Feeding The Fosdick Ducks Before Getting Swiss Cheese From Switzerland

By the time the noon time frame arrived I decided to opt out of my regular Saturday bike ride at Gateway Park.

One reason for opting out of bike riding was I don't think there have been enough dry days to dry out the mountain bike trails from the recent deluges.

That and the air in the outer world is being HOT.

HOT and humid.

I got myself plenty of ultra wet humidity this morning, swimming with Miss Puerto Rico.

I prefer to swim solo, but sometimes one must compromise and not get what one prefers.

Prior to my regular Saturday treasure hunting at Town Talk I opted to substitute biking Gateway Park for a walk around Fosdick Lake in Oakland Lake Park so I could give the Fosducks a gourmet treat in the form of big chunks of whole wheat bread.

What lucky ducks.

After feeding the lucky ducks it was on to Town Talk for the aforementioned treasure hunting.

Today's Town Talk treasure hunting was pretty much a bust. Except for a case of blueberry Siggis yogurt, I got nothing else memorable.

Just remembered, I also got some actual Swiss cheese from Switzerland....

What Major Malfunction Caused The Texas Giant At Six Flags Over Texas To Kill A Woman?

Six Flags Texas Giant Killer Coaster

I was more than a little appalled to learn this morning that a woman was thrown off the Texas Giant Roller Coaster at Six Flags Over Texas, last night, and killed.

How could this happen?

The sketchy reports indicate the woman was concerned, prior to the coaster car taking off, that the restraining bar had not clicked securely in to place. A park employee assured the woman she was successfully clicked in.

Even if that restraining bar was not secured I don't see how someone would go flying out of the roller coaster car.

And to add to the horror, two of the woman's children, a man and woman, who people watching the horror described as being in their 20s, were screaming when the coaster car returned to start, yelling "My mom! My mom! Let us out, we need to go get her!"

I have only ridden the Texas Giant once. I hated it. It was just way too rough and jarring. And not in a fun way. Since I rode the Texas Giant, way back early in this century, or late in the last century, it has been re-modeled, with the new version making, supposedly, for a smoother ride.

As I remember the Texas Giant ride the G-forces pulled me down into the seat and back against the seatback. I don't recollect there being moments where I felt secured by the restraining bar from pitching forward and out of the seat.

I suspect this is going to cost Six Flags a fortune. With this particular roller coaster possibly demolished.

I'd already decided I'd never ride it again. If I had not already decided that, the fact that it is now the Texas Giant Killer Coaster would have me never waiting in line to get on board ever again.

It Has Already Been 5 Years Since I Have Exited Texas To Return To Washington

It was 5 years go, this very day, July 20, 2008, that I saw the view you see here. That being the sea of peaks of the Cascade Mountains, with one of the Washington volcanoes sticking up higher than its fellow mountains.

5 years ago, today, around 4 o'clock in the afternoon, I drove to Dallas, to Love Field, to get on a Southwest Airlines airplane to fly to Albuquerque on the way to Seattle.

I left Texas with the air heated into the 100 degree zone. I arrived in the Pacific Northwest to find the air cooled to cooler than air-conditioning.

I pretty much shivered the entire month I was in Washington. The shivering was not entirely due to the chill in the air.

I am more than a little appalled that it has already been 5 years since I have been in Washington. When I flew out of Washington on August 20, 2008, I said, at the time, that it'd likely be at least 20 years before I returned.

I have since adjusted that time schedule.

But, unlike 5 years ago, I have no plans to fly up to Washington today. Instead of driving east to Dallas I think I'll drive west to Gateway Park and ride my bike before going treasure hunting at Town Talk.

An Ozone Alert Has Me Touring Fort Worth's Industrial Wastelands

Today I was not of a mood to drive to any of my regular locations to engage in my regular daily walking or biking or hiking activity in order to have myself some endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation.

One reason I was not of a mood to drive anywhere is because I got myself plenty of aerobic stimulation, via swimming, this morning. Another reason is the area I am located in is currently being blessed with an Ozone Alert, with members of sensitive groups being advised to avoid exposure.

Since I am very sensitive, though not in a sensitive group, I decided it best to limit contact with outdoor ozone infested air, because my eyes were sort of burning earlier this morning. After being outside swimming, I had to resort to eye drops to abate the burning.

Rather than drive anywhere I decided to walk across the street to Albertson's to get a bag of carrots. This is not a long walk, thus limited exposure to Ozone.

Walking to Albertson's I pass the industrial wasteland you see above. With multiple warnings regarding the dangers posed by this industrial wasteland. This particular industrial wasteland is one of my two nearby neighborhood Chesapeake Energy Barnett Shale Natural Gas Extraction Sites.

Of my two neighborhood Chesapeake sites only the Albertson's one is clearly visible in all its industrial wasteland glory. The other Chesapeake site is further from the road and somewhat blocked by a brick wall.

As I walked past this industrial wasteland I wondered to myself whether Fort Worth is the biggest city in the world to have so many pockets of industrial wasteland, such as the above, within its borders.

I suspect it is a fact that Fort Worth is the biggest city in the world to have so many pockets of industrial wasteland.

Fort Worth seems to have an industrial wasteland surplus.

The area from the north side of downtown to south of the Fort Worth Stockyards, is largely industrial wasteland. This particular Fort Worth industrial wasteland is what the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle was touted as fixing, prior to the Boondoggle morphing into an Entertainment Production entity creating the world's only urban waterfront music venue with inner tube happy hour floats and 4th of July parties.

My favorite Fort Worth industrial wasteland is the area I call The Ruins of the Stockyards. This industrial wasteland is so scenic it has been used as a set for TV shows in need of something that looks like a third world prison....

Walking With My Mom And The Indian Ghosts Today In Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area

That is the Village Creek Natural Historical Area's former Blue Bayou you are looking at in the picture.

The former Blue Bayou has become the Village Creek Natural Historical Area's Green Meadow.

What with all the recent rain I looked at the former Blue Bayou today and wondered where has all the water gone?

My mom walked with me today. I've been calling mom and dad's Arizona landline every couple days of late, checking to see if they made it back from Tacoma's Wedding of the Century.

Apparently mom and dad have been back from Washington for a week. I probably should have left a message saying I called, when I called. But I didn't.

My mom was sounding very chipper, but not all that pleased to be back in the extreme Arizona heat after their brief respite in the natural air-conditioned summer cold of the Pacific Northwest.

My mom also told me that she had a mighty fine time at Tacoma's Wedding of the Century, what with the event being a well planned bout of pleasantness.

Mom told me I should have been there. I told mom I was not invited. Mom told me she was told I had been invited. I then reminded mom of what I'd mentioned earlier in today's walk, that being the fact that I have become so forgetful about things one would think I would remember, like watching a basketball game or getting a wedding invitation.

At least I remembered to go swimming this morning, soon after the arrival of the sun. I'll probably forget tomorrow...

Yet One More Look At Fort Worth's Gateway Park Closed To The Public Eyesore Areas

Those are my handlebars at Gateway Park, today, in front of one of the worst eyesores among any of the many eyesores in Fort Worth's parks.

I think Fort Worth park eyesore #1 is Heritage Park in downtown Fort Worth. I think it earns the number one spot due to the number of years Heritage Park has been a cyclone fence surrounded boarded up mess and the fact that Heritage Park is in the downtown zone of the city some of the locals think is one of the Greatest Cities in the World.

The fact that these type eyesores are allowed to fester, for years, in what is believed (locally, by some) to be one of the Greatest Cities in the World, is quite perplexing.

The Areas Closed to the Public in Gateway Park have been closed for years, ever since the remnants of Hurricane Hermine caused the Trinity River to go in to flood mode.

If I remember right the Gateway Park Boardwalks were already boarded up, pre-Hermine. Due to Hermine sections of the paved trail were lost to the flooding river, with cyclone fence and Area Closed to the Public signs added.

All these years later the majority of the Gateway Park paved trails still have "Trail Temporarily Closed" signs at the entries to the trails. The trail closed signs are basically ignored, with dirt path worn in replacement of the washed out sections of paved trails.

Near the Fort Woof Dog Park in Gateway Park there is a HUGE installation of Trinity River Vision Boondoggle propaganda touting the Gateway Park Master Plan part of the TRV Boondoggle.

Does anyone actually believe that any of that which is touted in the TRV Boondoggle Gateway Park Master Plan propaganda installation will actually come to pass?

Is so when?

If, currently, the city can not even manage to keep the existing park repaired, how in the world can this extremely ambitious Gateway Park Master Plan ever come to fruition?

Go to a blogging from March 31, 2009, titled Gateway Park's Failing Boardwalks & Fort Woof to get a look at the Gateway Park Boardwalks 4 years ago.

Go to a blogging from October, 10, 2009 titled Fort Worth's Gateway Park Master Plan, Abandoned Boardwalks & Dogs for another long ago look at Gateway Park's Boardwalk eyesores.

Go to a blogging from October 8, 2010 titled The Trinity River Vision's Gateway Park Vision for a look at the TRVB propaganda installation.

Go to a blogging from December 3, 2011 titled Walking In The Rain In Gateway Park Looking For Fort Worth City Gas Lease Revenue In Action for another look at the TRVB Gateway Park propaganda and the washed out paved trails still closed to the public.

Go to a blogging from August 13, 2012 titled The Trinity River Vision Boondoggle Gateway Park Master Plan Propaganda for another look at the TRVB Gateway Park propaganda.

Go to a blogging from December 18, 2012 titled Biking Gateway Park Freshly Amused By Trinity River Vision Boondoggle Propaganda for more details of the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's Master  Plan for Gateway Park.

Spencer Jack Rockin' The Water With Happy Hour Floating In Padilla Bay

No, that is not my great nephew, Spencer Jack in the polluted Trinity River floating in a Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Float.

Spencer Jack is floating in crystal clear unpolluted saltwater.

This morning, in my incoming email, there were two emails each from Spencer Jack's dad and favorite uncle, my favorite nephews, Jason and Joey.

Both nephews sent  me one photo and one video. With no explanation as to what I was looking at.

Looking at the photo you see here I guessed that maybe the boys were at Bay View State Park, swimming in Padilla Bay.

The audio on the video below confirms I was correct in my guess.

Landlocked Texans, such as those at my current location, not familiar with saltwater beaches, might wonder how anyone could possibly tolerate being in water that must be terribly cold.

Well, I will explain.

Many of the saltwater bays of Western Washington are shallow. When the tide goes out on a shallow bay it exposes a large expanse of sand. If the sun is available the sun heats up the sand. Then when the tide slowly returns the water, that water gets heated. The best location that I've ever experienced this phenomenon is at Birch Bay in Whatcom County, up near the Canadian border.

One summer during my teen years I was at Bay View State Park. I had a snorkel and goggles. I was in the water as the tide came in. Very warm. Peacefully floating along with my head in the water, watching the sand flow below me as the tide moved me along, breathing through the snorkel tube. About a half hour later I surfaced to find that I had traveled quite a distance. This required returning to Bay View State Park via walking barefoot alongside the road to the park. That was likely the last time I ever snorkeled.

Below we see  Spencer Jack doing something I have never done......

Suddenly This Summer A Severe Storm Has Popped Up At My Location In North Texas

I left my abode around 6 to make a quick trip to the Post Office. As soon as my view through the windshield was looking east I saw a massive black cloud looking menacing, spewing lightning bolts that also looked menacing.

I should have stopped to take a picture of the menacing black cloud, but figured that could wait til I got to the Post Office.

But, by the time I got to the Post Office it was too late for a picture of the menacing black cloud because the menacing black cloud was then overhead dropping water in copious amounts, along with those aforementioned lightning bolts.

Then the wind began to blow hard along with the down pouring rain.

I quickly returned to my abode, expecting to find the power knocked out. That expectation was not met.

Yet.

I put my camera under its Popabrella and snapped the picture you see above that does not even remotely due justice to the stormy action the picture should be depicting.

When I woke up my computer to take the pictures off the camera my computer based weather monitoring device was flashing RED. I clicked it to learn....

..SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR... SOUTHWESTERN DENTON COUNTY EASTERN HOOD COUNTY WESTERN JOHNSON COUNTY EASTERN PARKER COUNTY EASTERN SOMERVELL COUNTY TARRANT COUNTY EASTERN WISE COUNTY

AT 6:26 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A THUNDERSTORM OUTFLOW BOUNDARY THAT EXTENDED FROM NEAR HIGHLAND VILLAGE TO NEAR DOWNTOWN FORT WORTH TO SOUTH OF CLEBURNE AND WAS MOVING WEST AT 25 MPH. GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE FROM THIS BOUNDARY.

CITIES IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE ALEDO...ANNETTA... ARGYLE...AURORA...AZLE...BARTONVILLE...BENBROOK...BLUE MOUND... BOYD...BRIAR...BURLESON...CLEBURNE...COPPER CANYON...CORRAL CITY... CROWLEY...DENTON...DOUBLE OAK...EAGLE MOUNTAIN...EDGECLIFF... EVERMAN...FOREST HILL...FORT WORTH...GLEN ROSE...GODLEY...HALTOM CITY...HASLET...HURST...JOSHUA...JUSTIN...KEENE...KELLER...KRUM... LAKE WORTH...LAKESIDE...NORTH RICHLAND HILLS...NORTHLAKE...PECAN ACRES...PELICAN BAY...RENO...RICHLAND HILLS...RIVER OAKS...ROANOKE... SAGINAW...SANSOM PARK...SOUTHLAKE...TROPHY CLUB...WATAUGA... WESTWORTH...WHITE SETTLEMENT...WILLOW PARK AND CLEBURNE STATE PARK..

VERY HEAVY RAIN AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH ARE LIKELY WITH THESE STORMS.

Currently, about a half hour into this little storm, the rain has let up, the wind has let up, the thunder still booms.

And I have not lost power.

Yet.

Walking Around Fosdick Lake With A Cowboy Attacking A Log

The rain break and the cool temperature, barely in to the 70s, had a lot of people out and about at Oakland Lake Park today.

Are we currently in full moon mode? I ask because I saw some loony behavior today whilst walking around Fosdick Lake.

Like the cowboy you're seeing in the picture. He was attacking old decayed logs, breaking them apart. For no reason apparent to me.

And then there was this guy and girl, singing loud as they walked along, as if practicing for a bad American Idol audition.

Then there was this couple, who I think thought they were hidden from view, who appeared to be practicing that thing married people do that sometimes results in the production of a baby.

Keeping an eye on the Fosdick Lake lunacy was the big white bird you see below.

Looking at the picture of the big white bird it looks like you can almost see how humid it is today, like there is a very thin fog of moisture hovering in the air.

Even though we are currently not HOT at my location on the planet, I am running the A/C just to get rid of that vexing humidity.

And now is that time of day where the vexing task of making lunch arrives. Salad and grilled cheese is on the menu for today.

Circa 1980s Blast From The Past From Spencer Jack's Dad

Lately with disturbing regularity I find myself unable to remember something I would think I should be able to remember.

I have had two incidents of memory lapse this morning. One lapse occurred when I read a reference to the Ronde-Voo Drive-In in Lynden, Washington. I remember this drive-in by name, but can not remember where it is, or was, in Lynden.

Lynden was pretty much my second hometown whilst growing up in Washington. This is the town where both my grandma's lived.

Then there is the photo above, emailed to me from Spencer Jack's dad. The text in the email....

Lucky number 13 appears to be a relative. I do have vivid memories of watching her play basketball. And softball. And I'm pretty sure that mural still exists at B-EHS.

I remember lucky number 13 playing softball. I remember watching lucky number 13 be named Most Valuable Player in the state softball championship tournament in Wenatchee.

But, I do not remember ever watching lucky number 13 play basketball. I remember watching both of lucky number 13's older sisters play basketball.

Basketball watching is just about the only sport I have ever had any tolerance for spectating.

So, I either never watched lucky number 13 play basketball. Or I did watch number 13 play basketball, but do not remember doing so.

I suspect the fact of the matter is I did watch lucky number 13 play basketball, but have no memory of it.

Is this a sign I am sliding down a slippery slope to senility?