A Look At Washington's San Juan Islands Takes Us To Fort Worth's Imaginary Island

I saw this view you see here, yesterday, on Facebook. A view looking east across some of the San Juan Islands, with the Mount Baker volcano towering over the scene. I grew up in the land between that volcano and the San Juan Islands.

I think it was the fact of growing up totally aware of what an island is, and looks like, that had me appalled near the beginning of this century, when the town I was then living in, at the time, Fort Worth, Texas, began a bizarre pseudo public works project hoping to divert water from the Trinity River, around a section of land, on the north end of downtown Fort Worth.

Creating an imaginary island.

Which already came to become called Panther Island. Even though that proposed water diversion has not yet happened, with a cement lined ditch, filled with Trinity River water, creating the imaginary island, with three bridges then connecting the Fort Worth mainland to that imaginary island.

So far, those three freeway overpass type bridges are the main thing that has been completed in what became known as the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision.

Or America's Biggest Boondoggle.

Near one of those bridges the Vision did see a roundabout built, with a million-dollar reflective homage to an aluminum trash can installed at the center of the roundabout.

Is the Fort Worth Star-Telegram still investigating trying to find out how it came to be that a million bucks was paid to buy that work of art?

For years, the entity known in short form as the Trinity River Vision employed J.D. Granger as the Vision's Executive Director. Granger is the son of Fort Worth Congresswoman, Kay Granger. It was thought giving Kay's son a high paying job overseeing the Vision that it would motivate Kay to support federal funding of Fort Worth's Boondoggle.

However, Kay never managed to help secure that funding. And then meandering moved Kay's congressional district out of the area of Fort Worth's Boondoggle. And so, J.D. Granger lost his Executive Director job after accomplishing little for so long.

Ironically, as part of the Biden Administration's massive Infrastructure bill, federal funding was secured, sort of, for Fort Worth's infamous Boondoggle. Adding to the irony, Kay Granger voted against the Infrastructure bill, what with her son no longer being gainfully employed executively directing the Boondoggle.

As the decades of Fort Worth's Trinity River Vision have limped along, I have often wondered if the Fort Worth locals just do not understand what an island is. 

The Wikipedia article about Washington's San Juan Islands gives one a good idea of what actual islands are. Some blurbs from that article...

The San Juan Islands are an archipelago in the U.S. state of Washington known for rural Pacific Northwest landscapes and wildlife. Horseshoe-shaped Orcas Island, one of the main isles, is home to Moran State Park's old-growth forest and Mt. Constitution. San Juan Island is distinguished by the lively seaside town of Friday Harbor and Lime Kiln Point State Park, an orca-whale lookout.

At mean high tide, the San Juan Islands comprise over 400 islands and rocks, 128 of which are named, and over 478 miles (769 km) of shoreline.

In the archipelago, four islands are accessible to vehicular and foot traffic via the Washington State Ferries system.

An archipelago with over 400 islands, 128 islands with names. Not one named Panther Island. One is named Orcas, though, named after Puget Sound's beloved killer whales. Four islands accessible by ferry boat. 

One will not need a ferry boat to get to Fort Worth's imaginary island. All you'll need, if the "island" ever happens, is a car, to drive over one of the three little bridges which cross over the cement-lined ditch...

Remembering Rolling Mom Over Tempe Town Lake & Up Piestewa Peak

Another Microsoft OneDrive Memory from this Day which I do remember, and which may have taken place on this exact October day, with the year being 2018, part of a month long stay in Arizona.

That is me, above, wheeling my mom across the Elmore Pedestrian Bridge over the Tempe Town Lake in Tempe, Arizona.

That month in Arizona saw taking mom on many rolling adventures. I remember at one point mom saying "I never thought I'd get to do something like this again."

That comment happened on the trail at Piestewa Peak Park, in north Phoenix, the second highest peak in the Phoenix Mountains.

Now, to be clear, we did not roll mom all the way to the top of Piestewa Peak, but we did roll up and down some steep trails in the park. 

Thinking back on it later, some of those steep downhill sections could have gone badly wrong. The wheeling device did have a braking mechanism. But, it was quickly obvious the braking mechanism needed some help when the trail got too steep.

I sort of miss going to Arizona several times a year. Have not done so since July of 2019...

Sunday Circle Trail Stroll Along Wichita River Rapids

Day 20 of October, the third Sunday of the 10th month of 2024, the temperature, once again, has returned to being shorts and shortsleeves weather.

So, it was to the east parking lot entry to the Circle Trail and the Wichta Bluff Nature Area I drove, but, instead of heading west into the Nature Area, I headed east, towards Lucy Park, walking one of the newest sections of the Circle Trail.

A couple years ago voters voted to approve paying for the connection of this eastern Circle Trail terminus, to Lucy Park, but, so far, nothing seems to be happening.

Making that connection would finally make a real full circle out of the Wichita Falls Circle Trail, enabling pedaling a bike all the way, making the full 26 mile, give or take a mile or two, circle around Wichita Falls.

There were more than the norm number of fellow Circle Trail walkers today, enjoying the perfect weather conditions.

This section of the Circle Trail, which I walked today, trails just a few feet from the banks of the Wichita River. At one point I heard what sounded like water burbling, and soon came to see that which you see photo documented above, what passes for a waterfall in this waterfall-deprived part of the country.

I do not know where the Wichita River is getting so much water, noticeably flowing, what with drought conditions being the current status...

Perfect Saturday Stroll Through Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle

On this third October Saturday of 2024, with the temperature in the low 70s, under a totally cloud-clear blue sky, it was back to Lucy Park I ventured an hour before noon, to join the throngs communing with nature on this perfect Autumn day.

As you can clearly see, the Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle is showing no signs of Fall falling leaves to the ground. Green remains the dominant color.

The 30-day forecast is currently frost-free for North Texas, so green should remain the dominant outdoor color for at least another month...

Remembering Nervous Linda Lou Driving To South Mountain Summit

It took me a moment or two or three to remember what this Microsoft OneDrive Memory from this Day was.

The memory did happen in October. The precise day, I do not remember. Oh, wait a second, I can find out the exact date via looking at my blog. 

Wednesday, October 17, 2018.

That photo at the top was taken at the South Mountain summit. You can read all about it in Miss Daisy Drives Nervous Linda Lou To South Mountain Summit.

South Mountain is an extremely large Phoenix city park. An Indian Reservation, I think Apache, is a short distance south of South Mountain.

When we got to the summit of South Mountain parking lot we saw an unexpected scene, part of which you see in the first photo. Multiple Native Americans, likely Apache, selling their handicraft trinkets. 

Linda Lou was in the process of buying some of those cool-looking handicraft trinkets when the Native Americans went into a sort of panic mode. Apparently, the city of Phoenix Park Department objected to Natives selling their wares at this location. 

The Indians had a spotter, lower down the mountain, who called when law enforcement was spotted heading up the mountain. So, the Indians quickly packed up their goods and basically joined us tourists, who were all sympathetic to the Indians, who we all thought were totally harmless marketing their wares at this location.

It really was totally off-putting. Phoenix should instead install a kiosk of some sort, for the Indians to sell their stuff to the eager to buy tourists.

The entry to the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, also in Arizona, has multiple kiosks, dozens of them, with Navajo selling stuff they'd made. I bought several things and enjoyed talking to various Navajo, who really do live up to their Beautiful People nickname.

Anyway, hard to believe it has been six years since I drove to the summit of South Mountain, with Linda Lou, my mom, and Big Ed...

Shadow Of The Lucy Park Thin Man Keeping Warm

That is the Shadow of the Lucy Park Thin Man you are seeing, attired adequately to keep warm whilst walking the chilly Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle.

Sweatpants and a long-sleeved t-shirt for the first time in a long long time.

The return of cooler temperatures has not been happening long enough to return cold tapwater to being cold, hence a lukewarm shower this morning, when I was hoping the ground had cooled enough to cool the water.

Chilly Wichita Bluff Nature Area Hiking

Not a cloud to be seen in the totally clear blue sky, today, whilst hiking in the Wichita Bluff Nature Area.

The temperature was chilled into the 50s, after chilling to the low 40s, overnight. A breeze made the chill feel chillier.

I saw multiple instances of the late blooming yellow wildflower you see above. The blooming bush looked like some sort of mutant caused by a dandelion mating with a sunflower.

I was in shorts and a t-shirt for today's outdoor time. I should have been in sweatpants and a long-sleeved shirt.

I must adjust to the return of the cold time of the year...

Cold Front Brings Big Chill To Texas

The predicted cold front arrived in Texas a day earlier than predicted, with my interior space naturally cooled this morning way cooler than I cool my interior space with the mechanized air conditioning method of keeping cool.

71 degrees, indoors, 46 degrees outdoors, currently.

Apparently today is the coldest it has been in Texas for over six months, as in, apparently it has not been this cold since last April.

What with the temperature being only 14 degrees above freezing, the first freeze of the coming frigid time of the year should be arriving soon.

I hope none of these freezes get to the below zero point, causing a state-wide loss of electricity again, like that nightmare a couple February's ago...

Celebrating Columbus Indigenous People's Day On The Lake Wichita Boardwalk

With this second Monday of the 2024 version of October chilled into the 60-degree range, pre-noon, it was to Lake Wichita I ventured on this clear blue-sky day, to commune with nature, including a walk on the Lake Wichita Boardwalk, which juts out into the lake from atop the Lake Wichita Dam.

I saw only a couple other celebrators on this Columbus Indigenous People's Day. And those celebrators were on bikes, a more sophisticated means of motion than my primitive walking means of motion.

The current Texas weather forecast is for a cold front to arrive on Thursday which will chill the entire state to the chilliest it has been in 6 months, with a low in the 50s and a high in the 70s.

I suspect come Thursday I will require blanket coverage all night long. Last night around three in the morning I felt the chilly need to seek limited blanket coverage via a thin throw blanket.

I have located my thick winter blankets, long underwear and sweatpants.

I am ready for incoming frigidity...

Microsoft Has Me Remember Seeing Mom & Dad This Century

A Microsoft OneDrive Memories from this Day email arrived late Saturday which had some photos which had me doing some hard core remembering. Or tying to remember.

What had me pondering, after seeing these photos, was trying to remember the times I saw my mom and dad, after I moved to Texas, late in the previous century.

The first two years in Texas I drove back to Washington four times, with the final time driving solo, back and forth, in a 30-day period in July/August of 2001. I drove to the PNW to be an unexpected arrival at my mom and dad's 50th Anniversary party. 

I remember, during that month in 2001, riding with mom and dad up to the Skagit Valley, one day, and another day I drove to their cabin at Lake Cushman, from whence dad drove us to Ocean Shores.

Shortly after my return to Texas, in October of 2001, mom and dad came to Texas to visit me for the first time. They'd been on a long roadtrip in their RV. 

The photos you see here were from that October 2001 visit. The first two photos are mom and dad in the Fort Worth Stockyards, with the first one, mom watching the Fort Worth Herd Trail Drive amble on by.

The second photo is sitting at the Stockyards Riscky's BBQ outdoor patio, having all you can eat BBQ ribs.

Mom and dad were watching local TV news in their RV and saw a story about a grand opening in Fort Worth. Mom always loved a good grand opening. When I saw them the next day I was quickly asked if I knew where the new Central Market was located. I confirmed that I did. Mom then asked if they could go to it, because today was their grand opening.

And here we see mom and dad leaving Central Market.

Upon arrival mom saw the long line of people waiting to get inside.

I got some of my scofflaw tendencies from my mom. Which is why it made perfectly clear sense to me when mom suggested we enter the store from where people were exiting, and not the long line entry. 

And so we did. It was fun going against the tide. Mom always loved an event with ample free samples.

I think the above photo is from the Dallas Farmers Market. We'd been to Dealey Plaza and the Book Depository Museum. Mom and dad were not too impressed with the Book Depository Museum, but they were all gungho at the Dallas Farmers Market.

Seeing these photos had me trying to remember all the times I saw my mom and dad this century.

After the 2001 visits in Washington, and in Texas, the next time I saw mom and dad was when I flew up to Washington in July of 2002, to go to a family reunion in Lynden.

The next time was in October of 2005. I am hazy on the details, but, I'd flown to Washington for some website thing, and on the return I was able to route to Phoenix and cause a five hour layover. I remember getting picked up at the airport, going to a McDonald's, then to mom and dad's place in Sun Lakes, for the first time. It was dark and I was totally disoriented. 

The previous year, in February of 2004, I'd flown up to Washington for a project with a chocolate purveyor. For the return to Texas, I was able to change my flight to flying out early, to Phoenix, keeping the original flight from Phoenix back to DFW. This made a 10 hour layover in Arizona.

I remember I was packed with a lot of chocolate products. And going to my sister's house in Chandler for the first time. Then touring Sun Lakes, looking for possible places for my mom and dad to move to. Then to an Applebee's Happy Hour, and then to an In 'n Out where I had two double double burgers.

By the time I got on the plane I was miserably stuffed and was so happy it was an almost empty flight, with me having the whole row to myself, so I could lay down.

The next time I saw my mom and dad was in April of 2006. I'd flown to Washington for my Favorite Nephew Jason's first wedding. The way back to Texas routed through Phoenix, so I was able to change the flight and get a four hour layover. Mom and dad and sister Jackie picked me up at the airport, with Jackie driving us to Tempe, to a Ruby Tuesday's, where Jackie and I regaled mom and dad with tales of the wedding we'd just been to. We watched the sun set from a park, and then it was back to the airport.

It would be over two years before I saw my mom and dad again. I flew up to Washington in late July of 2008, staying a month, doing all sorts of things. Staying in Tacoma. Mom and dad came up from Arizona and stayed several days.

And then, just a few months later, in January of 2009, mom and dad came to Texas again, for a week. 

I did not see mom and dad again until March of 2012.  I do not remember what the impetus was, but, I flew to Phoenix, stayed with mom and dad. I remember going to sister Jackie's for a BBQ, where Spencer Jack and Jason showed up. Spencer was around five at the time. 

That 2012 visit with mom and dad was the last, well, happy visit. I did not see them again until July of 2017, when I drove to Arizona after learning my dad was in bad shape. I stayed a month. Got back to Texas and soon found myself flying to Washington, where David, Theo and Ruby met me for the first time, picking me up at the airport. 

That was one long poignant week in Washington in 2017. I do not ever recollect ever being both so happy and so sad at the same time, before. After a week in Washington, I flew to Phoenix, for a week in Arizona, with mom and sister Jackie picking me up at the airport.

The next two years saw many trips back to Arizona, to stay with my mom. The last time was in July of 2019. I have not flown or roadtripped anywhere since then.

I'll end this with a photo of my dad, taken, I think, in the Fort Worth Stockyards. Seeing this I realize it is not too puzzling some suggest I look like my dad...