Friday The 13th Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle Hike

My go to location for Friday the 13th nature communing is always Lucy Park. And this Friday the 13th was no exception.

The outer world was chilled to being barely in the 50s.

With a strong wind blowing.

I was glad I opted for sweatpants, and eventually warmed up, after wishing I'd opted for a sweatshirt, instead of the t-shirt I opted for.

We are almost halfway through Fall, with the vegetation still green, with the leaves in the trees not yet turning into their regular fall color scheme.

The photo documentation is one of the views in the Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle, which is where I nature communed and acquired my daily dose of endorphins.

Rain is on the weather menu for tomorrow, with more rain forecast for the days to follow. So, today may have been the last time, for a while, hiking the Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle was doable, free of mud.

Remembering My Date With Hillary In The Fort Worth Stockyards

Yesterday I found myself in a conversation which somehow brought up the last time I saw Hillary Clinton. I said I thought this was in 2016, when Hillary was campaigning against Trump in that year's presidential election. 

The person with whom I was conversing told me I was wrong, that it was not in 2016, that it was in 2008, when Hillary was campaigning to try and win the nomination for that year's presidential election.

I remembered that I did a blog post about that memorable day. I looked at the blog posts from 2016 and found none about Hillary.

Then I went back 8 years to 2008, and eventually found a blog post from March 1, 2008, titled "My Date With Hillary".

Almost 20 years ago. 

My blog posts back then were way longer than the current norm. With way more photos. My date with Hillary took place in the Fort Worth Stockyards. The "My Date With Hillary" post details that unique experience. 

The crowd was huge, filling the main street of the Stockyards. We entered the area from the actual Stockyards, a huge wooden structure with a walkway above the pens in which cattle used to be housed. That walkway led to an opening which brought us directly to the stage from which Hillary would soon speak. We got a closeup seat on the bleachers which had been erected for the event.

Security was tight for this, but somehow security missed the way we easily got in. 

Soon we saw Hillary making her way to the stage. A photo of that moment is the first photo in the "My Date With Hillary" post.

Of late I have made note of the fact that my memory is not as sharp as it once was. The blog is useful as a sort of diary, when I can't quite remember something. Trouble is, the blog only began back in 2008. A written record of moments before then are a bit more scarce.

Early Tuesday Evening Texas Goat Visit

Yesterday, the day known as Tuesday, Day 10 of the 2026 version of November, early in the evening, an hour before the arrival of darkness, returning from my almost daily visit to Walmart, I parked, walked towards Holliday Creek and the Circle Trail, to soon find myself surprised to see a large herd of goats stationed on the golf course side of Holliday Creek.

That was one long run-on sentence.

This has happened in years past. Both run-on sentences, and goats.

A herd of goats is hired to mow the grass along the banks of Holliday Creek.

Apparently, this is a practice known as Goatscaping.

Chilly Breezy Tuesday Sikes Lake Nature Communing

Leaving my weather-proof abode, this Tuesday morning, day 10 of the 2026 version of November, for my daily nature communing and endorphin acquisition, I had intended to go to either Lake Wichita, or the Wichita Bluff Nature Area.

However, stepping out of my weather-proof abode I was quickly chilled by the wind blowing air barely heated into the 60s.

So, I opted to have my motorized means of motion take me to nearby Sikes Lake, where I knew it would not be as breezy as Lake Wichita or the Bluffs.

I have yet to find my interior space cold enough to motivate me to switch my interior climate control device from being in air-condition mode to heat mode. I suspect that that not switching to heat mode will be ending soon.

In the photo documentation, above, of today's nature communing, we are on the rocky eastern shore of Sikes Lake, looking northwest, with the newly installed floating dock visible above the rocks.

Access to that dock is blocked by a locked gate. I've yet to discover the purpose of this newly installed dock.

Betty Jennety Email Posing Potent Texas Political Question

A couple days ago I got an email from one of the people I came to know after I moved to the Dallas Fort Worth zone of Texas.

Betty Jennety.

Betty's email was amusing...

"Howdy D, it's been awhile since I've talked to you. But, Tuesday's election results brought you to the forefront of my mind for the first time in awhile. When I first met you, and asked you what caused you to move to Texas, you told me it was part of a Clinton era program to move progressive liberal sorts to Texas to try and add a helpful voice to the ongoing dialogue. Is that why you started that blog and went after so many things in DFW, like the Trinity River Vision, the Barnett Shale drilling, I forget what all? And now, after so many years, you have helped flip Texas blue? I find this a bit hard to believe."

To which I replied, "So do I."

But then again, for the past many months I have been posting a lot of political type postings on Facebook. Example above.

Some of those have had share numbers in the thousands. It is not possible to track the grand total because some don't click the 'share' option, but instead just copy the image and then post it on their Facebook feed.

Yeah, I'm sure that's it. All my anti-MAGA, anti-Trump postings influenced a lot of Texans to vote BLUE.

Sunday Slightly Chilly Walk Around Sikes Lake With No Burned Pork Chops

On this day 8, also known as the second Sunday of the 2026 version of November, it was back to nearly peaceful, wind-free Sikes Lake my motorized means of motion took me, in sweatpants, for the first time in a long time, due to the temperature being below 60 degrees, as measured by the Fahrenheit method, for some salubrious nature communing and endorphin acquisition.

Yes, the above is one long run-on sentence. A couple days ago, on Facebook, a lady commented that a sentence I apologized for being a run-on sentence, was not a run-on sentence. She asked where I would put a period to end a sentence, if it was a run-on sentence.

So, I thought I'd write a couple run-on sentences, just for the confusing fun of it.

Despite the temperature being below 60, I stayed perfectly comfortable and soon wished I'd opted to wear shorts.

It greatly helps when there is not wind causing that dreaded wind chill factor.

Part way into my walk around Sikes Lake the neurotic worry came upon me that I'd forgotten to turn the oven off when leaving. A couple weeks ago that happened and resulted in several over-cooked pork chops.

It was a relief to open my front door and not be greeted by that over-cooked product smell of a couple weeks ago.

Chilly Saturday Wichita Bluff Nature Area

This first Saturday of the 2026 version of November is the coldest day in a long long time. Soon after arriving to hike the Wichita Bluff Nature Area I regretted being in shorts and a t-shirt, instead of sweat pants and a sweat shirt. 

But, hiking fast I was able to warm up, a little.

Above is the view, looking northwest, from near the highest point on the Wichita Bluffs. That brownish area you see in the middle of the photo is the Wichita River. Currently flowing higher than its usual norm.

Aerobically Endorphin Overloading The Wichita Bluff Nature Area Again

I enjoyed the salubrious aftereffects from yesterday nature communing the Wichita Bluff Nature Area, with the ample aerobics causing an endorphin overload, that I opted to return to the Bluffs today, on this first Thursday of the 2026 version of November.

The photo documentation above is the view, looking northwest, from the western entry to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area.

Many people who have never been to Texas think the state is all flat, brown desert. One is not long in Texas before one learns such is not the case.

As you can see, even though we are well into the Fall season, the outer world at my Texas location is still green.

With Tuesday's change in Texas, the state is now both blue, and green, in many locations.

Nature Communing Wichita Bluff Nature Area Contemplating Yesterday's Midterm Election

Last night I stayed up til after midnight, for the first time in a long time, enjoying watching the anticipated Blue Wave turn into a Blue Tsunami.

Even though I was up late, I was up early this morning of the day after the Blue Tsunami, vertical before six this morning.

It was to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area I ventured this morning for my daily nature communing and endorphin acquisition.

Last night, after it was starting to become clear what we were seeing, as in a historically significant election changing America's course, I started getting text messages on my phone from some in my old Washington state home zone.

Friend from first grade til now, Linda Lou: "Wowza."

Classmate/Friend in grade school, high school and college, Clyde H.: "Great Day Durango! Trump finally repudiated for the ass that he is."

Nephew Jason: "This is great!. Thank you, Texas."

Sister Michele: "Yay Texas!!!!!"

This election the location I lived in before moving to Wichita Falls, Fort Worth, and Tarrant County, turned blue, despite Republican efforts to stop that from happening by closing dozens of polling places.

It is just a little nerve-racking wondering what is going to happen next. One tries to be optimisitic...

WinCo Nature Communing With Dorothy & Giant Candy Canes

None of my regular morning nature communing on this first Tuesday of the 2026 version of November. Also known as Election Day.

I did my voting last week. And now I await the results.

Most of my walking this morning took place at WinCo. I needed to go there because I needed to grind some fresh peanut butter. The peanut butter you make yourself at WinCo is the best I have ever had. I learned this soon after the first WinCo opened in the DFW zone, years ago.

My route back to my abode, from WinCo, took me by MSU, also known as Midwestern State University.

Every year, since I have been in Wichita Falls, I always seem surprised to see the annual Fantasy of Lights displays begin showing up on the MSU campus, before Halloween.

Today I saw it looked like most of the displays have now arrived. So, I stopped to photo document some of the scene.

Above you see a fallen Santa Claus, near a train and giant candy canes. A Merry Christmas to All sign is between the fallen Santa and that little brown gingerbread house. To the right of Santa, but out of the photo frame is the Jolly Roger Pirate Ship. 

There are a few of the Fantasy of Lights displays, in addition to Jolly Roger, which I don't quite get how they fit the Christmas theme. Like the Wizard of Oz display with Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion and Tin Man on the Yellow Brick Road in front of the Emerald City.

I will try and remember to experience the Fantasy of Lights, this year when it gets nearer to Christmas. The Fantasy of Lights draws a large crowd, at night, on weekends. It is entertaining.