Saturday Nature Communing Fishing Sikes Lake

On this second Saturday of the 2026 version of April, it was to Sikes Lake I ventured for some cloudy nature communing.

Which would make the view in the photo documentation, the rocky eastern shore of Sikes Lake, looking southwest, at a lone fisherman fishing at the lake's edge.

Soon, after seeing that guy angling, I saw another guy with something hooked on his line giving quite a fight. I did not linger to see what, if anything, got caught.

At various times of the year Sikes Lake, and other Wichita Falls lakes, get stocked with trout and catfish.

Serious weather drama is on the menu for today and several days to follow. With predictions of heavy rain, hail, gusting winds, thunderstorms and tornadoes possible.

So far, today, nothing dramatic, weather-wise, has happened.

Getting Gassed At $3.58 In Wichita Falls Texas

That $3.58 a gallon gas price you see photo documented above, was photo documented about an hour ago, at my neighborhood Walmart's gas station.

Down 11 cents from yesterday's $3.69, which is currently is the highest I've seen at my North Texas location.

From what I've read, and been told, $3.58 is way cheaper than what many of you are paying.

The gas price increase has not seemed to have slowed traffic at my location. If I remember correctly, and sometimes I do, back during the worst of COVID traffic was greatly reduced.

Is the current average gas price across the nation breaking the record of the previous period when events caused the price to rise? I don't remember.

I have not recently checked what it currently is costing to fly out of here.

To Washington, or elsewhere.

I was thinking of flying to Washington this summer. I do not like flying. My last two times flying were disasters. With the last time being a 12 hour wait in D/FW before flying to Arizona, arriving in Phoenix after midnight.

I have not driven back to Washington since July of 2001. I do not know if I would like doing that, a quarter century later.

Wichita River Circle Trail Hiking With The Goslings

It was to the eastern parking lot for the Circle Trail access to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area I parked this fine Spring morning, also known as the first Tuesday of the 2026 version of April.

But, it was not to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area direction I commenced nature communing. It was the other direction, on the Circle Trail, curious to see how the trail connection to the Lucy Park terminus of the Circle Trail was coming along.

On the way to check out the current trail construction status I came upon the goose family you see above. 

Mom and dad with a little flock of goslings. They did not seem to mind me getting close and politely posed for the photo documentation.

The red liquid you see beyond the geese is the Wichita River, running high due to the recent rain.

And above we are as far as one can go on this section of the Circle Trail. This evidenced a lot of progress since I was last at this location. At that point in time the trail ended with a cement wall, with a solid forest of trees beyond the cement wall.

Building this couple mile section of the Circle Trail has been going on for a couple years, or so it seems.

When this section is completed there is then only a short other section to complete to make the Circle Trail a complete circle. That section is at the west end of Lake Wichita. Some stubborn property owners have stifled the completion of that section.

I do not understand why the property owners would not see the trail as being an asset, which is what the Circle Trail has rendered in other parts of town which originally objected to the wide paved trail coming through their neighborhood.

The hiking temperature was perfect this morning. 65 degrees, as measured by the Fahrenheit method. I was comfortably attired in sweat pants and a t-shirt.

Chilly Windy Pre-Easter Saturday Storywalk Around Sikes Lake

Copious amounts of precipitation precipitated last night, along with a couple thunder booms.

So, on this first Saturday of the 2026 version of April, it was to Sikes Lake I ventured to enjoy the chilly wind whilst nature communing, along with a number of other nature communists.

Sufficient rain fell to raise Sikes Lake enough to activate the Sikes Lake Waterfall, also known as the Sikes Lake Dam Spillway, as you can see via the above photo documentation.

There was an odd thing happening at Sikes Lake today, which I had not seen previous years. An Easter themed odd thing, which you will see photo documented below.

Alongside the trail, all around Sikes Lake, there were installations like you see above, and below. The above Easter-themed image had a caption asking us to "Look at the disciples' faces. I wonder what they are thinking...."

I would think they may be thinking along the line of wondering what the meaning is of these colorful plastic eggs. 

 Apparently the above indicated I was at the end of something called "the Storywalk." This was at the bridge at the north end of the lake.

I do not know when this Storywalk took place, or if it is yet to take place. Or maybe it was taking place whilst I was lake walking without me realizing I was on a Storywalk.

Wichita Falls does not have a local newspaper even remotely coming close to managing to do even a mediocre job of covering local news, or events, such as this Storywalk around Sikes Lake.

Thunderstorm Rain Rises Sikes Lake & Sprouts Texas Wildflowers

The predicted thunderstorm arrived last night, a little later than predicted, beginning booming around the time Trump babbled his embarrassing primetime address to the nation. 

The thunderstorm dropped the most rain that has been dropped in quite some time. This rain rose the level of Sikes Lake, which was quite noticeable upon arriving at my nature communing destination this morning.

As you can see, via the view from the rocky east shore of Sikes Lake, looking southwest, some wind action is making for some wave action, and for pleasant walking conditions, which appeared to attract a larger than the norm number of fellow nature lovers.

The precipitation the past couple days appears to have triggered some wildflower spouting.

There were patches of pink evening primroses sprouting in the greenery all around the lake. Such does not quite rise to the colorful landscape I would be seeing right now if I were at my old home zone of the Skagit Valley, with its masses of tulips, daffodils, and other bloomers. 

However, the Texas wildflowers are natural, whilst the Skagit Valley fields of color are commercial bulb farms, planted by man, not by Mother Nature.

Whether natural or manmade, seeing a lot of color brightening the landscape is always a pleasant thing to see....

Nephew Jason Early Skagit Valley Tulip Report

The above photo illustrated the following email from my Favorite Nephew Jason...

FUD -

Our mild Spring has brought the Skagit Valley Tulips to an early bloom. If you are heading this way to enjoy the spectacle, the next few weeks would be ideal.  

Hope all is well in Texas.

-FNJ 

FUD is short for Favorite Uncle Durango. You can likely intuit what FNJ is short for. 

Those tulips which Jason photo documented are part of the landscaping at his Fidalgo Drive-In, in Anacortes.

I have not flown out of this town since way back in July of 2019. Flying up to Washington in April would be a bit jarring, as in I am already used to HOT weather. We've gone over 100 degrees, already, this year. A mild Spring in Washington is way colder than a mild Spring in Texas.

I remember way back in July of 2008, flying up to Washington, to spend a month. I was shivering cold the entire time. My little sister got so tired of me whining about being cold she bought me a jacket at Costco, which still hangs in my closet.

Final Day Of March Hiking Green Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle

It was to Lucy Park I ventured on this final day of the 2026 version of March, to hike the Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle, which was significantly greener when last I hiked this location.

Spring has definitely sprung. Two weeks ago, at this Lucy Park location, the color scheme was primarily brown, with very little green.

Today may be the last time I hike the Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle for a while, what with thunderstorms and rain on the menu for later today, and following days. With heavy downpours and tornado potential.

Tomorrow there is going to be the biggest statewide test of the Emergency Notification system, with radio warnings, phone text messages, sirens and who knows what else, starting around 10:30 in the morning, if the info I heard on the radio is accurate.

Skagit Valley Scenic Yellow Daffodil Scene

Saw that which you see above, on Facebook. A scenic scene in my old home zone of the Skagit Valley.

That is a field of yellow daffodils. Daffodils are the first of the flowers to bloom every Spring, followed by tulips and other colorful blooms.

That mound rising on the horizon is known as Little Mountain. Little Mountain is in the Mount Vernon city limits. Mount Vernon is the biggest town in the Skagit Valley. Population around 35,000.

If such a mound were visible in my super flat Texas location, it would likely not be known as Little Mountain, more likely it'd be known as Big Mountain.

Linda Lou's Skagit Valley No Kings Protest Report With Wichita Falls Protest Against Trump

The Skagit Valley of Washington's Linda Lou called me this afternoon whilst I was on my way to WINCO to tell me about today's NO KINGS PROTEST in my old home zone.

Linda Lou told me today's protest dwarfed the previous two.

This will mean nothing to anyone who does not know the town, but both sides of Mount Vernon's College Way were lined 7 - 8 deep, from I-5, all the way to Skagit Valley College. That is a couple miles.

Meanwhile, a couple miles north, in the town I grew up in, Burlington, Burlington Boulevard was lined up deep on both sides of the road, all the way from the Skagit River bridge to Fairhaven Avenue, in downtown Burlington.

Linda Lou reported seeing a surprising number of protest signs.

It was windy and cold this morning, so I opted not to go to the Wichita Falls NO KINGS PROTEST, which took place in downtown Wichita Falls. I had gone to the two previous protests.

When I got back from WINCO, I woke up my computer, clicked on the link to the local newspaper's online version of the Wichita Falls Times Record News, a news source I have repeatedly complained does a bad job of covering local news.

Well, the Times Record News was right on top of today's big story, as you can see via the screen cap above.

I'll hit the publish button on this and then go check out the local news sources in my old home zone and see if I can see some photo documentation of Mount Vernon and Burlington's protests.

Feeling Homesick For Skagit Valley Tulips With Texas Wildflowers

I saw that which you see above, this final Saturday of March, on Facebook. Several photos taken in my old home zone of Washington. The Skagit Flats, to be precise. Which this time of year become colorful due to the blooming of multiple types of flowers.

The photographer is someone named Lisa Ketcham. The photos were posted by something called KOMO SoNorthwest Photography. KOMO is Seattle's ABC TV affiliate.

For those seeing these photos, who are the Texas flatlander sorts, those landforms rising in the background of the photos are mountains. The foothills of the Cascade Mountain Range, to be precise.

I do not remember what year the Skagit Tulip Festival started up, other than it was several decades ago, and I was living in West Mount Vernon, at the time, oblivious to the fact that a new festival had started up, with my first awareness of this coming from the massive traffic jam clogging the road I had to drive to go anywhere from my abode.

The Skagit Tulip Festival has grown bigger, year after year, adding things like Tulip Town, Roozengarde, with the various towns in the valley hosting various events. 

If my memory is serving me accurately, and sometimes it does, the last time I was in Washington, whilst the Skagit Valley tulips were blooming, was in April of 2006.

I'd flown up for my Favorite Nephew Jason's first wedding. But, we did not drive out to the Tulip zone. It was a one day zip up from Kent, that is a south of Seattle suburb, to Burlington, where the nuptials took place, then to Eaglemont Pavilion, in Mount Vernon, for the post wedding party, and then back to Kent.

Now, I have made mention of the fact that my current location in Texas is free of any mountain scenery, no matter what direction you look.

And there may not be any tulip fields, but Texas does have colorful wildflowers.

I first learned Texas wildflowers existed when I drove to Texas to check out the possibility of moving to the Lone Star State. The last stop before arriving in DFW was a motel in Amarillo. The next morning, heading southeast on Highway 287, I was surprised by seeing a lot of color on the side of the road. Mostly yellow, with some pink, and a little blue. I was later to learn the yellow blooms were known as Evening Primroses.

A few years after the move to Texas I found myself in what is known as Texas Hill Country, which is an area known for its wildflowers. At Fredericksburg there is a wildflower farm with big fields of wildflowers, looking a lot like the fields of color you see in the Skagit Valley at Tulip Festival time.

I have been feeling a bit homesick, of late. Seeing those photos of the Skagit flowers, and the mountains, added to the homesick feeling. I miss mountains, saltwater beaches, fresh Dungeness crabs and clams, and many other things....

Apparently Washington Does Not Care How It's Done In Texas

I saw that which you see above, yesterday, on Facebook, and thought it amusing, partly because it is about my old home state, and makes mentions of Texas, the state I am currently in.

The below text sort of explains the thinking behind the sign...

Washington doesn’t need to explain itself

It has mountains that stop you mid-sentence, evergreen backroads, ferry rides, rainy mornings, and the kind of views that make people move here and immediately start acting like they discovered the place.

Come for the scenery, the coffee, the seafood, and the clean mountain air. Stay for the forests, the coast, the weird little towns, and the feeling that nature is always one turn away.

But if you showed up expecting Washington to trade its identity for somebody else’s version of “better,” you’re probably in the wrong state.

Washington isn’t trying to be Texas. Washington isn’t trying to be Florida. Washington is just being Washington.

So, take in the view, grab some salmon, spend a little money, and let the Pacific Northwest keep doing its thing

My Metro by T-Mobile Payment Declined Unfunny Bad Sitcom Day

Well. I had myself an absurdist sitcom comedy day yesterday. It had to do with my cell phone provider, Metro PCS. For years I have easily paid my monthly phone bill by simply typing "Pay 50.00" when the "Payments are easy!" text message arrived on my phone.

And then, when the 25th of the month arrived a couple months ago, my attempt to pay, which previously got a thank you text in reply, instead got "Payment declined by your financial institution".

I tried to take care of this via the phone, which was totally frustrating, as I was diverted to T-1 Mobile, which now owns Metro PCS.  I gave up on that method. I think I was talking to an out of the country call center. So, I logged into my Metro account, online, which I had done previously when updating the credit card info. This proved equally frustrating. The original log-in did not work. I had to go through multiple hoops with proof it's me codes being sent to my phone.

Eventually I was able to get into my Metro account. Decided to update the credit card to a different one. Did so and made the payment whilst logged in.

The next two months paying was no problem. I'd text PAY 50.00, get the thank you message and thought the problem was over.

And then, yesterday, on the 25th, it happened again, but with the new card. This time I was not going to go through the hassle of trying to fix this online, instead just go to the Metro PCS store a short distance away. Did so, go out of my vehicle to see the sign you see photo documented about, that being the sign on the door, which said "Store Closed Due to Internet Outage Please visit 3634 OLD JACKSBORO HWY Sorry for inconvenience."

Not sure where Jacksboro Hwy was I drove back to my home computer, Googled the address to learn it was a couple miles away.

Upon entering the store I did not realize it had just opened and I was the first customer of the day. I explained the problem. The guy I explained it to said this was nothing Metro caused; it was my bank that declined payment. To which I replied that makes no sense, that for years this worked fine, then a couple months ago, it didn't, I switched to a different bank, and then the same thing happens. The Metro guy suggested maybe there were insufficient funds in both accounts, to which I told him both accounts have thousands of dollars banked.

Below are the text messages my phone received yesterday...

Payments are easy! Pay

$50.00 by 03/25/26

for ACC997816494 by

replying 'PAY 50.00'.

Metro by T-Mobile Terms

& Conditions apply. See

mybty-mo.com/terms

Payment declined by

your financial institution.

To pay using MASTER

CARD ***********6435

reply back 'YES". Metro

by T-Mobile terms and

conditions apply. See

www.metrobyt-

mobile.com/terms

Your request was not

understood. Please go to

Metro by T-Mobile.com

to make a payment.

Metro by T-Mobile terms

and conditions apply.

See www.Metro by

T-Mobile.com/terms

When I went to Metro by T-Mobile to try and make a payment the phone took me to a T-Mobile page requiring a log-in. I don't have a T-Mobile log-in. That was the last straw before I took off to find a Metro store.

So, the Metro guy tells me it takes several minutes to get the system up. Those minutes dragged on and on. The Metro guy was going around the store doing various tasks. Eventually I asked if he'd just opened. Yes, was the reply, and that he was late, due to get stuck in traffic in his drive from Dallas. You drove here from Dallas to open this store? Yes, I do that every day. You drive back to Dallas when you close? Yes, every day.

It is about 140 miles between Dallas and Wichita Falls.

I neglected to mention, the Metro guy was Indian. I asked him if he was Indian after he spoke to another guy in what sounded Indian to me. Yes was his reply, to which I thought so, even before you spoke Indian because of your cool sound Indian accent.

At this point I was thinking this is like being in a live version of a foreign call center.

The Metro guy could tell I was beginning to get a bit annoyed, after about the 5th time I asked how much longer til your system is working. He then said he could take down my info, as in phone number and credit card info and make the payment when the system comes up. Oh, and there is a five-dollar payment support charge added for paying in the store.

 At that point the Metro guy says, the system is up. He then accesses my account, points me to a card reader. I tell him this card I am using here is the same one that got declined when I tried to pay via the phone.

I stick the card in, do a weird name signing with an electronic pen. The payment goes through, the Metro guy hands me a receipt, to which I said to him "You do see, don't you, why this is totally absurd? That the card worked fine here, and you are charging me five dollars to pay the bill in the store."

How is such a thing even legal.

I left the store, got in my vehicle, at which point the phone makes the incoming text noise. I swiped the screen dreading that it might be another text from Metro PCS, telling me "Payment Declined."

Nope.

Instead, it was a text message with the regular "Thanks for your $50.00 pymt."

Needless to say, despite being happy with Metro PCS til a couple months ago, I will be finding a new cell phone provider before the 25th of next month...

Sunny Hot Sunday Goosing Sikes Lake

 On this third day of Spring, the 4th Sunday of the 2026 version of March, it was to Sikes Lake I ventured for some salubrious endorphin acquisition.

A nice breeze was blowing, making the 85 degrees, as measured by the Fahrenheit method, not feel too HOT.

The temperature predicted for today is 100 degrees. I suspect the high will end up being higher than 100, since yesterday's predicted high of 97 turned out to be 101.

In the above photo documentation, we are on the west side of the lake, looking southeast. That is a flock of geese lined up on that cement structure which spans the lake. I have no clue what the purpose of that cement structure is.

Or why those geese are lined up on it, instead of enjoying floating on the lake.

My old home zone of Washington state is having a record-breaking heat wave, along with the rest of the west coast. The heat wave is causing the snow pack to melt at a flood causing level. 

There is no snowpack anywhere near my current Texas location in danger of being melted by the current heatwave. 

Hot First Day Of Spring Sikes Lake Nature Communing

The temperature was almost 80 degrees, as measured by the Fahrenheit method, when I ventured to Sikes Lake for some pleasant nature communing, along with a surprisingly large number of fellow nature communers.

As you can see via the photo documentation of the view from the rocky eastern shore of Sikes Lake, looking southwest, it is a clear blue sky day, on what I think is the first day of the season known as Spring. But my wall calendar is telling me yesterday, March 19 was the day Spring arrived.

I must go Google now to find out, for sure, what season I am currently experiencing.

Well, according to Google my calendar is erroneous. The Vernal Equinox is happening today, March 20.

It seems like only a few weeks ago we were experiencing extreme Winter weather, with snow and a couple days with the temperature sub-zero. It seems like only a few weeks ago, because it was just a few weeks ago.

And now look at what our predicted high is two days from now, that being the day known as Sunday.

100 degrees in March just seems wrong. I suspect we are heading towards a record-breaking HOT summer. 

Nature Communing Lucy Park's Jungle-Free Backwoods Jungle

It was to Lucy Park I ventured this third Wednesday morning of the 2026 version of March, for some actual salubrious outdoor nature communing, after several days of avoiding such, due to the chilly windy outdoor conditions, which have now abated, with today's high getting into the 80s, if the prediction is accurate.

I speed hiked the Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle today, photo documented above.

I thought the Lucy Park Backwoods might be in near jungle mode, but the Lucy Park trees have not greened up as much as the trees seem to have greened in non-park locations.

Maybe the temperature is a few degrees cooler in Lucy Park, due to the lack of blacktop and heat producing vehicles which warm up the trees lining streets in town, hence causing the Lucy Park trees to more slowly start to sprout leaves.

Anyway, it was mighty nice to get a dose of endorphins, today, after experiencing withdrawal symptoms the past several days.

Thursday the temperature is scheduled to get into the 90s, so I should have another good day of nature communing tomorrow.

Chilly Tuesday Morning Enjoying Rising Walmart Gas Price

A week ago, give or take a day or two, I filled my tank at my neighborhood Walmart gas station at $3.17 a gallon.

This third Tuesday morning of the 2026 version of March I was back at Walmart to do some interior space nature communing and wildlife observation, in Walmart. 

I opted not to do outdoor nature communing, due to the outer world being extremely chilled. And windy. We got below freezing the past two nights. Tomorrow warmth is predicted to return.

Upon leaving Walmart, walking to my vehicle, I decided to fill my tank again, what with the gas price predicted to keep on rising, soon going over 4 bucks a gallon.

It looked like many were so inclined to fill up, what with this gas station being way busier than it usually is, in the early morning.

Windy Sunday Sikes Lake Nature Communing

On this third Sunday of the 2026 version of March, it was to Sikes Lake I ventured for some windy nature communing. Which would make the photo documentation the view looking southwest from the rocky eastern shore of Sikes Lake.

Today's weather forecast's most interesting prediction was for strong 50 mph winds to be blowing, starting around the time the sun arrived for its daily illumination duty.

As you can see, the lake is barely rippling, nowhere near having strong wind produce white capping waves.

This photo was taken at the start of my nature communing. A half hour later that predicted strong wind arrived in full gusto mode. I was at the parking lot when the wind began to gust. It did not cross my mind to walk back to the lake to possibly get a good wave photo.

The temperature high for today is predicted to hit 67 degrees as measured by the Fahrenheit method. And tonight the low is predicted to get below freezing, down to 29 degrees. I thought we were done with that chilly nonsense.

I have the A/C running right now. I suspect that will be switched to heating mode in a few hours.

$3.17 A Gallon At My Neighborhood Walmart

Last time I got gassed, if my memory is serving me correctly, it was costing $2.19 a gallon. I still have more than half a tankful. Today my neighborhood Walmart's gas station, that being the location where last I paid $2.19 a gallon, now is costing 98 cents more.

I suspect by the time I need to fill my empty tank again, the price will be well above $3.17.

The last time the price of gas spiked I do not remember how high it went. I don't thing it got out of the three dollar range.

A couple days ago, Washington's Linda Lou told me gas in my home zone had gone over $4 a gallon.

My old Skagit Valley Washington zone is home to a couple big refineries which turn Alaskan crude into gasoline. 

Apparently having refineries in the neighborhood does not make the gas cheaper.

I do not know where the nearest refinery is in relation to my current Texas location. I do know that Texas pumps a lot of crude oil out of the Texas ground. It doesn't get shipped in from Alaska on super tankers.

Early Monday Morning Wichita Falls Library Nature Communing

Communing with nature on this second Monday of the 2026 version of March consisted of driving, early this morning, to beautiful downtown Wichita Falls, to return books and get some new ones.

Which would make the above photo documentation a look at the exterior of the Wichita Falls Public Library.

Yesterday was chilly, with the temperature never getting far into the 60s, as measured by the Fahrenheit method.

As you can see, that is a clear blue sky above the library. Today's temperature is predicted to get to 87 degrees. 

How did people live in this climate before the invention of air-conditioning, I often wonder.

Chilly Sunday Morning Not Swimming Or Boating On Sikes Lake

On this second Sunday of the 2026 version of March, it was to Sikes Lake I ventured this morning to get me some endorphins whilst enjoying some chilly nature communing under a clear blue sky.

The photo documentation is looking west from the east end of the lake. Looking at the Sike Lake dam through a fence with what seem to be odd signs.

Who would want to go swimming in this lake? I don't think it is very deep. And it's muddy. The sign next to the NO SWIMMING signs informs that there is to be NO BOATING, CANOEING OR KAYAKING WITHOUT UNIVERSITY APPROVAL.

In all the years I have been walking around Sikes Lake I have never seen anyone floating on the lake via any floating conveyance. So, either the University never gives approval. Or no one tries to get approved to float on Sikes Lake.

I got out of bed this morning at my regular time, despite it being an hour earlier than my norm, due to the annoying switch to Daylight Savings Time.

Wichita Falls Thunderstorms, Flooding Downpours, Hail & Tormadoes On Today's Weather Menu

This is the third day in a row the Wichita Falls weather prediction has thunderstorms on the menu.

Today flooding downpours, damaging wind gusts and tornadoes have been added to the menu,

If today turns out to be the same as the previous two days, we will be hearing no see no lightning strikes, hear no thunder, see no rain. 

And no tornadoes.

I have experienced a tornado, up close, twice since I have been in Texas. It is not a pleasant experience. Not one I want to repeat. 

Thursday Lucy Park Nature Communing With Yellow Wildflowers

Yesterday I blogged about a Chilly Wednesday Pink Purple Walk Around Sikes Lake in which, after seeing a flowering tree being a harbinger of the coming Spring, I made mention of the fact that soon wildflowers would be coloring the Texas landscape.

And now, just a day later, I found myself nature communing at Lucy Park, seeing the landscape being colored by the bright yellow wildflower you see photo documented above.

I know the name of some Texas wildflowers, like Bluebonnets and Evening Primroses, but I do not know the name of this beautiful bright yellow wildflower.

The nature communing was pleasant today, though I was overdressed in sweatpants. The temperature was in the upper 60s, heading to a high in the 80s on this first Thursday of the 2026 version of March.

Thunderstorms are again on the weather menu for today and tomorrow. 

Chilly Wednesday Pink Purple Walk Around Sikes Lake

On this first Wednesday of the 2026 version of March, it was to nearby Sikes Lake I ventured for some chilly nature communing.

Such would make the above photo documentation the view looking south from the middle of the bridge at the north end of the lake.

As you can see, the sky is not blue today. Totally overcast, sort of foggy, with thunderstorming, downpours and hail on the weather menu for today.

Daylight Savings Time arrives this coming Sunday. Only two of my clocks currently require being manually adjusted, time-wise. 

With the arrival of Daylight Savings Time, the arrival of Spring comes along in a couple more weeks.

Today, at Sikes Lake, I saw a colorful harbinger of Spring, photo documented below.

I have zero clue what type tree this is which is sporting the colorful pinkish purplish flowers. Soon wildflowers should start sprouting, followed by trees turning green.

Texas is significantly more scenic when color returns to the landscape...

Tuesday Morning Tender Sweet Walmart Frog Legs

I saw that which you see photo documented, above, this Tuesday morning in Walmart.

Two pounds of "Tender & Slightly Sweet" Frog Legs. Ready to cook. For only $19.99.

I think I may have noticed the Frog Legs in the Walmart seafood section, previously. But, seeing the Frog Legs today had me wondering if this is a Southern thing. 

Are there Frog Legs in the seafood section of the Walmart in the town I lived in before moving to Texas? That being the town known as Mount Vernon, Washington, a Pacific Northwest location, far from the Deep South.

I did not think to check out the Frog Legs cooking instructions on the Frog Legs box. Is there an air fryer option? Are Frog Legs like chicken legs, with the frog skin part of what you are expected to consume?

I do not think anything could entice me to bite into a frog leg, no matter how it was cooked.

First March Monday Wichita Falls Prairie Dog Town Visit

It has been a few years, since well before COVID, that I made a visit to the nearby Prairie Dog Town in University Kiwanis Park.

This relatively chilly first Monday of the 2026 version of March seemed a good day for a prairie dog visit.

I've thought prairie dogs to be real cute, ever since I first visited one of their towns, years ago, near the entry to Devil's Tower National Monument in Wyoming.

Prairie dogs don't bark. They make a sort of chirping noise, almost bird-like. I heard a lot of chirping today. 

Several years ago an effort was made to contain the Kiwanis Park's prairie dogs inside a sort of fenced enclosure, because a lot of prairie dogs had migrated outside the enclosure, building new homes, making hazardous holes on the open parkland.

Well, there did seem to be way fewer enclosure escapees, but I saw at least a dozen outside the enclosure, including the dog you see photo documented above.

The below prairie dog was the first I saw today, upon exiting my vehicle.

This prairie dog was inside the enclosure, and was nicely cooperative about being photographed, letting me get close.

Has anyone ever succeeded in domesticating a prairie dog, I wondered today. I sispect not...

Final Day Of February Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle Nature Communing

On this final day of the 2026 version of February, it was to the Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle I ventured for some salubrious nature communing and that activities resulting endorphins.

The temperature was in the mid 70s whilst I nature communed, heading for a predicted high of 86 degrees as measured via the Fahrenheit method.

Thunderstorms are on the weather menu for tonight. And the next several days.

It has been a while since I heard a thunderclap.

I filled up my gas tank this morning, anticipating a big price increase due to Trump's illegal attack on Iran.

Gas was $2.19 when last I pumped, before today. This morning the price per gallon had gone up to $2.46.

Dozens of Iranian grade school kids killed in a missile strike on a school. 

Depressing...

70 Degree Sikes Lake February Thursday Nature Communing

Various impediments the past several days have prevented me from engaging in my regularly scheduled daily bout of nature communing, and that activities resulting endorphins. The diminished level of endorphins had rendered me cranky.

So, today, the final Thursday of the 2026 version of February, I hauled my cranky self to nearby Sikes Lake for some of that much needed nature communing and the resultant endorphins.

Which would make the above photo documentation the view looking west across Sikes Lake from the lake's rocky eastern shore.

The temperature whilst doing the nature communing was 70 degrees, as measured by the Fahrenheit method, heading to a predicted high today of 80 degrees.

I suspect those 80s degrees will having me once again switching my interior space's climate control from heat mode back to air-conditioned mode.

The lake walk nature communing has seemed to have made me less cranky.

I wish endorphins came in the form of pills in a bottle, thus making the nature communing not necessary. 

Extremely Windy Lucy Park Red Flag Warning

It was back to Lucy Park I ventured on this next to last Thursday of the 2026 version of February, for some extremely windy nature communing.

The extreme wind, low humidity and warm temperature resulted today in a Red Flag Warning for North Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.

A Red Flag Warning indicates there is extreme wildfire danger. 

Today I did not go too far onto the Lucy Park suspension bridge over the Wichita River, due to that extreme wind causing the bridge to sway in a way which took crossing it out of my comfort zone.

Warm Wednesday Lake Wichita Nature Communing With Swans

It was to Lake Wichita I ventured this fine Wednesday morning of February, for some extremely pleasant nature communing.

It has been a few years since any water has spilled over the Lake Wichita dam's spillway, which explains how it is that so much vegetation has sprouted up where water is supposed to spill.

When last I was at Lake Wichita the temperature was below freezing, and the lake was totally frozen into ice pond mode.

That was only a couple weeks ago.

Today the temperature was in the 60s when I had fun in the outer world.

Those white spots you see on the lake, between where I am standing and Mount Wichita on the far side of the lake, are big white swans.

Windy Sikes Lake Visit To Wood Park Terrible Tuesday Tornado Memorial

It was to nearby Sikes Lake I ventured this Tuesday morning for some windy nature communing.

What you are seeing in the photo documentation is a memorial, located in Wood Memorial Park, at the west side of Sikes Lake.

The memorial makes note of the 45 Wichita Falls natives who died in what is known locally as Terrible Tuesday, or the Red River Valley Tornado Outbreak.

The Wichita Falls tornado that Terrible Tuesday blew through the part of town in which I currently reside.

Since I have been in Texas I have experienced a couple tornados up close.

The worst being a tornado which struck downtown Fort Worth, doing a lot of damage. I was heading into downtown, when I got a call telling me to not come downtown, that it was way too stormy. I could see a dark wall of clouds, but did not know at the time that a tornado was spinning behind those clouds.

The other up close tornado happened when I was located in east Fort Worth. I had the TV on due to the storm and the non-stop coverage, which at some point told me that a tornado was spinning just a short distance south of my location, heading in my direction. I could see the Doppler radar image of the tornado and its direction. When it got about a quarter mile from my location it stopped heading north and started heading east along Interstate 30.

Every Monday at noon the tornado sirens are tested. The sirens are extremely loud.

From the Wikipedia article about the Red River Valley Tornado Outbreak detailing Terrible Tuesday in Wichita Falls...

The most significant tornado of the day was an F4 tornado that began east-northeast of Holliday, Texas, at around 5:50 p.m. CST and moved east-northeast into Wichita Falls, taking a 8 mi (13 km) course through densely populated areas of the city and destroying over two thousand homes across several neighborhoods. The tornado spanned as wide as 1.5 mi (2.4 km) across during its passage through the city, with the most severe damage occurring within a 0.5 mi (0.80 km) wide swath. At least 45 people were killed within the city and nearly 1,800 people were injured, ranking the tornado among the deadliest in Texas history. A majority of the fatalities occurred as the tornado mangled and tossed vehicles. The damage wrought by the Wichita Falls tornado was unprecedented, with the $400 million ($1.865B in 2025 dollars) damage toll making it the costliest tornado on record at the time. The severe weather event was widely observed by scientific instruments due to its serendipitous occurrence during a NASA field campaign. Later studies referred to the tornado outbreak as the Red River Valley Tornado Outbreak, and in the areas affected the day came to be known as Terrible Tuesday.

Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle Nature Communing

It has been a few days since I got myself some endorphins acquired whilst nature communing. So, today, President's Day, also known as Monday, the third such day in the 2026 version of February, I drove to Lucy Park to nature commune through the Lucy Park backwoods jungle.

As you can see, via the photo documentation, the Lucy Park backwoods jungle is currently not in jungle mode, what with the complete absence of green leaves and green grass or any other green foliage.

The backwoods was a bit muddy due to Saturday's rain. 

The temperature was in the upper 60s during my nature communing time this morning. Heading to a high today somewhere in the 80s.

It seems like only a week or two ago the temperature at my location was below zero. 

Had you told me then that within a week I would be feeling the need to turn my interior climate control system from heat mode to air-conditioned mode, I would have thought such a prediction was ridiculous.

Chilly Windy Nature Communing At Sikes Lake

On this second Tuesday of the 2026 version of February, it was back to Sikes Lake I ventured for some nature communing and endorphin acquisition. 

In the photo documentation we are on the rocky east shore of Sikes Lake, looking southwest.

It was last Wednesday when I was last at Sikes Lake, still with some snow on the ground. On that day the air was dead calm, no wind, turning the lake into a giant mirror.

Today the temperature was in the 60s, as measured by the Fahrenheit method, with a chilling wind blowing. I should have been in sweat pants, not shorts, and something long-sleeved, not a short-sleeved t-shirt.

The three days previous to today the temperature has heated into the 80s. Such will not be happening today. Today's prediction is for the high to be in the low 60s.

Despite today's chillI have not yet felt the need to activate my interior space heating system.

I do not remember there being previous winters in Texas where I switched my interior climate control to air-conditioning cooling mode. But, such has been the case the past couple days...

Snow-Free Monday Return To Lucy Park's Pagoda Replacement

A couple years ago, the Lucy Park Japanese Pagoda-like structure burned down. Eventually the Pagoda-like structure's remains were removed.  The local newspaper, that being the Wichita Falls Times Record News, never had an article about this happening. Was it arson? Or struck by a lightning bolt? 

Last week when I had myself a slippery icy visit to Lucy Park I saw some construction activity happening at the Japanese Pagoda-like structure location.

Today, I returned to Lucy Park for some fast-paced salubrious endorphin acquisition, along with nature communing to see that the construction of the Japanese Pagoda-like structure is complete. The new structure does not look at all Pagoda-like.

Today will be the third day in a row where the temperature in the outer world, at my location, reaches into the 80s, as measured by the Fahrenheit method, making this second Monday of the 2026 version of February another HOT day.

Most of the snow has melted. The only snow I saw today was the remains of a pile due south of my driveway.

A Long Memorial To Lulu Linda With Photo Documentation

Yesterday, whilst driving to ALDI, a friend of mine, dating all the way back to first grade, Linda Lou, called me with the sad news that another friend of mine, dating all the way back to high school, also named Linda, had died.

I'd been told a couple months ago that Linda was ailing bad, and that her condition was terminal.

There was a time when I saw Linda frequently, when I lived in Washington. And after the move to Texas, talked multiple times a week, via a phone, til August of 2008, when an incident with Linda at the Fremont Sunday Market, in Seattle, caused me to feel the need to terminate my relationship with Linda.

But, I do have many fond memories of Linda and the fun times we had over the years. Like above, that is Linda looking pink, in Zion National Park, in Utah, being photographed by Wally from one direction, and me from another direction.

The above photo is also in Zion National Park. That is Linda next to her husband, Geff. Geff passed away several years ago.

 Big Ed and Linda. This is in a houseboat on Lake Powell, in Utah. We houseboated 4 days on Lake Powell. It was such fun we repeated the fun a few years later, with a somewhat different group of floaters.

No longer in Utah, now across the border in Arizona, in Monument Valley. That is Big Ed being affectionate with Linda.

And now we are in Yosemite National Park, in California, with Linda the only one looking at me, with the others looking up at thrill seekers climbing up the El Capitan cliff.

I have many photos of Linda and the various places we tripped. Most of them are in old-fashioned hard copy photograph mode, not digitized.

It was due to Linda's husband, Geff, that I got into website building. Geff had a website, called MudSluts, mountain bike themed, which was picked Cool Site of the Day, which was a cool thing to have happen late in the previous century.

Then Geff took emails between me and Linda and turned them into Lulu & Durango In As The WWWeb Turns. This was also picked a Cool Site of the Day.

In Lulu & Durango In As The WWWeb Turns Geff made my Durango character be a bit of an annoying know-it-all. So amusing, what with that being so different from the real me.

The Durango nickname came to be when I would send out mailings to those going on the Lake Powell Houseboat trip, with the mailings titled "Durango Dean's Wild West Adventure".

In addition to Lake Powell that trip included the aforementioned Monument Valley, log cabins at the Grand Canyon's north rim, where we got trapped the next morning by a heavy snowstorm. Overnight in the lodge in Zion National Park, a few nights in the Luxor in Las Vegas, overnight at Stovepipe Wells in Death Valley, then Yosemite on the way north back to Washington.

Back to Lulu & Durango in As The WWWeb Turns.  I was having too much fun sending Geff too much material for the WWWeb Turns website, with Geff, to my mind, being way too slow making use of the material.

I got a call from Geff telling me I needed to come to Gig Harbor, because he had something for me. So, I made the 90-mile drive south to be shown a graphic of an image of a door, on which the words "Dialing Doctor Durango" was written.

Along with that image Geff had written the HTML code for a website called "Dialing Doctor Durango". It is so long ago I do not remember how I set up the website on my own server, or how I got the URL for the website.

What I do remember is HTML code looked way too difficult. So, I quickly found a website building program called HotDog. Geff had told me I had no idea how tedious and time-consuming web code writing was, when I'd complain he was not adding content fast enough.

Well, Geff was an Apple user, I was a Windows user. With way more apps available. HotDog was easy to use. You'd make a webpage much the same way as you'd write a document with photos to be printed. HotDog made the code.

Geff was soon perplexed at how fast I was churning out webpages for Dialing Doctor Durango. It was quite some time before I confessed to HotDog being the reason. By then Dialing Doctor Durango had been picked Funky Site of the Day. Not as cool as Cool Site of the Day, but I was pleased.

I did Dialing Doctor Durango for a couple years. It generated a lot of questions and comments. It was picked one of the Top 10 medical websites on the Internet, by some German university.

How could they not get this was not a serious medical website? Dialing Doctor Durango is how I met Wee Cheng of Singapore. She emailed asking Doctor Durango's advice.

Changing the subject back to roadtrips with Lulu, I mean, Linda. The first one of those took place when I was in college, going to Central Washington University in Ellensburg. Lulu and her best friend, Julie, came over in Lulu's new Mazda, over Spring Break. With me driving, Lulu, Julie and Big Ed roadtripped to Reno, with that being the first time I'd been to Reno. Other than Reno, the highlights of that trip were Virginia City and Lake Tahoe.

Why I thought it was a good idea to take off like that during Spring Break is a mystery to me, all these years later.

I hope Lulu Linda is at peace now, reunited with Geff...

Washington's Grand Coulee Dam In Seattle Seahawks Celebration Mode

I saw that which you see here, this Friday morning, on the front page of the Seattle Times online version.

Grand Coulee Dam lit up in the colors of the Seattle Seahawks, an Eastern Washington contribution to the statewide celebration of the Seattle Seahawks being in the Super Bowl again.

Actually, it is not just a Washington celebration. Pretty much the entire Pacific Northwest claims the Seattle Seahawks as their NFL football team.

I knew Grand Coulee Dam was lit colorfully after dark. I did not know the color scheme could easily be adjusted.

I do not think I have been to Grand Coulee Dam this century.

When I was a Washington resident I saw Grand Coulee Dam frequently, because it was near one of my favorite Eastern Washington locations, that being Sun Lakes State Park.

At my current location, Wichita Falls, Texas, there are no attractions of the sort which were so close when I lived in Washington. No mountains, or mountain ranges. No big dams. No big waterfalls. 

I have learned to like a nice flat land with very few scenic distractions...

Friday 80 High In Wichita Falls Texas

Seems like only a week ago, because it was,  the temperature at my Wichita Falls, Texas location got down below zero, as measured by the Fahrenheit method.

And now, today, the first Friday of the 2026 version of February, the high for today is predicted to be 80 degrees above zero, as measured by that aforementioned Fahrenheit method.

I see some outdoor nature communing in my future for today, basking in shorts and t-shirt weather.

I likely won't bother applying any sunscreen lotion...

Seattle Link Light Rail Ready For Seahawk Super Bowl Victory Parade While Dallas Light Rail Is Not Ready For Super Bowl Victory Or Parade

I saw that which you see above in the Seattle Times online version this morning. That train you see is one of the trains rolling along one of Sound Transit's Link Light Rail line.

From the Wikipedia Link Light Rail article...

Link Light Rail is a light rail system with some rapid transit characteristics that serves the Seattle metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Washington. It is managed by Sound Transit in partnership with local transit providers and comprises three non-connected lines that total 55 miles (89 km) with 48 stations. 

Apparently, some repairs are needed in case the Seattle Seahawks win the Super Bowl, again, on Sunday.

Dallas has a light rail line, known as DART.

Dallas Area Rapid Transit.

DART does not have a line which goes to Arlington, which is the location of the Dallas Cowboy's football stadium. It has been a few decades since Dallas has had to worry about making sure DART is working well, in case a Super Bowl victory parade was causing a lot of people to want to ride the rail to downtown Dallas.

It has long seemed odd to me that there is no DART line to Arlington. The Dallas Cowboy stadium is a short walking distance from the Texas Ranger's ballpark. That and the original Six Flags Over Texas theme park.

There is a DART line which goes from Dallas to DFW International Airport. There is no light rail line which goes from Fort Worth to the airport.

Fort Worth used to have a short subway rail line. It still existed when I moved to Texas.

You could park at the massive parking lot at the north end of downtown Fort Worth, then walk to one of the subway stations and wait to board for the free ride to the heart of downtown Fort Worth, a short distance south.

These were really old subway trains.

What made it a subway line was that those really old subway trains rolled through a tunnel before emerging at a vertical mall, near the downtown Fort Worth library.

For some reason Fort Worth's civic leaders went along with killing the world's shortest subway line so that Radio Shack could build itself a new corporate headquarters, which Radio Shack could not afford.

Last I heard part of the Radio Shack corporate headquarters has been turned into college classrooms for, if I remember correctly, Tarrant County College.

Maybe by the time the Dallas Cowboys win another Super Bowl DART will have a line running to Arlington...

February Wednesday Walk Ice-Free Around Sikes Lake

On this first Wednesday of the 2026 version of February, it was to nearby Sikes Lake I ventured for some nature communing along with endorphins acquired by high-speed walking.

Which would make the photo documentation the view looking west from the rocky eastern shore of Sikes Lake.

As you can see, today Sikes Lake is in mirror mode, clearly reflecting the cloudy sky above.

You may have thought that was snow covering a still frozen Sikes Lake.

However, almost all the unpleasantness from the past week has melted. 

There is no precipitation predicted for today, even though it looks like those clouds could drip some.

Currently there is no more icy cold unpleasantness predicted in the local long-range forecast.

But, that can quickly change.

UPDATE: I think is what is known as irony. I type that the weather forecast can quickly change, after previously typing no precipitation is predicted for today, despite the clouds looking like they could drip, I hit the publish button, walk to the kitchen to make lunch, look out the window to see the outer world is now wet from drips of precipitation dripping from those aforementioned clouds...