We Are Having A Texas Heat Wave For The End Of March

This afternoon I saw WeatherBug, on my computer, hit 80 for the first time in 2010. Also for the first time in 2010 I have the ceiling fan spinning above me.

Maybe the Texas I've experienced the 10 years previous has returned and I won't have to depart this state seeking a better climate more conducive to mitigating the myriad woes fracturing my fragile health.

Then again, the return of warm temperatures may have heated up the air, but it sure has not cleaned it up. I'm still breathng air contaminated by who knows what, spewed by the thousands of natural gas wells that have been poked into the Barnett Shale in Texas, including one right across the street from my abode.

When you leave Texas, via motorized transport, heading northwest, it's about when you cross into Colorado that the air starts smelling fresher. By the time the motorized transport crosses the Cascade Mountains into Western Washington the air smells like Christmas trees and seems to sparkle. That sensation does not last long.

89 for the high tomorrow. That is only 11 shy of 100. Can Level Red Ozone Alerts be far behind?

A New Road Ruts Up Fort Worth's Tandy Hills With Sewer Seepage Making A Green Belt

I parked by the tower on top of Mount Tandy today. As I drove in a lady was exiting with her dog. After I parked and disembarked I saw a group of 4 exiting the park. This, thus was the biggest crowd I've seen at this location. I tell you, hiking the Tandy Hills is getting super popular.

As is, apparently, driving on the Tandy Hills. The road ruts you see in the picture run along side the main trail that runs into the Tandy Hills off View Street.

I thought maybe a Fort Worth Parks crew had been busy rutting up the place so that they could haul out the bags of trash collected by the Tandy Hills Trash & Brush Bashers a couple months ago.

I had previously made note of the deteriorating condition of the black trash bags. Black plastic and the sun do not get along well together.

By the time I got to where the new road ended I could see the black trash bags were still sitting on the ground.

The Tandy Trash Bags look like they are melting. A truly astonishing amount of trash was found littering up the hills and stuck in bags. It'd be a real shame to see all that hard work wasted.

I saw something a bit odd today that has sprung up quickly with the un-springing of Spring.

The picture does not do it justice, but what you are looking at is a lush, thick, section of tall, deeply green, grass. Currently, by far, the greenest spot on the Tandy Hills. See the flat object in the picture? That is a lid that says "Sanitary Sewer" on it.

Last Fall I was in this exact spot after a heavy rainstorm. Material was oozing out of the Sanitary Sewer lid. It appears that whatever oozed out did an excellent job of fertilizing this little area.

As you walk about the Tandy Hills you come across evidence of its pre-natural days before it became the Tandy Hills Natural Area. I didn't realize the sewer pipes that run under the park were still being used, til I saw the oozing.

So, that's been some of my Texas rut today, finding ruts on the Tandy Hills. That and I heard from one of those scorned Texas women I mentioned earlier. I think it may have been Kay Granger, calling herself Anonymous.

Hell Has No Fury Worse Than What Happens If You Scorn Some Texas Women

William Congreve was an English playwright and poet. Born January 24, 1670, died January 19, 1729.

Congreve wrote his most famous play, The Mourning Bride, in 1697.

The Mourning Bride is known for two turns of phrase that are fairly universally known, though the passage of time, with centuries of repetition, have slightly altered the famous phrases from the words written by Congreve.

The first famous phrase was spoken by Almeria in Act I, Scene 1, saying "Music has charms to soothe a savage breast." In modern times this is often changed to "Music hath charms to soothe a savage beast."

The change to beast makes sense to me, the changing of has to hath, less so.

And then there is the most famous thing Congreve ever wrote, spoken by Zara in Act 3, "Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned."

Time has changed Congreve's words to "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."

I have eye-witnessed the behavior, a time or two, of scorned women. The fury is not a pretty sight. I've seen it a time or two in Washington, three times in Texas. The Texas scorning is out of proportion to the time I've spent in Texas, compared to Washington.

The fury of a scorned Texas woman, at least in my experience, is far more hellish than a scorned Washington woman. I know my sampling of scorned women, in either state, is not large enough to be able to make any sort of statistically significant conclusion.

Suffice to say, in my experience, I'd rather experience the hell of a scorned Washington woman that a scorned Texas woman. Most Washington women do not pack heat.

Getting Caught By The Richland Hills Texas Red Light District

I found a fun surprise this morning in my mailbox. A letter from the City of Richland Hills, Texas Red Light Photo Enforcement Program.

Also known as the Richland Hills Revenue Enhancement Program.

It was a little surprising to see a closeup picture of my license plate.

On the "Notice of Violation," under the picture showing the plate image, it says, "To view a video and the before and after pictures of the violation, please go to www.photonotice.com. Enter City Code: RCHLD."

Photonotice.com is run by Redflex Traffic Systems, Inc. in Phoenix, Arizona.

I logged into Photonotice.com, after entering the city code, the notice number and the license plate, and watched the video. Til I watched the video I could not remember being in Richland Hills and having the opportunity to run a red light.

With the video refreshing my memory I remember a couple weeks ago I needed to be at a specific location in North Richland Hills, at noon. That day, when I left my abode, I could see my usual route to North Richland Hills, I-820, was not moving. So, I took surface streets north.

This had me eventually on Highway 183, which I learned, from the Notice of Violation, is also known as Baker Boulevard. Baker Boulevard had few vehicles on it that day before noon. The red light running took place at the intersection of Baker and Vance Park. Whatever Vance Park is. I recollect where the red light was run, it was like there was a stoplight with no real crossroad.

The memory of the lack of a real crossroad is reinforced by viewing the video and the picture above.

So, what's the deal here? Does Redflex Traffic Systems, Inc. send agents out to cash hungry towns and sell them on the idea of installing red light traps to tempt drivers to ignore the seemingly unnecessary red light?

I must return and take pictures of the scene of the crime.

In the meantime, be careful out there. Big Brother is Watching.

I Am Living On Sunset Boulevard In Texas Waiting For Norma Desmond To Shoot Me

I watched Sunset Boulevard a couple days ago. This was not the first time I've watched Sunset Boulevard. It's a good movie.

Gloria Swanson plays Norma Desmond. That's Norma moving in for her close up in the picture. By picture, I don't mean Motion Picture, I mean, photo.

There is a scene towards the end of Sunset Boulevard, shortly before Norma shoots and kills Joe, where Joe catches Norma calling Betty, a screenwriter with whom Joe was working on a screenplay.

Norma was calling Betty to let Betty know what a Bad Boy Joe was.

But, Norma's real motive was to try and preserve her hold on Joe.

For reasons unsettling to me, I found Norma's behavior disturbing in a way I did not find it on previous viewings of Sunset Boulevard.

It seems I am in the midst of my own twisted Southern Gothic Texas version of Sunset Boulevard, with a twisted Norma Desmond playing sadistic mindgames on a young, sweet, innocent Texas Betty.

When Norma shot Joe he ended up floating in Norma's pool. I'm almost certain I will not meet a similar end in the pool I swim in. But you never know. Norma's are difficult to predict.

It's always something. And, have I mentioned? I am Fed Up.

5th Annual Fort Worth Prairie Fest Littering Up The Tandy Hills With Flyers

Today is Day 2 of Project 20, a clandestine effort in cahoots with a Washington cohort. It is easier to use the words "cahoots" and "cohort" in one sentence than you might think.

My pool has warmed up enough that I managed to, almost, make being in it, aerobic, this morning. But, having failed to truly achieve water aerobia, I really amped it up on the Tandy Hills today. Hiked for about an hour. Fast up 6 hills instead of my standard 4. I think I will easily be ready for a Port Aransas beach in a month or so.

I found some well-preserved litter whilst hiking the Tandy Hills today. Flyers advertising the April 24, 2010 5th Annual Fort Worth Prairie Fest.

I made it to Prairie Fests 3 and 4. I don't know if I'll make it to Prairie Fest 5.

Fed Up & Ready To Escape Texas & Return To Civilization

I got an email a couple days ago asking me about the current status of the Carter Avenue/Chesapeake Energy Natural Gas Pipeline fiasco.

I have no idea regarding the current status of that particular fiasco.

The emailer also mentioned that I have not been making comments, of late, about the Chesapeakegate Scandals or Fort Worth's corrupt, on the take, mayor, Mike Moncrief or the shenanigans of the dishonorable Judge Vincent Sprinkle or the shenanigans of J.D. Granger and his mother Kay and their pet Trinity River Vision Project.

Why have I not made mention, of late, of these subjects and others?

Because I'm Fed Up with it all. Fed Up.

When I realized that I'm living in a place where a judge can lie to a courtroom full of fully functioning ears. And get away with it, with the scandalous behavior not being reported anywhere, but in blogs that few read. Fed Up.

Blogs that also make note of the corruption in Fort Worth's city government, to no avail. No one cares, no one, who can do anything about it, listens. Did Chesapeake Energy pay-off the FBI? Fed Up.

Gestapo Raids by the city of Fort Worth for no appropriate reason, with no one asking who ordered the raids. Fed Up.

Yesterday I read that the first stage of Seattle's $4 billion Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement will be put out to bid in early April. That article mentioned, just matter of fact, like it's just the ordinary course of things, that a Seattle Activist had filed a lawsuit objecting to some aspect of the project.

Activist? What a concept. Fort Worth Activist? Some try. To no avail. Can you imagine reading an article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle and mention being made of a Fort Worth Activist filing a lawsuit regarding some aspect of the project?

I don't know, maybe a lawsuit regarding the nepotism involved in hiring the project manager. Or eminent domain abuse being used on a project on which the public has not voted.

Fed Up. Fed Up I tell you.

I have decided it is time to plot my escape from Texas. I'm ready to return to civilization.