David, Theo & Ruby From Mountains To Puget Sound Sea

Yesterday we found ourselves wondering Where In The Enchanted Pacific Northwest Are David, Theo & Ruby? after receiving an email asking "Where in the PNW? with photos documenting David, Theo and Ruby doing some Cascade Mountain hiking, with some cooling off in Enchanted Alpine Lakes.

In the blog post documenting the trio's mountain adventuring mention was made of the fact that when one lives in the Washington Puget Sound zone it is easy to go from a saltwater sea to a mountain glacier in an hour or two.

This morning's email from David, Theo and Ruby, with the subject line of "From the Mountain to the Sea" photo documented this reality, with photos showing the twins and David joining throngs of fellow beach goers on a Puget Sound beach.

The explanatory text accompanying the photos tells us where David, Theo and Ruby are, and what they are doing...

"Seahurst Park, Burien. Instead of building a sandcastle to fight the tide, they spent their time building dams to block and redirect the fresh water stream that flows into the sea."

Burien is a suburb of Seattle and Tacoma, located between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and the Puget Sound.

I have no memory of myself ever having been on the beach at Burien's Seahurst Park.

When I was in the same age time frame as David, Theo and Ruby building sand dams was my favorite things to do during a low tide on Samish Island. I would build dams to hold back the water as the tide went out, and then watch the dams fail as the tide rolled back in.

I do not recollect ever having a tool such as Ruby is holding to help with my sand dam building. I recollect using a bucket to scoop sand to deliver to my dam.

I wonder where in the PNW David, Theo and Ruby will be taking their parental units today?

The trio has about a month before the new school year starts up.

Hotter Than Hell 100s This Week In Wichita Falls

I do not recollect a time previous during my exile in Texas when the seven day forecast had the temperature over the century mark day after day after day.

Last month when I spent a couple weeks in the Arizona desert I don't think we had a week solidly over the 100 degree mark day after day after day.

The SEVEN DAY FORECAST you see above was screen capped from this morning's Wichita Falls Times News Record.

In a couple weeks bike riders from all over the world will be arriving in Wichita Falls to join thousands of other wheel rollers in the Hotter 'N Hell 100 event.

If I remember right, last year, during the Hotter 'N Hell weekend, the temperature did not get hotter than hell, staying under the 100 degree mark, with clouds and maybe some rain, again if I am remembering right.

I have never felt even a slight desire to ride in the Hotter 'N Hell event. I have enjoyed visiting the end of the race event site at the downtown Wichita Falls MPEC zone.

If the temperature is not way over 100 I may join the throngs at the MPEC again this year. Maybe...

Where In The Enchanted Pacific Northwest Are David, Theo & Ruby?

Incoming email this morning from my favorite nephews and niece, David, Theo and Ruby.

Subject line in the email: "Where in the PNW?"

Those not familiar with those three PNW letters, PNW is a short way of saying Pacific Northwest.

Those not familiar with the Washington area of the Pacific Northwest are sometimes surprised by the wide variety of scenic wonders one finds in that state.

One can venture from a saltwater beach to the mountains via a short drive.

Or take a longer drive, such as the one David, Theo and Ruby apparently directed their parental units to take to reach one of Washington's most visited areas of the Cascade Mountains.

It was rather easy to figure out where David, Theo and Ruby were in the PNW.

I was fairly certain I knew, even before I came to the photo below which confirmed what I suspected.

Above we see the trio posed under a trailhead sign indicating they are at the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area of the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie Forest.

I miss hiking in a forest of big trees which smell like Christmas. Though this time of year can be a bit vexing whilst hiking in the Washington high country, due to the tendency to be pestered by biting flies til one gets above the timberline. And not all the trails get above that line.

One of the areas of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness is known as the Enchantments. The Enchantments are accessed  from the Stevens Pass side of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, via Icicle Road, near Leavenworth. I do not think these are The Enchantments we are seeing here. I suspect David, Theo and Ruby likely accessed the Alpine Lakes via the Snoqualmie Pass option. hence the water we see David, Theo and Ruby cooling off in are not Enchanted.

As you can see, via the view behind Theo, the Alpine Lakes are a popular destination. Some areas limit access to a set number of hikers per day. That appears to be David, over Theo's left shoulder, sitting in one of the Alpine Lakes's more than 700 lakes.

The Alpine Lakes Wilderness has some of the most rugged terrain in the Cascade Mountains, with craggy precipitous rock formations, multiple deep valleys formed by glaciers, which in summer provide the melted water which fills all those Alpine Lakes. And that water is cold, but you might not think it to be cold, judging from looking at Theo and David, above, but Ruby does looks as if she may be reacting to the icy water.

All the natural waterfalls in these pictures are reminding me of all the manmade waterfalls I see when I drive around Chandler, Arizona, which always cause me to think those same type fake waterfalls need to be installed all over Wichita Falls, making the town's name make more sense, in addition to the one big fake waterfall already installed in an attempt to make the town's name make more sense.

Regarding the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, in all my years of hiking in the Pacific Northwest I never hiked any of the Alpine Lakes trails. I remember driving Icicle Road, near Leavenworth, and seeing the access points. I remember driving up in the Snoqualmie Forest zone near Roslyn and Cle Elum, and possibly being in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. I also remember one of the best mountain bike rides ever possibly being in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area, with the access point south of Cashmere on the Stevens Pass side of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

The Alpine Lakes Wilderness area was a long drive from my home location in the Skagit Valley. From the Skagit Valley there are many Cascade hiking destinations much closer to home.

I always wanted to hike to The Enchantments, but never did. Maybe the next time I'm in the Pacific Northwest, if the time of year is right, we can make that happen... .

Has Fort Worth Gone Three Bridges Too Far To Nowhere?

Two articles, within the span of a few days in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, regarding the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle, with the first being a pseudo news type article, and the other an editorial in the Sunday August 4, 2019 edition.

The first article bizarrely states the obvious fact that Panther Island is already behind schedule. Progress could slow more as money tightens.

Three paragraphs demonstrating the bizarreness...

The city and Tarrant Regional Water District are about nine to 12 months behind on work needed to make the land ready for the Army Corps to dig the channel, said Sandy Newby, water district finance officer. That’s not including delays to three bridges being built ahead of the channel construction.

“I don’t want to fall farther behind, but I don’t want to get too far in front of our skis either because then we may be spending money we don’t need to spend,” Maenius said.

The Army Corps project’s design is about 60 percent complete and could be done in two stages with the north part of the channel dug first. J.D. Granger, authority executive director, said locals could move as fast or as slow as needed to ready the area for the Corps “We’re not trying to do all the work at once,” he said during the meeting. “If the money came in much faster we could amend the budget.”.

_________________

What? Fort Worth and the Tarrant Regional Water District are nine to 12 months behind on work needed to be done so the ditch can be dug? But that element of being behind does not include the three simple little bridges being stuck in slow motion construction for over five years, with the possible completion time currently projected to be at some point in the next decade?

Only nine to 12 months behind? How does one know how far or ahead one is with a project which has never had a project timeline that has not forever constantly shifted ever further into the future?

Someone named Maenius does not want to get too far in front of their skis? What in the world does that mean? Don't want to fall further behind? Further? With a project which began soon after the start of this century, under-funded, mismanaged, ineptly implemented. A project touted as being all about vitally needed flood control in an area which has not flooded for well over half a century. Where we long ago learned the Army Corps of Engineers indicated that area in question could be upgraded to current flood control, post-Katrina standards, by spending around $10 million to shore up the existing levees.

This element of the ongoing con job again became part of the scandal with the release of the Riveron Review, which turned out not to be any sort of forensic audit of the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle, but instead turned out to be a propaganda production rendered worthless due to obvious misinformation fed to the Riveron Reviewers by TRWD's Jim Oliver and his co-hort in conning, J.D. Granger.

Read the details of the actual Army Corps of Engineers recommendations in  Army Corps Of Engineer's Document Contradicts Controversial Riveron Review.

And according to J.D. Granger, he being the Boondoggle's imaginary executive director with no discernible executive skills or experience, the Army Corp's ditch design is about 60 percent complete.

Really?

After all this time the design is only barely over half completed? Has the Army Corps figured out yet how they are going to dig that ditch under those freeway overpass-like bridges, without serious problems, you know, like foundations sinking like what has happened with that parking garage which was part of the first, and only, "private" construction on the imaginary island?

And now let us move on to that Sunday editorial in the Star-Telegram titled If Panther Island finally gets back on track with federal money, here’s whom we should thank.

Yes, with all the problems plaguing the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision Boondoggle, let's think about thanking Fort Worth mayor, Betsy Price, who went panhandling to the White House trying to re-secure federal funds for Fort Worth's imaginary, un-needed flood control debacle, in an area of the town which has not flooded since the 1950s.

While other areas of Fort Worth and Tarrant County do flood, with deadly results, in areas which actually do desperately need flood control measures to mitigate poor urban planning, as in construction allowed without proper infrastructure improvements.

Does the Star-Telegram actually think that somehow Fort Worth's embarrassing Boondoggle is going to slide around the fact there has never been the required cost-benefit analysis necessary for federal funding for such a project? And that the Army Corps of Engineers can not be involved in economic development schemes? We covered these issues last week talking about Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price's Washington Panhandling Adventure.

Let's take a look at three paragraphs from this latest Star-Telegram editorial propaganda about the Boondoggle fraudulently finding federal funding...

The project’s coordinators at the Trinity River Vision Authority seem to have recognized the problem, too. Leaders say they’ve been emphasizing to White House budget officials that the city needs the Trinity River bypass channel to avoid the worst possible flooding scenario.

Federal officials now seem convinced that Panther Island is “a flood control project with economic development attributes,” said Jim Oliver, who, as general manager of the Tarrant Regional Water District, is the main supervisor over the project. “We got that out of the way. What changed their mind, I don’t know.”

It’s unclear how much money might arrive, or when, and it’s still possible the White House will say no. But Oliver said this week that $50 million would be enough to get engineering plans in place and let the Corps prepare to dig he first section of the channel, once three bridges designed to connect to the island are complete.

__________________

Okay, so the Star-Telegram is telling us the Star-Telegram thinks "leaders" have managed to convince White House officials that the bypass channel (ditch) is needed so as to avoid the worst possible flooding scenario. Now, I know the majority of Americans think the majority of those currently in the White House are stupid, but, really, stupid enough to fall for this obvious con job? It really should not take a lot of investigating to figure out Betsy Price was selling some snake oil.

And from the TRWD's Jim Oliver we find out that, oh my, if they get a measly $50 million that would be enough to be able to get the Army Corps preparing to dig that ditch. Once those three bridges designed to connect the Fort Worth mainland to that imaginary island are completed.

Remember, those bridges? Built over dry land, supposedly to save time and money. When there was never any other option other than to do so, as there will be no water under those bridges til the ditch is dug and polluted river water is diverted into the ditch. With construction of those bridges started with a TNT bang way back in October of 2014, with a then astonishing four year construction timeline, now stretched to point in time in the next decade?

And then that ditch can begun to be dug? Didn't we just read in that earlier in the week Star-Telegram article that the project is only nine to 12 months behind?

And Betsy Price, the Star-Telegram, and the other perpetrators of this embarrassment don't think those who dole out federal pork barrel handouts won't figure out this is a scam designed to enrich multiple Fort Worth locals?

Does anyone else remember early on in this scandal when the Grangers had to divest themselves of properties they owned which would benefit from the scheme they were helping hatch? Wasn't it Fort Worth Weekly which reported the details of that early foreshadowing of the scandalous mess to come?

What has happened to Fort Worth Weekly in the ensuing years? That weekly tabloid used to be the closest Fort Worth had to having a real newspaper...

Fire Burns Mount Wichita While Rain Drops Talking To Linda Lou

For the first time since about a month ago, I think the last time was during the time frame around the 4th of July, shortly before I exited Texas for the Arizona version of modern America, I rolled my bike's wheels on the Circle Trail, across Lake Wichita Dam and around Mount Wichita.

The first thing which surprised me today was when the full view of Lake Wichita came into focus. Wally the Duck, rumored to be the world's biggest wooden duck, is no longer tending flock on Lake Wichita. I somehow was under the impression Wally had taken up permanent residence on Lake Wichita.

Near where Wally the Duck used to float, that being the Lake Wichita Dam Spillway, a new mural, of sorts, has been added to the spillway wall on the north side of the spillway.

That new mural, I think it might be characterized as being a mini-mural, appears to be some sort of abstract representation of a lighthouse.

But it could be something else. A Mario Brother, for all I know.

As I cruised off the dam at the north end I encountered a vicious dog whose owner had trouble controlling it. Why would anyone walk a dog with a serious personality disorder? I guess that is a dumb question, like asking why would a sane nation elect a president with a serious personality disorder?

When I reached the Mount Wichita part of the Circle Trail I was surprised to see what looked to have been a massive wild fire had charred the mountain all the way to its scenic summit. The charred mountain is the photo documentation you see at the top.

Was this an act of arson? A 4th of July firecracker accident? A lightning strike? A controlled burn? I have no idea. It was interesting to see that the trails to the summit acted as a fire barrier, containing the blaze, and stopping the inferno from toasting the entire mountain.

A short time after passing the charred remains of Mount Wichita my phone made its incoming call noise. By the time I was able to stop and get the phone out of its container the last ring had happened. I saw it was Linda Lou, calling from home.

Shortly after re-inserting the phone into its protective container rain began to drip. By the time I got back to the top of the dam the rain was in downpour mode. By the time I reached the end of the dam I was soaking wet.

I coasted at high speed off the dam to under the cover of the Kemp Boulevard Circle Trail overpass, where I sought shelter along with other drenched rain victims.

I took this break from the rain as an opportunity to call Linda Lou back. By the time that chat ended the rain had also ended and most of what had hit the ground had dried up.

I rather enjoyed riding in the rain today. I hope that happens again someday soon...

Reptile Dodging Alligator Alley On Wichita Falls Wee-Chi-Tah Trail

Til yesterday it had been several years since I have mountain biked on an actual mountain bike trail.

At my former DFW location there were multiple mountain bike trails within a reasonably short distance of my home location.

At my current home location in Wichita Falls, as far as I know, there is only one mountain bike trail within a reasonable distance of my home location.

That being the Wee-Chi-Tah Trail.

One can access the Wee-Chi-Tah Trail from multiple access points. My access point, yesterday, was via Lucy Park, crossing the suspension bridge across the Wichita River to the location you see photo documented above, that being the ALLIGATOR ALLEY section of the Wee-Chi-Tah Trail.

I saw no alligators lurking on this trail section. I do not think it likely that alligators venture as far as Wichita Falls. But, I suppose it is possible, what with alligators known to be frequent visitors in the DFW zone, which is only a little over a hundred miles to the southeast.

On my regular Circle Trail type bike rides I don't bother wearing a bike helmet. On a mountain bike trail I feel the need to be helmeted.

I need to get myself a better, more comfortable, bike helmet, by the next time I dodge alligators on a mountain bike trail...

Delusional Fort Worth Trinity River Boat Tour To Panther Island 2028

Your eyes are not deceiving you. The above seems to be indicating what Fort Worth's imaginary Panther Island will look like in the year 2028.

Nine years from now.

The word "delusion" comes to mind. More on that delusion later.

Yesterday's Spencer Jack's Deceptive Howdy To FUD & Fort Worth blog post generated two interesting comments, both from someone named Anonymous.

Let's look at the first comment first, and then we will get to the one which took us to the Panther Island delusion...

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Spencer Jack's Deceptive Howdy To FUD & Fort Worth...":

Panther Island Boat Tours website:

https://www.pantherislandboattours.com/

A boat tour video opens up, but it shows the Waco boat tour. Formidable Fort Worth, the 13th largest city in the United States, is following Waco's lead.

J.D. Granger & Marty Leonard among others are also in a photo from the website.

Above is the photo to which Anonymous referred, with J.D. Granger on the far left, and TRWD board member, Marty Leonard, on the far right, costumed like Katherine Hepburn's Rose Sayer in African Queen, ready to hop aboard the jungle boat for a river cruise.

The video to which Anonymous refers starts up as soon as you enter the Panther Island Boat Tours website. And, just as Anonymous indicated, that video does not show river boaters floating the Trinity River, but instead takes us on a look at a river boat tour of the Brazos River, in Waco.

With that boat tour actually passing by some actual scenic scenery, including an actual signature bridge, and the steep limestone cliffs of Cameron Park.

One of those bridges seen in the video is an irony we have mentioned before. That being that there is a bridge across the Brazos River, in Waco, which appears to be built upon V-piers of the sort Fort Worth has been struggling to build for years.

Above you can see the river boat heading towards that V-pier bridge, while below is a screen cap from the video showing a closer look at the river boat going under that Brazos River bridge.

Explain again, please, Trinity River Vision Boondogglers, why those V-piers stuck in slow motion construction mode will result in any sort of signature unique iconic type bridge?

Now, let's move on to the next comment, that being the one which took us to the Panther Island delusion mentioned above...

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Spencer Jack's Deceptive Howdy To FUD & Fort Worth...":

Fort Worth realtor compares Panther Island to Vancouver's Granville Island.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=nrAd8Bz6sqQ

You can't make this stuff up.
____________________

I agree with Anonymous, you can't make this stuff up. No need to, apparently, what with someone doing so.

You can watch the video, below, without needing to click the YouTube link above. The video opens with the Panther Island 2028 scene you see at the top. My instant reaction when seeing this was wait? what? that is not Fort Worth, that looks like Vancouver.

And so it was.

If my memory is serving me correctly, way back near the start of this century, when I was startled by a HUGE headline in the Sunday Fort Worth Star-Telegram proclaiming "TRINITY UPTOWN TO MAKE FORT WORTH THE VANCOUVER OF THE SOUTH" I remember thinking what fresh ridiculous nonsense is this? Little could I know then how totally absurdly ridiculous this was to become in the following decades.

Anyway, if my memory is serving me correctly I remember the original propaganda claimed this Fort Worth Vancouver makeover as being inspired by what Vancouver did with its False Creek industrial wasteland. That is the area of Vancouver which was transformed into Expo 86, Vancouver's extremely transformative successful world's fair.

Years later I recollect J.D. Granger taking the Boondogglers on one of their multiple "fact finding" junkets to Vancouver, and at that time touting the wonders of Granville Island.

Granville Island is located near False Creek, but came into existence before the False Creek industrial wasteland was transformed by Expo 86.

In the video the Fort Worth realtor waxes poetic about Granville Island and how the Panther Island version of it will transform Fort Worth, where the realtor claims now the only reason to go downtown is to go to jail or pick up someone from the jail.

The realtor apparently had never been to a Farmers Market before visiting the one on Granville Island. Not even the Farmer's Market in Dallas.

According to the realtor he and his wife were browsing through the Granville Farmers Market, picking up goods and putting them in their shopping cart, til chased down by a vendor who explained the goods had to be paid for at the vendor where one picked the goods up.

This realtor seems to be well-intentioned, though delusional. The few scenes in the video which do show Fort Worth, and the current Panther Island wasteland, ironically illustrate how absurd it is to think that chunk of land, and that polluted river, is going to somehow be transformed into anything even remotely resembling anything in Vancouver.

Anyway, watch the video below and you will see that it is true, you really can't make this stuff up...

Spencer Jack's Deceptive Howdy To FUD & Fort Worth's Bridge Boondoggle

Four photos from Spencer Jack and his dad, who is also my Favorite Nephew Jason, arrived last night in my email inbox, with no explanatory text.

I assume there was no explanatory text because no explanatory text was needed once I got past the first photo you see here.

In that photo Spencer Jack is on what appears to be a sandy beach on which the message "HOWDY FUD" has been etched.

FUD is a short way of saying Favorite Uncle D, with me being the Favorite Uncle D.

After perusing all four photos it was obvious Spencer Jack had driven his dad a few miles from their home location in Mount Vernon to Deception Pass State Park.

Deception Pass State Park is the biggest state park in the state of Washington.

The description of Deception Pass State Park from the state's state park website...

Deception Pass is Washington's most-visited state park for a reason. Mysterious coves, rugged cliffs, jaw-dropping sunsets, and a stomach-dropping high bridge make this park a go-to for locals and international travelers alike.

Families can fish and swim in Cranberry Lake. Beach explorers look for shells along miles of Puget Sound beachfront. Hikers can trek through forests and out along bluffs. And birdwatchers fill their field guides with notes. You may see a whale or a family of seals as you gaze on the wild waters that once challenged early explorers.

Your inner explorer will delight in learning Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) history at Bowman Bay. The CCC was Franklin D. Roosevelt's Depression-era "Tree Army;" it employed nearly 3 million men and built many of America's state and national parks. An extended stay at Deception Pass will have you peering into tide pools at Rosario Beach, boating at Cornet Bay, strolling on North and West beaches and gaping up at Hoypus Forest, one of Washington's largest remaining old-growth stands.

For most of my existence on the planet I was one of those locals referred to in the first paragraph from the state park article. With Deception Pass being such a short distance from where I lived it was my year round go to place for hiking, or just communing with nature. Hiking to the summit of Goose Rock is a hike I have probably done more than any other.

Now let's look at the other photos sent last night by Spencer Jack and his dad.

Above Spencer Jack is on the Fidalgo Island side of Deception Pass, looking down on Bowman's Bay. To the left of Spencer, if the photo extended that far, we would see the cliffs of Rosario.

About a month before I moved to Texas I was at Rosario Beach where we were startled to suddenly witness a HUGE whale, of what variety I do not know. We speculated a Great White, but all we knew for sure was it was HUGE and it was slowly moving along the shoreline, only about ten feet out.

This hike from Rosario to Bowman's Bay and then to where Spencer is, was one of my favorites. Trails take one all around a large tree covered rock, with views such as the one seen by Jason and Spencer below.

That is the Deception Pass Bridge you see in the background. This bridge was completed in about a year's time, opening on July 31, 1935, built over deep, swift moving actual water, connecting two actual islands, Fidalgo and Whidbey, with a third, Pass Island, being the go-between between the two bigger islands.

What a concept! A real bridge connecting real islands over real water!

Above Spencer Jack is on the Whidbey Island side of Deception Pass State Park. If I remember right this location is known as North Beach. West Beach is to the left of Spencer, on the other side of a bluff with steep cliffs. On a hot summer day West Beach is packed with a lot of people.

Mehinks it is growing up knowing of things like the Deception Pass Bridge, actual islands, and real waterfronts, why I react so annoyed when I see a town like Fort Worth, unable to build three simple little bridges over dry land, with those responsible conning the clueless locals that the reason it is taking is so is because those bridges are real difficult feats of engineering.

While anyone with a lick of common sense knows how ridiculous such a claim is. Particularly when you add in the fact that these simple bridges are being built over dry land, with those same sorts who are responsible adding to the con by claiming this was done to save time and money, when there never was an option to build over water until a cement lined ditch was dug under the bridges, with polluted river water added to the ditch.

Save time? It has been over four years and those bridges are still mostly giant seesaws further blighting the already blighted landscape.

And then we have a bridge like the one across Deception Pass, built in a fraction of the time Fort Worth has been boondoggling in dawdle mode.

The photo you see below coincidentally also showed up last night, on Facebook, showing the Deception Pass Bridge under construction. This feat of engineering does look a bit more complicated, doesn't it, than those Fort Worth bridges which look like freeway overpasses?

Let's take a look at what Wikipedia had to say about Deception Pass and that actual water this actual signature bridge was built over...

Deception Pass is a dramatic seascape where the tidal flow and whirlpools beneath the twin bridges connecting Fidalgo Island to Whidbey Island move quickly. During ebb and flood tide current speed reaches about 8 knots (9.2 mph), flowing in opposite directions between ebb and flood.  This swift current can lead to standing waves, large whirlpools, and roiling eddies. This swift current phenomenon can be viewed from the twin bridges' pedestrian walkways or from the trail leading below the larger south bridge from the parking lot on the Whidbey Island side. Boats can be seen waiting on either side of the pass for the current to stop or change direction before going through. Thrill-seeking kayakers go there during large tide changes to surf the standing waves and brave the class 2 and 3 rapid conditions.

I have multiple times eye witnessed the tidal change at Deception Pass, joining a lot of others also marveling at the dramatic spectacle.

I wonder how many decades, or centuries, it would take a town like Fort Worth to build a bridge over actual swift moving water, like Deception Pass?

Likely no one would have the vision to do so, even with the unqualified help of a local congressperson's son....

Tskawahyah Is No Panther Island With Blind Alligators

This morning I flipped the page on my wall calendar and saw the image for August, which is that which you see here.

A sea lion on a beach in Olympic National Park, at Cape Alava, with Tskawahyah Island barely off shore, surrounded by the Pacific Ocean.

I saw this and realized I needed to add it to my ever growing series of actual island photos in my ongoing, multi-year effort to educate some landlocked landlubbers as to what an island actual is.

There is a small minded town in Texas where the locals are being conned into believing a cement lined ditch, dug possibly one day far in the future, dug around an industrial wasteland, then filled with polluted river water, somehow will make that industrial wasteland an island.

And even now, years before maybe, if ever, that cement lined ditch is ever dug and filled with water, that industrial wasteland is already referred to as Panther Island, with multiple events held at the imaginary island.

There have been no sea lions spotted at the Panther Island Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats in polluted river water.

However, there was an incident with a blind alligator.

Sometimes I wonder if there is a demented plot by some demented Fort Worth local, who for some reason has a long range plan to turn the town into a national laughing stock.

If that is the goal, attaining it seems to be within reach...

Spencer Jack's Slotemaker Road Souvenir Seeking

When they were teenagers Spencer Jack's dad, Jason, and his Uncle Joey, in the dark of night, removed the Slotemaker Road signs from Slotemaker Road, and then installed the signs in their bedrooms.

I was appalled, at the time, that their parental units did not involve law enforcement.

For those who are not bilingual, Slotemaker is what Jones translates to from Dutch to English.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Way back in the late 1880s or early 1890s the Dutch Slotemakers had grown tired of the endless wars of Europe. The family debated whether to move to South Africa, or the United States.

Spencer Jack's great great great great grandpa Cornelis Slotemaker decided to see if moving to America was feasible. If I remember the family history correctly the eldest son, Jan (John) was sent to check America out. I could go look up the family history, which I do have on this computer, but it is more interesting to me to see how well I remember it after webpaging the history earlier this century.

So, after great great grandpa John returned from America it was decided to make the move. I believe it was through Ellis Island the Slotemakers entered America. I do not know if they were what are now demonized as illegal aliens. Upon reaching America the family, consisting of Cornelis, his wife, Angie, their two kids, John and Anna, and John's wife, my great grandma, Tillie, made the trek across America to one of those midwest states, like Iowa or Ohio or some such place.

At one point the family checked out a Dutch enclave near Denton, Texas. My relatives were not yet American enough to think Texas was a place anyone sane would want to live.

After a few years in America of struggling to get by the family heard of a Dutch town in the state of Washington, at the far northwest corner of America, a short distance from Canada.

My dad's dad's dad, John, was then sent out west, via train, to check out this Dutch town, and the area. He arrived in late spring to find a land which reminded him of Holland. But with giant trees, fruit, like blackberries, growing wild, apple trees, and the biggest mountains he had ever seen, including one looming volcano named Mount Baker. Along with rivers running clear filled with fish of the salmon sort.

My great great grandpa, John, then returned to the family, bringing with him samples of what he found in the Pacific Northwest, including thick bark from a fir tree. Along with some apples.

The family decided to move one more time. A large chunk of acreage was purchased a short distance east of that Dutch town, known as Lynden, and the Slotemaker farm was born, along with Slotemaker Road.

And now, in the 21st century, I am sure our Dutch relatives who farmed that land, long ago, would be proud to know their ancestors are carrying on the tradition of being scofflaws taking Slotemaker Road signs as souvenirs...

UPDATE: After the above was written Spencer Jack texted another photo of his day with his dad in Whatcom County, that being the county in which Lynden is located.

In this photo Spencer Jack's dad is kneeling next to his great-grandma Vera's headstone. This is located in a cemetery near the little village of Custer. I might be able to find that cemetery, but locating Grandma Vera's and Grandpa Porter's burial site, well, that I would have trouble with.

Grandma Vera's headstone says "VERA SUNDEAN PORTER DEC. 26, 1910 - SEPT. 23, 2003".

The headstone behind Jason says "DR. JAMES A. PORTER 1903 - 1966".

Grandma Vera's headstone should more accurately say "VERA SUNDEAN WILDER PORTER HUNTLEY".

Grandma Vera was born Vera Sundean, then married Laverne Wilder, with whom she had two children, including my mom, Shirley (also known as Miss Daisy). Yes, you read that right, my mom and her dad were Laverne and Shirley.

When my mom was quite young Grandma Vera divorced the grandpa I never knew, and eventually married Grandpa Porter, who was the only grandpa I ever knew. I remember him fondly. He was a doctor and an influential citizen of Lynden. When we were kids grandpa was part of running the annual fishing derby on Lynden's Fishtrap Creek. He somehow always managed to make sure his grandkids got good prizes. I remember my all time favorite fishing pole was one of those prizes.

After Grandpa Porter died Grandma Vera eventually married Lee Huntley, who then was the only grandpa David, Theo and Ruby's mama Michele ever knew. I never quite adjusted to the idea of Mr. Huntley being my grandpa. He was a nice guy.

I never thought about it before, til reading Grandma Vera's headstone. Grandma Vera's eldest grandson is named Dean. He being the eldest son of Grandma Vera's eldest daughter. I wonder if Son Dean was some sort of clever play on that Sundean name? I suspect not.

I wonder where Spencer Jack and his dad will be taking me next?