Encountering A White Pickup Truck Today On The Tandy Hills

Does anyone remember my encounters with Express Energy Services white pickup trucks?

I think those encounters left me with a mild case of post traumatic stress disorder.

Today as I neared the end of my salubrious Tandy Hills hiking, near the top of Mount Tandy, suddenly a white pickup truck was coming towards me.

When the driver saw me he swerved off the trail so as to avoid hitting me, unlike the Express Energy Services white pickup trucks which picked up speed as they aimed directly at me.

As today's white pickup truck passed me I saw it was a Fort Worth Water Department truck. The driver politely howdied me and asked how I was doing.

The encounter did set my nerves on edge. The truck seemed to appear out of nowhere, which is what startled my delicate nervous system.

As I walked on I turned around to see the truck head down the steep part of the descent from Mount Tandy. Then it stopped. Then backed up. The truck sounded as if it was struggling to back up.

So, I walked back to take a picture of my latest encounter with a white pickup truck, which is what you are looking at in the picture at the top. That and the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth.

Slightly warmer on the hills today. Slightly warmer for swimming this morning. But, I heard on the radio that more cold temperatures are on the way, but I think the radio may have been wrong, because I see my computer's weather forecast is for 92 and possible T-Storms for tomorrow.

Tandy Falls Is Almost Dried Up After Yesterday's Futile Fort Worth City-Wide Vote

In the picture you are looking at an aerial view of the currently trickling Tandy Falls, today around noon.

Today I decided that the next time we get rain in downpour mode I am going to go to the Tandy Hills with an umbrella, wearing shoes that I don't care if they get covered with mud, and hike in to Tandy Falls to see what it looks like in flash flood mode.

It was another unusually cool day for May today, in the 60s, which made for pleasant hiking. Due to my Vitamin D deficiency I hike with as much skin exposed as possible. I think I mentioned yesterday I am rather pale compared to how tanned I am, usually, by this point in time.

I have heard from a couple of political pundits regarding yesterday's Fort Worth election.

Steve A opined, "If I lived in Fort Worth, I'd sooner crawl over broken glass than vote for Lane. I think if he becomes mayor, you'll soon be missing Mike..."

While Gail Galtex said, "I like Jim and his cowboy hat now. On a positive note, the anti-establishment got 29% of the vote. Jim Lane should figure out how to reach this group and may get them by default anyway."

I'm thinking it is real odd that Texas has elections where all you vote for is the mayor and your city council person. Elections cost a lot of money to hold. Fort Worth is supposedly low on money. How much was wasted on this most recent exercise in futility?

Why not just automatically install as mayor the Oligarchy's pick? How much money did Cathy Hirt and Dan Barrett spend in their futile effort? Jim Lane's effort is not yet futile. He is the FWRO's #2 choice.

It is time to quit thinking about these serious matters and go have lunch.

The Tandy Hills Have Already Dried Out From This Week's Deluge

I figured the trails of the Tandy Hills would be muddy in places today, due to the heavy rains of Wednesday and Thursday.

But, no mud stuck to me today.

Absolutely perfect temperature. 65 degrees, with a good wind blowing.

I don't know if the Fort Worth water boys finished their sanitary sewer project. I do know that the bridge they so carefully engineered over Tandy Creek has washed out again.

But this time it is not a complete washout. I think each time the bridge gets rebuilt it gets rebuilt a bit better than the previous one.

I saw no humans on the Tandy Hills today. I thought maybe the Tandy Hills Wildflower Extravaganza might still be happening by the time I hit the hills. But, I don't think it was.

Steve A had an amusing blog post today titled "Cold Dark Winter - North Texas Version" about how our weather in North Texas, this year, has us paler and deficient in Vitamin D, as compared to a year ago. Complete with photo documentation.

I remember when I flew up to Washington in April of 2006 I was already suntanned and had to endure comments about my suntannedness. If I flew up to Washington, right now, I don't think I'd hear any comments about my suntannedness.

First off, because I am not very tanned, second off, because I would stay way from those types who make comments about ones level of suntannedness.

Anyway, I must go get in some lounge time around the pool now and work on my suntan.

All I found to get at Town Talk today was a lot of roma tomatoes and sharp cheese. I could have gotten a talking tulip for a buck. But I really so no good use for a talking tulip.

Walking Through The Field Of Color On Top Of Fort Worth's Mount Tandy Along With Prickly Pear Cactus

You can intuit two things from the picture. One is that Tuesday, in my zone of Texas, is a bit gray with a cloudy overcast.

But, under that cover of gray, today, the top of Mount Tandy was being very colorful. Recent rain, sunny days and warm temps have conspired to make it necessary to navigate a sea of color whilst crossing the top of Mount Tandy.

Even though I had myself a night of insomnia, last night, I was up early, in the pool, soon after the arrival of the sun.

This morning I got a very mysterious cryptic message asking me what I thought about doing a newscast. Me doing a newscast? Casting what news? Am I a newscaster and did not know it?

Last week I talked on the phone with Betty Jo Bouvier and Carlotta Camano for the first time in years. Why does it so often seem that when I talk to someone on the phone I never hear from them again? Maybe I need to call myself and see if I can figure out what I do that causes people to disappear.

On a lighter note, I heard from Gar the Texan today, via email, for the first time in a long time. I have Gar the Texan's phone number. I should call him and see if I ever hear from him again.

I forgot to mention, the prickly pear cactus on the Tandy Hills were in full yellow bloom mode today. Soon I will be able to pick prickly pears and make my annual batch of prickly pear jam.

Or not.

UPDATE: Soon after I mentioned that I'd not heard from Betty Jo Bouvier ever since I talked to her on the phone, she called me. But the prefix was alien to me, so I let it go to Voice Mail. Usually the unknown pre-fixes want to give me a free trip or get me to subscribe to a newspaper. Why is Betty Jo calling from the 181 Area Code? I must look it up and see where Betty Jo is. Yikes! 181 is a country code. Betty Jo is in India.

Getting HOT With Elsie Hotpepper Today On The Tandy Hills

Elsie Hotpepper got back from Vegas on Mother's Day.

This morning Elsie called and asked if she could go hill hiking on the Tandy Hills with me today. And then out to lunch.

And so Elsie trailed the trails after me today, taking pictures.

The post-hike lunch at the Mexican Inn was okay. I am not a fan of their puffy chips. They remind me of Fritos.

It was HOT on the hills with Hotpepper today. It is currently a little after 3 and almost 90 degrees. Windows closed, A/C running, ceiling fan spinning.

Speaking of fans spinning. I think the fan on my computer may be acting up. This does not please me.

It's always something.

Viewing Tandy Hills Art Installations & Thinking About Ivar's Puget Sound Style Clam Chowder

This Saturday at noon I entered the Tandy Hills from View Street for the first time since the Prairie Fest, two weeks ago.

All that remains from the Prairie Fest is some orange markings on the grass and the art installation you see in the picture.

I know, post Prairie Fest that I read what this art installation was called or was supposed to signify.

But, my pathetically bad memory, combined with my pathetic case of AADD, has rendered that memory missing.

I think the forest of stick phalli, arranged in a circle, was signifying the fertility of spring. Maybe. Was it called "The Fertile Spring?" I wonder how many years this art installation will remain standing?

I saw today that the Tandy Hills Bamboo Teepee art installation is down to only 3 poles. If it loses one more pole that teepee is coming down.

I had an encounter with a coyote today. I was coming down a hill, it was heading up. It saw me and quickly turned around and ran off. I had no chance to take a picture. I have now encountered both a coyote and a roadrunner on the Tandy Hills.

After hiking like a maniac on the HOT Tandy Hills I took my HOT self to Town Talk, just like I do every Saturday.

Today I saw something at Town Talk that there was no way I was not buying. "Estilo Puget Sound Sopa de Almeja Con Tocino Receta del Restaurante Ivar's," it says on the package. Along with "Ivar's Since 1938." And "Acres of Clams."

Ivar's is a Seattle institution. Ivar was a restaurateur who had a famous Seattle waterfront restaurant, which in his later years, he greatly expanded, opening Ivar's in many locations. Wikipedia has an article about Ivar Haglund.

Why Ivar's is selling clam chowder in packaging in Spanish and where it is being sold is a mystery to me. Well, I know it is being sold today at Town Talk, but where did Town Talk get it? When Town Talk gets a new thing, like this, at checkout they give you a piece of paper with the directions on how to cook it.

The title at the top of the instructions says, "INSTRUCTIONS FOR IVAR'S PUGET SOUND STYLE CLAM CHOWDER."

You reading this in the Puget Sound zone, did you know there was a Puget Sound style clam chowder? I sure didn't.

There Was No Shadow Of The Tandy Hills Thin Man Showing On The Hills Today

There was no Shadow of the Tandy Hills Thin Man showing on the Tandy Hills today at noon.

We may currently be at our maximum level of green for the year, here in North Texas.

As you can see in today's view of a Tandy Hills trail, looking southeast, it is green. And not too colorful. The wildflowers have been a bit muted this year.

Miss Puerto Rico just called. She can't figure out how to renew her Texas driver's license online. I said I'd help. But I am not in much of a helping mood.

The Tandy Hills hiking was a bit hot today. By the end I was quite wet from sweat. Or humidity. Or both. When I lived in Washington I was never a fan of summer heat and getting hot. Something changed after moving to Texas. Now I like getting hot in the natural sauna steam bath.

I think I will go swimming and then over to Miss Puerto Rico's.

Looking At A New Art Installation On The Tandy Hills While Thinking About Dancing With Elsie Hotpepper & BBQ

I'm so sleepy. Last night I was so tired I was in bed by 9. Then up by 5 this morning. I'm drinking iced coffee right now, to try and de-sleepify myself. I don't usually drink any stimulants in the afternoon, due to the stimulator having a too over stimulating effect.

I don't think I over-did the hiking on the Tandy Hills thing today, to the point of exhaustion.

Speaking of the Tandy Hills.

Today, under the Tandy Bamboo Teepee, which survived the 2011 Prairie Fest, still fully erect, there was an artwork that had been installed directly under the apex of the teepee.

Several Lake Worth Alliance water bottles had been duct taped together, along with some other materials, like the piece of red plastic you see duct taped in the lower left part of the picture.

I am not sure what the Lake Worth Alliance is. Does drinking water actually come out of Lake Worth? Isn't that lake heavily silted. With alligators living in it? I believe I have watched boaters and water skiers on Lake Worth from the outdoor patio of The Point on Lake Worth.

I think the water flowing through Lake Worth is the West Fork branch of the Trinity River. Eventually the West Fork joins up with the Clear Fork at the location where young J.D. Granger hopes to build a little lake in his mama's honor, called Lake Kay Granger. Or Kay Granger Pond. Or Kay Granger Puddle.

I don't believe the final name for the little lake has yet been picked.

Tonight you may see me at Rahrs & Sons Brewing Company watching a movie, listening to music, dancing with Elsie Hotpepper, eating BBQ and staying away from any Rahr & Sons liquid products due to my suspicion it gives me the hives.

But, right now I'm going swimming and lounge in the sun for awhile to make my skin produce some Vitamin D.

Elsie Hotpepper Has Me Wondering About The Tarrant County Phallic Symbol Epidemic & Sanitary Sewers In The Tandy Hills

In the picture you are looking west, up a Tandy Hills trail, to the spot where yesterday I took a very cloudy picture of the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth.

Today's view was cloudless.

After my recent bouts of the hives I've decided I need to lead a more healthy lifestyle. I will be trying to get more exercise and eat a more nutritious diet.

The Fort Worth Sanitary Sewer guys were on the Tandy Highway today, preparing a creek crossing for an incoming TV truck. They were working on the creek crossing that last week was flooding with gray water from a sewer line break.

I stopped and talked to the Sewer guys for a couple minutes. It was unclear to me if they realized the sewer water had been running down the creek at a high volume. It made no sense to me that they were preparing to send a TV camera into the pipeline, again, when the leak obviously occurred somewhere up the creek.

But, what do I know about the Sanitary Sewer business?

Sanitary Sewer. I had not before made note of it before, until today, when I read it on one of the manhole covers, that the phrase "Sanitary Sewer" is a bit odd. Should it not be "Unsanitary Sewer?" How can a sewer be sanitary?

Changing the subject from sanitary sewers.

If I remember right I mentioned recently that Elsie Hotpepper had gone missing. Well, I've now heard from Miss Elsie. A few minutes ago Elsie sent me a link to a blog post in the FW Weekly blotch blog, about the epidemic of phallic symbols cropping up all over Tarrant County, titled "Them's Some Nasty Vines."

I think I will go for an afternoon swim and get some Vitamin D therapy.

Hiking With My Mom On The Tandy Hills On The Last Wednesday Of April

Looking west from the Tandy Hills, around 4 this afternoon, at the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth, you can see there is a bit of turbulence in the sky, not the predicted clear and breezy that had been advertised for today.

I got gas on my way to the Tandy Hills. As my one reader may remember, when I get gas I call my mom in Arizona.

Sun Lake, Arizona, to be precise.

My mom and dad living in a place called Sun Lake is interesting to me due to the fact that my favorite place we'd go on family trips was to Sun Lakes in Eastern Washington.

It has been a long time since I have been to Sun Lakes, Washington. I've been to Sun Lake, Arizona way more recently than Sun Lakes, Washington.

I have not been in Eastern Washington since August of 2001. The Washington friends I was staying with took me over to Leavenworth, via Stevens Pass, then fruit hunting by Wenatchee, then over Blewett Pass to go to Roslyn (aka Cicely, Alaska), for pizza and beer, then over Snoqualmie Pass, back to Seattle.

I have no mountain passes to cross over anywhere near my current location. Or big orchards where I can go fruit hunting.

I digress.

As usual.

I called my mom after I got gas, so mom went hiking with me on the Tandy Hills. My mom was in laughing at me mode. My mom laughing makes me feel good. My mom is one of the few people in the world who reliably finds me amusing.

I've not heard from Elsie Hotpepper for days. She is not answering her pager. Why do people go missing on me? Don't they realize this type thing worries me?

Just Another Spring Tuesday In Texas With Record Breaking Temperatures, Wildfires and Power Blackouts

In the picture you are looking at a hazy view of the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth, from the Tandy Hills, today around noon.

I suspect the haziness is due to the huge wildfires burning to the west of Fort Worth, in the Lake Possum Kingdom zone. Dozens of homes have been destroyed. An area the size of Rhode Island is currently under flame in Texas.

We are heading to a record breaking temperature of 95 today. Currently it is 1 degree shy of the record.

It is very humid. The heat and the humidity turned the hiking today into a sauna steam bath.

It is now an hour later after typing "sauna steam bath." The power went out. Are we having rolling blackouts due to record breaking temperatures for this date?

It is only April 19. I think we are heading towards a super HOT summer in Texas. Currently I am not remembering how it is I can tolerate being out in it when the HEAT goes well over a 100. I am remembering why it is, if I fly up to Seattle in July or August, I'm a shivering mess pretty much the entire time I'm there.

Currently, as you can see, it is 94, with the humidity making it feel like 96. How is it one determines the temperature feels like a certain temperature, I can't help but wonder?

Today on the Tandy Hills is the third day in a row that, what I believe to be sewer water, is running through a Tandy Hills Creek. The water flows at a steady rate, but has still not reached Tandy Falls. The malodorousness of the Tandy Hills Sewer Creek was a bit amped up today. I assume due to the elevated temperature.

The only new wildflower color on the hills that I saw today was the solo pink tulip-like buttercup bloom you see in the picture.

I think I need to take an anti-histamine pill for the second time during this itchy eyes bout, which may be brought to me courtesy of wildfire smoke.

I went swimming again, during the blackout. But I did not enjoy lounging in the HOT sun for more than a couple minutes after I got out of the pool.

Miss Puerto Rico returns tomorrow, likely after midnight. I am under instructions not to turn the A/C on unless it goes over 100.

I see I have some Elsie Hotpepper incoming. I must brace myself and see what that's about.

It Is A Hot Monday In Texas Bringing Blooming Wildflowers On The Tandy Hills

It is currently 8 degrees short of being 100 in my zone of North Texas. I believe the temperature today on the Tandy Hills was the hottest hiking so far this year.

I believe it was in the mid-80s when I hit the hills. This had me wondering how it is I can manage to hike the hills when it is 110. I do know I bring water along. And drink it. I had 3 bottles of water with me today. But I did not take them on the hike.

The daisy-like wildflower was my new Tandy Hills wildflower sighting of the day.

Water is continuing to stream across the formerly dry creek bed near the point where the south trail down Mount Tandy meets the Tandy Highway.

Today I lingered a bit longer by the flood. Yesterday someone opined this was a sewage leak, opining this because of the smell and the look of the water. Today I did a better job of smelling and looking and I think I agree with the sewer system leak theory.

Then again, water in streams in these parts can be a bit polluted, creating the illusion of being an open sewer, like when the Trinity River is in flood mode, not in destination happy hour inner tube floating mode.

It is only 5 days til the Prairie Fest floods the Tandy Hills with humans and other stuff.

Some forecasters are forecasting T-Storms for Friday and Sunday. With Saturday, the day of the Prairie Fest being a non-stormy day.

Below is an optimistic 7 day forecast for Fort Worth. If this holds it bodes well for the Prairie Fest. I hope.

Sunday Hiking On The Flooding Tandy Hills of Fort Worth

We have had no rain, in this part of America I am currently living in, for quite a few days.

So, I was surprised to come to the first creek crossing I come to after I get on the Tandy Highway after coming down the south side of Mount Tandy, to find that creek crossing to be flooding.

Did a sewer or water pipeline break upstream? My co-hiker today claimed it appeared to be sewer water due to the smell and grayish color.

But when I crossed the flood zone I detected no particular odor or grayish color to the water.

What I do know is a large volume of water was flowing. I don't recollect ever seeing water flowing through this particular creek bed before. An hour later the flood had not yet made it all the way to Tandy Falls.

On the way to the Tandy Hills today water was flowing down Bridge Street in large volume, heading west, entering a storm drain prior to Nolan High School and Oakland Boulevard.

I tell you, we are leaking water all over my zone of Fort Worth. But, that's no big deal. There is no water shortage in these parts.

The Dawn Of The Third Sunday Of April In Texas With A Blue Sky & One Week To Go Til Easter

I dawned about the same time the sun did this 3rd Sunday of April.

Looking through the bars of my patio prison cell, when I went outside to fetch my swimming suit, you can see it is yet one more clear blue sky morning in North Texas.

Except, I think there may be some smoke in the air. I can't get my eyes to quit watering. It is being very annoying.

On Friday there were big wildfires to the north, up by the Red River border with Oklahoma, and to the west of my location, in the Lake Possum Kingdom area, where dozens of homes were burned.

You mix in what the thousands of Barnett Shale Natural Gas drilling sites spew into the air that we breathe, with all these wildfires, with all the other air pollution that is allowed to be spewed in these parts, it is a wonder I am not more of a respiratory mess.

I believe today is what is known as Palm Sunday. My Sunday School days are so far behind me I don't remember what today is known as Palm Sunday. Except for Palm Sunday being a week before Easter Sunday.

Easter being next Sunday, has the 2011 Prairie Fest doing its festing on the day before Easter. I wonder if an Easter Egg Hunt is planned? An Easter Egg Hunt with the eggs hidden on the trails of the Tandy Hills might be a fun thing. Twelve and under, with a parental unit having to accompany their kid. This might make for an amusing spectacle.

It is a relatively chilly 52 degrees out there. I think I'll go swimming anyway.

Hiking Through The Tandy Jungle Thinking About Queens Crossing Snake Infested Creeks

The Tandy Hills called around noon, wanting someone to walk on them. And so I did.

In the picture we are in the lushly vegetated jungle foliage zone of the Tandy Hills, accessed north of the currently dry Tandy Falls.

The green light filtering through the Tandy jungle reminds me of summer in one of the Olympic Rain Forests. With no moss. Or elk.

A week from now the 2011 Prairie Fest will be having the Tandy Hills at its most populated.

The Queen of Wink is currently in the Metroplex. I do not know if she is staying til next Saturday to do the Prairie Fest. This morning, at 11, she was running a 3.2 mile course filled with obstacles, like mud pits and snake infested creeks. To me this seemed like a royally strange thing to drive 400 miles to do.

I need to eat lunch now and then go feed a cat.

I Came Back From The Tandy Hills Today To Learn I Have Been Handpicked To Help The Prairie Fest Get Setup

I made it to the Tandy Hills in the noon timeframe today for the first time in a few days.

It is not being particularly hot today, only in the low 70s. But it is being very windy. The windiest I've ever experienced on the Tandy Hills. Earlier today the gusts were up to 55mph. Currently 35mph.

The pink wildflowers in the picture look like they'd be blown apart by heavy wind, but they seemed to be surviving just fine.

The horizon to the north was looking very smoggy as I drove back from the Tandy Hills. I suspect this heavy wind is blowing in some wildfire smoke. I'm going over to Miss Puerto Rico's in a bit to take a picture of the panoramic view to the north from her balcony. And feed the cat.

I got an urgent message from Don Young a short while ago. Congratulating me for being a hand-picked individual. Below is the message....

Congratulations! YOU are among a few hand-picked individuals invited to be on the Prairie Fest set-up Posse. Your help is needed to prepare for the festival site for the 4 - 5,000 people who will attend Prairie Fest.

We need your help the day before the festival doing the following:

-Setting up a few tents
-Installing signs and banners
-Setting up the stage
-Arranging barricades and hay bales
-Unloading and setting up tables and other equipment
-etc.

• We need reliable individuals with willpower and stamina. Handyman-woman skills are a plus.
• Work will start Friday April 22 at 10 am and end about 7 pm with breaks for lunch.
• Bring tools, wheel barrows, garden wagons, hand-trucks, gloves and whatever else you need. Water will be available.

This is an URGENT request for assistance. RSVP.

Yesterday I told you I ran into Stenotrophomonas on the Tandy Hills, picking up litter and putting it into a black garbage bag.

Today, part way up Mount Tandy, I found a black garbage bag sitting beside the trail.

Was this the Stenotrophomonas bag?

My best guess is that his bag burst open, so Stenotrophomonas left it in this location til he could return with more garbage bags.

The wind was not impacting too strongly on the damaged bag. I'll bring a bag with me tomorrow in case this abandoned bag is still being a hazardous waste site.

I Found The Legendary Stenotrophomonas Doing Maintenance On The Tandy Hills Today Along With Possible Poison Ivy

A 10 o'clock doctor visit, this morning, rendered my regular noon aerobicizing not doable, til later.

It was 85 when I hit the Tandy Hills today. And very windy.

The wind was blowing clouds in front of the sun, making taking a picture of the Shadow of the Tandy Hills Thin Man slightly difficult. It was as if the lights kept getting turned off right when I clicked the shutter button.

As you can see, a buzz cut has my head looking like it's shrunk. A buzz cut makes for a much cooler hiking experience.

Today I had 3 Close Encounters of the Human Kind on the Tandy Hills. I can go weeks without seeing another human on the hills.

The first encounter came as I reached the bottom of Mount Tandy, at the point where the trail enters the Tandy Highway. A guy was walking towards me, picking up stuff and putting it in a black plastic bag.

As our paths crossed I said howdy, to which the guy with the black bag said, in a quizzical tone, "Durango?"

"That would be me" said I. "Who are you? I asked.

"Stenotrophomonas" came the reply.

I was face to face with the legendary Stenotrophomonas.

I continued on. A mile or so later I saw movement across a gully. Soon another human came into view. I'd seen this guy before. He had some sort of music playing device in his ear. So his "howdy" was quite loud.

The Third Encounter of the Human Kind occurred in the dark, foliage thick area you reach from the north side of Tandy Falls. I was coming down the trail that leads to the falls. Suddenly this guy hollers at me some sort of warning. I was a little concerned.

Turns out he had found what he thought to be a lot of poison ivy. I've no idea if it was poison ivy or not. But he was quite concerned. He was wearing one of those identity cards, like people who work in a hospital have.

The new wildflower, for the day, I found on top of Mount Tandy, near the Tandy Hills Shrine. It is a humongous wildflower.

In other Tandy Hills news, today I learned I will be in a booth at the Prairie Fest on Saturday, April 23. Currently I am scheduled to be at the Prairie Fest starting at 2 in the afternoon, til, I assume, closing.

I have never spent more than an hour or two at the Prairie Fest.

The last time I was in a booth, at a festival type event, it was in Seattle at the Fremont Sunday Market. That time I was in a booth with a crazy, raging sociopath who weighed 5 or 6 hundred pounds and looked like Jabba the Hut. This time I will be in a booth with a relatively sane person who is a skinny little thing who does not look like Jabba the Hut.

Hiking The Tandy Hills With New Wildflowers Thinking About Steamy Pools & Elsie Hotpepper Laughing Til She Cries

With 11 days to go til the 2011 Prairie Fest the Tandy Hills is starting to become a bit more colorful.

Better a late bloomer than a no bloomer.

This year I must try to be at the Prairie Fest when my favorite Fort Worth band, Triggerfish, is playing.

My noon inspection of the Tandy Hills found the trails dried out, for the most part. The rain seems to have caused some new blooms to sprout for the first time this year, like the yellow and orange wildflower you see in the picture.

Changing the subject to my other regular subject, that being my morning swim.

Well, this morning's swim was odd. The air was heated to 50. The water in the pool was at a temperature level of a heat differential significant enough to cause vapor to rise from the water, like what happens when the air is freezing. This seemed strange to me.

Changing the subject again to one of my other regular subjects, Miss Puerto Rico. Tomorrow she returns to her home island, which means I begin cat sitting duty.

Cat sitting duty is a boring subject, so let's change the subject to another of my regular subjects, Elsie Hotpepper.

This morning Elsie sent me an email that said....

I don't know if it's as funny to you since you don't text but you have to check out the site damnyouautocorrect.com. It made me laugh til I cried. It happens to all of us...

Do people really do that? Laugh til they cry? I don't think I've ever laughed til I cried. But I really don't do all that much laughing or crying. Maybe if I laughed more I'd cry more. I am emotionally stilted.

My therapist, Dr. L.C., is working on my emotional stiltedness. We are not making much progress.

I think I'll go for an afternoon swim in the steamy pool and see if I can force myself to laugh til I cry.

I'm Having A Hazy Lazy Day In Fort Worth Thinking About Nothing Except Keeping Cool

When I drove to the Tandy Hills a bit before noon the sky was not blue. It was gray. Looking towards downtown Fort Worth it appeared the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth was being viewed through a hazy gauze.

By the time I reached the point where I took today's picture of the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth, the haze was lifting and blue sky was starting to make its way through the cloud cover.

We are now almost cloud-free and 86 degrees.

Which means I can do my daily lounging under the sun, working on my tan, in preparation for being in the Arizona desert.

When I got back here from the Tandy Hills I turned on the A/C. I'd forgotten I'd turned it on til right now when it cycled back on, blowing chilled air on me.

An afternoon bout in the pool, followed by some sun lounging should cool me off. I think I will go do that right now.

Stepping On The Shadow Of The Tandy Hills Thin Man While Thinking About NATO High Command And MHMR Bullycrat Thuggery

That's my left foot stepping on the Shadow of the Tandy Hills Thin Man, today, a couple minutes past noon.

I don't think the Tandy Hills has gotten the memo that the Prairie Fest will be happening on the hills in 3 weeks, on Saturday, April 23. The Tandy Hills needs to start sprouting out a lot of wildflowers if it is going to be at its usual highly colorful standard of the previous Prairie Fests.

It was in the low 80s when I did my hill hiking. It is 86 right now at 6 minutes after 2 in the afternoon.

The power went out while I was out. I don't like resetting all the flashing digital time keeping devices.

I had myself a frustrating morning, computer-wise.

Frustrations due to trying to make a video. Usually making a video is fairly easy. But not this time. At one point my computer got totally hung up. I don't remember the last time that happened.

But, by the time I took off for the Tandy Hills I had the video clip in Windows Movie Maker, ready to turn into a video. I'm hoping to have no more problems.

I have not heard a peep from the Paradise Center people. So, I do not know what the current status is. Some of the blog comments from the MHMR bullycrat thugs to this blog and The Paradise Center Scandal blog have been downright scandalous with their nastiness. And illiterate grammar.

Yesterday's blogging titled "On Top Of Mount Tandy Thinking About MHMR Thugs, The Main Street Arts Festival And The American Way As Opposed To The Fort Worth Way," generated a couple interesting comments, one from NATO High Command, the other from FW Way $un-American....

BREAKING NEWS....NATO and the U.N. issue ultimatum for The Axis of Exploitation Moncrief, McDermott, and Granger to surrender themselves to the FBI or Homeland Security before they send in commandos from allied democratic nations to free the people of Fort Worth and Tarrant County, Texas. These perpetrators of crimes against decency and democracy must turn themselves an# their cronies in by High Noon today the First day of April 2011. Citizens are also deputized to apprehended these people wherever they're found today April the First of 2011.

By NATO HIGH COMMAND

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This so called Fort Worth Way has a dark background because it refers to the "understanding" between those in power and the disadvantaged citizenry, particularly the long disenfranchised black communities in Como, Stop Six, Terrell Heights, etc. The clever white ruling group made this "behind the scene" method of dealing with discrimination and grievances so as not to have "messy" and loud Democratic processes like public protests, debates, discussions, and voting. So to keep the poor whites and colored folks "in their" and not draw attention, the FW Way allows a patron to patronage relationship to exist whereby certain acceptible leaders of these powerless groups could quietly go to the powers that be and humbly ask for certain concessions or "rights" in exchange for making sure "your people behave". It's a patronizing and condescending approach that naturally allows for abuses, corruption, and the violation of what most clear headed Americans, and non-Americans, usually consider the American Way..which is often messy, loud, and even contentious. But that is how free people behave (Dallas for instance) and how freedom-seeking people act ---see Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, AND PARADISE CENTER IN FW. THE FW WAY IS DEEPLY INGRAINED IN THE CULTURE AND WOULD EXPLAIN THE RAMRODDING OF GAS OPERATIONS IN EVERY ZONE OF THE CITY, THE FLEECING AND EMINENT DOMAIN ABUSING BT THE TRV SYNDICATE, AND THE UNMITIGATED ABUSE OF THAT INDEPENDENT NONPROFIT CALLED PARADISE CENTER.

By FW Way $un-American

I'm thinking it's time to go back to making a video now.