The Pecan Park Eagle

Good to be back, folks, but we take nothing for granted. We lost power at home about 6:00 PM on Tuesday and only got it back about 7:00 PM last night, Wednesday. No storm record there for us. We were without power for 14 days with one of the big storms of a decade ago. You get used to it. You don’t like it, but you do adjust. Compared to what others are going through with this incredible force of nature, we are doing A-O-K. There’s been no flooding in our neighborhood, no water standing in the street, no rising threat of water in the yard – and this surreal condition is either in spite of – or because of the Barker Dam that stands only 2 blocks to the north of our house. We just happen to be on the first few acres of dry land that are protected by the dam system that keeps all of Houston from total inundation by this wort storm in a thousand years. We are the first small neighborhood on the “dry” side of the dam, but that fact does not detract from the power of second factual realization. And that is – that even though most of our houses are two-story structures, the water level at the brim on the containment side of the is now presently moving around at an altitude that is higher than any of our homes.

We do not watch the newscasts with casual indifference to reports of water spilling over the walls – and we do understand that the option to leave existed for all of us prior to Harvey’s arrival. Still, we stay. We don’t live in Houston in fear of the risks. We live in Houston because this city is our home. For that reason, it is important that we live in faith and reasonable hope that the dam is going to do what it was built to do – and that objective, simply put – was to make life in Houston as a major city of commerce and opportunity an always improving environment.

What could be done to improve the Houston and Harris County water management system?

I’m no expert on what’s actually being done recently, or all that’s been tried or proposed in the past. I do know that years ago the Army Corps of Engineers ran into a clash with environmentalist groups over the Corps’ plans to line each of our bayous with concrete walls (as an aid to water flow, we suppose) – and that they did some of this work on some of the lesser known bayous before they were stopped from doing the same to Buffalo Bayou. Rightly so, I think, environmentalists pointed out how the concrete-banks plan was going to destroy the natural habitats of water creatures and plants. I am unable to recall how they resolved the conflict, but it’s likely the beautiful environmental development we now have going along the natural banks of Buffalo Bayou near downtown would never have occurred.

Dig Deeper. Would that help?

My 32 year old adult son, Casey McCurdy, is quite a thinker and researcher about things, a sort of Po-boy renaissance man on human relationships with each other and our need to “dig deeper” in our use of knowledge and technology for improving the plan for flood reduction in Houston. Casey’s working out of state at the moment, but I’m hopeful that he will write up some of his suggestions in a column for here, whenever he finally has the time.

Meanwhile, here’s what I hear Casey saying:

The Addicks/Barker Dam System. Dig it deeper near the current interior walls. Use the extricated soil to make the earthen damn both higher and thicker. Then it could hold far more water as a deeper, higher, thicker, and stronger wall.

Buffalo Bayou. Leave the environmental bayou banks alone, but dredge and dig the middle of the artery even deeper for greater water volume handling in the entire center portion of the bayou. Maximize Buffalo Bayou’s ability to handle the flow of water coming from streams like White Bayou.

What do you think?

Glad to be back.

PS: Tuesday I got my injured hand infection treated fine at the ER of Memorial Hermann – Memorial City. I was quite impressed with the professional care I received there and would recommend them to anyone, if you are on the west side and need serious help. My insurance even covered most of the cost. What a bonus.

Stay dry and well.

********************

ASTRO*NOTES

Wasn’t able to watch the Astros’ first of two drubbings by the Rangers at Tropicana Field, but did note that Mike Fiers apparently used it as yet another opportunity to demonstrate his remarkable ability to go from a great Dr. Jekyll mode to his horrible Mr. Hyde impression in two consecutive starts. He may have had just cause in the second game. Then last night’s unfortunate performance by Dallas Kuechel led us to wish that home plate umpires could be robotically programmed to give Dallas that low outside strike call. When he doesn’t get it, as he didn’t last night, sometimes the wheels come off.

The Net of it. The Astros are human beings too. They’ve had to play these last few dangerous days away from Houston. I’m ready to wipe out whatever happens in Tampa as attributable to the emotional strain of dealing with Harvey from afar – and also with the anal-retentive Texas Rangers who forced the damn series to be moved to the Tropicana Graveyard for Venue Esthetics. Theirs was a magnificent display of classless decision-making.

Next time you get the Rangers down and rolling over, Astros, keep it up. Don’t stop until you score a minimum of 30 runs.

********************

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST STANDINGS

THRU GAMES OF WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2017

********************

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST GAME SCORES

 **********

FOR GAMES OF TUESDAY, AUGUST 29, 2017

 RANGERS 12 – ASTROS 2

 ANGELS 8 – ATHLETICS 2

ORIOLES 4 – MARINERS 0

 **********

 FOR GAMES OF WEDESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2017

 RANGERS 8 – ASTROS 1

 ANGELS 8 – ATHLETICS 2

 ORIOLES 8 – MARINERS 7

 ********************

AMERICAN LEAGUE BATTING AVERAGE LEADERS

 THRU GAMES OF WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2017

NR * LOST TIME ON THE DL HAS TEMPORARILY REMOVED CORREA FROM AN OFFICIAL QUALIFYING PLACE IN THE RANKING OF TOP 40 HITTERS.

 ********************