Pedaling The New Veridian Trail At Arlington's River Legacy Park

The Thin Ribbon Of The Veridian Trail

No, what you are looking at in the picture is not some location on the Tandy Hills. I did not go to the Tandy Hills tonight, did not go to Prairie Fest x3 Part 2.

Instead of joining the throngs on the Tandy Hills I joined the throngs at River Legacy Park and had myself a real fine time going on a real long bike ride.

The orange cones that had been blocking entry from the River Legacy trail to the new paved trail that trails off into the Veridian Project had been set aside.

So, I pedaled that new Veridian trail until it terminated.

The End Of The Veridian Trail

The new Veridian trail is very narrow. I don't quite see how it is intended to be used. A pedestrian trail connection to the River Legacy trail? With bikes banned?

I have to say it was fun biking on this trail, going real fast.

The parking lot where I usually park at River Legacy Park was full tonight. The park was way busier than my mid-week visits. But the traffic on the trails was not quite as frenetic.

I was quite impressed with the number of over inflated people out getting themselves some exercise tonight. There was one really big pair at the end of the trail, the 7 mile mark. They did not appear to move too fast. I hope they made it back to their vehicular transport before it got too dark.

CatsPaw Takes A Close Look At Fort Worth's Phyllis J. Tilley Memorial Pedestrian Bridge

That is an artist's rendering of what Fort Worth's  Phyllis J. Tilley Memorial Pedestrian Bridge will look like upon completion in about a month.

I got the artist's rendering from the Freese and Nichols website. Freese and Nichols are the Fort Worth based constructors of this architectural wonder.

Quoting from the Freese and Nichols website...

The 386-foot-long Phyllis J. Tilley Memorial Bridge across the Trinity River will be an important and highly visible pedestrian bridge connection between downtown Fort Worth and the City’s Cultural District. With the bridge’s prominent location at historic Trinity Park, the aesthetic design is of paramount importance. After evaluating multiple concepts, an elegant “stress ribbon” design was selected by a design committee. This arch-supported stress ribbon bridge will be the first of its kind in the United States. The bridge was designed in collaboration with noted bridge designers Rosales + Partners and Schlaich Bergermann und Partner.

The cost of this architectural marvel is only $3 million.

America is flush with cash, while Fort Worth is not flush with cash, so you in the rest of America contributed $2.3 million of the $3 million for this direly needed bridge that will help connect Fort Worth's downtown to its isolated Cultural District.

Looking West At The $3 Million Bridge Under Construction

If you visit Fort Worth and want to walk across the bridge you helped pay for, I think you will likely be able to do so without paying Fort Worth any more money.

However.

Having said that, I must warn you that Fort Worth has a bad habit of charging admission fees for things that most towns consider to be life enhancing amenities to be used, free of additional charge, by everyone.

A couple days ago I blogged Questions About Fort Worth's New Pedestrian Bridge Across The Trinity River, after which, CatsPaw, she being the renowned Fort Worth photo journalist and graphic designer, sent me three photos she took yesterday of the Phyllis J. Tilley Memorial Pedestrian Bridge under construction.

One Of A Kind Stress Ribbon Bridge

Looking at these photos one can clearly see how this little bridge could easily cost $3 million.

If I remember right the new Tacoma Narrows Suspension Bridge cost around $1 billion. That is 333 times more expensive than this new bridge in Fort Worth.

Just guessing, but I suspect Tacoma's new bridge is way more than 333 times bigger than the new Fort Worth bridge. If I remember right the Tacoma bridge carries 6 lanes of traffic. Plus pedestrians.

I don't know if the new Tacoma Narrows Suspension Bridge got any federal grant money to help with the funding. If I remember right it was something like 7 or 8 counties voted in the proposition that led to the construction of the new Tacoma bridge.

One Month Til The Grand Opening

In Fort Worth we don't believe in the public voting on things like public works projects.

I have not yet learned how it was that the Phyllis Tilley Memorial Pedestrian Bridge came to be constructed.

However, I do know for certain it was not the result of a public vote.

CatsPaw took these photos yesterday. It appears that there is a lot of constructing still needing to take place if this bridge is going to look anything remotely like that artist's rendering at the top, by the time of its Grand Opening in May.

The Segway Experience With CatsPaw In Fort Worth's Botanic Garden

CatsPaw surprised me today by letting me know that, via Groupon, she'd signed us up for a Segway tour of the 109 acre Fort Worth Botanic Garden.

Are Segways able to go off-road? On trails?

Before we are led on our tour we get personal instructions on how to operate the X2 Segways.

I have been all over the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. I may be wrong, but I don't think there are all that many areas where something like a Segway would be allowed, just like how a mountain bike or golf cart would not be allowed.

And then there are the elevation changes. Do Segway's easily navigate elevation changes?

The information that comes with the Groupon says that riders must be able to make motions such as climbing and descending stairs without assistance.

Climb and descend stairs? What does one do with ones Segway whilst climbing and descending stairs?

Also the Groupon ad says riders must weigh between 100 and 275 pounds. I guess I need to lose some weight before I get on a Segway.

It will be interesting to see how this Segway ride through the Botanic Garden works.

Prickly Pear Cactus Is Blooming On The Tandy Hills For Today's Prairie Fest x3 Part 2

Blooming Tandy Hills Prickly Pear Cactus 

The temperature was in the low 80s when I did my Tandy Hills hill hiking today. A steady breeze made for some good wind chilling.

I saw my first Prickly Pear Cactus bloom of the year, today.

Soon I should be able to harvest some Prickly Pears and make some Prickly Pear Jam.

I drove on View Street on my way to Town Talk, post hiking, and saw that Prairie Fest x3 Part 2 is all set up and ready to go.

CatsPaw sent me some good bridge pictures this morning and an invite to ride a Segway through Fort Worth's Botanic Garden. I must turn these two items into separate bloggings.

But, before I blog about bridges and Segways I think I'll go do some poolside lounging. After going swimming.

The Windy Final Saturday Of April Is Part 2 Of Prairie Fest x3

Looking out my primary viewing portal on the outer world on this final Saturday of April you can not see how windy it is or feel how hot it is.

Well, I can tell you it is a bit breezy and 68 degrees.

Part 2 of Prairie Fest x3 starts up later today, with music and wildflower tours starting at 4 pm.

I hope it is not too windy for the Prairie Fest x3 kite fliers and prairie painters today.

I think I may go to the Tandy Hills before 4 today and do me some windy hill hiking.

But, before I do that I think I will go do some windy swimming and have fun dodging the whitecaps rolling across the pool.

Where Have Fort Worth's Fosdic Ducks & Turtles Gone?

Fosdic Mama Duck & Babies

It has been a few days since I've walked around Fosdic Lake in Oakland Lake Park in East Fort Worth.

Something appears to have gone dire wrong since the last time I had a close up look at Fosdic Lake.

Every year, during the HOT heat of summer, when the temperature goes over 100 day after day, Fosdic Lake can take on a greenish hue, due to algae flourishing in the warm water.

It is currently a bit less than 2 months until summer. The temperature has gotten into the high 80s and low 90s a couple times this year. Currently it is 89.

Yet, for some reason Fosdic Lake has a huge mass of green vegetative matter floating over much of the lake.

I only saw about 10 ducks today and five of them were the babies you see in the picture.

Where have all the Fosdic ducks gone? And the other Fosdic birds? Are the Fosdic birds being like a parakeet in a mine? Do they know that Fosdic Lake has turned foul and have escaped to cleaner waters?

None of the Fosdic ducks I saw today were in the water. Maybe they do not like floating in a high wind. As it was being very windy today in the noon time frame. Or maybe ducks don't like floating with little islands of algae.

Green Algae Vegetation Blown Up Against Fosdic Dam

Usually the Fosdic ducks are very skittish. Usually when the ducks are land bound they quickly get lake bound when I get close to them. Today none of the ducks seemed to care that I was close to them. It was like I was the least of their worries, with a new worry taking top precedence, that being their home that was growing green.

And where were the Fosdic turtles? The turtles love it when the temperature is as hot as it is today. Usually I'd see dozens of Fosdic turtles, swimming in the water, sunning on logs. Today no turtles.

What is Fosdic Lake going to be like when the heat of summer arrives? Will it become totally choked with algae?

This is all very disturbing.

The Final Friday Of April

Looking skyward through the bars of my patio prison cell on the final Friday of April, day 27, there appears to be some cloud action.

But, no rain is in the current forecast, for today.

However, on the last day of April, Monday, April Showers are in the forecast.

It was windy all night, again, which had me hearing wind chimes tinkling. I do not like wind chimes.

A couple days ago a couple people emailed me asking if it was I who was found dead beside his bike beside the Trinity River. This seemed odd to me, like those people who call to see if I got struck by the tornado they'd just seen on CNN twisting somewhere in Texas.

I'd not bothered to click on the link to the story about the dead biker that those asking if I'd died, politely included in their query, til last night.

I was surprised to learn that the dead biker was found in River Legacy Park. On Tuesday. I biked in River Legacy Park on Monday and Wednesday oblivious to the fact that someone had met his tragic end there.

On a happier note, I was happy this morning to read in my favorite newspaper, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, that Trader Joe's is opening in Fort Worth on June 15. I have only been to one Trader Joe's, somewhere between Sea-Tac and Tacoma. I liked Trader Joe's a lot. I suspect it will be very busy, like In-N-Out, when it opens.

It is currently 68 degrees. I think I will go swimming now before it gets any hotter.

Hot Steamy Tandy Rain Forest Jungle Hiking With Sick Homeless Guy

Tandy Rain Forest Jungle

Lately, due to my aversion to feeling like I need a machete to hack my way through a trail, I've avoided the Tandy Rain Forest Jungle that one goes through when one crosses north across the Tandy Escarpment above Tandy Falls.

But, today when I left the air-conditioned comfort of my abode to head into the outer world for some endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation, I decided to brave my way through the lush vegetation of the Tandy Jungle, sans machete.

The machete-free Jungle passage was not as difficult as I had feared.

It was only in the 80s when I did my hill hiking today. But the humidity had the Real Feel feeling HOTTER. By the time I got back to the air-conditioned comfort of my vehicle I was about as wet as if I'd just stepped out of a shower.

Being about as wet as if I'd just stepped out of a shower, combined with air-conditioning blowing cold set off an interesting bout of sneezing.

On my way back to where I am now I stopped at Albertson's to pick up this week's FW Weekly. When I left Albertson's the sad/sick looking homeless guy I've mentioned previously, who lives in a shanty of cardboard near the now defunct Krogers, was walking towards me. Suddenly the sad/sick guy started hacking with a terrible sounding cough.

I see this guy several times a month. He looks progressively worse. Why is there not a number that you can call when you see someone in dire need of help? Or is there such a number? I know 911 is useless for such things.

I wonder where one can acquire a machete?

Questions About Fort Worth's New Pedestrian Bridge Across The Trinity River

River Legacy Park Trinity River Pedestrian Bridge

The bright sun wreaked havoc, last night, with my attempts to take a good picture of the pedestrian bridge in Arlington's River Legacy Park that takes walkers, bikers and bladers across the Trinity River.

But, even my limited photo taking ability shows you that this is a fairly substantial looking bridge. A very heavily used substantial looking bridge.

I do not know how much it cost to build this particular bridge. I suspect it was less than $3 million.

Yesterday I was surprised to learn that Fort Worth has a pedestrian bridge under construction, somewhere near Trinity Park, connecting the Trinity Trail to downtown Fort Worth.

Fort Worth's pedestrian bridge across the Trinity River will cost around $3 million. Of that $3 million, $2.3 million comes from federal grants, with the City of Fort Worth adding $459,000 and Streams & Valleys adding $200,000 raised from private donors.

I am a little perplexed about the building of a $3 million pedestrian bridge at this location at this particular time. When and where was this expenditure debated and voted upon?

How many miles of sidewalk could be installed in Fort Worth for $3 million? It seems like sidewalks would be a higher priority than a pedestrian bridge in the biggest city in America with the most miles of roads without sidewalks.

How many of Fort Worth's shuttered public pools could be opened for $3 million?

How many more hours could the Fort Worth Public Library system be open with an influx of $3 million?

A few years back Fort Worth decided to limit access to one of its city parks, that being the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge, by charging an admission fee. I don't know of any other city, with World Class pretensions, that charges an entry fee to one of its city parks. Particularly to a park of this nature.

A month ago I was in several city parks in the Phoenix zone. Enormous city parks that dwarf anything in Fort Worth, both in size and the number of people using them. None charged an entry fee.

How does this new pedestrian bridge in Fort Worth fit in with the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle? It is downriver from the Woodshed Smokehouse, which somehow became part of J.D. Granger's Vision for the Boondoggle, even though the Woodshed seemed to be too far upriver to be part of the area that the vision originally saw.

What the City of Fort Worth decides to spend money on, and not spend money on, is very perplexing. And how those spending decisions are made is also very perplexing.

The Final Thursday Of April Dawns Warm

The sun has arrived on this last Thursday of April, as you can see via the view from my secondary viewing portal on the outer world.

What you can not see is it is already 69 degrees, heading to a high of 90, if the temperature predictors are correct.

This morning CatsPaw offered to do some photo journalizing for me regarding a bridge. I think I've got it covered, but I can always use more photos.

Elsie Hotpepper sent me a link, this morning, to an article about animal cruelty in my neighborhood. Apparently the case of animal cruelty was discovered by a pair of guys who I caused to spill their beer at last year's Prairie Fest. The article is titled City’s Lack Of Response In Animal Cruelty Case Disturbs Fort Worth Pet Sitters.

I also find the City of Fort Worth's response to these guy's attempt to fix something wrong to be disturbing.

Well, it is that time in the morning when I take a break from being disturbed and go swimming.