Elsie Hotpepper's Midnight Fort Worth Weekly Cookin' The Trinity River Vision Books Turkey Alert

Last night, shortly before midnight, a few minutes after I'd become horizontal, my phone made its incoming text message noise.

I then struggled to get myself back vertical so as to make it to the location of the phone.

And found it was a message from Elsie Hotpepper. With the message being a screen cap from Fort Worth Weekly's Turkey Awards 2018 edition, specifically the lead Turkey Award, titled Cookin' the Books.

Below is that lead Turkey Award in its entirety....

Cookin' the Books

Turkeys are coming home to roost at Panther Island. The $1.1 billion (and climbing) private economic development plan disguised as a public flood control project is bogging down in its own hubris. Critics say the flood control portion could be completed for much less money, say, around about $20 or $30 million. A billion bucks is vital for flood control, at least according to proponents like Jim Oliver, general manager of the Tarrant Regional Water District, which provides water for 2 million people and implements flood control measures for 11 North Texas counties. Nobody can say exactly how much money is or isn’t needed for flood control because a cost benefit analysis hasn’t been done during the two decades that this project has been kicking around. Why? Because Oliver and water district board members don’t want such a study. Why? Why do you think?

The project is drifting now, even after local taxpayers recently approved $250 million worth of bonds for the water board to issue. Still, at least $700 million more is needed – money that doesn’t appear to be coming from the federal government or anywhere else anytime soon. Fort Worth officials are now demanding an audit, even though most of them have been coddling and enabling Oliver and the water district from the beginning.

__________________

It is interesting to me to see how, now that what has become America's Biggest Boondoggle is clearly sinking, that those who might have been accurately reporting this multi-decade embarrassment are only now doing so.

I was not long in Texas, not long in reading the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, before realizing this was not a newspaper of the sort I was used to reading whilst residing on the west coast. I soon realized the Star-Telegram was more of a propaganda organ for the local chamber of commerce, than a legit newspaper of record.

I was not long in Texas before I realized Fort Worth Weekly was the closest Fort Worth came to a real newspaper. That and, at times, the Fort Worth Business Press.

But, it has long seemed to me that Fort Worth Weekly could be more aggressively investigating that which has become America's Biggest Boondoggle. Such as way back during one of the Trinity River Vision's early failures, that being the Cowtown Wakepark.

It did not take much common sense to see that Cowtown Wakepark was not going to work. We still do not know how much public money the Trinity River Vision Authority wasted on the Cowtown Wakepark.

Or the TRVA  and TRWD shenanigans which resulted in the world's first drive-in movie theater of the 21st century. Oddly named something Coyote, rather than the Panther Island label the Boondoggle eventually came to slap on anything associated with its multiple shady operations.

Like Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats at the imaginary Panther Island Pavilion on the imaginary Panther Island at the imaginary world class Panther Island music venue.

And, I am more than a little offput that in Fort Worth Weekly's 2018 Turkey Award about the TRV Cookin' the Books that Boondoggle propaganda is repeated, as in...

"The project is drifting now, even after local taxpayers recently approved $250 million worth of bonds for the water board to issue."

That bond issue which the voters approved remains controversial due to the misleading verbiage on the ballot, as in claiming the $250 million was for flood control and drainage. When, soon after passage, the Boondogglers, such as the TRWD's number one turkey, Jim Oliver, in full hubris mode, claimed the $250 million was for Panther Island. And another of Fort Worth's turkeys, Kay Granger, claimed this misleading ballot measure passing amounted to voters approving of the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision, after years of criticism that the public had never been allowed to vote for what has become America's Biggest Boondoggle.

Yeah, another Fort Worth Weekly 2018 Turkey Award should have been awarded to Kay Granger and her favorite son, J.D., and Kay's future daughter-in-law, Shanna Cate....

UPDATE: Elsie Hotpepper has informed me I was erroneous in saying Kay Granger also needed a 2018 FW Weekly Turkey Award. Turns out Fort Worth's worst congresswoman did get herself a piece of the turkey for we have lost track now of how many times. In its entirety...

Tur-Kay

Back when Kay Granger was mayor of Fort Worth and considering a run for the U.S. House of Representatives, both Democrats and Republicans wanted her to run on their ticket. She was considered accessible and intelligent and sometimes even sensitive to the needs of her constituents. 

When she decided to run on the Republican ticket, in fact, some conservatives thought she was too liberal. 

Sometime during the last 20 years, that all changed. She has become a rubber stamp for all things right-wing, has not held town hall meetings for years, and, hell, she doesn’t even respond to most reporters’ requests for comments on issues that affect her own district.

So it wasn’t really a surprise that when Vanessa Adia decided to run against her for her District 12 seat Granger chose not to have a single debate with her. Disappointing, yes, but typical of someone who has been in office so long that she has become insulated and isolated, and the little people, even those running against her, just don’t warrant attention.

Kay, your constituents do matter. Time you wake up and come back down to earth. Meanwhile, since you’re apparently doing so well without our help, you must not need much. Therefore, all you’re getting is one turkey foot this year. Enjoy it. It’s all you deserve.

Thanksgiving In Utah Not Throwing Rocks With Spencer Jack

That which you see here showed up last night, sent by Spencer Jack and his favorite dad, my eldest nephew, Jason.

I saw this photo and had zero clue as to what I was looking at, besides it appearing to be Spencer Jack and Jason on some sort of mass transit device.

Train, bus, trolley, tram, monorail? What? I had no clue.

And then a follow up email arrived, with more photos and a text message from which I could make a slightly educated guess as to what Spencer Jack is taking is dad for a ride on.

First the text message...

Spencer Jack and I had a mighty fine time exploring NV, AZ, and UT.

Spencer had this week off from school and desired a return trip to some of our favorite National Parks.

After a late night on the Las Vegas Strip, we headed north on I-15 and followed the Virgin River to Springdale, UT.

Hiked the Narrows in Zion, before climbing to Inspiration Point in Bryce.

Had my first, and hopefully, last, 'almost ran out of gas' moment.  That's another story.   Nonetheless, Spencer and I coasted into Richfield, UT on fumes and called it a night.

Have a Happy Turkey Day.

Thought you'd enjoy the pictures and video (and of course, we checked for hikers, before rock tossing).

-FUD and FNSJ

So, gleaning the info in the above text, and looking at the below photo of Spencer Jack, clearly in the Zion Canyon Narrows, I am guessing the above transit device, on which Spencer Jack and Jason are riding in scream mode, is a bus taking them into Zion Canyon. But, I thought that that traffic reducing means was only active during heavy duty tourist season. So, I may be erroneous in my transit assumption.

There is a big parking lot at the entry to the Zion Narrows. Every time I have been at that location it has been a bit of a challenge to secure a parking spot.

Moving on...

Above I am guessing Spencer Jack is swimming at the motel he and his dad spent the night in in Springdale, the town at the west entry into Zion National Park.

Continuing on...

Here we see Spencer Jack at Inspiration Point in Bryce National Park. The text message indicates a climb was required to reach Inspiration Point. I do not remember a climb. Instead I remember a walk from a parking lot. I do remember a climb via the Navajo Loop, which, if I remember correctly, has its trail head near Inspiration Point.

Bryce Canyon is at a high elevation. In the 8,000 to 9,000 feet above sea level type high elevation. I remember the Navajo Loop hike being incredibly scenic, with multiple other trails, like Peek a Boo, accessed from the Navajo Loop. I also remember the series of switchbacks back to the starting point being brutal, what with extreme oxygen debt.

Bryce Canyon National Park is my favorite of the Utah National Parks.

And below we have the video mentioned by Spencer Jack and his dad in their text message. I really do not think the boys were so irresponsible as to throw rocks off the Inspiration Point edge. That would be an extremely bad thing to do....

Crossing Galloping Gertie On Way To Wichita Falls Sculpture Of Nature

It had been awhile since I had rolled my mechanized wheels to Lucy Park for a nature walk.

And so, this day before Thanksgiving that is what I did.

Soon after the nature walk began I found myself crossing the Wichita River via the Lucy Park Suspension Bridge.

Today a fellow bridge crosser turned the Lucy Park Suspension Bridge into what seemed like a Texas version of Galloping Gertie.

Galloping Gertie was the nickname given a suspension bridge in my old home state of Washington. Galloping Gertie crossed the Tacoma Narrows. The bridge was poorly designed and so it swayed way too much when hit with winds. And then one day Galloping Gertie galloped out of control and tore itself apart. Now two suspension bridges cross the Tacoma Narrows in Galloping Gertie's place. And neither of them gallop, no matter how windy the wind gets.

After leaving the Wichita Falls version of Galloping Gertie I soon found myself at the Wichita Falls version of a waterfall.

The Wichita Falls waterfall always seems to be falling the same volume of water, when it is in waterfall mode and not in dry falls mode.

Soon the nature walk walked me to the top of Wichita Falls, where a look out had me looking directly over the top of the falls.

Today I saw a historical market type thing I had not noticed on prior visits to Wichita Falls.

A plaque from New York with the following message on the plaque...

TO THE PEOPLE OF

WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS

MAY THE PROSPERITY OF YOUR CITY

BE AS LONG LIVED AS THIS

SCULPTURE OF NATURE

PRESENTED TO YOU UPON THE

REBIRTH OF YOUR

FALLS

FROM THE PEOPLE OF

THE CITY OF 

NIAGARA FALLS,

NEW YORK

JUNE 5, 1987

Sculpture of nature? Did these Niagara Falls people not realize this is not a real waterfall of the work of Mother Nature sort? And that it was not a rebirth of the original falls? Which are located about a mile downstream?

Doesn't matter, still was a nice gesture from the New Yorkers. But, how in the world did they find out about the new waterfall in Wichita Falls?

Biking Wichita Falls MSU Finding Mickey Mouse With Head Wound

The outer world warmed up enough this third Monday of the 2018 version of November to allow a pleasant bike ride with only a few extra layers needed of insulative clothing material.

But, I quickly realized I should have worn gloves other than my open finger biking gloves. Hours later my fingertips are no longer numb.

Rolling through the MSU campus I soon saw that the Fantasy of Lights displays are in full fantasy mode, with electric motors whirring, animating the parts of the fantasy with moving parts.

My bike stopped at the spot you see above where I noticed a big hole though Mickey's Mouse's head. I do not believe Mickey was the victim of an assassination attempt, but instead Mickey, along with multiple other famous figures, is providing photo opportunities for someone wanting to stick their face in the hole in Mickey's head.

The background for the Mickey Mouse photo op location has a pair of what appear to be singers singing whilst a piano man plays, with the Emerald City, Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, and Toto to the right. I don't know if you can make out the Old Lady Who Lives in a Shoe and all her kids. Or Santa's Train.

Further along in the Fantasy of Lights I came upon the moving scene you see above, depicting a migrant family finding shelter in a barn where a baby is born, with sheep and what look to be three Africans with camels looking on.

Rolling through the Wichita Falls version of Beverly Hills today I saw many mansions decked out in Holiday splendor. I may try and photo document some of that on another day. Though I do not know how documentable this would be in broad daylight. I guess there is only one way to find out...

Snowless Saturday Mount Wichita Climb With An Afghan

As you can clearly see, the recent brush with snow which flurried slightly in Wichita Falls was not a strong enough brush to leave Mount Wichita snow capped.

And so, what with the return of temperatures dozens of degrees above freezing, I left my cross country skis in the closet and put regular shoes on my lower extremities so as to facilitate a salubrious endorphin inducing bout of aerobic stimulation via hiking to the summit of the tallest mountain rising to the sky anywhere for miles around at this relatively flat location on the planet.

I was not alone in enjoying the great pleasantly warmed outdoors today.

From the summit of Mount Wichita, looking down from high above, I saw a bench beside the Circle Trail filled up with sitters sitting, enjoying a break from whatever they were doing, listening to the waves flowing to shore, or maybe geese squawking. Or both.

Back at sea level, I mean, lake level, I walked on the Circle Trail for a couple miles. As you can see, via the photo documentation above, the Circle Trail gets mighty close to Lake Wichita and those incoming waves being blown across the lake.

Eventually I left the Circle Trail for a more rugged dirt path which makes a wide circle around Mount Wichita. The entire route takes an hour, gave or take a minute or three.

When I finally made it back to my mechanized means of motion I drove to the Post Office for a date with an Afghan. That went well, for the most part.

Suffice to say I am challenged when determining whether a number is an 8 or a 5, or not, apparently...

Safely Passing Wichita Falls Rickety Wooden Circle Trail Guard Rails

A couple days ago I made mention of a Small Minded Hobgoblin Hiking Wichita Bluff Nature Area Circle Trail in which I mentioned the fact that the guard rails which guard against an unwanted Circle Trail exit are of extremely inconsistent quality.

Among the guard rails mentioned were the most decrepit of the Wichita Falls Circle Trail guard rails, that being the ramshackle wooden guard rails which guard the Circle Trail as it passes under Midwestern Boulevard.

The photo documentation fails to document it, but at its most treacherous point, that being where the Circle Trail is under Midwestern Boulevard, a section of the wooden guard rail is totally missing, leaving Circle Trailers vulnerable to an unwanted exit down a steep cement slope to a drenching in Holliday Creek.

Or a possible drowning during those rare periods when Holliday Creek is in flood mode.

Yesterday and today makes for two days in a row where a bike ride was doable without need of excessive outer wear being needed in order to keep warm.

Such is one of the many things I like about weather in Texas. You can be in a deep freeze one day and a day later wonder if comfort requires switching the climate control back to A/C mode...

Linda Lou Takes Me To Skagit Valley Swans & Mount Baker

I saw the scenic scene you see here this morning on Facebook, via a posting from Miss Linda Lou.

Last month I found myself on the summit of an Arizona mountain with Linda Lou called South Mountain. South Mountain is not quite as scenic as the mountain you see above, which is a volcano, called Mount Baker.

Mount Baker has a perpetual snow cap, much of it in the form of what is known as a glacier. During a hot summer much of what is white on Mount Baker melts away. Which renders hiking high on Mount Baker easily doable.

I've hiked to that notch you see to the right of the summit multiple times. This hike begins in what is known as Schrieber's Meadow. The first time I hiked this hike was when I was a teenager, with the trail guide being ardent lifelong hiker, Maxine. My most recent hike up Mount Baker was with my great nephew Hank's, papa, Joey.

Just a sec, I shall see if I can find a link to photos of Joey hiking on Mount Baker. Found it.

Years ago, from my abode in Mount Vernon, Washington, on a clear day I could look out my kitchen window and see the Mount Baker volcano. Sometimes I could even see the steam venting from Mount Baker's crater vent.

South Mountain rises from the Valley of the Sun. Mount Baker rises above the Valley of the Skagit. I doubt South Mountain has ever been snow capped. I am absolutely certain there are no glaciers on South Mountain.

Those big white birds you see in the foreground, above, are Trumpeter Swans. They are big birds. I do not remember when they arrive in the Skagit Valley. Or whether the Skagit Valley flats is a way station on their journey south for the winter, or if the Skagit Valley is their southern escape from the cold north of Canada.

I remember years ago, way back in the previous century, when Spencer Jack and Henry's grandpa, my little brother Jake, was located at a house he built on a large plot of land east of Burlington Hill in the Skagit Valley. A huge flock of Trumpeter Swan's would congregate on Jake's land, consuming whatever there was to consume.

When startled the Swan's would take off, all at once, making a loud thump thump thump noise as they quickly gained altitude. One had to be on the lookout, as the big birds flew overhead, for emergency evacuation of what their digestive systems had digested, dropping what amounted to being non-explosive bombs which one did not want to land on one's head.

Recently I have been pondering the idea of relocating back to Modern America, where the politics are blue, where most of the people are well educated, and not overly inflated. Where most grown ups do not still follow their old high school's football games. Where berries grow free for the picking, where seafood is plentiful, also free for the picking, I mean, catching. Where...well, this type list could go on and on and on.

So, I will shut up now....

Small Minded Hobgoblin Hiking Wichita Bluff Nature Area Circle Trail

This morning watching the local news on one of the local TV sources, don't remember which one, but it was ABC, NBC, CBS or Fox, and during the local weather portion of the broadcast the background was that which you see here.

Sort of.

The entry sign which hovers over the Circle Trail as it enters the Wichita Bluff Nature Area.

Actually the entry sign you see here is the one at the east end of the Wichita Bluff Nature Area. The local TV broadcast used the entry sign at the west end of the entry to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area, that being the location of the parking lot which one can park on to gain easy access to the Bluffs.

I have seen pretty much every mile of the Wichita Falls Circle Trail.

Today when I saw that which you see above, that being the heavy duty galvanized steel guard rail guarding anyone from having an unfortunate exit from the trail, a thought occurred to me which soon had me thinking of a famous quote, that being something like "Consistency is the Hobgoblin of a Small Mind".

Was that quote from Shakespeare? Or is it something that world renowned wordsmith, Donald Trump said?

Anyway, the thing I was thinking was wondering why there is no consistency to the quality of the Circle Trail's guard rails? The guard rails range from the substantial type you see above, to broken old wooden guard rails one rolls by on the Circle Trail as it passes under Midwestern Boulevard.

The guard rails further south, as the trail descends to go under Kemp Boulevard are made of metal and are more substantial than wood, but not as substantial as that which you see photo documented above.

I suppose thinking that something like a guard rail on a trail should be of a consistent quality is something only a small-minded person, such as myself, might concern himself with.

Then again, I think a case could be made for consistency in a case like this, even it is the hobgoblin of a small mind.

Anyway, seeing the Wichita Bluff Nature Area on the news this morning caused me to think it might be enjoyable to have a freezing nature walk. And so that is what I did, hence the photo you see above, and below.

The last 24 hours the North Texas Deep Freeze has wreaked havoc on some of the foliage, causing massive overnight wilting. This made for scenery which looked more fall-like than the look at the Wichita Bluff Nature Area a few days ago.

As you can see, the Wichita River is still running high.

I am already tired of winter and we still have more than a month to go before winter arrives. Seems like only yesterday I was overheating in Arizona and going swimming every day...

Orca Killer Whales Currently In No Peril In Fort Worth's Trinity River

I saw that which you see here this Veterans Day morning in the online version of the Seattle Times.

No, this is not yet one more instance of something I see in west coast news sources which I would never expect to see in a Texas news source, such as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

I just thought it interesting because this was different type news than that which I read about something in my local location.

And that the image was cool.

But, then again, now that you are causing me to think about it, reading about Orcas in peril in Texas waters is definitely not something one would expect to be reading in the Star-Telegram.

Now that you are continuing to cause me to think about it, this actually is the type news article I read in west coast news sources which I do not read in a Texas news source such as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

As in the article brings up a troubling local issue, that being the current state of Puget Sound not being a healthy habitat for residents who have lived there well before the arrival of European invaders, that being the long suffering Puget Sound Orca pods.

When is the last time, if ever, you have read an article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about the Trinity River not being a healthy habitat? Let alone an article suggesting maybe it was not wise to encourage people to get wet in the regularly e.coli contaminated river viia America's Biggest Boondoggle's ridiculous Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats?

This morning I found myself tagged multiple times on Facebook in posts related to various aspects of Fort Worth ineptitude, not reported in the Star-Telegram. As in the flooding issues in East Fort Worth not being addressed. As in those flooding issues being caused by inept urban planning not requiring flood mitigation infrastructure in new housing developments.

While millions of bucks have been wasted, and are proposed to continue being wasted, on imaginary flood control issues in the area being messed up by America's Biggest Boondoggle, also known as the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision.

An area where there has been no flooding for well over half a century, due to levees long ago installed which have kept the Trinity River under control as it flows past downtown Fort Worth.

Levees which America's Biggest Boondoggle proposes removing, replaced by a cement lined ditch which will supposedly safely flow flood water to holding ponds and thousands of flood restraining Magic Trees...

Cold Wichita Falls Sunday With Ebeneezer Scrooge Writing Sponge

On Wednesday, after a Chilly Ride To Wichita Falls Fantasy Of Lights Rock, I made mention of the fact that prior to stopping at the Wichita Falls Fantasy of Light Rock I had passed by what looked to be a Scrooge tombstone.

And I also mentioned that the next time I was in the Fantasy of Lights neighborhood I would stop at the Scrooge tombstone.

And so, this cold Sunday in November, that is what I did, which you see photo documented here.

Turns out, via this Ebeneezer Scrooge tombstone, the infamous miser is soliciting funds.

My handlebars are blocking the full text which at the bottom of the tombstone says PLEASE DONATE with arrows pointing to a slot in a locked strongbox secured inside the tombstone.

On the tombstone, under EBENEEZER SCROOGE and above the PLEASE DONATE there are some words forming what may be a sentence, of which my limited understanding of English is not quite able to parse the meaning---

SPIRIT TELL ME I MAY SPONGE AWAY THE WRITING ON THIS STONE

Maybe someone well versed in Dickensian speech can translate...