Texas Has Some Of The Worst Cities For Allergy Sufferers

Yesterday I found myself on Facebook, discussing with a Washingtonian, how I never had allergy woes til I moved to Texas.

Yesterday the pollen was extra insufferable. Hot and windy, blowing the sneeze wheeze makers at great volume at high speed.

Overnight a cold front has arrived, along with a noticeable drop in the airborne irritants. I have not felt the need to take an allergy pill this morning.

Blessed relief.

I saw that which you see above, this morning, on the aforementioned Facebook. I don't know why Austin is not at the top of the worst cities for allergy sufferers. I've known people who moved from Austin to escape the annual onslaught of Mountain Cedar Pollen.

The worst allergy bout I have been through was in Fort Worth several years ago, caused by conditions which blew large amounts of Texas Hill Country Mountain Cedar Pollen north to the DFW zone.

There are Mountain Cedar trees here in Wichita Falls. A couple years ago I was biking through Lake Wichita Park when I saw a Mountain Cedar suddenly release what looked like a fog but was Pollen going airborne due to who knows what sudden stimulus. I had never seen such a thing happen before in person. I had seen videos of such.

I have not yet decided if I am going to venture into the outer world today. Current, at 10 in the morning, it is only 52 degrees outside...

Today's Google Memories I Actually Remember

I think today marks the first time since I have been getting emails from Google, ostensibly showing me photo memories from that particular day, that I remember all the memories. 

I remember these photo memories so well I know most did not take place on this day of March 29.

On the upper left, that is a scene in Taos, New Mexico. If I remember right it was called the Lumina Gardens. I may remember that memory wrong. To the right of the Lumina Gardens, on the upper right, I believe that is known as the Mabel Dodge house, also in Taos, near the Lumina Gardens.

This visit to Taos took place in October, not March. 

Below the Mabel Dodge house, that is the New York New York casino in Las Vegas. Below the New York New York photo memory we are looking at the Luxor pool and pyramid, also in Vegas. The stay in the Luxor also took place in October, part of the same roadtrip which saw Taos.

And then there is the lower left memory.. That would be Big Ed on his mountain bike, riding the Slickrock Trail, located near Moab, Utah.

Staying a couple nights in Moab was part of the roadtrip which included Taos and Vegas, but I do not remember taking bikes along on that roadtrip.

Oops, erase that bit about not taking bikes along. That roadtrip included an overnight stay in Silverton, Colorado. The bikes were along. Because I remember trying to ride at that high elevation, and it was brutal. We pushed the bikes up a hill, trying to reach a statue which overlooked the town. Eventually that proved hopeless, turning into a long downhill fast coast back to street level. Also, now I remember riding bikes all over Taos, including to the aforementioned Lumina Gardens and Mabel Dodge house. Also pedaled out to the Taos Pueblo.

Maybe these Google memories are providing me a valuable service, causing me to strain my memory trying to remember...

Back Being Mobile & Hot At Lucy Park

Til today, it had been about a week since last I communed with nature at Lucy Park.

My primary means of motorized motion was checked into the doctor's office last Wednesday, where soon it was diagnosed some major pump surgery was needed.

This morning the motorized motion device was given a clean bill of health, ready to roll, so we rolled to Lucy Park, where I wandered the backwoods undeveloped part of the park.

Due to the temperature being in the low 80s I kept an eye out for anything slithering. I saw no instances of such. What I did see was a lot more green than was seeable a week ago.

A burst of rain a few days ago, along with warm temperatures, has Spring in full breakout mode.

Including, apparently, record breaking pollen.

Yesterday, on a bike ride, I found myself having a sneezing fit due to that record breaking pollen.

Now that I am back mobile I need to go to Walmart to stock up on some supplies. That I shall do in a few hours, perhaps taking Linda Lou along for the ride...

Hollywood Used To Like Fort Worth As Much As Fort Worth Liked Hollywood

I saw the above on the front page of this Saturday's, March 26, 2022, online edition of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Upon seeing the When Hollywood liked Fort Worth as much as Fort Worth liked Hollywood
 headline I instantly wondered if this was going to be one of those Star-Telegram staples I made mock of many years ago, a staple which seems to have disappeared in recent years, the disappearance of  which caused one to think someone at the Star-Telegram had developed an eye for the absurdly ridiculous.

The Star-Telegram staple to which I refer I came to call the Star-Telegram's Green with Envy syndrome. Articles about some perfectly ordinary thing relating to Fort Worth which the Star-Telegram would claim made towns far and wide green with envy.

Eventually I made a Green with Envy web page documenting some of this type nonsense.

So, I read today's Star-Telegram with it mind that today's article would likely contain some element of the Star-Telegram's Green with Envy verbiage. Or in some way be totally delusional.

This was a long article. The first instance of delusional verbiage came in the last sentence of the second paragraph...

Fort Worth was on its way to becoming the Hollywood of Texas!

And then there is the paragraph which followed Fort Worth becoming the Hollywood of Texas...

Big-time production certainly seemed to be heading to Fort Worth in 1920 when Lone Star Pictures Corp. announced plans to relocate here from California. Like southern California, North Texas offered the promise of good weather for outdoor filming almost year-round. Their first picture was to be a “romance of the Texas oil fields,” but the studio never came, and their oil-field love story was never filmed.

Fort Worth has a long history of some big deal not materializing. Or being delusional about some development being touted as destined to become the #1 tourist attraction in Texas. Which is what the Star-Telegram touted when the Cabela's sporting goods store opened a store in Fort Worth.

The following paragraph contains multiple Fort Worth delusions...

Hollywood liked Fort Worth as much as Fort Worth liked Hollywood, reflected in how many films opened here. In the fall of 1940 Warner Brothers opened “The Westerner” starring Gary Cooper here. The decision to premier it in Fort Worth was easy since this was “the city where the West begins” as Amon Carter often said. At its Sept. 19 opening, with World War II already raging in Europe, a Star-Telegram headline screamed, “Everybody but Hitler here for Premier.” The city rolled out the red carpet for Cooper, director William Wyler, and producer Samuel Goldwyn, and Warner Brothers booked the film into all three first-run theaters (the Hollywood, Worth, and Palace). The opening pushed news of the war off the front page of the Star-Telegram. Amon Carter joined in the spirit of things by throwing a party for distinguished visitors at his Shady Oak Farm. Everyone agreed, Fort Worth hospitality was unmatched, or as Samuel Goldwyn said, “It is doubtful such an event would have been held anywhere else outside Hollywood.”

Hollywood used to like Fort Worth as much as Fort Worth liked Hollywood? The use of the past tense seems to indicate neither town still likes the other. The decision to open a Hollywood Western in Fort Worth was easy because Amon Carter often said Fort Worth is where the West begins? Only Fort Worth pretends the town to be where the West begins. Most Americans think the town which has that honor is St. Louis, Missouri. That town even built a giant arch to symbolize St. Louis being the Gateway to the West.

The Star-Telegram screamed everybody but Hitler is in Fort Worth for the movie premier? Clearly, the Star-Telegram's habit of printing ridiculous hyperbolic nonsense is a habit that has been around for a long long time.

And then we have this doozy of a paragraph...

The year 1951 proved a banner year for movies about Fort Worth. “Follow the Sun” was 20th Century Fox’s “inspiring true story of America’s greatest athlete,” which for the movie’s purpose meant Fort Worth golf legend Ben Hogan. It opened on March 23 simultaneously in all three first-run theaters, and the city proclaimed, “Ben Hogan Day!” One Star-Telegram columnist called the premier “the biggest thing to hit this town since Amon Carter put on a cowboy hat and climbed up on a horse.” After the premier Mrs. Hogan told the Fort Worth Press “they got all the facts exactly right,” and Amon Carter pronounced star Glenn Ford worthy of an Oscar.

Movies about Fort Worth? With 1951 being a banner year for such?

And then we have this paragraph...

Horses and Fort Worth just naturally went together. A 1951 Warner Brothers movie starring Randolph Scott used the city’s name for its title though there was little connection to actual historical events in the script. In “Fort Worth” Scott played peace-loving newspaperman Ned Britt trying to tame the town through the power of the press, but of course in the end it took a six-gun. The only bow to history was a passing reference in Britt’s newspaper to a panther spotted sleeping on Belknap Street. The movie’s opening (June 13) reportedly broke “all known world premier records” with 7,000 flocking to all four downtown theaters (the Big 3 plus the Majestic). The city also provided an “Official World Premier Hostess” to escort Scott around town. Applicants for the job had to supply a photo of themselves in a bathing suit.

The idea of someone trying to tame Fort Worth with the power of the press is an amusing thing to read. To this day Fort Worth does not have what most towns have, that being a real newspaper practicing real journalism, ferreting out corruption and wrongdoing, instead of being a cheerleader for what is known as the Fort Worth Way, currently best exemplified by how the Star-Telegram has covered Fort Worth's ongoing mess known as the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island Riverwalk District Vision. And, really?

The premier of this movie titled Fort Worth broke all known world premier records? I am guessing towns far and wide were green with envy when that happened.

And then there is the final paragraph of this Star-Telegram article, a paragraph which contains the most delusional item in the entire article...

With all the natural attractions of Cowtown, and the hard work of the Fort Worth Film Commission there is a good chance Fort Worth will attract future productions. They will need financial inducements, location settings, and plenty of extras. Fort Worth is open for business.

Fort Worth has natural attractions? Really? And those are what? The Tandy Hills is the only thing I can think of?  The Fort Worth Stockyards are not a natural attraction, but they are an attraction, really, the only thing remotely unique in all of Fort Worth....

Striking Workers Won't Stop Skagit Valley Tulip Festival From Blooming

It has been awhile since I have made mention of something I read in a west coast newspaper, such as the Seattle Times, that I would not expect to be reading in a Texas newspaper, such as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. 

That which you see above is sort of an example of such, due to the fact that there are no flower fields in the vicinity of Fort Worth. That and the concept of unions and striking is anathema to Texans who have been brainwashed into believing unions and strikes are bad things existing only in liberal, left wing, socialist, communist areas of America and the world.

I don't think a strike by the tulip field workers will much affect the month long Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. A strike won't stop the flowers from blooming. A strike will affect the flower bulbs being harvested after the blooming is done.

Go to RoozenGarde's Instagram and you will see why the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival has attracted millions of visitors to the Skagit Valley over the years.

There was some talk of me being in the Skagit Valley during this year's Tulip Festival time, staying at the Jones Family Compound on Beaver Marsh Road, near the epicenter of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, that being RoozenGarde. Unfortunately that is not going to happen.

Currently I do not know if the previously planned trip to Washington this coming summer is going to happen. I suspect it won't.

In the meantime, I think a sufficiently warm temperature had arrived at my location, making a bike ride an enjoyable experience in a couple hours....

Sunday At Lucy Park With First Wildflower Of The Spring

Yesterday, the day commonly known as Sunday, and on this particular Sunday, also the first day of the season commonly known as Spring, I found myself basking in 80 degree natural warmth at my favorite park in Wichita Falls, that being Lucy Park.

I wandered Lucy Park off trail, meandering through the wild parts of the park. Eventually I came upon a reliable harbinger of Spring, that being the beautiful bright yellow wildflower you see photo documented above.

It is almost like, on cue, these yellow beauties blossom into view, announcing the end of Winter and the beginning of a new, warmer, more colorful season, known as Spring.

These particular Texas wildflowers are quite useful. The greens can be used in a salad, or a stir fry. If one is able to harvest a sufficient quantity of the yellow blossoms, they can be fermented into a wine product. 

My primary parental units never sent me and my siblings out in the wild to harvest these flowers to make wine, but there was one Summer when we were sent out to pick blackberries, because mom and dad were having fun, along with the neighbors, making wine.

My mom and dad were not consumers of alcoholic beverages. I don't think they realized, at the time, that that was what they were brewing with the blackberries. 

That realization came later, when, upon consuming some of their product, mom noticed it seemed to have some sort of mood altering effect.

Such a realization did not prohibit myself and my siblings from imbibing in the product, which we had helped produce.

Because, for some reason, mom and dad had the idea that consuming such a product was healthy, a digestive aid, common among Europeans, which our Dutch ancestors were...

Saturday Evening Shadow Of The Sikes Lake Thin Bike Man

Yester evening, as the sun slowly set, I had myself a mighty fine bike ride, eventually joining the throngs walking, biking, blading and jogging around Sikes Lake.

You can sort of tell, via the photo documentation, that it was late in the day, causing the casting of a long shadow of the thin man on the bike.

Today, the next to last Sunday of the 2022 version of March, the outer world is scheduled to be heated into the 80s.

I foresee a long walk and another bike ride in my future for today, as I close in on the goal of losing 20 pounds by the end of this month, so that I can more comfortably fit into an airplane's seat...

Hot Nature Communing In Wichita Bluff Nature Area

It was to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area I ventured today to do some nature communing. I parked on the parking lot at the east end of the Nature Area. At that location there is a section of giant grass between the Circle Trail and the Wichita River. This tall grass is at least twice as tall as me.

As you can see, via the sky above the tall grass, we are having a bright blue day today at my location on the planet. With the temperature toying with going into the 80s, with nary a breeze blowing. It felt like summer, not spring.

Above we have reached the first over look which looks over the Wichita River. In this view we are looking northwest.

And now we are at the same location, only looking east, where you can't quite see the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Wichita Falls in the distance.

The redrock at this location reminds me of Utah. I wonder when I will next, if ever, see Utah redrock again.

And now we are at the next overlook. This one has a covered area with picnic tables. Here we are looking east at that first overlook we looked at.

 And then at the same location I turned around to look at the view to the west. 

Looking at these photos of the Wichita Bluff Nature Area, one might think this must be an isolated chunk of land, distant from developed civilization.

One would be thinking wrong if one thought that. 

Upon making it back to the parking lot I ventured north and east a short distance to the biggest Walmart in town, hoping that that Walmart might have some items the two Walmarts I frequent more frequently have been not having in stock of late. It must be one of those supply chain issues, because today's Walmart was also out of stock.

I see a late afternoon bike ride in my future today on this third Saturday of the 2022 version of March. How the months fly by...

Another Proud Right Wing Nut Job Bites The Dust

We unexpectedly find ourselves to be living in interesting times.

Who would have thought, after the peaceful end of the Cold War, that we'd somehow find ourselves back fearing Russia being the world's nutjob nation?

And yet, here we are.

Way back in 1918, there was a world wide pandemic. The Spanish Flu it was called, though the epidemic began in America, in Kansas.

And now the world finds itself in a situation reminiscent of the start of both World Wars, with a pandemic mixed into the global nightmare.

And so, with that as prologue, I must admit, my nerves are on edge. My tolerance for woefully wanton idiocy is pretty much currently non-existent.

I have never had a problem dealing with stupid people. They can not help that they are stupid, born with brains unable to parse anything remotely complex.

But, I currently have zero tolerance for ignorant people. You know, those sorts who may not be stupid, but are too lazy to do that learning thing, and thus are willfully ignorant. And yet totally willing to share their ignorance.

Over and over again.

You challenge one of these sorts with what are known as facts, and they shudder. And come back with something dumb like, 'We have free speech in this country, you just can't handle anyone thinking different than you..."

No, what I can't handle is idiotic nonsense spouted as a legit opinion.

Hillary and Benghazi comes to mind. All the idiotic right wing nut job nonsense. Millions spent on investigating nothing, to finally figure out Hillary had zero to do with Benghazi, that such was a Defense Department area, not a State Department area.

Woeful, malignant ignorance. Of which I have zero tolerance.

And now let us segue to my most recent personal experience with having zero tolerance for right wing nut job nonsense. This incident troubled me greatly. I was enjoying re-connecting with someone I knew decades ago. She seemed smart, funny, articulate, easy to talk to, likeable, interesting. 

And then this happened.

On the day of Biden's first State of the Union address I was Facebook messaging the person in question, and I had myself a real painful getting to really know someone moment. What follows is the transcript of that realizing someone is a right wing nut job moment...

Me: Are you watching the SOTU in a half hour?

Nutjob

I can't stand Biden so I don't know if I can stomach it.

Me: Why in the world would you have such a reaction to Biden???

Nutjob

He makes me cringe in so many ways!

Me: What about him makes you cringe??? I don't get it. Are you listening to FOX propaganda???

Nutjob

Have you seen him grabbing and sniffing children and women?  It grosses me out!

Me: You were okay with Trump? But Biden makes you cringe?

Nutjob

I don't think I ever saw Trump sniffing anyone as they cringed and tried to step away from him.

Me: That you think you saw Biden sniffing someone in a way you found disturbing, is disturbing.  There are not numerous instances and videos. If so, show me one, or two, or three. You are totally embarrassing yourself right now and losing a massive amount of face...

Nutjob

Biden touching girls compilation (RAW CSPAN FOOTAGE)

youtube.com. I saw this one a couple of years ago.

Me: Seriously? That's it? I really am embarrassed for you right now.

Nutjob

I can send you more if you want.  It creeps me out.  If he tried to whisper in my ear I'd probably clock him! The women and kids are always so uncomfortable and trying to lean away from him.

Me: Reading the comments to that video is the same as reading the comments on FOX. It is disturbing that there are so many clueless idiots with a warped perception of reality...

Nutjob

Oh, you would be considered clueless by people who feel this crosses the line. We will not agree on this!  I can tell that now.

Nutjob

Have you ever had anyone cross a sexual line with you?  This is a real trigger for some.

Me: Yeah, well I can tell you quite clearly that I would have zero to do with anyone so ignorant that their reality perception would find that which I saw in that video as any sane reason to demonize Biden. At the same time not having a problem with an actual offender, like Trump. That you think those clips show Biden crossing any sorta line is just disturbing....

Nutjob

I don't think either is right in their actions toward women.

Me: And I think you are totally off your nut with Biden....

Nutjob

For people that have had people cross personal boundaries this is very triggering!

Me:  Well, they should seek therapy to gain a more sane outlook on their world...

Nutjob

I think that he is the absolute worst president we've had for decades. Say what you will, Putin didn't pull this crap while Trump was president.

Me: You are scaring me now. And disappointing me.

Nutjob

Do you want me to be a free thinker or just say what you want to hear?

Me: Uh you are about as far from being a free thinker than I can imagine a free thinker being.

Nutjob

Well, I find that insulting!

Me: Trump was doing what Putin wanted. Weakening NATO, withdrawing from Syria, undermining American democracy.

Nutjob

Our economy was strong.  I paid almost twice for a tank of gas today than I did a couple of years ago.

Me: You can't actually be so ignorant that you think the president controls the price of gas???? I am outta here now, to go watch the sniffer....

Nutjobt

I think that the president does have an impact on it.  Where is Biden most of the time?  He's not very accessible to people.  I think he's so senile that they keep him under wraps. Okay, enjoy.  Still enjoyed chatting with you even though you got patronizing with me because I don't agree with you.

Me: If you watched tonight's SOFU and still can opine that Biden is senile, well, methinks you are hopeless. And I feel this terminates any desire on my part to continue relating to you. Biden is senile. Third strike. You are out....

Nutjob

Wow!  Well, if that’s all it takes, okay.  That’s sad that you can’t have friends that think differently than you.  I thought we were better friends than that, I’m very shocked and saddened.

Me: Sorry. Character matters. I enjoy intelligent friends thinking differently than me, when the difference expressed is rationally based on facts. You revealed yourself to be something I am not comfortable being associated with. Nut job territory. Biden is senile. Reveals all one needs to know about you. Sorry, hope all goes well with you going forward, but it won't be with me onboard....

Nutjob

You have certainly revealed your character also.  You have a cruel edge that can really cut deep.  I wish nothing but the best for you and that life will treat you well.  I won’t bother you again.

Nutjob

Yes, I realize I said I won’t bother you again and then apparently called.  It was an accident while I was rereading your texts.

Me: Like I said. Nutjob....

Lake Wichita Low Tide Impossibly Digging Clams

With the Lunar Orbiter almost at full moon, it was to Lake Wichita Park I ventured on this Ides of March morning.

That almost full moon was exerting enough pull to draw Lake Wichita to the lowest tide I've seen since seeing Lake Wichita tides.

I am almost 100% the people on the exposed sandbar are not digging for clams or hunting down crabs.

But, if I was in my old home zone of the Western Washington Puget Sound region of the Pacific Northwest, or on one of Washington's Pacific Ocean beaches, I would think it was clam digging taking place, or crab hunting, if I saw a sight similar to the two above scenes.

Clams can happen in fresh water lakes. I remember finding oodles of clam shells on the shore of Lake Joe Pool in Dallas. Extremely small clam shells, so small there would be no meat to eat if one dug a live clam. The Lake Joe Pool clam shells looked liked the Puka shells one gets from the beaches of the Hawaiian islands.

Hitting a high of 82 degrees this afternoon. Methinks a bike ride may happen...