Wichita Falls In A Fog Final Day Of August

This final day of the 2025 version of August dawned foggy, as evidenced by the photo documentation of the view from my kitchen window.

The weather forecast for this morning had been for rain, with possible thunderstorming.

No weather forecast mention was made of thick fog reminiscent of being in an ocean-side city.

The nearest ocean to Wichita Falls is several hundred miles away.

The outer world temperature is currently only 71 degrees.

Brrrr.

That is seven degrees colder than I have my air-conditioning set to.

I suppose I should try and find where I stored my long underwear...

Final August Friday Chilly Drizzling Sikes Lake Walk

On this final Friday of the 2025 version of August, the start of Labor Day weekend, it was to Sikes Lake I ventured for some salubrious endorphin acquisition acquired via high-speed walking.

The photo documentation is the view from the rocky shore of the east side of Sikes Lake, looking southwest.

As you can clearly see, clouds have obliterated the regular clear blue sky. 

Whilst walking around Sikes Lake those clouds were delivering some cooling light drizzle, making the relatively chilly 72 degrees feel even chillier.

Later yesterday afternoon the weather delivered a surprise, unpredicted thunderstorm, with heavy rain, for about a half an hour.

Does this seeming early arrival of cooler temperatures portend an upcoming extra cold fall and winter?

I hope not...

Robust Chilly Return To Wichita Bluff Nature Area

Today marked day 11 since I came down with my first cold in many many years. Most of the cold symptoms have now abated, and so, almost feeling back to normal, starting yesterday, I sort of reverted to my regular routines.

Including the daily salubrious endorphin acquiring aerobic stimulation gained via fast walking.

Yesterday it was walking around Sikes Lake. Today it was fast walking the Circle Trail hills in the Wichita Bluff Nature Area.

As you can see via the view looking northwest from the summit of the Bluffs the outer world at my North Texas location remains green. It is almost September, and we are still green. The norm, past years, would be for the color scheme to be multiple shades of brown, by now.

The outer world was almost chilly, at 78 degrees as measured via the Fahrenheit method when I did my hill climbing. Even though the air was relatively chilly I still somehow ended up being a sweaty mess by the time I got back to the air-conditioned comfort of my motorized means of motion.

Today's semi-chill portends for what is to come in a month, or two. The yearly end of artificial air-conditioning....

A Relatively Annoying Relative Being Relatively Annoying About Orcas

A relative of mine, who has always been relatively annoying, texted me multiple photos yesterday, telling me this is the type thing she sees on the rare times she checks in on Facebook.

An Orca having fun in Washington's Hood Canal.

I texted back to the relatively annoying relative saying I would be blogging this tomorrow, and claim it was something I saw in Lake Wichita, thus confusing the locals.

To which my relatively annoying relative replied that these were not my photos to share.

Wait? What?

Did not this relatively annoying relative just say she saw these Hood Canal Orca photos on Facebook?

And shared them with me.

Would not the normal person response be something along the line of "Have fun with it". Or "You really think a local will think Orcas were somehow in a Texas lake?"

I have long had a policy of avoiding contact with relatively annoying relatives. This rare breech in that policy reminds me of why I have that particular policy.

Years ago, a cousin of mine opined to me that in our family most are extremely bright, while there are others in the family who were severely struck with what this relative called "The Dumb Stick". 

It really is best to avoid my relatives who were struck with the dumb stick. No good comes from contact...

Arizona Sister Jackie's Haboob Report

This Tuesday morning, upon reading and seeing the news about the massive haboob dust storm wall which yesterday blew into the Valley of the Sun, I texted my Arizona sister who resides in the Phoenix suburb of Chandler asking....

You kids okay after that horrible haboob?

Sister Jackie replied with....

It was a crazy one. We just have some messiness, and some water made it into the back door. CJ had a tree come down out front, snapped at the bottom, just barely missing the front window of his house. Have not had one like this in years!
 
The photo documentation you see here came with the text message, showing us the tree which blew over at CJ's house. 

For those not familiar with my relatives, CJ is my eldest nephew living in Arizona. The eldest son of sister Jackie and my favorite brother-in-law, Jack. CJ is the proud father of Cade and Cambri, married to the lovely mother of Cade and Cambri, Carissa. 

A second after I texted sister Jackie this morning I realized I'd forgotten the time difference.

I texted about 8 this morning, my Central time.

Arizona is the only state in the Union which does not do daylight savings time, south of the Grand Canyon. So, the time difference is either one or two hours. Since sister Jackie got right back to me I am assuming we are at that time of the year when the time difference is only one hour.

Additional note about the photo. For some reason photos sent to my phone, from sister Jackie's I-phone, don't always work. Clicking the thumbnail just opens a big black screen. Using preview mode and the screencap button, I am able to capture a small version of the photo.

Seattle's New Waterfront Takes Me To Fort Worth's Trinity River Vision

The photo you are seeing here I saw on Facebook today. The best look I have seen, so far, of the new Seattle Waterfront.

According to the Facebook post, which accompanied the photo, the curving mass of concrete is a new walkway leading to and from Pike Place Market. I think that is the Seattle Aquarium on the right, which would make this new Pike Place walkway towards the north end of the Pike Place Market.

Ten years ago the above scene would have seen a double decker viaduct, which was like a wall, separating downtown from the waterfront. 

The rebuilding of the Seattle Waterfront began in the second decade of the new century. Mostly completed by the end of that decade. The project was complicated, and costly, involved the removal of that aforementioned viaduct, digging a new transit tunnel under downtown Seattle, and multiple new constructions along the waterfront.

Changing the subject, slightly, to something seeing this caused me to wonder. As in, what is the current state of Fort Worth's bizarre Trinity River Vision? A pseudo public works project the public never voted on, propaganda-ized as a vitally needed economic development scheme and flood control project, where there had been no flooding for well over half a century.

The Trinity River Vision's main fixation was on creating an imaginary island, called Panther Island, so named for reasons that are head shakingly embarrassing.  This imaginary island was to be created by diverting the Trinity River into a cement lined ditch.

Three freeway overpass type bridges were built, years ago now, over dry land, anticipating that one day that cement lined ditch would be dug under them, with water added, creating that imaginary island.

It is now over two and a half decades since this pathetic project began. One hears or reads little about the Trinity River Vision anymore.

The troubling Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats on the polluted Trinity River no longer happen. The partying aspects of the Trinity River Vision seemed to abate once Congresswoman Kay Granger's son, J.D., was removed from the executive directing job he was totally unqualified for.

Was there ever any sort of investigation into the obviously doomed to fail, Wakeboard Park, which J.D. Granger helped promote, which was one of many costly mistakes made by what eventually became America's Biggest Boondoggle?

Anyway, seeing that photo of the new Seattle waterfront had me freshly wondering how it is one town can be so dynamic, whilst another town can be so mired in being a woeful dud.....

Seeing Nephew David For The First Time In 6 Years

I have not seen my Tacoma nephew David since March of 2019.

Over six years ago.

David is currently 16 years old.

Which would seem to indicate David was 10 years old when I last saw him.
 
Way back in March of 2019 I remember picking David up at the Phoenix Airport.

David's aunt Jackie was driving mom's van, with mom in the passenger seat.

David and me in the backseat.

At some point, as we were heading away from the airport, I asked David if he was staying tonight at Grandma's or at Jackie's.

David's reply was "I was not aware I had a say in the matter..."

I found this quite amusing, coming from a 10-year-old. A level of wittiness I surely did not possess at that age.

Those photos you see above are semi-recent photo documentations of David.

David and his girlfriend, whose name I was told, but have already forgotten.

David still looks like the David I remember from six years ago. But in dire need of a haircut...

Remembering Roadtripping To Taos New Mexico & More

Microsoft's One Drive Memories from this Day's email brought a fond memory back to mind, this next to last Saturday of the 2025 version of August.

But, I am fairly certain this memory took place in October, not August.

It was part of the second longest roadtrip I've ever tripped on. The last roadrip before moving to Texas.

This roadtrip sort of began with four days of houseboating on Lake Powell.

When we got off the boat it was to the treacherous Moki Dugway, we trekked, on the way to Mexican Hat and the San Juan Inn.

From Mexican Hat we took a daytrip south to Arizona, across the San Juan River, to the Navajo Nation and Monument Valley, before heading back north to Moab.

We spent several days in Moab, going to Arches National Park, where, among other trails, the infamous Fiery Furnace trail was hiked. And also, to nearby Canyonlands National Park and Islands in the Sky.

After Moab, half the group headed back to Washington, whilst two vehicles trekked on, memorably staying one night at the high, breath-taking elevation of Silverton, Colorado, staying, if I remember the name correctly, in the Grand Imperial Hotel.

After Silverton, the second vehicle broke off from roadtrip, to head back to Washington. It was just me and Big Ed, then, heading on to the highlight of this entire roadtrip, which was about the halfway point.

Taos, New Mexico.

I have been to many well-known tourist towns. Taos, New Mexico and Leavenworth, Washington are the best I have been to.

Riding mountain bikes, we explored all over Taos, including north of town to the Taos Pueblo, taking the tour.

I had the best Mexican food I remember ever having, in Taos, at a place called Fred's. In New Mexico, in a restaurant, virtually anything you order comes with green salsa. 

After Taos, it was on to Alamogordo, White Sands National Monument, Bisbee, Tombstone, Yuma, Las Vegas, then a beeline back to Washington.

It really has been way too long since I have roadtripped. The last semi-roadtrip was way back in October of 2018, driving to Arizona....

August Microsoft OneDrive David, Theo, Ruby Plus Memories

This morning, I talked to my great grand nephew, or grand great nephew, Cade's, grandma, also known as my little sister, Jackie, for the first time in quite a while.

My little sister, Jackie is also the grandma of my great grand niece or grand great niece, Cambri.

The subject of some of my other sibling's offsprings came up, those being my Tacoma nephews and niece, David, Theo and Ruby.

And now, right when I am feeling melancholy about it being so long since I have seen any of these relatives of mine, along with those two new entries, in Arizona, whom I have never seen, along with one in Washington, Hank Frank, whom I have never seen, what do I get in my email, via Microsoft's OneDrive Memories from this Day?

Photos from August of 2017, the most recent time I have been in Washington, with multiple photos of David, Theo and Ruby, along with one of my eldest nephew, Spencer Jack.

In the photo above, that is me in back of nephew, David, on the beach at Birch Bay. Daivd is 16 now, and quite a bit taller than he is in this photo documentation.

A few days after the above photo was taken, David, Theo & Ruby took me back to the airport to send me to Arizona to see their grandma.

On the way to the airport David, Theo & Ruby brought us to Pick-Quick Burgers because they knew this popular fast-food joint in Fife made real good blackberry milkshakes, and they knew how much I liked anything with blackberries.

If the year currently is 2025, and the above took place in August of 2017, is that not 8 years ago? Which means, if David is 16 now, he was 8 then. And the twins, Theo and Ruby, who are 14 now, were 6 then.

From sister Jackie today I learned that just a couple days ago Theo returned from two weeks in Tokyo, flying there with two of his best friends from school, one of them being the other kid in school named Theo. 

The trio flew with no adults accompanying them. One of the trio's dads is some sort of military contractor, currently stationed in Japan.

Can't imagine myself, as a 14-year-old kid, flying to Tokyo.

Then I remembered a time, way back late in the prior century, taking nephews Christopher and Jeremy to Sea-Tac, to put them on a plane to fly to Los Angeles, to meet up with their parental units, and their grandparental units, also known as my mom and dad, to go to Disneyland, among other things.

I remember it seeming so strange to put those little kids, solo, on a plane. I recollect talking to one of the stewardesses who told me she'd keep a close eye on them.

And now, what seems like only a few short years later, little nephew Christopher is now the proud papa of Cade and Cambri.

Sometimes the elderly favorite uncle of Jason, Joey, Christopher, Jeremy, Spencer Jack, Hank Frank, David, Theo, Ruby. Cade and Cambri does not much like how fast time seems to fly...

In & Out With Cade In Arizona Video Gaming

Yesterday, after blogging Lost Birthday Gift Arrives From Arizona With Grandma Jackie & Baby Cambri and texting my little sister, Grandma Jackie, to tell her I'd not seen, til yesterday, the text and photo she sent me the week prior, Grandma Jackie, texted me two photos of Cambri's big brother, Cade.

When I saw the first photo, that being the one above, I thought, well, they sure are starting Cade early in the family business, thinking I was seeing Cade at one of his Grandpa Jack's McDonalds. 

But, upon paying closer attention it looks to me like Cade is at one of McDonald's Arizona rivals, In-N-Out. 

My first In-N-Out burger experience was at a Phoenix location, back near the start of this century. At that point in time, I thought the In-N-Out Double Double Cheeseburger was the best burger I'd ever had.

Then an In-N-Out opened in Fort Worth. My superlative praise caused someone to agree to go with me to the Fort Worth In-N-Out. Like so much about Fort Worth, it was a HUGE disappointment. Not like what I'd had in Arizona.

A couple years after that I was back in Arizona where I once again had a good In-N-Out experience. A couple times.

The second photo sent to my phone was a bit problematic. 

On the phone I could see the second photo. But, when downloaded to my computer, the photo disappeared.  All that remained was a big black square.

The photos were high resolution. So, I was able to take the file manager preview pane view and screen cap the second photo and enlarge it. This explains why the photo looks a bit fuzzy.

In the photo it looks like Cade is already being a video game master. His dad was one of those when he was a kid, though not starting out as young at it as Cade.

I recollect back when Cade's dad, my nephew Christopher, was about 10 years old I got to take him to the Kingdome in Seattle for a giant video game competition. One of the most bizarre things I have ever eye witnessed. What looked like thousands of kids competing on thousands of video screens.

I was sure, whiz kid that he was, that Christopher would easily win in his age category. I don't remember the results, other than I do remember Christopher was not the Grand Champion. 

Cade looks to be a dead ringer, looking like his dad looked when he was a little kid.

So weird, that in my memory, that does not seem all that long ago.

 And yet, it is. A long time ago....

Lost Birthday Gift Arrives From Arizona With Grandma Jackie & Baby Cambri

I often forget to unmute the sound on my phone, thus not hearing incoming calls or text messages.

Such happened this morning.

My phone was sitting beside me, when it suddenly lit up. With no noise.

I saw it was a text message.

From Linda Lou, asking about my delicate, fragile state of ill health. Well, more precisely, asking if my cold had gotten any better. Or worsened into respiratory mayhem.

Linda Lou, before retiring, spent several decades being a nurse, hence her tendency to go into nurse mode when needed.

When I clicked on the phone and saw Linda Lou's message I saw another text message, from over a week ago, August 11, to be precise.

From my little sister, Jackie.

The text message said, "Ok, one more birthday gift for you. I am feeling super generous".

The birthday gift is the included photo of Grandma Jackie holding her eldest granddaughter, Cambri June.

We first met Cambri June way back on Saturday, July 28, 2025 in Seeing Baby Cambri June Weston In Arizona For The First Time.

Cambri June looks so tiny. I cannot remember when last I held a tiny, little baby...

Today's Microsoft OneDrive Memories Some Of Which I'd Prefer To Forget

Today's email delivered some Microsoft OneDrive Memories from this Day which I would prefer to forget, and others I remember fondly.

Two of those photos are what you are seeing documented here. The second photo I know for sure was taken in August. The first photo, I have no clue as to the date.

The first photo was taken in my first Texas abode. In this little hamlet called Haslet, at the north end of Fort Worth. You could see the puny skyline of Fort Worth on the horizon. The redhead was exhausting. I was so happy when I moved on to my second Texas abode.

Moving on to a more pleasant memory.

The August before I moved to Texas, my oldest nephews, Jason and Joey, flew me to Las Vegas for four days of fun in the sun.

In the photo, that is Joey next to me on the roller coaster at the New York New York Casino. I do not remember if Jason was also on the roller coaster. I know Jason did not take the photo. The photo showed up as you got off the roller coaster, with an offer to let you buy the photo. I do not remember buying the photo, but, clearly, I did. 

That was a fun four days in Vegas. We stayed in the Excalibur Casino Hotel. One day the temperature prediction was it might break the record. I remember reading that in the local newspaper, pool side, in the morning. I asked the nephews if they would like to drive out to Death Valley to experience possible record-breaking heat.

And so, we did. But the record did not get broken. It was only 127 degrees, if I remember correctly, as measured via the Fahrenheit method.

The funnest thing which happened whilst we were in Vegas was getting stranded on top of the Stratosphere Tower due to a power outage. This caused the tower to quickly get hot. The dozens trapped started getting cranky. I recollect suggesting maybe free cooling beverages might be a good thing. And so that happened.

It was about two hours we were stuck atop that tower. When the elevator was finally able to bring us back to ground level the casino/hotel manager greeted us as we got off the elevator. I told him we were hungry when we went up, and are starving now, can you comp us a buffet dinner?

And so, he did.

The nephews had too much fun playing Keno, through me, whilst at that buffet, so the next morning they insisted on going to the breakfast buffet so they could play Keno, some more, through me.

Another fun thing we did was drive out to Hoover Dam, late, and then going swimming in Lake Mead, after dark. I have zero recollection of how I managed to find a swimming venue on Lake Mead after leaving Hoover Dam.

I think I have only been to Las Vegas twice, maybe thrice, this century. In the previous century I seemed to frequently frequent Las Vegas. I wonder if I will ever frequent Las Vegas again?

Not Enjoying Summer Cold Misery Too Much

For the first time in many years, I have come down with what I am assuming is a cold.

It has been so long since I was sick, I'm not sure this is a cold.

What I do know is I woke up yesterday with a sore throat, which worsened as the hours of the day passed by.

By the time the sun was setting, yesterday, I was coughing, sneezing, congested and just overall feeling miserable.

Then time to go to bed came around. I was unable to sleep. I tossed and turned and coughed the entire night.

About 3 in the morning, it crossed my mind that I might have a cold medication in my bathroom's medicine cabinet. It had been so long since I had need of such, it had not come to the forefront of my memory earlier.

That is the cold medication you see photo documented above, with the blog post being written behind it.

Swallowing a capful of this vile liquid did help some. The sore throat and coughing impulse largely abated, for awhile. And then I would get up and take another dose. That happened three or four times.

By dawn's later light I made my way to Walmart to get a fresh supply of various cold remedies, including medicated cough drops, which are seeming quite salubrious.

I think I should be feeling tired and in dire need of a nap, but so far there has been no napping impulse directing me to get horizontal on my bed.

I do not tolerate being sick well. It totally annoys me...

Chilly Sunny Sunday Lucy Park Nature Communing Walk

With the outer world chilled down to the low 80s, it was to Lucy Park I ventured this fine Sunday August morning, to get myself some much-needed endorphins acquired from aerobic stimulation.

As you can see, the Wichita River, flowing below the Lucy Park suspension bridge, is starting to run low. 

As you can also see, well into August we are still seeing green foliage, creating a jungle-like effect.

Usually, by now, if my memory is serving me accurately, by now, most of the outer world sports little green, instead, mostly various shades of brown.

Someone has chalked messages on the Circle Trail as it trails through Lucy Park.

 The Good Morning Sunshine message was particularly cheering.

This morning, I found myself unexpectedly experiencing a bad case of a wanton display of self-centered prudish superciliousness.

My initial reaction was that the supercilious person was joking, thinking no one can actually be this brittle.

Well, I was wrong.

Such is why, as best I can, I tend to avoid what are known as Karen types....

Remembering Mountain Loop Ice Caves, Monte Christo & More With Nephews Joey, Christopher and Jeremy

On this third Saturday of the 2025 version of August my email brought me a Microsoft OneDrive Memory from this Day, that I do remember, both what I am seeing in the photo, that, and the fact that this photo could not possibly have been taken in August.

On the left, in the red pants, is my nephew Jeremy, following his big brother, Christopher, to the Washington geological oddity known as the Ice Caves.

The Ice Caves are accessed by a short hiking trail off the Mountain Loop Highway, which runs from Granite Falls to Darrington, through a mountain wonderland that always sort of reminded me of Yosemite.

That I used to live such a short distance from such scenery seems like ancient history now. There were multiple locations I used to go to on the Mountain Loop Highway. Mountain biking on old logging roads. Cross country skiing on those same old logging roads, but in winter.

Here is a short blurb description of the Mountain Loop Highway one gets when on Googles...

The Mountain Loop Highway is a scenic 54-mile loop road in Washington State, primarily located in Snohomish County within the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. It connects Granite Falls to Darrington, passing through the Stillaguamish and Sauk River valleys. The route offers views of mountains, rivers, and waterfalls. 

Biking and hiking to the old ghost town of Monte Christo.

I think the last time I mountain biked to Monte Christo was with nephew Joey. 

Here is a short blurb description of Monte Christo one gets when one Googles...

Monte Cristo is a ghost town located northwest of Monte Cristo Peak in eastern Snohomish County, Washington. It was once a thriving mining town, active from 1889 to 1907, and later became a resort town until 1983. Today, it's a popular hiking destination known for its historical significance and scenic beauty. 

The aforementioned Ice Caves form every spring when the snow of winter starts melting. By the time the heat of summer arrives the Ice Caves become dangerous. When Chris and Jeremy took me to the Ice Caves it seemed safe for us to explore inside. Now that I am older and less adventurous, I don't think I would be up to exploring the Ice Caves.

I think I remember reading that a total prohibition of Ice Cave exploration had been enacted.

The last time I saw the Ice Caves was when I was being the guide of a group of kids my sister Michele was somehow in some sort of mentoring situation with. It was early summer. You had to stay several hundred feet from the Ice Caves.

The attraction at that point in time, which drew a large crowd, was sitting and watching big chunks of ice crash down from the mountain cliffs, making loud booms and big plumes of ice dust.

A popular hike on the Mountain Loop Highway I remember hiking only once, it one which takes you to the route of the train which ran along the Stillaguamish River to Monte Christo. Some of the railroad tracks remain. There are tunnels and scary bridges.

The river you are hiking next to is a wild one, leading to Granite Falls, the actual waterfall, not the town. The trail does not go that far. Eventually one reaches a point where one can go no further.

At times I sort of miss living a short distance from a natural wonderland. Where I lived in Washington, no matter which direction you went, you were soon at a natural wonderland....

HOT Nature Communing On Rocky East Shore Of Sikes Lake

It was to Sikes Lake I ventured on this 14th day of the 2025 version of August, to commune with nature under the broiling sun.

In the photo documentation you are on the rocky east shore of Sikes Lake, looking west, well, probably more precisely, looking a bit southwest.

We are almost half way through the next to last month of summer. 

I am ready for summer to end.

I grow weary of having no cold tap water. There is no such thing as a refreshing cold shower. The cold water is warmer than lukewarm.

And the swimming pool is even warmer than the warmer than lukewarm tap water.

I am grateful I have  freezer which can churn out a lot of big ice cubes. Or crushed ice cubes, if I am wanting to quickly turn hotter than lukewarm tap water into something closer to being pleasantly refreshing.

In a couple days, as in Saturday, I was scheduled to attend a high school reunion. But, after careful consideration, due to an extreme outbreak of wanton Karen-itis, I have opted to forego the pleasure of attending, due to my ongoing aversion to dealing with, well, personality types I do not usually experience, personality types with whom I have zero desire to experience in person.

The above paragraph is what is known as an Easter egg. Planted to see if anyone sees it...

Riding Tacoma Waves With David, Theo & Ruby

The photo you see here showed up this morning in my email in the almost daily Microsoft OneDrive Memory from this Day.

Microsoft is off by a few days. This photo would have happened a couple days before August 11. 

In 2017.

Nephews David and Theo, and Niece Ruby took me to the Tacoma Wave Pool to have some water fun, with their uncle, under the blistering Tacoma sun.

It was fun.

One of the amusing moments in the pool happened when I had Theo on my back, dodging the incoming waves, and one of his girl friends from school came up to us and asked Theo if I was his grandpa.

No, this is my uncle, said Theo.

A few days later I was to find myself in another pool, but not one which generated waves, that one being the pool at the place we were staying at in Birch Bay.

The waves at Birch Bay are generated naturally. I had myself a mighty fine time there building sand castles with Theo and Ruby. David was wary of being on the tide flats, particularly when the tide began to roll in.

About a week later I was in Arizona, where I found the thumb drive which was storing many of the photos I took whilst in Washington, with some photos of Theo resulting in a blog post titled Theo's Birch Bay Sand Castle Building.

Looking at the list of blog posts I was surprised to see I wrote multiple follow-up blog posts with material from my Washington visit, including one titled Ruby Takes Me To Seattle's Amazon Spheres.

We'd done lunch at the Dick's Drive-In by Seattle Center. That is where the Space Needle is. After lunch we drove to the Amazon complex, which is at the north end of Seattle's downtown. Ruby then took me to see the Amazon spheres.

I blogged about lunch at Dick's in Seattle Dick's Deluxe With Good Pay & Benefits & Long Lines.

Regarding Dick's, if a Texas Whataburger employee were to read this blog post they might find themself annoyed to see how much a Dick's employee gets paid. And all the benefits. And the menu prices did not seem all that much higher than when I lived in Washington.

I hope one day to once again have myself a Dick's Deluxe. Or two...

Chilly August Tuesday Walk Around Sikes Lake

A drastic weather change had me communing with nature for the first time in days, on this 12th day of the 2025 version of August.

Overnight the low was a chilly 68 degrees, as measured by the Fahrenheit method. By the time I nature communed, walking around Sikes Lake, the temperature had soared into the mid 70s.

Brrrr.

I could not figure out what the guys in green in the boat were doing. My first thought was they were police and it was a crime scene. I suspect, though, that such was not the case.

My peaceful slumber, last night, was rendered not so peaceful by a couple hours of storming that began around 3 in the morning. The storming included wind gusts, rain downpours and a lot of lightning strikes, with loud thunder booming.

A couple of the lightning strikes were so close the lightning strike and the thunder boom were simultaneous. 

Yesterday my only aerobic stimulation came from verbal jousting with one of my dear Washington friends, she being a master debater who is terribly difficult to outwit.

I feel totally refreshed after the Sikes Lake walk around.

But, I fear a nap may need to be in my future this afternoon....

August 11 Happy Birthday To Me In Texas

Most first Mondays of every month a select group of my class of fellow graduates of Burlington-Edison High School meet at a Burlington Hawaiian restaurant called Coconut Kenny's to have themselves a high school reunion experience.

That and to write happy birthday messages on cards to be sent to those in our class having a birthday that month.

My birthday happens to happen on this August month, on this very 11th day of that particular month.

And, what did I find today in my mailbox?

The happy birthday card with happy birthday wishes you see photo documented above.

And seconds ago the following popped up on Facebook from Elsie Hotpepper...

Also in my mailbox, but arriving on Saturday, but not opened til today, an envelope from Arizona containing the following from little sister Jackie.

And then there was a loud knock on the door.

Federal Express left a large box.

Upon opening the box I eventually was able to open a thick refrigeration bag to find a container which contained a big block of bleu cheese.

Bleu cheese is my favorite in the cheese family, with extra sharp cheddar a close second.

And there you have it, some of my happy birthday day today. Fireworks predicted later today, in the form of a thunderstorm, with potential flash flooding...

Microsoft Remembering Theo, Ruby & Me At Tacoma's Point Ruston

Seconds ago, arriving in my email, a Microsoft OneDrive Memory from this Day, which actually did happen close to, if not on this particular August 10 day, with the year being 2017.

That is me between Nephew Theo and Neice Ruby, at an ice cream parlor at Point Ruston, in Tacoma.

This was during a one week visit to Washington, my home state, to which I have not returned since that week in August of 2017.

I had my laptop with me on this trip, so I was able to write blog posts all week long, including the post the day we had fun at Point Ruston.

That blog post is titled Point Ruston Ruby, Theo & David Surrey Survey Of Tacoma's New Waterfront Development.

The blog post indicates it was posted on August 11. But, it was not August 11 we went to Point Ruston. It was a day or two before that we went to Point Ruston. I know this because we were up north, near Canada, at Birch Bay, on August 11.

If you have not experienced Point Ruston in Tacoma, click the link and you'll see multiple photos documenting what a fun location this is.

Point Ruston has expanded since I was there 8 years ago. I know a cool looking pedestrian bridge now connects Point Ruston to Point Defiance, among other additions, the details of which escape my memory at the moment.

So much has happened in the 8 years since I have been in Washington. Some good, most bad.

One day soon I hope to see Washington in person again...

Miss Carol Takes Me To Skagit County Fair & Linda Lou's Blue Ribbons

The photo documentation you are seeing showed up this Friday morning of the 8th day of the 2025 version of August, from Burlington, Washington's Miss Carol BD.

The text with the photo said, "Look what our classmate entered at the Fair!".

I had to zoom in to the photo to figure out to which classmate Miss Carol was referring.

Linda Lou was the answer.

The fair we are talking about is the Skagit County Fair, which takes place at the fairgrounds in the Skagit Valley town, Mount Vernon, in which I lived prior to moving to Texas.

Via zooming in on the photo I was able to learn that Linda Lou won herself two blue ribbons. One for her renowned Iced Oatmeal Bars. The other for her equally renowned Blackberry Hand Pies.

It has been a few years since I enjoyed participating in Linda Lou's kitchen skills. That would have been back in October of 2018, at my mom's, in Sun Lake, Arizona, when Linda Lou and I cooperated in making Beef Stroganoff.

It has been a few decades since I have been to the Skagit County Fair.

Miss Carol BD included additional text in which she explained how she came to find Linda Lou's Iced Oatmeal Bars and Blackberry Hand Pies.

"I was at the Skagit County Fair part of the day as two of my grandsons have 4-H pigs and one steer so Grandma needed to be there watching them. I also went and looked at the quilts, flowers and photo entries and saw Linda's entry."

Items like this tend to make me a bit homesick....

Walking Walmart To Prevent Possible Heatstroke

I do not recollect, previously, a weather warning advising that the extreme heat comes with the danger of dehydration. That and a possible heatstroke.

I shall take this warning seriously and not commune with nature, outdoors, today, other than the short exposure happening from the time I exit my abode and enter my motorized means of motion.

Followed by additional outdoor exposure when I get to the Walmart parking lot, walking from my vehicle to the air-conditioned comfort of Walmart's interior, where I will get my daily dose of endorphins acquired be aerobic activity.

And a third moment of exposure when I return to my carport parking space, and walk, outdoors, to the entry to my air-conditioned interior space...

Mom & Dad's 74th Wedding Anniversary

Every year, on this date of August 6, when I see a news source make mention of the fact that this date is the annual anniversary of the day an atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, I then remember this is also my mom and dad's wedding anniversary date.

August 6, 1951 was the day my mom and dad were joined in holy matrimony.

I came along later, along with four siblings.

The above photo documentation is from August 11, 2001 at mom and dad's 50th wedding anniversary party at my eldest sister's home in Kent, Washington, with me and my siblings standing behind mom and dad and grandma Vera, who was my mom's mom.

This event was not held on mom and dad's actual anniversary date, as that happened on a non-weekend day. Saturday, August 11 was the first weekend day available.

That date also happened to be my birthday. I was not expected to attend mom and dad's 50th party. But, I drove solo from Texas and managed to get there shortly after the scheduled start of the festivities.

After I showed up, unexpected, on my birthday, a makeshift birthday card was quickly fabricated and signed. I feigned disappointment when no birthday presents were also presented.

It is just a little hard to believe that it was 24 years ago that I drove to Washington for mom and dad's 50th. It seems so recent, in my memory.

24 years fly by so fast. I shudder when realizing how old I'll be in 24 years...

Times Record News Continues To Investigate Why Beto O'Rourke Spoke In Wichita Falls

That which you see here is a compilation of screen caps gleaned from the Wichita Falls Times Record News. That being the online version of an alleged newspaper print publication.

I cancelled my online subscription to this alleged newspaper a month or two ago. 

Why?

Well, in addition to it basically being a terrible newspaper, in the sense of covering local news, let alone other news, there was one article link which began to get on my nerves after half a year of seeing it.

I am talking about the last link in the screen cap.

"Why did Beto O'Rourke speak in Wichita Falls?"

If you click on the link there is no answer to the why did Beto speak question. Nor is there the indicated video. At least there was neither last time I was able to look, before cancelling my subscription.

And now today, when I clicked on the Times Record News link, so I could click on the AccuWeather link, which I can still click on, though no longer a subscriber, since AccuWeather is not a Times Record News publication, I saw that the why did Beto speak link has been added back to the Top Headlines list one sees on the Times Record News homepage. 

So, this link to a non-story, which has now been being featured for over half a year, is once more given more prominence.

When I cancelled my subscription, I was given the opportunity to explain why. And so I did, complaining both about the bad quality of their local news coverage and the embarrassing never ending link to the story about Beto speaking.

At some point in time during my years of being a subscriber to this newspaper I came to the conclusion that this newspaper did not employ an actual reporter. You know, a person who goes about town covering various issues.

Because of the Times Record News lack of actual reporting, we have seen no article explaining what became of the Circle Trail connection between Lucy Park and the section of the Circle Trail which trails through the Wichita Bluffs Nature Area.

We have seen no article about the creek drainage project one has witnessed being worked on for a couple years now, with no apparent end in sight.

We have seen no article about the current status of the WinCo project. The Times Record News did print the press release when WinCo let it be known it was coming to Wichita Falls, with the store opening in July. July has come and gone, with, like we already said, no article about the current status, and when WinCo will actually open.

How about an article explaining why that downtown semi-skyscraper, known as Big Blue, continues to be an eyesore in need of work?

Was there an article in the Times Record News about the mass execution of Sikes Lake geese? Or the current overly silted status of Sikes Lake, which looks to be, once again in dire need of dredging. The last time Sikes Lake was dredged the removed silt was transported to Lake Wichita Park where it was piled into the mound we refer to as Mount Wichita.

If I wanted to sit here and contemplate, I am sure I can come up with many other items which would seem to be local newsworthy, which you won't see any information about in this sad excuse for a local newspaper.

And, one day, we may finally learn why Beto O'Rourke spoke in Wichita Falls....

Big Texas Chill Thunders In Day Four Of August

A booming thunderstorm with loud roof pounding downpour of copious amounts of rain woke me up around 5 this morning of the 4th day of the 2025 version of August. An hour and a half later the thunder still booms and the rain still pours down.

For the first morning in many a morning I had no need to activate the air-conditioner. Mother Nature is currently cooling to ten degrees cooler than I set the air-conditioner to when I want it to make my interior space cooler.

I have not yet checked the weather forecast this morning to see how long this big chill is expected to last.

I suspect that by some time this morning the big chill will disappear, along with most of the cloud cover, with the sun once again doing that overheating thing it seems to like doing...

Look At Washington's Deception Pass Bridge & Fort Worth's Texas Bridge Deceptions

I saw the photo you see here, yesterday, on Facebook. A photo from my old Washington home zone.

I lived about 25 miles east of this bridge.

That tree covered hill you see rising from the far side of the bridge is known as Goose Rock. This was a frequent hiking location for me when I lived in an area with multiple such scenic hiking venues.

That structure over water, connecting those land masses is known as Deception Pass Bridge.

Seeing this photo of Deception Pass Bridge managed to bring the Texas town of Fort Worth to mind.

There were many things about Fort Worth which perplexed me upon exposure, due to much being so alien from my experience growing up in liberal, progressive, modern, Washington state.

Deception Pass Bridge was built in the early 1930s. Taking less than a year to build. Over actual water, connecting to actual islands.

This century I watched the town of Fort Worth struggle to build three simple freeway overpass type bridges, over dry land, taking seven years to do so, after a TNT explosion celebrating the start of the astonishingly long construction project.

Those Fort Worth bridges began construction around a decade after a public works project the public did not vote for, known then as the Trinity River Vision, began. A supposedly vitally needed economic development and flood control scheme. 

Flood control where no flooding had happened for over half a century due to flood control levees already in place.

So vitally needed that a quarter century after the Trinity River Vision began trying to be seen, there is little to see.

And then you have Deception Pass Bridge, built almost a century ago, over actual water, connecting three actual islands.

Fort Worth's three little bridges which took seven years to build, over day land, were, by now, supposed to have cement lined ditches dug under them, with Trinity River water diverted into the cement line ditches, creating what Fort Worth already calls Panther Island.

No, you reading this in sane America, I am not making this up. Fort Worth thinks this bizarre project will result in an island. And that this will be a popular attraction for the town.

Meanwhile, due south of "Panther Island", at the north end of downtown Fort Worth, we have Heritage Park, overlooking "Panther Island".  Heritage Park purports to celebrate Fort Worth's heritage and history. But, it has been a boarded-up eyesore since 2009. 

I first blogged about this in 2009 in Amon G. Carter Foundation Fort Worth Heritage Park Fix. And many times after that, such as Why Is Another Million Dollars Needed To Fix Fort Worth's Heritage Park Embarrassment?

A couple months ago I asked Elsie Hotpepper if Heritage Park is still a boarded up eyesore. Elsie told me such was the case. I assume I would be told otherwise if this was no longer the case.

Truly perplexing...

Frist Day Of August Noontime Thunderstorm Downpour Power Outage

Thunderstorming was on the weather menu for later today, as in, after the sun goes down.

However, whilst peacefully enjoying lunch during the noontime hour, thunder began booming in the distance, and relentlessly grew closer til I was seeing flashes and hearing booms up close.

And then the rain arrived. Downpouring copiously.

I opened my front door to take the photo you see above. The photo does not do justice to the volume of rain that is falling.

I can see a moat has already formed, making it a fun adventure to make it to the carport where my motorized means of motion sits.

Power has gone out twice in the past 10 minutes. Quickly restored.

The sky looks to be getting brighter. Methinks the worst of it may be over. For now...

Not Too HOT Walk Around Sikes Lake With Ukrainian Sunflowers

It was to nearby Sikes Lake I ventured today for my regularly scheduled daily nature communing, on this first day of the 2025 version of August.

This morning my AccuWeather weather information source indicated to me that the temperature would be 79 degrees, as measured by the Fahrenheit method, at my regular endorphin acquisition time.

When I exited my abode I was pleased to see the sun mostly blotted out by clouds. I was also pleased to feel a cooling breeze blowing.

But, the temperature was 84 degrees, according to my phone, with the humidity making it really feel like 91 degrees, also according to my phone, despite the wind and the sun being blocked.

So, my hoped for chilly nature communing did not happen.

I did come upon a new patch of sunflowers blooming near the lake shore. That is what you see photo documented above.

That big bright yellow sunflower reminded me of the recent work of the renowned Pacific Northwest artist known as Tamara El, and her recent series of painted homages to the sunflower symbol of Ukraine.

Thunderstorming is on the weather menu for later today. With more thunderstorming tomorrow, followed, supposedly, by thunderstorming and heavy rain, with possible flash flooding, on Sunday. 

I expect I shall manage to remain dry, despite the dire predictions indicating otherwise...