Continuing The Search For Olive The Missing Prairie Dog With The Tandy Hills Roadrunner

Everywhere I went today, after I left my abode, I saw LOST DOG posters tacked to various surfaces, alerting people to the BOLO (Be On The Lookout) for Olive the Missing Prairie Dog.

Via various media the news of the missing Mascot of the Tandy Hills continues to spread.

Due to the fact that Olive the Prairie Dog is a local celebrity dog I would think the Fort Worth Police would be in on the search, treating this case as a possible criminal dognapping.

If someone made a ransom demand, would that get the Fort Worth Police involved?

Last summer I was over at Miss Puerto Rico's, watching humanity pass below, from her balcony vantage point. Suddenly swarms of police cars were on the scene, dozens of police officers. We thought a super major crime must have taken place to warrant this level of police activity.

We saw the police chase and arrest a young man.

We went to ground level to learn that the person the police caught had stolen a pair of socks and a box of disposable baby diapers from the neighborhood Family Dollar store.

A pair of socks and a box of disposable baby diapers.

It was a Jean Valjean Les Miserables moment for me. You don't steal a pair of socks and diapers unless you are dire desperate. I thought the police response to be totally out of proportion to the crime.

And felt even more that way when a short time later my vehicle was broken into, with the steering column damaged and my bike stolen. Significantly more monetary damage than some stolen socks and a diaper. I called the Fort Worth Police. An hour later an officer showed up. He did not get out of his car. He did not make a report. He did talk to me at length about the JFK/Oswald Conspiracy and showed me some YouTube videos about that subject on his I-phone.

The Tandy Hills Roadrunner
Looking For Olive the Prairie Dog

So, are the Fort Worth Police on the case of the missing mascot of the Tandy Hills?

I saw a friend of Olive's today on the Tandy Hills who appeared to be looking for something. Maybe Olive?

It was the Tandy Hills Roadrunner.

He was out in the open, and in no hurry, at the Tandy View Street Park. He let me get close and take pictures, acting like he was posing. This went on for quite some time, to the point I was ready for the Roadrunner to do some running.

The Tandy Hills Roadrunner frequently visited Olive's yard, where Olive provided a water fountain. And might have given the Roadrunner something to eat. The Roadrunner sure did act as if he was desperately looking for something.

Where Oh Where Can Olive Be?

The 16th May Day Morning With Air Pollution Alerts, Alligators & Questions About Olive The Missing Prairie Dog

Looking through the bars of my patio prison cell on this  16th May Day morning it was dark enough to set off the camera's flash, but the sun was up enough to see that this 3rd Wednesday of May is, so far, a totally clear blue sky day in North Texas.

A clear blue sky currently chilled to 63 degrees, heading to a high of 87, with the weather warners warning that the pollution in the air warrants and "Air Quality Alert."

At this point in time the quality of the air is not so bad that I have shut my windows.

This morning I had an email from one of my favorite Southern Belles, asking me if Olive the Missing Prairie Dog was "without a leash or collar?"

I know Olive was not wearing her collar when she went missing. Without a collar, I suspect no leash.

I hope the Olive the Missing Prairie Dog search team put one of her missing posters on the fence at Fort Woof in Gateway Park, a location that attracts a lot of dog lovers.

Changing the subject to something less lovable.

Trinity River Alligator Corpse

Yesterday Elsie Hotpepper emailed me asking if I'd seen a disturbing gator picture on the WFAA's Facebook page. I had not.

Apparently the murder of an 11-foot 3-inch alligator is being investigated by the authorities who investigate such things.

The alligator was found by game wardens in the Trinity River at a location between Eagle Mountain Lake and Lake Worth.

The Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge is between Eagle Mountain Lake and Fort Worth. There are signs in the Nature Center warning visitors to be cautious about alligators.

I know there have been many reports of alligators in Lake Worth. How do the gators get past Lake Worth Dam to get into the lake? On their trip upriver do the gators get out of the river when they come to the dam and walk around it? I've hiked in that location. It'd take a lot of effort, I would think, for a gator to get around that dam.

With this latest alligator incident I am really going to have to re-consider Elsie Hotpepper and me floating in the upcoming Rockin' the River With Alligators Happy Hour.

I Found A Terrier Today On The Tandy Hills But It Was Not Olive The Prairie Dog

This Is Not Olive The Prairie Dog

Today I was back on the Tandy Hills, looking for Olive the Prairie Dog, now missing for over 48 hours.

Until today Olive was the only terrier type dog I've seen on the Tandy Hills.

What are the astronomical chances that a terrier would run up to me today whilst I'm looking for a missing terrier?

I'd guess slim to none. But that is what happened.

But, it was not Olive.

I take it as a good omen type sign that I was visited by a terrier on the Tandy Hills today.

I also heard from my poodle nephews, Blue and Max, up in Tacoma, the caretakers of my nephews, David & Ryan and niece, Ruby, voicing their hope for the swift return of Olive...

Blue and Max have left a new comment on your post "Olive The Mascot Of The Tandy Hills Is Still Missing": 

We hope you find Olive real soon! 

I can imagine the brouhaha that would erupt in Tacoma if either Blue or Max went missing. Or if any of my sister in Kent's canine children, Bean, Tilly and Rosie the Rat Dog, went missing.

The Humans Who Were With Today's Tandy Terrier

The investment in time and medical expenses spent on those canine children is incredible. Just Rosie the Rat Dog alone has had hip surgery, braces to fix her snaggletooth and is on several prescription medications.

Bean, Tilly and Rosie the Rat Dog get to go on rather long roadtrips. Currently they are planning a 3 month excursion north via the Alaskan Highway, I think all the way to Nome.

I have not yet agreed to Bean, Tilly and Rosie the Rat Dog's request that I head north to housesit for them while they are in Alaska.

Olive The Mascot Of The Tandy Hills Is Still Missing

The news that the mascot of the Tandy Hills, Olive the Prairie Dog, has gone missing, is spreading.

Pegasus News, a website about news and entertainment in the Dallas/Fort Worth zone, is reporting the story of Olive the Missing Prairie Dog, in an article titled Canine mascot of Tandy Hills Natural Area is missing.

In the Pegasus News article, Don Young says Olive has never run off before and that, "she's extremely well cared for here, and I'm afraid that someone saw her and took her because she's so cute and so friendly. She seems, to us, like she's almost human. She has something in her eyes that you don't see in other dogs."


Olive was last seen Sunday morning, May 13 at 11:00 am, near her home on View Street across from Tandy Hills. Olive is a small, black, 20 pound mixed-terrier. She has a distinctive underbite and is very friendly, especially to children. She has a microchip ID implant but was not wearing a collar and had been recently bathed. There were many people visiting Tandy Hills on Sunday. Someone may have taken her.

If you see Olive or hear anything about her whereabouts please call Don & Debora Young at 817-731-2787.

I have not checked on FW Weekly to see if they are helping get the word out for their readers to be on the lookout for the missing Mascot of the Tandy Hills.

Olive the Prairie Dog gone missing is the local equivalent of Lassie or Rin Tin Tin or the Obama's Bo going missing.

The 15th Day Of May With Olive The Prairie Dog Still Missing

Looking at the outer world, via my greenish-blue primary viewing portal, on the morning of May Day 15, it appears that this is the start of yet one more clear blue sky day in North Texas.

A morning currently chilled to only 30 degrees above freezing. The temperature predictors are predicting that eventually the air will get 22 degrees warmer than its current 62,

Olive the Prairie Dog is still missing. I heard from Don Young, last night, that they are missing Olive real bad.

I think I will go back to the Tandy Hills today and do some more Olive hunting.

But, before I do that, I think I will go swimming before it gets any hotter.

Searching The Tandy Hills For Olive The Prairie Dog With A Blimp Overhead

Tandy Hills Lost Sunglasses Ridge

A blimp was overhead when I arrived on top of Mount Tandy today. I do not know if the blimp was helping with the doghunt for the missing Olive the Prairie Dog, or not.

I do not think the Tandy Hills suffered much, if any, deluging from Friday's downpours. The trails were dry, no mud. The creeks were dry, no water. Not a drop was flowing over Tandy Falls.

Due to the hills being totally easily accessed, without gaining height elevation due to sticky mud, I was able to search all over the hills for the missing Olive.

I know that a dognapping is the prime suspect as the reason for Olive's disappearance. But that seems so unlikely to me. What sort of monster would snatch a little dog that clearly belonged to someone?

Years ago, in Mount Vernon, before she moved to Texas, my cat, Hortense, disappeared. Hortense was a very well behaved cat with very predictable habits. She had a large outdoor safe area to play in. And then she went missing.

Click Picture To Find The Blimp

I put up signs around the neighborhood asking if anyone had seen Hortense. I talked to all my neighbors. Then, after 4 days of being missing, there was a familiar noise at the door. It was Hortense wanting to be let in. My next door neighbor had opened a shed and out popped Hortense. She must have been snooping and got trapped inside.

I wonder if Olive might have wandered in to some similar situation.

I'm guessing signs are being posted around the Tandy Hills neighborhood asking if anyone has seen Olive. A parent may see one of those signs and realize where that cute dog came from that the kids brought home on Sunday.

I'm optimistic Olive will be returned home.

Have You Seen Olive The Missing Prairie Dog?

Last night Elsie Hotpepper emailed me asking if I knew Olive was missing? I replied, asking if she was talking about Olive the Prairie Dog. This morning Elsie replied in the affirmative.

But, by this morning I already knew it was Olive the Prairie Dog that had gone missing, having read the news on Facebook with the following message....

HELP us find Olive. Small black mixed breed with distinct underbite. Missing since 11 am Sunday. Last seen on View Street near Tandy Hills Park. No collar. Call 817-731-2787 if you find her. We fear she was snatched.

I last saw Olive at Prairie Fest x3 Part 1. At that point in time Olive was with one of the humans she takes care of, Debra Young.

Was Olive having fun playing in the open prairie across View Street from her abode and got caught up chasing a road runner or a bobcat? Did she then get lost somewhere on the Tandy Hills? Likely not, but I think I'll go to the Tandy Hills today and look for a missing Olive.

The Dawn Of The 2nd Monday Of May With Incoming Shipment From Captain Hans In Afghanistan

Looking through the bars of my patio prison cell it appears the 2nd Monday of May is another clear blue sky morning in North Texas.

Currently the outer world is chilled to 60 degrees, heading to a supposed high 20 degrees warmer.

Changing the subject from the temperature to something else.

I got an interesting variant of the Nigerian email scam this morning...

Hello,

I am Cpt. James Hans an officer of the U.S Army, serving with the 82nd Airborne Division Peace keeping force in Kabul, Afghanistan. We are currently in Afghanistan and I have some important items that I need to ship to you.

I need you to reply only if you are interested.I will explain further when I get a response from you. Please reply to my email jhans5819@gmail.com.

Cpt. James Hans

I'm guessing "Cpt." means Captain. I wonder what Captain Hans wants to ship to me? And why they are important?

I think I will go swimming now and ponder these important questions.

The Sun Sets On Mother's Day Biking At River Legacy Park With Armadillos

The Mother's Day Sun Sets Over Texas

The nuclear sky orb was in sun set mode as I headed west after heading east to bike at River Legacy Park in Arlington this Mother's Day Evening.

River Legacy Park was very very busy tonight. Large family groups in Mother's Day picnic mode, or so it appeared to me.

And a lot of mothers on the trail, biking, walking, blocking the trail in places, with too many kids in tow. I'd kindly stop, til the congestion alleviated, since it is Mother's Day and one must be kind to mothers and their broods.

For the first time in a long time, tonight, I saw armadillos in River Legacy Park. A pair of the cute little critters, being very frisky. Too fast and frisky for me to get a picture. I suspect these were adolescent armadillos because they were halfway between baby size and full size. Frisky teenagers.

I believe River Legacy Park opened soon before I arrived in Texas in 1998. When I first visited this park, some time in 1999, it was not very busy. Not at all. And now, over a decade later, methinks Arlington did a real good thing when the city, or whoever, decided to build this park.

Methinks now someone needs to figure out a way to add some more parking space. There were a lot of vehicles, tonight, parked on the "NO PARKING" grass zone at the side of the road.

Also, all the outhouses need to go. I know the modern restroom is being worked on. But, there needs to be more than that one modern restroom. And there needs to be running water and a restroom by the big pavilion that people rent for events, like weddings, or whatever was going on there tonight. It ain't pretty seeing such a nice facility with a row of outhouses at the edge of the parking lot. I know it's a flood zone, but I'm sure a smart engineer could engineer a solution.

Arlington has a gem in River Legacy Park. That gem just needs some polishing and it'll be perfect.

Walking With The Village Creek Indian Ghosts Calling My Mom & Thinking About Washington Park In Anacortes

I had myself a fine walk with the Native American Ghosts who haunt the Village Creek Natural Historical Area today, along with a lot of other people, many of whom seemed to be in celebrate Happy Mother's Day mode.

Including a family group of all females, with one pushing, what must have been mom and grandma, in a wheelchair.

I called my mom whilst sitting at a picnic table overlooking the Village Creek Blue Bayou. I got the answering machine and left a Happy Mother's Day message.

That phone call took place a few feet to the south of where you are looking at in the picture. That vertical log rising from the ground was the remains of what appeared to be a tree, possibly struck by lightning. I am no forensic lightning strike investigator, but that is what it looked like to me.

Speaking of wheelchairs, I heard from a mother, Betty Jo Bouvier, this morning. For Mother's Day Betty Jo's kids were taking her to Washington Park in Anacortes to walk the loop. Betty Jo agreed to this if she got wheeled around the loop in a wheelchair.

For non-Washingtonians reading this, Washington Park is on a peninsula on Fidalgo Island, at the west end of the town of Anacortes. It is a very hilly park, with steep cliffs, tall evergreen trees and a lot of saltwater views. Miles of hiking trails take you all over this park. There is a big campground and a lot of picnic locations. And a paved road, the loop, that takes you to a high point where you get a panoramic view of north Puget Sound. And on a clear day you might see Mount Rainier, way to the south.

Where I lived in Washington, in Mount Vernon, it was about 20 miles to the east of Washington Park. I frequently drove there to hike and jog, back when gas was well under $1 a gallon. Ferry boats, and other boats, coming and going, pass by you as you sit on the Washington Park beaches.

One time I was enjoying the view and suddenly the surface of the water started acting odd. A submarine came to the surface. That was unsettling. The Trident Submarine Bangor Base is further south on Puget Sound, on another peninsula, named Kitsap. Trident Submarines are disturbingly large.

At my current location there is nothing like Washington Park within 100s of miles. No matter which direction I look I will see no mountains, or saltwater, or tall evergreen trees. And there is no chance a submarine will startle me coming to the surface at any body of water at my current location. An alligator or water moccasin, yes, submarine, no.

Below is a YouTube video that gives you an idea of what Washington Park is like. And why I get homesick, when I see images of my old home zone, at my current beautiful scenery challenged location......

Happy Mother's Day To All The World's Mothers

Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there. Mother's Day is May Day 13, the second Sunday of the 5th month of 2012.

Looking out my primary viewing portal on the outer world I see a bright blue sky. But no matter what direction I look I see no mothers.

My own mother is about 1000 miles to the west. I must remember to make a non-gas related call to my mom today.

Yesterday we had an election here in North Texas. I did not vote. I was not aware of anything I needed to vote for. Or against.

The only local race I am even remotely curious about is whether or not Glen Bucy got elected Constable. There was no mention of who won or lost any Constable races this morning in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, that I was able to find in the election coverage.

The Star-Telegram's Bud Kennedy had a bizarre focus on the Glen Bucy Constable race that did not make much sense to me. I don't know what function a Constable performs. I know you don't have to be a cop to be one.

I think it is time for me to go swimming before it gets any later or hotter.

Buster Keaton's The General Will Be On The Tandy Hills During Prairie Fest x3 Part 3

I did not get the memo from the Don of the Tandy Hills, about today's Rahr Brewery Friends of the Tandy Hills Natural Area Day, til 11 this morning.

The FOTHNA Day at Rahr Brewery took place from 1, this afternoon, til 3.

So, I did not have sufficient notice to rearrange my busy schedule in time to go to FOTHNA Day today.

But the other memo I got today from the Don of the Tandy Hills, about another event, gives me plenty of time to rearrange my busy schedule.

That other event is Prairie Fest x3 Part 3, Saturday, May 26, 2012.

Movie Night on the Prairie.

The movie is Buster Keaton's classic, The General.

• Movie start time is approximately 8:45 pm.
• Seating is on the grass in front of the stage.
• Food & Beverage by Chadra Mezza & Grill, Good Karma Kitchen and The Wiener Man.
• Nature Hikes and Live Music from 4 - 8 pm at Prairie Fest x3.
• Admission is FREE to Prairie Fest and Movie Night.

The Wikipedia article about The General says, in part....

The General is a 1926 American silent comedy film released by United Artists inspired by the Great Locomotive Chase, which happened in 1862. Buster Keaton starred in the film and co-directed it with Clyde Bruckman. It was adapted by Al Boasberg, Bruckman, Keaton, Charles Henry Smith (uncredited) and Paul Girard Smith (uncredited) from the memoir The Great Locomotive Chase by William Pittenger.

The film, an adventure-epic classic made toward the end of the silent era, received both poor reviews by critics (it was considered tedious and disappointing) and weak box-office results (about a half million dollars domestically, and approximately one million worldwide) at its original release, but is now considered by critics as one of the greatest films ever made. However, because of its huge budget ($750,000 supplied by Metro chief Joseph Schenck) and poor box office, Keaton lost his independence as a film-maker and was forced into a restrictive deal with MGM. In 1955, the film entered the public domain (in the USA) due to the claimant's failure to renew its copyright registration in the 28th year after publication.

The General on its initial release fared poorly in both box office and critical reaction. Variety reported of a theater in which it played, "after four weeks of record business with 'Flesh and the Devil', looks as though it were virtually going to starve to death this week." It goes on to say that The General is "far from funny" and that "it is a flop." New York Times reviewer Mordaunt Hall stated, "The production itself is singularly well mounted, but the fun is not exactly plentiful", and "This is by no means so good as Mr. Keaton's previous efforts." The Los Angeles Times reported that the picture is "neither straight comedy nor is it altogether thrilling drama" and goes on to state that the picture "drags terribly with a long and tiresome chase of one engine by another." It was one of Keaton's worst pictures at the box office.

Keaton considered it to be the best of all his movies. Audiences and critics would later agree with him, and it is now considered a major classic of the silent era.

In 1989, The General was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". It made it into the registry in the first year it was enacted, along with such films as The Best Years of Our Lives, Casablanca, Citizen Kane, Gone with the Wind, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and Sunset Blvd.

In a 2002 poll of critics and filmmakers on the best films ever made, critic Roger Ebert listed it on his top 10. It is also on his list of Great Movies. It was ranked number 1 in a list of the 100 greatest films of the silent era by the website silentera.com.

Orson Welles stated that Keaton's The General is "the greatest comedy ever made, the greatest Civil War film ever made, and perhaps the greatest film ever made."

At my very ripe old age I only recently learned how good silent movies can be. And how funny Charlie Chaplin is, when I discovered Chaplin's Modern Times and City Lights, long considered to be great films, really are great films. I recently watched Chaplin's The Kid and found it to be another great film.

So, I am sort of looking forward to being under the stars, sitting on the Texas prairie, watching Buster Keaton's classic, The General, in a couple weeks.

Below is a movie trailer for The General...

Rush Limbaugh & Gar The Texan In The War On The Sanctity Of Traditional Marriage

I swiped the above from Facebook, from the aforementioned, in the previous blogging to this current one, Southern Belle, Miss Connie. I thought it was amusing.

Rush Limbaugh is such a blowhard. But, he also is amusing. At times.

Mr. Limbaugh's somewhat hypocritical opining about Barack Obama's alleged war on traditional marriage put me in mind of Gar the Texan's recent blog posts where he opines about his level of approval of North Carolina voters approving an amendment to their state's constitution that makes it a law in that state that only a man and woman can get married.

I can't help but wonder how that works if someone gets a sex change and then finds someone to marry them of the now opposite sex? Is that spelled out in the amendment? Maybe North Carolina will need to amend the amendment.

I'm not sure how many ex-wives Gar the Texan has. Minimally, I know of three. There may be more. I can see how having multiple ex-wives would drive someone to be a big supporter of anything that preserves the sanctity of traditional marriage.

Gar the Texan has really quaint ideas about how the government should mind its own business, as if minding everyone's business isn't the government's business.

So far the government has not stopped Gar the Texan from marrying any of his wives. The government did not even say no when Gar the Texan wanted a license to marry a German. I think the government was very irresponsible in this particular instance.

Hometown By Handlebar Solves A Fort Worth Mystery While I Walk Around Fosdick Lake In Oakland Park

Durango Texas Fosdick Lake Photo

Last night I got an email from one of my favorite Southern Belles, Miss Connie, asking me if I'd seen what she was showing me in the email, that being the latest posting in the Hometown by Handlebar blog, with the referenced blog post titled Pocket Lakes.

Miss Connie mentioned that she did not remember how she came to find this particular blog, thinking it was either via me, or Facebook.

I told Miss Connie that I also did not remember how I came upon the Hometown by Handlebar blog.

Now here is where this turns disturbing. It was only a week ago, Friday, on May 4, that I blogged about the Hometown by Handlebar blog, after someone named Anonymous had commented on a previous blog post, with that comment containing the link to the Hometown by Handlebar blog.

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.

How do I manage to be so senile that I did not remember something from only a week ago? Very disturbing.

When I first mentioned the Hometown by Handlebar blog I agreed with Anonymous's assessment that this blog had good photography. And writing. Much better than mine on both counts.

Hometown by Handlebar Fosdick Lake Photo

The superior photography was confirmed today when I took a photo of the same scene that was at the top of the afore-mentioned Pocket Lakes post.

The Pocket Lakes post solved a mystery that has bum puzzled me for quite some time.

From Hometown by Handlebar...

Fosdick Lake in Oakland Park was named for Edwin E. Fosdick (buried in Greenwood; see inset), who in 1909 bought the land to build a country club. But his seventy-five-member Inverness Club failed. The city took over the property in 1927. The CCC or WPA may have built the stone shelter house.

The signage at the Fosdic Lake location calls the park Oakland Lake Park. Other signage mentions Fosdic Lake. Note the quote from Hometown by Handlebar spells Fosdic with a 'k' on the end. Apparently this is the proper spelling, since that is how the namesake's name is spelled on his tombstone in Greenwood Cemetery, as seen via the above referenced inset.

Methinks Fort Worth needs to fix the park signage, by removing lake from the name. And add the 'k' to Fosdick.

From this day forth, when I go to where I walked today, I will say I walked around Fosdick Lake in Oakland Park.

The 2nd Saturday Of May Thinking About Avoiding Flesh Eating Bacteria In Risky Rivers

Looking at the outer world from the perch of one of my favorite viewing portals it appears the 2nd Saturday of the 5th month of 2012, May Day 12, has dawned with a partly cloudy sky.

A lot of rain poured down yesterday, with heavy downpours after the sun disappeared for the night, along with a lot of lightning strikes and booming thunder.

I won't be going to the Tandy Hills today for my regular Saturday hill hiking.

I will be going swimming this morning.

Speaking of swimming. I got an amusing comment from someone named Anonymous, this morning, on the subject of getting wet in the Trinity River...

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Hopefully Rockin' The River Live On The Trinity Is Back Bigger Than Ever With Beer & Free Coolers": 

In your Poop-A-Thon video from last year...were they playing Whiskey River... or Risky River? Neil Young's river song is more appropriate! "Down by the river, I shot my baby". Had to I guess. She was probably foaming at the mouth. 

I had not read, until this morning, the awful details about that girl in Georgia who is fighting for her life after flesh eating bacteria entered her body after being injured by a failed zipline cable. She's already lost one leg, will likely lose her hands. She'd been kayaking down a river when the ziplining across the river took place.

Did the flesh eating bacteria come from the river? Has the Trinity River been tested for flesh eating bacteria? Is there a test for flesh eating bacteria?

I think I will go swimming now in what I hope is a pool free of flesh eating bacteria.

Hopefully Rockin' The River Live On The Trinity Is Back Bigger Than Ever With Beer & Free Coolers

Earlier today I learned I am going Over the Edge with Elsie Hotpepper this coming September. And now this afternoon I've learned I have something else to look forward to.

That being that this summer the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's Rockin' the River Inner Tube Happy Hour Floats are back bigger than ever.

Meaning this summer the Floating with the Feces starts Thursday, June 7 and every Thursday there after, until August 9, with the exception July 5, when there will be no Feces Floating due to that Thursday being the day after the 4th of July.

This year the TRVB will be providing no free inner tubes. But the TRVB will rent you a tube for $5. Or you can BYOT. You are forbidden to bring your own alcoholic beverage or a cooler to contain alcoholic beverages. But the TRVB will sell you a can of beer for $2.50 and provide you with a free cooler to float your beer in.

I do not know if you have to buy a can of TRVB beer to get a free cooler.

The below specifics were gleaned from the official TRVB Rockin' the River informational page...

Elsie Hotpepper is refusing to put on her bikini and go kayaking with me among the Feces Floaters. Maybe CatsPaw will put on her bikini and go floating with me.

Recently people got sick from e.coli from contact with water in the Oklahoma River. Oklahoma City has banned swimming in the Oklahoma River or any Oklahoma City lake or river.

I know the TRVB makes the Trinity River Feces Floaters sign some sort of waiver before letting a person get  in the river.

But, I can not help but wonder what sort of threat/risk assessment has been done by the TRVB. As in, it is logical that there is a 1 in a certain number of instances, of a person getting in the Trinity River, that they are going to drown, get bit by a water moccasin, bit by an alligator, bit by a gar fish or get deathly sick from e.coli or flesh eating bacteria.

Has the TRVB bought insurance to protect Fort Worth from the inevitable law suit that would arise should someone get hurt or die do to this foolishness?

Fort Worth foolishly lived with the risk of someone drowning in the poorly designed whirlpool in the Fort Worth Water Gardens. Four people died before that engineering mistake was fixed. How much did this cost Fort Worth?

How much will it cost Fort Worth if someone dies while Rockin' the River?

Instead of risking Rockin' the River, why not hold these events in one of Fort Worth's clean water swimming venues.

Oh.

I forgot. There are none.

And that fact is the real problem that should be addressed, rather than Rockin' the River all summer long.

The Trinity River Vision Boondoggle needs to have an adult in charge of the operation, instead of having it operate as the private playground of a corrupt congresswoman's playboy son.

Below is a video I made of my visit, last summer, to the first Rockin' the River, just to get you in the mood to do some Feces Floating in less than a month....

Going Over The Edge In Fort Worth With Elsie Hotpepper

I learned this afternoon that this coming September 15, 2012, Elsie Hotpepper and I will be going Over the Edge in Fort Worth, rappelling down the Pier One Imports Corporate Headquarters building that was taken over by Aubrey McClendon to be used by Chesapeake Energy as the operating center from which to run Chesapeake's shadow government of Fort Worth.

It is 4 months until September. I don't know if, all things currently considered, Chesapeake Energy will still be operating in September.

If you want to rappel down the Chesapeake Energy building you can register here.

There are 4 registration levels. TOP ROPE for $10,000. HIGH FLYER for $6,000. DYNO for $2,500. HANG DOG for $1,000.

The higher the level the more you get for your money. For $10,000 a TOP ROPE gets its organization's logo on all promotional materials, including post event videos, the DFW website, brochures, posters, emails, print ads and e-newsletters. Their logo on the back of all participants t-shirts. Their logo on all event signage. Four people going over the edge. Choice of rappelling time. Choice of your team name. Chance to buy additional rappel spots at a special discount price. A complimentary photo, video and commemorative t-shirt. And recognition in DFWI annual report.

For $1,000 HANG DOG gets one reserved spot to go over the edge, video and commemorative t-shirt.

Clearly TOP ROPE is a much better bargain than HANG DOG.

From the Over the Edge website...

Sign up for "Over the Edge"– and Rappel down a building in Downtown Fort Worth! Get a whole new view of Downtown Fort Worth during this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience big thrills and excitement! If you want to live on the edge, this is your chance! Go as a solo climber, or sign up a representative from your organization. Pool your money and "toss your boss." Or give this unique experience as a gift for the thrill seeker in your life.

Toss your boss? Once in a lifetime opportunity? Didn't Fort Worth's now ex corrupt mayor Mike Moncrief go over the edge last year? Does this once in a lifetime opportunity mean that by next year Chesapeake will likely be defunct, making this coming September your last opportunity to rappel down the building while still owned by Chesapeake?

I am very stodgy about this type thing. To me rappelling down the side of a building sounds like about as much fun as floating in an inner tube in the Trinity River. But, Elsie Hotpeper wants to go over the edge, so I guess I won't be a killjoy about this.

Walking To Pre-Lunch At Sam's Club Before Getting Soaking Wet

Woman Escaping Sam's Club Under Bumbershoot

Today, during my regularly scheduled walking/hiking time, rain was raining down. I was in no mood to shield the rain with a bumbershoot, so I went to Sam's Club and let Sam's roof keep me dry.

At Sam's Club I had a tasty pre-lunch of chicken-fried steak, sausage, kolaches and blueberry muffins. The pre-lunch helped fuel my Sam's walk.

About the time I was ready to leave Sam's, a downpour started pouring down, with extreme velocity, causing an almost concussive effect. A very loud throbbing.

Shoppers trying to escape Sam's waited under cover for the rain to abate. I got tired of waiting for the abating and made a run for it. Got totally soaked, but the running got me some endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation.

Now, hours later, it is no longer raining, the sky has partly cleared, the temperature is only 68, I've got my windows open, birds are chirping.

And I'm dry.

Changing the subject from being dry to something else.

You know how some old people are set in their ways and get all crotchety when someone does not agree with some foolish thing the old person believes? I've had that type experience today. Only the person with the erroneous beliefs is not all that old. It occurred to me that this person spews what this person thinks in the same manner that a hyper-religious sort proselytizes their beliefs with absolutely no consideration of the possibility that what they believe may not be believed by others. Or just simply wrong.

No, this person I am referring to is not Elsie Hotpepper. She is crotchety though, currently refusing to go kayaking with me in the Trinity River.

May Day 11 Postponing Going To Fort Worth's Trinity Uptown Drive-In Movie Theater

Looking out my primary viewing portal on the outer world on the morning of May Day 11 the sun is not visible due to being shielded from my eyes by a layer of clouds.

There is evidence in the form of puddles that indicates some precipitation precipitated overnight. I did not hear any rain pitter pattering on my windows.

Due to the rain related potential mud issues I won't be doing any hill hiking today on the Tandy Hills. I am not a fan of muddy hiking.

I also won't be doing any swimming this morning because my pool is currently being shocked.

I don't know what my means will be today of acquiring some endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation.

I learned in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, this morning, that I won't be able to watch a movie at Fort Worth's new Trinity Uptown drive-in movie theater as soon as I thought I would. The Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's drive-in movie theater construction it taking longer than originally planned. Apparently problems arose regarding drainage, parking lots and landscaping.

J.D. Granger, he being the genius project engineer behind much of the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle, is fine with the delay. He just wants the project done right, no matter how long it takes.

When the Trinity Uptown drive-in movie theater opens it will be interesting to see if it will be as huge a success as the Cowtown Wakepark.

Gumpar The Permian Explains What Is Wrong With Getting Married In North Carolina

America has a lot of problems that should be the focus of attention, in my opinion.

Real problems.

Things like veterans of America's many foreign wars ending up homeless after their return home.

I grow real tired of some issues getting demogauged simplistically, usually by Republicans, but sometimes by left leaners.

Demogauging about issues like the supposed scourge of illegal immigrants, the majority of whom come from Mexico, with the problem easily solved by easily granting work visas to Mexicans wanting to do jobs in America that Americans don't want to do.

Another demogauged issue that bugs me is all the brouhahaing over the supposed threat to the sanctity of marriage between a man and woman, by those who think anyone should be able to marry anyone they want to marry.

The idea that this issue is being voted on seems bizarre to me.

I believe the state I was born in, Oregon, and the state I grew up in, Washington, have now made it legal for anyone to marry anyone they want to marry.

Now, while I think this is a ridiculous issue, I totally understand that in a representative democracy that the people can make the majority view the law. Hence around 30 states not taking the more liberal Oregon/Washington view on this issue and voting in various measures to make it the law of a particular state that only a man and woman can get married.

I was going to ignore this subject til I read a blog this morning, the blog of someone I'll call Gumpar the Permian, not wanting to embarrass this individual by using his actual name.

Gumpar the Permian, in a blog post titled "Brainless North Carolinian's" wrote...

Apparently a majority of people voting in North Carolina have agreed they are unable to think for themselves. I could hardly believe it. They have decided that the government should tell them who they can marry. It's incredible! I've heard several people opine that India is bad because they have "arranged" marriages. I assume the marriages are arranged by the children's parents, but I'm not an expert.

Now keep in mind that Gumpar the Permian is an educated in Texas boy who had no history, civics or political science classes, whilst being educated.

I can not help but wonder how a majority of people supporting a measure on a ballot means they are unable to think for themselves? These are dots I can not connect.

And, India is "bad"? Due to arranged marriages? I did not know India was "bad". Did you? And not all marriages in India are arranged marriages. This type thinking is a product of a bad Texas education, it seems to me.

And then there is this from Gumpar the Permian...

However, in North Carolina, it's up to the government to determine who you can marry! Happy days. I guess your parents can still try to arrange it for you, but if the government doesn't agree then it doesn't count. Why oh why oh why? The government has no business dictating matters of love, relationships or marriage. None, zero, zilch. That's a very personal thing. We should not allow the government to tell us what to eat, what to drink, or who to marry.

I don't quite see how Gumpar makes the logic leap where the majority of North Carolinians approving a ballot measure, about what constitutes a marriage, turns into government dictating what North Carolinians can do.

See, if Gumpar the Permian had ever been exposed to something like a civics lesson he might have learned that America's government, at the federal, state and local level is founded on the idea that the government is of the People, for the People and by the People. In a representative democracy the People are the government.

Does this always work out well? No. Sometimes the people support something like banning the sale of adult beverages with a Prohibition Amendment to the Constitution that then ends up getting repealed when the People realize they'd made a big boo boo.

Now my view on this whole marriage thing is that that archaic institution should be abolished.

If marriage was abolished, overnight we'd solve the divorce problem. I can not help but notice that many of the people who whine about the sanctity of traditional marriage, speak from the voice of experience, due to their multiple marriages. People like Rush Limbaugh come to mind.

Then there are those highly publicized travesty marriages between men and women. I'm thinking of Kardashian sham marriages and Brittney Spears type marriage debacles. These type people should be banned from getting married.

And reproducing.

I am all for any government dicates that might put a stop to the Kardashians.

In one more bizarre bit of erroneousness from Gumpar the Permian, Gumpar opines....

There's no need to waste time debating about the merits of gay marriage. If you want to get married, by all means, get married. It doesn't hurt me in any way. However, in North Carolina, you'll need permission from Beverly Purdue, the current governor. The only time she should be involved is if you'd want her blessing to marry one of her sons. Even then, it's just a blessing.

Does Gumpar the Permian actually think the voters of North Carolina approved a ballot measure that gives their governor the duty of passing permission on all North Carolinian marriage proposals?

I really think some people should have to pass some sort of civics test to be allowed to vote.

Hiking The Tandy Hills With Coyote Kill

Tandy Highway

In the picture you are looking north on the Tandy Highway, deep in the shade of the Tandy Forest, today in the noon time frame.

Rain is in the forecast for a couple days, starting tomorrow, so today may be the last time I am able to get hill hiking endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation til North Texas returns to its usual dried out state.

Swimming this morning was very pleasant, partly due to the fact that the air was colder than the water in the pool. Which made the pool feel heated.

Currently clouds are between me and the sun and me doing some poolside lounging in preparation to get sufficiently suntanned so as not to get sunburned when I go swimming with the dolphins on the South Texas Gulf Coast.

Hiking the trails of the Tandy Hills I sure see a lot of signs that there have been a lot of feet trampling on Fort Worth's best prairie. I think this is a very good thing, helping to keep the foliage at bay and not totally overtaking the trails.

Coyote Kill?

Today, the FWISD (Fort Worth Independent School District) orange flags were once again stuck in the ground all over the Tandy Hills

We learned a few days ago the orange flags are directional beacons for herds of Fort Worth school kids being bused in for some healthy prairie time.

I was a bit perplexed by one of the orange flags.

Coyote Kill.

What does that mean, I can not help but wonder? Is it the name of a plant? Or the site of a murder, from whence the corpse has been removed?

Someone, somewhere must have the answer to the Coyote Kill mystery.

May Day 10 Thinking About Rockin' The River In A Kayak With Elsie Hotpepper

The morning of May Day 10 is dawning with a blue sky, as you can see via the view from one of my viewing portals on the outer world. With May having 31 days, by the end of today, almost a third of May will be history.

Time moves ever faster as I get old ever faster.

At this point in history the ground level at my location is only 27 degrees above freezing, heading to a high today of 82.

Yesterday after I mentioned that I had considered kayaking among the floaters in J.D. Granger's upcoming Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats on the feces infested Trinity River someone named Anonymous commented....

"Looks like the stage is up on the river's edge again for the J.D. & Friends Poop O'Matic Float A'Thon."

I did not know the name of the river floating event had been changed to Poop O'Matic Float A'Thon. I guess it's a more fitting name.

Elsie Hotpepper has been suffering with some serious ennui issues of late. Maybe it'd give her something to look forward to if I asked her if she wants to kayak with me at the upcoming Poop O'Matic Float A'Thon.

In the meantime, I think I'll go swimming before it gets any colder.

Biking River Legacy Park Thinking Of Kayaking With The Trinity River Alligators

River Legacy Park Trinity River Kayakers

My physical therapist told me I'm not getting enough exercise, so I decided to bike to the end of the River Legacy Park trails this early evening.

Many other people had the same idea. I don't know how many of those biking, walking, skateboarding, roller blading and kayaking were doing so due to advice from their physical therapist.

Just this afternoon I watched a disturbing video of an alligator attacking a guy in a kayak in a lake in Florida. No alligator harm was done, except for panicking the guy into a profanity spewing reversal of his kayak to escape the marauding reptile.

Just a couple days ago, thanks to an email from one of my favorite Southern Belles, Miss Connie, I learned about a couple locations in the south Dallas zone where large alligators are known to reside. From that same email from Miss Connie I also saw a photo of the biggest alligator gar ever caught in the Trinity River.

I have it on my to-do list to blog about that which Miss Connie led me to see, but I've become a really bad procrastinator, of late.

Since I have been biking the River Legacy trails again, on several occasions, I have seen kayakers exiting or entering the Trinity River from the kayak launch pad that was added a couple years ago. I remember when I saw that kayak launch pad built thinking to myself that this is never going to be used.

Shows what an accurate prognosticator I am.

I have a kayak that I have not kayaked in in years. I had a momentary thought, last summer, to kayak among those enjoying feces infested floating in the Trinity River via J.D. Granger's Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats, but I never was sufficiently motivated to go to the bother.

Maybe I'll take my kayak for a spin in the Trinity River in River Legacy Park. I could add this to my exercise regimen.

Making My Way Through The Thick Tandy Hills Foliage

As you can see, via the picture, the foliage on the Tandy Hills continues to get more lush, green, thick and colorful.

Soon, unless Mother Nature does something, some of the trails are going to become very narrow, or disappear all together, for the duration of the green time of the year in North Texas.

The temperature was in the low 70s when I got my endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation today.

I remember a time arriving in Tacoma in August of 2004 with the locals in full heat swoon mode because the temperature was in the high 70s. The locals were swooning while I was shivering.

Speaking of ennui, which if I remember right I spoke of a couple days ago, indicating I had succumbed to a mood of ennui. I think my ennui mood may be contagious. Elsie Hotpepper is now showing signs of ennui.

Since I can not escape my ennui mood I think I will go lounge in the sun for awhile and bake at 81 degrees. The pool will be available if I need some cooling.

The Chilly 2nd Wednesday Of May Going Swimming With Mister Mikogo

Looking skyward through the bars of my patio prison cell on the morning of May Day 9, I see a little cloud action blowing by.

Clouds I see, but what I feel is air currently chilled to being only 29 degrees above freezing.

61 degrees is cold. Eventually, if the temperature predictors are correct with their prediction the air will at some point today get 20 degrees warmer than its current chilly state.

I have yet to see this BIG moon people are talking about. Even my mom has seen the BIG moon and asked me if I've seen it. My mom has macular degeneration, so there are a lot of things my mom can not see.

This morning I get to have fun trying to make something called a Mikogo connection. A Mikogo connection connects two remote computers, through Mikoga, allowing the users on both computers to look at the same thing at the same time.

Before I get Mikogaing I think I will go swimming before it gets any colder.

Walking Around Fosdic Lake Pond Scum With Ducks

Fosdic Lake Covered With Green Pond Scum

It has been a few days since I last visited Oakland Lake Park to walk around Fosdic Lake. During my absence the layer of thick green pond scum has grown bigger and thicker.

The cold front that has blown in from the north has blown most of the Fosdic Lake pond scum to the south end of the lake.

The water that is not covered with pond scum had a black inky color to it today.

That cold front has made it unseasonably cold in North Texas on this 8th day of May. Only 68 degrees coming up on 3 in the afternoon.

It will be interesting to see what happens to Fosdic Lake when we get to the super HOT days of summer.

There are still a few ducks living on Fosdic Lake. Including a young mama duck and her brood of duck babies. I think I mentioned this family the last time I visited Fosdic Lake. The mama duck and duck babies were in the exact same location as the last time I visited them.

Mama Duck With Babies & No Baby Daddy Duck

Usually ducks, particularly mama ducks with duck babies, quickly waddle off when I get close. But, this duck  mama did not seem to care that I was taking pictures of her and her babies.

I think the duck mama may be a bit traumatized trying to raise her family on a lake that is quickly getting covered by green pond scum.

In addition to ducks, there were a lot of humans enjoying the brisk breeze blowing in from the north.

One lady lake walker had a little dog on a leash. The dog had had it's fur colored a very unnatural reddish-pink. I asked if I could take a picture of her unnatural looking dog. The lady said the dog was camera shy. I took that as a polite way of saying no.

A Cold Front Blows Into Texas Along With Venomous Snakes

The view from my primary viewing portal on the outer world on May Day 8, this morning, appears to be color themed to Seattle Seahawk blue. I like that color.

Overnight a cold front has blown in. Currently it is only 67 degrees at my location, heading to an eventual high of only 73 and an eventual low of only 59.

I may need to turn on the furnace to keep from shivering.

But, currently I have my windows open. Which I do not remember doing previously at this time of the year.

I read disturbing news this morning in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Venomous snakes like rattlesnakes and copperheads are appearing in increased numbers inside the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex due to a perfect storm of weather conditions. Apparently snakes with a bad bite like wet, humid weather.

I have had myself venomous snake encounters in years previous in Texas, but none this year. All I have seen this year have been cuddly little snakes that posed no biting threat.

I think I will go swimming now before it gets any colder.

Ennui Chasing A Jack Rabbit On The Tandy Hills

In the picture you are looking west at the wildflower covered old wagon trail that runs from the top of Mount Tandy towards downtown Fort Worth, the stunning skyline of which you can see in the distance.

I chased a jack rabbit down the Tandy Highway today.

I do not recollect chasing a jack rabbit on the Tandy Hills before.

Road runners, yes, jack rabbits, no.

Whilst hill hiking today I searched my memory for the word for my current feeling of utter weariness, discontent, dissatisfaction and lack of any sustained interest in anything.

Ennui.

That's the word.

Ennui.

I am almost 100% certain this feeling of ennui will pass. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon, and for a long long time.

I think I'll go do some pool lounging and swimming and try and feel less ennui-ful.

Listening To The May Day 7 Bird Jazz Ensemble

Looking through the bars of  my patio prison cell at the morning of May Day 7, it appears that this first Monday of the month is starting out as yet one more nice clear blue sky day in Texas.

That may change if the weather predictor's prediction is correct. Once again thunderstorming is in the forecast, just like yesterday. But yesterday there was no thunderstorming. I suspect that will end up being the case today, as well.

Currently, since it is a relatively chilly 71 degrees in the outer world at my location, I have my windows open. Having my windows open lets me better hear the cacophonous symphony that is being performed by my bird population this morning.

I don't know why I don't find birds making their melodic racket annoying, while wind chimes make me want to blast them with a shotgun.

Why do birds chirp? I'm sitting here this morning realizing I don't know what is the purpose of birds singing their chirping songs. I don't think it is a mating call thing, because I don't see a lot of bird mating going on.

I guess this is just one more thing to be perplexed about.

I think I will go swimming now and let the birds serenade me whilst I am immersed.

Breaking The Speed Limit In Hurst's Chisholm Park Wondering Why Fort Worth's Public Pools Are Dry

Do Not Go Over 16 in Chisholm Park

I was up north in the bustling suburb of Hurst today, to go to ALDI.

Before ALDI I went to Chisholm Park to go on a relaxing walk.

On my vehicle's analog speedometer I can easily tell when I'm going 5, 10, 15, 25...etc. But I had trouble telling if I was going over Chisholm Park's speed limit of 16.

I need a speedometer with a digital readout.

I like Hurst's Chisholm Park. Multiple scenes of a mom and dad and kids, often with a dog or two, having fun fishing, picnicking, walking, talking.

When I was a kid my parental units often took me and my siblings to parks. During summer pretty much every weekend we'd take off to go camping at one of Washington or Oregon's State Parks. Once a year we'd go on a long road trip vacation, to places like Yellowstone, Disneyland and Tijuana.

I was still a kid when I realized that many of my peers were not as blessed as I in the parental units taking them to parks, and on trips, department.

When I used to go to the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge I'd often see scenes of a mom and dad, with kids, watching the prairie dogs, walking the trails. I more than once thought to myself that this does not look like a family that goes on trips to Yellowstone and Disneyland.

Hurst Chisholm Aquatic Center

And then Fort Worth started charging an admission fee to this park, which should be a free to enter amenity for all the people who live in Fort Worth.

But, Fort Worth decided to reduce the number of visitors by charging that admission fee. I've not been back, as my own little protest. And I mention my disgust semi-regularly.

In Hurst's Chisholm Park, among many other amenities, you will find the City of Hurst's Chisholm Aquatic Center. A large area with large pools and water slides.

Fort Worth closed all its public pools due to alleged budget woes. Yet, somehow Fort Worth found $3 million for a little pedestrian bridge across the Trinity River. And almost a $1 billion for something called the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle. But, no public money for public pools.

No public pools might be cool if Fort Worth had a lake or two with a public swimming beach or two, but it does not.

And yet somehow Fort Worth still manages to be the envy of the rest of the planet.

Part of the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle is a little lake, that has shrunk over time, to now being small pond size. If this little pond were engineered to be filled with clean swimmable water, surrounded by sandy beaches, well, then the silent majority of Fort Worth citizens would actually be getting something that benefited them from the TRV Boondoggle.

But that won't happen, because it ain't the Fort Worth Way.

The First Sunday Of May Seeing No BIG Moon

Already it is May Day 6, the first Sunday of the 5th month of 2012.

Black and blue seems to be the color scheme, this morning, looking at the outer world from my secondary viewing portal.

No matter where I looked, last night, or this morning, I could not see that humongous moon I kept hearing about yesterday.

With the sky being clear I don't know what was blocking me from seeing the moon. Maybe buildings and trees were causing me a personal eclipse.

It is 73 degrees this morning, heading to 90, with some possible thunderstorming predicted.

I think I'll drive up to Hurst later this morning and go to Chisholm Park, then ALDI. These plans could change.

In the meantime I am going swimming before it gets any hotter.

Cinco De Mayo Hiking A Wind Chilled Tandy Hills With Wildflowers & Sushi

We have now gone over 90, mid-afternoon, at my location.

The air was heated to the low 80s when I did my Tandy Hill hiking in the noon time frame.

80s with a strong wind blowing, blowing with it that refreshing Wind Chill Effect, so today I did not turn into as HOT a sweaty mess as I did yesterday.

I had myself a fine time anyway, even though the sauna/steam bath was not at full steaminess.

I think someone, maybe the same guerrilla artist who installed the Tandy Bamboo Teepee, has sprinkled Miracle Gro on some locations on the Tandy Hills prairie.

Fertilizer would help explain why there are some spots on the Tandy Hills, like the spot in the above picture, where the wildflowers seem to have grown way more massive than the norm.

I rather like the out of control massive wildflowers.

After I finished my hill hiking, since it is Saturday, I did my usual Saturday thing and went to Town Talk.

I was very pleased upon arrival at Town Talk to read on the reader board, "HUGE SUSHI SALE".

Other signs throughout Town Talk reinforced the HUGE SUSHI SALE message, letting us Town Talkers know that a huge supply of fresh sushi had been acquired, to be sold at extremely discounted prices.

I walked in to the Town Talk cooler to see a HUGE amount of sushi, big platters, small platters, combo platters, platters with California rolls only. More sushi than I've ever laid my eyes on.

I would not think sushi was something most Town Talkers have much affinity for, but many were snapping up the platters.

So, I bet you can guess what I had for lunch.

Yes, you guessed correctly. Sushi.

I think I may go to River Legacy Park later to get in some Cinco de Mayo celebrating along with some bike riding.

The First Saturday Of May Thinking About A Murdered White Buffalo Baby

I am looking out my primary viewing portal on the outer world on May Day 5 at a blue sky with nary a cloud to see.

My temperature monitoring device is telling me it is currently 70 degrees, with the temperature predictors predicting the high today will again be in the 90s.

At some point in time after the sun ceased providing its daily illumination service I saw some bright light flashes and heard some loud thunder booms.

Clouds are required for thunder and lightning to happen.

Usually, when thunder is clapping it is accompanied by rain, usually in downpour mode. But, last night, no rain hit the ground at my location.

This morning I was appalled to read in each of the various news sources I look at each morning that someone in Texas murdered a young rare non-albino white buffalo and his mother.

Only 1 in 10 million buffalo babies are white.

Many Native Americans make a big deal about white buffalo, believing them to be something sacred.

The murdered buffalo was named Lightning Medicine Cloud by his Native American worshipers. Lightning Medicine Cloud was less than a year old when he was murdered.

Lightning Medicine Cloud lived at the Lakota Buffalo Ranch near Greenville, Texas. Greenville is the county seat of Hunt County out in the Piney Woods Region of East Texas.

Lakato Buffalo Ranch owner, Arby Little Soldier, and his wife, had been out of town, shocked to return home to discover Lightning Medicine Cloud killed and skinned.

I do not know if murdering a white buffalo is a death penalty crime in Texas. If it is not, I think it should be.

I think I'll go swimming now and try not to think about murdered buffaloes.

Catching A Possible Flag Thief Today On The Tandy Hills

Young Lady With Tandy Hills Flag Obsession

The temperature had not yet hit 90 when I did my hill hiking today. But it was HOT. With little wind.

I had some major pore leakage going on which provided some cooling, but my hiking shorts grew quite heavy as they sponged up the pore leakage.

HOT hiking is sort of addictive. It feels good, like how you feel after a sauna or steambath, or both.

I have been back in air-conditioned semi-comfort for a couple hours. It is now 90 in the outer world at my location.

Hiking the Tandy Hills today I was startled by a young lady talking loudly to herself. I think I startled her when suddenly there was a wet guy with few clothes on looking at her. I said to the young lady, "You're talking to yourself." She gave me a polite courtesy laugh.

This woman seemed to be way over dressed to be out doing HOT hill hiking. She was picking up all the orange flags I mentioned yesterday, flags that served as route markers for hiking Fort Worth Independent School District students.

I don't know if this woman was stealing the valuable flags. Or if she'd been tasked with removing them by the FWISD. Or if she was removing them because she thought they were litter.

There are other flags stuck in the Tandy Hills that mark areas where prairie experimenters are experimenting.  She'd better not have removed those experimental flags or she'll be hearing from the Don of the Tandy Hills.

That's why I took as good a picture of the Flag Lady as I could manage, so the flag thief could possibly be identified, should the need arise.