Village Creek Flood Debris & Texas Emissions

It appeared to be a lady operating that piece of heavy equipment on the dam/bridge across Village Creek at Village Creek Natural Historic Area in Arlington, this morning, about an hour before noon.

I think she was trying to unplug the culverts from debris deposited by the recent high water. When I walked by, a half hour later, the dam/bridge was clear of heavy equipment. It did not look as if much debris was removed. But, water was flowing.

I was in Arlington because it is the last day of the month. Meaning today was the last day I could take my vehicle in for its annual emissions test and be good to go for another year.

I see a lot of vehicles here that appear to be spewing too much exhaust. I never understand how it is that they don't get stopped and ticketed, because it seems sort of obvious the smoke spewing vehicles could not have passed the emissions test.

Where I lived in Washington we did not have to get vehicles tested. People living in the Seattle Metro Zone did have to get their vehicles tested. I don't know if this has changed since I've been away.

Awhile back some branch of the government of the State of Texas admitted that the Barnett Shale Drilling Operations, in their totality, put out more bad emissions than all the vehicles moving in the D/FW Metroplex. I don't know if the Barnett Shale Drilling Operations have to pass some sort of emissions test. I suspect not.

So, that's been my day in Texas, so far, up before dawn, in the pool while it was still dark, in Arlington to pass an emissions test, walking at Village Creek, watching a lady move debris, then sitting at a picnic table under the shade of giant oaks, making a call to a Texas lady who cheered me up an awful lot.