Zipper Malfunction Cuts Short Bike Ride With The Village Creek Indian Ghosts

The No Longer Blue Bayou of Village Creek

I went walking with the Indian Ghosts, and my sister, at the Village Creek Natural Historical Area on Sunday.

On Sunday I did not walk to the overlook that looks over the Village Creek Blue Bayou.

Today I went biking with the Indian Ghosts who haunt Village Creek, without my sister, and I did bike to the overlook that looks over the Village Creek Blue Bayou to find  that the Blue Bayou is no longer blue.

All the water that made the Blue Bayou blue has evaporated.

We are in dire need of some incoming water on this parched part of the planet. A chance of storms is predicted for today and tomorrow. Maybe there will be some precipitation precipitating if the predicted storms precipitate.

I had a bike-related mishap today. Not a wreck. Nothing that dire.

Over my handlebars I have a zippered bag that holds my keys, phone, wallet and camera.

When I reached the part of the Village Creek Natural Historical Area's paved trail that has a big round mirror on a post, I stopped to take a picture of myself looking at the big mirror on the post.

I assume that big mirror on a post has been placed in this location to help facilitate one taking a photo of oneself, documenting that one has been one with the Indian Ghosts of Village Creek.

I pulled the zipper on the zippered bag to find the zipper pop totally open, as in totally de-zippered. I could not figure out how to get the zipper back in zipper mode. Being un-zippered made the stuff in the bag vulnerable to falling out.

I was able to secure the camera to the handlebars and proceeded to slowly bike my way back to my vehicle.

Such an eventful day I have had so far.

Broken zippers, a long morning swim and reams of tortured purple prose with which to torment my youngest sister, she with a deep-seated aversion to purple prose, particularly seriously tortured purple prose of the badly bruised variety.

Rockin' The Trinity River With J.D. Granger's Mama Kay

Kay Granger with Mystery Woman on the Left

The last Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Float, of Floating Season 2, was last Thursday.

It seems like only yesterday I experienced the first Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Float and blogged about it in a blogging titled Rockin' The Trinity River with Pictures & Video.

In the photo we are looking at the mama of J.D. Granger, Fort Worth Congresswoman, Kay Granger, in attendance at the last Rockin' the River of the year.

I do not know if J.D.'s mom went floating in the Trinity River last Thursday. I would guess not.

It was mama Kay who got J.D. his job running the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle where he has been able to be the genius behind events like the Happy Hour Floats in the Trinity River.

All us naysayers who thought it was absurd to encourage people to get wet in a polluted river may need to re-think our naysaying.

We have now had 2 years of people floating in the Trinity River with no reports of anyone getting sick from e.coli or any other river bacteria.

There have been no reports of anyone having an encounter with an alligator gar, or an alligator, or a water moccasin, or a snapping turtle.

There also have been no reports of J.D. Granger, or his mama, floating in the Trinity River in an inner tube.

The Trinity River Vision Boondoggle Gateway Park Master Plan Propaganda

Today I tried to pedal the Gateway Park FWMBA mountain bike trail, but quickly tired of its semi-muddy state and having to stop to clear fallen limbs off the trail.

Yesterday's storm hit Gateway Park harder than it did at my location, only 4 miles away. I experienced about 15 minutes of wind and lightning, with rain of an amount insufficient to leave lingering wetness.

The storm hit way harder in north Fort Worth, knocking out power to thousands, some still without power today. That would quickly turn very unpleasant, with no A/C.

After bailing on the mountain bike trail I pedaled the paved trail, where it was easier to dodge fallen limbs. Being on the paved trail brought me to the Fort Woof Dog Park and its forest of Trinity River Vision Boondoggle signage.

That Gateway Park Trinity River Vision Boondoggle signage is really impressive. If you've not seen it and you're in the neighborhood, it is worth a stop at Fort Woof to check out the signs. This is one of the coolest examples of Orwellian propaganda it has ever been my personal pleasure to experience.

The Gateway Park Master Plan sign, you see on the left, has some of the best of the propaganda. I'll copy it, almost verbatim, below...

The Gateway Park Master Plan is an exciting component of Fort Worth Trinity River Vision Boondoggle. The 1,000 acre park will be filled with new community-requested recreational amenities, making it one of the nation's largest urban-programmed parks. With the planting of over 75,000 of J.D. Granger's Magic Trees and the restoration of the original river channel, the park will transform into a natural setting the entire region can enjoy. The project is expected to spur economic growth around the park and will connect the East and Southeast neighborhoods of Fort Worth to the Trinity River corridor.

Also on this sign we learn that the Gateway Park Recreation Components are new soccer and baseball/softball fields, site work for disc golf and mountain bike course, outdoor covered basketball courts, expanded trail system (15 miles of trails), splash park, dog park expansion, amphitheater site work and grading to provide the initial infrastructure to create outdoor music venue for Fort Worth, full loop equestrian trail facility, water sports, fishing, rowing, kayak and canoe with 4 white water elements.

Along with those Recreation Components we also learn about the Ecosystem Restoration with the aforementioned 75,000 Magic Trees, gravel pits cleaned up to create a beautiful wetland environment, the old landfill will be compacted and graded for citizens desired recreational needs, lake and wetland creation in the old drying beds of the Riverside Waste Water Treatment Plant and clean up and return water to the historic Riverside Oxbow.

_____________________________________

Where do I start?

Community requested recreational amenities? Have we not seen this odd verbiage previously with the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle? How does the community go about making these requests?

One of the nation's largest urban-programmed parks? What is an urban-programmed park?

Restore the original river channel? Where will that be?

The park will transform into a natural setting? I don't know of many natural settings with disc golf, soccer and baseball fields, covered basketball courts, dog parks and amphitheaters.

This project will connect East and Southeast Fort Worth to the Trinity River corridor? Really? How?

An old landfill will be compacted and graded for citizens desired recreational needs? There is that odd TRVB verbiage again. I have no idea where this old landfill in Gateway Park is. Are we talking about that methane gas spewing mound that is east of Gateway Park, on the other side of the Trinity River?

It is all just way too perplexing. And when is all this magic going to take place? Fort Worth does not seem able to maintain Gateway Park as it is. Washed out paved trails remain blocked by cyclone fence. Boardwalks remain closed, boarded up eyesores.

And that murdered armadillo still lays on the ground a few feet from where it was shot.

Obama That I Used To Know

If you, like me, listen to the radio, to music, that being pop music, you are likely really tired of hearing Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To Know" over and over and over again. I like this song. It is very catchy. But having caught it dozens upon dozens of times I am ready for its slide to Golden Oldie.

And then there are the inevitable parodies. I've seen a few of them, like "The Star Wars That I Used To Know" and "The Tom Cruise That I Used To Know."

But the most amusing parody I've seen is one that parodies a subject ripe for parody, that being Mr. Hope and Change, President Obama.

The YouTube video of "Obama That I Used To Know" has gone viral. Rightfully so.

Rosie The Rat Dog In Stewart British Columbia Shopping At Dean's Groceries

This morning we learned, via a blogging on the Rosie the Rat Dog Alaska! blog, that Rosie and her entourage are no longer in Alaska.

The giant RV has now left America and is currently in Canada.

In Rosie's blog post titled New Beginnings we see a forlorn ghost town called Stewart. Stewart is in British Columbia. British Columbia is province of Canada.

In Stewart, Rosie came upon an abandoned store called Dean's Groceries. Under the picture of Dean's Groceries, Rosie added the caption, "Happy Birthday Dean!"

That someone would call me Dean might confuse someone.

My full name is Durango Dean Jones. When my sister, who Rosie the Rat Dog takes care of, was little, she could not say words with more than one syllable. So, she took to calling me by my middle name, which is only one syllable and really easy for a little kid to pronounce, unlike that Durango tongue twister.

I know it may seem hard to believe, but to this day very few of my relatives, or friends, call me Durango. They refer to me by that middle name. I blame this on my sister.

A Pot Bellied Old Bald Man Walking With My Sister & The Indian Ghosts At The Village Creek Natural Historical Area

My sister who lives in Arizona, who last walked with me the Saturday before yesterday's Saturday, on the Tandy Hills, went walking with me today, with the Indian Ghosts who haunt the Village Creek Natural Historical Area in Arlington.

It was a bit warm when I left air-conditioned comfort today. As in 93 degrees, with the extreme humidity making is supposedly feel like 101.

But, it did not feel like 101 to me, due to a lot of shade and a good strong breeze.

I last talked to my sister who lives in Arizona, last night, after she called me from her current location, in Tacoma. I missed the first call and called back to find myself serenaded with the Happy Birthday song, sung by my nephew, David, with help from his brother and sister, Theo and Ruby.

I called my sister back today after I finished talking to the Indian Ghosts because I had something relatively annoying I wanted to mention that I did not want to mention last night when I was on a speakerphone.

Village Creek was looking really pitiful today. There is no water moving, so the creek has become a series of ponds.

That is not the relatively annoying thing I wanted to talk to my sister about, even though Village Creek has become relatively annoying. I should have indicated I was changing the subject, thus avoiding confusion.

Anyway.

I was looking at the pond you see above, from one of the dam bridges that cross Village Creek, and was wondering what happens to the Village Creek fish and other critters, like turtles, when the creek stops moving and becomes a series of ponds.

As I stood looking at the scene above I saw something move in the distance, at the point you see in the picture where the pond narrows. You might be able to see what I saw by clicking on the picture to see the bigger version. What you will see is what I zoomed in on, with my camera, below.

A guy was fishing in the stagnant, scum covered pond. I'd be nervous to be fishing in this location, having to climb through a lot of jungle underbrush to get there. My one and only copperhead snake, that I've seen in Texas, was seen a few feet from where I was standing to take this picture.

I got email a couple days ago from someone asking me for directions to the Village Creek Natural Historical Area. I'm appalled I have been remiss in not previously indicating where this park is located.

From I-30, in far east Fort Worth, exit to Eastchase Parkway. You'll see a Wal-Mart on the north side of the freeway, a Target on the south side. Head south on Eastchase Parkway, past a McDonald's, past a Burger King, past a Race Trac gas station. At Meadowbrook Drive, Eastchase Parkway becomes Dottie Lynn Parkway, because you are now in Arlington. In less than a half a mile you will see the entry to the Village Creek Natural Historical Area on your left. There you will find a parking lot and the trail head that leads you into the park. The park entry is about 1.3 miles from the exit from I-30.

Go to this location every Sunday, in the noon time frame, and eventually you will see me. Look for an elderly bald man with a pot belly and a big walking stick.

Alaska's Little Sister, Texas, Is Cute According To My New T-Shirt

I remembered to check my mailbox on my way back from getting birthday party supplies and found a package with the return address being one I recognized, that being Rosie the Rat Dog (and my sister's address) in Kent, Washington.

Are they already back from Alaska, I wondered to myself.

And then closer perusal of the package showed that the package had been mailed from Haines, Alaska.

Haines, Alaska is the last place we have heard anything from Rosie the Rat Dog and her entourage, that being via a blogging on Rosie the Rat Dog's Alaska! blog titled Hungry No More.

I opened the package from Alaska to find the amusing t-shirt you see above. I did not realize Alaska was that much bigger than the teeny state of Texas. I did realize Texas was cuter than Alaska.

Happy Birthday To My Mom & Dad After A Cool Swim With An Incoming Nephew

In the picture you are looking at the earliest known photograph of me skinnydipping.

My mom and dad sent this photo to various relatives, which had my grandpa and grandma sending money to my mom and dad in Eugene, Oregon, telling them to buy that boy some clothes.

Today is the day my mom and dad's eldest son was born.

A long time ago.

I have never been a fan of birthdays, my own or anyone's. I think it is primarily, the mom, and secondarily, the dad, who should have Happy Birthday said to them on the anniversary of the birthday of one of their offspring.

That would give my mom and dad 5 happy birthdays, in addition to their own.

So, Happy Birthday, mom and dad.

On this very day, August 11, 11 years ago, I dropped in, unexpectedly, on my mom and dad's 50th Wedding Anniversary Party, at my sister's in Kent, Washington.

My nephew Christopher and his best friend, Jeff, were at my mom and dad's 50th. That is Christopher, known as CJ, and Jeff in the picture, with Jeff trying to get ahold of one of my sister's mutts, likely Rosie the Rat Dog.

Jeff currently lives in the D/FW Metroplex, in Lewisville. CJ is flying here on Thursday to stay a few days with Jeff, in preparation for Jeff's wedding in September.

I don't know if I will be seeing CJ whilst he is in the D/FW zone. There is a 3 day window of opportunity. My one longtime blog reader may remember seeing CJ when I was in Arizona in March.

I don't know if CJ is flying into D/FW International or Love Field. I suspect Love Field due to CJ's mother's tendency to fly on Southwest, a tendency she has likely passed on to her children.

Changing the subject to something else.

The Arctic Blast arrived here as predicted last night. I had my windows open. It was barely in the 70s by the time the sun came up. This made for a slightly chilly skinny dip this morning. It is currently almost 10 in the morning and it is only 78 degrees and I still have my windows open.

Windows open in August seems unprecedented, to me.

Fosdick Lake's Inviting New Beaches Intice Forbidden Toxic Swimming

Fosdick Lake Beach

Mid morning, this second Friday of August, the temperature was barely in the 80s, with a strong wind blowing.

Due to these ideal weather conditions, in the mid morning time frame, I thought I'd drive to the top of Mount Tandy, under the Fort Worth Space Needle, that you see near the center of the picture, and have myself some might fine Tandy Hills hiking.

But.

By the time the time came for my regularly scheduled noonday constitutional, the temperature had risen into the low 90s and that strong wind had settled back into being a slight breeze.

So.

I decided today was a good day to take around Fosdick Lake in Oakland Lake Park.

Due to the lack of incoming water, Fosdick Lake is quickly shrinking. As you can see, in the picture, beautiful sandy beaches have now been exposed.

The pristine waters of Fosdick Lake, with its new beaches, looks so inviting I would have gone for a swim if it were not for the signs warning me not to do so, due to the toxicity that pollutes the water in the lake.

I imagine, as the volume of water shrinks, that the toxicity level concentrates into ever higher levels of toxicity.

One is also warned not to launch a boat on Fosdick Lake.

I wonder if the no boat prohibition is due to that toxicity eating away at the boat's structure? I saw that happen in an awful movie starring Pierce Brosnan about a volcano erupting in the Pacific Northwest. Somehow that eruption made a lake toxic, like Fosdick Lake, with boats being eaten up by the acid. If I remember right Pierce Brosnan made it safely to shore.

I have an inflatable kayak. I've been tempted, a time or two, to pump it up and take it for a float on Fosdick Lake. But then the prospect of being the victim of an on the water police chase, or the water of Fosdick Lake eating a hole in my inflatable kayak, discourages me.

Yesterday's Record Breaking HEAT Followed By A North Texas Cold Front

Temperature Headline the Star-Telegram

I did not know, til reading my secondary weather information source, that being the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, that we got heated to a HOT new record of 108 degrees yesterday.

Apparently a Cold Front will be cooling us today. Currently it is barely warm in the outer world, at 81 degrees at my location.

Tonight the low is supposed to get to a very very chilly 69 degrees. I shall be sleeping sound with my windows open tonight, with no air-conditioner conditioning my interior space with periodic blasts of semi-frigidity.

This incoming Cold Front dropping us into the chilly 90s puts me in mind of an amusing newspaper headline in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that I saw upon my arrival one summer during one of the years of this century. I think it may have been summer of 2001.

The headline was something like "Heat Wave Swelters Northwest With Day 3 in the 80s."

Such weather babies are those foggy people up in Western Washington. Three days in the 80s, in summer, in North Texas, would have people getting out their sweaters and long pants.