Month: July 2019

#Hashtags

I am probably going to show my age with this post but it is something that has been on my mind for a while. Whatever brought on the idea that using hashtags in almost all communication was a good idea. I confess, I just do not get it. Yes, I know that it became prominent with the introduction of Twitter but it now seems to appear everywhere.

Remember long ago when this symbol – # – meant number. When I was taking typing (again a sign of my age) in high school, we would only use that symbol above the numeral 3 on the keyboard if we were trying to state a number was following. This was definitely not a symbol that I used often. If you were writing something professional, it was seldom ever used at all. Today the hashtag appears in advertisements, in all types of social media posts, and even on printed materials.

I was reading someone’s post on Facebook the other day, and they had fourteen hash tags with different words and phrases following at the end of their post. This clearly seemed like overkill from my perspective. As I looked at all those, it made me think that they were like the small print which is at the bottom of the page of a printed item. Just like I (and I think others) skip over that small print, I skipped right over all the hash tagged phrases at the end of the post.

Maybe my issue with the hashtag trend is that I struggle to come up with the right hashtags for anything I post. I see creative and somewhat brilliant ones when I take the time to actually look at them. Some of them even make me laugh. Yet every time I try to add one to my post it seems to lack anything which would generate interest in my eyes.

Someone who reads this blog post will probably have a very good explanation for why we have become a hashtagged crazy generation. A person much younger than myself will clearly not understand why I would even have an issue with this behavior. That younger person can probably give a very in depth answer for the prominence of hashtags. I am more than ready to hear it. For now, do not expect me to join this trend any time soon.

Parker County Peach Festival & More

This weekend was a fun weekend to enjoy the outdoors. It had finally cooled down to the low 90s with less humidity. Outside is where we headed for both days.

Saturday’s highlight was our trip to Weatherford, TX for the 35th Annual Parker County Peach Festival. I enjoy living in a part of the country where there is a peach harvest and it is celebrated with a festival. Since it was our first time attending this festival, we were not exactly sure what to expect. I had read an article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram telling about some highlights but until you are there you really do not have a clear understanding.

The festival takes place in downtown Weatherford, a community of over 30,000 people and the county seat of Parker County. The streets around the courthouse square are lined on both sides with booths. Some larger streets have booths also running down the middle. Most of the vendors are selling either food or handmade art and crafts. You will find some vendors selling bags of peaches and/or food items with peaches in them. If you cannot find peaches at the actual festival there is a farmer’s market building located two blocks south of the square and peaches are available there. Located at a couple of places within the festival grounds are stages where local talent perform. After a couple of hours in the heat and a large crowd, it was time to head back home.

Sunday afternoon provided an opportunity to take the dogs on a car ride and a bit of a hike. We chose to head down to the Clearfork area of Fort Worth, which is located south of downtown and near the campus of TCU. There is a trailhead located in the area for the Trinity Trail which runs along the Trinity River throughout Fort Worth. We had been at this location for a farmer’s market shortly after we relocated to Fort Worth. There are biking and walking trails which make up the Trinity Trail. We took the dogs, bags, and some water along and walked about a mile down the trail before stopping to give the dogs some water in the shade. After the break, we followed the trail back to the trailhead where we gave more water to the dogs before getting in the car. It was clear that the dogs were more exhausted at the end of our walk than either of us.

Once the car had time to cool down and the dogs had their fill of water, we headed out to see some neighborhoods in the area. Looking at the houses we determined that when it comes time to buy our home, this is one of the areas which had potential. We headed home and finished the evening off with some relaxation in the nice air conditioning.

If you would like to know more about the Parker County Peach Festival or the Trinity Trail in Fort Worth, feel free to send me a message.

Faithful Companion

I am not sure what it is but there is always a soft spot in my heart for a dog. I have been fortunate to have a number of dogs in my life. My first dog was a gift from one of my uncles and since then I have had some wonderful dogs with which to share life. Currently we have two dogs in our home and I adore both of them. Some of my readers may recall that at the end of May we said goodbye to one of our dogs, Herky, but a couple of weeks later we welcomed Belle into our home. I think our dogs make our home complete.

My first statement in this post is not truly accurate. I do know what it is about a dog which causes me to fall in love with him/her. Actually, quite a few reasons that come to my mind. I fall in love with a dog because the dog has already fallen in love with me. One of the truths regarding these animals is that unless they have suffered abuse, a dog is the most loving creature which I know. This love is unconditional. Only if they have been mistreated, or they have been trained differently does this love not extend to you at first contact.

If unconditional love is not a good enough reason, then unwavering faithfulness is a very good one. A dog’s loyalty remains strong. I am sure that you have seen the pictures of a dog laying in front of the casket of a fallen soldier or at the headstone of their owner. This commitment is unmatched in most relationships. There exists a bond between dog and owner which never seems to fade or is broken.

These characteristics endear dogs to me. Yet, I would be remiss if I did not mention one more and that is companionship. Wherever I am, that is where my dog(s) wishes to be. I cannot be out of a room for more than five minutes before one or both dogs come searching for me. When I am away from the house, the excitement and joy with which I am greeted when I return is abounding. As much as I am an important companion in their lives, they are a vital companion in my life.

I love dogs! Here I give you just a brief glimpse of why. But if you have been fortunate enough to have a dog in your life, you know these and the many more that are in my head. So, thank you to all the dogs who have made a difference in my life…

Terrington, Buddy, Brandi, Hayden, Herky, Ellie, Leroy, and Belle….. not to mention, neighbor dogs Paulie and Wiggles…. or my niece puppy, Jewel…. or my grandpuppies, Ryder and Koda.