The Homeless People Of Fort Worth Vex & Sadden Me

I have seen homeless people, while pedaling the Trinity Trail that takes you from Gateway Park to downtown Fort Worth and beyond, many times.

There was one summer where one homeless person had pretty much taken up residence under the Riverside Drive bridge across the Trinity. I believe Riverside Drive connects to Lancaster Avenue, close to the inadequate facility which tries to helps people with no where else to go. I think you have to leave during the day, and then can come back at night.

But, I don't know for sure. There is not a lot of publicity about how to help the homeless.

So, last night I pedaled into the sunset on the Trinity Trail that I've pedaled many a time, seeing many a homeless person.

But.

Last night's incidents bothered me. The first was a fairly old couple. They were seriously sunburned. Their clothes were a bit ragged. They had a look of fear about them. It startled me. They were very close to the church that sits on the west side of Beach Street, next to the I-30 freeway. There were a lot of people at the church.

A few miles later I came upon a guy looking to be in his late 20s. Very sunburned. He was pacing back and forth. It made me nervous as I approached closer to him. All he had with him was a small gym type bag, sitting on the ground. A soccer game was being played nearby. The only thing I could figure was, after the game is over, he finds shelter somewhere by the field. Darkness was approaching, he was near no roads. Where was he going?

About a mile later I saw a man who appeared to be, maybe, in his 40s, with a girl who appeared to be a mid-teenager. They also were badly sunburned. The man was carrying a water jug. The girl was barefoot.

I turned around shortly after I passed the man and girl. Coming up behind them I saw horrible big, bloody, red sores on the girl's legs.

Where were they heading? They were a long ways from Riverside Drive.

It was such a strange juxtaposition, seeing so many people enjoying frivolous fun at Gateway Park, playing games. Seeing others, like me, having fun riding bikes. And then seeing these Great Depression expressions on sad tortured faces.

It bothered me. But, what could I do? Nothing.

I mentioned what I saw to someone this morning. I opined that there should be someplace that helps people in dire straights. The party I was speaking to said there was. I asked what? The party did not know.

Now, I'm a fairly well-read guy who keeps up on stuff. If I were in dire straights I do not have the slightest clue who I could call for help. It seems to me that such a safety net should be real clear and obvious.

I have read about a wise man who is supposed to have said something like 'That which you do to the least among you, you do to me." Andm "Do to others what'd you'd want done to you." Or something like that.

I know a couple years ago Fort Worth sent a task force to Portland, Seattle and Denver to see how those more progressive towns dealt with their homeless people problem. The task force returned impressed with what they'd seen, realizing Fort Worth had some fixin' to do.

Unless I missed it, I don't think anything has been implemented to replicate the systems the Fort Worth task force saw in Portland, Seattle and Denver.

It seems there are thousands of churches here in the Buckle of the Bible Belt. One would think the churches would feel compelled to cooperate together in some sort of community program to help people get back on their feet.

Yes, I know there is some of that type stuff out there. Help from charities and churches, I mean, but none of it is very well publicized. And there certainly is nothing I know of like what rescued the Joad Family in Grapes of Wrath, driving into a federally run camp that was there to help them get back on their feet.

I am going to go on a sunset bikeride again tonight on the Trinity Trails. I hope I see no homeless people.

I Have Now Seen Rascal, The Cute Doggy Formerly Known As Shitzu

As I returned to my abode from the Tandy Hills I saw the nice lady who took in the Homeless Nice Doggy I mentioned several weeks back, out walking her 3 dogs.

I hopped out of my vehicle and asked if I could take a picture of the former Shitzu.

And so I did.

The three dogs are quite a handful for their handler.

When I was talking to the handler I had it in my mind that the dog in the middle was Shitzu, I mean, Rascal. The dog in the middle took the most interest in me, with a lot of barking, so it seemed natural to think that dog was Shitzu.

The doggy on the right just seemed to be smiling at me.

When I got the pictures off the camera I realized I did not know which one was Rascal for sure. So, I went back and found the pre-groomed Rascal and realized Rascal is the nice, no longer homeless, doggy on the right.

Rascal's new mom told me he adjusted very quickly. There were no house training issues.

Her two Schnauzers were a bit unaccepting of Rascal, at first, but then in the middle of the night, by day 2 or 3, Rascal and one of the Schnauzers were having themselves a real fine time playing. Within a few more days the second Schnauzer joined in.

Rascal is very happy in his new home. When his new mom sits down, Rascal is on her lap in an instant. When Miss Puerto Rico drops in for a visit, Rascal thanks her for helping him by giving her several affectionate head nudges.

Looking For Snake Sites On The Tandy Hills After Traipsing Through Tall Grass At Oakland Lake Park

An inquiring mind inquired as to where precisely on the Tandy Hills I had had an encounter with what I now know to be a 6 foot long Rat Snake, thanks to information provided by the inquiring mind.

I used about 40 words to try and describe where I saw the snake. It is commonly known, by those who know common things, that a picture is worth a thousands words, and so the thousand word picture you are looking at, is where I saw the snake.

You are looking east in the picture. The snake slithered out of sight in the tree on the right.

It had not been my intention to go to the Tandy Hills today. Usually on Wednesday I don't do my usual noon salubrious hiking endeavor, due to a regular appointment up in North Richland Hills. But, that got postponed today, which had me making webpages for way too much time this morning.

So, about noon I took off to Oakland Lake Park to walk around Fosdic Lake. I got to the park and saw the lawn was in dire need of being mowed. And a lot of dirty mud had mucked up the place.

It was being breezing, so, even though I was in my walking shoes, not my hiking boots, I abandoned unkempt Oakland Lake Park and took off for the nearby top of Mount Tandy to have myself a nice walk down the mountain and the entire length of the Tandy Highway.

It was in the mid 80s, and, like I said, breezy, and much of the Tandy Highway is in the shade. So, there was none of that dreaded overheating and its accompanying excess seepage today.

I won't be swimming in the morning. My pool is in the process of being shocked. I'm thinking I am going to go for another sunset bikeride. I wish River Legacy Park was back open. I've gone on sunset bikerides there in the past. When the sun goes down your way is lit by fireflies.

Up Late On The Ides Of September In Texas Thinking About My Big Sister's Happy Birthday

I am up just slightly before the sun this morning of September 15, the Ides of September, the month already half gone.

Today is my big sister's birthday. Happy Birthday big sister. I think she is 39 today. My big sister has become my littler sister of late, due to shrinking.

If I remember right I aggravated my big sister a few years back when I remarked that I weighed less than any of the adult Jones females. I think that may have aggravated all the adult Jones females. Although, all the adult Jones females did not hear me make that remark. <

But. I was widely reported.

It is only 73 this morning. Not quite BRRRR territory, but very pleasant open the windows and turn off the A/C territory.

I am really enjoying my sunset bike rides. Well, so far. There have only been two. Last night's brought some disturbing sights to my long-suffering eyes. I'll likely blog about that when I need a break from visiting the Texas Gulf Coast.

In the meantime I am going swimming before it gets much brighter out there.

Riding Into The Sunset Past Mountains Of Litter In Fort Worth

As you can read on the sign. It is time to team up to clean up the Trinity River, with a Trash Bash, September 18. I don't know if that clean up will be in time for the latest massive J.D. Granger inspired inner tube float down the Trinity.

I liked my sunset bike ride so much last night, I decided to go on another sunset bike ride tonight, starting from Gateway Park, with the duo purpose of checking up on how the humongous pile of littler is holding up that I showed you a few days ago.

I thought I might have the Gateway Park parking lot to myself. As I often am, I was wrong. A lot of cars were pulling in to the park. There were rugby games, softball games and other ball games going on. Before I unloaded my bike I saw other bikers returning from rides.

After pumping some air into my front tire, I was on my way. As I passed Fort Woof I saw dozens upon dozens of canines. A few of them chased me the length of the fence. Very frustrating for them that they could not get to me.

Soon after getting chased by the dogs I crossed the bridge out of Gateway Park to the Trinity Trails.


As you can see, the water has receded, the big pipe no longer under the flood waters of the Trinity and the floating litter and debris is now resting peacefully on the ground. The smell was not very pleasant in this location.

As you can see, Trinity Falls is back falling. As you can also see, due to the sun setting, depending on which way I'm aiming my camera I get a different lighting scenario.


On Thursday there was a several feet high pile of litter at this location, right next to the pedestrian bridge. As you can see, it is gone. Where it went to is interesting.


The litter was moved to make temporary, I hope, Mount Trinity. I wonder why the effort was made to clean the litter from one spot, only to move it 50 feet away to another spot and pile it higher? I hope it does not spontaneously combust.

A week ago tomorrow I would be drowning if I were at the location I am in the picture, on top of the Trinity Falls Dam/Bridge. But Trinity Falls is now peacefully falling underneath the Dam/Bridge where it properly belongs. A large pile of litter did not quite make it over the barrier during the flood and remains stuck, as you can see.

In the picture I am under the Riverside Street Bridge, looking west as the sun sets over the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth. I pedaled another couple miles before deciding it was time to turn around. The roundtrip ended up being a little over 10 miles.

Now we are back at the parking lot we started from. Looking at one of the ubiquitous outhouses that grace, well, more accurately, disgrace many of Fort Worth's parks.

Gateway Park's various ballfields are very well done. The baseball/softball fields have an actual restroom facility. But the rugby fields and soccer fields, that were built to replace the fields lost to the takeover, by Chesapeake Energy, of ballfields at the north end of Oakland Boulevard, do not have modern facilities. Or running water. Just a half dozen, or more outhouses.

A food vendor was selling something to eat at the entry to the rugby field. I thought modern American cities did not allow such things without proper sanitation facilities.

I saw something tonight that bothered me a lot more than Fort Worth's lack of proper amenities in its parks. But, I do not want to talk about it right now. Maybe in the morning.

This Morning In Corpus Christi Then Hiking The Veterans Park Jungle At Noon

No. That is not a trail on the Tandy Hills in the picture. It is a picture of a trail in Veterans Park in Arlington, taken today around noon.

I had to be in Arlington today, hence dropping in on Veterans Park.

The Barnett Shale Natural Gas Drilling Operation, across the street from Veterans Park was in full noise making mode today. I shot some video. I have not listened to it yet to hear if it caught the noise. I'm also not sure, but I think I may have made a video of a drilling operation in this location before. So many videos, such bad memory.

Veterans Park is one of the best parks I've seen in the D/FW Metroplex. It has a lot going on. There is a Xeriscape Garden, showing you what you can grow in Texas, naturally, with little water. Then a more formal garden. There is a complex of trails that winds through the Xeriscape and formal garden.

There is a nice playground for kids. Baseball fields. A Disk Golf Course. Covered picnic pavilions. A stage. Big open hilly fields of grass. A paved trail of a couple miles. And a wild zone that is like a jungle.

The Veterans Park Jungle is where I hiked today. I used to do this all the time. I think discovering the Tandy Hills put an end to it. The Veterans Park Jungle is hilly, heavily wooded and covered with a maze of trails. It took me a long time to stop getting lost in there.

Part of the wild zone is more open and sort of a redrock color. There are several Disk Golf "holes" in this zone, so you have to be on the lookout for flying disks.

As the big dry out from Tropical Storm Hermine continues, the humidity has fallen to 62%, which is still very humid, hence it is very muggy out there. A mugginess not made less muggy by the little bit of rain that dripped for a few minutes a few minutes ago.

I don't quite understand why today's Veterans Park hiking was so much more dampness inducing than yesterday's HOT Tandy Hills hiking, hiking which is much more strenuous, might I add.

But I was pretty much drenched when I sat for a minute or two in one of the gazebos in the Veterans Park Xeriscape zone.

The extreme wetness was sort of embarrassing. I went to the Pantego ALDI after I left Veterans Park, pretty much looking as if I'd just gotten out of a pool.

This morning I was virtually down in Corpus Christi again, this time checking out the bar and club scene and some hotels. I want to move to Corpus Christi.

Up Early In Texas Gazing Skyward At Orion & Earthward At A Hot Tub

The night sky was dark and clear when I looked upward from my patio this Tuesday morning of September 14. The Orion Constellation, something I have not seen in years, was clearly overhead.

I aimed my camera skyward and zoomed in to the max on Orion. My feeble photographic skills, or my camera's feeble abilities, were not sufficient to capture Orion.

So, I backed off the zoom a bit and aimed the camera earthward, towards the hottub.

The sun has now arrived and is in the process of lighting up the place. Which means I will be heading towards that hot tub shortly.

The birds are not doing their usual early morning tweet and greet when the sun arrives. This may be a bad omen of a bad day to be. We'll see.

An Early Evening Bike Ride With The Alligators & Jackrabbits At Fort Worth's Quanah Parker Park

I had myself a frustrating, annoying afternoon, all computer related.

On the way back here from the Tandy Hills today I saw that Quanah Parker Park has re-opened, recovered from that recent Hurricane Hermine unpleasantness which had flooded the park, forcing its closure.

So, about 6 o'clock I got the urge to roll. And so I did.

Quanah Parker Park is the park closest to my abode. A couple miles distant. Or less. The paved trail winds through Trinity River floodland. Obviously. The trail circles around a large pond. That pond has been re-charged by the recent flooding.

You can see the flood rejuvenated pond in the picture above, with the sun starting to make its slow move to set. I would not be too shocked if an alligator or two has taken up residence in the Quanah Parker Park Pond.

Due to there being a big supply of rabbits to feed on.

I've not seen so many rabbits scurrying about since years ago in Washington Park in Anacortes in Washington.

Years ago, when my nephews, Joey and Christopher, were about 7, they decided they were going to catch one of the critters at what they called Bunny Park. I think their trap was inspired by a cartoon. Basically a stick holding up a box, with the stick attached to a long string and the trap baited with carrots.

Those two played rabbit hunters for well over an hour before they finally gave up and just started chasing them. Last time I was in Washington Park, in 2004, I saw no bunnies. I'd heard there had been a bunny removal program due to the numbers growing too big.

I biked the Quanah Parker Trail for about an hour, back and forth between the Quanah Parker Park parking lot and Chesapeake Energy Operation, at the west terminus and then back to the trail's end, at the east end.

By the time I was done the sun was in full retreat.

We are looking west, obviously, in the picture, from the Quanah Parker Park parking lot, at a line of trees above the Trinity River with the sun hanging above, along with some clouds.

I think I may make a habit of this evening bike ride thing. It seems quite salubrious and fits in with my plan to get in better shape and live a healthier lifestyle.

Hiking The Hot Tandy Hills And Thinking About Drinking The Drink Of The Gods

I seem to be spending much of today not following lines too well. I need not elaborate.

Except to say, today on the HOT Tandy Hills I went rogue, off trail, golf ball hunting. This is a popular Tandy Hills sport.

I found none. I also found no snakes. Eventually I went back on-line and got on one of the proper Tandy Hills trails.

This morning someone named Dr. Watson popped up on my computer, uninvited, with my computer telling me that Dr. Watson needed to go away due to violating some computer rule. Then my computer wanted me to let it tell Microsoft what the nefarious Dr. Watson had been up to. And so I did.

Today I have altered course to initiate a more healthy regimen. I am hoping this change in regimen helps me regain my health. As part of my healthy regimen my adult beverage of choice is "The Drink of the Gods."

Mate.

The national drink of Argentina. It is full of anti-oxidants and is supposed to give me more mental clarity, less stress and feeling exhilarated. I am very excited about the possibility of feeling more exhilarated and having more mental clarity. I am already fairly stress free.

There was a good breeze blowing on the Tandy Hills today, but it is still being way too humid out there.

It Is Another Early Monday Morning In Texas With Eleanor Grigby & Alligators

The bright white light we are looking at this morning from my patio is not the sun arriving to light up the place. The bright white light is a bright white light lighting up an Albertson's parking lot.

However, the sun is scheduled to arrive soon and drown out the bright white Albertson's light on this early Monday morning of September 13. I hope.

I had odd dreams last night. Very calm odd dreams. Mostly involving Eleanor Grigby arriving to provide me rescue from being stuck in a house with people I did not want to be stuck with. And then the Eleanor Grigby rescue itself starting to be something from which I needed rescue.

I saw YouTube video on the DORBA (Dallas Off-Road Bicycle Association) website last night of the incoming flood at River Legacy. The YouTuber had walked into the park as the flood waters rose. At that point in time the barrier I saw yesterday must not have been in place, because I did not see how one could get around that barrier.

The water in the YouTube video was surprisingly clear. There were an amazing number of fish of various sizes. The YouTuber made the point, in text, that this is how an odd collection of fish and critters end up in the River Legacy Park ponds. Like an Alligator Gar, or two, may be left behind by this latest floods. Or an Alligator of the reptilian sort, or two.

I don't know why, but the River Legacy Flood YouTuber opted to disable the embed option on his videos. So, I can't show them to you here.

On a totally different, yet somewhat related subject, in the next week a Trinity Trash Bash will take place. This is when a large group of volunteers picks ups ton upon ton of trash lining the Trinity River banks. The recent flood has turned this into an extremely daunting task.

The sun has arrived. I am going swimming now.