The Pigs in the Trinity were from a blogging titled Elsie Hotpepper's Artist's Rendering Of Rockin' The Trinity River With Pigs from way back on August 7, 2013. No wonder I didn't remember it, that's a long time ago.
The reason I was looking for a Rockin' the River image for illustrative purposes came about due to a conversation I had recently with a fellow transplant from the Pacific Northwest, during which the fellow transplant asked me why I thought the locals here turn out in such big numbers for things like Rockin' the Polluted River and Funday Sundays in the same polluted river? And in large numbers to do something rather, I don't know, un-fun looking, like that Slide the City deal a few weeks ago.
Well, I gave this question some thought. And what I concluded is there are not enough fun things to do in Fort Worth of the playing in water type fun.
The only other big city, with which I am familiar, is Seattle. I may have mentioned that before.
I can say with 100% certainty that if Seattle had a polluted river running through the town, which it doesn't, but if it did, there is no way you could get 100s of people to get in that dirty water to float on inner tubes and listen to music.
Why?
Because, unlike Fort Worth, Seattle has multiple venues where the public can enjoy being on a beach and get themselves wet in clean water.
Such as Green Lake, a lake several times bigger than America's Biggest Boondoggle's proposed Pond Granger. Green Lake has a big swimming area. With lifeguards. An actual pavilion. And now that you're making me think about it, an actual island. Green Lake is surrounded by a wide jogging, biking, blading paved trail with designated lanes and directions.
On Elliott Bay there is Alki Beach, miles of beach with beach amenities, like running water and modern restrooms. And on a warm day you can have fun playing in the waves or swimming. If you are like me and like cold water.
Near the Ballard Locks you'll find another beach at Golden Gardens Park. You saw that beach if you watched Sleepless in Seattle.
In Seattle Lake Washington also has several parks with beaches allowing for warmer swimming, in summer, than getting wet in Puget Sound. Such as Madison Park and Denny Blaine Park, which can be topless and clothing optional, at times.
Now, isn't it interesting I found so many links to Wikipedia articles about these various Seattle beaches and attractions? How many Wikipedia articles do you find when you Google for such things located in Fort Worth?
NONE. ZIP. ZERO. NADA.
Hence why hundreds upon hundreds of people will show up for something as unappealing as America's Biggest Boondoggle's Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats in a dirty, turtle, snake and gator infested river and think they are having themselves a mighty fine time, because a mighty fine time is hard to find, of the water sport sort, in Fort Worth.
Something needs to be done about this. The fact that so many people are getting in that dirty river is a symptom of something amiss that needs to be addressed. There used to be something called Casino Beach on Lake Worth. Could that be revived and turned into a legit swimming beach?
I have been told that long ago, in Fosdick Lake in Fort Worth's Oakland Lake Park, swimming and boating was allowed. Fosdick Lake is rather small. But small is better than nothing. With a little effort could not Fosdick Lake be restored to a non-polluted state and made beach and fish friendly?
Fort Worth needs to do something. That seems obvious, with the symptom of something being dire wrong being the fact that so many think it is a fun thing to go floating in a murky, dirty, polluted river.
While drinking beer and listening to music.
And now featuring alligators.....
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