Saturday, September 29, 2018

Gloomy Lake Wichita Bike Ride With Dozens Of Miniature Footballers

This second Saturday of the 2018 version of Fall, I followed my handlebars on the Circle Trail to Lake Wichita where I stopped for a minute or two to take the photo you see here.

This morning, when this bike ride took place, the outer world was a little gloomy, gray and sort of foggy.

But calm.

Nary a wave rippling Lake Wichita.

That little bump in the middle right is the Mount Wichita pseudo volcano, not yet snowcapped.

It's probably a bit early in the snowcapping season to expect the top of Mount Wichita to be white.

When I exit the top of Lake Wichita Dam I leave the paved Circle Trail for a gravel trail which travels the perimeter of Lake Wichita Park.

Lake Wichita Park has multiple play fields of the baseball, soccer and football sort. Play a disc golf course. And a rocket launch pad, along with a radio controlled model airplane tarmac. Oh, and there is a BIG dog park.

Usually I only see a few vehicles parked in the large Lake Wichita Park parking lots. Such was not the case today.

As soon as the first parking lot came into view I saw it was full. And then the gravel trail reached the west side of the park. There I soon found myself dodging vehicles driving on the gravel trail so as to find a place to park on the grass.

What fresh hell is this I rolled and wondered? I soon had my answer....



Little kids in football uniforms playing football. Dozens upon dozens of helmeted padded kids, along with hundreds upon hundreds of others watching the dozens upon dozens of helmeted padded kids playing football.

I thought due to the dangers now known to exist that little kids playing football was no longer something that happened. Clearly I was misinformed on this issue.

I sort of remember when I was in grade school football was played. But we had no pads, uniforms or helmets. Seems like it was something called tag or touch football. I don't think tackling was allowed. This was decades ago, way back in the previous century.

It takes a long time, I guess, sometimes decades, for progress to make its way from the west or east coast to the center of the country. Yeah, that must be the explanation for those dozens upon dozens of helmeted padded kids I saw today...

Thursday, September 27, 2018

Spencer Jack's Happy Henry Birthday Make Cousins Great Again

Yesterday's trek to the Dallas metro zone was a wild wind driven rainy ride.

Usually that drive is done at a speed above the 75 mph speed limit.

Yesterday many miles of that drive were speeding around 25 mph under the speed limit.

Yet somehow I arrived at my eventual destination ten minutes early.

Yesterday was my little brother Jake's birthday. I knew Jake was in Washington in anticipation of the arrival of his second grandson.

Whilst I was in the DFW zone I texted message Jake a "Happy Birthday" and asked "Are you a grandpa for the second time yet?"

Jake texted back, "Yes. Best birthday present ever."

When I made it back to my home location I anticipated I would likely be seeing incoming email photo documentation documenting the arrival of the newest Jones boy.

I anticipated accurately, as you can see via the photo above.

That would be Spencer Jack's dad, Jason on the left, with Spencer Jack's Uncle Joey holding his freshly first born, Henry.

The only verbiage in that incoming photo was...

Henry Jones (born 9:15am on 9/26).

It seems not all that long ago I drove south from Bellingham, Washington to United General Hospital, located halfway between my old hometown of Burlington and Sedro-Woolley, to meet Spencer Jack's Uncle Joey for the first time, That was way back in the last century, in the early 1980s. I can not remember the specific year. But the month was November.

Yesterday whilst in the DFW zone, I called Spencer Jack's Aunt Jasmine. During the course of that conversation when the subject of our anticipated incoming Grand Nephew ( I am not sure Grand Nephew is the correct relative nomenclature) I asked what hospital the birthing was taking place in, United General or Skagit Valley Hospital in Mount Vernon?

Jasmine did not know, for sure, but thought the blessed event was likely taking place at United General.

Both Skagit Valley hospitals are about the same distance from Spencer Jack's Uncle Joey and Aunt Monique's Clear Lake home location.

Adjusting for the time zone differential, I think Henry's 9:15am Pacific birth time I am guessing Henry was born during the time frame whilst Henry's Aunt Jasmine and I were talking about it.

After I was horizontal last night the photo you see here of Spencer Jack arrived in my email inbox.

As you can see, Spencer Jack is in his school uniform. I suspect this indicates Spencer Jack got out of school early so as to be at the hospital to meet his incoming cousin Henry.

As you can also see, Spencer Jack has altered his least favorite baseball cap to make note of the arrival of his first cousin, with the cap now messaging "Make Cousins Great Again".

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HENRY!

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Fort Worth Weekly Sees Trinity River Vision Sleight Of Hand

That which you see here showed up this morning in my email inbox, sent by Elsie Hotpepper.

Every year Fort Worth's Fort Worth Weekly does a Best of This, That or the Other Thing edition.

Ever since I have been exposed to this annual FW Weekly edition I have been pretty much non-plussed by that which is deemed to be the Best of This, That or the Other Thing.

Basically, near  as I can tell, this annual FW Weekly edition is an advertisement selling scheme.

But, let's look at this excerpt from this year's FW Weekly Best  of 2018 edition which Elsie Hotpepper sent our way.

In the People & Places section of the Best of 2018 section, under the heading of Sleight of Hand...

Critic's choice: Fort Worth and Tarrant Regional Water District

We would all be well advised to not play poker with Fort Worth officials and Tarrant Regional Water District personnel. That bunch is slicker than a snake in a bucket of snot. A May 5 election for a bond referendum described the work as "flood Control". But approval meant the bond money would go toward the Trinity River Vision plan, now referred to as Panther Island, which is an area that hasn't flooded since the 1940s. Oh, well. What's a little semantics worth? Um, how does $250 million dollars sound?
____________________

Okay, I guess I find it admirable Fort Worth Weekly has gotten around to pointing out the fraudulent absurdity of that May 5 election.

This was not the first time I have witnessed what seems to be a fraudulent Fort Worth election. Often involving the TRWD.

I have blogged multiple times about the absurdity of the May 5 fraudulent ballot verbiage, as have others.

But, such is the Fort Worth Way, that nothing happens of a criminal investigation sort. Noises may be made in that direction, but nothing ever happens which holds the perpetrators of the fraud accountable.

I feel I must point out one erroneous element in the FW Weekly information. That being the area being addressed by this un-needed flood control fraud has not flooded since the 1950s, not the 1940s. Still well over half a century with no flood in this area which is not in need of any additional, or improved flood control.

The funds spent so far on what has become America's Biggest Boondoggle is likely wasted, literally flushed down a drain, on a boondoggle which likely will never come to fruition. Will those bridges being built in slow motion over dry land to connect the Fort Worth mainland to an imaginary island ever get finished? Will the ditch under those bridges ever get dug? Will the diversion dam ever get built to divert the Trinity River into that ditch?

Money wasted.

Whilst nothing is done to mitigate the chronic flooding in Fort Worth's disastrous West 7th Avenue area of bad urban planning.

Or the even worse urban planning which has turned deadly in East Fort Worth, with badly engineered housing developments causing massive flooding along Randol Mill Road, due to trees being removed on the hills above Randol Mill, roads added, and nothing done to mitigate the increased water flowing downhill.

Mary Kelleher is spearheading an effort to bring legal action against the City of Fort Worth, and the other perpetrators of this criminally dangerous destructive development.

Meanwhile, that which has become America's Biggest Boondoggle, the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision, dawdles along, sucking up money, with little to show for the effort, after boondoggling along for most of this century.

Well, there has been the lining of the Granger Gang's pockets, what with Fort Worth Congresswoman Kay Granger's inept son, J.D., taking in a couple hundred thousand bucks a year, plus perks, for a job for which, it is now totally obvious to anyone paying attention, he is totally unqualified.

And yet the flock of sheep who vote in Kay Granger's district are likely going to return this woman to Congress.

Sad.

Monday, September 24, 2018

Wichita Bluffs Hiking Training For Arizona Mountain Trails

Tired of being semi-housebound due to day after day of rain, on this first Monday of Fall I opted to roll my mechanized wheels to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area to take myself on a cloudy hike to look over the over look looking over the Wichita River, currently running a lot of extra reddish water.

As you can see the sky above the Wichita Bluff Nature Area was looking a bit threatening when I walked the bluffs today.

But the only drippage dripped after I was back in my vehicle, and thus nothing wet dripped directly on me.

Today's bluff hiking was some much needed tune up training for the Arizona hiking which will be taking place next month.

I plan on hiking all over Papago Park with Nurse Canecracker and Big Ed. Well, at least to the Hole in the Rock.

And then there are the miles of mountain trails on Phoenix's South Mountain in Phoenix's South Mountain Park. The biggest urban park in America..

I will not be taking my mountain bike with me to Arizona, and so I won't be mountain biking the South Mountain mountain bike trails. I do not think I would do that even if I brought my bike with me.

I have seen those trails, and they look scary, beyond my expertise level...

Saturday, September 22, 2018

Fishing Holliday Creek Rapids With Wichita Falls Big Bird

On this first Saturday of the 2018 version of autumn, also known as fall, rain has been falling almost nonstop for around 24 hours.

But, coming up on noon the deluging slowed to slow drizzle mode long enough to allow a bumbershoot-free short walk on the Circle Trail to check out the current status of Holliday Creek.

Well.

As you can see, Holliday Creek is currently moving enough water to go into pseudo rapids mode at the location you see above, where a big bird, maybe of the egret sort, is perched on a rock, likely hoping a salmon might pass by.

I did not have the heart to tell the big bird that salmon was not possible, that the best it might hope for was maybe a bass or catfish.

A couple days ago I saw a big fish of some unidentified sort leap out of Sikes Lake, making a big splash, which startled the nearby floating goose brigade.

I assume the fish one catches in Lake Wichita, Sikes Lake and Holliday Creek is safe to eat. I have seen no signs warning of the danger of doing such, of the sort I saw warning possible fish eaters of the dangers of what they might catch in Fort Worth waterways, such as the Trinity River and Fosdick Lake in Oakland Lake Park.

I don't remember if part of the currently cloudy Fort Worth Trinity River Vision was to see water clean enough to grow fish safe enough to eat. I suspect not...

Friday, September 21, 2018

Ahead Of Tonight's Debate BETO Signs Sprouting Like Mushrooms In Wichita Falls

Rain has been falling off and on at various levels since an hour or two before last night's setting of the sun.

This morning's short drive to ALDI went through multiple instances of plowing past areas where the street is flooded.

Upon my return to my abode I decided to take a short walk under my favorite bumbershoot.

Eventually I came upon that which you see here, on Taft Boulevard, a BETO FOR U.S. SENATE sign under the sign of my neighborhood's favorite Attorney at Law.

Last week, or the week before, on Facebook, in response to someone commenting on the HUGE number of BETO signs being seen in that person's particular DFW neighborhoods, one of the worst cases I have experienced of the Dunning/Kruger Effect pompously informed us of Political Fact #2: Signs do not Vote.

I did not recollect anyone suggesting that signs were able to vote. I did recollect someone suggesting the number of BETO signs is reflective of the BETO phenomenon which has made a lot of Texans feel optimistic some semblance of sanity may be returning to their state.

That same pompous Dunning/Kruger-ite also opined that BETO was scared to debate Cruz, after BETO rejected Cruz's insistence on his side controlling all aspects of the debates, as in time, subject, moderator, location. With Cruz's plan being for all debates to be on Friday night, when many Texans go to high school football games.

BETO wanted something like six debates, at least one in Spanish, and on various days, not just Friday.

It seemed to anyone sensible that it was Cruz who was (is) afraid of debating BETO.

And then a debate agreement was reached. With the first debate taking place tonight. I have not yet decided if I will watch the spectacle at the Democrat Party headquarters debate party location on Kemp, or watch it at home, in peace, on my private television viewing device.

Creepy Cruz makes most Americans, and many Texans, skin crawl. Cruz contrasted directly with All American Texan BETO tonight is going to be a pleasant experience for many, or so I hope.

I have my popcorn ready to pop...

Thursday, September 20, 2018

Looking Forward To My New Arizona Home Location With Big Ed & Miss Linda

What you are looking at here is a location I am sort of looking forward to being at next month.

The backyard of my Arizona abode.

This is semi-conveniently located about a mile from my dear maternal parental unit.

Nurse Canecracker, also known as Lil' Miss Linda, called this morning from Newport on the Oregon coast confirming her arrival time in Phoenix on October 16.

I have never picked any one up at Sky Harbor Airport. I have always been the recipient of the pickup, never the picker upper. Thus I have paid zero attention to the process, other than slightly paying attention when I have been dropped off at the airport.

I am sure it will all work out.

I am driving to Arizona this time. After last summer's driving to Arizona debacle I sort of indicated I would not do such a thing again. But, you know how time changes ones attitude.

That and this time I will not be driving solo.

Big Ed is coming along. This will be the first time Big Ed has been back to modern America since a 2002 visit up to Washington. I have told Big Ed to brace himself for some culture shock. That and a lot of visits to various McDonald's.

This morning Elsie Hotpepper was lamenting wishing she was still on vacation at some beach zone in semi-modern America. I told Elsie she should come to Arizona next month and stay in my temporary abode. And that she could check out what Gilbert has done to make their downtown a cool location, which might give Elsie some ideas as to what could be done to fix the rundown downtown of Elsie's hometown of Bug Tussle, Texas.

I am looking forward to driving Big Ed and Nurse Canecracker up South Mountain. That and the drive to Tortilla Flats. And wandering around Scottsdale and Tempe. I am hoping to get my mom an upgrade of her rolling chair device so as to facilitate easily exploring various locations.

Since my last visit apparently my mom had learned to enjoy getting rolled around the HUGE Ak Chin Casino in Maricopa.

Currently a Maricopa visit is scheduled for October 12, with a casino stop and a lunch at Penny's Maricopa McDonald's....

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Got Water In Shadow Of Mount Wichita

I rolled by a couple new half mile markers today on the Circle Trail before I came to the MILE 13.5 marker in the shadow of Mount Wichita.

Well, not actually in the shadow.

That would only happen if somehow the sun managed to move itself a bit to the north of the mountain, which I do not think it does, even at the highest point of the solstice.

Speaking of which, summer is just about done for the year, with the autumnal equinox arriving in a few days, also known as the start of fall.

And then in three short months the winter solstice arrives. Is that what it's called? I'm drawing a blank trying to draw that information, for certain, from my ever more crowded old-fashioned cranium located date storage device.

Just Googled using my handy new-fashioned data retrieval device and have confirmed December 21 is the winter solstice, as in the start of winter.

Back to summer, as in today, as you can see Mount Wichita has greened up just in time for fall, losing its dire drab drought inflicted summer coloring with an early reveal of its fall foliage.

Come winter I am hoping we get a good snow pack this year, thus allowing the chair lifts to operate on Mount Wichita.

I can not remember the last time I went skiing, and Google is of no use to me in retrieving that particular data.

I almost forgot to mention, the helpful message on the MILE 13.5 marker is...

"GOT Water?"

and...

"Don't forget to stop long enough to drink plenty of water and stay hydrated."

Ironically, when I stopped at this marker, the first thing I did was reach for my water bottle, before reading the sign advising me to do so...

Monday, September 17, 2018

Improving Posture With Multiple Beto's Before Cruz Yard Sign Dog Chase

This morning I opted to roll north on the Circle Trail. At the north end of Hamilton Park I came upon another of those new half mile Circle Trail markers.

Each with its own inspirational message.

At the MILE 7.5 marker mark we learn...

"More than Cardio".

and...

"Cycling can help improve posture and coordination".

I know I feel more coordinated after a bike ride. I do not know if I make note of any posture improvement.

On a previous posting about the Circle Trail half mile markers Betty Jo Bouvier opined "I think these 'helpful' signs would annoy me more than help me...and I don't have a dog"

Betty Jo's comment related directly to the half mile marker which advised that walking ones dog helps with the dog's digestion.

I think I can understand Miss Bouvier's aversion to the messages on these signs. They do seem borderline Orwellian. Big Brother spewing pithy slogans to the minions advising them regarding what might be beneficial to them.

Even though I think I may understand Betty Jo's aversion I don't share in it, too much. I find the signs slightly amusing. And a good reason to stop for a water break when I see a new one of the half mile markers.

My mine excitement of the day was seeing seven new BETO yards signs on the route I rolled today. For a total of 11 BETO signs on that route, as opposed to two Creepy CRUZ yard signs.

At the location of one of the two Creepy Cruz yard signs two large dogs took off after me, barking viciously and nipping at my heels as my feet spun the pedals at high speed. The dog chase lasted about a block.

Today's Creepy Cruz vicious dog attack marks the first time I have had myself any sort of dog incident in Wichita Falls whilst riding my bike.

I do not like getting chased by dogs whilst riding my bike....

Sunday, September 16, 2018

Wichita Falls Musical Pig Bike Encounter On MSU Campus

On this Ides of September Sunday I opted to get myself some much needed endorphins via the rolling my bike's wheels method.

Sunday is my favorite day to roll around Sikes Lake and then cross Midwestern Boulevard to the Midwestern State University campus to do some more rolling on the miles of paved trails, also known as sidewalks.

Today the MSU campus rolling had musical accompaniment in the form of loud rock music blasting from a source located somewhere on the soccer fields. I rather enjoyed the bike riding soundtrack, particularly Eye of the Tiger and Maroon 5's Sugar.

On Sunday there are few students on the MSU sidewalks, thus making for obstacle free biking.

That was the case today until I came upon the pig you see above, which caused my handlebars to come to an abrupt halt.

The type of horse known as a Mustang is the MSU mascot. I do not know if a Pig is the MSU sub-mascot. Or if there is such a thing as a sub-mascot.

What I do know is this pig is well behaved, letting me peacefully pass with no objections.

I came upon the MSU Pig on the north side of the Clark Student Center. I believe there is a student cafeteria feeding zone inside the Clark Student Center. I do not know if bacon is a popular menu item....

Saturday, September 15, 2018

Cloudy Cool Humid Scenic Wichita Bluff Nature Area Saturday Hike

Clouds, a not too hot temperature, and humidity, seemed to make for a combo of factors which might possibly result in a pleasant Saturday hike in my favorite Wichita Falls hiking location, that being the Wichita Bluff Nature Area section of the Circle Trail.

I soon found I was correct in my pleasant assumption.

In the first photo you are looking from an overlook near the east entry to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area.

I tried to convince a fellow hiker to pose on that chunk of rock cantilevered out over the Wichita River, but my powers of persuasion were not sufficient to get the fellow hiker to do so. And so that photo opportunity was lost to me.

Above you are looking at another view from the same overlook where we looked over that cantilevered rock. As you can see the guard rail fencing on this section of the Circle Trail is quite substantial. It appears to be made of galvanized steel.

Other sections of the Circle Trail have guard railing which is not quite so substantial. Such as that which tries to keep people from falling into Holliday Creek as they pass under Midwestern Boulevard. At that section the railing is made of wood, with sections missing.


If one is in need of shelter as one hikes the Wichita Bluff Nature Area, there are several covered areas such as you see above, where one can take refuge from a sudden downpour or lightning strikes or the blazing sun. None of which made an appearance today.

The last time I hiked the Circle Trail through the Wichita Bluff Nature Area I continued on, out of the Nature Area, to the new section of trail under construction. Today I did not do so, partly due to what you see below.


That and I did not want to go on a multi-mile hike today.

Since my last visit to this location yellow crime scene, I mean, caution tape has been added to the "Trail Closed Ahead" wooden barricade, with that yellow caution tape extending from the wooden barricade to bushes a short distance from the trail.

No scofflaws were in evidence ignoring the obstacle and caution tape. I suspect before the weekend is over a scofflaw or two will venture past the current barricade...

Friday, September 14, 2018

Today's Wichita Falls Circle Trail Advice Benefits My Dog's Constipated Digestive System

Yesterday whilst bike riding the Wichita Falls Circle trail I learned how to be, Living Your Best Wichita Falls Life At The 12.5 Mile Circle Trail Marker via new half mile signage being placed halfway between mile markers on the Circle Trail.

Today I headed the other direction on the Circle Trail, as in north, eventually leaving the trail in Hamilton Park to roll through the Wichita Falls Beverly Hills.

Before exiting the Circle Trail I came upon two of the new half mile markers.

Mile 9.5 was the first I came to, with its helpful advice being...

"Being Active Helps More Than Your Heart"

and...

"Regular activity helps you have stronger bones, muscles, joints and lowers the risk of osteoporosis."

And then the 8.5 Mile marker gave trail advice of a sort I had never seen before...

"Not Just For Humans"

and...

"Regular walks can be extremely beneficial to your pet's digestive system, and they can aid in relieving constipation."

I estimate there may around 15 of these half mile marker inspirational messages I have yet to roll by. It will likely take me a long, long time to see all of them.

If ever...

Thursday, September 13, 2018

Living Your Best Wichita Falls Life At The 12.5 Mile Circle Trail Marker

If I remember right a time or two of late I have made mention of the fact that I've been in a foul mood of late.

Ennui.

I think this ennui may have something to do with the ongoing reality we in America are currently living in an Idiocracy.

Which is depressing.

I do not ever remember a previous time where day after day one seems bombarded with being faced with wanton stupidity.

I think maybe it's Facebook's fault, providing an outlet for the wantonly stupid to easily share their wanton stupidity.

Anyway.

Yesterday, heading north on the Circle Trail, I biked by a Wichita Falls city park lady installing a new sign. A marker marking the halfway point between mile 8 and mile 9, informing those rolling by they were at the 8.5 MILE mark.

Today I rolled south on the Circle Trail. At the point in the trail at the north end of Lake Wichita Dam I came upon the same city park lady working a post hole digger. I howdy-ed her as I rolled on by.

After circling the Circle Trail around Mount Wichita, when I came to the location where that post hole was being dug, the process was now completed, with the city park lady moved to the south end of the dam to do some post hole digging for the 11.5 Mile marker sign.

So, I stopped, got off the bike so as to photo document the new MILE 12.5 sign, and its inspirational message, as in....

"Living Your Best Life"

Above a photo of a snoozing baby.

And then...

"Regular activity helps you feel healthier - with more energy, an improved mood, feel more relaxed and sleep more soundly."

It seemed sort of weirdly ironic that I would come upon such messaging during the same time frame I have been whining about ennui and being in a foul mood.

And the fact that after riding my bike for a dozen miles, give or take a mile or two, I am in a much better mood.

Til such wears off...

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Overnight Giant Mushrooms Invade Wichita Falls

I can not seem to shake my current state of ennui, of not seeming to muster the energy to care about much of anything.

I thought a bike ride and its resultant aerobic stimulation, and the endorphins which are produced by such, might have a salubrious effect on my dour mood.

A half hour into riding, at the location furthest from my abode, rain began dripping, which fit my mood perfectly.

Soon after beginning to roll on the Circle Trail I came upon giant mushrooms, one of which you see above, which sprang up overnight, literally, as in I saw no mushrooms yesterday whilst rolling on the same route.

And today it was not just one group of giant mushrooms. Giant mushrooms overnight had sprouted all along the Circle Trail and at Sikes Lake and the MSU campus and in my own front yard, which I had not rolled by when I left, but did upon my return.

How do these fungus grow so fast? Rain with a perfect temperature and ideal humidity must be the trigger.

Are these mushrooms edible? Do they have a medicinal effect like a psilocybin mushroom? Are they tasty like a portobello mushroom?

I suppose I could sample one.

Doing so would likely put me out of my misery one way or another....

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

More Fort Worth Drownings While Trinity River Vision Does Nothing To Help

The photo you see here was clipped from a video Elsie Hotpepper shared on Facebook showing the latest flooding in the West 7th Street zone of Fort Worth.

This area floods pretty much every time copious amounts of rain falls. The drainage system is antiquated, not updated when the area went into what counts as a boom in this sleepy town.

I was not going to bother commenting on this, what with a why bother feeling of ennui of late. And, really, what is the point of pointing out the obvious to the apparently oblivious?

This is a town which has elected the leader of the Granger Gang to Congress over and over again. And is likely about to do so again, unless some miracle of common sense takes over the town.

Years ago a little girl named Ally Collins drowned in a flash flood in Haltom City. The volume of water in the flash flooding creeks in Haltom City had been greatly exacerbated by huge areas of North Fort Worth which had been developed with homes and malls, with no mitigating done to slow down the water when the sky goes rogue in downpour mode.

Ally Collins drowned about the same time what was then known only as the Trinity River Vision was starting to become something some of the locals were aware of.

Kay Granger visited Haltom City after the deadly flood. She promised to look into the causes and do something about it.

Kay Granger has done nothing.

I do not remember if when Ally Collins died Kay Granger had already installed her unqualified son, J.D., as the Executive Director of the Trinity River Vision.

After Ally Collins died, and after it was apparent Kay Granger was doing nothing to help with the flooding problems. And after it was realized that the Trinity River Vision was being purported to be a vitally needed flood control scheme, in an area of Fort Worth which has not flooded for well over a half century, due to massive levees keeping the river in check when it goes in to flood mode, several Tarrant County citizens suddenly found themselves turning into political activists.

It did not take much looking into it for those new political activists to clearly see there was something dire wrong with the Trinity River Vision. And thus the opposition to this now obviously ineptly implimented corrupt project, was born.

And now, years later, the Trinity River Vision Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision is known as America's Biggest Boondoggle. An embarrassing pseudo public works project which has little to show for the millions of bucks spent except for things like an homage to an aluminum trash can, multiple V shaped forms in various stages, looking ridiculous in a mess of a construction zone, floating beer parties in the Trinity River, an ice rink, a failed wakeboard park and other bits of nonsense, like the first drive-in movie theater of the 21st century.

In May Fort Worth's corrupt political leaders managed to dupe the apparently easily duped local voters to approve what was touted as a quarter billion buck flood control and drainage bond.

After the voters approved of this flood control and drainage bond those benefiting from the new funding arrogantly touted this vote as the voters approving of the Trinity River Vision, and that the money will go to the idiocy known as "Panther Island", not directly to flood control and drainage.

And yet, where is the outrage? Where are the demands for accountability? Where are the demands that something be done about this ballot fraud?

Burnout. Methinks a lot of people are just exhausted by nonsense overload and the feeling that truth, justice, common sense and what used to be known as the American Way, no longer are in play.

Corruption is in control. Or so it seems.

And now, this past week, more flash flood drownings in Fort Worth due to excessive water flow caused by poorly engineered, poorly planned development.

Does Fort Worth, as in the leaders in charge, even understand the concept of urban planning?

Methinks not, and I think this every time I return from what I refer to as modern America, to Texas, well, parts of Texas, such as Fort Worth, which I have come to think of as backwards, not modern.

In modern America, such as the Phoenix, Arizona metro area, infrastructure is built ahead of development. One sees this all over that area, roads, sidewalks, landscaping, drainage, all those things needed in order to add houses, apartment complexes, industry and retail, being built, as a result of sensible urban planning.

While Fort Worth allowed thousands of homes to be built in North Fort Worth without even upgrading the existing roads, let alone the drainage system. Hence that area can now be a nightmare to drive through, which I have learned to avoid on my monthly trips back to DFW.

Fort Worth really needs to grow up and start wearing Big City pants.

Lives depend on it....

Sunday, September 9, 2018

Chilly Winter-Like Sunday Bike Ride To Mount Wichita

Brrrr.

This second September Sunday of 2018 has blown in cold at my North Texas location.

70 degrees, with the windchill making it feel to be in the frigid 60s.

Again. Brrrr.

I must go on a hunt for my sweatpants if this cold snap continues, or worsens.

Along with a lot of other hardy sorts I braved the cold to roll my wheels on the Circle Trail this morning. This time heading to Lake Wichita.

In the photo above my handlebars have stopped me atop Lake Wichita Dam to take a picture of the Mount Wichita pseudo volcano in the distance.

A few minutes later my handlebars and I were in the shadow of Mount Wichita, that is if the sun were available and making shadows.

The entire time I rolled the sky looked like it could start dropping drips at any moment, but nary a drip dropped the entire hour plus bike ride.

I am considering whether or not I want to take my bike with me to Arizona next month. Probably not.

Saturday, September 8, 2018

Wet Wichita Falls Circle Trail Bumbershoot Walk

I have lost track of how many days in a row now rain has been dripping. This is really starting to seem like being back in Western Washington.

And it is chilly. Only 72 degrees a few minutes before noon. 72 degrees is way colder than I have my air conditioning set at.

After returning from ALDI I found my bumbershoot so as to facilitate a semi-dry walk to the Circle Trail to see if Holliday Creek was in raging rapids mode.

It wasn't.

Despite what seems like copious rain Holliday Creek looks to be more in trickle mode than raging rapids mode. In the above photo documentation you can see just a glimpse of Holliday Creek under my bumbershoot, to the right of the Circle Trail.

What with the outer world looking so green one would never think we were in a state of drought about a week ago.

When I see the outer world looking so emerald it reminds me of years ago when Betty Jo Bouvier, after seeing photos I took of the Village Creek scenery in Arlington, asked me if it really is so green there, saying that she thought Texas was all desert brown, like much of Eastern Washington is.

The current forecast for tomorrow is a lesser chance of rain. Maybe I will be able to go on a dry bike ride...

Friday, September 7, 2018

Nephew David Happy Birthday Card Delivery Ends In Moat

Last night my mom called and left a voice message. I did not see this until this morning. So, I called mom.

During the course of the mom call the fact that it is already 9/7 came up, and thus only four days til 9/11.

It being only four days til 9/11 was not made note of due to the fact that that date marks one of the more infamous American dates of infamy, but due to the fact that that 9/11 date is also the date of my favorite David nephew's birthday.

And so this morning I hurriedly went about making David a birthday card, not remembering at that point in time that I no longer had my long used Microsoft Publisher program available, what with that program not being on my new computer, and what with me having not yet figured out a replacement by which I can conjure clever cards and other publications.

So, I folded a piece of paper into a card and hand wrote a happy birthday message to David. I then drove to the post office to make sure the card was on its way to Tacoma this morning.

By the time I arrived at the post office, which is less than a mile from my abode, the clouds above had turned on a downpour, a flash flood making type downpour. I ran in and out of the post office, then drove back to my abode through a blinding rain.

By the time I was dry under the carport my abode was pretty much surrounded by a moat. The biggest moat I have yet seen surround my current abode during a downpour.

I exited the carport at high speed, running through the moat, eventually reaching the stairs which lead to my entry door. I was drenched and dripping.

A few minutes later I took the photo you see above. looking out a window at my bike and the moat below.

This is being way too much like a typical winter day in Western Washington. Reminding me of one of the reasons I like Texas.

In about a month I will be escaping rainy Texas to return to the dry Arizona desert. For about a month. A house has been rented about a mile from my mom's. One of my friend's from Washington, who I have known longer than just about anyone but relatives, as in we started school in first grade together, is flying down for a few days. That should be fun. Mom is looking forward to seeing Nurse Canecracker.

Mom knows Nurse Canecracker as Linda....

Wednesday, September 5, 2018

Is Fort Worth's Imaginary Panther Island One Of The Best Islands In America?

I saw that which you see here a day or two ago via an article in the online version of CNN, in an article titled The best islands in America.

I was shocked, shocked I tell you, when I did not see Fort Worth's non-archipelago, known as Panther Island, on this list.

One of the islands, actually not one, but a group of hundreds of islands, an actual archipelago, is on this list of the best islands in America, that being the San Juan Islands.

The San Juan Islands are a short distance west of my old abode in the Skagit Valley of Washington. It took a short drive to Anacortes to hop a ferry to float out to the islands. These islands are in the rain shadow of the Olympic mountain range, hence way less rain than a few miles to the east, where one gets closer to the Cascade mountains, and thus way more rain.

I went on countless fishing expeditions with my mom and dad out among the San Juan Islands. I remember a treacherous time with stormy waves trying to catch cod at Cattle Point off San Juan Island. And another time trolling for salmon when we were surrounded by Orcas. If I remember right that happened near Lopez Island, not the island named after the Killer Whales.

I remember being on a ferry, with Spencer Jack's grandpa, my little brother, Jake, heading to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island, when we learned Elvis had died.  Years later I was on another ferry, with Spencer Jack's dad, Jason, and uncle Joey, floating to Bainbridge Island when we learned Kurt Cobain had killed himself.

I think I have mentioned previously I find it ridiculous that a chunk of land in Fort Worth is being referred to as an island. A chunk of land which will only be sort of surrounded by water if a cement lined ditch is dug, with water from the Trinity River diverted into that ditch.

Does no one in a position of responsibility in Fort Worth not realize how ridiculous this is?

Panther Island.

If that cement line ditch is ever dug this imaginary island is just going to be a head shaker for people who know what an island is. Why does Fort Worth do this type thing? Refer to its downtown as "Sundance Square" for decades. Where there was no square in downtown Fort Worth, until, after decades of confusing the town's few tourists, a little square was built over a couple parking lots and then named Sundance Square Plaza.

To this day, heading towards downtown Fort Worth on I-30, signage still informs those incoming few tourists they are heading towards Sundance Square.

Lately I have been Roku streaming Kitchen Nightmares. I imagine if there was a version of this concept called City Nightmares, where Gordon Ramsey came to a town like Fort Worth to figure out what was wrong with the town, one of the first things he would fix would be the bizarre hyperbolic propaganda nomenclature syndrome (Sundance Square, Panther Island), saying simply...

 "KNOCK IT OFF".

It makes a town seem, well, stupid, to have the town messed up by poorly planned projects, such as the moribund disaster known as the Trinity River Vision, a ridiculous, ill-conceived, ineptly executed, supposedly vitally needed flood control and economic development scheme, which is so not vitally needed that this embarrassing boondoggle has limped along for most of this century, with basically nothing to show for the effort and millions of bucks spent, but a messed up construction zone of uncompleted bridge piers, with a million dollar homage to an aluminum trash can, a defunct wakeboard park, plus bringing to Fort Worth tubing in the polluted Trinity River events, with music and other nonsense, like a temporary ice rink and a beer shack.

Bizarre, and it really is a City Nightmare.

Now, the following blurb is from the CNN Best Islands in America article, the section describing the San Juan Islands. Imagine, if your imagination is up to the task, any similar type verbiage ever being written at some point in the distant future about Fort Worth's imaginary island...

Floating Near: Seattle

Famous For: Making visitors wish this was a one-way trip

Over 170 named islands and hundreds more at low tide comprise Washington's San Juan archipelago. But, for now, a brief word on the three biggies -- all accessible by the Washington State Ferry system and hampered only by crappy car lines on summer weekends.

San Juan Island, the namesake and hub of this chain, is your best bet for shopping and paddling through killer whale country.

Lopez Island, the quietest and flattest, is a magnet for cyclists.

Orcas Island, the "Gem of the San Juans," is for wishing you could afford property here -- and for driving slowly and aimlessly with the windows down on hilly, empty, sun-dappled backroads with names like "Enchanted Forest" and "Dolphin Bay."

Then dipping through a quiet green valley dead-ending at some tiny harbor where an old man on a bicycle is walking his seven dogs along the road. Before driving up into Moran State Park and to the top of 2,409-foot Mt. Constitution for views of Mt. Rainier, British Columbia and everything in between on a clear day.

Then rolling past pottery shacks, sculpture gardens and back onto Main Street, Eastsound (a.k.a. "town") where the ferry boat awaits near those sigh-inducing realty office window posts.
__________________

Nope, my imagination was not up to the task either.

Panther Island, what an embarrassment.

Just knock it off...

Monday, September 3, 2018

Labor Day Wichita Bluff Hike Finding A Sidewalk Closed Ahead

On this Labor Day of 2018, at my Wichita Falls location, clouds have been doing some blocking of the sun.

And, along with that sun blocking, a cold front, of sorts, has blown into town, dropping the temperature into the 70s when I decided it was time to return to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area to walk the newest section of Circle Trail.

And by newest section of Circle Trail I do not mean that section of Circle Trail which meanders through the Wichita Bluff Nature Area. I mean the section of new Circle Trail which one accesses when one comes to a barrier on which a sign says "Sidewalk Closed Ahead".


What with that barrier's signage not forbidding going beyond the barrier I and many others were opting today to hike and bike on this under construction new section of the Circle Trail.

In the photo above we are already well past that aforementioned barrier, looking back up at the location of the barrier, about where you see that gray wall hit a green bush. Sitting atop that gray wall is the Circle Trail, awaiting railing to keep anyone from falling off the wall.

In that photo at the very top you are looking at a hardy wildflower which has sprouted big from the freshly graded dirt.


Eventually the new section of the Circle Trail reaches the valley floor, as it runs alongside the Wichita River.


You can see a glimpse of the Wichita River past the trees, on the left. At this point the Circle Trail heads slightly uphill again, getting near to that "Sidewalk Closed" area we were warned about at that barrier now far behind us.


And now you see that point where the sidewalk is closed, which that sign on that barrier a mile or so back warned us about.

The termination point for this new section of the Circle Trail is the Loop 11 road, a short distance to the east. From the end of the pavement one can see a paved trail coming from Loop 11, with a short gap of dirt awaiting the finishing touch of concrete.

It would appear this new section of the Circle Trail should be ready for its Grand Opening soon.

Now if only the local voters would vote to fund the completion of the other three short sections of uncompleted Circle Trail...

Sunday, September 2, 2018

First September Sunday Summit On Mount Wichita

This first September Sunday my bike decided to roll me around Mount Wichita.

That is about a 12 mile roll.

It has been awhile since I have seen any mountain climbers climbing to the summit of Mount Wichita.

Today I saw four mountain climbers, well, three and one mountain crawler.

The outer world air is a bit too HOT this time of year for pleasant mountain climbing, but on this second day of September a semi-cold front has come to town, dropping the temperature into the 80s, with some big clouds doing some sun blocking.

Mount Wichita is looking as if it could use a little rain, well, actually, a lot of rain. I think we are back in drought mode again in the Wichita Falls zone known as Texoma.

Texoma is a clever combo of Texas and Oklahoma. I do not know the parameters of the Texoma zone, if Wichita Falls in Texas is the southern border of Texoma, with Lawton in Oklahoma being the northern border, or what. And I have no clue where the east and west border of Texoma is.

I do know there is a big lake called Texoma over 100 miles to the east of Wichita Falls. I have no idea if Lake Texoma is in Texoma, or not...

Saturday, September 1, 2018

First Day Of September Bucolic Sikes Lake Meghan McCain Great America Musings

How did August disappear so quickly in a HOT blink? I grow weary of time seeming to fly by ever faster.

This first day of September I spent the morning watching the National Cathedral John McCain memorial service.

I had no idea, when I began watching, that the memorial would take up almost the entire morning.

Even though she is sort of a right winger, I have found myself liking Meghan McCain in the past. Watching Meghan's moving eulogy had me liking her even more.

Particularly when Meghan said, "The America of John McCain has no need to be great again because America was always great” to the eruption of loud applause for the first time during the memorial.

I hope the Orange Menace can restrain himself from doing any unseemly tweeting about all the subtle comments made today which were directed at our ongoing National Embarrassment. Unless someone explains it to him, he likely is too dense to figure out on his own what the words meant.

Sometime before noon I turned off the TV to take off on a bike ride, eventually arriving at Sikes Lake, where I stopped to take the bucolic photo you see above, looking at the Sikes Bayou, and a flock of geese, at the west side of Sikes Lake.

The reality that September is likely going to fly by just as fast as August has me concerned. Because I am not yet adjusted to the idea of doing so, but in early October I am currently committed to roadtripping to Arizona, where a house has been rented as my temporary abode for almost a month.

In addition to the regular characters I see when I am in Arizona, this time I will be seeing some new faces with which I used to be quite familiar, from Washington, the Skagit Valley of Washington to be precise.

I expect I will be finding it amusing, me being the tour guide guiding the Arizona site seeing....