Confirmed By Bud Kennedy: A Woman Rescued Him After He Skidded A Car Into The Trinity River

Bud Kennedy (@budkennedy)
 has sent you a direct message on Twitter

Way back on October 27 I blogged in a blogging titled "Who Thinks The Texas State Attorney General Should Look Into TRWD/TRVA Business Practices, Woodsheds & J.D. Granger?"

This blogging was prompted due to info emailed to me from my favorite tipster named Beale.

One piece of that Beale info was in regards to my favorite Fort Worth Star-Telegram writer, Bud Kennedy. Beale claimed that while Bud Kennedy may not have participated in J.D. Granger's Trinity River Vision Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats, Bud Kennedy had spent time in the Trinity River.

Regarding Bud Kennedy being in the Trinity River I wrote...

I was unable to confirm this via Google searching, but Beale says that the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Bud Kennedy has actually been in the Trinity River. Not on one of J.D. Granger's Rockin' the River Inner Tube Happy Hour Floats, but by other means.

Beale says a few years ago Bud Kennedy was driving on an icy road, lost control and ended up in the Trinity River. His girlfriend, at the time, a woman who must have had superhuman strength, somehow managed to pull super hefty Bud Kennedy from his car and get him safely to dry land.

Well.

As you can read in the Twitter message above, this morning Bud Kennedy direct messaged me on Twitter.

The direct message said....

That story on the blog is true--I skidded a Dart off the river on Dec. 21, 1971. Allison Kerr saved me, Heights teachers told kids for years.

So, there you go you Doubting Thomases who questioned the veracity of Beale's tipstering.

The State Tree Of Texas Is A Heritage Pecan In Fort Worth's Quanah Parker Park

Heritage Pecan Tree in
Quanah Parker Park

I am no Audubon when it comes to knowing the identity of trees. I can tell a Douglas Fir from a Cedar from a Pine tree. But, if a tree is huge and deciduous my tendency is to assume it is a big Oak tree.

For years I've made note of some humongous trees in Quanah Parker Park. Because these trees are HUGE and have leaves that fall off in the Fall, I assumed they where big Oak trees.

I assumed wrong.

Within the past month, or so, many informational type signs have been added alongside the paved trail in Quanah Parker Park.

I read a Quanah Parker Park informational sign yesterday that I'd not read before.

Via that informational sign I learned that the big tree I thought was a HUGE Oak tree was actually a HUGE Pecan tree.

In part the informational sign said...

Shade & Food For Man & Animals

The Pecan tree was declared the state tree of Texas in 1919. This Pecan tree (the one in the picture) was designated a Heritage Tree in April 2009 by the City of Fort Worth Forestry Section. Favored by people for its flavorful nuts, cool summer shade and long life span, it is also good for animals. Many animals eat the nuts, including deer, turkey and Fox Squirrels.

Yesterday when I learned this tree was sprouting pecans I thought back to when I used to roller blade in Quanah Parker Park, with there being times of the year when I'd avoid blading on the trail that goes by that particular big tree, due to all the hard objects littering the pavement, creating a road hazard for blade wheels.

It never crossed my mind that I was avoiding edible nuts.

This Morning We Learn The Real Reason Swimming Is Banned In Fort Worth's Fosdic Lake In Oakland Lake Park

This morning I got an interesting email from a former resident of East Fort Worth regarding swimming in the lake now known as Fosdic Lake in Oakland Lake Park.

I did not remember that I'd made a webpage about Oakland Lake Park on my Eyes on Texas website, until this morning's feedback email on the subject reminded me.

When I made the webpage about Oakland Lake Park I was still calling the lake Oakland Lake, likely because signs naming that body of water, Fosdic Lake had not yet appeared.

In this morning's email we learn what may be the real reason swimming is banned in Fosdic Lake. That and we also learn how the cool oak trees that line Oakland Boulevard and Martel Avenue came to be....

You were wondering on your blog / photo page of Oakland Park about the toxic lake.  

I grew up in East Fort Worth and we never believed the lake was toxic. 

But what I do remember happening is this:

Back in the late 1970s,  teenagers from south of Lancaster Avenue were venturing up to Oakland Hills park to use it as a swimming pool, because there were no other nearby ponds deep and clean enough to swim in and there were no public pools (and of course no private ones either) in the area south of Lancaster in those days. The park quickly (in a matter of weeks) became an attractive location for petty criminals from outside the local neighborhood, with the sudden onset of muggings and violent crime in a park where there had been no crime at all prior to the lake becoming an impromptu swimming hole.

If I remember right, a man was killed by muggers while visiting the park with his wife / girlfriend at about the same time. For some reason, I think he was a policeman.

So the local community convinced the city to put up the toxic water signs and swimming in the pond almost immediately stopped, and the non-local resident users of the park went elsewhere. 

That's at least how I recall it.

Wes Taylor
Former East Fort Worth Resident

PS.......my great great grandpa planted all of those huge oaks along Oakland Blvd and adjacent streets.

Veterans Day Thinking About Veterans, The Buffet At The Kickapoo Indian's Double Eagle Casino & Nachos At Black Rock Mexico

Looking through the bars of my patio prison cell at an outer world chilled to 41 degrees I'm feeling like time is quickly slipping away because a third of the next to last month of 2011 has already passed into history.

Speaking of history, today is Veterans Day.

I probably should go walking at Veterans Park in Arlington today, but I likely won't.

Changing the subject from Veterans to something else.

Last weekend I virtually went south to the Texas/Mexico border to the town of Eagle Pass where I virtually had a really good $4.99 buffet at the Kickapoo Indian's Lucky Eagle Casino. The town of Eagle Pass is situated on a river called the Rio Grande. On the Mexican side of the river is a larger than Eagle Pass town called Piedras Negras.

I believe in English Piedras Negras translates as Black Rock.

Black Rock, Mexico is where the gourmet dish that goes by the name "Nacho" was invented. If I remember right, I blogged about this recently.

Changing the subject from Nachos to swimming.

Yesterday morning it was 41 degrees when I went swimming. The high for that 24 hour time period had been barely 60. I had a very pleasant time in the pool yesterday, followed by a very pleasant hot shower. This morning it is also 41 degrees, but the high in this particular 24 hour time period was higher than yesterday's 24 hour time period. Which means, I think, that the pool will be warmer than yesterday.

I will test this theory in a couple minutes.

I Have Been Invited To An Old Fashion Christmas In Belton Texas

Bell County Courthouse In Belton, Texas

Texas has 254 counties, more than any other state in the union. Many of those 254 counties have very elaborate, ornate courthouses.

The county seat of Bell County is Belton. That is the Bell County Courthouse in the picture.

Belton is slightly south of Temple, north of Salado, on Interstate 35, part of the Killen - Temple - Fort Hood metropolitan area. Basically the town is deep in the Heart of Texas.

And why am I talking about Belton?

Well, a few days ago I think I mentioned that due to my Eyes on Texas website I find myself getting invited to events and festivals that I don't find myself attending.

This morning Sandy Bigham, of Belton, invited me to an "Old Fashion Christmas in Belton," saying....

Join us for a fun day in downtown Belton on the second Saturday of December at 10:00 to 7:00pm. Santa, Clowns, Gospel groups, vintage cars, Hay rides, Kiddie Korral, carolers, Teddy Bear Parade at 5pm. Lots of food and vendor. A fun day for all.

Clowns and Gospel groups are a HUGE attraction to me, but I probably won't make it to the Old Fashion Christmas in Belton.

I did put the Old Fashion Christmas in Belton on my Eyes on Texas Christmas in Texas webpage, though.

I do have one lingering question about the Old Fashion Christmas in Belton. I thought the phrase was always "Old Fashioned" not "Old Fashion." But, I looked at the Belton Chamber of Commerce website and that is what they are calling it, "Old Fashion" not "Old Fashioned."

Fort Worth's Quanah Parker Park's Tire Population Continues To Grow

Another Pile Of Tires In Quanah Parker Park

I returned to Quanah Parker Park today, again, even though I was just there yesterday.

The pile of tires I came across yesterday strewn next to the Quanah Parker Park paved trail were still strewn there today.

But, today I looked up from the pile of tires next to the trail to see an even bigger pile hiding under the shade of a group of trees.

What is causing this explosion of tires? They seem to be breeding like rabbits.

Two Weeks Til Thanksgiving With Rick Perry Being A Turkey In Last Night's Republican Debate

Looking out my primary viewing portal on the outer world at the bright beginning of Day 10 of the next to last month of 2011.

It is only two weeks until Thanksgiving. We are on the fast track to Christmas and a New Year.

Speaking of turkeys, I got a strange thing from TXU in the mail yesterday. You non-Texans reading this, TXU is a Texas electricity provider. Yesterday's TXU mailing thanked me for being such a good customer by giving me an up to 16 pound turkey or up to 9 pound spiral cut ham.

To acquire the turkey or ham requires going to Krogers. I don't like going to Krogers.

Still speaking of turkeys, Rick Perry had another really bad debate night last night. Perry's gaffe that had the pundits in full punditry mode came when Perry said he'd eliminate 3 departments of the government. He then proceeded to try to name the three he'd get rid of.

The Commerce Department, the Education Department and, uh, uh, uh, uh. Not able to remember the third one. Perry ended his gaffe by saying "OOPS."

Later in the debate Perry remembered the third department he wanted to get rid of was the Energy Department.

I'm finding the Republican Debates to be rather entertaining. I don't recollect making it through to the end of so many debates the last Presidential Election cycle as I have already during the current one.

It's getting late. It is currently 41 degrees. Time to go swimming before it gets any hotter.

White Pickup Trucks, Cars & Tires Today On The Quanah Parker Park Trail

White Pickup Truck Rapidly Heading Towards Me
On The Quanah Parker Park Trail

Today, on my way to Town Talk, I parked at Quanah Parker Park so that I could walk on the Quanah Parker Park Trail to check out a new section of Quanah Parker Park Trail that has had me a bit perplexed as I have observed its construction as I passed by on Randol Mill Road.

I had myself an encounter with a white pickup truck on the Quanah Parker Park Trail today.

If I remember right I have previously mentioned my encounters with white pickup trucks on trail in Fort Worth parks.

Today's white pickup truck encounter did not seem as sinister as some of my previous white pickup truck encounters.

There has been some upgrading going on in Quanah Parker Park in the past couple months. The fixing of the flood damaged entry road. New signage. Many added park benches.

New Trail To The Right, Old Trail To The Left

And then a month or so ago, at the point where the paved trail makes a long oxbow, following a bend in the Trinity River, bulldozers graded a path that ran parallel to Randol Mill Road.

I figured this was preparation for the laying of yet one more Barnett Shale Natural Gas Pipeline.

Instead this turned out to be a new section of paved trail, sort of making a detour around the oxbow.

Why would the City of Fort Worth spend money building this new paved trail, an addition to a trail that is not very heavily used, when there are so many places in Fort Worth that really could use a sidewalk?

The long long long term plan for the Dallas/Fort Worth towns, through with the Trinity River passes, is to connect Dallas with Fort Worth, and the towns in between, via paved biking, pedestrian trails. Fort Worth, Dallas and Arlington have all done a very good job building paved trails along the Trinity River.

But, there are a lot of gaps in the paved trail in Fort Worth. For instance the Quanah Parker Trail does not connect with the Gateway Park Trail and thus connect to the Trinity Trails. The Quanah Parker Trail is the furthest east that the Fort Worth paved trails travel.

There is maybe a 10 or 12 mile gap before you get to the Trinity River Trail that runs through River Legacy Park, in Arlington, almost all the way to Highway 360. And then another gap of maybe 15 miles before you get to the Dallas paved trails.

Methinks it really should be some sort of priority to fill in these gaps. Me also thinks if a paved bike/pedestrian trail extended from Fort Worth to Dallas that it would be very popular. Maybe not Burke Gilman in Seattle level of popular, with bike shops and places to eat along the way, but still popular. And who knows, maybe a snack bar and coffee shop might spring up along the route.

Crazy Man Driving Down The Quanah Parker Trail

In addition to the white pickup truck heading towards me today there were a couple other strange things that happened.

When I stopped to take the picture of the new trail that you see above, behind me was yet another white pickup truck. And behind that white pickup truck there was a car parked. As I snapped a picture the car started its engine and began driving down the oxbow section of the paved trail.

I found this to be very bizarre.

And then after I snapped a picture of the car careening down the oxbow section of the Quanah Parker Park Trail I turned around to see something I've been seeing in another park that I frequent.

Quanah Parker Park Tires

The Tandy Hills Natural Area.

Where in the past couple months 3 mysterious tires have appeared in an isolated area of the park, with two of them being BIG heavy tires.

And now today I find all these tires laying on the ground next to the Quanah Parker Park Trail?

Who put them there? And why?

Are they lined up waiting to be moved to the Tandy Hills?

I tell you, there needs to be some investigating into the goings on that go on in some of Fort Worth's parks.

It is all very perplexing.

It Is The Dawn Of A New Day In Texas Able To Buy Booze At Costco In Fort Worth & Washington

Looking through the bars of my patio prison cell on Day 9 of the next to last month of 2011 it looks like the pool has turned into an ice rink. But, it'd take at least another 10 degrees colder than the current 42, for that to happen.

I was peacefully slumbering this morning when my phone played its cheerful, unwanted wake up tune.

It was Miss Puerto Rico calling from the airport. I let the call go to voice mail. My one longtime reader may remember I used to provide taxi service for Miss Puerto Rico to the airport. That ended on the day Obama was inaugurated.

In other news, yesterday was election day in America. For the most part election days in Texas are sort of quiet. There were a lot of proposed amendments to the constitution being voted on in Texas. I don't recollect seeing a single sign trying to get me to vote yes or no on any of the proposed amendments.

Texas proposals 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9 and 10 were approved by the voters, while Proposals 4, 7 and 8 were rejected.

I don't know if Texas has the Referendum and Initiative method of putting an issue on a ballot.

In Washington I always had a lot of Referendums and Initiatives to vote on. A citizen, or group, in Washington, can take the initiative and put an Initiative on the ballot if they are able to get enough signatures on  a petition to do so.

COSTCO was behind an interesting Initiative that passed yesterday in Washington. Initiative 1183 removed the last vestige of Prohibition from Washington, allowing private retailers, like COSTCO, to sell whiskey, gin and other hard liquor. Prior to Initiative 1183 one could only buy those items from state run liquor stores. COSTCO spent $22 million into its campaign to get this Initiative passed.

Texas still has many vestiges of Prohibition. Some places totally dry, some totally wet, some just a little damp. I live in a totally wet zone, bordering a totally dry zone. This causes 4 liquor stores to be at the Randol Mill Road exit from Loop 820, because that is the nearest entry point from the freeway to the wet zone I live in.

The town I live in, Fort Worth, being wet, I guess, for some reason has long allowed the Fort Worth COSTCO to sell hard liquor. But grocery stores in Fort Worth are not allowed to sell hard liquor.

I don't know why.

COSTCO likely figured out what local palms it needed to grease so it could sell whiskey to the locals.

I guess I'll stop thinking about how easy it is to get drunk in Fort Worth and go swimming now.

Caution: No Smoking Or Open Flames Near My Neighborhood Abandoned Chesapeake Energy Drilling Site

Abandoned Fort Chesapeake

Today I decided to not waste petrol driving to a place to walk. Instead I decided to take a very rare walk around my neighborhood.

My primary motivation to take this walk was to take pictures of my #1 neighborhood eyesore, what the locals have taken to calling Fort Chesapeake.

That is Fort Chesapeake in the first picture, looking east up a hill on Boca Raton Boulevard.

NO SMOKING OR OPEN FLAMES

Ever since Chesapeake abandoned Fort Chesapeake, a chain link fence has surrounded the perimeter of the fort. Last week a secondary chain link was added about 10 feet in from the original chain link fence. Apparently Chesapeake wants to make sure the abandoned fort is secure from invaders.

CAUTION

But, why is Chesapeake so worried about incoming invaders that 2 chain link fences are required? Well, the picture on the left might have the answer to that query.

Why would this abandoned well require a sign warning "CAUTION NO SMOKING OR OPEN FLAMES"?

As I type these very words a few miles to the northwest of my location, near Boyd, in Denton County, a Barnett Shale Driller's Saltwater Disposal Well is burning. Saltwater, you know, that harmless water that is injected into the ground during the fracking process somehow went to explosive flame mode.

The Metal Plate At The Center Of Fort Chesapeake

Now, my neighborhood abandoned Fort Chesapeake operation is very strange. In August us living in this location were a bit non-plussed at all the activity, big trucks, noise, involved in erecting a drilling tower and all its accompanying accouterments.

And then a short time later, with no drilling noticed by anyone, suddenly a big line of trucks showed up, creating a bit of a congestion problem on Boca Raton, lined up to remove all the drilling equipment.

After all the equipment was removed, the drilling site was smoothed over, with an orange mesh fence, that you can see in the picture, above, surrounding what looks like a heavy metal plate. This is not what one usually sees left behind after Chesapeake Energy finishes poking the earth in one of their Barnett Shale Natural Gas Drilling Operations.

Collapsed Fence Enhancing Explosion Danger?

Other than the addition of the second chain link fence I've seen little activity at abandoned Fort Chesapeake.

I would think someone from Chesapeake Energy would show up to re-erect the chain link fence on the eastern edge of Fort Chesapeake. It has collapsed onto the sidewalk that runs along the Loop 820 frontage road.

In the picture of the fallen fence you are looking south towards the Super Bowl Buffet. I hope the fallen fence does not make it easier for open flames or smokers to have access to whatever it is that is so flammable inside abandoned Fort Chesapeake that it required a dire warning sign.

Am I the only person in Fort Worth who thinks abandoned Fort Chesapeake is a bit of an eyesore? Why is this type eyesore allowed? It really ruins the view east from Miss Puerto Rico's balcony. It blocks the view of the 820 freeway and Dallas to the east.