Mary Kelleher for Fort Worth City Council 5

Yesterday a Facebook notification showed up notifying me that something had changed...

A Page you follow, Elect Mary Kelleher, changed its name to Mary Kelleher for FW City Council 5

This was new news to me. I am assuming Mary Kelleher's current term on the Tarrant Regional Water District Board is coming to an end, and thus, now, Mary Kelleher is running to become a Fort Worth city councilwoman.

Ironically, well, maybe it is not ironic, more coincidental, but the same day I learned Mary is likely going to become a councilwoman, a Microsoft OneDrive Memory showed up which also reminded me of Mary Kelleher.

That is me you see above, on my way to D/FW International Airport, picking up an ostrich egg from Mary Kelleher's mailbox, on the way.

Switching from ostrich eggs back to the previous subject.

If my memory is serving me correctly, I first learned of Mary Kelleher, decades ago, via an article in Fort Worth Weekly, about Mary's issues regarding the Trinity River regularly flooding in her area of Fort Worth.

Prior to that, the entity who goes by the name Layla Caraway, who some know as Elsie Hotpepper, had been in the news---local, state and national, due to her home in Haltom City teetering precariously above a flooding creek.

Fort Worth's Congresswoman, Kay Granger, visited the site of Elsie Hotpepper's teetering home, causing Elsie to have some hope that maybe that local politician might be of some help. A hope history would prove to be erroneous.

This was all happening early on during the first decade of what has become an embarrassing Boondoggle, which has been Boondoggling along now for three decades, with little to show for what was purported to be a vitally needed flood control and economic development scheme.

The fact that no attention was being paid to actual vitally needed flood control, both in the flooding creeks in Haltom City, and the Trinity River in East Fort Worth, motivated both Elsie Hotpepper and Mary Kelleher to become what are known as political activists.

After reading about Mary's flood woes in that FW Weekly article, Elsie Hotpepper met with Mary, and convinced her to run for the TRWD Board.

I remember I was on a bike ride on the Trinity Trail when I got a call from Elsie Hotpepper, telling me about the meeting with Mary, and the hope Mary would run and win.

Mary did so, she ran and won. By a landslide.

I recollect my first time meeting Mary was when I went to vote at the Handley/Ederville polling location, where Mary was outside the polling location, greeting voters. I introduced myself.

It is sort of hard to believe this was such a long time ago, and, all these years later, the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision has yet to come to any sort of useful visible fruition. That and nothing much has been done to mitigate flooding in Tarrant County areas actually prone to deadly, serious flooding.

If I remember correctly, and sometimes I do, the last time I saw Mary and Elsie, in person*, was back in early 2016. Mary took Elsie and me out to lunch at an Outback Steakhouse, I think that was the location. 

And then after lunch we drove to Mary's farm where I met a large collection of animals, including an ostrich, one of whose eggs ended up getting picked up by me out of Mary's mailbox, a few days later.

Methinks it will greatly benefit Fort Worth having Mary Kelleher on the city council. And then, eventually, Fort Worth Mayor. Or Kay Granger's position. As a congresswoman...

*I was erroneous regarding Outback Steakhouse being the last time I have seen Elsie Hotpepper. I forgot about a year before COVID struck, I pedaled my bike to Sikes Lake to meet up with Elsie at a Sikes Lake gazebo.

New Look At Fort Worth's Multi-Decade Trinity River Vision Boondoggle

It has been a while since I have read an article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about America's Dumbest Boondoggle, also known as the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision, or TRV for super short.

A couple days ago I found myself writing a blog post titled New Zealand Family's Seattle Visit Reminds Me Of Fort Worth's Infamous Trinity River Vision Boondoggle, written after seeing the result of a successful public works project completed in a more modern area of America, then finding myself comparing that project to what many simply refer to as The Boondoggle.

And then, ironically, the very day I posted the blog post referencing Fort Worth's embarrassing Trinity River Vision mess, the Star-Telegram publishes an article about the current state of The Boondoggle, in typical Star-Telegram faulty information fashion.

I suspect the reporter writing this article is new to Fort Worth, and the Star-Telegram, and thus does not have a well-developed ear for hearing nonsense.

We are now in the third decade of what has become America's Oldest Boondoggle. Over the years I have written dozens of posts about this subject. Just go to the Durango Texas blog and enter "TNT exploding ceremony" into the search function, or "Kay Granger Boondoggle" and you will come up with many of those posts about this subject.

Now, something I have not made mention of during the many years of writing these blog posts about America's Biggest Boondoggle.

Over the years I have been sent information from persons close to the problem. As in, someone with access inside J.D. Granger's inner Trinity River Vision operation. I referred to this person as Deep Moat. I was told a couple times, by a couple sources, that the TRWD and the TRV were annoyed, a time or two, by things they saw on my blog.

Also, regarding the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, someone working for that newspaper, anonymous to me, has long found my making fun of that newspaper to be amusing. And accurate. It has not happened for a couple years, but yesterday it did. That person, who they are, I do not know, sent me the link to this new article about The Boondoggle, a link I am not blocked from reading. I assume I would always have been able to read the Star-Telegram, if I was a subscriber, but I cancelled the hard copy long ago.

Anyway, I clicked the Fort Worth’s Panther Island riverfront project has seen years of delays. What’s next? and read it. And copied it.

I then messaged Elsie Hotpepper, asking if Elsie had read this latest, because her dear departed friend, Clyde Picht, is quoted. Elsie then asked for the link. I sent it. But, for her, she was blocked. I then sent Elsie the copied article.

Interesting that the Star-Telegram successfully blocks Elsie Hotpepper, but not me.

Anyway, let's now go through some of this article and comment as we read along. Let's begin with the first paragraph...

Government officials and curious citizens left no seats empty in Fort Worth’s city hall chamber on April 5, 2005. That day, then-Mayor Mike Moncrief locked horns with skeptical City Council members over the purpose and price of the “Trinity River Vision,” a grand plan to revamp the river’s flood control system and transform a sliver of the waterway twisting around downtown into a haven of urban leisure and recreation.

2005. Two decades ago. And that is years after The Boondoggle actually began. Flood control system? This project was originally touted as a vitally needed flood control and economic development scheme. So vitally needed, almost three decades later, little has been done. So vitally needed, the public was not asked to support it via a bond issue.

Moving on, the next paragraph...

Fort Worth’s powerful optimists first fleshed out plans for the venture the year before. Moncrief and fellow proponents hailed the undertaking, later rechristened Panther Island, as “the most significant local project since construction of Dallas/Fort Worth airport.” “Everyone feels the synergy of this project,” Moncrief told the audience in city hall, among them Panther Island champion U.S. Rep. Kay Granger. “They realize this will create a new gateway ... a new face for future generations.” Doubters weren’t sold on the mayor’s lofty aspirations. “I think the final cost of the project will be substantially higher” than the original $360 million price tag (around $613 million today), said council member Clyde Picht during the hearing.

The "later rechristened Panther Island" remark is what made me think this reporter is new to The Boondoggle. This pseudo public works project started out being called the Trinity River Vision. Then Uptown was added to the name. Then Central City. Then Panther Island District. I do not believe the project has ever been somehow rechristened as Panther Island. Such is just how some have come to refer to it, even though it is an imaginary island which no sane part of the world would refer to as such.

Moving on to the next paragraph...

The project’s budget ballooned to $1.17 billion around 2017 (a figure still listed in project documents today despite inflationary pressures). The most hopeful Panther Island advocates in the early 2000s expected a pocket of high-rises and tree-lined promenades to take form by the end of the decade. No development has happened since. The Tarrant Regional Water District has yet to acquire 23% of the land within Panther Island’s future boundaries; the body agreed in December to pay a real estate consulting firm $1 million to start thinking up a strategy for selling off land to interested developers.

Just the info contained in the above paragraph, one would think, is enough to make one think maybe it is time to just kill this embarrassing failure. The "no development has happened since" line is so telling. Basically, little real development has happened for almost three decades, not in the way developments happen in parts of the world known to be more, well, developed.

It gets worse. Next paragraph...

Much of the new flood control system has yet to be completed. TRWD and the other bodies tasked with bringing Panther Island’s renditions to life predicted in 2018 that every dam, channel and storage pond would be complete by 2028. The project’s latest completion date, as of June, is 2032.

Much of the flood control system is yet to be completed? Remember? This was originally touted as a vitally needed flood control project, to control floods in a section of the Trinity River which had not flooded for well over a half century due to levees installed in the 1950s. And now the completion date is in the next decade.

The final paragraph...

Past delays foreshadowed current ones. It took the Texas Department of Transportation roughly six years and $126.2 million to complete three bridges designed to funnel traffic to and from the island. Construction for the structures, totaling less than a mile in length, began in November 2015, with tentative completion dates set between 2017 and 2018. “This was a bad deal early on,” Picht said of Panther Island in 2018, a few years before he died. “It’s probably the worst managed public project in the state of Texas, if not the nation.” Where exactly do things stand today?

Why is the Star-Telegram blaming the Texas Department of Transportation for taking so long to build the simple little bridges? Did not the actual fault lie with the incompetent leadership of the TRV? As in, Kay Granger's son, J.D., made Executive Director, to motivate his mother to try and secure federal funds? J.D. Granger insisted the design of the bridges have these totally ordinary V-piers, which J.D. thought would make them Signature Bridges, which was part of the original Trinity River Vision, having Three Signature Bridges, matching the Dallas Trinity River Vision's proposed Three Signature Bridges, which was the actual start of The Boondoggle, Fort Worth once again trying to keep up with Dallas.

And failing.

Dallas did end up building two actual signature bridges, which add a cool looking element to the Dallas skyline.

As for The Boondoggle's employment of Kay Granger's son. Kay never did come up with federal funding. And when a Biden bill, the Infrastructure Bill, passed, sending funding to Fort Worth's un-funded project, Kay voted no. J.D. was then fired, given a $72,000 parting gift, and is now trying to open a restaurant.

Meanwhile, I have another nugget of news, sent to me anonymously, which I have no way of verifying, but which makes sense to me.

I have been told the real reason the Trinity River Vision project has stalled is due to serious engineering complications. When the Army Corps of Engineers was brought in, again, after those three little bridges were built over dry land, with a cement lined ditch to later be dug under them, an obvious issue became apparent.

As in, the cement lined ditch should have been built at the same time as the bridges. To dig under the bridges now presents serious engineering issues, as in without sufficient mitigations, digging under the bridges could cause a bridge collapse.

And so, the project is stalled, with the current funding now in limbo due to the project's ineptness, poor planning and bad design.

And, might I add. I have long predicted that eventually we will get to the point where it is realized the ground in the Panther Island zone is seriously contaminated, due to being a former industrial zone. There have already been some indications of this. I suspect it would take an EPA Superfund cleanup, which will likely never happen.

It is time for Fort Worth to kill this project, clean up the mess it has made, and get around to finally, at least, fixing Heritage Park, the boarded-up eyesore at the north end of downtown, a park celebrating Fort Worth's heritage, which, ironically, overlooks America's Biggest Boondoggle....

Remembering Pawnee Lane, Elsie Hotpepper & Rumors About Being Forced Out of Fort Worth

Last night I found myself scrolling through my email archive, finding myself disturbed a time or two to come upon an email, which had been opened, which I didn't remember reading. These were all from the last year, so not all that long ago.

Age related memory loss is my explanation.

Among the emails I did not remember was one from my Favorite Nephew Jason, aka FNJ.

The house I built before moving to Texas was on the market again. Jason emailed me the listing and the above photo he took of the deck above the carport, with Jason remarking "I always loved your house on Pawnee and the big roof deck."

I can see a screen door has been added. Which looks tacky. When I had control of this roof deck it was covered with plants, hanging baskets, a couple barrels with big blueberry bushes, planters for strawberries and herbs, like basil. I miss having a constant supply of fresh basil.

And a BBQ grill. I did a lot of BBQing. There was also a deck on the other side of the house, out of the kitchen. That deck had multiple levels. The intention was to put a hot tub there, but that never happened.

Another of the emails I found, which I did not remember, was one I would have thought I would have remembered, what with the fact I replied to the sender and forwarded it to the party referenced in the email.

Way back when I lived in the D/FW zone, east Fort Worth to be precise, I was a bit of a rabble rouser. A rabble rousing cohort rabble roused with me, who I came to refer to as Elsie Hotpepper. Elsie Hotpepper started up a blog to have a venue to verbalize about D'FW issues.

Anyway, here is that email, which referenced concern for Elsie Hotpepper's welfare and blog, from April of 2023, with names omitted...

Hi

I am trying to find out what happened to the blogger on the Star Telegraph that has been blogging forever but suddenly disappears in October 2022. I ask because Tarrant County is known for its brutal retaliation towards truth tellers, and I was wondering if you might know if this person is okay. I am scared to death to even be writing this as this county is so corrupt in every sector and I find out more and more each day. Unfortunately, whistleblowers are taken out in Texas. Anyway, thank you for your time….

To which, back in April of 2023, I replied with...

She is fine. She just got less motivated to post on her blog. Just last week she text messaged something she wanted me to put on her long dormant blog. I told her she forgot she had to send me such via email so I could copy and paste. That was days ago. She has not gotten around to emailing me the info. It's about the current TRWD Board election. I often did her postings, at her direction. I was who talked her into doing the blogging thing, years ago. I sure do not miss living in Tarrant County.

And then this more elaborate reply to my reply...

Haha, I was trying to hide my email but that didn’t work. I’m in big trouble. I have found out way too much and I need to walk away because I will lose everything with the way they retaliate here. It’s brutal. I was just trying to be a voice for the voiceless, our wildlife. They literally have nowhere to go as the destruction of habitat in Northwest Tarrant is out of control and zoning commissioner LF has been approving at an unprecedented rate. I can tell you more later how this got started, my curiosity. 

Every safe person I feel is trustworthy ends up not being so, not even the Texas Scorecard. Well, I have my suspicions.

 Anyway, I read somewhere that you were forced out or something along those lines and maybe you were joking, but knowing what is going on here, it wouldn’t surprise me. I have finally, after a year of digging, found what I suspected and have proof but don’t want to go missing, incarcerated or hurt my family who have deep connections here. 

Also, I’ve been following these two, PM and LF, for over a year and you are the only one who commented recently on PM and him running. Is everyone here blind or just scared to say anything? All anyone has to do is look up each and every campaign contribution and you are well on your way. They have no shame; the writing is literally on the wall.

Anyway, hope you doing okay. I know I don’t know you but feel like I do because of your work. Please know, all that contribute to the Telegraph, you are being followed, your blogs are being read, and people want to comment but I truly believe people are scared. Thanks for having no fear as I am envious of that. 

_________________________

Never heard from this lady again. I do not recollect ever feeling too threatened, except for one incident where I blogged I was heading to Gateway Park to photo document what I thought was a fracking violation, sucking water out of the Trinity River. 

I got to the location. As I was taking photos a couple trucks showed up, with several men looking a bit menacing. I headed back to my van, walking around the group of menacing looking men. I got to my van to find more trucks showing up, with one blocking my exit. 

I got in the van, started the engine, and then rolled down the window and made it look like I was calling and talking to someone, acting like I was reading vehicle licenses. Suddenly the boss of the group made a signal, signaling everyone to back off and get out of my way.

UPDATE:
Last night, after being unable to find the one email I had actually been looking for, it being one from FNJ, Jason quickly emailed me back confirming my memory of the information was accurate. In my email to FNJ I made mention of seeing another email from him which I did not remember, the one with the photo of the deck in front of my Mount Vernon house you see at the top.

Jason replied with a detailed bit of verbiage, including...

PS — and your Pawnee home pic is in my front room.  I always thought that deck was really cool — especially when covered with plants.

Jason included a photo of the Pawnee home pic in his front room...

I can tell that is Spencer Jack, at the upper right, standing in front of the Riverside bridge across the Skagit River in downtown Mount Vernon. I do not know what to make of the Row to Alaska pamphlet at the lower left. Are those Jason's aunts, Fancy and Clancy, on the cover?

Happy Birthday Elsie Hotpepper

The young lady you see here, up a creek with only one paddle, goes by many names, with my favorite being Elsie Hotpepper.

The cattle herd Elsie is ramrodding is making its way across the pristine waters of the Trinity River, at a location I believe to be at the east side of Fort Worth, near where the river soon leaves Fort Worth and enters Arlington.

I am not certain what particular photo shoot brought about this photo. It may have been part of Elsie Hotpepper's audition for some TV show, Yellowstone, maybe.

It is hard to keep up with the various antics of Elsie Hotpepper. Truth be told, keeping up with the Hotpepper can be a bit exhausting.

Anyway, today, August 10, is Elsie Hotpepper's birthday.

29 years old.

At least that is what is indicated by Happy Birthday signage installed overnight in Elsie Hotpepper's front yard...

Walking Around Sikes Lake With Geese Thinking About Elsie Hotpepper

It was back to Sikes Lake I went today on the second Thursday of the 2022 version of September.

As you can see, geese have taken over the Sikes Lake gazebo you see here.

That gazebo was the location of the last time I saw the elusive Elsie Hotpepper, in person. Walking by this gazebo today I strained my memory to try and remember when that was that I last saw Elsie Hotpepper.

I know it was pre-COVID. I think it may have been at some point in time during the year of 2018. That would make it around four years since the last, in person, Elsie Hotpepper sighting.

I can not remember when my last drive to the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex took place. That also was pre-COVID. For years I made a once a month trek to DFW.

COVID put an end to a lot of repetitive habits. And spawned many new repetitive habits...

What Is Elsie Hotpepper Doing In Yellowstone With Kevin Costner?

A time or two or three I have been asked if I have photo documentation documenting the actual existence of Elsie Hotpepper.

Well.

Yellowstone, the TV drama, is one of the most popular shows on cable.

Season 4 has begun filming.

With much of Yellowstone's Season 4 taking place in Fort Worth.

This is a TV drama where a 6th generation homesteader owns the largest ranch in America. The homesteader is named Dutton and is played by Kevin Costner.

Dutton deals in a corrupt world where politicians are dirty dealing with oil and timber barons and land grab developers making billions of bucks. 

Dutton's HUGE ranch is in constant conflict with that which it borders, a growing town, an Indian reservation and America's first national park.

I can sort of understand why Fort Worth would be picked to be the corrupt growing town conflicting with the biggest ranch in America.

Anyway, what you see here is a publicity still from the upcoming 4th Season of Yellowstone. Fort Worth suburb native, Elsie Hotpepper, has a part to play in Season 4.

Which would make that photo documentation of Elsie Hotpepper you are looking at above.

No details are yet known regarding the role Elsie Hotpepper is playing in Yellowstone. Romance with Kevin Costner? Rival ranch owner running cattle across Costner's territory? Or a dirty dealing politician?

We can hardly wait to find out...

Mary Kelleher Wins Back TRWD Board Seat

Above you are looking at Mary Kelleher, on the right. On the left is the D/FW legend known, by some, as Elsie Hotpepper.

It seems like a long time ago I was hiking in Fort Worth's Gateway Park when the infamous Elsie Hotpepper called me whilst she was being in thrilled and happy mode, due to having met with someone with serious Fort Worth flood issues who had agreed to run for a seat on the Tarrant Region Water District Board.

That someone was Mary Kelleher.

In that water board election Mary Kelleher won in a landslide, with what, at that point in time, was the most votes any water board candidate had ever received.

What followed was a tumultuous four years as Mary Kelleher tried to bring to light that which the TRWD had kept hidden in the dark, for years.

Mary Kelleher was frequently blocked in multiple ways. Denied an entry key to TRWD headquarters. Not allowed in the 'secret room' where the longtime board members met. Denied requested information.

Eventually Mary Kelleher was censured by the TRWD Board. A ridiculous attempt to shut her up which resulted in a big throng of protesters bringing shame to those who tried to intimidate Mary Kelleher into going along with the shenanigans she had vowed to put to a stop.

Things like the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision, which had, even then, way back years ago, become an obviously idiotic, ineptly managed, slow motion boondoggle doing damage to the heart of Fort Worth.

Damage such as three simple little bridges being built over dry land, ever since 2014, causing traffic disruption, ruining businesses, stealing property by abusing the perfectly legal, if properly used, concept of eminent domain.

The Trinity River Vision was sold as a vitally needed flood control/economic development scheme.

Where there had been no flooding for well over half a century. With the economic benefit going to those who owned property in the area of the scheme.

And yet this vitally needed flood control scheme is actually so vitally un-needed that the project has limped along the length of this new century, with nothing done regarding the imaginary flood control problem.

While Mary Kelleher's east Fort Worth neighborhood regularly floods, due to Fort Worth's criminally inept urban planning. 

When Mary Kelleher ran for re-election, she lost, in what seemed to be an actual obvious fraudulent election. With that obviousness leading to a investigation by the state which resulted in a few low level perpetrators being held to account, but with the actual fraud perpetrators left untouched.

And now, another four years later. Or is it eight? Time flies so fast. Mary Kelleher is back on the TRWD Board. 

The next four years should be interesting for Fort Worth.

The times they are a'changing...

Talking To Elsie Hotpepper About Going To Hawaii With Mary Kelleher

My morning adventure for today was driving an elderly person to his various drug dealers so as to secure items like insulin and pain killers. Whilst waiting at the various drug dealing pharmacies I occupied my time by texting various people.

Such as Elsie Hotpepper. 

With a couple texters, including the Hotpepper, I made mention of thinking it would be a good idea to go to Hawaii, or some similar tropical location, once this COVID nightmare ends, and maybe rent a condo for a month, or some such thing.

Miss Elsie made mention of the fact that she is so busy with her various busy things that thinking about a tropical escape is beyond her current capability. 

Among the many busy things Elsie Hotpepper is busy doing is working hard to get Mary Kelleher elected to the Tarrant Region Water District board again.

Those not familiar with North Texas and Fort Worth politics likely think what's the big deal with being on a water board.

Well.

It is sort of like Los Angeles during the era where water was being fought over due to that liquid being such a needed commodity. This resulted in a lot of corruption in Los Angeles and surrounding areas back in the 1920s and 1930s. The movie Chinatown did a good job depicting this corruption.

So.

This water board which operates out of Fort Worth is a multi-billion dollar operation, supposedly only responsible for things like providing water and flood control.

The TRWD board is famously inept at the flood control aspect. Which is why Mary Kelleher wants to be back on the water board. Due to the fact that her East Fort Worth location regularly floods due to the inept urban planning for which Fort Worth is infamous.

While deadly property destroying floods wreak havoc in parts of Fort Worth, the TRWD has been focusing way too much attention (and money) on imaginary flood control in an area of the Trinity River which has not flooded in well over half a century.

The TRWD came up with an un-needed flood control scheme, which masked an inept economic development scheme, which, after over two decades of Boondoggling along, has managed to build one pitiful simple little bridge over dry land, along with two more un-completed bridges, built to one day possibly connect the Fort Worth mainland to an imaginary island.

It is this type bizarrely weird corruption which Mary Kelleher hopes to do something about by once again being on the TRWD board.

Times have greatly changed since Mary Kelleher's last bout on the TRWD board. For instance her longtime nemesis, Jim Oliver, will no longer be there, with one result being that Mary might finally get a key to the building and access to the secret part of the TRWD building which was denied her whilst she previously served.

If Mary Kelleher gets elected again, and if obfuscating obstructions are again deployed, I suspect there will be protests of a size which will dwarf the HUGE protest which erupted when the TRWD board had a meeting to censure Mary over some fool thing which turned the entire absurdity into an embarrassing circus.

I forgot to mention, that in addition to texting with Elsie Hotpepper today, when I returned to my computer I saw that Elsie Hotpepper had Facebooked the ringing endorsement of Mary Kelleher you see screen capped at the top.

I don't know if I have enough time to move back to Fort Worth so I can vote for Mary in May. Texas does not make voting easy...

Are Those Elsie Hotpepper's High Heels On Cannon Beach?

 

Saw the above on Facebook this morning of the first day of the 2021 version of March.

Apparently Miss Kellie, who is the opposite of me, in that she is a Texan currently exiled in the Pacific Northwest, specifically on an island in Puget Sound in Washington. With me, a Washingtonian currently in exile in Texas, with nary a real island to be seen within many miles.

Miss Kellie's fellow Texan, Elsie Hotpepper, who has never been exiled to anywhere other than the town she grew up in, has long had a relationship with Cannon Beach on the Oregon Coast.

Elsie Hotpepper's relationship with Cannon Beach basically grew from a visit to that town several years ago, after which the Hotpepper was haunted by the iconic image of Cannon Beach, that being Haystack Rock, which seemed to follow Elsie Hotpepper every where she went, including back to Texas.

I have not heard from Elsie Hotpepper for a day or two or three. She has been a bit stir crazy cranky of late, just like most of us exiled in Texas, after losing power, water and peace of mind due to the sub-zero results of a Polar Vortex taking over the Lone Star State for over a week.

So, for all I know, Elsie Hotpepper hopped a plane to Portland and drove herself to Cannon Beach, where she beached her high heel ruby slippers to have herself a bracing skinny dip in the cold Pacific.

And then forgot to pick up her shoes when she ran back out of the water to seek heat in the nearest warming hut.

Yeah, I'm sure that is the explanation for the random red high heels on Cannon Beach...

Elsie Hotpepper Granddaughter Panther Island Challenge

That which you see here arrived on my phone yesterday, on the final Tuesday of the 2019 version of November.

The sender was Natsie Hotpepper, granddaughter of the recently retired Elsie Hotpepper.

We have not heard from Natsie's grandma since our last Smoky Visit With The Retired Elsie Hotpepper.

Natsie Hotpepper's actual first name is Natasha, but she has been known as Little Natsie Hotpepper almost from the first words she ever spoke.

Elsie Hotpepper has long insisted she never be addressed by her actual first name, which is Elsivinia.

Naming Elsie's actual name in this blogging venue is not the same as addressing her by her actual name in person, so that particular Elsie Hotpepper convention has not been violated.

I hope.

Now, regarding this "graphic" which Natsie Hotpepper sent me, well bless her heart. She means well.

And we can all appreciate Natsie's sentiment regarding making mock of Fort Worth's ongoing embarrassment which has become America's Dumbest Boondoggle, also known as the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision Boondoggle.

But there are some obvious problems with Natsie's Panther Island Challenge meme.

First off the three bridges began their slow motion construction in 2014, not 2009. The meme shows the 2009 V-piers having made it to the cement part of their slow motion construction. That actually happened closer to 2019 than 2009.

And the 2019 part of the meme shows the V-piers in wooden form mode, prior to cement being added. Which is the reverse of the pitiful reality.

Even in 2014, when the bridge construction began with a bizarre TNT exploding celebration, actual construction did not begin til months later, in 2015, and then soon stalled.

Another problem with Natsie's meme is in the 2009 part we see the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth rising in the distance.

But, in the 2019 part of the meme the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth has totally disappeared.

Anyway, thanks for the effort, Natsie, and keep on trying to live up to your grandma's feisty reputation of working to right wrongs and fight for Truth, Justice and the American Way.

The original Hotpepper legacy is a tough act to follow...

Smoky Visit With The Retired Elsie Hotpepper

Til yesterday I had not had a chance to meet up with Elsie Hotpepper since she retired from her decades long career at a job the details of which Hotpepper has always refused to reveal.

Undercover government employee of some sort has long been the Elsie Hotpepper job speculation of many.

The week Elsie Hotpepper retired she left Texas, via Galveston, on a one way cruise through the Panama Canal, followed by a month in Mazatlan before flying back to Texas.

Hence the reason why Elsie Hotpepper is looking more sun tanned than is her norm in the selfie she took for this blog post.

Meeting up with Elsie for the first time in over a year I felt obligated to ask if she had any plans to try to give up on her three plus packs a day Camel unfiltered cigarettes habit. That puff of smoke in my face, you see above, was Hotpepper's answer to that perfectly legitimate query.

I asked Elsie what she has planned for her retirement years. Another run for political office? Mayor? Congress? Governor?

The answer was a resounding NO.

Elsie says her main activity is going to be being an even more active supporter of the Bucky Elementary Grade School from which Elsie graduated decades ago, way back in the last century.

Around the turn of this century Elsie Hotpepper was made an honorary lifelong Bucky Buckaroo after someone made note of the fact that Elsie Hotpepper, in all the years since she graduated, had never missed a single Bucky Buckaroo football homecoming parade, football game or post game dance. And that Elsie Hotpepper was an ardent supporter of just about all Bucky Elementary activities.

Now you who did not grow up in Texas, or the South, might think it unusual that someone would pay any attention to the grade school from whence they graduated. Well, the thing is, for many in Texas, and the South, graduating grade school was their last bout of higher learning, stopping their school years at 8th grade, never venturing on to high school.

Later generations, for the most part, in Texas, and the South, do go on to high school, with many managing to graduate and go to college, leaving their high school and grade school years in their distant past.

I thought maybe, now that she has the time to do so, Elsie Hotpepper might get her GED high school equivalency certificate. So I asked if that was something she might think of doing.

Again the answer was a resounding NO. Along with verbiage which sounded like Elsie Hotpepper was channeling Pink Floyd, telling me she did not need no education, did not need no thought control.

I thought maybe Elsie's use of double negatives indicated otherwise, but what do I know?

Rolling Around Mount Wichita Pondering Long Elsie Hotpepper Road Trip

Overnight the heat of summer retreated whilst the cool of fall moved in.

Barely 60 degrees when I first saw the temperature at first light this morning.

This past summer, if I remember correctly, I only rolled my bike's wheels a couple times to Mount Wichita.

But, today, with the sun glaring through a clear blue sky I rolled around Mount Wichita. And stayed cool.

The forest fire which had ravaged the slopes of Mount Wichita, early last summer, has mostly healed, returned to green, for the most part.

Soon winter will arrive, well, in a couple months. And with winter snow may cap the summit of Mount Wichita. But, I dunno, what with this ongoing global warming, the Mount Wichita ice cap may not form this upcoming ski season.

Changing the subject to something else.

During the course of this current week Elsie Hotpepper has been negotiating with me about going on a road trip. With Elsie Hotpepper behind the wheel, a couple thousand miles to the northwest, to Washington.

I have some reservations regarding a long road trip with Elsie Hotpepper. For one thing, I am a reticent, quiet sort who can drive 450 miles before finally saying something, such as "Time to fill up the tank". Which might either mean the car needs gas, or I am hungry.

While I am one who uses few words, Elsie Hotpepper is one of those non-stop talker types. And while Elsie Hotpepper is absolutely fascinating to listen to, particularly when she is lubricated with an adult libation, it can be exhausting following the complicated plot lines of Elsie Hotpepper's ongoing long monologue.

So, I have not yet decided if I am on board with the Elsie Hotpepper long road trip concept...

My Life Now Includes A Shocking Elsie Hotpepper Republican

A couple days ago an incoming email asked me if I had seen Elsie Hotpepper's online biography on a website called MyLife. The emailer indicated to me that the Elsie Hotpepper Bio contained at least one bit of info which would likely shock me. And so, of course, I clicked on the link and did soon find myself shocked...

Elsie's Bio

Elsie Hotpepper's birthday is 07/11/1963. Elsie is 56 years old. Elsie's Reputation Score is 4.35. Previous towns in which Elsie has lived include Las Vegas, Nevada and Cannon Beach, Oregon. Sometimes Elsie goes by various nicknames including Elsie Hotspot, Elsie Hotspotter, Elsie Nothotter and Elsie Jalapeno Hotpepper. Background details that you might want to know about Elsie include: ethnicity is Native American, whose political affiliation is currently a registered Republican; and religious views are listed as Scientologist. We know that Elsie is single at this point. Elsie's personal network of family, friends, associates & neighbors include Elmer Hotpepper, Ethel Hotpepper, Peter Snively and Petunia Hotpepper. Taking into account various assets, Elsie's net worth is greater than $25,000 - $49,999; and Elsie makes between $100 - 149,999 a year when she feels the need to have a job.

Birthday: 7/11/1963
Political Party: Republican
Ethnicity: Native American
Religion: Scientologist
Income: $100 - $149,999
Net Worth: $25,000 - $49,999
Relationship: Single

__________________

Okay, now that is new information. Elsie Hotpepper is a Registered Republican?

Shocking.

I do not know if being a Republican and a Scientologist are two things which should be in conflict.

As for Elsie Hotpepper being of Native American descent, this does not shock me.

I suspect Elsie must be of the Cheyenne tribe, known as the Tsistsistas, meaning Beautiful People.

Or possibly Comanche, what with that fierce Hotpepper warrior spirit and those prominent cheekbones...

Holliday Rapids With Sunday Wind Blown Arizona Anniversary Disaster & Elsie Hotpepper

Yesterday, which was Sunday, the same series of storms which caused a wind disaster in Dallas, due to a blown over construction crane, caused me my most, or one of my most, dramatic weather events.

I was riding my bike, all was calm.

Rolling around Sikes Lake the air was so calm the lake was like a mirror.

But, I could see to the north an ominous wall of dark clouds moving in my direction, which seemed odd, what with there being no wind.

I left Sikes Lake and headed north across Midwestern Boulevard to the MSU campus. At the north end of the campus I stopped to check out progress on a construction project. I then headed east towards the Circle Trail. I got to the area where MSU has its annual gigantic installation of Christmas displays when suddenly the temperature dropped, the sky darkened, and a strong wind struck seemingly instantly.

I was trying to ride perpendicular to the incoming wind, which did not work, as in the wind would have knocked me over if I kept heading that direction. I did not know what to do. Big trees with big limbs were flapping like bird wings. I tried to see any close by shelter. There was none. Sunday the campus is deserted. Dirt and dust was blowing in my mouth, nose and eyes, along with other stuff hitting me.

Definitely scary.

And then it let up. A little. I decided to make like a high speed rabbit to the Circle Trail, which is open with few trees, about a quarter mile distant. I made it there, keeping an eye out for any flying branches.

On the Circle Trail the wind was behind me, making for a high speed wind assisted return to the safety of my abode.

And now today has been a calm blue sky North Texas spring day.

Something caused me to realize that it was about exactly two years ago that I drove to Arizona to see my dad for the last time. I did not remember the exact date. I went on a walk along the Circle Trail, took the photo you see above of Holliday Creek's current high water rapid status and then remembered in my vehicle there was paperwork which would give me the precise dates of the 2017 drive to Arizona.

So, I walked to that vehicle and found the warranty for the fuel pump that got installed when disaster struck me on I-40 about ten miles east of Flagstaff. The date on that receipt was June 9, 2017, which meant I left Texas the day before, and arrived at my brother's, post repair, in Scottsdale June 9, staying overnight til June 10, two years ago today, when I made it to Sun Lakes and my mom and dad's house, to drive my mom to where my dad was, with me seeing my dad for the first time since 2012.

The next couple weeks were among the most stressful I've ever made it through. I made it back to Texas on June 25, and got the sad news about dad five days later.

Hard to believe this is already two years ago, and that I have been back to Arizona so many times since.

Including a return next month, flying out July 10, returning July 27. I am traveling solo. I asked Elsie Hotpepper if she wanted to come along, thinking it would be good for her to experience modern America after what Texas has put her through of late. The Hotpepper, of course, is giving this some consideration, but she already has July plans to visit another area of modern America, as in Colorado.

Methinks Elsie would like the Valley of the Sun more, it's less elevated...

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.

Lake Wichita Dead Calm For Elsie Hotpepper's Birthday

For days now the forecast has been for possible rain and thunderstorms.

So far no such booming wet thing has happened, that I have noticed.

Today's stormy weather, so far, has consisted of dead calm, as in no wind, no rain, no nothing remarkable.

Unless one considers that dead calm thing remarkable in this usually windy location on the planet.

Today is Elsie Hotpepper's latest birthday. Last year, if I remember right, was the last year in which Elsie Hotpepper celebrated her 29th birthday. I am no good at math, so I don't know if this makes Elsie 30 or 31 today.

I decided riding my bike to Lake Wichita was a perfect way to celebrate Elsie Hotpepper's birthday. I have never seen Lake Wichita look so wave-free as it looked today. Like it was frozen. A lake of ice on a HOT August day.

It appears the paddle board purveyor who sets up shop, almost daily, in the parking lot which sits under the shadow of Mount Wichita in Lake Wichita Park, had a couple customers today, paddling boards on the mirror smooth Lake Wichita, whilst a pair of egrets try and decide whether or not to wade out to the paddle boarders.

Lake Wichita is shallow, real shallow. Which is why the lake quickly dries up when North Texas goes into drought mode. And is yet one more reason the lake needs to be dredged.

Switching the subject back to the most important event of the day, that being Elsie Hotpepper's birthday.

This morning Elsie asked me if I would participate in day three of her annual month long birthday celebration by making the chicken fried steak she has requested as part of her Sunday Birthday Buffet.

I am having trouble coordinating with the rest of the Birthday Buffet Chefs, so it remains in doubt whether or not I will be able to actualize this particular Elsie Hotpepper chicken fried birthday request...

Before Possible Elsie Hotpepper Lunch Look At Fort Worth's Gateway Park & Trinity River

Today was that last Wednesday of the month, that being the day when I usually return to the Dallas/Fort Worth zone for a variety of reasons, including a perpetual lunch date with Elsie Hotpepper.

On this particular Wednesday I had a couple hours in need of killing, and since I had my bike along I decided to go rolling around Fort Worth's Gateway Park.

We will take a look at what I saw today, sort of in reverse order. I parked near the western Gateway Park boardwalk overlook looking over the Trinity River. We will get to the Gateway Park boardwalk overlook later.

But first, near the end of today's Gateway Park area exploration I found myself atop the last dam which impedes the Trinity River as it flows through Fort Worth. After this dam the river returns to its more natural state as it flow east through Gateway Park on its way to Arlington and then Dallas where the river gets sort of returned to being un-natural again.

As you can see, via the above DANGER sign, it is advised that one not wade, swim or boat in the current state of the Trinity River. Yeah, I'm sure without that sign there would be a lot of people wanting to get wet or float at this location.

On the way down the trail to the dam and that WARNING sign the above additional warning has been added since I last rolled at this location.

"WHEN FLOODED TURN AROUND DON'T DROWN".

Yeah, I imagine before this sign was added a lot of people ventured past this location when the river was in flood mode and met a sad drowning fate. Actually when the river is in flood mode this location is a bit scary and I can not imagine anyone being dumb enough to get near enough to be in danger.

Above, another look at the dam and the Trinity River's current dried up status at this location. This photo was taken part way down the Trinity Trail leading across the dam. You can see that DANGER sign you saw in the first photo in the middle of the dam in the above photo.

Above my handlebars are under the Beach Street Bridge, looking east at that dam we are heading towards, crossing the dried up Trinity River.

The above is new paved trail, accessed via rolling under that aforementioned Beach Street Bridge. This used to be a primitive gravel trail, with the paved Trinity Trail on the other side of the river. Now there are paved trails on both sides of the river. This new paved trail terminates with a return to gravel at the location of the long abandoned original Coyote Drive-In. Or whatever that long ago movie viewing venue was called.

This new paved trail ventures into the zone which I believe the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision, more commonly known as America's Biggest Boondoggle, has excavated a lot of dirt, moving that dirt to the east side of the Trinity River, and Gateway Park, where it has been piled into a sort of mountain. I believe this excavated area is intended to store water when the Trinity River floods and that flood water is diverted at high speed through The Boondoggle's flood diversion ditch which may one day be dug under the three simple little bridges currently being built in extreme slow motion on dry land, hoping one day to connect the Fort Worth mainland to an imaginary island.

I also believe this area I biked through today is the location where J.D. Granger has said his Boondoggle would plant thousands upon thousands of flood impeding magic trees.

I saw no new trees which I could identify as such today.

Speaking of bridges. Today I saw evidence that Fort Worth does know how to build a new bridge.

A new section of the paved trail in Gateway Park took me to the Trinity Trail which is now using the old bridge over the Trinity River as a bike and pedestrian bridge. Above you see my bike stopped in the middle of the old bridge, looking at the new bridge.

That new bridge was built in about a year's time. Built over the actual water of the Trinity River. Water which went into extreme flood mode during the building process. Twice. With one of those times seeing the flood water rise so quickly that heavy equipment had to be abandoned, unable to be moved to dry land before being flooded.

Meanwhile in another area of Fort Worth, under a corrupt Fort Worth congresswoman's son's inept management, three simple little bridges have teetered on ineptly designed V-piers, for years, over dry land.

Early on in today's Gateway Park bike ride I came upon the overlook boardwalk on the east side of the park.

What an improvement over what used to be at this location. Well done.

And look how scenic the Trinity River is at this location. So peaceful. The river almost looks inviting enough to go inner tube floating in it...

Elsie Hotpepper Caught Shamelessly Taking Forbidden Sikes Lake Selfies

A couple days ago Elsie Hotpepper's appointment secretary made contact to arrange a meeting this weekend whilst the Hotpepper was in Wichita Falls for some Hi Jinks involving a Silver Dollar Saloon and a stage once performed on by Elvis.

After some negotiating it was arranged to meet Elsie Hotpepper at a bench on the Sikes Lake paved trail at the north end of the signature bridge at the west end of the lake.

Elsie Hotpepper agreed to come alone, without her entourage and that she would take no photos, no selfies, no nothing of the take a photo type thing.

The no photo clause was inserted due to previous incidents where Elsie Hotpepper took stealth photos, unbeknownst to those photographed, with those photos then showing up in various venues, such as Facebook, Twitter, Dallas Observer, Fox News, and other such spots.

So, today, whilst on that aforementioned Sikes Lake signature bridge, Elsie Hotpepper whipped out her phone and took a photo before prevention measures could be taken. When chastised for this breech of photo protocol Elsie claimed she was just taking a selife of herself with Sikes Lake in the background.

And then, a few minutes ago the photo Elsie took began to show up on various social media, where it was quickly clear Elsie had surreptitiously taken a forbidden photo, using her sunglassess as reflective mirror.

Dastardly.

And people still wonder why there are people who insist you just can not trust Elsie Hotpepper.

No Mount Wichita Bike Ride Prior To Wichita Mountain Excursion

Finally, day two of this latest iteration of Spring brings a day warm enough to allow a comfortable bike ride attired minimally.

A lot of people were out and about today, biking, walking, jogging, blading and sitting on the Circle Trail, fishing on Lake Wichita, climbing Mount Wichita and dog chasing in the Lake Wichita Park dog park.

Looking at this picture you are probably thinking I am about to ride the bike to the summit of Mount Wichita.

Doing such a thing looks doable, but in reality, I don't think doing such is doable, unless one is some sort of stunt bike rider.

Saturday I am currently scheduled to go up to Oklahoma, to Medicine Lake and the Wichita Mountains, where mountain hiking, and, I think, mountain biking takes place.

But, earlier today I learned from Elsie Hotpepper that she expects to see me on Saturday. I do not know how I am going to resolve such a scheduling conflict. Elsie Hotpepper did not inform me as to what time she is expecting to make a Wichita Falls appearance. Perhaps this will occur after I am back south of the Red River.

On another perplexing note. This morning I got a confusing Facebook message that appeared to not be directly directed to me, with one person telling another person that this Facebook message to me should be enough of a contact to facilitate engaging in brainstorming to take down Kay.

Take down Kay?

Are we talking about the notorious Fort Worth congresswoman? I think it would certainly be to Fort Worth's benefit to replace Kay Granger with someone more attuned to listening and effectively doing, but I have no clue how to go about doing such a thing.

Facts, logic and common sense do not hold much sway where things are done the Fort Worth Way.

That sounds like a campaign slogan....

Elsie Hotpepper & Clod Hopper: Texas Partners In Crime Fighting

A day or two or three ago I was talking to Elsie Hotpepper about her domicile's security upgrade which Elsie brought about due to concern about the recent bout of mass shootings.

This seemed excessive to me.

I recollect a line of a song sung by someone which I sort of remember as...

"Paranoia strikes deep, into your heart it will creep"

Or something like that.

I have never owned a gun or felt the need to do so. Worrying about my abode being invaded has never concerned me.

I am probably either moronically naive. Or totally rational. Or somewhere in between.

I have only been to the Hotpepper Hacienda once. The experience was unsettling.

Not unlike flying.

Once one gets past the security gate guard one is then confronted with parking ones vehicle in the designated zone monitored by security cameras. Once parking is approved you are clear to make your way to the Hotpepper Hacienda entry door. You pass through a device that is sort of like the security thing at the airport.

I set the entry security thing off several times.

Eventually I got through security after being reduced to only wearing my swimming suit and a pained expression.

I had been invited to a Hotpepper Hacienda Pool Party so it was not too annoying to find myself ready to swim sooner than I had expected.

Inside the Hotpepper Hacienda one only notices the security cameras and motion detectors when one looks for them. Outside, on the main grounds behind the house, where the pool complex is, the security cameras are more obvious, though somewhat cutely disguised in things like garden gnomes and prickly pear cactus, and welded to the bar and other location in forms like whiskey bottles and table lamps.

The portrait you see at the top is what greets you when you enter the Hotpepper Hacienda.

In that portrait we see Elsie Hotpepper and Clod Hopper in crime fighting mode in some Texas town somewhere.

Haltom City? Midlothian? Grapevine? I don't know. I did not ask. I feared asking too many questions might seem suspicious and set off a security alarm....