Dodging Lightning Bolts & Big Raindrops To Get Wind Chilled At Lucy Park

It was to Lucy Park I ventured this final Wednesday of the third month of 2025, to commune with nature, after dodging lightning bolts and big raindrops, on the drive north.

As you can see, via the photo documentation of the Lucy Park suspension bridge over the Wichita River, the sky no longer looked menacing by the time I got parked at the park.

This morning, when the sun arrived, the temperature was 81 degrees as measured by the Fahrenheit method. By the time I got to Lucy Park, a half hour before noon, the temperature had dropped to 70, again as measured by the Fahrenheit method.

That drop in temperature came with a strong chilling breeze.

Spring is noticeably springing green copiously, grass no longer brown, the leaf population rapidly growing.

I have yet to switch my interior space climate control from heat mode to cool mode. I almost switched yesterday when the outer world reached over 90 degrees for the first time this year, at my North Texas location.

But, the ceiling fans brought a sufficient chill, so no switch, yet to cool mode...

Lucy Park Spring Sprung Green Vernal Equinox Nature Communing

The Big Blow which began hurricaning last week, with one short break being like the eye of a hurricane, finally quit blowing today, the day known as Thursday, the third such day of the third month of 2025.

So, after seeing my drug dealer to pick up some prescribed pharmaceuticals, I ventured on to nearby Lucy Park for some wind-free, dust-free, smoke-free, semi-warm nature communing.

Since my last Lucy Park visit, a week ago, give or take a day, the dominant color is no longer brown.

Green is taking over. On the ground, and in the trees, with some trees beginning to sprout leaves.

Seeing all this green had me wondering when Spring gets sprung, this year.

So, back at my computer I Googled "when does Spring begin in Wichita Falls Texas" and got the following information...

Spring officially begins near Wichita Falls, TX on March 20th, 2025 with the vernal equinox, marking the start of the season. 

Time: Spring begins at 4:01 a.m. Central Time (CT). 

So, that was one nice Spring walk around the increasingly green Lucy Park backwoods jungle today...

Chilly Windy Wichita Falls Return To Lucy Park Reminder Of Columbus Day Storm & Great Depression

Today, for the first time this third month of 2025, day 5, also known as Wednesday, it was back to Lucy Park I ventured for some semi-chilly, windy nature communing.

As you can see, via the view looking at the Lucy Park suspension bridge over the Wichita River, there is nary a cloud clouding the clear blue sky.

Yesterday was one of the windiest days I have ever experienced.

My memory may have to go back many decades, to remember stronger wind, to what is known as the Columbus Day Storm, a storm which pummeled the Pacific Northwest with hurricane strength wind. Hurricane strength of the Category 5 level of strong.

My mom let my little brother and me go outside and play in the Columbus Day storm. I remember pushing our bikes west on Washington Avenue, several blocks, to Anacortes Avenue.

And then getting on our bikes, letting the wind push us back home. That did not go well. By the time we reached our block, we were being pushed so fast, braking did not slow us. We both ended our windy ride by crashing into Maiben Park.

Yesterday's Wichita Falls wind blew all day long. I drove to Walmart around five in the afternoon. It was not easy walking into the store, dodging projectiles, holding onto my hat.

Apparently, the wind was worse in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex zone, with a dust storm coloring the sky red.

A dust storm, a cratering stock market, idiotic tariffs. Almost like history repeating itself replicating 1929/1930, when the Great Depression was getting increasingly depressing, with the Dust Bowl destroying farming, the Smoot-Hartley Tariff Act disrupting international commerce, the Stock Market crashing, with a Republican president, thought to be a successful businessman, who turning out to be inept at being President.

Big difference, though, way back then Herbert Hoover was not a stooge for Joesph Stalin...

My Wichita Falls Log Cabin With Thin Man's Shadow & Lucy Park Backwoods Poodles

What you are seeing here is my Wichita Falls log cabin.

When I was significantly younger, than I am currently, I was a big fan of the idea of building a log cabin. 

Being a log cabin building fan caused me to attend a log cabin building seminar, somewhere in east King County, in my old Washington home zone. I do not remember the exact location. 

My log cabin building in Washington went so far as acquiring the logs to build a cabin. Those logs never made it to a log cabin end, but did end up being used in other projects, some of which made it with me to Texas.

Above you are looking at the Shadow of the Lucy Park Thin Man, communing with nature on this final Tuesday of the 2025 version of February. 

It was a semi-HOT walk through the Lucy Park backwoods, currently nowhere near being in jungle mode. That should be happening in about another month. Maybe two.

As you can clearly see via the photo documentation, there is nothing green and jungle-like, currently, in the Lucy Park backwoods. It looks a bit desolate.

Today whilst walking the backwoods I was assaulted by two giant poodles. They were cute, but way too enthusiastic.

Seems a bit weird to feel the need, today, to turn on my motorized motion device's air-conditioning function, what with it being only a few days ago I was shivering with the temperature feeling below zero, and all my heating devices, the vehicle's and my abode's heating device, struggling to warm up the air.

I do not recollect year's previous feeling so relieved to feel the worst of winter is now over.

Feeling such must be a function of being semi-elderly....

Final February Saturday Hiking Lucy Park Backwoods

On this final Saturday of the second month of 2025, also known as February 22, it was to Lucy Park I ventured after being sort of ice bound for a couple days, with the temperature being way too cold to make it pleasant to remain long outdoors.

Way too cold, as in well below zero when the wind chill factor was factored into the real 7 degrees above zero, as measured via the Fahrenheit temperature measuring method.

Tomorrow, the final Sunday of the second month of 2025 we are currently scheduled to get heated to a temperature way above freezing, nearing 80 degrees.

This Texas-style temperature whipsawing gets a bit tiresome, but, even so, I am looking forward to getting whipsawed back to being back in shorts and t-shirt, needing no gloves, when enjoying the outer world.

In the above photo documentation, we are looking south whilst in the Lucy Park backwoods zone, currently not in jungle mode.

But, green should return as the dominant color in a month, or two.

I am not remembering how soon after the arrival of Spring that green returns...

Flipping Over A Scenic Lucy Park Photo

Yesterday, I blogged about a Foggy Thursday Start Turning Into Clear Blue Lucy Park, with the above photo documentation, documenting, via a photo, the view, looking south, from the middle of the Lucy Park suspension bridge over the Wichita River.

I thought, upon seeing the photo off the phone, and on to my computer screen, that this looked to be a rather scenic photo of a rather mundane scene.

Then, last night, at some point in time, looking at that photo on the computer's big secondary screen, I opted to opt for something I'd never opted for before.

Flipping a photo.

With the below result.

The river makes for a more menacing sky, when flipped, whilst the river looks to be a much more pleasant, bluish, color, than its actual look of being rolling reddish mud.

I do not think I can make an ongoing theme of flipping photos; due to the fact I do not think I see many scenes which would work to be flipped.

Perhaps I shall try such the next time I am at Lake Wichita, or Sikes Lake, if no wind is blowing, thus rendering the lake surface to a mirror-like quality...

Foggy Thursday Start Turns Into Clear Blue Lucy Park

When the sun arrived this morning, on the first Thursday of the second month of 2025, also known as February, I was surprised to see that a super dense fog had arrived overnight, rendering visibility to be pretty much non-existent.

By the time in the morning when I left my abode, heading to my favorite drug dealer, also known as a pharmacy, and then on to the library, before arriving at Lucy Park, the outer world was still foggy, but not quite to a zero-visibility level.

Upon arriving at Lucy Park, I saw the fog was no longer to be seen. The sky was then a totally overcast gray.

The photo documentation you see above is today's view from the middle of the Lucy Park suspension bridge across the Wichita River. A scenic view of the ruddy muddy river.

By the time my Lucy Park nature communing was over, the clouds had totally lifted, returning to the clear blue-sky norm of which I have grown so fond.

We are now heading into several clear, warm days, heated into the upper 70s and 80s. I do not think anymore fog is on the current weather menu...

Friday Semi-Warm Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle Hike

With one week left in this first month of 2025, it was to Lucy Park I again ventured for some Friday nature communing with the temperature a relatively balmy 23 degrees above freezing.

I hiked the leaf-free Lucy Park backwoods jungle today. A few strong wind gusts had a brief chilling effect, but, other than that, the outdoors was perfectly pleasant.

Looking at the current long range forecast, if the forecast is forecasting accurately, it looks like we may escape Winter without a deep freeze, or an Ice Storm. There are a few days with rain and thunderstorms predicted. But, nothing slippery.

Back To Lucy Park One More Time In 2024

On this start of the second week of the 2024 version of Winter, it was back to Lucy Park I ventured, likely for the last time, this year, joining throngs of other nature lovers enjoying the return to a mostly cloud-free blue sky, with a temperature well above freezing.

As you can see, looking over the Lucy Park suspension bridge which crosses over the Wichita River, little foliage remains above ground.

Apparently, the national news has been making it sound as if Texas has been hit with tornadoes and violent thunderstorms, as indicated by the queries I have received about such from multiple Washingtonians.

The current Texas tornadoes and thunderstorms have been far to the south and east of my North Texas Wichita Falls location.

No tornadoes or thunderstorms in the current local forecast for the foreseeable future. 

Today the outer world was warmed into the 60s when I was out walking. T-shirt weather....

Balmy Colorful Final Sunday Of November Lucy Park Jungle Walk

On this final Sunday of 2024's November, it was to Lucy Park I ventured, with one week to go til December, for some nature communing, via the Lucy Park backwoods jungle.

Before I ventured into the jungle I ventured to the middle of the Lucy Park suspension bridge across the Wichita River for the look north, you see above.

You can also see that the trees are finally beginning to colorfully lose their green, turning yellow and orange.

The first freeze of this, supposed to be, cold time of the year is scheduled to arrive on Thanksgiving, with the temperature predicted to dip below freezing.

Yesterday the morning was cold enough to cause me to turn the climate control from COOL to HEAT for the first time in a long time. Today we are back on COOL, with a blue sky and a temperature nearing 80, mid-afternoon.

Something about the current climate condition has been causing me to sneeze. I do not like it when that happens...

Ides of November Shadow of the Lucy Park Thin Man

On this 15th Ides of November Day of 2024, it was to Lucy Park the Shadow of the Thin Man ventured today, in shorts and t-shirt, due to the temporary return of summer-like weather.

I was pleased to find that the Lucy Park backwoods jungle has mostly dried up from last week's series of drenching deluges.

Lucy Park was having itself a lot of action today, with multiples enjoying various forms of recreation, with the majority being disc golfers. A sport about which I fail to see the attraction.

Temperatures dipping below freezing are on the weather menu, scheduled to arrive before the arrival of Thanksgiving.

I am in no mood to get super cold. I hope to get through winter with no ice storms, no snow, no sub-zero temperatures, no nothing slippery and cold.

I have adopted the age-appropriate weather attitude of an elderly person...

Sunday In Lucy Park Flooded With Nuts

It was back to Lucy Park I ventured on this second Sunday of the next to last month of 2024, to join throngs of other nature communers enjoying the return to a clear blue sky after several days of deluges and thunderstorms.

The Wichita River was running slightly higher than it was the previous visit, a couple days ago. The added water was causing the river to flow faster. 

That parental unit and kid you see at the north end of the Lucy Park Suspension Bridge was venturing onto the bridge quite tenuously. So, I opted not to walk further out on the bridge, due to knowing doing so would cause the bridge to move, likely unsettling the already nervous kid.

There was other evidence in the park of the recent bout of deluges.

The flooded area you see here is near the Lucy Park Log Cabin and swimming pool parking lot.

The leaves in the trees are still green, and still stuck to the limbs. 

There is one item falling from some of the trees, other than leaves.

Pecans.

One sees a lot of pecan pickers scouring the ground under pecan trees, looking for the highly valued nuts.

Such seems like way too much bother to me.

Dry Lucy Park Walk Under Thunder Threatening Sky

Between thunderstorms on this first Sunday of November it was to Lucy Park I ventured for some cloudy nature communing.

After last night's downpours I was expecting the Wichita River to be running more water than it was flowing today.

As you can see via the photo documentation, the Lucy Park suspension bridge is nowhere near being submerged by a flooding river.

My regular way to my motorized means of motion was flooded this morning, making for a longer than the norm walk to vehicular transport.

Currently the sky is growing dark again, and my phone just beeped with an imminent storm warning.

Apparently, in addition to the expected thunderstorming and heavy rain, possible hail and tornado action is on today's weather menu of possibilities. 

I have never heard the tornado sirens go off in this town due to an actual tornado. I experienced that several times whilst living in the Dallas/Fort Worth zone. 

I suspect a nap is in my future today, what with sleeping last night being highly problematic due to the thunder booming...

Driving By Incoming Christmas En Route To Lucy Park Jungle

On this next to last Wednesday of the 2024 October, it was to Lucy Park I ventured to try and enjoy the return to summer-like temperatures, with the current heat wave on Day Three.

As you can see, conditions are looking a bit dry on the ground in the Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle.

The current drought conditions have turned so dire that Wichita Falls is once again in water restriction mode.

Driving by the MSU (Midwestern State University) campus, heading north on Taft Boulevard, en route to Lucy Park, I was not too shocked, because I am used to it now, what with it happening every year, the week before Halloween, that being the beginning of the installation of the MSU Burns Fantasy of Lights Happy Holidays Christmas Installation.

Marking, for me, the start of the dreaded, by me, holiday season. A season which every year has me opining it would seem to be much better if this happened, like the Olympics, every four years, not every year.

Christmas products have already been installed on Walmart shelves, I saw yesterday.

I do not know why being what is known as a bit of a Scrooge comes so naturally to me, but it does...

Perfect Saturday Stroll Through Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle

On this third October Saturday of 2024, with the temperature in the low 70s, under a totally cloud-clear blue sky, it was back to Lucy Park I ventured an hour before noon, to join the throngs communing with nature on this perfect Autumn day.

As you can clearly see, the Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle is showing no signs of Fall falling leaves to the ground. Green remains the dominant color.

The 30-day forecast is currently frost-free for North Texas, so green should remain the dominant outdoor color for at least another month...

Shadow Of The Lucy Park Thin Man Keeping Warm

That is the Shadow of the Lucy Park Thin Man you are seeing, attired adequately to keep warm whilst walking the chilly Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle.

Sweatpants and a long-sleeved t-shirt for the first time in a long long time.

The return of cooler temperatures has not been happening long enough to return cold tapwater to being cold, hence a lukewarm shower this morning, when I was hoping the ground had cooled enough to cool the water.

Pleasantly Cool Lucy Park Jungle Walk

On this second Tuesday of the 2024 version of October it was back to Lucy Park I ventured for some salubrious nature communing via high-speed backwoods jungle endorphin inducing aerobic hiking.

The weather conditions were about as perfect as they can be, pleasantly chilled to the 70 degree range.

As you can see, via the photo documentation of the Lucy Park suspension bridge over the Wichita River, the green of the leaves is beginning to slightly fade, with more of a yellow tint starting to appear.

The first freeze of the Fall should be happening sometime next month, or maybe the big chill will wait until December. 

I look forward to replacing shorts with sweatpants for my outdoor activities.

I probably should go on a hunt for my stash of sweatpants, likely lurking somewhere in my cluttered closet...

October Sunday Lucy Park Nature Communing With Power Issues

It was to Lucy Park I nature communed on this first Sunday of the 2024 version of October. As you can see, the Lucy Park backwoods jungle is still green, with Fall not yet falling, sending no leaves to the ground. 

Day after day, of late, the temperature high for the day has been in the 90s. The air was heated into the 80s whilst I was at Lucy Park.

I am looking forward to being chilly. The cold water out of my taps is still being lukewarm, or warmer.

This week, reading the local news, I read that the Wichita Falls zone is nearing being in drought conditions again. 

But, the Wichita River, as photo documented, today, above, does not look to be drying up. And lawns and golf courses are still green.

I had me a couple possible age-related memory lapses today. Upon returning from Lucy Park I went into lunch making mode. I turned on both the smokeless grill and the air fryer, forgetting that doing so causes the circuit to break.

When I realized what I'd done I remembered it was easy to fix, via flipping a switch on the circuit breaker panel. I knew this was in my bedroom closet. So, I walk into the closet, turn on the light, and cannot find the circuit breaker panel on the wall. I found another electrical looking thing I did not remember previously seeing.

So, feeling totally frustrated, I got a flashlight and scanned the closet's walls, eventually finding the circuit breaker panel. I saw what looked like a switch which should be flipped. Did so. That knocked out the lights in my bedroom. Switched that back and then found the correct switch to switch, restoring power to the air fryer, smokeless grill and TV.

I hope that with this second instance I will now remember not to run the air fryer and smokeless grill at the same time. And if I do forget, that I will remember where the circuit breaker panel is located.

Age related memory woes are vexing...

Final September Day Lucy Park Fading Fall Jungle Walk

With the outer world temperature in the mid-80s, an hour before noon, on this final day of the 2024 version of September, it was to Lucy Park I ventured, after a quick library visit, acquiring new reading material.

As you can see, via today's photo documentation of the Lucy Park suspension bridge across the Wichita River, the green foliage is slightly beginning its Fall fade.

The jungle not quite as vibrantly green, with a hint of yellow creeping in.

Soon to turn orange, then brown, before finally falling to the ground, leaving a jungle of bare trees.

The perfect temperature had a lot of people naturing communing, including an elderly couple, even older than me, both with a leashed dog. Cutest little dogs I have seen in a long time.

It has been over 16 years since I have walked a dog. Actually, three dogs. Blue, Max and Pal, in Tacoma.

All three long ago migrated to Doggie Heaven...

First Fall Day Warm Lucy Park Jungle Walk

Yesterday, the final day of Summer, the temperature once again went over 100 degrees. Likely for the last time in the year 2024.

Today, the first day of Autumn, also known as Fall, the temperature was supposed to be way cooler than 100 degrees, as in the high 70s, low 80s.

So, with those promised possible chilly temperatures I thought the first day of Fall would be a nice time to stroll through the backwoods of the Lucy Park Jungle.

The jungle stroll did turn out to be nice, but not nearly as chilly as I had hoped. Instead, the air was heated well into the 80s, with little breeze blowing, and with the humidity high.

However, I am choosing to believe that the days to follow are going to be as chilly as forecasted.

I need to amp up my aerobic activity to melt off all the weight I have managed to gain whilst slothily avoiding outdoor aerobic stimulation at the level to which I am usually stimulated, which usually maintains my weight at a relatively skinny level.

I will soon need to be able to comfortably fit into long pants. I think I currently have four pair of pants which can comfortable be installed...