Rolling My Wheels In Fort Worth's Gateway Park After A Happy Birthday Mom Call

On this day in August, many decades ago, in a town in Oregon named Eugene, my mom and dad's first baby boy was born.

Which is why on my way to Gateway Park today I called my mom and dad to wish them a happy birthday, well, more my mom, since mom did most of the work on this day, long ago.

I'd not rolled over the Gateway Park mountain bike trails in well over a week, as in, I think, two Saturday's ago.

As you can see, via my favorite photo op location in Gateway Park, the sky is currently mostly cloud free, despite the forecast today for thunderstorms.

With rain.

Yesterday in the afternoon a thunderstorm popped up, with lightning bolts and thunder. But no rain hit the ground at my location. That struck me as odd. I suppose the air is so overheated that falling rain evaporates before it hits the ground, hence the extreme humidity.

Early this morning I was pool bound for almost an hour. I think  that is a record, pool time-wise. And then in the noon time frame I rolled my bike's wheels more miles than any time previous in Gateway Park.

The result of all this excessive aerobicizing is I am currently in a state of Euphoric Endorphin Bliss. Also known as EEB. I do not recollect the last time an EEB  bout was a  blissful as this current EEB bout.

If anyone wants to annoy me, with minimal repercussions, now would be a good time do so, whilst I am in EEB mode....

Celebrating Elsie Hotpepper's Birthday In Arlington On A Village Creek Bike Ride With The Indian Ghosts

Today I celebrated Elsie Hotpepper's 29th birthday the way I celebrate all of Elsie Hotpepper's 29th birthdays.

That is by driving to Arlington to the Village Creek Natural Historical Area to roll my wheels with the Indian Ghosts who haunt this location on the planet.

On the way to Village Creek I needed to get gas. After getting gas I did something I'd not done in awhile, as in call my mom to tell mom  I got gas and how much it cost. That and the temperature. We always compare temperatures.

No one answered the mom and dad phone, so I left a message saying I got gas that cost $3.19 and that the temperature was nearing 100.

In the above picture my handlebars have stopped under the shade of a tree near the Village Creek Bayou Overlook. I stopped at this location because I remembered another call I needed to make. That call was not gas related. It was coffee related.

I noticed something just a bit disturbing as I zipped along the Village Creek paved trails. Only a third of August gone and leaves are beginning to fall, a harbinger of the coming fall when all the leaves fall.

I was not the only person aerobicizing today with the Village Creek Indian Ghosts. I saw multiple bikers and walkers and joggers. The heat and the humidity left me a bit dizzy when I rolled my last. I don't get how anyone manages to jog in this HEAT in the midday time frame.

I was feeling a bit light-headed by the time I got to ALDI to get some needed vittles. I was so light-headed I did not realize I'd re-installed my t-shirt incorrectly. I was in line to buy my ALDI stuff when an inquiring lady behind me asked if I knew my shirt was on backwards. I said I did not know this and inquired as to why the lady thought my shirt was on backwards. She then informed me that one does not often see pockets on the backs of t-shirts.

I was planning to go rolling on the Gateway Park mountain bike trails tomorrow. I may re-think that plan....

A 10th Day Of August Elsie Hotpepper Happy Birthday

Elsie With Her Trademark Hotpepper

Years ago, way back in the first decade of this century, there was an incoming email or blog comment, my failing memory can not quite remember which, but the name of the emailer or blog commenter was instantly memorable.

Elsie Hotpepper.

In the years since I have received and sent a lot of emails and text messages to Elsie Hotpepper.

Way back when I first heard from Elsie Hotpepper, and for quite a while after I first heard from Elsie Hotpepper, I thought Miss Hotpepper was an elderly lady. I recollect way back then helping Elsie with something with me thinking what a nice young whipper snapper I am, helping this elderly lady navigate something technical.

I do not know for sure why I figured Elsie Hotpepper to be an octogenarian. Maybe it was the well-composed, articulate, properly punctuated, grammar error free nature of the Elsie emails which had me thinking she was of an older generation.

So, imagine my surprise upon first meeting Elsie Hotpepper in person. I think this occurred either at the Tarrant County Courthouse, the Fort Worth Stockyards or the Ozzie Rabbit Lodge.

I was expecting to meet a little old gray haired lady walking with the assist of a cane when this very young lady walked up to me and introduced herself as Elsie Hotpepper.

I was speechless.

Years later I found myself in a public location with Elsie Hotpepper, manning some sort of information booth, when a guy walked up to chat about the information we were dispensing. At some point this guy said something to Elsie Hotpepper like "it's cool you are doing this with your dad."

Elsie Hotpepper looked at me and I think we laughed simultaneously. The guy who made me Elsie Hotpepper's dad seemed perplexed.

Anyway, today is Elsie Hotpepper's 29th Birthday. Which means Elsie Hotpepper has a few years to go before she becomes that old lady of my imagination.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ELSIE HOTPEPPER!!!!

Now Is The Time For Justice For Jacob In Texas

With so much out of whack in the outer world on this Second Saturday of August, I decided to stay out of the outer world, for the most part, today.

Among that which is bugging me--- we've got Russia behaving bad in the Ukraine. Islamic extremists behaving bad in way too many places. America now trying to bomb the bad behavior out of the worst of the Islamic extremists, as if that ever works in the long run.

And then we have reactionary American's bad behavior reacting way too wacky over way too much to things like the unfortunate influx of a lot of kids at America's southern border.

And also in Texas we have the strange case of Jacob Lavoro. A 19 year old kid currently being persecuted and prosecuted by Texas for doing something perfectly legal in progressive, enlightened parts of America.

From the Jacob Lavoro Defense Fund website...

My son, Jacob, is a 19 year old young man who is currently in the Williamson County jail. He has never been in trouble with the law before, and has always been a great kid who we love very much. We have not been able to post bail, given the extremely high amount, nor have we been able to retain an attorney as of yet. We are appealing to you for whatever support you can give toward his defense. Thank you so much for whatever help you can offer. God Bless.

The Jacob Lavoro Case has now become yet one more instance where bad government behavior in Texas has become a national and international embarrassment.

Just go to the Jacob Lavoro Defense Fund website and read some of the comments to get a good idea of how badly Texas is embarrassing itself this time. Well, not all Texas is embarrassing itself, there are a lot of Texans appalled at the pot persecution of Jacob Lavoro.

You can go to the Justice for Jacob Lavoro Facebook page to read more national and international reaction.

What appalls me is this is a 19 year old kid. He made some marijuana brownies. For what? I don't know. A party? To sell? Again I don't know. I also don't know how it was Jacob Lavoro came to be arrested and jailed due to his brownies.

I don't need to know.

Why?

Because I know it is wrong to criminalize such a thing and persecute a young man or anyone in this manner over such a minor thing.

Way back in the last century I remember being at an event in the Independent Republic of Fremont in Seattle with Big Ed, Wally and Wanda.

Wanda and I were wandering about looking at exhibits when we heard a guy hawking hash brownies for a buck. He was doing the hawking a short distance from a Seattle policeman.

I said to Wanda wanna get a brownie. Wanda said okay. So we got two, purchased under the watchful eye of the enlightened law. We had no worry that either we or the brownie seller were about to be arrested.

Wanda and I ate the brownies. All I remember about them is they were tasty and we did not get potted from them. Though I do remember some giggling erupting randomly a short time later.

Way back then, in the last century, Seattle already had a tolerance policy regarding marijuana consumption.

And now, in Washington, and Colorado, it is legal to grow, sell, buy and use marijuana, within some guidelines which are still sorting themselves out. In many other progressive areas of America a tolerance policy towards marijuana is in play. Many progressive areas of America have legalized medicinal marijuana.

And then we have chronically backwards Texas, along with the other areas of the chronically backwards South.

Wasting money prosecuting a 19 year old kid because he made some marijuana brownies. A kid whose family does not have the resources to fight the persecuting prosecution.

It is not just the 19 year old kid who is being put through a Kafkaesque Texas hell. Jacob's parents, relatives, friends are all victims of this instance of a lack of common sense in Texas, a lack I see way too much of and am appalled by way too often in Texas.

And there you have my contribution to the Jacob Lavoro defense......

106 Degree Heat Warning In Texas While Arizona Suffers A Cold Spell At 101

For the first time this HOT season, unless I am remembering wrong, which would not be the first time, my location on the planet comes in #1 heat-wise, among the several towns whose temperature I monitor due to my temperature fixation.

In the middle of the afternoon on this second Friday of August, Fort Worth is sizzling with a National Weather Service HEAT ADVISORY because the outer world is currently being heated to 103, with the humidity making that outer world feel as if it actually being heated to 106.

Meanwhile up in my old home zone of Mount Vernon, Washington I would be shivering at 70 degrees.

Further south, in Tacoma, I would be shivering even more at 67. Maybe the Tacoma Connie D would be able to warm me up.

If the Tacoma Connie D was not able to de-chill me I could head over to Eastern Washington where Tootsie Tonasket is not being chilly due to her outer world being naturally air-conditioned at 84.

Visiting my mom and dad in Arizona would provide no heat relief, though it is colder than Texas at 101.

A couple minutes ago I texted my mom and dad to tell them I'm being hotter than them. They just texted back that they are having a below average cold spell.

I really don't think 101 degrees should be referred to as a cold spell....

I Did Not Fasten My Seatbelt For A Bumpy Ride In My Fort Worth Neighborhood

It seemed like a good idea at the point in time I thought of it, that being rolling my wheels on the non-sidewalk paths I see when I walk the sidewalk which surrounds the block in which my abode is located.

I have rolled my wheels a time or two in my neighborhood, but those times I head west on the sidewalk which runs along some of Boca Raton Boulevard, exiting Boca Raton to roll up and down the hilly, tree-lined side streets.

Today I planned on going off-sidewalk all the way down the hill to Randol Mill Road. Soon after I started rolling on the dirt path I discovered the path was a bit erratic and the rolling not too smooth.

I bailed at the first opportunity, taking a side street back to Bridgewood Drive, which leads home. Those are my handlebars above in the picture, pointing south, sitting beside the road, on a narrow path which would be a sidewalk in a non-third world country.

Pedaling on this bumpy narrow path with traffic incoming at high speed was not pleasant.

I won't be repeating today's experiment.

In A Mountain Free Zone Of Texas Vicariously Enjoying Maxine's Washington Mountain Hiking

On the left you are looking at Washington native, Maxine, leading a visiting hiker up Sauk Mountain. The trail up Sauk Mountain is ever so slightly unnerving due to the fact that the trail is a series of switchbacks, out in the open, no trees, working its way to the top.

I last hiked up Sauk Mountain at some point in the 1990s, with my favorite nephew Joey, in what became one of the more infamous "Nephews in Danger" incidents, due to the fact that as we made our way to the top the temperature dropped with the drizzly precipitation turning to ice which had the final few switchbacks ice covered which added an element of risk.

But, Joey and I continued on to the top and then gingerly made our way back down to safety.

Years later, in the current century, Joey's mom, my favorite ex-sister-in-law, Cindy, took up the hiking hobby, which eventually had Cindy hiking up Sauk Mountain, which then had Joey telling his mom about the "Nephews in Danger" incident. When I was later asked about this incident I plead not guilty due to the fact so much time had passed that some sort of statute of limitations had to be in play.

Maxine is an avid year round hiker. When the high country of the North Cascades is frozen over Maxine hikes the lowland hikes of the north Puget Sound zone. Through Maxine I get to vicariously enjoy Washington mountain hiking.

The state I am currently in, Texas, does not have much in the way of mountains, except out in the West Texas Big Bend Region. I have seen the Quadalupe Mountains in the distance,whilst driving to and from Texas. I would like to go to Guadalupe Mountains National Park and do some real mountain hiking.

The closest I have come in Texas to what seems like a real mountain hike I experienced by hiking to the top of Enchanted Rock down south in the Texas Hill Country.

A couple days ago Maxine asked me if I'd seen the Washington Trails Association website. I had not. I blogged about the Washington Trails Association website this morning on my Washington blog in a blogging cleverly titled Washington Trails Association Website.

The WTA website covers all of Washington's 31 Wilderness Areas. Daily, hikers post trail reports. Some days there are dozens of trail reports.

As far as I know nothing like the WTA website existed whilst I was still in Washington. I relied on old-fashioned trail guide books for my trail hiking information.

For several years now, in the fall, Maxine has hiked Cascade Pass to Stehekin. I have always wanted to do that. I've hiked to the summit of Cascade Pass several times and have floated the Lady of the Lake on Lake Chelan to Stehekin, one time.

Well, there is no mountain hiking in the near future for me. Today I may go do some mountain biking with Arlington's Village Creek Indian Ghosts.

One more picture of this week's Maxine hikes. Below Maxine and her hiking troop are on Cascade Pass in North Cascades National Park. I can not tell if the view is looking west, towards my old home zone of the Skagit Valley, or looking east towards Stehekin and Lake Chelan.

63 Years Ago Today My Mom & Dad Got Married 6 Years After Hiroshima Got Atom Bombed

Today, August 6, 1945, a date which lives on in infamy, wait, that's not right, the date which lives on in infamy is December 7, 1941, that being the day the Japanese sneak attacked Pearl Harbor, bringing about America's entry into World War II, which in about three years brought the utter defeat of the miscreantic countries who started that world-wide mess.

August 6, 1945 was the day America dropped an atom bomb on Hiroshima, which soon led to the end of the war.

Six years later, on August 6, 1951, 63 years ago, my Mom  and Dad got married.

Which means today is my Mom and Dad's 63rd Wedding Anniversary.

This morning I text message Mom and Dad a "Good Morning and Happy Anniversary" text message.

Mom and Dad text messaged back saying "Thanks, we are going out for breakfast with J & J & J & J.

J & J & J & J are Jack and Jackie  and Jake and Jill. My brother-in-law, sister, brother and sister-in-law.

Last night I tried to make a composite picture of my Mom and Dad and the atom bomb exploding over Hiroshima. That composite picture did not turn out too well, as you can see above. It sort of looks Mom and Dad are standing in front of a giant head of cauliflower.

As you can see, my Dad is in uniform. An army uniform. Soon after my Mom and Dad got married Dad got sent oversees, to France, during the Korean War. My Mom stayed home.

UPDATE: Someone with the unusual name of Anonymous made the following comment regarding my Mom and Dad with The Bomb....

No, Durango, No! Mom and Dad with The Bomb? You always have tasteful and well done pics and graphics. Don't "Jump the Shark" on me!

Let us see your Peeps with a great period photo.

Well, really, I think I jumped the shark a long long time ago. But, just for Anonymous I've added the photo of Mom and Dad with The Bomb removed.

I wonder what color Mom's dress was. I could ask, but I doubt Mom would remember.

Revisiting Mary Kelleher's Call For Accountability Regarding Star-Telegram's Bud Kennedy's Sexist Remarks

Last month, July 23 to be precise, TRWD Board Director Mary Kelleher emailed a press release verbalizing her disgust at Fort Worth Star-Telegram food critic, Bud Kennedy's, sexist remark directed at her, on Facebook, regarding her election to the TRWD board with a record number of votes.

The Bud Kennedy statement to which umbrage was taken is "Kelleher was the only challenger elected last time and only because she was the only woman on a ballot with 7 men."

I do not know how many people actually read the Kelleher press release. It was sent as an email attachment, with the body of the email blank, with the email attachment a document in Google docx format, which required knowing how to open such a document in order to read it. I suspect many who received the press release never read it.

A few days after I blogged about this issue someone named Anonymous made a blog comment to a related blogging, commenting in part...

"At the same time, the world is still waiting for Elbert Elmer "Bud" Kennedy to publicly apologize or step down. *grin*".

Elbert Elmer?

A few days ago someone asked me what the big deal was regarding Bud Kennedy's "Kelleher was the only challenger elected last time and only because she was the only woman on a ballot with 7 men" statement.

I explained to the "someone"  in question that this statement is a totally wrong-headed thing to say because  it  reduces Mary Kelleher's only attribute which got her elected to being her gender. Not her positions on issues, not her standing and reputation in the community, not her dogged campaign.

I then asked the "someone" in question to consider if Mary Kelleher was African-American and Bud Kennedy said the only reason she got elected was she was the only black on a ballot with 7 whites.

Or if Mary Kelleher was of the Jewish faith and Bud Kennedy said the only reason she got elected was because she was the only Jew on a ballot with 7 Baptists.

Or if Mary Kelleher were a lesbian and Bud Kennedy said the only reason she got elected was because she was the only lesbian on a ballot with 7 straight candidates.

Or if Mary Kelleher were a man and Bud Kennedy said the only reason he got elected was because he was the only man on a ballot with 7 female candidates.

Or if Mary Kelleher was the daughter of Kay Granger and Bud Kennedy said the only reason she got elected was because she was the only Granger on a ballot with 7 non-Grangers.

Okay, I'm not sure that the last example makes the point, but I am sure you get the drift, as in Bud Kennedy was way out of line to suggest that "Kelleher was the only challenger elected last time and only because she was the only woman on a ballot with 7 men."

Not A New Tandy Hills Hoodoo Honey Posing Like Kim Kardashian

I'm sure you're thinking that which you see on the left is a new iteration of the Tandy Hills Hoodoos, a horizontal version of the usual vertical Hoodoo, which we might describe as a Tandy Hills Hoodoo Honey.

Well, I did not find this Hoodoo Honey on the Tandy Hills, I found this Hoodoo Honey on Facebook, via Tootsie Tonasket.

Comments regarding the Hoodoo Honey work of art debated whether it was depicting Kim Kardashian or Nicki Minaj.

I sided with the Kim Kardashian side of this important debate.

I'm thinking this Hoodoo Honey might inspire the Tandy Hills Hoodoo builders to branch out in a new direction, including horizontal Hoodoos along with the vertical.

Horizontal Tandy Hills Hoodoos would not be as easily toppled over by a brisk gust of wind.

It might be a bit challenging to find rounded rocks on the Tandy Hills, so the Tandy Hills Hoodoo Honeys would likely not be quite as voluptuous as the Hoodoo Honey above, but more angular and rough around the edges, which is fitting for a Fort Worth Hoodoo Honey....