I did go jogging in the rain this morning, though. I did not get too cold.
Before noon I headed west, towards Town Talk, via Randol Mill Road, not knowing if the road was open or closed due to flooding.
As I drove by Quanah Parker Park I saw the park was flooded more than I'd ever seen previously. Then I got to the bridge crossing the Trinity. I decided to park and walk out onto the bridge to see how the new bridge construction was faring with the flooding.
As you can see the Trinity River is moving a lot of water. I don't recollect seeing it this high before. The river appears to have wreaked some havoc with the new bridge construction. Unlike America's Biggest Boondoggle, this Trinity River bridge project did not have the option of being built over dry land, with the water to be installed at some distant point of time way in the future.
Were no warnings given that gave the road and bridge builders time to evacuate their heavy equipment? Did the river rapidly rise due to the reservoirs being full from last spring's flood? Mary Kelleher has a farm on Randol Mill Road that also got flooded with Mary not warned a flood was on its way. Mary was alerted to the flood in the middle of Thanksgiving night when she heard her water trapped cows crying.
After checking out the flooded bridge construction I was back in my vehicle, heading west towards Town Talk, dodging some deep water covering the road in several locations.
Town Talk was not busy and was a bit of a bust, again, in the treasure finding department.
After Town Talk I headed back east, again via Randol Mill Road, continuing to Mallard Cove Park to see how much higher the water has risen since yesterday.
Well, this flood has flooded higher than last spring's flood, at this location. When the previous flood subsided I figured a mess would be left in its wake in Mallard Cove Park. Instead, the water quickly receded with nary a sign of it having been there.
I saw a lot of flood looky-loos, both at Mallard Cove Park and in the Gateway Park/Trinity River Bridge zone. I forgot to mention, the north entry into Gateway Park is currently not doable, due to too much water.
The above was one of the Mallard Cove Park looky-loos. I do not know what this person is doing in the picture. Framing something with his hands? As he was doing this he was also talking to himself. I kept my distance.
I have not witnessed any precipitation precipitating for several hours. Is the worst of this over now? I thought I read the remnants of a Pacific hurricane was scheduled to arrive in Texas after visiting Mexico.
Will this flood be the final nail in the former Cowtown Wakepark's coffin? How has that other project of The Boondoggle, that being those V-pier forms under construction that The Boondoggle seemed so proud about, fared during this latest deluge?
I suppose The Boondoggle's one little bridge being built over dry land likely has not been too impacted by too much water....
If you're looking down at the west bank of the Trinity from the bridge, that piece of equipment (and one other) appeared to be stuck in mud while a few workers were milling about above. The river itself was just a few feet away.
ReplyDeleteTown Talk was almost deserted about 2 p.m. Friday. I got quite a few things, but passed on others that they were trying to peddle at prices close to regular retail. New owner is getting a mite greedy.
Thanks Stenotrophomonas, so Friday there was still a chance to get that heavy equipment out harm's way, maybe, but it was already stuck in mud? What a mess. That new road is sure gonna be an improvement. I had wondered as to the why of the other two bridges, til seeing the road flooding at those new bridge locations.
ReplyDeleteSo, Town Talk has a new owner? That explains the changes that have not been good. And all the regular Town Talk workers I'd grown used to seeing being gone. I suspect my Town Talk visits will become even more rare....
The new owner took over a couple years ago. Prices started creeping up around then but appear to have accelerated in the last few months. It's still in my regular shopping rotation, and stuff like yesterday's apples at 8/$1 still happens, but at retail prices I do insist that the sell by date be far away.
ReplyDeleteThere has been a lot of turnover at the registers, but I don't know of anything to cause it.
http://www.towntalkfoods.com/history