Griswold Christmas Bike By Sikes Lake Goose Stops With Aunt Alice's Gertrude

What with the outer world temperature heading towards the 70 degrees, or more, zone, and with my allergic self feeling the best I've felt. allergy-wise, in a couple weeks, I decided this first Saturday of December would be a mighty fine day to go on a mighty long bike ride.

My route took me to Sikes Lakes, then through the MSU campus, continuing north til heading east on Ellingham, where I came upon the Griswold's Christmas extravaganza, you see above, at the intersection of Taft Boulevard and Ellingham. This is the same location where Halloween sprouted, slightly less extravagantly, in October.

I tried to get the entire extravaganza in wide angle mode, from across the street on the west side of Taft. The result, while showing all, does not do it justice.

I shall return, maybe, on another day and take a close up video of this bit of Christmas excess, which seems to be video documenting worthy. I must also return to the MSU (Midwestern State University) Merry Christmas theme park to shoot another video, but this time with the theme park in animation mode, with the sound blaring. Today this was all turned off. No sound, no animation.

Like I already said, before I visited the Griswold's I pedaled around Sikes Lake where I found what you see below currently residing by the pavilion at the north end of the lake.

There are multiple instances, in various forms, of the type thing you see above, facilitating the taking of Holiday Season type photos with Sikes Lake and one of the Sikes Lake signature bridges as background, likely along with a goose or two or, maybe a couple hundred.

The Sikes Lake geese have become a bit militant of late. Like they have just about had enough of people walking, blading, jogging and biking on their paved trail. And so multiple squads of geese have set up roadblocking Goose Stops such as you see above, forcing one to come to a full stop after which one negotiates passage.

I think maybe the Sikes Lake geese have become radicalized due to someone telling them that some people have a roast goose for their Christmas dinner. A lot of Christmas dinners could be supplied by the HUGE flock of geese who call Sikes Lake home.

But, I have never consumed goose, nor will I ever. They are too cute to think of eating. Unlike chicken and turkeys.

It was via Aunt Alice and Gertrude I became appalled at the idea of cooking a goose.

Above you see Aunt Alice with Gertrude the Goose. Gertrude has been Aunt Alice's house goose for years. Gertrude is litter box trained and well mannered. And a good watch goose, honking loudly anytime someone rings the doorbell...

Grangers, Grifters & Inept Irresponsible Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Earlier in this next to last month of 2017 I blogged about yet one more instance of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram publishing an article rife with erroneous "information".

This erroneous "information" malady has been something I have been annoyed about regarding this newspaper since soon after I was first exposed to it, late in the previous century.

Someone named Anonymous also found this recent example of Star-Telegram journalistic irresponsibility to be comment worthy, hence an amusing comment from Anonymous...

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Trinity Trails "Could" Stretch To An Imaginary 219 Miles":

"From zero to 72 miles in about 15 years"

I ran on the Trinity Trails beginning in the late 1970's.

Just to sure, I checked Historical Aerials and saw the trails and the footbridge across the Trinity River from the Radio Shack parking lot. The date is 1979. The bridge is still there and being used. 

There were parcourse or fitness trail stops across the river from the Radio Shack parking lot which included pull up bars, parallel bars and slant boards. I saw those being installed.

The Star-Telegram will repeat just about anything the grifters or the Grangers tell them. 

_____________________

Grifters & Grangers. Sounds like a country music duo.

Why is there no one, with the ability to do so, holding the Star-Telegram accountable for all the nonsense that newspaper spews?

From the non-consequential, like the nonsense in the article being referenced here, to the consequential, such as misleading propaganda about issues like the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle, or the idiotic nonsense about Fort Worth's Cabela's sporting goods store becoming the top tourist attraction in Texas, or the Santa Fe Rail Market being the first public market in Fort Worth, whilst being modeled after public markets in Europe and Seattle's Pike Place Market, when all it was was a soon to fail small poorly conceived mall type food court type venue, with a little fish market.

Or for decades referring to a multi-block area of downtown Fort Worth as Sundance Square, where there was no square, until a couple years ago when a little square was built on a parking lot and then bizarrely named Sundance Square Plaza, whilst still referring to a multi-block, nondescript area of downtown Fort Worth as Sundance Square.

Bizarre.

A real newspaper in a town wearing its big city pants would tell what ever entity it is which persists with the Sundance Square nonsense to knock it off. That it is embarrassing. And confusing to the town's few tourists...

Arizona Golfing With David, Theo, Ruby & Grandma

This is the last in the series of photos documenting David, Theo and Ruby's Thanksgiving Week in Arizona.

These photos arrived with zero explanatory text. Likely assuming such was not needed due to the obvious golfing going on in the photos.

But, where did this golfing take place? At grandma's location in Sun Lakes? Judging by the scenery, it would appear so.

Then again, scenery in Arizona tends to looks alike.

The first photo is one of two non-golf photos, except, well, the vehicle in this first photo appears to be a golf cart. Or is that a police car?

We see PATROL clearly printed on two locations on this "golf" cart.

Were David, Theo and Ruby up to some accidental shenanigans again, like last summer up north in Birch Bay when authorities caught the trio using quarters to buy gambling pull tabs, with the twin's and David's excuse being they thought they were buying tattoos. That defense quickly crumbled. Who buys tattoos out of a vending machine for a quarter?

And now the golfing photos....

That would be David preparing to swing a club, with Theo looking on under his large sunblocking hat.

And now Theo takes a swing. I forgot to mention, one of the more surprising things David and Theo did whilst I was up in Washington last summer, was avidly watch golf on TV with their Uncle Jake. I told the kids there was some painting going on in the lobby, we could go watch that dry, but even with that alternative they thought watching the golfing on TV was more entertaining.

Now, Ruby does not join her brothers watching golf on TV. So, Mama Michele had to act as Ruby's golf instructor.

Note the red golf ball cleaning device to the left, behind the club swinging Ruby.

I'm guessing using the ball cleaner turned out to be almost as fun as the golfing, with each anxiously waiting their turn to clean a golf ball.

And the requisite all lined up non-spontaneous group photo, with David, Theo and Ruby looking happy after their round of golf, and thinking now it was time to take grandma to McDonald's for her daily caramel frappe and vanilla ice cream cone.

Well, I don't know who was doing the driving to McDonald's. I suspect it was not David, Theo or Ruby. But, it appears grandma got her vanilla ice cream cone. The caramel frappe is likely installed in the cup holder...

Rustler's Rooste Rattlesnake For David & Theo After Tin Slide Ride To Cotton Candy

Yesterday I blogged about an Arizona Desert Horse Ride With David, Theo, Ruby & Texas Longhorn.

In that blogging I later figured out I was erroneous in suggesting a Texas Longhorn seen in the first photo in that post was located at the location where David, Theo and Ruby took three horses for a ride.

In that blogging I mentioned that it appeared Theo had to change shirts to a cooler t-shirt from the long sleeve shirt he first appeared in.

I should have noticed that the first photo showed yet one more Theo shirt, and that that shirt matched the shirt Theo was wearing when he went with his brother, sister, grandma and parental units to the Robber's Rooste in Tempe.

As you can see, above, in that group photo with grandma, at Rustler's Rooster, Theo does not appear to be too happy, using the same "smiling" technique his favorite uncle always uses when subjected to being photographed.

But then Theo noticeably cheers up when he gets a big ball of the Rustler's Rooste cotton candy.

Rustler's Rooste was mentioned to me the last time I was in Arizona. I think maybe we were driving by its location when we were in the South Mountain zone. I remember the slide to the dining room being mentioned, and the cotton candy.

A blurb from the Rustler's Rooste website...

Rustler's Rooste has it all.  Our critter out front, an enormous long horn steer named Horney greets you upon arrival.  Open the door and enter part of an old mine shaft to the top floor to our Mountaintop Saloon. Saunter over the indoor waterfall and take our Famous “Tin” Slide into the dining room. (for the faint of heart, there’s a staircase).   Enjoy the live country western band and our strolling cardshark/magician.  The building is bordered on the north side by plate glass windows so there is a view form every seat in the house.

In the text accompanying these photos I was told the ever adventurous, in all things culinary, David, ordered the Rattlesnake Combo. David, as is the case with most people, upon his first rattlesnake bite said it tasted like chicken. Theo wanted to sample a bite, and simply said "tastes like meat."

In that aforementioned text upon first read I thought I understood the text to be telling me that my mom wanted to take the tin slide to the dining room. So when I first saw the picture below I thought, oh my, I can not believe my semi-elderly mother did this.

And then upon second reading I realized the text was telling me mom was up to being adventurous and going to the Rustler's Rooste, even with the tricky entry via a wood plank walkway entering a mine shaft. And that a Rustler's Rooste cowboy helped mom get from the Mountaintop Saloon to the dining room.

So, instead of my mom I think that is mama Kristin on the slide, with Ruby and Theo at the top ready to follow.

Above I believe we are at the Rustler's Rooste Mountain Saloon, prior to riding down the tin slide to where the cotton candy is located, which is explains why Theo is still looking a little grumpy, still emulating his favorite uncle.

Rustler's Rooste looks fun. What I saw on the Rustler's Rooste website reminded me of the long gone Baby Doe's in Dallas. I remember seeing Baby Doe's the first time I drove to Dallas, just slightly west of downtown, built atop a cliff, with a big Coor's billboard with a waterfall.

It was not long before I made my one and only visit to Baby Doe's. The place was made to be like one was in a mining operation, just like Rustler's Rooste. I recollect enjoying the saloon, watching the sun set and the light show fire up from the dome atop the Reunion Tower.

The parking situation at Baby Doe's was terrible. You had to hand your keys over to a valet who disappeared with your vehicle. I never like when that happens. I recollect it was difficult to find ones way to the entry to Baby Doe's, which was another drawback. Too bad. Dallas lost something cool when Baby Doe's left town...

Arizona Desert Horse Ride With David, Theo, Ruby & Texas Longhorn

A week or so ago a postcard from Tacoma arrived in my mailbox.

That postcard caused me to blog From Tacoma Postcard I Learn David, Theo & Ruby Will Never Come To Fort Worth.

In that blogging I mentioned my initial confusion regarding the message on the postcard, which I momentarily thought had David, Theo and Ruby asking me to come explore Fort Worth with them.

I recollect instantly thinking what fresh hell is this?

Then I realized my mistake, that it was Fort Worden in Washington that was in need of exploration, not Fort Worth in Texas.

When I shared my confusion with my sister she said she can't see bringing the kids to Fort Worth to explore any time soon. Then she added, well, okay, never.

To which I replied that the kids would enjoy the Fort Worth Stockyards, but then I drew a blank as to anything else they might enjoy in Fort Worth, and admitted, well, after the Stockyards, there pretty much is nothing that is not bigger and better in multiple other locations David, Theo and Ruby have already been to.

So, regarding that visit to the Fort Worth Stockyards, within a week that no longer is something of the sort the kids have not seen, hence, now there is absolutely nothing they would find fun to explore in Fort Worth.

In the photo at the top you see nephews David and Theo, and niece Ruby, with a Texas longhorn behind them. The kids are at an Arizona horse ranch, getting ready to do some riding.

When the kids picked me up at Sea-Tac last summer, David and Theo insisted on carrying my bags for me. Those bags were heavy.

Here we see Theo carrying his saddle to put on his horse.

I am guessing this was a HOT day in Arizona, because in the following photos we see Theo has lost the long sleeve shirt.

Prepare for a dose of cowboy, and cowgirl, cuteness in the following photos....

Ruby on her Palomino, ready to ride. Ruby looks like a seasoned cowgirl, comfortable in the saddle. I don't actually know if this horse is a Palomino, but it is blonde, so I figured, why not?

David also looks to be totally comfortable onboard a horse. David has a tendency to be like his uncle, and find ways to be particular when he finds himself in unfamiliar territory, but being on a horse does not appear to have triggered that impulse in David.

And here we see Theo steering his horse right at us. After a little practice inside the corral it was time for David, Theo and Ruby's Indian Guide to lead them out into the Arizona desert.

I'm impressed at how quickly the kids seem to have become seasoned horse riders. Their uncle's one and only horse riding attempt, in Texas, did not go so well. Suffice to say that incident led me to accuse someone of trying to kill me. Too painful a memory, even after many years, to go into any detail.

Further into the desert the cowboys and cowgirl ride. Those are mountains in the distance, for those in Texas who are not familiar with that type geologic formation.

 I do not know if there was much of a rattlesnake danger whilst the kids were riding in the desert. I do know that later David and Theo were in a restaurant called Robber's Rooste where the boys ordered the rattlesnake combo plate. I may share those photos in a following blogging.

At trail's end all but Ruby seem to be striking a classic cowboy pose.

I talked to David and Theo on Thanksgiving. Neither mentioned their cowboy experience. Theo did ask if I was going to be a Thanksgiving dinner. I told Theo I did not think I could make it in time...

Did Fort Worth Adopt Wichita Falls Santa Outhouse?

Last Sunday I took myself on a video bike ride around my Wichita Falls neighborhood's biggest holiday season display of Christmas type stuff.

In that video, at one point, I am surprised by what I am riding by and hear myself saying something like is that an outhouse? Santa's Outhouse?

Because a random outhouse in an unseemly location would be something I would expect to see in Fort Worth, not here in Wichita Falls, where all the city parks have modern restroom facilities, and nary an outhouse.

And then yesterday, the morning after Thanksgiving, I took myself on another ride around that aforementioned biggest holiday season display of Christmas type stuff, now with what amounts to being sort of explanatory signage.

And what to my wondering eyes did virtually appear?

A sign saying...

SANTA'S

OUTHOUSE

Adopted By

The Outhouse Capital of

America

Fort Worth, Texas

This may be an example of that which has become known as Fake News...

Spencer Jack Back From Utah With Skagit River Flooding

Spencer Jack and his dad are back home in Washington, after Thanksgiving in Utah. David, Theo and Ruby and their parental units are also back in Washington, after Thanksgiving in Arizona.

Spencer Jack and his dad got back to Mount Vernon just in time to help the valley deal with the Skagit River in flood mode for the first time this flood season. I began seeing drone videos of the flooding Skagit yesterday, with those videos showing the Skagit in the downtown zone of Mount Vernon, which is like New Orleans, as in, below river level when the river goes high.

A few years ago Mount Vernon decided to copy a bigger town in the south called Fort Worth when Mount Vernon developed its virtual Skagit River Vision, only with Mount Vernon's vision being an actual legitimate economic development scheme, combined with an actual vitally needed flood control scheme.

Minus corruption and nepotism. In other words, Mount Vernon did not give the unqualified son of the local congressperson the job of director of the Skagit River Vision, in order to motivate the parent to secure federal funds to pay for the project. Mount Vernon did what towns wearing their big city pants do, as in mostly paid for the project itself and hired qualified adults to oversee the project.

Hence the Skagit River Vision's timely completion.

As in, unlike Fort Worth Trinity River Vision's ill-planned scheme, Mount Vernon's is up and running. And, apparently, currently saving downtown Mount Vernon from a disastrous flood.

Prior to the Skagit River Vision and its flood control aspect, when a flood threatened downtown Mount Vernon a literal army of locals sandbagged for hours to build a wall to hold the river back.

Post Skagit River Vision a Dutch-designed flood wall can now be put in place in a couple hours by a handful of workers. The new flood wall is what you see holding back the river in Spencer Jack's photo documentation above.

On the right side of that flood wall is another aspect of the Skagit River Vision, a long riverwalk type attraction, complete with a plaza, or two. I do not think, unlike Fort Worth, the plazas have Japanese car company sponsors.

I remember twice helping sandbag downtown Mount Vernon. The most dramatic incident was in the early 1990s. A warm front had melted the mountain snowpack. The lowlands were drenched in hours of downpour. All the rivers of Western Washington went into flood mode. One of Washington's floating bridges sank.

I was at home, in far east Mount Vernon, high above the river, watching Seattle TV cover the situation live in Mount Vernon. About one in the morning the news started to make the situation sound dire. The National Guard was arriving. All possible help was being asked to come to downtown Mount Vernon to the staging area by the library.

I woke up my house and soon the occupants were at the downtown library, which was a beehive of action. Soon we found  ourselves part of a bucket brigade of sandbaggers, building a sandbag wall where today there is that Dutch flood wall.

At some point maximum sandbag height was reached. We were told to retreat, and that the anticipated flood crest would be about 11 that morning. At that point in time, myself and many others, flooded the high points above downtown Mount Vernon to see if the sandbag wall was going to save downtown Mount Vernon.

We could see the water start to crest over the sandbags.

And then, suddenly, the water level dropped, instantly, it seemed.

What just happened everyone wondered.

Soon all hell was breaking loose. Sirens, helicopters in the air. I do not remember how long it was before we learned the dike protecting Fir Island breached, flooding the island, and taking pressure off the river, hence the sudden drop.

For those of you reading this in Fort Worth. Fir Island is what is known as a real island, surrounded by water, two sides of which are forks of the Skagit River, the third side being the Skagit Bay of Puget Sound.

And there are two bridges connecting the Skagit mainland with Fir Island, both built over the rapid moving water of the Skagit River. Neither promoted as being signature bridges. Both built in a fraction of the time Fort Worth has been spending trying to build three simple little bridges over dry land to connect the Fort Worth mainland to an imaginary island, which could never suffer a catastrophic dike breach such as what Fir Island suffered. Twice. Because Fort Worth's imaginary Panther Island will never be what any sane person would call an island ....

Thanksgiving Week Internet Woes With D/FW Sam's Club Gas Gouging

I forgot about that which you see here til this Thanksgiving morning.

Monday morning my Internet connection ceased working. Calling for Spectrum tech support soon had me driving to the local Spectrum office to pick up a new router/modem device.

The new router/mode device did not fix the problem.

Spectrum then scheduled a tech guy to arrive by around 11 the next morning, that being Tuesday. I was scheduled to head towards the Dallas zone by one that afternoon.

The Spectrum tech guy showed up earlier than expected. The problem turned out to be not an easy fix. All wiring had to be replaced. And so it was, well before my departure time. With the Internet now working I was soon heading southeast via Highway 287.

By around four I was ready to leave D/FW. I stopped at my usual gas fillip location. The North Richland Hills Sam's Club located near Rufe Snow Road and 820.

Gas was $2.10.9. I did not call my mom to tell her I was getting gas.

I was about 10 gallons into the fill up process when I started to think the number I was seeing did not add up. By the time the number of gallons I had pumped reached 9.792 me, with my limited math skills, could see the pump was pumping at a rate well above $2.10.9 per gallon.

I ceased with the pumping and took the photo documentation you see below.

I then went into Sam's Club, to the service desk, to complain. Eventually I got the price difference refunded. But, I detected no sense that these Sam's Club employees realized how serious this type issue is.

I wondered how many of my fellow pumpers, filling up their tanks, paid any attention at all to the number of gallons being pumped and the total being charged. How many people have been gouged in this manner at this Sam's Club?

Or was my experience some sort of one pump anomaly? One would think the Sam's Club employees would have been right on this with some urgency. Coming back with me to the pump in question to see it make the mistake.

And how many people, realizing such a thing will go to the bother of complaining? It is a bit of a pain to do so. It helps when one is feeling righteously annoyed.

And I think I got more refunded to me than the actual overcharge. Slight compensation for the extreme annoyance.

Needless to say, on future trips to D/FW gas will not be pumped at Sam's Club in North Richland Hills.

After the Sam's Club ordeal leaving D/FW I thought I would have some evening commute traffic woes. But those turned out to be minimal. And soon D/FW was fading in my rear view mirror as I watched the sun set, which you see photo documented at the top, as I drive along eating my sushi on a stick late lunch....

Spencer Jack's Pre-Thanksgiving Non-Fiery Hike To Delicate Arch & Dead Horse Point

While Spencer Jack's dad's cousins, David, Theo and Ruby spent the week before Thanksgiving in Arizona, Spencer Jack has been one state north, in Utah.

Spencer Jack flew his dad into Denver several days ago, then drove west via I-70, through the Eisenhower Tunnel, past places like Vail and Aspen, which surprised the boys due to the large number of ski lifts they were seeing.

Eventually Spencer Jack got his dad to Moab where upon arrival they secured one of the 75 daily allotments for hikes into the Fiery Furnace in Arches National Park.

Spencer Jack and his dad called after they'd booked their hike into the Fiery Furnace, telling me it was a self-guided tour. I verbalized my astonishment that such was now allowed, when previously such was strictly verbotten.

Well, that night Spencer Jack took his dad to downtown Moab in search of a restaurant for their evening feeding, and in the process talked to multiple locals about hiking unguided into the Fiery Furnace. The locals also verbalized astonishment that such was allowed.

So, Spencer Jack and his dad decided to opt out of getting lost forever in the Fiery Furnace maze and instead decided to hike to Delicate Arch, which is where Spencer Jack is sitting above, in the aforementioned Arches National Park. and then drove to Dead Horse Point State Park, near the entry to Canyonlands National Park.

Above we see Spencer Jack tired of hiking, with his dad now piggy backing him. I believe that is the Colorado River we see a glimpse of, working on scouring deeper into the canyon. I vaguely recollect going to Dead Horse Point State Park and reading the story of why it was so named. Something to do with horses being accidentally stranded somehow on a mesa, and dying for lack of food and water. Or some such thing.

I think I have only been in Moab once when the town was not in tourist mode. That was a New Year's Eve. I think the year was 1995. I recollect snow on the ground and icy hiking in Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.

I have no idea where Spencer Jack and his dad will be finding turkey in Moab today.

I do know that David, Theo and Ruby are flying back to Tacoma today. I do not know if they will have turkey in Arizona first. I will call later today and find out...

Pool Time With David, Theo & Ruby In Chandler Arizona With Spencer Jack In Fiery Furnace

The trio you are looking at here are Theo, Ruby and David. My nephews and niece from Tacoma.

The trio are currently visiting their grandma, and other relatives, currently located in Arizona, such as aunt Jackie, uncles Jack and Jake, .cousins Chris and Jeremy, and others, like Clancy and Fancy.

Where the trio are in this photo is a public pool in Chandler.

According to the trio's mother...

"We went to an awesome public pool in Chandler with a vortex pool, various waterslides, lazy river and a variety of diving boards. We went on a special family day, so it cost $1 for all of us!!! Pics to follow..."

Those aforementioned following pics are what you are seeing here.

On a sort of related note, last week I blogged about learning the shocking news From A Tacoma Postcard David, Theo & Ruby Will Never Come To Fort Worth.

I learned the Tacoma Trio would not be coming to Tacoma after I mentioned being momentarily confused via their postcard causing me to think the Tacoma Trio was in Fort Worth wanting me to come explore the town with them.

As I said in that blogging, I told my sister of my initial confusion to which my sister said,  "I can't see us coming to explore Fort Worth anytime soon. OK. Ever."

To which I said, "I can almost guarantee the kids would love the Fort Worth Stockyards. But, other than that. Nothing. Well, unless a storm blew in with tornado sirens. They might think that was fun."

Well, I feel terribly remiss in neglecting to mention to my sister anything about all the Fort Worth public pools the kids could enjoy during a visit to that fine "world class" town.

Imagine, I should have told my sister, the public pools in a town the size of Fort Worth, with what, a population about eight times the size of Chandler, obviously with a myriad of fun public pools being enjoyed by the public, in addition to one of the world's only defunct urban wakeboard park ponds.

Anyway, with that painful sarcasm out of the way, the rest of those aforementioned pics of the Tacoma Trio enjoying public pooling in Arizona...

That would be Ruby, below, shooting out of one of those waterslides. With Theo, above, about to hit water at the end of a long slide.

And then we have future Olympian David.

Whilst in Arizona David has been going by the new name of Michael. Something to do with uncle confusion.

Above that appears to be Ruby and Mama Kristin floated around on a Lazy River.

And Ruby now showing off her unique diving skills.

Which Theo then upping the ante with a reverse spin around dive into the pool.

I was scared to dive into a pool when I was these kid's age. I don't even think I knew how to swim at that age.

And here we have Theo and Ruby and a third unidentified swimmer. I forget what the name is of those floating tubes. Worms? Is that it? In the above photo I believe the kids are no longer at a public pool, but are at the pool at the place where their Aunts Clancy & Fancy are staying.

Yesterday whilst in the D/FW zone I began getting text messages from Spencer Jack and his dad. They have flown to Denver, then drove to Moab, where this morning they are going on the Fiery Furnace hike in Arches National Park. I expect to see photo documentation.