Sikes Lake Waterfall Roaring Without Bug Bites

We have had some rain falling this past week, with more scheduled to arrive today.

I do not recollect previously seeing so much water spilling over the Wichita Falls Sikes Lake Dam Spillway's waterfall as you see via the photo documentation.

I like the roaring sound of a good waterfall.

Since I have been using Nurse Linda Lou's prescribed anti-bug ankle and wrist bracelets, combined with Cutter anti-bug spray, I have not made note of any new bug bites.

The existing bug bites are slowly healing, with each day me looking less like an acne infested teenager.

I'm hoping my bug bite infestation is all cleared up before I get on a plane to fly to a family reunion type thing in July....

Hot Humid Sikes Lake Walk With Ankle Wrist Bracelet Bug Protection

Yesterday, the day known as Mother's Day, Mother Nature opted to unleash an almost all-day long downpour temper tantrum at my North Texas location.

Including many lightning strikes and thunder booms.

By today, as in Monday, the sky has somewhat cleared, rain is not on the weather menu for today. But all that rain, the past couple days, combined with a lot of sun HEAT, is making both outdoors and indoors super humid.

Yesterday my daily endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation took place in Walmart, due to that aforementioned excessive drippage.

Today I opted to drive to nearby Sikes Lake for some fast humid walking with my fellow fast humid walkers.

This marked the first opportunity I had to make use of the wrist and ankle citronella bracelets I got upon advice from the Skagit Valley's favorite Linda Lou nurse.

That is what you see photo documented above. My left wrist, bug bracelet protected, with my pointing finger attempting to point at the Sikes Lake dam spillway, which is spilling some water today.

So far I make note of no new bug bites. The biting bugs should be out in force today, what with all the rain, the heat and the humidity.

I hope Linda Lou's anti-bug bite prescription works.

I have grown weary of having so many bug bites.

Why I have become attractive bug biting material, this year, after never being attractive bug bite material my previous years in Texas, is a mystery, with no current apparent explanation readily available...

New Lake Wichita Park Kayak Launch Dock Finally Floats With Bug Bites

It was to Lake Wichita Park I ventured today on this final day of the 2024 version of April. 

Driving onto the parking lot, with Lake Wichita coming into view, I was pleased to see the lake level has greatly risen from the recent downpours.

And for what seems at least a year of being dry docked, the new Lake Wichita kayak launching dock is finally floating.

 
Walking out onto the floating dock for the first time I was surprised that the little wave action was making the dock a bit dizzying to walk on.

This dock will be basically a carnival ride with big waves, methinks.

That slot you see below the stair steps is the kayak launch pad. It slopes into the lake.

I cut my nature communing a bit short today due to being attacked by biting bugs. Of late, after one of my walks, I will find I've been bug bitten, but have never seen the biting bug.

Today, I saw them, multiple little black bugs on my arms. I swatted the first one I saw, which caused a burst of blood, like a mosquito bite, but these were not mosquitoes.

I have never had a mosquito bite in Texas. In Washington I never went a Summer without getting at least one annoying mosquito bite.

I may curtail my nature communing til a good HOT heat wave fries all the bugs...

Fighting Off Vicious Attacks In Wichita Falls

Til today it had been awhile since I attempted one of those selfie things. I don't think I was being a grumpy as I look. Then again, I was a bit grumpy.

Why grumpy?

Well, lately I have been under attack.

A couple days ago I was viciously attacked by swarms of biting insects of various types whilst climbing Mount Wichita.

Yesterday I got no salubrious mood enhancing aerobic stimulation and the endorphins that result from such stimulation.

After getting bugged on Wichita Mountain I bought myself some Cutter bug spray to use if I ever return to that mountain once the multiple bug bumps and the resultant itching subsides.

Day after day the weather prognosticators for this location predict thunderstorms. Til today these seem to take place in the middle of the night. Around noon I decided to test if it is safe to go jogging on the Circle Trail which circulates by my front door without being tormented by swarms of biting bugs.

Well, the jogging went well. Til a couple miles in rain started to drip. Thunder rolled in from a long ways distant, with no lightning flashing seen due to that distance thing. But, I turned around and headed back to my under cover zone.

I did not make it back before the rain went into downpour mode and the thunder moved closer.

About ten minutes before the rain started dripping is when I took the grumpy picture above.

As for bug bites. By the time I got out of the outdoors I found I had been bitten several times, but not nearly as bad as that last bout on Wichita Mountain.

I would have thought this would be a bug-free zone, what with the five years of extreme drought. One would think the insect population would have died off. But I have had more bug bites in one month at this new Texas location than all the previous Texas years combined.

I am still liking this new location though.....