Something Fishy In My New Wichita Falls Neighborhood Not Found In Fort Worth

From around the age of 5 til I was around the age of 18 I lived across the street from a city park, that being Maiben Park in the little town of Burlington, Washington.

From around the age of 18 til about a month ago I did not live across the street from a city park.

Where I am currently aboding I don't even have to cross the street to be in a Wichita Falls city park known as Weeks Park.

An extremely short distance from my abode there is another park. I have seen this park referred to as being South Weeks Park. Or maybe South of Weeks Park. All I know for sure is this other park is not directly connected to Weeks Park.

One sees no signage naming this other nearby park when one is visiting that park. But, if one wanders around the park eventually one sees a big boulder with a plaque attached. Which is what you see above.

On the plaque one sees the closest thing to a park name that I have found.

KID FISHING & CASTING POND

This Fishing Pond is regularly stocked. During the warm time of the year the stocking is Channel Catfish. During the cold time of the year the stocking is Rainbow Trout.

This park was the first park I saw upon my arrival in Wichita Falls. It intrigued me the first time I drove by it, due to being surprised to see a large number of people fishing, including two of what appeared to be old ladies. This reminded me of my Grandma Vera, who loved to fish.

The day I took these pictures there were not too many people fishing. About a week prior, on my way to the nearby Walmart, I was surprised to see dozens of kids fishing. The next day I learned this was a regularly scheduled Wichita Falls city program.

Kids can fish without needing a license. People who are not kids require a license.

As you can see the Fishing Pond has a lot of that Wichita Falls requisite.

Benches.

This town must have more benches, per capita, that any other town in the world.

In the above picture, in the background, above the fountain, you can see a gazebo atop a grassy knoll.

The grassy knoll did not look to be much of a hill climb, but looks proved to be slightly deceiving.

The population of Wichita Falls is about eight times smaller than the town I lived in prior to moving here.

Why is it Fort Worth has no stocked pond for kids to fish in? Fosdick Lake in Fort Worth's Oakland Lake Park would make for a wonderful stocked fishing pond. Of course, the lake would need to be de-polluted so the Not Safe To Eat The Fish You Catch signs can be removed.

Fort Worth is sadly lacking in the parks department.

Literally.

I think I may have mentioned that lacking in the parks department thing before.

Above you are looking at yet one more thing you will find lacking in most Fort Worth city parks. A restroom facility with running water.

In this case a non-controversial uni-sex restroom.

Have Fort Worth's Fosdick Waterfowl Joined Bedford's Ducks Of Death?

Yesterday when I blogged about Catching Fish While Picnicking In North Richland Hills Linda Spurlock Park I said no, that pond you are looking at is not Fosdick Lake in Fort Worth's Oakland Lake Park, but instead the pond was in North Richland Hills Linda Spurlock Park.

Today the pond you are looking at is not the one in Linda Spurlock Park, but is the pond known as Fosdick Lake in Fort Worth's Oakland Lake Park.

I was in the neighborhood due to the need to visit the Fort Worth Community Credit Union, so I thought, since I was in the vicinity, it was a good opportunity for what may be my last visit to this park for awhile.

Today marked my first shirtless hike of the new year. That is always a watershed event in any year. Due to the recent bouts of deluges we are experiencing a bit of increased humidity, hence the need for minimalist outer wear.

I saw no ducks or turtles today enjoying Fosdick Lake. This is very unusual.

Did the Fosdick Lake duck and turtle population read this week's Fort Worth Weekly Ducks of Death article and decide to leave town before a similar fate befalls them which befell their relatives living a few miles north and east in Bedford in the Bedford Boys Ranch Lake?

If not, where have all the Fosdick ducks and turtles gone?

Catching Fish While Picnicking In North Richland Hills Linda Spurlock Park

No, that is not Fosdick Lake in Fort Worth's Oakland Lake Park you are looking at here.

I do not know what the name of the lake/pond is, but the park's name I do know.

Linda Spurlock Park in North Richland Hills, a prosperous suburb north and east of Fort Worth.

A prosperous suburb which is able to afford modern restroom facilities and running tap water in its public parks. Even in a small park, like this Linda Spurlock one.

The water in the Linda Spurlock Park pond is clear. Schools of fish visible swimming. Multiple fishermen and fisherboys angling their rods into the pond. No signs warn about consuming fish one might catch.

No visible stream of the creek sort feeds water to this little pond. No signage indicates the pond is regularly stocked, such as one sees posted at the fishing pond in Chisholm Park in Hurst.

North Richland Hills Linda Spurlock Park is an excellent example of what a city park should be. A pleasant location for a picnic, due to running water and those aforementioned modern restroom facilities.

On this particular day a large group was having themselves a mighty fine time centered in the covered picnic pavilion at the south end of the pond. Multiple barbecues were perfuming the air. An elaborate game had been set up which involved colored ping pong balls.

Fort Worth's Oakland Lake Park, and other Fort Worth parks, could be rendered more appealing and likely more used if they were upgraded to modern standards.

And how about an effort to clean up Oakland Lake Park's Fosdick Lake so the fish one catches there are safely edible? How about emulating the Chisholm Park pond in Hurst? How hard would that be to do?

Very perplexing.....

An Ides Of March Oakland Lake Park Walk Around Fosdick Lake With Throngs Of Little Kids

Earlier today I mentioned that someone was wanting to sell me a coffee machine so my Oakland Lake Park employees could have fresh brewed coffee.

That put Oakland Lake Park and Fosdick Lake on my mind. And so I took myself on a drive west for a couple miles and joined a throng of Spring Breakers enjoying the balmy Ides of March.

As you can see Oakland Lake Park has greened up nicely in preparation for the arrival of Spring in a few days.

As I was walking across Fosdick Dam a throng of kids were running towards me, led by a big dog. A little girl who was barely post toddler brought up the rear. When she got to me she looked up, let out a scream and turned around to run back to her mama.

Why are little kids so afraid of me? I must look like a sinister monster to them.  Or maybe it's my walking stick that frightens.

By the time I got my phone out of its pocket, turned on and in camera mode the only kids remaining as photo subjects were the two little guys you see above.

This was one happy group of little kids, well, except for the little girl who ran back crying to the safety of her mama when she saw me.

Wondering About Getting Water For Fort Worth's Oakland Lake Park

About once a week I get email from China offering to sell me customized souvenir trinket type junk for my Pioneer Plaza business.

But, I have no Pioneer Plaza business. All I have is a webpage I made about the Cowboy and Longhorn Herd statues at Pioneer Plaza in Dallas.

This morning I got email with the subject line you see above, "Get Coffee and Water for Oakland Lake Park."

The Coffee part perplexed me, but the Water part had me thinking this was a person, like me, who wonders how a city park can have picnic facilities with no running water, for public safety sanitation sake.

And no modern restroom of the indoor plumbing sort.

Well, turns out the sender of this email, Office Vendor Specialist Jennifer, was offering to provide my Oakland Lake Park employees fresh brewed coffee at the best rates available.

But, I currently have no Oakland Lake Park employees. All I have is a webpage I made about Oakland Lake Park.

A Presidential Presidents Day Walk Around Fosdick Lake Debating Feeding Ducks

What with it being Presidents Day today I decided to go to the nearest location I know of which I think of as presidential.

That being Fort Worth's Oakland Lake Park, for a walk around Fosdick Lake.

Don't ask me why I think of this location as being very presidential. A fortune cookie said I would utter a nonsensical sentence today, so I got that out of the way with that first sentence.

A lot of people were enjoying the ultra pleasant Presidents Day temperature at Oakland Lake Park, including the group of Fosduck feeders you see above. I was on the east side of the lake when I saw this group at the base of the Fosdick Steps on the west side of the lake. I zoomed in for the photo, with my steady hand rendering semi-good results.

Speaking of Presidents.

Last night I watched Saturday's Republican Presidential Debate whilst over at Miss Puerto Rico's. I'd set the DVR to record the circus the day before. Til last night I'd not made it through an entire Republican Presidential Debate during this current election debacle.

But, what happened in South Carolina on Saturday was an embarrassing train wreck that I could not quit watching. A monumental embarrassing entertaining train wreck.

How could the party of Lincoln, Grant, McKinley, Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Nixon, Reagan and Bush the First have devolved into such a mess of nincompoops running for President?

Last night Trump looked so orange. And I'd never noticed Marco Rubio's huge ears before. They looked like wings to me. Was this just because I was watching on an extra big screen? Ben Carson has written a book about the U.S. Constitution? But does not know that that document spells out how a new Supreme Court Justice is appointed? Jeb Bush whining about Trump picking on his family was funny, what with the back and forth between the two which then erupted.

I'd not witnessed a debate so out of control before. Is the Republican Party toast? It seems that might be the case, at least in its current version.....

After Walking Around Fort Worth's Fosdick Lake A Surprise Was Found On Randol Mill Road

I had myself a mighty fine jog around the neighborhood early this morning of the second day of 2016.

Around noon I headed west to Oakland Lake Park to walk around Fosdick Lake. Which would make that Fosdick Lake, looking cold, that you see here.

On the way to Fosdick Lake I was convinced to make an increasingly rare Town Talk visit, post the walk around the lake.

My route from Fosdick Lake to Town Talk today was via heading north on Oakland, then west on Randol Mill Road. When Randol Mill Road and the Chesapeake Energy wasteland came into view I was surprised by what my eyes were seeing.

New paved trail.

When I reached Randol Mill Road and took a left I quickly came upon another surprise. A big new parking lot, with picnic tables and access to the new paved trail.

I pulled into the new parking lot, parked and exited my vehicle to do some photo documenting.

You can see just a slice of the new paved trail at the edge of the parking lot.

Another view, looking west, again with a slice of the paved trail visible. But what is the structure made of big bricks? Let's look on the other side.

And what do we find? An enclosure for an outhouse, looking a lot like the outhouse enclosures located at America's Biggest Boondoggle's location called Panther Island Pavilion, where there is no island or pavilion, but there are some  mighty fine outhouses, along with a couple outdoor showers to wash off the dirty Trinity River water after one is done rockin' the river.

If I remember right, a few TRV Boondoggle quarterly updates ago mention was made of plans to expand the Trinity Trail east, to Quanah Parker Park. This new paved trail does that. This is a real good thing. If this is a product of America's Biggest Boondoggle it is the first thing I am aware of that The Boondoggle has done which I think it a good thing.

I also saw new paved trail leading out of Gateway Park, heading towards the new paved trail heading in from  the east. I assume the existing bridge across the Trinity River will become the bridge for the new paved trail. The bridge for the new road has made a lot of progress since I saw it during the Thanksgiving floods.

Looking at the rapid progress of the road and bridge and paved trail building I'm guessing by Spring this should be just about finished. At that point in time I will be able to park at the Quanah Parker Park parking lot and roll my bike wheels over paved, car-free trail all the way to downtown Fort Worth and beyond, or to the Fort Worth Stockyards.

Years ago, back when the River Legacy Park paved trail was extended almost all the way to 360 there was talk at the time of that paved trail being extended east to connect to the Dallas Trinity Trail. Methinks doing so would be a HUGE asset to the D/FW zone. If a paved trail connection were also made from Quanah Parker Park, east to River Legacy Park, one would be able to bike from Fort Worth to Dallas.

Who has not dreamed of doing such? Well, probably not many. But, with some amenities along the route, such as one finds along Seattle's Burke-Gilman Trail, paved Trinity Trails between Fort Worth and Dallas could become a popular attraction.

Floating With Fort Worth Fosdick Ducks For A Fountain Inspection

Today for something slightly different than the preceding 7 days I drove to Oakland Lake Park to float in for a close look at the beautiful work of aquatic art in the middle of Fosdick Lake known as Fosdick Fountain.

Several of my Favorite Fosdick Ducks joined me in taking a close look at the Fosdick Fountain.

We could not get too close without getting chilled by the fountain mist.

Who knows what pathogens lurk in that Fosdick mist?

Before the close up look at Fosdick Fountain I tried to go jogging. This did not go well. I am back feeling like a lumbering blob. I think I am missing the cool pool warmup followed by the post swim real warmup, which had begun working real well up to Thanksgiving morning's likely last swim of the year.

Unless we get a major heat wave.

Which can happen this time of year. Three days in a row in the 80s is all I need. Is that asking too much?

I saw several instances of flags at half mast as I drove around today. The only thing I can think of is the recent spat of mass murders. Do we fly flags at half mast for that now?

A Look At An Actual Fort Worth Pavilion Which Has Seen Better Days

In the picture you are in Oakland Lake Park's picnic pavilion which overlooks Fosdick Lake and the Fosdick Sputtering Fountain.

This picnic pavilion looks to have been built in the CCC era back in the 1930s, making that guess due to the style of stonework construction, which looks like other CCC structures I have seen elsewhere.

But this is Texas. Was the CCC allowed to build public works projects in Texas? Or was there an obstructionist Greg Abbott type governor of Texas way back then?

In its original glory the Oakland Lake Park picnic pavilion must have been a nice place to picnic. Large fireplaces are at both ends of the pavilion, currently boarded up and useless. It appears that at some point in the distant past running water may have been available.

I have seen a photo of a long ago drinking water fountain located near the picnic pavilion. Running water still runs under Oakland Lake Park, as evidenced by the fountain which sputtered back to life a couple  years ago, which you can see below if you look past the flock of Fosdick ducks.

If you have ever visited that area of Fort Worth that is called Panther Island Pavilion and wondered where the pavilion was you might have wondered if Fort Worthers know what a pavilion is. The Oakland Lake Park picnic pavilion is a good indicator that at some point in distant time Fort Worthers did know what a pavilion is.

Regarding this pavilion nonsense, additional nonsense occurs to me, as in the nonsense regarding how Fort Worth names things.

For decades Fort Worth's downtown had signs pointing to Sundance Square, where there was no square, confusing Fort Worth's few tourists. Now there is a square, goofily named Sundance Square Plaza, which apparently did not occur to the people naming it such that the name seems a bit redundant.

Then what is known as America's Biggest Boondoggle started calling a chunk of land "Panther Island" where there is no island. And then called an area of the imaginary island "Panther Island Pavilion" where there is no pavilion.

And then we have Oakland Lake Park, where there is no Oakland Lake in Oakland Lake Park. The lake in Oakland Lake Park is called Fosdick Lake.

Changing the subject from walking with the ducks to my other exercise woes.

Swimming went well this morning, which surprised me, because the air was chilled to 48. Tomorrow morning may be my last swim for awhile, because on Saturday the low is predicted to be 31.

Brrrrr.....

No Fosdick Lake Egret About Yesterday's Tornado

Egrets, I've seen a few, but then again, too few to mention.

But, I will mention that I think that is an Egret I saw today sitting on the shore of Oakland Lake Park's Fosdick Lake.

No rain fell at my location during yesterday's storm. But Oakland Lake Park did look like it may have been dripped on.

Yesterday's storm was odd. All was peaceful at my location when around 4 in the afternoon the tornado siren started screaming.

Mostly blue sky, few clouds, slight wind and a tornado siren?

A couple minutes after the tornado siren stopped screaming Miss Puerto Rico texted me asking what's up with a tornado?

I then turned the weather radio on, tuned to WBAP, 820 on the AM dial, the go to station for North Texas weather events. Soon after turning the radio on I learned a tornado had touched down a few miles to the northwest of my location, somewhere near where Beach and Sylvania Streets meet up with I-820. The tornado was not on the ground for long.

But, I later learned the twister twisted  long enough for Elsie Hotpepper to see it. Elsie Hotpepper's location is near where the reports were saying the twister hit the ground. So I texted the Hotpepper to inquire as to her well being. It was from the Hotpepper reply that I learned Elsie had seen the twister.

I kept the weather radio on for a couple hours. It was very dramatic with the multiple special weather statement  updates. The storm was being worse than the predictions. Reports of 60 mph winds scooting towards Denton County. Baseball size hail hitting Decatur. Reports saying the storm was predicted to hit Fort Worth by around 8.

But, nothing happened at my location. No wind, no rain, no hail, no tornado. Nothing. Except muggy heat in the 80s.

Leaving the weather and going back to Oakland Lake Park. I saw that which you see below upon arriving.

Three women attired in Asian type garb picking some greenery. I would have inquired as to what they were picking, but I have had bad experiences with doing that previously, where the attempt to ask goes all sorts of sideways on me.

I picked a sample of every green thing I found growing and found nothing that seemed scented and herb-like.

Running With Fort Worth's Fosdick Ducks Wondering About A Fountain Mystery

In the noon time frame I had myself a mighty fine time jogging and running with the Fosdick ducks who like to quack in Oakland Lake Park's Fosdick Lake.

This morning's cool pool bout was the chilliest in a long time. We are at that time of year when a threshold is crossed after which the cool pool is too cool to pool.

It has been several years now since the Fosdick Fountain made it mysterious appearance. When the Fosdick Fountain began its water spouting it did so by squirting water upwards about 30 feet. Then the Fosdick Fountain died, with no more squirting. A year or so after its death the Fosdick Fountain came back to life in the burbling fashion you see above.

Prior to the Fosdick Fountain coming to life there had been no plumbing work in evidence. I am at Oakland Lake Park frequently and saw nothing being worked on which would explain why a fountain suddenly appeared.

There were several people jogging and running around Fosdick Lake today. I think the cooler temperature is the reason for this. I saw two moms trying to get in shape, each running whilst pushing a baby carriage with a baby on board.

I am sure liking how doing this jogging/running thing is making me feel. Endorphins are addictive....

Jogging Around Fosdick Lake Getting Asked Why I Was Detained By Border Guards

What you are looking at here is a flock of Fosdick Ducks and Fosdick Pigeons enjoying the newly formed Fosdick Beach on Fosdick Lake in Fort Worth's Oakland Lake Park, where there is no Oakland Lake.

Why does Fort Worth have such an odd habit in its naming of various locations?

For decades Fort Worth called its little downtown, Sundance Square, where there was no square, but there were some large parking lots which many of Fort Worth's few tourists thought were Sundance Square. And upon those parking lots Fort Worth finally got around to building a square and then goofily redundantly named it Sundance Square Plaza.

And then there is calling a landlocked area of Fort Worth, Panther Island, where there is no island. And Panther Island Pavilion where there is no island or pavilion.

Anyway, I was having myself a mighty fine time jogging around Fosdick Lake when my phone made its Facebook message noise. I need to figure out how to make the phone stop making that noise. It's annoying.

I took a jogging break under the shade of a tree to quickly find the Facebook message was from my cousin Scott asking me a very odd question. As in what did I do to get detained by border guards on a day in June decades ago.

Detained by border guards? I resumed jogging and tried to figure out this puzzle. As I jogged along I could conjure no memory of having any trouble crossing the border into Canada.

And then I remembered.

The week after graduating  high school my long gone friend Russell and I roadtripped to California in my also long gone 65 Mustang Fastback. It sounded like a fun thing to walk across the border to Tijuana. But, upon getting to the entry to Mexico part of the trek we were asked to go in a building where we were asked questions and to show I.D.

The  problem was apparently I looked way too young to be going to Mexico without an adult. And then my I.D. indicated I was only 17, which confirmed I was too young to go to Mexico without an adult. Russell was 18, but at that point in time that did not qualify as an adult accompanying a minor. But was old enough to walk across to Mexico. Russell later got cranky at me for looking too young, as if I had any control over such a thing.

I don't remember much else about this alleged detention. Other than the border guard was nice about it all. Sort of apologetic. Told us it would not be a good idea to walk across the border, even if we were old enough.

Why would there be any record of this incident and how did my snoopy cousin Scott come to be in possession of this information? I feel as if my privacy has been violated, or some such thing.

The incident must not have been too traumatic because a couple years later I found myself again at the border crossing, this time not attempting to walk across, but instead drive into Tijuana in that aforementioned Mustang.

This time Russell was not along and there were no problems entering or exiting Mexico. I had way too much fun buying all sorts of bargains, then figuring out how to stuff them in my car. Some of that stuff made the trek to Texas, like my five foot tall statue of Cortez and a gold cobra.

Jogging Around Fosdick Lake Before Fall & Yom Kippur Arrive

The first day of Fall falls upon us tomorrow, along with Yom Kippur.

I will be celebrating the Autumnal Equinox by driving to Euless for my regularly scheduled monthly doctor appointment.

I have not decided how I will be celebrating Yom Kippur tomorrow.

Today I celebrated the day before Yom Kippur and the start of Fall by driving to Oakland Lake Park for a HOT jog around Fosdick Lake.

92 degrees when I arrived at the lake, according to my vehicular temperature monitoring device. My phone argued with the vehicle, with the phone claiming the air was cooler, at 91.

Dead calm, no wind chill factor.

I was not the only one jogging around the lake. One of the fellow joggers was a rather large lady in some sort of head to toe sweat suit.

Literally.

I asked her how she could stand the long pants and long sleeves. Her  reply told me it was her sweat suit, you know, to help her sweat.

I forgot to mention the tree above, rising next to the white egret, looking out at the sputtering Fosdick Fountain. That tree must not have received the notification that Fall begins tomorrow, because that tree has already turned on its Fall leaf color.

I think I will go Google Yom Kippur now, since I don't actually remember what this particular Jewish holiday is for. All I remember of Yom Kippur is one of the Israeli/Arab wars is called the Yom Kippur War, due to that war starting on Yom Kippur.

Jogging Around Fort Worth's Fosdick Lake With The Duck Whisperer

When I arrived at Oakland Lake Park today to jog around Fosdick Lake the Shady Lady you see here was sitting in the shade of a leafy tree being a Duck Whisperer.

When the jogging was over the Shady Lady was still in Duck Whisperer mode, which is when I took the picture you see here, with the Shady Lady using hand gesturing, along with whispering to make the ducks do her bidding.

That and eat her birdseed.

Decades ago, when I first developed a jogging habit I remember it did not go well at first. I could run only a block or two. I kept at it, and even though it is a long time ago, and my memory may be faulty, I'm fairly certain within a relatively short time running a block or two turned into a mile or two or three or more.

Well, today I was very surprised to find myself jogging all the way around Fosdick Lake without stopping to catch my breath. I jogged the perimeter of the park, mostly on grass, not the paved trail. And then when I got to Fosdick Dam, where a cool breeze was blowing off the lake, I switched from jog mode to run fast as I can mode the length of the dam.

This jogging thing causes an endorphin dose which seems much stronger than I get from hill hiking or mountain biking. It is that endorphin dose which can make something like jogging addictive. Hours later and I am still in a good relaxed mood.

This morning the pool was cool for the first time in a long time. I don't know how cold the temperature dipped to overnight. I suspect somewhere in the 60s. Cold enough to chill the pool water. I prefer the cool pool to the too warm pool that multiple days above 100 creates.

This morning Mr. Steve A made a blog comment which has pointed me to yet one more feat of engineering completed in four years, or less. I will likely wait til tomorrow to add this to my popular series of bloggings about feats of engineering, usually bridges, built in four years or less.

For those new to the program, this look at feats of engineering completed in four years or less is in response to the embarrassing fact that America's Biggest Boondoggle, also known as the Trinity River Uptown Central City Panther Island Vision Boondoggle, is currently building three simple, little bridges, over dry land, to connect the mainland to an imaginary island, with a  four year construction timeline.

The latest blogging about a feat of engineering built in four years or less will not be about a bridge. It will be about a skyscraper.

Fosdick Lake Fishing & Stair Climbing Pondering A Mysterious Geyser With Precarious Water Tank Painting

When I exited my abode a little after 11, this morning, to drive to Oakland Lake Park, the temperature was 81, the air felt pleasant, leading me to think I was going to have myself a mighty fine time running up and down the Fosdick Stairs and across Fosdick Dam, without overheating.

Well.

Fosdick Lake is only about three miles west of my abode. Somehow in those three miles the temperature jumped almost 10 degrees, causing HOT shock when I exited the air-conditioned comfort of my vehicle.

HOT, with no air moving and humid, extremely humid, due to the copious amount of rain which fell yesterday.

As you can see above, being a little warm did not stop the Fosdick Fishermen from doing their shady angling, under the sun blocking protection of a couple shoreline trees.

As you can also see above, the mysterious Fosdick Geyser continues to burble non stop. The Fosdick Geyser first appeared a couple years ago, at that point in time it was erupting in full fountain mode. Then it disappeared for a long time, and then re-appeared as a burbling geyser.

I have yet to learn how it was the Fosdick Geyser went into eruption mode, suddenly appearing, with no plumbing work in evidence, leading to the eruption.

As I ran around Fosdick Lake today the newly painted big blue water tank I have mentioned previously kept coming in to view. From the Fosdick Lake angle the tank looked totally painted, but I kept seeing what looked like a person, on top, standing, never moving.

On the drive away from Fosdick Lake, when I was on the opposite side of the tank from the Fosdick  Lake view, I stopped to take a picture.

One guy was standing at the very top, secure behind what looked like a circle of fence. The other guy was painting. You can not see it in the picture, but the guy painting was tethered to a rope that was attached to something inside the circle of fence.

My empathy acrophobia kicked in watching the guy doing the painting.

I could not figure out how the paint was being delivered to the stick that the painter was using to apply the paint. And how was the Fort Worth logo applied? The logo is on the other side, as well, that being the view from Fosdick Lake.

Soon after the blue water tank disappeared from my rear view mirror I got gas.

$1.89 a gallon at Exxon on Randol Mill Road and 820. I need to call my mom......

Looking At A Big Blue Water Tank While Stair Climbing To Mariachi Music At Oakland Lake Park

No, that is not a screen cap from the upcoming new Star Wars movie you are looking at here. What it is is one of my neighborhood's water tanks.

Due to this part of the planet being a bit elevation challenged water pressure is achieved by pumping water into tanks raised above the surrounding area, with gravity then providing the locomotion to move the water to nearby taps.

At least I assume that is the reason for the ubiquitous water tanks in various forms that dot the land in the D/FW zone.

Yesterday I took a break from my Tandy Hills hill hiking and sat on one of the benches in the original Tandy Hills Outdoor Auditorium. This faces north. I counted fourteen water tanks as I scanned the horizon.

It was not too long ago that the above tank was re-painted. For some reason the tank needed to be re-painted again. That process has been going on for a couple months.

For quite awhile the tank was shrouded in a giant tent-like thing, while, I assume, the old paint was sandblasted. Then the painting began. First gray, which I thought a nice color, but turned out to be an undercoat. Then white, which I also thought looked good. Some of which still exists at the top, waiting to be blued, which I assume is the final color.

A couple days ago, driving by this location, I had a moment of empathy acrophobia when I saw one of the tank painters dangling over the edge, below what remains white, wearing a harness, attached to a rope, painting.

I hope he was well paid.

My vantage point to take this photo of this particular tank was Oakland Lake Park. We are looking northeast at the tank. I was in Oakland Lake Park for my latest running episode, and to do some stair climbing.

I was minimally attired so as to maximize cooling, but I still got way too HOT and was soon drenched. High humidity. Still felt real good.

The stair climbing was accompanied by mariachi music blaring from the picnic pavilion where a man was leading some sort of dance class, teaching a large group how to have a mighty fine time dancing some sort of Latin inspired dance.

Must make lunch now. Italian sausage hot dogs, with potato salad. It's Labor Day Weekend, hence hot dogs...

Climbing Fort Worth's Fosdick Steps Trying To Emulate Elsie Hotpepper

Today when I left air-conditioned comfort to head to Oakland Lake Park for my regularly scheduled Thursday walk around Fosdick Lake I left my old-fashioned digital camera at home, taking with me the new-fangled cell phone for photo taking purposes.

Well, the cell phone photos my cell phone takes do not turn out as well as the photos my old-fashioned digital camera takes.

I have long thought it is time for the selfie fad to fade.

Maybe I think that because my few attempts at taking a selfie of myself always end up being difficult. As in it is awkward, I can't see the screen, clearly, even when in shade.

Which results in that which you see here, basically me glaring at a phone while trying to touch the take a picture button on the screen.

Some people seem quite talented with the taking a selfie thing.

Elsie Hotpepper comes to mind.

Elsie may be the Queen of the Selfies. Of course it helps that she has such photogenic subject matter and is a whiz at new-fangled technology. Like text messaging. Elsie Hotpepper can churn out a mini-novel in seconds via text messaging, while it takes me several minutes to churn out a sentence.

After I gave up on trying to successfully take a selfie photo with the Fosdick Fountain showing up behind me, I switched the phone to the mode that takes pictures in the other direction.

As you can see, via the hazy photo above, a pair of fishermen were angling for dinner in the fertile water of Fosdick Lake.

Catfish? Bass? Trout? Garfish? Bullheads? All I know for sure is it is unlikely any salmon were caught.

With my bike temporarily out of service I needed a new way to get myself a dose of endorphins via aerobic stimulation, so as to put myself in a much better mood. My early morning swimming does not seem to meet my endorphin needs.

So, today I ran up and down the above Fosdick Steps a few dozen times. I was quite pleased with how light on my feet I was being, sort of popping up the stairs pretty much effortlessly. I don't know if the extra spring in my step was due to new hiking shoes. Or the 20 pounds I have lost. Or something else, like my morning deep knee bend addiction of 80 repetitions.

Anyway, tomorrow morning I am going to be at the Fort Worth Stockyards, taking photos and maybe video. I will be using my old-fashioned digital camera to take photos, not this new-fangled phone method.

And no selfies. Well, maybe one attempt with a longhorn.....

A Brown Walk Around Oakland Lake Park With The Fosdick Fountain Burbling

Til today it had been many weeks, maybe months, since I took myself to Oakland Lake Park to walk around Fosdick Lake.

The last time I was at the Fosdick Lake location the grass was green. That green grass has now turned a shade of brown that matches my new cargo shorts.

Fosdick Lake is a couple feet below its usual full pool level. I do not know if the lower lake level is what has caused the Fosdick Fountain to awaken, slightly, out of the comatose state it has been in for a long time.

Today the Fosdick Fountain, that white blurb you see above, out in the lake, was burbling, not in full spraying fountain mode, just burble mode.

Few ducks or turtles were to be seen today. Where have all the Fosdick turtles gone?

Above you can see how dry and brown the grass has become. You are looking south on the east side of Fosdick Lake in this view.

It was not very hot when I took my nature walk today. Only 89, with a chilling wind blowing, with that chilling wind seeming a harbinger for what is coming next month.

Fall.

Were A Mom & Son Picking Up Fosdick Lake Litter To Deliver To A Fort Worth Solar Powered Trash Compactor?

Due to flooding I thought my only nearby walkabout option today was Oakland Lake Park, walking around Fosdick Lake.

After doing so I soon found Gateway Park open, not flooded, and later saw Quanah Parker Park open, also not flooded.

A lot of people were enjoying the rain respite. Along with the cheerful turtles you see here, straining their necks looking for the sun.

Fosdick Falls was not falling as thunderous a volume of water as I had expected to hear, but the roar was louder than Fosdick Falls was roaring on Memorial Day.

Today I found myself marveling anew at Oakland Lake Park's solar powered trash compactor.

Why have a solar powered trash compactor next to two non-solar powered trash barrels?

I think the blue can on the right is intended for cans and bottles to be inserted in the hole in the lid. The green barrel has no lid. I have seen litter blowing out of lid-less Fort Worth litter barrels, which is why most parks, such as those in Arlington, have litter receptacles with lids.

Way in the background you can see Oakland Lake Park's sole outhouse.

I've asked before, but I will ask again, why would you have something ultra-modern, like a solar powered trash compactor, in a park without running water or modern restroom facilities?

And then, on the opposite side of Fosdick Lake I came upon the mom and her son you see below.

As I got closer to these two I saw mom fishing something out of the lake's edge and tossing what she fished back towards her son, who then put what was fished in the bucket.

I stopped and asked what they were fishing for.

Litter was the reply.

Show him, mom said. Which had the boy showing me the contents of the bucket of litter.

A lot of litter.

The mom told me they were on their 4th litter bucket of the day.

When I got to the bluff above the lake I snapped the picture you see above.

Very commendable, I thought. Cleaning up Fosdick Lake.

Also sort of futile.

I did not ask if they were disposing of the litter in the solar-powered trash compactor.

Town Talk was a bit of a bust today.

A Memorial Day Walk Over Fosdick Falls In Oakland Lake Park

That is a Memorial Day look at Fosdick Lake in Oakland Lake Park you are looking at here.

No raindrops dripped on me whilst I walked around the lake, but the clouds looked, and continue to look, extremely threatening.

Memorial Day had the park being much busier than the norm. But I saw only two groups attempting to have a Memorial Day picnic.

Several people were attempting to catch fish that one is advised not to eat.

I thought Fosdick Lake would be flooded more than it was. The lake will have to rise a few more inches to put the paved trail on the east side under water.

Fosdick Lake did have enough extra water to cause Fosdick Falls to be roaring like a mini-Niagara.

I don't know how many homes could be electrified by the hydro power potential currently pouring over Fosdick Dam.

Maybe one small doghouse.