Remembering Aunt Ruth Brings Up A Lot Of Other Memories

Yesterday I made mention of being At Wichita Bluff Nature Area Summit Learning Sad News About Aunt Ruth regarding the passing of my Aunt Ruth. I made mention of the fact that Aunt Ruth and Uncle Hank, and their three kids spent many years in Australia. I also made mention of the fact that I did not remember when last I saw Aunt Ruth, Uncle Hank and their kids.

I think the year was 1995. My dad had retired. That summer they took their long planned cross country roadtrip in their RV. Including visiting Sugarcreek, Ohio, where Hank and Ruth located after Australia.

That is what we are seeing in the above photo documentation. That is my dad in the center. To dad's left, that is Aunt Ruth, next to Uncle Hank. I also recognize Australian cousin Carol, to the right of dad, and Aunt Judy, with Judy's first husband, Uncle Mel, between Judy and Carol. I think Carol's big brother, Danny is in the back between Ruth and Hank. I do not see the third Aussie cousin, Steve. That is Aunt Jane on the far right, holding a baby. I see Aunt Jane's first husband, Uncle Mooch, to the left of Mooch's brother Mel. I do not know where my mom is hiding in this photo.

And then we go back 34 years, to 1967, to Lynden, Washington to see some of the same people.

That'd be, from the left, Uncle Hank, Aunt Ruth, Grandma Slotemaker, dad, mom, Aunt Judy, Uncle Mel and Aunt Arlene. I think Uncle Mooch may have been out of the country via the Air Force at this point in time and had not yet met his first wife, Aunt Jane.

Another photo from Sugarcreek, Ohio. My dad and his siblings, Uncle Mel, Aunt Ruth, Aunt Arlene and Uncle Mooch. Only Uncle Mooch remains vertical.

If I remember right it was during this mom and dad roadtrip that we somehow coordinated them showing up in Las Vegas whilst I was there over Thanksgiving weekend in the year, I think, 1995.

I was staying at what was then called Treasure Island, took mom and dad out for lunch at the Luxor. Talked them into going on the Luxor simulator rides, which mom surprisingly enjoyed.

This time in Vegas was when the Infamous BIG BOX Incident took place. At lunch, at Luxor, mom casually mentions they have a box of Christmas presents they want me to take north with me to deliver. I can't do that, says I. I'm on a plane. You don't take big boxes on a plane.

But, mom would not take no for an answer.

I waved mom and dad goodbye and schlepped the BIG BOX to my room.

One of my travel companions had a fit upon seeing the BIG BOX. She insisted there was no way we could take that on the place.

What happened next I have never understood. She tells me she'll take care of it, gets a handcart to wheel the BIG BOX down to a Treasure Island service desk.

They said, no problem, we can ship that for you, just write down your address, so, I do so, writing down the Mount Vernon address on Pawnee Lane. They did not weigh the box, did not ask for money. And a week later the box showed up at my front door, delivered by UPS. 

That this happened perplexes me to this day. Just realized, we are coming up on Thanksgiving weekend of 2024. The BIG BOX Incident happened almost three decades ago, yet remains a vivid memory...

At Wichita Bluff Nature Area Summit Learning Sad News About Aunt Ruth

On this picture perfect totally blue-sky 3rd Thursday of November, it was to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area I ventured for some salubrious nature communing and the resulting endorphins, via fast walking the Circle Trail

Shortly before reaching the highest spot on the bluffs my phone made its incoming text message noise. Upon sitting at one of the tables under the covered pavilion at the bluff summit I woke up my phone and saw the following message from my little sister, Michele...

Just got this from Aunt Jane. Passing it along in case you haven't heard.

www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/mathilda-hershberger-obituary?id=56822354

I was fairly certain Mathilda Hershberger was known to me as Aunt Ruth. This was confirmed when I went to the link.

Aunt Ruth was my dad's second oldest sister. A couple years ago I recollect asking my sister Jackie if she'd received the annual Christmas newsletter from Aunt Ruth. She had not. In the last Christmas newsletter from Aunt Ruth she made mention of the fact that Uncle Hank was about to turn 100. Reading Aunt Ruth's obituary, I learned Uncle Hank died back in 2023, so, I am guessing he made it to 100.

Uncle Hank and Aunt Ruth were Wycliffe Bible Translators. The bible translating took place in Australia, which is where their three kids were born, Danny, Carol and Steve. 

I recollect is as being a real big deal when Uncle Hank and Aunt Ruth first went to Australia. It was via an ocean liner, sailing out of Vancouver, British Columbia. The whole family went to Canada to see them float away. I remember it being a big crowd, on shore and onboard. And a lot of tears flowing.

This would have been during the 1960s. 

I also remember it being a real big deal to return to Vancouver one of the early times the Hershbergers returned to America for a visit. I remember me and my siblings being really excited to spot Hank & Ruth waving at us from the ship.

I do not remember when it was we first met our new Australian cousins. I know it was not via meeting them getting off a ship. I do remember we thought those new cousins were quite exotic with their Aussie accents. 

I think it was during the 1990s, or maybe 1980s, that the Hershbergers moved their bible translating operation back to the United States. I do not think I have seen any Hershbergers this century. None were at the big Slotemaker-Jones Family Reunion in Lynden back in 2002.

I do recollect emailing Cousin Carol at her missionary location somewhere in Africa. That would have been in the 1990s and maybe earlier in this current century.

My relative numbers keep dwindling. Aunt Jane's first husband, Uncle Mooch, known to some as Uncle Gerry, is the last of my dad's siblings. 

On my dad's relative side of the family Uncle Mooch is know the oldest, cousin Linda the second oldest, me the third oldest.

On my mom's relative side of the family I am the oldest remaining relative. Clearly my days are dwindling...

Police Brutality Disrupts Dallas Cowboy Football Game

 I thought this outrageous incident of police brutality was amusing, in addition to being outrageous...

Won't Make It To Mount Baker Ski Season Open Whilst in Texas

I saw that which you see here, this morning, via the online version of the Seattle Times. I had a multi-reaction. One was, well, this is yet one more thing I see in news from my old Washington home zone which I would never, could never, see in a Texas newspaper about a similar scene in Texas.

I think the Ruidoso zone of New Mexico is the closest location from my current location, where I would find a ski area. Maybe Colorado is closer, but, I suspect, without checking a map, that New Mexico's ski areas are closer.

Seeing mention made of Mount Baker, and ski season, also triggered that usually dormant homesick feeling. I used to look out my living room windows and see Mount Baker in the distance.

That actually is not Mount Baker you see in the photo. It is called the Mount Baker ski area, but Mount Shuksan is the mountain you are near whilst skiing the Mount Baker ski area. The actual Mount Baker volcano is a short distance to the south, or to the right, in the photo.

I do not remember when last I was at the Mount Baker ski area. It may have been the time, in the 1990s, when nephews Christopher and Jeremy took me hiking up Tabletop Mountain, a hiking venue south of the Mount Baker ski area, north of Mount Baker.

I brought my cross country skis with me to Texas. I recollect only skiing on them once, in Texas. A time when sufficient snow accumulated enabling skiing on the slopes in Arlington's Veterans Park. Doing such drew some attention from kids who had never seen skis skiing in person before.

I stored my cross country skis in an outdoor storage closet, which was not air-conditioned. At some point I discovered that the extreme heat of summer had caused the skis to delaminate, rendering them worthless.

Almost every winter since I have been in Wichita Falls there has been a short period with sufficient snow on the ground which would have made cross country skiing the Circle Trail a fun thing to do. Particularly the Circle Trail in the Wichita Bluff Nature Area section, which has some good up and down grades.

I wonder if ever again I will slide on skis, roll on roller blades, or pedal a bike? I suspect, of those three, pedaling a bike is the most likely...

Cloudy Sunday Stroll at Lake Wichita Park Without Kayaking

It was to Lake Wichita Park, and what would have been the shadow of Mount Wichita, had this 3rd Sunday of November not been totally overcast with clouds preparing to drip some rain.

The rain deluges earlier this month have raised the Lake Wichita water level, rendering the new kayak launching dock in total float mode for the first time which I have eye witnessed.

Though overcast, the sun was still able to provide enough warming rays to bring the temperature into the 60s, making for an extremely pleasant Sunday stroll.

Seeing that kayak launch today had me trying to remember what became of my inflatable kayak. I do not recollect it malfunctioning, and thus getting tossed. I do not remember the kayak making the move to Wichita Falls.

If Lake Wichita developed into regularly having enough water in it to float a boat, it might be fun to get a kayak again.

Ides of November Shadow of the Lucy Park Thin Man

On this 15th Ides of November Day of 2024, it was to Lucy Park the Shadow of the Thin Man ventured today, in shorts and t-shirt, due to the temporary return of summer-like weather.

I was pleased to find that the Lucy Park backwoods jungle has mostly dried up from last week's series of drenching deluges.

Lucy Park was having itself a lot of action today, with multiples enjoying various forms of recreation, with the majority being disc golfers. A sport about which I fail to see the attraction.

Temperatures dipping below freezing are on the weather menu, scheduled to arrive before the arrival of Thanksgiving.

I am in no mood to get super cold. I hope to get through winter with no ice storms, no snow, no sub-zero temperatures, no nothing slippery and cold.

I have adopted the age-appropriate weather attitude of an elderly person...

Fall Is Starting To Show Up At Sikes Lake

Almost halfway through November, today, whilst walking around Sikes Lake I saw the first sign, this Fall season, of leaves losing their green color, transitioning to yellow, on their way to orange, before turning brown and falling to the ground.

The first freeze of the current cooler time of the year is scheduled to happen later this month, a few days before Thanksgiving.

I do not previously remember it being this late in the year without switching the interior climate control to heat mode.

Though the climate control system is still in air conditioning mode, the A/C has not needed to do its cooling task for quite few days.

Seeing Ma Joad, Flubbo the Gut & Madame McNutty Took Me to WinCo

This Microsoft OneDrive Memory from this Day is totally baffling to me.

Is it part of a stage production of The Grapes of Wrath? I have never seen a stage production of The Grapes of Wrath.

Is that Ma Joad in the center? Did I alter the image of Ma Joad with the head of either the entity I refer to as Flubbo the Gut or the entity I refer to as Madame McNutty? 

The Ma Joad likeness sort of looks like both of those entities, frumpy, elderly and plump.

Changing the subject from Ma Joad to Wichita Falls.

Via the Texoma Homepage today I learned WinCo is going ahead with opening a store in in Wichita Falls. Construction to begin in December, completion by summer or early fall. WinCo has agreed to pay for a boulevard upgrade, an agreement which hastened approval of the project.

A WinCo in this town is going to change many people's grocery shopping habits. As in, for me, it will put an end to buying groceries at Walmart. WinCo makes the best bagels I have ever been blessed to consume, among many other good things.

The new WinCo will be a short distance from ALDI. 

Veteran's Day Sikes Lake Walk Around Wichita Falls Waterfall

On this Veteran's Day, second Monday of November of 2024, it was to Sikes Lake I ventured for a walk around the lake, stopping at one of Wichita Falls' falls, falling a little water over the Sikes Lake Dam, for the first time in a long time. 

A dam which was fall-free for a long time due to the long drought, which somewhat abated last week from a few days of deluges.

The moat surrounding my abode has evaporated enough to allow my usual access to my motorized means of motion.

But, more rain is scheduled in a few days.

I suspect we are in for several months of excessive dripping, hopefully without that dripping arriving frozen.

I am in no mood to deal with an ice storm, sub-zero temperatures, or snow, or any combo of such.

Sunday In Lucy Park Flooded With Nuts

It was back to Lucy Park I ventured on this second Sunday of the next to last month of 2024, to join throngs of other nature communers enjoying the return to a clear blue sky after several days of deluges and thunderstorms.

The Wichita River was running slightly higher than it was the previous visit, a couple days ago. The added water was causing the river to flow faster. 

That parental unit and kid you see at the north end of the Lucy Park Suspension Bridge was venturing onto the bridge quite tenuously. So, I opted not to walk further out on the bridge, due to knowing doing so would cause the bridge to move, likely unsettling the already nervous kid.

There was other evidence in the park of the recent bout of deluges.

The flooded area you see here is near the Lucy Park Log Cabin and swimming pool parking lot.

The leaves in the trees are still green, and still stuck to the limbs. 

There is one item falling from some of the trees, other than leaves.

Pecans.

One sees a lot of pecan pickers scouring the ground under pecan trees, looking for the highly valued nuts.

Such seems like way too much bother to me.

Stormy Rainstorm Thunder Booming Friday In Wichita Falls

You are looking out my kitchen window, through a wall of rain, copiously coating the outer world with a thick layer of wet.

And surrounding my abode with a moat requiring a careful crossing to get to my motorized means of motion, to drive to Walmart to dodge roof leaks and get some endorphins via aerobic stimulation whilst enjoying the Walmart anthropological displays.

Rain has been falling, off and on, with varying intensity, since before midnight, last night. Along with some loud thunder booms.

So far, no tornado or hail action.

The dire change of weather at my location the past week bodes ill for the coming winter. It is already seeming like winter.

I do find the sound of raindrops dripping fast to be relaxing, though a bit loud, at times, like right now.

I Could Not Approve Of Wichita Falls Minimum Wage Initiative

I saw that which you see here, this morning, via the online version of the Seattle Times. Everett is a city at the north end of the Seattle-Tacoma-Everett Metropolitan Area.

On ballots in Washington, in addition to political positions, there are multiple initiatives, propositions, referendums and bond issues.

In Washington a citizen can take the initiative to get enough signatures to put an initiative on the ballot, be it on the city, county or state level.

From the first time I voted, in Texas, til the most recent time voting in Texas, it has been quite noticeable there are way fewer things to vote on, in Texas, than I was used to in Washington.

California and Oregon are the same as Washington. Multiple measures to vote on. Why such a difference between the west coast and my location in the South? I have no idea why there is such a difference. 

The west coast states seem to be a much more participatory democracy than Texas is. Does it have something to do with the west coast population being much better educated? 

Anyway, such differences are perplexing...

COVID Is Over So Time To Build A Sand Castle With Theo

That which you see here I have used, for years, as a bookmark, marking what page I am on in a book being currently read.

This 'bookmark' was part of a folding card, which, yesterday, after years of use, split into two pieces.

I'd long forgotten the message on the card sent by my Favorite Nephew Theo...

"When COVID is over I want you to come over to build a sand castle.

Theo"

It was way back in August of 2017, at Birch Bay, in Washington's Whatcom County, that I had myself a mighty fine time making a sand castle with Theo and his twin sister, Ruby.

I think the exact date of the sand castle building was August 13, 2017, a Sunday.

I can remember the date because two days prior was my birthday, with that day starting off with the Tacoma Trio of David, Theo & Ruby singing me happy birthday, in Tacoma, before the long, laborious, traffic-jam ridden ride north to Birch Bay, where that night, at a restaurant next to our lodging location, happy birthday was again sung to me, along with a cupcake with a candle lit up in the middle of the cupcake. 

The morning after the sand castle building, I took the elevator to the roof of the lodging location, from whence I could see the remains of the sand castle which Theo and I made the day before. So, I elevatored down to the lodging location's floor to get Theo to take the photo you see below.

Theo was six or seven when we were at Birch Bay. I am fairly certain Theo is now a teenager. I have not seen David, Theo, Ruby and their parental units since March of 2019, in Arizona.

The COVID nightmare has mostly faded into history...

OMG From Singapore's Miss Mali

A post this post-election morning, or mourning, from my best Singapore friend, Miss Mali Cheng, simply reacting, as many have, with a loud OMG.

And that is all I have to say about this particular subject...

Dry Lucy Park Walk Under Thunder Threatening Sky

Between thunderstorms on this first Sunday of November it was to Lucy Park I ventured for some cloudy nature communing.

After last night's downpours I was expecting the Wichita River to be running more water than it was flowing today.

As you can see via the photo documentation, the Lucy Park suspension bridge is nowhere near being submerged by a flooding river.

My regular way to my motorized means of motion was flooded this morning, making for a longer than the norm walk to vehicular transport.

Currently the sky is growing dark again, and my phone just beeped with an imminent storm warning.

Apparently, in addition to the expected thunderstorming and heavy rain, possible hail and tornado action is on today's weather menu of possibilities. 

I have never heard the tornado sirens go off in this town due to an actual tornado. I experienced that several times whilst living in the Dallas/Fort Worth zone. 

I suspect a nap is in my future today, what with sleeping last night being highly problematic due to the thunder booming...

Thinking Of Cascade Mountain Drive After Night Of Texas Thunderstorms

I saw that which you see here, this 3rd November morning, on Facebook. A look at some mountain scenery on Highway 20, on the last day of the previous month of October.

Highway 20 is a road which traverses through the valley in which I lived prior to moving to Texas, traversing from Anacortes, through the town I grew up in, Burlington, and on east, through North Cascades National Park, before making its way to Eastern Washington.

At my current location I could drive hundreds of miles in any direction and not find any snow-covered mountains.

At my current location, Wichita Falls, Texas, last night, I got to experience one of the wildest storms I have ever experienced. Rain began pouring down about an hour before midnight. And then from midnight on, til daylight, almost nonstop lightning lit up the night and disturbed the possibility of sleep with booming thunder.

A few miles north, across the Red River, in Oklahoma, last night's storm produced multiple tornadoes

Thunderstorming and heavy rain is currently scheduled to start up again in about an hour. 

I currently do not know if my regular outdoor endorphin inducing aerobic activity is going to be doable, due to weather woes, requiring walking in Walmart, instead, which never is even remotely aerobic....

Second November Day In Texas Totally Cloud Covered Whilst Adjusting Time

Looking out my computer room window on this second day of the 2024 version of November, for the first time in a long-time clouds are totally blocking the usual blue sky.

Today is looking like a stereotypical Fall and Winter day in my old home zone of Western Washington.

Rain and thunderstorming is on the Wichita Falls, Texas weather menu for the next several days.

So far, I have seen only slight dripping and have heard no thunder booms, nor seen any bright flashes of light.

This drought plagued part of the planet is in dire need of some excessive precipitation.

I have already turned back time an hour on the four devices in my interior space which require such to be done manually. Only the clock in my motorized means of motion remains to be returned to standard time.

The TV, phone and computer all do the time switch automatically. Why is such not universal?

November's Scenic Wonders Of America Takes Me To Bryce Canyon National Park

I flipped my Scenic Wonders of America wall calendar to November, this morning, to see that this month's scenic wonder is one of my favorite American Scenic Wonders.

Bryce Canyon National Park.

I have only been to Bryce Canyon twice, with the most recent time being Easter weekend of 2096.

Unlike Grand Canyon, and other canyon, Bryce Canyon is not actually a canyon. Why the canyon word is in its name, I do not know.

What I do know is Bryce Canyon is quite similar to Grand Canyon in one aspect, that being that one begins those canyon hikes from the "canyon" rim, hiking far below the "canyon" rim.

Going down is easy. The hike back to start is not so easy, what with the high elevation of both hiking venues making oxygen more scarce than what one is used to.

I remember the Grand Canyon hike to the Colorado River, via the Bright Angel Trail as being so easy, heading down, and so brutal heading back up, with the final hiking hour in the dark.

I remember the names of the Bryce Canyon trails I hiked, the Peekaboo Trail and Navajo Loop Trail. I recollect going down a long series of switchbacks to get to the trails. Going down those switchbacks was easy, hiking back up those switchbacks required a lot of heavy-duty breathing, trying to get oxygen.

I wonder how well, at my current elderly age, I would handle hiking into Bryce or Grand Canyon? It is highly unlikely I will ever find out...

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...