It Is A Very Dark Moonless Morning In Texas

As you can see, the view from my balcony is looking out on the very dark morning of a very dark night, while I drink very dark coffee after waking up, early, in a very dark mood.

What has become of the moon? I can see stars twinkling through spaces between puffy clouds. But no moon. I have seen no moon in at least a week.

Yesterday I said I chose to go back to Village Creek Natural Historic Area to do my historically natural walking, due to me assuming the Tandy Hills got a heavy dose of water from the same downpour that got me soaking wet on Sunday.

However, I heard from Stenotrophomonas, he being one of the close monitors of the Tandy Hills, due to living in a location that makes monitoring easy, that the hills received nary a drop of the deluge that dropped so much wetness on me.

The Tandy Hills is less than 4 miles west of my location. Amazing how a storm as wicked as Sunday's only hit a very small area.

I guess I am off to the Tandy Hills today. But, before that happens I'm going swimming. If the sun ever decides to make an appearance.

Perplexed By Danger Low Water Crossing on Village Creek Today

Due to Sunday's unexpected extremely wet downpour I didn't think the Tandy Hills would be a good plan for my daily endorphin fix.

So, it was back to Village Creek Natural Historic Area again. Just like yesterday, despite it being cooler, barely in the 90s, and despite being mostly in the shade, I managed to get almost as soaked as I did in last night's downpour.

It would be helpful if the air was moving a bit. Not as extremely as last night's sudden burst of gusts, but a little wind would be a good thing.

I had not noticed the sign you see in the picture before. Is it new? It may have always been there, for all I know. I can be very un-observant.

Behind the sign you're looking at Village Creek and one of two dam/bridges that cross it.

Now, I admit I can be a bit dense at times, so maybe I'm being dense about the message on the sign, "DANGER LOW WATER CROSSING".

What does that message mean? The danger comes when the creek floods and goes over the dam. At that point a danger sign would make sense. If it said "DANGER HIGH WATER CROSSING". As in crossing the bridge.

The park is always closed when the water goes over the dam/bridge, so basically when you can see the sign it's of no use, because the creek is running a normal flow.

Change of subject to Elsie Hotpepper. EH has seemed a tad sad of late. I'm thinking she is in dire need of doing some saloon hopping. With the hopping taking place some place tropical.

Are The People Voting On Big Dumb Boondoggles In Fort Worth & Seattle? If Not, Why Not?

If I remember right I think I've mentioned previously that I find it interesting how differently democracy is practiced in my current location of Fort Worth, Texas, compared to my previous location in the Seattle, Washington zone.

Both towns have big public works projects underway. In Fort Worth the project is known by various names, such as Trinity Uptown Project, Trinity River Vision or simply as That Big Dumb Boondoggle.

In Fort Worth the people who live in the city have not been allowed to vote on That Big Dumb Boondoggle.

Meanwhile, Seattle may have a boondoggle of its own in the making. That being the multi-billion dollar plan to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct with a deep bore tunnel under downtown Seattle.

In Seattle there is growing opposition to the tunnel, coming from various sources.

Now, to show you how differently issues are dealt with in Seattle, compared to Fort Worth, I've taken an article from today's Seattle P-I regarding the opposition to the tunnel. I have substituted "tunnel" with "Trinity River Vision" and "Seattle" with "Fort Worth" and changed Seattle's mayor Mike McGinn to Fort Worth's mayor Mike Moncrief and changed the price tag from $4 billion to a measly $1 billion.

Now, read this and ask yourself why you would never read such a thing in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram....

With big questions about potentially huge cost overruns, skeptics are gaining steam to torpedo the Trinity River Vision in Fort Worth.

Some groups want voters to have one final say about the Trinity River Vision -- before it's too late.

The Trinity River Vision is expected to cost nearly $1 billion to construct. But a consultant for the Fort Worth City Council says there's a 40 percent likelihood it'll cost more than that.

With that new ammunition, some Fort Worth groups -- such as the Sierra Club and Real Change -- are pushing for a new referendum that would stop the project unless city taxpayers are protected from cost overruns on the state project.

If that referendum gets enough signatures, Mayor Mike Moncrief -- who does not want Fort Worth on the hook -- says he supports a citywide vote.

Meanwhile, council members say there's still time for a compromise.

A Texas Falling Down Sunday Night Storm & Monday Morning Blue Sky Norm

That is not the Monday morning, July 19 view from my patio you are looking at. It is the Sunday early evening view from Miss Puerto Rico's.

I was not aware of any forecast for anything wet, on Sunday. I was peacefully minding my serene business, sitting out on Miss PR's balcony, when suddenly a really clear rainbow popped in to view.

With me on one of the very rare occasions when I did not have my camera with me. It was starting to get real windy. I decided to run back to my abode to get my camera so I could get a picture of the rainbow.

I got back to my abode, got the camera, and exited my abode to find rain falling. Hard. By the time I got back to Miss Puerto Rico's I was soaking wet. Totally soaking wet. I removed what I could of what was wet, whilst still maintaining some modicum of propriety.

Then all HELL broke loose. Lightning striking, wind gusting, rain downpouring. The picture above really does not do justice to the viciousness of Sunday's surprise storm.

When I exited Miss PR's, to make my way back here, it was a wet, muddy, slippery journey.

Keyword, slippery.

As in I slipped and fell. My camera case got covered in mud, but the camera stayed safe. Which is why it is kept in a case. To protect it from my tendency to slip and fall inconveniently.

Today, that day being Monday, July 19, has dawned calm, as you can see in the picture of the view from my balcony, with a blue sky and a pleasant temperature of a relatively chilly 76.

I'm going swimming now. I hope I make it to the pool without slipping and falling.

Walking In The Village Creek Shade While Thinking About Going To Archer City, Nacogdoches & Over Nooksack Falls

When I felt the need to commune with nature today I opted for the shadiest nearby spot I know. That being Village Creek Natural Historic Area.

The temperature was in the high 90s. Even with the shade I got HOT and turned into a sweaty, wet mess, going through 4 bottles of water. All this HEAT is turning me into a very heavy drinker.

This morning I took a virtual trip out west, to Archer City, to check in on Larry McMurtry's Booked Up bookstore. Biggest used book store in the world in a little town that still looks like it did in The Last Picture Show.

When I was done looking at Archer City I headed back east, all the way, virtually, to Nacogdoches. I have had trouble spelling that town's name all day long.

Switching from Nacogdoches to up in Washington, I heard from my oldest sister yesterday. She told me about kayaking over in North Eastern Washington on the Pend Oreille River. And coming to a rapids section or two that made her nervous. I don't know if she knew there are a lot of waterfalls in that hilly/mountainous zone.

Anyway, hearing about kayaking some rapids triggered a recurring nightmare I've not had in awhile.

People in Texas don't have to worry about accidentally going over a waterfall. I think the state must have banned them like they did the Indians.

In Washington there are a lot of waterfalls. There is one called Nooksack Falls. On the Nooksack River. Most of the Nooksack's water comes from melting snow. Nooksack Falls is always running a lot of water. But when the snowmelt is strong, Nooksack Falls shakes the ground.

There are trails where you can hike down the face of the falls, well, along side of. This has also triggered my acrophobia. The Nooksack River narrows and begins moving very fast as it gets near the falls.

In my nightmare I am floating along on an inner tube. The river starts moving faster. I'd gotten in the river way above the falls. I'd planned to get out well before the falls. In my nightmare I realize I am nearing Nooksack Falls. I can hear the roar, the river picks up speed, I can not pull myself to safety on the big boulders lining both sides of the river. I then come to the point of no return, where I know I am going over the falls. I have hit the drop off point, I don't know how many times, in how many nightmares. I don't know what happens next, because I always wake up in a panic.

No one has ever survived going over Nooksack Falls. I'll see if I can find a picture. Found one, and a blurb from Wikipedia. "The water flows through a narrow valley and drops freely 88 feet into a deep rocky river canyon. The falls are viewable from the forested cover near the cliffs edge. The falls are a short 2/3 of a mile drive off the Mount Baker Highway."

Also in the Wikipedia article there are details of a power plant on Nooksack Falls. Operating to this day. My memory of Nooksack Falls goes back about as far as my memory goes and I remember no power plant, let alone the other buildings shown in a photo in the Wikipedia article.

I must look into this Nooksack Falls power plant mystery. It sounds like blogging fodder for my Washington blog.

In the meantime, it is a bit past 4, this Sunday afternoon, and I am so exhausted going to bed sounds tempting. Very very tired am I.

Sunday Morning In Texas Thinking About The 9 Flags Over Nacogdoches

As you might guess by looking at the view from my patio, as I sit there drinking coffee, this Sunday morning of July 18, the sun got up before I did.

I don't remember precisely what I was doing Saturday night, but it must have been very tiring.

It is currently 80.5 at half past 6. The forecast has been altered from the predicted high of 102 for today. The current forecast is for the high today to be the relatively chilly 98.

Yesterday, to temporarily escape the HEAT, I took a virtual trip to Huntsville, virtually stopping in Fairfield for the buffet at Sam's Original Restaurant & BBQ.

I discovered Sam's years ago on the way to Houston. It's my favorite buffet I've found in Texas. It starts off real good with a small hot loaf of whole wheat bread with real butter. And ends real good with coconut cake. In between there is real good Texas/Southern food, some of it BBQed, some of it fried.

This morning, before it gets too HOT, I think I'll take a virtual trip to the oldest town in Texas, Nacogdoches. A town that has been under even more flags than Texas. Or Poland. Added to the Six Flags that have flown over Texas, flying over Nacogdoches were also the flags of the Magee-Gutierrez Republic, the Long Republic and the Fredonia Republic.

Mystery republics I've not heard of before.

While I ponder the 9 Flags over Nacogdoches I think I'll go for my Sunday morning swim.

A Very HOT 100 Degree Blissful Saturday In Fort Worth Texas

Well. As predicted, we got over the Century Mark today. According to WeatherBug, 103 was the high.

I got back here about 6 and woke up my computer. I saw WeatherBug was flashing 102 in red. I hit the WeatherBug button to pop open the program so I could do a screen cap, but before I could do that WeatherBug had refreshed with the current chilly temperature of 100.

This morning, to escape the HEAT, I took a cool virtual trip down to Huntsville, to check out "Ol' Sparky". Sparky being the electric chair we used to use to electrocute bad people here in Texas. Sparky fried 361 evildoers between 1924 and 1964. That is a lot of sparking.

The HEAT is seeming particularly HOT today. The A/C is getting a workout.

Around 3 I felt the need to be out in it. Why? I really don't know, besides the fact it makes me feel good. But, I did not want to go all aerobic in hike mode. Instead I went to Oakland Lake Park where I could sit under a tree and look at peaceful Fosdic Lake.

But, upon arrival, my favorite picnic table was occupied. Someone was having a big BBQ, complete with one of those blow up jump houses. So, I drove to the other side of the lake. It is not a long drive. There is a picnic table in the shade on that side. And it too was being used. This was unprecedented. The second picnic table was also having a BBQ party, this one birthday themed, complete with HAPPY BIRTHDAY spelled out on a string strung between trees.

I had one more picnic table option. Not my favorite location. No view of Fosdic Lake. But it is in the shade. So I sat myself down, unloaded my water bottle supply from my backpack, got out my book and proceeded to read.

At about the hour mark I went into some strange sort of bliss mode. It was quite relaxing. I recommend it. Reading outdoors, under shade, when it is over 100 degrees. It does not even look HOT in the picture, does it? Just peaceful, cool and serene.

I'd go swimming again, but I really overdid it this morning. In a good way.

See you in the morning. I'm in Saturday night mode now. Whatever that means.

It Is A HOT Saturday Morning In Fort Worth Heading To 102 & A Romantic Trip To Jefferson Texas

You are standing outside on my patio in the picture, looking at the sun starting to light up the place, Saturday, July 17, on a day predicted to be the HOTTEST so far this year in my zone of Texas.

As in we are predicted to hit 102 today.

I suspect this prediction will turn out to be accurate as it is already 81 at half past 6.

I think maybe it is already time to shut the windows because I seem to be sort of heating up in here and I don't think it is due to the hot coffee I'm drinking.

Yesterday I took a pleasant virtual trip to the East Texas Piney Woods zone, to Jefferson. Jefferson is just to the west of the only natural lake in Texas, that being Caddo Lake. Jefferson is also known as the Bed & Breakfast Capital of Texas.

In Jefferson, among the dozens of B & B's, you'll find McKay House. McKay House was rated by someone or thing who rates such things as being one of the 10 most romantic inns in America. Few things make me happier than anything romantic. Lady Bird Johnson stayed at McKay House once. I do not know if Lyndon was with her. Fabio also stayed at the McKay House once, which should seal the deal on how romantic the McKay House is.

I think today I may take a pleasant virtual trip to Huntsville and check out Ol' Sparky and Sam Houston.

102 Degrees HOT This Weekend In Fort Worth So I'm Thinking About Escaping To Seattle

After yesterday's vigorous Tandy Hills Sauna/Steambath I am taking a day off from that type salubrious activity. To get my daily endorphin fix I amped up my pooling this morning, staying immersed in wet for over an hour. I may have overdone it a bit, as I am a bit sore.

I may be remembering wrong, but I don't think my specific location in Texas has registered 100 degrees yet this year. If I remember right the official temperature taking location, at D/FW International Airport, did go over the 100 mark. I think that may have been before the arrival of summer.

The HEAT has already dropped the humidity down, a little. But the Heat Index still has the current temperature of 91.9 feeling like 98.

On July 20 it will be 2 years to the day since I last escaped the HEAT of Texas for the frigid climate (in more ways than one) of Western Washington.

This morning Betty Jo Bouvier told me that I need to fly up on July 19 so that I can be a surprise arrival at a dinner at the Chinook Restaurant in Seattle. July 19 is only 3 days from now. That does not give me a whole lot of time to find out where the Chinook Restaurant is, or figure out how I'm going to get there.

But, when Betty Jo Bouvier beacons, one fails to heed her call at ones risk, she being the Wild Woman of Woolley, afterall.

The James Gang & Grandpa Higginbottom In Oklahoma

I got an email some time ago from Elaina Haws. I had intended to blog about what Elaina was asking me.

But I forgot about it until now.

Do you recognize any of the men in the picture?

Elaina believes her great-great-grandfather, James Buchanan Gardner is one of the men in the picture. The photo was among Elaina's great-great-grandfather's possessions.

Grandpa Gardner was associated with the Jesse James Gang. Elaina did not say if Grandpa Gardner participated in in James Gang activities. But, she did say that Grandma Gardner moved to Oklahoma where he changed his last name to Higginbottom.

Elaina says she is just trying to find out about her family history and would thank you very much if you can help identify the men in the picture.