Best Fort Worth Weekly In Eons Has Me Wanting To Powwow

I think, if I remember right, a time or two I have mentioned that ever since a Beer Hall Putsch removed Gayle Reaves from being the brains behind the quality of Fort Worth Weekly, the quality of that weekly publication has seemed to sink.

I did not get around to reading this week's Weekly til yesterday.

Best issue since that aforementioned Beer Hall Putsch.

The Static column about Barnett Shale driller scams titled Methane High was up to a Reaveseque level of succinct pointedness, with subtle snark.

The Metropolis Third World Child Welfare article about a Fort Worth CEO's  revelations learned from a visit to Cuba was top notch.

And then there is the cover story titled The Way They Were, A once-lost silent film tied to Quanah Parker’s legacy is a bittersweet gem.

The first four paragraphs....

White Eagle has fallen for the Daughter of Dawn.

But the prettiest child of the Kiowa chief has more than one suitor. Black Wolf, despite Red Wing’s love and devotion, can offer plenty of ponies to the beautiful maiden’s father. All that White Eagle can give is himself, his bravery, and his love. The Daughter of Dawn must choose between the two men.

Sounds like a soap opera, but it’s actually a 1920 silent film.

The Daughter of Dawn was thought lost until 2005, when the 83-minute feature was discovered and restored. After screening at colleges all across the country and now becoming available on Netflix, the film written and directed by Norbert A. Myles comes to University of Texas-Arlington in February, prior to the school’s annual Powwow, a celebration of Native American culture.

Most who know me know I am an aficionado of Native American history and culture. The Cynthia Ann Parker Story is a bit of history each new generation of Americans needs to learn, along with the story of Cynthia Ann's son, Quanah, he being the last Comanche chief, and a leader who made the transition to living successfully with the American invaders.

Modern technology has made silent films very watchable, rendering them as they were originally viewed, not the jerky type motion picture that was the result of earlier tape transfer technology.

Who wants to go with me to UT Arlington in February for the Powwow viewing of The Daughter of Dawn?

Induct Sister Camella Menotti Into The National Cowgirl Hall Of Fame

When I saw this week's Fort Worth Weekly's cover article titled HABITS ON HORSEBACK: A South Texas rodeo queen became a hardworking nun, educating children from California to Tanzania  I did not think the subject would be of interest to me.

I thought wrong.

Sister Camella Menotti is an 84 year old Texas cowgirl, a long time nominee for entry into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame, located in Fort Worth.

Reading the history of the life of Sister Camella Menotti I really do not see how adding the Sister to the Cowgirl Hall of Fame is not already a done deal.

A blurb from the Fort Worth Weekly article.....

"More than a decade has passed since Unsworth nominated the 84-year-old for the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame. Menotti wondered aloud about whether there’s still a chance she might someday join the more than 200 women who have been inducted into the prestigious circle — women such as Cynthia Ann Parker, Sacagawea..."

Sacagawea and Cynthia Ann Parker are famous cowgirls?

While both are historical figures, I am completely bum puzzled as to why either would be in the Cowgirl Hall of Fame. Sacagawea helped Lewis & Clark explore the Louisiana Purchase after Thomas Jefferson bought the land from Napoleon.

How is Sacagawea a cowgirl?

Cynthia Ann Parker's claim to fame was being kidnapped by the Comanche, eventually marrying Comanche chief Peta Nocona, with whom she had a son, known as Quanah, with Quanah Parker being the last war chief of the Comanche. Cynthia Ann Parker was eventually "rescued" from the Comanche, brought back to Texas, to Fort Worth and Tarrant County, where she soon died, some say from a broken heart, brought on by the trauma of being taken from what she considered to be her Comanche family.

How is Cynthia Ann Parker a cowgirl?

Now, Sister Camella Menotti, that is a cowgirl. That and the youngest, best looking 84 year old I have ever seen. Looking good, and young, whilst fighting the awful cancer known as multiple myeloma.

I hope the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame inducts Sister Camella Menotti soon. It's  the right thing to do....

This Morning I Voted NO On Three Convoluted Fort Worth Propositions While Voting For Quanah Parker & Sam Houston

 I voted this morning and after I was done the nice poll working lady slapped the I Voted sticker on me you see here.

Every time I do the early voting I managed to forget how to work the dial that enters the numbers of the code you are given for your ballot.

One would think I would remember how to operate this voting video game, but I don't.

The nice poll working lady told me a lot of old folks have trouble with the voting video game.

I don't remember what race he was running in, but I voted for someone I did not think I would ever vote for.

Quanah Parker.

I also voted for Sam Houston, which is another Texan I never thought I would get to vote for.

And who could resist voting for someone with a cool name like Leticia Van de Putte?

The controversial Three Propositions related to the building of a new multipurpose arena in Fort Worth were odd, with the oddness being that the proposition contained verbiage I'd not seen in any of the propaganda that has been urging voters to vote for these propositions.

The actual wording on the ballot makes it sounds as if voting for these Three Propositions is an actual vote authoring the building of the arena.

I found a sample ballot, online, which for some odd reason had the words "Sample Ballot", graffitied across it.

I screencapped the ballot and cropped out the Proposition No. 2 part.

Proposition No. 2 in its entirety says...

"Authorizing the City of Fort Worth, Texas to provide for the planning, acquisition, establishment, development, construction and renovation of a multipurpose arena at the intersection of Harley Avenue and Gandy Street and other adjacent support facilities as a venue project, and to impose a livestock facility use tax on each stall or pen used or occupied by livestock during an event held on one or more consecutive days in which the venue project is used,not to exceed twenty dollars ($20.00) in the aggregate per stall or pen rental for any event, for the purpose of financing the venue project."

To me this sounds as if one votes NO one is voting to not authorize the City of Fort Worth to build this arena. Why has this not been made clear in any of the advertising about these Three Propositions?

Did the Forward Fort Worth Partnership PAC figure if they let voters know that voting no meant NO to the arena that the voters would have a greater tendency to vote NO? But that if the propaganda verbiage simplified it, that the voters would have a greater tendency to vote yes?

For Proposition #2 the Forward Fort Worth Partnership PAC's propaganda describes that proposition as simply "A user fee (tax) on livestock stalls and pens of $1 to $2 per day, not to exceed $20 per event."

How come on the actual ballot there is no mention of the $1 to $2 per day user fee? While the Forward Fort Worth Partnership PAC's propaganda makes voters think that is what they are voting for?

Very, very perplexing.

Does the concept of "voter fraud" extend to this type thing?

Finding No Indian Ghosts In Fort Worth's Quanah Parker Park Before Treasure Hunting At Town Talk

No, that is not one of my regular Saturday pre-Town Talk locations you are looking at on the left.

There is a good reason this location looks very similar to my favorite photo op in on Gateway Park's mountain bike trail, because the location we are looking at here is just a mile or two east of Gateway Park.

In other words, in the picture you are at the Quanah  Parker Park overlook looking over the Trinity River.

Due to recent deluging I opted out of rolling my wheels over what would likely be mud in Gateway Park. A quiet walk in Quanah Parker Park seemed to be just what the doctor prescribed.

I don't know if any Indian Ghosts haunt Quanah Parker Park. The location of this park, as far as I know, has nothing to do with being the site of a battle or a massacre.

Years ago I edited the Wikipedia article about Quanah Parker in the section about memorials to Quanah Parker. I added Quanah Parker Park in Fort Worth and Parker County in Texas. I later learned that Parker County is not named after Quanah, but is instead named after one of Quanah's uncles. I  do not know if that particular uncle is one of Quanah's mother, Cynthia Ann's, brothers.

Cynthia Ann was kidnapped by raiding Comanches and in a sort of Patty Hearst type deal of a different century, ended up joining the tribe, then marrying the Comanche chief, Peta Nocona, after which she birthed Quanah and Quanah's little sister, Prairie Flower. Eventually Cynthia Ann And Prairie Flower were captured by Americans and returned to what the Americans thought to be civilization. Both died soon thereafter, with Quanah never seeing his mom or little sister ever again.

I just checked the Quanah Parker Wikipedia article and am pleased to see someone fixed my Parker County mistake.

After enjoying the chilling fall-like temperature for a suitable duration I was off to Town Talk where I got a lot of fresh broccoli, onions, extra sharp cheese, corn tortillas, brown rice, celery, tomatoes and other stuff I am not remembering right now.

And right now I am off to have myself a salubrious lunch, part of which will be consisting of broccoli.

A Chilly Walk With The Ghosts & Hawks Who Haunt The Village Creek Natural Historical Area

The air was nearly 40 degrees warm when I went walking with the Indian Ghosts who haunt the Village Creek Natural Historical Area today in Arlington.

As you can see via the reflection in the big round mirror it is a bright, blue sky day, so far, today in North Texas. You can also see, via my reflection in the big round mirror, that I am bundled up in layers of outerwear.

What you can not see, via the big round mirror, is that I finally located my previously missing thermal underwear. What a relief.

Speaking of the murdered Indians whose ghosts haunt the Village Creek zone, I got a couple related blog comments on the first day of the new year.

But, the comments were not to a blogging about Village Creek, they were comments to a blogging from way back in January of 2012 about Walking With The Spirit Of Quanah Parker & Other People Before Being Hypnotized By Naked Pecan Tree Limbs.

Someone named Anonymous objected to my Comanche sympathies, saying....

Village Creek Trail

In response I tell anyone here in Texas that has complaints, the means that brought you in will take you out- whether highway, train, or plane. My family has been here since 1832, and Texans whose families have been here for generations feel that they are Texans first, then Americans. We love our state and feel a loyalty to it that seems to be hard for outsiders to understand.

Anonymous is expressing a very unique sentiment I don't know that I've heard before.

Then someone named Dashiell777 said....

I am related to Silas Bates, the Brave Father that fought the Comanches an Titos when they came to Fort Parker under a flag of truce while the men were working in the fields. Study history deeper than face value, It's not black an white.

Following the above two comments were the two pro-Comanche comments that showed up on New Year's Day...

Since the early 1800s?? That's funny to feel that it's your land?? It never was! It belonged to the Redman, that had been there long before your family settled.

And...

Your right it's not black and white, however, the Comanche was also forced off their land by invading white folk like your kin.

Changing the subject from Anonymous comments back to Village Creek.

Today I saw something in a tree at the northern edge of the Village Creek Blue Bayou that I'd not seen at this location before.

A big bird of the hawk or owl variety.

The big bird turned its back on me when I aimed my camera at it.

Miss GG has been taking really good bird photos from her perch high above the Trinity River in downtown Fort Worth. I don't think my photographic skills or camera quality are anywhere near the Miss GG level.

In Quanah Parker Park Gazing Up At A Giant Pecan Tree

I was up early and in the cool pool when the sun began arriving this morning to do its daily illumination and heating duties.

I am liking the cooler pool water. Very refreshing.

When the time of the day arrived for my scheduled daily salubrious endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation I found myself running late for a date, so I opted to go for a brisk walk with the pecan trees that tower over Quanah Parker Park.

That is the biggest of the Quanah Parker Park pecan trees you are standing under in the picture.

This is the pecan tree that is some sort of specially designated historical heritage tree.

I do not know if Quanah Parker ever parked himself under this tree, or not. There must be some reason this particular park is named after the most famous Comanche chief.

Fort Worth's Schools Close So Children Can See Cynthia Ann Parker

In the photo you are looking at Quanah Parker's mom, Cynthia Ann and Quanah's little sister, Topsannah (Prairie Flower). This photo was taken at A.F. Corning's studio in Fort Worth at some point in time in 1861. This photo of Cynthia Ann was taken later than the first photo of Cynthia Ann, taken in Austin, referenced below.

The following are 2 interesting paragraphs lifted from Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History.

They passed through Weatherford - the seat of Parker County, where the worst of Peta Nocona's raids had taken place - and then stopped in Fort Worth, where Cynthia Ann became an instant celebrity. It is not known why the travelers stopped here. Some accounts say it was to have a photograph taken, but the first known photograph of her - a tintype, actually - was not taken until a month later in Austin. Whatever the reasons, her arrival caused a great commotion as residents of Tarrant County (who totaled 6,020 that year) clamored to see the famous captive and her child. Her arrival was considered such an important event that local children were let out of school. They came in groups to gawk at the terrified captives, who were on display in front of a general store in downtown Fort Worth. It was sort of a freak show: Cynthia Ann was bound with rope and set out atop a large box so that everyone could see her.

Texans could not get enough of her. There were many newspaper accounts of her return, all of which were uniformly obsessed with the idea that a pretty little nine-year old white girl from a devout Baptist family had been transformed into a pagan savage who had mated with a redskin and borne his children and forgotten her mother tongue. She was thus, according to the morals of the day, grotesquely compromised. She had forsaken the virtues of Christianity for the wanton immorality of the Indian.

When the carnival in Fort Worth finally ended, Cynthia Ann's uncle, Issac Parker, took Cynthia Ann and Prairie Flower to his big log cabin in Birdsville, a house that for many years was considered the finest in Tarrant County.

Birdsville no longer exists. The town was located near the northeast side of River Legacy Park in Arlington, near Bird's Fort.

Years ago I got an email from someone telling me I should check out the Bird's Fort remains and the neglected Birdsville Cemetery. If I remember right I did manage to find the cemetery. I think whatever remained of Bird's Fort was obliterated by the mothballed Huffines development that has blighted the northeast side of River Legacy Park.

There is a historical marker in River Legacy Park that tells the short version of the history of Bird's Fort. I don't think any mention is made of Birdsville.

Methinks some effort should be made to make some sort of memorial in the former Birdsville zone. Like maybe restoring the Birdsville Cemetery. Or building a replica of Issac Parker's log cabin as a museum telling the story of Quanah Parker and his mom, Cynthia Ann.

Walking Today In Quanah Parker Park Listening To The Quanah Parker Comanche Blues

Today was the first time I've been back to Quanah Parker Park since I've been reading Empire of the Summer, a very excellent book about Quanah Parker and the Comanche tribe.

Over the years there have been many times when I have arrived at Quanah Parker Park and stepped out of my motorized vehicular transport to be surprised by the mournful sounds blaring from a solo saxophonist.

Today was the first time this year I have heard the Quanah Parker Park solo saxophonist.

I think the tune being played today may have been the Quanah Parker Comanche Blues.

Today, looking at the sign commemorating Quanah Parker at Quanah Parker Park, I could not help but wonder if, at some time during his raiding career, Quanah Parker parked his tribed at the location on the Trinity River which is the location of the park named after him.

One of Quanah's Parker relatives lived a short distance to the east of Quanah Parker Park, in the now, long gone, town of Birdville, near the now, long gone, Bird's Fort, which was located at the northern edge of the east side of River Legacy Park in Arlington.

When Quanah Parker finally gave up the fight and moved to the Comanche Reservation near Fort Sill, Oklahoma, he quickly worked hard to adapt to American ways.

Colonel Ranald Mackenzie, he being the man many think was the best Indian fighter of all the American Indian fighters, was the man who was finally able to get Quanah Parker to give up the fight.

The sign telling the short version of the story of Quanah Parker, in Quanah Parker Park, mentions that he became friends with President Theodore Roosevelt and Charles Goodnight.

The sign neglects to mention Quanah Parker's surprising friendship with Colonel Ranald Mackenzie, which began soon after Quanah's Comanches surrendered.

Mackenzie wrote letters on Quanah's behalf to Quanah's mother's relatives. It was Mackenzie who found out and told Quanah that his mother, Cynthia Ann and sister, Prairie Flower, were dead.

Quanah wanted to learn the white man's ways, asked Mackenzie to help him, and so Mackenzie did.

Quanah Parker Wearing
Business Suit & Tophat

In the years that followed, those who met Quanah Parker were at times startled by his refined good manners. Quanah would explain he was taught how to be like a white man by Colonel Ranald Mackenzie.

The Parkers rebuffed Quanah's initial attempts to make contact with them. I do not know, yet, if in later years, after Quanah Parker became widely respected in the Anglo world, and due to wise investments, the wealthiest American Indian, if the Parkers accepted Quanah and his offspring into their clan.

Are any of Quanah Parker's descendants leaders in today's Comanche Tribe, I can't help but wonder.

My Regular Sunday Walk With Arlington's Keechi Creek Indian Ghosts Wondering If Buffalo Hump Visited Village Creek While Exploring The Empire Of The Summer Moon

The last couple days of rain has caused the Village Creek Natural Historical Area, aka Keechi Creek Natural Historical Area, to suddenly turn into a green jungle rain forest.

I had myself a very pleasant walk through the Keechi Rain Forest today.

I am currently reading the most interesting book I've read in a long while.

EMPIRE OF THE SUMMER MOON: Quanah Parker and the RISE and FALL of the COMANCHES, the Most POWERFUL INDIAN Tribe in American History, by S.C. Gwynne.

There are many reasons why this book is interesting, one of which is the areas talked about in the book are often areas of Texas with which I am familiar. Like locations of Indian Villages back in the days when there were still Indian Villages before the Texans evicted the natives in a primitive version of eminent domain abuse which in later years the Texans would perfect into a world class art form.

I'd heard of Buffalo Hump prior to reading Empire of the Summer Moon, but I thought he was a fictional Comanche chief made up by Larry McMurtry in some of the books in his Lonesome Dove series, like Comanche Moon and Man's Walk.

Buffalo Hump was born in the late 1790s, died in 1870. He was a powerful War Chief of the Penateka Band of the Comanche.

Buffalo Hump's Comanche name was Numu Tekwapu. This name transliterated as Po-cha-na-quar-hip. What this meant in English embarrassed the prudish Victorian Texans, so they took to calling Numu Tekwapu, Buffalo Hump.

What could Buffalo Hump's Comanche name possibly have meant, that Texans did not want to make a name for it, you can't help but wonder, can you?

The Comanche meaning of the name, which the Texans did not want to Americanize, was "erection that won't go down".

I suspect Buffalo Hump had many wives.

Some historical events, in Texas, have remained in the collective memory, like remembering the Alamo. Others have been largely forgotten. Like the Council House Fight and what followed the Council House Fight, that being Buffalo Hump's Great Raid of 1840.

Buffalo Hump was so mad about being betrayed by the Texans, at the Council House Fight, that he organized a big war party of Comanche, which he led from the north of Texas all the way past San Antonio to the Texas Gulf Coast, where the city of Victoria was attacked and the shipping port of Linnville was destroyed.

Buffalo Hump and the Comanche made off with a huge bounty of goods and horses. It was a long trek back to the safety of the Comancheria Nation.

The Great Raid of 1840 became legendary, until the legend faded from the collective memory.

Is Texas State History a required course to take to graduate high school in Texas, I can't help but wonder? In Washington, freshman year, you are required to take Washington State History. At least that was the case when I was in high school.

Washington does not have a lot of history, compared to Texas. There is no Alamo to remember in Washington. There was the Pig War between the United States and the British Empire, fought, primarily, on Washington's San Juan Island.

A pig was the only casualty of that conflict.

To pass Washington State History, among many bits of knowledge, you are required to know all of Washington's counties and their county seats. Washington has only 39 counties. Texas has 254 counties. I suspect no one in Texas can name every county in Texas and its seat.

I've known several Texans who matriculated through the Texas education system. I remember asking one of those Texans if she knew where the headwaters of the Trinity River were. She did not. I looked it up and found out. I have since forgotten.

I think I remember mentioning previously being appalled that Gar the Texan, he being a fairly intelligent, albeit somewhat poorly educated product of the Texas education system, expressed great surprise that Fort Worth was so named due to having started out as a fort. A small fort that was called a camp at its inception. I recollect no curiosity, from the incurious Gar the Texan, as to the source of the Worth part of the Fort's name.

I do not remember if I ever asked Gar the Texan if he knew what happened at the Alamo.

I suspect Gar the Texan has Comanche blood in him. He has the Comanche traits of being short and scrawny, with a big head covered by a mop of black hair, with a doleful, squinty gaze, along with the taking of multiple wives and possibly being benefited by Buffalo Hump syndrome, which would explain the ability to juggle multiple girl friends at once.

Speaking of Fort Worth, I must get around to sharing the story of Quanah Parker's mom, Cynthia Ann Parker's arrival in Fort Worth, after being kidnapped from her Comanche tribe by well meaning, murderous Texans on a rampage, who killed her husband, Peta Nocona, then grabbed Cynthia Ann and her baby, Prairie Flower, while Quanah and his baby brother, Peanut, escaped, never to see their mom or sister again.

Walking With The Spirit Of Quanah Parker & Other People Before Being Hypnotized By Naked Pecan Tree Limbs

I saw this vision of the last great Comanche Chief, Quanah Parker, today, on an acorn, when I took my daily salubrious, endorphin inducing aerobic walk, this time in the Fort Worth city park called Quanah Parker Park.

Quanah Parker was not 100% full blooded Comanche. Quanah Parker was half Texan, because his mom was a Texan named Cynthia Ann Parker.

Cynthia was a member of the large Parker tribe that settled in East Texas in the 1830s, eventually building a fort called Fort Parker, near what is now Groesbeck, Texas.

In 1836 the Comanche raided Fort Parker, likely in retaliation for depredations foisted upon them by the incoming Texans. Cynthia and her grandfather, John Parker, and other relatives, were taken captive. Grandpa John was killed. Others, included Cynthia, were tortured.

Somehow, eventually, the Comanche Chief, Peta Nocona, stopped the torture and made Cynthia his wife. Cynthia became part of the Comanche tribe, birthing 3 children, including Quanah, living happily with the Comanche for 24 years, until Cynthia was "rescued" from the savages when she was 34 years old.

Cynthia lived another 10 years, unhappily, attempting, at times, to escape the Texans to return to her adopted tribe.

I have had that feeling a time or two, that feeling of wanting to escape the Texans, to return to my adopted tribe. Then the feeling passes when I remember I don't have an adopted tribe to return to.

Today's walk with the spirit of Quanah Parker was very pleasant. One could not ask for a more perfect temperature. Today there were 3 groups, besides myself, walking on the Quanah Parker Park trail.

Quanah Parker Naked Pecan Trees

And for the first time I saw two people using one of the newly installed benches that are part of City of Fort Worth Natural Gas Revenue in Action.

I tell you, Quanah Parker Park is getting popular.

All leaves have left the Parker Pecan Trees. I like to look at the fractaling limbs of big trees after they have been stripped naked of leaves. It's hypnotic.

Speaking of fractaling. I have my window open due to the fact that it is currently 63 degrees in the outer world at my location. With the window open I can hear the dull roar of the Fracking currently going on at my neighborhood Fort Chesapeake.

I stopped at Fort Chesapeake, well, actually, I stopped on the Albertsons parking lot and walked across the street to Fort Chesapeake, to take a picture of the Fracking. But, that is a subject for a separate blogging.

Today At The Fort Worth Stockyards Finding Quanah Parker & Miss Molly's Bawdy House With Indoor Plumbing

Fort Worth Herd On The Move

Today is Wednesday. The middle of the week. It is not tourist season. And yet, today, there were a large number of tourists in the Fort Worth Stockyards, lining up to watch the 11:30 am running of the Fort Worth Herd down Exchange Avenue.

A lot of Germans have a fascination with the American West. If you go to the Grand Canyon, or any of Utah's National Parks, you run in to a lot of Germans. It can be vaguely annoying. I've had an incident, or two, with a German, or two, in an American National Park.

Today I ran into a lot of Germans visiting the Fort Worth Stockyards. I had no annoying incidents with any Germans today. One thing I did notice was anytime I heard a group speaking German the group was always all slim and trim. And another thing I noticed was when I heard a group speaking American the group always had a majority of the people being Balloon People. It's distressing.

Fort Worth's Sister Cities

Since my arrival in Texas, late in the last century, I've made note of a lot of improvements to Fort Worth's top tourist attraction. There are still things I would fix if I had magic wand powers.

Today I came across several new additions.

Like in front of the Visitor's Center there is now a sign listing all the towns with which Fort Worth shares Sister Citydom.

Including Trier, Germany.

The new thing I came upon today that I liked the best was in front of the Hyatt Place hotel. A statue of Quanah Parker, along with a historical marker type sign, telling the Quanah Parker story.

On the ground, next to the statue of Quanah Parker was another thing that impressed me. A plaque.

Jim Lane? Quanah Parker?

Quanah Parker being the son of two cultures is the theme of this memorial.

I like the part of the plaque that says "BRAD PATTERSON, DOUG HARMAN, CHRIS PARKAS, EDDIE SANDOVAL, AND BEN TAHMAHKERA, THREE ANGLOS, ONE APACHE, ONE COMANCHE - TOGETHER FOR THE NUMUNU, ("The People").

Did Jake, Janet and Jim Lane donate this memorial? If so, this has Jim Lane right on the verge of being my favorite Fort Worth politician.

Miss Molly's Bawdy House

Miss Molly's seemed to be a new addition to the Fort Worth Stockyards. Maybe she has always been there, with me not noticing. Miss Molly's is on Exchange Avenue in the west end of the Stockyards. Miss Molly's sign invites you upstairs to view an authentic boarding house and former Bawdy House. Viewing a former Bawdy House is something I don't think I have ever done before.

Years ago, back when I first started my Eyes on Texas website, I wandered the Fort Worth Stockyards, looking for webpage material. At that point in time I saw something that struck me as being funny. That being several of the Fort Worth Stockyards establishments proudly advertising that they had indoor plumbing.

The "Indoor Plumbing" information was verbalized in various ways. Like above, in the only example still remaining, 10 years later, the Cadillac Saloon is still featuring "Indoor Restrooms" both on the side of their building and via a sign painted on a window.

If I remember right I've mentioned Booger Red's Saloon a time or two. Possibly in relation to Elsie Hotpepper liking to go there to sit on a saddle sipping Buffalo Butt Beer. The Booger Red's Saloon sign is blocking the view of the iconic Fort Worth Stockyards sign.

The Texas Rangers may win the World Series anytime soon. For all I know that may happen tonight.

Several of the Fort Worth Stockyard's enterprises had Texas Rangers World Series themes going on in various ways. Above, Riscky's Barbecue sign welcomes fans to the Stockyards, telling fans that apparently the Rangers are in it to win it because great times are waiting with World Series 2011.

I left Riscky's and headed to the actual Fort Worth Stockyards. A location few go to.

The Real Fort Worth Stockyards

You are looking south across the cattle pens of the Fort Worth Stockyards, with the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth a few miles distant. In the main touristy part of the Stockyards you will find no signage directing you to the actual Stockyards.

A boardwalk runs across the top of the Stockyards, taking you from the back of the Cowtown Coliseum to the back of Billy Bob's Texas.

It is a bit of a maze to get to the turnstile that takes you to the Stockyard's boardwalk. Knowing how to get into the tourist part of the Stockyards via the Stockyard's boardwalk was of great benefit to me back in 2008. Hillary Clinton was in town, campaigning in the Presidential Primary. Thousands of people were lined up to get through security to get into the stands to see Hillary.

Alternative ways to Exchange Avenue were blocked by security. My final attempt was accessing the Stockyard's boardwalk behind Billy Bob's. My first surprise was to find that entry gate open. So, we crossed the boardwalk and exited through the turnstile. I expected to run into a security block. Instead I found myself inside the secured zone. A few steps later I was right at the point where people were being admitted into the stands, having to go through an airport like security check. A minute or two later I found myself sitting in the bleachers, waiting for Hillary.

That was a good day. So was today.

Quanah Parker Park Big Oak Tree & Homeless Shelter

The sky started to drip as soon as I got out of here, intending to go to Oakland Lake Park to walk around Fosdic Lake. And then on to Town Talk.

Instead I went to Quanah Parker Park which is on Randol Mill Road, which is the same road Town Talk is on.

The dripping at Quanah Parker Park was significant enough to have caused unwanted wetness. I walked through the drips til I got under a big oak tree.

I'd not paid attention to the Quanah Parker Park big oak trees before. They must be the Texas equivalent of Old Growth trees.

With the old growth oaks likely born well before Quanah Parker was born to his Anglo mom, Cynthia Ann Parker, who'd been kidnapped by the Comanche when she was 9, eventually becoming one with the tribe and hooking up with the Comanche chief Peta Nocona, then giving birth to Quanah, who became the last great Comanche chief.

And a major legend in these parts, with all sorts of places named after him, like Quanah Parker Park and Parker County, where July 10 the Parker County Peach Festival will take place. After he helped settle the Comanche people on the Kiowa/Comanche/Apache Reservation in what is now Oklahoma, Quanah Parker became a wealthy rancher, often visiting Fort Worth to conduct business. He had 5 wives and 25 children. Many Texans and Oklahomans claim to be related to Quanah Parker.

I saw something troubling at Quanah Parker Park today. A hapless soul was using the covered picnic area as a homeless shelter. At least that was the assumption I made.

It's time for lunch now. I made an Eggplant casserole type thing with Parmesan and Mozzarella. With oven-fried chicken breast and watermelon.

I'm hungry. Talk to you later.

Roller Blading at Quanah Parker Park

Up til about 2 years ago I did a lot of roller blading. It's fun. And good exercise.

On August 11 of 2004 I had a scary roller blading incident that still gives me nightmares. I was up in Washington. On both my birthday and the day I was to fly back to Texas my ex-wife convinced me it'd be fun for me to go roller blading with her riding her bike.

She led me to a nearby park that was an access point to a long paved trail through the woods. She did not tell me the trail started with a long long long steep, very steep downhill.

By the time I realized how steep the hill was it was too late to come to a stop. I rode the brakes as long as I could. When the speed became too fast I had to release the brakes and just try and ride it out. It was awful. I must have hit at least 40 mph. I made it down the hill and started to slow down, to maybe 20 mph, when I came to a wooden bridge. I thought, this is it, I'm gonna crash.

But I didn't.

I was back here in Texas and about a month after my ex-wife tried to kill me I was roller blading at Village Creek Park and had my worst roller blade crash ever. Scraped a huge area of skin off my butt and made the worst bruise I'd ever had. It was months before I got on the blades again.

And then about 2 years ago I had a bike wreck, followed by a minor roller blade wreck. I decided to give up roller blading. Bike wrecks are quick to recover from, roller blading wrecks have always been worse for me.

But, despite resolving to never get on blades again, today I did. I went to the park nearest where I live, Quanah Parker Park. It's got a large paved trail that makes a circle and a connector trail that goes to another paved trail. The photos are from today's roller blading at Quanah Parker Park.

Quanah Parker is a famous Comanche chief. All sorts of things in Texas are named after him, including Parker County. That's where Weatherford is. Quanah Parker's mother, Cynthia Ann Parker, was a white woman who had been kidnapped as a young girl and grew up to adopt the Indian ways. There was a battle with Quanah's tribe and after it was over the Texas Rangers discovered Cynthia. They took her back to her family. Cynthia wanted to return to the Indians. Eventually, with a broken heart, she starved herself to death.

Enough of the history lesson, back to the present and roller blading.

I was wobbly at first, but it's like riding a bike, it comes back to you real fast. Some people have a hard time learning to roller blade. Way back when I thought it'd be fun to have someone to go roller blading with. So, I was somehow convinced to buy Gar the Texan roller blades. If I remember right I went roller blading with him one time. At a park right by his house. He made it about 30 feet and then got a case of the vapors and had to sit down on a bench.

After about an hour of sitting on the bench Gar the Texan had enough strength back to want to go to the bar at Chili's. I never went bike riding, hiking or roller blading with Gar the Texan where the physical exertion did not cause a case of the vapors. It makes me wonder how he manages to do his husbandly bedroom duties without these type incidents.