The First Sunday Of October Dawns 17 Degrees Above Freezing In North Texas

This first Sunday morning of October dawned cold.

Real cold.

49 degrees is almost 50 degrees colder than the high a day or two ago.

This swift plummet to the outer world being cooled to below 50 had me deciding I did not want to have myself a swimming shock this morning.

Previously the fall reduction in pool water temperature has been gradual, thus giving me the opportunity to gradually get acclimated to the chill.

We are scheduled to have a return to warmer air in the coming days. Tomorrow morning I will make a swimming attempt. And likely quickly retreat to the hot tub.

Today I Was Able To Have Myself A Mighty Fine Dry Chilly Mountain Bike Ride Through The Gateway Park Jungle

I was able to make it to my regular Saturday photo op location in Gateway Park today. The only precipitation precipitating was an extremely slight drizzle of extremely short duration.

A large number of people were out enjoying the sudden change in temperature, going from being in the 90s to a wind chill in the low 50s.

I was one of the few bikers who was not in long pants. I was wearing long sleeves, which helped. Eventually I warmed up.

Other than being a bit chilly mountain biking through the Gateway Park jungle today was uneventful.

Town Talk was also uneventful, except for being the busiest I've ever seen it, with the parking lot full, with the over flow parking on the grass.

Inside the checkout lines were long, but moved fast, due to the Town Talk checkers being very fast.

My Town Talk treasure hunting turned up nothing surprising today. I did get a lot of tomatoes, carrots and jalapeno cheese, along with more chorizo.

Suddenly I see the sky brightening outside my computer room window. Is this latest chance at drought ending rain over? I hope not.

A First Saturday Of October 15 Degree Temperature Drop While Swimming

As you can see via the patio view of the outer world, at my location, this first Saturday of October looks to be a day with a storm brewing.

I entered the outer world later than the norm this morning for my regularly scheduled early morning swim. That late swim began a couple minutes before 8.

At that point in time there was still some blue showing in the sky.

Before I entered the outer world I saw on my computer based temperature monitoring device that the outer world was being heated to 76 degrees, which is relatively warm for an October morning.

The pool felt about the same temperature as the air, which made for a very pleasant pool entry.

And then, as the hour of swimming progressed the amount of cloud coverage also progressed. The clouds appeared to be blowing in from the west.

As I continued swimming I started thinking that the air was feeling cooler than the pool. When I exited the pool the air definitely felt much cooler than when I entered the pool.

And now I am back at my computer based temperature monitoring device where I see the temperature has dropped 15 degrees. It is now 61 degrees in the outer world at my location.

So far, no rain, but I suspect that may soon not be the case. I'm thinking there is a good chance that I won't be able to take a picture at my regular Saturday photo op location in Gateway Park today due to incoming moisture.

My back up plan will be to go on a walk under a bumbershoot and then go to Town Talk. That bumbershoot plan will be aborted if lightning gets thrown into the storm mix.

Today I Did Not Get A Speeding Ticket In Pantego Before Not Falling Off A Steep Slope With Quacking Ducks

I found myself in Pantego this morning. Pantego is a little town surrounded by Arlington.

Pantego is famous, locally, for its imaginative speed traps.

I have never been caught in a Pantego speed trap, but I know someone who was caught in a Pantego speed trap, but beat the trap rap because on the ticket the cop neglected to write down the speed the speeder was alleged to have been speeding.

Pantego is close to Arlington's Veterans Park. So, after I successfully avoided Pantego's imaginative speed traps I had myself a walk.

I had never noticed the STEEP SLOPE warning sign you see here, during my previous Veterans Park walks.

The sign makes one think this trail is a bit dangerous, with a steep slope that is best avoided lest one find oneself tumbling over like the illustration on the sign.

Eventually, at the top of the hill, at the end of the paved trail, one does come to some steep areas. But I do not think it can be those steep areas to which this sign refers.

Before I got to the point on the trail were I was in danger of tumbling off a steep slope I had an encounter with a flock of ducks clacking loud.

I walked cross the dam that forms the Veterans Park duck/turtle pond when I came upon the above flock resting in the shade of a tree. The duck looking at me, slightly to the right of center, with the white bill, objected quite vociferously to my intrusion.

During a short stand off I stood still, aiming my camera, while the lead duck quacked what sounded like a warning. I anticipated the possibility that I might need to make haste in the other direction to avoid a duck attack. But, eventually the lead duck led his flock away from me, with all of the flock quacking their disapproval.

The Veterans Park ducks are bigger and feistier than the ducks I visit at Fort Worth's Oakland Lake Park. I think they may be ex-military....

I Am Shocked Part II By Fort Worth Star-Telegram Journalistic Ethics Violations

Two days ago in a blogging titled I Am Shocked Regarding New TRWD Ethics Violation Allegations I mentioned that the Star-Telegram was working on an article about a complaint filed with the Texas Ethics Commission regarding last May's Tarrant Regional Water District board election, targeting John Basham, Mary Kelleher, Timothy Nold and Monty Bennett as the alleged perpetrators of the ethics violation.

I wondered, at the time I learned about this upcoming Star-Telegram report, how it was that the Star-Telegram knew about this complaint prior to those being complained about knowing about it.

Yesterday, October 3, the aforementioned Star-Telegram article, titled Ethics complaint filed on campaign cash in water district races was published.

The Star-Telegram article sort of raises more questions than it answers and, as is the norm for the Star-Telegram, once again brings into question that alleged newspaper's journalistic integrity.

To re-cap the pertinent points I blogged about in I Am Shocked Regarding New TRWD Ethics Violation Allegations...

Jerry Jenkins filed the complaint with the Texas Ethics Commission. Jerry Jenkins is a neighbor of TRWD Board Member, Jack Stevens. Jerry Jenkins has allegedly had business dealings involving attorney Lee Christie. Lee Christie is an attorney for the Tarrant Regional Water District.

Despite what you just read in the above paragraph we learn in the Star-Telegram article that "Jenkins said he doesn’t have ties to the candidates but followed the election closely as a private citizen and objected to the way the campaign contributions were handled."

Also in the Star-Telegram article we learn "Jerry Jenkins, who operates a machinery business in Azle, filed the complaints Monday alleging that contributions totaling $125,000 to a political action committee from Dallas businessman and rancher Monty Bennett were improperly reported on campaign forms before the money was distributed to three board challengers, according to the complaint."

If I recollect correctly the issue of the campaign contributions from Monty Bennett came up during the election via attack mailings sent by the TRWD incumbent candidates as part of their smear campaign that started smearing when they realized the BNK's mailings were gaining traction with the voters.

If by some technicality the contribution by Monty Bennett, and dispersal of funds, was allegedly not properly reported how did this private citizen, Jerry Jenkins, come to have possession of this information? It certainly could not have come from any of the hard hitting articles he read in the Star-Telegram covering that election.

Who could possibly be the source of this misinformation about the alleged mishandling of campaign funds?

Did the Star-Telegram's reporter ask Mr. Jenkins how he came to acquire his belief that something unethical had occurred?

Why did the Star-Telegram reporter not find it of interest that Mr. Jenkins' neighbor is TRWD board member, Jack Stevens? And that Mr. Jenkins has allegedly had business dealings with an attorney who is also an attorney for the TRWD?

As for the Texas Ethics Commission. Every 90 days Adrian Murray gets a notice telling him they are still investigating his ethics complaint regarding the TRWD's unethical use of public funds to send voters a slick 10 page mailer at the height of the election campaign touting the virtues of the TRWD.

Adrian Murray's ethics complaint would seem to be fairly easy to parse. He was certainly not the only local voter to make note of what seemed to be a total impropriety by the TRWD.

I can not help but wonder if the Texas Ethics Commission is not yet one more Texas agency co-opted by foxes taking over the henhouse....

Panther Island Ice Will Soon Be Freezing In The Trinity River Vision Boondoggle

Yesterday I mentioned J.D. Granger in a blog post.

That mention of J.D. Granger had someone named Anonymous making a blog comment...

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "I Am Shocked Regarding New TRWD Ethics Violation Allegations": 

Fort Worth's favorite mama's boy, J.D. Granger: Photo #22 is the one with him in it.

I am almost 100% certain that the lady on J.D.'s right is not the mama to which Anonymous refers.

In other J.D. Granger news this morning we learned that J.D.'s vision for the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle is now expanding to add an ice skating rink to the plethora of outdoor activities the TRVB has initiated in Fort Worth.

The public, I mean, the Trinity River Vision Authority voted, unanimously, to spend $99,000 to get the ice rink up and freezing.

J.D. says the TRVB will get back its investment via skate rentals and sponsorships.

Panther Island Ice will be open daily from November 22 through January 5.

The ice rink will be located in the Coyote Drive-In complex, near the canteen, with one of the movie screens viewable from the ice rink, thus allowing a dream of many to come true, that being to be able to ice skate whilst watching a movie.

Who could have guessed, over a decade ago when the Trinity River Vision was first announced, that all these years later what we'd be seeing of the vision is the world's premiere wakeboard lake, the world's first drive-in movie theater of the 21st century, happy hour inner tube floats in the Trinity River, one of the world's best waterfront music venues at something called Panther Island Pavilion and now an ice rink?

I really don't understand how come J.D. Granger was not picked as Best Servant of the People in last week's Fort Worth Weekly Best of 2013 issue....

Today Ally's Playground In Haltom City Was Dedicated To The Memory Of Ally Collins

Way back in June of 2007, day after day of rain fell on North Texas.

On June 19, 2007, Whites Branch Creek in Haltom City went into flash flood mode.

Four year old Alexandria "Ally" Collins was ripped from her mother's arms by the flood and drowned.

Today, over six years later, a memorial plaque was unveiled in Ally's Playground in Whites Branch Park in Haltom City.

In the years since Ally drowned her death has galvanized a lot of political action in the Fort Worth/Haltom City area, due to the fact that little has been done to mitigate the flash flooding problem of the creeks which run through Haltom City.

While little has been done to prevent future Haltom City flash flood drownings, millions of dollars have been spent elsewhere in Tarrant County on a project known as the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle, which is promoted primarily as a much needed flood control project, even though no one has drowned in a flood in the area of the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle in over a half a century, where millions of dollars had already been spent, a half century ago, to build giant levees to prevent any flash flood of the sort which killed little Ally Collins.

I Am Shocked Regarding New TRWD Ethics Violation Allegations

If I have said it once, I have said it twice. There is way too much corruption that way too few people notice here in the Fort Worth zone of America.

Benefit of being a backwater?

I don't know.

But, where else in America would something like the nepotistic hiring of the unqualified J.D. Granger to run a billion dollar public works project not be a scandal? With the local newspaper of record not objecting strongly to such an outrageous case of nepotism?

Hiring the son of the local congresswoman so as to hopefully secure federal earmark dollars for a thing like the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle should be a scandal. This would be a scandal anywhere else. But, in Fort Worth it is just shrugged off as being the Fort Worth Way of operating.

And now, this afternoon, I've received multiple emails regarding what seems to me to be yet one more example of the Tarrant Regional Water District being ethically challenged. With me thinking, the reason these type things keep happening is due to that Fort Worth Way of operating that I mentioned in the previous paragraph.

This afternoon I am being told several things, none of which I am able to verify, all of which, for good reason, I believe to be factually accurate....

Apparently the Fort Worth Star-Telegram is working on a story about an ethics complaint which has been filed with the Texas State Ethics Commission regarding this past May's TRWD board election. John Basham, Mary Kelleher, Timothy Nold and Monty Bennett are the persons named in the complaint.

I am being told no one has yet received official notice of the ethics complaint, or what is being alleged in the ethics complaint, but that the official notice will arrive today via a phone call followed by a mailed letter.

So, who filed this complaint you are likely wondering?

Now that is where it gets interesting.

A man named Jerry Llewellyn Jenkins allegedly filed the complaint. So, what is this Jenkins guy's connection to the TRWD you can not help but wonder?

Well, guess who is a close neighbor of Jerry Jenkins? If you guessed TRWD Board Member, Jack Stevens, you guessed right. Jack Stevens and Jerry Jenkins are also both active members of the Azle Chamber of Commerce.

Big deal, you are likely sitting there thinking. So, they are neighbors and are in a Chamber of Commerce. What is unethical about that?

Now let's bring up another name. Lee Christie. Lee Christie is an attorney. For whom is Lee Christie an attorney you might be wondering?

Well.

Lee Christie is an attorney for the Tarrant Regional Water District.

Again, you are likely sitting there thinking, big deal.

Now, what if I told you that I am being told that Lee Christie is also an attorney who has allegedly worked with Jerry Jenkins, he being the guy who filed the ethics complaint against John Basham, Mary Kelleher, Timothy Nold and Monty Bennett?

Does the term "conflict of interest" mean anything to anyone as an "ethics violation" in the zone where the Fort Worth Way persists?

I am almost 100% certain that John Basham, Mary Kelleher, Timothy Nold and Monty Bennett have done absolutely nothing unethical regarding this past May's TRWD board election.

I am also almost 100% certain that there is something unethical regarding the "business" relationship between Jack Stevens, Jerry Jenkins and Lee Christie.

I am also wondering if the Star-Telegram is going to be reporting the "entire" story if they publish this article they are working on?

Rolling In Fort Worth's Gateway Park Getting Splashed By Big Trinity River Fish

No. That is not pea soup you are looking at in the picture. Although pea soup does sound real good, even on this not too chilly 2nd day of October.

The pea soup colored water you are looking at in the picture is the some of the pristine water that flows in the Trinity River as it passes past Fort Worth's Gateway Park.

When I stopped my wheels from rolling over the Gateway Park mountain bike trails today and looked over the cliff at the river, I was startled to see a BIG fish jump out of the water, making a BIG splash.

If I were looking at a river in Washington, like the Skagit or the Columbia, I would have thought I'd seen a BIG salmon make a BIG jump.

I then saw several other big fish, submerged barely below the green surface, like the one I zoomed in on above.

I have no idea what species of fish these were, except for being fairly certain they were not salmon.

I had myself a really fine time biking today.

And then I got back to my computer to learn there is a scandal a-brewing.

It always takes me awhile to figure out what is scandalous about a particular scandal when one begins a-brewing. I do not think this particular scandal will take me as long to figure out as it took me to figure out what was scandalous about the Watergate scandal when I learned about that scandal in grade school....

Rolling Around Mallard Cove Before Maxine Got Me Thinking About Stehekin

Apparently yesterday I over exerted somehow, rendering my abdominal zone sore, feeling as if I've done a few thousand sit ups.

Since I don't do sit ups, that is not the explanation for the sore abdominal zone. I suspect this may be a swimming injury.

Even though my core is sore I decided it might have a salubrious effect to roll my non-motorized wheels on pavement.

So, I rolled my motorized wheels to Mallard Cove Park to roll around Mary Kelleher's neighborhood for an hour or so.

As you can see via the view over my handlebars, Mallard Cove Park has plenty of paved trails to roll on.

Earlier today Elsie Hotpepper asked me if I was aware that Palestine has a Hotpepper Festival. I knew that Elsie was very popular with Middle Eastern sorts, but I had no idea there was a festival dedicated to her.

I was about to hit the publish button on this blogging when I saw incoming email from Maxine, which turned out to be an extremely good, detailed description of this year's Stehekin hiking adventure. It has been over 15 years since I had myself a Stehekin hiking adventure.

Realizing that it has been over 15 years since I have had myself a Stehekin hiking adventure has me feeling very melancholy. And homesick....