Chilly Windy Wichita Falls Return To Lucy Park Reminder Of Columbus Day Storm & Great Depression

Today, for the first time this third month of 2025, day 5, also known as Wednesday, it was back to Lucy Park I ventured for some semi-chilly, windy nature communing.

As you can see, via the view looking at the Lucy Park suspension bridge over the Wichita River, there is nary a cloud clouding the clear blue sky.

Yesterday was one of the windiest days I have ever experienced.

My memory may have to go back many decades, to remember stronger wind, to what is known as the Columbus Day Storm, a storm which pummeled the Pacific Northwest with hurricane strength wind. Hurricane strength of the Category 5 level of strong.

My mom let my little brother and me go outside and play in the Columbus Day storm. I remember pushing our bikes west on Washington Avenue, several blocks, to Anacortes Avenue.

And then getting on our bikes, letting the wind push us back home. That did not go well. By the time we reached our block, we were being pushed so fast, braking did not slow us. We both ended our windy ride by crashing into Maiben Park.

Yesterday's Wichita Falls wind blew all day long. I drove to Walmart around five in the afternoon. It was not easy walking into the store, dodging projectiles, holding onto my hat.

Apparently, the wind was worse in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex zone, with a dust storm coloring the sky red.

A dust storm, a cratering stock market, idiotic tariffs. Almost like history repeating itself replicating 1929/1930, when the Great Depression was getting increasingly depressing, with the Dust Bowl destroying farming, the Smoot-Hartley Tariff Act disrupting international commerce, the Stock Market crashing, with a Republican president, thought to be a successful businessman, who turning out to be inept at being President.

Big difference, though, way back then Herbert Hoover was not a stooge for Joesph Stalin...

Stormy Windy Rain Result With Wichita Falls Sikes Lake Waterfall

Last night a storm arrived, around 3 in the morning, dropping copious amounts of water, along with some of that water in the frozen form of hail. 

The D/FW Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex zone got hit with hurricane level wind gusts last night, knocking out power to many.

Such was not the case at my location about 130 miles northwest of D/FW.

By morning my abode was almost surrounded by a moat, but I was able to successfully make my way to my motorized means of motion, to drive to Sikes Lake for some nature communing, which is an activity I have not indulged in for a couple days, due to distractions distracting me from such.

The forecast for today forecast winds gusting near 50 mph. As I walked around Sikes Lake the persistent gusting made walking a bit unstable at times. And felt to be in excess of 50 mph.

As you can see, via the photo documentation, the wind was making some whitecapping waves on the lake. 

The overnight rain rendered Sikes Lake a muddy brown, instead of its usual blue hue. The threatening sky may have exacerbated that brown muddy lake color scheme.

It has been a while since I've seen a waterfall falling water in Wichita Falls. A month ago, when I walked to the main manmade Wichita Falls waterfall it was in dry falls mode.

Other than that main manmade Wichita Falls waterfall, the other manmade Wichita Falls waterfall which falls water somewhat regularly, when precipitation is at a normal level, is the waterfall falling over the Sikes Lake dam.

Today, as I got closer, the roar of falling water indicated to me that the Sikes Lake dam's spillway was in waterfall mode, as you can see, but not hear, via the photo documentation.

Due to the wind and low humidity, we are under what is known as a Red Flag warning, indicating wildfire conditions. What with that rain, last night, I don't see how it can be that humidity is low, or that conditions are still dry enough to easily start a fire.

Currently, looking out my computer room window, the outer world looks stormy, gray and menacing, a local visual metaphor for America's current status in the world...

Lamb-Like First Day Of March Hiking With Wichita Bluff Nature Area Roadrunner

On this first day of the third month of 2025, it was to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area I ventured to join the throngs enjoying March not roaring in like a lion, but instead bellowing in like a windy lamb, under a blue sky, with the temperature feeling balmy, in the 70s, as measured by the Fahrenheit method.

I suspect the reason there were so many nature lovers out loving nature is the fact that last weekend, and the weekend before that, the outer world was rather cold, at times feeling as if the temperature was below zero.

It was not just humans (and their dogs) I saw enjoying the enjoyable weather conditions.

I had barely entered the Wichita Bluff Nature Area zone when I saw a bird I have seen a time or two, whilst hiking the bluffs.

A roadrunner.

My previous encounters with roadrunners have had the bird acting like I was a coyote, taking off at high speed to get away from me, thus rendering photo documentation impossible.

But, today's roadrunner seemed fearless, and almost vain, the way it was so cooperative posing for photos, of which I took around a dozen, choosing the one you see above as the best.

What with Spring-like pleasant weather having arrived, methinks I shall amp up my outdoor activity level, attempting to get in good enough shape to enjoy being more adventurous...

Another Family Photo Mystery From Nephew Jason

The photo you see here arrived last night in my incoming email, sent by my Favorite Nephew Jason, who has been sending me photos, of late, which strain my memory trying to remember the details of what I am seeing in the photo.

The text from Jason accompanying the photo...

Being the custodian of records of my father's one fifth of the family visual records, I believe I have stumbled on perhaps the last known picture of the Jack Slotemaker Jones family together in their formal wear.

Do you know why the back of the photo had the date of October 4, 1970 written on it with each child's respective age?  If it helps you recollect the answer, the internet tells me that it was a Sunday.

I don't know the answer, but have a guess...Was Michele baptized that day? That does look like a piano bench that you and brother Jake are sitting on. Churches often have piano benches.

I could text this to my father, who of late has proven to have a better memory than my elderly Texas uncle.  But you tend to tell the story a little better.

And PS - Has anyone ever told you how much you look like your father?    

Yes, I have had it mentioned, a time or two, that I look like my dad.

In the photo, in the back row, that is my dad, Jack, on the left, with mom, Shirley, holding little baby sister, Michele, next to big sister, Nancy. In front of the back row, we have middle sister, Jackie, with big brother, me, sitting next to little brother, Jake, on that aforementioned bench.

I have no recollection of Michele getting baptized. Nor do I have any recollection of this photo being taken, or who the photographer was.

Regarding Jason suggesting this photo being the last known picture of the Jack Slotemaker Jones family together in their formal wear, I must point out that this suggestion is erroneous.

The last known such photo was taken on my birthdate, August 11, 2001, one month before that date which will live in infamy, 9/11. On that August 11 of that year, I had driven, solo, from Texas to Washington, to arrive unexpected at my mom and dad's 50th Wedding Anniversary party, held on Saturday, August 11, because their actual anniversary was five days prior, a weekday, and thus not a convenient party day.

Now, in this actual last known family photo we are not in 20th century style formal wear, we are in 21st century style formal wear.

In the back row, on the left, that would be me, next to brother Jake, sisters Nancy, Jackie and Michele, with dad, mom and grandma Vera, sitting in front of us.

Due to, uh, scheduling conflicts, nephews Jason and Joey did not attend this party, which may be why Jason has no memory of this final formal family photo.

Mom and dad's two youngest grandchildren, nephews Christopher and Jeremy, did attend this party. Why they are not in this final formal family photo, I do not remember.

Nephew Jason Takes Us Back A Couple Centuries To His Great Great Grandparental Units Whatcom Abode

Nephew Jason told me he'd try and email me a couple more photos, last night, if he could muster the energy.

Apparently, energy mustering happened, because a couple photos arrived, which I've no recollection of previously seeing, but which prompted me to find related relative photos that I did know I had, located somewhere on this computer.

In the above photo, from Jason, we are looking at the homestead of my Great Grandparental Units, A.E. Sundean and wife, Hattie. Born 11/20/1876 and 8/19/1881, respectively. This homestead eventually grew into being a big farm, in Whatcom County, Washington, which still exists in 2025.

Great Grandma Hattie, I do not remember. Hattie may have died before I was born, or shortly thereafter. I do remember Great Grandpa A.E. Sundean, my Grandma Vera's dad, which made him my mom's Grandpa. I do not remember, or maybe never did, what the A.E. initials represent, name-wise.

(This morning, I learned, from Jason, that the A.E. initials, name-wise, are Andrew Edward, and that Great-Grandma Hattie died in 1954)

Jason's explanatory text regarding the above photo...

Here we must have the Sundean family prior to the arrival of the colorful Grandma Vera. The writing on the back of the picture indicates that the youngsters in the picture must be Vera's older brothers, Walter, Fred and Harold. Two of which you could possibly remember.  Harold apparently checked out months after your arrival.

The below photo of the "colorful" Grandma Vera was the second photo in Jason's last night email.

This young look at Grandma Vera looks a lot like my mom, as in the version of my mom from my early years. 

Like Jason indicated, Grandma Vera was colorful. And memorable. And fun. I have a lot of Grandma Vera items here in my Texas abode. Multiple Afghans crocheted by Grandma Vera. A pottery camel made and autographed by Grandma Vera.

Grandma Vera would give me something she'd made and remark something like she wanted me to have something to remember her by. 

It would greatly please Grandma Vera to know that, all these years later, in 2025, Grandma Vera is being made mention of, in multiple venues, such as on this newfangled dot.com thing she found so vexing when it arrived on the planet, in the previous century.

And that her eldest Great Grandchild, Jason, is remembering her fondly, via something called email, sending photos all the way from Washington to Texas.

And now, a couple related relative photos I found on my computer after getting Jason's email, last night.

That would be my aforementioned pretty mom, holding Jason's dad, my little brother Jake, with Grandma Vera holding me, next to Great Grandpa, A.E. Sundean.

And here we have another photo with Great Grandpa, A.E. Sundean, this time on the left, with mom still holding brother Jake, whilst I sit on dad's lap.

My mom and dad look so young. So do I and my little brother. 

Because we all were. Young....

Nephew Jason Takes Us Many Decades Back In Time To A Mysterious Mount Vernon Washington Farm Animal

That which you see above, arrived, via email, from my Favorite Nephew Jason, last night, with the only text in the email saying...

"Thought you'd enjoy this photo".

I don't know if I'd say I enjoyed this photo, I rarely enjoy much of anything. But, I did find the photo to be amusing, which is close to enjoying something.

In the photo, on the left, that is Jason's Aunt Nancy, also known as my big sister. 

Next to Nancy is Jason's dad, who is also known as my little brother, Jake.

Barely seen, next to brother Jake, is me.

I am not sure who it is who is bottle feeding the four-legged beast.

I think the four-legged beast is either a goat or a sheep.

I vaguely remember us having a pet of that sort, which lived in the garage of our house in Mount Vernon, with the house located on what is now known as College Way, due to the road being that which takes one to Skagit Valley College, a college across the street from our Mount Vernon abode, which we lived in during the period when Skagit Valley College was built, before we moved a couple miles north, to Burlington, moving to the house in which I grew up, on Washington Avenue, across from Maiben Park.

I can no longer call my mom and dad to ask them what they remember about our pet goat or sheep. I am the oldest sibling. If I do not remember details, it is pretty much hopeless anyone else will remember.

It seems like we called the four-legged beast, Nanny Goat.

A name which upset our then littlest sister, who took umbrage at the four-legged beast sort of being named after her.

I do think, in the photo documentation, the four-legged beast looks more like a sheep than a goat.

Why would our parental units get us an animal like this, to pen in the garage?

Perplexing.

Is the person bottle-feeding the four-legged beast Aunt Shotty? The wife of my mom's eldest brother, who operated a farm in Whatcom County, about 40 miles north of our Mount Vernon abode.

I suspect there is no one now living who can provide answers to these multiple questions...

UPDATE:
Turns out I was totally erroneous in assuming no one alive would know details about Nanny Goat. Nephew Jason emailed his favorite uncle the following after realizing his uncle needed some additional clarification. 

Jason's email's subject line "From your brother's book..."

We had a pet lamb, or sheep, I don’t know how you tell the difference as a pet at the Mount Vernon house. We called our pet lamb, sheep, “Nanny Goat.” Dad drove a heavy metal stake into the ground on the property line in the back yard and tethered a thick rope to a neck collar that prevented the little lamb, sheep, “Nanny Goat”, from escaping to the open pasture to the south of our backyard. We never had a cat or dog as a pet, just this little lamb or sheep. Dad never liked pets in the house. So we had a pet little lamb, sheep, which Grandpa Doc Porter rescued from its mother who died giving birth.  Dad grew up on different farms in rural Whatcom County and was accustomed to having chicks and ducks and geese and evidently little lambs, or sheep, as outdoor company. Dad’s family rented a house on a farm when he was just a kid. When the landlord raised the rent from $16 a month to a whopping $17 a month Dad’s parents decided that was too much money for the place, so they moved on to another farm in the county.

Whatever “Nanny Goat” was, a little lamb or a sheep, definitely not a goat, when unleashed from her spike “Nanny Goat” was content following us around the back and side yard. As far as pets go she was a good pet. Mom was never particularly happy when “Nanny Goat” would follow us into the house coming in right behind us through the back door. I think our little lamb, sheep, we called “Nanny Goat” just thought she was just one of us and wanted to do whatever we were doing.

UPDATE 2:

Additional information from Jason, regarding the identity of the lamb bottle feeder in the photo...

Your little brother identified the unidentified person in the photo as Nancy Sawyer, a neighbor down College Way to the east.

My Wichita Falls Log Cabin With Thin Man's Shadow & Lucy Park Backwoods Poodles

What you are seeing here is my Wichita Falls log cabin.

When I was significantly younger, than I am currently, I was a big fan of the idea of building a log cabin. 

Being a log cabin building fan caused me to attend a log cabin building seminar, somewhere in east King County, in my old Washington home zone. I do not remember the exact location. 

My log cabin building in Washington went so far as acquiring the logs to build a cabin. Those logs never made it to a log cabin end, but did end up being used in other projects, some of which made it with me to Texas.

Above you are looking at the Shadow of the Lucy Park Thin Man, communing with nature on this final Tuesday of the 2025 version of February. 

It was a semi-HOT walk through the Lucy Park backwoods, currently nowhere near being in jungle mode. That should be happening in about another month. Maybe two.

As you can clearly see via the photo documentation, there is nothing green and jungle-like, currently, in the Lucy Park backwoods. It looks a bit desolate.

Today whilst walking the backwoods I was assaulted by two giant poodles. They were cute, but way too enthusiastic.

Seems a bit weird to feel the need, today, to turn on my motorized motion device's air-conditioning function, what with it being only a few days ago I was shivering with the temperature feeling below zero, and all my heating devices, the vehicle's and my abode's heating device, struggling to warm up the air.

I do not recollect year's previous feeling so relieved to feel the worst of winter is now over.

Feeling such must be a function of being semi-elderly....

Final February Monday Has Wichita Falls Almost Scorching

It seems like only yesterday that I was being chilled to a temperature below zero. Actually, it was more like four days ago when I got that chilled.

And, now, today, the final Monday of the 2025 version of February, Wichita Falls is getting heated to near 80 degrees today, as measured by the Fahrenheit temperature measuring method.

Methinks I shall enjoy another bout, today, of communing with nature at one of my nature communing locations.

I have not yet decided when one.

Sikes Lake, Lucy Park, Wichita Bluff Nature Area, Mount Wichita, or Lake Wichita Dam.

So many choices.

All of the choices pretty much flat, except for the Wichita Bluffs, which do provide some elevation changes.

I just remembered, Mount Wichita also provides elevation gain. But I have not availed myself of that mountain climbing option in recent times.

Erosion rendered the paths to the summit of Mount Wichita to be a bit treacherous for one with tripping tendencies, such as myself...

Final February Sunday Sunny Warm Sikes Lake Nature Communing

What you are looking at here is the final Sunday of February, noon view of Sikes Lake.

Sikes Lake was my nature communing location today, along with throngs of other nature communers, enjoying the return of warm air, a blue sky, and no wind, rendering Sikes Lake into mirror-like calm.

35 degrees above freezing, as measured by the Fahrenheit method. 

35 degrees above freezing is 67 degrees, which felt relatively balmy after shivering near zero and below only a couple days ago.

Shorts and a short-sleeved t-shirt were all the outwear needed today. 

Looking at the long-range weather forecast, well into March, again showing no more days where the temperature dips below freezing.

But, we have been lulled into relief previously by the long-range forecast, as recently as a couple weeks ago, showing no more freezing days.

And then that un-predicted Polar Vortex descended from the far north, chilling most of continental America.

So, I won't be too shocked if such happens again, before we get to the point where this year's revolve around the Sun gets to its reliably heating location.

I read this morning my old home zone of Western Washington is getting drenched with an Atmospheric River, the first major drenching of the year.

When I lived in Washington, what is now called an Atmospheric River, was known as a Pineapple Express.

I like the Pineapple Express name better than Atmospheric River...

Final February Saturday Hiking Lucy Park Backwoods

On this final Saturday of the second month of 2025, also known as February 22, it was to Lucy Park I ventured after being sort of ice bound for a couple days, with the temperature being way too cold to make it pleasant to remain long outdoors.

Way too cold, as in well below zero when the wind chill factor was factored into the real 7 degrees above zero, as measured via the Fahrenheit temperature measuring method.

Tomorrow, the final Sunday of the second month of 2025 we are currently scheduled to get heated to a temperature way above freezing, nearing 80 degrees.

This Texas-style temperature whipsawing gets a bit tiresome, but, even so, I am looking forward to getting whipsawed back to being back in shorts and t-shirt, needing no gloves, when enjoying the outer world.

In the above photo documentation, we are looking south whilst in the Lucy Park backwoods zone, currently not in jungle mode.

But, green should return as the dominant color in a month, or two.

I am not remembering how soon after the arrival of Spring that green returns...