Tootsie Tonasket Picketing Okanogan County Courthouse Seeking Justice

The lovely lady you see here is known by various names. Tootsie Tonasket. Aunt Alice. Alice Odella. And Alice Hudson.

On Monday Aunt Alice and family and friends ventured to Okanogan to stage a protest in front of the Okanogan County Courthouse.

I blogged about this this morning on my Washington blog in Wade Hudson Family & Friends Picket Okanogan Courthouse For Justice.

For those who do not not know what happened to Wade Hudson that is causing his family and friends to protest I will copy an explanatory paragraph from previous bloggings....

On Saturday, September 26, 2015 33 year old Wade Hudson was brutally beaten to death in Omak, Washington by police person Shane Schaefer. Wade was murdered because he had a series of epileptic seizures from which he had not fully recovered and was not able to respond to the demands of this very aggressive, abusive killer in uniform. There is a civil law suit filed by Wade's parents against this murderer and a congressman helping to ask for an independent investigation into this death. The Omak, WA police agency has done an internal investigation and found the killer not guilty of murder. The evidence and witnesses do not support their decision. Please help us, Wade's family send this evil cop to prison and get him off the streets before he kills more innocent citizens for being very ill and disabled.

Why Does Fort Worth Not See Biggest Jump In Bus Riders Of Any U.S. City

Well, this which I saw this morning in the Seattle Times online certainly fits within our popular theme of things I read in west coast news sources online about something on the west coast that I would likely never see in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about a similar thing happening in Fort Worth.

The Fort Worth "T" bus system is a bit primitive. Long waits between buses. With the buses also being a bit primitive.

As in the Fort Worth buses provide a bit of a rough ride on the rough Fort Worth roads.

Even so, I really do not understand why more Fort Worthers do not ride the bus. It is fun. Like a ride in a crazy theme park.

Seattle has been adding new buses and bus lines of late. That and the Link Light Rail recently opened a new extension which extends light rail all the way to the University of Washington, via a tunnel dug under one of the Seattle Seven Hills. Capitol Hill? Queen Anne? I can never remember which Seattle hill is which.

Modern mass transit seems to be catching in the modern parts of America, like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle and Dallas.

Below is a YouTube video I made eight years ago. In the video you will walk with me to Seattle's Westlake Center.

Westlake Center is one of downtown Seattle's square/plaza type venues.

We walk into the Westlake Center vertical mall, where the southern terminus of the Monorail is located, and then descend down several levels to the Seattle bus and light rail tunnel's Westlake Station. We'll get onboard a crowded Seattle bus. We will exit the bus in the cavernous Pioneer Square station and as we ascend to ground level you will see a line of buses coming into the station and leaving.

Now, would it not be a good thing to be able to access Fort Worth's bustling downtown in such a modern, efficient manner?        

Does A Tandy Hills BioBlitz Earth Day Weekend Come With No Prairie Fest?

I am more than a little tired. Have been up since before five. Have been having trouble sleeping.

But, enough about my litany of woe.

I needed to take care of something which could only be taken care of directly at the U.S. Post Office this morning.

I opted to use the Handley Post Office, which is the one I have been used to using for quite a few years.

But, it has been a couple years since I had the direct, in the Handley Post Office, experience.

Yikes!

Long line. One postal worker working slow. Real slow. She was working on one customer when I joined the line, eight people back. 37 minutes later the line finally moved. Eventually a second postal worker opened a second window. From that point the wait was not too much longer.

After finally getting my postal business taken care of, since I was in the neighborhood, I decided to drive to View Street, for a short jaunt on the Tandy Hills. I can't remember the last time I jaunted on the Tandy Hills, but it has been awhile.

Upon arrival I saw the sign you see above, advertising the upcoming Tandy Hills Natural Area BioBlitz on Earth Day, 6 a.m. Friday, April 22, til Saturday, April 23 at 6 p.m.

I have been asked by more than once by more than one person when this year's Prairie Fest was taking place. Additionally asking if I'd noticed any promoting of the 2016 Prairie Fest.

Well.

This Earth Day weekend is the usual time the Prairie Fest takes place.

I do not know what has become of the Prairie Fest. I've heard nothing. I suspect it has been replaced by this BioBlitz event.

I usually check out the Prairie Fest each year. I don't know if I will be checking out this BioBlitz deal. Pretty much ever time I've gotten blitzed the next morning I wake up with a splitting headache. I do not like waking up with a splitting headache....

Communing With Nature At North Richland Hills Fossil Creek Park

Today during my daily nature commune I discovered the best North Richland Hills park yet.

Fossil Creek Park.

Located a short distance south and west of Linda Spurlock Park at which I parked and walked a couple days ago.

Fossil Creek Park is so named because Fossil Creek runs through it. As you can see this park is wooded and scenic. With a waterfall or two.

An unpaved trail meanders along the creek's edge, at times right at the edge of a steep drop off.

The trail looks down upon what appear to be deep, swimmable pools, once of which had a school of fish holding steady against the current. I am guessing these fish were bass. I assume they are edible bass due to the fact that the water appeared to be clear.

I don't remember if it is Fossil Creek, or Little Fossil Creek, or both, which are the evil nemesis of Elsie Hotpepper.

Walking along Fossil Creek it was easy to see how high this creek's water reached in flood mode, due to the evidence of litter deposited high up on trees along the creek's bank.

Above you are looking south at the Onyx Drive South Bridge over Fossil Creek. Due west of that bridge is the entry to, and parking lot for Fossil Creek Park.

The City of Richland Hills Park Department's website's description of Fossil Creek Park described it as being as if one has left a densely populated urban zone to suddenly find oneself in the wilderness.

I am recalling that description from memory, but I believe I got the drift of it fairly accurately.

Because walking along Fossil Creek, hearing birds tweeting, the noise of falling water, the lush forest of trees, well, it was a good commune with nature today.

Apparently Dallas Is Walkable While Fort Worth Is Fratty With ZBonz

On Friday I blogged about being impressed with what I saw whilst walking the Bear Creek Trail in Keller, Texas.

Soon thereafter someone calling him or herself Anonymous commented with three interesting links...

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Still In Texas Walking Keller's Bear Creek Trail Finding A Castle, Palace & Sphinx": 

Fort Worth's newest park ZBonz opened earlier today.

Something to Bark About

_______________________

Here are the 10 most walkable neighborhoods in Texas and none are in Fort Worth. Every big city in Texas is represented save for one, Cowtown.

The 10 Most Walkable Neighborhoods in Texas

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Fort Worth does, however, have the frattiest college in Texas and the 4th frattiest in the nation. That school is Texas Christian University or TCU as some call it. Frattiest schools have the highest percentage of male students involved in social fraternities. SMU in Dallas is rated as the 8th frattiest school and is the only other Texas school in the top ten.

The Frattiest Colleges in America

_______________________

So, what I am thinking, after reading this, is that Fort Worth has two things to bark about. One being a new dog park, and the other bark worthy thing being having the 4th Frattiest college in America.

In the article about the new Fort Worth dog park I read....

Fort Worth residents and their canine companions have been eagerly awaiting the completion of ZBonz, a new dog park located at 6950 W. Camp Bowie Blvd., and on April 9, that wait will finally be over.

Well. I am sort of a Fort Worth resident, though currently in North Richland Hills. I have not been eagerly awaiting the completion of the ZBonz Dog Park. I knew nothing about it til today.

I am not sure I know what a Fratty school is. Is this a good thing? Or bad? Since Fort Worth ranks so high, I'm guessing it is the former. Is J.D. Granger a TCU product?

As for Fort Worth walkability, two paragraphs from that article...

According to our calculations based on Walk Score data, Dallas is the big winner when it comes to walkability. Not only did Downtown Dallas nab our number one spot for the most walkable neighborhood in the state with an 89 out of 100 Walk Score, but Dallas also tied for the most neighborhoods to make the top 10 list, with a total of three neighborhoods. Austin came in a close second place to Dallas, with three neighborhoods in the top 10 list, including the number two and three slots.

Which cities didn’t fare so well? Houston, San Antonio and El Paso, which made the bottom slots of our list, and Fort Worth, which didn’t make an appearance at all.

Downtown Dallas is the most walkable neighborhood in Texas?

Well.

I have walked all over downtown Dallas. And downtown Fort Worth. I find neither all that great a walking experience, but I would have to pick Fort Worth's downtown as the more walkable. Did Fort Worth lose points because of that shameful Heritage Park eyesore blighting the north end of its downtown?

Much of Fort Worth lacks sidewalks. But the downtown area has wide sidewalks on many of the streets. Walking from one end of downtown to the other is easy. The traffic is light, there are few people. Walking around downtown Dallas is a bit more challenging.

How did Dallas rank top in Texas? This makes no sense to me. Downtown San Antonio seems very walkable to me. And more interesting than downtown Dallas.

Now that you have me thinking about it, downtown Dallas does have a lot of attractions. Is Deep Ellum considered part of downtown? How about the Dallas Farmers Market? Downtown Dallas has a department store or two. Neiman Marcus comes to mind. Downtown Fort Worth is sadly lacking in the department store department.

Anyway, these type lists are usually a bit silly. This one seems to be a bit sillier than most...

Modern Capp Smith Park In Wautauga Texas With Passive Muscovy Ducks

In years gone by my Saturday norm was to hike the Tandy Hills, or bike Gateway Park, and then go to Town Talk.

But, the passage of time changes what one does on any given day of the week That and location plays a factor.

Currently my location is in North Richland Hills.

So, on this 2nd Saturday of April I stopped at the close by, biggest I have ever seen, Super Walmart to get myself some earplugs. I had trouble finding that which I was looking for and so resorted to asking one of the Walmart guides. I asked the Walmart guide if this was the biggest Walmart in the world. She indicated it is one of the biggest. It seems about double the size of the Eastchase Super Walmart I have been used to frequenting.

After finishing with the Walmarting I headed west to what is known as the Denton Highway, then headed north to what is known as the town of Wautauga to take a walk around Capp Smith Park.

In the first photo you are looking at something, again, that one rarely finds in a Fort Worth park.

Modern restroom facilities, with running water, including a drinking fountain.

I could not figure out what danger was presented by going beyond the point of this warning sign.

Capp Smith Park has a water feature created by a dam at the south end of the park, damming up a little creek. Fish swim in the pond that the dam created. I saw some guys fishing. I saw no signs warning fish catchers not to eat the fish they catch.

Capp Smith has a variety of features, such as this sun shaded amphitheater type area you see on the right. There are exercise stations located along the paved trail which makes a circle around the dammed pond.

And there is yet another modern restroom facility with running water at this relatively small park in Wautauga, Texas. The restroom facility you see below is at the south end of the park, which would make that first restroom facility we saw located at the north end.

A couple days ago when I found a modern restroom facility in the relatively small North Richland Hills Linda Spurlock Park I opined that maybe Fort Worth should send out a task force to find out how these small towns manage such modernity. Now add Wautauga to the towns the task force should visit.

Continuing on, I came to the scene below

Three guys taking turns taking pictures of themselves with a flock of Muscovy Ducks who seemed impervious to the intrusion. When the guy on the left saw I was taking a picture he got all apologetic and quickly moved away from the ducks. I said, no, I wanted you in the picture.

I then walked down the slope to the guys and the ducks. They said they'd been there about 15 minutes, with the ducks just sitting there, acting all nonchalant, instead of skittish, which is the duck norm.

I don't remember when last, before today, I'd been to Capp Smith Park. This used to be one of my roller blading destinations. My last time at this park may have been the time I tried to teach Gar the Texan how to roller blade.

Teaching Gar the Texan how to roller blade did not go well. He wobbled about 200 feet, then plopped down on a bench with a couple old ladies. Gar the Texan did not think he could do any more rolling. And so the attempt to teach Gar the Texan how to roll was ended.

We then went to a nearby Chili's bar, which presented a much more familiar type activity for Gar the Texan. Soon he found himself embroiled in a domestic dispute which was being disputed on adjacent bar stools.

Still In Texas Walking Keller's Bear Creek Trail Finding A Castle, Palace & Sphinx

I needed to ship something to someone from a UPS Store today. Looking for UPS Store locations I saw one in Keller near the Bear Creek Park trailway.

So, it was to Keller a package or two and I went.

When I lived in Haslet, a short distance to the west, I frequented this park frequently, usually to roller blade. This was the location where I learned to roller blade. Walking a couple miles of this paved trail today it sort of surprised me to realize I used to roller blade this narrow, somewhat hilly, curvy, busy trail.

Bear Creek Park has been greatly upgraded since I last walked this part of the planet. A large part of the park is currently closed due to even more renovations.

One of the new additions is what you see above. Soon I came upon two more of this type thing.

All together three of the coolest things I have come upon in a long while. The person walking with me wondered how much these clever abstract sculptures cost, what with Fort Worth spending about a million bucks on a piece of kinetic art which has moved few. The person walking with me opined that if that piece of junk in Fort Worth is worth a million these Keller works of public art must have cost several million.

Next to each of these works of abstract art is an explanation of what you are looking at. The one you are looking at here is inspired by a medieval castle built for King Ludwig II of Bavaria in honor of opera composer Richard Wagner

King Ludwig's castle was the inspiration for Disneyland's Magic Kingdom castle.

To see King Ludwig's castle, as envisioned by the clever abstract sculptor, you had to look through the viewing portal which directed you to look at the metal in a way which pulled all the pieces together into a recognizable image.

My favorite of the three is the one below. Can you guess what the twisted gold metal turns into when you look through the clarifying viewing portal?

The face of the Egyptian Pharoh Khafra, also known as the Sphinx.

The Sphinx was my favorite because it was the most difficult to see. In all three you had to move your focus around as you looked through the viewing portal til you eventually find the sweet spot which makes the vision clear. With the Sphinx I thought it to be amazing how all those chunks of metal could come together like this and looked solid, with shading and color tone changes, giving it a three dimensional look.

The third piece of abstract sculpture was inspired by Russian bad boy, Ivan the Terrble (Tsar Ivan IV).

Ivan got his terrible reputation by doing things like blinding the architect who designed this palace so that he could never create anything so beautiful again. Ivan the Terrible had this palace built to commemorate the capture of Kazan and Astrakhav.

The reason the above was my least favorite of the three was only due to the fact that it took no effort to see the random chunks of metal looking like what you see above. The Sphinx took a bit of effort.

Anyway, quite impressed with Keller today. That town has really grown since I first came to town late in the last century.

Below is a YouTube video I made when I came upon the first of today's works of public art...

Spencer Jack Flies To Portland To See The Wreck Of The Peter Iredale

I found out this morning that a couple days ago I erroneously blogged Spencer Jack Flies His Dad Over Mt. St. Helens On The Way To The Grand Canyon because I thought that was where Spencer was flying his dad.

Instead Spencer Jack flew his dad from Bellingham to Portland. I learned this this morning via email. The email included several photos, along with text from my Favorite Nephew Jason.

In the first photo Spencer Jack is in Astoria. Behind Spencer Jack is the Columbia River. That ribbon of steel above the river is the Astoria-Megler Bridge. The Astoria-Megler Bridge was built in around four years. Built over swift moving water with frequent depth changes called tides. Built while accommodating shipping traffic heading out to the Pacific or upriver to various ports.

Spencer Jack also sent me a video, via the phone which I turned into a YouTube video. The text message included no description of what we are looking at in the video. My best guess is the plane is coming in for its landing in Portland. I will copy Jason's email message below the photos and below that I will stick the video.

(UPDATE: Email from Spencer Jack's dad corrects uncle's errors. Email copied in its entirety at end of post.)

Below Spencer Jack is on an Oregon Coast Pacific beach. I don't know if this is at Fort Stevens State Park, Seaside or Cannon Beach.

The next two photos I did not expect to see this morning. In a case of extreme coincidence, something yesterday caused me to look up the Wreck of the Peter Iredale. Something caused that subject to cross my mind and have me wondering if the remains of the wreck still existed. So, I Googled Peter Iredale to find out.

How could I know I did not need to Google this because within a day Spencer Jack would provide the answer, including photo documentation.

And how did Jason and Spencer Jack come to have the below photo? A photo I do not have.

That is my dad and me, standing in front of the Wreck of the Peter Iredale.

And now the email message from Jason and below that the aforementioned video....

FUD --

Spencer Jack and I just returned home to the Skagit Valley tonight.

Sorry for the delay in providing you with photos of your greatest nephew's first visit to one of the great wonders of the world---that being the Grand Canyon.

Those photos are not provided in this e-mail.  

Spencer Jack and I postponed visiting such, for reasons not discussed in this e-mail, and flew out of our favorite airport, that being Bellingham International 38 minutes south to a town called Portland.   We have learned that air transport abbreviates unnecessary road time.  

Anyway....

We managed our way to Portland.

From Portland, we took turns driving our rental car to many tourist spots.  We visited Astoria, stopping at the school were Kindergarten Cop was filmed, attempted to see the old 'Goonies' house, before making our way south.   Had a blast at Fort Stevens.    Saw what is left of the Peter Iredale.   Spent the night in this tourist town called Seaside.   This town is so fun and so grown up from what I remember as a child.

Visited Canon Beach, and further south....the Tillamook Cheese Factory, and Spencer even talked me into going to Multnomah Falls.  

Hope all is well, and I hope you enjoy the photos, FNJ.



Update from Spencer Jack's dad....

The video was Spencer looking out the window, seeing his mother's house, and all of Skagit Valley whilst the airplane was descending into Bellingham.  I'm surprised FUD didn't recognize this.

Also, I believe that is your twin sister Fancy in the photo with your papa.

Are you feeling okay?   You appear to be displaying early onset of dementia. 

Today I Found Something In A Park I Don't Often Find In Fort Worth Parks

No, that is not Fosdick Lake in Fort Worth's Oakland Lake Park you see here with a strange twisted pipe rising from the water.

This pond is in North Richland Hills in a park called Linda Spurlock Park.

I am currently staying in North Richland Hills near several parks, including Linda Spurlock's.

I tried to find Doctor Pillow Park because it sounded interesting, with some sort of Texas missions theme and trails through the wooded zone of Bear Creek. I followed the directions to Doctor Pillow Park, but when I reached where it should be I was at a dead end.

Both Google and my Microsoft Streefinder could not get me to Doctor Pillow Park.

As for Linda Spurlock Park, that one was easy to find. The was a pretty basic park. A paved trail runs around the perimeter. But, this small park did have something one usually does not see in a Fort Worth park, but do usually see in parks in modern parts of America.

An indoor restroom facility, complete with running water. And the sink inside had hand sanitizer lotion at sinkside.

Now, how come a little park in a little town is able to manage to have modern restroom facilities, whilst most parks in Fort Worth do not?

Perhaps Fort Worth could send a task force to North Richland Hills to try and find out.....

Spencer Jack Flies His Dad Over Mt. St. Helens On The Way To The Grand Canyon

Yesterday I blogged A Photo Of My Grandpa & Grandma Takes Me On A Detour Down Memory Lane in which I said something like "Jason if you are reading this you need to have Spencer Jack take you north to see if that Grandpa Porter memorial plaque still exists.

Well, Jason did read that and emailed that the going north to Lynden would have to wait til next week's agenda, because currently Spencer Jack is on Spring Break, which has Spencer Jack and my Favorite Nephew Jason flying to Las Vegas, I believe, unless the plan has changed since I last spoke to Jason.

From Las Vegas Spencer Jack is driving his dad to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Jason's dad, my Favorite Brother Jake, took Jason to see the grandest canyon in the world for the first time a month or two ago.

Jason was very impressed when he first saw the Grand Canyon. I remember my similar reaction a long long time ago. I can understand why Jason was eager to show Spencer Jack the Grand Canyon.

The email included a couple photos.

In the photo above I don't know which mountain is outside Spencer Jack's window.

Part of Jason's email said "Captured some great photos of two volcanoes on our way out of town. Apparently one of them erupted almost 36 years ago."

Well, I can tell the volcano in the foreground is Mount St. Helens. I don't know which volcano is in the distance. Adams? Hood? I don't think it's Mount Rainier.

How can it be 36 years since Mount St. Helens blew up? I recollect that day like it was yesterday. A little after 8 in the morning I was peacefully having myself a soak in the tub when I head loud concussive noise, like a bomb exploding. Soon a neighbor knocked on the door to tell us that the mountain had blown.