Foggy Fosdic Lake In Fort Worth With Swirling Flocks Of Ducks

I went to Oakland Lake Park at noon to walk around Fosdic Lake. As I walked the temperature seemed to drop, and then a light drizzle. By the time I was back driving a thick, dense fog had settled in. I got back here to see the temperature had dropped. It was 41 when I left. 37 now.

Texas weather is so different than what I grew up knowing in Washington.

Does anyone know why ducks flock together and move in a circle when it's cold? In the picture you see 2 flocks of circling ducks. There were two additional flocks of circlers to the right.

Apparently 'circlers' is not a word because it just got flagged red, indicating it's a misspelling. Well, I think it should be a word, so I'm leaving it alone.

In the second picture you are looking north on Bridge Street. When Bridge Street crosses the 820 freeway it becomes John T. White Street. I don't know why they change street names like that here in Texas. It's confusing.

You can see it's quite dark here at 1pm, headlights on, low visibility. I imagine this fog is causing some problems at the airport.

Buzzer is buzzing. That means sweet potatoes have been turned into baked sweet potatoes fries for lunch, to go along with turkey kielbasa and tomato salad. You are going to need to be here in 10 minutes, or so, if you want lunch.

Downwinders At Risk Throwing A Big Arlington Party For Dr. Al Armendariz

You are looking at Dr. Al Armendariz. To the surprise and delight of a lot of people he was appointed EPA Regional 6 Administrator.

Downwinders at Risk is throwing a party to celebrate the new EPA Administrator, appointed to a post that most likely, previously, would have gone to someone in cahoots with the polluters and environment damagers.

The Downwinders Party takes place Thursday, December 10 from 7:30pm til 9pm in The Private Room at J. Gilligan's Bar & Grill at 400 E. Abram in Arlington.

Remarks by Dr. Armenadariz at 8:15

A cash bar and snacks

RSVP

Directions to Gilligan's Bar

The Mad Texas Grandma Hears From Dallas Cowboy Stadium Wal-Mart Regarding The Dozens Of Auto Thefts

I have heard from the Mad Texas Grandma again. You may remember me telling you about the dozens of grand theft auto thefts that occurred on October 21 at the Cowboy Stadium Wal-Mart in Arlington.

In that blogging I said I was not sure I remembered the facts correctly that MTG had told me over the phone and that I was awaiting confirmation. Turns out I was mostly right. MTG says it was at least 50 cars stolen, the taxi to the stolen car was a $10 ride and the troll toll to get the stolen car back was $244.00.

I did make one glaring error. I said MTG had her 5 year old grandson with her. When in fact it was MTG's 6 year old granddaughter. I'm feeling as factually challenged as a Fort Worth Star-Telegram reporter right about now.

Yesterday I told you that MTG had had no luck reaching the Stadium Wal-Mart's manager. So, she called Wal-Mart corporate headquarters. Headquarters told the local manager to call MTG. MTG had learned that the Wal-Mart local manager's name was Matt.

But it was a woman who called MTG and identified herself as the manager of Wal-Mart. MTG told the woman she couldn't be the manager because he was a man named Matt.

The woman then said she was Matt's co-manager. MTG asked where is Matt? He is not here today was the reply. This was the same reply MTG has gotten every time she has called the Stadium Wal-Mart trying to speak with Matt.

Matt's co-manager denied that Wal-Mart has a towing contract with A-Arlington.

MTG told Matt's co-manager that she'd found 3 different names listed as owners of A-Arlington.

At that point Matt's co-manager, who had denied that Wal-Mart had a towing contract with A-Arlington, told MTG that the City of Arlington owns the towing company!

MTG asked Matt's co-manager how the taxis knew to be sitting and waiting for the grand theft auto victims. She said the taxis don't sit and wait.

Matt's co-manager told MTG that Wal-Mart's towing signs were legal and that Wal-Mart had never lost an appeal in court.

Speaking of court dates, MTG's is December 21 at 1pm. I'll get more details in case you'd like to attend.

Regarding Wal-Mart's sign. They say "NO EVENT PARKING VEHICLES MAY BE TOWED AT OWNER'S EXPENSE."

Texas Occupations Code 2308.301(b)(5) stipulates that the following precise verbiage must appear on the sign...

"Unauthorized Vehicles Will Be Towed at Owner's or Operator's Expense"

Go here for more details about Texas towing laws and the crimes committed by those violating them.

Now, from what I've read about Texas towing issues, the parking lot owner, which is Wal-Mart, has to have contract with a towing company. Yet Matt's co-manager says Wal-Mart has no such contract. A towing company can not randomly show up on someone's property and start towing cars. Someone, somewhere had to authorize it. Was it the City of Arlington monitoring Wal-Mart's parking lot?

Why does Wal-Mart not sell parking spaces like virtually all the other business in the stadium area do during events? I've never seen the Stadium Wal-Mart's parking lot anywhere near full.

Why is the Stadium Wal-Mart totally barricaded, with no entry possible, during a Dallas Cowboy home game? What is the agreement between Jerry Jones, Wal-Mart and the city of Arlington that makes the closure happen?

It's all a perplexing mystery.

North Texas Shaken By Another Earthquake

The earth moved unexpectedly, again, in formerly earthquake-free North Texas, on Friday, about a half hour before midnight.

The latest North Texas earthly rocking and rolling was epicentered in the town of Mountain Creek in Ellis County.

This was a 2.8 magnitude quake, felt as far as Fort Worth, 54 miles from the epicenter.

I was in Fort Worth at a half hour before midnight on Friday and I did not feel the earth move that night.

Cleburne is still trying to figure out why that town was hit with numerous quakes this year.

Meanwhile Barnett Shale natural gas drillers continue to poke holes in North Texas, followed by squirting a watery chemical stew into the holes which causes the fracturing of a layer of the earth above the molten lava zone.

I don't see how any reasonable person could possibly think there might be a connection between fracturing a layer of the earth's crust and the earth starting to quake a bit where previously no quaking took place. The quakes must be being caused by something else. The increase in the number of obese Texans perhaps?

It Is A Cold, Drizzling Sunday In Fort Worth With Hummus

You are looking east at the noon view of John T. White Road in east Fort Worth, Texas. It looks a bit forlorn and ghost townish. It looks that way because it is a bit forlorn and ghost townish.

I've been up since before 5. I jumped in and out of the freezing pool at lightning speed this morning.

When I left here at noon, intending to go to Oakland Lake Park to walk around Fosdic Lake, I did not realize that, in addition to the biting cold, a drizzle was falling.

Walking around in a freezing cold wind with drizzle did not sound like fun to me. And so, the change of direction to head east to Wal-Mart to load up a cart with heavy stuff and get my aerobic exercise up and down the aisles chasing chubby people out of the way.

I have not heard from my Mad Texas Grandma (MTG) this morning. I knew she was heading out of town for a few days, but I'd hoped she would check in and confirm some information. And send me some pictures of some perps in action.

I learned something this morning that brought back to me how much I dislike the Pacific Northwest (Shop). I tell you, I shall never deal with doddering old fools ever again. Unless the doddering old fools wave a lot of money in front of me.

Just heard the rice cooker ring its rice is done bell. Time for burgers, rice, hummus and a celery red pepper salad I cooked up this morning. I am such a Top Chef.

Dozens Of Cars Stolen From Dallas Cowboy Stadium Wal-Mart In The Middle Of The Night

You are looking at a blocked off entrance to the Wal-Mart Supercenter across from the new Dallas Cowboy Stadium on Randol Mill Road in Arlington, Texas during a Dallas Cowboy game on November 22, 2009.

All entries to the Wal-Mart were blocked, thus closing Wal-Mart.

There were cars parked in the Wal-Mart parking lot. The parking lot was maybe a third full.

Unlike most of the other possible parking lots in the area around the Dallas Cowboy Stadium, Wal-Mart puts up no "Event Parking $60" sign. One would think they would, if they are going to close the store, with their lot being so conveniently located.

So, what I am curious about is how did it come to be that Wal-Mart is shut down during Dallas Cowboy games? How is Wal-Mart compensated for this? In an area where Jerry Jones is charging up to $60 for parking one would think Wal-Mart's compensation must be hefty.

I was also at the Dallas Cowboy Stadium the day before, to take pictures of the Dallas Cowboy Outhouses. On that day, November 21, high school football playoff games were taking place in the stadium. On that day the Wal-Mart Supercenter was open.

So, I parked on the Stadium Wal-Mart's parking lot. I saw a few signs that said something like "No Event Parking. Violators May Be Towed." I now know these were not warning signs that meet the criteria for such signs as defined by Texas law.

When I was parked at that parking lot it was maybe 1/2 to 2/3's full. The store was extremely busy. I saw people walking from the parking lot across the street to the stadium.

There were no security type people that I detected watching the Wal-Mart lot.

The last of the football games finished a bit past midnight. I have asked my source to confirm the numbers, but have yet to get that confirmation. But, I believe around 50 people exited the stadium and walked to the Wal-Mart parking lot to find their vehicles missing.

A line of taxi cabs was waiting for the people with the missing cars, offering to take them the short distance to where their vehicles had been impounded. I believe the fee was in the $10 zone.

When the people arrived at the impoundment place they were told it would take 20 minutes to process each vehicle. And cost something like $240 to get back in their vehicle.

My source, a Grandma who was with her 5 year old grandson and the grandson's pregnant mother, was able to persuade the impounder to process her quickly. She made it home sometime after 2 in the morning.

According to Texas State Law a vehicle can not be impounded unless specific verbiage, on easily seen signs, is installed on the parking lot. An impounder taking a vehicle from a lot without the proper signage is considered to have committed auto theft. The victim can recover any losses and have any damage to their vehicle paid for by the improper impounder.

What we are trying to find out is who really owns the auto impounder, Straw K, Inc. doing business as A-AARLINGTON ABANDONED VEHICLE. The property manager, that is Wal-Mart, had to have entered into an agreement with the towing company. Was this done on the local level? Or from Arkansas?

What is the arrangement with the taxi cab company? Who calls them and tells them there will be some distressed people looking for their vehicles?

If there were 50 towed vehicles that Saturday night, at $240 each, that's $12,000. Who gets that money? The towing company? Wal-Mart? The local Wal-Mart manager? Jerry Jones? Who?

The Dallas Cowboys, Jerry Jones, Wal-Mart & Arlington Should Not Mess With A Texas Grandma

Yes. I know, the parking lot scams and crimes have made a bit of news in Texas for awhile now. In Dallas, at the State Fair of Texas, the parking lot scams were particularly nefarious.

Today I learned we've got some nefarious parking lot scamming going on in Arlington. Courtesy of the Dallas Cowboys, Wal-Mart, with the ringleader possibly being Jerry Jones.

Earlier today I blogged this....

On a totally unrelated note, I just got email from an Arlington Grandma who wants my help in solving a mystery involving Jerry Jones, Wal-Mart and an Arlington Storage Facility. Sounds intriguing. She gave me 2 numbers to call. She says she has done some digging and has uncovered some good stuff. But she needs help writing it all out.

I was erroneous in indicating this was an Arlington Grandma who contacted me. It was a Grandma from some other Dallas suburb.

I called Grandma this afternoon. She quickly told me the short version of her issue. Car towed from Wal-Mart parking lot while attending high school play-off game in the Dallas Cowboy Stadium.

I'm thinking, well there are signs suggesting event attendees not park there. And I say so to Grandma.

And that's when it got interesting. See, this particular Grandma is a real firecracker. She kept layering on the points of her issue til she had me totally getting it.

It is now pretty clear to me that Wal-Mart is pretty much breaking the law as defined by the State of Texas. That's serious business in these parts. You do not Mess with Texas. It's in our constitution.

According to Occupations Code 2308.301(b)(5) if you were towed from any parking lot without your consent and the parking lot's signage failed to contain the exact correct legalese, then you were illegally towed. Towing companies face stiff administrative fines for towing with illegal signs posted, but get away with it, everyday, because victims (motorists) fail to file a complaint.

Wal-Mart's signs are clearly not up to code.

There is a lot more to this Wal-Mart Illegal Towing/Dallas Cowboys Stadium Parking Scandal.

Jerry Jones may have a hand in what seems to be, well, a bit of racketeering. There is the appearance of some fresh dirty dealing.

Minimally there are some questions that are going to be asked that are going to need some answers.

More details to follow, as one very annoyed Grandma takes on Wal-Mart, Arlington, the Dallas Cowboys and Jerry Jones.

Hiking The Tandy Hills In Freezing Fort Worth With Asparagus

I did not overheat today hiking the Tandy Hills. Today was the first day this year, I think, that I wore a coat. And two hats.

I must go on a search mission for my long underwear. I remember there came a time last winter when that garment became necessary. I think the need will be greater this winter, what with Global Cooling seeming to be accelerating.

The prairie was still a bit damp in places, but not impassable. I came upon a few frozen spots and had to carefully navigate them lest I have a repeat of my last Tandy Hills fall that bent my right thumb where it should never have gone.

The snow and freezing of the past several days has knocked a lot of color out of the North Texas Prairie. When color returns it should be the most spectacular wildflowers since I arrived in Texas, due to the good dose of fall rain.

You can see in today's Tandy Hills Prairie photo how much color has left the prairie. It has now mostly turned back to my signature color. Brown.

After I'd achieved the medicinal effects of a naturally induced endorphin injection I went to Town Talk. I got some more asparagus, jicama and mushrooms. Lots of interesting people in Town Talk today.

Tomorrow I'm making Asparagus Soup. You're welcome to come have a bowl for lunch if you like.

Swimming With Sub-Freezing Temperatures In Fort Worth Texas & A Jerry Jones Mystery

You're looking at my view of Fort Worth freezing in the picture. We went 5 degrees under freezing last night. It is coming up on 11 in the morning this first Saturday of December at a balmy 38.

Brrrrr.

I know I'm adding evidence to the case to be made regarding my possible insanity, but I got in the pool this morning before 8. I warmed up on the machines in my weight room. Then jumped in the pool.

It was shocking. I got wet and got right out and in to the hot tub. After I was done in the hot tub I felt no inclination to jump back in the pool

I am determined to do something aerobic today. All this inactivity does all sorts of bad to me. I quickly put on weight like a hunk of fattened up cattle getting plumped up before the slaughter.

I believe the Tandy Hills Natural Sanatorium Area is in my future for the day. Unlike my attempt to walk in the cold a couple days ago, today I will be prepared.

On a totally unrelated note, I just got email from an Arlington grandma who wants my help in solving a mystery involving Jerry Jones, Wal-Mart and an Arlington Storage Facility. Sounds intriguing. She gave me 2 numbers to call. She says she has done some digging and has uncovered some good stuff. But she needs help writing it all out.

This could be interesting. Or not.

Thinking About Sun Lakes While Freezing In Texas

No. That is not me enjoying a sunny day in Texas. It may be a sunny day today in my Fort Worth zone of Texas, but it is in the 30s.

That is me enjoying a warm August day in Eastern Washington at a place called Sun Lakes.

I probably frequented Sun Lakes more than any other location in Washington, in my post-teen years. When me and my siblings were kids Sun Lakes was also one of our favorite places to go.

As the sun set on Sun Lakes, after a hot day, a phenomenon called a Zephyr would occur. Incredible gusts of wind could wreak havoc.

My mom and dad now live in Sun Lake. Minus the 's.' Sun Lake, Arizona. Sun Lake does not sound right

The Queen of Wink reported in from her West Texas location that her school called a Snow Day, so it was home early for the Queen of Wink.

That is not Wink snow in the picture. That is Sun Lakes in winter. I went to college a few miles south of Sun Lakes in the town of Ellensburg. Some friends were visiting, for the weekend, so we decided to see what Sun Lakes looks like in winter, not expecting to find it frozen over.