Sunday Catching Fish With Egrets Biking On Lake Wichita Dam

If I remember correctly, yesterday I mentioned I was tired due to a tiring loud long thunderstorm the night previous which had hampered my ability to be peacefully horizontal, rendering me tired, real tired, all day yesterday.

But today, the morning of the second Sunday of the third to last month of 2017 I found myself not tired when I got vertical after a long night of peaceful slumber and disturbing nightmares.

And so, fully of energy, I decided to get myself some endorphins via aerobic activity by rolling wheels against the wind on the Circle Trail, heading south to Lake Wichita Dam, where I saw the lake level has somewhat fallen, thus making it easier for a flock of egrets to assemble on top of the dam's spillway to facilitate the easy catching of fish funneled over the spillway.

Multiple humans were also seen, joining the egrets in the fish catching thing. Also, unlike with the egrets, with two of the humans I saw a successful catching of fish, with the species appearing to be either perch or sunfish or both.

Judging by the throngs joining me today on the Circle Trail, biking, roller blading, skateboarding, jogging, walking, fishing, and pushing baby carriages, we are at that temperature sweet spot where Texans are more willing to engage in outdoor activity, weather babies that they usually be.

Oh, I forgot to mention, I also saw mountain climbing to the summit of Mount Wichita, which apparently has already dried out from yesterday's deluge. However, something looked oddly flattened about the top of Mount Wichita which had me momentarily wondering if it had suffered a height reducing lightning strike.

Tomorrow I will likely go for an up close look at the summit of Mount Wichita to see if the summit has suffered some sort of reduction calamity...

Final SAD September Thursday With Wet Wichita Falls Egrets

How much more of this is a person expected to endure before cracking from feeling SAD (Seasonally Affected Disorder)?

Day three of clouds dripping wet stuff on all the places I prefer to be dry.

Overnight, in addition to the water droppage, the temperature also dropped. A low in the low 50s overnight. Only 64 mid-afternoon in chilly wet Wichita Falls.

I had some slight respite from the chill, yesterday, in the D/FW zone, where I was able to ride my bike from River Legacy Park, in Arlington, to the Viridian development, also in Arlington. More on that, maybe, later.

It was semi-cold yesterday morning when I headed towards Dallas, and so I was wearing long pants for the first time since I was in Washington in August. The long pants turned out to be a mistake, due to the air being heated into the 80s by the time I got to River Legacy.

So, today, I was feeling a bit housebound, due to the constant drippage, when coming up on noon the dripping abated. I was already in sweatpants. All I needed to do was add a sweatshirt and an ear covering hat and I was good to go on the Circle Trail.

As soon as I got on the Circle Trail I saw Holliday Creek was running more water than I'd ever seen roaring through that canyon previously. I figured rolling to Lake Wichita Dam might be interesting, possibly with copious amounts of water spilling over the spillway.

About a mile later big drops started dripping. I continued on. Passing under Kemp Street the dam spillway came into view.  I saw water was flowing over the entire length of the spillway, but not in amounts copious enough to make the ground rumble, or a mist, or a slight roar.

On top of the dam I took the Circle Trail spur which leads to overlooking the spillway, and the homage to an egret which has been painted on the south side's wall. As soon as I got my camera turned on an egret arrived to pose with its doppelganger painted on the wall.

That is the close up view of the egrets, above, and a more zoomed out view below.

Soon after taking the above photos the rain started becoming more of a nuisance, and so I began a high speed return to my abode. I was not too wet by the time I opened my front door.

I do not know when this bout of bad weather is scheduled to end. My sun tan is quickly beginning to fade. Rapid winter type weight gain is likely soon to follow.

Unless the sun and the heat it brings returns, which I suspect will be the case. I hope...

The Lake Wichita Dam Spillway Art Egret

Lately, well, twice in the past week, it seems like I can not roll my bike's wheels around Lake Wichita without being surprised by a work of art suddenly popping into view.

A few days ago, as I neared the Mount Wichita pseudo mini-volcano, a giant steel flying fish sculpture appeared before my rolling eyes.

And now today, Sunday, the day before Labor Day, that holiday originated by liberals who believed workers needed a special day off, I once again rolled my wheels to Lake Wichita, and once again I found myself suddenly seeing a work of art.

This time it was an egret painted on the south side of the Lake Wichita Dam spillway.

The artist creating this work of art was also athletic in addition to being artistically creative. To reach the location of this new egret the painter had to get him or herself or themselves over fencing designed to prevent easy access to the dam spillway.

Or maybe the artist just took advantage of a low lake level and walked onto the spillway directly from the lake, where there is no barrier stopping anyone from doing so.

Above you see one egret located a short distance from the spillway. Further out to sea, I mean, lake, a group of egrets maintains a fishing line near a row of old piers, which are all which remains of the Lake Wichita Pavilion.

I have no way of knowing if the artist was inspired to paint the spillway egret because of the flock of egrets which are regularly located at this location, on the lake, near the spillway.

I wonder if the currently solo spillway egret will remain alone, or will the artist or artists, return to paint an entire flock?

Watching A Fish Get Caught & Consumed In Fosdick Lake

Walking around Fosdick Lake in Oakland Lake Park today I saw something I'd never seen before in Fosdick Lake.

I've seen what I saw today in other locations, but not Fosdick Lake.

What did I see today whilst walking around Fosdick Lake that I'd not seen before?

I saw a fish caught.

Who caught the fish?

It was that white guy you see in the picture. He or she suddenly darted its beak into the water and came out of the water with a little fish pinned in its beak. The fish squirmed for a bit and then the bird swallowed it. Then took a couple quick drinks of lake water, I assume help wash down the fish.

The picture was taken after the bird finished eating its lunch and had returned to its fishing position.

Do the Fosdick Lake birds not read the signs that warn that it is not safe to eat the Fosdick fish?

Shooting Egrets On Fosdic Lake While Worrying About Mob Hits & Elsie Hotpepper On Friday The 13th

Going to Oakland Lake Park to walk around Fosdic Lake was my endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation location for today.

Yesterday I was underdressed for my aerobic stimulation. Today I was overdressed. It makes it a lot easier when it is real HOT and this type problem is not an issue.

Today there were a lot of birds on Fosdic Lake. Mostly ducks, paddling together in tight circled groups. I assume to keep warm.

I believe that is an Egret on a limb above Fosdic Lake you are looking at in the picture. Usually these type birds are easily spooked and fly away. This guy or gal let me get fairly close before its fight or flight response kicked in.

I believe I have taken a picture of this type bird before and that someone, I think it was CatsPaw, identified it.  Due to my AADD (Adult Attention Deficit Disorder) I often forget what I'm told. Like the name of specific bird.

Speaking of specific birds. I am a little worried about Elsie Hotpepper. She sent me an email message from her phone that said, "the mob is going to kill me."

I'm thinking this "mob" hit was a predictive text error that Elsie Hotpepper did not notice before she hit the send button.

A predictive text error happened once with my mom and dad when they texted me "be good at noon." Noon was only about 15 minutes away when I got the message from mom and dad telling me to be good at noon. I later learned what they'd meant to tell me was "be home at noon."

Then again, now that you are making me think about it, it really is not all that far fetched to think that the "mob" might have a hit out on Elsie Hotpepper. Elsie is a bit of a feather ruffler. Something I avoid being, hence no "mob" hits out on me.

I hope everyone is having themselves a mighty fine Friday the 13th.

Sunday Walking With The Ghosts & Cicadas Along Village Creek In Arlington

I was not in the mood to get superheated today via my daily aerobic endorphin stimulating activity. That means no Tandy Hills.

So, I decided to go to Village Creek Natural Historic Area to walk in the shade among the ghosts of the many Indians murdered in this location, a location which was once one of the biggest Indian villages in America.

Til the Texans came to town and used a primitive version of eminent domain abuse to evict the land's rightful owners.

I saw the bird you see in the picture, intensely scouting for fish in Village Creek, below the spillway of the first dam/bridge across the creek.

Is this bird a Blue Egret? It looks like an Egret. But I have only seen White Egrets. This bird was not at all skittish. He or she did not seem at all bothered by me being there.

The cicadas seem to be being particularly noisy this year. I am hearing them right now, in the trees I see through my computer room window.

The cicadas have been being very noisy on the Tandy Hills, of late. I don't recollect such a loud cicada cacophony on the Tandy Hills in years past. .

In years past I have heard the cicadas make a racket with their mating rituals at Veterans Park.

And in the  Village Creek Natural Historic Area.

Today the Village Creek cicada population was being particularly busy. That is a cicada corpse in the picture. I saw several cicada corpses today. A cicada is a very big bug.

Egrets I've Had A Few But Then Again Too Few To Mention Today At Fosdic Lake

This morning's storm lasted a couple hours. Some areas of the D/FW Metroplex were hit with hail an inch in diameter. The hail that hit me was not nearly that big.

I don't know how many inches of rain fell. I do know when I drove to Target, near the end of the storm, there was a lot of water on the road.

By 12:30 the skies had brightened. So, I drove to Oakland Lake Park to walk around Fosdic Lake.

A lot of other people had the same idea. There was a guy practicing his golfing, a couple guys fishing, lots of walkers.

And the birds seemed in some sort of celebratory mood. I suspect wild storms are difficult moments in bird world. And they are very happy when the storm ends.

Usually the Fosdic Lake birds and turtles are quite skittish. Particularly the turtles.

But, today the ducks did not quickly duck for underwater cover as soon as I neared them. A flock of pigeons continued sitting on the ground, as I walked by them.

And the turtles stayed on their logs.

The oddest of the bird behavior was the egret you see above, on the Fosdic Lake paved trail. I thought as soon as I turned the camera  on it would fly away.

Instead the egret performed some sort of egret dance for me.

The egret did not seem to care in the slightest that I was getting so close. I think I could have reached out and petted the pretty white bird.

And then there was Fosdic Falls and Fosdic Creek. I'd not seen Fosdic Falls falling so much water before. I don't think I'd been in this location so soon after a big rainstorm.

So, that has been my exciting day so far. Swimming pre-storm, surviving yet another wild Texas storm. Followed by following an egret around Fosdic Lake.

And now it is time for lunch.

Getting Some Endorphins At The Village Creek Bayou With Egrets & A New Incoming Arctic Blast Freezing Texas

You are looking at the clouds in the blue sky, being reflected in the Village Creek Bayou, today around noon.

Due to our recent multiple instances of unpleasantness, I thought I'd see more people today, walking the trails of Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historic Area, out enjoying the semi-pleasant weather.

I did see more than the norm, though, including one odd couple who were walking with what appeared to be cross country ski poles. They were stabbing the poles into the trail like they thought they were skiing.

This morning I was suffering a sad case of BLAH. This worried my therapist, Dr. L.C., who asked me, quite concerned, if I was okay.

I am now.

Okay, I mean.

The walking did me good. I have been having a weather related severe downturn in my usual endorphin producing activity. Combine that with the BIG pizza I ate during the Super Bowl and I had a recipe for feeling today like a BLAH Bloated Boy.

An Egret in the Village Creek Bayou let me get real close while taking pictures of him, or her, today.

Previous encounters with Village Creek Bayou Egrets have had them spooked just at the sound of the camera turning on.

The camera makes a bird chirping noise.

I wondered if this particular Egret was ailing, maybe it caught cold during the recent cold. Or maybe it is a smart bird and figured out the humans are not a danger.

If it is cold that has the Egret under the weather, he, she or it should get ready for some more, if the forecast is to believed, and I suspect it should.

We are back freezing tonight, down to 12 on Wednesday. With snow.

Meanwhile, while I suffer with Arctic frigidity, the Scrabble Queen of Washington is currently the Scrabble Queen of Hawaii, sending me daily updates of her current tropical paradise. And continuing to beat me at Scrabble via the i-Pad she got for Christmas.

Village Creek Bayou Egrets & The Queen Of Wink's Adult Diapers

Egrets. I've seen a few. But then again, too few to mention.

I think I saw an Egret in the Village Creek Bayou today. Big white bird with a long neck. I think that's an Egret. I am fairly certain it is not a swan.

When I approached the Village Creek Bayou today a flock of geese startled me after I had apparently startled them, sending the nervous birds quickly into flight mode.

Looking at the refection of the Egret in the Village Creek Bayou you might think that smooth mirror-like surface was ice.

It was cold enough to be ice, but it was still liquid.

It would be my guess that the slough of chemicals that are likely in the stew of the Village Creek Bayou likely lower the temperature required to freeze that water, just like the water in my vehicle's radiator, which I remembered to add anti-freeze to today, because tonight we are currently scheduled to be chilled down in to the teens.

This morning I received a somewhat disturbing message from Elsie Hotpepper saying she is so distraught over our current dire weather situation, here in North Texas, that the Hotpepper is plotting to go somewhere warm where she can hibernate. I believe a beach was mentioned.

Last night I got multiple messages from the Queen of Wink. It was very confusing. Something about inviting myself and Gar the Texan to Wink, not scamming the Queen on the Internet and my possible need for adult diapers.

I understood most of what the Queen of Wink was saying, except for being able to follow her train of thought that somehow ended up thinking of adult diapers.

I tell you, there are many signs that something is amiss out in the Realm of Wink. An investigative team may need to investigate.