Sikes Lake Tesla Cyber Truck Sighting

With this Happy Halloween last day of October being chilled to barely 60 degrees, it was to Sikes Lake I ventured this day before the start of November, for some nature communing.

Upon arrival at the Sikes Lake parking lot, I saw something I had not previously seen, in person, a Tesla Cyber Truck.

Upon seeing this I reacted thinking photos do not do justice to how totally weird this vehicle looks. Why did anyone think this was a good idea?

I looked in the window and saw two rather ordinary bucket seats, a rectangular steering wheel, and a big glass screen in the middle of the dashboard, which looked like a bad idea, way too big with sharp edges, like the vehicle's exterior.

I don't think this vehicle is going to become a big seller.

With no back window I am guessing that big screen in the middle of the dashboard serves as a rear view with a camera providing the image.

I would not like driving a vehicle without a rear window.

Changing the subject back to the weather.

Last night, right before midnight, the predicted thunderstorm arrived, for a short duration, with a slight downpour which left no noticeable precipitation remaining in the form of puddles by dawn's early light.

More precipitation and thunderstorming is on the menu for the next several days. An end to the drought would be nice...

Remembering Bobcat Cove Almost Getting Mauled In The Lotus Pose

Another Microsoft OneDrive Memory from this Day which I actually remember. And this memory did happen in the month of October. Which day in October, I have no idea. As for the year, it was either 1994 or 1995.

The location is Lake Powell.

That is me atop a red sandstone cliff, in the Lotus yoga pose, in a location we came to call Bobcat Cove. The first docking location on a four day houseboat float on Lake Powell. 

This docking location was erroneously named Bobcat Cove. It should have been called Cougar Cove. During the first night on Lake Powell, all the floaters, but me, slept on the roof of the houseboat. I slept inside.

The houseboat's sliding door was left open. In the middle of the night, I awoke to see the glowing eyes of a big cat. I let out a blood curdling scream which had the rooftop sleepers rush off the roof.

I was scorned for the bloodcurdling screaming. And it was suggested I imagined the big cat. Come morning, with sun illumination, cat tracks were clearly visible at the entry to the houseboat. Heartfelt apologies for doubting my veracity were forthcoming.

Here is photo documentation of the cat tracks.

At the point in time when I was nearly mauled by a giant cat I had never seen an actual bobcat. It was not til experiencing Texas that I had actual bobcat encounters. And thus realized bobcats are much smaller than that big cat that came onboard the houseboat.

And so, Bobcat Cove should be renamed Cougar Cove, or Panther Cover, or Mountain Lion Cove...

Rocking & Rolling With The Lake Wichita Wind

The weather forecast for Wichita Falls on this final Tuesday of the 2024 version of October predicted "Winds gusting past 50 mph; very warm with times of clouds and sun; strong winds and dry conditions can lead to an elevated fire risk and blowing dust."

So, what with a strong wind predicted, I thought heading to the Lake Wichita Dam and walking the Circle Trail across the dam, and out onto the Lake Wichita Boardwalk, and floating fishing dock might be fun.

Well, it was more fun than I anticipated. To walk one had to lean into the wind, walking vertical was not possible.

The photo documentation of the floating dock does not do justice to depicting how strong the wind was blowing.

The pimple you see on the horizon, at the far side of the lake, is Mount Wichita. I suspect climbing to the summit of Mount Wichita today would be a bit treacherous.

Just walking out on the Lake Wichita floating fishing dock proved to be a bit treacherous.

Above we are on the dock, wet from splashing waves, me getting splashed a time or two.

I do not recollect being on such a rocking floating venue since years ago on the Port Townsend ferry, from Port Townsend back to Whidbey Island. A big tidal change and strong wind made for a rough ferry crossing, so strong it was borderline impossible to walk.

The rocking and rolling Lake Wichita floating fishing dock was not rocking strong enough to render walking difficult.

As I made my way off the dock, back to the mainland, a couple teenage boys arrived, with fishing poles. Their fishing attempt did not last too long.

I suppose today's strong wind is part of the weather change which is coming, supposedly with rain.

I cannot remember when last I saw a raindrop drip...

Soon To Be Likely Wetter Than Normal In Wichita Falls

Forecast forecasting the possible incoming rain in a couple days.

The area in the darker green apparently is predicted to get the wettest, as in 'LIKELY WETTER THAN NORMAL', including drought-stricken Wichita Falls.

I can not remember when last any rain dripped on my location. I think we have been dry all of October.

This month we had one short bout of fall-like cool weather, followed by the return of summer-like HOT weather.

I am looking forward to being cool way more than I remember any time previous...

Windy Monday Walk Around Sikes Lake With Donald Trump Jr.

It was to nearby Sikes Lake I ventured on this extremely windy final Monday of the 2024 version of October. The wind whipped up some good wave action, but not enough wave action to create whitecaps.

In the view of the lake you are looking slightly southwest. As you can see, there is a little cloud action today preventing a totally clear blue sky.

The longer range forecast has changed as of yesterday. No longer is a month of continuing day after day after day of no clouds in the forecast.

Beginning with the new month of November several days that first November week are now forecast to have thunderstorms and rain.

As I walked around the lake, listening to my radio, at times the blustering wind made it difficult to hear.

At one point as I channel chased, I came upon an unpleasant voice spouting utter idiotic nonsense. I listened for a couple minutes before I learned it was Donald Trump Jr. once again playing the clueless fool. 

This idiotic nonsense was being broadcast on the Rush Limbaugh replacement Buck Sexton/Clay Travis Show, or what I call the Buck and Cluck Show. 

Eight days til hopefully this current election nightmare is over with a non-nightmare result...

Roadblocked In Texas Remembering Roadtripping Monument Valley Etcetera

A Microsoft OneDrive Memory from this Day, that I do remember. And I do remember this memory happened in October. The exact day, I do not remember. Or the exact year. It was either 1997 or 1998.

That is me looking into the lens of my long gone antique Casio digital camera, with its selfie taking feature which was years ahead of its time.

The others in the photo were floaters with me on Lake Powell, living on a houseboat for four days. In the photo, from left to right, that is Danielle, then Wally, next to his twin, Big Ed, then the twin's little sister, Lydia, with Wally's first wife, Wanda on the right. Not in the photo were fellow floaters, Danielle's first husband, Ross, and Lydia's first husband, Keith.

The scenery in the photo likely looks familiar if you've ever watched a movie set in the Wild West, such as Stagecoach, and many others. That is a section of Monument Valley you are looking at. 

I am a bit confused as to the itinerary of this trip. I think our first destination was Moab, for a few days, exploring Arches National Park and the Fiery Furnace and Canyonlands National Park. And mountain biking the Slick Rock Trail.

From Moab we trekked to Bullfrog Basin on Lake Powell, from whence we houseboated. Getting off the houseboat we ferried across Lake Powell. I think the ferry was called Hall's Crossing. I may be wrong about that.

After the houseboat the destination was Mexican Hat and the San Juan Inn. The route to that Inn involved driving down the treacherous Moki Dugway. It was from Mexican Hat we crossed the San Juan River into the Navaho Nation and Monument Valley.

After Monument Valley it was back to Moab for a couple days. Then the group split up, my remaining group heading to Durango, overnighting in Silverton, then on to Taos, Alamogordo, White Sands National Park, Tombstone, Yuma, Algodones, Mexico, Las Vegas, then back to Washington.

This turned out to be the last long roadtrip I have tripped on. Well, unless you count the drives back and forth between Texas and Washington....

Remembering Rolling Mom's Transit Chair Up Piestewa Peak

A few days ago, Microsoft's OneDrive Memories from this Day had me Remembering Rolling Mom Over Tempe Town Lake & Up Piestewa Peak.

The OneDrive photos at that point in time were of rolling mom over Tempe Town Lake, which had me remembering other instances of rolling mom in scenic Arizona locations, including the trails at Piestewa Peak Park in North Phoenix.

And now, this morning's OneDrive Memories of this Day included several photos of rolling mom along those trails in Piestewa Peak Park.

Piestewa Peak was the most difficult place I found to roll mom. There were a couple steep up and down sections of trail.

It was way back in 2018, or was it 2017? I'm not sure. But, during a visit with mom I grew a tad tired of how limited the outings with mom were. Due to mom walking using a walker. In slow motion.

We were in a store, getting what? I don't remember. But, I saw the store had available something they called 'Transit Chairs". Not a classic wheelchair with big back wheels that the rider could use to roll the chair. A transit chair was more like a chair with what looked like small mountain bike wheels.

So, we got a transit chair, which quickly opened up all sorts of new possibilities. Such as easily rolling all over Costco, Sam's Club, Walmart and Target. And WinCo. And various malls. And the Maricopa Ah-Chin Casino. And the trails in various parks.

I got some flack from some for getting mom that transit chair, due to some thinking it was a bit of a bother, that and mom was supposed to do some walking every day. Doctor's orders.

But, I think the transit chair was a great quality of life enhancer. That and, selfishly, it made visiting mom way more fun for me than pre-transit chair...

Two Months Til Christmas Walking HOT On Lake Wichita Dam

It was to windy Lake Wichita I ventured on this Final Friday of October, day 25, to be precise, making it two months til Christmas.

As is usually the case, I am already done with all my Christmas shopping.

The Wichita Falls area officially went into water restriction mode this week, due to the ongoing drought.

As you can see, it has been a long long time since any water has spilled over the Lake Wichita Dam Spillway.

Acres of vegetation has sprouted up on both sides of the dam's spillway, as you can see via the view of the back of the dam's spillway from the Lake Wichita Boardwalk perspective.

Currently there is no precipitation in the 30-day forecast. That dire prediction can quickly change.

I know I am ready for reliably cooler temperatures to arrive. I was enjoying needing to wear long pants those couple chilly days we had earlier in the month...

Finding Frozen Pork Heads After Texas Mail-In Voting Mayhem

Mailing my mail-in ballot today, after procrastinating doing so for a couple weeks, with the election less than two weeks away, I went from the post office to Walmart where I was surprised to see Thanksgiving stuff already available, as in dozens upon dozens of frozen Turkeys.

Frozen Turkeys and frozen Pork Heads.

A couple of which you see photo documented above. A frozen Pork Head costs less than ten bucks. What does one do with a Pork Head? I suppose I might find the answer to that probing question via Googling.

Today marked the first time I experienced the Texas version of mail-in balloting. It seemed way more complex than what I remember of the permanent mail-in voting method in my old home state of Washington.

One thing nice about voting in Texas is there are so few things to vote on.

Texas does not seem to embrace the concept of Initiatives, Referendums, Propositions and other ballot measures of the sort one found multiple instances of on a Washington ballot.

I do not think Texas has the Initiative method of getting something on the ballot, where a citizen can come up with an Initiative, something like legalizing marijuana, and if the citizen can get enough signatures the Initiative goes on the ballot.

Back to my experience with today's Texas ballot. I may have rendered it not worthy of being counted. There were two pages to vote on, then those two pages go in an envelope, and then that envelope goes into another envelope addressed to the Elections Administrator.

Well.

I did my voting, folded the two pages. And stuck them in the mailing envelope. Licked the seal, folded down the flap, and signed on the X.

And then I realized I had not put the ballot in the first envelope before sticking it in the mailing envelope. I tried to pry open the mailing envelope. That did not go well. So, I fired up a kettle til I had it steaming, and was soon able to open the envelope.

I extracted the ballot and stuck it in the correct envelope, then stuck that envelope in the mailing envelope which is what I should have done in the first place.

Well, the places where the X marked my signature did not quite line up. Where I'd entered my Driver's License ID number, phone number, last four SS digits and email address, had been slightly mucked up. I was able to over-write the mucked-up parts. And then tried to re-seal the envelope via once again licking, but that was no longer viable.

And so I Scotch taped the envelope closed. 

We shall see if I hear from the Elections Administrator. I suspect I am not the first to make this mistake... 

Driving By Incoming Christmas En Route To Lucy Park Jungle

On this next to last Wednesday of the 2024 October, it was to Lucy Park I ventured to try and enjoy the return to summer-like temperatures, with the current heat wave on Day Three.

As you can see, conditions are looking a bit dry on the ground in the Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle.

The current drought conditions have turned so dire that Wichita Falls is once again in water restriction mode.

Driving by the MSU (Midwestern State University) campus, heading north on Taft Boulevard, en route to Lucy Park, I was not too shocked, because I am used to it now, what with it happening every year, the week before Halloween, that being the beginning of the installation of the MSU Burns Fantasy of Lights Happy Holidays Christmas Installation.

Marking, for me, the start of the dreaded, by me, holiday season. A season which every year has me opining it would seem to be much better if this happened, like the Olympics, every four years, not every year.

Christmas products have already been installed on Walmart shelves, I saw yesterday.

I do not know why being what is known as a bit of a Scrooge comes so naturally to me, but it does...

A Look At Washington's San Juan Islands Takes Us To Fort Worth's Imaginary Island

I saw this view you see here, yesterday, on Facebook. A view looking east across some of the San Juan Islands, with the Mount Baker volcano towering over the scene. I grew up in the land between that volcano and the San Juan Islands.

I think it was the fact of growing up totally aware of what an island is, and looks like, that had me appalled near the beginning of this century, when the town I was then living in, at the time, Fort Worth, Texas, began a bizarre pseudo public works project hoping to divert water from the Trinity River, around a section of land, on the north end of downtown Fort Worth.

Creating an imaginary island.

Which already came to become called Panther Island. Even though that proposed water diversion has not yet happened, with a cement lined ditch, filled with Trinity River water, creating the imaginary island, with three bridges then connecting the Fort Worth mainland to that imaginary island.

So far, those three freeway overpass type bridges are the main thing that has been completed in what became known as the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision.

Or America's Biggest Boondoggle.

Near one of those bridges the Vision did see a roundabout built, with a million-dollar reflective homage to an aluminum trash can installed at the center of the roundabout.

Is the Fort Worth Star-Telegram still investigating trying to find out how it came to be that a million bucks was paid to buy that work of art?

For years, the entity known in short form as the Trinity River Vision employed J.D. Granger as the Vision's Executive Director. Granger is the son of Fort Worth Congresswoman, Kay Granger. It was thought giving Kay's son a high paying job overseeing the Vision that it would motivate Kay to support federal funding of Fort Worth's Boondoggle.

However, Kay never managed to help secure that funding. And then meandering moved Kay's congressional district out of the area of Fort Worth's Boondoggle. And so, J.D. Granger lost his Executive Director job after accomplishing little for so long.

Ironically, as part of the Biden Administration's massive Infrastructure bill, federal funding was secured, sort of, for Fort Worth's infamous Boondoggle. Adding to the irony, Kay Granger voted against the Infrastructure bill, what with her son no longer being gainfully employed executively directing the Boondoggle.

As the decades of Fort Worth's Trinity River Vision have limped along, I have often wondered if the Fort Worth locals just do not understand what an island is. 

The Wikipedia article about Washington's San Juan Islands gives one a good idea of what actual islands are. Some blurbs from that article...

The San Juan Islands are an archipelago in the U.S. state of Washington known for rural Pacific Northwest landscapes and wildlife. Horseshoe-shaped Orcas Island, one of the main isles, is home to Moran State Park's old-growth forest and Mt. Constitution. San Juan Island is distinguished by the lively seaside town of Friday Harbor and Lime Kiln Point State Park, an orca-whale lookout.

At mean high tide, the San Juan Islands comprise over 400 islands and rocks, 128 of which are named, and over 478 miles (769 km) of shoreline.

In the archipelago, four islands are accessible to vehicular and foot traffic via the Washington State Ferries system.

An archipelago with over 400 islands, 128 islands with names. Not one named Panther Island. One is named Orcas, though, named after Puget Sound's beloved killer whales. Four islands accessible by ferry boat. 

One will not need a ferry boat to get to Fort Worth's imaginary island. All you'll need, if the "island" ever happens, is a car, to drive over one of the three little bridges which cross over the cement-lined ditch...

Remembering Rolling Mom Over Tempe Town Lake & Up Piestewa Peak

Another Microsoft OneDrive Memory from this Day which I do remember, and which may have taken place on this exact October day, with the year being 2018, part of a month long stay in Arizona.

That is me, above, wheeling my mom across the Elmore Pedestrian Bridge over the Tempe Town Lake in Tempe, Arizona.

That month in Arizona saw taking mom on many rolling adventures. I remember at one point mom saying "I never thought I'd get to do something like this again."

That comment happened on the trail at Piestewa Peak Park, in north Phoenix, the second highest peak in the Phoenix Mountains.

Now, to be clear, we did not roll mom all the way to the top of Piestewa Peak, but we did roll up and down some steep trails in the park. 

Thinking back on it later, some of those steep downhill sections could have gone badly wrong. The wheeling device did have a braking mechanism. But, it was quickly obvious the braking mechanism needed some help when the trail got too steep.

I sort of miss going to Arizona several times a year. Have not done so since July of 2019...

Sunday Circle Trail Stroll Along Wichita River Rapids

Day 20 of October, the third Sunday of the 10th month of 2024, the temperature, once again, has returned to being shorts and shortsleeves weather.

So, it was to the east parking lot entry to the Circle Trail and the Wichta Bluff Nature Area I drove, but, instead of heading west into the Nature Area, I headed east, towards Lucy Park, walking one of the newest sections of the Circle Trail.

A couple years ago voters voted to approve paying for the connection of this eastern Circle Trail terminus, to Lucy Park, but, so far, nothing seems to be happening.

Making that connection would finally make a real full circle out of the Wichita Falls Circle Trail, enabling pedaling a bike all the way, making the full 26 mile, give or take a mile or two, circle around Wichita Falls.

There were more than the norm number of fellow Circle Trail walkers today, enjoying the perfect weather conditions.

This section of the Circle Trail, which I walked today, trails just a few feet from the banks of the Wichita River. At one point I heard what sounded like water burbling, and soon came to see that which you see photo documented above, what passes for a waterfall in this waterfall-deprived part of the country.

I do not know where the Wichita River is getting so much water, noticeably flowing, what with drought conditions being the current status...

Perfect Saturday Stroll Through Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle

On this third October Saturday of 2024, with the temperature in the low 70s, under a totally cloud-clear blue sky, it was back to Lucy Park I ventured an hour before noon, to join the throngs communing with nature on this perfect Autumn day.

As you can clearly see, the Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle is showing no signs of Fall falling leaves to the ground. Green remains the dominant color.

The 30-day forecast is currently frost-free for North Texas, so green should remain the dominant outdoor color for at least another month...

Remembering Nervous Linda Lou Driving To South Mountain Summit

It took me a moment or two or three to remember what this Microsoft OneDrive Memory from this Day was.

The memory did happen in October. The precise day, I do not remember. Oh, wait a second, I can find out the exact date via looking at my blog. 

Wednesday, October 17, 2018.

That photo at the top was taken at the South Mountain summit. You can read all about it in Miss Daisy Drives Nervous Linda Lou To South Mountain Summit.

South Mountain is an extremely large Phoenix city park. An Indian Reservation, I think Apache, is a short distance south of South Mountain.

When we got to the summit of South Mountain parking lot we saw an unexpected scene, part of which you see in the first photo. Multiple Native Americans, likely Apache, selling their handicraft trinkets. 

Linda Lou was in the process of buying some of those cool-looking handicraft trinkets when the Native Americans went into a sort of panic mode. Apparently, the city of Phoenix Park Department objected to Natives selling their wares at this location. 

The Indians had a spotter, lower down the mountain, who called when law enforcement was spotted heading up the mountain. So, the Indians quickly packed up their goods and basically joined us tourists, who were all sympathetic to the Indians, who we all thought were totally harmless marketing their wares at this location.

It really was totally off-putting. Phoenix should instead install a kiosk of some sort, for the Indians to sell their stuff to the eager to buy tourists.

The entry to the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, also in Arizona, has multiple kiosks, dozens of them, with Navajo selling stuff they'd made. I bought several things and enjoyed talking to various Navajo, who really do live up to their Beautiful People nickname.

Anyway, hard to believe it has been six years since I drove to the summit of South Mountain, with Linda Lou, my mom, and Big Ed...

Shadow Of The Lucy Park Thin Man Keeping Warm

That is the Shadow of the Lucy Park Thin Man you are seeing, attired adequately to keep warm whilst walking the chilly Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle.

Sweatpants and a long-sleeved t-shirt for the first time in a long long time.

The return of cooler temperatures has not been happening long enough to return cold tapwater to being cold, hence a lukewarm shower this morning, when I was hoping the ground had cooled enough to cool the water.

Chilly Wichita Bluff Nature Area Hiking

Not a cloud to be seen in the totally clear blue sky, today, whilst hiking in the Wichita Bluff Nature Area.

The temperature was chilled into the 50s, after chilling to the low 40s, overnight. A breeze made the chill feel chillier.

I saw multiple instances of the late blooming yellow wildflower you see above. The blooming bush looked like some sort of mutant caused by a dandelion mating with a sunflower.

I was in shorts and a t-shirt for today's outdoor time. I should have been in sweatpants and a long-sleeved shirt.

I must adjust to the return of the cold time of the year...

Cold Front Brings Big Chill To Texas

The predicted cold front arrived in Texas a day earlier than predicted, with my interior space naturally cooled this morning way cooler than I cool my interior space with the mechanized air conditioning method of keeping cool.

71 degrees, indoors, 46 degrees outdoors, currently.

Apparently today is the coldest it has been in Texas for over six months, as in, apparently it has not been this cold since last April.

What with the temperature being only 14 degrees above freezing, the first freeze of the coming frigid time of the year should be arriving soon.

I hope none of these freezes get to the below zero point, causing a state-wide loss of electricity again, like that nightmare a couple February's ago...

Celebrating Columbus Indigenous People's Day On The Lake Wichita Boardwalk

With this second Monday of the 2024 version of October chilled into the 60-degree range, pre-noon, it was to Lake Wichita I ventured on this clear blue-sky day, to commune with nature, including a walk on the Lake Wichita Boardwalk, which juts out into the lake from atop the Lake Wichita Dam.

I saw only a couple other celebrators on this Columbus Indigenous People's Day. And those celebrators were on bikes, a more sophisticated means of motion than my primitive walking means of motion.

The current Texas weather forecast is for a cold front to arrive on Thursday which will chill the entire state to the chilliest it has been in 6 months, with a low in the 50s and a high in the 70s.

I suspect come Thursday I will require blanket coverage all night long. Last night around three in the morning I felt the chilly need to seek limited blanket coverage via a thin throw blanket.

I have located my thick winter blankets, long underwear and sweatpants.

I am ready for incoming frigidity...

Microsoft Has Me Remember Seeing Mom & Dad This Century

A Microsoft OneDrive Memories from this Day email arrived late Saturday which had some photos which had me doing some hard core remembering. Or tying to remember.

What had me pondering, after seeing these photos, was trying to remember the times I saw my mom and dad, after I moved to Texas, late in the previous century.

The first two years in Texas I drove back to Washington four times, with the final time driving solo, back and forth, in a 30-day period in July/August of 2001. I drove to the PNW to be an unexpected arrival at my mom and dad's 50th Anniversary party. 

I remember, during that month in 2001, riding with mom and dad up to the Skagit Valley, one day, and another day I drove to their cabin at Lake Cushman, from whence dad drove us to Ocean Shores.

Shortly after my return to Texas, in October of 2001, mom and dad came to Texas to visit me for the first time. They'd been on a long roadtrip in their RV. 

The photos you see here were from that October 2001 visit. The first two photos are mom and dad in the Fort Worth Stockyards, with the first one, mom watching the Fort Worth Herd Trail Drive amble on by.

The second photo is sitting at the Stockyards Riscky's BBQ outdoor patio, having all you can eat BBQ ribs.

Mom and dad were watching local TV news in their RV and saw a story about a grand opening in Fort Worth. Mom always loved a good grand opening. When I saw them the next day I was quickly asked if I knew where the new Central Market was located. I confirmed that I did. Mom then asked if they could go to it, because today was their grand opening.

And here we see mom and dad leaving Central Market.

Upon arrival mom saw the long line of people waiting to get inside.

I got some of my scofflaw tendencies from my mom. Which is why it made perfectly clear sense to me when mom suggested we enter the store from where people were exiting, and not the long line entry. 

And so we did. It was fun going against the tide. Mom always loved an event with ample free samples.

I think the above photo is from the Dallas Farmers Market. We'd been to Dealey Plaza and the Book Depository Museum. Mom and dad were not too impressed with the Book Depository Museum, but they were all gungho at the Dallas Farmers Market.

Seeing these photos had me trying to remember all the times I saw my mom and dad this century.

After the 2001 visits in Washington, and in Texas, the next time I saw mom and dad was when I flew up to Washington in July of 2002, to go to a family reunion in Lynden.

The next time was in October of 2005. I am hazy on the details, but, I'd flown to Washington for some website thing, and on the return I was able to route to Phoenix and cause a five hour layover. I remember getting picked up at the airport, going to a McDonald's, then to mom and dad's place in Sun Lakes, for the first time. It was dark and I was totally disoriented. 

The previous year, in February of 2004, I'd flown up to Washington for a project with a chocolate purveyor. For the return to Texas, I was able to change my flight to flying out early, to Phoenix, keeping the original flight from Phoenix back to DFW. This made a 10 hour layover in Arizona.

I remember I was packed with a lot of chocolate products. And going to my sister's house in Chandler for the first time. Then touring Sun Lakes, looking for possible places for my mom and dad to move to. Then to an Applebee's Happy Hour, and then to an In 'n Out where I had two double double burgers.

By the time I got on the plane I was miserably stuffed and was so happy it was an almost empty flight, with me having the whole row to myself, so I could lay down.

The next time I saw my mom and dad was in April of 2006. I'd flown to Washington for my Favorite Nephew Jason's first wedding. The way back to Texas routed through Phoenix, so I was able to change the flight and get a four hour layover. Mom and dad and sister Jackie picked me up at the airport, with Jackie driving us to Tempe, to a Ruby Tuesday's, where Jackie and I regaled mom and dad with tales of the wedding we'd just been to. We watched the sun set from a park, and then it was back to the airport.

It would be over two years before I saw my mom and dad again. I flew up to Washington in late July of 2008, staying a month, doing all sorts of things. Staying in Tacoma. Mom and dad came up from Arizona and stayed several days.

And then, just a few months later, in January of 2009, mom and dad came to Texas again, for a week. 

I did not see mom and dad again until March of 2012.  I do not remember what the impetus was, but, I flew to Phoenix, stayed with mom and dad. I remember going to sister Jackie's for a BBQ, where Spencer Jack and Jason showed up. Spencer was around five at the time. 

That 2012 visit with mom and dad was the last, well, happy visit. I did not see them again until July of 2017, when I drove to Arizona after learning my dad was in bad shape. I stayed a month. Got back to Texas and soon found myself flying to Washington, where David, Theo and Ruby met me for the first time, picking me up at the airport. 

That was one long poignant week in Washington in 2017. I do not ever recollect ever being both so happy and so sad at the same time, before. After a week in Washington, I flew to Phoenix, for a week in Arizona, with mom and sister Jackie picking me up at the airport.

The next two years saw many trips back to Arizona, to stay with my mom. The last time was in July of 2019. I have not flown or roadtripped anywhere since then.

I'll end this with a photo of my dad, taken, I think, in the Fort Worth Stockyards. Seeing this I realize it is not too puzzling some suggest I look like my dad...

Scorching October Wichita Falls Texas Heat Wave

I thought we were done with this for the year, done getting heated over 100 degrees. I thought cooler temperatures were coming, according to the forecast a week or two ago.

But, this second Saturday of the 2024 version of October is scheduled to go over the century mark, temperature-wise.

The A/C has already cycled on a couple times, and it is not even yet past 9 in the morning....

Permanently Absentee Balloting In Texas

The envelope you see here arrived in my mailbox yesterday. In the envelope is my Absentee Ballot.

Being in Texas I had little confidence an Absentee Ballot application would succeed.

Whilst living in the state of Washington, if I remember correctly, I went to the permanent mail-in ballot method in the 1980s. Til moving to Texas I'd not voted in a polling location for decades.

I found voting in Texas to be a clunky experience. Often with long lines, such was the case with the last General Election. I first tried to vote in the Sikes Senter mall polling location. The line was hundreds of people deep. Drove to the next closest polling location. Same problem. So, drove to the downtown Wichita Falls polling location, found the line not quite so long, and so spent an hour or two waiting to vote.

To get an Absentee Ballot in Texas one first had to request, on-line, an Absentee Ballot request form.

You could not just fill this out on-line.

The form arrived in the mail.

The print on the form was small, the information to be filled in was a lot. I filled out the form, checking off the section which requested permanent Absentee Ballot status. I mailed the form to the Wichita County Elections Administrator. 

And a couple weeks later the Absentee Ballot showed up in my mailbox.

I have not yet opened the Absentee Ballot envelope. I am assuming there is a return mail envelope inside, already addressed.

I likely will get to stick stamps on the envelope.

I do not remember doing so when mailing ballots in Washington. 

In Washington there are ballot drop-boxes strategically placed in convenient locations...

Microsoft Remembering Salt River Canyon & Linda Lou's Arizona Visit

An email Microsoft OneDrive Memory from this Day that I remembered, which happens rarely. That, and this memory is from the month of October, though I do not remember the exact day.

It was in October of 2018, roadtripping from Texas to Arizona.

The stairway you see above was at a rest area, at a location on Arizona's Highway 66, between the Arizona towns of Show Low and Globe.

The rest area was at the bottom of a steep canyon. This rest area was more like a park than your regular highway rest area.

I did not remember the name of the canyon til I saw the photo I took of the rest area's welcome sign.

Salt River Canyon. 

A scenic canyon I'd never heard of before, in a state known for its scenic canyons.

The drive through Salt River Canyon took place in October of 2018, on the way to stay a month in an Airnb in Sun Lakes, the Phoenix suburb where my mom's house was located.

That was a memorable month. Hard to believe this was six years ago. Seems so recent.

Linda Lou flew south from Washington to spend a few days with us in the Airnb. It was a mighty fine time, driving mom, aka Miss Daisy, to Tortilla Flats, and to the summit of South Mountain, on roads which triggered Linda Lou's acrophobia.

Six years rushed by so fast. In another six years the year will be 2030.

I do not like time flying by ever faster...

Pleasantly Cool Lucy Park Jungle Walk

On this second Tuesday of the 2024 version of October it was back to Lucy Park I ventured for some salubrious nature communing via high-speed backwoods jungle endorphin inducing aerobic hiking.

The weather conditions were about as perfect as they can be, pleasantly chilled to the 70 degree range.

As you can see, via the photo documentation of the Lucy Park suspension bridge over the Wichita River, the green of the leaves is beginning to slightly fade, with more of a yellow tint starting to appear.

The first freeze of the Fall should be happening sometime next month, or maybe the big chill will wait until December. 

I look forward to replacing shorts with sweatpants for my outdoor activities.

I probably should go on a hunt for my stash of sweatpants, likely lurking somewhere in my cluttered closet...

Monday Morning Peaceful Bird Watching At Sikes Lake

On this first October Monday of 2024, it was to a dead calm Sikes Lake I ventured this morning for a salubrious endorphin inducing aerobic fast-paced walk around the lake.

The apparent lack of wind seemed to render Sikes Lake mirror-like, but there was a steady breeze blowing, which made for perfect outdoor activity conditions.

The above view is looking west, across the lake, from the east side of the lake. The below view is looking northeast from the north end of the lake.

The slight breeze is causing some rippling action, as that big white bird is perched on the lookout for a fish snack to swim by.

One frequently sees fish jumping out of the water trying to snatch a flying insect. I have only seen a bird catch a fish once, in Sikes Lake.

October Sunday Lucy Park Nature Communing With Power Issues

It was to Lucy Park I nature communed on this first Sunday of the 2024 version of October. As you can see, the Lucy Park backwoods jungle is still green, with Fall not yet falling, sending no leaves to the ground. 

Day after day, of late, the temperature high for the day has been in the 90s. The air was heated into the 80s whilst I was at Lucy Park.

I am looking forward to being chilly. The cold water out of my taps is still being lukewarm, or warmer.

This week, reading the local news, I read that the Wichita Falls zone is nearing being in drought conditions again. 

But, the Wichita River, as photo documented, today, above, does not look to be drying up. And lawns and golf courses are still green.

I had me a couple possible age-related memory lapses today. Upon returning from Lucy Park I went into lunch making mode. I turned on both the smokeless grill and the air fryer, forgetting that doing so causes the circuit to break.

When I realized what I'd done I remembered it was easy to fix, via flipping a switch on the circuit breaker panel. I knew this was in my bedroom closet. So, I walk into the closet, turn on the light, and cannot find the circuit breaker panel on the wall. I found another electrical looking thing I did not remember previously seeing.

So, feeling totally frustrated, I got a flashlight and scanned the closet's walls, eventually finding the circuit breaker panel. I saw what looked like a switch which should be flipped. Did so. That knocked out the lights in my bedroom. Switched that back and then found the correct switch to switch, restoring power to the air fryer, smokeless grill and TV.

I hope that with this second instance I will now remember not to run the air fryer and smokeless grill at the same time. And if I do forget, that I will remember where the circuit breaker panel is located.

Age related memory woes are vexing...

Remembering Throwing Life Jugs To Drowning Person In Dinosaur Valley State Park

That which you see here showed up in my email this morning, via Microsoft's OneDrive Memories of this Day.

I have no recollection of what day this photo may have been taken. But, I do remember the location, and the likely time frame, year-wise. As in near the start of the current century.

I was hiking in Dinosaur Valley State Park, down by the town of Glen Rose in Texas Hill Country, when I came upon a swimming hole carved out by the Paluxy River, with two warning signs.

One of which is what you see me standing in front of, with the sun glaring on the lens of my long-gone antique Casio digital camera, with its reverse the lens photo taking, enabling what is now known as a selfie.

LIFE JUGS: THROW A DROWNING PERSON

The other warning sign warned swimming hole swimmers to beware of the snapping turtles.

I had, and still, have no clue if this LIFE JUGS thing was intended as a joke, or serious. I found it a tad inappropriate to see such in a state park.

The swimming hole looked quite inviting, but I did not indulge, due to taking the snapping turtle warning serious.

I previously had had me a scary aggressive turtle episode whilst swimming in Lake Grapevine, back in early July of 2002. My final time getting wet in a treacherous Texas lake...

Semi-Chilly Wichita Bluff Nature Area Hiking On Second October Day

On this second day of October, with the sky totally blue, with not a single cloud blotting the blue, it was to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area I ventured an hour before noon, to commune with nature via hiking the Circle Trail as it trails over the Wichita Bluffs.

In that photo above we are looking at a rocking bench, looking in a northwest direction. The rocking bench sits on a side trail off the main trail.

The temperature was pleasantly chilled into the 70s whilst I nature communed.
 

And now we are in the picnic pavilion located at the high point of the Wichita Bluffs. In this view we are looking northeast. The stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Wichita Falls would be visible if I shifted the view slightly to the right.

The current long-range forecast is for day after day after week after week of blue sky and pleasant temperatures. 

Apparently, the lack of rain has the Wichita Falls area near being designated once again in drought mode.

One would think the forest of trees would not manage to be so green, at this point in the year, what with the lack of rain.

So far I have seen little leaf color changing action one expects to see this time of the year...

First Day Of October Virtually Hiking Washington's Mount Rainier

This first morning of the new month, flipping the month to October, I saw the scene on my American Scenic Wonders wall calendar is a scenic wonder in my old home state of Washington, that, if I remember correctly, I only saw twice, up close, as in the National Park, all my years of living in Washington.

The second time I visited this scenic wonder was August 11, 2008, with my favorite sister-in-law and her mom. This was the first time I actually did some hiking in Mount Rainier National Park, hiking from the area known as Paradise, up the lower slops of the Rainier volcano.

It being August, Mount Rainier National Park, that day in 2008 was overcrowded with tourists. I recollect finding a parking spot at Paradise was a bit challenging.

Long ago, on one of my other blogs, I blogged about Mount Rainier. I do not recollect if that blogging has photos of that day in August, back in 2008. Just a sec, and I shall go see.

Yes, there is a photo or two from that day way back almost two decades ago, and a video.

The reason I seldom visited Mount Rainier whilst living in Washington was the fact that the mountain was around 130 miles south of my Skagit Valley location.

I was much closer to another volcano, Mount Baker, to go hiking on, and the equally close North Cascades National Park hiking trails, which actually are much more scenic than Mount Rainier, in that the sea of mountains one sees when one is in the heart of the North Cascades is much more of a broadly spanning multi-mountain scene than that one giant Rainier volcano dominating all its surrounding area.

Sometimes I find myself wondering if I will ever again see my feet hiking on a real mountain trail. My nearest current such opportunity is about 50 miles north, in Oklahoma via the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge. I suspect it likely that the Wichita Mountains will not quite be the same as the Cascade Mountains of Washington, and Oregon...