Drive Down Jones Memory Lane Via The Slotemaker Road To Lynden

My Favorite Nephew, Jason Jones, sent me this months ago. I forgot about it til looking for a photo this morning.

The road sign you are looking at is located in Whatcom County in Washington. The Canadian border is about 10 miles to the north.

For you reading this in Texas, that big blue wall looking thing under the clouds is known as a foothill. In this case it is a foothill of the Cascade Mountains. If those clouds were not hovering we would likely be seeing the Mount Baker volcano.

My Dutch ancestors arrived in America in the early 1890s. I think 1892. I believe they entered America via Ellis Island, but I am not sure of that. I do not know if my ancestors were illegal immigrants or if they had passports and entry visas, or whatever the legal arrival document was at that time in history.

I do know the reason my ancestors wanted to move to America was to escape the constant European wars. Sort of ironic in the year 2016.

I also know my first ancestral Anchor Baby was my dad's dad, my grandpa, Cornelius. I am guessing my Dutch ancestors were legit American citizens before the birth of their first Anchor Baby. The only one of my original Dutch ancestors who I got to meet was great-grandma Tillie, wife of my dad's dad's dad, John. I learned a little Dutch from my great grandma. Words such as brookies.

My Dutch Ancestors quickly assimilated into America. Only great great grandpa, Cornelius, did not learn to be fluent in English. Great grandma Tillie had a bit of a Dutch accent.

Upon arrival the family of four headed west to find their future, going from one Dutch community to another. Always hoping for something better than what they'd found.

Eventually my great grandpa, John, was sent, by train, to the far Pacific Northwest, where the family had heard of a flourishing Dutch community. Grandpa John returned to his mom  and dad and wife to report that he had found their final destination, a land of fertile soil, like Holland,  the tallest trees he'd ever seen, fish in abundance in clear rivers, berries growing wild, along with apples.

The family soon headed west to their new home, bought land next to what became a road named after my family's Dutch name, before the name became Americanized to "Jones".

The Dutch are picky people. Which is why so many kept on heading west til there was no more America to move to, unless they wanted to hop a boat and try Hawaii. The town near the Slotemaker Jones Farm is called Lynden. Modern day Lynden is sort of a Dutch theme town, with windmills and precisely trimmed lawns where, unlike Texas, no litter is allowed.

And, like Texas, an inordinate number of churches.....

Possibly Going To Lunch In Houston With A Pair Of Pistol Packing Texas Cowgirls

I saw that which you see here via the Austin American-Statesman on Facebook.

Apparently there is a barbecue restaurant in Houston which will take 25 percent off your bill if you eat with your gun on display in your holster.

What fun. Barbecue with openly armed yahoos. I wonder if beer is served along with the ribs, brisket and sausage.

For a long long time a pair of Texas gals, Elsie Hotpepper and Miss Mary have been saying they are going to take  me out to lunch. I have long assumed they mean take me out to lunch at a restaurant, not some other meaning of the "out to lunch" phrase.

I believe both Elsie Hotpepper and Miss Mary are a pair of pistol packers. I do not know if as of January 1 the are openly packing their pistols in stylish holsters.

If Elsie Hotpepper and Miss Mary take me to their long promised lunch at this barbecue restaurant in Houston that 25% savings might pay for the gas it would take to drive there, what with gas being so cheap lately....

Playing In The Tacoma Snow With David, Theo & Ruby

This just in from my baby sister in Tacoma and too cute not to share.

All my baby sister had to say about this picture was, "We got a little snow yesterday and the kids made a new friend, pic attached."

The attached pic was named fred.jpg, so I am assuming the kids named the snowman Fred and made him their friend.

In the pic you are looking at the twins in front, my nephew Theo and niece, Ruby, in one of her signature purple outfits, with their red-head big brother, David, in the rear.

I can not remember the last time I had fun playing in the snow with kids. Last week it was Spencer Jack who had me missing real snow, and now this.

Yet one more of the growing number of reasons my 2016 New Year's Resolution is to move back to Washington......

Elbertt Elmerr Cautions No Clicking If You Don't Have The Stomach For J.D. Granger

Earlier today I blogged about an aspect of the slow motion public works project known as America's Biggest Boondoggle.

A short while after hitting the publish button I heard from Elbertt Elmerr via a blog comment...

Elbertt Elmerr has left a new comment on your post "Will Slow Progress Of America's Biggest Boondoggle Result In Contract Default? ":

Fearless Leader scoffs at your facts and figures.

Click to enlarge if you have the stomach for it.

_____________________________________

When you click to enlarge you are greeted with a big version of the above photo. That is J.D. Granger at the podium. I am assuming this was at the extravagant ceremony celebrating the arrival of the spaceship, I mean work of million dollar art, you see behind J.D.

I am assuming the Fearless Leader, to whom Elbertt Elmerr refers, is J.D. Granger. I do not know what  facts or figures are being scoffed at.

You have to admit, after Boondoggling along for most of this century, it is rather impressive that all America's Biggest Boondoggle has to show for the effort is a flood destroyed wakeboard park, one of three simple bridges under construction, a roundabout under construction.

And this beautiful million dollar work of art.

And maybe one or two other products. Like convincing people to have floating beer parties in the Trinity River.

How big a ceremony will we be having if one of those three simple little bridges is ever completed, connecting the Fort Worth mainland to an imaginary island? I suspect that will call for a week long city wide celebration.

With fireworks and TNT explosions....

Will Slow Progress Of America's Biggest Boondoggle Result In Contract Default?

A couple weeks ago I saw that which you see here from the Austin American-Statesman, via Facebook, and forgot about it til this morning.

The text you see above the photo of a construction mess....

Frustrated with slow progress on the North MoPac Boulevard expansion project, the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority on Thursday notified its contractor, CH2M, that it considers the company in default of the $136 million contract to add a toll lane to each side of the 11.2-mile stretch of the highway.

I read the above and it got me wondering about America's Biggest Boondoggle's slow motion construction of three simple bridges, over dry land, connecting Fort Worth's mainland to an imaginary island.

Who got the contract to slowly construct The Boondoggle's bridges?

Why would a legit construction contractor commit to building bridges in slow motion?

Was there a competitive bidding process to award The Boondoggle's bridge building contract?

Was The Boondoggle's bridge building contractor given any sort of incentive to speed up the building process, like the incentives that were given to speed up the Grapevine Funnel Project and the I-121 upgrade? Both of which cost billions and were finished ahead of schedule.

I have seen with my own eyes the fact that Fort Worth can manage to have big public works projects built quickly and efficiently. Such as the ongoing upgrade to East 1st Street and Randol Mill Road. This project began last April. The project is nearing completion, with three bridges, one of which spans the Trinity River, with water flowing beneath the new bridge under construction over the Trinity River.

That new bridge over the Trinity River,  located on the north side of Gateway Park, has big piers already built, ready for the road bed. No fuss has been made about those new bridge piers rising out of the Trinity River near  Gateway Park,  unlike the bizarre fuss made by The Boondoggle over its pitiful wooden V pier forms being a product of The Boondoggle one could actually see.

I blogged about The Boondoggle's V Pier fuss in Beautiful Fort Worth V Piers The Likes Of Which The World Has Never Seen.

I blogged about the East 1st Street/Randol Mill Road road and bridge project in Looking Close At A Non-Boondoggle Fort Worth Bridge Project.

So, does anyone know what the deal is with the contractor contracted to construct The Boondoggle's three simple bridges over dry land? Why would a contractor agree to take longer to build those three bridges than what it took to build an actual feat of bridge building, like the Golden Gate Bridge, and many other bridges, detailed on this blog, which took four years, or  less, to build.

Why would a legit contractor allow itself to get tied down by a slow motion, under-funded project?

Who is the contractor slowly building The Boondoggle's three simple bridges?

Yosemite Sid Thinks Tim McGraw Deserves To Be Dixie Chicked

I saw that which you see here Sunday morning on Facebook, via Bud Kennedy.

Non Fort Worth locals, Bud Kennedy is a columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and a frequent guest on local TV news shows. And he writes restaurant reviews.

And appears on parade floats.

I have long envied Bud Kennedy's extreme prolific-ness in various venues, including Facebook.

So, in this particular Facebook post it appears someone I have  never heard of, Sid Miller, think it is disgraceful that Tim McGraw headlined an Anti-Gun Concert.

This is so disgraceful that Sid opined that Tim McGraw deserves the same fate as the Dixie Chicks. And that Sid is done with Tim's music.

I'm guessing Tim McGraw is crushed by the news that a Texas goober is done with him.

Along with posting the screencap of Sid Miller's posting, Bud Kennedy also wrote....

Stephenville walking cartoon Yosemite Sid Miller Sid Miller vs @TheTimMcGraw: Who ya got?

This Miller guy is known as Yosemite Sid? And a walking cartoon? I suspect it likely that Yosemite Sid must have a history of opining ridiculousness.

So, when I read Yosemite Sid's bit about the Dixie Chicks I felt compelled to add my two cents worth....

Same fate as what befell the Dixie Chicks? Aren't the Dixie Chicks on the comeback trail, what with the majority of the world agreeing with the sentiment they expressed earlier this century?

Bud Kennedy does not allow anyone to besmirch an American president on his Facebook postings, except for Jefferson Davis being fair game. This is why I did not specifically mention George W. Bush in my comment.

If the no presidents are allowed be besmirched rule did not exist my comment would have read that "...the majority of the world now agrees with the Dixie Chicks' sentiment about George W. Bush."

When I hit publish on my comment Facebook told me that the post to which I was commenting had been removed by the poster, and thus not able to be commented on. I have no clue as to why Bud Kennedy would have removed his Yosemite Sid Facebook post....

After Walking Around Fort Worth's Fosdick Lake A Surprise Was Found On Randol Mill Road

I had myself a mighty fine jog around the neighborhood early this morning of the second day of 2016.

Around noon I headed west to Oakland Lake Park to walk around Fosdick Lake. Which would make that Fosdick Lake, looking cold, that you see here.

On the way to Fosdick Lake I was convinced to make an increasingly rare Town Talk visit, post the walk around the lake.

My route from Fosdick Lake to Town Talk today was via heading north on Oakland, then west on Randol Mill Road. When Randol Mill Road and the Chesapeake Energy wasteland came into view I was surprised by what my eyes were seeing.

New paved trail.

When I reached Randol Mill Road and took a left I quickly came upon another surprise. A big new parking lot, with picnic tables and access to the new paved trail.

I pulled into the new parking lot, parked and exited my vehicle to do some photo documenting.

You can see just a slice of the new paved trail at the edge of the parking lot.

Another view, looking west, again with a slice of the paved trail visible. But what is the structure made of big bricks? Let's look on the other side.

And what do we find? An enclosure for an outhouse, looking a lot like the outhouse enclosures located at America's Biggest Boondoggle's location called Panther Island Pavilion, where there is no island or pavilion, but there are some  mighty fine outhouses, along with a couple outdoor showers to wash off the dirty Trinity River water after one is done rockin' the river.

If I remember right, a few TRV Boondoggle quarterly updates ago mention was made of plans to expand the Trinity Trail east, to Quanah Parker Park. This new paved trail does that. This is a real good thing. If this is a product of America's Biggest Boondoggle it is the first thing I am aware of that The Boondoggle has done which I think it a good thing.

I also saw new paved trail leading out of Gateway Park, heading towards the new paved trail heading in from  the east. I assume the existing bridge across the Trinity River will become the bridge for the new paved trail. The bridge for the new road has made a lot of progress since I saw it during the Thanksgiving floods.

Looking at the rapid progress of the road and bridge and paved trail building I'm guessing by Spring this should be just about finished. At that point in time I will be able to park at the Quanah Parker Park parking lot and roll my bike wheels over paved, car-free trail all the way to downtown Fort Worth and beyond, or to the Fort Worth Stockyards.

Years ago, back when the River Legacy Park paved trail was extended almost all the way to 360 there was talk at the time of that paved trail being extended east to connect to the Dallas Trinity Trail. Methinks doing so would be a HUGE asset to the D/FW zone. If a paved trail connection were also made from Quanah Parker Park, east to River Legacy Park, one would be able to bike from Fort Worth to Dallas.

Who has not dreamed of doing such? Well, probably not many. But, with some amenities along the route, such as one finds along Seattle's Burke-Gilman Trail, paved Trinity Trails between Fort Worth and Dallas could become a popular attraction.

Helping Texas Goobers Celebrate Openly Carrying Their Guns

I saw that which you see here this morning on Facebook. A link to a Breitbart article titled as you see here, TEXANS CELEBRATE OPEN CARRY WITH 'UNCOVERING' OF HANDGUNS AT CAPITOL.

The first two paragraphs from the Breitbart article....

AUSTIN, Texas – Nearly two hundred open carry advocates gathered on the south steps of the Texas State Capitol to celebrate “uncovering day” for gun owners who are licensed to carry.

The rally, sponsored by Open Carry Texas and Texas Carry, brought together advocates from across the Lone Star State who wanted to celebrate Texas move towards re-establishing the 2nd Amendment as the governing authority for gun laws. While Texas has not move that far, today’s rally recognized a significant step in the direction of what many refer to as Constitutional Carry.

Can you spot the "grammar" errors? I'm guessing the Breitbart editor type person who proofreads articles has the weekend off. Or a New Year's Eve hangover.

So, around 200 Goobers showed up in Austin on New Year's Day to celebrate getting to openly carry their pistol in a holster, like cowboys in days long gone. And apparently the Goobers think the new open carry permission is re-establishing the 2nd Amendment as the governing authority for gun laws.

Uh huh.

Like I said, a collection of Goobers, now openly armed and ready to protect Texas from another Jade Helm invasion.....

Orca Leaping Under Volcano Causes 2016 New Year's Resolution

Early in the last month of last year I blogged about the Orca Baby Boom underway in Puget Sound in my old home zone of Washington.

Since then one or two more Baby Orcas have been spotted in two of the South Sound Orca Pods.

Yesterday, or maybe it was the day before yesterday, in my old home zone newspaper, the Skagit Valley Herald, I saw that which you see here.

An Orca leaping out of the water, under a big mountain.

The Skagit Valley is at the north end of Puget Sound. The nearest big mountain, in the Skagit Valley, visible from Puget Sound, is the Mount Baker volcano. From the Skagit Valley, when you are out in the flats, on a clear day, and look south, you can see Mount Rainier way in the distance.

So, here is what bothered me about seeing this picture of a big mountain. I could not tell, instantly, if it was Mount Baker or Mount Rainier I was looking at.

Since this was in the Skagit Valley Herald my assumption was that it was Mount Baker. But, it looks like Mount Rainier.

This confusion on my part has led me to the conclusion that I have been way too many years removed from my old home zone.

My New Year's Resolutions usually don't get resolved, unless they involve losing weight,  getting plenty of exercise and eating nutritionally, so I don't know how well this will go.

But, my New Year's Resolution for 2016 is to end my Texas Exile and move back to Washington.

Or Arizona.

This thing that started up today in Texas is just too much. Now the redneck goobers can go around like cowboys in the Old West, openly carrying pistols in holsters.

Plus

Moving back to Washington will make it easier to seek refuge in a sane country if the American Idiocracy actually elects either Donald Trump or Ted Cruz. I have no faith that the American Idiocracy will not prevail. The American Idiocracy elected George W. Bush.

Twice.

And the world has still not recovered from America being led by a high functioning moron.

Oh, my other New Year's Resolution for 2016 is to speak my mind, to stop being so diplomatic and tactful, but instead just bluntly saying what I really think. This is new territory for me, thus it makes me a bit nervous that I might commit some horrific egregious faux pas.

When I moved to Texas I still had a house in Washington. A house was waiting for me when I got to Texas. I sold my house in Washington in 2002. It was a nice house. Nicer than the house I moved to in Texas. Except for the fact that the Texas house had a swimming pool. My Washington house did not have a pool. But the next door neighbor's did.

My current location in Texas has a pool, but this abode has become increasingly unpleasant for a variety of reasons.

I have an option or two or three, up in Washington, as temporary locations awaiting a more permanent location.

If I am going to actualize my 2016 New Year's Resolution I must not procrastinate in setting plans in motion.....

Happy New 2016 Year From Texas

Happy New Year from Texas.

No. That is not last night's downtown Fort Worth fireworks erupting when the clock struck midnight a few hours ago.

What you are looking at is the downtown Seattle fireworks erupting when the clock struck midnight on the West Coast.

I have never seen the Space Needle lit up in this manner.

I did not make it to New Year's Day on the West Coast. I was peacefully slumbering well before that.

I did not even make it to the Central Time zone crossing into 2016 before being in peaceful slumber mode.

I did manage to stay awake long enough to see the New Year arrive on the East Coast.

I think the last time I managed to remain vertical all the way into a New Year was that New Year's Eve which turned in to 2000.

That New Year's Eve started out at the Fort Worth Stockyards, in the saloon in the now long gone Spaghetti Warehouse. By about 10 the party moved to downtown Fort Worth. This was back when parking was easy in downtown Fort Worth, before the Radio Shack debacle destroyed the world's shortest free subway ride taking riders from acres of free parking to the heart of downtown Fort Worth.

I used to frequent downtown Fort Worth much more frequently back when it was easy to find parking before Radio Shack and inept Fort Worth planning ruined it.

The downtown Fort Worth New Year's Eve 2000 celebration was the best such thing I have ever witnessed.

It's been 16 years, but if my memory is serving me correctly, images were projected on the side of one of Fort Worth's few skyscrapers. Eventually the countdown happened and then fireworks erupted from various rooftops. It was a spectacle. Very well done.

I suspect last night's celebration in downtown Fort Worth was well done as well, with the celebrating centered on the location where Fort Worth now has a town square after decades of confusing the town's few tourist by having signs pointing to Sundance Square, where there was no square or plaza. Just a lot of parking lots, one of which finally did become a square, goofily, redundantly named Sundance Square Plaza.

Anyway, Happy New Year. I suspect 2016 will be a very good year.....