Village Creek Motivated Me To Barbecue Chicken On The First Day Of Fall

Today my handlebars are on the paved trail in Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

The paved trail was looking a bit brown, not its usual gray, on this first day of Fall.

The paved trail was looking brown because a lot of brown leaves got the notice that today is the first day of Fall and so they fell, apparently.

This morning when the sun came up and I exited my warm abode to go swimming the air was being chilled to only 56 degrees.

For the first time in many a month the pool was quite cool  this morning.

The pleasantly cool temperature had more than the Sunday norm of people and their dogs out enjoying walking and biking with the Village Creek Indian ghosts.

One group was barbecuing something that smelled real tasty in one of the seldom used Village Creek Natural Historical Area's firepits.

I do not know what type meat product was being barbecued at Village Creek today, but I do know it motivated me to barbecue chicken, a process which is taking place right now as I sit here typing.

However, the meat product I am barbecuing is not smelling as tasty as that which motivated me to barbecue chicken.

I hope y'all are having yourself a mighty fine first day of Fall....

Rolling Over Gateway Falls Finding Trash Bashed Before Finding Mango Power Yogurt

This last day of summer I had myself a really fine time rolling my bike wheels in and out of Gateway Park.

If I remember right in the past I referred to what you see in the photo as Trinity Falls.

Today I decided a much better  name would be Gateway Falls.

No, that is not me in the picture contemplating jumping in Gateway Falls. When I pedaled past the guy in the picture I saw that he was holding a fishing pole. This did not seem like it would be a very good location to catch fish.

Today was Trash Bash Day on the Trinity River. I don't remember if Trash Bashing the Trinity River is a once a year event, or if the trash gets bashed more than once a year.

What I do know is I saw no Trash Bashers bashing trash.

However, I did see a lot of bashed trash, already stuffed in bags and set beside the Trinity Trail.

In the quarter mile before I reversed direction, I saw a dozen or more collections of bashed trash like you are looking at in the picture.

It has been months since we have had a day like today in North Texas, with a refreshing chill in the air and with no overheating into a sweaty mess every time a water break gets taken.

By the time I rolled into the Town Talk  parking lot I realized I had not been running my motorized conveyance's air-conditioning. And I had not rolled down a window.

And I did not quickly head to the Town Talk cooler to cool down, soon upon arrival. It has been months since I have not quickly headed to the Town Talk cooler soon upon arrival.

I already said, this last day of summer is a very pleasant day in North Texas.

I found no memorable treasures in Town Talk today. Some rabbit food in the form of a couple types of lettuce. Just remembered, I did find something good. Something called Power Yogurt. Mango Power Yogurt, with 20 grams of protein per serving.

Speaking of food. It is time for lunch now. Pizza, chorizo, broccoli and salad.

Shivering In Texas This Last Day Of Summer At Only 27 Degrees Above Freezing

This morning's dawn's 59 degrees was 12 degrees chillier than yester morning's 71.

The Autumnal Equinox is tomorrow.

With this morning's temperature only 27 degrees above freezing it would seem that today's cool preview may be a harbinger of a some very cold months ahead.

This morning's 59 degrees had the water in the pool being way less cool than the air for the first time in weeks.

Last night due to the chill in the air the air-conditioning did not cycle on, all night long. At some point in the middle of the night I was actually chilly, which necessitated turning off the ceiling fan. Currently a cool breeze is blowing in through open windows.

I don't recollect a previous time in Texas with such an abrupt temperature change. This lack of recollection is likely due to my age-related memory woes.

Due to yesterday's drenching rain today I will not be mountain biking to my regular Saturday photo op location in Gateway Park. I think I will likely be biking the paved trails in Gateway Park,  prior to my regular Saturday stop at Town Talk.

Swimming In The Rain While Being Advised About A Texas Area Flood

Brrrrr. Currently the outer world at my location is being chilled to only 39 degrees above freezing, if my ciphering is correct, which it often is not, due to me being math challenged.

AREAL FLOOD ADVISORY?

Should that be A REAL FLOOD ADVISORY?

Or maybe AREA FLOOD ADVISORY?

I feel I need to find out what the word "AREAL" means. I'll be right back....

According to the Wikitionary—

"areal — of or pertaining to an area. areal interstices — the areas or spaces enclosed by the reticulate vessels of leaves"

Well, it appears that "areal" means "area". So, why not have an AREA FLOOD ADVISORY instead of an AREAL one?

Enough about areal flooding confusion.

This morning I had myself a really fine time swimming in the rain.

Judging from the fact that enough rain fell overnight to almost have the pool spilling over I can see how it is that we are having an AREAL FLOOD ADVISORY.

With all these water woes I will not be going hiking or biking or walking in any of my regular hike, bike or walk locations today.

Unless I feel a sudden desire to walk under a bumbershoot.

TRWD Says, “NO! We Won’t Have Elections, And You Can’t Sue Us! We’re Exempt!”

Incoming tonight from Texans For Government Transparency regarding their ongoing attempt to teach the Tarrant Regional Water District that Soviet Union style governing is long gone from the planet and that the TRWD is operating in a place called America where dictators extending their terms of office, arbitrarily, is frowned upon......

Fort Worth, Texas) Attorneys for the Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD) last week filed paperwork trying to dismiss the TFGT lawsuit against the board. The TFGT suit contends the TRWD board is unconstitutionally skipping elections and illegally extending their own terms in office. This suit was filed by Texans for Government Transparency (TFGT), John Austin Basham, and Darlia Hobbs.

The TFGT suit asks the court to intervene requiring the TRWD board to comply with Texas’ law and the state constitution. In court documents TRWD attorney Lee Christie asserts the TRWD and the board are immune from being sued by the people they govern. The court papers filed by Mr. Christie on behalf of the board also state Mr. Basham and Mrs. Hobbs as property owners and taxpayers have no “standing” to sue the TRWD for this blatant violation of the law.

TFGT President John Austin Basham responds to Mr. Christie and the TRWD’s assertions “Imagine a President, or Congressman, or Governor declaring they would skip the next election and give themselves more time in office. That is exactly what these directors are doing.” Basham goes on to say,” They’ve done this once before with not one single member of the public present for their vote. The TRWD board continues to operate as if they are above the laws and constitution of the State of Texas. I say they’re not, they work for us.” TFGT entered this court action when property owners and taxpayers subject to the TRWD found no relief by addressing the board directly.

The TRWD recently lost a very similar plea in Tarrant County District Court where they are being sued by a landowner for over 600 violations of the Texas Open Meetings Act. In that case the TRWD argued they are exempt from the open meeting laws of this state and like their response in the TFGT case they claim the plaintiff also couldn’t sue, again saying they are exempt. After hearing the TRWD’s attorney’s pleas Tarrant County District Judge Susan Heygood McCoy disagreed striking every part of their motion and pleas.

“I fully expect the court will rightfully side with the taxpayers and the law on this issue. The fundamental American right to have and election and choose your leaders can never be curtailed”, says Basham. “It is a shame however the TRWD will continue to spend hundreds of thousands dollars of taxpayer’s money to fight the rights of those very same tax payers.”

The water district has attempted other constitutional abuses in court with disastrous outcomes. Earlier this year, similar delay tactics and unwillingness to recognize they couldn’t steal Oklahoma’s water, cost the TRWD taxpayers over $6 million in legal fees in a stunning 9-0 loss in the US Supreme Court.

Shocking Revelations Regarding Rockin' The River Happy Hour Inner Tube Float Fecal Matter E.Coli Cancellations

Unbeknownst to many, a couple days ago, for the first time in history, a meeting of the formerly secretive operation known at the Tarrant Regional Water District Board was streamed live over the Internet for the viewing of those who use non-Apple products.

At this meeting the TRWD's newest board member, Mary Kelleher, suggested that it might be a good plan to spend some money studying how it might be possible to make the Trinity River a cleaner body of water suitable for recreational use, saying ,"Since we are inviting people to get in and tube in the river, shouldn't we make sure it's safe?"

Mary Kelleher buttressed her suggestion with the apparent fact that twice the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats have had to be cancelled due to elevated E.Coli levels.

In other words, too much fecal matter in the water.

The General Manager of the TRWD, Jim Oliver, then said he was unaware of any fecal matter related floating closures.

This had Jim Oliver's TRWD Assistant Manager, Mr. Thomas, informing the TRWD Board and the public attending the meeting and those listening on the Internet, that elevated E.Coli levels had, in fact, necessitated the canceling of the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats.

Now, what I am appalled by is the following....

How can it be that two of the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats have been canceled due to the river being dangerously polluted with E.Coli without this being major news in any of what passes for Fort Worth's news sources?

Did the Fort Worth Weekly not know of the E.Coli caused Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats cancellations?

No one really expects the Fort Worth Star-Telegram to act like a real newspaper, but really, even though the Star-Telegram is not a real newspaper, is this not some sort of journalistic malpractice not to inform the locals that the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats had to be canceled because too much fecal matter had been detected in the river?

Does this mean that on other days, when the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats have been allowed to float, have the fecal matter levels been not quite high enough to present a public safety issue?

Should not the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats floaters have the right to be informed, prior to getting in the Trinity River, what that day's E.Coli fecal matter levels are?

This is all very appalling and very perplexing for multiple reasons....

Spencer Jack Sets Foot In Texas

This afternoon my Favorite Nephew Jason (FNJ), he being my Great Nephew Spencer Jack's dad, emailed me several photos, along with text, documenting Spencer Jack's quest to follow all  the train tracks, both defunct and still active, that are in the Skagit Valley of my old home zone in Washington.

Among the photos was the one above, documenting Spencer Jack stepping on Texas. If Spencer would move just a slight distance to his left he'd be stepping right on my current location.

It seems like only yesterday that I picked up Spencer Jack's dad and his Uncle Joey (my Favorite Nephew Joey, aka FNJ2) at D/FW Airport, where I soon got the news that Spencer Jack's dad was going to be getting married to Spencer Jack's mom.

I am guessing that this was in either later 2004 or 2005. The nuptials which ended up creating Spencer Jack occurred in April of 2006.

Those nuptials were over 7 years ago. Again, seems like yesterday.

And now Spencer Jack is in school, having started 1st Grade a couple weeks ago.

And setting foot in Texas.....

Rolling My Wheels Away From Snake Encounters In Fort Worth's Gateway Park

Even though it is Wednesday, not Saturday, today I rolled my wheels to my regular Saturday photo location atop a cliff semi-high above the green Trinity River in Fort Worth's Gateway Park.

With rain predicted to dampen North Texas I figured today might be the last mud-free day for the near future.

I likely figured wrong.

Today's photo op location had something added since last Saturday.

Can you spot the addition in the photo?

Yes, that's right, a snake skin is dangling from  that green bush in front of my handlebars.

A short distance after this snake skin encounter I came upon a pair of disc golfers who told me that moments before they had come upon a Copperhead which quickly slithered away from them.

So, with the snake skin and the Copperhead report I continued my pedaling on heightened snake alert.

Early on in my Texas exile I was very vigilant regarding snakes. Gradually I adjusted to the fact that one does not encounter all that many snakes when one is out and about in the Texas outer world.

Yesterday I mentioned that my front bike tire had been spiked by a mesquite thorn. I am very pleased to report that 24 hours later the inner tube's self-sealing slime apparently works. Zero leakage.

Taking A Ride On The Scale Model Trinity River Vision Boondoggle Bypass Channel With J.D. Granger

I am guessing I am not the only person who has viewed the above video who found it to be jaw droppingly bizarre.

The video shows you a scale model version of the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle, with that scale model being the size of a football field. I have no idea where this scale model is located. Or when it was made.

The scale model did not seem to include the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's greatest achievements to date, those being the Coyote Drive-In Movie Theater and the Cowtown Wakepark.

In the video we hear some guy tell us how people will be able to take a ferry boat from downtown Fort Worth to the Fort Worth Stockyards, via, I think, the flood diversion bypass channel.

And here I thought I was joking when I asked if there would be cruise ships docked on Pond Granger if the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle ever becomes anything anyone can see.

In part, apparently, the scale model was built to test whether or not this alteration of the Trinity River would actually work. And so, to test how well the re-designed river will handle litter during a flood, a flood was simulated, with pieces of paper tossed in the flooding scale model Trinity River to simulate litter.

Methinks whoever was doing this litter testing has not eye witnessed the astonishing amount of litter which flows in the Trinity River when it is in flood mode.

Scale model logs were also thrown in the scale model river to test if log jams would form at the new bridges being built to cross the un-needed flood diversion bypass channel. The bridges passed the scale model log jam test.

Trinity River Vision Boondoggle Executive Director, J.D. Granger, shows up several times in this video to share with us his vision of the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle.

At one point J.D. is totally gaga over Vancouver's Granville Island. Why it was almost a religious epiphany for J.D. seeing this development in Vancouver where people could shop, walk, ride their bike and get on a boat.

The way J.D. describes his vision one would think such mixed use developments have not developed anywhere else on the planet. Except, I guess, Vancouver. And now, Fort Worth.

Has J.D. never been to San Diego? Portland? San Francisco? Seattle? Or, on the other coast, New York City? Miami? Boston? Or the middle of America, like Chicago? Or places in Europe, like Amsterdam? Or London? Or Paris? Or towns in Asia, like Shanghai? Or places like Singapore? Or Sydney?

Listening to J.D. Granger, almost breathlessly describe the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle, well, troubling is the word that comes to mind.

Let me see if I can paraphrase/parody J.D. in the above video...

"What we are seeing here is an accomplishment that has not been accomplished anywhere else where things get accomplished. When we designed this project we did what is not usually done. We addressed all  the issues that go into making a space a special space. Transportation. Recreation. Housing. Flood Control. When this project is completed in time for my great grand children to enjoy it, in 2040, my dream is for it to be so special that my great grand children never ever want to leave Fort Worth."

At no point in this propaganda video is it mentioned that this project is not funded. It is not mentioned that this public works project has not been voted on by the public. It is not mentioned that over half the funding, as in around 500 million dollars, is based on the assumption that somehow federal dollars will be sent to Fort Worth for this ridiculous boondoggle.

In the meantime, even though the money to build this project does not exist, even though the public has not voted on this public works project, eminent domain has been abused to destroy dozens of businesses and disrupt I don't know how many lives.

None of that is mentioned in this propaganda video either......

Having A Really Fine Time Rolling Over A Thorn At Mallard Cove Park

In the picture you are looking at my bike's handlebars looking at one of the entry points to Fort Worth's Mallard Cove Park.

As you can see the usual blue sky which hovers above my location on the planet is currently being blocked by a lot of gray clouds.

Thunderstorms are in the forecast. Currently I have heard no booming.

My pedaling at Mallard Cove Park was uneventful except for one event.

I rolled over a thorn.

The thorn was stuck to a stick. I think it may have been a mesquite branch. I quickly pulled out the thorn. It had penetrated deep into my front inner tube.

My inner tubes have self sealing slime inside them.

I continued rolling a couple more miles, to no noticeable air leakage. By the time I made it back to my abode the tire still felt fully inflated.

But, I will not be totally shocked tomorrow to find my front tire flat.

All this self sealing slime talk has me being hungry. I  must put an end to my current starvation. Lunch will likely accomplish that goal.