Was The Fort Worth Gestapo After Me & Elsie Hotpepper Saturday At The Fort Worth Stockyards?

One of the Wild Women of Woolley, Miss CVB, got up from her sickbed this morning and mustered the energy to ask me how my Saturday of Fort Worth Stockyards Saloon Crawling with Elsie Hotpepper went.

I was not going to talk about the Saloon Crawling due to the Crawlers having so many rules and regulations about what I can say on my blog about who I Crawl with, what they say or anything else remotely related.

So, it's easier just to put these type things into an Area 51 Black Hole and make no mention.

And then the WWW Miss CVB asks me a question and I feel compelled to answer.

So, in answer to WWW Miss CVB's question, the Saloon Crawling was a real fine time.

Elsie Hotpepper does not object to me using her real name, but the other Saloon Crawlers insist I not identify them. I'll use nicknames. In addition to Elsie there was The White Knight and his sidekick, Robin. And Fort Worth's infamous Lone Ranger. So, that made for 5 Saloon Crawlers.

It being a St. Patrick's Day celebration going on in the Stockyards, and with 1/5th of us Saloon Crawlers being of Irish descent, beer was the adult beverage of choice, except for me and the Lone Ranger, who drank lemonade. I estimate that Elsie Hotpepper consumed 3 times as much of her beverage of choice than I did of lemonade.

Responsible adult that I am, I drove Elsie Hotpepper home, safely, after the Saloon Crawling was over.

I shot a lot of good Stockyard's video yesterday. I have yet to make what I shot into a YouTube video. But, I did extract one tiny extract. Above, in the picture, there is a Fort Worth police car in the lower left. The policeman parked his car in a no parking zone and proceeded to exit the vehicle and head in to the Love Shack, which is where Elsie and I were awaiting the arrival of the others.

We all live in dread fear of a Fort Worth Gestapo taser attack or illegal raid, so, when Elsie saw the Stormtrooper heading our way, she asked me, "What did you do?" I then rephrased Elsie's question, as in, "What did I do?"

You can hear this riveting exchange, in the video below, where you will also get your first chance to hear Elsie's sweet as honey Scarlett O'Hara voice...

The Day Before Daylight Savings Time Hiking The Tandy Hills In Fort Worth With My Therapist

As you can see, it is another blue sky Saturday, here in currently balmy Fort Worth, Texas, with just a few days til Winter turns to Spring.

Speaking of which, Spring, I mean, I must remember to spring my clocks forward an hour, tonight, to get them in to Daylight Savings Time mode, so that I don't wake up tomorrow morning all confused as to what time it is.

Hiking the Tandy Hills today had me feeling all sorts of happy. The hills were alive with the sound of birds chirping, the smell of flora coming to life, but, sadly, few humans enjoying Mother Nature having herself a good day. And, let's face it, she has been one cranky Mother this winter. It is nice she is back being nice. I hope it lasts.

I would mention that I had myself a really fine time, early this morning, swimming the longest swim of 2010, but, Anonymous told me that he/she tires of my daily swimming litany. I think a phrase like "you tiresome bore" was used.

This would have hurt my delicate feelings if they were delicate, which they are not, so I ignored Anonymous and mentioned swimming anyway.

I have to tell you that I had myself a real fine time with a new hiking partner today. My, well, slightly overweight therapist, Dr. L.C., finally took me up on my ongoing offer to show her the Tandy Hills. I wish Dr. L.C. would have let me take a picture of her in hiking mode, but she is overly self-conscious about that extra heft she carries, hence, the photo aversion.

Anyway, that's been my Saturday in Texas, up early, in the pool, hiking the Tandy Hills, then back here in my regular shut-in mode til Daylight Savings mode kicks in. Tomorrow I may go outside again.

What Is In My Fort Worth Neighborhood's Chesapeake Energy Ponds?

I live near a road in Fort Worth called Randol Mill Road. Randol Mill Road meanders all over the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. At one point in time there must have been a business called the Randol Mill, with a lot of roads leading to it.

Back when I first moved to my current location, at that point in time, where Randol Mill Road is met by Oakland Boulevard, there was a baseball field complex on the north side of Randol Mill.

And then a few years ago Chesapeake Energy began its Blitzkrieg on Fort Worth and Tarrant County. Eventually, the Chesapeake Blitzkrieg hit the ballfields at Oakland & Randol Mill.

After the ballfields and ballfield buildings were obliterated, Chesapeake Energy buildings began to appear, growing into a large complex.

A short time ago I was heading east on Randol Mill when I came upon a sign warning me that some street cleaning was taking place. What's making the road dirty, I wondered? And then I saw the Blitzkrieg army of trucks driving on to and out of the Chesapeake property, bringing with them a lot of dirt and mud, which is what the street cleaning was cleaning up.

This went on for days. The muddy street business. I was curious what was going on behind those closed Chesapeake doors.

So, I positioned a satellite into place and took some pictures. In the first one, at the top, you can see where Oakland Boulevard meets Randol Mill at the lower right. Across the street you see the area Chesapeake has commandeered. You can see the Trinity River meandering around the Chesapeake property. Let's move in for a closer look.

You can see several manmade ponds of various sizes and color. What is in these ponds, one can not help but wonder? Is this what those trucks were bringing in? Water to pump in these ponds? Or were the trucks taking water out of the ponds?

As you can see, in this close-up of one of the ponds, it appears to be heavily fortified with a thick lining, which again can't help but cause one to wonder what is in that pond. And what is in the little pond to the right?

Who monitors these ponds to make sure they are not leaking into the Trinity River? Anyone?

Fort Worth's Tandy Falls Roars While Elsie Hotpepper Wants Me To Go Bar Crawling

That is the Tandy River roaring over Tandy Falls today, in the heart of the Tandy Hills Natural Area. I think this may be the most water I've seen flowing over Fort Worth's Niagara.

It is a semi-warm Friday, in the 60s, and very windy. Wildfire danger is in the air, I mean, wind, according to the National Weather Service. So, I'll be real careful if I do any smoking outdoors.

Speaking of my health issues. I have recovered from my nearly broken ankle, that nearly had me crippled, due to a bad fall a couple days ago. Thanks for all the words of encouragement that helped me remain strong during this difficult time.

What am I saying? There were no words of encouragement during my most recent difficult time. Heartless, uncaring, be ye.

Elsie Hotpepper read about those busybodies busying themselves with great concern about me being a housebound shut-in who does not get out much. And so, Elsie wants me to go bar crawling with her on Saturday.

I told Elsie bar crawling is not something on my to do list, but she is very insistent.

To shut her up I agreed to Elsie's bar crawling proposal.

By Saturday morning I'm counting on Elsie forgetting, which is her usual pattern. My fall back position is to not answer my phone if Elsie calls tomorrow. No way am I going bar crawling with that Hotpepper woman. I'm not even sure I know what bar crawling is, besides knowing it is something I intuitively do not think sounds fun.

I probably should try and be more open-minded about these type things.

Is It Time To Line Fort Worth's Carter Avenue With American Flags Again? Or Is Chesapeake Bluffing Again?

Something is going on here. What it is is not exactly clear.

But, near as I can tell, and I can't tell much, Chesapeake Energy is taking the advice rendered on the protest sign, at last Thursday's CARO Rally on the Tarrant County Courthouse steps, and is going to take their Carter Avenue Pipeline and shove it somewhere else.

It seems like I've heard this before.

But.

Near the end of last Thursday's Steve Doeung vs. Chesapeake Energy court date, after Judge Sprinkle indicated he had no choice but to sign the order granting Chesapeake Energy the right to run a potentially explosive, high pressure, non-odorized natural gas pipeline under Steve Doeung's home, and that Steve Doeung would have 30 days to appeal the ruling from the point in time when the Judge signed it, Steve Doeung then asked Judge Sprinkle to please take his sweet time in signing the order, because Steve had reason to believe that a significant announcement would be forthcoming that would obviate Chesapeake's eminent domain case, due to the Carter Avenue route no longer being needed.

At that point in the proceedings, the chief Chesapeake lawyer told Judge Sprinkle that he knew of no impending announcement which might affect the case.

And then, a few days after that, the Fort Worth City Councilwoman who represents the district Carter Avenue is in, Kathleen Hicks, had minions place letters in Carter Avenue resident's mailboxes. The letter was a sort of obtuse meandering that seemed to be somehow taking credit for something that was about to happen, which Ms. Hicks seemed to be indicating she had been working hard to bring about.

Even though Ms. Hicks has had no contact with Carter Avenue residents during this controversial period. Nor would Ms. Hicks answer questions posed to her regarding the Chesapeake issues.

And now, this morning I learn that, supposedly, once more, Chesapeake Energy and the Texas Department of Transportation has found an alternative route for the controversial pipeline.

The new route is the same route that was announced late last year, an announcement which sent Carter Avenue into celebration mode, complete with lining Carter Avenue with American flags.

TXDOT says the "new" route, running along Interstate 30, could be approved quickly, as soon as Chesapeake submits its plans for the route.

Councilwoman Hicks is quoted as saying, "The coordinated efforts by all demonstrate what we can do when we work together. The actions we have taken here are significant for other North Texas neighborhoods that are concerned about pipelines in their neighborhoods."

This latest iteration of TXDOT's pipeline policy supposedly came about due to pressure from the forementioned Hicks, plus Texas State Senator Wendy Davis and State Representative Lon Burnam.

Wendy Davis is quoted as saying that when construction starts on the I-30 pipeline, Chesapeake needs to return the right of way to the Carter Avenue property owners, saying, "Particularly, they need to back away from the condemnation against Steve Doeung. I feel like his family has suffered a lot of emotional trauma."

Well, I agree with Wendy on that. Steve Doeung and his family have been put through a Kafkaesque nightmare, complete with scary Gestapo Raids and lop-sided court hearings, where the victim is left helpless in court, defending, solo, his rights, against a powerful government/industry combine.

Is it time for Carter Avenue to bust out the flags again? I don't know. The last time the Carter Avenue flags went up, someone stealthily removed them under cover of darkness. This time, if the flags go up, I'd say it'd be a wise move to keep the flags on the home side of the sidewalk.

And. To whover it was who stole the previous flags, this time there will be 2 night vision cameras strategically located on Carter Avenue, covering the majority of the street. You may steal the flags again, but this time it will not be an Anonymous Operation.

Elsie Hotpepper Is Trying To Cure Me Of Being An Overweight Fort Worth Shut-In Who Does Not Get Out Much

Today, two people, separately and in response to separate stimuli, informed me that I'm a shut-in who does not get out much.

At first I was taken aback by this blunt rudeness, the likes of which, I am unaccustomed to being subjected.

But, then as I thought about it, I realized I was reacting badly to this information because it was true. I remember reading somewhere that the truth hurts.

I don't quite understand why it hurts so much to realize I'm a shut-in who does not get out much. I suppose it is because it's not how I see myself, til I think about it and realize I'm a shut-in who does not get out much.

Anyway, I'll have more to say about not getting out much and the full shocking extent of the high level of shut-initis, later, but first I must say, I have resolved to try and get out more and quit being so shut-in.

So, this morning I went swimming. Okay, that's no different than my usual shut-in routine. Then, really daring to do something different, I took myself outside again, escaping being shut-in, and drove to the Tandy Hills Natural Area, risking that it might still be too muddy from yesterday's downpour deluge.

But that's the new me, taking wild crazy risks.

The hiking the Tandy Hills risk paid off, as it was dry enough for hiking. Due to yesterday's deluge, the Tandy River was running high. I had to use a stepping stone to get across the turbulent torrent.

I forgot to mention, that is today's view of the Tandy River, flowing big, in the picture at the top.

I just took another anti-histamine medication due to whatever it is that is in the air that is making my eyes itch and burn. The medication seems to work.

Elsie Hotpepper is trying to get me to go out to lunch with her tomorrow, along with someone I've never met. My usual inclination, with such invitations, is to politely decline, due to such things wreak havoc with my shut-in, not getting out much, regular lifestyle.

But, since I'm trying to change, because change is good, or so I've been led to believe, I am seriously considering taking Elsie up on this lunch deal. As long as she promises to stay sober. But. I will need to put a few more hours into thinking about this before risking doing something so daring as going out for lunch.

In the meantime, despite the anti-histamine, my eyes continue to bug me bad.

An Anti-Histamine Medicated My Allergic To Texas Woes

We are back blue again this morning in my zone of North Texas. Usually, when the sky returns to ,it makes me a happy boy, but, this Thursday morning I'm feeling the Thursday blues.

Why? I don't know. I've been up since fairly early, some time past 4. I think I've been sleeping well, due to be so tired by the end of the day, due to all the extra exertion required to haul around all my newly gained heft.

You try hauling around 40 extra pounds, all day long, and see if you're not worn out by the time the sun goes away.

I really do not see how those who are carrying around a few hundred extra pounds manage it. The underlying musculature, that moves all that heft, must be quite extensive.

I have an issue. Or two. Troubling me, that I want to discuss with my therapist, Dr. L.C., but she seems to have gone missing, I'm assuming due to being operated on, yesterday, and not yet fully recovered.

The Queen of Wink is heading to San Antonio and told me I can come along. If I drive. I've only been to San Antonio once and really liked it. It's a sparkling clean looking town, unlike some towns I've seen in Texas, for instance, like the one I'm sitting in right now. It's current nickname is Dirty Ol' Town, due to being, well, dirty.

The stuff in the air that I breathe in this air polluted zone of Texas in which I reside had me in full sneezy, itchy eyed allergy mode, which I medicated with an anti-histamine yesterday to good effect. My eyes have returned to full function mode. As has the rest of me, for the most part.

Fort Worth Judge Rules Chesapeake Is Allowed Right Of Way Under Carter Avenue As Landowner Loses Court Battle & Is Sentenced To 10 Years Hard Labor

I've got so many things perplexing me right now. How does Chesapeakegate sound for a Blog Forum about Texas Eminent Domain Abuse?

One week ago, tomorrow, I was in downtown Fort Worth for something called the CARO Rally, meaning Carter Avenue Rescue Operation Rally. I saw quite a few people at this rally. Many held protest signs. I listened to some speakers speechify using an electronic amplification device. There was a table with goodies, like bananas and muffins.

I am sure I did not imagine this. I have photo documentation. But, a few minutes ago I got email from my investigator who goes by Big Ed, asking me "did you see this?"

I had not seen "this."

"This" was in something called Pegasus News. The Pegasus website described "this" as "CONTENT FROM OUR FRIENDS OVER AT FWCANDO."

The headline for the article is "Photo gallery: Carter Avenue residents protest Chesapeake Energy's pipeline plans."

Seems to me there were a lot of non-Carter Avenue residents also protesting.

And then the sub-headline said "A Carter Avenue landowner lost a court hearing on Thursday. The judge ruled that Chesapeake is allowed access to the right-of-way under Carter Avenue."

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram also had Chesapeake winning in court last Thursday. In Fort Worth Star-Telegram world, the CARO rally did not happen. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram article was so misleading, the prime player, in that story, was getting messages of condolence and worry from friends and relatives who only got their "news" from the Star-Telegram.

And now, today, the closest Fort Worth has to a real newspaper of record, FW Weekly, came out with its latest issue. Steve Doeung's court appearance on Thursday did not take place, nor did the CARO rally, as in there is no mention of either in Fort Worth's alternative newspaper.

Now, I know that it is impossible for newspapers to cover every little thing that goes on in these parts. And protests with sign waving protesters happen all the time here. No big deal. Concerned citizens filling a courtroom? Happens all the time in these parts. It's not news....

A Very Very Short Wednesday Texas Thunderstorm With A Few Balls Of Hail

About a half hour ago, some time after 10am, the predicted thunderstorm arrived. Along with hail.

I do not have a good view from my location, so I quickly headed over to Miss Puerto Rico's balcony, hoping to get pictures of some good lightning bolts and big balls of hail.

But, by the time I got to my photo perch, the thunder had stopped booming, the hail had stopped falling. All I was left with was a dark sky and rain.

I waited for about 10 minutes for some fresh incoming flashes, but all I got was continued rain. So, I left my Thunderstorm Observation Post and came back here.

This was the shortest Thunderstorm I have yet to see in Texas. And now it is sort of brightening up out there. Is this storm now over for the day? The National Weather Service has the Severe Thunderstorm Watch continuing til 3 in the afternoon.

The birds are back in full chirp mode, a clear indication that the storm has passed.

A Tale Of Two Cities: Seattle Gets A $5 Billion Floating Bridge While Fort Worth Gets a $1 Billion Little Lake

If I remember right I've annoyed a person or two when I compare something in Seattle to something in Fort Worth. It is only natural that I would make note of things that seem so different, to me, in the two towns, because they are the two plus-sized towns with which I am most familiar.

One really big difference between Seattle and Fort Worth is the way public works projects come about.

Currently Fort Worth's biggest public works project is building a little lake and an unneeded flood diversion channel, obliterating the historic confluence of the West and Clear branches of the Trinity River. This project goes by various names. Mainly, Trinity Uptown Project, Trinity River Vision or Fort Worth's Latest Boondoggle.

Fort Worth's Latest Public Works Boondoggle is using eminent domain to take property for this public works project about which the public has little say and no vote.

Meanwhile, up in Washington, on Monday the State Senate sent to Governor Gregoire SB 6292 for her signature. This bill approves the almost $5 billion State Highway 520 Floating Bridge replacement. The 520 Floating Bridge is one of 2 that cross Lake Washington.

Seattle has a lot of lakes, so there is no need to have a public works project to build a fake lake. The existing 520 Floating Bridge is about 60 years old. It's near the end of its lifespan and needs to be replaced before Mother Nature sinks it. Mother Nature has previously sank 2 other Washington Floating Bridges.

The new 520 Floating Bridge is going to be quite a bit bigger than the current one and will fix several problems that have been a bottleneck for way too long. The final routing has yet to be determined. Eminent domain may need to be used to route part of the new road through the area made famous in Sleepless in Seattle, that being an area on Lake Washington with a lot of houseboats.

Now, as I read the article about Washington's new Floating Bridge what is it that really popped out at me as being way different than the way things are done in Fort Worth? Well, in Seattle it's sort of a joke/truism, that before anything gets done, everyone who wants to have a say, gets to.

I'll copy a paragraph from the Seattle P-I article by way of illustrating the HUGE difference between these 2 towns.

"Critics from business and labor - as well as Eastside city leaders - have complained that the debate over how to replace 520 has already taken too long and it's time to move forward. Powerful Seattle neighborhood groups have hired an attorney as they continue to press their case."

Did you spot what I am focusing on? "Powerful Seattle neighborhood groups...".

I can tell you what would have happened in Seattle if something occurred as absurd as a private company abusing eminent domain to run a non-odorized natural gas pipeline under a Seattle neighborhood. I can tell you, it just would not happen.

If Carter Avenue were in Seattle, in a Seattle neighborhood called Meadowbrook, the powerful Meadowbrook Neighborhood would have collectively come together to demand the pipeline project cease. The powerful Seattle Meadowbrook Neighborhood would have pooled their resources to hire legal help to help Carter Avenue.

I have seen time and again, in Seattle, where a group will band together in some common cause. Object to Paul Allen's plan to make a sort of Seattle Central Park running from Lake Union to downtown? Stopped by forcing the issue on to a ballot. Object to a voter approved plan to build a new monorail line? Force another vote. Five elections later the monorail is dead.

Is Seattle better or worse off than Fort Worth due to having all this citizen input and participation? Well, if you've ever been to Seattle you know the answer to that one.

No one could get away with shoving down the voter's throats, in Seattle, something as goofy as Fort Worth's Town Lake Boondoggle.

Did Paul Allen give up on his Seattle Central Park plan? Not really, it just sort of morphed into something else, as in a re-vitalized South Lake Union and things like SLUT (South Lake Union Transit). Fort Worth sent a task force to Seattle to check out some of those South Lake Union developments.

So, is it too late for the Meadowbrook Neighborhood to turn itself into a powerful Seattle-like neighborhood? It really is not just Carter Avenue that is under attack and facing the danger of a potentially explosive pipeline. The streets running parallel to Carter Avenue are also in harm's way. Streets like Bomar & Scott Avenue.

It would take a very small donation from the neighbors of the Meadowbrook Neighborhood to raise enough money to hire legal help. I really think this is the time and this is the issue where the people of Fort Worth buck it up and start exercising their rights like Americans in other parts of America do. Like Seattle.