Rocking & Rolling With The Lake Wichita Wind

The weather forecast for Wichita Falls on this final Tuesday of the 2024 version of October predicted "Winds gusting past 50 mph; very warm with times of clouds and sun; strong winds and dry conditions can lead to an elevated fire risk and blowing dust."

So, what with a strong wind predicted, I thought heading to the Lake Wichita Dam and walking the Circle Trail across the dam, and out onto the Lake Wichita Boardwalk, and floating fishing dock might be fun.

Well, it was more fun than I anticipated. To walk one had to lean into the wind, walking vertical was not possible.

The photo documentation of the floating dock does not do justice to depicting how strong the wind was blowing.

The pimple you see on the horizon, at the far side of the lake, is Mount Wichita. I suspect climbing to the summit of Mount Wichita today would be a bit treacherous.

Just walking out on the Lake Wichita floating fishing dock proved to be a bit treacherous.

Above we are on the dock, wet from splashing waves, me getting splashed a time or two.

I do not recollect being on such a rocking floating venue since years ago on the Port Townsend ferry, from Port Townsend back to Whidbey Island. A big tidal change and strong wind made for a rough ferry crossing, so strong it was borderline impossible to walk.

The rocking and rolling Lake Wichita floating fishing dock was not rocking strong enough to render walking difficult.

As I made my way off the dock, back to the mainland, a couple teenage boys arrived, with fishing poles. Their fishing attempt did not last too long.

I suppose today's strong wind is part of the weather change which is coming, supposedly with rain.

I cannot remember when last I saw a raindrop drip...

Golfing Lake Wichita Dam To Rock and Roll Windy Lake Wichita

Last night, whilst watching my one hour of TV allotment, during the entire hour a wind warning message scrolled across the screen, interrupted every few screen crosses by being replaced with a warning graphic in the upper left corner.

I find this type TV weather warning far less annoying, and far more useful, than the Weather Drama Queen nonsense I used to be subjected to on DFW TV whenever weather got a little dicey.

So, around noon I decided to ignore some of the warnings and drove my motorized means of motion to Lake Wichita Dam, where I hoped to see big waves breaking across the lake.

Above you are looking at the face of the earthen Lake Wichita Dam. I do not recollect having shown this view before. The humans you see on the dam are golfing in the wind on the new Disc Golf Course which has been installed at this location since my last visit.

And below you are looking at one of those new Disc Golf installations. And whitecaps on Lake Wichita. The waves do not look quite ready for a surfboard.

I thought video of the walk down to the floating dock might be fun. I figured the wind would be so noisy my pithy commentary would not be able to be heard. So, from the top of the dam all the way to the floating dock I had my camera in video mode.

When I got the video off the camera and onto the computer I quickly saw I wanted to edit out all but the part where I get near the dock and begin getting pummeled by wind and waves.

However, the new version of Windows does not have the easy to use Windows Movie Maker of the quality level I was used to easily using. The video editing program which comes with Windows 10 was able to trim out what which I did not want. But I could not then figure out how to save what remained.

Frustrating.

And Googling for help was no help, other than pointing me to the Microsoft Store where I was able to download the new version of Movie Maker made for Windows 10.

However, I was also unable to figure out how to get the new Movie Maker to trim that which I did not want.

Again. Frustrating. It used to be so easy.

So, I uploaded the whole video to YouTube. Then I tried out the new YouTube Studio and its video editing. I was once again easily able to trim the excess, but was again unable to figure out how to save the result.

Which leaves us with the entire windy noisy video. At about the 54 second mark you come to what I was actually trying to use, and lose all which came before that mark.

When I am out on the floating dock you can actually hear me over the wind. Mostly because I think I was sort of screaming in shock at the rocking and rolling and getting splashed by incoming waves...

Extreme Christmas Deflation Prior To Windy Wichita Falls Walking At Sikes Lake

For Christmas illustrative blogging purposes my plan today, prior to walking around Sikes Lakes, was to journey a slight distance further north on Taft Boulevard to photo document, in daylight, the biggest display I have ever seen of Christmas inflatables.

Well.

Due to this bout of extreme weather we are currently weathering, that biggest display of Christmas inflatables is currently deflated, I assume so as to prevent the wind from blowing Santa and his friends into the next county.

I will try and remember to return when the inflatables are once again full of air, before they leave when the new year arrives.

The way back south to Sikes Lake takes me by the parking lot for the Polar Express.

The Polar Express consists of multiple trams which haul Polar Expressers on an after dark journey through a winter wonderland of Christmas lights the likes of which I have seldom, if ever, seen.

I must remember to try and photo document that which the Polar Express sees before the lights disappear for the year.

By the time I got to Sikes Lake the wind was in full gusty mode. I saw one person step out of his vehicle to instantly find his baseball cap airborne at high velocity. I wish it had occurred to me to get out my camera and video document that guy's chase of his windblown cap.

I was not long into walking into the gale when my phone made its patented incoming text message noise. It was Spencer Jack's dad with a snowy Christmas message with photos.

After reading the text message I re-inserted the phone into its pocket and took my camera out of its pocket and put it in video mode. That video is viewable below. The wind is very loud, drowning out my commenting, for the most part.....

The Answer is Blowing in Texas

Incoming message from Don Young about Saturday's ultra-successful 2009 Prairie Fest....

The power of nature was in full evidence at Prairie Fest 2009. People power, flower power, green power, solar power and especially, wind power blossomed into an overwhelming success. Estimated attendance nearly doubled from 2008 to this obscure little corner of Fort Worth.

Why? The answer my friend is... nah, that's too easy. I want you to tell us what Prairie Fest means to you.

IMPORTANT:

I personally thank the dozens of Volunteers with a capital V without whom this festival would have collapsed under its unexpected growth.

Thanks to our Sponsors and Exhibitors and Artists who helped us pay the bills and helped you learn how to live lighter on the Mother Earth.

We salute all the performers who shared with us their talents and time for a good cause.

Gigantic thanks goes to the Prairie Fest committee of dedicated people who devoted an enormous amount of time and energy to create essentially, a small town for a day.

We are grateful to all who attended Prairie Fest and brought their friends, family and pets. We worked hard to make your experience rewarding.

Thank goodness for email because I owe a big Thank You to thousands of people. It will take me awhile to get to all of you.

Final NOTE:

Of all the thousands of photos taken at the fest, one really illustrates, for me, the kind of day it was. See above, Brave Combo horn player, Jeffrey Barnes, in mid-song holding down the wind-challenged stage tent while singing harmony and anticipating his next solo. What a day. Thank you all!

Come back to the meadow soon where the answer is still blowin'.

DY

Day After Xmas With Texas Blowing Hard

All day long, this day after Christmas, it has been blowing hard, real hard. Windiest since the fringes of Hurricane Ike nicked Fort Worth, way back in September.

That is the view from Miss Puerto Rico's balcony at about 3 this afternoon. You can't tell it from the picture, but the trees are swaying heavily in the wind.

And litter is flowing freely. It's a mess of flying plastic bags out there. Somehow the "Don't Mess With Texas" plan has escaped the notice of way too many.

Meanwhile, Miss Puerto Rico is monitoring the storm on her computer while watching Grey's Anatomy.

Grey's Anatomy sure makes Seattle look nice. Not that that is difficult to do.

I wonder why no TV shows are ever set in Fort Worth? Maybe once the Trinity River Vision becomes clear Fort Worth will be deemed a worthy backdrop for a TV series.

I wouldn't want to be betting on that prospect, though.

Swimming Under Windy Sunday Clouds in North Texas

It has been windy for over 24 hours here in North Texas. This morning when I was in the pool I looked up to see a very strange and beautiful Sunday morning sky.

The wind was pushing low level wispy clouds at a high speed. There were more clouds much higher in the sky, apparently above the wind, because the high clouds did not appear to be moving.

This created a very unique 3-D effect. While I was looking up 3 jets heading to or away from D/FW Airport added to the odd movement in the sky.

It was all quite hypnotic. So, when I finished swimming and hot tubbing I got my video camera to see if it would be able to capture the beautiful Sunday morning Texas sky. Sadly, the video doesn't do justice to what my eye was seeing. But it comes close...