Fort Worth's First Of July Fosdic Lake Ghost & Birds With Possible Hurricane Oil Spill Nightmare Scenarios

A volume of rain has fallen on these parts since Monday, which was the last day I was able to go hill hiking on the Tandy Hills.

Good thing with this HOT time of the year, the hills dry out way faster than when they get drenched in winter.

I'd gone to Oakland Lake Park to walk around Fosdic Lake on Sunday, forgot my camera, so I took no pictures of the water deprived little lake and its newly formed beaches.

Well, the downpours of late have covered the Fosdic Beaches and water is flowing over Fosdic Falls. It's not a deluge of water, flowing after heavy rain, like you might see cascading over Washington's Snoqualmie Falls, but it's still water falling over a precipice, so, technically a waterfall, though manmade.

As I walked across Fosdic Dam, heading west towards the crossing over Fosdic Falls, I saw a big tree snapped apart. Struck by lightning? Blown by wind? I don't know. Flying in front of the murdered tree was a white ghost, named, by me, the Fosdic Ghost.

Soon after crossing Fosdic Dam I saw what I assumed was a grandma with her granddaughter in a stroller. The grandma was throwing bread into the lake. I assumed to feed birds, of which I saw none eating any bread.

I'd earlier, while walking, made note of the fact that I'd seen few birds. But, the grandma kept throwing bread in the water.

I sat on the picnic shelter overlook and watched. For 5 minutes, maybe more, grandma kept throwing bread in the water.

I started to think she was feeding Fosdic Lake's mutant fish.

And then a duck came into view. And then another. Soon a big flock of birds of different feathers surround edgrandma and the granddaughter, who was now joining in with the bird feeding.

Some of the birds were geese. Geese can be aggressive. I was a little concerned that the little girl might have a too close encounter with a goose beak. I have had one of those, and it hurts.

But, that did not happen, not while I watched. Instead the bird feeding frenzy grew more frenzied.

The sky has brightened, slightly, this afternoon, small patches of blue are peaking through in a few spots. It has been several hours since anything wet has hit my windows.

I have not heard if we are expected to get any moisture from the remains of Hurricane Alex. I remember Hurricane Ike, I think that was his name, gave us quite a drenching here. I think that was in September of 2009. I could be off a year. I know the South Padre Island beaches took quite a hit and are closed for their busiest time of the year, that being the 4th of July.

I think we are in for an interesting summer. I saw a supposed expert on Fox News (always suspect) who said if a hurricane crossed the path of the Gulf of Mexico BP oil spill that because a hurricane reaches into the sea up to 300 feet to suck water up into its wall of storming, the Fox expert said this meant oil would be sucked into the hurricane and when it made landfall big gobs of oil would be falling all over the place.

I'll believe that when I see it. And I hope I don't.

Turner Falls Park in Oklahoma On The 4th Of July

That is me and Big Ed sitting outside Outlaw Cave at Turner Falls Park in Oklahoma.

I'm thinking Turner Falls Park might be a fun 4th of July destination. Going to Turner Falls is always a nice escape from Texas.

First off, it's in Oklahoma, which is not Texas.

Second off, Turner Falls is in a sort of mountain-like zone called the Arbuckle Mountains. My zone of Texas is mountain free.

Third off, there is the waterfall. I do not know where the closest Texas waterfall to my current Texas location might be. Pedernales Falls down by Austin? I have no idea.

If I go to Turner Falls on the 4th of July I'll be able to do some pleasant swimming in the pleasantly temperatured water of crystal clear Honey Creek.

And do some hiking on semi-mountain trails. Run up the stairs of the castle. I recollect straining my shins real bad doing that on a previous Turners Falls winter excursion.

Exploring Outlaw Cave is not all that much of a spelunking adventure. It is no Carlsbad Caverns. Or Lava Beds National Monument. But it does require some flexibility and a willingness to crawl.

The world's 5th biggest casino, WinStar World Casino Resort is on the way to Turner Falls Park. I'm thinking, either pack a picnic or stop at WinStar for their buffet. The picnic option seems to sound more like a 4th of July thing to do than a casino buffet.

I don't know how anyone could have any trouble finding Turner Falls Park. But if you are one of those who require a map to find anything, I've made one that will show you where to find Turner Falls.

Betty Jo Bouvier Segways Across America (Except For Texas) Dispensing Economic Advice

You are looking at the Wild Woman of Woolley, Betty Jo Bouvier, on the right, and Betty Jo's daughter, Betty Jo, Jr., taking a tour of California's Sonoma wine country.

On Segways.

Does this give you a clue as to why Betty Jo came to be known as the Wild Woman of Woolley?

I have toured a California winery. Or two. But, always on foot.

Betty Jo was in Wine Country due to being in San Francisco visiting Betty Jr. I do not know if the Segways were used to tour Alcatraz or Chinatown.

This morning Betty Jo sent me a funny thing. I'm sure it's been all over the Internet. But, even so, I found it amusing, so I'm copying it below...

What do you think of this plan?

Sometime this year, we taxpayers will again receive another 'Economic Stimulus' payment.

This is indeed a very exciting program, and I'll explain it by using a Q & A format:

Q. What is an 'Economic Stimulus' payment?
A. It is money that the federal government will send to taxpayers.

Q. Where will the government get this money?
A. From taxpayers.

Q. So the government is giving me back my own money?
A. Only a smidgen of it.

Q. What is the purpose of this payment?
A. The plan is for you to use the money to purchase a high-definition TV set, thus stimulating the economy.

Q. But isn't that stimulating the economy of China ?
A. Shut up.

Below is some helpful advice on how to best help the U.S. economy by spending your stimulus check wisely:

* If you spend the stimulus money at Wal-Mart, the money will go to China or Sri Lanka ...

* If you spend it on gasoline, your money will go to the Arabs.

* If you purchase a computer, it will go to India , Taiwan or China .

* If you purchase fruit and vegetables, it will go to Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala ..

* If you buy an efficient car, it will go to Japan or Korea ..

* If you purchase useless stuff, it will go to Taiwan .

* If you pay your credit cards off, or buy stock, it will go to management bonuses and they will hide it offshore.

Instead, keep the money in America by:

1) Spending it at yard sales, or

2) Going to ball games, or

3) Spending it on prostitutes, or

4) Beer, or

5) Tattoos.

(These are the only American businesses still operating in the U.S. )

Conclusion:

Go to a ball game with a tattooed prostitute that you met at a yard sale and drink beer all day!

No need to thank me, I'm just glad I could be of help.

Melancholy 1st Of July In Texas

You are looking at my melancholy view of Texas from my patio on the 1st day of July.

Once again the sun is hidden behind a shroud of clouds.

I've been feeling melancholy ever since a moment in Wal-Mart in Hurst yesterday. I've had these type melancholy moments at Wal-Mart before.

I'd just gotten gas and then went to Wal-Mart. Because I'd gotten gas as I walked into Wal-Mart I got my phone out of my pocket to call my mom to tell her I got gas. Just like I always do.

Then this lady caught my eye. She looked to be in her 30s. Tall. Nicely dressed. And she was disabled. Something had happened to her feet and legs that made walking very difficult. We both entered Wal-Mart at the same time.

The Wal-Mart greeter greeted her as if she was a long lost friend. And proceeded to help the lady get a motorized cart running.

I continued on walking. But put my phone back in my pocket. I was sort of overcome with feeling real sad and didn't feel like talking to my mom right then.

I was thinking how lucky I am to be able to do what I do without having the sort of struggle that lady goes through.

I wondered what happened to her. Was this a problem from birth? Was she in a car wreck? A wounded vet from Iraq or Afghanistan?

Is the problem fixable? Did she get the medical treatment she needed?

Another time at another Wal-Mart I saw a little girl with a club foot. That was such a sad thing. And treatable. If one has access to a doctor's care.

Sometimes when I am in the mood to be aggravated I listen to Rush Limbaugh. One of his things he repeats, that always aggravates me, is when he says that "Americans have the best health care in the world." Limbaugh never adds the corrective caveat, "If they can afford it."

I hope the lady I saw struggling to walk into Wal-Mart yesterday was, and is, able to afford the health care she needs.

And, on another related note, I think it's a nice thing Wal-Mart and other stores do in providing electric carts for those who need them. Though it sort of irritates me to see them being used by obese people who would likely be doing themselve a favor if they pushed a shopping cart through the store, rather than riding.

I'm thinking, would it not be a good thing if Wal-Mart, and other stores, had some sort of buzzer that could be pushed, located at the handicap parking, to summon the Wal-Mart greeter to bring out a cart?

When you help those most in need among us, you help yourself, because you never know when it might be you, or someone you love, who needs the help.

Or so it seems to me.

Oh, eventually I did call mom while I walked around in Wal-Mart. I got the answering machine. Mom and dad had gone to lunch at my brother's in Maricopa, about 20 miles south of where mom and dad live in the Phoenix suburb of Sun Lake. Mom called back later. It is being HOT in Arizona. Over 110 for days in a row. I told mom to come for a Texas visit, where my windows are open, right now, at 76.

A very pleasant hour in the pool this morning. One of my blessings I'm counting.

In Texas Thinking About Going To Church & Sunday's 4th Of July Parades

It is the last day of June, Wednesday. In the picture you are sitting with me out on my bedroom balcony, looking at the slightly inclement sky.

I did not get rained on when I went swimming this morning. I like swimming in the rain, but I learned a couple days ago that I do not like swimming in a raging downpour.

It being the last day of June would make tomorrow the 1st day of July. Math is not my forte, but I am fairly certain with tomorrow, that being Thursday, being the 1st of July, that this would mean that Sunday is the 4th of July.

As far as I know I have no special plans to celebrate the 4th of July. I have no memory of what I did on that particular date last year.

Over the years of my Texas exile I have been to two Texas 4th of July Parades. Texas towns put on good parades. The first Texas 4th of July Parade that I got to witness was Arlington's. I believe this one is the biggest in the big state of Texas. It is quite a spectacle. I should muster the effort to go watch it on Sunday. Since Sunday is the 4th and we are big churchgoers here in the Buckle of the Bible Belt, I wonder if Arlington's parade is on Saturday?

Okay, I just looked it up. Arlington's 4th of July Parade is on Saturday, starting at 9am. The parade begins at West and Mitchell Streets, then turns north on to Pecan Street. Then west on UTA Boulevard, turning north on West Street, then north on to Abram Street, then south on Center Street, back west on Mitchell Street to Pecan Street, again, and then ends near Doug Russell Road.

The other Texas 4th of July Parade I've watched is the Granbury 4th of July Parade, which is also on Saturday, starting at 10am. The Granbury Chamber of Commerce website has info about Granbury's 4th of July events. I found the Granbury 4th of July Parade to be a lot of fun and very, very well done.

Interesting. A couple days ago I blogged about the Sedro Woolley Loggerodeo in my old home state of Washington. Loggerodeo has a big 4th of July parade. Washington is not in the Bible Belt. So, I was curious if the Loggerodeo Grand Parade is taking place on the 4th. Well, it is. The Grand Parade starts at 11am. Sunday, the 4th of July. I think 11am is before some church services end on Sunday, but it has been many years since I've been in a church, I may be remembering wrong.

The Lack Of Initiative In Texas

In Washington I was used to citizens taking Initiative. In Texas I don't think this is allowed.

The lack of Initiative in Texas came to mind this morning when I read the following....

OLYMPIA (AP) — It’s a busy week for initiative campaigns, which face a Friday deadline for turning in petitions.

Five campaigns have appointments to drop off their voter petitions with Secretary of State Sam Reed.

Initiative 1082, which would allow private workers’ comp insurance, turns in its petitions Wednesday. The campaign says it’s bringing about 340,000 signatures.

Campaigns need a minimum of about 241,000 valid voter signatures to get on the ballot.

Initiative 1098, an income tax on the rich, is scheduled to drop off signatures Thursday.

Three initiatives have Friday appointments: I-1053, which calls for a two-thirds vote to raise taxes; I-1105, privatizing retail liquor sales; and I-1107, which would roll back several recent tax increases.

I think the lack of any Initiative in Texas is part of what makes the elections here a bit on the boring side. As in if there was an Initiative to Legalize Casino Gambling in Texas, that might motivate some voter turnout. Or an Initiative to Control Eminent Domain Abuse. Or an Initiative to Legalize Marijuana.

Politically scientifically speaking, an Initiative is a means in which a petition is signed by a proscribed minimum number of registered voters, forcing a public vote on a proposed constitutional amendment, statute, ordinance or any number of other things. The concept of Citizen's Initiative is a form of direct democracy.

24 American states and Washington, D.C. have the Initiative form of direct democracy.

South Dakota led the way with the modern American system of Initiative and Referendum, adopting this form of direct democracy in 1898. Followed by Oregon in 1902. What was known as the "Oregon System" then spread to other states from the 1890s to the 1920s during what is known as the Progressive Era.

Apparently the Progressive Era did not progress to Texas. Although I do think on the city and local level there is some form of the Initiative method of direct democracy. I vaguely recollect some sort of petition attempt to stop the construction of Fort Worth's Convention Center Hotel.

I recollect no attempt by citizen's in Fort Worth to exercise direct democracy in the form of an Initiative Petition to force the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle to a vote.

I wonder if you can do an Initiative Petition to recall a conflicts of interest corrupted mayor in Fort Worth?

What excuse does Texas have for not having the Initiative/Referendum method of direct democracy, in this, the Greatest State in the Union?

It Has Been A Rainy Tuesday In Fort Worth With More Water On The Way

Rain dripped from above until after noon today. I don't think we've seen the last of the wet stuff. The forecast is for more wetness for the next 5 days.

Around 3 this afternoon I needed to escape from rubbing my fingertips sore on a keyboard.

So, I hiked over to Miss Puerto Rico's balcony to enjoy the slightly cool breeze and the view of the retreating storm.

Having said that. I just walked outside for a second. Wet stuff is falling again. Though not in copious amounts.

Texas in summer, in the past 2 days, has become like a Washington winter. Except warmer. But the rain seems way too familiar. Except here, in Texas, the rain falls with extreme prejudice in a volume I never saw in Washington.

Well, there was the Thanksgiving Flood in the 1990s. I remember 5 inches of rain falling within a couple hours in a Texas-style downpour. This wreaked all sorts of havoc of the flooding sort. Not flash floods. More massive than that.

In Texas you don't have snowmelt due to rising temperatures sending massive amounts of water into the rivers, because Texas removed its mountains years ago. I think around the time Texas removed its Native Americans. Mountains and Indians went to Oklahoma. I may be misinformed about this.

I remember during the Thanksgiving Flood staying up late sandbagging the dike in downtown Mount Vernon, to save the downtown. The crest of the flood was expected to breech the sandbags. A HUGE crowd gathered to wait for the crest.

Suddenly the river dropped a couple feet. It was a major what the hell moment. Within an hour it was known that a dike further down river had failed, flooding what is known as Fir Island. The release of pressure saved downtown Mount Vernon.

Massive efforts were made to repair the dike breech following the Thanksgiving Flood. And then 2 weeks later it happened again.

I sort of miss this type of weather drama. But, actually, Texas weather drama outdoes Washington weather drama, for the most part. The snow can get a bit more wicked there, it can get colder, Pacific typhoons can be a bit breezy, a Washington HEAT WAVE is a torture Texans can not imagine.

Because few people in Washington have air conditioning. Due to not needing it, except for a couple days a decade.

It has been a good last Tuesday of June 2010. Up late the night before, up before dawn's crack, learned that the Queen of Wink is okay, and hopefully safely back in Wink. And I went swimming in the rain this morning. Does not get much better than that.

My drippy forecast below....

The Queen Of Wink Was Lost But Now She Is Found With McDonald's Cheeseburgers

Well.

We can quit worrying. The Queen of Wink has been located.

Calling the Wink Police and asking them to do a welfare check was no solution to the Mystery of the Disappearance of the Queen of Wink.

If I did not suffer from slightly addled memory problems I might have realized there was no mystery to solve.

I'd forgotten that the Q of W had told me she'd dropped her phone into a watery grave, rendering it useless and she incommunicado. I'd forgotten as a consequence all stored numbers were lost. You would think a light bulb would have come on in my memory banks after getting the Queen's voice mail more than once.

And then there's me forgetting about the date of the Queen's San Antonio trip. I thought she was heading to SA in late July for a Top Secret Operation. Instead it was late June for the Top Secret Operation.

I was on my way to Wal-Mart this morning, driving in the heavy, hike-preventing rain, when I decided to call the Queen of Wink again. This time she answered. I told her I'd been worried sick. And then she hung up on me. Or the call was dropped.

With my number now available to her, the Queen of W called me back. It was during the course of the following conversation I learned she was heading west on Interstate 10, leaving San Antonio, after a successful Top Secret Operation, and heading back to her Wink Realm.

For some reason the Queen of Wink mentioned Cheeseburgers. Ever since then I've had me a craving for a Cheeseburger.

I am not too embarrassed to admit I like the basic, simple McDonald's Cheeseburger.

When I finished talking to the Queen I went into Wal-Mart where the first thing I come to is a McDonald's. I was sorely tempted, sorely tempted, I tell you, to get me a McDonald's Cheeseburger. It is a testament to the extreme strength of my willpower that I resisted the temptation.

For now.

I have not had a McDonald's Cheeseburger since the first week of 2009, when my mom and dad were here and we went to one of the World's Most Unique McDonald's, in Dallas.

A couple years ago I made a blog for a pair of poodles who have since run away. Those poodles liked McDonald's Cheeseburgers. On and on they'd go about their McDonald's Cheeseburgers.

Before the pair of Cheeseburger loving poodles ran away, I made a video of them trying to get a bite of a Cheeseburger from me. Now, when Betty Jo Bouvier. the Wild Woman of Woolley, saw this video she thought it was terribly mean to tease the hungry poodles in such a manner. Rest assured, in the end, they got their Cheeseburgers...

Up Before The Crack Of Dawn In Between Storms In Fort Worth

You are looking at the crack of dawn on the last Tuesday of June, from my bedroom balcony.

You would think you are looking at a blue sky, but you aren't.

For some photographic reason not understood by me, when I aimed the camera at the cloudy sky, with the sun just starting to light up the place, the picture turned out to be sort of black and blue.

The forecast is for more possible storming today.

Yesterday, early in the evening, about 7, it was raining hard. I thought the idea of going swimming in the rain sounded fun. And it was. Til the rain turned into heavy duty downpour mode. And then I started hearing thunder rumbling. Having been badly boomed by a ground zero lightning strike earlier in the day, I figured it was probably a good idea to get out of the stormy pool.

A rare thing happened last night. I stayed up til past midnight. I was afraid I was in for an insomnia night, but that didn't happen and, despite going to bed late, I got up before dawn cracked.

I have an inkling I am in for an interesting day. And don't ask me what's for lunch, because I don't know.

A Good Fort Worth Thunderstorm For The Last Monday Of June

Well, the day may have dawned blue, but this afternoon my zone of Texas has turned very stormy.

It was 96 out there when I went hiking on the Tandy Hills around noon. Cloudy but HOT.

Around 3 I was over at Miss Puerto Rico's to fix something on her computer when the sky turned ominous and the thunder I'd been hearing booming in the distance got way closer.

I took a picture of angry sky from Miss PR's balcony and then headed back here.

The air felt charged with energy. And then the wind started up. I wandered around enjoying the incoming storm and then sat on a lounge chair by the pool to watch the storm.

And then the rain started up. I was under a tree so I was able to stay dry. For awhile.

I could feel the temperature dropping. It felt good. When I realized I was starting to get wet I decided it was time to take shelter.

When I opened my patio door to take a picture a flash of lightning exploded right in front of me, with the boom at the same time as the flash. I've only had this happen once before. It's a bit unsettling.

As you can see we have plummeted almost 24 degrees. The rain is now letting up.

This has been our 3rd Thunderstorm in 5 days. With more in the forecast for tomorrow.

It's been 20 minutes, at least, so I am assuming the close encounter lightning strike did not start a fire. Looking out my computer room window I can see a tree knocked over.

The only other "damage" that I've seen is my swimming suit was blown off the balcony to the ground below, to be rescued when it dries out.