Up Late August 23 Grateful There Is No Drought In North Texas So Chesapeake Energy Can Remove All The Water It Needs From The Trinity River

I was up past midnight last night. I am rarely up past midnight.

Being up past midnight had me up after the sun, looking out my primary viewing portal on the world on this 23rd Day of August, with the 23rd Day of this HOT month being the next to last Tuesday before August becomes September.

I don't know how HOT we got yesterday, as measured at the official temperature measuring station at D/FW Airport. I suspect it was over 100. Again.

Currently this morning is relatively chilly at only 83.1, heading to a scheduled hight today of 104.

One of the worst North Texas droughts in history along with the HOTTEST summer in North Texas history has miraculously not caused a water shortage. I know this because the City of Fort Worth is letting Chesapeake Energy stick water sucking pipes in the Trinity River, running those pipes full of water to a Barnett Shale Natural Gas Drilling Site adjacent to Fort Worth's Trinity Park.

Water sucked out of the Trinity River, then mixed with sand and chemicals and then injected into a well never again re-enters the water cycle. Unless by accident. And when that happens it is a very very bad thing.

Regarding this Trinity River water sucking during a drought, Don Young sent out an email last night regarding a TV news report on this issue on CBS 11.

Below is what Mr. Young had to say........

My recent report on the industrialization of Trinity Park got the desired media reaction. Jason Allen of CBS 11 DFW is doing a report tonight at 10 PM.

Appropriately, it came on another Level Orange air quality warning day in Dirty Ol' Town.

Jason's angle will probably focus on the millions of gallons of water used to frack this single Chesapeake well during the worst drought in Texas history*. I encouraged him to see the whole picture of what it means to industrialize much of Fort Worth and North Texas.

I met Jason at the park to find the fracking job in full swing. The smell of diesel fuel filled the air even upwind of the pad-site. Two Fort Worth Police cars, not usually seen in the vicinity, were parked nearby. hmmm. Tanker trucks full of sand and toxic fracking chemicals were lined up. Fracking equipment was spewing smoke and dust. (Remember, this is a high-end neighborhood. The world renown Kimbell and Modern Art Museums are  about 3 blocks away.)

Question from Jason: What about the water? The drilling industry and its enablers, including City of FW officials, claim they use less water than say, Miller Brewing, another local industry.

Fact: The water Miller uses eventually goes back to the water cycle to make more beer, or whatever. The water used by Chesapeake is permanently removed from the water cycle and buried underground forever, due to it's extreme toxicity. Big difference.

There's a reason I call Fort Worth, Dirty Ol' Town.

DY

* Based on daily average temperature.

Monday In Texas Braving The Dangers Of A Low Water Crossing & Elsie Hotpepper

I've been having trouble this particular Monday recovering from my latest lost weekend.

My energy level was at a very very low ebb. And then Elsie Hotpepper tasked me with some very difficult tasks that wore down what little energy reserves I had in reserve.

So, around noon I did what I do when I need to rejuvenate. I took off for the outer world, leaving air-conditioned comfort behind.

Today I felt like walking a trail shaded by big oak trees. The closest destination to meet that need is Village Creek Natural Historic Area, about 3 miles distant from my abode.

It is not being very HOT today. It is only 101.4, currently, at a little past 4. It was only 95.7 when I left my chilled zone today. Fall arrives on September 23. You can almost feel the chilling winds of Fall already blowing along with all the falling leaves, suffering from the lack of water.

The sign you see in the picture above struck me as semi-amusing today. Warning of the DANGER of a LOW WATER CROSSING. It is more like a NO WATER CROSSING. The sign always warns that the crossing can be SLIPPERY WHEN WET. Like that ever happens in these parched parts of the planet.

I have mastered the art of taking a picture using the Village Creek Trail funhouse mirror. It is very nice of the Arlington Parks People to put this mirror at this particular random location on the trail for this particular purpose.

The sun is currently being slightly blocked from hitting my primary viewing portal on the world by some big clouds.

Looking at the current prediction from the Weather Underground they are saying there is 0% chance of precipitation. However, earlier today, I heard, on the radio, that a Thunderstorm was a possibility on the menu for today.

I am currently drinking green tea, made in a sun tea pot that spent a day sitting in the sun on the patio. Drinking green tea is just one of many really healthy things I am doing to try and re-gain my former healthiness. How many fruity soy-based smoothies can a person drink before they crack from all that goodness? I guess I'll find out.

The Shadow Of The Thin Man On Hurricane Watch In Dry HOT Texas

As you can see via the Shadow of the Skinny Dipping Thin Man I am up well before the sun on this next to last Monday of August, Day 22 of this very HOT month.

Currently we are heated to 85.4, heading to a high of 104. Sunday was the first day in awhile that set no temperature records in North Texas.

Maybe the worst of the HEAT is over and a cooling trend is on the way.

The first hurricane of the year, Irene, is heading west and may eventually bring some moisture to these parched parts of the planet.

While I wait for Irene to get me wet I think I'll go get wet that glowing blue thing you see in the picture.

Burlington Washington's Public Library in a 8,388 Population Town

The building you see in the picture is the public library in Burlington, Washington.

I lived in Burlington, Washington from when I was around 5 years old til I was 19. Or 20.

My mom and dad remained in Burlington til sometime in the 1990s. Our house was about a block from the public library. But not the one in the picture. The library in the picture replaced the library that replaced the library where I first checked out a book when I was 5 or 6 years old.

The librarian in that old library was the mother of the librarian in Burlington's new public library.

That is the new Burlington library's librarian in the picture. Her name is Janice Jackson Burwash. She is married to famed Burlington author, Martin Burwash, who's latest best seller, Vis Major, is slated to become a major motion picture.

The population of Burlington, according to the 2010 census, is 8,388. That is about 3 times bigger than when I lived in Burlington. The town I live in now, Fort Worth, Texas, is about 84 times bigger than Burlington, with Fort Worth's population of over 700,000

Burlington keeps its public library open every day of the week, except Sunday. Fort Worth keeps a more erratic public library schedule.

Watch the video below to get an idea of the size of little Burlington's public libary compared to big Fort Worth's public libraries.

To be fair, little Burlington is a bit of a boomtown compared to Fort Worth. The population may be small, but the town has a big mall, an outlet center, a car selling complex, called I-5 Auto World, a Costco and a Krispy Kreme, along with most of the other fixtures you find in bigger towns, like K-Mart, Target and all the fast food suspects.

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, when Burlington went into boomtown mode, the Wall Street Journal cited Burlington as one of the fastest-growing and best investment opportunities of American small towns.

Burlington's population soars during business hours. As in a lot of people come to town to shop. The number of people in Burlington during business hours is many times bigger than the town's population. I imagine if Fort Worth somehow managed to attract 5 or 6 times the town's population to town, maybe Fort Worth could afford a better library system, open more days and longer hours.

In the video below you will see Janice and the Burlington Public Library. I have not seen Janice in person since April of 2006, when she played the organ at my nephew's wedding. In Burlington....

Shrinking Fosdic Lake Revealing Previously Hidden Secrets

I remember some time in the recent past when water was cut off to the Trinity River, as it flowed through Fort Worth. I assume this was for some maintenance thing.

When the Trinity River went dry it revealed a secret. Stolen vehicles that had been sunk in the river.

I was reminded of this today whilst walking around Fosdic Lake in Oakland Lake Park.

The volume of water in Fosdic Lake continues to recede, revealing heretofore unseen beaches, mudflats, litter. And today a previously submerged shopping cart.

Fosdic Lake is quite a distance from the nearest store where one might purloin a shopping cart.

The newly revealed shopping cart was at lake edge, midway across Fosdic Dam.

I wonder what other treasures will be showing up as the water in Fosdic Lake grows shallower and shallower?

Cars? Missing persons? Chemically contaminated mud?

Another Sunny Sunday In Texas With More Record Breaking Temperatures

Looking through the bars of my patio prison cell at a glowing blue swimming pool on the August 21 Sunday dawn of yet one more HOT morning in Texas.

Currently the outer world is being heated to 84.5 degrees in my location.

Yesterday set yet one more temperature record, with August 20 being the hottest ever, at 107 degrees, as measured at the official measuring station at D/FW Airport.

The overnight lows have been being record breaking highs. This has resulted in an average 2011 summer temperature of 83.8, averaging the highs and lows, thus far, this summer.

The average of 83.8, so far, makes the summer of 2011 the HOTTEST summer ever recorded in the D/FW zone.

Which makes it the HOTTEST summer I have ever lived through. By far.

Which has me thinking it is time to go cool off in the pool.

Hiking On The Tandy Hills Thinking About Outrage Fatigue Caused By Chesapeake Energy Drilling Next To Fort Worth's Trinity Park

I recollect saying I was not going to do any Tandy Hills hill hiking til the temperature dropped out of the 100 degree range.

But, today I was in the mood for Tandy Hills solitude. Of a short duration. So, I parked on View Street and hiked the trail on to the hills from the View Street park.

I went up and down no hills on the Tandy Hills today and I did not overheat, even though the air was heated to a bit over 100.

I saw an odd thing on the trail today. That being the wooden pallet you see in the picture. Why would anyone haul a wooden pallet to this location? Is it a new Tandy Hills Guerrilla Art Installation?

Speaking of strange things in Fort Worth parks. A few minutes ago I was logged into Facebook. There I saw Gail Galtex make an interesting comment that gave name to a syndrome I suffer from.

Outrage Fatigue.

I think I am burned out from Outrage Fatigue.

This is what Gail Galtex said....

This is a disgrace. I have outrage fatigue over so many things, but obviously still have some left. Trinity Park is a jewel and I can't believe our city 'leaders' are allowing this to happen.

What is the disgrace to which GG refers? Well, earlier today I got an email from Don Young. It was the info in Don Young's email to which GG is referring.

Below is Don Young's message that added to Gail Galtex's (and my) Outrage Fatigue...

In late 2009, Chesapeake Energy managed to get waivers for a controversial gas well in the heart of Fort Worth's high-end commercial district. The site is just two blocks from the world-class Cultural District museums and the fancy, new 7th Street corridor.

Trinity Park, the crown jewel of the Fort Worth parks system, is right next door to the pad-site, a mere 225' away. This old-growth forest of Pecan, Oak and Elm trees is one of the most beautiful spots in the city. Just a short distance from the pad-site is the ever-popular duck pond, miniature train, playgrounds and hike/bike trails that attract families and children. The Trinity River flows nearby, along the perimeter.

Now, in the middle of a record-breaking drought and with the blessing of the Fort Worth Mayor and City Council,  Chesapeake is preparing to frack the well with water from the river. As of last week, they began ramming water-sucking pipes through the park... right next to the duck pond... and playgrounds... where children play.

Brother, can you spare some outrage?

Well, I have plenty of outrage. I think I can spare some. Where should I send it?

A HOT 3rd Saturday Of August With Continuing Record Breaking HEAT Making Me HOT

The sun has arrived this morning of the 3rd Saturday of August, Day 20, already heated to 87.4 degrees, heading to a scheduled high of 108.

Yesterday's high of 107 broke the record for that day, set in 194.

Yesterday was Day 53 of 100 degrees or higher in 2011, as measured by the official measuring station at D/FW Airport.

53 days of 100 or more is the 3rd most days of 100 or more in a given year in North Texas. On Tuesday we should reach the #2 record of 56.

The year with the most 100 degree days was that infamously HOT year of 1980, with 69 days of 100 or higher.

All  this HOT talk has made me HOT. Which means it is time to go for my morning swim and cool down.

The Fort Worth Lawn Whisperer Needs To Talk To Fosdic Creek

You are looking at Fosdic Creek in the picture. With water flowing. This is the second time in recent weeks that milky water has been seen flowing through Fosdic Creek into Fosdic Lake in Oakland Lake Park.

Water is supposedly very precious in these drought parched parts of the planet. We get a lot of admonishments not to waste water, with messages often delivered by a man calling himself the Lawn Whisperer.

I have no idea how many lawns could have been watered by the water leaking into Fosdic Lake today.

Changing the subject from nutjobs whispering to lawns to my decrepit, rapidly aging body. I think I may have overdone it this morning in the pool. I seem to be in body ache mode, particularly in the mid-section zone. I'm sure I will recover.

Changing the subject again. A few minutes ago Elsie Hotpepper sent me a long email with a lot of text and pictures, asking me if I could translate it into legible English. I tried, really I did, but I quickly realized I was not sufficiently skilled to complete this particular Hotpepper task.

I do not remember ever failing to complete a Hotpepper task before, so now I'm feeling just a little depressed.

I'm sure I'll recover from that too....

Fort Worth Resident Survey Shows Satisfaction Regarding City Services With 93% Agreeing Dallas Is Their Ideal City

The Fort Worth, Texas, Official Web Site Home Page is home to some very interesting information.

If the Internet had existed back when the Soviet Union was in its propaganda spewing heyday, I imagine the Moscow, Russia Official Web Site Home Page would have been very much like Fort Worth's.

In the City News section of the Fort Worth, Texas, Official Web Site Home Page we learn that "Resident survey shows satisfaction with City services."

A few paragraphs about this "Resident survey".....

Fort Worth registered high marks in an annual survey that measures residents’ feelings about municipal services. Residents ranked the City highest for having a clean and attractive city and ensuring a strong economic base, and lowest for improving roads and public transportation.

In April, ORC International, a global market research firm with offices across the U.S., surveyed a random sample of 1,614 Fort Worth residents age 18 and older. At least 200 surveys were completed in each City Council district.

Ninety-five percent of respondents said the overall quality of life in Fort Worth meets or exceeds their expectations, and 93 percent agree that Fort Worth is close to their ideal city.

Fort Worth residents feel that the overall quality of City services meets or exceeds their expectations, and 79 percent feel the city is headed in the right direction.

On a scale of five stars, 73 percent of residents rated the City as four stars or better. Only 11 percent of cities rate five stars, ORC International reported.

It is clear that Fort Worth residents feel that the No. 1 strategic goal should be to ensure a strong economic base, a reflection of the nation’s current economic state and overall concerns about the economy. Twenty-nine percent of respondents ranked “having a strong economic base” as the most important goal. Also important were “being the nation’s safest city” (21 percent) and “improving roads and public transportation” (18 percent).

95% said the quality of life in Fort Worth met or exceeded their expectations? With 93% agreeing that Fort Worth is close to their ideal city?

As in Fort Worth is close to their ideal city of Dallas? Dallas is considered the ideal city by 93% of the Fort Worth people surveyed? Well, I sort of do understand that. Dallas is a very attractive city, with an iconic skyline and some nice attractions, like Fair Park and the Dallas Farmers Market.

Even though there are some nice locations in Dallas, Fort Worth has my favorite attraction in the D/FW Metroplex, that being the Fort Worth Stockyards.

In the survey, 18% thought Fort Worth needed to improve its roads and public transportation.

The Dallas transportation infrastructure is likely another reason why 93% of the Fort Worth people surveyed opined that Fort Worth was close to their ideal city, because Dallas has all those miles of DART train tracks, that you can now ride all the way to Denton. Fort Worth has a TRE train that you can ride to Dallas to connect to the DART trains.

I wonder how much the City of Fort Worth paid for this rather absurd survey? Enough to buy a library book or two? Fill a pothole or two?