No Indian Ghosts Haunting Arlington's Village Creek On This Last Sunday Of June

My handlebars went to Arlington this last Sunday of June to the Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

What the handlebars are looking at is the scourged ground left behind when Village Creek ceased being in flood mode.

Village Creek was flowing with crystal clear water today, the likes of which I have not seen before with Village Creek.

If the Trinity River ever got as crystal clear as Village Creek is being today, well, inner tubing in that river would not seem nearly as unappealing, what with one then being able to see what was sharing the water with you.

The above view is looking northwest, from the Bob Findlay Linear Park that runs  through the Interlochen neighborhood.

The below view is also looking northwest from the Interlochen neighborhood, but not on the Bob Findlay Linear Park.

As I approached the area you see above I saw those two bikers struggling to lower their bikes to a dam I have walked across many times, but would never consider using as a bike crossing, due to what  is on the other side is not exactly bike friendly. The pair making this trek, a man and woman, were not youngsters, much closer to being elderly than youngsters.

The path the bikers were on eventually leads to the Village Creek Blue Bayou Overlook. I did not see them when I got to the overlook. They had plenty of time to beat me there, what with the route they were taking being much shorter than the paved route which brought me to the Overlook.

A teenage kayaker drowned in Village Creek when he tried to kayak the flooding rapids. Seeing the scourged remains of the flood today had me wondering where that kayaker kayaked, as in where did he put the kayak in, and where did it turn into a fatal accident?

Way too many locals seem to think it is a good idea to go kayaking in a flooding creek or river. Do there need to be "NO KAYAKING WHILE FLOODING" signs sharing space with the "FISH NOT SAFE TO EAT" signs?

I saw no Indian Ghosts today....

Biking With Flood Soaked Village Creek Indian Ghosts & Armadillo Roadkill

Today, for the first time since the Great Texas Flood, Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area's Indian Ghosts were available for visiting.

The flood appeared to have swept Village Creek free of its usual collection of litter.

The two photos you see here were not taken in the Village Creek Natural Historical Area. These two photo were taken on the Bob Findlay Linear Park trail that one comes to when one exits the Historical Area and enters the Interlochen neighborhood.

The Indian Ghosts also haunt the Bob Findlay Linear Park, what with it being the location of one of the more notorious battles to which the Village Creek Indians were subjected, that being the battle which turned either Tarrant or Denton into a ghost. I can never remember which one, or what rank they held, captain, general, corporal or what.

As you can see above, on the Bob Findlay Linear Park trail there are mirrors installed so as to facilitate the easy taking of what are known as "selfies".

Is that not one bright blue sky? Only 11 days until the arrival of Summer.

There was a lot of lawn mowing and weed whacking going on in the Village Creek zone today. I was not liking all the grass dust blowing in the wind causing a couple allergic sneezes.

I could tell by the mud line that Village Creek flooded possibly higher than I'd seen it flood before.

At one point I was rolling along at high speed to find myself doing some brake slamming due to the trail being blocked by what you see above.

Was this a flood damage repair project? I could not tell. The men repairing the damage and I did not speak a language we both understood. I asked a pair of fellow bikers, who were also stopped by the obstruction, if this was flood damage related. They said they wondered the same thing.

It was fairly easy to get around the blocked area and continue on.

I saw my first armadillo roadkill of the year today. Where have all the armadillos gone? Today's roadkill armadillo was the first armadillo I have seen in a long time.

Rolling Through Arlington's Findlay Linear Park Causing Me To Think About The Panther Island Boondoggle

This morning my refrigerator informed me I was in need of a re-stocking the milk supply.

ALDI is my milk supplier.

I'd not checked in with Arlington's resident Indian Ghosts for several days, so I decided to do so before going to ALDI to get a couple jugs of processed cow extract.

In the picture you are looking at my handlebars after they'd visited the Indian Ghosts inside the Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

The handlebars are parked on the curvy paved trail of the Bob Findlay Linear Park.

Bob Findlay was an award winning developer who had the vision to build what is known as Interlochen. In the middle/right of the picture you can barely see one of the Interlochen canals, with a fountain spouting water.

I do not know if at its inception Interlochen was originally called the Village Creek Vision. I do know that just like Fort Worth's Trinity River Vision Boondoggle, I mean, Panther Island Bonndoggle, the public was not allowed to vote on the Arlington project.

However, Fort Worth's Panther Island Boondoggle is a public works project  the public has never been allowed to vote on, while Arlington's Interlochen is a private development that the public had no business voting on.

I am also fairly certain that, unlike the Panther Island Boondoogle, eminent domain was not abused to take property to build Interlochen.  I believe the Interlochen area was pretty much an undeveloped gravel pit type zone before Bob Findlay had the vision to turn it into what Interlochen is today, that being an extremely attractive  residential zone, with many of the homes having a canal in their backyard.

I also suspect that unlike the Panther Island Boondoggle the Interlochen Vision had a very precise project timeline, was likely fully funded and did not employ the unqualified son of that era's Congressperson as the project's director....

This Morning I Thought About Hunting Easter Eggs With Spencer Jack Before Thinking About Sitting On A Lonely Bench

This morning when I woke up my computer prior to going for my regularly scheduled swim I found in my email inbox email from Spencer Jack's dad with pictures of Spencer Jack hunting Easter Eggs at his Very Special Aunt Clancy's sprawling estate in Kent.

That would be Kent, Washington, not Kent, England.

The pictures were not accompanied by any explanatory text, leaving me to guess as to what I was looking at, and whom.

I can see Spencer is carrying a bag with his name on it. I assume this is where he is putting the eggs he finds. I am guessing Spencer has spotted an egg in the tree and is trying to reach it.

Another picture showed a lot of artificial eggs with money strewn about. Apparently the eggs were stuffed with cash.

April of 2006 was the last time I was at an Easter Egg Hunt at Spencer Jack's Very Special Aunt Clancy's. There were no kids in attendance. I think the youngest person there was well into their 30s. Yet Aunt Clancy insisted on subjecting us to an Easter Egg Hunt. However, and this is the type thing which makes Spencer Jack's Aunt Clancy Very Special, the Egg Hunters had to take off their shoes and put on special footwear.

I was the only one to opt out of participating in this.

Changing the subject from Spencer Jack's Easter Egg Hunting with his Very Special Aunt Clancy to something else.

I have been staying off my bike ever since I hurt my knee in a nightmare related incident last week, til today.

I rolled my mechanized vehicular transport device to the Village Creek Natural Historical Area in Arlington to find out if my knee could handle rolling my bike's wheels.

Judging from the fact that the pedaling was pain free I think I have recovered from my latest nightmare injury.

Changing the subject from my knee to the bench you see in the picture.

I think I've heard a country music song about there being nothing lonelier than an empty bench. Then again, that sounds ridiculous. Then again, once again, many country music songs are a bit ridiculous so maybe I did hear a country song about a lonely bench.

Anyway, in parks in Texas I see a lot of benches. Usually lonely benches with no one sitting on them. The lonely bench you see above, that my handlebars are aimed at, sits a bit off the Bob Findlay Linear Park's paved trail that one comes to as one leaves the Village Creek Natural Historical Area and enters the Interlochen zone.

Driving To Arlington's Interlochen Canals With Tacoma's Connie D

No. That is not an artist's rendering of what one of the canals will look like if the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle ever becomes something someone can see.

What you are looking is not in Fort Worth. It is in Arlington.

The canal is one of many which make up the Interlochen neighborhood.

Interlochen is an award winning development, developed decades ago by developer Bob Findlay.

Interlochen being developed by Bob Findlay is why the paved trail I pedaled on to get to Interlochen is called the Bob Findlay Linear Park.

The paved trail that runs through the Village Creek Natural Historical Area exits the Historical Area to become the aforementioned Bob Findlay Linear Park paved trail.

The outer world was heated in to the 90 degree range when I drove myself to Arlington to roll my wheels.

As long as I am pedaling I stay cool due to that refreshing wind chill factor effect. But, stop pedaling and the sauna steam bath effect goes into effect.

I was in the pool before dawn cracked again this morning. I rather like swimming whilst the sun comes up. Soon we will be entering that time of the year where it becomes ever more cool to get in the pool.

I saw today that the kids are back in school. I had to slow to 25 because the slow down lights were flashing as I passed John T. White Elementary.

I had to slow down and get off the phone. The Tacoma Connie D had called me soon after I exited my abode. It is a $200 fine if you are caught talking on your cell phone when you drive by a school in Texas.

The Tacoma Connie D has the sweetest voice. If she were to move to Texas and learn to speak with a Texas accent her accent would be a real honey dripper.

The lunch gong just sounded. Talk to you later.....

Pedaling The Bob Findlay Linear Park Trail Looking For Rain

In the picture my handlebars are under Green Oaks Boulevard, in Arlington, sitting on the Bob Findlay Linear Park Trail, about 2 miles north of the east entry into the Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

It was quite noticeable today that Village Creek is in dire need of a water infusion.

All of North Texas is in dire need of a water infusion.

I can not remember the last time copious amounts of incoming rain caused my location to go into flash flood mode.

Previous years, in Texas, my location would frequently go into flash flood mode. Flash flooding is one of the primary means of litter removal in North Texas. With no flash flooding the litter is starting to pile up.

I was scheduled to get a new oven installed today. A newfangled push button electronic oven. But the scheduled installation has been postponed.

I think I may have over-exerted this morning whilst swimming. My arms are sore, which is making typing unpleasant. So, I am going to stop this typing activity for now and go locate some ibuprofen.

Sunny Sunday Pedaling Arlington's Bob Findlay Linear Park

I took my handlebars to Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area this fine second Sunday of April to pedal with the Indian Ghosts, then exit the Natural Historical Area to continue pedaling on the crooked paved trail that is known as the Bob Findlay Linear Park.

We may be at a VCNHA number of visitors tipping point where adding additional parking space may be needed.

Today I saw what may have been a record number of people enjoying the outer world in the Natural Area.

One family of 11, all with fishing poles stuck in the creek, with one of the 11 claiming to have caught a fish. But I saw no evidence of the catch.

A guy and girl pair on skinny tire bikes had the guy with two big leashed dogs. I saw this was not going well. By the time I reached the guy with the two dogs I told him he was being very adventurous, when what I actually thought was he was being very foolish. About 20 feet after I passed the guy with the two dogs I heard the noise of a bike crash. I turned around to see the guy on the ground with the leashed dogs all tangled up.

Changing the subject to something else.

This morning's swim went well. The cool pool has lost a lot of its cool. Are we now at the point in time where the pool remains comfortably doable until next fall cools it down?

I think I will have myself an afternoon swim along with some lounge chair based sunbathing, preparing my pasty skin for excessive South Padre Island sun exposure.

Flood Forces An Alternative Route To Walk With The Village Creek Indian Ghosts Pondering The J.D. Granger Memorial Plaque

Last night a storm dropped a lot of water, in addition to banging my windows with hail, along with some strong thunderstorming.

A storm dropping a lot of water cuts back on my hiking, biking, walking options.

Walking around Fosdick Lake in Oakland Lake Park is always doable, no matter how much flash flooding has flashed.

But, my usual Sunday constitutional takes place at the Village Creek Natural Historical Area where I walk with the Indian Ghosts who haunt the area.

So I drove to my usual entry place for my usual walk with the Indian Ghosts, sort of expecting the parking lot, and park, to be closed, due to flooding.

My park closed by flood expectation turned out to be correct. So, I drove to the east side of the Village Creek Natural Historical Area, to the Interlochen neighborhood. I knew the flooding would either have abated enough to allow a dry creek crossing, or I could just walk the trail in the Bob Findlay Linear Park and avoid Village Creek.

As you can see, via the picture above, at some point during last night's flash flooding water washed over the dam bridge, leaving some driftwood, but, by noon, the bridge was dry, and so I was able to do my regular Sunday walk with the Indian Ghosts, albeit from a different direction.

I was not the only person opting to enter the Village Creek zone via Interlochen. A lot of other people were walking around the "Park Closed Due To Flooding" gate.

Below you see one of those gate crashers walking across the dam bridge that usually is the first one I come to when I enter the park from the regular parking lot.

The water rushing under the dam bridge at high velocity made a very familiar noise which caused me to wonder how long it has been since I've last experienced a real waterfall. Turner Falls up in Oklahoma? Snoqualmie Falls up in Washington? Tandy Falls in Fort Worth?

Speaking of water in Fort Worth.

I have previously read the memorial plaque that you come to when you exit the Village Creek zone to the Bob Findlay Linear Park.

Today I read it again. I found one particular paragraph interesting.

"Bob developed Interlochen Estates, a select residential area featuring a sophisticated lake system. He received national attention on this development for his conversion of abandoned gravel pits located on a flood plain."

Reading the above paragraph had me wondering if some day in the future, 20 or 30 years from now, when, maybe, the Trinity River Vision is actually something someone can see, if a similar plaque might be installed on the shores of Pond Granger honoring the brains behind the TRV Boondoggle, J.D. Granger.

"J.D. developed the Trinity River Vision, a private economic development area with a sophisticated pond, built using public money, with no input from the public in the form of voting for the project. J.D. received national attention for his part in removing existing flood control levees, replaced with a massive flood diversion channel, which failed when first flooded, causing billions of dollars in damage, while losing an untold number of lives."

I somehow really doubt there will one day be a J.D Granger Linear Park in Fort Worth. Then again, I have seen some mighty strange things happen in this town.....

Cranking Pedals Looking For Christmas Decorations In Interlochen

I don't remember when I last took my handlebars on a pedaling excursion. Was it Gateway Park? I don't remember.

But I do remember taking my handlebars to the Village Creek Natural Historical Area today to do some pedaling with the Indian Ghosts who haunt this area.

In the picture those are the aforementioned handlebars on the overlook that looks over the Village Creek Blue Bayou.

There were quite a few people out among the ghosts today. I think the ideal temperature causes an amp up in physical activity among those who are not so inclined when the temperature is 20 or 30 degrees hotter.

Right now the outer world at my location, according to my computer based temperature monitoring device, is 2 degrees shy of 70. This would be considered a hot summer day at my former location in the Pacific Northwest.

Today I pedaled out of the Village Creek Natural Historical  Area zone into the Interlochen zone,  pedaling on the Bob Findlay Linear Park trail.

Interlochen is known for its over the top Christmas displays. I did not see much evidence of over the top Christmas displays in Interlochen today. But, I only saw the houses one sees from the Linear Park trail. I'm sure other areas of Interlochen are in over the top Christmas decoration mode.

I've got all my Christmas decorations totally installed. My Christmas decorations consist of a little crocheted Christmas stocking my grandma made for me a long, long time ago. I hang it on my Bart Simpson Christmas tree.

I should take a picture of my Christmas decoration. I'll hit the publish button and go do that.

Drops Of Rain Dampened Bike Riding Today Before The Northern Front Invaded North Texas

Today around noon my handlebars were on the paved trail in the Bob Findlay Linear Park, which trails past Arlington's Interlochen neighborhood.

To get to the Bob Findlay Linear Park one pedals the paved trail which runs through the Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

Today, a few minutes into pedaling, rain drops started falling on my head. And other places in addition to my hatless/helmetless head.

The rain was not falling in copious amounts. But with the clouds looking as if they could go into major level weep mode at any moment I cut the bike riding short today.

Currently, at some point in time between 2 and 3 in the afternoon the outer world is being heated to 77 degrees at my location. Around 3 a Northern Front is scheduled to march into the D/FW zone drastically dropping the temperature into the 40s.

I am fairly certain I will be under blankets tonight in my slumber chamber.

Looking outside it appears the Northern Front may be invading earlier than predicted, with sudden gusts of wind. So far, at least according to my computer based temperature monitoring device, the temperature has not yet begun to plummet.

Biking With The Village Creek Indian Ghosts To Arlington's Interlochen Canals

Interlochen Canal In Arlington

That is one of the Interlochen Canals, in Arlington, you are looking at in the picture.

Today I was able go bike riding with the Indian Ghosts who haunt Village Creek Natural Historical Area because the park closed sign was no more.

Until the next flood.

For the first time in over a year I left the Indian Ghosts behind, exiting the Historical Area to the Bob Findlay Linear Park, also known as Pioneer Trail.

Seeing the Canals of Interlochen today got me wondering how it was Arlington was able to builds these canals. Was there a Rush Creek Vision? Did the project that resulted in the Interlochen Canals get Federal earmark money courtesy of a corrupt Congressman? Or Congresswoman? To help grease the Congressperson's help was the job of managing the Interlochen Canal project given to that Congressperson's unqualified, unemployed son?

I actually know the answer to these probing questions. The Interlochen Canals and Lake Interlochen are the result of a private development envisioned by Bob Findlay. A nationally recognized project that turned a gravel pit and floodlands into a valuable piece of real estate.

The Interlochen Neighborhood covers 4.578 square miles and is home to 11,660 Arlingtonians.

I do not believe any property was stolen via the abuse of eminent domain to facilitate the Interlochen Canal Vision.

The Interlochen Canal Vision resulted, eventually, in the Lake Interlochen Homeowners Association that takes care of the upkeep of the canal system, which includes the impound dam on Rush Creek and the structures that control the inflow and outflow of Lake Interlochen.

I do not know if J.D. Granger and his cronies took one of their infamous junket parties to Arlington to check out the Interlochen Canals. Likely not.

Walking From Interlochen Through The Mud To Get To The Village Creek Indian Ghosts

This Is Not The Village Creek Hydro Dam

If I remember correctly, earlier today I indicated that walking with the Indian Ghosts of the Village Creek Natural Historical Area would be my walking option today, if the parking lot flood gates were open.

Well.

The flood gates were still closed at the westside parking lot on Dottie Lynn Parkway.

So I drove to the eastside of the Village Creek Natural Historical Area, in the Interlochen Neighborhood of Arlington.

Interlochen is so named because there are several canals, giving a lot of houses waterfront property. I do not know if these canals were the result of Arlington's Village Creek Vision. I do know that the project that resulted in Interlochen was not a boondoggle, unlike some other area canal projects.

Rather than being a boondoggle, Interlochen won design awards for its instigator, Bob Findlay. And Bob Findlay Linear Park is named after him. Bob Findlay Linear Park begins where the Village Creek Natural Historical Area paved trail exits Village Creek into the Interlochen Neighborhood.

The eastside gate was also blocking entry to the former location of one of America's biggest Indian Villages. But the eastside gate is easy to get around. The mud, is not quite as easy to get around. I was not the only person I saw being a scoflaw, but I was the only one I saw who slipped on the mud.

In the picture you are looking east, across Village Creek Dam/Bridge #2, looking at the Interlochen Neighborhood in the background.

Judging by the highwater mark left by the mud and debris, Village Creek flooded more than I would have guessed it would from the 4 inches, give or take, that fell during the recent deluge.

Yesterday, when I saw the Trinity River, it appeared to have receded back to pre-flood mode. Village Creek was still flowing above the norm.

It is not time for lunch. Spaghetti.

My First Bike Ride In Over A Year Went Well For The Most Part

That is my newly restored two-wheeled personal locomotion device laying on the ground.

No, it is not laying on the ground due to a malfunction.

I stopped to take a picture. To take a picture I have to remove my sunglasses. If I don't I can not see the camera screen.

About 8, or maybe 9, miles later I realized I had left my sunglasses on the ground. Unlike the Tandy Hills Easter Sunday lost sunglasses incident, I found them today upon my return to the spot where I left them.

I estimate I quit riding my bike sometime last July, or maybe August. I attempted to get the wheel fixed in October, at Panther City Bikes. Or whatever it is called. I had a worse impression about that place than I did/do about Bicycles, Inc., so I did not get my wheel fixed there.

There are not as many bike shops to choose from in the Dallas/Fort Worth zone than in areas that have a lot more bike riders. At least I'm assuming that is the cause of the bike shop shortage.

I am glad I found Colonel's Bicycle Shop.

Getting back in the saddle, after more than a year of not pedaling, went surprisingly well. I was surprised at how solid the bike now feels with its fixed wheel. I quickly realized I put up with that wobbly wheel way too long.

I was zipping along at around 20 mph, with the help of wind behind me, breaking the speed limit by 10 mph. Came to the first up and down, zipped down and up. It was feeling good.

I forgot to mention, my return to bike riding took place at Village Creek Natural Historic Area, then left the VCNHA trail to continue on on the Bob Findlay Linear Park trail.

Which is where the picture was taken. It's in Interlochen. An area with a lot of canals. Betty Jo Bouvier asked me how it manages to be so green here, so I took a green picture for Betty Jo.

Soon after that, at mile 6 or 7, I thought of Betty Jo again. I started off feeling real comfortable on the saddle. I'd forgotten that prior to my bike's long period of rest I'd put a comfy new bike seat on it. But, by mile 6 or 7, not so comfy. I think my seating area has lost some of its padding over the past year. Which is why I thought of Betty Jo, thinking riding a bike might be a bit more comfortable if I had a more ample derriere.

I had multiple issues with squirrels acting squirrely today. Four times the little beasts darted out in front of my front wheel, almost causing a crash each time.

Around mile 10, on my way back to my van, before I realized I'd left my sunglasses behind, I stopped to drink some water. I leaned over to get the water bottle and then had a real dizzy sensation, in a way that felt good. It was at that point I realized that biking is way more exercise, aerobically speaking, than the hill hiking I've been doing for the past year.

By the time I recovered the sunglasses and made it back to my van, I'd covered 13.646 miles. Not the longest bike ride I've gone on. But, it seemed long enough for the first bike ride in over a year. As soon as I stopped and got off the bike, without the motion caused Wind Chill, I switched into heavy duty sweating mode. I'd forgotten this part of bike riding when it's HOT.

So, that was the fun part of today. The un-fun part of today was totally unrelated to riding a bike. If I feel like re-living that in blog form, I may do that later.