Hot Martin Luther King Day At Lucy Park

Summer has returned, again, on this third Monday of 2023.

With the outer world temperature in the 70s, the vehicular air-conditioning was back on, with the car's pilot wearing warm weather shorts and t-shirt, to return to Lucy Park, for the first time in days, for some peace and solitude and nature communing via walking the Lucy Park backwoods zone.

I was not alone in the backwoods today.

What with it being a federal holiday, Martin Luther King Day, kids were not in school, with a lot of kids talking their parental units into taking them to the park for a picnic and to play.

The Wichita River is running low and slow, as you can sort of see via the photo documentation. This area is currently under Level One Water Restrictions due to the drought.

I don't know what that means. Maybe don't water the lawn or add water to the swimming pool.

MLK Day With Theo & Ruby Snow Fort Worth Building At Hyak Sno-Park

On this 2018 edition of Martin Luther King Day, Theo & Ruby decided today was a day worth fort building.

So, Theo & Ruby, along with big brother David, took their parental units a few miles east of their Tacoma abode to Snoqualmie Pass, from whence, a few minutes ago, their mama Michele sent the above photo of Theo & Ruby building a snow fort.

David did not think building a fort worth his time, so he opted instead to have fun throwing snow when he was not consuming snow cones.

It seems like only yesterday I was in a much warmer location with Theo, Ruby & David, at Birch Bay, building a sand fort, well, castle. David opted out of that building project, for the most part, too. And he also threw some sand, but at that point in time he consumed no sand cones.

For those with no familiarity with locations on the planet with extreme elevation variables, who are used to an extremely flat planet, let me explain where Theo & Ruby are.

In Tacoma, where Theo & Ruby live, their house is not very many feet above sea level. To the west of their abode there is a mountain range called the Olympics. To the east of their abode is a mountain range called the Cascades.

In the Cascades is where one finds Washington's five volcanoes.

The state of Washington is divided by the Cascades into Western and Eastern Washington. Eastern Washington is like Texas, but more scenic, with a BIG river running through it. Eastern Washington is also like Texas politically. It is the red part of Washington, with a higher percentage of rednecks than the blue western side of the Cascades.

In summer there are several ways to drive over the Cascade mountain between the west and east side. The North Cascades Highway, Stevens Pass, Snoqualmie Pass and White Pass connect the two sides of the state, weather permitting, with Stevens and Snoqualmie the two passes kept open year round, for the most part, with an occasional closure due to heavy snow and avalanche danger. Or an actual avalanche.

In total in Washington there are more than a couple dozen  of what are known as mountain passes. You can check all of them out via Wikipedia's Mountain Passes of Washington State page.

A highway over a mountain range, the North Cascades for instance, has two passes, Rainy Pass and Washington Pass. For those unfamiliar with the pass concept, a pass is the point were a road "passes" over a summit, as in reaches a high point and then heads back down. Such can occur more than once on any given mountain crossing road, but only happens once on the two main passes across Washington's Cascades, that being Stevens Pass and Snoqualmie Pass.

Stevens Pass is crossed by Highway 2. Snoqualmie Pass, where David, Theo & Ruby are today, is crossed by Interstate 90.

All the major Washington mountain passes have ski resorts at their summit, except for the North Cascades Highway.

The ski resort at Snoqulamie Pass, where Theo & Ruby felt a fort worthwhile to build, is known as Hyak Sno-Park. There are a couple other ski resorts at Snoqualmie along with Hyak. My last time on a chairlift at Snoqualmie was in the 1990s. And it was not to ski. In summer you can put your mountain bike on a ski lift in order to be taken to the high country for some rugged mountain biking and an eventual fun, fast trek back to the chair lift base.

I do not know how far from my current location I would need to travel to find a chairlift and snowy mountain to play on, other than, of course, nearby Mount Wichita, sans snow and chairlift. Would it be in New Mexico at Ruidoso or Taos? Os somewhere in Colorado?

Snow is currently in the forecast at my location. I doubt sufficient will fall of a depth permitting some adventurous Mount Wichita skiing. Or sledding...

Martin Luther King Day Returns Blue Sky To North Texas

Last night, an hour or two after the sun left for the day, I found myself driving in an epic storm the likes of which I have seldom found myself driving in.

A storm which the weather predictors accurately predicted, including possible tornado action.

At the worst of the storm I found myself driving through lightning strikes striking on all sides, in front, to my rear, to my left, to my right.

With rain downpouring so copiously the drains could not drain fast enough, rendering the road being like driving on a river.

Eventually I found my way back to my abode's covered parking. To get from the covered parking to my front door required a fast sprint through multiple mini-lakes, along with the lightning strikes, deafening thunder and big blobs of rain being blown by gale force wind.

I enjoyed last night's fast sprint to safety so much I decided to go jogging today after I saw that the clouds have been blown out of town with blue sky returned, assuming, as it turns out, erroneously, that blue sky equates to sunny warmth.

The jogging did not last too long. Pretty much just long enough to snap the phone photo you see above, looking north at that aforementioned blue sky hovering above the Circle Trail and Holliday Creek Canyon.

I have no clue as to what I'm going to do with the rest of Martin Luther King Day.

Other than lunch.....

Words Of Wisdom From Mr. Spiffy About Martin Luther King Day

What with it being Martin Luther King Day, I have seen many expressions of sentiments of tolerance in various forms in various locations today.

Elevated sentiments speaking to the good, optimistic, hopeful side of humankind.

One of the best, if not the best, that I have seen today, was on Facebook, via Mr. Spiffy.

I screen capped what Mr. Spiffy had to say above and will copy it below....

MLK day should be a day set aside to stop making snap judgements about people. But I'm going to make one here. If you think a person's skin color, birthplace, religious beliefs (or lack of religious beliefs), or gender preference automatically makes them a bad person, then you are a racist, bigot and/or homophobe. That's a bad lifestyle choice. But there is an upside: Hate and irrational fear can be unlearned if you open your mind and heart. Love everyone today and every day. It's possible.

Mr. Spiffy practices what he espouses. A couple months ago when I realized I'd somehow acquired a Facebook "Friend" who was an outrageously despicable racist hate speaker, saying things about our president which was of the sort that no decent, moral, patriotic, ethical, clear-thinking, intelligent person would tolerate in any way, I verbalized my disgust in various venues, including this blog.

As far as I can tell, Mr. Spiffy, among my Facebook "Friends", was the only one with the moral rectitude to remove this particular racist traitor from his list of Facebook "Friends".

I was appalled by others on this issue, going through twisted moral gymnastics to rationalize not ostracizing this particular racist hate speaking traitor.

If racist hate speaking traitors are tolerated by people who like to think of themselves as decent human beings, how can we expect to wise up the racist idiots if people who purport not to be racists tolerate the racist hate speakers?

It really perplexes me and I would be lying if I did not admit that those who continue to tolerate hate speaking racist traitors, in any way, lose face with me.

I see it no different than someone who was a Nazi collaborator who excused going along with evil because all they were doing was following orders, as if they did not have the free will to do what is right.....

Martin Luther King Day In Texas Hoping One Day We Shall Overcome

This morning, on Facebook, via one of my oldest and dearest friends, Miss Linda, currently residing in my old hometown of Mount Vernon, Washington, I saw my first Martin Luther King Day memorial of the day.

A reminder to remember lest we ever forget.

We shall overcome, we shall overcome.

We shall overcome some day.

Deep in my heart I do believe We shall overcome some day.

Who knows when that day will come when we overcome all the hate that roils the world, overcoming that hate with peace and compassion.

The current Catholic Pope, Francis, seems to be the current world's best version of the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr.

Methinks we need several dozen more world leaders of the Pope Francis, Martin Luther King sort, with at least a dozen of that quality of leader leading those in the Muslim world to a more modern way of looking at the rest of humanity with whom they share the planet....

Martin Luther King Inauguration Day Walk With The Indian Ghosts Of Village Creek

For my Martin Luther King Inauguration Day walk I thought it appropriate to walk on this day with the Indian Ghosts who haunt the Village Creek Natural Historical Area in Arlington.

I listened to the President's Inauguration speech before leaving my abode. I thought it was a good speech.

Walking with the Indian Ghosts on MLK Day had me wondering why we have no national holiday that in some way honors Native Americans.

Maybe Crazy Horse Day, or Sitting Bull Day, or Wounded Knee Day, or some other day that recognizes the Native American Indian role in the history of the United States. This could be a very enjoyable holiday, with powwows wowing people all over the country.

Changing the subject from Crazy Horse Day back to Village Creek.

I am really liking seeing all the big trees without their leaves. I think I've already mentioned this. The above big trees without their leaves is a good example.

In just a couple months the leaves will return, turning the leafless trees back into a jungle.

Today I saw the first sign of the upcoming return of color, my first wildflower of the new year, that being the bright yellow beauty you see on the right.

This yellow beauty was obediently sprouting naturally in the Village Creek Natural Historical Area's designated "Wildflower Area."

If I remember right, last Spring's wildflower season in North Texas was not as colorful as others have been since my exile in Texas. I suspect this year we are in for a bumper crop of wildflowers. I have no clue why I suspect this other than being surprised by the January appearance of the yellow beauty I saw today.

Today, Hoppy the Armadillo was in the same location he has been on my previous 3 visits to his home.

As soon as Hoppy hears my camera turn on, with its telltale beep, he turns his back on me.

Then when I move to get a better side view, Hoppy turns again.

And then when I keep persisting, Hoppy starts hopping, his trademark 3 or 4 hops, and then dead still, in playing possum mode, hoping I will go away, which eventually I do.

Is there an armadillo exhibit at the Fort Worth Zoo? I've only been to that zoo once and I do not remember an armadillo exhibit.

I don't remember seeing armadillos at Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo, either. Or the San Diego Zoo. I think that covers all the zoos I have ever been to.

I hope everyone is having themselves a really fine Martin Luther King Day.

Martin Luther King Day Finding A Rutted Muddy Mess On The Tandy Hills With Drowned Tires

Stunning Skyline Of Beautiful Downtown Fort Worth

Today was my first time back on the Tandy Hills since we had some rain fall a week, or so, ago.

When I arrived at the top of Mount Tandy to take the picture you see here of the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth a strong wind was blowing, making the air feel cooler than its 65 degrees.

I did not realize today was Martin Luther King Day til I was on the road listening to Rush Limbaugh doing his ranting when he said he also did not realize today was a holiday til someone mentioned it to him.

I don't know how I missed it being Martin Luther King Day. Surely there was mention made of the holiday in each of the online news sources I check in on every morning.

The Rutted Muddy Tandy Highway

During the night I did have a dream. Maybe that was my sub-conscious telling me it was Martin Luther King Day.

Changing the subject back to the Tandy Hills.

I was more than a little appalled when I got to the bottom of Mount Tandy and saw that the Tandy Highway has been turned into a rutted, muddy mess.

The muddy ruts have dried for the most part. The rutted up road made walking on it more difficult than it was before this happened.

I did not check today on the current status of the Tandy Bamboo Teepee.

The Drowned Tandy Tires

But I did check in on the current location of the Giant Tandy Tire #2 and its mate.

A cruel vandal has drowned the tires in Tandy Creek at the base of Tandy Falls.

Who would commit such an act?

When I left the drowned tires and headed south, back to the Tandy Highway, I saw the rutted, muddiness continued into the northeast corner of the Tandy Hills.

Back to that first photo at the top. Today when I was looking across the prairie at the skyline of Fort Worth I wondered if there is any other city in America, with a population over a half million, which has such a large expanse of undeveloped land so near its downtown?

I suspect not.

Fort Worth is very unique.

Martin Luther King Day With Blue Sky At Village Creek Thinking About An Unstoppable Woman, A Hotpepper & A Grammar Challenged Queen

You are looking at an impoundment of part of Village Creek, at least I think it is part of Village Creek, although the main branch of the creek is to the left of the water in the picture. This impoundment may have something to do with the system that puts water in to the cool canals of Interlochen.

But. What is really important about this picture is something else that is shows.

Can you see it?

Blue sky has returned to my zone of North Texas.

And it is almost 60 degrees.

I really was starting to suffer my first bout of SAD of this winter. If I remember correctly I had several bouts of Seasonally Affected Disorder last winter.

I never was a SAD sufferer when I lived in Western Washington. A place with way more SAD type days than North Texas has. I guess I had developed a tolerance for drippy, gray days when I was a Washingtonian and Texas has caused me to lose my immunity.

Texas has caused me to lose so many things.

I heard from my favorite Unstoppable Woman today. The Unstoppable Woman is just about my favorite person I ever worked with to make a website. So many people do not communicate well. The Unstoppable Woman knew exactly what she wanted and was able to explain exactly what she wanted. It made it all so easy.

My other favorite Unstoppable Woman, Elsie Hotpepper, well, it goes without saying you really can not stop the Hotpepper. Even if you are foolish enough to try. Anyway, Elsie is safely back from her long weekend of tropical island saloon hopping.

And then there is the Queen of Wink. Near as I can tell her Wink Realm is growing evermore chaotic. I am not even certain that the Queen is still the Queen and has not been replaced by a King, who is now keeping the former Queen prisoner in the Wink Tower.

I got the oddest message from the Queen of Wink this morning, going on about her grammar errors, which the Queen called grammatical errors, as she complained, out of nowhere, about me being a Grammar Bully. I don't even know what a Grammar Bully is, let alone how to be one. And then, in her message complaining about me being a Grammar Bully, the Queen made at least one rather bad grammar error. I'd point it out, but I don't want to be a bully.

So, there you go, my exciting Martin Luther King Day. So far.

The Dawn Of Martin Luther King Day In Texas Thinking About Going To Fort Worth's Stock Show

I went to bed early Sunday night and yet still somehow managed to sleep in late after a long night of very strange nightmares which I will not go into detail about because my memory of the nightmares is sketchy.

My chicken football fajitas turned out good yesterday. Much better than the football game. I erroneously thought the Seahawks were scheduled to start getting beat by the Chicago Bears around 1 in the afternoon.

I did not get back to my TV until a bit after 1 in the afternoon yesterday. By then Seattle was behind by 3 touchdowns and the second half was under way. By the time the 4th quarter was ready so were my fajitas.

I did not last long watching Seattle play football before the boredom syndrome kicked in. How do people keep watching these games through all those commercial breaks? I think I suffer from a bad case of FADD, Football Attention Deficit Disorder.

Changing the subject from football back to my dire existence in Texas. As you can see looking out my computer room window, it is yet one more gray sky winter morning. Currently nothing is precipitating from the sky. And it is again a balmy 13 degrees above freezing.

I have no idea what lies ahead for me on this Monday Martin Luther King Day. If it were warmer I might consider going to the Fort Worth Stock Show. I've only gone twice. It can be interesting. Saturday's Fort Worth Stock Show Parade drew a smaller number of parade watchers than what shows up when it is not cold. It has been several years in a row now that it has not been warm for that parade. If I remember right, ice cancelled the parade a couple years ago.

Well, it is time to go for my morning swim before it gets any later.

Hot Martin Luther King Day Tandy Hills Hike Today In Fort Worth

It's almost 70 degrees, at half past 3 in the afternoon, this Happy Martin Luther King Day in Texas. All this HEAT had me staying in the pool, this morning, for once again, the longest duration of the new year.

I've got my windows open, so that refreshing asthma causing Fort Worth air can waft in and make me sneeze.

I figured the Tandy Hills would be dried out due to all this dryness we've been having. I was a bit wrong. I grew several inches taller as the hiking progressed, adding an ever thicker layer of mud to my shoes. I don't mind being taller, short little guy that I am, but 4 inches taller turns a bit precarious.

I saw a lot of brush that's been whacked in preparation for Saturday's Brush Bash. It looks like a clearcut former forest. Some of the brush went timber right on the trail, like you see in the picture.

Seeing all that Brush waiting to be Bashed had me wondering why a big Brush Bonfire couldn't be the disposal method. Burning that Brush wouldn't add anything worse to Fort Worth air than some of the stuff that is already being added to the air.