Safely Returned From My Fort Worth Texas Tandy Hills Bro-Date

I've been getting urgently worried messages, concerned that I've not safely returned from my bro-date at the Tandy Hills.

Fear not. I've been safely back for hours. Well, make that awhile, I was not paying all that much attention to the time.

I can now reveal the name of the mystery bro-date. He goes by Dynamo Hum. I think he may be of Japanese descent, but was born and raised in Texas.

Dynamo Hum pretty much looked just like his picture, that you see here, so when he stepped out of his car, I knew it was he.

I guess sort of like how the Queen of Wink was able to tell it was me from a distance, due to my Fatty Boy Waddle.

I arrived for the bro-date about 4 minutes early. Dynamo Hum arrived right at noon. Impressively punctual.

As per his previous self description, Dynamo is tall and lanky. He towered over me, but I'm a shrimp, so that happens frequently.

Mr. Hum is in excellent shape, so he had no trouble negotiating the Tandy Hills. I detected no pre-pneumonia indicators.

I must say, Dynamo's conversational skills are of the highest level. He is not afraid to voice an opinion, but not once did the opinion cause, in me, the "here we go, off into kooky banana land," that can happen when you meet someone for the first time. Or even after you know a person for awhile. I can think of an example or two of the kooky banana type, but I shan't name names.

Dynamo Hum has quite an excellent Texas accent. A good Texas accent causes me to be a much more cooperative listener. I had a client awhile back here in Texas. She had the best Texas accent. If she left me a message, asking for a call back, I always called back, just to hear that accent. Without that accent there'd be a much greater chance I'd communicate via email, than the phone.

Anyway, my first bro-date went fine. Thank you all for your concern. I appreciate it.

I Have Had Me An Orwellian Big Brother Encounter With Express Energy On The Trinity River In Fort Worth

This morning I got a comment from Anonymous. I believe it being the same Anonymous which I blogged about last night regarding me being clueless regarding how it is water is being taken from the Trinity River by natural gas drillers.

This morning Anonymous said...

I personally believe that you should take the time to find the field supervisor and discuss w/ them as a whole of what you think is going on at the Trinity River-there are permits posted...if you have issues pick up the phone and call Express Energy and then let the Manager over that division explain what is REALLY going on! You also didn't take the time to go look at the permits that are posted on the pumps....where are THOSE pictures?! You also didn't include the picture once the plastic was replaced BEFORE the job was started. Educate yourself before pointing fingers, if you need that education on what is actually going on then go work a day in the field w/ these guys and maybe then you will better understand it all.

Anonymous says there are permits posted on the pumps and that the plastic oil barrier with the holes has been replaced. I'd taken the pictures of the pumps 2 days ago. I saw no permits. I did not believe the plastic oil buffer had been replaced.

So, I took off out of here, braving the extreme cold, to take pictures off all sides of one of the pumps. And to see if the plastic had been replaced.

Well, imagine my shock when I found there were no permits posted on the pumps. And it was easy to find tears, voids and problems with the, obviously unreplaced, plastic oil buffer. Anonymous now has absolutely no credibility and is obviously either a propaganda shill for the City of Fort Worth or the gas drillers. Or both.

And in a further Orwellian Big Brother element. Just as I'd finished taking my pictures and had put the camera away, a white Express Energy truck popped into view at the top of the levee, just as I started to climb back up there. A guy got out of the truck, walking towards me. I said howdy.

He then whipped out his phone. I continued walking. Fast. I reached into my pocket and got out my camera, turned it on, turned around and took a picture, but all I got was the truck. The guy on the phone must have gone down the bluff to check on the pumps.

But, he was back on the top of the levee, just as I was again putting my camera away. I saw he was still on his cell phone. I then got out my cell phone and, as I quickly walked back to my vehicle, I called my operative at Home Base and told the operative to stay on the line til I was safely out of there. I told my operative if I gave the word, to call 911, and tell the police you were seeing a bunch of guys beating up someone at the Beach Street Boathouse.

As I continued walking, the guy in the Express Energy truck sped by at high speed on the paved Trinity Trail that forbids motorized vehicles. By the time I was a couple hundred feet from my vehicle I saw 2 more trucks pull in. One pulled in right in front of my vehicle.

When I reached my vehicle the first Express Energy truck was blocking me from behind, the other from the front. That first guy I saw was still on the phone, as was I. I acted like I was counting something and said the license number of one of the trucks to my operative on the phone.

The first guy then signaled the other to back off. I zoomed out of there and hurried back here. The first picture, above, was that picture I told you I took of the truck. The next 2 pictures are views of sides of one of the pumps. I'm going to show you several views, covering the entire pump, showing you that Big Brother Anonymous lied. There are no permits posted.

Another pump view.

And another. Seeing any permits? Me either.

Still no permits.

Why would Anonymous lie so flagrantly? A lie so easily exposed.

A hole in the plastic oil barrier that Anonymous claims has been replaced.

Notice how the plastic oil barrier does not quite cover the entire area under the pump that I took pictures of on all sides.

A rather large hole in the plastic oil barrier.

How did that Express Energy guy know to speed down the no motorized vehicle trail to check on a guy doing something there? Or am I just being paranoid and it was all a very weird co-incidence? The guy looked very hostile, to me, and certainly did not return my very friendly "Howdy," instead whipping out his cell phone.

Jovo, the Petro Scientist, pointed me to some other very strange Orwellian weirdness, but I've no energy right now to deal with that. I am still way too hyper-adrenalized by my strange encounter with Express Energy. That I have to get ready to go on my Ice Cold Bro-Date on the Tandy Hills.

The 2010 Cold Orwellian World Of Fort Worth Texas

Incoming info and borderline threats are turning borderline Orwellian this morning in extremely cold Fort Worth, Texas.

I am living in 2010, but here in Fort Worth it feels like 1984, where the Minister of Propaganda spews out any manner of disinformation, with the vast majority of the population accepting the disinformation without question.

Well, I know I am in a tiny minority and this morning I am setting out in the extreme cold to do myself some investigating about that disinformation. I am going armed.

With a camera. Wish me luck.

Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief Or One Of His Lackeys Thinks I'm A Clueless Reactionary

Yesterday I blogged about finding the 6 water pumps you see in the picture at the Trinity River's edge by Gateway Park and Beach Street.

It is my contention that the corruption in Fort Worth, in the Tarrant Regional Water District and in the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, has created a situation where the gas driller companies have been given carte blanche to steal as much water as they need, without following the criteria spelled out in excruciating detail in "The Rights to Surface Water in Texas" document put out by the TCEQ.

In the TCEQ document you will find no mention of the conditions under which Texas surface water can be taken by gas drillers. There is one mention made of exceptions from the usual use rules made at times for oil drilling operations.

In the TCEQ document there is plenty of information that reinforces my belief that what is being done with the Trinity River water is not true to the laws of this state that govern water use.

A watermaster is supposed to oversee every aspect of unusual water uses. What the gas drillers are doing to the Trinity requires permits, it requires inspections, it requires metering, it requires determining the amount of water to be taken, it requires monitoring the water levels downstream, it requires all sorts of things that I do not believe are being done in Tarrant County due to the collusion between the industry being regulated and those who's job it is to do the regulating.

Ironically, I came to read the TCEQ document due to a link to it being included in one of my favorite blogging comments I've received in some time, it being from the ubiquitous Anonymous, commenting to yesterday's blogging about the 6 pumps getting ready to, I believe, take Trinity River water illegally.

I will copy the Anonymous comment below. My responses to the various, uh, "points," will be in bold.

You honestly have no clue. Yes it can be upsetting to see pipes coming out of the Trinity for gas drilling, but where else are they going to get it? I'd rather the gas companies take water from an untreated source than a treated source.

I honestly admit I have no clue, due to the fact that the gas drilling operations, as regards water pumping, are not done in a transparent manner. Where is the public notice that such is taking place at Beach Street/Gateway Park? Where is the posted permit? The majority of the public is clueless due to the fact that their local government operates way too much in secrecy.

To say that the drillers are getting a steep discount is just plain disingenuous.

Really? Yes, I can see where I am the one being disingenuous here. Mayor Mike, is this you? One of your lackeys? Can you tell me where the information is posted as to how much the gas drillers are paying for the amount of water they estimate they need to suck out of the Trinity River at the Beach Street/Gateway Park location? How much have the gas drillers paid so far for all the water they have sucked from the Trinity to date? Where is that information posted?

The TRWD owns the permit and has the right to sell to others - and they keep track of where it all goes.

Yes, as I understand it is the TCEQ which grants watermaster rights to various entities. Then the TCEQ is supposed to oversee those watermasters to make sure they are conforming to the guidelines as set by the State of Texas.

So, where are the public records of the water rights that the TRWD has sold to the gas drillers, that they keep such diligent track of? I mean, the TRWD operates in the same area where millions of dollars have been lost track of by other keepers of the public trust, like the City of Fort Worth and the Fort Worth School Districts.

But, unlike those other keepers of the local public trust, I'm sure the TRWD keeps immaculate records and knows precisely how much water they've sold to gas drillers and how much money had been paid for that water. Can I have that information please?

Rather than be reactionary, why don't you educate your self a little more? You are doing nothing but getting people worked up - and to what use?

To what use? I don't know. Maybe to cause a light beam to shine on this place that causes the local corrupt cockroaches to scurry for cover. Yes, I can see how if I educated myself a little more I would be less reactionary. No, wait a second, the way it actually works, is the more I know about how corrupt so much of what goes on in this zone is, the more strident and more reactionary and more disgusted I get.

I must say it pleases me to hear I am getting people worked up. And here I've been thinking I've been shouting into an empty cave..

The city issues the drilling permits and inspects the site during drilling. If there are problems with site conditions, bring it up to them. I'm sure they'll make sure it gets remedied.

The subject of the blogging, to which you commented, was water thieving from the Trinity River, not problems with gas drilling sites or this city issuing those permits. But, nice obfuscation there. Since I see you really haven't been able to answer any of my questions about the water thieving, not in a show me the proof, as in facts, permits and numbers sort of way.

Furthermore, the revenues generated go directly back in to managing the Trinity - do you think all that mowing, dredging, or cleaning is free?

Now, let me see if I understand this point correctly. Until water started being stolen, and allegedly paid for by gas drillers, the Trinity River levees were unmowed, undredged and unclean?

Well, let me just say this, if the level of cleanliness in that litter strewn river is due to the gas driller's water payments, the fee really needs to go way up, because there is not enough money being spent removing the tons of litter.

Okay, I'm out of bold mode now. What I am wondering now is why someone would go to the bother of pointing me to that TCEQ document that only reinforced my belief that something is very awry with how water issues are being dealt with here?

If I am wrong about what I assert, why not point me to one fact, one permit, one item that let's me know that what I characterize as the theft of water from the Trinity River, by gas drillers, due to the sweetheart deal between that industry and their installed lackeys in Fort Worth's City Government and the other regulating bodies like the TCEQ and the TRWD, is wrong?

I don't mind being shown I'm wrong about something.

So, show me the facts, the numbers, the permits and the records kept, regarding the water taken and how much has been paid for it. Shut me up with some real information, not dumb stuff like telling me I have no clue, am reactionary and need to educate myself a little more.

Methinks my supposed lack of education is not where the problem lies in this particular scenario.

An Almost Sub-Zero Hike On Fort Worth's Tandy Hills

I now know what it is like to hike the Tandy Hills Natural Sanatorium Area when the wind is blowing hard making the 21 degree temperature feel like 3 degrees.

I overheated. I shed a layer. Then get chilled. Then add back a layer.

I started out with knitted fingertip less gloves. Those were quickly replaced by ski gloves. Getting the ski gloves off to take a picture and then back on brought, back deja vu memories of using the ski gloves to actually ski where there are actually mountains.

I don't know how many calories get burned whilst out in such extreme temperatures doing such extreme activity, but looking at the picture, it appears I don't look anywhere near as fat a Fat Boy as I was yesterday. I'm a real fast dieter.

A really strange thing about the Tandy Hills today. I was on the same trails yesterday, when it was in the 40s. I did not pick up much mud on my hiking boots. Today the temperature was near zero, yet the ground was not frozen, for the most part, and it was oozing mud. A lot of mud. Some strange geological occurrence, I'm sure, that Jovo the Scientist could likely explain, but which just left me perplexed.

When I was done with my Chill Therapy I took the Beach Street route back to my abode, so that I could check on the Trinity River Water Thieves. Nothing going on there today. But speaking of that operation, yesterday's blogging about that operation (click on the Trinity River Water Thieves link to go there) generated one of my favorite Anonymous comments in a long time.

I suspect the Anonymous comment was penned by Fort Worth's corrupt Mayor Mike Moncrief or one of his lackeys. Lord knows he has a lot of lackeys. All on the Gas Driller Take.

The comment from the Anonymous Mike seemed, quite honestly, to have no clue what he was talking about. I felt it was rather reactionary and that Anonymous could benefit from educating himself a bit more on the subject about which he was pontificating.

I'll blog about the Anonymous comment from Mayor Mike (or one of his lackeys) later, but I've got some other stuff to do and writing that blogging will be my treat for getting the other stuff done.

Talk to you later. And you missed a real good Tomato Soup, BBQed Skinless Boneless Chicken Breast & Cherry Tomato Sweet Chili Walnut Salad for lunch.

I Beat The Scrabble Queen Of Washington Again!

I'm so happy. I beat the Scrabble Queen of Washington at Facebook Scrabble for the 2nd time ever. I don't know if this means I am getting better at it or if the Scrabble Queen has grown bored with how unchallenging I am, Scrabble-wise.

I find Scrabble works a part of my brain that is likely dormant most of the time. The same part of my brain that processes a complex math problem. Complex math problems are something my erratically developed brain has never been good at.

When you win a game of Facebook Scrabble you have the option of going for a re-match. I did so. My first word was "vexer." Worth, if I remember right, and again that erratically developed brain and memory storage is in play, but I think I got 32 points for "vexer."

So, I am well on my way to another stunning Scrabble win. Most likely not though.

Making Soup To Warm Up The Arctic Blast Blue Norther That Is Freezing Texas

It is 9:38 AM. As you can see in the screenshot from WeatherBug, which is saying it is 20.3 out there, with the wind making for a Wind Chill Factor of 5 degrees.

BRRRRRR.

I had me a night. Usually I go to bed early. Last night I did not turn out my reading light til a half hour past midnight. I tossed and turned til past 2:30 AM.

And then the nightmares started up, waking me up over and over again.

I slept in til almost 7. That rarely, if ever, happens.

I've dug out my long underwear and ski gloves and other seldom used cold weather gear. I'm going to go hiking the Tandy Hills today.

I am on a soup diet due to my sloth related unsightly weight gain. Yesterday I made Cream of Broccoli Soup. There is some of that left over, but today I wanted Tomato Soup, so that's what I made. I don't know why anyone would buy pre-made soup, due to it being so fast and easy to make homemade, much healthier, soup.

Lunch is around 2 this afternoon. Don't be late.

A Big Mess Of 6 Pumps Getting Ready To Steal Trinity River Water In Fort Worth

I dropped in on the Beach Street/Trinity Levee/Gateway Park Barnett Shale Gas Drilling water stealing operation late this afternoon.

I was once more surprised by what I saw. And a new sign. Sitting above a jumble of pipelines, the sign says "Unauthorized Motorized Vehicles Prohibited Violators Will Be Prosecuted." In the lower right hand corner of the sign it says "Texas Water Code 49.217."

Just 2 days ago, on Monday, I took pictures of motorized vehicles in the location of this sign.

Now, I previously said I'd learned that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality must issue a permit for any surface water to be taken in Texas.

Then I was told that the Tarrant Regional Water District manages the Trinity River in Tarrant County, selling the water to the drillers. At a steep discount, I suspect.

In the picture on the right you're looking at the pipelines leading from the above sign to the site of the pumps, where I was in for a surprise.

So, here's what I think is going on. Both this Tarrant Regional Water District and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality have been corrupted with the installation of gas industry foxes watching the hen house of this corrupted zone of Texas I am living in.

I don't think permits are being issued. I don't think there is any oversight. I don't think there is any rule enforcement.

This type lawless environmental terrorism is what you get when the agencies that are supposed to safeguard the public's assets, like a river, are co-opted.

It's a variation of what President Eisenhower warned about in his farewell address, but, instead of a vast military industrial complex to be wary of, in Fort Worth we have a vast political/gas industry complex to be wary of.

Well, more than be wary, we are past the point of being wary doing any good, because an industry has already been allowed to control political power in Fort Worth by installing corrupt politicians and others in positions of power who do their bidding and run roughshod over Fort Worth's citizen's right to be safe and secure in their homes.

Count the number of pipes. There are 6 of them. The reason there are 6 is there are now 6 pumps sitting at the edge of the Trinity River, sitting on top of a very sloppily laid out "oil leak" catcher slab of some sort of impermeable material, that has holes in it.

See those white bags on the left, sitting on the wheels. Guess what those are? Give up? Look at the next picture.

Bags of oil absorbent. "100% Natural Product" it says on the bags. "Cleans up spills that can cause accidents. Soaks up oil, grease, water, coolant & more."

I think they may have already had to use some of this absorbent, because the area reeked of oil.

There are other problems with the spill containment method, which the picture below shows.

Yes, there are tears in the impermeable mat that the pumps sit on, which turns them permeable. As in they'd leak. The pump's setup looks very sloppily assembled. The entire operation looked sloppy. Chunks of lumber were used to try and level up the pumps, which made more tears in the oil barrier.

A view of the "protective" mat and the pumps sitting at the edge of the Trinity River. How quickly can they get these pumps out of there if the river rises rapidly, which it is known to do?

This is going to be so noisy when those 6 pumps get pumping. I'll try and get video. There appeared to be a lot of pipe assembling that still needed to take place before pumping can begin. I don't know how they are going to fix the damaged protective barrier mat.

Oh, I know. They won't. Because this is an unregulated industry operating under the lawless protective bubble that covers the Fort Worth zone that causes the laws that govern the rest of America to not apply. Little things like a mayor with a criminal level of Conflicts of Interest, taking more than $600,000 a year from the drillers sticking holes in the town who's interests he is supposed to look out for, rather than looking out for his own interests and those of the gas drillers who have the man on the take.

TCU Purple Froggies Jinxed By Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief

Funny incoming from Don Young. I'm sure he's sent it to others, but maybe I'll be fast enough to be the first to blog it....

Dang it! I want a replay.

The mighty TCU Horned Frog football team lost the Fiesta Bowl to Boise State last Monday causing purple tears to flow like a river in Dirty Ol' Town. But don't blame the team. They were jinxed by Mayor Moncrief and cheated by the Barnett Shale.

Mayor Mikey's dumb idea to dye the Trinity River purple in honor of the Frogs was bad enough. Any scientist could have told him that. They could have also told him that Fort Worth air is so polluted from Barnett Shale gas drilling it's a wonder the team made it to the bowl game.

But, in his defense, Mayor Mikey can't help it. He's science-challenged.

Even though he was raised on oil and gas, his income depends on oil and gas and he's the mayor of the largest city in the USA to allow urban gas drilling he was dumfounded to recently learn that natural gas drilling is dangerous to human health.

He was shocked to discover that benzene and other toxic by-products of drilling are polluting north Texas air on a massive scale (not to mention our water and land). But he claims to be very concerned about the residents and quality of life in Fort Worth. He wants more testing done, dadgumitt, and he wants the State of Texas to do it with help from the polluters.

But, sorry, no moratorium on new drilling permits, says the mayor. We can't risk getting sued by the drillers. Besides, his income depends on the drilling. (Uh-oh!)

The university itself deserves some of the credit for TCU students and players getting a daily dose of benzene. They have been cheerleading the Barnett Shale for years. Maybe that's because several alumni own one of the largest drilling companies in FW.

As a result of their influence and the lure of Dirty Dollars, TCU set up the TCU Energy Institute, basically a lobbying group for gas drillers opposed to regulation and drilling reform.

If we keep waiting for drillers to do the right thing, we will all end up like the endangered Texas Horned Lizard. Don't it make your purple heart blue?

DY

PS: After you've had a good cry, write a letter to or call TCU Chancellor, Victor Boschini and tell him how you feel about TCU's support of gas drilling.

Chancellor@tcu.edu
817-257-7783

Still mad? Tell Mayor Moncrief to stop issuing drilling permits until the industry learns how to Drill Right:

Mike.Moncrief@fortworthgov.org
817-392-6118

Don Young
FWCanDo
P.O. Box 470041
Fort Worth, TX 76147
http://www.fwcando.org

"God bless Fort Worth, Texas. Help us save some of it."

One Last Tandy Hills Hike Before The Arctic Blast & My Friday Bro-Date

That is the Wednesday, 5 in the afternoon, view of a Tandy Hills Natural Area trail, looking north towards the incoming Blue Norther Arctic Blast from Canada.

I'd not been back to the Tandy Hills since Saturday's incident of being chased up the hills by a Wild Woman with such ferocity that I was sore all over for days.

I heard on the radio, on my way to the Tandy Hills, that with tomorrow's high wind and 15 degree temperature, the wind chill factor will make it feel like zero.

We are at 48 now at 6 pm. The Arctic Blast should arrive soon.

I returned to my abode via Beach Street again. And saw some interesting stuff in the Beach Street/Trinity Trails/Gateway Park Trinity River Water Stealing Operation Zone. I'll get to that in a subsequent blogging.

On a Tandy Hills related note. On the recently concluded Survivor Samoa's final tribal council, Brett asked Mick what they would do on a bro-date. Everyone cracked up. I'd never heard that term before. And have wanted to use it ever since I heard it.

So, today I made a bro-date for Friday to go hiking on the Tandy Hills. This bro-date is a real mystery bro. I know no photo taking of the mystery bro will be allowed. He protects his identity. Which is part of what makes him a mystery bro.

I also did not get a good picture of the Queen of Wink on Saturday. When she saw my camera aimed her way she artfully got herself not pictured, in the face-wise. Due to myself hating having my picture taken, I never bug anyone to look at the camera for me.

Now, my bro-date told me not to wait for him if he does not show up at the appointed time. I have never been stood up on a bro-date before, due to this being my first bro-date. So, the mystery bro better show up. Unless it's too cold. I'll try to understand.

National Weather Service Arctic Cold Front Wind Advisory For North Texas For Thursday

When you've got nothing else to talk about there is always the weather. Especially here in Texas.

As you can see from the 4 in the afternoon screen shot from WeatherBug we are at a balmy 46.2 right now, with a slight Wind Chill.

The National Weather Service minutes ago issued the first alert regarding the incoming Arctic Blast of Extreme Cold.

This was a Wind Advisory in effect starting Thursday morning at 6 til 6 in the evening. With the 15 degree low expected tomorrow and that wind, it is going to feel a bit cold out there.

I think I may take off and go on a hike while it's still semi-HOT out there.

Below is the National Weather Service Alert....

The National Weather Service In Fort Worth Has Issued A Wind Advisory, Which Is In Effect From 6 AM To 6 PM CST Thursday.

A Strong Arctic Cold Front Will Sweep Across North Texas After Midnight Tonight Bringing Strong North Winds Of 25 To 35 Mph With Gusts Over 40 Mph. These Strong Winds Are Expected To Persist Through The Day On Thursday And Will Begin To Diminish Around Sunset.

Precautionary/Preparedness Actions.

A Wind Advisory Means That Sustained Winds Of At Least 20 To 30 Mph Are Expected. Winds This Strong Can Make Driving Difficult, Especially For High Profile Vehicles. Boaters Should Use Extra Caution When Venturing Onto Area Lakes. Residents May Wish To Take Action To Secure Trash Cans, Lawn Furniture, And Other Lightweight Outdoor Objects That May Be Blown Around In The Strong Winds.

I Am Prepared For The Incoming Blue Norther Deep Freeze In Fort Worth Texas

I had to be in Southlake today, so it seemed a good idea to make a visit to Sprouts Farmers Market.

The view you are looking at in the picture is sort of looking north.

Which means a wind from the south is blowing the flag and pointing it north.

In a few hours the direction is going to change as Texas is invaded with the coldest Arctic Deep Freeze in a decade.

My shocking introduction to how cold it can get in Texas. And an Ice Storm. Came about 2 weeks after my arrival in Texas. I'd never experienced such weather. We'd gone to the Fort Worth Stockyards to, now long gone, Riscky Rita's Mexican food lunch buffet, coatless, temperatures in the 50s. Upon exiting Riscky Rita's I was appalled to find the temperature nearing freezing, with a strong wind making it feel way colder than freezing.

The was my introduction to a Blue Norther.

When I heard on the radio today that the incoming cold was expected to be the coldest in a decade I assumed the decade old cold was that cold I just mentioned that introduced me to the volatile Texas weather 10 years ago.

Below is the forecast for Fort Worth issued at 11:21 this morning. If the predicted Freezing Rain happens, tomorrow should be interesting. I'm well stocked with goods. I can handle a 5 day siege.

The Queen Of Wink Gets Winded & Pneumonia While Gar The Texan Has An Attack Of The Vapors

I'm finding out all sorts of surprisng things this morning.

Number 1, the Queen of Wink is ailing with a case of pneumonia, that she may have already contracted when she was a Wild Woman last Saturday on the Tandy Hills.

I was also surprised to learn that at some point on the Tandy Hills the Queen apparently got totally winded, but kept it to herself lest she be thought less of a Wild Woman, or a wimp coming down with a case of the Gar the Texan-like vapors.

The getting winded thing really surprises me because we really weren't hiking all that fast and the hills really aren't all that steep, albeit we were going fast enough and steep enough that it likely would have triggered a vapors attack in Gar the Texan. But the Queen of Wink appears to be in excellent shape. It's very perplexing.

Speaking of Gar the Texan, this morning I was surprised to learn he believes I have a reading comprehension problem and should seek therapy for this ailment. And to quit being so mean to him. Gar the Texan expressed this slightly more colorfully. I can't imagine why he thought I was being mean. I thought I was being helpful, explaining to him how the American political system works.

I did not go outside yesterday, except for a brief time, delivering a print out of Miss Puerto Rico's travel itinerary to her. It is almost balmy out there right now, 5 degrees above freezing. But I can't go on a hike til later in the afternoon. I have to head up to Southlake at noon.

I am rapidly gaining weight due to all this sloth. I think I crossed over 200 pounds a couple days ago. I walk with a waddle, my beer gut makes my back ache. I'm a mess. I'll try and have myself back to normal by tomorrow. Or the day after.

The Big Chill Is Coming To North Texas

It really perplexes me that there are Global Warming Skeptics. Why, here in Texas we are having the most balmy winter since I arrived in this sun kissed state.

No. That's not right. I'm having a bit of a brain freeze problem due to the constant chill I'm trying to survive. The reality is, barely 16 days into winter, this is the worst, coldest winter since I moved to Texas.

And it is about to get worse. By Friday the low is predicted to be 13.

This morning Miss Puerto Rico called me to tell me she is booking a shuttle to the airport next week, due to the forecast being extreme cold and ice, with me being unreliable to make an airport delivery, due to me not operating an ice storm friendly vehicle.

I'm not all that unpleased with that turn of events. I do not much enjoy running airport deliveries. It always seems to turn into an aggravation.

I may be a bit incommunicado in coming days due to weather related woes. I'll likely survive.

The Flock Of Texas Sheep Being Led To Slaughter Without A Protest

I read an article and saw a photo in the Seattle P-I this morning that made me think of Fort Worth and how different things are here.

In the photo you are looking at Seattle citizens protesting the construction of what was then known as the Everett-Seattle-Tacoma Superhighway, now known as Interstate 5.

The protesters did not like the fact that the new road would cut a big gash through Seattle, cutting off neighborhoods.

In the end the freeway was built and then the gash was somewhat mitigated by a huge convention center and a lid being built over a large section of the freeway, with the lid turned into a park, called, appropriately, Freeway Park, and which is very similar to the now defunct Fort Worth park called Heritage Park.

One of the many things that perplexed me when I moved to Texas was what seemed to me to be the lack of people being organized to do this that or the other thing, or stop this that or the other thing.

Shortly before I moved to Texas, Seattle passed a citizen initiated bond issue to build a $billion plus new monorail. Issues arose, other citizens petitioned for another vote and then 5 votes later the monorail was dead.

In Fort Worth there are a few voices saying that the voters should get to vote on the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle. I have no understanding of how such a project can be initiated without a public vote by the taxpayers. In Washington a voter can force a vote by getting enough signatures on a petition. This is called an Initiative. Does Texas not have this?

Which brings me back to those Seattle protesters back in 1961. If Chesapeake Energy goes through with its threat to run a non-odorized natural gas pipeline under Carter Avenue, among the 700,000 plus Fort Worth citizens, will 1/700,000 of those citizens, as in 1,000 show up with signs and block Chesapeake Energy with a protest? If not, why not?

What happened here in Texas that's made so many Texans so passive and so much like a big flock of sheep willingly being led to the slaughter, so to speak? Even sheep can outnumber a wolf if they get organized and show a little initiative.

The Dallas Cowboy Wal-Mart Supercenter Continues To Perplex Me

See that white rectangle in the upper right of the picture? That is the Dallas Cowboy Stadium Wal-Mart Supercenter.

This picture was taken in July of 2004. I was flying up to Seattle and when I realized the plane was going to fly directly over the worst case of eminent domain abuse in American history I got out my camera and started snapping pictures.

This was very early on in the project. The last house standing is still standing in this picture.

Now, why is the Dallas Cowboy Wal-Mart Supercenter on my mind this morning? Well, you may recollect me mentioning that the Wal-Mart parking lot is blocked off on Dallas Cowboy game days. On Saturday I saw the entries off Randol Mill Road were blocked off during the Cotton Bowl. And dozens of buses were parked on the lot.

When I found the parking lot blocked during a Dallas Cowboy game I figured it was just Randol Mill Road that was blocked. So, I tried to get to the entry on the north end of the parking lot, but found all roads leading there to also be blocked.

On Saturday we saw people walking in to Wal-Mart. So, it was open.

And now this morning I got a perplexing comment from the ubiquitous Anonymous claiming to work at the Wal-Mart in question.

"Perhaps you should have looked closer.

That Walmart doesn't close during games. The North entrance of the parking lot is open.

How do I know? I f*$%ing work there."

I don't know what to make of this. I know what I saw. Blocked roads. And on Saturday dozens of buses parked on the Wal-Mart lot. Do they pay to park there? When other vehicles get towed if they park there during a game, when signs say "No Event Parking?"

If it is true that the north entry is not blocked, then what is the route to that entry? And what is the reason Randol Mill Road is blocked?

It's very perplexing.

The Beach Street Gateway Park Trinity River Water Stealing Is Now On Steroids

A week or two ago I mentioned seeing a backhoe working in an area that had previously held a diesel pump sucking water from the Trinity River and making a big, rutted, muddy mess in the process.

When I saw the backhoe I thought maybe it was fixing the mess. As I so often am, a couple days later, upon closer inspection, showed me I was wrong. Instead more damage was done, in what looked to me to be preparation for a bigger water thieving operation.

And today I found out that, on that, I was right. A much bigger water thieving operation is being installed.

This time, with at least 3 large pumps and a lot of very thick metal pipe to move a lot of Trinity River water. That is a lot of pipeline leading down to the river's edge.

This was quite an operation, with trucks carrying pipeline lined up, waiting for their turn to rut up the Trinity River levee.

Above you are looking east at one of the truck trailer loads of pipe being delivered, with the installation crew on the left. That is the foot/bike bridge that crosses from the Trinity Trails into Gateway Park in the background.

I saw no permit posted, anywhere where these vehicles were driving, where "NO VEHICLES" signs are posted. A few days ago I learned that a permit is required any time surface water is taken in Texas, with the permits issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

Above is a closer look at the, what I believe, is a criminal activity, that is a product of the racketeering that is going on in Fort Worth, with a corrupted city government permitting gas drillers to steal water from the Trinity River, due to the powers that be, in the Fort Worth City Government, being on what is commonly called "the take." With Fort Worth's Conflicts of Interest-laden, law breaking, ethically challenged, morally bankrupt Mayor Moncrief, the top crook on the take, to the tune of over $600,000 a year.

I'm trying to amp up my stridency on this issue, due to the fact that no one has corrected me if I am wrong. As in have permits been issued to take this water? If they have, how much do the permits cost? How much is being paid for the water that is being taken? How is it being regulated? If Moncrief is not violating the Conflicts of Interest laws would someone please explain to me how that can be?

Above you are looking at 3 of the diesel pumps which I believe will soon be put to work breaking the law and stealing Trinity River water, used for the purpose of further enriching Fort Worth's corrupt mayor and others on the take in Fort Worth's elaborate racketeering scheme that is raking in millions while poking thousands of holes in Texas, while making thousands of Texas citizens mad as hell and not wanting to take it anymore.

Above you are looking west at the diesel pumps and the bridge that leads to Gateway Park. The river is behind me. These pipes are a huge magnitude bigger than the first pipeline that stole water from this location. That pipeline was pretty much an oversized garden hose compared to these pipes.

Can anyone explain to me why this is being allowed? How does one make a citizen's arrest? Does anyone know if Mayor Mike Moncrief packs heat?

I thought Texans took serious, horse thieving and water stealing in these parts, where the west sort of began. It is just one more thing I've been wrong about.

Aches & Pains & Birds In Chilly Texas

Lots of birds of different feathers flocking together in the cold today at Fosdic Lake in Oakland Lake Park.

There were a pair of seagulls at this inland Fort Worth sea today. I don't see many seagulls in these parts.

We, supposedly, are about to get hit with another Arctic Blast here in North Texas. Winter has barely started, with this one already the worst winter since I've been in Texas. Two snowstorms, so far, with one of them being a blizzard.

I am staying out of the pool all this week. I've been having this chronic sore joints thing for several weeks now, made much worse from being chased by those Wild Women up and down the Tandy Hills on Saturday.

I was stuck in my computer chair this morning from dawn til noon, converting an existing website into a Wordpress based website. I'm almost done with it. Major pain in more ways than one, with none of the pains being worse than how my back felt when I got out of the computer chair to go to Fosdic Lake.

The pain has gone away, for now. Thanks for asking.

I'm hitting the Publish button on this blogging, then I'll be blogging about what I saw after I left Fosdic Lake.

Manly Men & Wild Women Hike The Hills Video

That's the Queen of Wink Wild Woman chasing behind me yesterday during the Manly Man & Wild Women Hike at the Tandy Hills in Fort Worth's biggest event of the day.

Below is a message from Don Young regarding yesterday's wild hiking and below that is the YouTube video Don is talking about...

Soreness and sunburn aside, The 1st annual Manly Men & Wild Women (& kids & dogs) Hike on the Hills was a roaring success. Participation was much greater than expected. The weather was just right. The company was excellent. The hills and valleys did their job of providing exercise ramps and eye-pleasing vistas.

Thanks again to all you alpha males and females for showing up and supporting Tandy Hills Natural Area. I hope to see you all on January 23rd for the Brush Bash.

Jim Marshall, has put together a nifty little YouTube vid of the MM WW HH event. Check it out here:

Fraccing The Barnett Shale Perplexes Me

I saw the notices you see in the picture, yesterday, pinned to the gate that blocks the entry to the Chesapeake Energy Scott Avenue Thomas 1H Barnett Shale natural gas drilling site.

I've been a Citizen, I mean Victim, of the Shale for a lot of years now and I still don't understand how it works. I guess I have not tried too hard to learn.

These notices indicated "Frac Dates" of Monday 1/12/09 to Wed 1/14/09. And a "Pump Time." Pumping what?

Yikes! Typing that made me realize this Frac date is not next week, it was a year ago. I forgot we have moved into a new decade and left the "Aughties" behind.

Which means the question that was perplexing me is no longer perplexing me. And that question was I thought the fraccing had already taken place at this site, because I remember video taping it.

So, is the fraccing a one time deal? Somehow a lot of chemically enhanced water is sent down into Barnett Shale via the hole that's been noisily drilled and this water causes the shale to shatter and release a lot of natural gas?

What role does the sand play? The second notice has to do with "Staging Sand Trucks." The Queen of Wink told me that she's seen mysterious giant piles of sand appear in her zone of West Texas. Is that where the sand is coming from?

After the chemically enhanced water does its fraccing job, then where does the chemically enhanced water go? Back to the surface? How does that work? I mean the chemically enhanced water has shattered the shale, releasing gas, that released gas, I assume, starts coming up the well shaft.

I'm perplexed. Maybe I'll try reading the Wikipedia article about the Barnett Shale again. When I tried that previously it didn't help alleviate my ignorance on this subject.

Chesapeake Energy CEO Aubrey McLendon Tipped Over In Outhouse

TXsharon sent me an Outhouse photo yesterday. It doesn't fit my particular Outhouses of the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex Project.

These Outhouses are not in a park and they are in Wise County. I think Wise County is outside the Metroplex. I think that's where Decatur is.

The details of the Outhouses spotted by TXsharon are a bit skimpy, but I believe they are at a Chesapeake Energy Barnett Shale gas drilling site.

Because, and again I repeat, skimpy details, but I think this is a Chesapeake Energy operation because apparently Aubrey McClendon was using the Outhouse on the left when TXsharon sent in a Monkey Wrencher to knock it over.

TXsharon was hoping to get a shot of McClendon climbing out of the fallen Outhouse, but drill riggers started running towards her and her Monkey Wrenching gang, so she took this one picture and high tailed it out of there.

TXsharon, obviously, is one of those Texas Wild Women you've been reading about lately.

Aches & Pains Caused By Texas Wild Women

Yesterday's Tandy Hills hike with all those Wild Women and Manly Men really did me in.

As in this morning just about everything that could possibly be sore, is.

That Queen of Wink was the Wildest of the Wild Women. Trying to keep up with her is what I think did me in.

I read an article a couple days ago about how some sports trainers treat muscle aches with ice therapy.

So, I tried that this morning and forced myself to try and stay in the pool for what might be a therapeutic amount of time. I think I remember 45 minutes was the amount of time it took this therapy to work. I lasted about 5 minutes and then went running to the hot tub.

After a couple cycles out of the hot tub and back in the pool my aching body was aching less. Or maybe I'd just numbed the pain. My therapist, Dr. L.C., has gone missing, right when I'm such a mess.

Tandy Hills Hiking With Wild Women, Manly Men, The Queen Of Wink & Princess Annie

Well. I have had me a day. It started out good with a dip in the pool. A bit before 10 I headed towards the Tandy Hills. I parked on the east side of the park so that my vehicle would be well positioned should I want to escape.

I miscalculated how long it would take me to hike from where I parked to where the Manly Men and Wild Women were assembled.

When the assembly area came in to view I could see that the assembly had not yet started hiking. Don Young was on a pedestal telling the group what lay ahead for them.

About 15 minutes later the hike finally began.

Oh. I forgot to mention, I was not too shocked to see the Queen of Wink and Princess Annie. The Queen had already spotted me, so it was no surprise when I came up behind her and asked what the hell she was doing there. She said Annie kept asking was this person Durango, was that person Durango. And then my, apparently, distinctive walk came into view and the Queen told Annie that that is Durango.

I was surprised by how large the hiking group was. I surmised this was going to be interesting, as it seemed fairly obvious that these people would have widely different hiking speeds. That, and I'd already discovered the trails were muddy, icy and slippery in places.

Every time we'd stop to wait for the stragglers to catch up I'd overheat and steam up my sunglasses. The Queen did not get as hot and steamy as I did.

We reached the top of a long climb. And waited. Annie then launched a berry attack on me with the first wave being a Japanese Pearl Harbor type sneak attack. When Annie came in for her second attack I was well armed with my own handful of berries. She was not expecting that.

Soon Don Young showed up and told us the next stop was Tandy Falls. I was thinking some of this group is going to have a hard time getting down there. My group took off towards the falls, with Annie in the lead.

By the time we made it to Tandy Falls I'd informed the Queen that I had an escape vehicle parked nearby. The Queen instantly subscribed to that plan. Annie was a bit confused, wanting to wait for the rest of the group.

It was fun hiking with that big group, most people I've ever seen hiking the Tandy Hills, but I could not take the stopping and waiting.

So, we loaded into the escape vehicle and I asked if the Queen would like to go anywhere. She had no where in mind. I asked if she'd like to drive around and see stuff. I like driving people around and seeing stuff. The Queen was quite agreeable to that plan.

First I drove to nearby Oakland Lake Park and Fosdic Lake, then down Oakland Avenue, seeing the big Chesapeake Energy complex that pops up at the end of Oakland. Then on to Gateway Park and Fort Woof, pointing out Town Talk as we drove by.

At Gateway Park Annie had a bit of an acrophobia incident crossing the bridge that connects to the Trinity Trails. Then she wanted to go on the dam/bridge that makes a waterfall of the Trinity River. There she climbed down onto the falls and made me a bit nervous.

After we were done with Gateway Park I asked if the Queen had been to the Fort Worth Stockyards. She had not. I asked if she'd seen the new Dallas Cowboy stadium. She had not. Somehow the stadium won out over the Stockyards.

As soon as I got off the freeway it was obvious something was going on in the stadium. I knew it was not a Cowboys game because I was seeing no silver and blue, just a lot of orange. I rolled down the window and asked. Cotton Bowl. Some team from Oklahoma was playing some team from somewhere else. I thought the Cotton Bowl was in Dallas at Fair Park.

And the Wal-Mart Supercenter parking lot was closed off, just like it is for Cowboy games, only this time there were an awful lot of buses parked on the lot. I hope they don't get towed.

At this point in time Annie announced she was hungry. After inquiring as to what type vittles were wanted, we went to Sweet Tomatoes, where Annie made artful plate arrangements with her mom's leftovers.

Before we got to Sweet Tomatoes Annie informed her mom that her phone was making noises. Annie's mom checked her phone to find a voice mail from Don Young telling her the hike terminated by 12:04 and they were heading to 8.0 in downtown Fort Worth. We were about 25 miles from there at that point in time.

After Sweet Tomatoes we headed west with a stop at Veterans Park. I wanted to show the Queen the bizarre gas drilling rig that's right up against an apartment complex. A well dressed woman in stiletto heels walked by as we drove in. I've never seen such a sight at this location before.

Then it was back towards the Tandy Hills where the Queen's Chariot awaited her return. But, before we got there we drove down Carter Avenue, paid a visit to Mother Nature guarding Scott Avenue and then headed back to View Street and the aforementioned Chariot.

So, the Manly Men and Wild Women Hike turned into a very enjoyable day. Princess Annie and the Queen of Wink were a lot of fun. The most amusing thing I heard today came from Princess Annie. She asked me how old I was. Why are you asking me such a rude question said I. Annie then said, "You act 23, but your hair is white."

I told Annie I was 29. She did not quibble with that number. Kids.

The Wild Women Of Fort Worth Are Prairie Bound This Morning

In less than an hour dozens of Wild Women will be traipsing over the Tandy Hills in Fort Worth. A few Manly Men will be joining the Wild Women.

Yesterday the Queen of Wink and Princess Annie packed an overnight bag and left Wink, destination undisclosed.

I suspect Wink's Royalty will be among the Wild Women on the Fort Worth prairie this morning.

It is currently barely above freezing out there, at 35 degrees. It was 30 when I went in the pool at 7:30. And the hot tub at 7:31. So we are warming up fast to the predicted high of 52.

My window of time is narrowing down when I have to decide if I'm joining the Wild Women. Or not. It is less than a half hour til the traipsing begins. Way earlier than my usual traipsing time. And with me being the creature of habit that I am, this time shift is real difficult for me. That and it's cold out there. I don't handle cold very well.

The Queen Of Wink's West Texas Black Eyed Peas Question

The Queen of Wink just returned from her mommy and daddy's, where she partook in the traditional New Year's food, like black eyed peas and cabbage.

The Queen asked me if Washingtonians partook of these foods at New Years.

Well.

At least she had the common sense to ask. Gar the Texan lacked that common sense when he asked me about black eyed peas.

I think it was in 2002, maybe 2003, Gar the Texan and I were going up to Turner Falls in Oklahoma. It was a few days before New Years.

Gar the Texan asked me if I was having trouble finding my black eyed peas this year.

I had no idea what this meant and feared he was slipping into the incoherency of one of his attacks of the vapors, which, ironically he did, shortly thereafter, but not before I told him I had no idea what black eyed peas were, besides Fergie's singing group.

Gar the Texan was shocked to learn that the entire civilized world did not believe you had to eat black eyed peas on New Year's Day to guarantee you'd have good luck during the New Year.

Gar the Texan was in all sorts of panic states due to fearing he'd not find black eyed peas in time to stave off a year of bad luck.

But, you just have had a year of real bad luck, so what good do these peas do you, I asked?

Before Gar the Texan could answer that question he started to have an attack of the vapors. I had to find him a Burger King so he could have a Whopper Burger before he went into total diabetic shock.

I never did get an answer to the what good did the peas do you question.

Since then Gar the Texan's luck has gotten even worse. Nowadays he finds himself married to a German 20 years his junior, who can't speak English. Which works out okay for Gar the Texan. Just today he was bragging about wearing a t-shirt that says, "I do everything the voices in my wife's head tell me to do."

A New Year's Day Walk Around The Fosdic Lake Dam Vision In Fort Worth Texas

By this morning yesterday's New Year's Eve drizzling fog had left town, replaced by our more usual Texas blue sky.

I woke up this morning to find my eyes burning and dripping. Eventually that got better. I don't know what's been in the air the past few days that is doing the irritating, but I don't like it.

By noon I felt the need to commune with nature, so I went to Oakland Lake Park to walk around Fosdic Lake.

I saw several guys fishing today. One of the signs warning you not to eat the fish you catch in Fosdic Lake is behind the fisherman in the picture.

The Fosdic Lake Dam Vision would fix Fosdic Lake, which would then make it possible to eat the fish that swim there and to swim with the fish yourself.

I've rarely seen so many people at Oakland Lake Park as I did today. There were about a dozen kids on the tennis court, not playing tennis, but playing on wheeled devices.

At the start of a new year I always see more people in the parks, acting on their resolution to lose weight and get more exercise. The number of people will quickly dwindle as the resolutions fade.

Several dozen people will be hiking on the Tandy Hills tomorrow, starting at 10am.

Tandy Hills Manly Man & Wild Women Saturday Hike Reminder

That's a real manly man hiking the Tandy Hills that you're looking at in the picture. I don't know if the manly man in the picture will make it to tomorrow's hike.

Got an email from Don Young reminding me of the MM & WM Saturday Hill Hiking. With some new information.

The 1st Annual Manly Men & Wild Women - Hike the Hills is on for tomorrow, Saturday, January 2, 2010 @ 10 am. Over 30 brave souls have RSVP'd. Everyone is welcome.

Weather forecast looks good: No rain or snow is expected. Mostly sunny, cool and calm to light winds. Dress warmly but be prepared to shed layers. The hills are very steep. You've been warned!

But this hike is not just about exercise. Tandy Hills Natural Area is scenic year-round. In the Winter, with all the leaves and grass down, you can appreciate the lovely contours of the namesake hills, the winding creeks and see into secret places normally hidden from view.

Hiking boots are recommended due to the occasionally rough terrain and damp conditions. As always, bring water. Hot coffee and cocoa will be available at the sign-up tent.

Lunch after the hike at the 8.0 Bar & Restaurant, downtown FW in Sundance Square. Moderately priced menu for all ages and tastes. Meet in the Octopus Room. Dutch treat. Dress... casual.

See you on the prairie!

DY

Happy New Year & Penguin Dipping From Texas

New Year's Eve was a very rough night for me. Horrible hangover this morning. Horrible.

Okay, the sad truth is on New Year's Eve I went to bed 4 hours before the New Year began. I'd been feeling ailing all day long, so, before 8, I decided to end the misery and go to bed.

This morning I woke up to find something irritating my eyes real bad. As in stinging. I've decided I'm a victim of my Chesapeake Energy neighboring Barnett Shale gas well.

I got a comment yesterday from Sedro Woolley. That is a town in the Skagit Valley of Washington state. The commenter was my favorite commenter, Anonymous. I also get comments from Sedro Woolley from Miss CVB. Anonymous was not Miss CVB because she's a girl and Anonymous said, "This Sedro Woolley boy is doing this tomorrow. Can't wait!!"

What is it that Anonymous can't wait for? Well, it's the Clear Lake Penguin Dip. Clear Lake is a clear lake near Sedro Woolley. On New Year's Day a lot of people strip down and run into the lake and then get warm by a big fire. A great time is had by all.

So, this morning, with it being the first morning of the New Year, I decided to show solidarity with the Clear Lake Penguin Dip and be there in spirit, if not in body. It also seemed somehow fitting that my first blogging of the New Year include the information that I went in the pool this morning.

It was below freezing at the time. I almost had a bad slipping incident when stepping on a frozen puddle at the pool's edge. That could have been all kinds of bad had I slipped. Next day's news, "Mysterious Death, Body Found Floating In Pool New Year's Day."

I am not starting the New Year with any unusual resolutions. Just the regulars, like lose weight to lose that awful beer belly I've grown in the past couple months. And to go visit my mom and dad in Phoenix.