Labor Day Pedaling In River Legacy Park With The Holiday Hordes

The West Loop/Bypass Junction

Today I drove my 4 wheeled motorized motion device to River Legacy Park to pedal my 2 wheeled un-motorized motion device under the shade that chills the River Legacy Park mountain bike trails.

A lot of people drove their 4 wheeled motorized motion devices to River Legacy Park today. A lot of walkers, joggers, bladers, skateboarders and bikers.

I can be real dense sometimes. No, really, it's true. Today I was pedaling along, totally perplexed as to why River Legacy Park had so many people, including the picnickers I forgot to mention, enjoying the outdoors today.

And then I remembered. It's a holiday. Labor Day. The informal end of summer, even though the actual end does not come til September 22, with the arrival of the Autumnal Equinox.

It is HOT today. 97 degrees right now, with the humidity making it feel like 104. One does not get HOT whilst pedaling the shaded River Legacy Park mountain bike trails.

Til one stops for a water break.

Moisture quickly begins to seep, which then is very cooling once one is back pedaling.

My first waterbreak today came at the trail junction you see in the picture above. As you can also see, the trail is nicely shaded. At this junction I had the option of taking the West Loop, or the West Loop Bypass. I chose the West Loop. This goes by Fun Town. I do not go into Fun Town. Fun Town looks too scary to me.

River Legacy Park's new playground for kids is now open and ready for business.

The playground is sort of exposed to the sun, except for the mesh bridge that is back in the trees.

This is just about the best looking kid's playground I have ever seen. When I was a kid playgrounds, such as this, did not exist.

I was tempted to be a kid, then I saw the "NO GROWNUPS ALLOWED" sign. I do not think it is fair to discriminate in this manner. Who is to say who is a grownup?

Spencer Jack Getting Wet Thinking About The Skagit River Vision

Click here for info about the May 23, 2013 I-5 Skagit River Bridge Collapse.

This morning, in my email box, there was incoming from Spencer Jack's dad, my nephew, Jason, with the email's subject line being "42 Days Without Rain Leaves Skagit River Near Empty."

In the picture on the left that is Spencer Jack playing in the near empty Skagit River.

In the picture you can sort of see how clear and clean the Skagit River is. With no rain falling, the water in the river would be coming from the melting snowpack and glaciers high in the Cascade Mountains.

Those looking at these pictures, whose closest river is the Trinity River, please make note of the fact that you see no litter floating in the Skagit River.

If the Trinity River is ones main river frame of reference, one might wonder, if this is the Skagit River being almost empty, what is it like when the river runs with a normal flow.

Well, it really does not look all that much different.

I can not tell which bridge Jason is letting Spencer Jack play under. The I-5 bridge? Or is it the downtown Mount Vernon bridge? If that is where Spencer is in the river, well, it really is running low.

In the second picture I know for sure the bridge in the foreground is the I-5 bridge because I see the new bridge that connects Mount Vernon to Burlington behind it.

The Skagit River has what is known as a current. As in the water in the river moves. In downtown Mount Vernon the Skagit River is only a few miles from where it empties into Puget Sound. When the tide runs high the saltwater acts as a dam, slowing up the Skagit River, when the tide runs low the Skagit River speeds up.

I was in a small motor boat, years ago, launched near downtown Mount Vernon, going with the flow of the river, towards the Sound. The motor died. We had rows. The tide changed, the river started moving fast. I don't recollect ever struggling harder to get something to move. Eventually we made it to the river's bank.

Okay, in the last picture I can clearly tell where Spencer Jack is, in the Skagit River, because I can faintly see the Downtown Mount Vernon Tulip Tower in the background to the left of Spencer.

With the Tulip Tower on the other side of the river that would put Spencer Jack in West Mount Vernon. To the north of Spencer, with the river this low, there would be a huge sandbar, likely with a lot of people fishing from it. If I am remembering correctly.

Standing under the Downtown Mount Vernon Skagit River Bridge is something I don't recollect ever seeing before. So, the river really is running low.

I wonder why Mount Vernon does not have a Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Float on the Skagit River, like Fort Worth does on the filthy Trinity River? I can think of one reason. The Skagit River water is cold. Like I said above, the water comes from a melted source.

Downtown Mount Vernon currently has its own version of the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle. Only the Mount Vernon Skagit River Vision is not a boondoggle. Unlike the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle the Skagit River Vision is an actual needed flood control project. A flood wall is being built to protect downtown Mount Vernon from a Skagit River flood. Part of the project will be a Mount Vernon Riverwalk.

The Mount Vernon Skagit River Vision is well underway and will be completed, I think, by next year. There are no wakeboard parks as part of the Skagit River Vision. And no local congresswoman's unqualified son is employed to oversee the Skagit River Vision.

Several Hours After The Above Was Written....

I logged into Facebook to see that Spencer Jack's dad had Facebooked a picture of Spencer Jack that he did not email me this morning. This picture would have alleviated me of my confusion as to what bridge Spencer was under. In this picture Spencer Jack is on the Skagit River Bridge that connects Downtown Mount Vernon to West Mount Vernon.

To those reading this for whom the Trinity River is your local river, does it appear to you that the Skagit River, as it flows by Downtown Mount Vernon, is bigger than the fabled, ever shrinking, Town Puddle, that is one of the key parts of the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle, giving Fort Worth its long desired waterfront?

I wonder why the Skagit River is that nice blue color, whilst the Trinity River is currently a jade shade of green? Even with a blue sky overhead.

Today I Visited The Indian Ghosts Who Haunt The Village Creek Historical Area Then Went For A Walk In The Natural Area

That is Village Creek in Arlington you are looking at in the picture. Since that is Village Creek you might correctly guess I went to the place I call the Village Creek Natural Historical Area today for one of my frequent walks with the Indian Ghosts who inhabit this area.

I walked with the Indian Ghosts in the noon time frame. Prior to the noon time frame I drove north to Hurst to ALDI because I needed fat free refried beans and some other things.

The freeway construction that I drive through en route to ALDI, and back, makes me nervous.

Anyone else made nervous by the construction in the juncture of 820/121 zone? The road support beams have been laid on the support columns. It looks very flimsy. Some of the beams look as if they are barely touching the support columns.

It looks like a good wind could wreak havoc. Good thing earthquakes don't happen here.

Above, I said that today I went to the place I call the Village Creek Natural Historical Area. I realized today, and may have realized this previously, but forgot, but at the entry to this area the sign indicates you are at Village Creek Historical Area. No mention made on the sign about anything being Natural. That is the sign to which I refer, below.

So, you park in the Historical Area's Parking lot and walk towards the paved trail that leads to Village Creek. At the trailhead of the paved trail there is an historical marker. Having an historical marker in an historical area seems to make a lot of sense to me.

On the historical marker one learns why this area is called Village Creek, that reason being that one of the biggest Indian villages in America was located at this location, until the Texan evicted them using a primitive version of eminent domain to remove the Caddoan Confederation of tribes that made their home here.

The people of the Anadarko, Bidais, Caddo, Keechi, Kickapoo, Tawakoni, Tonkawa, Waco, Waxahachie and Wichita tribes were forced to leave their town, either by being run out of it. Or by being killed.

Like I said, you come to this Village Creek Historical Marker in the Village Creek Historical Area, you then walk past the historical marker (below) to the paved trail, to suddenly see new signage that indicates you have left the Historical Area, to enter a new area.

The sign one sees as one walks past the Historical Marker informs the walker that one is now in the Village Creek Natural Area.

All this time I've been saying I went for a walk with the Indian Ghosts who haunt the Village Creek Natural Historical Area, erroneously.

I do not know how I could have so carelessly made such a dumb mistake.

Pedaling By The Green Trinity River In Gateway Park While Thinking About Clear Texas Water & Apples & Cherries

In the picture my handlebars are on the Gateway Park FWMBA mountain bike trail, pointing to the Trinity River, which is currently an interesting jade shade of green.

I really don't think a jade shade of green is a good look for a river, even though it nicely color coordinates with the surrounding foliage.

I can't help but wonder what makes the Trinity River a jade shade of green.

I have seen rivers in Texas with really clear water. Like the San Marcos River that flows out of Aquarena Springs. I've seldom seen a springs with water as clear as that in Aquarena.

Texas State University San Marcos runs the Aquarena Center, which is a sort of combo education center/entertainment complex.

I've only been to San Marcos and the Aquarena Center once. At that point in time, adjacent to Aquarena Springs there was a Ghost Theme Park. As in an abandoned theme park. The rides were built on a hill that rises by Aquarena Springs.

After I finished pedaling a few miles in the Gateway Park shade I went to Town Talk.

Town Talk was a madhouse zoo today.

A place holder in the busy checkout line got cranky at me when I suggested she get out of my way so I could unload the stuff I wanted to buy. She made quite a fuss. It was sort of the checkout line version of Texans who don't understand the right of way concept when they are befuddled at a four way stop.

I got apples and cherries, both from Chelan in my old home state of Washington. The apples are Delicious. The cherries are Rainiers.

Town Talk was also selling big boxes of plums for only $5 today. This was way more plums than the bushel of plums I previously got from Town Talk. I was a bit overwhelmed with the previous over supply of plums so I passed on the Town Talk plums today.

Earlier today I agreed with Marie that Washington was more expensive than Texas. Steve A then pointed out that the annual A/C bill is a lot bigger in Arlington, Texas than in Arlington, Washington. I thought that this was amusing.

Not all is cheaper in Texas. Keeping cool is costly. Pretty much free of charge in Washington. Most of the time.

The Labor Day Weekend First Day Of September In Texas

Looking out at the outer world on this first day of September it appears this 9th month of 2012 is beginning with a pleasant blue sky Saturday at my location, currently heated to a semi-chilly 83 degrees.

The first of the four 'ber' months usually starts warm and then with each subsequent 'ber' month, by the 4th one, that being December, ice and snow becomes possible.

Ice and snow hardly seems possible at the current time.

I don't remember if it at the end of September I start being surprised to be able to still be swimming, or it is the end of October? I know by December, last year, it was too brrrr til February to get in the pool.

Today I think I will pedal the FWMBA mountain bike trail in River Legacy Park and then go to Town Talk. Town Talk is very close to Gateway Park.

Yesterday I mentioned Marie's topographical adjustment problem. I suggested Marie check out River Legacy Park. Marie amusingly commented on that suggestion, among other things.....

Marie has left a new comment on your post "I Took My Handlebars To River Legacy Park Today While Worrying About Marie's Topographical Adjustment": 

Hey, Durango - you're killing me with Pacific Northwest memories. I too remember being grateful that traffic had stopped so that I could take in the view! The floating bridge was great - so was coming south on I-5 on a sunny day and seeing Mt. Rainier standing in front of you as big as God. Or the Alaskan Way Viaduct at sunset. And the lack of garbage - yes! What gives here? Garbage makes my forehead wrinkle. On the other hand, I do appreciate many things here. Gas is cheaper. Everything's cheaper. There is no state income tax (none in Washington either, but Californication takes a hefty bite.) And many nice folks. Like aerobic bloggers who point the way to shady paths for the topographically challenged. Loved the tree pics on River Legacy Park's site - I shall head over. Many thanks! 

It is quite true that that which one buys is usually cheaper in Texas. When I return to the Washington zone I have sticker shock at times.

I Am Not Downloading The Fort Worth Star-Telegram's DFW OT App For My I-Pad

I don't know why I got email from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram today. I ceased being a subscriber years ago. I understand why I got email from the Fort Worth Library today, because I still subscribe to that service.

The email from the Star-Telegram was announcing the introduction of something called DFW OT. With DFW OT apparently being DFW's first and only digital sports magazine for the iPad.

It appears Tony Romo is the cover cowboy on the first issue of DFW OT. Tony Romo is the quarterback for the local football team called the Dallas Cowboys, which is expected to win the Super Bowl this year.

What I am wondering is did it not cost the Fort Worth Star-Telegram any money to produce DFW's first and only digital sports magazine?

One really can not help but wonder why a newspaper which has shrunk considerably since I first saw it over a decade ago and which is known to be struggling to survive, money-wise, would invest in an electronic publication that runs on a device that is not a device the majority of people use.

I read in this week's FW Weekly in an article titled More Jumping Ship that more Star-Telegram employees are jumping ship. The most recent ship jumper is the Star-Telegram's business columnist, Mitchell Schnurman, who left Fort Worth for Dallas and that town's Morning News.

Maybe DFW OT will be a big money maker that saves the sinking ship. Maybe not. I don't think I'll be getting this app for my iPad.

Riding The Fort Worth Rail To Comanche Nation: The Story Of Quanah Parker At The Downtown Fort Worth Library

The Fort Worth Library sent me email today. One tidbit of info in the email was the shocking news that all the Fort Worth Libraries will be shut on Labor Day, that being this coming Monday.

There was a tidbit of info in the Fort Worth Library email that interested me. That being that the Downtown Central Fort Worth Library is going to putting on an exhibit from September 20 through December 15 called Comanche Nation: The Story of Quanah Parker and Cynthia Ann Parker.

If I remember correctly I have mentioned a time or two my interest in American Indian history. A couple months ago I read Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History.

Empire of the Summer Moon was an excellent telling of the Comanche history, particularly focusing on Quanah Parker. Some of this history took place in Fort Worth and surrounding areas.

I have not been to the downtown Fort Worth Library in years, not since Fort Worth lost the world's shortest subway line which made it so easy to visit beautiful downtown Fort Worth.

I think I will make the effort to check out the Comanche Nation exhibit.

Maybe I will use Fort Worth's excellent public transit system to take me downtown. That would be very adventuresome. Like getting on a carnival ride.

I Took My Handlebars To River Legacy Park Today While Worrying About Marie's Topographical Adjustment

Those are my handlebars you see in the picture. My handlebars were on the mountain bike trail in River Legacy Park today.

I'd not been on my bike for a couple weeks due the zipper on the handlebar bag in which I keep my keys, wallet, phone and camera ceasing its zipping ability.

That is the bag replacement you see attached to the handlebars.

Near the upper center of the picture there is a signpost pointing to the North Loop on the left, with the Loop Bypass on the right. I took the North Loop. The North Loop used to be a fairly short loop, but then a loop got added to the loop. I'd intended to stay on the original loop and not take the loop that loops off the North Loop. But, I took a wrong turn and ended up finding myself pedaling that entire new loop. Again.

The new loop was more pleasant to pedal this time, because it is no longer new and is now well worn and thus more pleasant to pedal.

A couple weeks ago I heard from Marie. Marie came upon my bloggings about my wanderings whilst she was searching for places to walk. Marie has previously lived in Northern California and Seattle, among other places, including Texas. Marie is now back in Texas and is finding adjusting to the flat topography to be a bit difficult. That and she misses the Christmas tree smell of Evergreens, clean water, mountains and rain. And cleanliness.

I empathize with all that Marie misses. I remember my last time driving back to Washington, in late July of 2001. I was stuck in traffic on the I-90 Floating Bridge across Lake Washington. I did not mind being stuck in slow moving traffic. The sky was a deep clear blue. Mount Rainier was hovering to the south of me, the Olympics to the west of me, the Cascades in my rear view mirror. Lake Washington looking a deep clear blue, because it was reflecting the deep blue sky.

Which has me wondering why the Trinity River was looking so green today. The sky does not look all that green.

I digress.

So, I was driving real slow across the I-90 Floating Bridge and was making note of how clean everything looked, as if it sparkled. I'd been noticing the remarkable decrease in litter by the time I was driving through Colorado. I've often wondered if when Texans visit other less messy parts of the country, do they notice that something is missing? Do they wonder where all the litter is?

Marie, if you are reading this, I must tell you, River Legacy Park, in Arlington, is an excellent place to walk. There are many miles of paved trails, most of which run along the Trinity River, much of it under a canopy of big trees giving good cooling shade. There are also miles of unpaved trails, like the one you see in the picture. I saw more people walking the mountain bike trail today than I saw bikers.

To find the mountain bike trail enter River Legacy Park from the main Green Oaks Boulevard, then take the first left and then the second left, which directly leads to the mountain bike trail parking lot. You'll see one sign directing you to the mountain bike trail entrance, the other to the hiker trail entrance.

To find your way to River Legacy Park you'll find a link to a map on the above link to my River Legacy Park webpage, or just go directly to the map here.

What Happened To The Mineral Wells Baker Hotel Restoration?

Almost 2 years ago, October 15, 2010, to be precise, I blogged about news I read in the soon to be gone Fort Worth Star-Telegram regarding the restoration of the Baker Hotel in Mineral Wells.

Way back near the end of the last century I saw the Baker Hotel for the first time. As I drove into Mineral Wells I was very surprised to see a giant structure looming over the town. And then more surprised to see the structure up close, realizing it was a Ghost Hotel.

Over the years I've been contacted multiple times regarding the Baker Hotel. This was due to the fact that years ago my webpage about the Baker Hotel was the only info about the hotel on the Internet.

That is no longer the case. There are now 6 webpages about the Baker Hotel that Google higher than mine. The #1 Baker Hotel webpage is now Wikipedia's Baker Hotel article.

The Baker Hotel has its own official website. Which Googles in the #2 position.

I've been curious as to the status of the Baker Hotel restoration. The Star-Telegram article of almost 2 years ago led one to think that the restoration plan was solid. Back then the restoration was supposedly underway, with someone named Jeff Trigger behind it, with a $52 million budget being spent to modernize the hotel rooms and return the Baker Hotel's famous features to their original splendor, including the swimming pools.

Well.

Yesterday, someone asked me, via a blog comment on the October 15, 2010 blogging, if I could help him get in contact with Jeff Trigger, because he'd been told that Jeff Trigger was the person to talk to regarding restoring the Baker Hotel.

Below is the referenced comment....

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Ballad Of The Baker: Is The Baker Hotel In Mineral Wells Really Being Restored?":

I am a investor that is willing to build the hotel to original state that is to the exacting amount of tile on the wall well what I'm doing here is trying to contact the owner of the grand old lady for purchase. I got as far as entering the old lady with escort of fire marshal and officers for a inspection of the premises and back ground info to me up to a name of a man but i need to contact this JEF T. would anyone know where i can even get any info asap because my goal is to have her finished by the end of 2013 you can contact me at nickolyash@yahoo.com 

Anyone out there have any answers for Mr. Nickolyash?

On The Breezy Tandy Hills Running Hot & Cold While My Nephew Gives Me Weather Reports From Washington

Today I decided to induce some rare endorphin production via aerobic stimulation. My choice of location to get stimulated was the Tandy Hills. The Tandy Hills is my closest location for easy aerobic stimulation.

I don't think I've previously shown you the Tandy Trail I'm showing you in today's picture. This is a steep trail that one comes to on the north side of Tandy Falls. The trail heads west to the top of the View Street Ridge.

The trail at this location is way steeper than the picture makes it look. It's a fast track to aerobic stimulation and those much needed endorphins.

The temperature was very schizophrenic on the Tandy Hills today.  Exiting my vehicle on top of Mount Tandy I was blown by a good breeze that had a bit of refreshing coolness in it. The breezeless gullies at the bottom of hills were pockets of heat. The hot pockets gave me some good steam bath action, while the breezy ridges cooled me back down.

If I recollect correctly some time ago some cranky person complained that all I talk about is the weather, thus making me extremely boring. Maybe the word was boorish. I don't remember.

So, I got email from my eldest nephew last night, he being Spencer Jack's dad. In this email my apparent weather fixation is mentioned....

FU Durango---Because I know you like to follow the weather: Seattle is going on 37 days with no rain (info from www.komonews.com/weather) ((they gauge the rainfall via a recording device at SeaTac airport))  Should no rain fall on this device prior to Sept. 12th, that will be 52 days, a Seattle all time record.  Possible drizzle expected tonight, however, if we make it through the evening dry, forecast is good for the next 7 plus days.   FNJason.

The FU in FU Durango are initials for Favorite Uncle. You might be able to figure out what the FN in FNJason are initials for.

Summer is a time of year that perplexes visitors to Seattle and Western Washington. The tourists come expecting rain and instead see nothing but clear sky.

I don't know if Lesser Seattle is still in operation. Lesser Seattle used to run a propaganda campaign where you never mentioned, via a letter, or on the phone, to an outsider, that the weather is being pleasant. You were supposed to always say it is raining. Most of the year this does not require lying. I think Lesser Seattle likely has given up the effort. Too many tourists come from all over the world, seeing clear skies and mountains.

I wonder why Fort Worth does not have a Lesser Fort Worth program to discourage visitors from visiting? The flood of tourists here gets really tiring. Particularly all the Canadians.