The Dawn Of The 3rd Thursday Of April

I am up before the sun looking at the outer world via my secondary viewing portal on this 19th morning of April.

The outer world is currently chilled to 58 degrees at my location.

The water treatment process of my pool has been completed, so I will be able to get wet this morning.

A visit with a doctor up in Euless, of an undetermined length, this morning, may wreak havoc with my daily ritual of trying to get some aerobic stimulation.

I think sufficient time has passed since our recent bought of rain that the Tandy Hills have likely dried up. Perhaps I will go there this afternoon.

In the meantime, I am going swimming.

Biking The Trinity Trail Looking At Dismal Skyscrapers Thinking About CatsPaw, MLK & GG

Yale Dean Of Architecture Designed Skyscrapers

A week ago today I blogged a blogging titled On The Dried Out Tandy Hills Looking At The Upgraded Tarrant County Courthouse & Bass Family Damage To Downtown Fort Worth.

Basically I was opining about the Bass Family, and Ed Bass, in particular, and how I saw the Bass impact on downtown Fort Worth.

Today, whilst biking the Trinity Trail this subject was brought back to the forefront of my consciousness when I was fairly close to a pair of skyscrapers I'd opined about.

Last week's blogging generated some commentary from three different commentors whose opinions I highly value, CatsPaw, MLK and GG.

I'd suggested that the architect who designed those aforementioned skyscrapers must have been a C Student and were reflective of Bass Bad Taste.

CatsPaw then had this to say.....

My goodness, you're cranky today. Your "C-student" was quite highly-regarded and a former dean of the Yale School of Architecture. I first came to Fort Worth in 1977. City Center went up between 1978 - 1983. In the late 70s and early 80s, downtown had gotten rather dismal. I used to work in the old Continental National Bank building (now gone) and often had lunch at the Richelieu Cafe (gone) or at the restaurant in the Blackstone Hotel (now the Marriott) where the waitresses were about 80 if they were a day. We hung out after work hours at the old Daddio's where the Flying Saucer is presently. That area was pretty rough and if there had been sagebrush and tumble weeds, they would have been blowing along Main Street after 5 pm. Regardless of one's view of the Bass family or some of the buildings or development, there's really no question that they have been uniquely instrumental in the revival of downtown.

I first saw Fort Worth in August of 1980. I do remember the downtown being very dismal. And skyscraper-free. At least I do not remember there being any sort of skyline back then.

And then MLK disagreed with me....

Durango, I rarely disagree with your observations, but I'll have to object to your obvious dislike of the Bass family. I lived in Fort Worth when it was not a place to be, nothing to do, no one living down there. Ed Bass built Caravan of Dreams, an excellent music venue which closed a few years ago (still crying about this). He realized he wanted a place to live downtown, so he built Sundance West...so the urban pioneers came and made downtown FTW a great place to live/work/play. I think Fort Worth owes quite a bit to our benefactors. Whereas they do own most of downtown or fund most of the progress there, they do have excellent taste and have Fort Worth's best interest at heart.

Now, we must keep in mind that I saw something like Caravan of Dreams from a totally different perspective than someone who lived in Fort Worth during the dismal years. I read the hype about Caravan of Dreams soon upon arrival. When I finally made it to the Sundance Square parking lots to check it out I just sort of thought it was strange and tacky. The geodesic cactus garden dome seemed real odd to me. Still does.

Only recently, thanks to Wikipedia, did I learn that that geodesic dome, along with the now defunct Caravan of Dreams, is yet one more thing Fort Worth has Ed Bass to thank, or blame for. I did not connect Ed Bass to the Arizona Biosphere II Geodesic domes debacle til I read the Wikipedia article.

GG, while appreciating all the Bass family has done to Fort Worth, had some issues regarding the billionaires...

I agree that the billionaire Bass family has done a lot for revitalizing downtown Fort Worth. The problem I have with Sundance Square is all the government tax handouts they have gotten in the form of TIFs and sales tax rebates over the years. And they are still going to the trough for another $11 million in TIF money and $2.5 million in city sales tax rebates for the new buildings that will be near the new public, I mean, private plaza. I'm amazed at how the public simply ignores government handouts to billionaires, but gets outraged if some poor person gets a housing voucher or welfare benefit. If the Bass family really has Fort Worth's best interest at heart, they wouldn't be asking for all this public tax money for their private projects. It's not like $2.5 million over 15 years means a whole lot to a billionaire. But it could certainly help pay for fixing/maintaining public pools, improving rather than cutting library funding, and giving city workers some of the salary back that they lost in furloughs, to name a few examples. As a FW outsider, I don't think this 'tax taking' is acceptable behavior for billionaires who own most of downtown.

Regarding my opinion about the Bass family contribution to the development of downtown Fort Worth. My problem with this is I see it as a not a good thing if one family has this level of influence over how a town develops. MLK thinks the Bass's have excellent taste. While I don't.

Taste is a subjective thing.

While the Bass Performance Hall may be an acoustic marvel, aesthetically, to my eyes, it is an out of place eyesore with ridiculous giant angels stuck to its side blowing horns at the Barnes & Noble across the street.

When Ed Bass complained about the sunken plaza design of the downtown Tarrant County College campus, that complaint set in motion, it seemed to me, the torpedoing of that project, one that I opined might actually give Fort Worth its first iconic building that people in other parts of the planet might recognize as being Fort Worth.

Unlike that pair of Bass skyscrapers designed by a Yale School of Architecture dean.

I also do not like the Bass tendency to slap their name on the buildings they help bring about. Like the Bass Performance Hall, or the Bass name slapped on to the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame & Museum building.

Additionally, I have a problem with the idea that Fort Worth needed these particular benefactors to fix its apparently dismal downtown. Would not a more democratic process be preferable? If you removed the Bass influence from Fort Worth, do you really think downtown Fort Worth would still be a dismal mess in 2012?

And for all the supposed improvement brought to downtown Fort Worth, courtesy of Bass intervention, the town is still the biggest in America without a single downtown department store. Still totally dead on the biggest shopping day of the year, the day after Thanksgiving.

Without a benefactor playing Big Daddy to Fort Worth's collective Big Babies, might Fort Worth not have managed to figure out how to put on its Big Boy Pants all on its own?

Instead, in Fort Worth you have this weird mentality where a Good Ol' Boy Network runs the town like some sort of private fiefdom, for the benefit of all the little people.

It is this weird mentality, in my opinion, that gives rise, in this town, to strange aberrations from the way a normal town operates, giving rise to abominations like the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle. A plan hatched by the Good Ol' Boy Network, in cahoots with the local corrupt congresswoman, who got her ne-er do well, unqualified son, the job of running the almost billion dollar project.

I drove Fort Worth's booming West 7th Avenue yesterday. Did all that growth come about from Bass help? Or private enterprise?

Fort Worth's downtown has the largest percentage of land used as parking lots of any big city in America.

Who owns most of the parking lots? The Bass Family.

Land is too valuable to use as parking lots in a vibrant downtown. I wonder what could possibly be done to bring some of that booming West 7th level of dynamic change to downtown Fort Worth?

I would not be so bold (or rude) as to suggest evicting the Bass Family from downtown Fort Worth might be a good place to start.

Trying To Wakeboard Today At Cowtown Wakepark

The Cowtown Wakepark Jewel
In The Trinity River Vision Boondoggle Crown

Today I pedaled the Trinity Trail to get a closeup look at Cowtown Wakepark.

Yesterday I visited the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's Woodshed Smokehouse.

Visionary J.D. Granger envisioned the Woodshed Smokehouse as a gritty place with no air-conditioning, with outdoor showers and an outhouse.

Well before the Woodshed opened, the visionary J.D. Granger foresaw the need for the more than 700,000 citizens of Fort Worth to have the opportunity to participate in the water sport of wakeboarding in dirty, polluted water.

This coming summer the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle will see the opening of the first new drive-in movie theater in America in decades.

Truly visionary.

I was very impressed to see the Cowtown Wakepark up close today, to see the fine attention paid to detail.

Fort Worth Shabby Chic From The
Trinity River Vision Boondoggle

The designers of this world class venue obviously paid close attention to the Fort Worth design aesthetic, that truly unique shabby chic look that Fort Worth does so well, and no other big city seems able to emulate to the Fort Worth level.

Cowtown Wakepark's landscaping appeared to be designed to look totally natural, like most of Fort Worth's freeway exits. Tall grass and weeds. A smattering of litter, for color. A general unkemptness to the look.

It can't be easy to design and achieve this type look, creating the illusion of chaotic slobbiness.

The next time I bike the Trinity Trail, out of Gateway Park, I'll make it beyond Cowtown Wakepark to see if I can find the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle Drive-In under construction. It'd be cool to see the tall grass and weeds, of the landscaping, when they are in the installation phase, before the litter arrives.

Has anyone heard what the financial arrangement is between the Cowtown Wakepark and the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle? How big a slice is J.D. Granger's operation getting off of this likely very lucrative pie? How much did it cost the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle to add this lake to the vision?

The 3rd Wednesday Of April Dawns Cool & Clear In Texas

The icy blue view of the outer world at my location on this 18th morning of April matches this morning's icy cool temperature of only 22 degrees above freezing.

My swimming pool is still in being treated mode, so no cool pool for me this morning. With these semi-frigid temperatures the water is likely not as warm as the last time I immersed myself in it.

The Fort Worth Main St. Arts Festival starts up tomorrow.

I am currently planning on going on Saturday. My means of conveyance to downtown Fort Worth will be via one of the Fort Worth adventure buses.

The rock and roll ride on Fort Worth's natural gas powered buses is a fun thing. I don't know why more people don't get on board.

Something in the air is back bugging my eyes again. I think I will move to a desert where I can breathe easier.

Elsie Hotpepper is being cranky with me. Near as I can tell this crankiness is caused by me going to the Woodshed Smokehouse without her.

A Walk Along The Trinity River With Lunch At The Woodshed Smokehouse

Occupying Woodshed Smokehouse For Lunch

Today I walked the Trinity Trail and met Madame X for lunch with Tim Love at the Woodshed Smokehouse.

The walk along the Trinity River was interesting.

But, first lunch was had at the Woodshed.

Skinny Madame X had the Skinny Chicken sandwich, while I had the Woodshed Burger.

I recently had a Double Double Burger at In-N-Out. I prefer the Double Double to the Woodshed Burger, though the Smoked Cheddar is a nice touch.

There were not as many people at the Woodshed for lunch today as there were the first time I was at the Woodshed, that being the Occupy Woodshed protest where we had libations and chips. Some overhead fans have been added to add some air circulation to the un air-conditioned Woodshed.

Woodshed Designer Outhouse & Shower

The entrepreneur behind the brilliant Woodshed concept, J.D. Granger, insisted there be no air-conditioning because he felt cool air would detract from the gritty atmosphere he was hoping to create.

I'm guessing the cool outhouse that is part of the Woodshed complex, along with the outdoor shower, is also part of the gritty atmosphere design of J.D. Granger.

I did not know what the parking situation was at the Woodshed and I knew it was easy to park at Trinity Park, with Trinity Park being a fairly short distance to the Woodshed.

Do Not Go Over Your Limit Of 5 Rainbow Trout

Why is most of Trinity Park's parking blocked? And the Trinity Trail blocked, heading east? This made parking a bit more difficult than I had anticipated.

The URBAN FISHING AREA sign you see in the picture has perplexed me previously. In most areas you are advised not to eat any fish you catch in the Trinity River.

However, this sign informs you that a Texas Fishing License and Trout Stamp are required to catch your limit of 5 Rainbow Trout per day.

A person standing near me as I read the sign muttered, "There ain't no trout in that damn river."

The Fort Worth Forbidden Zone

I don't know about that, but I sure saw a lot of turtles and what looked to be a big snake, plus multiple instances of big fish jumping out of the water making big splashes.

Just a short distance upriver from the URBAN FISHING AREA, maybe 500 feet, there is a very dire warning sign that made me wonder how it was that Rainbow Fish were available for catching a few feet downriver.

FORBIDDEN ZONE - NO TRESPASSING - CITY OF FORT WORTH - RAW WATER INTAKE

That really does sound dire. This is the only place on the planet where I recollect having found myself in a FORBIDDEN ZONE. Does this mean raw water is being sucked out of the dirty river at this location? Or is raw water flowing in to the river at this location? I prefer my FORBIDDEN ZONES to be very clear about the reason for the forbidding.

Fort Worth Bikers Crossing Trinity River

There are several dam bridges crossing across the Trinity River, some of which are part of the Trinity Trail. I don't quite understand the thinking behind the dam bridge crossing you see in the picture.

The 3 guys had to carry their mountain bikes across the dam bridge because the path across is a line of big rocks, with the river waterfalling between the rocks.

A short distance downriver there has been at least one instance of someone falling into the river at a similar crossing and drowning.

It seems sort of irresponsible, to me, to have a paved trail lead to a dam bridge that is topped with a line of big rocks that you have to traverse carrying your bike overhead.

The 3rd Tuesday Of April Thinking Fort Worth Must Focus On Basics Like Sidewalks

I won't be going swimming on this morning of the 17th day of April.

The reason I am not going swimming this morning has nothing to do with the fact that it is a chilly 50 degrees in the outer world at my location.

The reason I am not going swimming is because the pool is not usable because late Monday afternoon the water got its first shock treatment of 2012.

Due to using the pool not being cool and the fact that I've been overdoing the exercise thing I'm taking a day off of straining my aging self.

Changing the subject from my decrepitude to Fort Worth's decrepitude.

This morning on the front page of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram I read a paragraph of the sort I have not often read in this newspaper, what with its tendency towards propaganda and self-aggrandizing blowhardedness.

The paragraph I am talking about was in an editorial about Fort Worth's budget deficit titled "Budget shortfall means Fort Worth must focus on basics"....

We still have areas in Fort Worth where even the essentials are lacking. A good quality of life in these neighborhoods would mean curbs, sidewalks and access to a grocery store that doesn't take two bus transfers and three hours to reach.

I thought I was the only person in this town, which frequently makes other towns Green with Envy, due to the wonders that one beholds here, who has noticed the many streets without sidewalks and the narrowness of many of the sidewalks that do exist.

I can't help but wonder why Fort Worth does not send out some sort of task force to some other towns in this world which have managed to figure out how to have sidewalks along side their streets to learn how this wonder of the modern world might be imported to Fort Worth.

Methinks that it'd take just a fraction of the almost billion dollars currently slated to be wasted on the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle, to install sidewalks beside Fort Worth's many sidewalk-less streets.

Pursuing Indian Ghosts 171 Years After The Battle Of Village Creek In Arlington

In the picture you are looking at one of the historical markers that you come across when you visit the Village Creek Natural Historical Area in Arlington.

This particular marker is outside of the Natural Historical Area, sitting along side the paved trail that runs through the Bob Findlay Linear Park, eventually taking you to River Legacy Park.

This trail is also known as the Pioneer Trail.

The information on this historical marker gives answer to those who might question why I'm always referencing the Indian Ghosts who haunt this particular place.

I will use Dragon Speak to quickly transcribe what is written on this historical marker.....

Near this site, two scouting parties of Texas Volunteers rendezvoused in their pursuit of Indians during the Battle of Village Creek on May 24, 1841. This encounter was the last fought in Tarrant County and resulted in the permanent abandonment of settlements which the Caddo had inhabited here since the Spanish first explored this region in 1542.

General Tarrant, for whom the County was later named, led 69 Volunteers from settlements near the Red River in an early morning attack on the villages of the Caddo and other tribes which were located along Village Creek. Tarrant's Volunteers destroyed two large Caddo villages south of here and then pursued fleeing Indians north along the creek. From the second village, located in the vicinity of Village Creek Historical Park, two scouting parties of ten men each set out. Henry Stout, an experienced scout, led one party northward along the creek trail. John B. Denton, for whom Denton County was later named, led another party sweeping northwestward on another trail. The two scouting parties rendezvoused here and, over the objections of the more experienced Stout, pursued further north into the thickets that grew along the creek as it neared the Trinity River. There, they were indeed ambushed and Denton was killed. Denton was the only Volunteer to be killed. His death was as much the result of his contest with Stout over who had the most courage as it was their contest with the Indians. The dramatic account of Denton's death, as retold by Arista Joyner in her book, Arlington Texas, Birthplace of the Metroplex, appears below.

Stout halted where the trails came together and warned his men that the Indians were likely heading for the thickets just beyond this point to lay a trap for them. Just then, Denton rode up from the other trail and asked Stout why he had stopped. Stout told him what he had told his men, and added that his men "would go as far as any other." The two men were obviously piqued at each other. Denton quickly spurred his horse onward (pictured) and Stout followed until they came across another larger trail, one end of which led over a hill to the west and the other part headed east (current day Randol Mill Road). The trail crossed the creek where some villages were. The men proceeded northward and crossed the creek at the lower end of a horseshoe bend (just west of current day Lamar Blvd.) and saw beyond them a cornfield and on through the trees, another village was discernible. They crossed the field and entered the creek. Denton halted momentarily. Stout rode up in front of him and said, "If you are afraid to go in there, I'm not", and he spurred his horse ahead. Denton, already emotionally fired, shouted angrily, "I'll follow you to Hell. Go on."

Soon after entering the creek, they were ambushed and Denton was killed. (Also see trail markers at ambush site, 1 mile north, and in Village Creek Historical Park, 1.5 miles south, along this trail).

And now you know why there are so many Indian Ghosts haunting this location.

Biking Arlington's Lake Interlochen Neighborhood Wondering About Possible Cowtown Wakepark Shenanigans

In the picture you are looking at one of the Interlochen Canals in Arlington's Lake Interlochen Neighborhood.

Today I pedaled past the Indian Ghosts, who haunt the Village Creek Natural Historical Area, to pedal the streets of Interlochen.

Pedaling the streets of Interlochen avails one of some good hill action.

Just last week, if my memory is serving me correctly, I blogged about the Interlochen Canals and Fort Worth's Trinity River Vision Boondoggle.

The vision that gave Arlington the Interlochen Canals did not envision having one of the canals host the world's premiere wakeboarding lake.

Have any of Fort Worth's hard hitting newspapers done any investigative journalizing into how the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's Cowtown Wakepark is doing?

I'm curious how the deal to build the Cowtown Wakepark came about. How much did it cost the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle project to add that little lake?

Many people were less than pleased with the shenanigans of J.D. Granger and the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle that gave Tim Love a sweetheart deal and a new restaurant.

But, I have read nary a word about the shenanigans that brought about the world's premiere urban wakeboard lake.

Another Cool Blue Monday In Texas

Looking out my primary viewing portal on the outer world it appears that this morning is the start of yet one more Blue Monday in Texas.

Today is Day 16 of April, already the 3rd Monday of the 4th month of 2012.

Yesterday's storming did not drop a lot of water at my location. Which should have my favorite hiking locations dried up quickly.

The drying process would be accelerated if the temperature went into HOT mode.

Currently the temperature is not in HOT mode at only 22 degrees above freezing. Today the temperature predictors are predicting it will only get to 73. It is like winter has returned.

I think I will go swimming now before it gets any colder.

A Sunday Walk With The Fosdic Lake Ducks

Serene Sunday Fosdic Lake

The rain stopped raining down in semi-downpour mode before noon.

So I decided that a walk around Fosdic Lake in Oakland Lake Park would be good for some of what ails me.

But, as I drove on to Oakland Lake Park's westside parking lot, big drops began to hit my windshield.

The big drops only dropped a few drops before stopping the dropping.

But, I grabbed a bumbershoot anyway, in case the rain began to drop again.

It didn't.

However, I did hear one loud clap of thunder.

A Quacking Fosduck Enjoying The Storm Respite

The time is now rapidly approaching 3 on this Sunday afternoon. Methinks the storming is over at my location on the planet, for now.

I had myself a real fine time this morning swimming in the rain.

When a downpour gets you soaked before you make it to the pool, there is none of the usual temperature acclimating to the slightly cool pool water needed.

The sun is looking like it may be breaking through the cloud cover. I'm thinking I might enjoy a second swim of the day, a rain-free swim, with possibly some poolside lounging.

I am trying to get sufficiently suntanned so I am not an albino spectacle when I go swimming with the dolphins that live off South Padre Island.