Is The Lake Worth Gator Population Floating To Downtown Fort Worth To Rock The River?

I saw this this Monday morning on Facebook via a Facebooker I assume may be a relative of the notorious Texas governor who preceded the current notorious Texas governor.

It has been known for a couple months now that alligators have been migrating to Fort Worth's Lake Worth from their long time abode in the Fort Worth Nature Center & Prairie Preserve's bayous.

Last year a blind alligator somehow made it past the Lake Worth dam all the way to the area where America's Biggest Boondoggle operates its Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats in the polluted Trinity River.

With such evidence as the fact a blind gator can journey past the dam, combined with the fact a flock of clear-eyed gators has taken up residence in Lake Worth, is The Boondoggle going ahead with this year's enticing locals, who lack sufficient entertainment options, to get in the water at the imaginary island with the imaginary pavilion?

If Rockin' the River does take place this year, and if a gator floats in among the floaters and takes a bite or two or three, whose liability is it? The floaters who The Boondoggle makes sign some sort of pseudo legal document prior to getting in the water?

Or, with that document ruled irrelevant, does the law suit liability go to The Boondoggle?

Or is it the City of Fort Worth which will be held responsible for allowing something so irresponsible to happen as allowing such events to take place in a polluted river where it had become known that alligators were in town?

Has the Fort Worth Star-Telegram addressed these issues, with me missing the addressing?

Are Alligators Preparing To Invade Fort Worth's Imaginary Island?

I saw this this morning, on Facebook, brought to my attention by Elsie Hotpepper and her Doppleganger.

So, alligators are being seen enjoying Lake Worth again. Isn't this sort of a regular occurrence?

With the reptiles visiting Lake Worth from their home in the marshes of the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge, where one sees signs warning visitors not to disturb the gators.

The Facebook poster, Libby Barker Willis, is suggesting that perhaps Panther Island should be renamed Alligator Island.

That same suggestion cropped up last year when an alligator showed up in the area where the Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats take place.

I don't know how a gator could get from Lake Worth to the Rockin' the River zone, what with the Lake Worth dam seeming to be a bit of a water transit impediment.

Changing the subject ever so slightly.

I really think America's Biggest Boondoggle needs to stop with the Panther Island nonsense. There is no island. There may never be an island. And even if the un-needed flood diversion ditch is ever dug and filled with water, the area currently being called Panther Island still won't be a real island.

Fort Worth has a history of misnaming things. Like for decades confusing the town's few tourists by calling its downtown Sundance Square, where there was no square, til a couple years ago when a little plaza was built where parking lots used to be. With those parking lots being what many people long thought were Sundance Square.

And now we have The Boondoggle nonsense. Re-branding that hapless slow motion "project" over and over again. Trinity Uptown. Central City.  Trinity River Vision. With Panther Island being the latest. And then slapping that absurd Panther Island nomenclature on all sorts of things, like Panther Island Pavilion.

Where there is no Pavilion. Or island.

Currently I am in Wichita Falls. I'm liking Wichita Falls. Pretty much each day I've been here I see something which impresses me, which I never saw in Fort Worth.

Yesterday as I drove to Walmart, driving by the park nearest my abode, about two blocks distant, it being a park with a big pond and regular park facilities, had dozens of kids fishing in the pond. I read this morning this was some sort of after school program.

The signage all over Wichita Falls is very well done and useful, and so far I have not had the signs point me to something which does not exist, like a square, an island or a pavilion that can't be found.

Wichita Falls did have a serious problem with misnaming something and confusing tourists. This problem went on for about a century. I'll let Wikipedia explain via a paragraph in its Wichita Falls article....

A flood in 1886 destroyed the original falls on the Wichita River for which the city was named. After nearly 100 years of visitors wanting to visit the nonexistent falls, the city built an artificial waterfall beside the river in Lucy Park. The recreated falls are 54 ft (16 m) high and recirculate at 3,500 gallons per minute. They are visible to south-bound traffic on Interstate 44.

I visited Wichita Falls in Lucy Park on Saturday. I was impressed.

On The Windy Tandy Hills Missing Elsie Hotpepper While Getting Vertigo From The Leaning Tower Of Tandy

The Stunning Skyline Of Beautiful Downtown
Fort Worth From High Atop Mount Tandy

In the picture you are on top of Mount Tandy, looking west towards the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth, at a few minutes after noon.

The wind was blowing quite hard on the Tandy Hills today, blowing from the west.

Looking up at the tower, known as the Fort Worth Space Needle, made me dizzy with the tower seeming to sway.

The wind was so strong the the tower was bending to the east, making the eastside support cables slack, while the ones on the westside were pulled tight. Seeing this made me wonder if these type cables ever snap. And what happens to such a tower if a tornado passes by.

The Leaning Tower Of Tandy

Looking up at the tower, and the clouds racing by it making me dizzy, made me think of Carlotta Camano and her bout of Vertigo she told me about yesterday. My only experience with the subject of Vertigo, previously, was the Hitchcock movie of that name, with Jimmy Stewart plagued with Vertigo.

Changing the subject from Vertigo to Elsie Hotpepper.

Ms. Hotpepper had been missing for a couple days. But, she was supposed to meet me on top of Mount Tandy today to go for some salubrious hill hiking.

But, upon arrival on top of the mountain, there was no Hotpepper. I called the Hotpepper Hotline, but got no answer.

So, I did my hill hiking solo.

Then, an hour or so later, I was in Town Talk when the phone rang. It was Elsie Hotpepper wanting me to now meet her at The Point on Lake Worth for a hamburger, and, I assume, some Happy Houring. No mention was made of not showing up on top of Mount Tandy. And I did not ask. And I did not go to The Point.

Changing the subject from the erratic Elsie Hotpepper to my favorite subject.

The weather.

So far the predicted rain has not fallen on any of the locations I have been at. It was in the 70 degree zone when I did my hill hiking today. It is 77 right now at a little after 4.

I stayed in the pool for a long time this morning. The water will be even warmer tomorrow morning.

Swimming In Texas With The Lake Worth Alligators

You're looking at an alligator, recently spotted on Lake Worth. Lake Worth is in Fort Worth. People swim and water ski on Lake Worth. Apparently this is the time of year when gators usually get real active.

There is more water than the norm flowing out of Lake Eagle Mountain, which flows to Lake Worth. The alligators don't like fast moving water, so they head to where it is calmer. Which, apparently, has caused many of the big boys to leave the Fort Worth Nature Preserve for the calmer waters of Lake Worth.

I have not seen an alligator in the wild since I've been in Texas. I have seen the signs in the Fort Worth Nature Preserve informing visitors of the presence of gators.

Last year a 10 foot long alligator was killed in my neighborhood when it was crossing a road on its way to or from the Trinity River.

It has been years since I've gone swimming in a Texas lake. I think the last time may have been when I was chased by a big turtle.

What Is The Point Of Lake Worth?

Yesterday, that being Sunday, the weather was not conducive to my hoped for bike ride. Overnight we had a lot of wind and rain, with the wind knocking out power for thousands, here in the D/FW Metroplex.

Yesterday, some time between 3 and 4, against my better judgment, I was convinced that it would be fun to go to Happy Hour at The Point on Lake Worth for burgers, and, well, Happy Hour.

Happy Hour lasts all day, Sunday, at The Point. I am not used to libations in the middle of the afternoon on a Sunday. This morning I have a headache.

I had not been to The Point in a long time. I used to go there quite frequently. I like the outdoor patio and the view.

The burgers are good. So are the catfish, fries and onion rings. The Point is a bit tricky to find, if you are wanting to go there. It is in Fort Worth, at the south end of Lake Worth, near the Lockheed plant's west side, at 1349 Bomber Plant Road. Actually, The Point is at the end of Bomber Plant Road.