Wichita Falls Prairie Dog Town Bulldozed After Border Wall Destroyed

Yesterday, late in the afternoon of the first Sunday of March, I received an urgent notice notifying me the Wichita Falls Prairie Dog Town had suffered a massive attack which had knocked down the border wall surrounding Prairie Dog Town, with Prairie Dog Town then bulldozed into oblivion.

This sounded dire.

I was shocked and quickly gathered up my documentation tools and made my way to my motorized vehicle transport to drive the short distance west to Prairie Dog Town.

When the outskirts came into view I was relieved to see the Prairie Dog Town suburbs had not been molested.

But then Prairie Dog Town came into view and it was worse than my imagination imagined. I pulled into the now dirt covered parking lot and saw the forlorn prairie dog you see above, above ground, surveying the damage done to his town.

Multiple prairie dogs were on top of their town's ruins, working to rebuild, such as the little guy you see below.

Another overview of the destruction zone, with another prairie dog seen working on rebuilding.

Across the street from the now destroyed Prairie Dog Town, suburb dwellers were seen above ground looking at the remains of their town, a trio of such you see below.

I am assuming there is a good reason Prairie Dog Town was attacked and its walls removed. It looks like where the wall previously existed a new foundation has been poured, perhaps for the erection of a new wall, with the possibility a new improved Prairie Dog Town may rise from the rubble.

We can only hope.

The prairie dogs seemed to be in good spirits. I was greeted by a lot of barking and a few prairie dogs running towards me hoping for some vittles. I did not think to bring any vittles in my rush to check out what had happened to the Wichita Falls Prairie Dog Town.

Nephew Joey In Mount Vernon's Lincoln Theater Leads To Texas Theater Eyesores

Incoming this morning, via email, from Spencer Jack's dad, my nephew Joey's big brother, Jason.

Message in email...

In case you no longer subscribe to the Skagit Valley Herald, I’ll share a photo which featured in today’s newspaper.

Well, I am a couple thousand miles distant from the Skagit Valley, and so a delivery subscription with the Skagit Valley's newspaper is not doable.

Hence I had not seen this photo of Spencer Jack's Uncle Joey climbing amongst the rafters in Mount Vernon's Lincoln Theater.

Joey is an electrician doing electrical stuff for Mount Vernon's Dimensional Communications.

I last saw Joey in October of 2015 in Grapevine, Texas. Joey was in Dallas installing some electrical stuff at an Expedia extension office.

I can not remember the precise details, but at some point in time in the last century I found myself sort of in the same location we see Joey, high above the Lincoln Theater seats below.

Seeing this photo of Joey in the Lincoln Theater got me thinking, yet again, about the profound differences between the towns I was familiar with up North and West, and the towns I have become familiar in the South.

In the South the legit concept of using eminent domain to take property for the public good is often abused. Maybe the concept is misunderstood.

Up North and West if a property owner's property falls into a state of dis-repair, as in becomes an abandoned eyesore, a city will take action to fix the problem, enabled and empowered by city ordinance designed to prevent such.

For the public good.

Mount Vernon, in its theater heyday, had three downtown movie theaters, the Lincoln, Lido and Lyric, if I am remembering the Lincoln's fellow theater's names correctly.

Again, if I am remembering correctly, the Lyric long ago was re-purposed with a new non-theater purpose. The Lido, at the north end of downtown, continued in some sort of theater form, I think. The Lincoln, at the south end of downtown, was restored to its heyday glory and received National Historic Site status of some sort.

Meanwhile, ever since I first saw it way back late in the previous century, in the Fort Worth Stockyards zone, there has been an abandoned eyesore theater, the New Isis Theater, with its marquee always announcing a revival which never comes.

Whoever owns the New Isis Theater property is not told by the city to clean up the mess. The mess just lingers, year after year, decade after decade, mucking up the visual appeal of Fort Worth's only tourist attraction.

I don't know why such is allowed in towns in Texas, in towns which will abuse eminent domain to take a person's property, but not to take abandoned eyesore property. This phenomenon has not only been seen in the Texas town of Fort Worth.

My eyes have seen abandoned property eyesores in many Texas towns. And in Oklahoma, now that you are causing me to think about it.

In the current Texas town in which I am habitating, Wichita Falls, there are multiple instances of abandoned buildings of the eyesore sort which would not be allowed in other locations in America.

Soon after my arrival in Wichita Falls I blogged about some of these instances in Hoagie Jackson Leads Me To Tour Eastside Wichita Falls Eyesore Infestation. How many years, or decades, are such things allowed to linger in decay mode in this part of the country?

Such is yet one more question to which I've never found an answer...

Looking For Fort Worth Star-Telegram Straight Talk About The Boondoggle's Homage To A Trash Can

This is the third installment in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Straight Talk series about the Panther Island Boondoggle.

Today let's talk about America's Biggest Boondoggle's "Wind Roundabout" Public Art which the locals have taken to calling an Homage to an Aluminum Trash Can.

Via the Trinity River Vision Authority propaganda website, from almost three years ago, on a page titled “Wind Roundabout” Public Art Coming to Panther Island we read the following paragraph...

Work continues on the new piece of public art coming soon to Panther Island. Located in the center of the new roundabout that connects White Settlement and Henderson Street on Panther Island, Ned Kahn’s Wind Roundabout is a 30 foot tall kinetic sculpture that will be visible to motorists entering the roundabout, providing a visual focal point amid the anticipated growth and development of Panther Island.

This Trinity River Vision Authority information was dated May 26th, 2015, like I said, almost three years ago, approximately one year after America's Biggest Boondoggle's ridiculous TNT exploding ceremony marking the start of construction of three simple little bridges being built over dry land to connect the Fort Worth mainland to an imaginary island.

Below you get a look at the completed Homage to an Aluminum Trash Can, at the center of that roundabout serving as a focal point for that anticipated growth and development on that imaginary island, whose growth and development remains stalled on that imaginary island, three years later.

Here's some straight talk for you, Star-Telegram.

Why was a million bucks spent on this ridiculous piece of public art, spent by a public agency now asking voters to approve a quarter billion buck bond?

Why did the Trinity Vision Authority authorize the spending of money on this installation at the center of this roundabout which is still not fully constructed with the roads in the area not fully repaired and fully functional, years after property was stolen by abusing eminent domain by falsely claiming said property was needed for the public good?

While the public has never been allowed to vote for this ill fated fake flood control and economic scheme, which clearly must be of little actual import, judging by the slow motion multi-decade, ever shifting to the far future, project timeline.

Why was this million dollar monstrosity installed before the roundabout was moving cars? Before the nearby simple little bridge was built over dry land? Why was money spent on this? When the actual project is not sufficiently funded to a level to facilitate actually actualizing the project in a timely fashion such as towns wearing their Big City Pants manage to do with public works projects deemed necessary for the public good?

Why has the Star-Telegram not asked any questions of the sort we have asked? It's not too late, what with the Star-Telegram's newfound appreciation of the concept of straight talk, that being a phrase which is another way of saying "tell the truth".

Also in the Star-Telegram Straight Talk Series...

Panther Island Straight Talk Per Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Request

Will Fort Worth's Yeehaw Seesaws Teeter Totter Into Oblivion?

Dallas Fort Worth In Running For America's Rainiest City Reputation

I saw that which you see here this morning on the front page of the online version of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and thought the headline to be amusing.

On Wednesday I found myself driving west on Randol Mill Road in Fort Worth, slowed to a crawl due to a heavy downpour. Rain fell at varying volume during the entire drive to the DFW zone.

In early February I was talking to a Wichita Falls banker and mentioned I was heading to Arizona the next day. I don't remember why but the subject of rain came up. The banker said his uncle was wanting him to move to Seattle, but the banker was resistant to that idea due to all the rain.

The all the rain remark had me telling the banker that that Seattle rain thing is mostly myth. That it is more the day after day after day of cloudy overcast which can get tiring, along with periods of slow motion rain, often in drizzle mode.

When I was in Arizona we had one day of solid gray no blue sky with rain. I remarked to Miss Daisy that this is being like a winter day in Washington. And that the gray sky totally ruined the usual Arizona color scheme.

Today's article about rain in the Star-Telegram surprised me by also making mention of the Seattle rain reputation being inaccurate...

While February's 11.31 inches of rainfall at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport obliterated the monthly record by almost 4 inches, it also put Seattle to shame. Seattle, long and inaccurately rumored as the nation's rainiest city, measured a mere 2.16 inches in February, according to the National Weather Service. That's only 1.34 inches below normal. Back at DFW, February’s rainfall was off the charts.

Will Fort Worth's Yeehaw Seesaws Teeter Totter Into Oblivion?

What you are looking at above is a view of one of America's Biggest Boondoggle's ill-fated bridges in its formative stage, awaiting a concrete coating in anticipation of being support piers for an actual bridge being built over dry land to connect the Fort Worth mainland to an imaginary island.

Recently the Fort Worth Star-Telegram editorially opined that We need straight talk on Panther Island, apparently instead of the ridiculous propaganda the Star-Telegram has been spewing for years about what has become America's Biggest Boondoggle.

So, let's have some more of that Star-Telegram requested straight talk, this time specifically about these pitiful bridges, which local wags have taken to calling Yeehaw Seesaws, construction of which began years ago with a four year bridge building project timeline, a timeline long ago abandoned.

One of the more annoying bits of propaganda about these bridges has been the claim they are being built over dry land in order to save money.

As if such was part of some engineering plan to benefit the taxpayers.

But, the reality has always been that there will be no water under those bridges until a ditch is dug under them and water from the Trinity River is diverted into that ditch.

In others words, there was never any possible option other than to build the three simple little bridges over dry land.

Why the Star-Telegram has gone along with this propaganda lie about the bridges being built over dry land to save money is so bizarre and inexcusable, and yet one more reason why I have long said this is not a real newspaper and that Fort Worth suffers from not having a real newspaper.

What with the Star-Telegram's new found interest in straight talk about America's Biggest Boondoggle, maybe an actual reporter could be sent to the ground floor of the Star-Telegram building, that being a floor which serves as ground zero for The Boondoggle, where that intrepid reporter could navigate him or herself past the ridiculous installations of propaganda to find someone who might finally answer the question which has never been answered, with that question being what was the bridge design problem which caused construction of these simple bridges to be halted for well over a year?

That is one of the bridge piers you see above, after it received its long awaited concrete coating.

In a long ago article in the Star-Telegram, reporting construction on the ill-fated bridges was about to be re-started, due to the resolution of conflicts about design viability, there was zero information regarding the nature of the design problem.

The Boondoggle's Executive Director, J.D. Granger, was quoted saying something along the line that his team had constructed a scale model of the controversial bridge pier which demonstrated the design was viable.

So, Star-Telegram, what with your new found interest in straight talk could you please let your readers, and voters, know what was the nature of the bridge design problem? And it would also be interesting to know how many Boondoggle dollars J.D. Granger spent building that scale model which supposedly proved the design's viability.

Speaking of the design viability. More than one person has asked me if I knew anything about the foundation upon which those V-piers are teeter tottering. One person who had looked up close at one of the V-piers told me he could detect no foundation other than a big round concrete pod-like structure upon which the V-pier form teetered.

It would seem obvious all those wooden V-piers, awaiting their concrete coating, are sitting atop solid foundations deep in the ground, which is the norm for bridges, and any heavy structure.

Is that going to be the next chapter in this ongoing Fort Worth scandal? Bridges piers built with no solid foundation?

And another thing the Star-Telegram could find out about, for its voting readers being asked to help pay for what has become America's Biggest Boondoggle, is how will the diversion channel be engineered?

That channel, more commonly referred to as a cement lined ditch, will be dug after, or if, those bridges are actually built.

How do you dig a massive ditch under possibly poorly foundationed bridges without having some serious engineering complications?

Is that not the type question the Star-Telegram should be asking what with that newspaper's newfound straight talk ethic?

Also in the Star-Telegram Straight Talk Series...

Panther Island Straight Talk Per Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Request

Looking For Fort Worth Star-Telegram Straight Talk About The Boondoggle's Homage To A Trash 

Panther Island Straight Talk Per Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Request

Most of February I was in a sort of virtual isolation booth deep in the Arizona desert, cut off from my usual news sources.

Periodically during my isolation period I would have some contact with the world via Facebook.

It was via Facebook I first learned of the absurdity you see here. With that absurdity being that after years of propaganda spewing the Fort Worth Star-Telegram now wants some straight talk about Fort Worth's embarrassing imaginary island.

Well.

I think I can manage some straight talk on the subject of Panther Island, more commonly known as America's Biggest Boondoggle.

So, let's go through this ridiculous We need straight talk on Panther Island Star-Telegram editorial and do some straight talking.

First off, the Star-Telegram continues to do Fort Worth a disservice by continuing to persist in referring to the Trinity River Vision Central City Uptown Panther Island District as "Panther Island".

There is no island. There never will be an island. Even if a ditch is dug under the three bridges being built in slow motion to connect the Fort Worth mainland to that imaginary island, it will not be an island.

So, just knock off this Panther Island nonsense. It's almost as dumb as spending decades calling your downtown Sundance Square, where there was no square, til a small one was finally built, then called Sundance Square Plaza.

The first paragraph of the Star-Telegram editorial after suggesting we 'Start talking"...

Last week the Tarrant Regional Water District Board unanimously decided to ask voters in May to approve $250 million in bonds to pay for the $1.16 billion Panther Island project. The board said it needs the long-term loan to complete the project which will create new waterfront property by 2028.

Complete the project by 2028? The Star-Telegram drops that embarrassing bit without editorializing regarding the absurdity of what was originally touted as being a vitally needed flood control and economic development project, of such import that it warranted the abuse of eminent domain to steal property, but is so totally not vital that the project is now projected to possibly be completed almost three decades after it was foisted on the Fort Worth public, without the public having the opportunity to vote for the project.

Til now.

After years of burning through bucks wasted on things like failed wakeparks, exorbitant salaries, junkets, ridiculous signage and tons of expensive mailed propaganda, the TRWD is asking voters to approve a quarter billion bond bucks so that new waterfront property might be created by 2028.

And now for some straight talk about the following paragraph from this editorial...

Yes, the project will transform Fort Worth with an 800-acre island with canals, an urban lake and 10,000 new residences.

Really? What evidence does the Star-Telegram have that what has become America's Biggest Boondoggle will eventually transform Fort Worth? Other than for the first time in the town's history having the biggest of something in America.

Again the Star-Telegram is repeating the island nonsense. Have these people never seen an island? Do they not know what an island looks like?

10,000 residences.

That is just repeating the Trinity River Vision propaganda which has been repeated for years.

An urban lake?

Why do these people persist in calling what is nothing but a wide spot in the river an urban lake? Why use the word "urban" as a descriptor? Any lake inside any town's borders would be an urban lake. It just sounds stupid to refer to this "pond" as an urban lake.

And then this paragraph...

But voters need to demand an explanation for the increasing cost. And the five-members of the board need to hit the chicken-dinner circuit to provide iron-clad assurance the bond sale won’t result in a higher taxes or a water rate increase.

Yeah, that's all voters need to demand. An explanation, after all this time, for the inflating price tag for what has become America's Biggest Boondoggle. Methinks those voters should also demand to know why J.D. Granger continues to direct this project, with his pay now about $200,000 a year. The voters need to demand to know why a qualified project executive director was not hired to direct this project in a timely fashion. The voters need to demand to know why J.D. Granger has not been fired after so many failures.

The Star-Telegram thinks the TRWD board needs to hit something called the chicken-dinner circuit? Really? Where is this circuit and how does one get an invite or a reservation?

And then this doozy in this Star-Telegram editorial asking for straight talk...

The price jumped over the $1 billion mark after the water district discovered it needed another $66 million to put in utilities in Panther Island. 

Oh my, what a shocking revelation it must have been for the Boondogglers to discover the imaginary island industrial wasteland needed utilities installed for those 10,000 residences and whatever else might get built if anything real ever does get built.

I can give the Boondogglers another upcoming shock. When, or if, bulldozers ever start bulldozing to build those residences, and other structures, it will be discovered that serious contamination of the ground will require extremely expensive mitigation to make it safe for human habitation.

And then another nonsensical idiotic doozy...

District officials say if they don’t get the money, the project will slow down and become more expensive. No one wants to see that, but voters also need to know Panther Island isn’t becoming the ultimate money pit.

Uh, the imaginary island has already become a money pit. If the voters don't approve of this bond the project will slow down? How can this inept project slow down even more than it already is?

Anyone driven over one of those three simple little non-signature bridges yet? You know, those bridges which began getting built four years ago with a TNT celebratory explosion, where now, four years later, all which can been seen is a small collection of what have become known as the Yeehaw Seesaws, one of which you see at the top.

More on those ridiculous Yeehaw Seesaws later in some followup straight talk about America's Biggest Boondoggle....

Also in the Star-Telegram Straight Talk Series...

Will Fort Worth's Yeehaw Seesaws Teeter Totter Into Oblivion? 

Looking For Fort Worth Star-Telegram Straight Talk About The Boondoggle's Homage To A Trash 

Back Home After Long Dark Tour Of Wichita Falls Sheppard Air Force Base

Yesterday, an hour before noon, Spencer Jack's grandpa, my little brother Jake, picked me up at Miss Daisy's in order to eventually deposit me at the airport.

Prior to arriving at the departure part of the airport my little brother took me to his neighborhood casino where we had ourselves a mighty fine lunch of sweet and sour and teriyaki chicken in a big bowl of chow mien noodles.

After noodling, my airport chauffeur drove out into the desert where I picked some cotton and saw a big eagle nesting in a big tree.

Eventually the tour took us back to where we had been the day before, that being the north side of Camelback Mountain. The day before we were denied entry to the full parking lot where hikers park before attempting to climb to the summit of Camelback Mountain. But yesterday we drove right in and found a parking spot where we took a driving respite during which I enjoyed the scenery, including the cactus in obscene gesture mode you see above.

I do not believe I have ever seen hiking trails with as many hikers as I saw the two days I was up close to Camelback Mountain. Upon my next return to Arizona Spencer Jack's grandpa and I are going to attempt reaching the Camelback summit. Or give it our best effort.

One of the signs at the trailhead had an ominous Heat Warning. Heat was not an issue yesterday, or the day before, or today. The temperature was barely above freezing for my last Arizona swim.

Soon after leaving Camelback Mountain we arrived at my departure point. I sadly said goodbye to Spencer Jack's grandpa and soon found myself flying east towards Texas.

The flight seemed to go fast. Until we landed. Eventually all aboard were allowed off the plane. I then easily made my way via the DFW Skytrain to the B terminal were I found the tiny plane with takes me back to Wichita Falls.

The landing in Wichita Falls turned a bit bizarre. We landed and then began rolling along, on and on and on. The previous time I landed in Wichita Falls it took about five minutes between touchdown and being at the exit gate.

Last night after about 10 minutes of rolling along I decided to call my mom, figuring we must be about at the gate. I talked to mom a couple minutes. Finished the mom call and soon found myself perplexed at the continuing long plane taxi ride, along with my fellow flyers, including many who were Air Force types familiar with the Sheppard Air Force Base landing zone we were touring.

One joked the pilot must be looking for the McDonald's drive through. This seemed funny at the time.

At one point the pilot hit something which felt like how it feels when you run your vehicle into a curb.

At another point the pilot hit the brakes and then began a spin the plane around maneuver which had all aboard looking at each other, laughing and shaking our heads in wonderment.

After the spin around the dark tour of Sheppard Air Force Base continued. I made a couple more calls.

And then, in the distance, we saw what looked like the Wichita Falls Airport building. The pilot was then following blue lights lining the way, marking a route called C.

When it became obvious the pilot had finally found our end point those onboard let out a muted cheer.

And then the cheering was followed with a slight problem getting lined up with the moving walkway thing upon which one eventually escapes.

As we all exited the plane the pilot stayed inside his cabin, so there was no opportunity to thank him for the long dark tour of Sheppard Air Force Base...

A Few Days Left In Paradise Before Returning To Texas

For the first time in well over two weeks I find myself connected via computer to the Internet.

In less than a week I should be back in Texas connected to the Internet via computer pretty much whenever I want to be.

The computer I am currently connected to the Internet with looks out on the view you see here. Which some may recognize as the pool at my sister Jackie's house.

Sister Jackie took my favorite brother-in-law, Jack, to Nevada yesterday, stopping at Laughlin before reaching Las Vegas today. Somehow I came into possession of the multiple number security code which allowed me to gain access to the computer I am currently using.

I am sort of looking forward to being back in Texas. A lot of troubling stuff has happened there since I have been visiting modern America.

To get computer access I left Miss Daisy alone for the first time in a long time. I told her I would not be gone long. Due to extreme wind conditions I am going to limit Miss Daisy's outdoor activity today.

Tomorrow morning the outer world in the Arizona Valley of the Sun is supposed to get down to only a few degrees above freezing. I will likely be appalling the locals by having myself a mighty fine time swimming tomorrow morning in one of the pools which feel too warm to my delicate heat sensitive sensibilities...

Is Hippie Spencer Jack Climbing Camelback Mountain With Me?

What you see here I found whilst checking email this morning, on this, my last day in Texas, for about a month.

A photo and a message from Spencer Jack's dad, my Favorite Nephew Jason, aka FNJ.

FUD-

Spencer Jack fashioned 1960s progressive America at school today.  

Thought you would enjoy seeing the soon to be 11 year old liberal Jones nephew’s cute photo.

Hope all is well,
FNJ

P.S. - Perhaps we can connect sometime soon in AZ. Perhaps we can hike Camelback Mountain together?

__________________

The 1960s? A time of rapid change, riots, assassinations, raging wars in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, Beatles, Beach Boys, Rolling Stones.

And Hippies.

I wonder if Spencer Jack's grandma Cindy, she being my favorite ex-sister-in-law, helped turn Spencer into a Hippie.

Spencer Jack and his dad are probably not aware of what a Flower Child their grandma and mom was back in those long ago days of peace, love and freedom.

Peace, love and freedom? Am I remembering right? That that was/is the Hippie Credo?

Am I to insinuate from Spencer Jack's dad's message that the boys will be in Arizona at some point in time this month?

I don't know about hiking up Camelback Mountain. That is in Scottsdale, where Spencer Jack's dad, my little brother, Jake, lives. There is a Camelback Mountain website devoted to climbing this mountain.

Wikipedia's description of hiking Camelback Mountain...

Two hiking trails ascend 1,280 feet (390 m) to the peak of Camelback Mountain. The Echo Canyon Trail is 1.14 miles (1900 m) and the Cholla Trail is 1.4 mi (2300 m). Both trails are considered strenuous with steep grades. The hiking path has dirt, gravel, boulders, and some handrail-assisted sections. The average hike requires a round trip time of 1.5 to 3 hours.

Closer to Jake than Camelback Mountain is Papago Park. There are a lot of fun things to hike to in Papago Park. Such as the Hole in the Rock.

The second highest mountain in the Phoenix mountain range is known as Piestewa Peak, formerly Squaw Peak. Spencer Jack's aunt Jackie, she being my sister, and I hiked Piestewa Peak back in March of 2012. We did not make it to the summit.

We could also go hiking on South Mountain. South Mountain Park is the biggest city park in America and one of the biggest urban parks in the world. A Republican president of the decent sort, who helped make parks, not destroy them, or open them to drilling, Calvin Coolidge, helped Phoenix acquire the South Mountain parkland.

The first time I drove the road to the top of South Mountain I saw bikers mountain biking on trails which I would not be comfortable riding. Treacherous.

A bike has been delivered to where I will be staying in Arizona. It is not a mountain bike, and so its wheels will not be seeing mountain bike trails. Those wheels will likely be seeing a lot of miles of paved trails trailing all over this location with multiple lakes, appropriately called Sun Lakes.

This is likely going to be my last blog posting for awhile. I am not bring a laptop with me. My only internet connection will be via my phone. Or when I am at my sister's in Chandler. I may be using this break from the Internet World, and my computer, to break my blogging addiction.

It is said it takes 21 days to break a bad habit, or start a new good habit...

Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster One Day Over 15 Years Ago

Not til this morning of February 2, did I realize, via the Fort Worth Connie D, that yesterday, February 1, was the 15th anniversary of the day the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon re-entry.

This seems so recent, yet it was 15 years ago. It may seem recent, but my memory of that day is hazy.

I remember laying on the floor, I think it was a Sunday morning, drinking coffee whilst reading the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, which way back then I still subscribed to the hard copy version.

It was while on the floor I learned of the shuttle disaster. Before thinking about it I would have said I heard the explosion. But I think that memory is conflating the shuttle disaster with the Sunday morning when I heard three loud bangs which I was to learn a few minutes later were Mt. St. Helens erupting.

If I remember right, I later learned people in the D/FW zone claimed to have heard the shuttle explosion. But, I did not hear anything. I also do not remember how I learned of the disaster. I know I did not have a TV on, or a radio. Yet I learned of it almost as it happened.

I Googled "Columbia Disaster" to see if anything refreshed any of my faulty memory. The Wikipedia Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster article is interesting. Many details I did not remember or know about.

The Wikipedia article includes a timeline of the disaster. The following is the D/FW part of the timeline...

9:00:18 Videos and eyewitness reports by observers on the ground in and near Dallas indicated that the Orbiter had disintegrated overhead, continued to break up into smaller pieces, and left multiple ion trails, as it continued eastward. In Mission Control, while the loss of signal was a cause for concern, there was no sign of any serious problem. Before the orbiter broke up at 9:00:18, the Columbia cabin pressure was nominal and the crew was capable of conscious actions. Although the crew module remained mostly intact through the breakup, it was damaged enough that it lost pressure at a rate fast enough to incapacitate the crew within seconds, and was completely depressurized no later than 9:00:53.

I do not remember if it was February 1, 2003 that the traffic alert signs on the D/FW freeways began telling us to "CALL POLICE TO REPORT SPACE SHUTTLE DEBRIS".

I took the photo you see above, of one of those alerts, on the 820 freeway in east Fort Worth.