Wismer Drive Eyesore and Health Hazard Site

There is a piece of property on Wismer Drive between Business SH-146 and Alexander Drive that looks like a cross between a swamp and a hazardous waste site.  Standing water, animal bones, dead trees and millions of mosquitoes inhabit this dead zone, as a friend has labeled it.  It stinks also.  It seriously stinks and since the area has no reason to stop and look, no one stops for a look.

The area has become a topic of discussion on local crime-fighting web forum http://www.hotpursuit.cc, of which I am a long time member.  I’ve taken the liberty to write the city government, especially district 6 Councilman, David McCartney and the mayor to find out what can be done to remediate this area.

In a letter in response to a complaint about this property, Storm Water Coordinator for the city of Baytown, Gerardo V. Ruiz, along with Mr. Carroll Mayfield, from the Railroad Commission of Texas (oil field regulators) and Mr. Tom Fereday, representative for Otex Resources, the oil field property owner wrote this about the area:

“I inspected the oil wells and storage tanks for signs of a recent oil spill or leak but found no evidence of such. Otex Resources does not own the land at the intersection of Wismer and South Highway 146, but it too had no evidence of a recent oil spill. The conditions that are found at that property appear to be a result of the topography of the land and not a result of a recent incident. According to Mr. Carroll, the loss of vegetation on the site appears to be from an influx of salt water many years ago.

However, Mr. Fereday expressed the desire to find the lot owner and work with him or her to clean up the area and achieve a permanent fix that will allow the property to drain properly and not hold water.

The property is not ascetically pleasing but no major environmental health violations exist at this time. The standing water does not appear to contain any crude oil and it is not breeding mosquitoes. I will have our public works department drainage division inspect the storm drains in the immediate area to ensure that they are not obstructed and functioning correctly. Clear storm drains may help reduce the quantity of standing water in the area. I will follow up with Otex Resources about the cleanup efforts and will provide updates as they become available.”

I was deep into this area this past May, looking for a geocache of all things and it is the nastiest place in Baytown.  I came home and washed my clothes and tennis shoes afterward and I made a video tape of the heavy mosquito activity.  The area is indeed a breeding ground for mosquitoes and thus a significant health hazard.

Mr. Ruiz’s statement “but no major environmental health violations exist at this time. The standing water does not appear to contain any crude oil and it is not breeding mosquitoes.” Although accurate at their visit is inaccurate as I have video proof and photos.

I am appealing to our city government and District 6 councilman Mr. McCartney in particular, to rectify this situation.  Because of the stagnant surface water, mosquito breeding site, and rotting debris, it poses a serious health and safety issue and needs clear and up to date responses to the public in general.

Bark Park in Baytown Goes Down Hill in Less Than a Year.

It took less a year before the wonderful dog park looked like it was old.  Blame it on perpetual water leaks, excessive rainfall, lower than grade trails, and mosquitoes which cause people to shun the park and that is a real shame, as it has so much potential.

My Bride and I visit the park 4-5 times per week and we have taken to walking our dogs on the trails through the woods instead, as they are well-maintained.  The dog park trail has weeds growing through the trail itself and even though it is dray as a bone on all the outer trails, water perpetually stands at the entrance and on lower areas inside the fenced park.

Last December 9th, I wrote Parks Superintendent Scott Johnson and appealed to raise the level of the trails inside the Bark Park and he wrote: “We will add when we can get in without tearing everything up”.

February 8th, I again wrote: “Dog Park: My Bride and I took our two little doggies to the Park  today and it is perfect in almost every way, except the water across the paths and the mud holes in front of the Poo drop off points.  I realize a large dump truck of gravel would leave giant ruts, but can't something on a smaller scale be done until dry weather?  I have a feeling there is a lot of grumbling going on behind the scenes over this, but most people are silent.  We bathed both dogs when we got home. BTW, both sides (small and large) have flooded areas of trail and mud is real bad at both entrances”.

Scott Johnson wrote back: “Bert, the dog park is no different from most of all our parks right now, a big mud hole.  We will place additional crushed granite on the trail when we can get in without tearing everything up.  Sorry for the inconvenience.  (We really could use a month of dry weather)”.

On March 4th, I wrote City Manager Garry Brumback and appealed about the wet entrances: “…the dog park is in bad shape.  It looks like a water leak”.

Kylie Wilson repaired it immediately and here is his response: “Garry - it was the irrigation causing the excess and standing water.  Tony got the water pumped out and checked the timer.  They will keep watching it to make sure there are no other issues. But as of now it is working properly again”.

On July 22nd, once again a water leak was discovered by myself and reported: “There appears to be a bad leak at the back of the dog park, close to the trail.  Water is pouring into Cary Bayou”.

Deputy City Manager Bob Leiper responds: “I had the dispatcher call out the overtime crew to check the leak and make whatever emergency repairs are appropriate”. “Thanks for the heads-up. It was a 2” line that had pulled apart. It was repaired last night”.

August 1st, I again appeal to city management after discovering all trails in the entire park are dry except the once again flooded entrance and trails at the dog park: “there is a real problem at the dog park that is not being addressed, in my opinion.

I've written and written about the low trails, which flood any time it rains, the standing water at the entrance and the numerous water leaks which are reoccurring. This morning I walked my dogs through the whole Jenkins park trails complex and only found one small area with water beside the trail, then I came to Bark Park and it was so wet, I wouldn't take my dogs inside for more than a couple of photos.

I suggest a stricter schedule of grass cutting, weeds kept off the trail with herbicide and a regular spray schedule for fleas should be posted.

May I also suggest another dog poo station closer to the parking lot?  The dogs get one whiff and they immediately squat.

Also, is the bark park totally finished or is more to be added as time passes?  Otherwise, I love our parks and the great job I see of keeping them maintained”.

Bob Leiper, who always punctual and on top of things writes back: “Thanks for your comments. The massive amounts of rainfall have impacted our mowing schedules, not to mention accelerated growth of the grass. We are working hard to catch up. We also know that we need to work on the drainage issues and chase down all the water leaks. Unfortunately the limitations of budget and staff, coupled with the demands of the July 4th event and preparation of the Pirates Bay Family Aquatic Center make it even more challenging.

We are working on the mowing and Scott’s folks will look at adding another poo station. Please continue to let me know when you see water leaks and we’ll work the low spots in the trail as quickly as we can.

It is our plan to continue to add features to Jenkins Park, including the dog park, as funds and time allow. I don’t believe there are specific plans at this time due to budget constraints, both locally and the lack of State grant programs.

We appreciate your comments and suggestions and I know we both want the same thing: a better Baytown. Thanks”.

If you, the reader would like to see a well-maintained Bark Park, please by all means voice your opinion on this subject.  Our city leaders have an open door policy and they need to hear what is important and will welcome your response.

Idiot Criminal Gangbanger Tags Jenkins Park

Some idiot, moron and imbecile spray painted gang related graffiti all over the dugouts at Walter Jenkins Park in the last 24 hours.  CLAN 17 Pure Overdose – Plant Life.  I wish they would overdose and plant themselves, rather than attempt to destroy public property.

This is one more reason I support corporal punishment for criminal mischief and violent crime.  Give them a Singapore sling, rattan style.

It is my true desire that people who commit these acts of abasement would straighten up, fly right and take responsibility for their actions, rather than drop dead, but I do not see that happening any time soon.  I’ve sent this photo to BPD and city management this morning and they will get it covered up, I’m sure.

Anyone who thinks joining a gang is a cool thing is destined to fail in society.  If you have knowledge of this gang or this graffiti, please contact Capt. Alford of the Baytown Police Department at (281) 422-8371.

Brawndo Series of Geocaches

Not too many days ago, I watched the totally stupid movie ‘Idiocracy’.  I thought it was stupid and idiotic and the more I thought about it, the funnier it became.  I especially loved the movie population’s infatuation with Brawndo (a futuristic version of Gatorade) and their devotion to its electrolyte properties.

Whenever the word Brawndo came up in a conversation, any and all would repeat the commercials by-phrase of “Brawndo’s got electrolytes!  It’s got what plants crave – it’s got electrolytes”.  Apparently in the future, people are so brainwashed by advertising that they believe any and everything.  If it comes across the TV, then it must be true!

Against all reason, my fellow geocachers are a lot like these future Brawndo worshipers in that when they could be sitting comfortably on their couches, they are instead wandering ankle deep in goopy mud, or having their arms and legged scratched to pieces by thorns so they look for something a stranger hid.  It’s totally crazy.
Each outing is the equivalent of a blood donation to the mini blood-sucking mosquito phlebotomists and then there is the ever-spreading poison ivy rain forest over-taking Baytown and surrounding area they deal with on a daily basis and all of this is beyond normal reason.  Then there are snakes.  Why?

Take today for instance.  For the last two weeks, I’ve been pouring over photographs of a wooded area in Baytown, which adjoins the Goose Creek Trail, using a ruler to figure out how in the world I can place 11 geocaches inside this area without violating the 528 foot rule between caches, required by geocaching.com.  Yes, there are rules to this game.

My Bride is confused (she’s always generous towards me, as she well understands I do things like this as a form of self-abuse).  “Why do you continually put yourself in predicaments like this, Hon?”  “Because I must” I spout and we both know it’s a Bert thing and sacrosanct.  Move on, there’s nothing to see here.

My problem was indeed self-inflicted and early on, I confided in my friend Levi McAllister, known as Skathious in the geocaching circles, as I hashed out the logistics in my head.  In the long run, we agreed I would go solo and figure this entirely out and this would enable him to “find” the caches and ensure the secrecy of the cache locations.  The fewer people who know, the harder the hide and it’s that simple.

Over the last week, I created 11 unique containers to hide in the most difficult locations I could think of and I must admit, most all of them will be difficult for cachers to find.

This wooded area is a wet, snaky bottom land beside a small slough or bayou and today, it was snaky indeed.  City Manager Garry Brumback came driving by and stopped to ask me what in the devil I was doing when he saw me starring at the thick underbrush close to “The Loop”.  When I told him I was hiding geocaches to attract people to the Goose Creek Trail, he told me city employee Patti Jett was also a geocacher, so I gave him a couple of my Baytown Bert Wooden Nickel Geocoins to share.

Here I was, loaded down with containers, busting brush with fogged-up steamy glasses when in the back of my mind, something screamed DANGER!  I came to an abrupt halt, tried to find a dry place on my clothes (no luck) to wipe my eyeglasses, and there in my path was a short fat wiggly thing my brain told me was a cottonmouth rattle-moccasin.  It actually was a cottonmouth water moccasin this time, but it knew this was its territory and I wasn’t supposed to be there. 

Since this adventure is getting long-winded, I’ll continue it in part two.

Brawndo Series of Geocaches - Part 2

I backed up a bit and I kid you not, I was as soaked as a wet Billy goat (and just as gamey I imagine), as I dug around in one of my 2 shoulder bags for my water-proof camera.  I snapped a quick photo and then put the camera away.  Looking around my feet for the snake, I realized it was…what(?) – gone!  I back-tracked a bit kangaroo-style and made my way towards the direction I needed to go for my last cache…number eleven.

Number ten and eleven are both deep into the thick and overgrown terrain of the Texas Gulf Coast mixture of giant thorns and heavy underbrush.  Bear Gryll’s while hiking south of New Orleans commented that this was the worst swamp he has ever seen – even worse than Borneo. We have swamp like that here and heavy underbrush and this is what I was encountering.  Each step may or may not have a surprise and my fogged up glasses were not helping a bit.

In our wooded areas live a very large species of spiders.  Most people call them banana spiders, but they are actually a golden silk-orb-weaver spider.  They are usually about face-high and that is usually where they end up when you are bush whacking and results in face whacking.  Their webs are very hardy too.

Texas has many varieties of thorns also and some are dark brown and the size of your ring finger.  My arms look like I’ve been in a cat fight – and lost and I now have some sort of rash on my arm that’s not poison ivy.  I have bruises on my legs and my eyes itch.

I’m having the time of my life.

Anyway, to make a long journey shorter, I finally sloshed back onto the Goose Creek Trail close to the existing Rusty Hands cache, which requires the finder to creep along the outside of the bridge over the bayou.  Thus, the rusty hands and one that required me to make 5 long trips before I found the geocache.

I made my way back to my geocachemobile, drove home, shucked off my dripping clothes in the garage, showered, ate, and submitted the cache data to geocaching.com for approval and publication.  Maybe my efforts will draw people to Baytown.  I have a feeling this endurance series is going to be a real bonus for our restaurants.

Baytown Bert Wooden Nickel Geocoins!

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About 3 months ago, I decided I wanted to create a signature item to place in the *geocaches I visit, instead of putting in a small toy, erasure, chip clip, or doodad, so I began looking around. What I found was custom printed wooden nickels.

The cost of these was a tad much in my opinion, until I came across a fellow in Wisconsin named Fred. Fred’s prices were good – real good. He was willing to take my design and text and print it on a 1 ½” wooden blank, with no set-up fee for roughly 1/3 lower than anyone else – so I placed an order for 500.

After 3 months, my first 500 are almost depleted and I have had a blast placing them in the various geocaches I visit. Here is the basic design, but on the real coin, one side is in red and the other in blue.

You can get your own wooden nickel Geocoin by following a link on http://www.baytownbert.us/ to the Ads-Tuit Wooden Nickel Company, or by clicking this link. http://adstuit.com/

Of course, you can call them at: 715-528-4352 Tell Fred I sent you and have fun with your own special and custom Geocoin Wooden Nickel!

I just ordered another 500 Baytown Bert Wooden Nickel Geocoins!

Note: Geocaching is an outdoor activity in which the participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers (called "geocaches" or "caches") anywhere in the world.

Toes Across The Floor

I was listening to "Toes across the floor" by Blind Melon and it, for some reason reminded me of my own countess hours of karate, Taekwondo and jui jitsu practice - and recreated a yearning for those days when I sweated and toiled to find a connection with my physical and mental extremities and my place in society.

Real Karate-Do, in any of its many forms, is a discipline not easily explained.  Most people relate martial arts practitioners to the Hollywood version, or mixed martial arts battles on one of the sports channels – and even though I’ve toiled for years in the discipline, I find very little in common with either stereotype.

Karate-Do is a way of life, not a sweaty, muscle-packed spectator sport on ESPN.  These fighters have massive skills which I can appreciate, don't take me wrong, however the image they project to the uneducated public (especially young men) is that of a gladiator or a bloodthirsty pitt bull dog out for the shear love of the kill and in my opinion scar the image of true traditional martial arts training.  There is no "Do".

Do in Japanese means “ a path, or way of life” and serious study of “the arts” is accompanied by a study of living a life of non-violence and peace with the surrounding environment and according to Gichin Funakoshi, that’s the way it is supposed to be for the warrior.

Master Gichin Funakoshi was this little Okinawan school teacher, philosopher, and poet and the founder of Shoto-kan karate and he led and taught a life of peace and self-discipline.  I do not see evidence of this teaching in the mixed martial arts spectacles on television.  It appears the only side of martial arts they have studied is how to fight and this is what is being projected. Two pitt bull dogs fighting is all it is and although I find it fascinating to watch (in the same vein as watching a train wreck or someone committing suicide) it's in reality, a horrific vulgar display and does terrible damage to the promotion of traditional martial arts practice.

Shotokan is the consummate model of almost all modern karate styles, regardless of historical claims by each individual art to the contrary.  Real traditional study takes place in small dojos, kwans, and dojangs (schools) tucked away out of sight and the serious student lives a life of non-violence and peace.

Anyone who has studied any form of the hard-karate style of martial arts, owes a deep gratitude to this master, myself included.  One of my brothers (TJ Bustem) is a black belt in this style and no one to truck with, however I can’t remember the last time he raised a fist in anger.  All three of my brothers are schooled in the fighting arts, but again I can’t remember the last time any of them were violent.

Most traditional martial artists spend untold countless hours with toes across the floor, toiling in silent practice, learning to understand their physical and spiritual relationship with the earth around them and that my friend is the whole purpose of studying the fighting arts.  Self-awareness and peace, developing both the hard and soft side of your being - not learning to kick someones rear end or make a vulgar display of your ability to do the same.

The study of the fighting arts according to Master Funakoshi was for personal development, not necessarily for violence.

Red Light Cameras Get The Green Light!

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I’ve been following the debate over the red light cameras with great interest and the most recent column by The Suns new managing editor Doyle Barlow, titled Red light tickets should be up to BPD, compelled me to speak my peace.

Back a couple years ago when I stood with the Baytown Concerned Citizens at El Toro’s restaurant and asked the city to “do something about the traffic violators’ in this town”, it seemed everyone was of the same opinion – by hook or crook, stop people from violating traffic laws and in the process, catch criminals with warrants.

I’m not implying red light cameras are catching and locking up crooks, but if you do not pay the fine, you will get a warrant issued for your arrest (*see updated note below).  However, any driver with a driver’s license should have the minimum reading skills to interpret the signs and each camera has numerous signs to warn drivers there are cameras present.

Now my hat is still off to the Baytown police department for the fine job(s) they are doing, but how many officers do we have dedicated to cruising at any one time?  Not that many per capita and there is a good reason – it’s a big town with as many as 120,000 people moving around at peak hours.

It would be an impossible task to watch every busy intersection, let alone the thousands of stop signs and minor red lights, so in my opinion, the red light cameras are a plus for traffic violations.  Besides, I challenge anyone reading this to take a drive through this town and make a note every time you see a traffic violation on just one trip.  It might be a real eye-opener.

A case in point is here - yesterday, I made a trip to Food Town on North Main and pulled out of the parking lot onto Rollingbrook St.  It was about noon time and I was in the right lane and heading east towards Massey Tompkins Rd.  The left turn arrow turned green and the car to my left, which incidentally was in the middle lane, took off straight through the oncoming turning cars and kept going on east on Massey Tompkins.  I shook my head in amazement.

Directly behind it, another car took its place and just as the green left turn arrow turned yellow; it too crossed over into the intersection and took a left – from the middle lane!  Either of these demonstrations of poor judgment could have resulted in a car wreck or possible fatality and this all happened inside 20 seconds by 2 different Baytown drivers.

As to the argument that red light camera strobe lights causes more rear-end collisions, I have an observation to make about that also.  The reason the second car runs into the stopping car, is because they have every intention of flying through the light also.

We have way too many distracted people driving cars in this and every town in this country.  Loud music, cell phones, eating food, alcohol, looking out the window when they should be looking ahead and dope – yes dope all contribute to people driving without actually paying attention.

Saturday morning I drove out Garth Road to go geocaching at 6:30am and stopped at the I-10 red light to wait my turn to go.  Behind me I spied a Honda Accord with 4 young people inside.  The front passenger and the 2 back seat travelers all had their heads laid back as if very tired.  Then, to my surprise, the driver slouched down, laid his head over and closed his eyes.

I was watching all of this when one of the backseat riders noticed me watching.  He nudged his buddy and as they both looked at my reflection in the mirror, the driver fell asleep and his car came rolling up to mine.  I was right at the collision point when their yells caused him to slam on the brakes.  Needless to say, as the light turned green, I drove off as fast as the law allowed.

No, we are not in a place where we can give up the extra help red light cameras do to penalize red-light runners and right turn violators yet, if anything, we need more.

*This is inaccurate.  See comments below.

Geocaching in La Porte Texas on July 4th, 2010

Hempstead Texas in One Day

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Yesterday was a great day to be in Texas.  My Bride and I have been itching to make our way over to Hempstead, Texas to get watermelons and visit an orchard or two, but the weather has not been cooperating.  The weather report came back a 70% chance of thunderstorms – but scattered, so we gambled and made the drive.  It was a good choice.

Hempstead is roughly 75 miles from Baytown and all things considered (like the ongoing Houston roads SNAFU) the drive can be made in about an hour and a half.  The terrain rapidly changes from the flats of the Gulf Coast to gently rolling tree covered hills and just beautiful.

Our main target was the Dilorio Farms & Roadside Market and they did not let us down.  We purchased about 15 pounds of dried peas and beans of various types for cooking later (Brown Rice, Garbanza, Pinto, Black, Great Nothern, Speckled Butter, Red potatos, and yellow split peas) – and 5 watermelons. 

My Bride graciously allowed me to search for six geocaches in the area also and I made quick work of them to keep us from becoming side-tracked from all the other places we wanted to visit and still beat the Houston traffic jam on the way back.  I was fortunate enough to get my photo next to the Big Shovel.

We became hungry after looking at all the produce at Dilorio’s so we went searching for a local café, not wanting to eat at a food mill.  Heading west on Business 290, we turned left of 13th street and headed towards the Blue Bonnet Herb Farms and to our pleasant surprise, the Garden Café’ and Brazos Bakery!  I highly recommend this place.

This small tearoom has amazing and friendly service and delicious healthy food.  I ordered jalapeno cheese soup and my Bride, the Garden Café’ Trio (chicken salad, house salad, & fruit).  We chased it all with delicious Texas tea.  She is determined to make a field trip with her lady friends very soon.  We also bought some herbs for our garden at the Blue Bonnet Herb Farm.  Great little nursery!

Our next destination was the Texas famous Chappell Hill Sausage Company and it was further west on Hwy 290.  This is where their delicious products are made and they have a public butcher shop and restaurant also.  We bought two very thick rib-eye steaks, a jalapeno and cornbread stuffed whole chicken (frozen) and a pound of delicious rat-trap cheese, pinto bean seasoning – and 3 homemade oatmeal cookies!

Turning around, we drove east on Hwy 290 looking for the turn-off to E&B Orchards – our next stop, but along the way, I had to have my photo taken next to the Big Chicken, which actually sets alongside the road at a ranch gate.  Just think how many starving Ukrainians a chicken this size could feed!

Following the signs, we made the scenic drive to E&B orchards and along the way, I made a turtle rescue.  As I was walking back to the car, my Bride witnessed 3 deer run across the road behind me.  This is what is so wonderful about field trips and something that can’t be experienced sitting on the couch in front of the television.

Arriving at the orchard, we followed the simple directions and picked blackberries, nectarines and yellow flesh peaches, all of which are sold by the pound.  We topped off the trip with a cup of fresh blackberry and peach ice cream, which honestly was a pint-sized and difficult to finish off – but we did.  A beautiful day and time well spent and I am including addresses and web site links so you too can make the trip. 

DiIorio Farms and Roadside Market
750 Highway 290 East
Hempstead, Tx 77445    
979-826-2688
http://www.diioriofarms.com/

Bluebonnet Herb Farms
2015 13th Street, Hempstead, Tx 77445,
979-826-4290
http://www.bluebonnetherbfarms.com/

Garden Café’ and Brazos Bakery
2105 13th Street Hempstead, Tx 77445
979-826-0404
http://www.gardencafebrazosbakery.com/

E and B Orchards
28268 Clarke Bottom Road
Hempstead, Tx 77445-8894
(979) 826-6303
http://www.eandborchards.com/

Helen Thomas Announces Retirement - folks offer condolences

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- She should have retired 110 years ago when she was 60

- About 70 years too late. She won't be missed.

- Ding Dong, the witch is dead! Now if the witch can get her twin sister Pelosi to go with her America may stand a chance.

- Overdue.

- She'll always of that nice photo of her with a smiling Obama with his arm wrapped around her. Birds of feather those two.

- And in other news, Helen Thomas has been appointed by President Barack Obama to be the Czar of Middle East Affairs. Congratulations Helen!

- Now Helen can wear the Hamas colors out in public.

- She was only expressing in words what most of the democrat agenda really is. She just slipped.

- Good riddance you anti-Semite! GO BACK TO YOUR CAVE!

- It's better this happened then a house falling on top of her.

and finally, yes: - George Bush twisted her arm and made her say those things…

Nitwit Constable Breaks Law to Catch Lawbreakers

May 21, 2010 at 5pm, I was in abnormally crowded traffic going home from work. I was on SH-146 going north over the Fred Hartman Bridge and in the far left lane. All around me were cars, pick-up trucks and commercial vehicles. Brake lights were uncharacteristically flashing in front of me and I checked my speedometer to see if what I thought was happening, was happening – yes, we were all going about 58 mph. The speed limit is 60mph, but during rush-hour, it’s often 75 and flows like well-oiled water.

Normally between 4-7pm, the traffic moves quite fast over this crowded bridge, often hitting 80 mph and it moves quite well. There is a tremendous amount of vehicular traffic over this bridge each day. Now I’m not condoning doing 80mph, even though in my little compact, I’ve learned that I must drive fairly aggressively if I don’t want to get squashed, but I think it’s safe to say that 58mph and wall to jumpy wall cars puts me in the same uncomfortable position.

When it’s crowded and backed-up and folks are steadily tapping their brakes, I get very uneasy.

As I reached the top of the bridge, I see a constable parked (Illegally – read the signs) on top of the bridge, foot braced against the bridge, dark sunglasses, and radar gun pointed back down the way we just came. He looked like Lt. Jim Dangle from Reno 911! up there to me and I reckon to everyone else returning home from a long day at work.

My very first thought was: He’s breaking the law to catch someone breaking the law. Honest to god it was. My second thought was: So this is the reason all these hundreds of cars and trucks are all but bumping into each other on this normally self-governing route? Normally these constables park on the near or far side of the bridge and cause folks to tap the brake pedal, but it doesn’t have this kind of disruptive effect, but this guy? Nope, he wants in the shooter’s seat.

He wants the biggest amount of shock and awe he can get…and the most respect. What he got instead was a bunch of angry stares and created a traffic hazard. He broke the law to try and catch a law-breaker? What?
 
There is no parking on the Fred Hartman Bridge – even I know that. It’s not against the law to walk over it though, but if a constable sees you doing that, he’ll threaten to arrest you and this has actually happened and of course, he will arrest you for parking on the bridge too...

Leopard Moth find near Mont Belvieu, Texas

This is a leopard moth (Zeuzera pyrina) identified by the distinguished biology professor Mary Wicksten of Texas A&M University.  I just could not figure out exactly what it was, except I thought it a moth and not a butterfly, so I asked her to help me out.  She graciously obliged.

I photographed this next to the Chevron station on SH-146 as you exit Mont Belvieu.  Isn't it beautiful?

Give me Liberty – Liberty, Texas History

I spent yesterday in Liberty, Texas.  It’s an old town with a lot of history.  Although I had traveled through Liberty many times and my Bride and I got our marriage license at the courthouse, I had never visited one of the parks or drove the back streets.  I can’t say I have ever even eaten a meal in Liberty, Texas.  Now I can.

I wasn’t in Liberty on business, but pleasure.  My brother TJ Bustem and I were once again, geocaching and now, we were waymarking also.  Read about waymarking here. and of course geocaching here.    In short, geocaching is looking for hidden “caches” of goodies and logging an entry in a logbook located inside the cache.  Waymarking is simply finding interesting places, landmarks, and historical markers.

Baytown has many historical markers and two are at Bayland Park on Business-146 down by the boat ramp.  There will be a third added by September when the Bayland Guards marker is dedicated.  The two that are there are the Bayland Orphanage marker and the Confederate Naval Works of Goose Creek marker.  You can read about the dedication of the naval works marker here.  Make sure you watch the slide show posted at the top of the page.

My brother has often commented that the real reason he loves to waymark and geocache is because it takes him to new and interesting places he wouldn’t have experienced without following the GPS receiver to a point of interest.

This is how it works.  Using what is called a GPSr (global positioning Satellite receiver) or a smartphone with a GPS Ap (application) you visit (usually) www.geocaching.com, create a profile (free or paid) and then download close to home geocaches or waymarker points into the device.  You can also print maps and instructions and carry them if you do not possess one of the higher end devices, or bring it all on your Smartphone or laptop/Netbook, etc..

Then you go look for them…and its fun, a lot of fun, especially if you do it with a friend.

When you created a profile on geocaching.com, you created a unique user name.  Mine is of course, BaytownBert, so when I find a cache, I sign the date on the little logbook, located inside the cache and my username – then after I am back home, I log in my find on the cache’s site and upload any photos I may have taken.

Most geocachers carry a swag-bag.  Swag is cool stuff you leave in caches for other cachers and the basic rule of thumb is if you take something from a cache, then you leave something of equal or greater value.  As a geocacher, you also have to beware of muggles.  Muggles are non-playing observers who may watch your activity and then come over after you have left and remove or rob the cache.

Snakes, spiders, and poison ivy may be present in remote wooded caches and then there are the thorns and thorns may be so thick that unless you approach the cache exactly as the cache owner did, you will leave a scratched-up treasure hunter.

Baytown is home to what can only be called, an evil genius geocache hider.  His name is Aaron Barbee.  You may know him as the Texas Computer Guru and he writes a weekly column for the Baytown Sun.  I’ve posted a humorous youtube video here concerning finding one of his easy caches, but trust me when I say he has very few easy ones.

Now keep in mind that caches come in a number of sizes and shapes.  Some are tiny and only hold a small log (Nanos and Micros), but my favorites are the small, regular, larger all of which hold swag. And sometimes Geocoins and travel bugs.  Geocoins are trackable coins with a unique set of numbers that cachers record the number as a find online and then move to another cache.  The same with a travel bug, but it looks like a dogtag and has a small chain and hitchhiker item attached to it with a story.


I’m not much for finding nano-sized or even micro-size geocaches, as they are usually found in higher traffic areas and it doesn’t appeal to my sense of adventure.  I would much rather be visiting a remote forested area, an old cemetery with historic headstones and markers, or someplace that involves learning about history.

So far I have placed six caches and all are quart-sized regular caches with cool swag.  Three are in Barkaloo Park and three are in Jenkins Park.  It’s a great family activity, gets you and the kids out of the house and is fun to boot and a big plus is as my brother said: “it takes him to new and interesting places he wouldn’t have experienced without following the GPS receiver to a point of interest.”