The Miracle Of A Bridge Built Over Water In Fort Worth

When I woke up my computer this morning I saw an email from Facebook informing me Elsie Hotpepper had flagged me.

It always alarms me when I get flagged, especially when the flagging is from Elsie Hotpepper.

This particular flagging was that which you see here.

A bridge under construction over Lake Worth in Fort Worth, way back in 1976, for the Loop I-820 freeway.

Proving, once again, that it is possible to build a bridge over actual water in Fort Worth, unlike the three, simple little bridges America's Biggest Boondoggle is building in slow motion over dry land to connect the Fort Worth mainland to an imaginary island.

I wonder if a big fuss was made when those bridge piers started poppiing out of Lake Worth?

Happy Spencer Jack Early Birthday

Yesterday, a few minutes past noon, I received the following email birthday party invitation, subject line: Spencer Jack's First Leap Year Birthday, from Spencer Jack's dad, my Favorite Nephew Jason....

Grandma Cindy retirement gig includes working as a tennis ball fetcher girl next week in Palm Springs, California, thus moving Spencer's Birthday celebration a week early.

Just wanted to extend a late invite to Spencer Jack's 9th Birthday Party, being held tonight at Grandma Cindy's Big Lake Abode.  I think Spencer requested fried chicken, and of course chocolate birthday cake, with chocolate frosting. And Ice cream.

I'm sure there will be plenty of food for ya all. Starting at 5 p.m. PST.

Well, almost 5 hours notice gave me plenty of time to get  myself up north and west to Big Lake for Spencer Jack's birthday party. But, I had a previously scheduled engagement which precluded heading up to Washington.

That is Spencer Jack's Grandma Cindy sitting next to him. I have not seen my Favorite Ex-Sister-in-Law in years. Seems like it was summer of 2004 when last I saw Cindy. At a Red Robin's in Burlington, along with Mr. and Mrs. Burwash. Spencer Jack's arrival was several years in the future at that point in time.

Happy Early Birthday Spencer Jack. Sorry I didn't make it to your party....

No Need For Thousands Of Texas Military Personnel To Conduct Frack Quake Exercise

This blogging falls into the category of bloggings about something I read in a west coast online news source that I likely would not be reading in any of my local Texas online news sources.

That which you see here was in the Seattle Times this morning.

That is a lot of emergency and military personnel conducting a megaquake exercise.

Is 6,000 a bigger number than the number of Jade Helm invaders who freaked out Texas governor Abbott?

There has been a lot of concern of late in the Pacific Northwest over the potential megaquake that the Cascadia Fault could cause if it makes a move.

When I lived in the Pacific Northwest I was shaken by many earthquakes. I have not been shaken by any of the Texas Frack Quakes that unsettle those who have been shaken in Texas.

The Frack Quakes perplex me. I have never read of anyone commenting how noisy a Frack Quake is. Just reports of minor damage.

All the earthquakes I have experienced have been incredibly loud. There was a period during the 1990's when my Mount Vernon abode was shaken by a lot of earthquakes, epicentered at Big Lake, a few miles east. These quakes ranged in the 2 to 3 Richter Scale level. About the same as the Texas Frack Quakes.

I was watching TV when the worst of the Big Lake Quakes struck with a boom and a roar. My windows flexed. The tall fir trees swayed violently. A loud cracking noise came from the kitchen. When the quake stopped shaking I walked to my kitchen to find the tile floor now had a crack running the length of the kitchen.

I think the Texas Frack Quakes must not be as violent as an ordinary Mother Nature Quake caused by a fault line moving. If the Texas Frack Quakes were that violent I think people would be a lot more upset about it.

The last time the Cascadia Fault made a big move was a long time ago, in the 1700's if I am remembering correctly. Prior to the Pacific Northwest being invaded by incoming Americans. That long ago quake caused a big tsunami to cross the Pacific, all the way to Japan.

Locked Out After Sunday Walk With Arlington's Village Creek Indian Ghosts

Since today is the last Sunday of February I did today what I often do on the last Sunday of February. I drove  to Arlington to go walking with the Indian Ghosts who haunt the Village Creek Natural Historical Area they used to call home.

There were a lot of people walking and biking with the Indian Ghosts today, enjoying the balmy temperature in the 70s. Last year about this time we were enjoying a bout of snow and ice.

The paved trail you are looking at above is at the north end of the VCNHA, as it exits to the Interlochen neighborhood and becomes the Bob Findlay Linear Park Trail. During the last major flood event, around Thanksgiving of last year, I think Village Creek flooded than I've seen it previously flood, but I did not witness that flood event. Just the aftermath. That is the dried mud residue of the flood you see at the side of the trail, high above the creek..

Village Creek is running a lot of water, still, from the most recent bout of minor drippage, as you can see below via the dam bridge which exits the Historical Area.

Why aren't generators installed to harness this energy? Probably because usually it is more of trickle than a hydro force.

When I left the Indian Ghosts behind I dropped in on ALDI, because I needed coffee.

Soon thereafter I was back at my abode. When I stuck in the metal device which slides the deadbolt out of locked position, facilitating opening the door, it was quickly apparent the lock was broken, as in the key just spun around without engaging.

All other means of entry are dead bolted from the inside, with no key openers. The windows are all locked.

So, I quickly called a door opening specialist. She arrived, tools in hand, about a half hour later. A few minutes later the door was open and I was making lunch. I asked the door opening specialist if she'd like a burger. The answer was in the affirmative, with the works, sharp cheese, onion, pickle, bacon, lettuce and tomato. With oven-baked fries.

The new lock and key are quite nice.

A Roller Coaster Bus Ride To See A Panther & JFK

Yesterday I rode four Fort Worth buses to transit from my abode to downtown Fort Worth and back.

Whilst walking the mean streets of downtown Fort Worth I came upon two points of interest I'd not seen previously. Both visible from Main Street, that being the road which runs from the Tarrant County Courthouse to the Fort Worth Convention Center.

Fort Worth loves its panthers, so  much so that the town has named an imaginary island Panther Island.

The panther you see above rests on the plaza in front of the Tarrant County Tax Office. I believe this to be near the actual location where long ago a Dallas reporter reported that Fort Worth was so lifeless he saw a panther taking a nap on the courthouse steps. Or something like that.

After I was done visiting the napping panther I headed south on Main Street. Directly north of the Convention Center I saw what you see below.

A memorial marking the location of the last speech John F. Kennedy gave prior to heading east to Dallas on that unfortunate day over half a century ago.

Soon after leaving JFK I was caught up in the Trump Mob milling at the south end of the Convention Center.

I lasted about 15 minutes in the Trump Mob and then walk back to the Transit Center to get on what is known as a Spur bus to go east to another Transit Center to get on another bus.

I don't understand why so many Texans have an aversion to using public transit. Yes, the ride is not as smooth as a car or pickup. Yes, the seats could be more comfortable. Yes, it takes longer to get to ones destination.  But, once you are there you don't have to find a parking spot.

To put oneself in the mindset to enjoy riding the Fort Worth buses think of Fort Worth as a big theme park and you are riding a theme park ride.

If you have experienced getting seasick, or find roller coasters to be a not fun thing, well, then, maybe riding the Fort Worth buses would not be something you'd want to do. If you have back problems or are easily nauseated by jerky motion you probably wouldn't like the ride you get on a Fort Worth bus.

The Fort Worth bus system now has a smart phone app you can use as your boarding pass. I have no clue how this works, but I saw several people use that method to get onboard.

The last time I roller coastered to downtown Fort Worth was back in March of 2012, almost four years ago. Apparently about every four years I ride a Fort Worth bus. It probably takes that long for the memory to fade enough to make it seem like a good idea to use the Fort Worth bus method of transit again....

A Few Minutes With The Trump Circus In Downtown Fort Worth

Every few years I find myself once again in Adventure Mode and thus decide to ride a Fort Worth T Roller Coaster Bus to Downtown Fort Worth.

In the picture I am on the left side of the bus, looking at the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth as we pull into the Downtown Transit Center.

I needed to go to the Tarrant County Tax Office. The directions on the Tarrant County Tax Office website said they were located at 100 E. Weatherford, which to me meant the Tax Office was in the County Courthouse.

So, I get to the Courthouse, go through security that is about the same as getting on a plane, including almost losing my baggy pants when my belt set off the alarm. Then, after going through that living hell I quickly learned the Tax Office was not located in that building, but in the new building on the south side of Weatherford.

Where one did not have to go through airport like security to enter.

My business at the Tax Office was quickly concluded. So, I head south on Main Street, heading to the Convention Center, to see the Donald Trump madness. The throngs walking to see The Donald were a colorful lot. I saw two or three Trump RVs, like you see here.

Multiple vendors were selling a variety of Trump paraphernalia, such as t-shirts, buttons, flags, banners and other stuff. To my surprise people were buying this stuff.

Was that Ted Nugent being interviewed in front of one of the sellers of Trump-ware? I don't know. But the guy was spouting some idiotic nonsense as I stood listening the length of time it took to take a picture. Something about Trump would take control of Congress. What did that mean, I wondered? Like how Hitler took over the Reichstag?

A lot of attention was being paid to a group protesting the nasty stuff Trump has said about our Mexican friends south of the border. They were loud, with a lot of cameras aimed at them.

Before getting to the location where people were entering the Convention Center I came upon a rather scary looking bearded guy waving a big poster which only said something like Info Wars. He shouted as people walked  by. To me he shouted "I am from Arkansas and I am here to tell you the Clintons ruined my state."

All in all the entire scene seemed somehow surreal and somehow carnival like, with a hint of being a mob.

I arrived at the Trump location about 11am, an hour before the scheduled appearance of The Donald. I was in no mood to wait around for an hour, particular since the event was taking place in a meeting hall with no seating, if my understanding was correct. And it sometimes is.

So, I left all the crazies behind and soon hopped aboard a bus heading east.....

The Tale Of Two Town's Stupid White Water Feature's Faulty Visions

This morning my blog subject assignment taskmaster, Elsie Hotpepper, informed me "You must blog about this. I can't wait to read what you have to say about it."

Well.

The this to which Elsie Hotpepper referred was an article in the Dallas Observer titled DEMISE OF STUPID WHITE WATER FEATURE IS A CALL TO TAKE BACK OUR RIVER. by the Dallas Observer's observer of the nonsense which goes on in Dallas, Jim Schutze.

Jim Schutze is amusing and makes so much sense the powers that be in Dallas really should pay attention.

I thought I'd already blogged about the subject of the Stupid White Water Feature (SWWF) in Dallas. So, I was a little confused as to why Elsie Hotpepper thought I should blog about this subject again.

That is a screen cap, you see here, of the previous blogging about what Jim Schutze refers to as the SWWF, a blogging titled This Trinity River Whitewater Rapids Plan Would Have Filled Dallas Potholes.

Okay, reading my previous blogging about the SWWF and the latest Dallas Observer posting about this subject I see, I think, why Elsie Hotpepper thought I might want to opine, maybe.

Both Dallas and Fort Worth have Trinity River Vision projects. In both towns the name of the vision morphs with the passing years.

The current version of the Fort Worth vision's name is Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island Vision. Which many locals simply refer to as The Boondoggle.

I don't know what Dallas is currently calling its Trinity River Vision Boondoggle.

Dallas has more to show for its Boondoggle than Fort Worth does. Dallas has completed one actual signature bridge, with another under construction. Fort Worth's Boondoggle currently has one little, non-signature bridge under construction over dry land. The Dallas bridges are being built over water, as in over the Trinity River.

Some day, if the money can be found to dig it, a ditch will be dug under Fort Worth's bridges, with Trinity River water diverted into the ditch, creating a fake island, connecting the Fort Worth mainland to the fake island, which America's Biggest Boondoggle has already named Panther Island, even though there is no island. And probably never will be.

Unlike Fort Worth's Trinity River Vision Boondoggle, the people of Dallas actually were allowed to vote on that town's river vision, with a bond issue passing way back late in the last century, prior to my move to Texas.

I heard about the Dallas Trinity River Vision soon after I arrived in Texas. And then one Sunday morning, early in this century, I was startled by a HUGE banner headline in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, boldly proclaiming Trinity River Uptown to Turn Fort Worth into the Vancouver of the South.

What fresh demented nonsense is this, I remember wondering? Reading the breathless article I remember wondering if anyone on the Star-Telegram staff had actually been to Vancouver and realized how ludicrous this Vancouver of the South claim was.

This incident of Star-Telegram nonsense occurred soon after the Santa Fe Rail Market debacle where the Star-Telegram, also breathlessly, had been promoting an embarrassing, lame, little food court type thing as the first public market in Texas, modeled after public markets in Europe and Seattle's Pike Place Market.

When I saw how pathetic the Santa Fe Rail Market was, the idea that the Star-Telegram would mislead its few readers so outrageously greatly annoyed me. Not only was this not the first public market in Texas, it was not even the first public market in Fort Worth. Had no one on the Star-Telegram staff been to the Dallas Farmers Market? A market which every one of my visitors from the Pacific Northwest has opined reminds them of Pike Place.

Back to the Dallas Observer SWWF article.

So, there's been a brouhaha brewing in Dallas due to the SWWF, this bizarre thing the Dallas Trinity River Vision Boondoggle  installed in the Trinity River to make a white water rapids thrill for the few people in Dallas interested in floating a kayak a short distance over a fake rapids in a polluted river.

Well, it quickly became obvious the SWWF was stupid due to being so dangerous it was deemed unsafe. Only a few million bucks were spent building this theme park attraction, which no one could use.

A few years went by with the SWWF blocking navigation on the Trinity River. The Army Corps of Engineers then came to town, all upset that Dallas had broken a long standing law which forbade such obstructions on a navigable river.

I had no idea til reading such that the Trinity River was considered to be navigable. Just a few miles upstream from Dallas, in Fort Worth, navigation on the Trinity River is not possible due to obstructions placed in the river by the same Army Corps of Engineers which is being all cranky over the Dallas SWWF obstruction. In Fort Worth there are multiple dam-like structures on the river, causing mini-reservoirs and crossings for the Trinity Trail.

If a boat floater made it past the little dams, further upstream, on the West Fork, the boater would find their boat trip halted by the Lake Worth Dam blocking the Trinity River. A person floating their boat on the Clear Fork would soon find their journey ended by the Lake Benbrook Dam.

I would think the bigger issue with the Dallas SWWF on the Trinity is not that it impedes the flow of boat traffic, but that it is a dangerous hazard which serves no purpose.

I long ago opined about thinking it to be so bizarre how Fort Worth basically copied Dallas with Fort Worth's Trinity River Vision, but foisting it on the public, with no public debate, no vote, just a done deal, an ever changing vision which has gone from turning Fort Worth into the Vancouver of the South to being the world's premiere waterfront music venue for inner tube floating beer parties in a polluted river, the world's first drive-in movie theater of the 21st century, an ice skating rink, a beer brewery, countless festivals, an embarrassing work of kinetic art costing almost a million bucks and one little bridge under construction, with celebrating taking place because that bridge's wooden V-pier forms were finally under construction.

Unlike Dallas, Fort Worth has no Jim Schultze pointing out the various Fort Worth absurdities. I think Jim Schultze should expand his observation area to the west, to include Fort Worth, where he will find a rich treasure trove of incredible nonsense.

In other words, while the Dallas Trinity River Vision may be a mess, the Fort Worth Trinity River Vision hired the unqualified son of a local congresswoman, J.D. Granger, to be the Executive Director of the Fort Worth Vision, hoping that this would motivate his mama to secure some pork barrel earmarks to pay for what has become a bizarre boondoggle with little accomplished in a project which has spanned most of this century.

So far the Fort Worth version of a Trinity River Vision is not seeing any white water rapids.

However, due to the Fort Worth Vision's penchant for copying the Dallas Vision, as much as possible (except Fort Worth lost its three signature bridges) the Fort Worth Vision still includes a kayak white water rapids feature. You can see that illustrated in propaganda signage The Boondoggle long ago installed in Fort Worth's Gateway Park, where, currently, The Boondoggle is removing dirt from what will be Gateway Park West, which is where I believe The Boondoggle's white water rapids will be located.

I do not think the Army Corps of Engineers is going to be able to object to the Fort Worth SWWF due to the fact, like I already mentioned, navigation on the Trinity River in Fort Worth has already been impeded by the Army Corps of Engineers....

Looking At Skagit Valley Signs Of Spring Waiting For Texas Wildflowers

Yesterday I looked northwest from my current location and lamented the bland scenery my eyes were seeing. The only colors being the blue of the sky and the green of scrub brush.

This morning, on Facebook, I saw the scenic scene you see here, with the text under the photo saying "Signs of Spring in the Skagit Valley this morning!"

The yellow color you see are  flowers called daffodils. Apparently an early arrival of Spring has the Skagit Flats springing alive with color.

Soon the daffodils will be joined by huge fields of tulips in multiple colors, along with other flowers springing from bulbs, like irises, flags, dahlias and likely others I am not remembering right now.

In a month or two the month long Skagit Valley Tulip Festival happens all over the valley, bringing in around a million Tulip Tourists from all over the world. These are real tourists,  not the imaginary type tourists the Fort Worth tourist counters count. You know, counting as a tourist someone visiting Fort Worth from a nearby town, like Arlington.

Yesterday I also found myself lamenting the sad state of hills at my current location where little mounds of earth are called hills, like my neighborhood Woodhaven Hills.

If you look beyond the daffodils in the above photo you will see a couple actual hills. At my current location if such a hill existed I am guessing it would be called a mountain.

I don't remember if I have seen the Skagit Valley Tulips this century. I think the only time I have been back to the Skagit Valley in Spring was in April of 2006 for Spencer Jack's dad's first wedding. I know I only saw the Skagit Flats from a distance, zipping north on I-5, to Burlington for the wedding, then Mount Vernon for the wedding reception, and then back south, well after dark.

When I lived in the Skagit Valley I usually found the Tulip Festival to be an annoyance, particularly when I lived in West Mount Vernon, which was greatly impacted by all the tourists.

Bad traffic jams.

I know the Tulip Traffic problem has been somewhat mitigated in multiple ways, like signage directing people off the freeway prior to the main Mount Vernon/Burlington exits. And getting people to leave their cars in mall parking lots to hop aboard a Tulip Bus to take the Tulip Tour. And spreading the tourists out to new locations, like Tulip Town and events in the various towns in the Skagit Valley.

Last year, or the year before, I recollect reading about some ranch land up near Denton where someone had planted a big field of tulips, hoping people would come to view them and buy bulbs. I remember wondering at the time how a field of tulips would survive in Texas, what with the weather extremes.

In a month, give or take a week or two, Texas will be rivaling the Skagit Valley, color-wise, when the wildflowers put on their annual show. Is there a Wildflower Festival somewhere in Texas? If not, there should be.....

Looking Northwest At A Flat Hill Thinking About Seeing Trump & Hillary With A Chile Relleno & Cancer

This last Wednesday of 2016's version of February, from my perch about twenty feet above ground level, looking northwest over the Woodhaven Hills, feeling pensive.

I don't remember how I verbalized it, but in some form my New Years Resolution for 2016 was to end my exile in Texas and return to the Pacific Northwest.

Looking at the Woodhaven Hills is a good representative of the lack of scenic scenery at my current location on the planet. To call the slight rises to the west of my location "hills" seems to be some sort of insult to all the actual hills that elevate other locations on the planet.

Two months in to 2016 and I have made zero progress towards actualizing my New Years Resolution.

The other thing that has me feeling morose is all the people I know who are at various stages of battling cancer. One just started the fight, one is at the terminal end of the fight, two are in the middle of the fight.

I learned this morning via esteemed Fort Worth Star-Telegram columnist and connoisseur of good food, Bud Kennedy, that Donald Trump will be holding one of his Nuremberg Rally type events around noon on Friday at the Fort Worth Convention Center. I am thinking that this might be amusing to attend.

It is hard to believe it was so long ago, but around this time, eight years ago, I went to the Fort Worth Stockyards for My Date With Hillary. I successfully got past the gauntlet of security, due to security not realizing the old stockyard pens, and the boardwalk above them, gave direct access to the front of the line of the thousands waiting the see Mrs. Clinton.

That was a memorable day. I think that was the last time I had myself a chile relleno at Esperanza's. I will miss chile rellenos at Esperanza's when I move back to Washington. But, apparently not too much, if it has been eight years since I have enjoyed that delicacy.....

Fighting My Way Through A Stormy Texas Tuesday To Early Vote

On this bleak, dreary, rainy final Tuesday of February I did my civic duty to do some dark very early Early Voting, as you can see via the "I Voted" sticker stuck to my reading glasses.

I tried to do the Early Voting thing last Friday at the East Regional Library. But that location no longer was available. So, it was back to the place I had long done the Early Voting thing, the Handley Community Center.

When I last Early Voted, at the aforementioned East Regional Library, I was not asked for photo identification. I was required to show photo I.D. today. I indicated I thought requiring such had been ruled illegal. I was told that that ruling had not yet been made.

I think the reason I was not  asked for photo I.D. the last time I Early Voted was due to the fact that those precinct workers were very sleepy. They had trouble finding my name on the roll. By the time my name was finally found we were all old friends, thus forgetting to ask to see my I.D., I assume.

Anyway, I'd not voted in a primary since 2008, so I forgot that one must indicate if one wanted the Republican or Democrat ballot. So, I did not get to vote for Donald Trump, just to do my little bit to muck things up.

With Early Voting out of the way, I now await the worsening of the ongoing storm. Below you are looking at the stormy view, minutes ago, from my patio overlook view of the world.

The temperature was 54 when I made my way to Handley to vote. The temperature has now fallen to 48. The temperature is scheduled to continue to fall, with strong winds scheduled to blow hard this afternoon. Along with some possibly thunder booming.

After being able to swim the past couple days I thought maybe this winter madness was over for the year. Clearly I thought wrong.....