Welcome To 2023's Start Of Winter In Texas

That which you see above showed up in my email this morning, from the Friends of the Tandy Hills.

A Winter Solstice Greeting.

Hiking the Tandy Hills, year-round, is one of the few things I regularly did in the Dallas/Fort Worth area that I miss.

The only hill hiking available at my current location is hiking to the summit of Mount Wichita, which is a big pile of dried-up mud, dredged years ago from Sikes Lake.

Another thing I miss from D/FW, that is not available at my current location, is Asian grocery stores. Arlington has several of those, which I frequented frequently, able always to get any ingredient I wanted or needed.

The inability of getting needed ingredients came up yesterday when I saw a recipe for something called Singapore Noodles. The photo of the Singapore Noodles made Singapore Noodles look really tasty. However, the recipe had several items I can not get here, starting with the noodles needed.

I have not been to D/FW since prior to COVID. Maybe I should go on a long drive and get me some special Asian noodles, among other things...

One Week Until Christmas Thinking About Being Naughty To Fat Judgmental Bastards

When I stepped outside to look through the bars of my patio prison the sun was at least a half hour from its scheduled arrival.

The heater in the sky has now arrived, illuminating the 3rd Sunday of the last month of 2011 sufficiently that I can sort of see that it appears the sky is semi-clear of clouds.

Currently it is 47 degrees in the outer world at my location on the planet.

It is now one week til Christmas, the day in pre-Jesus times that celebrated the Winter Solstice, though 3 days later than the day when the sun reaches its lowest position as viewed from the Northern Hemisphere.

The most amusing thing I've seen today, so far, was from CD0103, on Facebook. CD0103 is a bit of a bad girl. She let Santa know that she had been naughty this year, and that she did not care that she had been naughty, telling Santa that, "I've been naughty...and it was worth it, you fat, judgmental bastard."

Methinks CD0103 is going to find some lumps of coal in her Christmas stocking.

Record Breaking High Temperatures In North Texas On The First Day Of Winter

Yesterday I was on  the Tandy Hills in shorts and a short sleeved t-shirt.

Today, on the first day of winter, I was back on the Tandy Hills, without a t-shirt.

The first day of winter in North Texas will likely be setting a temperature record. Currently, at right before 3pm it is 84 degrees.

I have my windows open. I may need to close the windows and turn on the A/C.

I know I have never had my windows open before in winter in Texas. Or run the A/C.

It is nice to finally get to experience some of that Global Warming you hear so much about.

I went off trail again today on the hills. Exploring the west side of the trail that leads in from View Street. I thoroughly explored a large area and found no wrecked van or dead witchey tree.

My attempt to go swimming this morning did not go well. Previously I believed whenever the 24 hour average was over 50, the water was warm enough. Yesterday it got to the low 80s, with the low in the 50s. But that pool was way too cool this morning.

I will try the pool again tomorrow morning. It will definitely be warmer than it was this morning. But, will it have warmed enough that I can have myself a fun swim? We'll see.

The Moon Has Recovered From Being Eclipsed On The First Day Of Winter

By the time I saw it this morning the bright glowing object in the sky had totally recovered from earlier this morning when it was totally eclipsed by the sun.

I forgot about the early morning total eclipse of the moon, so I missed it.

At some point in time today Earth's axis will be at its maximum tilt in relation to the sun. Thus heralding the start of winter.

Winter is getting off to a warm start in my zone of Texas. Just 4 degrees shy of 60 this morning.

So, I am going to make a swimming attempt this morning.

81 Degrees Monday Afternoon In Fort Worth On The Day Before Winter

81 degrees, coming up on 5 in the afternoon, this next to last Monday of December. I definitely do not remember having my windows open this late in December, previously, in Texas.

I believe tomorrow is the Winter Solstice. I do not know when the exact moment is tomorrow when the Earth's axial tilt is at its furthest distance from the sun.

I am fairly certain I will be going swimming in the morning. I'd go right now, but I have to leave to attend to a serious matter.

As in, I am out of milk.