Taken By Anonymous To A Hometown By Handlebar

This morning I got an interesting blog comment from someone named Anonymous. This interesting blog comment led me to a very good blog called Hometown  by Handlebar.

The hometown is Fort Worth and the handlebars are those that you find on a bike...

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Making A Prairie Note Of Tandy Hills Prickly Pear Cactus": 

Excellent Fort Worth history website: http://hometownbyhandlebar.com/ Good photography too.

Since this blog is about Fort Worth, and a bike is involved, I can see where someone might suspect that it is my blog. Well, you would be wrong in your suspicion. If you visit Hometown by Handlebar you will quickly see that it is not my blog. This blogger writes way better than I do. And takes way better photographs.

A couple blurbs from Hometown by Handlebar....

Where? (The City)
Fort Worth was established at the confluence of the upper two of four branches of the Trinity River. That confluence—that blending of elements—has served as a metaphor for the city ever since. Fort Worth is a blending of heifers and Heifetz, of pickups and pearls. It is rodeo and Radio Shack, low-riders and high-rollers, sweet tea and tequila, and a museum district where the paintings of Remington and Degas and Picasso stand shoulder to bare breast to unidentifiable body part.

Why? (The Reason)
In the beginning the answer to “Why?” was “exercise.” I began cycling for exercise during the twenty-five years or so I lived in the country, away from my hometown. When I moved back to Fort Worth, I continued to cycle for exercise. And I found that while I had been away, Fort Worth had become more bikable. On the Trinity Trails I can ride from Benbrook Lake in the southwest to Quanah Parker Park on the east or up to Camp Carter and Buck Sansom Park in the north—and with few encounters with vehicular traffic. Several major streets now have bike lanes. City buses have bike racks on front. I can take my bike with me on the Trinity Railway Express.

I think I'll add this blog to my blog list.

May Day 4 Is Going To Be HOT In Texas

Looking skyward through the bars of my patio prison cell, on the morning of May Day 4, the sky appears to be blue and cloud-free, for the most part.

Currently, at my location, the outer world is being heated to 40 degrees above freezing. Heading to a predicted high of 93 today.

I think if we get heated to 93 today this will be the hottest day of the year, so far.

I remember way back in early May of 1998, being in Fort Worth to see if it was plausible to move here. On day 3 we drove out to Weatherford.  where I saw a temperature sign on a bank informing me it was 92 degrees.

Every time we'd stop somewhere and exit the vehicle I'd over heat.

I soon was saying there was no way I could move here, that it was like being in Eastern Washington in August.

Too HOT.

Somehow, I over came my HEAT aversion and made the move. And somehow I then acclimated to being outdoors when the temperature goes into HOT mode.

And like it.

I must go swimming now before it gets any hotter.

Making A Prairie Note Of Tandy Hills Prickly Pear Cactus

The Prickly Pear Cactus patch, on Lost Sunglasses Ridge, on the Tandy Hills, that I've been keeping an eye on due to the many blooms and their future harvest potential when the blooms turn into pears, was looking particularly fruitful today.

All of the Tandy Hills was looking particularly fruitful today. I've never seen the prairie vegetation as it is being this particular spring.

Apparently a group of Fort Worth school children have been hiking the trails of the Tandy Hills. I came to this conclusion today when I came upon dozen of orange flags stuck in the ground, most of which simply said "FWISD" on them.

Some of the orange flags had messages on them, like, "Help the Others", or "View St. This Direction".

The May Prairie Notes arrived this morning. In his Prairie Notes Don Young waxes quite poetically about the current state of the Tandy Hills....

The Tandy Hills are so lush and beautifully painted with wildflowers right now that, to walk upon them feels like an unspeakable act of cruelty. Standing on the trail, I watch the western sunlight cut through the living, breathing canvas rooted in ancient limestone and nurtured by micro-organisms, earthworms, lizards and crawling insects revealing a tangle of Sensitive-Briar covered in pink puff-balls and colored currents of standing wildflowers in colorwheel-shades of yellow, white, purple, red and blue supported by delicate green stems and what seems to be billions and billions of butterflies, moths, dragonflies and bees zooming, spiraling and humming in mad harmony above the swaying wildflowers as pairs of Rabbits and Roadrunners scatter scurry and birds of all colors and sizes float and feed like Martha Graham dancers in the clear blue sky above the mysterious, rare, sweet-scented prairie in this most natural of worlds.

It's an Ode to Joy, it's a Hallelujah, it's a Starry Night, it's La Dolce Vita, it's Lomas de Flores, it's Le Prairie #5. It's got everything on it. Come on in and get re-connected with YOUR natural world.

Methinks the numbers are increasing of people taking the suggestion that they re-connect with the natural world. I see more people than I've ever seen in the various parks I visit.

May Day 3 Dawns Pondering Why Federal Grant Money So Easily Flows To Fort Worth

May Day 3 has dawned with just one tiny wisp of a cloud visible from my secondary viewing portal on the outer world.

Currently, at my location, the aforementioned outer world is heated to 68 degrees, headed to a predicted high today of 82.

Changing the subject from my current location to my old home zone of the Skagit Valley of Washington.

This morning I read an article in the Skagit Valley Herald that once again had me wondering why things are so different between my old location and my current one.

Construction began yesterday on a new road that will make it easier to get from Interstate 5 to where I used to live in East Mount Vernon.

Quoting from the article...

Of the $13 million cost, $3.5 million was allocated by local leaders through the Skagit Council of Governments, who borrowed ahead on future revenues to pay for this road upgrade.

Unlike an article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about something like the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle or Fort Worth's soon to open $3 million pedestrian bridge across the Trinity River, there is no mention of federal grant money. Or earmarks.

Maybe my old home zone didn't get the memo that you can beg the rest of the country for money to pay for public works projects.

Another difference is this new road in the Skagit Valley is a much needed improvement that will greatly help traffic flow, unlike an un-needed flood diversion channel added to an un-needed public works project so that getting federal money would be more easily facilitated.

It is time to go swimming now before it gets any hotter.

No Aches & Pains While Hiking The Tandy Hills With Gar The Texan Needing A Walker

Tandy Hills Hikers

Today I parked on top of Mount Tandy 10 minutes before noon, to have myself some fun, without sun, getting some endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation.

When I did my hill hiking it was a few degrees above 70, temperature-wise. Even now, a couple hours later, the temperature is still a relatively chilly 79.

The cloud cover has the air being very humid. At least I'm assuming the cloud cover is the cause for the humidity.

Today my route over the hills took me down the north slope off Mount Tandy, then crossing the Tandy Escarpment above the now dry, Tandy Falls, then through the jungle of the Tandy Rain Forest, eventually emerging on the trail that leads to the hills from the park on View Street, to see the group of hill hikers you see in the picture.

I do not know why the woman who was bringing up the rear brought up her rear when I went to snap a picture.

During the past year I may have whined about having aches and pains. As in aching joints, knees and feet. For well over a month all that has abated. I have no idea why. A long while back I thought it was the bike riding that caused my aches. But then my bike was stolen and the aches did not go away. Then I thought it might be the excessive swimming. So, I knocked off the swimming during the cold months. With the aches and pains getting no better.

And now, for over a month I have really amped up the exercise and I have no aches and pains, thus negating excessive exercise as the cause of my aches and pains.

My pain free state came to mind yesterday when I read Gar the Texan's sad Feeling His Age tale about all his aches and pains. He returned from his latest bi-monthly senior cruise to find his aging aching hips may require surgery. And a walking cane or walker. And then he found out that due to gum disease his teeth may start falling out. Then he was advised to stop coloring his hair and just let it turn naturally gray.

I'm not sure how old Gar the Texan is. I suspect, due to all the aging symptoms and all those senior cruises he goes on, he is likely 65 or older. If you just look at his face you'd never guess he was that old. But the failing body parts tell another age story.

Maybe Gar the Texan should try excessive exercising and see if that helps all that ails him. Minimally it should help with the age-related weight gain.

Day 2 Of May Thinking About Firing Chesapeake Energy's Aubrey McClendon

Looking through the bars of my patio prison cell on this morning of May Day 2, I see a swimming pool looking like it needs to be swam in. I also see it is yet one more breezy morning in Texas.

A breezy morning already heated to 70 degrees. Heading to a high 12 degrees hotter, if the temperature predictors are correct in their prediction.

I must have missed the news about Aubrey McClendon in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

The Star-Telegram has reason to spew news about McClendon due to what Chesapeake Energy has done to Fort Worth and its surrounding area.

While the Seattle P-I has reason to spew news about McClendon due to the shady way he moved the Seattle Supersonics to Oklahoma City.

Apparently the Chesapeake Energy shareholders have been complaining about McClendon's shady dealing in doing things like borrowing more than $1 billion to buy stakes in Chesapeake's wells.

So, on Tuesday McClendon was removed as chairman of Chesapeake Energy due to complaints that his personal business interests conflict with those of Chesapeake Energy. McClendon continues as Chesapeake's CEO. For now.

Enough about Chesapeake Energy and its corrupt CEO. It's time to go swimming now before it gets any hotter.

Mechanical Bike Dysfunction & A Walk Around The Green Slime Of Fosdic Lake

The Growing Green Slime On Fosdic Lake

I am not a mechanically inclined individual. This fact was freshly made clear to me this morning when I tasked myself with replacing an inner tube in a bike's rear tire.

The wheel came easily off the bike. The flat inner tube came easily off out of the tire.

And then the fun started.

I had trouble getting the new inner tube around the rim. Eventually I managed that. And then I started having trouble getting the tire to seat around the rim.

Eventually I overheated and hauled the vexing tire to an indoor location with air-conditioning. At that location I also had Internet access, so I Googled "mountain bike tube installation" and got myself some directions. From that point on it was only a half hour or so til I had the wheel back on the bike.

One thing I learned during this morning's ordeal was that working on a tire is aerobic exercise when one is an inept bike mechanic.

By the noon time I needed some peaceful walking time, so I went to Oakland Lake Park to walk around Fosdic Lake.

The green algae Fosdic Lake covering has grown larger since my last visit. And the duck population has decreased to just a few ducks from the 10 or 11 ducks I saw on my last visit. And I saw no turtles in Fosdic Lake today.

The Fish Consumption Advisory signs around Fosdic Lake currently seem a bit unnecessary. Would anyone eat a fish caught in this currently ever greener lake?

Celebrating International Workers May Day With A Flat Tire

Looking out my primary viewing portal on the outer world on the morning of May Day, that being the first Day of May, or what my fellow traveling communists celebrate as International Workers' Day, I see a sky with clouds blocking the sun and a breeze blowing the trees.

What I can not see, but can feel, is the temperature. It is currently 70 degrees, heading to a high of 81, if the temperature predictors are correct in their prediction.

Changing the subject from my favorite one to something else.

Apparently I'd not called my mom and dad since my mom called to tell me my little sister had a medical woe. So, my mom called last night to ask why I've not gotten gas lately. The Phoenix zone is being a bit hotter than my location. Arizona has had several temperature record days in the 100s.

Last night I discovered the rear tire on my new bike has gone flat. I've only pedaled on paved trails, so this flat vexes me very much.

This morning is the regularly scheduled day off, so no pool for this fool this morning. I think I'll get myself some aerobic stimulation by replacing an inner tube.

Tandy Hills Hot Humid Hiking With Smoked Turkey Legs

Wildflowers On Top Of Mount Tandy

The biggest patch of very colorful wildflowers that I have seen this year on the Tandy Hills is on the top of Mount Tandy, to the east of the Fort Worth Space Needle.

Getting technical about it, with getting technical not one of my few fortes, I don't know for sure if the area east of the Fort Worth Space Needle is considered one of the Tandy Hills. It may be part of the Broadcast Hills.

I am almost 100% that the area to the east of the Fort Worth Space Needle is not part of the Tandy Hills Natural Area.

The Tandy Hills hill hiking was humid today. Very humid. A steady breeze brought some relief from the muggy humidity.

Changing the subject from the Tandy Hills, and humidity, to turkey legs.

I got around to picking up the current ink edition of dfw.com on my way back from the Tandy Hills.

On the cover is a giant turkey leg.

The one person who reads my blog may remember that last month when I was in Arizona we spent a lot of time hunting for illusive turkey legs. When we found enough turkey legs my dad smoked them in a smoker.

My mom was not happy with the turkey legs after they got smoked.

I have not read dfw.com  yet, but I think I need to mail the ink edition to my mom and dad due to the fact that on the cover there is a giant smoked turkey leg with text saying Bird is the Word, Plus: How to smoke your own giant turkey legs at home.

I'd email mom and dad the link to dfw.com so they could read how to smoke a turkey leg  on their computer screen, but I think the snail mailed ink edition would have a better chance of being seen.

The Final Monday Of April Dawns With Possible Incoming Storms

Looking skyward on this last day of April it appears less stormy than yesterday morning. However, today storminess is in the forecast, with possible rain and lightning strikes.

I hope I can get in some salubrious endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation by doing some hill hiking before any precipitation precipitates.

It is 39 degrees above freezing, already, on this Monday morning.

I've got my windows open, but am not getting a satisfying incoming cooling. The ceiling fan is spinning and that is not providing a satisfying cooling either.

Something in the air is annoying my eyes, again. A burning sensation.

Among the many things I liked about being in the desert in Arizona, last month, was nothing irritated my eyes. And I did not need any sort of spray intervention to keep my respiratory system functioning correctly.

It is now that time in the morning when I quit whining in blogging mode and go swimming where I whine quietly to myself.

Visiting Veterans Park Before Visiting Arlington's International District

On my way to Arlington's International District, today, I stopped at Arlington's Veterans Park to visit the veteran who guards the Veterans Park Memorial.

As you can clearly see, this morning it was cloudy and windy in Arlington.

What you can not see is that both of the park's parking lots were almost full. There was not one large singular activity that accounted for the almost full parking lots, but a lot of individual activity of individuals and small groups of individuals.

After visiting Veterans Park I visited 3 stores in Arlington's International District. That being 2 stores that are Asian themed and one, Import Market, that is more Middle Eastern/Russian themed.

I got a jar of Ginger Paste at the Import Market. I have no idea what this is used for, but it was on sale for $3.99 and the description on the jar made it sound as if there are all sorts of uses for it. I also got Whole Wheat Pita Bread. I'd not seen Whole Wheat Pita Bread before.

I looked all over the Import Market for Hummus. I found cans of chickpeas, but no Hummus.

The customers in the Import Market appeared to be more multi-cultural than the Asian themed stores I went in, where I tend to be the only Anglo in the store.

I did see one other Anglo in one of the Asian stores. She was stunningly beautiful, exotically so.

Many of the Asians in the Asian stores are dressed very stylishly. The Asian stores are run very efficiently. The Middle Eastern/Russian store has some quirks in how it operates, with the quirks being part of what is interesting. For instance, many items have no indicator of the price. So, I bought the Whole Wheat Pita Bread not knowing what it cost til I saw it scan at $1.49.

If you live in the Arlington zone and have not shopped in Arlington's International District, you really should check it out.

I wonder why no one opens a Uwajimaya type complex in the D/FW zone? Uwajimaya is in Seattle's International District. Uwajimaya is an Asian store on steroids, with one of the best food courts I've ever had the pleasure of being pleased in.

The Final Sunday Of April Has Arrived After A Night Of Sleep Walking

Looking out my primary viewing portal on the outer world, on the last Sunday of April, gray seems to be the color scheme this morning.

Eventually today is supposedly going to be partly cloudy. Currently the sky is totally cloudy.

I've got my windows open so the steady breeze can blow in naturally air-conditioned air that has been chilled to 68 degrees.

Eventually the sky furnace will turn on and the windows will need to be closed. But, with the scheduled high today being only 83, maybe I'll be able to avoid turning on the un-natural air-conditioning.

Changing the subject from my favorite one to one of my personal problems.

I had a sleep walking incident last night. That makes two nights in a row. The previous night I walked in my sleep and opened the patio door. And left it open. Last night I woke up and could not find my pillow. I looked all around the bed. Then got out of bed. The pillow was nowhere to be found in my bedroom. Or the closet. Or the bathroom.

So, I exited my bedroom, looked in the kitchen, and then the living room, to find the pillow on a coffee table.

I find these sleep walking incidents to be very disturbing due to the fact that I have no idea what else I may be doing whilst sleep walking.

It is time to go swimming now. Later this morning I think I will go to Arlington's International District.

Pedaling The New Veridian Trail At Arlington's River Legacy Park

The Thin Ribbon Of The Veridian Trail

No, what you are looking at in the picture is not some location on the Tandy Hills. I did not go to the Tandy Hills tonight, did not go to Prairie Fest x3 Part 2.

Instead of joining the throngs on the Tandy Hills I joined the throngs at River Legacy Park and had myself a real fine time going on a real long bike ride.

The orange cones that had been blocking entry from the River Legacy trail to the new paved trail that trails off into the Veridian Project had been set aside.

So, I pedaled that new Veridian trail until it terminated.

The End Of The Veridian Trail

The new Veridian trail is very narrow. I don't quite see how it is intended to be used. A pedestrian trail connection to the River Legacy trail? With bikes banned?

I have to say it was fun biking on this trail, going real fast.

The parking lot where I usually park at River Legacy Park was full tonight. The park was way busier than my mid-week visits. But the traffic on the trails was not quite as frenetic.

I was quite impressed with the number of over inflated people out getting themselves some exercise tonight. There was one really big pair at the end of the trail, the 7 mile mark. They did not appear to move too fast. I hope they made it back to their vehicular transport before it got too dark.

CatsPaw Takes A Close Look At Fort Worth's Phyllis J. Tilley Memorial Pedestrian Bridge

That is an artist's rendering of what Fort Worth's  Phyllis J. Tilley Memorial Pedestrian Bridge will look like upon completion in about a month.

I got the artist's rendering from the Freese and Nichols website. Freese and Nichols are the Fort Worth based constructors of this architectural wonder.

Quoting from the Freese and Nichols website...

The 386-foot-long Phyllis J. Tilley Memorial Bridge across the Trinity River will be an important and highly visible pedestrian bridge connection between downtown Fort Worth and the City’s Cultural District. With the bridge’s prominent location at historic Trinity Park, the aesthetic design is of paramount importance. After evaluating multiple concepts, an elegant “stress ribbon” design was selected by a design committee. This arch-supported stress ribbon bridge will be the first of its kind in the United States. The bridge was designed in collaboration with noted bridge designers Rosales + Partners and Schlaich Bergermann und Partner.

The cost of this architectural marvel is only $3 million.

America is flush with cash, while Fort Worth is not flush with cash, so you in the rest of America contributed $2.3 million of the $3 million for this direly needed bridge that will help connect Fort Worth's downtown to its isolated Cultural District.

Looking West At The $3 Million Bridge Under Construction

If you visit Fort Worth and want to walk across the bridge you helped pay for, I think you will likely be able to do so without paying Fort Worth any more money.

However.

Having said that, I must warn you that Fort Worth has a bad habit of charging admission fees for things that most towns consider to be life enhancing amenities to be used, free of additional charge, by everyone.

A couple days ago I blogged Questions About Fort Worth's New Pedestrian Bridge Across The Trinity River, after which, CatsPaw, she being the renowned Fort Worth photo journalist and graphic designer, sent me three photos she took yesterday of the Phyllis J. Tilley Memorial Pedestrian Bridge under construction.

One Of A Kind Stress Ribbon Bridge

Looking at these photos one can clearly see how this little bridge could easily cost $3 million.

If I remember right the new Tacoma Narrows Suspension Bridge cost around $1 billion. That is 333 times more expensive than this new bridge in Fort Worth.

Just guessing, but I suspect Tacoma's new bridge is way more than 333 times bigger than the new Fort Worth bridge. If I remember right the Tacoma bridge carries 6 lanes of traffic. Plus pedestrians.

I don't know if the new Tacoma Narrows Suspension Bridge got any federal grant money to help with the funding. If I remember right it was something like 7 or 8 counties voted in the proposition that led to the construction of the new Tacoma bridge.

One Month Til The Grand Opening

In Fort Worth we don't believe in the public voting on things like public works projects.

I have not yet learned how it was that the Phyllis Tilley Memorial Pedestrian Bridge came to be constructed.

However, I do know for certain it was not the result of a public vote.

CatsPaw took these photos yesterday. It appears that there is a lot of constructing still needing to take place if this bridge is going to look anything remotely like that artist's rendering at the top, by the time of its Grand Opening in May.

The Segway Experience With CatsPaw In Fort Worth's Botanic Garden

CatsPaw surprised me today by letting me know that, via Groupon, she'd signed us up for a Segway tour of the 109 acre Fort Worth Botanic Garden.

Are Segways able to go off-road? On trails?

Before we are led on our tour we get personal instructions on how to operate the X2 Segways.

I have been all over the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. I may be wrong, but I don't think there are all that many areas where something like a Segway would be allowed, just like how a mountain bike or golf cart would not be allowed.

And then there are the elevation changes. Do Segway's easily navigate elevation changes?

The information that comes with the Groupon says that riders must be able to make motions such as climbing and descending stairs without assistance.

Climb and descend stairs? What does one do with ones Segway whilst climbing and descending stairs?

Also the Groupon ad says riders must weigh between 100 and 275 pounds. I guess I need to lose some weight before I get on a Segway.

It will be interesting to see how this Segway ride through the Botanic Garden works.

Prickly Pear Cactus Is Blooming On The Tandy Hills For Today's Prairie Fest x3 Part 2

Blooming Tandy Hills Prickly Pear Cactus 

The temperature was in the low 80s when I did my Tandy Hills hill hiking today. A steady breeze made for some good wind chilling.

I saw my first Prickly Pear Cactus bloom of the year, today.

Soon I should be able to harvest some Prickly Pears and make some Prickly Pear Jam.

I drove on View Street on my way to Town Talk, post hiking, and saw that Prairie Fest x3 Part 2 is all set up and ready to go.

CatsPaw sent me some good bridge pictures this morning and an invite to ride a Segway through Fort Worth's Botanic Garden. I must turn these two items into separate bloggings.

But, before I blog about bridges and Segways I think I'll go do some poolside lounging. After going swimming.

The Windy Final Saturday Of April Is Part 2 Of Prairie Fest x3

Looking out my primary viewing portal on the outer world on this final Saturday of April you can not see how windy it is or feel how hot it is.

Well, I can tell you it is a bit breezy and 68 degrees.

Part 2 of Prairie Fest x3 starts up later today, with music and wildflower tours starting at 4 pm.

I hope it is not too windy for the Prairie Fest x3 kite fliers and prairie painters today.

I think I may go to the Tandy Hills before 4 today and do me some windy hill hiking.

But, before I do that I think I will go do some windy swimming and have fun dodging the whitecaps rolling across the pool.

Where Have Fort Worth's Fosdic Ducks & Turtles Gone?

Fosdic Mama Duck & Babies

It has been a few days since I've walked around Fosdic Lake in Oakland Lake Park in East Fort Worth.

Something appears to have gone dire wrong since the last time I had a close up look at Fosdic Lake.

Every year, during the HOT heat of summer, when the temperature goes over 100 day after day, Fosdic Lake can take on a greenish hue, due to algae flourishing in the warm water.

It is currently a bit less than 2 months until summer. The temperature has gotten into the high 80s and low 90s a couple times this year. Currently it is 89.

Yet, for some reason Fosdic Lake has a huge mass of green vegetative matter floating over much of the lake.

I only saw about 10 ducks today and five of them were the babies you see in the picture.

Where have all the Fosdic ducks gone? And the other Fosdic birds? Are the Fosdic birds being like a parakeet in a mine? Do they know that Fosdic Lake has turned foul and have escaped to cleaner waters?

None of the Fosdic ducks I saw today were in the water. Maybe they do not like floating in a high wind. As it was being very windy today in the noon time frame. Or maybe ducks don't like floating with little islands of algae.

Green Algae Vegetation Blown Up Against Fosdic Dam

Usually the Fosdic ducks are very skittish. Usually when the ducks are land bound they quickly get lake bound when I get close to them. Today none of the ducks seemed to care that I was close to them. It was like I was the least of their worries, with a new worry taking top precedence, that being their home that was growing green.

And where were the Fosdic turtles? The turtles love it when the temperature is as hot as it is today. Usually I'd see dozens of Fosdic turtles, swimming in the water, sunning on logs. Today no turtles.

What is Fosdic Lake going to be like when the heat of summer arrives? Will it become totally choked with algae?

This is all very disturbing.

The Final Friday Of April

Looking skyward through the bars of my patio prison cell on the final Friday of April, day 27, there appears to be some cloud action.

But, no rain is in the current forecast, for today.

However, on the last day of April, Monday, April Showers are in the forecast.

It was windy all night, again, which had me hearing wind chimes tinkling. I do not like wind chimes.

A couple days ago a couple people emailed me asking if it was I who was found dead beside his bike beside the Trinity River. This seemed odd to me, like those people who call to see if I got struck by the tornado they'd just seen on CNN twisting somewhere in Texas.

I'd not bothered to click on the link to the story about the dead biker that those asking if I'd died, politely included in their query, til last night.

I was surprised to learn that the dead biker was found in River Legacy Park. On Tuesday. I biked in River Legacy Park on Monday and Wednesday oblivious to the fact that someone had met his tragic end there.

On a happier note, I was happy this morning to read in my favorite newspaper, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, that Trader Joe's is opening in Fort Worth on June 15. I have only been to one Trader Joe's, somewhere between Sea-Tac and Tacoma. I liked Trader Joe's a lot. I suspect it will be very busy, like In-N-Out, when it opens.

It is currently 68 degrees. I think I will go swimming now before it gets any hotter.

Hot Steamy Tandy Rain Forest Jungle Hiking With Sick Homeless Guy

Tandy Rain Forest Jungle

Lately, due to my aversion to feeling like I need a machete to hack my way through a trail, I've avoided the Tandy Rain Forest Jungle that one goes through when one crosses north across the Tandy Escarpment above Tandy Falls.

But, today when I left the air-conditioned comfort of my abode to head into the outer world for some endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation, I decided to brave my way through the lush vegetation of the Tandy Jungle, sans machete.

The machete-free Jungle passage was not as difficult as I had feared.

It was only in the 80s when I did my hill hiking today. But the humidity had the Real Feel feeling HOTTER. By the time I got back to the air-conditioned comfort of my vehicle I was about as wet as if I'd just stepped out of a shower.

Being about as wet as if I'd just stepped out of a shower, combined with air-conditioning blowing cold set off an interesting bout of sneezing.

On my way back to where I am now I stopped at Albertson's to pick up this week's FW Weekly. When I left Albertson's the sad/sick looking homeless guy I've mentioned previously, who lives in a shanty of cardboard near the now defunct Krogers, was walking towards me. Suddenly the sad/sick guy started hacking with a terrible sounding cough.

I see this guy several times a month. He looks progressively worse. Why is there not a number that you can call when you see someone in dire need of help? Or is there such a number? I know 911 is useless for such things.

I wonder where one can acquire a machete?

Questions About Fort Worth's New Pedestrian Bridge Across The Trinity River

River Legacy Park Trinity River Pedestrian Bridge

The bright sun wreaked havoc, last night, with my attempts to take a good picture of the pedestrian bridge in Arlington's River Legacy Park that takes walkers, bikers and bladers across the Trinity River.

But, even my limited photo taking ability shows you that this is a fairly substantial looking bridge. A very heavily used substantial looking bridge.

I do not know how much it cost to build this particular bridge. I suspect it was less than $3 million.

Yesterday I was surprised to learn that Fort Worth has a pedestrian bridge under construction, somewhere near Trinity Park, connecting the Trinity Trail to downtown Fort Worth.

Fort Worth's pedestrian bridge across the Trinity River will cost around $3 million. Of that $3 million, $2.3 million comes from federal grants, with the City of Fort Worth adding $459,000 and Streams & Valleys adding $200,000 raised from private donors.

I am a little perplexed about the building of a $3 million pedestrian bridge at this location at this particular time. When and where was this expenditure debated and voted upon?

How many miles of sidewalk could be installed in Fort Worth for $3 million? It seems like sidewalks would be a higher priority than a pedestrian bridge in the biggest city in America with the most miles of roads without sidewalks.

How many of Fort Worth's shuttered public pools could be opened for $3 million?

How many more hours could the Fort Worth Public Library system be open with an influx of $3 million?

A few years back Fort Worth decided to limit access to one of its city parks, that being the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge, by charging an admission fee. I don't know of any other city, with World Class pretensions, that charges an entry fee to one of its city parks. Particularly to a park of this nature.

A month ago I was in several city parks in the Phoenix zone. Enormous city parks that dwarf anything in Fort Worth, both in size and the number of people using them. None charged an entry fee.

How does this new pedestrian bridge in Fort Worth fit in with the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle? It is downriver from the Woodshed Smokehouse, which somehow became part of J.D. Granger's Vision for the Boondoggle, even though the Woodshed seemed to be too far upriver to be part of the area that the vision originally saw.

What the City of Fort Worth decides to spend money on, and not spend money on, is very perplexing. And how those spending decisions are made is also very perplexing.

The Final Thursday Of April Dawns Warm

The sun has arrived on this last Thursday of April, as you can see via the view from my secondary viewing portal on the outer world.

What you can not see is it is already 69 degrees, heading to a high of 90, if the temperature predictors are correct.

This morning CatsPaw offered to do some photo journalizing for me regarding a bridge. I think I've got it covered, but I can always use more photos.

Elsie Hotpepper sent me a link, this morning, to an article about animal cruelty in my neighborhood. Apparently the case of animal cruelty was discovered by a pair of guys who I caused to spill their beer at last year's Prairie Fest. The article is titled City’s Lack Of Response In Animal Cruelty Case Disturbs Fort Worth Pet Sitters.

I also find the City of Fort Worth's response to these guy's attempt to fix something wrong to be disturbing.

Well, it is that time in the morning when I take a break from being disturbed and go swimming.

Riding Tonight With The Packs Of Bikers At River Legacy Park

I was back to Arlington to River Legacy Park tonight to bike to the 7 miles marker at the far east side of the park.

My secondary motive (primary motive is to try and get in shape) for biking along the Trinity River tonight was to take a picture of the bridge built a few years ago across the Trinity River, connecting the park to both sides of the river and extending the paved trail for several new miles.

I wanted to use a picture of the River Legacy bridge in a blogging where I am intending to opine about a new pedestrian bridge in Fort Worth across the Trinity. But, that blogging will need to wait until tomorrow.

This gives us all something to look forward to.

Back to tonight's bike ride. Once again I was surprised and impressed at the number of Texans out biking, walking, blading and playing.

One change I am sort of ambivalent about.

I don't remember biker packs in years previous biking the River Legacy trails. Tonight I encountered 4 different packs of bikers, pedaling fast, all close together, single file. The biggest group passed me, or met me, 3 times.

I have never understood the attraction of biking in a pack. It'd make me nervous. Each of the packs was very courteous, announcing their high speed passing.

I'm really liking my new bike. Every time I've had a new bike previous there have always been issues requiring a return to the bike shop. So far, no issues.

On The Colorful Tandy Hills Getting Ready For Saturday's Prairie Fest X3 Part 2

Tandy Flowers Growing Wild

I think my plan to get in shape to swim in the waters off South Padre Island is coming along fine. Today's amped up Tandy Hills hiking went particularly well.

As you can see, via the picture, the wildflowers are being particularly wild this year, along with a lot of overly exuberant, equally colorful butterflies.

I arrived at the park on View Street to see what I thought was a big eco-friendly solar powered grass trimmer mowing  the lawn. I assume in preparation for Saturday's Big Prairie Party.

It seems like just yesterday I went to Prairie Fest x3 Part 1, but come Saturday, that Part 1 part was already a month ago.

I got an email from the Don of the Tandy Hills, a couple days ago, with the schedule for Saturday's Prairie Party....

Prairie Fest x3 on April 28 . . . 

- Dallas Area Kitefliers Organization will be coloring the sky above Tandy Hills
- Kites for sale at the festival by, Fun Family Kites
- Plein air painters will be setting up easels on the prairie
- Food Factory science hikes for kids 9 - 12 (see website for details)
- Native Plant Society of Texas plant sale
- Grammy-award winners, Brave Combo, performs with Brazen Bellies (see full stage schedule below)

Stage  Schedule (4/28):

4 PM  Darrin Kobetich  (Six straight years at Prairie Fest)

5 PM  The Ackermans  (Six straight years at Prairie Fest)

6 PM  Fort Worth Scottish Pipes & Drums

6:30 PM  Brave Combo w/ Brazen Bellies

The Final Wednesday Of April Heating To 93 Degrees Today In Texas

The view is blue from my primary viewing portal on this final Wednesday of April.

But the sky is not totally blue. Big puffy white clouds are blotting out some of the blue.

At 65 degrees it is already semi-warm this morning.

The temperature predictors are predicting a high of 93 today. I don't think we've gotten into the 90s yet this year. I may be forgetting a HOT previous day in 2012.

I am skipping my regular morning swim this morning. This is a regularly scheduled morning swim skip. I tend to overdo that which I do, so I have to not do every once in awhile.

I must attend to something important for Elsie Hotpepper now. I'll talk to you later when I have more time.

On The Tandy Hills After A Morning With The Unstoppable Woman

The Re-Erected Bamboo Tandy Teepee

The Unstoppable Woman called this morning which led me to having way too much fun with website issues.

The Unstoppable Woman, to which I refer, is not Elsie Hotpepper.

Now that you've got me thinking about the Unstoppable Elsie Hotpepper, I realize I've not heard from her today. I was too consumed with the other Unstoppable Woman to realize Elsie Hotpepper has gone missing again.

I needed a break from the Unstoppable Woman issues so I took myself to the top of Mount Tandy and had a real fine time walking up and down 8 hills. I figure if I keep doing this type behavior eventually I will get in shape.

I was pleased to see, today, that the keeper of the Bambo Tandy Teepee has re-erected the fallen Teepee.

The mystery of the pile of bamboo, deep inside the Tandy Hills, and the erection of the Bamboo Tandy Teepee has never been solved.

It is a little warm today at 82 degrees. According to my temperature source the humidity has the real feel of the temperature being 87 degrees. 87 degrees is bordering on HOT.

I need to make a phone call about the Unstoppable Woman. I guess I will quit procrastinating and do that now.

The Last Tuesday Of April Dawns With No Favorable Or Unfavorable Opinion About Fort Worth

Looking at the outer world from my secondary viewing portal on this final Tuesday of April, it appears my views is being increasingly blocked by increasingly bigger green foliage.

I don't recollect Texas ever looking as green as it does currently, at any other point, during my exile from the Evergreen State.

Speaking of the Evergreen State, this morning I read something called Public Policy Polling ask the question "Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of (various cities)?"

The title of the article let's you know which city was at the top of the list, "Seattle tops popularity list of U.S. cities".

Two Texas towns are on the list, those being Dallas and Houston. More people had a favorable opinion of Dallas than they did of Houston.

I don't know why these pollsters did not ask if those being polled had a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Fort Worth.

But I can hazard a guess.

That being the pollster likely only asked about cities about whom the majority of Americans might have an opinion.

And not ask about cities about whom most Americans know nothing.

Fort Worth might want to ask itself why most Americans know nothing about Fort Worth. It is a question worth pondering in the city that makes America Green with Envy.

It is currently 54 degrees. Time to go swimming before it gets any hotter.

An Evening River Legacy Bike Ride With A Blue Trinity River & New Veridian Trails

The Trinity River Runs Blue Through Arlington

No, that is not the boarded up boardwalk in Fort Worth's Gateway Park you are looking at in the picture.

It is the un-boarded up boardwalk in Arlington's extremely well maintained River Legacy Park.

That blue body of water you see surrounded by lush, green vegetation is the Trinity River.

Somehow, after leaving Fort Worth, the Trinity River is scrubbed of its greenish/brown murky color and cleaned to a glistening blue.

I don't think J.D. Granger's Magic Trees are yet in place to account for the river cleaning.

A couple weeks ago I biked the trails of River Legacy and opined my surprise at the number of people having fun in various ways on the trails, mid-day. I wondered, at that time, how big the crowd was in the evening, or on a weekend.

Well, tonight I learned the answer.

There are an incredible number of Texans getting off their collective big rears and having themselves a real fine time enjoying the perfect weather and Arlington's near perfect park.

I like to leap to big conclusions from very little evidence, so I'm going to leap to the big conclusion that many Texans have tired of being among the biggest people in America and are doing something about it.

The Blocked Paved Trail To Veridian

No wonder Dallas, Fort Worth and Arlington have not lately shown up on any list of the Top 20 Fattest Cities in America.

And then there's the Huffine's Veridian project mysteries, due north of River Legacy Park.

Tonight I learned that the trail in the making that leads out of River Legacy Park, to Veridian, has now been paved.

In the earlier blogging about this development Anonymous wondered how access would be controlled at the connection between the public park and the private development.

Well, tonight I think the answer was found. Four orange pillars block access.

What I am curious about is where was the public meeting where the subject of allowing this connection between this private development and this public park was discussed with the public getting to have input?

I had a strong impulse to toss the four orange pillars into the brush and pedal the new trail.

I resisted the impulse.

I really do not like myself when I resist impulses.

My Whacking Stick Saves Me From A Vicious Tandy Hills Dog Attack

In the picture you are looking north, on top of Lost Sunglasses Ridge, on one of the Tandy Hills, today in the noon time frame.

Last year, at this point in time, the Tandy Hills were showing signs of stress to the vegetation, due to the Great North Texas Drought.

This year, at this point in time, the Tandy Hills are showing signs of a prairie being well provided with a sufficient supply of water.

It is getting to the point that there is some vegetative encroachment at some locations on the trails. I do not like vegetative encroachment. I've been avoiding the rain forest like zone one reaches on the north side of Tandy Falls, due to the claustrophobic tunnel-like effect of all the greenery.

Changing the subject from healthy vegetation to an unhealthy canine encounter.

One is supposed to keep ones dog on a leash whilst hiking the Tandy Hills.

Some people do not keep their dog leashed, due to the fact that their dog is well behaved, like Olive the Prairie Dog.

But some people let their dog off leash, even though they know the dog is not well-behaved.

Today, a semi-elderly gentleman was hiking the Tandy Hills with two dogs. Two un-leashed dogs. One of the dogs rushed at me in attack mode, with the semi-elderly gentleman trying to get the vicious dog to return to his control.

I am always armed with a whacking stick when I am out and about in the wild. As the dog took a lunge at me I gave it a sound whack with my whacking stick and it ceased its vicious attack.

When the dog ran back to the semi-elderly gentleman he put the vicious dog on a leash, and also leashed the non-attacking dog.

I can not imagine how a semi-elderly gentleman can feel okay about hiking in a place like this with a dog whose behavior is bad. What if I'd been a little kid the dog tried to attack?

I hope the whacking I gave the dog was sound enough to discourage it from any future vicious attack attempts.

The Next To Last Monday Of April With Theo Tiptoeing Through The Skagit Valley Tulips

It appears, judging from the view from my secondary viewing portal on the outer world, that the next to last Monday of April has dawned with yet one more clear, blue sky morning in Texas.

Currently heated to 18 degrees above freezing, heading to a high of 74, today, if the temperature predictors are correct with their predicting.

Yesterday I mentioned that I bailed on the Hurst In-N-Out due to their being way too many people trying to get a burger.

My eldest nephew, Spencer Jack's dad, then commented to that blogging about In-N-Out, saying that his burger joint, the Fidalgo Drive-In, in Anacortes, was similarly flooded with burger maniacs, due to extremely nice weather and extremely HUGE crowds of tourists in the Skagit Valley due to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.

Theo Tiptoeing Through The Skagit Valley Tulips

Yesterday I saw via the Blue and Max blog that my nephews and niece, David, Theo and Ruby had visited the Tulip Festival this past weekend. I don't know if they went to the Fidalgo Drive-In.

Blue and Max took some cute cute pictures of the kids in the tulips, one of which you see here. That is Theo checking out what a tulip smells like.

In the background those big mounds in the distance are something you don't see in Texas. They are called foothills. As in foothills of the Cascade Mountains. The white patches you see high up on the foothills are called snow.

Enough about tulips. I see the temperature has dropped another degree, to 49, since I woke up my temperature monitoring device. I must go swimming before it gets any colder.

Chisholm Park Fishing While Not Easily In-N-Out In Hurst Today

Fishing In Chisholm Park

I went to Hurst today with 3 destinations in mind. ALDI Food Market, In-N-Out and Chisholm Park.

I'd not been to Chisholm Park before. It is the biggest park in Hurst. Chisholm Park has a fishing lake, a big aquatic center, covered picnic pavilions, ballfields, paved trails, big parking lots and a lot of people having fun in the park on this very pleasant Sunday in April.

On a sign by the lake I read "A Freshwater Fishing License is Required For Anglers 17 Years Old and Older (unless born before Sept. 1, 1930)."

Apparently if you are older than 82 you don't need a fishing license, if I am parsing those words correctly.

Chisholm Park regularly stocks the lake with fish. Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Rainbow Trout and Sunfish Species. The Rainbow Trout are stocked only in the colder winter months because that particular breed of fish does not like the temperature of Texas lakes in summer.

Plenty Of Places To Toss Your Bones In Chisholm Park

Judging by the dozens of people I saw fishing there must be a lot of fish to be caught to sustain that level of fishing optimism.

I saw something in Chisholm Park I'd never seen before. Each of the picnic pavilions, each with a large BBQ pit, were ringed with 8 angled garbage cans.

I was completely bum puzzled and bamboozled til the engineer, Big Ed, figured out that all the angled garbage cans were likely in that configuration to facilitate the easy tossing of bones during a BBQ eating frenzy.

I saw a group of 3 people working on a big BBQ. It smelled real good.

After smelling the BBQ I was hungry. So, it was off to the newly opened Hurst In-N-Out Burger joint.

Well, no luck at In-N-Out.

In-N-Out was over run with customers. There were In-N-Out traffic directors, splitting the incoming cars, with one line going the dine-in option, the other the drive-thru option. There were dozens of cars in the drive-thru. The In-N-Out traffic directors led incoming dine-in customers to a parking spot.

I got led to my parking spot and proceeded inside. I figure this would be like my recent In-N-Out experience in Tempe where it appeared to be really busy but there was no line due to how efficient In-N-Out is.

Well, the Hurst In-N-Out appeared to be very efficient, but there was a line, a long one, almost out the door. And a lot of people were standing waiting for their order number to be  called.

I decided to bail.

I liked Chisholm Park. Since it is so close to ALDI, I'll be back. And I'll try In-N-Out in Hurst, again, when it quits being over run by burger maniacs.

The Sunny 4th Sunday Morning Of April

Looking out my primary viewing portal on the outer world on the 22nd morning of April I see no lizards.

I like my morning views to be lizard free.

At 20 degrees above freezing, this morning is warmer than yesterday's morning.

I read this morning that due to Saturday's extremely pleasant weather the crowd was HUGE at the Fort Worth Main St. Arts Festival.

So, I think it was a good thing I did not go yesterday and experience human gridlock.

I think I'll go swimming now before it gets any hotter. I am 100% certain the pool will be free of human gridlock.

Late Saturday Afternoon Visit From A Pair Of Mini-Alligators

A few minutes ago I was peacefully minding my business, clacking away on the computer keyboard, when suddenly frantic motion caught the periphery of my vision, with the motion occurring on the ledge outside my primary viewing portal.

A pair of big mini-alligators were engaging in some sort of ritual. Mating maybe? Territorial fight? I have no idea. I am not well-tuned into the lizard mindset.

As soon as they caught my attention the pair of mini-alligators quit what they were doing and went into a sort of frozen posture, trying to not be noticed, I suppose.

This frozen posing made it easy to take some mini-gator photos.

When I left the room and continued to observe from outside the mini-gator's view, the pair resumed their strange gyrating behavior. That lasted less than a minute, with one of the pair disappearing. Leaving behind one mini-alligator who remains perched on my window ledge.

I feel fairly safe from the big mini-lizards. I am fairly certain they can not get through the window screen. Just to be safe, maybe I should shut the window, lest I end up in bed with a cold-blooded lizard. Would not be the first time.

Viewing My Favorite Stubby Skyscraper With Elsie Hotpepper On The Tandy Hills

In the picture you are looking at one of my favorite stubby skyscrapers that make up the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth.

This beautiful view, with yellow wildflowers in the foreground, is from the vantage point of the Tandy Hills, where Elsie Hotpepper walked with me today.

You may be wondering why I did not pose Elsie Hotpepper in the picture.

Well.

Ever since a controversial photo incident at the Woodshed Smokehouse, with widened hip allegations, Elsie Hotpepper has refused to get in front of any camera I am holding.

I had planned on going to the Main St. Arts Festival today, near that stunning stubby skyscraper, but circumstances, pretty much beyond my control, have thwarted that plan.

There is always tomorrow. Or next year.

I forgot to mention, Elsie Hotpepper did not wear her new high heels on the Tandy Hills today.

The Cold Dawn Of The 21st Morning Of April In Texas

The view through the bars of my patio prison cell on this 21st morning of April indicates the sky over this part of the planet is free of clouds.

What you can not see via the view through the bars of my patio prison cell is that it is only 16 degrees above freezing in the outer world.

48 degrees. Brrrr.

The temperature predictors are predicting a high of 75, with low humidity today.

This would seem to be a perfect day to go to the Fort Worth Main St. Arts Festival.

The last time I went to the Main St. Arts Festival it was a cloudy, hot, muggy Saturday. Today will not be a cloudy, hot, muggy Saturday.

I think I will go swimming now before it gets any colder and ponder whether or not I want to go to the bother of going to downtown Fort Worth today to mingle with a HUGE crowd of people.

Heavy Rain Sends Me To Sam's Club Where I Was Accosted By A Large Woman With Eucalyptus Oil

Sam's Club Hibiscus Under A Stormy Sky

Even though there was some rain that hit the ground in the middle of the night, last night, my plan was to go hiking the hills of Tandy today.

But then around 11 this morning the rain returned, so I nixed the Tandy Hills and went to Sam's Club to walk around Sam's Hibiscus Tropical Garden and push a cart around inside Sam's.

As you can see, via the sky view, we had ourselves a bit of a storm of short duration today.

Now, hours later, blue sky has returned.

I imagine the rain was wreaking havoc with the Fort Worth Main St. Arts Festival til it abated. I don't know if I'm going to go ahead with my plan to go to the Main St. Arts Festival tomorrow.

Changing the subject back to Sam's Club. The last couple times I've been in Sam's I've noticed that the people hawking samples have gotten way pushier. Barely in the door today there were samples of bread doused in olive oil being hawked. Along with dipping sauce.

I barely got past the oily bread when a large woman with big red lips accosted me by handing me a bottle of cleaner. She told me that, unlike other cleaners, this one smelled good because the main ingredient was Eucalyptus oil, not something nasty like bleach. She shoved an open bottle under my nose. It did smell good, but I acted like I'd just been sprayed by a skunk. I told her I like how bleach smells. Then she started a demo showing the cleaner in action while asking if I had kids and pets. She was still talking as I walked away.

By the food area I came upon a guy pushing green olives. He was giving his spiel to a lady in a wheelchair who seem fascinated by the olive tale. I picked up a cup with 2 olives in it and was mortified to pop them in my mouth to discover they'd been spiked with some hot pepper. Habanero maybe.

Next I was accosted by a woman pushing a cart and hawking little pieces of a Clif Bar. The time previous, at Sam's, I was accosted by a woman pushing a cart with a cooler full of some new Coke product she was hawking. The mobile hawking carts is a new wrinkle at Sam's.

There were multiple others aggressively pushing products, but I did not get accosted by any of them. It all reminded me too much of visiting a Mexican border town. But I like visiting Mexican border towns and getting accosted by all the product hawkers.

I don't like products hawked at me when I am at Sam's Club.

The Dawn Of Another Blue Day Trying To Make Fort Worth Hip

Blue seems to be the dominant color scheme on this morning of the 3rd Friday of April.

I'm feeling a bit blue this morning. I am very stodgy and don't like change. This morning Google changed its Blogger product. Google seems to change its products way too much. The changes never seem like an improvement to me.

For me, the changes to Google AdSense made AdSense a total mess.

In addition to Google annoying me, Mother Nature had a big fit in the middle of the night, tossing rain to the ground, along with some lightning bolts. The booming did not last too long.

This morning I read that something called Travel+Leisure ranked 10 American towns according to their Hipster friendliness.

I am not sure I know what a Hipster is. Modern era Hippie? I don't know.

I clicked through the Top Ten Hipster City List expecting to find Fort Worth near the top.

But, the only Texas town on the Hipster List is Austin at #7.

7. Austin: "The Texas capital has long been a hotbed for live music as well as offbeat types, but the trendsetting locals also scored big points for being tech-fluent." 

The Number 3 Hipster town is San Francisco. Number 2 is a few miles north of San Francisco, the town of Portland. And #1 is.........

1. Seattle: "These northwesterners prove that a key to hipsterness is being ahead of the curve: they won the survey for their smarts, their tech savvy, and their high-octane coffee. As a result, the geek chic may be a little more buttoned-down here than in other cities." 

I have tried to import smarts, tech savvy and high-octane coffee to Fort Worth, but there is only so much one person can do to amp up a town's hipness.

It is 30 degrees above freezing right now. I think I will go swimming before it gets any hotter.

Elsie Hotpepper's Hot New High Heels

This morning I got an urgent message from a semi-frantic Elsie Hotpepper saying she needed some help getting dressed.

Why do I get calls about such things?

But, even when I am perplexed about why I am being asked to do something, I still try and help. This is one of the hazards of having a helpful nature.

I found these high heels today that totally said Elsie Hotpepper to me. I think Elsie can wear them without needing a concealed weapon permit.

I Shared The Tandy Highway With A Big Snake Today & Lived To Blog About It

I almost stepped on my first slithery serpent encounter of the year this afternoon.

I was peacefully minding my own business, walking on the Tandy Highway, having a pleasant conversation with myself, when suddenly I realized I was about to step on one of the descendants of Eve's Garden of Eden tempters.

By the time I got my camera turned on the snake was in high speed slither mode, but I was able to get one picture before the reptilian monster disappeared into the brush.

Snakes can slither surprisingly fast when motivated and the temperature is warm enough for their cold blood to flow. Today it was around 80 degrees when I almost stepped on a snake. I guess that is a warm enough temperature to allow fast acceleration.

I am not a snake fan. I find them very unnatural and have always wondered what in the world Mother Nature was thinking when She created them.

Western Washington, where I lived the majority of my time on earth, has no poisonous snakes, naturally occurring. But, there are plenty of garter snakes. Garter snakes can get quite big. Eastern Washington has rattlesnakes, but the Cascade Mountain Range has always kept them on the east side of the mountains.

When I first moved to Texas the fear of snake encounters was probably my #1 concern. Fear of redneck encounters was probably my #2 concern. Both these fears proved to be unwarranted.

I've only had myself a few poisonous snake encounters, one big rattlesnake, a couple copperheads, a couple cottonmouths. That's all.

As for redneck encounters. Gar the Texan has been the worst of that type thing I've encountered. And even that really was not as bad as I feared and easily made harmless by giving him beer.

The Dawn Of The 3rd Thursday Of April

I am up before the sun looking at the outer world via my secondary viewing portal on this 19th morning of April.

The outer world is currently chilled to 58 degrees at my location.

The water treatment process of my pool has been completed, so I will be able to get wet this morning.

A visit with a doctor up in Euless, of an undetermined length, this morning, may wreak havoc with my daily ritual of trying to get some aerobic stimulation.

I think sufficient time has passed since our recent bought of rain that the Tandy Hills have likely dried up. Perhaps I will go there this afternoon.

In the meantime, I am going swimming.