Wichita River Circle Trail Hiking With The Goslings

It was to the eastern parking lot for the Circle Trail access to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area I parked this fine Spring morning, also known as the first Tuesday of the 2026 version of April.

But, it was not to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area direction I commenced nature communing. It was the other direction, on the Circle Trail, curious to see how the trail connection to the Lucy Park terminus of the Circle Trail was coming along.

On the way to check out the current trail construction status I came upon the goose family you see above. 

Mom and dad with a little flock of goslings. They did not seem to mind me getting close and politely posed for the photo documentation.

The red liquid you see beyond the geese is the Wichita River, running high due to the recent rain.

And above we are as far as one can go on this section of the Circle Trail. This evidenced a lot of progress since I was last at this location. At that point in time the trail ended with a cement wall, with a solid forest of trees beyond the cement wall.

Building this couple mile section of the Circle Trail has been going on for a couple years, or so it seems.

When this section is completed there is then only a short other section to complete to make the Circle Trail a complete circle. That section is at the west end of Lake Wichita. Some stubborn property owners have stifled the completion of that section.

I do not understand why the property owners would not see the trail as being an asset, which is what the Circle Trail has rendered in other parts of town which originally objected to the wide paved trail coming through their neighborhood.

The hiking temperature was perfect this morning. 65 degrees, as measured by the Fahrenheit method. I was comfortably attired in sweat pants and a t-shirt.

Chilly Windy Pre-Easter Saturday Storywalk Around Sikes Lake

Copious amounts of precipitation precipitated last night, along with a couple thunder booms.

So, on this first Saturday of the 2026 version of April, it was to Sikes Lake I ventured to enjoy the chilly wind whilst nature communing, along with a number of other nature communists.

Sufficient rain fell to raise Sikes Lake enough to activate the Sikes Lake Waterfall, also known as the Sikes Lake Dam Spillway, as you can see via the above photo documentation.

There was an odd thing happening at Sikes Lake today, which I had not seen previous years. An Easter themed odd thing, which you will see photo documented below.

Alongside the trail, all around Sikes Lake, there were installations like you see above, and below. The above Easter-themed image had a caption asking us to "Look at the disciples' faces. I wonder what they are thinking...."

I would think they may be thinking along the line of wondering what the meaning is of these colorful plastic eggs. 

 Apparently the above indicated I was at the end of something called "the Storywalk." This was at the bridge at the north end of the lake.

I do not know when this Storywalk took place, or if it is yet to take place. Or maybe it was taking place whilst I was lake walking without me realizing I was on a Storywalk.

Wichita Falls does not have a local newspaper even remotely coming close to managing to do even a mediocre job of covering local news, or events, such as this Storywalk around Sikes Lake.

Thunderstorm Rain Rises Sikes Lake & Sprouts Texas Wildflowers

The predicted thunderstorm arrived last night, a little later than predicted, beginning booming around the time Trump babbled his embarrassing primetime address to the nation. 

The thunderstorm dropped the most rain that has been dropped in quite some time. This rain rose the level of Sikes Lake, which was quite noticeable upon arriving at my nature communing destination this morning.

As you can see, via the view from the rocky east shore of Sikes Lake, looking southwest, some wind action is making for some wave action, and for pleasant walking conditions, which appeared to attract a larger than the norm number of fellow nature lovers.

The precipitation the past couple days appears to have triggered some wildflower spouting.

There were patches of pink evening primroses sprouting in the greenery all around the lake. Such does not quite rise to the colorful landscape I would be seeing right now if I were at my old home zone of the Skagit Valley, with its masses of tulips, daffodils, and other bloomers. 

However, the Texas wildflowers are natural, whilst the Skagit Valley fields of color are commercial bulb farms, planted by man, not by Mother Nature.

Whether natural or manmade, seeing a lot of color brightening the landscape is always a pleasant thing to see....

Nephew Jason Early Skagit Valley Tulip Report

The above photo illustrated the following email from my Favorite Nephew Jason...

FUD -

Our mild Spring has brought the Skagit Valley Tulips to an early bloom. If you are heading this way to enjoy the spectacle, the next few weeks would be ideal.  

Hope all is well in Texas.

-FNJ 

FUD is short for Favorite Uncle Durango. You can likely intuit what FNJ is short for. 

Those tulips which Jason photo documented are part of the landscaping at his Fidalgo Drive-In, in Anacortes.

I have not flown out of this town since way back in July of 2019. Flying up to Washington in April would be a bit jarring, as in I am already used to HOT weather. We've gone over 100 degrees, already, this year. A mild Spring in Washington is way colder than a mild Spring in Texas.

I remember way back in July of 2008, flying up to Washington, to spend a month. I was shivering cold the entire time. My little sister got so tired of me whining about being cold she bought me a jacket at Costco, which still hangs in my closet.

Final Day Of March Hiking Green Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle

It was to Lucy Park I ventured on this final day of the 2026 version of March, to hike the Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle, which was significantly greener when last I hiked this location.

Spring has definitely sprung. Two weeks ago, at this Lucy Park location, the color scheme was primarily brown, with very little green.

Today may be the last time I hike the Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle for a while, what with thunderstorms and rain on the menu for later today, and following days. With heavy downpours and tornado potential.

Tomorrow there is going to be the biggest statewide test of the Emergency Notification system, with radio warnings, phone text messages, sirens and who knows what else, starting around 10:30 in the morning, if the info I heard on the radio is accurate.

Skagit Valley Scenic Yellow Daffodil Scene

Saw that which you see above, on Facebook. A scenic scene in my old home zone of the Skagit Valley.

That is a field of yellow daffodils. Daffodils are the first of the flowers to bloom every Spring, followed by tulips and other colorful blooms.

That mound rising on the horizon is known as Little Mountain. Little Mountain is in the Mount Vernon city limits. Mount Vernon is the biggest town in the Skagit Valley. Population around 35,000.

If such a mound were visible in my super flat Texas location, it would likely not be known as Little Mountain, more likely it'd be known as Big Mountain.

Linda Lou's Skagit Valley No Kings Protest Report With Wichita Falls Protest Against Trump

The Skagit Valley of Washington's Linda Lou called me this afternoon whilst I was on my way to WINCO to tell me about today's NO KINGS PROTEST in my old home zone.

Linda Lou told me today's protest dwarfed the previous two.

This will mean nothing to anyone who does not know the town, but both sides of Mount Vernon's College Way were lined 7 - 8 deep, from I-5, all the way to Skagit Valley College. That is a couple miles.

Meanwhile, a couple miles north, in the town I grew up in, Burlington, Burlington Boulevard was lined up deep on both sides of the road, all the way from the Skagit River bridge to Fairhaven Avenue, in downtown Burlington.

Linda Lou reported seeing a surprising number of protest signs.

It was windy and cold this morning, so I opted not to go to the Wichita Falls NO KINGS PROTEST, which took place in downtown Wichita Falls. I had gone to the two previous protests.

When I got back from WINCO, I woke up my computer, clicked on the link to the local newspaper's online version of the Wichita Falls Times Record News, a news source I have repeatedly complained does a bad job of covering local news.

Well, the Times Record News was right on top of today's big story, as you can see via the screen cap above.

I'll hit the publish button on this and then go check out the local news sources in my old home zone and see if I can see some photo documentation of Mount Vernon and Burlington's protests.

Feeling Homesick For Skagit Valley Tulips With Texas Wildflowers

I saw that which you see above, this final Saturday of March, on Facebook. Several photos taken in my old home zone of Washington. The Skagit Flats, to be precise. Which this time of year become colorful due to the blooming of multiple types of flowers.

The photographer is someone named Lisa Ketcham. The photos were posted by something called KOMO SoNorthwest Photography. KOMO is Seattle's ABC TV affiliate.

For those seeing these photos, who are the Texas flatlander sorts, those landforms rising in the background of the photos are mountains. The foothills of the Cascade Mountain Range, to be precise.

I do not remember what year the Skagit Tulip Festival started up, other than it was several decades ago, and I was living in West Mount Vernon, at the time, oblivious to the fact that a new festival had started up, with my first awareness of this coming from the massive traffic jam clogging the road I had to drive to go anywhere from my abode.

The Skagit Tulip Festival has grown bigger, year after year, adding things like Tulip Town, Roozengarde, with the various towns in the valley hosting various events. 

If my memory is serving me accurately, and sometimes it does, the last time I was in Washington, whilst the Skagit Valley tulips were blooming, was in April of 2006.

I'd flown up for my Favorite Nephew Jason's first wedding. But, we did not drive out to the Tulip zone. It was a one day zip up from Kent, that is a south of Seattle suburb, to Burlington, where the nuptials took place, then to Eaglemont Pavilion, in Mount Vernon, for the post wedding party, and then back to Kent.

Now, I have made mention of the fact that my current location in Texas is free of any mountain scenery, no matter what direction you look.

And there may not be any tulip fields, but Texas does have colorful wildflowers.

I first learned Texas wildflowers existed when I drove to Texas to check out the possibility of moving to the Lone Star State. The last stop before arriving in DFW was a motel in Amarillo. The next morning, heading southeast on Highway 287, I was surprised by seeing a lot of color on the side of the road. Mostly yellow, with some pink, and a little blue. I was later to learn the yellow blooms were known as Evening Primroses.

A few years after the move to Texas I found myself in what is known as Texas Hill Country, which is an area known for its wildflowers. At Fredericksburg there is a wildflower farm with big fields of wildflowers, looking a lot like the fields of color you see in the Skagit Valley at Tulip Festival time.

I have been feeling a bit homesick, of late. Seeing those photos of the Skagit flowers, and the mountains, added to the homesick feeling. I miss mountains, saltwater beaches, fresh Dungeness crabs and clams, and many other things....

Apparently Washington Does Not Care How It's Done In Texas

I saw that which you see above, yesterday, on Facebook, and thought it amusing, partly because it is about my old home state, and makes mentions of Texas, the state I am currently in.

The below text sort of explains the thinking behind the sign...

Washington doesn’t need to explain itself

It has mountains that stop you mid-sentence, evergreen backroads, ferry rides, rainy mornings, and the kind of views that make people move here and immediately start acting like they discovered the place.

Come for the scenery, the coffee, the seafood, and the clean mountain air. Stay for the forests, the coast, the weird little towns, and the feeling that nature is always one turn away.

But if you showed up expecting Washington to trade its identity for somebody else’s version of “better,” you’re probably in the wrong state.

Washington isn’t trying to be Texas. Washington isn’t trying to be Florida. Washington is just being Washington.

So, take in the view, grab some salmon, spend a little money, and let the Pacific Northwest keep doing its thing

My Metro by T-Mobile Payment Declined Unfunny Bad Sitcom Day

Well. I had myself an absurdist sitcom comedy day yesterday. It had to do with my cell phone provider, Metro PCS. For years I have easily paid my monthly phone bill by simply typing "Pay 50.00" when the "Payments are easy!" text message arrived on my phone.

And then, when the 25th of the month arrived a couple months ago, my attempt to pay, which previously got a thank you text in reply, instead got "Payment declined by your financial institution".

I tried to take care of this via the phone, which was totally frustrating, as I was diverted to T-1 Mobile, which now owns Metro PCS.  I gave up on that method. I think I was talking to an out of the country call center. So, I logged into my Metro account, online, which I had done previously when updating the credit card info. This proved equally frustrating. The original log-in did not work. I had to go through multiple hoops with proof it's me codes being sent to my phone.

Eventually I was able to get into my Metro account. Decided to update the credit card to a different one. Did so and made the payment whilst logged in.

The next two months paying was no problem. I'd text PAY 50.00, get the thank you message and thought the problem was over.

And then, yesterday, on the 25th, it happened again, but with the new card. This time I was not going to go through the hassle of trying to fix this online, instead just go to the Metro PCS store a short distance away. Did so, go out of my vehicle to see the sign you see photo documented about, that being the sign on the door, which said "Store Closed Due to Internet Outage Please visit 3634 OLD JACKSBORO HWY Sorry for inconvenience."

Not sure where Jacksboro Hwy was I drove back to my home computer, Googled the address to learn it was a couple miles away.

Upon entering the store I did not realize it had just opened and I was the first customer of the day. I explained the problem. The guy I explained it to said this was nothing Metro caused; it was my bank that declined payment. To which I replied that makes no sense, that for years this worked fine, then a couple months ago, it didn't, I switched to a different bank, and then the same thing happens. The Metro guy suggested maybe there were insufficient funds in both accounts, to which I told him both accounts have thousands of dollars banked.

Below are the text messages my phone received yesterday...

Payments are easy! Pay

$50.00 by 03/25/26

for ACC997816494 by

replying 'PAY 50.00'.

Metro by T-Mobile Terms

& Conditions apply. See

mybty-mo.com/terms

Payment declined by

your financial institution.

To pay using MASTER

CARD ***********6435

reply back 'YES". Metro

by T-Mobile terms and

conditions apply. See

www.metrobyt-

mobile.com/terms

Your request was not

understood. Please go to

Metro by T-Mobile.com

to make a payment.

Metro by T-Mobile terms

and conditions apply.

See www.Metro by

T-Mobile.com/terms

When I went to Metro by T-Mobile to try and make a payment the phone took me to a T-Mobile page requiring a log-in. I don't have a T-Mobile log-in. That was the last straw before I took off to find a Metro store.

So, the Metro guy tells me it takes several minutes to get the system up. Those minutes dragged on and on. The Metro guy was going around the store doing various tasks. Eventually I asked if he'd just opened. Yes, was the reply, and that he was late, due to get stuck in traffic in his drive from Dallas. You drove here from Dallas to open this store? Yes, I do that every day. You drive back to Dallas when you close? Yes, every day.

It is about 140 miles between Dallas and Wichita Falls.

I neglected to mention, the Metro guy was Indian. I asked him if he was Indian after he spoke to another guy in what sounded Indian to me. Yes was his reply, to which I thought so, even before you spoke Indian because of your cool sound Indian accent.

At this point I was thinking this is like being in a live version of a foreign call center.

The Metro guy could tell I was beginning to get a bit annoyed, after about the 5th time I asked how much longer til your system is working. He then said he could take down my info, as in phone number and credit card info and make the payment when the system comes up. Oh, and there is a five-dollar payment support charge added for paying in the store.

 At that point the Metro guy says, the system is up. He then accesses my account, points me to a card reader. I tell him this card I am using here is the same one that got declined when I tried to pay via the phone.

I stick the card in, do a weird name signing with an electronic pen. The payment goes through, the Metro guy hands me a receipt, to which I said to him "You do see, don't you, why this is totally absurd? That the card worked fine here, and you are charging me five dollars to pay the bill in the store."

How is such a thing even legal.

I left the store, got in my vehicle, at which point the phone makes the incoming text noise. I swiped the screen dreading that it might be another text from Metro PCS, telling me "Payment Declined."

Nope.

Instead, it was a text message with the regular "Thanks for your $50.00 pymt."

Needless to say, despite being happy with Metro PCS til a couple months ago, I will be finding a new cell phone provider before the 25th of next month...