January 2026 Ft Worth

 January - February 2026 Ft Worth, Austin, Seattle 

The New Year brought a full schedule to keep us busy, you know what they say about idle minds. After taking care of routine home chores in Austin we decided to fly up to Ft. Worth this three week trip to manage a family estate. Our good friend Jeffery in Aledo had given us the name of a driver he uses to go to and from Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport. Turns out better service and cheaper than Uber with a personal touch! We arrived on a sunny warm day and the traffic was not to bad on the drive to the West side of Ft. Worth. 

January

One of the first things we did was organize yet another lunch with our Dallas/Ft Worth friends. Martti, Cookie, Roxanne, Jeff, and me.
Seems everyone had plenty to talk about. 

Before we left Seattle I became aware that my friend Jeff had bought a go-cart frame in the Portland Oregon area. Jeff has been racing and messing around with Go Carts since I knew him in Jr. High. His younger brother, who lives in Portland, has been storing the go-cart in his garage for nearly a year. Jeff knows that Martti and I both travel to and from the PNW on a regular basis and wondered if we might be able to stop by his brothers home and bring the go-cart back to Texas. Well, I took this mission on and started trying to plan a way to get that cart to Texas. Fortunately I have a very bright granddaughter who lives in Portland and she helped me figure out a solution. Due to connections we were able to arrange to have it shipped back to Texas and I really did not know how well this would turn out. After a call to Jeffs brother in Portland, he agreed to build a shipping crate for the go-cart. The rest just fell into place.  

Phil obviously has great woodworking skills!

This is as professional job as it can be!

While waiting for the cart to arrive Jeff agreed to take a mini-bike that had been in the Ft Worth family since the 50's. He knew all about it and knew what to do with it!

An imposing sunset in Ft. Worth, weather is on its way for sure!

Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth

The Air Force Reserve Command's Tenth Air Force (10 AF) headquarters and the 301st Fighter Wing and its flying squadron the 457th Fighter Squadron continue to be based at the installation. The Wing is currently (2024) converting to the F-35 Lightning II after operating the F-16 for 32 years. The 136th Airlift Wing of the Texas Air National Guard and its flying components.

The South end of the runway at NAS JRB Ft, Worth is just a mile from the shop. Several times a day 3-4 of these F-35 Lightening take off or land and fly directly over the shop. They are extremely loud of you are outside when they fly directly overhead. She shop is located in this small industrial area. To Hear it See: https://youtube.com/shorts/AzIQB1CCL28 ,but turn your volume up to Max!

Small Town Texas Lawyer visit to take care of some documents.

The weather showed up, This ain't snow, its all sleet and a few inches deep, when you step on it it is like a very slick ice cap, your feet do not even sink down in it! 

We were marooned along with the rest of the neighborhood and city for 5 days!, on the 5th day the sun came out and it all began to melt. I borrowed a shovel from the next door neighbor and started shoveling the drive way, Shoveling hard ice stuck to the concrete was nothing like shoveling snow! 

The Amazing thing is Jeff's Go Cart frame was delivered during this weather event, What a Driver! Getting a true Texas work out today!

After I shoveled our drive I went next door and shoveled a neighbors drive so she could get out and get to a grocery store. That afternoon we drove to the shop and I shoveled out the drive way there because the very next day a crowd was showing up to pick up whatever they bought during the online auction to liquidate the contents of the shop. I was sore for a few days but my muscles needed the work out anyway.

We had a couple of boxes we filled with things to take to the Tarrant County Archives, They were thrilled to get this gem, one of the archivist there was actually a Roller Derby Girl!

We never thought of donating the several vintage yardsticks, this exhibit at the Archives.

We inadvertently hit the wrong elevator button as we were leaving the Archives but we got to revisit this Auditorium named for the Admirals, Step Uncle. 

We had a sunny afternoon with a couple of hours between appointments so we took the short drive to hang out at the Ft Worth Stock yards, it happens to be during the 2026 Ft Worth Stock Show events so it was busy down there!

Hahh! This pony ride reminded me of my days in Big Spring, TX. My dad put a pony ride just like this out front of his Clover Bowl Bowling Alley to draw customers in for bowling, thinking that they would bring their kids and bowl while they were there. He paid me to run the pony ride. There was a small stables in the back lot of the Bowling alley. I would saddle up the ponies, walk or ride them down, hitch them up to the carousel and wait for customers, I was about 8 years old.  But this was Big Spring, TX most kids already had a horse!

You can get your picture on a Longhorn

There was a crowd gathered here to hear the history of the introduction of Longhorns in Texas.

Billy Bob's, we didn't have time to go in but it was fun to walk by.

                                                       

Do you watch Landman? The Admiral wanted to visit the Bowie House for noon tea. This hotel, bar, and restaurant was in several scenes in the series Landman. Rooms here go for $600+ a night. Since the Hotel is just near the Will Rogers Coliseum and Stock Yards and just a short drive from the Ft, Worth Stock Yards and Rodeo, and since the  Rodeo and Stock Show was in full swing it had to be interesting to hang out there,  and it was.

We had green tea with Ritz and Dip!

There were some very interesting dressed folks coming and going but this is not the place to be taking those kind of pics. 

Make no mistake about Ft. Worth

A couple of days later we had another lunch with friend Jeff who was instrumental in helping us by providing the perfect recommendations for persons who could help us navigate property management concerns.

This is in Aledo, Texas and while it's not as good as Luling its pretty darn close and since I eat a full plate of BBQ about every two years I was thrilled.

Our job is done here for now. A online auction company liquidated the contents of this 3,000 sq ft. building and even swept the floors before they left!

Clearing skies

With the newer "truck that can" packed, we headed back to Austin.

Nov-Dec. 2025 Seattle Spacetime Bending

Nov-Dec. 2025 Seattle

As I wondered how timed has passed to almost February 2026 and I missed the moment when I should have posted my blog for Nov & Dec 2025, I pondered the idea of bending time. Gravitational forces  are at play in the space time continuum and your own personal axis is, of course, key to your perspective. I came across this question and answer to help support my excuse

Question:

I am just 16 and curious to learn about Theory of Relativity. Can any one explain it simple enough for me to understand? I read that it is bending of time-space or space-time that causes gravity. How can bending of time takes place?

Answer:

I'll go into a bit more detail below but, basically, Einstein discovered that space and time can't be separated. They are part of the same thing, and gravity is actually produced be bending and warping this "spacetime," like a heavy ball sitting on a sheet of elastic.

Classical (or Newtonian) Physics

Time can be considered as a dimension, just like distances. In this way, our universe is four dimensional: three for space and one for time. Before Einstein came along, people thought that these dimensions were fixed: anyone who looked at something would measure the same distances, see the same things happening at the same time.

Special Relativity

Einstein realized that this is not true. Two events that appear simultaneous to one observer may seem to happen at different times to a different observer: simultaneity is not preserved.

He came up with this idea by looking at light and realizing that light always travels at the same speed, no matter how fast you are traveling. Even if you chase a photon, it always moves away from you at the same speed (c$c$) from your point of view.

The only way that this can be made to work is if there is a link between time and space. We can't consider them to be separate things anymore; time and space get mixed together depending on your frame of reference.

This is why physicists talk about spacetime. Just like the x, y & z directions only depend on where you put your axis so it doesn't make sense to consider e.g. the x direction separately from the y & z directions, so the time dimension cannot be considered apart from spatial dimensions since different observers put their axis in different places. 

General Relativity

Einstein then went a step further. He realized that considering time and space together as spacetime allowed him to think about gravity. Einstein imagined spacetime being bent and warped by heavy objects. This way, other object always move on straight lines but those lines look curved to us because spacetime itself is bent.

And then I imagined more than just planetary gravity. There are other earthly attractions that draw us to where we are at any given time. Take family for instance. Family might draw you closer or just the opposite! In our case Family is a huge gravitational force as we move to and fro from Seattle, Austin, and Ft. Worth, Texas. These forces have been particular strong in December and January. We have literally  experienced bending through Spacetime.  Hence it is not really January 27 yet as I write this. After I finish this blog post it may be however.

We take Big D to his Soccer game over in Poulsbo, and we are the substitute team managers, Deja Vu.

Big D gets the coin toss call.

In the background you can see Sluy's Bakery, A must stop in this Scandinavian town.

I got some Caramel Sticky Buns!

You have to work those Buns off, at Osteostrong!

Reflecting Fall Colors

I got an update from Ancestry, My Scottish/Irish roots are stronger than I thought.

A few atmospheric rivers are part of the PNW experience.

The boat was rocking but we slept through it.

Fortunately the power never went out at the marina. 

Exceptional High tides, first time we have seen it this high.

We searched but did not see.

First time I have ever seen a straight line front pass through up here, this is typical in Texas but up here the weather comes in huge blobs.

I got to drop off Big D at the school bus stop a few times.

And we walked his sister up to her bus stop.

Lake Washington in the foggy stillness.

I wondered about this vintage plow at the horse Stables

Big D is a formidable opponent!

I went to see this small ship that I saw on Facebook

December is a good time for an Air BB, as it is getting a little chilly for boat life.

Walks through the North Ballard neighborhood.

Sunset Park is just a short walk away.

I'm really excited, My good friend Martti bought a great PNW boat, but it was on a farm in Texas!

Hah, this is from Spotify, of course you cant define my taste, my grandkids use my phone whenever we are driving to the other side of Seattle. 

Another storm

This Danish Bakery was only blocks from our air B&B

I got a Spandauer !

Christmas lights are starting to show up.

We took a quick trip to Ft. Worth for a memorial, got to eat at Joe T Garcia's with the Admirals cousin Greg and wife Karen! 

G sitting at his Great Grandfathers desk.

We got a visit in at Tarrant County Court House

I reminisced about the last time I visited this court house when I was about 17 and discussing my driving  ability with the Judge.

Back in Seattle and Big D on the Trombone! at the Christmas concert.

See: https://youtu.be/2UMXArsycJ0

View of the Magnolia valley

Merry Christmas!

Some new homes in Magnolia Neighborhood trying to maintain the character.

Looking forward to 2026 Happy New Year!
See: https://youtube.com/shorts/QzuKo3Vz2cA?feature=share

Back in Austin and a walk around the Capital.

Wow our neighbor finally moved in after three years of constructing!

Love VS 55 years
 Dec. 19