yellow wildflower you see  in the picture, rising, defiantly, above a patch of ice.

That big yellow wildflower looks to me like what a Chrysanthemum looks like.

However, I am almost 100% certain that there is no wildflower version of a Chrysanthemum that would be sprouting colorfully this time of year in North Texas....

Why Have Google Accounts Lost Their List Of Google Products?

This morning when I logged in to my Google account I found that overnight Google has totally messed up.

Previously I would log in, then click on "Products" from a list of options on the left.

Then the page with "Products" icons would load and I would click on whatever Google Product I wanted to use.

As in, click on the "Blogger" icon to blog. Click on the "AdSense" icon to check on AdSense. Click on the "Gmail" icon to check on email.

What you see above is a screen cap of what I now see when I log into my Google account. No list of "Products".

Clicking on a the clicking options I eventually clicked on a little symbol that opened up Google Products which I could choose to add. As in, Google Products I'd already added and have been using.

I saw the "Blogger" icon on the list of Google Product options, clicked it and the Blogger app appeared. Which is how I am managing to blog this blogging you are currently reading.

There was no "AdSense" icon on the list of addable Google Products.

I was able to access AdSense by looking at my browsing history for the last time I checked on AdSense.

How is it that Google has made such a big boo boo?

This big boo boo is likely perplexing, annoying and puzzling Google Account users world-wide.

NOTE TO GOOGLE: Please get this fixed. Quickly. Thank you in advance.

Apparently Urban Fracking Is Threatening The Dallas Suburb Of Fort Worth

Late this afternoon Elsie Hotpepper emailed me with the subject line of the email being "FW was first at something..."

I was intrigued.

The message in the email said "Why do I have a feeling no one is 'green' with envy?"

The green with envy reference refers to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's now, mostly, dormant practice of claiming this, that or the other actual lame thing, in Fort Worth, was causing spasms of envy in other locations on the planet.

Long ago I documented, via a webpage, instances of the Star-Telegram's Green With Envy verbiage.

That particular webpage is one of my more popular ones. It has generated a lot of ad revenue over the years.

But, I digress.

Elsie Hotpepper's email included a link to an article on the Truth Out website, with that article titled "Urban Fracking Bonanza Threatens Dallas Suburbs".

I am sure those in Fort Worth who suffer from what some refer to as the Dallas Fixation will really be liking that the Dallas suburb this article refers to is the town that calls itself Fort Worth.

Basically the article tells the tale of what a mess this Dallas suburb has made of itself by allowing itself to be the world's first large city to allow thousands of fracked gas wells to pollute its environs.

Fort Worth's noted Watch Dog, Don Young, makes an appearance in this article, as is to be expected in articles of this nature...

An Icy Walk At Quanah Parker Park Before Town Talking With Apple Cider & Monkey Food

Today I ventured west for the first time since the Great North Texas Ice Storm of 2013 made road travel perilous in my area of the planet.

I headed west hoping to make it to Town Talk, that being a place I'd not been to since the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and thus I had run out of my much needed yogurt supply.

On the way to Town Talk I parked at the Quanah Parker Park parking lot and had myself a mighty fine time enjoying a mostly ice-free nature walk.

However, as you can see, ice still blankets the ground in the Quanah Parker forest.

I came upon an odd thing along the trail today, which I will blog about later, maybe.

This morning I also had myself a mighty fine time inducing endorphins, aerobically, in the hot tub, with one quick dip in the cool pool.

My treasure hunting at Town Talk was successful. I got three cases of yogurt, some Italian cheese, the name of which I am not remembering right now, but to which I was drawn because it put me in mind of all the tasty stuff I've been having shared with me from Italy lately, via Mr. and Mrs. Galtex.

I also got 6 gallons of apple cider.  Last time I was at Town Talk I got two gallons of this cider, not knowing til I tasted it that it was the tastiest apple cider I'd ever tasted. So, today when I saw the Town Talk reader board reading "Apple Cider 6 Gallons for $5" I knew I was going to be coming home with a lot of apple cider.

I did not find any rabbit food today at Town Talk. But I did find some monkey food, in the form of bananas, 19 cents a pound.

I also got a bag of large whole wheat hamburger buns. Those will be put to use in a few minutes in the form of fish burgers.

The lunch gong is sounding.....

Another Freezing Morning Nearing The End Of The Great North Texas Ice Storm Of 2013

I erroneously assumed the worst of the Great North Texas Ice Storm of 2013 was over.

Like I already said, I was erroneous in this assumption.

This morning soon after the sun arrived, under a clear blue sky, I headed to the cool pool and hot tub with the outer world being much colder than I had expected.

19 degrees. With the Wind Chill Factor making that 19 degrees feel like 11 degrees.

11 degrees is getting into the temperature range where I start feeling cold.

So, this morning I had only on brief jump from the hot tub to the deep end of the cool pool, which was much warmer than 11 degrees, then a fast move through the cool pool to the shallow end for a swift entry back in to the hot tub.

Last night I called my Arizona sister on my Google phone which identifies me as Maura Collins. I'd already called my sister, on the Google phone, a couple days ago, with her Caller I.D. telling my sister it was Maura Collins calling, with it taking two attempts before my sister would answer the unknown Maura's call, that first time, but with my sister answering on the third ring last night, because now my sister knows about my new identity.

Anyway, somehow the subject briefly switched to my cool pool dips, with me mentioning that the icy hydrotherapy seems to have abated, totally, for now, my mild arthritis symptoms. My sister opined that this seems to be the opposite of what cold usually does to arthritis symptoms.

I agreed.

But I am quite happy to be an exception to the usual arthritic rule regarding sore joints and the arthritic reaction to cold weather.

With most of the white ice in full retreat I discovered a new peril this morning. With that new peril being small spots of ultra-slippery clear ice.

Be careful out there, fellow North Texans.....

An Escape From The Great North Texas Ice Storm Of 2013 With A Walk With The Village Creek Indian Ghosts

Two People & Their Dog Pony

Today, Day Four (or is it Five?) of the Great North Texas Ice Storm of 2013, the ice retreated enough that I felt like it was a good idea to roll my mechanized wheels some place walkable.

And so I aimed my steering wheel towards Arlington, to the Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

I was half expecting the park to be closed, due to fallen tree limbs, or dangerous slipperiness.

However, entry to the parking lot was not blocked, and so I parked and had myself a mighty fine time walking with the cold Indian ghosts.

I came upon two other people enjoying the invigorating cold, along with an animal that looked like a cross between a small pony and a dog.

Driving-wise, the only icy treachery was on the two over passes I had to pass over on my way, back and forth. The John T. White over pass over I-820 was the more adventurous of the two, with it being a very bumpy, very icy section of road. The Cooks Lane over pass over I-30 was not as iced up, but still, everyone was doing their passover in slow mode.

The ice around my cool pool was mostly in full retreat this morning. Thus I was able to test what it is like to get into a cool pool when the outer world is chilled much cooler than the cool pool. It was one quick dip and then a retreat to the hot tub.

But then I got too hot in the hot tub and so I did two more quick dips in the cool pool. It actually is very invigorating to do so. I think more people should give this form of hydrotherapy a try.

I needed milk and a couple other vittles-type items. And so I made a quick stop at ALDI after walking with the slippery Indian ghosts. Having an ALDI now so conveniently located is very convenient.

I hope this Ice Storm is the last of this type weather event for the year, and into next year, til spring arrives.

But, I suspect this Ice Storm was only the preview of a wicked winter to come....

Watching Four Of Fort Worth's Finest Help A Guy Get Out Of An Icy Predicament

Taking myself on a neighborhood walkabout on Day Three of the Great North Texas Ice Storm of 2013, I was not surprised to once again see a lot of sliding mishaps and stuck vehicles.

Including the guy on the ground, kneeling by his blue car which he slid perpendicular to the curb.

When I first saw this particular perpendicular blue car the driver was still behind the wheel, spinning the rear wheels in a futile effort to get moving.

Then he exited the car about the time one of Fort Worth's finest showed up. I could not hear what the cop in the car was telling the guy on the ground.

Soon another Fort Wort cop car showed up. The cop cars and the stuck car and the other stuck cars were making the road impassable for those vehicles who were not stuck.

After about a minute the cop in the second cop car got on his loudspeaker and said something funny like "Please move your police car, it is blocking traffic."

The cop in the first cop car then turned around and parked perpendicular to the stuck blue car. Both cop cars had two cops onboard.

Soon all the cops were helping the guy in the blue car get moving again, telling him to put it in 1st gear and not to push on the gas pedal.

At one point all four cops were pushing from behind the blue car. After that all four pushed the blue car from the driver's side, with the ice being so slippery they were able to move the car in the direction it needed to go.

I was quite impressed with how nice the cops were whilst dealing with this. I'm sure this was just one of many similar type incidents they've been dealing with the past several days.

I am ready for the Great North Texas Ice Storm of 2013 to fade into history....

Going Stir Crazy With Fort Worth Buses On Day Two Of The Great North Texas Ice Storm Of 2013

Today, December 7, 2013, a day which will live on in infamy as Day Two of the Great North Texas Ice Storm, saw conditions worsen.

Yesterday, on Day One of the Great North Texas Ice Storm, I was a little surprised to see the Fort Worth buses busy rolling over the ice, with no noticeable problem getting up and down the hills which were being major vexations for those driving cars.

I thought the Ice Storm may have grounded the buses. I thought wrong.

Today, on Day Two of the Great North Texas Ice Storm, with the ice having grown much slicker over night, I was again surprised to see the Fort Worth buses busy rolling over the ice.

However, today the buses were rolling noticeably slower. And whilst I was helping Miss Puerto Rico deal with a fallen tree this morning we saw one of the buses come down the hill, slowly, and then have a little sideways sliding action whilst maneuvering around a couple stuck cars.

With the Fort Worth bus system, known as the "T", delivering its people packages so reliably under these dire conditions, it occurred to me that it would be an excellent idea, excellent, I tell you, if the "T" would announce via radio and other means that bus service, system-wide, was free during the duration of the dire weather event.

Free bus service on an occasion like this would accomplish several things.

One good thing would be offering free bus service would likely cause a lot of people to decide to take the bus, rather than risk driving.

Another good thing is offering free bus service under these dire conditions would cause people to ride the bus for the first time, and thus discover how good the Fort Worth bus system is.

Additionally, getting extra weight on the bus, in the form of extra humans, would likely make the buses more stable in these slippery conditions.

Also, offering free bus service would likely cause more people to decide to risk the ice to go shopping or to a restaurant.

Due to going slightly stir crazy I was tempted to go on a bus ride today, and pay the fare, which is still way cheaper than driving. And safer.

The stir crazy thing had me back in the outer world late this afternoon. I managed to slip my way up to Albertsons, which is where I saw the Fort Wort bus in the picture above. I saw three Fort Worth buses in the short time I was exposed to their route this afternoon.

Speaking of the sliding. I saw some major slipping issues in the Albertsons parking lot. One was a pickup truck which could get no traction. And then, after many minutes of tires spinning the truck began to slowly move. Another vehicle, of the car sort, could not make it up the gentle slope which leads to the parking lot.

On my way back to my abode I had myself one incident of extreme sliding. I had no control. I was able to ride it out without falling. That slide was at least 20 feet. Very unsettling. And yet, also sort of fun.

I am ready for this to end. But, I believe we are scheduled for several more days of ice and the deep freeze....

North Texas Ice Closes Roads Leaving Motorists Stuck & Me Slipping

What you are looking at on the left is the fountain that spouts water into the cool  pool I usually go swimming in, weather permitting.

To the left of the fountain is the hot tub I use to get hot if I get too cool in the cool pool.

This morning, what with it being a measly 16 degrees, I thought some hydro-therapy in the hot tub might have a salubrious effect.

It did.

My original plan had been to get in the hot tub and then try one dip in the cool pool, curious was I as to how that would feel, what with the water being much warmer than the air. However, the ice cover had grown more slippery overnight. I did not think it a good idea to try and walk, barefoot, from a hot tub to a cool pool over thick ice.

Whilst in the hot tub I noticed the icicles you see in the picture. After finishing the hot tubbing I returned to my warm abode and outfitted myself in proper attire suitable for not getting cold in air chilled to 16 degrees, then returned to the outer world to take the above picture and to check on the icy condition of my motorized transport device.

Well.

It was on my way to that aforementioned motorized transport device that I discovered I'd made the right decision not to walk barefoot on ice. I was barely on the ice, with my slip resistant waffle stompers over my formerly bare feet, when I had myself a sudden fall from the vertical position. I had a fairly smooth landing and am fairly optimistic no damage was done, other than startling me out of my peaceful frame of mind.

Reading the news this morning I should have realized the level of slipperiness had amped up overnight, what with the news that I-20 west of Weatherford had turned into a treacherous thick ice impassable mess after the melted ice re-froze.

I-35 north of Denton, to the Oklahoma border, also had to be closed, with a lot of travelers stranded on those sections of road, and other locations.

So, for the first time in a long time I will not be going on my regularly scheduled Saturday treasure hunt at Town Talk.

Today I don't think it is safe even to take myself on a neighborhood walkabout. I don't think I could make it to Albertsons without falling.

An Icy Walk In My Neighborhood Dodging Falling Branches & Sliding Cars

With the outer world coated with ice I was not among those who thought it a good idea to roll the wheels of my mechanized transport anywhere today.

I opted to take an icy walking tour of my neighborhood and found myself surprised to find people risking driving on the ice, with that risk being too risky for several that my eyes witnessed.

As you can see my pool is looking particularly cool today, with its new white and turquoise color scheme.

I quickly realized walking on the ice of this Ice Storm was not as difficult as other ice storms I've walked on. And so I decided to try to walk and slide to Albertsons.

I quickly came upon the scene below, on the hill below Albertsons, with cars spinning their tires, with various levels of success, trying to get up the hill on Boca Raton Boulevard.

I learned later the white car on the right slid to that location hours previous and was abandoned by its driver. Not a good place to leave ones car. I saw several incidents of near misses as cars and trucks careened up and down the hill. The car on the far left was also stuck, but the driver was still behind the wheel. The blue car was trying to push it to no avail. Eventually a truck with two big burly guys showed up who were able to push the car enough to get it moving on its own.

As you can see, Albertsons is open, with a few people successfully managing to slide their way to the parking lot. I only saw two Albertsons checkout people checking people out. Both were dressed as if they were out in the cold, complete with stocking caps.

Leaving Albertsons I soon came upon Miss Puerto Rico. None of her co-workers were able to make it in today. Miss Puerto Rico asked if I wanted to tour her property with her, looking for ice damage. That sounded possibly entertaining, so I walked along, for awhile.

The only problem found whilst I was part of the Miss Puerto Rico inspection team was a big branch which had broken off and on to two vehicles. Neither vehicle appeared to have suffered any damage.

After I abandoned Miss Puerto Rico's inspection team I tried to open the door of my own personal mechanized transportation device, to no avail. The driver's side lock was covered with ice, with more ice sealing the door shut solid.

I was able to get the key in the passenger's side door and unlock it. But that door was also sealed shut with ice.

I then got myself a pitcher full of hot water which was able to do enough melting that I got the passenger door open and then was able to open the driver's side door by pushing from the inside.

I wanted to get my vehicle motion ready in case of an emergency need to drive somewhere. Apparently we are not scheduled to get any addition ice coverage. What we get to deal with now is continuing below freezing temperatures which will prevent much of the ice cover from melting.

I am sort of already over winter and winter has not even yet made its official arrival...