On Santa's Lap With Theo & Ruby

That which you see above is one of my all-time favorite photos. 

My Niece Ruby and Nephew Theo not being too happy to be sitting on Santa's lap.

Whilst big brother, Nephew David looks amused.

Ruby, Theo and David look quite young in this photo.

In a couple days Ruby and Theo turn 15 years old.

Meanwhile, David is now 17 years old.

I do not know if Ruby and Theo still get unhappy when they sit on Santa's lap...

A Silver Lining From My Little Brother On The Skagit Flats

From my little brother, this morning, his current view from his location on the Skagit Flats. With the accompanying text saying, "Behind every storm is a silver lining."

The Skagit flooding turned out not to be the horrific disaster predicted.

When I asked my brother if he was back in his Skagit Flats house he replied that "I never left."

I thought an evacuation order had been given to those living on the Skagit Flats.

And yesterday morning, upon waking my computer I was shocked to see a screaming headline saying the entire town of Burlington had been ordered to evacuate due to a flash flooding Gages Slough. And that the National Guard was facilitating the evacuation.

Well.

Turns out my old hometown of Burlington did not evacuate. Gages Slough only flooded part of Rio Vista Avenue. And did not flood nearby Lucille Umbarger Elementary, where I did my grade schooling. 

When I first read the Gages Slough flash flood news it made no sense to me that this could cause the entire town to need to be evacuated.

Most of the town is at a higher elevation than Gages Slough. No way, I thought, water from that Slough could manage to reach the house I grew up in, a couple blocks north of the Slough.

Another Atmospheric River is predicted to soon hit Washington, well before the current flood waters have receded. And the mountains are currently getting record breaking snow. Sometimes Western Washington floods are caused by a rapid rise in temperature causing a rapid melting of snow.

I fear we may be just in Part 1 of Washington's weather disaster...

Flooding Gages Slough Has National Guard Evacuating My Old Burlington Hometown

Moments ago I woke up my computer and quickly found myself shocked seeing that which I screencapped above.

The National Guard is going door to door in my old hometown of Burlington, advising residents to evacuate because Gages Slough is flooding.

The home I grew up in is about three blocks north of Gages Slough. The grade school I grade school in, Lucille Umbarger Elementary is a couple blocks south of Gages Slough.

As I began typing this post text messages arrived from my brother and Linda Lou, telling me about the Burlington evacuation. Brother Jake says he is high and dry. I assume he is being high and dry at nephew Jason's house, which is in the Mount Vernon neighborhood known as Hillcrest, well above the Skagit River.

Linda Lou is also high and dry at her abode in the Hillcrest neighborhood.

I have yet to learn if the Skagit breeched the downtown Mount Vernon floodwall.

Marked Safe From The Washington Floods

Well, this morning, on Facebook, I saw something I've never seen before. A Crisis Response Facebook posting where Facebook Friends in the area affected by the record-breaking Washington floods can mark themselves as safe, or not in the affected area. 

The Skagit River crested in Mount Vernon, sometime after midnight. I have not yet been able to learn if the flood crested over the floodwall, flooding downtown Mount Vernon.

The majority of my life was lived in Western Washington. During that time I experienced many floods. But, nothing like this one. Schools closed, stores closed, massive evacuations.

I talked to Linda Lou, yesterday. I asked what the rain was like, which is being called an Atmospheric River, that produced this massive flooding.

Linda Lou told me the rain was heavier than any she has ever experienced. That she drove from Mount Vernon to Burlington, in the downpour, with traffic moving about 5 miles per hour.

In a couple hours I will try to reach my little brother, hoping to find out that the flooding of the Skagit Flats did not reach his abode, or nephew Joey's, next door to brother Jake.

Brother Jake Evacuation Order Ahead Of Historic Skagit Flood

Above screencap from the Seattle Times. Evacuation orders have gone out, via phone text messages to those in the flood plains of the Washington rivers. 

And, apparently, the flood is expected to top Mount Vernon's floodwall, which could result in disaster for downtown Mount Vernon, which lies well below river level when the Skagit River run high, but, til now, has never run high enough to top flood prevention measures, which, before the floodwall, consisted of a wall of sandbags.

When I woke up my phone this morning I saw I had a text message from my little brother, Jake.

Jake's text message included the above image, along with the following message...

"Just got an evacuation notice on my phone for Conway and Mount Vernon area."

When I read the message I assumed the image was the evacuation notice. When I got the image off the phone I realized it was a photo my little brother took from KOMO News, on his TV.

I can stream KOMO, KING and KIRO on my TV. Methinks I shall be doing a lot of that the next couple days.

Daylight Visit To MSU's Fantasy Of Lights While My Old Washington Home Floods

With the temperature well above freezing it was to MSU (Midwestern State University) I ventured on this second Wednesday of the 2025 version of December.

Only 15 days til Christmas.

As you can see, via the photo documentation, blue is the dominant color in the sky, currently.

This year's installation of MSU's Fantasy of Lights began arriving before Halloween. Each year since I have been here the Fantasy is mostly the same, but always with a few tweaks, here and there.

Last I looked, rain is not in the current forecast, at my location, well into the future.

Let's go check the current forecast. Well, there now is precipitation predicted, in 14 days, on Christmas Eve, in the form of rain, but possibly snow.

Meanwhile up in my old Washington home zone, the Pacific Northwest has been hit with two atmospheric rivers, dropping record breaking amounts of water.

I heard from my little brother Jake this morning, after I texted him, asking him if it's as bad as the news is making it sound. Little brother told me they've been told to be prepared to evacuate on Friday. So, he is packed up and ready to flee to higher ground.

Brother Jake's home is on Beaver Marsh Road, on the Skagit Flats, next door to his youngest son, my Favorite Nephew Joey, father of Hank Frank.

Joey's big brother, Jason, has been escaping the Washington rain by having an extended stay in Hawaii. But, Jason is coming home early, because of the predicted bad flooding.

The Skagit River is the big river flowing through the Skagit Valley. There also is the Samish River. And other creek type water flows, which also flood.

The current flooding is predicted to likely be record breaking.

The last real bad flooding in the Skagit Valley was back in the 1990s. At that point in time, I stayed up well past midnight, joining hundreds filling sandbags building a sandbag wall to protect downtown Mount Vernon.

The crest was predicted to happen around 11 that morning. I joined the throngs downtown watching the river rise. Just as the river was about to go over the sandbag wall, the level suddenly dropped. Everyone was stunned, flabbergasted, did not know what happened.

Within a short time sirens were blaring, helicopters were in the air, and at some point we learned the Fir Island dike had breached, downstream a few miles, near the mouth of the Skagit River, flooding Fir Island, doing a lot of damage, but sparing downtown Mount Vernon from getting flooded for the first time.

And then in this century Mount Vernon rebuilt its waterfront, adding a Dutch designed flood wall which could be erected quickly by just a couple workers.

I think the current flood may be the first time the Mount Vernon Skagit flood wall will hopefully keep downtown Mount Vernon un-flooded.

Making Linda Lou's Turkey Tetrazzini Without Linda Lou's Help

What you are seeing here is a 9 x 13 casserole dish filled with something called Turkey Tetrazzini.

A few days ago Washington's Linda Lou called me and during the course of the call made mention of the great success she had turning leftover turkey into Turkey Tetrazzini.

Linda Lou told me the various ingredients which turned into Turkey Tetrazzini and said she'd send me the recipe.

Well, I found myself with a large supply of leftover turkey, but no incoming recipe from Linda Lou.

So, I Googled and found a Tetrazzini recipe with ingredients which matched much of what Linda Lou mentioned.

And so, lunch this first Sunday of the 2025 version of December will feature as its star attraction, Turkey Tetrazzini.

I have a kitchen history with Linda Lou which goes back decades, all the way back to early grade school.

In high school Linda Lou put on Fondue Parties to which one coveted an invitation.

My most recent kitchen history with Linda Lou took place in October of 2018, in my mom's kitchen in Sun Lakes, Arizona.

At that kitchen point in time Linda Lou and I made Beef Stroganoff. It was a mostly seamless operation with the only moment of contention debating the proper way to prepare fresh mushrooms.

I suspect at some point in time in the future I will find myself visiting Washington and having some kitchen time in Linda Lou's Mount Vernon kitchen...

Fogged In December In North Texas

The morning view from my bedroom window on this first Saturday, also known as Day 6 of the 2025 version of December dawned super foggy at my North Texas location.

Such seems so odd when so distant from a large body of water, like an ocean.

This is the foggiest I ever remember it being at my current location.

I remember one October, back in the previous century, at my old Washington location, the entire month was fogged in.

My Washington location was just a few miles east of the body of water known as Puget Sound, which is directly connected to the Pacific Ocean.

I have zero clue what produced this morning's dense fog. There was a little drizzle yesterday, before noon, but not much.

I think I likely will do my nature communing indoors today. Likely at Walmart...

Re-Visiting Wichita Falls World's Littlest Skyscraper

Saw this this morning on Facebook. The World's Littlest Skyscraper.

It's downtown Wichita Falls most famous tourist attraction. There is even a Wikipedia article about it, which you can read by clicking that link in the previous paragraph.

The informational text which accompanied the photo on Facebook...

The Newby–McMahon Building built in 1919 is commonly referred to as the world's littlest skyscraper standing at 40ft / 12m located in Wichita Falls, Texas.

The building has survived tornadoes, a fire, and decades of neglect. The building has never met the criteria for the definition of a skyscraper nor even that of a high-rise. Regardless, but it is certified a national registered historic landmark by the United States Department of the Interior.

I drive by the World's Littlest Skyscraper whenever I visit the downtown Wichita Falls Public Library. And have seen it up close a couple times, reading the historic landmark plaque.

I do not know if any of the downtown Wichita Falls building are tall enough to be considered skyscrapers. Maybe just tall enough to be considered high rises. 

One of the downtown Wichita Falls tall buildings is known as Big Blue, due to the blue cladding that covers its outer walls. I thought Big Blue was real tacky looking the first time I saw it, and every time since then. Removing the blue cladding would be a big improvement...

Microsoft OneDrive Remembering Mount Baker & The Skagit Flats

A Microsoft OneDrive Memory from this Day, that I do remember, and which could have happened on this day in early December.

But, I think it was more likely in October, with the year being 2005.

That big pile of white hovering in the background is one of Washington's five volcanoes.

Mount Baker.

The foreground is what is known as the Skagit Flats. We are heading north on Interstate 5, a few miles south of Mount Vernon. The birds you see are swans. Flocks of swans migrate yearly through the Skagit Flats.

In my house in Mount Vernon, the one I lived in before moving to Texas, I could look out my living room and kitchen windows and see Mount Baker.

Looking out my current abode's various windows, I see nothing scenic in the distance, or close, no matter what direction I look...

Freezing Sikes Lake Nature Communing On Last Day Of November

With the temperature chilled to two degrees above freezing, in other words, 34 degrees as measured via the Fahrenheit method, with a strong wind making those 34 degrees feel like the temperature was in the teens, according to the radio weather report I heard whilst taking a brisk walk around Sikes Lake, I had myself some chilly nature communing on this final Sunday and final day of the 2025 version of November.

The photo documentation does not look as cold and windy as was the reality. 

Last night's low was below freezing for the first time since last winter. Freezing had been predicted a week or so ago, but my location did not freeze.

But, last night freezing arrived, as evidence by my neighbor's vegetable garden getting obliterated. 

Up til now the way the neighbor's tomato plants seemed to be thriving, we thought they might make it til the actual arrival of winter.

Last Christmas a Washingtonian gifted me thickly lined Land's End sweatpants, which I never wore, til today, figuring all that lined insulation would cause me to overheat. Such was not the case today. Not even remotely close to overheating.

Today I made the foolish mistake of not having my hands covered with gloves. Upon returning to my abode I located my decade's old ski gloves. 

My cross-country skis made the move to Texas, but not the move from Fort Worth to Wichita Falls.

There has been a time or two where the cross-country skis would have been fun here in Wichita Falls, with the Circle Trail snow-covered.

The Circle Trail runs right by my abode. The Circle Trail through the hilly Wichita Bluffs Nature Area would be fun on cross-country skis too.

I shall see if Amazon sells cross-country skis. I doubt any store here does...

Chilly Day After Thanksgiving At Lucy Park

It was back to Lucy Park I ventured on this day after Thanksgiving, for some nature communing along with burning some of the excessive calories gained from yesterday's Thanksgiving buffet.

As you can see via the photo documentation, the deciduous trees have lost all their leaves. The evergreen trees remain green, because that is how they are programmed.

Whilst walking a strong wind was blowing. The temperature was chilled into the low 50s, with that strong wind making it feel real cold. 

A few days ago I was at Lucy Park in shorts and tank top. And I overheated. Today I was in sweatpants, hooded sweatshirt, wool hat. And I did not overheat. Instead I got cold.

Winter is less than a month away. Not looking forward to freezing temperatures and snow. 

Christmas Before Halloween & Thanksgiving

Christmas, 2025's version, at my location on the planet, seems to have arrived way earlier than I remember being the case in previous years.

Christmas decorations began showing up before Halloween.

MSU's (Midwestern State University's) Fantasy of Lights installation was mostly completely installed, before Halloween.

My next-door neighbor had the twinkling lights, inflated Santa, reindeer and giant candy canes, in place, and lit up, before Halloween.

The most over the top early Christmas display is the one you see photo documented above, with the photo taken this morning on my way to WinCo. My camera could only capture part of this display in one photo. 

Every year, since I have been in Wichita Falls, this has been the biggest Christmas display I see, with each year more than the year before.

This is located on Hamilton Boulevard, across from Hamilton Park, in the area north of my abode which I refer to as the Beverly Hills of Wichita Falls.

I am ready for tomorrow's Part 2 of the annual Holiday Season. No turkey will be seen in my abode tomorrow....

Sunday Lucy Park Duck Pond Nature Communing

On this next to last Sunday of the 2025 version of November, with winter less than a month away, it was back to Lucy Park I ventured on this sunny day, to commune with nature.

I usually park at the Lucy Park log cabin parking lot when doing Lucy Park nature communing. Today I opted to break that repetitive pattern and instead parked at the Lucy Park duck pond parking lot.

Which would make that, in the photo above, a look at one section of the scenic Lucy Park duck pond, currently populated by more geese than ducks.

With more than two-thirds of fall already gone, the leaves in the trees have mostly fallen, rendering the landscape much less green than just a short time ago. Now yellows and browns are the predominate color screen, though we do see some green in the above photo documentation.

The temperature was barely in the 50s when I was in nature communing mode. But, I did not feel at all chilly, even though I did not have on cold weather outerwear, just my regular nature communing attire of shorts and a tank top. 

Rain and thunderstorms are on the weather menu for later today, and tomorrow. 

Thursday Evening Walmart Rainbow Brightens My Drippy Texas Sky

Exiting Walmart this Thursday evening, one week before 2025's Thanksgiving Thursday, I saw something I've not seen in a long long long time.

A rainbow.

Well, part of a rainbow. Most of the bow was blocked by clouds.

I was not the only one who took to photo documenting this rare event which does not often happen in this overly dry location on the planet.

But, starting yesterday evening, rain has been falling off and on. But never at the flash flood downpour mode which had been predicted. There have been a few lightning strikes and thunder booms, but not of the strong thunderstorm sort which had also been predicted.

Even though we are nearing the end of November, I have had my interior climate control set back to air-conditioning mode for several days now, after our short bout of cold temperatures abated. Currently the outer world is being chilled to a relatively cool 68 degrees. 

I suspect by morning I will be switching my interior climate control from air-conditioning, back to heat mode.

Balmy November Walk Around Sikes Lake Before Rain Pours Down

I have been a bit lax the past several days with my usually regularly scheduled bouts of nature communing.

With a lot of rain on the weather menu for the next couple days I decided to get outside and enjoy being under the clear blue sky before the deluging arrives.

And so, it was to Sikes Lake I ventured, which would make the above photo documentation the view from the rocky east shore of the lake, looking southwest.

I had a lot on my mind in need of contemplating whilst communing with nature. Pondering serious subjects, like dementia and Alzheimer's.

No, it is not my mind I am currently afraid of faltering. But, of late I have had some disturbing personal interactions which had me wondering if it was some level of dementia or Alzheimer's I was experiencing.

We had a couple days about a week ago where the temperature got near freezing. Cold enough to switch the interior climate control to heat mode. And then a heat wave arrived, necessitating reactivating the interior climate control's cool mode.

Winter arrives in a little over a month. I hope it is mild winter, with no repeat of that sub-zero deep freeze of a few winters ago...

Remembering Aunt Alice In Tootsie Tonasket Mode

That which you see here showed up this Monday morning in my email. A Microsoft OneDrive Memory of this Day.

As is usually the case, I've no clue why this is a memory of this day.

What we see here, in cowgirl mode, is the Washington entity known as Tootsie Tonasket. Also known as my Aunt Alice. And Alice O'Della. And Alice Hudson.

Clearly, Tootsie Tonasket is known by a lot of different names.

Every year a town near Tonasket, called Omak, has a rodeo type event known as the Omak Stampede.

I suspect Aunt Alice is in Omak Stampede mode in the photo, under an over-sized cowboy hat.

I cannot tell for sure if Aunt Alice is packing heat, via a six shooter, in a holster fastened around her waist.

What I do know for sure, you do not want to tangle with Aunt Alice. Aunt Alice is one tough cookie, with or without a loaded weapon.

Aunt Alice can win a fight just by lashing out with her sharp wit. 

I found myself in a Battle of Wits once with Aunt Alice. I lost the battle, followed by a long recovery period...

Microsoft's OneDrive Horse Memories From Today

That which you see above showed up in my email this morning. A Microsoft OneDrive Memory from this day.

I do remember the memory, but I've no idea what day this memory is remembered.

My first Texas home location was in the hamlet of Haslet, located at the north end of Fort Worth, the puny skyline of which one could see in the distance.

The Haslet home location was sort of a ranch, sprawling over 10 acres. With a couple cows, and the three horses you see visiting in the backyard.

The horses were smart critters. They figured out how to open the gate to the backyard. One time they did this when the weather was in extreme heat wave mode. The horses could see the pool in the backyard, opened the gate, and all three got in the pool, which you can see behind the horses in the photo.

It was a bit difficult to get the horses out of the pool. It was a bad experience for the three boys, which they knew not to repeat.

Sunday Blown Cold Off Wichita Bluff Nature Area To Lucy Park

The leaves in the trees at my North Texas location have finally received the memo telling them it is time to change the color of the leaves from green to eye pleasing shades of golden yellow.

Even the Wichita River, as seen in the above photo documentation, is matching the new leaf colors, viewed this second Sunday of 2025's November, in Lucy Park.

A bit before 11 this morning I drove to the west entry to the Wichita Bluffs Nature Area for my nature communing. The temperature was barely in the 50s. A strong wind was busy blowing. I exited my vehicle and re-entered it a few seconds later, deciding it was too cold, and that nearby Lucy Park, would not be as exposed to the gusting wind.

Tonight the temperature is again predicted to dip below freezing, into the 20s. The past few days there have been freeze warnings, but no freezing has happened. I suspect such will no longer be the case by tomorrow morning.

Will tomorrow be that dreaded day where I switch my climate control from air-conditioning cooling, to heat mode? I hope not....

Microsoft One Drive Broaster Memory With Wendy, Beth & Urbs

Today's is one of the goofiest Microsoft OneDrive Memories from this Day yet to have shown up in my email.

I am fairly certain the above memory did not happen in November. 

This photo memory is an advertisement. Found in my high school senior year annual.

I am fairly certain this was in the Broaster Cafe in Mount Vernon. A cafe which years later turned into the new location of the Mexico Cafe.

The Mexico Cafe is a fond memory. It is where I learned to like Mexican food.

In the photo, that is me on the left, looking in need of a haircut. Sitting next to Wendy Newman. On the other side of the table, across from me, is the entity then known as Beth Schuerman (I hope I spelled that right), sitting next to her future first husband, Martin Barnes, more commonly known as Urbs.

I do not know why Urbs is cut out of the photo. 

I was on the annual team, as was, I think, Beth. I do not think either of us would have cropped out Urbs.

I wonder if time is wasted nowadays producing hard copy high school annuals. Or is it all an online production these days?

What I find remarkable, seeing this photo, is the clearly obvious fact that myself, Wendy and Beth have barely aged at all, still looking pretty much like teenagers, decades later...

Sunny Sikes Lake Nature Communing

On day three of 2025's November, also known as Monday, it was back to Sikes Lake I ventured for some salubrious outdoor activity.

Which would make the photo documentation you see above the view looking south from the bridge at the north end of Sikes Lake.

As you can see, it is a totally clue blue sky day at my North Texas location. What you cannot see is the temperature is in the low 70s, heading to a high today in the 80s.

We made it through the recent couple days of freeze warnings without the temperature getting anywhere near 32 degrees, as measured by the Fahrenheit method. I do not know how long the current semi-heat wave is predicted to last.

Since this is the first Monday of a new month, if I was up north in my old Washington home zone,
I might consider going to a Burlington restaurant called Coconut Kenny's, where every first Monday, unless a conflict prevents it, a group from my high school class meets.

A monthly high school reunion.

To each his or her own, but for me, I feel like I get totally enough high school reunion experience on Facebook...

Sunday Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle Hike With Tyrannosaurus Rex

 On this first Sunday of 2025's November, it was to Lucy Park I ventured for some salubrious nature communing gained via joining the throngs, well, three other people, hiking the Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle.

Before entering the Backwoods Jungle I stopped to admire and photo document the Lucy Park archeological site.

No signage informs the observer which creature's remains the observer is observing.

Methinks it looks like it may be the remains of a T-rex.

Let's see if I can spell the full name without getting red flagged.

Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Spelled correctly on almost the first try. I was missing an 'n'.

Continuing on from the Lucy Park archeological site I soon entered the Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle.

The Wichita River is looking peaceful and serene as it flows through the jungle. This location is near where I encountered the biggest snake I have ever come across whilst in the outer world. That was several years ago.

Currently it is too cold for snakes to be slithering. A few weeks ago, when the outer world was heated closer to 100 than freezing I would have been vigilantly on the lookout for snakes as I made my way through the dense jungle.

Returning to Standard Time has caused me some confusion. Every six months I have trouble remembering how to change the time on some of my devices. I am grateful for the devices which can change the time without any input from me, like my phone, the TV, and the computer.

It is almost noon, Standard Time. My stomach is still on Daylight Savings Time, thus hungry. This calls for an early lunch today...

First November Nature Communing Around Peaceful Sikes Lake

It was to dead calm Sikes Lake I ventured on this first day of the 2025 version of November, for some much-needed salubrious nature communing, after last night's exhausting Halloween debauchery.

The photo documentation view is looking southwest from the rocky east shore of my favorite neighborhood lake.

My other neighborhood lake, Weeks Lake, is too small to be considered for favorite status. Weeks Lake does have a paved trail around it, with an offshoot trail which heads up a slight bluff, terminating at a gazebo, with a view of the lake.

I have never used the Weeks Lake trail for salubrious nature communing. I have used the Weeks Lake gazebo for peaceful contemplation purposes, a time or two.

27 days til I don't bake a turkey for Thanksgiving. I decided this morning I am not going to go through that whole regular ritual with all the trimmings. 

I think I'll have pizza, or some similar favored food item.

Happy Halloween From Disneyland With Goofy, Cade and Cambri June

I had my phone muted til a couple minutes ago. When I un-muted it I saw I had an incoming text message, with photo documentation, sent from a California town called Anaheim, and a specific location called Disneyland.

The text message...

"Took the grandkids to Disneyland for a few days. Too much fun!!!"

And the photo documentation is that which you see above.

Left to right, my absolutely favorite brother-in-law, Jack, standing next to his first wife, my second youngest sister, Jackie. 

Goofy is standing next to Jackie. We aren't related.

Then we have my one and only niece-in-law, Carissa, holding baby Cambri June, who can't be more than four months old. That would make that Carissa's first husband, my no longer little nephew, Christoper, holding his first born, Cade Christopher Weston.

Are there any Disneyland rides geared for little babies that are months from being able to walk? 

Seeing this has me realizing it has been almost 30 years since I have been to Disneyland. Christmas day, 1995. Stayed til closing time. Was so exhausted by the end of that day at Disneyland. 

Seeing a photo of little Cade is a tad startling. Cade looks just like his dad looked when he was a little kid. Cade's dad was such a fun little kid. The memories seem so recent, but they are decades old.

I wonder if the reason the Westons are in the Los Angeles zone is because they thought they might be going to a World Series game.

I remember the last time the Mariners had a real good season it was in the 1990s. They played in the now long-gone Kingdome. I remember watching one of those games from the McDonald's luxury suite, high up in the Kingdome.

This memory came up recently, with me not able to remember how I got to the Kingdome that day. Was it my sister or my brother-in-law who guided me to the McDonald's suite? Had to have been one of them, or both.

Anyway, Happy Halloween, everyone!

Strong Wind Blows Me To Lucy Park For Chilly Nature Communing

At my Texas location on the planet the wind has been busy blowing hard the last two days, with gusts nearing 50 miles per hour.

I am just about 100% this particular wind gusting has nothing to do with that super powerful Melissa Hurricane which is wreaking havoc a few miles to the east and south of my location.

It was to Lucy Park I opted to venture for some nature communing and endorphin acquisition and dodging blowing debris.

As you can see via the photo documentation of the Lucy Park suspension bridge over the Wichita River, the leaves have only barely began to lose their green color. That green color may start rapidly departing after tonight, as the first freeze of the freezing season is predicted for the next couple nights.

The wind chill today had me out of shorts and in sweatpants and a long sleeve shirt for the first time in many months. Seems weird to go so rapidly from being in the 90s a couple days ago, to freezing tonight.

The route to Lucy Park takes me by MSU (Midwestern State University). I was shocked, shocked I tell you, to see the annual MSU Christmas display is already arriving. I forget the formal name of this HUGE installation. I think it is Burns something or other.

We have not even arrived at Halloween yet. Why is Christmas arriving so soon?

Nature Communing On Lake Wichita Dam Whilst Staying Off The Dam's Hazardous Spillway

With the weather forecast forecasting thunderstorms and heavy rain for this next to last Friday of the 2025 version of October, it was to Lake Wichita Dam I ventured for some salubrious outdoor nature communing and potential lightning strike dodging whilst totally exposed to such on the Circle Trail on top of the dam.

But, no lightning struck, or could be seen striking in any direction. And nary a drop of rain dripped whilst I was out and about, exposed to the elements.

In the photo above I am about to walk out on the Lake Wichita Boardwalk. This is an extremely nice addition to the lake, which was added a couple years ago.

And now we are at the end of the boardwalk, looking northwest at the Mount Wichita pseudo volcano, in the distance.

It has been a few years, I think pre-COVID, when last I trekked to the summit of Mount Wichita. The trek had seemed to have become a tad treacherous, so not wanting to twist an ankle, or worse, I terminated doing any local mountain climbing.

The bizarre sign you see above has been added since last I visited this location, where a spur off the Circle Trail leads to overlooking the Lake Wichita dam's spillway.

The bizarre sign says...

DANGER!
HAZARDOUS RECIRCULATING

CURRENTS BELOW THIS DAM

CAN TRAP AND DROWN A VICTIM

So, why would I say that this sign is a bit bizarre. Well. It has been years, maybe also not since pre-COVID, that I have seen Lake Wichita at a high enough level that water was spilling over the spillway.

There may have been a time or two in the past several years where enough rain fell to cause some water to spill over the spillway for a short period, but not long enough to drown the vegetation that has grown thick near the dam's spillway.

And certainly not at a level to present any sort of danger to anyone foolish enough to climb out on the dam's spillway that was currently spilling water.

We are no past noon. And still not even a hint of anything stormy....

Sunny Semi-Chilly October Wednesday Sikes Lake Walk Around

The outer world temperature at my North Texas location dropped into the 40s, last night, as measured by the Fahrenheit method.  Thus, I found need of a thin blanket in the middle of the night.

The big chill has not cooled the running water which runs into my abode enough to make a cold shower need some hot water added.

An hour and a half before noon, on this next to last Wednesday of the 2025 version of October, the temperature had risen to 70 degrees, again as measured by that aforementioned Fahrenheit method.

Which made for a pleasant, sunny, semi-cool walk around Sikes Lake, which you see photo documented above, from the lake's rocky east shore, looking slightly southwest.

The next few days are predicted to be stormy, with the storms in the form of rain and thunderstorms.

And continued semi-chilly temperatures

Windy Shadow of The Lucy Park Thin Man Hiking Backwoods Jungle

 

It was to Lucy Park I ventured this next to last Monday of the 2025 version of October, for some extremely breezy nature communing, with wind gusts nearing 50 mph at times.

You can sort of see my shorts are being wind whipped, via the above photo documentation of the Shadow of the Lucy Park Thin Man.

For many months now I have not been able to hike the trail around the Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle, because the last time the Wichita River went into flood mode it left behind a big log jam on top of the trail, with extremely tall grass preventing walking around the log jam.

One does not make their way through extremely tall grass in a place where one has seen extremely big snakes.

Today, when I saw the tall grass had been mowed, I was optimistic the log jam had been removed. But, as you can see via the photo below, the log jam is still jamming the original Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle trail.

But, what you cannot see in the photo of the log jam is that a new trail has been blazed, around the log jam. 

So, for the first time in a long time I was able to hike the entire Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle. This pleased me greatly.

I can tell I acquired a lot of endorphins today....

Continuing Bad Beto Wichita Falls Times Record News Experience With NO KINGS Protest Info

This morning when I clicked on the link to the Wichita Falls Times Record News to do my regular morning click on the link to AccuWeather to see what Mother Nature has in store for me for the day, I also scanned through the news headlines.

I scanned through the news headlines because I wanted to see if this town's sad excuse for a newspaper had an article about yesterday's large turnout in Hamilton Park for the NO KINGS Protest.

Nope. Nary a word.

I cancelled my online subscription to this sad excuse for a newspaper months ago. At that point in time I took the comment opportunity to comment that among the many reasons I was cancelling, one of the primary reasons was that for months the list of Top Headlines one sees on the Times Record News home page is "Why did Beto O'Rourke speak in Wichita Falls?".

Back when my subscription was still active, enabling me to click on a headline link, doing so on the Why did Beto O'Rourke speak in Wichita Falls? link opened a page on which there was little information, including no answer to that extremely important question asking why Beto spoke in this town.

As you can see, via the screen cap of today's Times Record News, that vital Beto question is still being asked.

Particularly galling is that note, under the Top Headlines, inside a blue lined rectangle, saying, "We're always working to improve your experience. Let us know what you think."

I let them know what I thought about my experience months ago, but I am still waiting for my experience to be improved.

I never see the hard copy version of this town's sad excuse for a newspaper. Is it any better than the online version? Does the hard copy version repeat that Beto headline day after day after month after month, like the online version does?

I would hope not....

My Old Burlington Washington Hometown NO KING Protest Today

As more and more info comes in about today's NO KINGS Protests 2.0 it is looking like this is shaping up to be an historical event of the rare sort.

I do not remember protests, previously, world-wide, in support of America, in a time of America being in dire need of support.

I don't know if America has ever been at this level of dire support need before, of the current sort, except for, maybe, the Civil War, long ago.

The above image I screen capped from Facebook, moments ago. Today's scene in my old hometown of Burlington, Washington.

A small town. Only about 3,000 in population when I was a resident. Currently closer to 10,000. 

Burlingtonians turned out, on both sides of the town's biggest road, now known as Burlington Boulevard, previously known as Highway 99, before Interstate 5 arrived in the 1960s, a short distance to the west.

The Skagit Breaking Facebook post from which I screen capped the above photo was a video. The video was well done and showed how HUGE the turnout was in Burlington. I can share the Facebook post, on Facebook, but not copy the video to this blog post.

I wish today's NO KINGS Protest in Wichita Falls was as well done, and lively, as I am seeing elsewhere in America, and all over the world....

No Kings At Nephew Jason's Anacortes Washington Fidalgo Drive-In

 Just arrived, email from my Favorite Nephew, Jason, subject "No Kings at Fidalgo Drive-In".

Email included a video, which required enabling something called a Google Drive, or some such thing.

I then made the above screen cap from the video.

There was a lot of horn honking in the video, unlike the no horns honking at the Wichita Falls No Kings Protest I briefly attended a couple hours ago. Set in a park, not on a street.

The Fidalgo Drive-In is in Anacortes, with the main drag, the road which the Fidalgo Drive-In is on, called Commerical Avenue, if I am remembering correctly.

A great location for a protest march, unlike having such in a park.

I've also now seen a video of the No Kings Protest in my other favorite Texas town, Fort Worth. It  was/is HUGE.

From what I have seen most of these protests have been in protest march mode. not stationary, like the one in the town I am in.

Including the HUGE protest marches I've seen photo documented in other countries.

The No Kings Protest 2.0 appears to be historically HUGE, world-wide. Being optimistic, and likely naive, maybe this will be the turning point which heads us back to America being normal again, rather than seeming to be run by lunatics from an insane asylum.

Wichita Falls Hamilton Park Rainy No Kings Protest 2.0

By the time I arrived at Hamilton Park for the No Kings Protest the HUGE Hamilton Park parking lot was full.

I did not bring an umbrella with me, as the rain had ceased raining by the time I left my abode. But, rain had again begun raining by the time I reached Hamilton Park.

Not wanting to get rain soaked my No Kings Protest consisted of a couple drive-bys, snapping photos through my window. With the result being I was only able to photo document a little of the protesting crowd.

I do not know why No Kings Protest 2.0 was switched to Hamilton Park from the No Kings Protest 1.0, which took place in downtown Wichita Falls. 

That protest, last July, saw a lot of protesting action in the form of people driving by, honking their horns. Such drive-by horn honking protest action is not possible at the Hamilton Park location.

My arrival was early in today's 2-hour protest time. With the crowd already noticeably, significantly larger than the July downtown protest crowd.

Had the inclement weather not kept some protestors from protesting, I don't know where they would have parked had they opted to brave the rain and occasional lightning strikes.

Wichita Falls Thunderstorming For No Kings Protest 2.0

An hour, or so, after daybreak broke on this third Saturday morning of the 2025 version of October, a violent thunderstorm arrived, along with heavy rain and wind gusts, as you can see via the photo documentation of the view from my kitchen window.

Well, you can sort of see the heavy rain, but not the wind gusts.

When daybreak did break this morning, I looked out my bedroom window and saw extremely dark clouds, with lightning strikes, in the distance. So distant I heard no thunder, at that point in time.

The menacing looking dark clouds were to the south, over the next county in that direction, known as Archer County.

Yesterday I saw no weather forecasts forecasting any storm action.

It is an hour and a half til the start of the Wichita Falls version of No Kings Protest 2.0. 

The weather forecast is currently now forecasting storm action during the protest time frame.

The Wichita Falls version of No Kings Protest 1.0, took place in downtown Wichita Falls and featured a surprising, to me, large crowd. Along with a lot of people driving by showing support via horn honking.

Today's Wichita Falls No Kings Protest 2.0 is taking place less than a mile north of my home location.

In Hamilton Park.

Hamilton Park is accessed via Hamilton Boulevard.

Hamiliton Boulevard is one of the roads in the Wichita Falls area I have long referred to as the Beverly Hill of Wichita Falls. Due to so many giant mansions with massive yards.

I'm thinking my participation in No Kings Protest 2.0 is now weather dependent. I rather enjoyed the previous No Kings Protest, back in July. Today's is predicted to be larger.

We shall see....

Microsoft Remembering Linda Lou In Arizona Stroganoffing South Mountain

Today's Microsoft OneDrive Memories from this Day are a rare instance where my memory indicates the memory could have happened on this October day of a year gone by.

The year would be 2018.

Seven years ago.

During the time frame of the years 2017 through 2019 I found myself flying and driving to Arizona multiple times.

One of those times was in October of 2018, staying a month in an Airbnb in Sun Lakes, Arizona.

Whilst I was in Arizona, that October, Miss Linda Lou, from Washington, flew down to stay with us in the Airnb for a few days.

During that time frame I had me a mighty fine time driving Linda Lou, Big Ed and my mom to a lot of fun Arizona locations, including South Mountain.

Which is where we were heading when I took the above photo of Linda Lou pointing at a cactus forest, with South Mountain in the background.

As early as way back in our grade school days, Linda Lou and I enjoyed having fun in a kitchen making something.

During Linda Lou's Arizona stay she and I had fun in my mom's kitchen, making Beef Stroganoff. It felt quite deja vu. The only controversy I recollect was some small dispute regarding how to handle fresh mushrooms.

It is seeming hard to believe that mushroom controversy was seven years ago. So much has happened since then. Some good, most not so good. 

Successful Wichita Falls Winco Foods Shopping On 2nd Grand Opening Day

Day two of the Wichita Falls Winco Grand Opening found open parking spaces, easy to park in, and, unlike yesterday, no long line waiting to enter the store.

Even though the parking lot appeared to be almost full, inside the store was not too crowded, as you can see via the photo documentation.

There were some congested areas, though.

I was able to get a dozen Winco bagels, grind some peanut butter, and get some other stuff.

Checkout was painless. No line, plenty of checkers.

The shoppers seemed to be having a mighty fine time. As did I. 

The free sushi sample was the first time I've had sushi in quite a while. I'd forgotten that Winco has a sushi station.

The new Wichita Falls Winco Foods is the biggest I have been in. Bigger than the ones I've been in in the Dallas/Fort Worth zone. Bigger than the ones I've been in in Arizona.

I won't miss going to Walmart, way too often...

Wichita Falls Winco Foods Grand Opening Surprise

For many months now, it seems, I have been looking forward to the opening of Winco Foods.

I learned to like Winco whilst living in the Dallas/Fort Worth zone. And on my many visits to Arizona. 

Winco makes my all-time favorite bagels. Among many other things I like.

Such as Winco's huge bulk foods section.

And Winco's grind it yourself peanut butter.

I knew Winco would have a huge impact on the Wichita Falls grocery store scene, due to prior to Winco, it has seemed to me, Wichita Falls has been ill served in the grocery store department.

So, I headed to today's Winco Grand Opening about a half hour after the official Grand Opening time of 9 this Monday morning of October 13.

I figured there would not be many people at the Winco Grand Opening, due to it seemed to me to be unlikely many locals knew anything about Winco. That and the awkward way one currently gets to Winco's parking lot, a one-way freeway frontage road, awaiting the completion of a second connecting road to the Winco parking lot.

As soon as I got on the frontage road I saw traffic was backed up, turning on to the road that connects to the Winco parking lot.

A solid line of vehicles.

Soon I realized the solid line of vehicles was looking for a place to park, with the line leaving was giving up on that search.

The photo I took at the top, as I slowly drove along, does little justice to the actual congestion level.

Eventually an even more surprising scene came into view.

That surprising scene was a long line of people queuing up to wait their turn to enter Winco. Was this a natural backup, due to the store being solidly packed? Or was there someone controlling entry to the store? 

 And here you see how long the line was of people waiting their turn to enter Winco.

Free samples, while they lasted, were mentioned in the Winco ad which arrived in my mailbox a few days ago.

If one did get inside the store I am assuming there would be long lines to sample anything free. Or to grind some peanuts. Or bag some bagels.

And, imagine the long wait to get to a checker or a self checkout station.

So, I opted to limit my today Winco Grand Opening experience to being a drive-by experience. 

Bagels and peanut butter can wait for another day...

Low Sunday Sikes Lake Tide Waiting For Winco To Open Tomorrow

This second Sunday of the 2025 version of October has Sikes Lake in what looks like low tide mode, with a large flock of ducks mucking about looking for something to eat.

Seems like the ducks should be flocking south for the coming winter. Or is this already their winter southern location?

The outer world is still being way too warm at my southern location. The high will hit the 90s again today, with no predicted temperature relief in the near predicted future.

The speed controlling chain on my bedroom ceiling fan broke last night, when I pulled on it to turn the fan on. So, I have nothing spinning overhead in my bedroom. The A/C seems to be sufficing, so far, making the lack of a ceiling fan bearable til repaired tomorrow.

The walk around Sikes Lake was pleasant today, not too hot, only in the low 80s. And breezy. There seems to be an increase of people enjoying the outer world now that it has become more pleasant, temperature-wise.

Tomorrow brings a big change in my regular routine of going grocery hunting at Walmart. Winco is having its Grand Opening tomorrow.

When I lived in the DFW zone I never grocery shopped at Walmart, even though it was nearby. I instead drove the few extra miles to Winco.

The Wichita Falls Winco is real close to ALDI, and way closer than the DFW Winco I used to drive to.

Losing Weight Walking Around Sunny Sikes Lake

On this second Friday of the 2025 version of October, I opted to use the trails around nearby Sikes Lake to get me some much-needed endorphins, which renders the above photo documentation to be the view looking southwest from the rocky shore of the east side of Sikes Lake.

When I looked northwest from this viewpoint I saw something which seemed a bit strange to be seeing in a bright blue sky an hour before noon.

The moon.

What looked to be a full moon was looking way too close.

I tried to take photos, but zooming in with the phone camera rendered the moon a blurry mess.

If I remember correctly, and sometimes I do, a week or two ago I made mention of the fact that I was in need of dropping about 20 pounds so I could fit into some outerwear I needed to be able to fit into so I could attend an upcoming event which requires not being casually attired.

So far, I have managed to drop around five pounds. I need to shrink to my 2008 size. That is a long time ago, 2008 is, that year being the last time I was attending an event which required not being casually attired.

I need to get a bike. I think it has been at least two years since my last bike was stolen...

No Fine Billing Notice From Wichita Falls Public Library

Yesterday's mail brought me something totally wackydoodle, totally fitting this wackydoodle era we seem to be trying to live through, as good-naturedly as we can manage to muster.

Last week I returned five books to the Wichita Falls Public Library.

Which is the entity from whom I received the aforementioned wackydoodle-ness.

The letter contained a 'Fine Billing Notice". 

But there was nothing "fine" about the notice.

Of the five books I returned, the library is claiming two of them were somehow damaged to a sum of $54.00

$34.00 for 23 1/2 Lies: Thrillers by James Patterson
$20.00 for Hanging Woman Creek by Louis L'Amour

I have checked out hundreds of books over the years of residing in Wichita Falls. Without ever, to my knowledge, inflicting any damage on any book.

But, somehow I supposedly managed to seriously damage two books, of five, recently returned.

Makes zero sense.

The only 'damage' I have noted in books I have checked out is sometimes previous borrowers have written something in the margins. Or made a mark, as if, maybe to make note of where they have ceased reading for the moment.

How can any agency of any sort send out any sort of "Fine Billing Notice" without making note of what the alleged damage consists of?

That and the fact that the mailed "Fine Billing Notice" makes no note of by what means one is expected to pay this fine. There is no return envelope, no info at all regarding the means by which one is supposed to pay this fine. Where to send it, to whom to send it. Nothing.

Is sending a billing notice of this sort even legal?

It'd be like getting a letter from the police informing that you are being fined $54.00 for two breaking the speed limit offenses. With no detailing of where or when these alleged speeding offenses allegedly happened.

I really do not want to turn this over to my lawyer. But, I clearly feel I am being seriously wronged here.

And that this is taking up my time to deal with this. Maybe I should send a bill to the library, charging my regular hourly rate. 

One thing for sure, methinks my days of being a patron of the Wichita Falls Public Library are over. It's time to find some new reading material sources....

Hike Along Wichita River Finding New Circle Trail Section Under Construction

The past couple visits to Lucy Park I have noticed what looked like work on extending the Circle Trail.

I wondered if this was the long-anticipated Circle Trail completion of the section between Lucy Park and where the Circle Trail heads into the Wichita Bluff Nature Area.

There has been no mention made of this project in this town's absolutely inept newspaper, the Wichita Falls Times Record News. A newspaper which for over six months has featured the repeating headline at the top of its home page asking the question "Why Did Beto O'Rourke Speak in Wichita Falls?" where clicking on that link brings you to a non-article which does not answer that extremely poignant question.

So, on this third day of October, I hiked from the east Wichita Bluff Nature Area Circle Trail parking lot and walked towards Lucy Park to see if the trail was being worked on.

Via the photo documentation at the top you can see that such is the case. All that is needed is for some cement to be added.

And then that will leave only one short section to fill in to make the Circle Trail an actual complete circle. That being the section which currently terminates shortly after leaving the west end of Lake Wichita Park.

Final September Saturday Keeping Cool At Sikes Lake

On this final Saturday of the 2025 version of September it was to Sikes Lake I ventured for some much-needed endorphin acquisition and the corresponding calorie consumption.

In the photo documentation you are standing on the rocky eastern shore of Sikes Lake, looking in a southwest direction.

The outer world air at my North Texas location is cooled to an extremely pleasant temperature today.

That seems to have resulted in a far larger than the norm number of people out enjoying being under the sun without feeling like you are being broiled.

The arrival of fall, with its predictable drop in temperature, comes at an opportune time for me, enabling me to ramp up my physical activity, so as to burn more calories, and lose some weight.

About 20 pounds.

An event is coming up which will require me to be in outerwear of the uncomfortable suit type, with the dress slacks part of the suit requiring me to shrink. That or go slacks shopping. Which is an activity I prefer to avoid.

Being 20 pounds lighter will make being stuck in an airplane seat feel less sardine can-like. I remember way back in August of 2008, weighing 20 pounds less than I do now, flying from Love Field, in Dallas, to Seattle, on Southwest. Most comfortable flying experience ever.

I think part of that extra comfort may have been due to being on a Southwest plane, instead of an American Airlines plane, which is what I am stuck with, flying out of Wichita Falls...

Happy Birthday, Brother Jake, With Microsoft's False Tulip Memories

The photo you see here arrived a couple minutes ago, via email from Microsoft's Memories from this Day.

This instance is one of the times I know for certain this memory could not have happened on this day, late in the month of September.

In the photo we are located on what is known as the Skagit Flats. A vast agricultural zone which in the spring (not fall) sprouts huge fields of flowers. 

Mostly tulips, which is what you see in the photo.

The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival month is a HUGE tourist attraction, drawing throngs to the valley from all over the world.

In the photo we are looking east, at the Cascade Mountain foothills. The Mount Baker volcano is to the left, with seeing that mountain blocked by Mount Vernon's Little Mountain.

My little brother, Jake, he being Spencer Jack and Hank Frank's grandpa, and the pa of my nephews, Jason and Joey. lives near the location of the tulip field you see in the photo.

Today is my little brother's birthday. A few minutes ago I texted him a Happy Birthday message.

No matter what particular day in the year it is at my North Texas location, no matter which direction I look, I will see no mountains. Or vast fields of colorful flowers.

Currently I do see a vast field of goats when I look in the right direction. The hundreds of goats have become quite the local tourist attraction, but, as far as I know, not drawing throngs from all over the world...