Texas Bloody Mary Causing California Heart Ache

 It was not long after I was first exposed to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram newspaper that it seemed to me that something was not quite right. Weird instances of bragging about something which did not seem even remotely brag worthy. 

I referred to this bragging thing as the Star-Telegram's Green with Envy Syndrome, where an article in that newspaper would suggest that some perfectly ordinary thing about Fort Worth would be making other towns, far and wide, green with envy.

Years ago I made a webpage about the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Green with Envy syndrome pathology.

It has been many years now since I have seen a Green with Envy instance in the Star-Telegram.

I have made note of another Star-Telegram oddity, as in referring to some not well-known thing in Fort Worth as being iconic. I have opined, in reaction to that, that the only thing even remotely iconic in Fort Worth, as in something someone somewhere might see in a photo, that they would recognize as being in Fort Worth, is the Fort Worth Stockyards sign, and that is because the town's name is on the sign.

So, today, in the Star-Telegram's online version, on the front page we see that which you see above.

An article headline of "This Texas bloody mary has a turkey leg, corn dog and bacon. Eat your heart out, California".

Eat your heart out California????

I Googled, asking "What does eat your heart out mean?" and read this...

Feel bitter anguish, grief, worry, jealousy, or another strong negative emotion. For example, She is still eating her heart out over being fired, or Eat your heart out—my new car is being delivered today. This hyperbolic expression alludes to strong feelings gnawing at one's heart.

So the Star-Telegram is suggesting that California will feel bitter anguish, grief, jealousy and worry because on can get oneself a Texas Bloody Mary with a turkey leg, corn dog and bacon at a Colleyville bar, inspired by the State Fair of Texas, in Dallas?

The article about the Texas Bloody Mary was short...

One North Texas bar and restaurant is serving up a State Fair of Texas-inspired cocktail far from the fairgrounds. The fair begins this Friday, and Chef Point Bar & Restaurant in Colleyville is getting in on the fun. The eatery has crafted a bloody mary full of State Fair goodies including a turkey leg, corn dog, funnel cake, grilled corn, caramel apple, bacon and celery.

Yeah, that sounds real tasty, and will cause hearts to be eaten everywhere, not just California....

Going To The Pilot Point Great Mural Fiasco With Ms. Bullwinkle

 Interesting email last night from a Ms. Bullwinkle...

Greetings!

I went down the interweb rabbit hole with your website. I started out looking at Scarborough Faire, which I frequented and worked at in the 80s...from selling incense to carrying a Redtailed hawk named Dallas on my gauntlet. (Dang, they have totally lost their sense of humour, those pirate belly dancing wenches!)

And then I stumbled upon your Eve of Pilot Point article...appropriately under Scandals!

Synchronicitously, I am currently in the cast of the world debut of the play, The Great Mural Fiasco about the mural! It was (beautifully!) written by the mural's artist, Justine Wollaston (who does theatre under the name Justine Scott) and she is directing. If you aren't too far away, it would be great if you could come! I'd like to put you on my guestlist too, to makie up for the silly Ren Faire poops that have more pomp than circumstance. heheheheh

I've attached the flyer card for the play.

Best regards!

-amacker

______________________

Well, I can not remember when last I was invited to the world premiere of a play...

Sikes Lake Carpeted With Yellow Flowers & Ducks

It was back to Sikes Lake I ventured today, on the final Wednesday of September of 2023. The recent few drips of rain apparently were enough precipitation to cause a carpet of yellow flowers to blanket large sections of the Sikes Lake landscape.

I saw no geese today. Prior to the extermination of almost 400 Sikes Lake geese I think the goose flock kept the Sikes Lake landscape under control, what with those birds eating, almost non-stop.

I'm sure these yellow flowers would have been a tasty delicacy for the geese.

Meanwhile, the Sikes Lake duck flock seems to be rapidly expanding. Compared to the geese, the ducks are slackers. Such as what you see above, the flock of ducks lounging in the shade, instead of chomping on grass and flowers.

As you see, it is another clear, blue sky day at my North Texas location. With the temperature high today predicted to be near 100 degrees. 

I am ready for Summer to realize it is now Fall...

Down Memory Lane With Siblings & The Fort Worth Herd

This morning's Microsoft OneDrive memories are what you are seeing here. I don't quite know where Microsoft is finding these photos. 

In the big photo you are seeing me and all but one of my siblings.

The youngest sibling had not yet arrived on the planet.

That would be my little brother, Jake, on the left, sister Jackie next to Jake, me next to Jackie, and sister Nancy next to me, in one of the rare photo documentations of Nancy in a dress.

Today is brother Jake's and Hank Frank's happy birthday.

To the right of the photo of me and my siblings the first three photos are from the first time mom and dad visited me in Texas. October of 2001. A month after the notorious date of 9/11.

In those three photos we are at Riscky's BBQ in the Fort Worth Stockyards.

In the middle photo that is mom, on the right, watching dad trying to take a photo of the Fort Worth herd of longhorns and cowboys passing by.

I think the memory at the bottom right is a look at the Wichita River, viewed from the Wichita Bluffs.

And that concludes our journey down memory lane for the day....

Fort Worth Chefs In Rattle Battle With Tasty Rattlesnakes

This blog post falls into the category of things I read in a Texas newspaper, such as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, that I would not expect to see in a newspaper in my former west coast location, about this particular Texas type thing happening in my old home zone.

In this instance it is an article's in this morning's Fort Worth Star-Telegram online titled Taste what 12 Fort Worth TX chefs can make with rattlesnake at Tim Love’s ‘Rattle Battle’.

Part of the rattlesnake article...

Chef Tim Love is hosting a different kind of cooking competition in Fort Worth next month.

Love is emceeing a rattlesnake cooking competition titled “Rattle Battle” from 3 to 5 pm. on Oct. 6 at Mule Alley in the Fort Worth Stockyards. Tickets are now on sale for the event, starting at $125. 

The event will host 12 Fort Worth chefs competing tocreate the best dish made from rattlesnake meat. Event guests along with a panel of judges will determine the winner. The winning chef will take home $2,500 cash, a prize pack and the coveted rattlesnake trophy.

“I’m very excited to host the first annual ‘Rattle Battle’ and have gathered Fort Worth’s finest and most innovative chefs to engage in a unique challenge — using the most unusual ingredient, rattlesnake,” Love said in a press release.

________________________

I did not know people ate rattlesnake til early this century when I went to the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup, where I saw rattlesnakes being milked for their venom, killed for their skins and their rattlesnake meat.

Which I then saw being consumed by multiple people, buying rattlesnake and chips from a restaurant in the main Roundup venue.

You can see all of this in the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup webpage I made a couple decades ago...

One Drive Forgotten Memories

On this 4th day of the 2023 version of Fall, an email from Microsoft once again told me I was seeing memories from this particular day.

That I do not remember.

What is that road leading to in the photo on upper left? Guadalupe Mountain? The Big Bend zone? Somewhere else?

That appears to be an artist's rendering of the Dallas Cowboy stadium in Arlington at the lower left. The area surrounding the actual stadium looks nothing like the artist's rendering. 

That would be me next to the Dallas Cowboy stadium, in mountain biking mode. Where I was biking, I have no clue.

Above me that looks to be an old mission type structure, located where, I  again have no clue. I have zero recollection of seeing such a building.

And above the old mission that looks to be a sombrero wearing cowboy on a horse. Was this in the Fort Worth Stockyards? Or a parade. Again I have no clue.

So, that conclude my memories I do not remember on this final Sunday of September... 

Washington's Miss Chris Takes Us Again To Bare Mount Rainier

Saw that which you see here on Facebook this morning, via Washington's Miss Chris.

Miss Chris, Sheila and Macie live in Lacey, a town a few miles east of Olympia, and closer to Mount Rainier than their former location in the Seattle suburb of Kent.

I have never seen Mount Rainier this bare of white ice, known as glaciers. Mount Rainier usually sports multiple glaciers.

I have not seen a recent photo of the Washington volcano I used to live near, Mount Baker.

I suspect Mount Baker is less white than Mount Rainier, due to Mount Baker, at 10,786 feet above sea level being quite a bit shorter than Mount Rainier's 14,411 elevation.

Spending the majority of my existence on the planet living near sea level in Western Washington, with mountains any direction one looked, those mountains look so tall.

My first time seeing the Rocky Mountains in Colorado I was non-plussed, because they did not look as big as mountains I was used to seeing in Washington.  And then I realized the base level of the Rocky Mountains is way above sea level. As in Denver is a mile high, so, naturally the Rocky Mountains do not look as high as they would if Denver were at sea level.

There are mountains in the Colorado Rocky Mountains that one can drive to the top of, such as Pikes Peak, at 14,115 feet above sea level, almost as tall as Mount Rainier.

There are no mountains in the Cascade or Olympic Mountain ranges that one can drive to the top of.

I miss mountains...

Second Fall Day At Beautiful Sikes Lake

Yesterday, the first day of Fall, it was to Lucy Park I ventured for some nature communing in the Lucy Park backwoods jungle.

The first day of Fall was HOT.

Hot and humid.

I overheated into being a sweaty mess yesterday at Lucy Park.

Today, the second day of Fall, it was to Sikes Lake I ventured for some nature communing. The second day of Fall is not HOT at my location. The temperature at Sikes Lake was barely in the 80s, with a strong chilling wind blowing.

So, I had myself a mighty fine time walking around the lake, along with a lot of other nature communers, including one collection of mom's pushing baby strollers, with a couple of the baby strollers having two babies onboard.

We have had a little rain hitting the ground the past few days. With enough water to restore the Sikes Lake Green Lagoon to its usual self, not the dried-up self which the Green Lagoon had been sporting the past several weeks.

A return to a couple 100 degree days is currently in the forecast for my location.

I thought that overly HOT nonsense was done for the year.

Washington & Texas Are Mighty Fun States

I saw an amusing MSN article yesterday titled 11 States Americans Say Are the Most Fun which had my old home state of Washington and the #1 most fun state. You can click the 11 States Americans Say Are the Most Fun to see the other fun states, including the fun state I am currently located in.

This is the fun description of Washington...

Washington State was the top-voted most fun state in the United States. It is an exciting destination offering diverse attractions. Its natural beauty encompasses iconic sites like Mount Rainier and Olympic National Park. Seattle’s vibrant culture features the famous Pike Place Market and arts scene. “The food was great, the people were nice, and the weather was to die for,” said one recent visitor.

Outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy hiking, skiing, and kayaking, while wine and craft beer enthusiasts can explore local vineyards and breweries. The state’s cultural diversity, water activities, music scene, and adventure sports provide ample entertainment. National parks, scenic drives, and seasonal events add to the charm, making Washington a fun state for various interests.

And then there is the state I am currently in and its fun description...

Texas offers a diverse range of attractions that make it a fun state to visit. In Austin, the vibrant capital, you can immerse yourself in live music, cultural festivals, and a thriving food scene. Houston boasts world-class museums, the Space Center, and diverse neighborhoods. San Antonio’s historic sites, like the Alamo, blend with the picturesque River Walk.

The Gulf Coast provides sandy beaches and water activities, while the Big Bend National Park showcases stunning desert landscapes. In Dallas, cultural districts, shopping, and renowned barbecue eateries await. Texas’s cowboy heritage comes alive in Fort Worth’s Stockyards National Historic District. The state’s vastness offers opportunities for outdoor adventures, from hiking in the Hill Country to exploring caverns. With its mix of urban experiences, natural wonders, and Texan charm, Texas promises an enjoyable and unforgettable visit.

Some of the 11 fun states seemed a tad dubious, such as Tennessee and North Carolina and Illinois.

As were some omissions of what, to me, are super fun states, like Utah and Oregon and Arizona and Wyoming and Nevada.

Oh, and South Dakota.

Late in the previous century I had myself a mighty fine fun time in South Dakota...

No Kayak Launching Today At Lake Wichita On Last Day Of Summer

On this last day of Summer it was to Lake Wichita I ventured for some breezy nature communing.

Since my last Lake Wichita visit a kayak launch has been installed, which is what you see sitting on dry land.

Someone must be optimistic that the ongoing drought will one day end, with Lake Wichita once again at full pool, and able to float kayaks.

Another look at the shrinking lake. I'd estimate that only about a third of the lake bed still has some water.

Mount Wichita is looking a bit dried up, as well.

With most of the mountain's vegetation dried and died, a heavy rainstorm will likely wreak a lot of erosion havoc on the only mountain in Wichita Falls.

Tomorrow Fall begins. I am looking forward to the upcoming chilly days requiring no air-conditioning...

Final 2023 Tuesday With Thunder & Rain

On this final Tuesday of the Summer of 2023 the weather predictors prediction was on target for the first time in day after day after day predicted rain and thunderstorms, with nothing much along those dripping lines happening at my location.

But, rain poured down this morning, as you can see via the scenic view from my kitchen window. 

Along with a couple lightning strikes so close the flash happened at the same time as the thunder boom.

It was loud.

By the time 11 in the morning arrived I had a dry drive to Walmart for some lightning-free nature communing and anthropological observationing. 

More rain and thunderstorm is on the menu for this afternoon. I suspect that likely will not happen, and that storming is done for the day...

Nature Communing Sikes Lake With Solo Blue Heron

With the temperature in the low 80s, with a steady breeze blowing, it was back to Sikes Lake I drove on this final Monday of the 2023 version of Summer.

There were not a lot of fellow nature communers communing with me today.

I saw a lot of ducks floating on the lake. Along with a few geese. And some seagulls.

And the solo blue heron you see above, standing under the shade of a little tree. Why this bird was not in the lake doing its usual fishing duty, I do not know.

It will be nice to see Summer of 2023 in the rear-view mirror. I hope the coming Winter is not of an extreme sort, like this Summer has been. 

I do not want to see an ice storm. Or feel sub-zero temperatures. Or a half foot of snow. Or a combo of all three...

Final Sunday Of Summer At Lucy Park Getting Bug Bites

On this final Sunday of Summer, it was back to Lucy Park I ventured for some totally cloud-free communing with nature.

Today I walked a trail in the Lucy Park backwoods jungle which I had not walked on since that windstorm a few weeks ago wreaked havoc with the Lucy Park trees.

I had more communing with nature than I wanted today. Nature in the form of bugs biting me.

I did not see the bugs on me doing the biting. It was only after itchy bumps appeared did I realize I had been attacked.

I assume mosquitoes were the culprit. But usually one hears mosquitoes buzzing when they are in attack mode.

The only bugs I eye witnessed today were the swarms of grasshoppers hopping when my walking disturbed them.

I do not think grasshoppers bite humans. I think they are vegetarians.

Even though the sun was not blocked by clouds the temperature did not go into too HOT mode during my time at Lucy Park. The temperature was in the low 80s.

Not chilly, not HOT....

Cloudy Thursday Sunflowers At Lucy Park

With rain and thunderstorms in the forecast, with the temperature barely in the 70s, it was back to the Lucy Park backwoods jungle I ventured on the morning of this second Thursday of September.

I did my nature communing with barely a drop of rain dripping, and no thunder booming.

As you can see, via looking behind the big yellow sunflower, the clouds do look a bit threatening. 

For several days now the weather predictors have been predicting rain and thunderstorms, with barely any of either actualizing.

I did see a lightning flash a couple nights ago, with distant thunder rumbling. And yesterday, leaving Walmart, I did feel a couple drops of rain. But not enough to get anything even close to being wet.

Maybe this afternoon's predicted thunderstorm will happen. Likely not, though...

Semi-Chilly Hill Hiking The Wichita Bluff Nature Area

What you see here is the picnic pavilion located at the highest point in the Wichita Bluff Nature Area.

Today was the first time in months I have been back on the Wichita Bluffs.

I have avoided this location ever since Lucy Park's Blue Man reported seeing two rattlesnakes sunning themselves on the paved Circle Trail in the Wichita Bluff Nature Area.

The temperature was in the low 70s when I did my nature communing today. That chilly temperature slows down cold-blooded things which slither.

So, I saw no snakes of any variety today, not that I was much expecting to. 

I did see multiple mammals in the human form.

Including one group with two moms pushing two-seater baby strollers, with each mom also holding one kid, with three small kids walking. It was quite an adventurous operation.

I came upon a woman carrying a big bunch of what looked to me to be dried out weeds. I complimented her on the beautiful bouquet she was carrying. She thanked me for the compliment, along with saying the bouquet was going in a vase.

It was nice being back on the Wichita Bluffs. My other hiking locations pretty much have no elevation ups and downs...

Microsoft Remembering Me Hiking To Mount Rainier

Yesterday, September 11, Microsoft's OneDrive email, with supposed memories from that day, managed, once again, to come up with memories which I, once again, actually remember.

Which is easy since these memories are all of the same thing.

Mount Rainier.

However, Microsoft is off by a month. It was on August 11, 2008, that these Mount Rainier memories were made, not September 11.

On that August day, way back then, I drove my sister-in-law, Kristin, and her mom, Janet, to Mount Rainier.

It was a busy day at Mount Rainier. Lots of tourists. We eventually found a place to park at Paradise and proceeded to hike towards the Mountain, eventually reaching the Myrtle Creek waterfall.

I'd been to Mount Rainier several times, but this was the first time I have been in the National Park with a clear enough sky so that the Mountain was actually out and easily seen, though it got cloud covered and uncovered several times as we hiked towards it.

Mount Rainier is sort of like San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. It took a couple visits to San Francisco before I saw the Golden Gate Bridge not shrouded in thick fog.

Microsoft's OneDrive repeated one of the memories, twice. I don't know why they would do this, as there were dozens upon dozens of Mount Rainier memories to remember.

I wonder if a day will come where I get to see Mount Rainier up close and personal once again...

Nephew David's Happy 9/11 15th Birthday

That is my Favorite Nephew David, you see here, with his girlfriend, Marilyn, at, I think, some sort of art park in the National Harbor zone of Maryland.

David turns 15 today, on the 21st Anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

I have not seen David, or his brother and sister, Theo and Ruby, since March of 2019.

I was almost 100% certain I was going to see David, Theo and Ruby, this summer, in Washington, where we were scheduled to build sandcastles at Birch Bay.

But, multiple events prevented that from happening.

Maybe, next summer...

Arlene Clara Slotemaker Barry Ernster---April 20, 1929 - September 9, 2023

Sad news.

The matriarch of the Slotemaker - Jones clan passed away Saturday after a brief hospital stay.

Aunt Arlene was my Dad's big sister. That is Dad and Aunt Arlene you see above, at Mom and Dad's 50th Wedding Anniversary Party, on August 11, 2001. Mom and Dad's actual anniversary date was August 6, but for some reason, on more than one occasion, their anniversary party took place on my birthday.

Well, the reason is actually no mystery, if August 6 fell on a weekday, the next weekend was when the anniversary party took place. I recollect that only happening twice.

Aunt Arlene was a school teacher. High school. An English teacher, I think, for the most part. At Snohomish High School and Sultan High School. And maybe some other schools I am not remembering.

Aunt Arlene got her teaching degree from Western Washington University, where she was on the school newspaper, and at one point in time got to interview Eleanor Roosevelt.

Aunt Arlene had flawless cursive handwriting.

In the Slotemaker - Jones clan it is an odd fact that the oldest in each family group is left-handed. Which made Aunt Arlene left-handed, as am I.

I treasured getting letters from Aunt Arlene. Along with news clippings.

In the past year Aunt Arlene subscribed me to the Hightower Lowdown. Along with the majority of Americans, Aunt Arlene was appalled at the Trump embarrassment.

Aunt Arlene was a bit surprised that I can tolerate living in Texas, after having spent the majority of my life living in one of the nation's more progressive states, to now be living in a state which no one would accuse of being progressive.

Just recently, well, a month or so ago, Aunt Arlene had Cousin Linda, her daughter, Facebook message me asking how I was handling the heat. Apparently, the news was making the Texas heat seem real HOT. 

The news of Aunt Arlene passing hit me hard today. All my siblings have always had Aunt Arlene on a pedestal. She was so smart, funny, easy to talk to. And so kind and loveable.

When I got a text message last month, or was it the month before that, time flies so fast, with that text message, from sister Jackie, telling me she was now a Granny. I reacted to that news in a way which surprised me, as in I suddenly felt real happy. The news about Aunt Arlene also struck me in a way which surprised me, but it was the opposite of real happy.

The older I get the more it seems that time is fleeting, quickly melting away...

Semi-Cool Sunday In Lucy Park With Lizards

On this second Sunday of September, with the temperature in the mid 80s, it was to Lucy Park I ventured this morning for some nature communing in the Lucy Park backwoods jungle.

All of the windfalls which fell via a freak windstorm, about a month ago, have not yet been cleared. 

The remains of the tree you see above looked interesting to me. Like an abstract sculpture by Mother Nature.

Tomorrow the Big Chill arrives, with the high predicted to be only 81 degrees, with the following day a super chilly 78 degrees.

78 degrees is what I have my air-conditioning set to. 

I have yet to see a single snake this year. But, today I did see a cute reptile. A skinny little lizard...

A View Of Deception Pass Takes Us To Fort Worth's Boondoggle

I saw that which you see here, this morning, on Facebook. A bird's eye view of Deception Pass in my former home zone of Washington state.

That straight line you see connecting the land mass on the right with the land mass on the left is Deception Pass Bridge. 

Deception Pass Bridge was built almost a century ago, in less than one year, over deep, swift moving saltwater.

All the land masses you see above are islands. The large land mass on the right is Fidalgo Island, connected to Whidbey Island by the Deception Pass Bridge.

I think being familiar with the concept of actual islands may be why I have long found Fort Worth's imaginary island to be so idiotically annoying. For years now a desolate chunk of land north of Fort Worth's downtown has been referred to as Panther Island.

Where there is no island.

This chunk of desolate land is referred to as Panther Island because of a ridiculous slow motion project which has been limping along since the current century began, known as the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision.

Referred to by many Fort Worth locals as The Boondoggle.

Many years ago Fort Worth had itself a TNT explosion celebrating the start of construction of three simple freeway overpass type bridges, over dry land, connecting the Fort Worth mainland to the imaginary island.

It took over seven years for Fort Worth to build those three simple little bridges. Over dry land.

The Trinity River Vision hopes to one day see a cement lined ditch under those three bridges. Ditches in which Trinity River water will be diverted, thus creating that imaginary island, which will never be an actual island in the rational meaning of the island word.

Fort Worth has a long history of this type of hyperbole. Starting with the town's name. There is no fort in Fort Worth. There once was a Camp Worth, back in the early days when the native population was still in the neighborhood.

When I first moved to the D/FW zone, myself and my fellow transplants, were perplexed by directional signage in downtown Fort Worth pointing to Sundance Square. There was no square in Sundance Square, confusing the town's few tourists.

And then, after confusing those few tourists for a few decades, an actual square was added to Sundance Square, called Sundance Square Plaza.

And now, in 2023, Fort Worth's few tourists are confused by signage pointing to Panther Island, where there is no island... 

Another Scorching North Texas Day Before Incoming Deep Chill

Today, this 8th day of September, may be the HOTTEST day yet during this record-breaking HOT season of summer of 2023.

Two more days, Saturday and Sunday, and then look at what starts happening on Monday!

I will be needing to locate the location of my sweat pants and sweat shirt do deal with this incoming Deep Chill.

With rain.

I do not remember when last it rained on this parched part of the planet. The local reservoirs have dried up to being half their normal size.

On Monday I foresee a return to the Wichita Bluffs Nature Area for the first time since Blue Man reported he came upon two rattlesnakes basking in the heat of the paved Circle Trail in the Wichita Bluffs Nature Area.

Snakes do not slither fast when the temperature chills their cold-blooded selves...

Dehydrating Heatstroke North Texas Danger At 109 Degrees

109 degrees is the predicted high today, at my North Texas location, on this 7th day of September. 

What with that dire danger of dehydration and heatstroke if one is outside for extended periods of time, I will be foregoing my usual late morning outdoor communing with nature.

My last bout of nature communing, two days ago, at Sike Lake, was way too HOT. No cooling wind, no shade, just HOT.

By next week the temperature is no longer predicted to be over 100 degrees. With rain in the forecast.

By this coming Saturday the high is predicted to be 90, with the days following Saturday predicted to be in the relatively chilly low 80s. 

The return of natural air-conditioning is going to be so enjoyable...

Remembering Ocean Shores & A 50th Wedding Anniversary Party

 Another rare instance where I remember all the memories Microsoft OneDrive is suggesting I should remember.

Trouble with this memory is I remember none of these memories occurred in September.

The photo at the upper left was taken July 27, 2002, at a Jones Family reunion at the fairgrounds in Lynden, Washington.

The other photographic memories happened in August of 2001. I had driven solo from Texas to Washington for mom and dad's 50th wedding anniversary party.

On that visit to Washington dad drove mom and me to Ocean Shores, on the Washington Pacific coast, which would make that mom and dad at the upper right, at the beach at the south end of Ocean Shores.

Below mom and dad is my Grandma Vera, mom's mom, at that aforementioned 50th Wedding Anniversary party, which took place in the Seattle suburb of Kent.

Below Grandma Vera that would be mom and dad opening Happy Anniversary presents. I do not recollect myself bringing a present. I guess my unexpected presence was my Happy Anniversary present.

At the lower left we are back at Ocean Shores, a short distance from the memory of mom and dad on the beach. 

In that lower left photo we are looking at the breakwater of erosion preventing giant boulders at the north side of the entry to Grays Harbor. There was a large group of us, that day, at Ocean Shores. Two of whom are who are being photographed on the boulders getting wet from the spray of crashing waves.

Flock Of Seagulls At Sikes Lake Low Tide With Tacoma's Mount Rainier

Though the high today is predicted to be a whoppingly HOT 106, I thought the clouds I was seeing from my window view, and with a strong wind blowing, that a walk around Sikes Lake would be pleasantly temperatured.

I was wrong.

Way too HOT.

Rain and thunderstorms are on the weather menu for later this 5th day of September.

As you can see, via today's photo documentation of Sikes Lake, the lake is in dire need of some water. If this were a saltwater scene I would think the tide is out. Those spots of white you see at the lake's edge are a flock of seagulls. 

No idea why seagulls are at this lake instead of a saltwater sea.

Speaking of seagulls on an actual sea of saltwater, I saw the below scenic view this morning on Facebook.

That is the Tacoma waterfront you are seeing, with Mount Rainier hovering in the distance. When you drive around Tacoma the Mountain is always seeming to move. It can be a bit disorienting. 

My nephews, David and Theo, and niece, Ruby, live a short distance from the above view.

The Tacoma waterfront has a lot of restaurants, one of which is what you see at the bottom of the photo.

It has been six years since I have seen a real mountain. Or a saltwater beach.

Time flies by way too fast...

Lucy Park September Saturday Pseudo Snake Encounter

It was back to Lucy Park I ventured on this first Saturday, second day, of September. With the temperature barely 90, heading to a high today of 101. 

The outer world nature communing was pleasant today. A good breeze provided some cooling.

I was walking quickly when I suddenly came to a halt, stopping when I saw what looked to be a big snake slithering from behind a rock.

A few seconds later my moment of being startled was replaced by realizing this was a scary curvy stick, not a scary curvy snake.

Had this been an actual snake it would have been my first snake encounter this year. I have not gone a year in Texas without multiple snake encounters, til this year.

I wondered if the snake population was hit hard by COVID?

Likely not....

Geese Flocking Back To Sikes Lake On First Day Of September

A couple days ago I was at Sikes Lake and made mention of the fact that I saw not a single goose.

I speculated that the survivors of the mass execution of Sikes Lake geese had decided to relocate to a safter location.

Well, I was back at Sikes Lake on this first day of September. And geese were also back, which is what you see floating on the lake.

Is this a migrating flock who dropped in for a rest on their way somewhere else, not realizing the danger they were in by floating in Sikes Lake, the site of the recent mass execution of 343 geese.

The temperature is scheduled to be back over 100 for this first day of the new month, with multiple following days also over 100.

But, the temperature was barely 90 when I walked around the lake, which felt relatively chilly, what with a refreshing breeze blowing...