I Exercised CAUTION While Walking With The Village Creek Indian Ghosts Today Before Finding Mallard Cove Park

Soon after walking from the Village Creek Natural Historical Area parking lot I came upon "CAUTION" tape blocking off access to several picnic tables.

I do not believe it was the picnic tables that one needed to be cautious about. I think the danger may have been coming from the big dead tree you see rising above "CAUTION" in the picture.

If it is the dead tree presenting the need for caution, why not simply knock it down before it falls on an innocent picnicker? Instead of marking off the area with what looks like crime scene tape.

Other than being advised to exercise CAUTION it was an uneventful walk with the Indian Ghosts today.

Upon leaving my abode I found my route via John T. White Road reduced to one lane. So, I opted to take Randol Mill Road back to my abode.

I have driven Randol Mill Road countless times without noticing the park sign I saw today.

Mallard Cove Park.

I followed the Mallard Cove Park signs til I arrived at the entry to Mallard Cove Park. This appears to be a new park, which would explain why I'd not noticed it before. I could see multiple paved trails from the parking lot, curving down a slope towards the Trinity River.

I suspect I will be rolling my bike tires on these newly discovered trails soon. As in, likely tomorrow.

Yesterday I mentioned that my pool was suffering an electrical malfunction. The electrician showed up this morning and got the electricity back electrifying, which has the pumps back pumping and me back swimming, maybe later this afternoon, but tomorrow morning for certain.

The Lone Granger Wonders About Trinity River Vision Boondoggle Nepotism

This morning an incoming blog comment amused me...

The Lone Granger has left a new comment on your post "The Skagit River Vision Has Me Freshly Perplexed Regarding The Trinity River Vision Boondoggle":

Is the son of Mount Vernon's Representative in Congress running the Skagit River Vision? Or do you have ethical rules regarding nepotism up north?

That is the Lone Granger, above. I do not know if the Native American with the Lone Granger, above, is the Apache historic ground blesser employed by J.D. Granger when he needs a new erection blessed.

To answer the Lone Granger's question, I don't know if there are any ethical rules regarding nepotism, up north. What I do know is there is a surplus of common sense up north that prevents something outrageous, like the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's nepotistic appointment of Congresswoman Kay Granger's unqualified son to run a public works boondoggle that the public has never voted for.

The thing is, I would hazard to guess that the vast majority of those who live in the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle Zone could not tell you what nepotism is, or why it is considered wrong in civilized parts of the world or how hiring J.D. Granger to manage the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle is a classic example of nepotism.

A Hot First Sunday Of Summer Tandy Hills Hike With A Collapsed Bamboo Tepee

In the picture you are standing atop Mount Tandy, looking west at the 4 soaring skyscrapers that dominate the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth.

My swimming pool is out of commission due to an electrical problem which has the filtering pump not filtering. And so a heavy dose of chemicals had to poured into the water, lest the water turn an unfortunate shade of slimy green.

I have seen how quickly this can happen when we are at the HOT time of the year, when the pool water at my previous abode turned slimy green when the filtering pump went awry.

An electrician arrives tomorrow to try and figure out what caused the short circuit that shut down everything electrical associated with the pool.

With no pool, the Tandy Hills was rendered my source of endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation today.

Three days in to Summer and we have yet to have a 100 degree day at my location in Texas, but the Tandy Hills were plenty warm today, though more than a dozen degrees shy of 100.

Today I was shocked to walk in to the Bamboo Tepee Grove to find that the Bamboo Tepee has collapsed to the ground.

The mystery of why someone hauled about a dozen bamboo poles to the heart of the Tandy Hills and then constructed a Bamboo Tepee has never been solved.

The Bamboo Tepee stood for several years, seemingly impervious to the elements, surviving wind, rain, hail, snow and extreme heat and cold.

Red Tape Did Not Keep My Bike From The Edge Of A Gateway Park Cliff Today

The "DANGER" red tape is no longer blocking access to pedaling off a cliff in Gateway Park, I learned today after a mile or two of pedaling.

So, I was able to push my handlebars right to the edge of the precipice, where they may have been in "DANGER" of falling into the slimy green looking body of water below.

Just two days ago, on Thursday, dozens upon dozens of brave souls floated in that water to have themselves a Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Float with J.D.Granger and his Panther Island Pavilion party animals.

The Trinity River moves so slow I don't know if the water those Thursday floaters floated in has flowed downstream far enough to yet be at the location under my handlebars.

Except for a near collision with a guy pedaling a skinny tire bike, today's Gateway Park bike ride was mostly uneventful.

My regular Saturday treasure hunt at Town Talk was also mostly uneventful. I got a couple cartons of cherry tomatoes, some yellow peppers, two cases of yogurt, with one of them being the Siggi brand of Greek yogurt with the flavor being Acai Mixed Berry. I have no idea what Acai Mixed Berry means. I also got a gallon of non-homogenized organic whole milk. The huge chunks of butterfat in this milk make for an interesting drinking experience.

I've decided to shake up my usual rut next Saturday, and not go to Town Talk. I have another destination in mind for my next Saturday treasure hunting. In Arlington. A place called SB Depot, which I have not been to.

Messing With My Little Sister Finding A Bigger Crazy Sister Behind Her

Last night, on Facebook, via the Fort Worth Connie D,  I saw what you see on the left.

It amused me, due to the fact that it happened to be true, regarding my personal sister sibling situation.

Because if you mess with my little sister there is both a bigger sister and a crazy sister behind her, with the crazy one being the one you really don't wanna mess with.

By mess with, I mean be in the same room, or state, with.

There were multiple comments to Connie D's crazy sister thing, but the first two were the most amusing ones, what with Nina saying that in her family the sentiment expressed is not the case, because the baby sister would rip you apart.

While Holly said her sister would have sold her to Gypsies had the opportunity presented itself.

Now, my own baby sister would not rip me apart, except in an argument, because she's a lawyer, and that is what they do.

However, the crazy sister, well, at various points in time I am sure she would have sold any one of her siblings to Gypsies if she got the chance.

This morning I found out that my crazy sister has been removed from Facebook. I have no idea what type craziness one does to get oneself removed from Facebook.

You Need A Criminal Background Check To Get A Ticket To Dealey Plaza For The 50th JFK Assassination Event In Dallas

Until this morning, on the upcoming date of Friday, November 22, 2013, I had planned on riding the TRE to Dallas to go to Dealey Plaza for the events surrounding the 50th Anniversary of the John F. Kennedy Assassination.

This morning incoming information caused me to change my mind about taking the train to Dallas in November.

I attended the 40th Anniversary of the JFK Assassination. That day, in Dealey Plaza, was one of the most memorable events I have ever experienced.

Ten years ago I did not take the train to Dallas. I drove. Parking at Pioneer Plaza, then walking to Dealey Plaza.

The event for the 40th Anniversary had a sort of spontaneous, reverent, celebratory feel to it. The 40th occurred 2 years after 9/11, so security was clearly in evidence, including helicopters overhead and SWAT type teams on the ground.

So, why have I decided not to go to Dallas for the 50th?

At a news conference at the Sixth Floor Museum the mayor of Dallas, Michael Rawlings, said that given the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, and the recent Boston Marathon bombings, security is a high priority.

So, unlike 10 years ago, when I guess security was not such a high priority, one needs a ticket to be in Dealey Plaza on November 22.

Dallas Police Chief Charles Cato said police will conduct full criminal background checks on all people requesting tickets. People can request up to two tickets and each person listed in a single request will be screened.

You request a ticket online where "for security purposes, you will be asked to enter a valid driver’s license/state issued ID number or passport number or social security number on your request form. Two forms of ID are required on the form."

Tickets are picked randomly, with those picked being notified, I assume by email, on or about October 1, 2013.

The tickets do  not get mailed to the lucky random drawing winners. You have to pick up the tickets, in person, at the American Airlines Center, on the day of the event, from 7am til 10am. Each person attending MUST present photo ID, with information that matches the ticket form, when picking up tickets. For security reasons, no tickets can be released without a photo ID. Acceptable photo identification includes driver’s license, state issued ID, school ID or passport.

I can just imagine how much fun it will be for people to line up at the AA Center waiting their turn to get their tickets. And then to make your way to Dealey Plaza where I assume you get to wait in another line and likely go through an airport like screening device, whilst presenting your ticket.

I don't think JFK would be happy with this. I'm thinking JFK would likely be wondering why Dallas was not more overboard about security the last time he was in town.

Blaming this on the Boston Bombing seems totally bogus. That occurred far too recently to have had an input into these elaborate measures, such as setting up a website titled The 50th Honoring the Memory of President John F. Kennedy.

Why not just do what was done for the 40th? Close off several streets, have a large police presence, and let all who want to attend be able to do so. Apparently video screens will be set up, such as at American Airlines Center and other satellite locations, where those without tickets can watch what is going on in Dealey Plaza.

Methinks Dallas is likely going to take some National and International flack over this plan for the 50th Anniversary of the Assassination of John F. Kennedy.

Below is the video I made of the 40th Anniversary of the JFK Assassination....

The Skagit River Vision Has Me Freshly Perplexed Regarding The Trinity River Vision Boondoggle

No. In the image on the left you are not looking at an artist's rendering of what Fort Worth's Trinity River Vision Boondoggle will look like if it ever becomes anything anyone can see.

What you are looking at is an artist's rendering of what my old hometown of Mount Vernon's Skagit River Vision, known as the Downtown Mount Vernon Flood Protection and Revitalization Project, will look like when Phase II of the Skagit River Vision, which had its groundbreaking ceremony this past Saturday, is completed by Fall of 2014.

In an extremely significant difference between the Skagit River Vision and the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle, the Skagit River Vision includes public restrooms, of the modern plumbing sort, not the outhouse sort favored by Fort Worth's Trinity River Vision Boondoggle.

Unlike when some minor aspect of the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle has a ground breaking ceremony, such as what was recently held for the future site of the Major Ripley Allen Arnold Monument and the John V. McMilllan Plaza, I don't believe any historic ground blessing from a local Native American took place in Mount Vernon, even though there are three tribal nations in the Skagit Valley, those being the Swinomish, the Skagit and the Samish.

The Skagit River Vision appears to have what is known as a construction timeline.

Phase I was completed in October of 2010. Phase II is now under way, and includes a floodwall engineered to protect historic downtown Mount Vernon, 1,650 linear feet of floodwall, 24-ft wide riverwalk and trail connections to the regional trail system and 30,000 square foot Public Riverfront Park.

Imagine that, a River Vision that includes an actual much needed flood control project.

Twice in the 1990s I joined the throngs sandbagging downtown Mount Vernon in the middle of the night. The Trinity River has gone into flood mode several times since I've been in Texas. I don't recollect there ever being a call out for sandbagging help in the downtown Fort Worth Trinity River Vision Boondoggle zone where millions are proposed to be spent to prevent floods where no flood has happened for over a half a century.

Meanwhile, I have read, more than once, of sandbagging operations in Fort Worth's next door neighbor town of Haltom City. But, the Tarrant Regional Water District has no vision for Haltom City that might mitigate flooding.

Phase III of the Skagit River Vision gets under way in 2014. It includes more floodwall, a section of earthen levee, more riverwalk and trail connections to the regional trail system.

How come there is no timeline for the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle? Or is there and I've not heard of it? No timeline has ever shown up in any of the TRV Boondoggle's quarterly propaganda mailings.

I've blogged about my perplexation regarding the apparent lack of a TRV Boondoggle timeline previously, in a blogging titled Can Anyone Find A Timeline Schedule Of Construction For The Trinity River Vision Boondoggle?

Can you imagine how the locals might have reacted if in, I don't know, let's say 2006, the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle propaganda shared a timeline that showed in 2010 the world's premiere urban wakeboard lake would open, in 2011 a restaurant would open, in 2012 Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats  would start up on the Trinity River in some make believe thing called Panther Island Pavilion, which would make Fort Worth into a world class music venue and in 2013 the world's first drive-in movie theater of the 21st century would open?

Would not this information, in a 2006 timeline, have made the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle into the laughingstock, with the locals, which it richly deserves to be?

If the TRV Boondoggle published a project timeline in 2013, what would we see? We know about the non-signature bridges that are supposedly going to be under construction, soon, across the un-needed flood control diversion channel. What will we be seeing in 2015? The world's biggest trampoline park? Another restaurant? A paintball park? The longest go-kart track in the world?

So, really, what is the timeline for the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle? What phase of this un-needed flood control project are we at now? Does anyone know? The TRV Boondoggle is well over a decade old now. Should there not be something more to see in the vision than a wakeboard lake, a restaurant, inner tubes floating, a lame music venue, a drive-in movie theater and a lot of property taken by abusing eminent domain?

Is there any sort of concise project description of the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle of the sort that describes the Skagit River Vision? Such as.....

The Downtown Mount Vernon Flood Protection and Revitalization Project will protect Mount Vernon's historic downtown from flooding with FEMA certified flood protection and serve to revitalize the historic downtown area. The project will remove the downtown from the FEMA 100-year base flood elevation and will release pent up economic opportunities that are so important to our region. The project is the key component of the comprehensive downtown redevelopment plan that is being used to guide public and private investments over the next 20 years. The Project, which features a river promenade, trail system and public riverfront park, is being done in three phases.

Below is an artist's rendering video of the Skagit River Vision. Does such a video exist of the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle? Mount Vernon has a population of around 30,000. Fort Worth has a population approaching 800,000. How is it that Mount Vernon appears to be wearing big city britches whilst Fort Worth is still in knee pants? It is very perplexing....

A Village Creek Natural Historical Area Green Snake Standoff With Overcooked Chicken

My walk on the wild side with the Indian Ghosts who haunt Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area was not impeded, today, by flash floods.

Rather than raging water my path was blocked by a long, skinny green snake with a propitiatory attitude that had it giving itself permission to not feel as if it needed to get out of my way.

Eventually the snake standoff ended and the Indian Ghosts and I were able to continue walking.

And then an unsettling thing happened.

Once again, just like a week or two ago, I remembered I'd forgotten to turn off my chicken cooking oven. Just like the last time, I called Miss Puerto Rico to ask if she could go turn off the oven. Just like the last time, the call went to voice mail. The last time Miss Puerto Rico got the voice mail message and called back to tell me the chicken was saved.

This time, no call back came by the time I reached my vehicle. It was a speed limit pushing rush back to the potentially burning chicken.

Tragedy averted. I made it back in time to get the chicken out of the oven before it was totally ruined.

I think I need a new oven with a timer that turns the oven off.

Gateway Park's Muddy Mountain Bike Trails Had Me Pedaling On Pavement Before Getting A Town Talk Chill

The outer world was dark and foreboding when I exited my abode a short while before noon, to drive to Gateway Park to get myself some endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation via sitting atop two fast spinning wheels rolling over a mountain bike trail.

That plan was quickly aborted, about 10 feet on to the Fort Worth Mountain Bike Association Trail, when I found my bike tires sloshing through thick mud.

Rolling over paved trails was the back up plan. I soon rolled past the memorial to Gateway Park's most recent drowning victim, and the boarded up boardwalk eyesores, soon exiting Gateway Park on to the Trinity Trails.

In the picture above you are on top of the bridge one crosses to exit Gateway Park to the Trinity Trails. As you can see, the photo documents that dark and foreboding thing I mentioned a few paragraphs ago.

In the center of the picture, that slash of white is Trinity Falls. I am almost 100% this is not a natural water fall, but the result of the most easterly Fort Worth impoundment of the Trinity River as it flows past the levee controlled zone to the non-levee-ed section of the river that passes through Gateway Park.

I am finding the humidity to be a bit more oppressive than I remember humidity being in past humid times. The ultra humidity does not much impact my early morning swim, but does impact midday aerobic activity.

As long as I am pedaling fast the wind chill keeps me adequately cooled.

But, when I stop, as when I stop to do some hydrating, or the two minutes it takes to get the bike secured and turn on the engine and the A/C, I quickly over heat.

Today I had not planned on going to Town Talk, but since Town Talk was so close and I was so HOT, the Town Talk walk-in cooler sounded like a real good idea.

And so it was.

That and I got myself a case of Orange Juice, BBQ Pork, Cornish Game Hens and a big bag of Bleu Cheese among one or two other things.

Walking Around Fosdick Lake Thinking About Flying To A Washington Wedding While Mary Kelleher Draws A Cheering Crowd To A TRWD Board Meeting

Fosdick Lake was looking mono-chromatic and swan-less when I took a walk on the Oakland Lake Park paved trail that surrounds Fosdick Lake, today.

Lightning struck and thunder boomed around 4 this morning.

No lightning struck or thunder boomed, within my eye or earshot, whilst walking today.

I tried to get my sister, who lives in Arizona, to walk around Fosdick Lake with me today. But she was not available.

As I walked around Fosdick Lake, among the things I was pondering, was the fact that this upcoming July 6 there is a wedding happening in Tacoma that will be the biggest relative event involving my relatives since a relative event in the form of a Family Reunion, way back on July 26, 2002.

I am being very conflicted about making my way north for this relative event. On the one hand going to this particular wedding appeals to me. On the other hand, well, at times like this I wish I did not live 2,200 miles from the Western Washington zone of the Pacific Northwest.

Another event I was pondering, as I walked around Fosdick Lake, hearing crickets chirping, was this morning's swearing in of Mary Kelleher as the newly elected member of the Tarrant Regional Water District Board.

I did not attend this event, even though I sort of remember, vaguely, being invited to, but my sources tell me that it was standing room only for the swearing in ceremony in the TRWD meeting room.

When the first two newly re-elected board members were sworn in, no one clapped, you could hear the crickets chirping on the nearby Trinity River.

When Mary was sworn in, the crickets stopped chirping, while everyone in the room clapped, except, I assume, Marty Leonard, Jim Lane, J.D. Granger, and the two newly re-elected board members.

Just as I was typing about Mary getting sworn in, incoming email, from one of the above mentioned sources, pointed me to an article about today's TRWD swearing in ceremony, by Jeff Prince, in FW Weekly, titled Mary Kelleher Sworn In As New Blood On Water Board which said, in part....

There weren’t enough parking spaces for the cars outside, and there weren’t enough chairs for the people inside. Board members appeared a bit surprised to see a full house at this morning’s meeting.

Read the FW Weekly article and you may get the idea that a new day has dawned in Fort Worth.

It is a good thing when a new day dawns....