Caribbean Walking Safely Not Tumbling Into Holliday Creek Gorge

With the temperature nearing 70, with a strong wind providing some cooling, I opted to venture out into the current heat wave to go on a long walk in my Caribbean neighborhood.

I headed north on the Circle Trail til I got to Grenada. Left Grenada for Barbados and then used Haiti to get back to the Circle Trail.

I was slightly overdressed in t-shirt and cargo shorts.

With these wildly fluctuating temperatures it is difficult at times to know what level of outer wear is needed for comfort's sake.

In the photo view we are on the Circle Trail looking south. At this location apparently a rail fence is needed to prevent people from tumbling into the Holliday Creek gorge. I know this rail fence made me feel safe from tumbling.

Tomorrow I will likely be at various locations in the Dallas zone, far from any danger of tumbling into the Holliday Creek gorge.

The temperature is currently scheduled to drop into the freezing zone again, tomorrow. I hope I get my level of outer wear correct....

How About Fixing Real Fort Worth Flood Issues?

This morning, prior to checking in on Facebook I did my regular habit of checking various online news sources, including the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, where I read an article titled "Fixing Fort Worth flooding issues could top $1 billion, reports says".

Well, that headline hooked my interest, what with Fort Worth already spending, supposedly, around $1 billion on flooding issues with what has become known as America's Biggest Boondoggle, also known as the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision.

America's Biggest Boondoggle was, in part, supposedly supposed to solve some imaginary flood issues where no floods have occurred for over half a century, With that lack of flooding due to the fact that massive levees were installed by the Army Corps of Engineers way back in the 1950s, which have kept Central Fort Worth dry ever since.

The Boondoggle wants to remove those levees and replace them with a flood diversion ditch. However, the inept Boondoggle has been stymied for a long time now by being unable to figure out how to build three simple  little bridges over dry land to connect the Fort Worth mainland to an imaginary island.

Today's Star-Telegram article about flooding issues has nothing to do with the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's inept flood control project. The article is about actual flash flooding which has repeatedly occurred in other areas of Fort Worth.

Many have long opined regarding the ridiculous wastefulness of throwing money away on an un-needed flood control project where there are no floods, while Fort Worth and Tarrant County have actual serious, deadly flash flood issues.

Such as the deadly flash floods which have occurred in Haltom City.

The Haltom City flood issues have largely been ignored, including being ignored by Congresswoman Kay Granger, who surveyed the Haltom City floods, but did nothing.

Kay Granger's efforts have gone into securing federal funds for America's Biggest Boondoggle, where there are no floods, but is a project which was able to give her son, J.D., a job for which he was totally not qualified, for which he has been paid well over $1 million during his reign of incompetence.

In typical Star-Telegram fashion, today's article about the need to spend $1 billion to fix flooding issues is a bit bizarre.

Bizarre because no mention is made of the money being wasted on the TRV Boondoggle fixing non-existent flood issues.

Two paragraphs illustrating the bizarreness of this Star-Telegram article...

“If we [spent $25 million to $35 million] we would have spent more money than we’ve ever spent to solve a single flooding issue in the city of Fort Worth and there would still be a significant flooding risk,” Simmons recently told the council.

And many other locations in the city have similar problems, but most of the serious problems are in the central city, or within Loop 820, where Simmons said the drainage system is below current standards.

If $25 to $35 million is spent this would be more than ever spent in Fort Worth on a flooding issue? How  much money has already been thrown down the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle drain?  I suspect it is well in excess of $35 million. How much was spent to build the existing levees  in the downtown Fort Worth zone?

Many other locations in the city have problems, but the most serious are in the central city?

Central City?

Isn't  Central City one of the many names which have been given the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle?

Very perplexing.

So, when I did get around to checking in on Facebook I soon saw that I was being pointed to a Facebook post about this Star-Telegram article about which I have been opining.

That Facebook post generated many comments, including a long one from TRWD board member, Mary Kelleher.  I will copy the Mary Kelleher comment below, along with a couple  other comments....

My name is Mary Kelleher and I'm currently on the Board of the TRWD (Tarrant Regional Water District). I'm frequently criticized by my fellow board members (Victor Henderson, Jack Stevens, Jim Lane, and Marty Leonard) for fighting for people like us against wasteful spending by people like them....career politicians and Fort Worth Way Good Ole Boys and Girls. I could really use your help. Here's just an example:

In 2004, the citizens of Fort Worth voted for Proposition 1; the ballot read, “The issuance of public securities for street and storm sewer improvements in the aggregate sum of $232,000,000.” What the people didn’t know was this money was going to be used for the design and construction of the Trinity River Vision. 

In 2008, citizens of Fort Worth voted for another Proposition 1. The ballot read, “The issuance of public securities for street improvements in the aggregate sum of $150,000,000.” What the people didn’t know was this money was going to be used for three bridges over the TRV bypass channel. The bridges are to be built over dry land and the water will come later IF federal funding is still available by then.

So....while millions of our tax dollars go to this frivolous economic development project disguised as flood control....parts of our city are truly suffering unprecedented flooding as the city has failed to plan for the spike in development and its effects on our now-inadequate infrastructure. 

Following Mary's comment, a couple other Facebook  comments....

Deborah Forbes: This is what the TRWD should be doing instead of buying properties, forcing businesses out, building bridges, developing waterways. They should have helped the city become more flood resistant.

And this....

Wm Atkins: In Fort Worth, Trinity River Vision Boondoggle is more important than homes being flooded.

Women (And Men) All Over The Globe Marching With Ian McKellan In London

Yesterday's Women's March turned into a global event the likes of which is pretty much unprecedented, near as I can remember.

This morning I learned my old hometown, Mount Vernon, in Washington, had a big turnout, lining the main drag through downtown with protesters chanting and waving signs.

The phenomenon was repeated in towns large and small all over America.

And the rest of the world.

Including London.

Here we see British actor Ian McKellan holding the protest sign he carried yesterday in London.

On his Facebook page Mr. McKellan posted his take on what yesterday's marches, worldwide, were all about.

Many clueless sorts seem unable to understand, near as I can tell, from what I've seen in comment form in various locations,  why millions of people were in protest mode.

The clueless are always among us, as has always been the case.

Below is Ian McKellan's Facebook post about yesterday's Global Event....

The Women’s March in London was the longest I have been on. Unlike most demonstrations it was not commandeered by any one group with its identical posters.

The Women and their allies had devised their own visual protests, hand-written and improvised at home, expressing their personal reaction to the new president, whose name in schoolyard English means “to break wind” appropriately.

The placard of Sir Patrick, by the way, was not my own – I found it at the end of the March in Trafalgar Square. 

President Breaking Wind has impacted us all; and personally. Some like him, think they can identify with him, believe him because they’ve seen him on television perhaps and think the billionaire and his billionaire team are truly their friends. The rest of us, including the majority of voters in USA, see through the charade: after all, the schtick is not exactly subtle. But he’s riled us, got under our skin, making us angry and despairing that he should have got through to the final of his show and turned democracy into a TV/Twitter spectacular.

What will happen? No doubt his believers will be soon disillusioned. The rest of us cannot let him reign unchallenged. The Marches worldwide were a good beginning. Some who fear him say “give the man a chance”. OK – he’s started by removing LGBTQ people, climate change and state funding of the arts from POTUS’s website. He’s had his chance.

Wichita Falls January 21 Women's March

Yesterday I indicated today I was likely going to be participating in the Wichita Falls version of the Women's March phenomenon taking place all over America and the world today.

And so I did.

It takes about two minutes to get from my abode to the starting location for today's march, that being Sikes Lake.

I must have my clocks off by a few minutes because when Midwestern Boulevard and Sikes Lake came into view I could see the marching was already underway, with a lot people quickly parking and running to join.

It took what seemed like a mile for me to finally get to the front of the march to take the photo you see above of the "WOMENS MARCH OF THE FALLS" banner which lead the protest.

The above photo was taken near the start of the march. As you can see the weather was a bit inclement.  A little rain dripped, a few umbrellas were unfurled, thunder boomed in the distance. But, by the time the march reached Kemp Boulevard the sky had brightened and ceased with the dripping and booming.

I did not know what to expect prior to experiencing today's Wichita Falls Women's March. Just a few participants passively walking along? No protest signs?

Well.

At the start the number of marchers extended for a couple blocks and continued to grow  as we marched  along.  New marchers would park at businesses along the way and join in, or just stop and wave and cheer.

Yes, there was a political component to this march. I was not among those worried that Melania needs to be freed from her involuntary servitude. However, I do think Melania would be a folk hero for the ages if she escaped to freedom.

Wichita Falls knows how to hold a totally peaceful protest. We stopped for all street lights, causing temporary gaps in the marching line. During the traffic light stops the chanting seemed to grow louder,  particularly when vehicles drove by with their horns honking, passengers waving with thumbs up.

I would estimate about 25% of the marchers were not women. Such as the grizzled geezer you see above holding a Women's March on the Falls sign.

Above is another instance of the march stopping at an intersection with the crowd bunching up and getting  more demonstrative with their demonstrating.

On Kemp Boulevard, near where the marchers are marching above, we passed a car wash. Three men who worked at that car wash stood in front of their business and waved and hollered their support quite enthusiastically. I heard a lady say that that is where she would be taking her car to get washed from now on. I wish I had thought to take a picture of the three guys with their car wash name behind them. Suffice to say this car wash is near the Wendy's on Kemp.

Pink was a popular color today.

I was just a little distressed regarding the number of words I saw which were missing their much needed apostrophe. Often women or a woman missing that much needed apostrophe.

Looking back at the pictures I am thinking my estimation that about 25% of the protest marchers were male may be a bit off, well, maybe way off. Ten percent might be more accurate.

Like I said, there was a political component to the protest march. Obviously. Such as the above Hillary Clinton quote "Fear is always with Us, but We just don't have time for it. Not Now!"

There was a lot of horn honking support, which you can hear, along with chanting, in the YouTube video below. I shot this video on Kemp, near the aforementioned car wash staffed by good guys.

I only experienced two yahoo type moments during the march. One was a guy yelling out his window, shouting something like "you better not be protesting Trump". A women shouted back something like "this is not about Trump".  At another point a yahoo drove by with his arm out his window while his hand made a threatening gesture involving his middle finger.

Finally, the aforementioned YouTube video....

Trump Inauguration Venting From Spencer Jack's Dad

On this day, which will likely live on in infamy, a Trump Inauguration message from Spencer Jack's Dad, my Favorite Nephew Jason.....

FUD --

Tomorrow morning I am not going to be at work by my normal arrival time.  I will be watching the inauguration. 

Last year, on a very hot sunny Saturday, in early May, I attended Trump's rally in Lynden.  You and I talked in length about that event.  I described it as 'a red neck circus' and how it made me really embarrassed to have roots in Lynden or be associated with anyone who was truly there to support Trump.

I had no idea that Trump would have any chance of being our next president.  I truly thought I was only observing a man making a fool of himself and our democracy.

I was standing just yards from Trump's podium when he spoke.  Immediately after the speech, I was within just a few feet of the now president-elect, with ample opportunities to shake his hand.  I opted to let others forge forward.  A hand shake with the Donald did not intrigue me then, however, should I have known he would be elected, I might have just done such just for the sake of saying I did such.

Nephew Spencer Jack and myself are privileged. I'm saying that in the most humble way I can think of constructing such.  I know that many people in this world (and our own country)  don't have what we have.....health care, food, shelter, clothing, an education, etc.   We are very grateful to not be in that situation.

My whole adult life I have always believed in and tried to support those who are less fortunate than myself. I believe it to be my moral duty to help others, given the opportunities I have been afforded.  I don't believe Trump feels the same way.  I am a huge fan of social programs, open immigration, welfare, free education, and basically doing anything we can to help others succeed.  Taxing the wealthy to help the poor just makes sense to me.  I am worried Trump doesn't feel the same way.  I am so worried that he will put big business before any social obligations.  My biggest worry is that he will not help those people  --- the abandoned, abused, unfortunate and underprivileged --- and forget that our government was founded when it opted to seek to offer those inalienable rights for all.

I met my mother's parents at McDonald's for coffee two days ago.  They asked me if Spencer and I were flying back to D.C. to watch tomorrow's inauguration.  My mother's parents are huge Trump fans. I don't understand why. I avoided the subject, but all I could think about is how my mother's father is a son of an immigrant who came to this country with nothing.  That son of an immigrant now has 3 daughters, 7 grandchildren, 4 great grand children (Spencer Jack being the eldest) all of whom have health care, food, shelter, clothing, an education, etc...   Yet he supports a man who wants to build a wall.

I have personally been to the Statue of Liberty.  Spencer has not, he has only sailed past it....I will take him there someday so he can read the inscription planted on Miss Liberty:

Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free....

If I had a chance to talk to the Donald, I would kindly tell him this:  "We don't need a wall. We don't need tax breaks. Please set aside your agenda of helping big business, and help man kind.  This country was once open to immigrants wanting a better life.  Those are my ancestors.  Because of that opportunity, I have a way better life then they ever did.  Let's continue the cycle."

I live in a town full of immigrants.  Many are here, perhaps, illegally.  But I'm guessing they are all in the pursuit of happiness for their offspring.  I hope their children and grandchildren are given the same opportunities I was.

America is Great.  I hope it doesn't change.

FNJ

Holliday Creek Roaring Rapids Anticipating Saturday's Wichita Falls Protest March

Relatively warm air has returned to my location on the planet, with the temperature a couple dozen degrees warmer than freezing.

The return of relative balminess had me opening my kitchen window this morning to enable enjoying that heated breeze blowing in from the south.

When I opened the window I heard the sound of water moving fast, indicating to me that Holliday Creek was moving a large volume of water.

A short time later I slathered on the sunscreen and ventured out to take a look at Holliday Creek. What you see above are my backyard Holliday Creek rapids churning up some whitewater this morning.

I do not know why I have yet to see any kayakers shooting the Holliday Creek rapids. One would think such would take place, what with a university nearby full of free-spirited sorts.

Speaking of which, well, speaking of the nearby university. This morning, via Miss Marilyn on Facebook, I learned I will be doing some protest marching Saturday morning.

Miss Marilyn's Protest Post....

January 21st. Start at 10am and meet at Midwestern by Sike's Lake.
For those that can't walk that far you can pick up the March at Sike's Center as we move toward Fidelity Bank on Kemp and Kell. For those that can't walk far at all you can meet us at the bank for a show of solidarity there.
Purpose: We stand in solidarity with others in this great nation who feel their individual human rights have been threatened by the election of Donald Trump and the Cabinet members he has proposed. Mr. Trump may have been elected our next POTUS but WE will be heard and WE will not go away. This march is for both men and women.

____________________

I can not remember the last time I participated in a protest march. If ever.

I do remember being in Seattle with my two oldest favorite nephews, Jason and Joey, and coming back to ground level from the downtown Seattle bus tunnel to find ourselves in the midst of a HUGE protest march protesting, if I remember right, the first Gulf War, you know, the one to liberate Kuwait.

I doubt Saturday's Wichita Falls Protest March will be as big and loud as that one years ago in Seattle. But you never know. I have learned, during my short time here, that the people of Wichita Falls are a feisty collection of Texans, totally unlike those herds of sheep I was used to seeing in Fort Worth, where there is so much to protest about, just the local issues, but seldom is a peep heard.

Or, have I somehow missed the news of the Fort Worth protest march protesting America's Biggest Boondoggle and the still stalled construction of The Boondoggle's three simple little bridges connecting the Fort Worth mainland to an imaginary island?

A protest march demanding Kay Granger's son be fired from the job it is now quite clear for which he was totally not qualified. No, that won't happen, not in a district which re-elected Mrs. Granger, also known as Queen Porky Pig, by a landslide.

Meanwhile, to the northwest of Fort Worth, in Wichita Falls, on Saturday, there will be a protest march. Photo documentation will arrive that afternoon via this blog you are reading right now....

David Theo & Ruby Snoqualmie Summit Snow Fun

David on the left, Ruby in the Red Tube
with Theo on the right

At my old home zone location of Western Washington there are these things called mountains.

Mountains any direction one looks.

To the west the Olympic Mountains on the Olympic Peninsula.

To the east and south the Cascade Mountains.

At my old home location in the Skagit Valley I could drive a few miles to the east and be in a cross country ski zone, or a few miles to the west and be on a saltwater beach.

My Favorite Nephews, David and Theo, and Favorite Niece, Ruby, live in Tacoma, walking distance from the south end of Puget Sound.

Last night David, Theo and Ruby's mom, my Favorite Little Sister Michele, emailed me some pics, with the subject line of "Snow Fun".

The text in the email explained what I was looking at in the pictures....

We went tubing at Snoqualmie Summit yesterday and then played in the snow at the Hyak Sno-Park. Super fun.  And just over an hour from our house.  I know you like things like this, so I thought I'd send some pics.

To which I replied....

I had not seen snow lanes for tubes before. That must be a new invention since last I was in that snow zone.

Theo trekking rather than taking the Magic Carpet

To  which my little sister further elaborated....

Yeah, I’d been hearing about the tubing center for a few years, but this was our first visit.  You have to make reservations and buy a ticket for a two hour session. They have 5 or 6 sessions that all seem to sell out.  They really hit on something.  It used to have a rope tow to get you and your rental tube back to the top, but now it is a Magic Carpet. 

David ready to be launched

The mention of a Magic Carpet had me questioning....

Magic Carpet????

Ruby taking a break at (I'm guessing) the Hyak Sno-Park

The Magic Carpet question had my little sister explaining....

Think of a narrow, enclosed, moving sidewalk, but it is carpeted. It is weird, cuz you can feel the rollers under your feet.

This Magic Carpet thing intrigued me. The only means by which I have ever been transported up a snow covered mountain has been via chairlift, rope tow or gondola.

It did not take much Googling to find out that the ski resort  at the summit of Snoqualmie Pass is now called The Summit at Snoqualmie. I can not remember what this ski area was named whilst I still lived in the neighborhood. There are several ski resorts in the Snoqualmie Pass Summit area, in addition to The Summit at Snoqualmie, such as Hyak and  Alpental.

On The Summit at Snoqualmie website I found the conveyance which transports tubers up the hill referred to as the Magic Carpet, with it being explained as "our convenient covered conveyor surface lift that whisks you to the top of the hill..."

Seems like this Magic Carpet thing must be quite a feat of engineering, somehow adjusting to the ever changing snow depth.

The last time I was on a chair lift at Snoqualmie Summit it was not to go skiing. At some point in time in the late 1990s, myself, and some fellow mountain bikers, rode the chair lift up the mountain to easily access some extremely bumpy trails. The chairs were retrofitted to hold a bike, which rode on the chair ahead of the one the rider rode to the top.

As I recollect a large number of bikers were using this elevation gaining method. I remember the long ride back to start was a lot of fun. I do not remember how many times I took my bike up the chair lift that day....

Pray For Peace With Patterson Auto Via 2 Thessalonians 3:16

I do not remember when upon my arrival at my current location in North Texas, known as Wichita Falls, I began noticing signs suggesting one "PRAY FOR PEACE".

This praying suggestion appears on yard signs, such as the one you see here, which I photographed a few minutes ago whilst  I was jogging through my Caribbean themed neighborhood.

This praying suggestion also appears on roadside billboards.

And, whilst driving Highway 287 to the Dallas/Fort Worth zone I have seen multiple instances of this message attached to those big trailers you see on the road being towed by a semi-truck, with the big trailer detached from a semi, and then parked at a right angle to the road, thus serving as a movable billboard, temporarily stationary.

Under the PRAY FOR PEACE part of the message one reads "2 THESS. 3:16".

Googling this bible verse one only gets as far as "2 THES" before Google fills in "2 Thessalonians 3:16".

Clicking one of the links to this bible verse one soon sees various versions from various bible versions, with all versions pretty much expressing the same "Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you" sentiment, in slightly various ways.

All of these PRAY FOR PEACE signs also includes a website.

PattersonAuto.com

Clicking the link one quickly learns that  Patterson Auto is not a church. Patterson Auto is a car dealership, with multiple locations.

I make no judgement as to whether, or not, a car dealership advertising in this manner is appropriate, cheesy, tacky or sacrilegious.

I will make the judgement that there sure are a lot of people willing to help advertise in this manner, with this sign in their yard....

Martin Luther King Day Returns Blue Sky To North Texas

Last night, an hour or two after the sun left for the day, I found myself driving in an epic storm the likes of which I have seldom found myself driving in.

A storm which the weather predictors accurately predicted, including possible tornado action.

At the worst of the storm I found myself driving through lightning strikes striking on all sides, in front, to my rear, to my left, to my right.

With rain downpouring so copiously the drains could not drain fast enough, rendering the road being like driving on a river.

Eventually I found my way back to my abode's covered parking. To get from the covered parking to my front door required a fast sprint through multiple mini-lakes, along with the lightning strikes, deafening thunder and big blobs of rain being blown by gale force wind.

I enjoyed last night's fast sprint to safety so much I decided to go jogging today after I saw that the clouds have been blown out of town with blue sky returned, assuming, as it turns out, erroneously, that blue sky equates to sunny warmth.

The jogging did not last too long. Pretty much just long enough to snap the phone photo you see above, looking north at that aforementioned blue sky hovering above the Circle Trail and Holliday Creek Canyon.

I have no clue as to what I'm going to do with the rest of Martin Luther King Day.

Other than lunch.....

Sunday Morning Wichita Falls Downpour Thunderstorm

My location on the planet has escaped, so far, any Ice Storming.

Yesterday's day long drizzly misting turned to actual rain by the time the sun left for the day.

Rain continues to drip.

This is like being back in the Pacific Northwest, as in this is being like a stereotypical Western Washington winter day.

Except for a couple elements. Such as this evening a tornado is possible.

The forecast for tonight is for severe thunderstorms which can bring downpours, damaging winds and even an isolated tornado.

Well.

It is still early Sunday morning and already the downpouring has arrived, along with thunder booming, way ahead of schedule.

I must go batten down the hatches now....