The Day After Thanksgiving With Downtown Fort Worth A Ghost Town Until Tonight When Chesapeake Energy Brings Christmas Delights!

You can not tell by the view through my patio prison cell bars that the sky above is cloudy on this day after Thanksgiving, last Friday, of the next to last month of 2011.

You can also not tell by looking at the picture that the outer world is currently heated, or chilled, depending on your point of view, to 55 degrees.

Which means I will be in the pool enjoying a morning swim in a few minutes.

Today is what has come to be known as Black Friday.

The biggest shopping day of the year.

I won't be participating. I used to enjoy going to a mall on this day to do some people watching, but that no longer seems like a fun thing to do.

I may go to downtown Fort Worth today and shoot video of the ghost town that is downtown Fort Worth on the busiest shopping day of the year. Due to Fort Worth being the biggest town in America, population-wise, with no downtown department stores, and few other stores, it is not a shopper's mecca on this day when the masses go into heavy duty buying mode.

However, tonight downtown Fort Worth will see its population somewhat surge with people watching more than 100 floats, horses, marching bands and other stuff that makes up what is being called "Christmas Delights!" in the annual Chesapeake Energy Parade of Lights.

This was not always the annual Chesapeake Energy Parade of Lights. But, it is now yet one more thing Chesapeake Energy has taken possession of in Fort Worth.

We are very grateful.

Some Things We Are Thankful For...

Elsie Hotpepper sent me this this morning.

I was rather thankful for having been sent it.....

Walking With My Mom & The Village Creek Indian Ghosts Before Eating Too Much Turkey

The Village Creek Thanksgiving Blue Bayou

It is another pleasantly warm day in paradise here in the parched part of the planet I currently reside in called Texas.

Speaking of Texas, Top Chef Texas is doing Texas proud. This week I learned how to better make chili and saw Padma ride a horse in a San Antonio rodeo.

Today, prior to my Turkey Buffet, I walked with my mom and the Indian Ghosts who haunt the Village Creek Natural Historical Area in Arlington.

After mom stopped talking to me I left the Indian Ghosts and went to Wal-Mart because I'd forgotten to get olives.

I knew Wal-Mart would be open. I never expected it to be so busy with so many checkers. I asked my olive checker if they got paid more for working on Thanksgiving. She said, "Oh, yeah!" More checkers were going to be on duty by 5 because, apparently, a lot of people come in after eating turkey to begin their Christmas shopping.

My Turkey Buffet went well. Except for the mashed potatoes. Let's just say I changed the name to chunky potatoes. No one complained. But I did not like them. I've never had a problem making mashed potatoes before. I've no clue what went awry.

I had a nice long swim this morning. Since it is currently 65 degrees in the outer world at my location I likely will be able to have another nice long swim tomorrow morning.

I had to take a time out from eating to do my blogging thing. It's time for pumpkin and lemon meringue pie now.

A Frosty Thanksgiving Morning In Texas With The Exiles

I do not know why the Thanksgiving morning view from my primary viewing portal on the world is frosty.

But it is.

Currently, in the outer world at my location, it is 10 degrees above freezing. The exact same temperature my old home location in the Skagit Valley town of Mount Vernon is being chilled to, up north, in Washington, at this point in time this morning.

The high yesterday got into the 60s. This means, even though it is only 42 degrees at the present time, I will be going swimming this morning. And I will likely go on a Pre-Turkey walk around Fosdic Lake. I will try to remember to bring something tasty for the Fosducks.

This morning I experienced the disturbing revelation that Elsie Hotpepper does not know what the word "exile" means.

Elsie had asked what I was doing for T-Day. I told Ms. Hotpepper I was making a Turkey Buffet for my fellow exiles.

Elsie Hotpepper replied to this by asking, "Exiles"?

I will never understand why it is so many people do not know how to access a dictionary when they do not know what a word means.

Walking Quanah Parker Park Thinking About Gas Lease Revenue, Turkeys, Cranberry Sauce & Pumpkin Pie

City Gas Lease Revenue In Action

My route west on Randol Mill Road to Beach Street to go to the Beach Street Super Wal-Mart and Town Talk takes me by Quanah Parker Park.

A few days ago I noticed that the sign I'd blogged about previously, September 10, to be precise, in a blogging titled "Fort Worth's Quanah Parker Park Is Closed Thanks To City Gas Lease Revenue In Action," appeared to have changed.

So I parked at Quanah Parker Park for a quick look at the sign and my favorite Pecan Tree.

Well, the sign really had not changed all that much. Previously it had  a notice tacked on informing wannabe park visitors that the park was closed. That has been removed.

I had not noticed, when I saw this sign the first time, that near the bottom it says "Scheduled Completion Date Year 2011."

Old Heritage Pecan Tree

Since I first made note of this operation, last September, I've seen a lot of the city gas lease revenue in action in Quanah Parker Park.

Action such as Informative Acorn Signage, Such as the acorn signage identifying the special, old, heritage Pecan Tree that lives in Quanah Parker Park.

Other gas lease revenue in action includes cement slabs on which, I think, eventually, park benches will sit.

New litter barrels have shown up along the paved trail.

A new section of paved trail has been paved, giving the few who walk this trail a short cut bypass detour, for which I have not been able to fathom the reason precious city gas lease revenue went into action to pave that new trail.

Some road work has taken place, fixing flood damage. I assume that was part of the city gas lease revenue in action.

There are likely other Quanah Parker Park examples of the city gas lease revenue in action that I am either forgetting or have not noticed.

Changing the subject to my favorite, the weather.

It is currently 65 degrees in the outer world at my location. I have my windows open.

Changing the subject again, this time to Thanksgiving.

I'm already ready for tomorrow's Turkey Buffet. Today I made cranberry sauce, brown rice stuffing and pumpkin pie using vanilla yogurt instead of condensed milk. The pumpkin pie came out real tasty.

Bible Belt For Perry Is Following Me

This morning I can not tell you how thrilled I was to learn that Bible Belt For Perry is now following me on Twitter.

As everyone knows, and this message from Twitter confirms, "Bible believers support GOVERNOR RICK PERRY FOR PRESIDENT."

I do not know if there are any Bible non-believers supporting Rick Perry. I'm actually not quite sure what it means to be a Bible believer.

Does it mean you believe everything you read in the Bible? Some of what's in the Bible is a bit far fetched.

Or so it has always seemed to me.

Some of what Rick Perry says seems a bit far fetched as well.

Maybe believing in the far fetched is what Rick Perry and these Bible believers supporting Governor Rick Perry for President have in common.

Another thing I really don't understand is why in the world anyone would follow me on Twitter.

The Day Before Thanksgiving Dawns Clear & Cold In Texas

The morning of the day before Thanksgiving has dawned free of clouds blocking the sun's rays.

The sun may be shining, but it is cold. Only 12 degrees above freezing.

I did not have insomnia last night. I did have some doozy level nightmares.

At one point in a nightmare I saw a shadow through the window of a second floor room. I woke up shouting call the police.

I hope no one did.

I don't know if I'll get in the pool this morning, even though the 24 hour average was above 50 degrees.

The Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's Bridges To Nowhere Built In Slow Motion

Two TRV Boondoggle Bridges Are Now Fully Funded

This afternoon someone calling him or herself "DP" emailed me TRINITY RIVER VISION UPDATE VOLUME VI - ISSUE 3 - WINTER 2011.

This is the pdf version of what I assume will be the TRV Boondoggle's latest snail mailing.

"DP" pointed out an item he or she found of interest in the mailing, that being the following...

"Need a Speaker?"

Do you belong to a community organization that would be interested in learning more about the Trinity River Vision? TRVA staff is happy to provide a project overview and update to your group! To schedule a speaker, please call Matt Oliver at 817-698-0700."

"DP" goes on to say....

That doesn't really make sense does it? TRIP contacted them to speak at their forum so they could "learn more about the TRV" and they were a no-show. I guess they are only interested in "certain" groups.  

"DP" is correct. The TRV had agreed to send someone to the TRIP Forum at the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens, but the TRV representative failed to show up. I blogged about this the very night it happened, in a blogging titled "Boos Greets News That J.D. Granger Bailed At Last Minute On Tonight's Trinity River Vision Open Discussion Forum."

This J.D. Granger travesty has been mentioned in a few subsequent bloggings, including one titled "The Trinity River Vision's J.D. Granger Wins A Coveted FW Weekly 2011 Turkey Award."

In the TRINITY RIVER VISION UPDATE we learn that not only are two of the bridges now fully funded, we also learn that construction on the Henderson Street Bridge is to begin by the end of 2012 and take 3 to 4 years to complete. While the other funded bridge, the Main Street one, is slated to start being built by the end of 2013 and also take several years to complete.

I remember, when I first moved to Texas, being perplexed over the slow construction of the now long completed downtown Fort Worth Mixmaster. I remember being astonished when I learned construction had begun years earlier.

Now, I realize some find it tiresome when I compare Fort Worth to Seattle. But, you have to understand, Seattle is the other big town with which I am familiar.

Currently Seattle has three HUGE projects underway that dwarf the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle. One is a multi-billion dollar project to build a massive tunnel under downtown Seattle and re-do the Seattle Waterfront by removing the dangerous Alaskan Way Viaduct. Another project underway is boring another tunnel to take light rail from downtown to the University of Washington. The third big project is to replace a floating bridge across Lake Washington. 

I believe the pontoons for the new floating bridge are currently being built. I believe the estimated completion date of the Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement tunnel is in 2015. I believe the rail link to the UW is to be completed before that.

So, how is it in Fort Worth that building 2 non-signature, simple bridges, takes so long?  Is it the piddly panhandling way projects are funded here that makes them go so slow? If the project is of such great import why not put more of an effort into getting it done?

I wonder if having the public vote on projects, voting to tax themselves to fund them, helps with the process? Rather than being all happy that funding for two Trinity Uptown Bridges has now been pieced together. By who knows what nefarious earmarking means.

It's sort of pathetic.

And sort of perplexing.

But, when your local method of governing largely depends on nepotism and a corrupt good ol' boy network, this is what you get.

Bridges to Nowhere Built in Slow Motion.

Dodging Trains In Arlington Texas To Make My Way To ALDI In Pantego

ALDI Food Market in Pantego

No hiking or nature walks for this boy today. I am tired after a night with the worst bout of insomnia since I spent a night in a Mexican jail.

I think that may have been in a nightmare that I spent a night in a Mexican jail. It does not seem like  a reality based memory. Keep in mind, I am operating on few cylinders with a lot of sleep deprivation.

Instead of going walking in any of the many parks I have available in my location for that particular activity, I went to Pantego to ALDI to get my Thanksgiving supplies. Well, some of them.

It was the busiest I've ever seen ALDI today. The checkout lady said tomorrow will be an even worse zoo.

On the way to ALDI I was freshly annoyed that Arlington is the biggest town in America that allows itself to be cut in two by a slowing moving train.

I was on Division Street, heading east, when I saw traffic backed up. Nothing was moving on Bowen Street, which is the right turn one takes off Division to ALDI.

I continued east on Division. At Fielder Road there is a badly designed overpass that takes you over the train tracks. One of the few crossings in Arlington. Eventually I made it to ALDI.

I wonder how much gas and time gets wasted because of Arlington's badly designed railroad crossings?

Changing the subject from train crossings and food markets to my favorite subject.

It is currently 57 degrees. It was 47 when I went swimming this morning. My 50 degree 24 hour average plan to determine the doability of swimming continues to seem to be valid.

I wish I was constitutionally capable of taking a nap.

A Fort Worth Chesapeake Gate Left Wide Open To Chemically Altered Pond Of Water

The Wide Open Chesapeake Gate Scandal

I was on my way to Pantego today, driving on a day in Texas that is being like a stereotypical Western Washington dreary winter day, when I drove by a Chesapeake Energy fracking pond I've made mention of previously.

The fracking pond is on Brentwood Stair Road, east of Brentwood Stair's intersection with Cooks Lane.

The fracking pond is surrounded by chain link fence, with No Trespassing Signs.

Today the Chesapeake Gate was wide open. No Chesapeake Energy workers were at the site.

I turned around to take a picture. Getting out of my motorized transport I soon found that the ground was very muddy, so I could not get close to the sign.

A Fort Worth police car drove by whilst I was taking pictures. I wanted him to stop and ask what I was doing.

But he did not.

Now.

Does this seem right to you? That this gate would be wide open? Any little kid, passing by, could walk through the open gate thinking this was a fresh water pond to have some fun with. The little kid might touch the water, nice innocent shade of blue that it is, to see how warm it was. And find himself with a chemical burn.

Methinks this appalling negligence, on Chesapeake Energy's part, is the sort of thing that should be treated serious by law enforcement.

And it probably would be.

If this were any other place but Fort Worth.