The Greenest Summer I've Ever Seen Is In North Texas

Nary a cloud in the sky above the Tandy Hills today. The humidity has dropped under 50%, so it is being not quite so muggy. That and a slight breeze helps.

Is this the greenest summer in North Texas history? I've not been here all that long, but it is the greenest summer in my short North Texas history.

I thought I'd be more snake vigilant after my recent encounter with a 6 foot long version of the creature God used to tempt Eve to eat an apple.

But today I was lost in thought, walking across a trail wannabe, when the thought crossed my mind that I needed to be reptile vigilant.

I got my first vote for my run at being mayor of Fort Worth today. Very encouraging.

I believe River Legacy Park has re-opened. The mountain bike trail is a mess that will require a lot of time to restore. However, I believe the paved trail is back functioning. I think this may be the location of my sunset bikeride tonight.

Maybe I will be able to get a picture or two of a firefly or two.

19 Steps Towards Making Fort Worth Cool & Hopefully More Satisfied

Just a few days ago we learned, via Men's Health magazine, that several Texas cities ranked high as Most Sexually Satisfied Cities, with Austin scoring #1 in one prized category, that being condom sales.

In the overall rankings Indianapolis was #1, with two Ohio towns, Columbus and Cincinnati # 2 and #4, respectively. San Antonio came in #6 in the overall Most Satisfied rankings.

Meanwhile, up in the more frigid Pacific Northwest, Seattle, Spokane and Portland did not do so well. However, Boise came in #9.

That is not the usual look at the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Seattle in the picture. The view is looking west at downtown from the east side of Lake Washington, with the Olympic Mountains in the background. The cliche view, of Seattle, is the Space Needle in the foreground, then the downtown skyscrapers, with Mount Rainier hovering in the background. That cliche view is why first time Seattle visitors are often surprised to discover the town is virtually surrounded by mountains, if they are so blessed as to be visiting on one of those rare uncloudy days (you are welcome Lesser Seattle people).

Today, from Forbes Magazine, in yet one more ranking list of dubious authority, Seattle is ranked the #3 Coolest City in America. With only Las Vegas and, the coolest, New York City, being Cooler.

For the Sexiest City rankings Men's Health based its ranking on the aforementioned condom sales, birth rates and sales of sex toys from retailers Babeland and Pure Romance.

Sounds very scientific.

Forbes based its Coolest List on a Harris market research company poll in which Harris asked adults from across the U.S. which of the 40 largest metropolitan areas in America are "The Coolest."

The Top Ten Coolest, according to Harris and America are....

1. New York City
2. Las Vegas
3. Seattle
4. Chicago
5. San Francisco
6. Orlando
7. San Diego
8. Los Angeles
9. Miami
10. Washington, D.C.

I have opined previously that Seattle is like one big theme park, so it being cooler than Orlando is no huge shock to me. But, cooler than Los Angeles? I really like Los Angeles. Although, Seattle is a bit more easily accessed and has more going on in close proximity.

I am guessing the people of Seattle are too busy having fun, in their cool town, to have as much fun with the type adult entertainment that has Indianapolis, Columbus, Cincinnati, Salt Lake City, San Antonio and Boise top-ranked in the Men's Health Sex in the City rankings.

I am shocked, shocked I tell you, that Fort Worth is not in the Top 10 of Coolest Cities. I am sure if Fort Worth had made this list a city-wide celebration would already be in the works.

I am also sure, once the Trinity River Vision clears up, that the rest of America will start to perceive Fort Worth as cool.

I have some suggestions on how to make Fort Worth cooler, prior to the TRV being ready to float boats and inner tubes.

1. Remove all outhouses from all public parks. Replace the outhouses with modern restroom facilities with running water.
2. Expand library hours and keep libraries open 7 days a week.
3. Build a safe, clean town swimming lake and provide provide transportation to the town lake for the town's kids.
4. Build sidewalks along all the roads people walk beside.
   
5. Quit calling the area of town where there are museums the "Cultural District." That just ain't cool.
6. Landscape all exits from freeways.
7. Quit calling the collection of downtown parking lots "Sundance Square."
8. Actually build a downtown square and then name it "Sundance Square."
9. Clean up all boarded up eyesores in the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District.
10. Either totally fix the bumpy bricks on Camp Bowie Boulevard, or pave the boulevard over with regular concrete. Trust me. There ain't nothing cool or remotely unique about that tiresome brick road.
11. Fix the eyesore sections of Lancaster, Rosedale, Berry, North Main and any other road in Fort Worth that would be right at home in a 3rd, 4th or 5th world country.
12. Do actual needed flood control work to mitigate the dangers from flash floods.
13. Fix the current corruption that runs the City of Fort Worth and the Fort Worth School District.
14. Restore Heritage Park to its rightful glory.
15. Remove any barbed/concertina wire fencing in the downtown area.
16. Build a streetcar system circulating people from downtown to the Stockyards to the newly re-named 7th Street Entertainment District, formerly known as "The Cultural District."
17. Build the best Homeless Shelter System in America and show the rest of the country how to get people back on their feet.
18. Fully fund and implement the Master Plan for Tandy Hills Natural Area.
19. Remove the entry fees for the Fort Worth Nature Preserve. No cool city charges a fee to its citizens to enter a public park that property taxes, and other taxes, have already paid for.

There you go, 19 steps to having Fort Worth being "Cool" in no time. I have no idea what to do to fix Fort Worth's sorry rankings on the Men's Health list.

Up Late In Texas After Too Much Bird Tweeting Torment Last Night

I am up after the sun, well, more accurately, we got up about the same time, this one day past the Ides of September, Thursday morning, the 16th.

I'm thinking these sunset bike rides I've been going on have me sleeping like a baby, without a need for a middle of the night feeding.

By the time I got up, this morning, the birds were done with their daily ritual of greeting the sun with way too much tweeting.

But.

Yesterday all afternoon I was hearing loud tweeting. And then when I got back here. After dark. The birds were still tweeting. It was loud and annoying. Birds don't tweet, normally, after the sun goes away.

After about an hour I was real tired of the constant tweeting. I went outside hoping to shoo away the offending birds, who I assumed were right outside my computer room window.

When I stepped outside, dead silence. Nary a tweet. I figured, well, that shut them up, just seeing a human in their vicinity.

I went back to my computer room and the tweeting was at full throttle. Then I thought, are there birds in my attic? Am I hearing this through the A/C vent?

Then, as a last resort, seeking any solution that provided relief from this avian nightmare, I turned off my computer speakers.

Silence.

I re-started the computer this morning. I have not turned the speakers back on. I'll do that right now and see if the birds return.

Silence.

I was at several websites yesterday that had to do with birding on the Texas Gulf Coast. I'm thinking I may have picked up a bird noise doing that, somehow, that stayed with me.

I am not going swimming this morning. I may go to the Tandy Hills if it is breezy by noon. I may go on a sunset bike ride tonight. In the meantime, and after, I will be virtually traveling all over Texas.

Pedaling At Sunset In Fort Worth Past The Trinity Trail Homeless People

I started pedaling before 7. It really was not as dark as this picture would make you think. In the picture I've just left Gateway Park, crossed the Trinity River on the Dam/Bridge that was flooded, a week ago today, pedaled up to the top of the levee and stopped because the sun was doing some interesting lighting that I thought might make an interesting photo.

Yesterday I came up 5 homeless people walking on the Trinity Trail. Two pairs and one guy solo. I was hoping today to see no homeless people.

Continuing on, in a mile or two I came to a flock of swan-like birds, floating in the Trinity River. I assumed they got the memo from J.D. Granger that the Tarrant Regional Water Board has been working successfully for decades to turn the formerly polluted Trinity River into super clean water, safe to swim and inner tube in.


In the above picture I'm the furthest I made it on tonight's sunset bikeride, to the west side of the I-35 Freeway, a short distance from the Fort Worth Stockyards, which, if I remember right, is a couple more miles of pedaling. That shelter in the foreground is a water oasis.

The above is what I saw when I turned around from the view of the I-35 Freeway and the water oasis, two of the more, uh, interesting, downtown Fort Worth Skyscrapers, peeking up above a line of trees.

Now the homeless person report.

I saw none wandering the Trinity Trails. However, under the Riverside Drive Bridge there was a group of 5 or 6. On my way out, one asked, as I pedaled by, "How's it go'in, man?" I said, "fine."

On the return two of the under the bridge homeless people appeared to be sleeping. None of those still awake howdied me as I passed.

There were a couple females pedaling tonight on the Trinity Trails and one jogging. I would think that group under the bridge might make a girl a bit nervous. I'm not a girl and they made me nervous. The scene had a sort of post-apocalyptic look to it. Blade Runner in Fort Worth.

I'm liking my sunset bike rides. Except for the homeless people part. That and the giant flying things that hit me. Tonight I think I may have been slammed by a bat. Whatever it was, it was big.

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.