Fort Worth Weekly Feels We Are Lucky Fort Worth City Leaders Prepared For Storm Bill's Flooding

This afternoon Elsie Hotpepper pointed me to something somewhat amusing in Fort Worth Weekly's online Blotch blog.

That is that which I am talking about, screen capped, but I edited the title due to this being a family friendly blog, which for common decency's sake does not use vulgarities of the F-word sort, lest some young impressionable mind see such and conclude such is appropriate in polite society.

So, I changed the title to "More Fun Rain!"

The blurb which caught the Hotpepper's eye was....

Did you ever think we’d be complaining about too much rain in Texas? Even Pete Delkus is wearing arm floaties to work. Luckily our city leaders are preparing for the latest round of rainfall brought by Hurri-storm Bill, the least menacing-sounding name for a storm since Hurricane Mildred is the ’40s.

Who would these Fort Worth city leaders be who are preparing for this latest round of flooding? And how is it they are preparing?

The same city leaders who led so ineptly when the West 7th area was rapidly developed, with little attention paid to drainage, turning the area into a lake when too much rain falls?

The same city leaders who go along with America's Biggest Boondoggle, that supposed flood control project combined with an economic development project which has been going basically nowhere in slow motion for well over a decade?

The same city leaders who have done nothing when gas drillers drilling in Fort Worth, particularly East Fort Worth, alter the topography, causing flooding where no flooding had occurred previously?

What has gone awry at Fort Worth Weekly?

It's like what used to be the only publication Fort Worth had which came close to being a real newspaper has now been co-opted and has taken to operating in the Fort Worth Way, as in kowtowing to the ruling oligarchy, blindly spewing the party line's propaganda, the flooded people be damned....

Tropical Storm Bill Visiting Miss Puerto Rico's Babies Thinking About Sending A Postcard From Hawaii

This afternoon I got a catcall from Miss Puerto Rico's babies, Stella and Bella, telling me I should come over for a visit so I could take a picture from Miss Puerto Rico's high rise balcony of the remnants of Tropical Storm Bill while Bill slowly makes his exit from North Texas.

Rain has ceased dripping, for now. I've not heard any thunder booms. I am assuming the worst of this latest Texas weather calamity is over.

When I entered their abode, Stella and Bella were lounging in their sun room. The babies no longer run away from me and hide. The girls are not yet one year old but they are BIG. Stella started out as the runt, but she is now bordering on being chubby.

I forgot to mention, in the view above you are looking north, Dallas is to the right, beautiful downtown Fort Worth is to the left.

Changing the subject from Bill and babies to something else.

Yesterday I said something along the line that I wondered if Spencer Jack would be sending his great-grandparental units in Arizona a postcard from Hawaii.

That generated an amusing comment from someone calling him or herself Anonymous....

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Talking To My Mom While Staying Dry Waiting For Tropical Storm Bill":

I'm not sure Spencer Jack knows what a postcard is or how they are suppose to work. Is that an app on his IPod? This blogger is sure dating himself.

Well, let's Google "Honolulu Postcards" and see if such a thing still exists in this century....

Hundreds upon hundreds of Hawaii themed postcards are available to be sent to great-grandparental units who are not connected to the Internet or an iPod, but who do have a mailbox.

Let me see if I can remember when last I opened my mailbox to find a postcard.

I remember, it was a couple years ago, I got several postcards from Alaska, sent by Spencer Jack and his dad's, former aunts. Spencer Jack and his dad's replacement aunts frequently travel in their RV. I am sure they send postcards whilst they are roadtripping.

Now that you are making me think about it I can not remember the last time I mailed a postcard to anyone.

Tropical Storm Bill Has Arrived With A Structurally Compromised Precinct Line Bridge Over The Trinity River

My limited photographer skills prevented me from capturing what my eyes were seeing looking out my computer room window at trees swaying and a downpour pouring down due to the arrival this morning of Tropical Storm Bill.

By the time I got in the pool, soon after dawn's early light, Bill had already almost filled the pool to the max.

I felt a bit foolish when I got in the water in a heavy downpour due to having brought a towel with me, in a plastic bag, to keep it dry.

I'm assuming I don't need to explain why taking a towel to a pool in a tropical downpour is foolish.

I heard a few minutes ago, via the radio, that both D/FW and Love Field are shut down due to the rain.

Last night, on Facebook, I had an interesting conversation in which I learned that a bridge I use every once in awhile to cross the Trinity River is now closed, damaged by the Memorial Day flood. I'll copy part of that Facebook conversation below...

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  Miki Hojnacki Von Luckner Hey, have you heard that the one way the East side of FW had in/out during the last storm surge is no longer a viable route? The bridge at Precinct and Trinity became "structurally compromised during the flooding" and is now closed indefinitely. So if Precinct South of Trinity and Trinity East and West of Precinct flood again we are water locked in/out of our neighborhood? I know it's not all TRWD because of the poorly timed construction of ALL roads in our area but if better flood control, well. . . .

  Like · Reply · 1 · 18 hrs · Edited
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  Durango Jones Well, that's gonna make the traffic mess on 820 a bit worse. I've used that Precinct Line route to avoid the crowded freeway many a time. I hope The Boondoggle is not gonna be in charge of building a new Precinct Line bridge. It takes them four years to build a bridge over dry land, over water would really vex the process....

  Like · Reply · 4 · 18 hrs
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  Miki Hojnacki Von Luckner Well it's taking the city over 2 years to rebuild the flood damaged Trinity bridge between Norwood and Bell Spur. Mind you it's being rebuilt at the same level with no efforts to alleviate flooding every time it rains. So it would be anyone's guess who's helping with that project. . .

  Like · 18 hrs

During the Memorial Day flooding, after I checked out the flooded Mallard Cove Park, I headed east on Randol Mill Road and discovered the road closed just past the River Bottom Bar. That is close to the now defunct bridge. I knew the Precinct Line Bridge was closed during the flood, due to the Trinity getting too close, or topping over the bridge.

Til last night I did not know the bridge had been structurally compromised. That backroads route is a frequently used bypass to get past rush hour traffic jams.

Those of us in East Fort Worth have lost yet one more avenue of escape...

UPDATE: I think I am confused about what bridge or bridges have been structurally compromised by the Memorial Day Flood. After reading my blogging about the Precinct Line Bridge Ms. Von Luckner Facebook messaged me, which resulted in the following, possibly, clarifying exchange.....

Ms. Von Luckner: Hey you !! Fun that I'm part of one of your write ups yet wanted to be sure you understood which bridge. It's the one over Walker Branch Creek between Hwy 10 & Trinity Blvd (the creek meets up with the Trinity River). A new bridge is under construction and I guess the old bridge was "not shored up" enough to handle the rains so they closed the road at Trinity indefinitely.  I love reading all your posts !!

Me: You're talking about the other flood damaged bridge between Norwood and Bell Spur? Or are you saying that the Precinct Line bridge across the Trinity is not closed due to structural woes?

Ms. Von Luckner: There are 2 bridges on Precinct. The one closest to Mary, not damaged, and the smaller one between Hwy 10 & Precinct but it's not over the Trinity River, it's over Walker Branch Creek that feeds into the Trinity and also flows under the bridge between Bell Spur & Norwood.  Confusing I know, everyone thinks that's the Trinity River but it connects to it I believe kind of close to the horse ranch down from Mary's place.

Me again, near as I can tell I guess one can still cross the Trinity River on the Precinct Line bridge, but ones progress north will come to an end due to another bridge problem over another body of water.

Talking To My Mom While Staying Dry Waiting For Tropical Storm Bill

I don't think Tropical Storm Bill is scheduled to arrive at my location on the planet til tomorrow.

But, as you can see, looking west over the security fence spears which protect me from evil deeds by evil doers, it's already looking stormy.

A few drops dripped on me this morning whilst in the pool. Drops steadily dripped on me a few minutes ago when I walked up the hill to Albertsons.

If this incoming Tropical Storm drops Hurricane Hermine levels of water, what then? What with the rivers and reservoirs already full.

Changing the subject from one Tropical Storm to another one.

When I woke up my phone this morning I saw that my mom had called me twice yesterday in the early evening. I had my phone with me at all times. I got other calls. But I heard no mom calls ringing and the two missed calls thing did not show up til this morning.

So, I texted my dad to ask if they were home and by the phone. Dad texted back with a yes. So, I called their land line, mom answers on the first ring, with me telling mom that I hear you are home and by the phone.

Apparently when mom called yesterday both times it rang and rang and rang and then a recording said something like you may now dial the number of the party you want to speak to.

Mom and dad did not know their one and only great grandson, Spencer Jack, was currently surfing in Hawaii. I hope Spencer Jack finds the time to send his great grandparental units a postcard from Hawaii.