Second Day Of New Year Warm Wichita Bluff Nature Area Hiking

On this second day of the New Year of 2026, it was back to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area I ventured for some salubrious nature communing.

This was my first time to the WBNA since way back in October. On that day I arrived at the WBNA parking lot, opened my vehicle's door, was barely out of the vehicle, slapped by a strong wind gust and extremely cold air, I quickly re-entered my vehicle and drove the short distance to Lucy Park, where wind blocking trees and not being on high bluffs made for much more pleasant nature communing.

That was way back before winter arrived. Today is about 10 days, give or take a day or two, since winter arrived. But, today would be considered summer-like warm at my old Western Washington home zone, with today's Wichita Falls temperature getting into the 70s.

So, I had myself a mighty fine time hiking to the highest point on the Wichita Bluffs, which is what is photo documented above. The chalked evidence would seem to indicate someone may have had themselves a New Year's Eve party at this location.

The photo documentation only shows a small amount of the chalked messages and artwork.

So far my New Year Resolution to lose 20 pounds is going well. I suspect such will have happened by the end of the month....

Robust Chilly Return To Wichita Bluff Nature Area

Today marked day 11 since I came down with my first cold in many many years. Most of the cold symptoms have now abated, and so, almost feeling back to normal, starting yesterday, I sort of reverted to my regular routines.

Including the daily salubrious endorphin acquiring aerobic stimulation gained via fast walking.

Yesterday it was walking around Sikes Lake. Today it was fast walking the Circle Trail hills in the Wichita Bluff Nature Area.

As you can see via the view looking northwest from the summit of the Bluffs the outer world at my North Texas location remains green. It is almost September, and we are still green. The norm, past years, would be for the color scheme to be multiple shades of brown, by now.

The outer world was almost chilly, at 78 degrees as measured via the Fahrenheit method when I did my hill climbing. Even though the air was relatively chilly I still somehow ended up being a sweaty mess by the time I got back to the air-conditioned comfort of my motorized means of motion.

Today's semi-chill portends for what is to come in a month, or two. The yearly end of artificial air-conditioning....

Dry Hiking Wichita Bluff Nature Area Before Tomorrow's 4th Of July Parade

Yesterday I aborted my Lake Wichita Dam walk before reaching my regular mileage goal, due to rain deciding to drip in downpour mode.

Today, on this third day of the 2025 version of July, I opted to return to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area for some brisk walking in a hilly location and managed to stay dry.

In the photo documentation we are about halfway to the Wichita Bluff summit, looking north, at what looks like a mountain range, but instead is a range of clouds.

Tomorrow, also known as the 4th of July, my daily walking will take place early in downtown Wichita Falls, beginning at the Wichita Falls Public Library parking lot, walking to 9th street, where I will stand for about an hour, in the shade of a short skyscraper, to watch the 4th of July Parade, which begins parading at 9 in the morning, and should reach my viewing location 10 or 15 minutes after that.

I enjoy the people watching at this parade as much as I enjoy the parade.

A feature of the Wichita Falls 4th of July Parade is candy being thrown out to the delight of a lot of kids.

I'm talking a lot of candy, so much candy that not all of it gets picked up.

If I was a candy consumer, which I am not, it would be tempting to pick up some of that candy that lands by me whilst watching this parade....

Semi-Chilly Humid July 1 Wichita Bluff Nature Hike

Yesterday's predicted afternoon thunderstorm, which had been predicted as having an only 15% chance of happening, and if it did happen, would last about half an hour, instead arrived with a boom, late afternoon, and continued booming for hours. Along with copious amounts of rain.

And a temperature drop.

So, on this first July day of 2025, it was back to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area I ventured for some salubrious endorphin acquisition acquired by brisk walking.

On the way to the Bluffs some large raindrops dripped on my windshield. I considered bailing on the Bluffs, but, by the time I got to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area parking lot there was no rain dripping.

You can see, via the photo documentation, above, how stormy the sky is appearing. This view is looking slightly northwest, a short distance from the parking lot.

Near the Wichita Bluff Nature Area summit, I saw the yellow wildflowers you see above. Wildflowers seem to be blooming longer this wildflower season, than the previous several years. A benefit of being blessed with a lot of rain, after years of drought.

This two-bench lookout is one of the installations at the Wichita Bluff Nature Area summit. The yellow wildflowers were directly behind me when I took the bench photo.

The temperature was only 72 degrees, as measured via the Fahrenheit method, when I did the Bluff hiking, according to my phone, which also claimed those 72 degrees really felt like 72 degrees, with no real feel increase in the temperature.

However, due to the copious amount of rain, the humidity was high, real high. I was a sweaty mess by the time I got back to the air-conditioned comfort of my vehicle. 

Hiking the Wichita Bluffs is the most extreme exercise I currently get.

The only other spot where one might get extreme exercise is hiking to the top of Mount Wichita. But, I long ago decided doing that was way too treacherous....

Early Summer Wichita Bluff Nature Area Being Naturally Green

A couple days into Summer of 2025, with the temperature sizzling towards the 90s, rather than the time of my regular pre-noon daily constitutional, I opted to try and escape some of the HOT heat by entering the outer world earlier than is my norm.

It was to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area I ventured, hoping the Bluffs would be catching some nice cooling wind gusts. That proved not to be the case.

In the photo documentation, at the top, we are at the highest point on the Bluffs, looking east towards the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Wichita Falls, with the brownish Wichita River showing up a little bit, surrounded by lush green foliage.

Due to the deluges of this past Spring, green foliage seems to be lasting longer than it has lasted during the past several drought years.

If more rain does not arrive in a timely fashion, I expect the browning of the green to soon begin...

Taking A Look At The Wichita River Flood & Jungle

On the way to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area's west entrance, I detoured to Lucy Park to see how much of the park the flooding Wichita River has covered with reddish-brown water.

I was expecting the flood waters to have reached a level higher than I saw several years ago, what with the prediction for this flood event being for it to exceed the flood of 2007.

Well, the water is still rising, so maximum flood level is yet to be reached. And more rain is on the weather menu for later on this first day of May.

But, already, Wichita River water has flooded over the road which takes you to the Lucy Park pool and log cabin, as you can see via the below photo documentation.

I thought when I reached the high points of the Circle Trail in the Wichita Bluff Nature Area that I would be seeing big expanses of flatland flooded.

Instead, what I saw was the Wichita River looking way bigger than its norm.

I have had feedback of late from non-Texans surprised at how some of my photos make it look like the Texas foliage appears to be almost jungle-like.

The above photo, looking east towards downtown Wichita Falls, is a good such jungle example, with the Wichita River being almost Amazon-like, if one stretches one's imagination...

Between Thursday Thunderstorms Back At Wichita Bluff Nature Area

 On this final Thursday of the April version of 2025, it was back to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area I ventured for some endorphin acquisition via high-speed bluff hiking.

Yesterday's Circle Trail entry to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area was via the west entrance. Today's entry was via the east entrance.

The east entrance to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area begins at river level, unlike the west entrance which is well above river level.

In today's photo documentation you are a couple hundred feet above the aforementioned Wichita River, looking northwest.

Yesterday's dire weather prediction had me thinking that today outdoor bluff hiking was not going to be doable, without an umbrella. However, by late afternoon the sky was mostly clear of any rain producers.

Last night was a repeat of the previous night, with another thunderstorm erupting around 2 this morning. This morning's booming did not last as long as the previous night's. Nor did the rain pour down in copious downpour mode. Yet, enough rain fell to add to the barrier moat which causes me to take a detour to where my motorized motion device is carported.

More thunderstorms are on the weather menu for later this afternoon, and tonight. Currently no tornado warnings...

Communing With Giant Wildflowers Blooming In Wichita Bluff Nature Area

Yesterday's dire weather forecast for today had me thinking it likely today's nature communing would be taking place in Walmart.

But, instead, this fourth Wednesday of the 2025 version of April dawned with nary a cloud in a clear blue sky.

And so, it was to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area I ventured today for my nature communing.

I have no idea what the name is of the giant wildflower I photo documented today. I saw several instances today of such sprouting tall along the Circle Trail in the Bluff's nature area.

Today's daytime predicted thunderstorming may not yet have materialized, but last night's predicted thunderstorm did materialize.

Beginning around two in the morning, lasting a couple hours, with what seemed like nonstop lightning flashes and explosive booming. Along with loud downpouring.

By morning my abode was partially surrounded by what I refer to as a moat, requiring a bit of a detour to make my way to where my motorized means of motion sits under carport protection.

Looking out my computer room window I see clouds have once again arrived, blocking some of the formerly clear blue sky.

I suspect these are early arrivals of the clouds which will be thunderstorming in a few hours...

Lamb-Like First Day Of March Hiking With Wichita Bluff Nature Area Roadrunner

On this first day of the third month of 2025, it was to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area I ventured to join the throngs enjoying March not roaring in like a lion, but instead bellowing in like a windy lamb, under a blue sky, with the temperature feeling balmy, in the 70s, as measured by the Fahrenheit method.

I suspect the reason there were so many nature lovers out loving nature is the fact that last weekend, and the weekend before that, the outer world was rather cold, at times feeling as if the temperature was below zero.

It was not just humans (and their dogs) I saw enjoying the enjoyable weather conditions.

I had barely entered the Wichita Bluff Nature Area zone when I saw a bird I have seen a time or two, whilst hiking the bluffs.

A roadrunner.

My previous encounters with roadrunners have had the bird acting like I was a coyote, taking off at high speed to get away from me, thus rendering photo documentation impossible.

But, today's roadrunner seemed fearless, and almost vain, the way it was so cooperative posing for photos, of which I took around a dozen, choosing the one you see above as the best.

What with Spring-like pleasant weather having arrived, methinks I shall amp up my outdoor activity level, attempting to get in good enough shape to enjoy being more adventurous...

Sunday Hiking The Warm Freeze-Free Wichita Bluffs

In the photo documentation you are at the summit of the Wichita Bluffs in the Wichita Bluff Nature Area, looking east towards the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Wichita Falls, which is barely peaking up on the horizon.

As you can see, this second day of February, the first Sunday of the second month of 2025, it is a mostly clear blue-sky day, with the temperature in the 70s when I did my high-speed bluff hiking, along with many other Sunday bluff hikers.

Looking at the long-range weather forecast, well into March, there are no more days below freezing currently predicted, a harbinger of an extremely early arrival of Spring-like weather.

A couple Februarys ago I got to experience the coldest cold I have experienced in Texas. Six degrees below zero, knocking out power to most of Texas. Causing me to venture out on the icy streets looking for a motel which still had power. 

What a nightmare.

And then when the power finally returned, frozen water pipes burst all over Texas, rendering more misery, with the lights on, heating returned, but no water.

So, I liked seeing that long-range, zero-freeze forecast this morning...

Saturday's Wichita Bluff Nature Area Linda Lou Poignantly Texted On A Bench

 It was to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area I ventured on this final Saturday of the first month of 2025, to commune with nature whilst enjoying some peaceful solitude. 

As I was walking my phone made its incoming text message sound. I sat on the bench you see photo documented, located on a side spur off the main Wichita Bluff Nature Area section of the Circle Trail which circles Wichita Falls.

The text message was from one of my favorite Washingtonians, Miss Linda Lou. The text asked if I had seen this, which is what you see copied below. I texted back that I had not seen this, and that upon reading it, that it mirrored my foul mood....

"In my life, I have watched John Kennedy talk on television about missiles in Cuba. I saw Lyndon Johnson look Richard Russell squarely in the eye and say, "And we shall overcome." I saw Richard Nixon resign and Gerald Ford tell the Congress that our long national nightmare was over. I saw Jimmy Carter talk about malaise and Ronald Reagan talk about a shining city on a hill. I saw George H.W. Bush deliver the eulogy for the Soviet bloc, and Bill Clinton comfort the survivors of Timothy McVeigh's madness in Oklahoma City. I saw George W. Bush struggle to make sense of it all on September 11, 2001, and I saw Barack Obama sing 'Amazing Grace' in the wounded sanctuary of Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston, South Carolina.

"These were the presidents of my lifetime. These were not perfect men. They were not perfect presidents, God knows. Not one of them was that. But they approached the job, and they took to the podium, with all the gravitas they could muster as appropriate to the job. They tried, at least, to reach for something in the presidency that was beyond their grasp as ordinary human beings. They were not all ennobled by the attempt, but they tried nonetheless.

"And comes now this hopeless, vicious buffoon, and the audience of equally hopeless and vicious buffoons who laughed and cheered when he made sport of a woman whose lasting memory of the trauma she suffered is the laughter of the perpetrators. Now he comes, a man swathed in scandal, with no interest beyond what he can put in his pocket and what he can put over on a universe of suckers, and he does something like this while occupying an office that we gave him, and while endowed with a public trust that he dishonors every day he wakes up in the White House.

"The scion of a multigenerational criminal enterprise, the parameters of which we are only now beginning to comprehend. A vessel for all the worst elements of the American condition. And a cheap, soulless bully besides. We never have had such a cheap counterfeit of a president* as currently occupies the office. We never have had a president* so completely deserving of scorn and yet so small in the office that it almost seems a waste of time and energy to summon up the requisite contempt.

"Watch how a republic dies in the empty eyes of an empty man who feels nothing but his own imaginary greatness, and who cannot find in himself the decency simply to shut up even when it is in his best interest to do so. Presidents don't have to be heroes to be good presidents. They just have to realize that their humanity is our common humanity, and that their political commonwealth is our political commonwealth, too.

Watch him behind the seal of the President of the United States. Isn't he a funny man? Isn't what happened to that lady hilarious? Watch the assembled morons cheer. This is the only story now."

- Charles Pierce 

Snow-Free Sunday Wichita Bluff Hill Hiking

It was back for some snow-free salubrious high-speed hill hiking to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area this second Sunday of 2025, a fact you can intuit via the photo documentation looking east across the Circle Trail, at the picnic pavilion located at the summit of the Bluffs.

There were more than the norm number of fellow hill hikers, today. Methinks this is caused by the New Year Resolution phenomenon. That, and the fact that today is another clear blue-sky day, heated above freezing, being a pleasant change from the recent bout of deep freezing, along with snow.

I am amping up my physical activity in an attempt to melt away the excess poundage gained during the recent holiday season over-eating debauchery...

Return To Endorphins Via The Wichita Bluff Nature Area

The outer world the past couple days has been cloudy and cold.

Real cold.

As in, for instance, yesterday a strong wind had the temperature of 39 feeling like 31.

One degree below freezing.

So, yesterday, weather wimp that I be, I did not venture into the outer world for my regular endorphin inducing aerobic activity.

Til today.

A clear blue sky, and zero wind, had today's hiking time temperature of 54 degrees really feeling like 57 degrees.

Relatively balmy, compared to yesterday.

The photo documentation you see above is a look, looking northwest, soon after entering the Wichita Bluff Nature Area, via the Circle Trail, from the Wichita Bluff Nature Area western entry.

The next few days are forecast to be similar to today. This alleviates, for now, my SAD Seasonally Affected Disorder...

Day Three Wichita Bluff High Speed Hill Hiking Calorie Burning

Day three, on this fourth day of December, back on the Wichita Bluffs, hiking the Circle Trail into the Wichita Bluff Nature Area from the west.

As you can see, via the view from the Wichita Bluff summit, looking east at the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Wichita Falls, clouds have obliterated the clear blue sky which had been the norm for several days.

My regimen of amping up the burning of calories, via high-speed hill hiking, seems to be working. I have made note of some shrinkage of the poundage gained from excessive Thanksgiving food consumption, consumption which went on for more days than just the Thanksgiving Thursday.

A lot of people seem to be currently enjoying getting exercise on the Bluffs, which is made much more pleasant when the temperature is not in the 100-degree zone, which happens way too often during the period of time known as Summer...

Back Burning Calories On The Wichita Bluffs

It was back to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area I ventured on this third day of December.

Yesterday I accessed the Bluffs from the west, today I accessed the Bluffs from the east.

Accessing the Bluffs from the east, the Circle Trail follows the Wichita River, til it doesn't.

Which would make that the Wichita River you see beyond the stand of giant weeds.

Hiking the Bluffs two days in a row is part of a campaign to shed the poundage gained by excessive calorie consumption during the Thanksgiving period of excessive calorie consumption.

Along with burning calories the high-speed aerobic Bluff hiking causes a lot of endorphins to get released, which is always a pleasant thing to experience.

I have about three weeks to shrink enough to fit into a tuxedo type suit. I do not know if I can make that happen. But, I shall try my best...

Perfect December Hiking Weather On The Wichita Bluffs

It was to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area I ventured on this second day of December, to hike the Circle Trail to the Bluff Summit's Picnic Pavilion.

As you can see there is nary a cloud blotting the clear blue sky.

Upon arrival at the Bluff I realized I was overdressed, as the outer world was not feeling as cold as I thought it to be before exiting my climate controlled zone. 

So, I shed the gloves and hooded sweatshirt and found the temperature to be totally pleasant with only a t-shirt being my upper outerwear.

As I sit here typing I have been hearing the tornado sirens blaring. It has been a while since I have heard the regular Monday tornado siren test. Why? I do not know. The sirens are too loud not to notice.

Due to the recent overnight below freezing temperatures many more of the leaves in the trees have gone into color change mode than prior to the freezing. Such as the tree you see above, located near the Bluff's summit.

Along with the changing color the fall falling of the leaves has begun, leaving the ground carpeted with leaves, at some locations, something I experienced a lot a couple days ago hiking the Lucy Park backwoods jungle.

Leaves falling to the ground is different in Texas than what I used to experience in Western Washington.

In Texas the leaves dry up and disintegrate. In Western Washington the leaves would slowly decompose, turning slippery and messy. 

The annual leaf cleanup at my Washington abode was not a pleasant task. But, had to be done, or the roof drains would get clogged...

At Wichita Bluff Nature Area Summit Learning Sad News About Aunt Ruth

On this picture perfect totally blue-sky 3rd Thursday of November, it was to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area I ventured for some salubrious nature communing and the resulting endorphins, via fast walking the Circle Trail

Shortly before reaching the highest spot on the bluffs my phone made its incoming text message noise. Upon sitting at one of the tables under the covered pavilion at the bluff summit I woke up my phone and saw the following message from my little sister, Michele...

Just got this from Aunt Jane. Passing it along in case you haven't heard.

www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/mathilda-hershberger-obituary?id=56822354

I was fairly certain Mathilda Hershberger was known to me as Aunt Ruth. This was confirmed when I went to the link.

Aunt Ruth was my dad's second oldest sister. A couple years ago I recollect asking my sister Jackie if she'd received the annual Christmas newsletter from Aunt Ruth. She had not. In the last Christmas newsletter from Aunt Ruth she made mention of the fact that Uncle Hank was about to turn 100. Reading Aunt Ruth's obituary, I learned Uncle Hank died back in 2023, so, I am guessing he made it to 100.

Uncle Hank and Aunt Ruth were Wycliffe Bible Translators. The bible translating took place in Australia, which is where their three kids were born, Danny, Carol and Steve. 

I recollect is as being a real big deal when Uncle Hank and Aunt Ruth first went to Australia. It was via an ocean liner, sailing out of Vancouver, British Columbia. The whole family went to Canada to see them float away. I remember it being a big crowd, on shore and onboard. And a lot of tears flowing.

This would have been during the 1960s. 

I also remember it being a real big deal to return to Vancouver one of the early times the Hershbergers returned to America for a visit. I remember me and my siblings being really excited to spot Hank & Ruth waving at us from the ship.

I do not remember when it was we first met our new Australian cousins. I know it was not via meeting them getting off a ship. I do remember we thought those new cousins were quite exotic with their Aussie accents. 

I think it was during the 1990s, or maybe 1980s, that the Hershbergers moved their bible translating operation back to the United States. I do not think I have seen any Hershbergers this century. None were at the big Slotemaker-Jones Family Reunion in Lynden back in 2002.

I do recollect emailing Cousin Carol at her missionary location somewhere in Africa. That would have been in the 1990s and maybe earlier in this current century.

My relative numbers keep dwindling. Aunt Jane's first husband, Uncle Mooch, known to some as Uncle Gerry, is the last of my dad's siblings. 

On my dad's relative side of the family Uncle Mooch is know the oldest, cousin Linda the second oldest, me the third oldest.

On my mom's relative side of the family I am the oldest remaining relative. Clearly my days are dwindling...

Chilly Wichita Bluff Nature Area Hiking

Not a cloud to be seen in the totally clear blue sky, today, whilst hiking in the Wichita Bluff Nature Area.

The temperature was chilled into the 50s, after chilling to the low 40s, overnight. A breeze made the chill feel chillier.

I saw multiple instances of the late blooming yellow wildflower you see above. The blooming bush looked like some sort of mutant caused by a dandelion mating with a sunflower.

I was in shorts and a t-shirt for today's outdoor time. I should have been in sweatpants and a long-sleeved shirt.

I must adjust to the return of the cold time of the year...

Semi-Chilly Wichita Bluff Nature Area Hiking On Second October Day

On this second day of October, with the sky totally blue, with not a single cloud blotting the blue, it was to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area I ventured an hour before noon, to commune with nature via hiking the Circle Trail as it trails over the Wichita Bluffs.

In that photo above we are looking at a rocking bench, looking in a northwest direction. The rocking bench sits on a side trail off the main trail.

The temperature was pleasantly chilled into the 70s whilst I nature communed.
 

And now we are in the picnic pavilion located at the high point of the Wichita Bluffs. In this view we are looking northeast. The stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Wichita Falls would be visible if I shifted the view slightly to the right.

The current long-range forecast is for day after day after week after week of blue sky and pleasant temperatures. 

Apparently, the lack of rain has the Wichita Falls area near being designated once again in drought mode.

One would think the forest of trees would not manage to be so green, at this point in the year, what with the lack of rain.

So far I have seen little leaf color changing action one expects to see this time of the year...

Monday Morning Wichita Bluff Nature Area Nature Communing

With the temperature in the 70s, and the humidity low, with a slight breezing blowing, it was back to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area I ventured on this second Monday of September for some salubrious hilly hiking and nature communing.

In the photo documentation you are at the highest point on the bluffs, looking towards the northwest, with two swinging benches available for your sitting needs.

I had no need to sit, and so continued on.

The temperature being way below 100 degrees, after so many weeks of sweltering, seems way more noticeable than previous times when the cooler time of the year arrives.

Last night the A/C had no reason to turn itself on. The ceiling fan above my bed was not spinning.

By about 3 in the morning, it was chilly enough that I contemplated getting off the bed and finding a blanket. But, I did not do so, but will do so before bedtime arrives tonight...