Visiting Durango Building In San Antonio Whilst Looking At The River Walk

I was looking through a folder of photos from last month when I came upon this one which I had forgotten about.

In July, whilst I was in Arizona, Bob Skywalkerman, via Elsie Hotpepper, sent me the photo you see here.

Apparently this Durango Building, if I remember the original text message correctly, is in San Antonio, which is a Texas town south of Austin.

San Antonio is known around the world for its River Walk.

That and San Antonio being the location of the Alamo.

The San Antonio River Walk walks for miles alongside the San Antonio River.

I do not know if this world famous attraction came about due to something called the San Antonio River Vision.

I am fairly certain the San Antonio River Walk was likely built in a timely fashion and involved no imaginary islands or imaginary signature bridges. Or employed an unqualified local congresswoman's inept son as the San Antonio River Walk's project manager.

San Antonio is a modern Texas American town wearing its Big City pants, unlike other Texas towns I can think of....

Point Of No Point Sand Castle Building With Theo & Ruby Without David Or Orcas

Yesterday afternoon my favorite Theo nephew asked his mom to send me some photos.

When I saw the photo you see here I was able to figure out why Theo wanted me to see what he was doing.

Building a sand castle.

Last summer Theo and I and my favorite Ruby niece had a mighty fine time building sand castles and sand forts in the sand at Birch Bay, up northwest, in Washington, a few miles south of the border with Canada.

Looking at the photos I could not tell where the sand construction was taking place.

And so I inquired.

I was then told that Theo wanted me to guess the location.

My guesses which followed ruled out Birch Bay, due to the sand not looking right. I then ruled out a Pacific coast beach because the little waves did not look right. I thought maybe it was a beach by Fort Worden, on the far northeast side of the Olympic Peninsula. My final guess was some location on Hood Canal, perhaps a Hood Canal beach near the Clancy and Fancy estate.

I was wrong on all guesses.

Eventually Theo let me know he was doing his sandy work at Point No Point. The name sounded familiar to me, but I required Google to fine tune my memory.

Googling brought up a lot of Point No Point information, including two Wikipedia articles, one about the Point No Point Light, and another about Point No Point.

I think that must be the Point No Point Light, known as a lighthouse, in the distance behind shovel waving Ruby.

In part Wikipedia had this to say about Point No Point Light...

Point No Point Light is an operational aid to navigation on the northeastern tip of the Kitsap Peninsula on the west side of Puget Sound, at Point No Point where Admiralty Inlet joins Puget Sound, near the small community of Hansville, Kitsap County, in the U.S. state of Washington. Point No Point Light is considered the oldest lighthouse on Puget Sound and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In case you are wondering this is how Wikipedia explains the Point No Point landmark name...

Point No Point is an outcropping of land on the northeast point of the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington, the United States. It was the location of the signing of the Point No Point Treaty and is the site of the Point No Point Light.

It appears Ruby was the project engineer for the sand castle building project, directing Theo and mama Kristin.

There was no photo evidence provided documenting Ruby doing the actual sand castle building.

And where was Theo and Ruby's favorite David brother?

My guess is David has been watching the news and has developed a totally irrational fear of getting anywhere near Puget Sound. All the news stories of late about the Puget Sound Orcas, also known as Killer Whales, would be the type thing to make David nervous.

Last summer David totally freaked out over one Dungeness crab in Birch Bay, requiring he be air lifted, well, carried, back to shore.

Orcas used to be known as Killer Whales. A totally inaccurate name. Orcas are harmless to humans. It is humans who the Orcas might accurately call Killer People. But, the humans have long been trying to rectify the harm done to Orcas.

To limited success.

I think I have mentioned before my one and only up close encounter with a pod of Puget Sound Orcas. I was fishing with mom and dad, out near Lopez Island in the San Juan Islands. Suddenly a pod of Orcas appeared, heading towards us. At least 20.

Mom got a bit panicky. Dad stopped the boat. This was before the current era of always having photo documenting equipment on ones person.

Soon the pod of Orcas was all around us. Some slowed to take a close look. Right up to the boat. There were one or two baby Orcas in the group. There was something about the way the Orcas were looking at us that seemed friendly and totally non threatening.

Even mom totally calmed down.

And then it was over, as we watched the pod swim away from us.

Orcas are not the only whales which visit Puget Sound. They are just the most well known.

Soon before I moved to Texas I was out at the Rosario Beach part of Deception State Park. We were walking along the beach and suddenly an enormous whale showed up, slowly going along the edge of the steep beach, feeding on who knows what. This was a whale much bigger than the biggest Orca.

I do not not know how David would react to seeing a giant whale up close to shore. But, I suspect his reaction would be amusing...

UPDATE: After reading the concern about the missing David he arranged to have the following photo sent confirming that he was also with his brother and sister at Point No Point. But David opted out of sand castle building for driftwood collecting.

Wind Chilling Saturday Wichita Bluff Hike With A Hoodoo

What with today being almost chilly, what with the outer world in the low 80s, and a strong wind providing some wind chilling, it seemed like a good idea to make my semi-regular monthly Saturday return to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area to do some paved hiking on Wichita Bluff.

Since my last visit to this scenic area of Wichita Falls the new sign you see here has been installed. I don't quite understand the need for this sign, what with it being located only a few feet from the big sign over the trail which tells one they are entering the Wichita Bluff Nature Area.

Today, whilst hiking the paved trail which traverse Wichita Bluff, the scenery was reminding me of the Tandy Hills which I used to regularly hike in Fort Worth. The Tandy Hills are located a short distance east of downtown Fort Worth. Wichita Bluff is located a short distance west of downtown Wichita Falls.

It was that which you see below which brought the Tandy Hills to mind.

What looked to be a collapsed Hoodoo. One of the many mysteries of Fort Worth's Tandy Hills was the frequent appearance of Hoodoos at various random locations. The Tandy Hills Hoodoos could be quite large, tall, and elaborately balanced.

There are a few seating opportunities on the Tandy Hills. But not nearly as ubiquitous and luxurious as the rocking benches one finds along the Wichita Bluff trails.

I do not remember if one ever gets a good view of the Trinity River from any location on Fort Worth's Tandy Hills, even though that sad river runs quite close to the north side of those hills.

Above you are looking east, with that shiny object in the center of the photo being the Wichita River. The stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Wichita Falls is in the distance, with the, uh, interesting landmark known as Big Blue dominating the skyline. Looking at these photos one would not think one is surrounded by a city.

The foliage looked almost un-naturally green to me today. I was expecting brown to be the dominant color scheme, what with a lack of natural irrigation falling from above of late.

The Wichita Bluff hills were busy today with more activity than I have witnessed previously. Walkers, joggers, bikers and that which you see below.

A dog directed a pair of people on what appeared to be motorized skateboards. This means of locomotion looked fun. The motorized skateboards seemed to have no trouble going up hill. The skateboarders and their dog zipped by so fast I has no opportunity to ask any questions.

I hope Wichita Falls voters find it in their hearts to vote yes to fund the completion of the Circle Trail. Connecting the Wichita Bluff Nature Area to Lucy Park would be a good thing.

August 3 Low Tide At Wichita Falls Sikes Lake

If you spent most of your time on the planet near the ocean, in my case that being the Puget Sound affiliated with the Pacific Ocean, when your handlebars see something like what they saw today at Sikes Lake, a specific thought comes instantly to mind.

As in...

Tides out.

A low tide.

Must be a full moon.

On Wednesday, that being the first day of this new month of August, when I visited with Beto O'Rourke, he made mention of the drought which tormented Wichita Falls for years earlier in this current century. And that it looks like North Texas may once again be at the start of a drought.

Which means that is not a low tide on Sikes Lake you are looking at above. It is Sikes Lake in low water, starved for rain, possible drought mode.

The ducks and geese which reside at Sikes Lake seem to be adjusting to the low water. Much of the lake no longer has water deep enough for the birds to float. So, they stand in the goose knee deep water and do their food foraging from a standing position.

I do not know if the Sikes Lakes ducks and geese know of Lake Wichita, which is only a couple miles south of their shrinking Sikes Lake location. I saw Lake Wichita yesterday. So far at that location I am seeing no low tides. There is one dried up creek. With lily pads looking a bit dehydrated.

Rain is in the forecast a week from now. That type forecast seems to happen frequently. And when those anticipated wet days arrive those day's forecast reverts, more often than not, to the regular blue sky. And hot.

Huge August 1 Beto O'Rourke Rally In Wichita Falls Stone Palace

Beto O'Rourke made his 4th return to Wichita Falls last night, on the first day of August, a little over three months before I, along with millions of other Americans, hope Beto puts an end to Ted Cruz being the senator from Texas.

I had previously watched short clips of Beto speaking. I had had others tell me how impressive he is in person.

Last night I found myself among those impressed to see Beto in person.

I do not recollect ever previously witnessing a political figure be so articulate, speaking so long, with no notes, or teleprompter, and with that which was being said seeming so authentic and so in the moment, what with Beto making Wichita Falls and surrounding area references over and over again.

The Beto rally took place in the Stone Palace in downtown Wichita Falls. Last night marks the first time I have been to an event in the Stone Place without running into one of my favorite Texans, Dana Wood Knot.

Miss Wood Knot was likely in the Palace, but I did not see her due to the size of the crowd, with some estimating the number as high as a thousand, and some as low as 700. There were not enough chairs, so it was literally standing room only.

I do not recollect when I was last at an event where those attending were so fired up. When Beto arrived a rock band began blaring, with the crowd standing, trying to see the incoming Beto.

I only had my phone camera with me, hence the bad photo above, and the equally bad YouTube video below, with that video showing part of the aforementioned Beto arrival.

Way back in 2016 I found myself in downtown Fort Worth on the same day Trump held one of his campaign events at that town's convention center. This was before the term "Deplorables" had been used to describe many of those not repulsed by Trump's repulsiveness. That day I had a visceral bad reaction to all the creepy people I was seeing lined up to get in to see Trump.

Last night, surrounded by hundreds of liberal, progressive, democrat decent type people, it felt like I was witnessing something historic, like this is what it is like when America comes roaring back, decent, good, right-minded, intelligent, caring America.

I hope I am right....

Perplexing TRWD Land Swap Deal For Fort Worth LaGrave Baseball Park

A couple weeks ago, whilst I was in modern America, Arizona to be precise, Braig Prickley Facebook messaged me with a link which led me to the TRWD PRESS RELEASE you see partially screen capped here.

I read the press release and thought to myself what fresh ridiculousness is this nonsense.

I then replied to Mr. Prickley telling him something along the line of what with me currently being in modern America I just don't have the energy or desire to much care about fresh nonsense from back in backwards America.

And then I got back to Texas and soon found myself reading the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's "news" article about this fresh nonsense, with the article titled Deal to reopen Fort Worth Cats’ LaGrave Field full of dreams, but is there money?

Reading the Star-Telegram's question about money was not the question I was asking when I read about this "deal".

Before we get to looking at this deal let's look at what Mr. Prickley had to say after I replied to his message...

Yeah, looks like slimy Jim Lane got his way.  When they won the election, he said his TOP PRIORITY was getting minor league baseball back at Lagrave Field.

The slimy Jim Lane to which Prickley refers is one of the TRWD board members.

There is no mention made of it in the Star-Telegram article, but wasn't it Jim Lane who finagled an earlier "deal" regarding the land around LaGrave Field? A deal which had the TRWD spending multiple millions of dollars to rescue a bankrupt friend of Jim Lane. A friend somehow associated with LaGrave Field and its demise, if my memory is serving me correctly.

And then after the TRWD paid for that land, part of that land became the world's first drive-in movie theater of the 21st century.

Any of this ringing a bell with anyone? No mention is made in the Star-Telegram article about the previous TRWD property purchasing shenanigans in the LaGrave Field area.

This Star-Telegram article about LaGrave Field tells us...

The Fort Worth-based water district, teaming with the federal government to split the Trinity and create the new island, also got $1.3 million in the trade plus 8.1 acres including the stadium.

The water district is teamed with the federal government to split the Trinity River and create a new island? Does the federal government know they have been teamed with the TRWD to split a river and create an imaginary island?

And then this about the land that was swapped so the TRWD could take over LaGrave Field...

In exchange, Houston-based Panther Acquisition Partners will get 15.3 acres along what is now a levee, giving the group a total of 26 acres on what will become Panther Island when the river is split.

What is this new nonsense about splitting the river?

Am I understanding correctly? The land which the TRWD swapped for the land including LaGrave Field is currently underneath 15.3 acres of Trinity River levees, which will be removed if the Trinity River Vision ever becomes something someone can see, with that land under the levees then part of the imaginary island.

And then there is this...

Right now, we’ve only heard lofty promises. If they come through, the new Panther Island development across the Trinity River from downtown will be anchored by a boutique ballpark and events facility built around the legendary 92-year-old ballfield. Here’s how iffy this deal is: It requires $4 million at signing from a charity foundation that does not even have a board of directors yet but is already collecting money.

The imaginary island development will be anchored by a boutique ballpark? And an events facility? Built around a legendary ballfield?

You reading this somewhere in modern America, have you ever heard of Fort Worth's legendary ballfield?

The deal required $4 million from a charity?

Why does Fort Worth never seem to do things the way towns wearing their BIG CITY pants get things done?

If you are reading this and have not seen Fort Worth's LaGrave Field, back when it re-opened, after reading what seemed likely to be hyperbolic exaggeration in the Star-Telegram about this newly re-opened facility, I ventured to the future imaginary island and took some photos, and then webpaged what I saw in Fort Worth's LaGrave Field.

During my multiple visits to the Phoenix metro zone this year, and last, I have seen multiple baseball parks, some beautiful big complexes, complete with a hotel and other amenities, such as the Chicago Cubs Wrigley Field at the north end of Dobson Road, in Mesa. Or my most recent last day in Arizona when Miss Daisy's driver drove us by the spring training ballpark for the California A's. Any of these Cactus League ballparks would be a worthy ballpark model for a big city like Fort Worth.

And why is the TRWD, as in Tarrant Regional Water District involving itself in something like trying to re-open a defunct ballpark?

Perplexing...

Giant Duck Takes Over Wichita Falls Catfish Pond

Driving Southwest Boulevard, east, this morning, heading to Walmart, as I drove by my neighborhood catfish pond at the south end of Weeks Park I was surprised to see a giant duck floating by the catfish pond's fountain.

I decide to put the short drive to Walmart on hold whilst I parked at the catfish pond's parking to get a closer look at the plus-sized duck via walking the paved trail which circles the catfish pond.

When I reached the part of the trail which afforded a look at the duck's backside I learned that, apparently, the duck's name is WALLY. That may be an erroneous assumption. Maybe WALLY is who owns this duck. Or maybe WALLY made the duck.

Sikes Island Leads Me To Ponder Fort Worth's Deluded Ridiculousness

What you see above, under the pavilion at Sikes Lake, is an island born from the lack of rain. Sikes Island has existed so long greenery has sprouted on the island. I know of no plans to build bridges across water to the new island.

Behind my handlebars there is a bridge which crosses Sikes Lake, it being one of two bridges over water at Sikes Lake.

I have no way of knowing if the Sikes Lake bridges were built over dry land during the period of time during which Sikes Lake was drained and dredged, with the dredged residue hauled to Lake Wichita where it was deposited near the lake shore, eventually becoming Mount Wichita, after a year or two of the mud sludge solidifying.

I also do not know if anyone in Wichita Falls was deluded and ridiculous to a level sufficient to embarrass themselves by referring to the simple little Sikes Lake bridges as "signature bridges", which is the case in another Texas town with which I am familiar.

Fort Worth.

Where bridges are built over dry land with astonishingly long bridge building construction timelines, and touted as being "signature bridges", you know, like the Golden Gate Bridge.

And also touted by those responsible for Fort Worth's public works debacle as being built over dry land to save time and money.

When there was never any other option but to build Fort Worth's simple little bridges over anything but dry land, since there was no water where the bridges are being built. And where there will never be any water until a ditch is dug under those three simple little bridges, with water diverted into the ditch from the Trinity River.

Deluded and Ridiculous.

That really should be Fort Worth's city motto. Drop "Where the West Begins" and go with the more accurate "Deluded and Ridiculous"...

Star-Telegram Actually Answers A Question I Asked

A couple days ago I blogged that the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Was Unable To Answer Why Boondoggle Bridges Take So Long To Build.

In this Saturday morning's Star-Telegram, on the front page, top of the fold, I saw another headline question asked...

When your plane lands at DFW Airport, why does it take so long to get to the gate?

Once again I found myself hopeful the Star-Telegram was going to answer a question I recently found myself asking.

This time the Star-Telegram did not disappoint me, sort of.

My last two times landing at DFW I have found myself annoyed at how long it took to get to the gate after touchdown.

Last Saturday was the longest taxi ride yet. I was beginning to think the pilot was lost on the tarmac. I only had 55 minutes to make my connection to Wichita Falls. When the pilot finally parked the plane at the gate, and after the 10 or 15 minutes it took to finally get off the plane, I hurried to the SkyLink to make my way to Terminal B, Gate 38.

Upon entering Terminal B I heard the loudspeaker loudly speaking "Flight 3715 to Wichita Falls is now boarding at Gate B38. That's Bravo 38".

I did not remember hearing this type announcement before upon entering a terminal. And so I picked up my pace. I got to the Gate B38 to find everyone already on board. I handed the check-in person my boarding pass, and then boarded. Less than ten minutes later we were in the air.

I had 55 minutes to make this connection. And managed to get there with only ten minutes to spare. This tells me we took around a half hour between touchdown and parking at the gate.

This article in the Star-Telegram explains why it takes so long to get the gate, what with the planes having to taxi across active landing zones, waiting for an all clear to proceed, so that question did get answered. Along with an upcoming solution.

But, the article claimed the taxi time is usually between 5 to 10 minutes.

A taxi ride on the DFW tarmac has never been as short as 5 to 10 minutes in my experience. Maybe I just have bad luck.

The return last May to DFW was particularly annoying. After the long tarmac taxi ride, when we reached the gate, the pilot soon announced something along the line of "We seem to have caught the ground crew by surprise. We are bugging them to hurry up."

I recollect thinking the "bugging them" verbiage was amusing. And likely not officially approved pilot-speak.

About 20 minutes went by and then the pilot again apologized for the delay. The elderly man sitting next to me was getting nervous. I soon found out his nervousness was due to needing to make a connection to Abilene. And time was running out. And that this was the first time he had flown anywhere since the Vietnam War. I had plenty of time, so I told him I would help him get to his connection, if we ever got off the plane.

Landing at other airports I have never experienced the long waits I have experienced at DFW, after the plane docks.

And the only other airport at which I have experienced an ultra long taxi ride over the tarmac, was at the Denver airport, flying United. The tarmac taxi ride was long, but at a much faster speed than that which the DFW airport allows its pilots to taxi.

This morning David, Theo and Ruby's mama texted me from Reagan International in Washington, D.C., verbalizing what a terrible airport the one named after Reagan is. I do not know what, precisely, my little sister finds annoying about the D.C. airport.

My mom called me last night, asking me to come back to Arizona as soon as possible. I do not see that happening for more reasons than just that I do not like flying...

Lake Wichita Biking With Snakes & Nurse Canecracker Thinking About Trump's Dementia

When I opted to roll my wheels to Lake Wichita this morning, about an hour before noon, the outer world was chilled to somewhere in the high 70s.

Brrrr.

I had to find my sweatpants and insulated underwear before venturing out into the semi-Arctic blast.

There were a lot of other wheel rollers enjoying the momentary respite from triple digits.

When I reached the top of Lake Wichita Dam I decided to roll down to the floating dock which today was not occupied by people wielding fishing poles. You can see the Mount Wichita pseudo volcano on the far side of the lake. The pseudo volcano is my eventual destination.

Today, for the first time since I have been in my current North Texas Wichita Falls location, I saw a snake.

It was in the drought dried lily pond creek which flows into Lake Wichita I saw the snake, slithering in the little bit of water remaining in the creek.

What you see above are my handlebars perched on the Circle Trail bridge which crosses the aforementioned dried up creek. Apparently the snake slithered out of camera view by the time I snapped the above photo.

Lately dementia has been on my mind. I deal with a lot of dementia in Texas.

And when I leave Texas.

Last night Nurse Canecracker called.

My favorite nurse and I had an hour long conversation about dementia, and other topics. It is useful to consult a wise medical professional when one is troubled by such things as dementia.

I heard from David, Theo and Ruby's mother this morning. She has been in Washington, D.C. all week. I do not know the precise purpose of my little sister's D.C. visit, but I am just about 100% certain the visit did not involve consulting Donald Trump about his obvious dementia issues...