Chandler Peace & Quiet Oasis Before Maricopa McDonald's

For the first time in what seems weeks I am in a totally private, totally quiet, totally serene location.

An Oasis.

Also known as Sister Jackie's pool in Chandler.

Sister Jackie is currently driving Miss Daisy to a doctor appointment, after which my short peaceful period will come to an end, and then we will be heading south to Maricopa to Penny's McDonald's, where I am hoping to have myself a Canada burger, and a Dutch dessert.

Tomorrow morning Sister Jackie will drive Miss Daisy to Sky Harbor Airport to drop me off, after which I will get in my brother's vehicle. I am not quite sure where I am going when my brother drives me out of Sky Harbor Airport.

Sun Lakes Kids Chase Me To An Oasis Before Haboob Monsoon

My days of pooling in Arizona during this current visit are drawing to a close.

Due to an 8 in the morning breakfast date with Bruno and Mary, Miss Daisy sent me to the pool well before 7 this morning. That pooling is at the location I call the Big Pool at Miss Daisy's Community Club. The Big Pool is actually multiple pools, not just one Big Pool.

Then later, following that early morning breakfast I decided to go swimming again. But, when I returned to the Big Pool it was full of little kids. Not the usual Sun Lake Ladies. Little kids. Where could so many little kids come from in this elderly desert?

With the Big Pool over crowded I opted to go to the pool closest to Miss Daisy's. That pool is known as the Oasis Pool. It is a small, rectangle shaped pool. I had the pool all to myself, which you can clearly see via the photo documentation above.

There is no deep end to the Oasis Pool. It is only 5 feet deep at its deepest. Due to the time being near the noon hour I did not last long once I was out of the pool, what with the temperature being somewhere north of 100, with some clouds somewhat mitigating the direct sun misery.

Out of the pool I tried to take what is known in Texas as an Elsie Hotpepper style selfie, but I could not see the phone screen in the bright sun, with the result being the photo you see here where everything in the photo appears crooked and it does not even remotely resemble an Elsie Hotpepper style selfie.

Last night nephew Jeremy arrived right on time for his regularly scheduled dinner date with his Grandma. This involves driving to a fast food joint then returning to Grandma's TV viewing room where Jeremy and Grandma have their weekly Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy competition.

Soon after the visiting Uncle's latest correct answering of the Final Jeopardy question Jeremy headed east to Chandler to his current home location.

Jeremy was gone less than a minute when my phone alarm suddenly became alarmingly loud.

MONSOON!

HABOOB!

The phone warning from the National Weather Service said something like "SEVERE DUST STORM IMMINENT AT YOUR LOCATION. STRONG WIND, RAIN, ZERO VISIBILITY EXPECTED."

The phone warning had barely shut up when the wind hit like a slap. With thick dust which made for a thick haze dimming outdoor lights. I tried to make it to the road to drag the recycle bin back under cover. But I was unable to make it to the street due to being slammed by dust which felt like sandpaper.

Soon rain began to downpour. The Monsoon Haboob lasted about a half hour.

And then peace and quiet returned. Except for Miss Daisy asking a few more times what day it was...

Ruby, Max & Theo Cardboard Boat Regatta

Sunday morning Spencer Jack and Hank Frank's Grandpa Jake went swimming again with one of their favorite uncles.

During the course of pool time Grandpa Jake asked if I had seen Ruby and Max together.

What an odd question I thought to myself, what with Max the poodle having gone to dog heaven way back in summer of 2017. So, I said, yes, I have seen Ruby and Max. Why would you ask, I asked?

Because they are just so darn cute together, like an old married couple.

To which I said Max the poodle and Ruby are like an old married couple? Max has been dead for over two years, said I.

No, the Max who is Ruby's best friend since they started school said Grandpa Jake.

So, I then texted Ruby's Mama Michele to ask about this Max character, and to request some photo documentation, which was quickly forthcoming, arriving as I drove Miss Daisy on her first drive of the day.

The photos came with explanatory text, which I will copy and paste. for the most part, with the following photos, except for the photo above, which is not below, in which we see Max for the first time, sharing a jacket with Ruby.

Max and Ruby have been best buds since the start of kindergarten. I will find some photos.

Theo, Ruby and Max.

Max is not a huge fan of swimming but he helped out at the cardboard boat regatta. Did I mention the regatta to you? Theo and Ruby took second place.

The cardboard boat regatta had not previously been mentioned to me, and so more photos with explanatory text were sent.

Regatta was June 1, at the wave pool they took you to. They won their heat and took second in the final.  

In the above  pic Ruby and Theo squeak by a boat at the finish.

After that all the remaining boats got to go out and they turned the waves on, which is the third pic (the pic above). Middle is their boat. Had to be cardboard and duct tape. Max's dad, Saul, helped us build the boat and then we covered it with duct tape. It was free to enter the regatta but I spent a fortune on duct tape. LOL. Was totally worth it. So much fun. They won an inflatable boat.
I agree with what Betty Jo Bouvier recently said, that being that those kids sure do have a lot of fun adventures.

Army Corps Of Engineer's Document Contradicts Controversial Riveron Review

Less than a week to go before I return to my regular Internet connection to the world. It is frustrating having a thing or two I feel compelled to opine about, and not being able to easily do so.

The thing or two I am feeling compelled to opine about have to do with the controversial Riveron Review of the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle.

As more and more people read the Riveron Review it has become increasingly clear that a half million bucks was wasted on what amounts to being a review based on multiple falsehoods.

Near the end of the Riveron Review a couple pages list those "interviewed". No one from the Army Corps of Engineers is on that list. The people interviewed, to varying degrees, are those responsible for the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle mess, people like TRWD General Manager, Jim Oliver, and TRVA Executive Director, J.D. Granger.

Whoever did the interviewing apparently accepted the self serving spin spun by the likes of Oliver and Granger.

More on those other obvious obfuscations of truth later, but for now let's just take a look at one falsehood which shows up in the Riveron Review.

That particular falsehood is the Riveron Review's claim that the Army Corps of Engineers had determined the levees needed to be raised by 10 feet to meet some post-Katrina standard.

The following is copied from the Riveron Review...

"Build the existing levees an additional 10 feet taller, requiring an additional 150 feet on each side of riverway, negatively impacting businesses and neighborhoods, and resulting in an even more inaccessible riverfront."

The above makes ZERO sense.

First off, the area in question has not flooded in well over a half century, due to massive levees which have long done their intended job.

Second off, what are these businesses, or neighborhoods which would be affected negatively? The area is an industrial wasteland.

And third off, the Army Corps of Engineers never suggested raising the existing levees another ten feet. Never determined doing such was needed, feasible or recommended.

As we already pointed out, the Riveron Reviewers did not interview anyone from the Army Corps of Engineers. Instead the Riveron Reviewers only interviewed the various foxes who have been ineptly allowed to guard the hen house.

Methinks this half million buck Riveron Review borders on fraud.

The raise the levees part of this scandal came to my attention via email from one of the early victims of the TRWD/TRVA eminent domain abuse, with this victim's business taken a decade ago, followed by a long struggle trying to be made whole from the taking of his property.

Eminent domain is a legit process where property can be taken, with the owner fully compensated, for a project for the public good, like a highway, hospital or school. That type thing. Not for imaginary flood control or an economic development scheme benefiting the schemers.

Clearly this was not a legit eminent domain use for the public good, what with it now being well over a decade with that totally unneeded flood control project not anywhere close to being reality.

Now the motivation behind the Boondogglers misrepresenting the history of their ill fated project we will look at in future blog posts. In the meantime let's look at the email exchange between that aforementioned victim of America's Biggest Boondoggle and a former Fort Worth city councilman...

Bob Lukeman to Durango---

I did not get too far into the Draft before I hit my first WTF moment. 

Bob Lukeman to that aforementioned former Fort Worth city councilman...

This was news to me. Was the Corp initiating the idea of a bypass channel and was the levee fix an across the board 10 foot raise with a property taking element? We had Corp docs that gave the sparse locations of levees that need topping out in way less that 10 feet and no reference to any takings.

You may know more having been on the Council. Makes me think that Riveron was interviewing TRWD staff about the origins, and they were revising history to justify and defend the flood control aspects. 

10 million was the fix as I recall. Not 10 feet more on all the levees. That early of a suggestion to dig a bypass would have been in conjunction with the taking DOWN of certain levees. The 2 points made in the Draft seem to contradict a levee repair plan.

And then this from that aforementioned former Fort Worth city councilman...

I wasn’t aware that the project was in planning as early as 2001. There was never any discussion about the height of the levees or taking 150’ on either side that I was aware of. Sounds like a little historical revisionism although maybe they have the documents to back it up. I believe the channel idea may have come from Gideon/Toal and the corps bought into it. It started downhill in 2005. At least that’s when it was apparent to me.

Cheers, Clyde

Theo Hires Sand Castle Building Consultant With Ruby & David

After a couple days of amateur sand castle building, Theo hired the services of a professional sand castle builder to instruct himself, and Ruby and David, in the art of fancy sand castle building.

Mama Michele photo documented the results.

In the first photo we see Theo, Ruby and David, along with Mama Kristin, at the start of their intensive sand castle building instructions.

That would be the sand castle construction instructor on the left, next to Ruby.

Prepare to be impressed when you see what resulted from Theo, Ruby and David learning how to build a complex sand castle.

This appears to be a classic Gothic Sand Castle, rising taller than the tallest of the trio.

I know you are wondering if Theo, Ruby and David guarded their latest sand castle til the tide rolled and gradually obliterated it. I do not have the  answer to that probing question.

My information source may be faulty, but it is thought by some that today the sand castle building trio are flying their parental units back to Washington, which is extremely disappointing, because this morning Miss Daisy decided it would be fun to drive to San Diego to surprise the grandkids...

Theo's Pacific Sand Castle Building With Help From Ruby & David

Photo evidence has arrived documenting the fact my Favorite Nephew Theo has raised his sand castle building skills to a new level of complexity.

Prior to receiving those photos, whilst driving Miss Daisy in the extreme Arizona heat, Theo's grandma verbalized concern regarding wondering how David, Theo, Ruby and their parental units could possibly spend so many days outdoors in extreme heat.

I then tried to remind Miss Daisy the Pacific Coast is way cooler (in more ways than one) than the Arizona desert.

I suggested to Miss Daisy if we took off early in the morning we could reach San Diego easily by mid-afternoon, which would make for a fun (shocking) surprise for David, Theo, Ruby, their parental units, and Aunt Jackie and Uncle Jack.

Miss Daisy was not receptive regarding this adventurous concept.

Which is probably for the best, because tomorrow morning David, Theo and Ruby's Uncle Jake is planning to show up for Miss Daisy's morning swim.

However, Miss Daisy has been refusing to participate in the morning swim due to excess heat concerns. I have not informed Uncle Jake regarding Miss Daisy's current no swimming status.

Let's take a look at last yesterday's sand castle building...

Above Theo celebrates castle construction completion. Now the wait for the incoming tide begins, and the eventual defense of the castle as the Pacific floods in.

Here it appears Ruby joined in with the castle defense as the tide began to breech the outer defenses.

Theo looks forlorn as the tide begins to win.

Theo, Ruby and David stand on top of the sand castle ruins.

Around the time the above photo arrived Mama Michele texted "OMG. I am freezing. Sitting waiting for the ocean to destroy Theo's sand castle. I blame you for this fixation. LOL."

It's true. Theo and I had ourselves a mighty fine time fighting the incoming tide way back in August of 2017 up north at Birch Bay in the state called Washington.

Spencer Jack Flips While David, Theo & Ruby Tarpit To End Of Route 66

New California photos from David, Theo and Ruby. Currently the trio is in far Southern California, as in San Diego. There was no explanatory text accompanying the photos, leaving it to my feeble analytic skills to figure out what I am looking at.

Prior to San Diego the trio spent a couple nights in Santa Monica. That is a Los Angeles suburb, for those not familiar with Southern California.

And now that you are causing me to think about it I am wondering if Santa Monica considers itself a suburb of LA. I have no way of solving this conundrum.

What I did know for sure about Santa Monica is that the western terminus of the Mother Road, Route 66, ends at the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica. If I remember right Route 66 ends when it reaches California Highway 1, also known as the Pacific Coast Highway.

I vaguely remember back in the previous decade, during a visit to Los Angeles, driving Mulholland Drive to its end. Was that in Santa Monica? I must wait til I am Internet connected so I can consult Google about this Mulholland Drive question.

In addition to the Route 66 in Santa Monica photo, I am guessing the next one is showing David, Theo and Ruby on a carnival type ride called the Scrambler, on the Santa Monica Pier.

And then the next photo I think shows a location not in Santa Monica.

Which would make this the La Brea Tarpits which David, Theo and Ruby are standing by.

Maybe Santa Monica has its own tarpits. Or maybe the La Brea Tarpits are in Santa Monica and I have for years erroneously assumed the Tarpits were in Los Angeles. I vaguely recollect them being near Wilshire Boulevard, or on that road. And near Century City.

But it has been a long time since I have explored the Los Angeles zone. I think the last time was Christmas week of 1994. And I don't remember going into the Los Angeles downtown zone on that visit.

When next I am connected to the Internet I must remember to Google "La Brea Tarpits" in addition to Googling "Mulholland Drive".

Meanwhile, up north in Washington, while his cousins are having fun in Southern California, Spencer Jack has been working the grill at the Fidalgo Drive-In in Anacortes. Seems like only yesterday Spencer Jack was a little kid, and now he is a professional burger flipper...

Trinity River Vision Boondoggle Riveron Review Needs A Forensic Audit

Well.

I have now read the Riveron Review of the Trinity River Vision, more commonly known as America's Biggest Boondoggle, or simply as The Boondoggle.

This is no Mueller Report. It is only 92 pages long. Not detailed, in an indepth, investigative sort of way, like that aforementioned Mueller Report. But, like that Mueller Report,  those being investigated have tried to take control of the Riveron Review, wanting to check it for "accuracy" before the public gets a look at it.

Well.

That attempt at coverup did not work. The Riveron Review is now widely available for public perusal. Even though, as you can see via the screen cap above, the draft is under embargo - not for public dissemination.

There is more than one element in the Riveron Review which seemed to me to be possibly a bit tainted by propaganda input by those with the most to lose, as in those who have been responsible, well, more accurately, irresponsible, regarding how this pseudo public works project has been foisted on the public.

The section of the Riveron Review which looks at how the failing V-pier bridge design came to be, seemed to be not based on previously revealed information. And in addition to that, the rational for building those three little bridges over dry land also seems to be, well, ridiculous.

Suffice to say we will have more to say on this subject and the elements in the Riveron Review which seem to be a bit, well, wrong, later, when we are back located at our regular Internet connection to the world.

In the meantime, suffice to say, where upon actually reading the Mueller Report one could not honestly say that report reported "No Collusion, No Obstruction", with the Riveron Review one might accurately say upon reading it "Much Confusion, Slow Construction".

Like we said, more on this later...

David's Pacific Vigilance Looking For Portuguese Warmongers

Judging from the evidence provided by Mama Kristin, it appears David, Theo and Ruby have successfully guided their tour group to their San Diego Pacific beach destination.

Mama Kristin's text accompanying this photo was as follows...

"The quintessential sand castle building picture from our family..."

Almost two years ago, in August of 2017, a similar sand castle building scene happened up north, in Washington, at Birch Bay, a few miles south of the Canadian border.

During that sand castle building project, Theo and Ruby, along with some expert construction technique guidance from Mama Kristin, and heavy sand lifting by Uncle Me, David stood guard during the entire construction process, with David monitoring the progress of the incoming tide.

David also was guarding against Sea Urchins and Dungeness Crabs possibly encroaching on the sand castle building site.

There had been an earlier incident with a crab which unsettled David, which is what we think put him in hyper guard mode. As for Sea Urchins, I think it may have been me who caused that particular threat to enter David's imagination, with David somehow thinking a Sea Urchins is some sort of actual pirate which pops up out of the water.

I do not know what David was on guard for during this most recent sand castle building. Someone may have mentioned a Portuguese Man-o-War, or two, may have been encountered in the Pacific Ocean waves, with David then concerned this was an actual warmonger from Portugal, instead of a jellyfish...

More than once it has crossed my mind that David, Theo and Ruby watch too many Japanese anime type cartoons.

David, Theo & Ruby Virtually Tour Hearst Castle With Miss Daisy

On Sunday, whilst stalled to a slow crawl entering the outer limits of Los Angeles, David, Theo and Ruby asked their driver, Mama Michele, and co-pilot, Mama Kristin, if they could call Grandma Daisy to tell her about exploring the Hearst Castle at San Simeon.

The following day photos showed up via email, with explanatory text, the first of which explains the first photo...

From the grounds. We went up the tower on the left, but not to the top.

And so Grandma Daisy and I got to virtually enjoy a Los Angeles traffic jam in real time, and a visit to San Simeon in delayed time..

David, Theo and Ruby's destination in the Los Angeles zone was Santa Monica, staying overnight near the old western termination of Route 66 at the Santa Monica Pier.

By tomorrow, David, Theo and Ruby should make it further south to the San Diego zone where they hope to find Aunt Jackie and Uncle Jack. We last heard from Aunt Jackie and Uncle Jack whilst preparations were under way to float down a lazy river with something called a cocktail. We do not know where this lazy river was located, other than likely somewhere along the Southern California Pacific Coast.

And now the rest of the tour of San Simeon Hearst Castle photos and explanatory text...

Our tour involved lots of stairs, but the guide had the kids demonstrate an elevator, which is how Hearst and his pals got up and down. 

We saw Hearst’s bedroom and lots of other bedrooms and the library, and this room - his study. He ran his businesses from that big table.

His art and antiquity collection remains on display. David liked this Egyptian themed piece. 

Chili'n by the Neptune pool. 

We have not yet seen photo documentation of the Santa Monica Pier, so we do not know for sure that David, Theo and Ruby made it through that LA traffic jam to that destination. Today, if all goes as planned, we think San Diego is the destination.