WinCo Ghost Town Tuesday Walking With Working ATMs

With today's, Tuesday, August 18, temperature, a few degrees under 100, as measured by the Fahrenheit method it was to the Wichita Falls Ghost Town known as WinCo I ventured for my daily walking purposes, instead of my regular, heavily populated Walmart walking venue.

You can see, via the photo documentation, why we refer to WinCo as the Wichita Falls Ghost Town, nary a human to be seen as we head down yet one more empty aisle.

A new WinCo is under construction, currently, in my old Washington hometown of Burlington.

I hope the Burlington WinCo does a better job of being the new store in town than has been the case in Wichita Falls.

From its opening the Wichita Falls WinCo self-checkout ATMs have not worked right. The ATM would reject the slip in the card chip method, multiple times, then instruct to use the slide the card method, which would fail a couple times, before working. 

The failing WinCo ATMs were sort of amusing, as it was a sort of group annoyance, shared by the fellow customers and the employee in charge of watching the self-checkout, who quickly tired of all the ATM woes.

A couple months ago one of the long-suffering employees told me new ATMs were supposed to arrive in August. And those ATMs would have the tap method, in addition to the chip and slide methods.

Well, last week I was at WinCo. The new ATMs had arrived. And they were worse than the previous. When the chip method was rejected, I beckoned the WinCo employee, who then came to my ATM, she  tried to figure out how the tap method worked, then tried the chip method, and finally the slide method worked, after we managed to figure out where the slide slot was.

And now today, for the first time since WinCo opened, almost a year ago. the ATM worked flawlessly. Where to tap the card was clearly indicated. A loud beep clearly indicated the tapping was successful.

I shared my ATM joy with the self-checkout employee, one with whom I had previously lamented with regarding the sad state of the WinCo ATMs. She was even more pleased than I was. She said it has made her workday so much more pleasant.

Sizzling HOT In Wichita Falls

Getting in my vehicle a half hour before 5 this Monday afternoon of August 17, with the outer world heated to 105 degrees as measured by the Fahrenheit method, when I started my vehicle the temperature display indicated it was 128 degrees in my vehicle's interior.

By the time I got my phone out for photo documenting purposes the A/C had knocked 4 degrees off those 128. It still felt HOT.

I am so ready for this tiresomely HOT summer to end. I tire of getting my daily endorphin acquisition via fast pace walking in Walmart.

Day After Day Hotter 'N Hell In Wichita Falls

This is being the HOTTEST summer, or so it seems, since I have been in Texas. Day after day after day over 100 degrees.

The above screencap shows today's, as in Sunday's, predicted high of 105 degrees, as measured by the Fahrenheit method. Along with a screencap showing Wednesday's predicted high of 109 degrees, also as measured by the Fahrenheit method. 

Apparently, the record high for August 19 is 111 degrees, with Wednesday's predicted high of 109 possibly being a couple degrees HOTTER and breaking that record.

The Hotter'N Hell Hundred bike event takes place the last weekend of August, with the main event taking place Saturday, August 29. 

The past few years, if I am remembering correctly, the temperature has not been over 100 degrees for the Hotter'N Hell Hundred. 

At this point in the HOT time of the year there is no cold water flowing from our taps. It is extremely warm, warmer than lukewarm water.

The swimming pool is basically worthless for cooling off purposes, unless one finds getting in a hot tub of water to be a cooling experience.

Happy Birthday Card From My Dear Friend Donald

On this day, August 11, many many many years ago, I was born, in Eugene, Oregon.

The last couple days a surprising number of birthday cards have been showing up in my mailbox, and by other means.

But, none so surprising as a birthday card from Donald Trump.

I thought Donald was mad at me. I'd heard he did not like being made fun of. Which really makes no sense to me.

If one did not like being made fun of, why would one, with such an aversion, continually provide so much material which is so easy to make fun of?

I know, one should not end a sentence with a preposition. I can't help myself. I am picking up some bad grammar habits from my good friend, Donald...

Finding The Final Time All My Siblings Were With Mom & Dad

Tomorrow, August 11, it will be a quarter century since the above photo was taken. I believe that date, August 11, 2001, was the last time me and my siblings were together at the same location at the same time.

And, for certain, this was the last time me and my siblings were at the same location with my mom and dad and grandma Vera.

The occasion was mom and dad's 50th wedding anniversary party.

I had not indicated I was going to attend this party. I drove solo from Texas to Washington. Only a couple of non-relatives, in Seattle, knew I was heading their way.

Mom and dad's wedding date was actually August 6, 1951. Their anniversary party was held on August 11 because that day happened to be a Saturday, and thus a more convenient day than the Monday August 6 fell on that year.

The above photo has been vexing me for several days. Because I could not find it. I wanted to use it for a blog post on this year's August 6 anniversary date. I knew I had several photos, as in dozens, taken that day.

Last night I finally photo the photos.

I'd forgotten I'd webpaged them. So, they were in the files of my Eyes on Texas website, which I terminated several years ago.

That solo drive back to Washington was the last time I have driven from Texas to Washington, and back, solo or not solo.

I stayed in Washington a couple weeks, arriving back in Texas not all that long before the infamous events of September 11 happened.

A month later, mom and dad arrived in Texas, their first of two times coming to Texas to visit their eldest son.

It is a bit hard to believe this was a quarter century ago....

Happy 75th Wedding Anniversary To Mom & Dad In Heaven

On this day, in 1951, August 6, my mom and dad got married.

Today, August 6, 2026, is mom and dad's 75th Anniversary.

The last time I attended an Anniversary party for my mom and dad was way back in 2001. 

25 years ago.

This was the last time I drove back to Washington. And the only time I did so, solo. 

No one knew I was going to be there.

The actual party took place on a Saturday, August 11, which also happens to be my birthday.

Somehow a happy birthday card was hastily assembled and given to me.

I was barely back in Texas when the 9/11 nightmare happened.

A month after 9/11, in October of 2001, mom and dad made their first trip to visit me in Texas. That time they still had their RV and stayed in an RV park in Arlington. Mom and dad made one more visit to Texas, I don't remember the year, but that time they stayed in a hotel in Arlington. I think by then I was doing the blogging thing. I shall see if I can find those posts.

Above is a photo from an earlier Anniversary party. This would have been sometime back in the 1980s, or 1990s. That is nephew Jeremy I am holding. Nephew Jason is in front of me. Nephews Christopher and Joey are in front of mom and dad. Sister Michele is sitting next to mom. Standing, from the left, my favorite brother-in-law, Jack, his wife, my sister Jackie, sister Nancy, ex-sister-in-law Cindy, and my brother, Jake next to me.

I think, in this photo, mom and dad are younger, by far, than I am now....

HOT Wednesday Burning In Wichita Falls

A few minutes before 5 o'clock, on this first Wednesday of the 2026 version of August, I exited my abode, heading for my almost daily visit to air-conditioned Walmart, when, as soon as I shut the door I heard shouting, someone screaming "call the police" and then what I thought were gunshots.

I went back inside my abode, looked out the window and saw a car on fire. I could see people standing, watching the fire, not in any sort of panic caused by guns shooting.

So, I exited my abode again, got to ground level, and took the photo you see above. There were multiple bursts of flame, making that noise which sounded like gunfire.

By the time I got to my motorized means of motion, two firetrucks had arrived. Then a lady drove onto my driveway, asked me if she could park there, and that that was her husband's car burning. 

By the time I got back from Walmart the entire scene was totally cleaned up.

No clue as to what caused this car to burn.  

We are well over 100 degrees today. I don't think that could be the cause of a car catching fire.

Nature Communing At Parched Sikes Lake Thinking About Washington Wildfires

For the first time in several days, on this third day of the 2026 version of August, it was to an outdoor venue, instead of Walmart, I ventured to do my nature communing and endorphin acquiring.

That outdoor venue today was Sikes Lake.

The temperature was in the low 80s. The past two days we have not heated over 100 degrees. Starting today, and into the near future, each August day is predicted to get over 100 degrees, as measured by the Fahrenheit method.

As you can see, via the photo documentation of the view, looking south, from the north end of Sikes Lake, the lake is currently experiencing a water shortage. That is a line of geese on the sand bar created by the falling lake level.

So far, our lack of rain has not caused that which is green to turn brown, for the most part. 

Meanwhile, the longtime drought and parched conditions in my old home state of Washington has resulted in massive wildfires. The worst of which has forced the evacuation of over 60,000 Spokane residents, and has burned and destroyed hundreds of Spokane homes.

My longtime dear friend, Alice, has been reporting, via Facebook updates, her current condition in Tonasket. Tonasket is a small Eastern Washington town, north of Chelan and Wenatchee. Two days ago, Tonasket's law enforcement rolled through town with a loudspeaker informing Tonasketans that they were under a Level 2 Evacuation Warning. Level 2 means you need to be ready to evacuate, should the Level go to 3.

So far, Alice has seen a lot of smoke, and flames in the distance, but the fires have stayed out of Tonasket.

HOT Final Day Of July Nature Communing In Walmart's Air-Conditioned Comfort

Washington's Linda Lou called me when I had my hands full, whilst leaving my abode, on my way to Walmart for some salubrious late afternoon air-conditioned nature communing and wildlife observing.

When I got to my vehicle my hands were no longer full, other than the phone in my two hands, aimed at the rear-view mirror so as to photo document the temperature inside my vehicle.

120 degrees as measured by the Fahrenheit method.

The outer world temperature was way cooler than 120 degrees, at a relatively chilly 107 degrees.

Walmart's air-conditioner does a fairly good job at keeping it cool. My personal abode seems to do a better job at keeping cool, than Walmart. 

Rain and thunderstorms had been predicted for today. So far, neither has happened. Looking out my window all I see is a clear blue sky. No clouds.

The final day of July has been a HOT one. The first two days of August are currently predicted to be relatively chilly, in the low 90s.

July Goes Out In A Blaze Of HEAT

The final two days of the 2026 version of July are currently scheduled to be HOT. 104 degrees on the final Thursday of July, as measured by the Fahrenheit method, with it being three degrees HOTTER for the final Friday of the month.

We are currently on track to break the record for number of 100 degree days.

During my years of living in the west coast state of Washington any day with a temperature in the 70s, or above, was considered hot. In Washington, if you wanted to experience Texas-style heat all you had to do was head east of the Cascade Mountains, to the more desert-like climate of Eastern Washington.

Tomorrow's 107 degrees is also predicted to include a thunderstorm. That should be interesting, if it happens.