On The Final Saturday Of May Being A Sweaty Pig On Fort Worth's Smoggy Tandy Hills

On the left you are looking west through a filter of smog at the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth on this final Saturday of the 5th month of 2014.

The view you see viewed here was viewed from the west side of the north end of the main trail which leads to the Tandy Hills from View Street.

Whenever I go to any of the outdoor locations I frequent I never find myself having any allergy woes. No itching eyes, no sneezing, no sinus issues.

Allergy woes only seem to occur when I am indoors. In other words, I never take my nasal spray with me when I exit my abode. This never struck me as odd til it struck me as such today.

The new Hoodoo which I saw a couple days ago has not changed. It is still a very short Hoodoo. I like my Hoodoos tall and precarious.

I have no idea what has been causing me to be Mr. Energy today, but something certainly has had that effect. I got up before the sun today. Was in the pool soon after the sun arrived. Had myself a mighty fine time spending a mighty long time swimming.

Then come noon, on the Tandy Hills, I was a hill hiking maniac. And, unlike two days ago, when I wondered how it was I possibly managed hill hiking when the temperature goes into triple digit mode, today it all came back to me.

Even though the temperature was at a relatively chilly low 80s today, just like two days ago, today my amped up speed had me sweating like a pig in a sauna. And thus naturally being cooled.

Why does a pig always seem to be the go to animal when describing perspiration levels? I don't think pigs sweat. I know I have never seen a sweaty pig. And yet I have known more than one human whom I would readily describe as a sweaty pig.

Perplexing....

Spinning My Wheels On The Gateway Park Roller Coaster Before Getting Melons At Town Talk

Today my mountain bike's handlebars got rolled to a familiar location in Fort Worth's Gateway Park, looking down a cliff at the green Trinity River.

My inferior photographic skills are unable to adequately photograph something like a steep drop-off. Or a cliff.

On the right side of the picture, in the middle, you can clearly see the canyon-like drop-off. Or what some might characterize as a cliff.

That same cliff is directly below where my handlebars are located.

When I have seen this view, more than once, it has crossed my mind to wonder how many locals, as in lifelong natives of Fort Worth, have seen this view.

Only a short distance east of downtown Fort Worth you have the Trinity River in its natural state, likely looking just as it looked a couple hundred years ago, before incoming Texans began using a primitive version of eminent domain abuse to take the land from those who lived on it.

The above scene is on the eastern border of Gateway Park. At the western border, as the Trinity River starts its flow by Gateway Park, the massive levees come to their end, near the location of the final river flow obstructing structure. From that point east, for miles upon miles, for the most part, the Trinity River flows natural.

The part of the Trinity River which all of Fort Worth sees is the part which flows past downtown Fort Worth. This is not a natural river at that location. It is more of a massive ditch with the biggest dikes, I mean levees, I have ever seen, along with multiple river flow obstructions, which also act as river crossings for the Trinity Trail.

If the Trinity River Vision, I mean, Panther Island Boondoggle ever becomes anything anyone can see it will have turned the Trinity River into even more of an un-natural river, with a little fake lake, canals and a massive flood bypass channel, which, I assume, will be free of water when there is no flood available, which will likely render the bypass channel into what is known as an eyesore, perplexing Fort Worth's few tourists wondering what in the world that big cement ditch is for.

If you are a Fort Worth native who has never seen the Trinity River in its scenic natural state, that is a very easy shortcoming to rectify.

Simply drive yourself to the northern entry to Gateway Park, that being a turn south on to Streams & Valleys Road from East 1st Street. When you come to a junction do not take the option to the right, instead continue on past the, hopefully, open gate. In a short distance you will see that the road makes a big loop. Park along the loop, exit your vehicle and walk east, towards what looks like open space. Soon you will see that that open space is caused by the Trinity River flowing below a steep cliff.

If you walk to the edge of the cliff you will have walked over the mountain bike trail. Head north on the mountain bike trail and you will eventually come to the view you see above.

You may get confused by a lot of side trails due to this also being a disk golf course, but getting confused on the maze of trails is part of the fun.

Basically, as you walk north if you keep taking the trail option to the right eventually you will come to the hikers only trail that is right at the edge of the cliff. It is that on the edge, non-biking trail that my handlebars are aimed at above.

So, after having myself a mighty fine time on the Gateway Park mountain bike trail roller coaster ride, since I was in the neighborhood, I went to Town Talk.

Today I got myself a pair of watermelons, two for a buck. The watermelons were those seedless round personal size melons. Also got some Dutch cheese called Vlaskass. Plus a big container of cherry tomatoes, red peppers, basmati rice and eco-farmed brown sweet rice. Whatever that means.

Fort Worth Is Not An American Town Leading The Way With Urban Agriculture Like Austin Is

It seems like every day,  more than once a day, Tootsie Tonasket, aka Alice O Della, puts something on Facebook which I find interesting or amusing or both interesting and amusing.

In the interesting category would be the Tootsie Tonasket Facebook posting you see screencapped on the left.

This particular Tootsie Tonasket Facebook posting led me to a website called SEEDSTOCK which apparently is dedicated to fostering sustainability and innovation in agriculture.

The article on SEEDSTOCK to which Tootsie Tonasket linked is titled 10 American Cities Lead the Way With Urban Agriculture Ordinances.

Among the 10 American Cities cited are the usual suspects, like Portland and Seattle. Along with some surprises, such as Detroit.

There is one Texas town on the list. Austin. I think Austin would be in the usual suspects category.

Methinks it would behoove Fort Worth to adopt the type of Urban Agriculture Ordinances which have resulted in some good things growing in other towns in America.

Portland has 26 farmers' markets. I think Fort Worth has one.

There is plenty of open space in Fort Worth which could be turned into urban gardens. In my neighborhood, on Boca Raton Boulevard, there is a large open space where an apartment complex once resided. That apartment complex has been gone for years, and yet that land just sits there. I've long thought that open space should be turned into a park in this ill-served, park-wise, part of Fort Worth. Now I'm thinking a HUGE urban garden would be a better use of this open space.

From SEEDSTOCK the list of 10 American towns which lead the way with urban agriculture....

1. Detroit, Michigan

The City of Detroit, once the wealthiest city in the United States, saw its population peak in 1950 at 1.8 million. In the sixty years since, population declined by 60 percent to approximately 713,000 in 2010. As a result, the city’s once bustling 139-square miles contain an estimated 200,000 vacant parcels comprising a quarter of the city’s land area, according to the Wall Street Journal. The vacant land stretches for miles, forming vistas across urban prairies interspersed with abandoned structures. In 2009, the city of Detroit created a Food Policy Council to study how to implement local food systems and urban agriculture in the city, and in 2013, through the work of the council, the city adopted a comprehensive urban agriculture ordinance. With detailed zoning that focuses on the production of local food, the city is now home to 1350 community gardens, as well as farmer’s markets, food trucks, small urban growers and local businesses focused on neighborhood stabilization.

2. Portland, Oregon

With 26 farmer’s markets, 22 acres of community gardens and over 170 food cart businesses, Portland is a haven for urban agriculture.  Supplemental businesses such as bee keeping supply shops and farming supply stores have sprung up across the city in the last few years. Small farms just outside the city provide a local food economy and CSAs abound. Portland adopted an urban growth boundary in 1981, a community gardening program in 1975 and passed an Urban Food Zoning Code in June of 2012. The Food Zoning Code has a new chapter on food production and distribution within the city limits providing detailed guidelines for market and community gardens, CSAs and farmer’s markets. Community and respect for neighbors is part and parcel of Portland’s plan forward.

3. Austin, Texas

Community gardens in Austin provide over 100,000 pounds of local fresh food annually. With a YWCA Community garden project dating back to 1975 and the founding of Austin’s Sustainable Food Center in 1993, this fast growing Texas city is no stranger to sustainable thinking. The city of Austin adopted the Sustainable Urban Agriculture and Community Garden Program (SUACG) in 2009 providing a framework of guidelines for an established local food system. The ordinance addresses not only community gardens and urban farms but storm water collection as well as waste and energy reduction. The ordinance is brief in comparison to many, but supported by an active Sustainable Food Policy Board created in 2009.

4. Boston, Massachusetts

With over 40 food truck companies, a pilot residential composting program, 200 community gardens, 100 school gardens and 28 farmer’s markets, Boston was in need of a framework for its growing sustainability efforts. In December of 2013, the City of Boston adopted Article 89 into their zoning code focused on providing structure for developing urban agriculture while also helping to promote it’s growth. Before the zoning amendment, there was nothing in city code that expressly allowed or discouraged urban agriculture in the city. Article 89 permits ground-level and roof-top farming, bee-keeping, chicken-keeping, aquaponics, and hydroponics as well as farm stands and farmer’s markets.

5. Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland’s urban agriculture movement has steadily gained momentum in recent years. The city began adopting green space policies in 2005. In 2007, they created garden and farmer’s market polices and established a Food Policy Council. In 2009 came the chickens and the bees and finally, in 2010, they provided guidelines for urban agriculture. Today, with 20 farmer’s markets, 30 CSAs, more than 200 community gardens and a recent study showing 1108 potential sites for urban agriculture, Cleveland is tackling its “rust belt” status head on. The city’s Office of Sustainability promotes the “Sustainable Cleveland 2019” initiative bringing together various institutions, nonprofits, businesses and residents to build a Cleveland that is green, resilient and thriving.

6. Chicago, Illinois

In 2011, Chicago adopted a revision to its zoning code to allow urban agriculture as a permitted use within the city limits. This includes the creation of rooftop farms, apiaries, community gardens and farmers’ markets and the transformation of vacant lots into urban farms, all in an effort to make Chicago a safer, healthier place to live and work. Sustainable businesses are moving into Chicago and community outreach efforts and sustainable education programming abounds. With 64 food truck vendors, 24 seasonal markets and one year round market, 62 urban farms and community gardens, 54 businesses and organizations actively promoting urban agriculture, not to mention an ever growing bounty of restaurant rooftop gardens, Special attention to utilizing urban agriculture to revitalize urban neighborhoods on Chicago’s south side is paying dividends.

7. Seattle, Washington

Always a leader in urban agriculture, Seattle adopted its first sustainability plan back in 1994. Revisions to the city’s zoning code in 2010 clarified land use requirements and limits of urban agriculture. The city’s P-Patch community garden program began in 1973 and today, 85 community gardens are housed on 31 acres of city land. The Neighborhood Farmer’s Market Alliance manages seven farmer’s markets in the city. There are over 160 food trucks in operation, over 30 CSAs and dozens of urban farms in town and in the outlying region creating a vibrant local food culture.  The city’s latest urban agriculture addition is the Urban Garden Share program matching experienced gardeners that live in condos and apartment with local gardens with growing space to share.

8. Baltimore, Maryland

In 2013, Baltimore created an urban agriculture plan detailing the many ways in which urban agriculture can take place in the city as well as educational and funding opportunities for residents and business owners.  In 2010, a rewrite of the city’s zoning code began and is expected to pass into law this year. The new code changes community gardens from a temporary to permitted use in all zoning districts. Some of the gardens have already been in existence for over two decades. Urban farms will go from temporary to conditional use in all districts except those zoned industrial. The code clarifies the keeping of bees, chickens, rabbits and even miniature goats in the city. The city created Homegrown Baltimore and a Food Policy Initiative to encourage urban agriculture and promote the use of vacant city lots for green space and food production. With 20 farmer’s markets, six public markets, over 30 food trucks and dozens of urban farms and CSAs, Baltimore is encouraging a vibrant local economy while creating a better educated and healthier populace.

9. Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Registering 2,700 vacant lots and 12,000 foreclosed homes in 2013 and the loss of 70,000 manufacturing jobs since 1970, the city of Milwaukee had to reassess its collective future. In April 2012, a zoning code audit for the city supported the idea of promoting urban agriculture to build a new economy. Zoning for agriculture, bees and greenhouses already existed. Through the Office of Sustainability’s HOME GR/OWN program, vacant lots are being transformed into green spaces, urban farms, community gardens and city orchards. A plan to refresh the city’s infrastructure, ReFresh Mike, promotes sustainable manufacturing, an increase in local food production and a reduction in waste and energy use. With community garden grants, chicken and bee ordinances, vacant lot leases, tax breaks for Brownfield cleanup and funding for sustainable manufacturing, Milwaukee sets the bar high in terms of post industrial city evolution.

10. Minneapolis, Minnesota

The Minneapolis City Council adopted an Urban Agriculture Policy Plan in 2011 with recommendations to improve conditions for urban growers and gardeners. An urban agriculture ordinance passed in March of 2012 to implement the plan’s recommendations, providing detailed guidelines and use requirements for current and emerging urban farmers and growers. The Minneapolis Food Council collaborating with the Homegrown Minneapolis initiative makes urban agriculture policy recommendations to the city. With 200 community gardens, 80 food trucks and 32 farmer’s markets, Minneapolis continues to promote urban agriculture and increase access to local fresh food for its residents.

A New Tandy Hills Hoodoo With Prickly Pears & People Conferencing About The State Of The Prairie

Today I was pleased to see a four piece new Hoodoo has risen at Hoodoo Central at the north end of the View Street trail in the Tandy Hills Natural Area.

Once again the weather predictors have predicted potential thunderstorms for my vicinity. So far the sky does not look too menacing, as you can see by that which is hovering above the new Hoodoo.

Yesterday's predicted thunderstorms never materialized at my location, though the sky did look menacing a time or two.

The temperature was in the low 80s when I did my hill hiking today. Not too hot but I got HOT.

Today on Facebook someone suggested if one combined the color of ones underwear with the name of that which one had just eaten that this would be the name of your band.  As in rock type band, I assume.

I was Commando Banana.

I was also Commando Banana on the Tandy Hills today, trying to keep cool in minimalist attire which consisted solely of shoes and seriously ripped cargo shorts. And yet I got HOT. How is it I manage to do hill hiking when the temperature hits triple digits I was wondering to myself today.

Perhaps I have layered on some adipose tissue of which I am unaware, or in denial about, which is providing un-needed insulation and thus causing me to get too HOT.

At one point today whilst doing my hill hiking I glanced off to the south and saw the scene you see below.

This group is assembled at the Tandy Hills amphitheater which consists of 8 benches. Or is it 9? I suspect this group is the State of the Prairie Conference people I mentioned earlier today. I did not get close enough to ascertain for certain that this was the Prairie People having their conference.

Conferences make me nervous, and so I keep my distance.

A short time after seeing the collective of people in possible conference mode I came upon that which you see below.

A collective of Prickly Pear Cactus in conference mode. Prickly Pear Cactus make a delicate yellow flower as part of their Prickly Pear making process.

Seeing Prickly Pear Cactus in bloom mode reminded me I am about out of Prickly Pear Syrup.

No. I don't harvest Prickly Pears from the Tandy Hills and then render the Pears into Syrup. I get my Prickly Pear Syrup from Town Talk.

I suspect I may be rolling my bike's wheels on the Gateway Park mountain bike trails tomorrow prior to going to Town Town and possibly remembering to hunt for Prickly Pear Syrup.....

The State Of The Prairie Conference Is Underway Right Now On The Tandy Hills

Moments ago, at 10 this morning of Thursday May 29, the 5th Annual State of the Prairie Conference got underway with a Field Trip to the Tandy Hills which lasts until a half hour past noon.

During the course of the three day State of the Prairie: Prairies in a Changing World Conference presenters from Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana will be presenting presentations.

I  think I will be going to the Tandy Hills today, but, likely too late for the Field Trip Experience.

Tomorrow, May 30,  from 8:30 am til 4:30 pm the State of the Prairie Conference moves to Fort Worth's Botanic Gardens, where dinner will also be served, from 6:30 pm til 8:00 pm.

On Saturday, May 31 the State of the Prairie Conference continues at the Botanic Gardens, covering almost the same time frame as Friday's conference, ending a half hour earlier, at 4:00 pm. On Saturday, in lieu of dinner an optional field trip is offered, with that field trip going to BRIT.

I have absolutely no idea what BRIT is.

For all the information you could possibly need about the State of the Prairie Conference go here...

Escaping Past Security In A Futile Attempt To Find This Week's Fort Worth Weekly At Albertsons

On the left we are looking south at the menacing pointed metal spears which form the security fence which keeps me mostly secure.

As you can see some big white cloud action is blocking what would otherwise be a clear blue sky. Those big white clouds may be a harbinger of thunderstorms later today. That's the weather prediction.

Just like yesterday.

But I heard no thunder booms yesterday. I did experience a slight amount of cloud sourced moisture yesterday, both in the pool and late in the afternoon, whilst walking to the mailbox.

Today, with today being Wednesday, I took my regularly scheduled walk around the neighborhood, culminating in Wednesday's regularly futile acquisition attempt of this week's Fort Worth Weekly at Albertsons.

Late this afternoon if I can summon the energy for another walk I likely will discover this week's Fort Worth Weekly safely arrived at Albertsons.

I just got a call from Miss Puerto Rico asking if I could help her replace a couple light bulbs. I indicated I was not available for light bulb replacement. This light bulb replacement help request may have been some sort of Puerto Rican version of a Polish light bulb joke. I don't know.

The Puerto Rican sense of humor, as exhibited by some Puerto Ricans, is not accessible to my simple mind....

Back With Arlington's Village Creek Indian Ghosts Finding No Crime Scene Tape Before Helping A Hugely Obese Woman

Seems like I just had myself a mighty fine time visiting the Indian Ghosts who haunt Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area, because, well, I had had myself a mighty fine time doing so, on Sunday.

On Sunday I biked with the Indian Ghosts, today I walked.

I was in the Indian Ghosts' neighborhood due to needing some supplies from ALDI which I'd forgotten I needed when I was at ALDI on Saturday.

Damn age related memory woes.

As you can see via the above photo documentation the crime scene tape has been removed from the Village Creek Dam Bridge. In addition to the crime scene tape being removed the massive pile of litter and logs has also been removed, thus allowing Village Creek to smoothly flow under the Dam Bridge.

On the weather menu for today, at my location on the planet, is possible incoming thunderstorms, with possible large balls of hail, along with possible heavy rain which could lead to possible flash floods.

So far none of what is possible has happened today.

If the sky does go into downpour mode today it is likely that by tomorrow the litter log jam will have re-appeared at the Village Creek Dam Bridge, followed by more crime scene tape.

Changing the subject, wait a minute, my phone just made its notification noise, so after reading what my phone had to tell me I am staying on the weather subject a bit longer before changing the subject. According to my phone AccuWeather is informing me that the National Weather Service is suggesting we be on a Severe Thunderstorm Watch, currently, in my vicinity.

Okay, now I am changing the subject and sticking with the change, this time.

So, at ALDI today I learned one must look over ones receipt. I did so and saw a bag of Red Delicious apples listed among the items I'd just paid for.

First off, I only eat Red Delicious apples if I am in Washington, where they are grown, and if I have just picked the apple from its home tree.

So, after bagging that which I bought, I walked back to the nice checkout lady who always seems to enjoy teasing me. She is hugely pregnant, due to pop on the 4th of July. She is one of those type pregnant ladies who glows. She looked at the receipt and said, "you didn't buy any apples." She then realized she'd  hit the key number for bags of Red Delicious apples instead of celery, which is what I actually bought.

A few key strokes later, and after a manager's override, the hugely pregnant checkout lady handed me back the two extra dollars I'd paid for the celery.

After that ALDI unpleasantness was taken care of I saw that an enormously obese woman was having trouble getting out of the ALDI motorized shopping cart which obese people ride to go grocery shopping. Eventually she got vertical, but then she was struggling to get what she bought out of the motorized shopping cart and into a non-mechanized shopping cart so she could roll her stuff to her vehicle.

I helped the enormously obese woman get her stuff from one cart to the other. It really was a logistics nightmare. It all started when I was fussing over apples, with the enormously obese woman trying to get someone to pay attention to her need for a shopping cart. Being told she needed a quarter to get a shopping cart was useless information. Eventually the store manager told the hugely pregnant checkout lady to give the enormously obese lady a shopping cart.

It was at that point I lent my assistance.

As I was inserting my own bags of stuff into the interior of my motorized transport device I saw the enormously obese woman slowly making her way to her car, holding on to the shopping cart for dear life.

She'd already profusely thanked  me for my assistance. I resisted the temptation to offer further assistance. I was on my way before she got into her vehicle and started it moving. I assumed that that would not be a pretty thing to witness, as there likely is a lot of physical struggling involved.

What perplexes me often about enormously obese people, and which perplexed me about this particular woman, is why in the world would you go get yourself tattoos when you are in this condition? And body piercing? Is the body self image so distorted out of reality that it is thought that tattoos and piercings just add to the overall attractiveness?

Like I said, very perplexing......

A Memorial Day Walk Around Fort Worth's Fosdick Lake With A Lonely Turtle

Am I remembering wrong? It seems like Memorial Days previous in Texas, on the times I've decided to go into Memorial Day picnic mode in a Texas park, that finding an unoccupied picnic table was difficult.

Today finding a picnic table was not an issue, due to using my in-house picnic table to support the weight of the massive slabs of pork ribs I have BBQed for today.

Prior to consuming massive slabs of BBQed pork ribs I used my mechanized motion device to take me to Oakland Lake Park to walk around Fosdick Lake. I figured this location would be as busy as it was on Easter.

I figured wrong. There was nary a single BBQing picnic happening. A few guys fishing. A few people sitting on benches, enjoying being outdoors in the muggy humidity. But no Memorial Day picnic action.

Maybe the inclement weather, with its few drops of water, scared  people off of going to the bother of a Memorial Day picnic.

The kid you see above, petting a turtle, had passed me earlier on my walk, speeding by on his bike. He braked to a stop when he came upon a turtle on the trail. The kid and I speculated as to what was wrong with the turtle that had him out of Fosdick Lake, sitting in a vulnerable spot on a sidewalk.

After about 5 minutes of turtle talk the turtle decided to walk, slowly, on to the grass, but heading away from the lake.

Is it turtle mating season? I've seen odd turtle behavior in times previous, when the cute reptiles leave their watery home searching for someone to experience conjugal bliss with them.

Well, enough of this talk about conjugal bliss. It's time for some BBQ.....

This Memorial Day Spencer Jack At The Eiffel Tower Has Me Remembering Las Vegas

When I woke up my computer on this morning of the 2014 edition of Memorial Day I saw incoming email from my favorite nephew, Jason, with the subject line being "Spencer Jack Visiting Eiffel Tower on Memorial Day Weekend."

I opened the email to find the picture you see here of Spencer Jack with what appears to be the Eiffel Tower behind him.

I am guessing this is not the Eiffel Tower which towers over Paris, France, but is, instead, the scaled down version of the Eiffel Tower which towers over the Paris Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

It seems like only yesterday that Spencer Jack's dad and my favorite nephew, Joey, took  me to Las Vegas for four days the summer before I moved to Texas. If I recollect correctly it was whilst driving back to Las Vegas from heat seeking in Death Valley that I told my nephews I was moving to Texas.

And now, in what seems like just a few years later, Spencer Jack is bringing his dad and his favorite girl friend, Brittney to Las Vegas to Paris and the Eiffel Tower.

I wonder if Spencer Jack is taking his dad and Brittney to the top of the Stratosphere Tower. Spencer Jack's dad, Joey and I had ourselves quite a HOT adventure at the top of the Stratosphere Tower, some of which you can read via the above link referencing four days in Las Vegas.

I am also wondering if I will be getting pictures emailed to me of Spencer Jack riding the tallest Ferris wheel type device in the world, that being the recently opened for rolling Las Vegas High Roller.

I recollect that soon after the Seattle Great Wheel opened Spencer Jack emailed me pictures of himself, his dad and Brittney on the Great Wheel.

Does Spencer Jack tag along for the casino game playing? I recollect Spencer Jack's uncle Joey was only 15 when Joey and Jason took me to Las Vegas. Joey and I worked around him not being 21 by having Joey direct me as to what to do whilst playing Video Poker.

I also recollect Keno cards being funneled through me when the nephews discovered they could play Keno whilst we enjoyed the Stratosphere buffet for free as one of the compensations we received due to our HOT adventure at the top of the Stratosphere Tower.

Jason had himself a big Keno win, which caused way too much Keno to be played, including returning to the Stratosphere the next morning so the nephews could play Keno during the breakfast buffet.

I had never played Keno until my nephews corrupted me.

I suspect Spencer Jack is likely enjoying playing Keno, with his number choices being funneled through his dad. This type corruption is passed down, generation to generation.....

UPDATE: Additional incoming photos have confirmed it is the Las Vegas version of the Eiffel Tower which Spencer Jack is visiting over Memorial Day Weekend.

Above Spencer Jack is soaking wet after getting out of the Mandalay Bay pool, before getting in the Mandalay Bay Lazy River with his favorite girlfriend, Brittney.

I don't know what to make of the next picture.

I assume Spencer Jack is the photographer. The Luxor is next door to Mandalay Bay. Why are Jason and Brittney visiting the Chapel at Luxor? With Spencer Jack? Is this the second weekend in a row with one of my relatives getting married in an unusual location?

Memorial Day Weekend's Sunday Thinking About A Proper Historical Memory Marker For The Caddo Indians Of Arlington's Village Creek

I had intended to roll my bike's wheels over Gateway Park's mountain bike trails today.

However, my intention was un-intentionally altered when I discovered rain had come to earth at my location on the planet at some point in time during the night.

Rain has a tendency to render dirt into mud on mountain bike trails. I am not a fan of rolling my wheels over mud. It can get messy.

So, I decided to head east instead of west, to a place where I can roll my bike's wheels with the Indian Ghosts who haunt Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

Visiting Arlington's Indian Ghosts has become very popular on Saturday and Sunday. Today the parking lot was the closest to being full I have ever seen it.

In the picture above my handlebars are not in the Village Creek Natural Historical Area looking at a historical marker. My handlebars are a few feet off the Bob Findlay Linear Park looking at a historical marker.

This particular historical marker tells the tale of why this location is haunted by Indian Ghosts, with this tale told from the Texan white man perspective, not the Native American perspective. Or a balanced perspective.

Years ago, way back in the last century, a short time after I'd read Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, I was heading to Reno with a stop at Lava Beds National Monument on the way. The Lava Beds are in Northern California, a maze of lava tubes and caves. It is the location of Captain Jack's Stronghold.

Captain Jack and his band of Modocs caught the world's attention when they successfully defended their position in the Lava Beds from United States Army forces sent to capture  them.

At the turn off from the main highway, on to the road which takes you to the Lava Beds, there is an old historical marker, erected closer in time to the 1872-73 period of the Modoc War, than the present time. That historical marker tells the story of the Modoc War and Captain Jack from the white man's perspective. As in, I was sort of appalled at how slanted and biased that historical marker was.

However, inside the Lava Beds National Monument the history of the Modoc War and Captain Jack is told in the same enlightened way it was told in Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.

Which brings me back to the historical marker you see above, located near where John B. Denton was killed during the Battle of Village Creek.

A  couple blurbs from the Battle of Village Creek historical marker....

"General Tarrant, for whom the County was later  named, led 69 Volunteers from settlements  near the Red River in an early morning attack on the villages of the Caddo and other tribes which were located along Village Creek."

Okay, digest the above paragraph and then read this sentence...

"Soon after entering the creek, they were ambushed and Denton was killed."

So, General Tarrant invaded from the north, deep into the Caddo Confederacy, in an early morning sneak attack on multiple villages, during which John B. Denton was killed by Caddo Indians defending their villages.

How can Denton's death be characterized as an "ambush" after he helped attack the Caddo villages which then resulted in Denton being killed? That'd be like the Japanese claiming one of their planes was shot down in an ambush by Americans on December 7, 1941, during the Japanese Sneak Attack on Pearl Harbor.

The Caddo Confederacy villages along Village Creek were in existence back when the Spanish first arrived in 1542. In other words, those villages had been the Caddo home for a long time. The Caddo Confederacy was mostly a peaceful, agrarian group of tribes. They were not warmongers like the Comanche.

I suspect a historically accurate Battle of Village Creek historical  marker would be something like this....

Acting on faulty intelligence that blamed Caddo Indians in the Village Creek area for attacks on settlers along the Red River, General Tarrant led a group of settlers in a sneak attack on peaceful Caddo villages, killing untold men, women and children. The Caddo fought back as best they could, killing several of the attacking invaders. 

However, the devastation to the Caddo villages, caused by General Tarrant and his army, was so great that the Caddo abandoned the villages they had inhabited for centuries.

___________________________________________

Attacking innocents based on faulty intelligence happens in modern times, even with all our modern information gathering and communication ability.

I imagine it was rather easy to whip the Red River settlers into a frenzy after some violent Comanche attacks. I also imagine it was likely an easy sell to convince the revenge seekers to attack villages of friendly Indians, who were basically farmers, rather than go after the Comanche, who were a fierce force with which to reckon...