October 25 Mom Call Talking About Texas Tornadoes & Taos

It is the morning of October 25. You are looking out the bars of my patio prison at a nice clear semi-blue sky day in Texas.

I just got off the phone with my mom. No. I did not get gas. Mom called last night and left a voice mail. I did not hear the phone ring due to it charging due to Elsie Hotpepper talking to me til the battery went dead last night.

My mom and dad have an incoming aunt of mine arriving in Phoenix today at 3. Tomorrow they are heading to New Mexico, to Albuquerque, where all my dad's siblings, except my favorite aunt, will be.

I asked my mom why Albuquerque? She did not know. I asked why not Taos? Mom did not know anything about Taos. So, I told mom about Taos. They'd already planned on going to Santa Fe on their way back to Phoenix. Now Taos has been added.

The news of our Saturday tornado action had reached my mom. Which is why she called. I was surprised the news of my stolen bike had not reached Phoenix.

The pool was quite pleasant this morning. I see a Tandy Hill in my future today.

Calling 911 With A Dry View From Miss Puerto Rico's, A Cop Visit And The Queen Of Wink & Me Going Around The World

24 hours ago this was not what the view from Miss Puerto Rico's balcony looked like.

So far, this Sunday, at least at my location, in Texas, there has been no heavy duty storm action, like we got blasted with yesterday, despite the prediction of a possible repeat.

I called 911 this morning, after which a Fort Worth Cop quickly showed up to take my van vandalism/bike theft report. I am not sure, but I don't think a report was made.

Apparently there is a ghost's chance in hell that the culprits might be caught and my bike recovered.

I know nothing about the science of police work, but it would seem there must be some system of checking pawn shops.

I was impressed with the high tech equipment in the cop car. I'd not seen that before.

Since there is quite an outbreak of the type break-ins that broke me, I would think decoys could be set up to trap the bad buys. How hard would that be?

Awhile back I watched an astonishing police operation from Miss Puerto Rico's balcony. At least a dozen police cars showed up, with a lot of cops running around. The culprit was caught,  handcuffed and bent over the back of a police cruiser.

The crime? Shoplifting a box of disposable diapers and a pair of socks from a Dollar General store. This seemed a bit of overkill, disproportionate to the crime.

My bike and the damage to my van costs quite a bit more than some diapers and socks. How many others have been the victim of the same car prowler?

Anyway, the visit with the cop was quite nice. In the end he said he'd be on the lookout for a bright yellow K-2 bike.

Feeling despondent, on my way back from Pantego and Dalworthington Gardens, I called the Queen of Wink. Her royal litany of woes made mine seem puny. I guess that made me feel better. I must begin to work on our audition video for The Amazing Race. We feel due to my good navigational skills, the Queen's superior intellect, my inherent charm with natives and the Queen's flirtatious nature, we should be able to zoom around the world to an easy first place finish.

As long as no mountain biking is involved. I don't do mountain bikes anymore.

After we win and get our million dollar check we will be holding a party. You, who will be invited, know who you are.

Finding Wildscapes Under A Barnett Shale Drilling Operation In Pappy Elkins Park In Dalworthington Gardens

With no bike to ride I decided to go to Veterans Park to do me some walking and contemplating. The Barnett Shale Natural Gas Drilling Rig is back making noise for the apartment dwellers who used to lived in a quiet peaceful location across from Veterans Park.

I really was not too much into the walking today. I'm feeling a bit downtrodden, or trodden down. One of the residents of the aforementioned apartments had mentioned, to me, a nearby lake. I tried to find the lake after that. The resident wondered if the gas drillers were going to be sucking water from the nearby lake. Between my last attempt to find this mysterious lake and today, I consulted a map. I found the lake easily.

The lake is in Pappy Elkins Park. I do not know if it is Pappy Elkins Lake. I do know you can fish in the lake. I do not know if you can eat the fish you catch. I also know you are forbidden to wade or swim in the lake.

As you can see, the shale drilling operation is right next to the lake. A road took me right to the gas drilling operation.

From the up close perspective the drilling operation appears further from the apartments than the perspective from Veterans Park. But it certainly is no where near 800 feet distant. 

Now, where it gets sort of interesting is Veterans Park, and, I assume, the apartments, are located in Arlington. Pappy Elkins Park, and, I assume, the gas drilling operation, are in Dalworthington Gardens, which is a tiny town surrounding by Arlington. So, with the gas rig in one town and the apartments in another, do the distance rules not apply?

Now, looking at the above photo, make note of the brown item, in the lower right, in front of the supposed sound barrier that surrounds the drilling operation.

Now we are right under the brown item, with the gas drilling tower hovering above. The sign says "DWG Wildscapes." Now, isn't that ironic? A Barnett Shale Natural Gas Drilling Operation sits were Pappy Elkins Park had a Wildscape, similar, I assume, to Veterans Park's Xeriscape.

Above is a map from which you can figure out how to get to Pappy Elkins Park if you are in the area and want to see a lake you've not seen before.

Sunday Morning In Texas Recovering From Saturday's Storm & Other Damage

It is early Sunday morning, October 24. You are looking at the moon trying to shine through some foggy fast moving clouds.

Saturday's storm did some serious damage near my abode. Several apartments in the Woodstock Apartment complex were destroyed. It is not known if this destruction was due to an isolated straight line wind burst or a small tornado touching down.

I believe I was sitting in my vandalized van, waiting for the rain to let up, listening to the tornado sirens blare when the damaging wind struck.

The Woodstock Apartments are on Boca Raton Boulevard in East Fort Worth.

We are scheduled to possibly more severe storming today.

Severe storming is matching my mood. I have to call the police. I did not do so yesterday after the storm started up.

Yesterday's stolen bike trauma has me feeling the most violated since August 20, 2008, the day I escaped a month of abuse in Tacoma that had me feeling psychologically violated.

I don't know if I'll go swimming this morning. I forgot to take my swimming suit out of the rain. I know I won't go bike riding this morning. Or later today.

In Texas Watching Saturday's Big Bolts Of Lightning Through A Heavy Downpour

You are looking at an extreme downpour from the vantage point of Miss Puerto Rico's balcony, today around 3.

I saw some of the biggest, thickest bolts of lightning I've ever seen, followed by some very loud booming, that set off a lot of car alarms.

Which had me wishing I had recently had a car alarm go off scaring off bike thieves. I am currently back locking my steering wheel with a club. I should never have stopped with that habit.

Tootsie Tonasket called soon after the rain let up enough that I was able to escape Miss Puerto Rico's. Tootsie Tonasket had her own set of woes that made mine seem less woeful.

The slow dripping that is going on out there now is reminding me very much of a winter in Washington day.

I am guessing the worst of the storm is now over. I do know for a fact that I will not be going on a bike ride tomorrow.

Saturday's Van Vandalism, Stolen Bike, Torrential Downpours & Tornado Sirens

This is not being a Good Saturday.

Very stormy.

In more ways than one.

Around noon I headed out of here to go to Oakland Lake Park to walk around Fosdic Lake.

When I opened my van door I saw a piece of plastic on the floor. I wondered what it was and where it came from.

I then got in the van to see that the steering wheel had been moved to the low position. I thought this odd, but started up the vehicle and took off.

I'd only gone a couple blocks when I looked at the steering column and saw it'd been broken.

Someone tried to steal the van.

But, it was locked, no window had been broken like the previous attempted theft incident.

About halfway to Oakland Lake Park I had a sudden impulse to turn around to check on my bike.

My bike was gone. Thieves stole my bike.

I got to Oakland Lake Park and tried  to see how it was the thieves broke in. I found nothing.

I called the police. The operator could not figure out where Oakland Park was, in order to direct a cop to my location to make a report. I said I'd call again when I got home.

But, events intervened that have kept me from calling the police.

I was soon off the phone to the police when it became clear a bad storm was brewing. By the time I got to the van all hell had broken loose. Heavy wind, heavy rain. As in real heavy rain. I turned on the headlights. They were stuck on high beam due to the damage.

The drive back here was real slow due to all the water on the road and very low visibility When I got back here I sat waiting for it to let up when the tornado sirens went off.

I've not heard the tornado sirens in a long long time.

Eventually the tornado sirens stopped and I made it back under cover.

During lunch I saw the local weather guys in full court storm press. A lot of possible tornado action out there.

I decided to put off calling the cops til tomorrow, due to it raining real hard out there.

I'm trying to make lemonade out of this stolen bike/vandalism incident, but it ain't easy.

The Texas Rangers Antler & Claw Past The New York Yankees To The World Series

You are looking at a screen cap from this morning's Dallas Morning News.

Last night the Texas Rangers beat the New York Yankees, 6 to 1, winning the best of 7 American League Championship for the first time, which put the Rangers in the World Series for the first time.

The Rangers beat the Yankees 4 games to 2. The Yankees are the winningest team in baseball, with 40 American League Championships and 27 World Series wins.

The odd use of the word "claw" in the Dallas Morning News headline is because of something the Rangers do. "Claw" and "Antlers." A couple days ago someone tried to explain "Claws" and "Antlers" to me, but, I didn't get it. But, apparently a lot of others do get it.

The Rangers fans directed a lot of heckling at Alex Rodriguez. I can not remember for sure, but I think Rodriguez was playing for the Seattle Mariners, then the Texas Rangers paid him an obscene amount of money to play for them. But then Alex did not like Texas, which somehow had the New York Yankees taking possession of him.

The one and only time I attended a Texas Rangers game, at the Ballpark in Arlington, they were playing Seattle. I do not remember if Alex Rodriquez was playing for Seattle or Texas at that point in time. I do remember calling my mom when Rodriquez was up to bat to tell her I was at a baseball game.

Alex Rodriguez was the last out, last night, striking out, to give the win to the Rangers.

A Dark October 23 Morning In Texas

You are on Miss Puerto Rico's balcony, last night, looking at a very stormy sky. I was hoping to get some pictures of lightning bolts. But no predicted Thunderstorm, or even rain, materialized at my location.

Lightning bolts are predicted for today, too. I suspect I shall see none and hear no booming.

Meanwhile up in the Pacific Northwest, the first big storm of the stormy season is scheduled to hit later today, with high winds, a lot of moisture and the first big snow of the season (in the mountains, not the lowlands).

I have not heard from Miss Puerto Rico since her arrival at her home port. The last I heard was a call from San Juan during her 3 hour wait to get on a little plane to fly to Ponce.

It is 7:18 on the morning of October 23 and I am seeing no incoming illumination shooing away the darkness, thus enabling a well-lit morning swim. I suspect we are under heavy cloud cover, hence the lingering darkness.

I have no idea, other than swimming and working on webpages, what lies ahead today. The short term future will be determined by how inclement or un-inclement the weather is. If it is un-inclement, I think I will go on a bike ride.

Thinking About Connecting The Tandy Hills To Gateway Park With A Bridge & A Tunnel

Above is a map showing Gateway Park and the Tandy Hills Natural Area, known to Microsoft as Tandy Hills Park. I've long known that Gateway Park extended to the I-30 freeway, as shown on maps. Same with THNA.

What I had never thought about before is the fact that the part of Gateway Park that abuts I-30 is on the south side of the river. As in, outside the developed part of Gateway Park. As you can see, looking at the map, a large chunk of Gateway Park is on the other side of the river, not accessible from the developed part of the park.

So, today I went hiking on the Tandy Hills. I wanted to get a view of the undeveloped part of Gateway Park. That is the view in the above photo. You can see a change in the tree-line. That is where the Trinity River is.

Now, this south of the river part of Gateway Park appears to be very heavily wooded. I know the Trinity River Vision's vision has somehow expanded to Gateway Park and includes making a possible link, via tunnel under the freeway with the Tandy Hills.

At River Legacy Park, Arlington has built a very nice bridge for hikers, bikers and bladers, across the Trinity River. Now, I know Arlington is a much larger, much wealthier town than Fort Worth,  and can thus afford such extravagant public works projects.

But, I think it'd be a real good thing if Fort Worth built a bridge across the Trinity River to connect with the currently inaccessible parkland. And then build that tunnel connection to the Tandy Hills. Maybe the existing culvert could be used. Or, better yet, build a distinctive looking bridge over the freeway, connected to the Tandy Hills. The sort of bridge that makes passerby think they want to get off the freeway and walk across that bridge.

I know such a thing won't happen. Fort Worth sets its priorities on other things. Like building the world's premiere wake boarding venue, so that all the citizens of Fort Worth can enjoy the extreme sport of wake boarding.

A Kid Locked Out Of A Fort Worth Library Seeks Wi-Fi Refuge On The Ground

You are looking out my windshield, which is why the picture looks a little unclear.

Is that a homeless person sitting on the ground?

No.

I had a couple books due tomorrow. So, on my way to the Tandy Hills I dropped the books off. Of course, since it is Friday, the Fort Worth Library East Regional Branch is closed.

As I pulled into the empty library parking lot I saw the kid sitting on the grass, headphones over his ears, laptop computer sitting on the ground.

Why this kid is not in school, I do not know. Is Fort Worth closing its schools on Fridays, like the library?

The library wi-fi must remain up and running, even when the library is closed. This was the only reason I could think of why the kid would be sitting on the ground with his laptop.

Or, since this was before noon, was the kid erroneously sitting there thinking the library was going to open?