Time To Worry About Sundance Sasha With Lady Whistleworth

 

Yesterday Elsie Hotpepper pointed me to a couple news articles about what is currently worrying locals regarding downtown Fort Worth.

This morning, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, I saw the headline you see screen capped. 

So, the Star-Telegram is also reporting on that which is worrying downtown Fort Worth.

Basically, what is worrying people is troubles with the management of the downtown Fort Worth organization known as Sundance Square.

Sundance Square perplexed me, and others, upon first visiting downtown Fort Worth and seeing signage pointing to Sundance Square. But, there was no square in Sundance Square, til years later when one of the downtown parking lots was turned into Sundance Square Plaza. I forget how many years it was til I learned Sundance Square was the name given a downtown Fort Worth revitalization project.

I remember learning this and thinking, yikes, if this is the revitalized version, what was this sleepy downtown like before getting vitalized?

Is that homage to Fort Worth's heritage, known as Heritage Park, still a boarded up closed eyesore on the north end of downtown Fort Worth? Or has Heritage Park been revitalized? Heritage Park at the north end of downtown Fort Worth, and the Water Gardens at the south end, are really the only two things about downtown Fort Worth which are even remotely unique.

Well, I guess it could be said that downtown Fort Worth is also unique in that it is the only big city downtown in America without any department stores. Or full sized grocery stores.

Because of the lack of shopping venues downtown Fort Worth is a ghost town on the busiest shopping day of the year, that being Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. We have made mention of this in various venues, including Day After Thanksgiving on my Eyes on Texas website, and multiple blog posts, including Having Fun Looking For Black Friday Shoppers Today In Downtown Fort Worth.

The two articles about Sundance Square which Elsie Hotpepper directed me to are...

'It is a shell': Reata's departure isn't the only issue facing Fort Worth's Sundance Square

and 

What's the Deal With Sundance Square?

The comments following the What's the Deal article are quite informative and enlightening.

Basically locals with an interest in downtown Fort Worth, such as restaurant owners, and other business owners, have been having trouble with a woman named Sasha Bass, the young trophy wife of Fort Worth billionaire, Ed Bass, who is 76 years old.

A paragraph from the Wikipedia article about Ed Bass...

Bass is a long-time supporter of downtown redevelopment, and has been described as a "leader in what is recognized as one of the most successful urban revitalization efforts in America". He and his family began the Sundance Square development in 1982. It combines commercial and residential space in the central business area of Fort Worth, and it received the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce's Spirit of Enterprise award in 2004. He led the development of Bass Performance Hall, financed without public funding, which opened in 1998.

The high cost of parking in downtown Fort Worth has become a troubling issue, and may account for being one of the reasons for the drop in the number of downtown Fort Worth visitors.

Since I have been keeping my eyes on Fort Worth I have witnessed many incredibly stupid things. The stupidest may have been letting Radio Shack build a new corporate headquarters at the north end of downtown Fort Worth. A corporate headquarters which Radio Shack could not afford, which was eventually turned into a Tarrant Community College campus.

The reason the Radio Shack debacle was stupid was that it ruined the other thing remotely unique about downtown Fort Worth, in addition to Heritage Park and the Water Gardens, that being the acres of free parking, with the world's shortest subway line taking visitors from the parking lot into the heart of downtown Fort Worth. 

Free to park, free to ride the subway.

I frequently frequented downtown Fort Worth when the parking and the subway made it easy. After the subway and parking was destroyed I only visited downtown Fort Worth a few more times.

The Sundance Square Sasha Bass Scandal has spawned another amusing thing Elsie Hotpepper directed me to, that being the Lady Whistleworth Instagram page, where Lady Whistleworth is the "Center of morality, governance, fashion - precisely because they are all broken."

No one knows who Lady Whistleworth is. Below is a screencap from the Lady Whistleworth Instagram. And below the screencap you can read the most recent Instagram posting from Lady Whistleworth. And just to be clear, the Evil Queen to which Lady Whistleworth refers is Sasha Bass...

Dearest Readers,

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

While we all learned this morning that a long time iconic downtown restaurant is unfortunately looking for a new location, this author has also heard that the dark cloud of Servitude is beginning to fold inward against the evil oppressor.  It seems, you see, that time is indeed running out for our Queen. As previously penned, there is increasing pressure with lenders to resolve the mortgages concerning the Queen’s properties which are on the verge of default. The problem is whilst she actively shops new lenders, in what we all hope will be another one of her futile endeavors, she is also actively working against tenants and commerce in general! Raise the rents? Check! Raise parking prices? Check! Pay any tenant to leave the Square that does not share her “vision”? Check! One would think that this rate of failure, combined with her immeasurable grandiosity, should finally prove persuasive enough to bring justice to Fort Worth!

At this point it may also be instructive to review the Queen’s resume, which won’t take long: No college degree. No career. No business experience. Family history of criminal activity, arrests, convictions, shoplifting, green card marriage, & disenfranchisement of all associated Royals. How could a lender look at this background and track record and do anything BUT foreclose? The real silver living to the cloud though is that perhaps the Brothers will hear the cries of their fair City, and come to the rescue. It would resolve things for all parties involved.

God Save the Queen? No, God Save Fort Worth!

 

Ever Yours,

Lady Whistleworth

___________________________

The verbiage of all the Lady Whistleworth postings is at the same high level of elevated snarkiness as the above example.

Upon reading the Lady Whistleworth words I thought she might be Elsie Hotpepper. I asked Elsie if it was she, to which Elsie said no, it was not she. So, who is Lady Whistleworth?

Texas Has Some Of The Worst Cities For Allergy Sufferers

Yesterday I found myself on Facebook, discussing with a Washingtonian, how I never had allergy woes til I moved to Texas.

Yesterday the pollen was extra insufferable. Hot and windy, blowing the sneeze wheeze makers at great volume at high speed.

Overnight a cold front has arrived, along with a noticeable drop in the airborne irritants. I have not felt the need to take an allergy pill this morning.

Blessed relief.

I saw that which you see above, this morning, on the aforementioned Facebook. I don't know why Austin is not at the top of the worst cities for allergy sufferers. I've known people who moved from Austin to escape the annual onslaught of Mountain Cedar Pollen.

The worst allergy bout I have been through was in Fort Worth several years ago, caused by conditions which blew large amounts of Texas Hill Country Mountain Cedar Pollen north to the DFW zone.

There are Mountain Cedar trees here in Wichita Falls. A couple years ago I was biking through Lake Wichita Park when I saw a Mountain Cedar suddenly release what looked like a fog but was Pollen going airborne due to who knows what sudden stimulus. I had never seen such a thing happen before in person. I had seen videos of such.

I have not yet decided if I am going to venture into the outer world today. Current, at 10 in the morning, it is only 52 degrees outside...

Today's Google Memories I Actually Remember

I think today marks the first time since I have been getting emails from Google, ostensibly showing me photo memories from that particular day, that I remember all the memories. 

I remember these photo memories so well I know most did not take place on this day of March 29.

On the upper left, that is a scene in Taos, New Mexico. If I remember right it was called the Lumina Gardens. I may remember that memory wrong. To the right of the Lumina Gardens, on the upper right, I believe that is known as the Mabel Dodge house, also in Taos, near the Lumina Gardens.

This visit to Taos took place in October, not March. 

Below the Mabel Dodge house, that is the New York New York casino in Las Vegas. Below the New York New York photo memory we are looking at the Luxor pool and pyramid, also in Vegas. The stay in the Luxor also took place in October, part of the same roadtrip which saw Taos.

And then there is the lower left memory.. That would be Big Ed on his mountain bike, riding the Slickrock Trail, located near Moab, Utah.

Staying a couple nights in Moab was part of the roadtrip which included Taos and Vegas, but I do not remember taking bikes along on that roadtrip.

Oops, erase that bit about not taking bikes along. That roadtrip included an overnight stay in Silverton, Colorado. The bikes were along. Because I remember trying to ride at that high elevation, and it was brutal. We pushed the bikes up a hill, trying to reach a statue which overlooked the town. Eventually that proved hopeless, turning into a long downhill fast coast back to street level. Also, now I remember riding bikes all over Taos, including to the aforementioned Lumina Gardens and Mabel Dodge house. Also pedaled out to the Taos Pueblo.

Maybe these Google memories are providing me a valuable service, causing me to strain my memory trying to remember...

Back Being Mobile & Hot At Lucy Park

Til today, it had been about a week since last I communed with nature at Lucy Park.

My primary means of motorized motion was checked into the doctor's office last Wednesday, where soon it was diagnosed some major pump surgery was needed.

This morning the motorized motion device was given a clean bill of health, ready to roll, so we rolled to Lucy Park, where I wandered the backwoods undeveloped part of the park.

Due to the temperature being in the low 80s I kept an eye out for anything slithering. I saw no instances of such. What I did see was a lot more green than was seeable a week ago.

A burst of rain a few days ago, along with warm temperatures, has Spring in full breakout mode.

Including, apparently, record breaking pollen.

Yesterday, on a bike ride, I found myself having a sneezing fit due to that record breaking pollen.

Now that I am back mobile I need to go to Walmart to stock up on some supplies. That I shall do in a few hours, perhaps taking Linda Lou along for the ride...

Hollywood Used To Like Fort Worth As Much As Fort Worth Liked Hollywood

I saw the above on the front page of this Saturday's, March 26, 2022, online edition of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Upon seeing the When Hollywood liked Fort Worth as much as Fort Worth liked Hollywood
 headline I instantly wondered if this was going to be one of those Star-Telegram staples I made mock of many years ago, a staple which seems to have disappeared in recent years, the disappearance of  which caused one to think someone at the Star-Telegram had developed an eye for the absurdly ridiculous.

The Star-Telegram staple to which I refer I came to call the Star-Telegram's Green with Envy syndrome. Articles about some perfectly ordinary thing relating to Fort Worth which the Star-Telegram would claim made towns far and wide green with envy.

Eventually I made a Green with Envy web page documenting some of this type nonsense.

So, I read today's Star-Telegram with it mind that today's article would likely contain some element of the Star-Telegram's Green with Envy verbiage. Or in some way be totally delusional.

This was a long article. The first instance of delusional verbiage came in the last sentence of the second paragraph...

Fort Worth was on its way to becoming the Hollywood of Texas!

And then there is the paragraph which followed Fort Worth becoming the Hollywood of Texas...

Big-time production certainly seemed to be heading to Fort Worth in 1920 when Lone Star Pictures Corp. announced plans to relocate here from California. Like southern California, North Texas offered the promise of good weather for outdoor filming almost year-round. Their first picture was to be a “romance of the Texas oil fields,” but the studio never came, and their oil-field love story was never filmed.

Fort Worth has a long history of some big deal not materializing. Or being delusional about some development being touted as destined to become the #1 tourist attraction in Texas. Which is what the Star-Telegram touted when the Cabela's sporting goods store opened a store in Fort Worth.

The following paragraph contains multiple Fort Worth delusions...

Hollywood liked Fort Worth as much as Fort Worth liked Hollywood, reflected in how many films opened here. In the fall of 1940 Warner Brothers opened “The Westerner” starring Gary Cooper here. The decision to premier it in Fort Worth was easy since this was “the city where the West begins” as Amon Carter often said. At its Sept. 19 opening, with World War II already raging in Europe, a Star-Telegram headline screamed, “Everybody but Hitler here for Premier.” The city rolled out the red carpet for Cooper, director William Wyler, and producer Samuel Goldwyn, and Warner Brothers booked the film into all three first-run theaters (the Hollywood, Worth, and Palace). The opening pushed news of the war off the front page of the Star-Telegram. Amon Carter joined in the spirit of things by throwing a party for distinguished visitors at his Shady Oak Farm. Everyone agreed, Fort Worth hospitality was unmatched, or as Samuel Goldwyn said, “It is doubtful such an event would have been held anywhere else outside Hollywood.”

Hollywood used to like Fort Worth as much as Fort Worth liked Hollywood? The use of the past tense seems to indicate neither town still likes the other. The decision to open a Hollywood Western in Fort Worth was easy because Amon Carter often said Fort Worth is where the West begins? Only Fort Worth pretends the town to be where the West begins. Most Americans think the town which has that honor is St. Louis, Missouri. That town even built a giant arch to symbolize St. Louis being the Gateway to the West.

The Star-Telegram screamed everybody but Hitler is in Fort Worth for the movie premier? Clearly, the Star-Telegram's habit of printing ridiculous hyperbolic nonsense is a habit that has been around for a long long time.

And then we have this doozy of a paragraph...

The year 1951 proved a banner year for movies about Fort Worth. “Follow the Sun” was 20th Century Fox’s “inspiring true story of America’s greatest athlete,” which for the movie’s purpose meant Fort Worth golf legend Ben Hogan. It opened on March 23 simultaneously in all three first-run theaters, and the city proclaimed, “Ben Hogan Day!” One Star-Telegram columnist called the premier “the biggest thing to hit this town since Amon Carter put on a cowboy hat and climbed up on a horse.” After the premier Mrs. Hogan told the Fort Worth Press “they got all the facts exactly right,” and Amon Carter pronounced star Glenn Ford worthy of an Oscar.

Movies about Fort Worth? With 1951 being a banner year for such?

And then we have this paragraph...

Horses and Fort Worth just naturally went together. A 1951 Warner Brothers movie starring Randolph Scott used the city’s name for its title though there was little connection to actual historical events in the script. In “Fort Worth” Scott played peace-loving newspaperman Ned Britt trying to tame the town through the power of the press, but of course in the end it took a six-gun. The only bow to history was a passing reference in Britt’s newspaper to a panther spotted sleeping on Belknap Street. The movie’s opening (June 13) reportedly broke “all known world premier records” with 7,000 flocking to all four downtown theaters (the Big 3 plus the Majestic). The city also provided an “Official World Premier Hostess” to escort Scott around town. Applicants for the job had to supply a photo of themselves in a bathing suit.

The idea of someone trying to tame Fort Worth with the power of the press is an amusing thing to read. To this day Fort Worth does not have what most towns have, that being a real newspaper practicing real journalism, ferreting out corruption and wrongdoing, instead of being a cheerleader for what is known as the Fort Worth Way, currently best exemplified by how the Star-Telegram has covered Fort Worth's ongoing mess known as the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island Riverwalk District Vision. And, really?

The premier of this movie titled Fort Worth broke all known world premier records? I am guessing towns far and wide were green with envy when that happened.

And then there is the final paragraph of this Star-Telegram article, a paragraph which contains the most delusional item in the entire article...

With all the natural attractions of Cowtown, and the hard work of the Fort Worth Film Commission there is a good chance Fort Worth will attract future productions. They will need financial inducements, location settings, and plenty of extras. Fort Worth is open for business.

Fort Worth has natural attractions? Really? And those are what? The Tandy Hills is the only thing I can think of?  The Fort Worth Stockyards are not a natural attraction, but they are an attraction, really, the only thing remotely unique in all of Fort Worth....

Striking Workers Won't Stop Skagit Valley Tulip Festival From Blooming

It has been awhile since I have made mention of something I read in a west coast newspaper, such as the Seattle Times, that I would not expect to be reading in a Texas newspaper, such as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. 

That which you see above is sort of an example of such, due to the fact that there are no flower fields in the vicinity of Fort Worth. That and the concept of unions and striking is anathema to Texans who have been brainwashed into believing unions and strikes are bad things existing only in liberal, left wing, socialist, communist areas of America and the world.

I don't think a strike by the tulip field workers will much affect the month long Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. A strike won't stop the flowers from blooming. A strike will affect the flower bulbs being harvested after the blooming is done.

Go to RoozenGarde's Instagram and you will see why the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival has attracted millions of visitors to the Skagit Valley over the years.

There was some talk of me being in the Skagit Valley during this year's Tulip Festival time, staying at the Jones Family Compound on Beaver Marsh Road, near the epicenter of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, that being RoozenGarde. Unfortunately that is not going to happen.

Currently I do not know if the previously planned trip to Washington this coming summer is going to happen. I suspect it won't.

In the meantime, I think a sufficiently warm temperature had arrived at my location, making a bike ride an enjoyable experience in a couple hours....

Sunday At Lucy Park With First Wildflower Of The Spring

Yesterday, the day commonly known as Sunday, and on this particular Sunday, also the first day of the season commonly known as Spring, I found myself basking in 80 degree natural warmth at my favorite park in Wichita Falls, that being Lucy Park.

I wandered Lucy Park off trail, meandering through the wild parts of the park. Eventually I came upon a reliable harbinger of Spring, that being the beautiful bright yellow wildflower you see photo documented above.

It is almost like, on cue, these yellow beauties blossom into view, announcing the end of Winter and the beginning of a new, warmer, more colorful season, known as Spring.

These particular Texas wildflowers are quite useful. The greens can be used in a salad, or a stir fry. If one is able to harvest a sufficient quantity of the yellow blossoms, they can be fermented into a wine product. 

My primary parental units never sent me and my siblings out in the wild to harvest these flowers to make wine, but there was one Summer when we were sent out to pick blackberries, because mom and dad were having fun, along with the neighbors, making wine.

My mom and dad were not consumers of alcoholic beverages. I don't think they realized, at the time, that that was what they were brewing with the blackberries. 

That realization came later, when, upon consuming some of their product, mom noticed it seemed to have some sort of mood altering effect.

Such a realization did not prohibit myself and my siblings from imbibing in the product, which we had helped produce.

Because, for some reason, mom and dad had the idea that consuming such a product was healthy, a digestive aid, common among Europeans, which our Dutch ancestors were...

Saturday Evening Shadow Of The Sikes Lake Thin Bike Man

Yester evening, as the sun slowly set, I had myself a mighty fine bike ride, eventually joining the throngs walking, biking, blading and jogging around Sikes Lake.

You can sort of tell, via the photo documentation, that it was late in the day, causing the casting of a long shadow of the thin man on the bike.

Today, the next to last Sunday of the 2022 version of March, the outer world is scheduled to be heated into the 80s.

I foresee a long walk and another bike ride in my future for today, as I close in on the goal of losing 20 pounds by the end of this month, so that I can more comfortably fit into an airplane's seat...

Hot Nature Communing In Wichita Bluff Nature Area

It was to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area I ventured today to do some nature communing. I parked on the parking lot at the east end of the Nature Area. At that location there is a section of giant grass between the Circle Trail and the Wichita River. This tall grass is at least twice as tall as me.

As you can see, via the sky above the tall grass, we are having a bright blue day today at my location on the planet. With the temperature toying with going into the 80s, with nary a breeze blowing. It felt like summer, not spring.

Above we have reached the first over look which looks over the Wichita River. In this view we are looking northwest.

And now we are at the same location, only looking east, where you can't quite see the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Wichita Falls in the distance.

The redrock at this location reminds me of Utah. I wonder when I will next, if ever, see Utah redrock again.

And now we are at the next overlook. This one has a covered area with picnic tables. Here we are looking east at that first overlook we looked at.

 And then at the same location I turned around to look at the view to the west. 

Looking at these photos of the Wichita Bluff Nature Area, one might think this must be an isolated chunk of land, distant from developed civilization.

One would be thinking wrong if one thought that. 

Upon making it back to the parking lot I ventured north and east a short distance to the biggest Walmart in town, hoping that that Walmart might have some items the two Walmarts I frequent more frequently have been not having in stock of late. It must be one of those supply chain issues, because today's Walmart was also out of stock.

I see a late afternoon bike ride in my future today on this third Saturday of the 2022 version of March. How the months fly by...

Another Proud Right Wing Nut Job Bites The Dust

We unexpectedly find ourselves to be living in interesting times.

Who would have thought, after the peaceful end of the Cold War, that we'd somehow find ourselves back fearing Russia being the world's nutjob nation?

And yet, here we are.

Way back in 1918, there was a world wide pandemic. The Spanish Flu it was called, though the epidemic began in America, in Kansas.

And now the world finds itself in a situation reminiscent of the start of both World Wars, with a pandemic mixed into the global nightmare.

And so, with that as prologue, I must admit, my nerves are on edge. My tolerance for woefully wanton idiocy is pretty much currently non-existent.

I have never had a problem dealing with stupid people. They can not help that they are stupid, born with brains unable to parse anything remotely complex.

But, I currently have zero tolerance for ignorant people. You know, those sorts who may not be stupid, but are too lazy to do that learning thing, and thus are willfully ignorant. And yet totally willing to share their ignorance.

Over and over again.

You challenge one of these sorts with what are known as facts, and they shudder. And come back with something dumb like, 'We have free speech in this country, you just can't handle anyone thinking different than you..."

No, what I can't handle is idiotic nonsense spouted as a legit opinion.

Hillary and Benghazi comes to mind. All the idiotic right wing nut job nonsense. Millions spent on investigating nothing, to finally figure out Hillary had zero to do with Benghazi, that such was a Defense Department area, not a State Department area.

Woeful, malignant ignorance. Of which I have zero tolerance.

And now let us segue to my most recent personal experience with having zero tolerance for right wing nut job nonsense. This incident troubled me greatly. I was enjoying re-connecting with someone I knew decades ago. She seemed smart, funny, articulate, easy to talk to, likeable, interesting. 

And then this happened.

On the day of Biden's first State of the Union address I was Facebook messaging the person in question, and I had myself a real painful getting to really know someone moment. What follows is the transcript of that realizing someone is a right wing nut job moment...

Me: Are you watching the SOTU in a half hour?

Nutjob

I can't stand Biden so I don't know if I can stomach it.

Me: Why in the world would you have such a reaction to Biden???

Nutjob

He makes me cringe in so many ways!

Me: What about him makes you cringe??? I don't get it. Are you listening to FOX propaganda???

Nutjob

Have you seen him grabbing and sniffing children and women?  It grosses me out!

Me: You were okay with Trump? But Biden makes you cringe?

Nutjob

I don't think I ever saw Trump sniffing anyone as they cringed and tried to step away from him.

Me: That you think you saw Biden sniffing someone in a way you found disturbing, is disturbing.  There are not numerous instances and videos. If so, show me one, or two, or three. You are totally embarrassing yourself right now and losing a massive amount of face...

Nutjob

Biden touching girls compilation (RAW CSPAN FOOTAGE)

youtube.com. I saw this one a couple of years ago.

Me: Seriously? That's it? I really am embarrassed for you right now.

Nutjob

I can send you more if you want.  It creeps me out.  If he tried to whisper in my ear I'd probably clock him! The women and kids are always so uncomfortable and trying to lean away from him.

Me: Reading the comments to that video is the same as reading the comments on FOX. It is disturbing that there are so many clueless idiots with a warped perception of reality...

Nutjob

Oh, you would be considered clueless by people who feel this crosses the line. We will not agree on this!  I can tell that now.

Nutjob

Have you ever had anyone cross a sexual line with you?  This is a real trigger for some.

Me: Yeah, well I can tell you quite clearly that I would have zero to do with anyone so ignorant that their reality perception would find that which I saw in that video as any sane reason to demonize Biden. At the same time not having a problem with an actual offender, like Trump. That you think those clips show Biden crossing any sorta line is just disturbing....

Nutjob

I don't think either is right in their actions toward women.

Me: And I think you are totally off your nut with Biden....

Nutjob

For people that have had people cross personal boundaries this is very triggering!

Me:  Well, they should seek therapy to gain a more sane outlook on their world...

Nutjob

I think that he is the absolute worst president we've had for decades. Say what you will, Putin didn't pull this crap while Trump was president.

Me: You are scaring me now. And disappointing me.

Nutjob

Do you want me to be a free thinker or just say what you want to hear?

Me: Uh you are about as far from being a free thinker than I can imagine a free thinker being.

Nutjob

Well, I find that insulting!

Me: Trump was doing what Putin wanted. Weakening NATO, withdrawing from Syria, undermining American democracy.

Nutjob

Our economy was strong.  I paid almost twice for a tank of gas today than I did a couple of years ago.

Me: You can't actually be so ignorant that you think the president controls the price of gas???? I am outta here now, to go watch the sniffer....

Nutjobt

I think that the president does have an impact on it.  Where is Biden most of the time?  He's not very accessible to people.  I think he's so senile that they keep him under wraps. Okay, enjoy.  Still enjoyed chatting with you even though you got patronizing with me because I don't agree with you.

Me: If you watched tonight's SOFU and still can opine that Biden is senile, well, methinks you are hopeless. And I feel this terminates any desire on my part to continue relating to you. Biden is senile. Third strike. You are out....

Nutjob

Wow!  Well, if that’s all it takes, okay.  That’s sad that you can’t have friends that think differently than you.  I thought we were better friends than that, I’m very shocked and saddened.

Me: Sorry. Character matters. I enjoy intelligent friends thinking differently than me, when the difference expressed is rationally based on facts. You revealed yourself to be something I am not comfortable being associated with. Nut job territory. Biden is senile. Reveals all one needs to know about you. Sorry, hope all goes well with you going forward, but it won't be with me onboard....

Nutjob

You have certainly revealed your character also.  You have a cruel edge that can really cut deep.  I wish nothing but the best for you and that life will treat you well.  I won’t bother you again.

Nutjob

Yes, I realize I said I won’t bother you again and then apparently called.  It was an accident while I was rereading your texts.

Me: Like I said. Nutjob....

Lake Wichita Low Tide Impossibly Digging Clams

With the Lunar Orbiter almost at full moon, it was to Lake Wichita Park I ventured on this Ides of March morning.

That almost full moon was exerting enough pull to draw Lake Wichita to the lowest tide I've seen since seeing Lake Wichita tides.

I am almost 100% the people on the exposed sandbar are not digging for clams or hunting down crabs.

But, if I was in my old home zone of the Western Washington Puget Sound region of the Pacific Northwest, or on one of Washington's Pacific Ocean beaches, I would think it was clam digging taking place, or crab hunting, if I saw a sight similar to the two above scenes.

Clams can happen in fresh water lakes. I remember finding oodles of clam shells on the shore of Lake Joe Pool in Dallas. Extremely small clam shells, so small there would be no meat to eat if one dug a live clam. The Lake Joe Pool clam shells looked liked the Puka shells one gets from the beaches of the Hawaiian islands.

Hitting a high of 82 degrees this afternoon. Methinks a bike ride may happen...

Looking At Fort Worth's Imaginarily Funded Panther Island Riverwalk

A couple days ago Elsie Hotpepper pointed me to seeing that which you see above, on Facebook. I assume this is a screen cap from one of the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision's many propaganda websites, touting the imaginary wonders of a vitally needed flood control and economic development scheme, which is so vitally needed it has been limping along for most of this century.

The comments following this Facebook post covered most anything I might have to say about it, but, I shall toss in my two cents worth anyway.

First off. Privately funded? Really? When did that happen? If the funds were acquired privately, why was Congresswoman Kay Granger's son, J.D., hired as the Executive Director of this project, hoping to motivate his mother to secure federal funding? Which she failed to do, with federal funding not provided til the Biden Administration's infrastructure bill passed. 

A bill on which Kay Granger voted NO.

I do not know why J.D. Grange has not been fired, now that his use has been rendered obviously useless.

Panther Island Riverwalk?

So, we have now added a new qualifier to the ever growing name of this inept pseudo public works project.

The Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Riverwalk Vision. 

Isn't it just a tad embarrassing that Fort Worth does not come up with something original, instead of copying that world famous Riverwalk in San Antonio, a couple hundred miles south of Fort Worth?

Fort Worth has a bad habit of badly trying to copy things other towns are doing, or have done.

Before Fort Worth had its Trinity River Vision, Dallas, late in the previous century, initiated its Trinity River Project.

Here is a blurb from the Wikipedia article about the Dallas river project. See if you can spot the difference in the Dallas river project and the Fort Worth river project.

Voters approved a bond proposal to fund a major cleanup of the river, construction of park facilities, wildlife habitats, flood-protection devices such as levees, and related road construction. Once passed, a planning process began with construction on the project starting in 2005. Proponents believe this development will bring more life, commerce, revenue to the downtown Dallas region.

I'm sure you spotted the difference. Dallas voters approved a bond proposal, in the way towns wearing their Big City Pants get things done. Fort Worth voters have never been asked to vote on a bond proposal to fund that which has become America's Biggest Boondoggle.

Another blurb from Wikipedia about the Dallas River Project...

The Trinity River Corridor Project is intended to transform the Trinity River flood zone in downtown Dallas into the nation's largest urban park, featuring three signature bridges designed by acclaimed architect Santiago Calatrava.

When Fort Worth foisted its Trinity River Vision on the unsuspecting public, the Vision copied the Dallas Vision in multiple ways. Including touting three signature bridges.

The Trinity River Vision continued touting those imaginary three iconic signature bridges for years. Until they began to be built in slow motion over dry land, with it apparent the three iconic signature bridges look like freeway overpasses, as you can see via the photo at the top of one of the Fort Worth imaginary signature bridges.

Meanwhile the Dallas Trinity River Project has managed to build two of their three actual iconic signature bridges, designed as originally touted, by acclaimed bridge architect Santiago Calatrava. Those two completed bridges have altered the Dallas skyline in an iconic way. And these bridges were built over actual water, not dry land.

Wikipedia used to have an article devoted to Fort Worth's Trinity River Vision. But, that article no longer exists. I suspect it was removed due to so many inaccuracies, and its blatant propaganda. That and a reference to herds of feral cats occupying the imaginary island.

Now, if you search on Wikipedia for that article about the Trinity River Vison you are brought to a blurb in the Wikipedia Trinity River article in which mention is made of the two town's Trinity River projects...

The Trinity River Corridor Project is intended to transform the Trinity River flood zone in downtown Dallas into the nation's largest urban park, featuring three signature bridges designed by acclaimed architect Santiago Calatrava.

A similar project is planned by the Tarrant Regional Water District, City of Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Streams & Valleys Inc., and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to develop an area north of "downtown" as "uptown" along the Trinity River. This plan promotes a large mixed-use development adjacent to the central city area of Fort Worth, with a goal to prevent urban sprawl by promoting the growth of a healthy, vibrant urban core. The Trinity River Vision lays the groundwork to enable Fort Worth's central business district to double in size over the next forty years.

I forgot to mention another thing that seems absurdly ridiculous in the propaganda verbiage from the Panther Island - Central City Flood Project website. That being that the "privately funded" project will also provide flood protection and save Fort Worth over $14 million in stormwater infrastructure needs.

Didn't Fort Worth voters vote to approve a proposal to pay for stormwater infrastructure needs? And didn't the Boondogglers try and claim that this approval was somehow a voter approval of the entire Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island Riverwalk District Vision?

If the imaginary island ii privately funded why was federal funding needed to build the cement lined ditch under the three bridges currently stranded over dry land. If I remember right the amount Fort Worth is getting for its Boondoggle, from the Infrastructure bill, is something like $403 million. The total cost estimate of the entire Boondoggle is over $1 billion.

Is $403 million sufficient funding to build a river diversion channel? Which has not yet even been designed. This funding was approved without the usual requirement of a feasibility study being required. 

I suspect we will soon learn that it is not feasible to build that diversion channel for a relatively measly $403 million. Or the Army Corps of Engineers design team will determine it not possible to dig a channel under the completed bridges without compromising the structural integrity of the bridges.

And then there is the environmental cleanup aspect. How much of the imaginary island's industrial wasteland property has been properly analyzed for hazardous polluting contamination? EPA Superfund cleanups can get quite costly. Has that been factored into the actual final cost of this multi-decade Boondoggle?

Fort Worth really needs to see an optometrist about its Vision. I suspect the town may have cataracts...

Warm Lucy Walk With Incoming Green

 

It was back to Lucy Park I ventured on this second Monday of the 2022 version of March.

We started saving daylight time yesterday, and already it appears that that extra daylight is causing green to be added to the brown color scheme which has been dominant for months.

You can clearly see that returning green in the above photo documentation.

The temperature was heated into the 70s when I hiked the Lucy Park backwoods. Due to that warmth, I kept an eye out for anything slithering as I walked along at a fast pace.

In less than a week spring is currently scheduled to arrive. Usually this arrival is a harbinger of incoming storms, with flooding downpours, thunderstorms and tornadoes.

So far none of those type weather events are in the current 7 day forecast...

Violating Facebook Community Standards With Heartless Heartlessness

Yesterday Facebook sent me a notification notifying me that a comment I had made had violated Facebook Community Standards, and thus no one can see my comment.

Facebook, at that point in time, did not tell me to which comment they were referring, but that I could appeal the decision to the Facebook Oversight Board.

Since I had zero memory of making any sort of what could possibly be construed as a violation of any Community's Standards, I requested a review of the Oversight Boards decisioon.

I then got another message, with this one telling me that due to the large volume of comments in need of review, and with Facebook being understaffed due to COVID, there may be a long delay in the review process.

So, imagine my surprise when I woke up the computer this morning to find that the Facebook Oversight Board's review had been completed, and that they had determined the comment doesn't follow their Community Standards. Only now the message actually included the controversial comment.

Below is a screencap of the message from Facebook which included the controversial comment...

________________________

Yes, that is the comment that has caused all this trouble. Me telling Mrs. McNutt that it was so shocking to learn she was so heartless and cruel with her heartlessness.

The comment was one of 21 comments made regarding Mrs. McNutt's posting of a TikTok video, which you see screen capped at the top. A guy throws something at a garbage bin, which then launches right back at the innocent victim watching this. It was startling. I opined to Mrs. McNutt that this was horribly irresponsible to post something like this, due to the fact that those of us who are weak of heart, or high strung, might have a heart attack or stroke from such a thing.

One would think Facebook would worry more about the posting of such a video, than an innocent victim of the video saying it was so shocking to learn Mrs. McNutt could be so heartless and cruel with her heartlessness.

Below are most of the 21 comments, ending with the one which violated Facebook's goofy Community Standards...

Carol Bjorgan Dahl

Jumped out of my skin! 😳

Jan McNutt

Carol Bjorgan Dahl sorry about that! DJ has already told me that he didn't appreciate it 🙂

Carol Bjorgan Dahl

Jan McNutt at least I know my ticker works! I am sure you did hear from him. 

Durango Jones

Carol Bjorgan Dahl It is grossly irresponsible that Facebook allows the posting of this type video terrorism which those lacking common sense and basic human decency post, endangering elderly citizens, such as myself, with a weak heart and nervous disposition. Such as this could easily trigger a massive coronary. I really do question the quality of Miss McNutt's conscience...

Jan McNutt

Durango Jones Oops! Didn’t realize how fragile you are!!! All your walking and biking makes it easy to forget how aged you really are!!

Durango Jones

Jan McNutt My fragile condition is what dictates my exercise regimen in an attempt to control my high blood pressure, clogged arteries and excessive adipose tissue. The fact that one can not know the health issues of everyone is why it was/is so grossly wrong that you post terrorist videos. Who knows, you may have already killed someone with your wanton irresponsibility...

Jan McNutt

Had to look up adipose! Tissue for the storage of fat! You are so funny!!!

Durango Jones

Jan McNutt So troubling that you find my health woes to be so funny...

Durango Jones

Jan McNutt I really think I am beginning to understand how it is you have managed to be married and divorced so many times....

Jan McNutt

Durango Jones You stinker!!! One time after almost 40 years!

Durango Jones

Jan McNutt I did not say you have a LIz Taylor type marriage record, all I said was I can understand how it is that you've managed to get married and divorced so many times. Did I really need to add that the number of times is one????

Jan McNutt

Durango Jones Ummm, let me think….yes you do!

Carol Bjorgan Dahl

Durango Jones and Jan McNutt I could surely never keep up with the come backs you two have for each other.

Jan McNutt

Carol Bjorgan Dahl you’re just not as sarcastic and snarky as us!!!

Durango Jones

Jan McNutt So shocking to learn you are so heartless and cruel with your heartlessness...

_________________________

I think I now understand why people get perplexed when they find themselves in Facebook Jail, banned from posting for 30 days, due to something Facebook deems offensive.

Isn't it about time for Facebook to suffer the same fate MySpace suffered?

Sikes Lake Geese Pouting Over Friday's Snow Forecast

It was to Sikes Lake I went today for my daily morning constitutional. I was not over or under dressed for today's temperature, unlike my other recent walking outings. Today was a t-shirt and shorts type day.

If the weather forecasters are correct tomorrow will be a don't bother going outside type day, with the arrival of yet one more Arctic Blast, along with possible snow.

Above, that is the Sikes Lake dam's spillway you are looking at, currently not spilling any water.

The Sikes Lake dam is located at the southeast end of the lake.

And now, in the above location, we are at the southwest end of the lake, about to cross a bridge over the creek which delivers water to Sikes Lake. I do not know if the name of the creek is Sikes Creek.

The Sikes Lake geese were acting odd today. Multiple geese clusters in multiple locations. With some clusters clustering dozens of geese, some clustering less than a dozen. And solo geese, likely ostracized for some reason, like the one you see above.

The geese were doing a lot of honking today. Usually they are quiet. Maybe the geese got the weather forecast and are not happy that they get snowed on again, what with Spring arriving in about ten days that just does not seem right...

Shadow Of The Lucy Park Thin Man Sees Imaginary Snake Before Snow Arrives On Friday

A couple days ago I had myself a too cool walk in Lucy Park. I mentioned this in a blog post titled Cold First March Monday In Lucy Park With No Snakes.

In that aforementioned blog post I mentioned a snake encounter I had had in Lucy Park last summer. 

After reading about that snake encounter, Linda Lou, who shares with me an aversion to snakes, called and asked how big this snake was, which I had said was the biggest I has been since being in Texas.

I told Linda Lou it was real big, boa constrictor big. Thick and long. Of course my memory of this snake encounter could have caused the size to be slightly hyperbolized. 

On that Lucy Park walk two days ago I was underdressed and got way too cold. Today, two days later, I was overdressed and removed two outer layers upon arrival at Lucy Park, and still over heated due to wearing sweat pants instead of shorts.

So, today I was walking at a fast pace in the backwoods zone of Lucy Park, and suddenly saw what I thought to be, at first glance, a giant snake slithering between the trees. 

You can see that imaginary 'snake' in the above photo documentation.

 Above you are looking at the Shadow of the Lucy Park Thin Man after he was startled by what he thought was a big snake. 

You can sort of see via the photo of the Thin Man that he was overdressed for a warm temperature climate. The top half was fine, it was those sweatpants which pushed it into being overdressed. That and the goofy hat.

Look what is in our forecast for two days hence, also known as Friday.

Snow? In March? In Texas? I thought we were done with this nonsense til the next freezing time of the year.

I Remember Today's Google Memory Of David, Theo & Ruby In Arizona

For the first time since Google has been emailing me supposed memories from a specific day, today's memory I actually totally remember. Though the date is slightly off, as in these memories happened on March 12, not March 8.

On that day, way back on March 12 of 2019, I drove Miss Daisy to a Dude Ranch in west Chandler, Arizona, where we watched my nephews David and Theo, and niece Ruby, go on a horse ride out into the desert.

After the horse ride we went to a nearby by McDonald's, and then headed north to two parks in Mesa. Those being Riverview Park and Pioneer Park.

At the time I blogged about both these things in two separate bloggings.

Riding Horses With Miss Daisy, David, Theo & Ruby

and

David, Theo & Ruby In Mesa's Riverview & Pioneer Parks

That was one fun day in Arizona. Mesa has two of the most impressive city parks I have ever seen. 

If I remember right, after we had had enough fun at Pioneer Park, the caravan of cars heading to Scottsdale to Fiesta Burrito.

The day before the horse riding, and Mesa park playing, was another fun day. A pool party at sister Jackie's, which turned out to be the last time all my mom's children (except for the black sheep) were together at the same time.

That day produced one of my all time favorite photos. Ruby leading a procession down the street, to a park, with me pushing Miss Daisy in her transport chair.

That day was also remarkable due to brother Jake and I being able to talk the kids into getting into the pool, which sister Jackie thought was too cool to get wet in. Eventually a swimming suit was found for me so I could get wet too.

This was blogged about in Cool Arizona Pool With Theo Driving Ruby On Handlebars.

Did not know, at the time, that this was to be the next to last time flying to Arizona to see mom. That flight turned into a delayed deal which had me landing in Phoenix around midnight.

But that was nothing compared to the final time flying to Arizona a couple months later. That time I was onboard the little jet that takes you to DFW, Sitting on the tarmac for over an hour, til it was determined we could not take off due to storms in DFW. Planes were being diverted to the Wichita Falls airport. 

The flight was cancelled. I had to re-book a new flight, for the next day, and then get someone to take me back to my abode. The next day turned into a long ordeal. Getting out of Wichita Falls was easy. But, the flight out of DFW was delayed for over eight hours. I was so tired by the time I got to Phoenix.

Hard to believe this memory is three years old. Seems like yesterday...

Cold First March Monday In Lucy Park With No Snakes

On this first Monday of the 2022 version of March, it was back to Lucy Park I went for some much needed endorphin acquisition.

I am almost 100% certain those are not Texas wildflowers you see above. Wildflowers are not scheduled to appear til later in the month.

Those flowers are what I believe to be a bed of winter pansies is resting next to the Lucy Park Pagoda.

A couple days ago I had a long HOT walk and talk with Linda Lou at Lucy Park. The temperature on that day got into the mid 80s. I over heated that day, whilst walking and talking with Linda Lou.

Today I was way under dressed for walking outdoors at Lucy Park. The temperature was in the upper 30s. 

Most of the fast walking today was in the Lucy Park backwoods zone. By the end of the month, with Spring springing forth leaves, grass and underbrush, the area you see above will not be so accessible. It will look like a jungle. 

A jungle with snakes. The biggest snake I have seen since I have been in Texas was seen on the unpaved trail which winds through the Lucy Park backwoods zone.

The Wichita River, as it looks in the undeveloped backwoods zone of Lucy Park.

The river is clear enough at the current time that one can see the river bottom. I watched water flow by for a couple minutes, but saw no fish. I have seen people fishing at this location. I do not know if any fish ever get caught.

Yesterday I turned on the air conditioning for the first time this year. Today the heat pump is back in making heat mode.

I do not know when the next natural heat wave is scheduled to arrive...

Clueless Toddler Of A Town Solicits Bridge Naming Help

Yesterday the entity calling him or herself Cowtown Crude, whilst describing him or herself as rude, crude, and socially unacceptable, left a blog comment...

Cowtown Crude has left a new comment on your post "Bike Takes Me To New Section Of Circle Trail In Lake Wichita Park":

Name the Panther Island bridges contest!

Help choose the names for three new Trinity River bridges

Last night Elsie Hotpepper pointed me to the same thing in a Facebook post about an NBC DFW item about the same subject. Elsie told me the comments were hilarious, to which I replied I saw no comments, to which Elsie screen capped the comments, which you can read by clicking here.

For those not familiar with America's Biggest Dumbest Boondoggle, here's the abridged version.

Near the start of this century it was announced that Fort Worth was going to be transformed into being the Vancouver of the South via something which was then called Trinity Uptown. Within a few years this name morphed into being the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision.

In 2014, that which was already being referred to as The Boondoggle, began construction of three simple freeway overpass type bridges, built in slow motion over dry land.

It took til 2021 to finish the building of these three little bridges, which you see pictured in the above screen cap.

The Henderson Bridge, North Main Bridge, and White Settlement Bridge.

Already seemingly named after the roads which cross the bridges.

But now the city of Fort Worth is initiating a bridge naming event, soliciting the public's input for bridge names.

From the two webpages Cowtown Crude pointed us to....

Now that the construction is complete for the three new Trinity River bridges, we want your help in naming them.

The bridges will span the future Trinity River bypass channel as part of the Central City Flood Control Project being designed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Given the significance of the Central City project and bridges, Mayor Mattie Parker wants you to help us find the best name for each bridge.

Please provide your suggested name for each bridge.

When suggesting a name, please keep the following criteria in mind:

Promote community pride and connectivity to the Trinity River

Celebrate the culture and history of Fort Worth related to:

• Geographic location or neighborhood of the bridge
• Outstanding feature of the bridge or area
• Commonly recognized event, group or deceased individual

Not be offensive or controversial

Now that construction is complete and traffic is flowing over the three Panther Island bridges, Fort Worth residents are encouraged to help name them.

________________________

Naming these lame bridges to promote community pride? Will this counteract the community embarrassment that the building of these simple little bridges over dry land took seven years? Way longer than it took to build the Golden Gate Bridge over actual water.

And the citizens of San Francisco were not asked to help with the naming of that actual iconic bridge.

Named after an outstanding feature of the bridge? Or the area it is bridging? What is even remotely outstanding about any of these three little bridges?

Name the first bridge finished "Took Too Long To Build". The second bridge completed "Took Even Longer To Build" with the last bridge completed named "Took Longest To Build". 

Because the only thing even remotely remarkable about these bridges is that it took seven years to build them. Over dry land. Awaiting a cement lined ditch to be dug under the bridges, with Trinity River water diverted into the ditch, thus creating an imaginary island.

How does a town like Fort Worth manage to come up with so many ways to embarrass itself? I know it's the Fort Worth Way, but one would think at some point the locals would rebel and insist their town act like a city wearing its big city pants, instead of a clueless toddler of a town....

Long Hot Saturday Lucy Park Walk & Talk With Linda Lou

What you see here is me with a rare happy face. When I took this picture I had just finished a long walk talk with Linda Lou.

Talking with Linda Lou is what I imagine a visit to a therapist of the psychiatrist sort must be like. Only with Linda Lou the therapy session is vertical, not horizontal on a couch.

I have known Linda Lou all but about five years of my existence on the planet.

Behind me in that picture is the Lucy Park pool. Currently closed, and without water. The temperature being 85 at the time I was near the pool, it would have been a perfect take a cooling dip degree.

Among the things Linda Lou and I talked about today was how one deals with getting to know someone, and then coming to a point in getting to know a person when the person reveals something about something which renders them instantly to seem woefully ignorant, and with me unable to think of anything to say which could possibly wise up the person.

In both my experience, and Linda Lou's, when you try to reason with such a person, asking something relatively simple, like, why do you think that? The answer only compounds the ignorance, digging a deeper hole, harder and harder to climb out of.

Or the person may say they are entitled to their opinion. Or we have free speech in this country. Again leaving me vexed, thinking where do I start with this? Is it worth it to even try? Do I really want to explain that while you are entitled to your own opinion, you are not entitled to make up your own facts.

Facts are facts. You can't say something like "I don't like Joe Biden because he isn't a real American. He was born in Kenya." These type things are just impossible to try and be reasonable about. Leaving the only sane response being to say something like that is a ridiculous thing to think, let alone say out loud.

And that free speech argument is so annoying. How one goes through 12 years of school and graduates not knowing that freedom of speech, as mentioned in the U.S. Constitution, has nothing to do with any fool can say any fool thing he wants to say. Freedom of Speech has to do with the government being prohibited from restricting citizen's freedom to say what they want about any subject they want to say something about.

Freedom of Speech does not mean you are free to scream fire in a crowded theater. Or slander the President of the United States by saying he is senile. 

Talking to Linda Lou today I came to the conclusion that if one has to deal with someone who is ignorant, as in, a relative, a co-worker, or someone you live with, whose good outweighs the bad, then you just let it go with a 'You are being so silly again". 

But, if it is someone you don't have to deal with, not directly connected to your life, well, the best thing to do when they reveal their character to you, is to realize this is who they are, and then cut them off....

Bike Takes Me To New Section Of Circle Trail In Lake Wichita Park

A few minutes past 11, this Friday morning, my bike's handlebars took me on an 11.5 roundtrip ride on the Circle Trail, exiting that trail soon after it crosses Lake Wichita Dam, rolling on an unpaved, gravel trail which circles Lake Wichita Park, eventually reconnecting with the Circle Trail a short distance before that which you see photo documented above.

A week or so ago I was at the above location and found myself surprised to find a long section of new Circle Trail had received its cement, along with two bridges crossing inlets off Lake Wichita.

Today I was surprised to find the cement connection has now been made to the existing Circle Trail. I figured they'd save making that connection til the rest of the connection to the west end of the Circle Trail was made.

But now, with this connection to the existing Circle Trail in Lake Wichita Park, once the Sidewalk Closed/Road Closed signs and barriers are removed, people will be able to have themselves a mighty fine time exploring this well-designed new section of Circle Trail.

Today did not provide the best of conditions for a bike ride. The temperature was perfect. as was the mostly blue sky. But a strong wind blew from the south, causing me roll along slowly, as in 4 to 5 mph slowly, heading south to the dam. Then upon pedaling the incline to the top of the dam, where one is greeted with a "High Gusts Area" warning sign, the wind picked up stronger, making crossing the dam even slower going.

But, the ride back north, with the wind behind me, had me and the bike rolling way faster than 4 to 5 mph. At one downhill point the speedometer indicated we were going 26 mph. Breaking the speed limit.

It looks like I am transitioning from the walking to the biking time of the year. Maybe I'll find a way to do both...

Hot Tuesday Sun Setting Bike Ride To Sikes Lake

Last night, before the sun set on the second day of the 2022 version of March, with the temperature nearing 80, my bike's handlebars took me on a ride which eventually arrived at Sikes Lake, a location I had walked around earlier in the day.

Which would make that Sikes Lake you see the sun setting on above.

I am liking being back biking after a couple month sabbatical. 

Due to the weather reversal from last week's Arctic Blast Deep Freeze, the locals are coming out in numbers I had not previously seen, apparently eager to enjoy this sudden arrival of what seems like summer.

The Circle Trail was also being busy with bikers, joggers, walkers, dog walkers, strollers, skateboarders and scooters.

I wouldn't mind getting one of those new fangled electric scooters. They look fun...

Remembering Wee's Wedding With Hillary To Oregon Sand Dune Buggy With Mom Beached

Once again Google is goofy with its look back at my memories from this day, with this day being March 2.

Unlike most of these Google memory emails, where I have no clue what some of the memories are, in today's instance I know that each of the memories are. Why Google thinks I would be remembering these memories on this particular day, I do not know.

Two of the memories are from Wee's wedding in Singapore. You probably could guess those are the photos in the upper left and lower right.

The lower left memory is from My Date With Hillary, way back in 2008 in the Fort Worth Stockyards. That is a memorable memory.

The upper right is the Oregon Sand Dunes, with me and my siblings and cousins getting ready to go on a dune buggy ride.

And under that Sand Dune photo that would be my mom, likely also on the Oregon Coast, maybe at Fort Stevens State Park.

HOT Day Two Of March Goose Walking Around Sikes Lake

It was to Sikes Lake I went today for an extremely pleasant commune with nature. As you can see the lake is in dead calm mode, due to no wind blowing.

With the temperature in the mid 70s, and now wind, today felt like summer. Judging by the throng of walkers, joggers, scooters and bikers multitudes are enjoying basking in outdoor warmth after last week's Arctic Blast Deep Freeze.

The Sikes Lake geese were behaving weirdly today. A lot of honking. I think the sudden arrival of summer confuses the birds and makes them a little grumpy.

Sikes Lake has multiple gazebos installed around the lake. In the above photo we are looking west, with that building on the left being a Hilton Inn. The last time I saw Elsie Hotpepper was at a gazebo near that Hilton Inn.

Above we are looking northeast towards the Midwestern State University campus. As you can see a sole goose is guarding that particular gazebo. The geese can be a bit possessive about their gazebos.

A couple years ago I made note of an unexplained disappearance at Sikes Lake. Soon after the above plaque was installed, making note of two works of art, one being Painters Parade, that being the small horse you see above the plaque.

And the other being Apple-oosa, a large horse, which you do not see, because it galloped off to some unknown destination.

I have asked previously if anyone knew what happened to the large Apple-oosa horse, with no answers forthcoming. 

Speaking of bikers. Late yesterday afternoon I went on my first bike ride of the year. And had a mighty fine time. By the time I got to Sikes Lake, last night, it was borderline crowded, which made it fun.