Rolling My Hot Wheels Past Fort Worth Thorns & Sculptural Art

With the temperature only 14 degrees short of being 100, and with the humidity being extremely high, it seemed a good idea, at the time, to take my handlebars on a sunny roll around my neighborhood.

I opted to go a more adventurous route than my repetitive regular route.

The more adventurous route added a few more miles and a few more steep hills.

The more adventurous route also took my handlebars by the scene you see here, the massive work of sculptural art which greets Fort Worth's visitors coming from the east, if they think to look north as they pass this location on I-30.

One thing aggravated me whilst rolling my wheels today.

Part of today's biking route has me rolling on one of Fort Worth's ridiculously narrow sidewalks.  This would be between the old abandoned Krogers building and the East Regional Library (closed Fridays because Fort Worthers don't read on Fridays).

The last time I biked on that sidewalk I complained about the mesquite brush which hung over the sidewalk. That was months ago. Today the thorny brush was worse. Very dangerous, what with there being little barrier between sidewalk and high speed road. Dodging a 3 inch thorn could have someone careening onto the road.

Is a city liable if someone is injured due to an accident caused by their poorly maintained sidewalks?

I remember when I first saw what is now known as The Drowning Pool in Fort Worth's Water Gardens that I remarked that that did not look safe. Sadly, years later that safety problem became undeniable, with four victims drowned. Fort Worth forked over a lot of money to compensate the survivors of that tragedy.

I tried to break the offending twigs and get them out of the way. I was unsuccessful in this endeavor. Previously I was successful in removing an offending mesquite twig menacing the sidewalk on Boca Raton Boulevard.

I suppose, for safety's sake, when one is biking in Fort Worth one should always include a pruning device in ones accessory bag....

Starry Starry Skagit Night Has Me Lamenting Not Seeing A Texas Milky Way

I saw that which you see here, this morning, on the Skagit Breaking News website.

I saw the photo and thought, oh no, is Fort Worth's renowned photographer propagandist up in my old home zone of the Skagit Valley engaging in his patented brand of hyper-realistic digital photo manipulation.

Then I read the caption below the photo to learn the photo was taken by a guy named Andy Porter, with the view being from the Samish Overlook, looking at the Skagit Valley, with the Milky Way in full glow mode above.

I have not seen the Milky Way in all its milky glory since I have been in Texas. At times, at my current location, I can see quite a few stars twinkling at night, but never the Milky Way.

The most milky I have ever seen the Milky Way was whilst houseboating on Lake Powell in Utah. The night sky was lit up with stars to a level I did not realize, til then, was a possible earthbound view of the space above.

I have not been to the Big Bend Country zone of Texas, where Marfa has magical lights and I assume the sky at night shines big and bright, even though it is not in the heart of Texas, more to the west of Texas.

Anyway, I wonder what Fort Worth's renowned photographer propagandist would do with scenery which requires no lipstick to make a pig look pretty? Scenery such as what one sees in much of Utah, or my old home zone, or many locations in Texas, like the Guadalupe River, or Big Bend National Park or Guadalupe Mountains National Park.

Which leads me to wonder, are the headwaters of the Guadalupe River in the Guadalupe Mountains?

The Dallas Conspiracy Behind Removing A Grassy Knoll Sign From Dealey Plaza

I saw that which you see here several days ago, on Facebook.

Apparently the City of Dallas wants a JFK conspiracy theorist to remove that Grassy Knoll sign.

I am assuming that by now this tacky sign has been removed.

It's been over 50 years since that unfortunate assassination in Dallas day.

Every time I have been to Dealey Plaza I have seen the X painted on the road, marking the spot where the first bullet struck.

The city erases the X, it reappears. I assume this has been going on for decades.

The X marking the spot also strikes me as tacky.

But, not as tacky as what I saw in Dealey Plaza the first two times I visited that location, way back late in the previous century.

At that point in time one could buy a ticket to ride in a limousine which mirrored the one JFK was killed in. The first time I saw this, coming around the corner from Elm to Houston or Houston to Elm, whichever it is, I was appalled to see it and hear the soundtrack, with gunshots firing right when the limousine passed the X which marked the spot.

The second time I saw this limousine, months later, it was parked above the Grassy Knoll, awaiting some Assassination Re-Creaters to fork over the fee to have that one of a kind experience.

On subsequent Dealey Plaza visits that limousine was nowhere to be seen. I assume the city shut that tacky operation down.

With that Grassy Knoll sign sitting on the Grassy Knoll, I am wondering if there is a Triple Underpass sign somewhere near the Triple Underpass, which you see in the background, behind the Grassy Knoll.

Changing the subject, slightly, on my mom and dad's first visit to visit me in Texas I took them to Dealey Plaza and the 6th Floor Book Depository Museum. Mom and dad rushed through the museum, not seeming very interested in any of it, which surprised me, because it is a very compelling experience, done very well.

Upon leaving I resignedly asked if they found that experience at all interesting, to which my mom said, "we lived through all that so we really don't need to see something like that."

I was a bit appalled.

So, walking back to my vehicle I continued being a tourist guide trooper, telling mom and dad we were walking through Dealey Plaza.

What is Dealey Plaza? I was asked.

Where the assassination took place, I replied.

Over there is the infamous Grassy Knoll, I then pointed out.

What is the Grassy Knoll? I was asked.

Where some think a shooter shot from, I replied.

And there's the famous triple overpass.

Triple overpass? What's that?

It was frustrating. They lived through it, so a museum was of no interest.

A few minutes later, though, mom and dad were having themselves a mighty fine time in the Dallas Farmers Market....

Spencer Jack's Fast Delivery To Texas Of His Uncle Joey's Smoked Salmon

Last month I blogged about Spencer Jack's Uncle Joey's Big King Salmon Catch Of The Day.

Yesterday in the early evening I got a text message from Spencer Jack and my Favorite Nephew Jason....

Smoked salmon is scheduled for delivery at your doorstep tomorrow by 10:30 am. Spencer and I just dropped it off this afternoon in Burlington. I will be amazed if you have it tomorrow. Hopefully I packed enough ice to keep the salmon chilled. Brother Joe specially cooked the King Salmon he caught near the Queen Charlotte Islands for you.

I texted FNJ that the smoked salmon had arrived, somehow managing to get to its destination ahead of 10:30 am.

FNJ texted back, confirming his prediction that he would be amazed if the smoked salmon arrived in the time frame predicted.

When I opened the box I was surprised to find something in addition to smoked salmon.

That surprise was my favorite Pacific Northwest delicacy, dungeness crab. A lot of dungeness crab. That would be a little peak at the crab you see above, in between a couple bags of smoked salmon.

I have not had my favorite Pacific Northwest delicacy since late July of 2008, when my mom and dad showed up in Tacoma with some dungeness crab they found on their drive up the Oregon Coast.

Opening the box I was quickly transported back to Washington, the air filled with smoked salmon perfume.

The air smells better in Washington than at my current location. I remember my last drive north, driving solo from Texas back to Washington. As I crossed Snoqualmie Pass and began the I-90 descent to sea level, the mountains covered with fir trees, the air began to smell like Christmas trees. I had never noticed this so drastically when I lived in Washington.

Thank you Favorite Nephew Joey. And FNJ and Spencer Jack for the expedited delivery.

Rolling Wheels Through Wilderness Searching For Arlington's Vietnam War Memorial

Today I decided to roll my mechanized wheels to a wilderness location to pedal my handlebars to the scenic scene you see here.

I don't have to go far in my rural location on the planet to be in wilderness that looks untouched by man.

About 8 miles takes me to a park in Arlington called Veterans Park, which would make that which you see here the Veterans Park Wilderness.

Bus loads of school kids celebrating the end of the school year were cluttering up the park today, along with way too many disc golfers.

It was way back in mid December of last year that I was last at Veterans Park. At that point in time I saw a sign that indicated to me that some sort of Vietnam War Memorial was going to be added to the existing Veterans Memorial. I figured with it being about six months later that the new memorial would be ready to be seen.

I figured wrong. Nothing new, the same sign I saw months ago.

Now I'm wondering if maybe the sign is the Vietnam War Memorial.

Unlike America's Biggest Boondoggle, that being Fort Worth's Trinity River Central City Panther Island Vision Boondoggle, Arlington is very modest with its signage.

In this instance, however, Arlington seems to maybe be emulating American's Biggest Boondoggle in putting up a sign indicating something is about to be built.

And then nothing happens....

Scam Business Posing As City Agency At Large In Tarrant County

I do not know what to make of that which you see here, sent to me a few minutes ago via email.

In addition to that which you see here, all the email said was "Too Funny".

I believe Panther Fest is a Trinity River Central City Panther Island Vision Boondoggle product.

I know for certain Panther Fest is scheduled to take place this coming Saturday, June 6. And that part of the Fest is a long water slide sliding from the north end of downtown Fort Worth over the Main Street bridge over the Trinity.

I also know that some business entity has sold this slide concept to other towns across America, including Seattle.

The Fort Worth Panther Fest slide version, what with it being associated with America's Biggest Boondoggle, also includes beer.

Near as I can tell this scam warning is coming from the City of Fort Worth.

Is the scam business the city is warning us about the people bringing the slide to town?

Or is the scam business, posing as a public agency, that the city is warning us about, the Trinity River Vision Authority?

Has the city finally come to its senses?

After all, many believe America's Biggest Boondoggle to be a scam business, posing as a public agency, dawdling along, getting little done, taking four years to build three simple little bridges over dry land, wasting money on all sorts of tom foolery, like drunken inner tubing beer parties in the polluted Trinity River, ice skating rinks, paying double market value to buy some contaminated land from a bankrupt friend, followed by building the world's first drive-in movie theater of the 21st century, along with a ridiculous amount of propaganda, in signage and print publication touting the wonders of a public works project the public has never voted for, which has accomplished little in well over a decade of boondoggling...

First Day Of June Biking Around The Evergreen State Of Texas

The  flooded month of May greatly hampered my outdoor activities. No Tandy Hills hiking, one or two bike rides, a walk with the Village Creek Natural Historical Area Indian Ghosts, with way too many walks around my neighborhood, mostly up the hill to Albertsons.

Even going swimming was affected by the May rains.

A consequence of all this slothfulness has been rapid weight gain, with my pound total zooming back over 190.

Well, all that slothfulness changes as of today, the first day of June and the first blue sky, wind-free day, at my location in Texas, for what seems a long time.

So, I took my bike on a post flood inspection tour of my neighborhood. The only thing I saw that was storm related was a lot of mud at a low point on Canyon Creek Drive.

Where my handlebars are pointing at, above, is my neighborhood golf course, the Woodhaven Country Club. As you can see, the golf course has greatly benefited from the copious rain, consequently sporting a lush emerald shade of green.

My old home state, Washington, is known as the Evergreen State. Seattle is known as the Emerald City. With the entire state of Washington in severe drought mode I wonder how brown the landscape will get before some nickname changing takes place?

The last time I flew north, summer of 2008, Washington was in drought mode, with the brown landscape surprising me as I descended from the clouds expecting to see the multi shades of green I was used to seeing in Washington.

With all this climate change drastically going on, is Texas going to need to change its nickname from Lone Star State to Evergreen State?

Dallas & Fort Worth's Dueling Photo Propagandists & Other Nonsense

I saw that which you see here this morning on Facebook. At first glance I thought Fort Worth's most renowned photographer had ventured east to aim his special brand of photo propaganda at Dallas.

Then on second thought I realized this photo looked too realistic, with the colors not exaggerated and saturated enough to be the work of Fort Worth's renowned photo propagandist.

Upon reading the text I learned that this Dallas photo was taken by an ex-Grateful Dead roadie named Warren Harris.

I do not know if Warren Harris has been hired to be the photographer for the Dallas version of the Trinity River Vision.

Fort Worth's renowned photo propagandist and the Fort Worth Trinity River Central City Panther Island Vision Boondoggle are a perfect fit, both so artfully able to exaggerate reality creating false impressions, which bear no relation to what most people's eyes see.

Signatures bridges, Panther Island where there is no island, 90+ user requested amenities, biggest urban water development project in North America, best urban waterfront music venue in Texas, world's premiere urban wakeboard park (currently badly flood damaged) and other exaggerated propaganda I am not remembering right now.

Speaking of the flood damaged Cowtown Wakepark. And who isn't? Who was the genius who thought it a good idea to invest in a pond a few feet from a river which is prone to serious flooding when Mother Nature decides to deliver a lot of water?

A couple months ago I blogged about a wakeboard lake in Phuket, Thailand, in a blogging titled Phuket's Anthem Is No Trinity River Vision Boondoggle Cowtown Wakepark.

Whoever was behind the Phuket River Vision had the vision to have the Anthem Lake not adjacent to a flooding river, or, I assume, accessible by an incoming tsunami.

I suspect no local Thai congresswoman's son was in charge of how Phuket's Anthem wakeboard lake came to be....

The Trinity Continues To Rise With Inadequate Levees Threatening Downtown Dallas

I saw that which you see here a few minutes ago on Facebook, via Elsie Hotpepper.

Apparently downtown Dallas is in danger as the Trinity continues to rise, straining levees which long ago were deemed inadequate to handle a massive flood.

I have never been in Dallas when the Trinity is running a lot of water. I've only see it when the big flood plain is dry with a little thing that looks like a ditch running through the flood plain.

That little ditch in the flood plain is currently a gigantic Lake Dallas.

Elsie Hotpepper asks a good question. As in "Does Dallas not know they are downstream??"

As the Trinity passes downtown Fort Worth the Clear Fork and West Fork join together and make a bigger river as the water continues its journey east. By the time the river gets to Dallas the East Fork and Elm Fork join Clear and West to make one unified river.

Currently one big unified river  threatening one big town's downtown with getting the New Orleans Katrina treatment.

I don't quite understand how breeched levees could threaten downtown Dallas with catastrophic flooding.

But that is what I am hearing.

Then again, like I've already suggested, when I've been in downtown Dallas I have never had any awareness of where the river was, unlike downtown Fort Worth where the river is quite noticeable, all the time, not just during those times when hundreds of dementos are having themselves a mighty fine time floating in the river, drinking beer and listening to music at an imaginary pavilion by an imaginary island at an imaginary world class water front music venue.

I sure hope the Dallas levees hold. I have seen what happens when a dike breaks during a flood. It ain't pretty.

UPDATE: From the Dallas Morning News----"All that stands between downtown Dallas and its near-total submersion are a pair of very old, deteriorating earthen levees that have been judged dangerously inadequate for a generation."

Gateway Park's Boarded Up Boardwalks Are Not Being Torn Apart By The Flood

Yesterday on my way to Town Talk, after walking with the turtles who live in Fosdick Lake in Oakland Lake Park, I took a detour into Gateway Park to get a look at the flooding Trinity River as it passes one of Gateway Park's boarded up boardwalks.

Where this Gateway Park boardwalk is located the Trinity River is in its natural state.

No levees.

At this point the river has carved itself a bit of a canyon, with the river narrow and running fast, with rapids at this location.

Upon arrival I was surprised to see part of the boarded up boardwalk deconstructed and piled up near the parking lot.

That is that pile you see below.

In  the picture above you are looking at a stairway that used to be boarded up, but now there is nothing blocking one from walking straight down the stairs and into the flooding Trinity River. Not long ago a teenager drowned at this location at a time when the Trinity River was in drought mode.

Since what one could see of the boarded up boardwalk was all intact I assume the debris you see above came from the part of the boardwalk that is now under water. I suspect the deconstruction process was underway when the flood hit.

The Trinity River Center City Panther Island Vision Boondoggle is, supposedly, building two new river overlooks. I assume that is why the boarded up boardwalk is being deconstructed.

I also assume that the new boardwalk overlooks are going to be built above where the river floods, so as to prevent what happened to the current boarded up boardwalks.

But, with America's Biggest Boondoggle one can never assume common sense will prevail....