Logging The Tandy Hills In Fort Worth For The Brush Bash

I did not make it to the Tandy Hills today til late in the afternoon. A flat tire around noon caused me a bit of unwanted adventure, none of which I photo documented, due to my camera not being present.

On the way to the Tandy Hills I had to go to my bank. There's one of those on Beach Street that is on my route, if I take the freeway.

That also let me see the Beach Street/Gateway Park Express Energy water sucking operation. At 4 in the afternoon I did not see a White Darth Vader Truck, with goons, guarding the site. Maybe they finished with their water removal for the day.

Or maybe they got arrested for damaging the Trinity River levee and for driving on the Trinity Trail. Yeah, I'm sure that's why the White Darth Vader Truck was gone. The goons are in jail.

On the Tandy Hills I saw that a lot more logging had taken place, since yesterday, in preparation for Saturday's Brush Bash. Some of the logs looked like they'd make good firewood. I wonder if those are mesquite logs? That'd make a good smelling fire. I have a fireplace that I never use.

We did not get to the predicted 72 today, only to 71. Tomorrow's predicted high is 75. These balmy temperatures have warmed up my pool. I lasted about 10 minutes this morning before I'd had enough.

I got an interesting tidbit of information this afternoon. I'll blog about it tomorrow when I'm back in top operating mode. Right now I'm tired.

The Tandy Hills River Is Frozen In Fort Worth While The Hills Are Alive With Hikers

The usually roaring Tandy Hills River was frozen over today, as you can clearly see in the picture. It was frozen so solid you could walk right over it. I don't recollect seeing that before. I did not make it as far as Tandy Falls to see if it was frozen into icicles.

I was over dressed for hiking the Tandy Hills today, unlike yesterday, when it was way below freezing and windy. It was almost above freezing today. Long underwear were total overkill. As in I overheated.

I survived.

There were 4 other hiking groups, in addition to mine, that I saw today. Making this Saturday the second busiest hiking day on the Tandy Hills, that I've ever seen, with last Saturday's record breaking number stomping on the hills in the Manly Man & Wild Women hike, being the busiest.

I think, maybe, after all this time, the locals are finally figuring out what a gem they have right in the heart of this densely populated urban zone.

Or maybe it was a fluke.

Town Talk was busier than I've seen it previously. Another fluke? Or are people just tired of being cooped up inside, and with the temperature rising to a balmy 34, decided to get out and do something?

Speaking of doing something. On the drive by the notorious Beach Street/Gateway Park Express Energy Trinity River Water Thieving Operation, dozens of trucks were lined up. What these trucks carried, sand or water, I do not know.

I did notice that the 6 pumps, at river's edge, have now had their intake pipes stuck into the river. I do not believe the water sucking has begun, though. I will check in on that within the next 24 hours. And pack heat when I do so, meaning a video camera, a camera and a cell phone.

And on a related note, my chief West Texas Operative, CT2, has been doing some interesting research into Express Energy. That will be blogged about next.

I Have Had Me An Orwellian Big Brother Encounter With Express Energy On The Trinity River In Fort Worth

This morning I got a comment from Anonymous. I believe it being the same Anonymous which I blogged about last night regarding me being clueless regarding how it is water is being taken from the Trinity River by natural gas drillers.

This morning Anonymous said...

I personally believe that you should take the time to find the field supervisor and discuss w/ them as a whole of what you think is going on at the Trinity River-there are permits posted...if you have issues pick up the phone and call Express Energy and then let the Manager over that division explain what is REALLY going on! You also didn't take the time to go look at the permits that are posted on the pumps....where are THOSE pictures?! You also didn't include the picture once the plastic was replaced BEFORE the job was started. Educate yourself before pointing fingers, if you need that education on what is actually going on then go work a day in the field w/ these guys and maybe then you will better understand it all.

Anonymous says there are permits posted on the pumps and that the plastic oil barrier with the holes has been replaced. I'd taken the pictures of the pumps 2 days ago. I saw no permits. I did not believe the plastic oil buffer had been replaced.

So, I took off out of here, braving the extreme cold, to take pictures off all sides of one of the pumps. And to see if the plastic had been replaced.

Well, imagine my shock when I found there were no permits posted on the pumps. And it was easy to find tears, voids and problems with the, obviously unreplaced, plastic oil buffer. Anonymous now has absolutely no credibility and is obviously either a propaganda shill for the City of Fort Worth or the gas drillers. Or both.

And in a further Orwellian Big Brother element. Just as I'd finished taking my pictures and had put the camera away, a white Express Energy truck popped into view at the top of the levee, just as I started to climb back up there. A guy got out of the truck, walking towards me. I said howdy.

He then whipped out his phone. I continued walking. Fast. I reached into my pocket and got out my camera, turned it on, turned around and took a picture, but all I got was the truck. The guy on the phone must have gone down the bluff to check on the pumps.

But, he was back on the top of the levee, just as I was again putting my camera away. I saw he was still on his cell phone. I then got out my cell phone and, as I quickly walked back to my vehicle, I called my operative at Home Base and told the operative to stay on the line til I was safely out of there. I told my operative if I gave the word, to call 911, and tell the police you were seeing a bunch of guys beating up someone at the Beach Street Boathouse.

As I continued walking, the guy in the Express Energy truck sped by at high speed on the paved Trinity Trail that forbids motorized vehicles. By the time I was a couple hundred feet from my vehicle I saw 2 more trucks pull in. One pulled in right in front of my vehicle.

When I reached my vehicle the first Express Energy truck was blocking me from behind, the other from the front. That first guy I saw was still on the phone, as was I. I acted like I was counting something and said the license number of one of the trucks to my operative on the phone.

The first guy then signaled the other to back off. I zoomed out of there and hurried back here. The first picture, above, was that picture I told you I took of the truck. The next 2 pictures are views of sides of one of the pumps. I'm going to show you several views, covering the entire pump, showing you that Big Brother Anonymous lied. There are no permits posted.

Another pump view.

And another. Seeing any permits? Me either.

Still no permits.

Why would Anonymous lie so flagrantly? A lie so easily exposed.

A hole in the plastic oil barrier that Anonymous claims has been replaced.

Notice how the plastic oil barrier does not quite cover the entire area under the pump that I took pictures of on all sides.

A rather large hole in the plastic oil barrier.

How did that Express Energy guy know to speed down the no motorized vehicle trail to check on a guy doing something there? Or am I just being paranoid and it was all a very weird co-incidence? The guy looked very hostile, to me, and certainly did not return my very friendly "Howdy," instead whipping out his cell phone.

Jovo, the Petro Scientist, pointed me to some other very strange Orwellian weirdness, but I've no energy right now to deal with that. I am still way too hyper-adrenalized by my strange encounter with Express Energy. That I have to get ready to go on my Ice Cold Bro-Date on the Tandy Hills.