CatsPaw Is Taking Me To Rustic Creek Ranch To Stay In An Intimate Cottage With Yogi Bear

CatsPaw has been getting me to do things in the past month or two that I don't think I would have been doing without CatsPaw's instigation.

Things like helping make a delivery of toilet paper.

Or agreeing to walk with the dead folk at Oakwood Cemetery in Fort Worth.

And then yesterday CatsPaw talked me into going to some place down in the Burleson zone, at the southwest edge of the D/FW Metroplex, called Rustic Creek Ranch.

Apparently Rustic Creek Ranch has 248 full service RV sites, 2 resort size swimming pools, 4 recreation buildings (where you can play candy bar bingo, sing karaoke and other stuff), or stay in one of 37 intimate cottages, where Yogi Bear would love to come and visit, or just to tuck us in to bed.

According to the Rustic Creek Ranch promotional literature, all this takes place on "69 acres of pure Texas soil."

As opposed to impure Texas soil?

I don't know what makes a cabin "intimate." It should be interesting to find out, and see what level of effort Yogi Bear goes to to help achieve the desired level of intimacy.

I stayed in a log cabin on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon one snowy October day in 1994. I can see why one might describe that Grand Canyon cabin as intimate. Particularly when the blizzard hit.

Yogi Bear was not visiting the North Rim of the Grand Canyon when I was there. I suspect he was up north, at Yellowstone National Park. I wonder how the Rustic Creek Ranch people got Yogi Bear out of Yellowstone? I hope they did not kidnap him.

The Last Saturday Morning Of August With No Rain From Hurricane Irene In Texas

In the picture I am outside looking down at still waters that don't run deep on the last Saturday of August of 2011.

The outer world is currently heated to 83.6 in my zone of Texas, heading to a high of 104. Again.

There is nary a cloud in the sky this morning. That monster, Hurricane Irene, is not spinning any moisture in this direction.

This Saturday the only thing I am looking forward to, besides not doing anything that causes bruising, is going to Town Talk. I am hoping to find a big platter of sushi in the Town Talk cooler.

In the meantime I am going to go swimming and try and cool off.

Rick Perry? God Here. The Voice In Your Head Is Not Me. Take Your Meds

My favorite Fort Worth native living in Tacoma, Washington, MKB, had this picture on her Facebook wall today.

I found it amusing. So, I swiped it.

Rick Perry, having only recently entered the Republican race for president, and this week coming in #1 in the polls, has me thinking it is time to give up and live off the grid on some deserted South Seas Island.

It is clear to me I don't understand the world around me, which leaves me in an almost constant state of feeling perplexed, confounded and confused.

And vexed. Very very vexed.

How can the state which gave America the likes of Lyndon Baines Johnson, Sam Rayburn, Barbara Jordan, and other notables, be the same state that foisted George W. Bush on the world? And now, Rick Perry. Another D Student Texas governor.

What has Rick Perry done as governor of Texas that warrants all this support he is getting outside of Texas? I don't get it.

With the current state of affairs methinks just about any Republican is going to beat what's become the Obama abomination.

I remember when it started to seem likely that Ronald Reagan was going to be president, I found myself opining that the safe thing to do was to probably leave America. I was wrong about that. Reagan quickly became my favorite president.

I eventually learned to appreciate Bill Clinton, though I never voted for him. I think I may have voted for Ronald Reagan for his second term.

We need a wily devil like Richard Nixon as president again. Rick Perry does seem to have some Nixonesque attributes. I always thought Richard Nixon would be very amusing to spend time with, super smart guy that he was. I think spending time with Rick Perry would be un-amusing, painful excruciation, D Student that he be.

Are there any Texas LBJ types in the state, these days?

I have only been to two presidential libraries. Richard Nixon's in Yorba Linda, California and LBJ's in Austin, Texas.

I totally enjoyed both Nixon's and LBJ's libraries. Nixon's is like a palace. LBJ's is more down to earth. Nixon's is like walking through a time capsule of decades of American history.

My favorite things in the Nixon library were the area where you walked among life size statues of all the world figures Nixon had dealt with and the way Watergate was dealt with, which was very well done. I imagine that has changed since I visited in 1994. Nixon was stil alive at that point in time.

My favorite parts of the LBJ library were the replica of the Oval Office and the life size animatronic LBJ which talked, spewing amusing LBJisms. And the gallery with Grandma Moses paintings.

Can you imagine a Rick Perry Presidential Libary of the future with a life sized animatronic Rick Perry spewing amusing Perryisms?

I may be letting my voter's registration lapse. In addition to not participating in the futility of voting, I'd also get the added benefit of getting out of jury duty.

J.D. Granger Is A Great Family Man, Faithful Husband & Brilliant Project Manager Rockin' The Trinity River Better Than The San Marcos River

Today I got a couple interesting blog comments from someone calling him or herself Anonymous in which Anonymous sort of comes to the defense of Fort Worth's favorite rogue, J.D. Granger and the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats.

I'll copy the two comments from Anonymous below...

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "J.D. Granger's Trinity River Happy Hour Tubing Party":

J.D. is a great guy. Loosen up a little.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Rockin' Live On The Trinity River Inner Tube Happy Hour Concert Series Announced":

In response: Study your geography. The Trinity River is constantly moving. Goes thru Texas out to the ocean. No still, standing, stagnant water. The events are totally funded by sponsors, not the tax payers money. There is a lifeguard there and there are port-a-johns and people do use them. Neither of these are available at San Marcos. Its your choice to what beverage you bring. Life is all about choices. Learn your facts people!

______________________________________

In response to Anonymous informing us that J.D. is a great guy. Well, we already knew that. Great family man, faithful husband, top-notch mega-project director. A tea-totaling saint of a man who has deserved every dime he has earned while on the public dole. And need we mention how blessed J.D. is in the mother department?

As for Anonymous making a very strong case for the idea that floating in the Trinity River is a better deal than floating in the clear San Marcos River, because Rockin' the River has a lifeguard and port-a-johns, while the San Marcos River does not. Well, who can argue with that impeccable logic?

Anonymous also helps us geographically challenged sorts understand that the Trinity River is constantly moving. Constantly. On its way to the ocean. With no still, standing, stagnant water.

Except for that water that is not moving much, right now, behind the many pond creating dams that block the Trinity, in multiple locations, as it flows through Fort Worth.

Like the pond at the confluence of the West and Clear Forks of the Trinity River, at the location where the Rockin' the River Inner Tube Happy Hour Floats take place.

I hope Anonymous appreciates that I've loosened up with J.D. Granger today, as per his or her Anonymous request....

The Last HOT August Friday In Texas Thinking About Turtle Soup Among Other Things

Standing on Fosdic Lake Dam today, in Oakland Lake Park, gazing south across the lake, as a water cooled breeze made the 99 degrees feel less HOT.

The Fosdic Fosduck flock was down to 3 birds today. Where do the Fosducks go?

I do not know why, but the Fosdic Lake turtles are very skittish. Unlike the turtles I see sunning themselves on a log in the pond at Veterans Park in Arlington.

The Veterans Park turtles pretty much preen and pose for the cameraman. While the Fosdic Lake turtles jump off their sunning log as soon as they hear the beep of the camera turning on.

Today I saw two rather large Fosdic turtles sunning themselves on a log. Today's Fosdic turtles did not even wait for the beep of the camera before jumping in the water. All it took was reaching into my camera pocket and they were gone.

Is someone catching Fosdic turtles for Turtle Soup? Is this why they are so skittish?

No, that is not Elsie Hotpepper on the left. The photo is used only for illustrative purposes representing the pain I am in.

It is the weekend and I'm still in a weakened state from last weekend's hyper-activity hyper-extending my hyper-abilities.

The bruise on my arm is starting to fade. That is the only visible bruise that is starting to fade.

This weekend I am going to be very sedate. I shall allow no liberties to be taken with my sedate state of being. Not even if Elsie Hotpepper shows up in one of her official t-shirts.

Frank E Asked Me About My New Chesapeake Energy Neighbor

I am almost 100% certain that I have mentioned, at least once, that Chesapeake Energy is drilling another Gas Well in my neighborhood. I believe I blogged a few pictures, as well.

Just a second, I'll find the blogging in question.

Found it, from July 24, 2011, titled Chesapeake Energy Wants To Poke Another Hole In My Neighborhood.

This morning Frank E made a blog comment regarding my neighborhood Chesapeake operation...

Frank E has left a new comment on your post "The Confederacy Of Dunces Wants To Know Why The Yard Waterers Of Tarrant County Are Wasting Water That Could Go To Gas Well Fracking ":

Hey Durango, have you been made aware of the sneaky plan by CHK and the city to turn that former Walmart land right near your abode into another heavy industrial drilling site? Yep, it's the one right across the street from the Chinese buffet and Albertson's.....and right next to a large apartment complex, full of people and children which the city's Ordinance classifies as a public-use and thus requires a minimum setback distance of 600 feet. But CHK and its servants the public officials seem to think that people who rent are third-class citizens, deserving little to no protection or input to such a hazardous plan. Maybe, the people in this city is like the proverbial frog-in-the-slow boiling pot of water when it comes to this crazy gas drilling+fracking+pipelining+profiteering enterprise...of the backs, and lungs, of regular people.

Yes, Frank E., I have been aware of this Chesapeake sneakiness. I walked over to the sneakiness this morning to take some new pictures. The picture at the top is a sign announcing in rather convoluted English that "A Gas Well Permit within 600 feet of a Protected Use by Protected Use Waiver to drill for gas has been requested by Chesapeake Operating, Inc."

Now, here is where it gets a little weird. At the top is the Chesapeake sign from today. The sign on the left is what Chesapeake had installed on the site on July 24. On the July 24 sign it says "A Gas Well Permit to drill for gas within 600 feet of a Protected Use has been requested by Chesapeake Operating, Inc. A public hearing is scheduled at City Council Chambers - 1000 Throckmorton Street, Fort Worth, TX on August 6."

Okay, why does today's sign repeat that a waiver has been requested? The project seems to be well underway. I know a resident of the nearby apartment complex was gathering signatures on a petition objecting to this close by drilling operation. Did that petition get presented at the public hearing?

Let's look at some pictures I took this morning of this close to the public Chesapeake Energy gas drilling operation...

Above I am standing at the northeast corner of the Super Bowl Buffet that Frank E references. Albertsons is to my left. Across the street is the Chesapeake Operating Inc. Operation.

Above I am still standing on the Super Bowl Buffet parking lot, looking north across Boca Raton Boulevard at the Chesapeake Energy Operation. At the north end of the drill pad site you see a building. That building is the offices for a big self storage complex. Someone lives, full-time in that office. Thus living well inside the supposed minimum 600 foot setback.

Above I am looking northwest from the north side of Boca Raton, up against Chesapeake's chain link fence that surrounds their operation. This picture gives you a good idea of how close these apartments are to this operation. The last time Chesapeake drilled near these apartments, on the west side, it was so disturbing to the peace and quiet that some residents moved.

I don't understand why the setback rules are so easily ignored, particularly when you are talking about a setback from a densely populated location.

Like I've already said, if, as the sign indicates, a "Protected Use Waiver Has Been Requested", with no mention made of the waiver having been granted, then why is this gas well operation well underway?

It is all very perplexing. And thank you, Frank E, for asking me about it.

Up Early The Last Friday Of August

Looking through the bars of my patio prison cell at the turquoise pool below on the 26th Day of August, the final Friday of this 8th month of 2011, puts me in the mood to plot an escape from this particular confinement.

I'm in the mood to be shivering in the chilly Pacific Northwest. This morning, before the nuclear explosions in the sky arrive, we are chilled to 84.5, heading to 104. Again.

84.5 degrees is a few degrees warmer than what I have my air conditioner's thermostat set to. Up in my old home zone of Mount Vernon, Washington, right now, it is 55.7 degrees. That is way colder than what I set my air conditioner's thermostat to.

It is a bit disappointing that Hurricane Irene chose to take a course that will not deliver any much needed water to Texas.

The sun has now arrived and is providing sufficient illumination that I can find my way to the swimming pool.

Fort Worth Is Where The West Begins But It Turns Classic In West Texas

The rainbow in the picture is not the one that arched over me this morning whilst I was swimming.

The rainbow in the picture was in a video Alma, the Songbird of the Texas Gulf Coast, sent me today of photos of West Texas taken by Wyman Meinzer of Benjamin, Texas, where his gallery is in the old Benjamin jail.

The photos are classic scenes of the American West. In Texas. Scenes that are what many people think all of Texas looks like.

When I first moved to Texas I did not get how Fort Worth could bill itself as "Where the West Begins." Coming in from the Far West, this made no sense to me. It took me awhile, but now I get it. Fort Worth is sort of where the West begins.

Going way back to when I could first check a book out of a library the history of the American West has always been one of my favorite genres.

Reading about Custer's Last Stand, Captain Jack's Stronghold, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, Black Kettle, Red Cloud, Sand Creek, the Fetterman Massacre, Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, Deadwood, Virginia City, Tombstone, Dodge City, Wounded Knee, the Black Hills, Fort Union and much more, and then eventually visiting these locations where these people did their deeds, well, good memories.

I do love the American West. And Fort Worth. Where the West Begins....

Another HOT Walk In The Shade Of The Village Creek Oak Trees

The sun had barely arrived this morning when a thunderstorm let loose a few big bangs and a short flood of water vertically delivered in drop form.

By the time I was in the pool a very bright rainbow arched across the sky above me. I wish I had had my camera with me.

One would have thought the bright rainbow might have been a bright omen for a bright day.

Well, the day did turn out bright, my mood, not so much.

The rain temporarily made the outer world feel cool. But, by the time I went walking in the shade of the Village Creek Natural Historic Area the rain-caused humidity had the 89.4 degrees feeling way HOTTER.

Currently it is 104.1, according to the Weather Underground, with that miserable humidity making it feel like 108.

The Last Thursday Morning Of August Has Started With A Thunderclap & Downpour

That blue oasis in the picture is looking inviting this last Thursday morning of August of 2011.

The sun has only been providing illumination for a few minutes, so it has not had a chance to take the chill out of the air which is currently only 81.4 degrees in the outer world in my vicinity.

I just heard what sounded to me like thunder. Looking out my primary viewing portal on the world I do see some thundercloud type activity in the sky. The National Weather Service claims there is a 10% chance we may see some precipitation today. No mention made of thunderstorms.

Yesterday, that being Wednesday, set yet one more temperature record, reaching 106 at the official temperature monitoring station at D/FW Airport.

Just as I hit the period on that last sentence rain began hitting the window. I must go outside and stand in the downpour. I'll be right back.

Now that was refreshing. Big, semi-warm drops of wetness. I am about 10 minutes from my morning swim. Will I be swimming in the rain this morning? I hope so.