Remembering Pooling With Nephew David In Arizona

The Microsoft OneDrive Memory from this Day, arriving in my email a few minutes ago, was definitely not from this day in July.

This particular memory happened one day in March of the year 2019.

Over five years ago.

That would be me lifting nephew David out of my sister Jackie's pool in Chandler, Arizona. I think David is 15 years old now, which would have made him 10 when I was able to lift him. I doubt I could do that now.

I can not remember when last I got wet in a swimming pool. I do not like the pool at my current location. No shade and the water gets way too warm.

The cold snap, which last week was predicted for this week, never much materialized. I think one day this week managed to stay in the low 90s at the hottest. 

My Friday walking venue was once again Walmart.

The Walmart anthropological observations are particularly interesting when the temperature is way too HOT, and way too many attire themselves in way too skimpy, ill-fitting clothing, revealing way too many garish tattoos, and other things best not seen in public.

Do some people not own mirrors?

Perplexing Survey Experience With Walmart

Perplexing email this morning from Walmart. The email asks that I confirm I visited the Greenbriar Road Walmart on March 12, 2024 to begin a survey about my Walmart shopping experience to get a chance to win a $1,000 gift card.

I never win anything, ever, that I can remember, so I clicked to Begin Survey.

After answering several questions that seemed totally easy to answer, the survey suddenly took a perplexing turn which I can not figure out.

The survey mentioned several items I bought that day and asked me to rank them.

How does Walmart know what I bought that day and thus able to link that information to my email address?

The only identifying element is I do use a debit card. And that debit card does have my name on it. 

But how could that debit card lead Walmart to my email address?

If this survey was from Amazon it would not be at all perplexing. Amazon knows my email address, as it is linked to my Amazon account.

I have no Walmart account. 

Even if I did have a Walmart account that still would not explain how Walmart linked my purchases that day, to me, and my email address.

There likely is a simple explanation which I am too simple to figure out...

Final February Rainy Day Walmart Walk With Alligator Nuggets

I have not ventured into the outer world for walking purposes the past couple days due to cold temperatures and strong winds rendering doing such to be unpleasant.

Today, on the last day of the second month of 2024, we are still cold, not so windy, but rain has been added to the weather mix.

The rain seems to have dampened down the smoke blowing in from the Texas Panhandle wildfires.

So, today, what with beginning to feel the effects of wanton slothfulness, I made my way to my nearest Walmart, for a cart pushing walk with the Walmart throngs.

I walked 44 move minutes, according to my phone's Google Fit app.

During the course of those 44 Walmart Google move minutes I walked by the seafood display. 

Are Gator Nuggets and Filet of Alligator sold in Walmart's outside of the South? That is what you see photo documented above.

I have not had myself any Gator Nuggets or Filet of Alligator, and have zero intention of ever doing so.

I don't even like catfish, which is a sad seafood staple here in the South...

Nightly Walmart Swarm Of Thousands Of Blackbirds

Alfred Hitchcock Birds night, again, at my least favorite local Walmart. Thousands of these devils fly about, as the sun sets, looking for a roosting location. The photo does zero justice to how bizarre this is.

Thousands of what I have been told are blackbirds, roosting on every tree, on every building. Filling the sky. 

It is like a dystopian nightmare of bird weirdness.

Til I was corrected by a self-proclaimed ornithologist, I thought these birds were grackles.

I have been seeing this blackbird swarm at Walmart, and neighboring stores, for about a month. And that first experience with the blackbird invasion was a doozy. I drove onto the Walmart parking lot, immediately startled by seeing so many birds, in the air, in trees, on the pavement, on the building's edge, lined up like sentinels doing guard duty.

I parked, opened the door to find myself startled by two extremely loud explosions across the street.

Explosions with fireballs.

I quickly assumed the birds had somehow shorted out a transformer. Or two.

And then walking towards the Walmart entry I saw the store was dark. The exploding transformers had knocked out Walmart's power. Oddly, the stores on the side of the street where the transformers exploded, still had power.

Why do these birds choose to roost each night at Walmart, and Walmart's neighbors, like ALDI and Home Depot? Where do the birds go during the day? Why don't they choose to nightly roost at a less congested by humans location, like Lucy Park, or Lake Wichita Park?

It is quite perplexing...

Today I Had A Walmart Wardrobe Malfunction

One of my pathetically regular entertainments is to go to Walmart in a sort of anthropological expedition frame of mine, marveling at the number of people who apparently do not have a mirror at home.

Or don't care how they look when they look in the mirror.

Of late it has been way too many way too big women stuffed into way too short shorts. With tattoos. And piercings.

So, today I had myself a judge not lest ye be judged moment, related to Walmart.

I needed milk. And so, instead of getting my daily dose of endorphins via aerobic walking stimulation in an outdoor venue, I opted to get the endorphins in the air-conditioned comfort of Walmart.

My Walmart walking attire was simple. Sandals, cargo shorts, t-shirt. That's it.

When I put on the cargo shorts and bent over to strap in the sandals I heard a slight tearing noise. I felt around and felt no disruption in the cargo short material.

So, I drove the short distance to Walmart. Exited the vehicle and thought, well, the breeze is feeling extra refreshing today.

Inside Walmart the air-conditioning seemed extra cooling.

I got in my miles of Walmart walking and then drove back home, where I took off my walking clothes to put on my making lunch clothes.

When I took off the cargo shorts I instantly was mortified to see a HUGE tear in the back pocket zone.

A HUGE hole. Which is what you see photo documented above.

I do not know how much bare flesh was exposed as I walked around Walmart, oblivious to the possible spectacle.

I hope no one took a photo that will show up on Facebook as part of the "People of Walmart" series...

115 Degrees With Soaring COVID Cases In Wichita County

Yesterday, Saturday, the last day of the month of July in the year 2021, around 6pm I exited air conditioned coolness to drive to Walmart.

The outer world was HOT.

I got in my vehicle and saw the vehicle's temperature monitor was indicating it was 115 degrees HOT.  I attempted to take a photo documenting the temperature, which you will see, above, if you look closely at the right side of the rear view mirror.

Entering Walmart something happened which has never happened previously during the era of COVID. A Walmart employee was handing out masks. Since being vaccinated I have not been doing the masking thing. I asked the person handing out the masks if Walmart was reversing their masking policy due to the new CDC recommendations. Yes was her reply.

The CDC is recommending that even those who have been vaccinated mask up when out and about where humans congregate. So, I put on my new Walmart mask and proceeded into the store, to find myself freshly appalled to see way too many refusing to be masked, even with Walmart giving you a mask upon entry.

 

And then this morning, the first day of the 2021 version of August I read, via the Wichita Falls Times Record News, that COVID cases are soaring again at this relatively isolated area of Texas.
 

I read elsewhere this morning that Walmart has reversed its masking policy, and I'm thinking, due to what I experienced last night, maybe Walmart will maybe perhaps be more assertive with the mask requirement.

For weeks now upon entering Walmart you see a big sign telling you that you can get vaccinated, for free, at the Walmart pharmacy.

In Walmart If You Can't Find A Price You Can't Find It Right Here

 The past couple weeks I have seen in the two Walmarts I way too frequently frequent what you see documented above in a photo my phone took a few minutes ago.

I refer to that big arrow pointing down, with the signage advising shoppers "Can't find a price? You can check it right here."

Except you can't. The price scanner devices have been removed from those two aforementioned Walmarts which I way too frequently frequent.

These now meaningless arrow pointing signs are located throughout the stores. These price check scanners were useful due to the fact that Walmart can be a bit sloppy with making clear the cost of an item sitting on a shelf with a lot of other items.

When the Walmart price scanners were still available one would see products left near the scanner, leading one to assume that someone checked the price and found out it was not what they were expecting. And so left the product at the scanner location.

Now, I have not found Walmart making pricing mistakes often, and by mistake I mean that the price which rings up is not the price indicated by the price sticker on the shelf. 

With Walmart I have found the price mistake can go either way, as in more than I thought the cost was, or less. The most recent example of the latter is I picked up a pack of frozen salmon filets, thought the pack was $11, due to the price tag on the shelf under the salmon. But, those frozen salmon filets rang up at $7.94. 

When I lived in Washington there was a grocery store which was chronic with price mistakes.

Albertsons.

I was appalled when I first arrived in Texas and asked a local what was the best grocery store in the area, with Albertsons being the answer.

There used to be an Albertsons in the town I am currently in, but, I think the three Walmarts in this town caused Albertsons to not be able to survive. Even though Albertsons aggravated me, this did not stop me from buying something there every once in awhile.

Such as the Albertsons fried chicken. I liked their fried chicken...

Wichita Falls Greenbrier Walmart Power Outage Wipeout

Last night, soon before the sun set, I drove to the Walmart nearest to my location, known as the Greenbrier Walmart, due to being located on a road called Greenbrier.

This Walmart, unlike my other nearby Walmart, lost power for the same amount of time I was without electricity. 

I figured Walmarts likely have backup power generators, so as not to lose that which needs to be frozen or refrigerated.

I figured wrong.

Walking into the Greenbrier Walmart last night I instantly saw something was dire wrong. Little produce in the produce section, as you can in the next photo.

Continuing on the meat section was wiped out.

Below is the frozen food area where one finds ice cream and pizza, among other things frozen.

I don't know why Walmart tossed all the frozen stuff. It likely stayed frozen when the power went out. Stuff in my freezer stayed frozen. Stuff in the refrigerator stayed refrigerated in my refrigerator during the duration of having no electricity.

Above is where one usually finds milk products.

I wonder what all this lost stock cost? 

And below is a meme I gleaned from Facebook, giving advice about how to survive this week in Texas...

Tarheel Hunting In Walmart With Spencer Jack & Jason

 

Yesterday, after I blogged about Spencer Jack and his dad having had themselves a mighty fine time Space Needling and Monorailing in Seattle I emailed Spencer Jack and Jason asking a couple questions about a couple subjects.

Such as how is Spencer doing with the ongoing COVID school restrictions? And how was the Fidalgo Drive-In doing with dine in dining still banned in Washington?

Following those couple questions I told Spencer Jack and Jason how bad it is here in Texas, with restaurants packed with dine in diners. And that I am regularly appalled seeing deplorables mask-less in Walmart.

Mask-less with cases and deaths soaring in Wichita Falls and Texas, whilst Washington's and the Skagit Valley's COVID statistics are not nearly as dire.

Jason had texted me election night asking if Texas was gonna stay red, turn purple or actually wise up and turn blue. If I remember right I texted back saying that many are thinking if Tarrant County turns blue it will turn Texas blue. So, in this latest email I made mention of the fact that eventually Biden did win in Tarrant County, but this did not turn Texas blue. It did not even turn Tarrant County blue.

After lamenting Tarrant County still being red I lamented the county I am in now, what with Wichita County going 3 to 1 for Trump. 

Regarding restaurants here being open to interior dining and those mask-less fools in Walmart, and Trumpers being a big majority here, I lamented the extreme high level of ignorance here, saying "you just can not fix stupid by mandate here".

That is four times "here" in one sentence. Here, here, here, here.

So, Jason replied to this morning's email before Spencer Jack drove him out of town for a couple day getaway. The part of Jason's email about his Walmart experience with masks in the Mount Vernon Walmart was amusing...

I've only seen less than a handful of people not wearing masks in the last couple months.   Ironically, one was a grossly obese woman who Spencer and I witnessed walk into Walmart last night without a mask.   But that is rare sight.   Not an obese woman at Walmart, but an unmasked one.   I'm sure she was most likely from "upriver."  She was with her two daughters who also didn't have masks, but wore one of those small chin shields.   The daughters also had the upriver look--pajamas, t-shirts that are too small, no bras, each probably weighing 350 lbs, etc.

Seems like Jason is describing a regular sighting at my closest Walmart.

For those not from the Skagit Valley I must explain what is meant by thinking someone must be from upriver. As long as I can remember there has been an enclave upriver, meaning up the Skagit River, as in east, out of the flatlands, with that enclave being heavily populated by what locals refer to as Tarheels. 

Growing up in the valley I always thought Tarheel was slang for people from the South. But, now that I am older and wiser I think Tarheel is state specific, as in one of the Carolinas. The town of Sedro-Woolley's high school was known to have a lot of Tarheels in attendance, as did the town of Concrete's high school, further up the valley.

The Walmarts in Wichita Falls are each quite different. The one closest to my abode, a mile distant, is the one where I most often see mask-less fools, and Texans looking like slovenly Tarheels.

The Walmart which is about 2.5 miles northwest from my abode, seems to have a much different clientele. I have never seen someone mask-less there, including today. And way fewer Tarheel sorts.

The most distant from my abode Walmart is up north about 8 miles, near Sheppard Air Force base, and thus also has a much different clientele. That Walmart seems to be the most like Walmarts I have been in in non-Southern locations, like Arizona, Oregon and Washington.

During this ongoing COVID nightmare of reduced things to do, one of my entertainments is to go to my closest Walmart on a Sunday. I think this must be the day when people who live out in the country come in to town to do their shopping. I have seen so many disturbing things, and overheard so many disturbing conversations. 

I have said it before, and now I will say it again. Walmart is missing a revenue generating opportuning by not installing an elevated viewing platform, charging admittance and selling adult libations for viewers to imbibe whilst watching the People of Walmart...

Joining Walmart Masketeers & Fiesty Old Ladies With Wichita Falls Murals

This Tuesday morning I joined the throngs of Walmart masketeers seeking goods to purchase.

Starting yesterday Walmart is requiring all who enter to be wearing a mask of some sort. A gatekeeper in black guards the entry, preventing any from entering without proper protection.

The south entry to Walmart, both at the one I went to this morning, and the one across the street from ALDI, is now blocked from entry or exit. This makes for a slight annoyance if you park at the south end of the parking lot, and object to being subjected to an unexpected walk.

At that Walmart by ALDI I witnessed a hunched over cane using gray haired elderly lady standing at the now blocked exit, knocking on the glass door. I had told her that entry is blocked and the only way in is at the other entry.

We shall see about that, she said to me.

I like feisty old ladies, unless they are open carrying, and this one's only weapon was her cane. I did not stay around long enough to see if someone let her in.

So, the south self checkout is still open, even though the south exit is not. So, I self checked out at the south end, and when done I soon found myself seeing that which you see above.

A large Wichita Falls mural. An informational sign next to this informed it was part of some sort of local mural project. I should have taken a photo of that informational sign so that I would have the correct information, including who made the mural.

Wichita Falls is known for having murals all over town, well, mostly the downtown zone. Some are quite large.

And that has been my COVID-19 excitement for today. Later this afternoon I expect to go on a bike ride...

Dawn Walmart Shopping Fun With MSU Sun Watching Wildflowers

Winter has once again retreated at my location on the planet.

Closing in on 90 degrees mid afternoon on this 7th day of the 2020 version of April.

And, I saw today, whilst rolling my bike's wheels around town, that we do not have to wait for April showers to bring May flowers.

I saw big tulips blooming today, along with my favorite Texas wildflower, the Evening Primrose, pink version.

I do not see many tulips coloring the Texas landscape, nothing like what colors up the Skagit Flats of my old home zone in Washington. But, these tulips today where doing quite well in this inhospitable climate. Huge blooms.

I did no photo documenting of the huge tulips because they were blooming on private property. People can get all worried if they see you taking photos of something on their property, even if you are doing the picture taking from the public street. Best not to risk antagonizing anyone during these troubling times.

Speaking of which. This morning I joined the throngs descending on Walmart soon upon opening.

There are now crowd control barriers like what one experiences waiting to get on what used to be known as an E Ticket ride at Disneyland.

I arrived a half hour after the actual early morning opening, so I did not get the full experience. It was described to me by the guy whose job, it now is, to hold a touch tablet people counting device to track the number entering and leaving the store. He told me the line waiting for the store to open went past the barrier, which extended for at least a couple hundred feet.

I assume the long control line was taking into account the 6 feet distancing rule.

So, I managed to get most of what I was looking for, including two sanitizing products.

And then around noon, with the outer world beginning to get HOT, I went on that aforementioned bike ride where I saw the wildflowers, and that statue you see at the top, which hovers over the MSU ghost university.

The big statue is called Sun Watcher.

Today, unlike yesterday, the Sun Watcher has some actual sun to watch...

No More Wine Drinking Cart Driving At My Favorite Wichita Falls Walmart

Of late, at least once a week, as I pull out of the carport, I call my mom to ask if she would like to ride with me to Walmart.

Mom always says sure, and then asks what the weather is doing. I then tell mom something like its almost freezing and windy, so bundle up warm.

So, mom is regularly reminded of a Wichita Falls Walmart.

And then this week my favorite Wichita Falls Walmart made the national, and maybe, international news.

Which had mom asking me, the last time she rode with me to Walmart, if I knew that lady who got banned from Walmart for riding around the store on an electric cart drinking wine from a Pringles can.

I told mom I was not aware of knowing this particular wine drinking lady. And that the interesting characters I encounter at this Walmart are one of the reasons I find going there to be entertaining.

The news stories about this woman getting banned from Walmart are not excessively detailed. Usually pretty much nothing more than the headline. I thought those who do not have access to the Wichita Falls news might find the story, as covered in the Wichita Falls Times News Record, to be interesting, and maybe slightly amusing....

Wichita Falls PD: Woman riding cart drinking wine from Pringles can barred from Walmart

Wichita Falls police received a rather unique call Friday morning involving a woman drinking wine in a Walmart parking lot.

Employees requested officers to ban a woman from the local Walmart store after she reportedly had been drinking wine from a Pringles can for several hours while riding on an electric cart.

The incident began shortly after 9 a.m. Friday when officers responded to a call to check on a suspicious person in the parking lot of Walmart, 2700 Central East Fwy.

Officer Jeff Hughes, a WFPD spokesperson, said police were told by dispatchers that they were looking for a woman wearing a blue jacket and black pants.

The woman was reportedly riding on an electric shopping cart more commonly used for people with physical limitations. Officers were also told she was drinking wine from a Pringle's can.

Hughes said the reporting party said the suspect had been riding around in the store's parking lot since 6:30 a.m. while drinking the alcoholic beverage.

When officers arrived, they found the woman in a nearby restaurant, at which point she was notified that she had been barred from the Walmart location.

_______________

As you see, even in the local news, the details are minimal. Such as, how does one drink wine from a Pringles can? Are those potato chip cans watertight?  And what was this woman's blood alcohol level after riding around for hours drinking wine from that Pringles can? And was she arrested and charged with a DUI, in addition to being banned from Walmart?

Mom and I have not been to Walmart since the Pringle wine drinking incident. Maybe we'll go there later today. Likely not though. Too cold out there currently for mom's and my delicate nature...

Space Force's Donald Trump In Fort Worth Walmart With Betsy Price

On Wednesday, which was yesterday, I found myself in the Beach Street Fort Worth Walmart.

I was barely inside this particular Walmart when I heard a loud speaker speaking loudly.

This seemed not to be my usual Walmart experience.

A second or two later I found myself asking a fellow Walmarter what was going on with all this loud speaking.

My fellow Walmarter told me she thought there was some sort of celebrity posing for photos with TV news people.

I ventured in the direction of the loud speaking and soon found myself able to take the photo you see above.

One of Donald Trump's best friends, and possible former girl friend, Fort Worth mayor, Betsy Price, posing with what looked to be some sort of caricature of Betsy's best friend in his Space Force uniform.

There were multiple dozens of people attending this event. I have never seen so many cell phones held overhead in photo taking mode.

Apparently a lot of Fort Worth locals are thrilled to be in the presence of someone close to Donald Trump....

Need For Changed Oil Eventually Takes Me To A Wichita Falls Dock On A Bay

When I ignited my motorized means of vehicular transportation this morning the dashboard told me something like I should change the oil soon.

I am a big fan of being right on top of vehicle maintenance, never procrastinating on these type issues.

So, since I was driving to Walmart, among other destinations, and knowing Walmart had an Auto Care Department, I figured what could go wrong with a Walmart oil change?

I figured right. It was an efficient operation. I walked in, said I needed an oil change, was told to park the vehicle at the first open bay, did so. A Walmart auto tech guy was quickly there with a high tech handheld device taking down all the vital information.

I was given a card to scan on the in store price check scanning devices, with the card scanning telling me the status of the oil change whilst I did my search for Walmart goods. The first time I scanned the card I was told "Waiting". The second time I scanned the card I was told "In Bay".

I did not scan the card a third time because the in store loudspeaker loudly told me that "Mr. Jones, your vehicle is ready."

The whole process took about 15 minutes.

Leaving Walmart I took the out in the country route, leaving Wichita Falls to make my way to Lake Wichita for some maritime refreshment via a location I'd not been to previously, that being the Lake Wichita Boat Launch and Dock.

Walking out to the end of the Dock was a bit of a rickety boardwalk experience that I liked.

In the  photo documentation above, way in the distance you can see Mount Wichita looming over the far side of the lake.

I had originally planned to do some mountain climbing on Mount Wichita today, But, with the temperature semi-hot in the mid 80s, and with no wind blowing, I opted not to overheat via mountain climbing and instead acquired endorphins via negative ions zapping from the slow moving waves on the lake.

Rainy Walmart Drive With Mom To A Mallard Cove Mystery

When I was a young lad I recollect on days like this my mom would sing a song part of which went something like "rain rain go away, come again another day..."

Since Thanksgiving Texas has been reminding me of what a Washington winter can be like. Day after day after day after day after day of rain.

And cold.

But there is one HUGE difference. When the rain in Washington finally stops and the sky is once again blue you look in just about any direction and you see these things called mountains, snow-capped, this time of year. If the sky ever turns blue again, at my current location, no matter which direction I look I will not be seeing any snow-capped mountains.

I tried going jogging this morning. That did not go well after a downpour started getting me extra wet. About an hour before noon I texted my mom and dad to ask "Are you kids home and by the phone?" My dad texted back with a "Yes".

So, I called and asked mom if she wanted to ride to Walmart with me in the rain. Mom was onboard for the Walmart trip.

I got gas a couple days ago but it was not convenient to call my mom, like I usually do, when I get gas, to tell mom how much it cost. That and usually also mentioning the temperature.

After I finished my walk around Walmart I returned to Mallard Cove Park for the third day in a row. I figured the flood would be flooding much higher, what with a lot of rain continuing to fall.

Instead, when Mallard Cove came in to view I was surprised to see the water had receded quite a distance. Today's photo through the rain spattered windshield sort of shows you the Mallard Cove reduction, compared to the photos from Friday and Saturday.

Why has the river level gone down whilst rain still falls in copious amounts?

If this were in the aforementioned Washington, in my old home zone of the Skagit Valley, when the flooding Skagit River suddenly drops it means only one thing. A dike downstream has broken.

I remember a flood event back in the early 1990s. The storm that sank one of the Lake Washington floating bridges. Downtown Mount Vernon was in major emergency mode. An army of locals poured into downtown to help sandbag, along with a couple hundred servicemen from the Whidbey Island Naval Station. Or was it the National Guard?

I remember I was at home, about midnight, watching the flood news on TV, when the coverage went live to Mount Vernon, where the KING 5 news guy was making it sound like hundreds of people were making their way to downtown to save the library.

It was about a three mile drive from my abode to downtown Mount Vernon. About 15 minutes after hearing the library was in danger I was parking on a hill above downtown and making my way to the library.

Where I learned the library was not in actual immediate danger, but was ground zero for sand bag filling operations, I was told they had plenty of sandbaggers, but able bodied sorts were needed on the revetment (think dike with a parking lot on top) to help build a sand bag wall.

Soon I  found myself in a bucket  brigade type operation. This went on for a couple hours til about a 5 foot wall extended the length of downtown.

The river was predicted to crest around noon, if I remember right. It was expected to topple over the sandbag wall, by a slight amount, hopefully not enough to flood downtown Mount Vernon, which is sort of like New Orleans, as in below the river level when it is in flood mode.

So, before the expected crest I made my way to downtown Mount Vernon again, along with a lot of other people. We were kept a distance away, safe from a catastrophic flood wall failure. We watched as the river rose higher and higher, reaching to the top of the sandbag wall, then starting to go over the wall in spots.

Then, suddenly the water level dropped by a foot, or more.

What happened? No one knew. Soon emergency sirens were wailing. Helicopters were in the air.

I do not remember how long it was before it was known that the dike had broken downriver a couple miles, about a 200 foot breech in the dike that protected Fir Island from a flooding Skagit River.

When the Skagit River reaches Fir Island it splits into two forks, the north and the south forks of the Skagit River. The west side of Fir Island is a body of water known as Skagit Bay, which is part of another body of water known as Puget Sound.

Those reading this who live in the environs of Fort Worth, Fir Island is a real island, surrounded on all sides by moving water. There are two bridges that cross the Skagit River on to Fir Island. Both built in well under four years, and both built over a wide deep river, not dry land.

Those reading this who do not live in the environs of Fort Worth, who are wondering why I am explaining Fir Island's island status and bridges, well, here in Fort Worth we have this pseudo public works project which has been boondoggling along for almost all of this century, with very little to show for the effort.

This project has gone by many names. Currently it is the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island Vision.

Known by many as America's Biggest Boondoggle.

Over a year ago The Boondoggle had a big celebration to celebrate the supposed start of construction on its three simple little bridges being built over dry land to connect the Fort Worth mainland to an imaginary island.

A month or so ago The Boondoggle launched a publicity propaganda burst to proudly share the news that wooden forms were able to be seen being constructed at the location where the only one of the three bridges is currently sort of under construction.

I think I got off subject.

So, the breech in the Fir Island dike caused the Skagit River to flood Fir Island, doing a lot of damage.

When the river receded the dike was quickly repaired. Then, two weeks later, another storm caused another flood. The sandbag wall was still in place. Once again the river rose to a level which was going to top the sandbag wall and once again the Fir Island dike broke. This time not as catastrophically, because the damage  had already been done two weeks previous.

So, what caused the water level in Mallard Cove to drop since yesterday? I drove no further east, on Randol Mill Road, than Mallard Cove. That road is a bit of a pot holed bump fest to drive on any old time. With the flooding driving that road becomes a bit treacherous, what with flooding creeks rushing water over the road and deep puddles.

The sky is actually looking brighter right now than it has in days. Is the gray coming to an end? Will blue sky return tomorrow with clear views of the gorgeous surrounding landscape....

Black Friday In Walmart Wondering About Humanity Sanity Before Seeing A Flooding Trinity River

Donald Trump being the Republican front runner has a lot of people concerned about the sanity of a large number of my fellow Americans.

Well, I was finding myself concerned about the sanity of a large number of my fellow Americans when I had myself a Walmart visit on this Black Friday.

As I drove on to the Sam's Club/Walmart parking lot I saw the largest woman I have ever seen. She was loading stuff into her trunk. She was as wide as her trunk. How was she able to drive I found myself wondering. But, I did not linger long enough to satisfy my curiosity.

The two ladies you see using motorized transplant inside Walmart were dainty in comparison to the large woman I just got done telling you about.

In Walmart today I saw an inordinate number of people ill-fitted into clothes, sporting too much weight for the clothes they were stuffing themselves in to, along with sporting tattoos, piercings and one with his ear lobes enlarged into big circles.

The guy with the expanded ear lobes looked quite slovenly.

It always perplexes me when I see such things, wondering why would getting tattoos and piercings and ear lobe expansions be something one thought improved or enhanced their appearance, when there are other things one would think would come first. Like losing weight, getting a haircut, wearing clothes that fit, that type thing.

I did not realize so much rain had dropped during the current storm til I  learned, on Facebook, via Mary Kelleher, that the Trinity has once again flooded her ranch, with some of her cow babies needing a middle of the night rescue from the unexpected flood.

After leaving Walmart, on the way back to relative safety, I drove Randol Mill Road and was surprised to see how high the flood waters  had risen.  Eventually I drove into Mallard Cove Park.

The water appears to have risen higher than last spring's flood, which was the first time I ever saw Mallard Cove Park flooded. I did not get out of my vehicle. Those are big raindrops hitting my windshield you see above looking like Village Creek ghosts.

More rain is on the menu for the next several days. Not good.

My Defective Walmart Air Bed Somehow Turned Into An OSHA Bed Bug Issue With Me Getting Some Beauty Rest

Last week, after the Super Bowl, I mentioned in a blogging that an air bed that I bought at Walmart had had a massive failure upon first inflation.

Yesterday I stuck the defective air bed back in its box and attempted to return it to "Satisfaction Guaranteed Or Your Money Back" Walmart.

There was no line when I got to the customer service center, which quickly removed one potential annoyance.

I sat the air bed box on the counter and handed the customer service guy the receipt whilst I explained how the air bad had massively failed upon first inflation.

And then the experience turned into a Seinfeld episode.

The customer service guy, in a very friendly manner, told me that it was good that I returned the product in its original box. And that it was good that I had the receipt.

But, if I was wanting my purchase price refunded, that was not possible, because I'd opened the box.

Huh? said I. How would I know the product was defective without opening the box? Walmart sold me a defective product, how can you not give me a refund?

It is an OSHA regulation about bed bugs and air beds, said the customer service guy.

Are you making some sort of joke, said I?

Another customer service person chimed in that it was not a joke, pointing me toward a list stuck to a wall, one of which was an OSHA regulation not allowing the return of air beds, due to bed bugs.

I asked the customer service guy why would the Occupational Safety & Health Administration have a rule about bed bugs and air beds that causes Walmart to not make good on its satisfaction guaranteed guarantee?

The customer service guy then totally empathized with me thinking this was totally nuts.

The customer service guy then told me that while Walmart could not refund the purchase price I could have in-store credit for the amount of the purchase price, or get another air bed of equal or higher price.

Why would I want to go through the bother of trying out another of these INTEK air beds, I asked?

The customer service guy then told me I could get an air bed from another manufacturer as a replacement.

I said something like are you telling me I can go get another air bed, that costs more than the the defective one, from a different brand?

Yes, was the answer.

So, I walked to where the air beds were located and picked up a Queen sized Beautyrest air bed.

The defective INTEK air bed cost something like $59.95, plus tax. The Beautyrest air bed cost $89.95.

I took the Beautyrest air bed to the customer service guy. He quickly made the transaction and had me sign something and gave me a new receipt.

I left Walmart with the new Beautyrest air bed, leaving the INTEK air bed with the customer service guy.

Now, why, if OSHA thinks returned air beds present a bed bug danger, did Walmart keep the possibly bed bug infested air bed?

Why could Walmart not simply refund my money and then stick the possibly bed bug infested air bed in to some HAZMAT container, prior to incineration?

I went to the OSHA website to see if I could find the specific regulation regarding bed bugs and air beds.

I found nothing about air beds. I did find some OSHA bed bug issues.

Googling 'air beds bed bugs' I found that there are people recommending that if you have a bed bug woe that you might want to switch to sleeping on an air bed, because air beds are not happy homes for bed bugs!

Like I said, like a Seinfeld episode....

A Mysterious Red Bush At Village Creek Along With Other Mysterious Scenery At Walmart

I do not know how I missed noticing, previously, the red branched bush you see in the picture, on any of my many previous walks with the Indian Ghosts whose job it is to haunt the Village Creek Natural Historical Area in Arlington.

The red branched bush appeared on the south side of the paved trail, a few hundred feet from the Dottie Lynn Parkway Indian Village Creek Natural Historical Area parking lot, on the east side of the open space caused by a power line right of way that unnaturally slices through the natural area.

Why I had not noticed this red branched bush before is unsettling. Apparently I am not very observant.

Or the Indian Ghosts are playing tricks with the Village Creek Natural Historical Area foliage.

I suspect the latter explanation.

After my rather short walk with the Indian Ghosts I went to the nearby Walmart Supercenter where I was also appalled by the scenery.

The explanation for the appalling Walmart scenery could not be blamed on Indian Ghosts.

The blame for the appalling Walmart scenery today is America's out of control obesity epidemic and the human form distortions that are the epidemic's result with too many who have way too bad a taste level about what they put on their plus-sized bodies.

Today I thought to myself if I had some sort of hidden video cam stuck somewhere on my person and walked around my local Walmart I would quickly have enough footage for a very amusing video, with both sights and the sounds. I over hear so many amusing snippets of dialogue whilst I walk around Walmart, some of which is me talking.

More than once I have been in Walmart and observed a particularly interesting example of an extra large human, slovenly attired, with multiple tattoos and piercings. I then wonder to myself if this big person actually thinks that getting some tattoos and piercings is going to be a big enhancement to their over all look?

I would think that, rather than spend money on tattoos and piercings, the money might be better spent on clothes that fit.

When I am in Walmart I also see many examples of plus-sized humans attired in clothes that fit them, with a good-looking result. So, it is not like there are no examples, in Walmart, of how to be BIG and still wear clothes that fit and look good.

I know it might sound like I am some sort of obesity bigot, but I really am not. What I'm a bigot about is unnecessary slovenliness to which innocent eyeballs, like mine, are subjected to against our will.

What set me off today was this woman, looking to be maybe 40 something. She was wearing way too short shorts that were way too small, creating an effect that looked like sausage oozing from its casing. The tight t-shirt like top did not have enough material to cover this woman's midsection, so it oozed out over the top of the way too shorts.

A tattoo surrounded the exposed giant crater where I think the belly button was located. Other tattoos were on both legs. There were arm tattoos. A pin pierced through the eyebrow above the left eye, another piercing was in the nose. There likely were other piercings and tattoos, but one must limit ones gawking time in these type circumstances.

So, that has been my day today, so far, freak show at Walmart, looking forward to another type freak show tonight with the Vice-Presidential Debate at 7/8C.

Today In Walmart I Learned The Family Rules & What A Friend Is

It has been raining at my location for hours, since before the sun started trying to shine some light through the cloud cover.

I did not know rain was in the forecast, so waking up to so much dampness was a bit of a surprise.

It is currently chilly.

Only 69 degrees.

I had my windows open, but somehow was not feeling the benefit of that outside chilliness. So, I closed the windows and am now being chilled by the built-in automatic chilling device that runs on electricity.

Due to the rain, Walmart was my go to location for my salubrious noon time endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation.

It is a little difficult to push a grocery cart to a level that achieves aerobic stimulation.

This morning Facebook shocked me with the shocking news that I was going to be forced on August 25 to use the Facebook timeline. I don't get the point of the Facebook timeline. It seems messed up to me. The messed up Facebook timeline may be one of the reasons the value of Facebook stock continues to plummet.

When I was in Walmart, pushing a grocery cart at high speed, I sped by some signs in the home decor area with smarmy messages, of the sort that I get a little tired of seeing on the aforementioned Facebook.

I don't know why so many people feel compelled to share these type messages on Facebook. That someone would buy such a sign and hang it on a wall in their home is real perplexing to me.

I think I may be becoming a curmudgeon in my old age.