Fosdic Turtles Basking In An Overflowing Fosdic Lake With No Elsie Hotpepper In View

I hauled my aching carcass to Oakland Lake Park to walk around Fosdic Lake precisely at noon today.

Sunday's mini-deluge removed the Fosdic beaches and had water spilling over the Fosdic Dam spillway for the first time in a long while.

The Fosdic turtle population seemed to be in a celebratory mood, not acting their usual skittish selves, the turtles willingly cooperated with posing for pictures, without instantly diving off their log perch, like they usually do.

Tomorrow there is a TRIP forum at Fort Worth's Botanic Garden, at 6:30. I hope I'm feeling up to attending this. Three of my favorite Fort Worth people will be taking part in the forum, Clyde Picht, Jim Lane and J.D. Granger.

I had intended to get Elsie Hotpepper to go to the TRIP forum with me, but Elsie seems to have gone missing. Again.

An Anonymous Look At JD Granger's House Improvements & Tim Love's New Woodshed Restaurant

Someone calling him or herself "Anonymous" sent me the above photo, with minimal commentary, simply saying that "Isn't it interesting how much recent improvements to JD Granger's home match the look of Tim Love's nearby new restaurant."

I am assuming what is being implied is that somehow JD did some dirty dealing that somehow got improvements made to his house in a manner nefarious.

While I do see the similarities between the two structures, I really don't think JD Granger would do something untoward of this nature.

So, I Googled for info about Tim Love's new restaurant. Previously to Googling about Tim Love's new restaurant all I knew was that it was located near the Hoffbrau Steak place on University Drive.

Well, imagine my surprise when I learned that Tim Love's new restaurant, to be called "The Woodshed", is part of the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's plan to supposedly improve the Trinity River trails and their surroundings.

I had no idea that the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's vision saw so far beyond the area of the little pond at the north end of downtown, the unneeded flood diversion channel, the  obliteration of Riverside Park and the upgrade of Gateway Park with the planting of thousands of Magic Flood Control Trees.

JD Granger's home is a short distance from Tim Love's new restaurant.

How does a deal like this work? I can't help but wonder. Does the Tarrant Regional Water District, which oversees the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle, sell Tim Love the land on which he has built The Woodshed?

Isn't that public land? Is public land being sold for a privately owned restaurant? Or does the Tarrant Regional Water District have a financial interest in Tim Love's restaurant?

And, what part did JD Granger play in finagling Tim Love's deal to build his new restaurant on land controlled by the Tarrant Regional Water District?

I must say, separate from all these perplexing questions, I like the look of Tim Love's new restaurant, and the upgrades to JD Granger's house.

According To Anonymous The Trinity River Has Been Tested On More Than One Occasion By Different Organizations And Is No Different Than A Pristine Lake

You are looking at today's HOT noon view of Fosdic Dam at the north end of Fosdic Lake in Oakland Lake Park in Fort Worth, Texas.

It was breezy today, but that did not stop the, what may be, record breaking temperature from feeling too HOT.

Minutes prior to exiting air-conditioned comfort and heading to one of Mother Nature's natural sauna steam baths I got a blog comment about a blogging from a few week's back about the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats on the Trinity River.

The commenter was calling him or herself "Anonymous." Anonymous made the very astute observation that if you "swim in the lakes, it's the same thing," as swimming in the Trinity River, I assume Anonymous meant.

Well,  I guess that is true. Fosdic Lake, which drains into the Trinity River has signs around its perimeter forbidding swimming and warning that one should not consume the fish one catches in Fosdic Lake.

Apparently the water from Fosdic Lake must somehow magically transform into pristine water when it enters the Trinity River. Perhaps it passes through a forest of JD Granger Magic Trees.

Among the many well-reasoned points that Anonymous makes is suggesting that "People shouldn't comment when they don't know what they are talking about."

Below is the comment from Anonymous in its entirety....

I have attended more than one of the floats and enjoyed it each time. It was well organized, clean and safe. The stage that was built for the band is awesome and the event has attracted people of all ages. Twenty year olds to Fifty year olds. It was not a drunk-fest, just people having fun. The water has been tested on more than one occasion and by different organizations. There is nothing wrong with it. If you really knew what you were talking about you would know that. If you swim in the lakes, its the same thing. It was cleaner and less drunks than at an out-door music festival and those are held everywhere and hosted by major Cities. And people bring kids to those too. Thats a parenting issue. People shouldn't comment when they don't know what they are talking about. I give them a thumbs-up for trying to educate the people of Fort Worth about the river.

The Trinity River Vision Updates Rockin' The River Live On The Trinity

I don't know who pays for the slick 4 page, full color brochures the Trinity River Vision mails to my mailbox every once in awhile.

I'm sure the taxpayers are not footing the bill for this particular extravagance.

The primary focus of this latest TRV mailing seems to be the raging success of the Trinity River Vision's Rockin' the River Live on the Trinity Summer Tubing & Music Series.

Who could have guessed, back when the Trinity River Vision was first being seen, that by summer of 2011 so much progress would have been made in remaking the Trinity River that thousands of Texans would come from far and wide to float in that formerly polluted river.

Or, as the TRV Brochure puts it...

The response to Rockin' the River - Live on the Trinity has been astonishing. The event has grown to attract more than a thousand people from all over North Texas at each concert, and continues to grow as more people hear about the good times being had on the river.

Well, that is impressive. More than a thousand people. From all over North Texas. Coming to Fort Worth because they've heard of the good times to be had on the river.

And then there is this blurb from a TRV minion...

"We are just happy to be able to provide the public with a fun and free event where they can come get in the cool water and enjoy some great music," said Shelby Lyon, a TRVA staff member who helped coordinate the series. "People really seem to be having the time of their lives out there, and that's what it is all about."

Now, that is just about the saddest thing I've read this week. People are having the time of their lives floating in a polluted river? And that is what the TRV is all about? Providing the public with fun, free events? Was this what was envisioned when the Trinity River Vision first saw its vision?

The brochure has some other information besides touting the tubing. Like the TRWD sponsoring of an "Our River, Our Children" Art Contest. Near as I can tell this is some sort of propaganda operation filling young minds with visions of boondoggle grandeur.

Then there is a blurb about new mountain bike trails in Gateway Park. I've not seen these new mountain bike trails. The blurb also mentions that phase two will add five miles of trail which will include an elevation gain of 250 feet. With spectacular views of downtown. Since there is currently very little elevation gain in Gateway Park I can not help but wonder how this spectacular view is going to be acheived.

A big headline announces that "Cobb Park Construction is in Full Swing!" Apparently this is a centerpiece for the southeast Fort Worth renaissance.

The brochure includes an invite to the TRV Education Center where you can gain an in-depth understanding of the difficult to understand project.

We also learn that the Trinity River Vision Master Plan was recognized for Development Excellence by getting a coveted 2011 CLIDE Award from the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTGOC).

On page 3 of the brochure, there is a picture of JD Granger, Jennifer Harnish, Rachel Navejar and Shanna Cate at the NCTGOC luncheon.

I think I remember seeing JD and Shanna checking in to a Dallas hotel. I wonder if that was where the NCTGOC luncheon was held?

The back page of the TRV brochure is pretty much like the front page, devoted to Tubing the Trinity, with 9 photos of people doing the tubing.

Early Wednesday Morning Thinking About Paris & JD Granger's Streetcar Named Conspire

The early morning of November 17 and it is yet one more clear blue sky day in Texas.

My aching ol' man rheumatis' joints did not pain me last night like the night before. I appreciate that.

The Golden Years of Senior Citizenship aren't all that Golden.

According to my mom.

As I slip ever closer to being an Old Man, I understand what my mom means.

On a completely different note, Gar the Texan has me thinking about Paris. I can't remember the last time I was in Paris. Gar had himself a fine time there, recently, with the French doing their striking hobby and other insolent behaviors.

Meanwhile, again on a totally different note, over on the Star-Telegraph, Adrian Murray sent the S-T an amusingly on target rant about JD Granger's bizarre claim that the proposed Fort Worth Streetcar Named Conspire has somehow always been part of the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle.

Methinks JD Granger is way way brighter than any of us detractors give him credit for. He has obviously figured out that the powers that be are paying no attention to his shenanigans. And those of us who have made note of the obviously corrupt boondoggly shenanigans, are people no one, who matters, pays any attention to.

At this point in time it would not shock me if ground was broken on the Trinity River Vision Bordello homage to the Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, with JD Granger claiming it has always been part of the vision and with JD first in line at the grand opening.

Fort Worth thinks it is "Where the West Begins," with a proud history of lawlessness, which used to be contained in an area known as Hell's Half Acre, but which now encompasses all of downtown and beyond.

It's appalling. But no one who matters seems to notice or care.

Sad, sad situation.

I wonder what good deeds JD Granger is up to today....