Walking With Wichita Falls Lucy Park Naked Trees

That is the Wichita River you are looking at above, as viewed from a side trail of the main primitive trail which meanders around the backwoods part of Lucy Park.

This was the first time at this location since fall has fallen most leaves from the trees. I always think naked trees look more interesting than when they are fully dressed in a thick leaf covering.

Above you are looking at a section of the aforementioned primitive trail, surrounded by naked trees.

Some of the trees in the backwoods section of Lucy Park are quite tall. Not nearly a Sequoia level of tall, but tall, nonetheless.

The wind is blowing strong today. I do not like riding my bike this time of year when the wind is blowing strong. Hard stuff gets blown at high speed which can hit with a hard sting when rolling along on a bike. Such happened the last time I rolled my bike's wheels.

One can get hit by something blown from a tree whilst walking, but that somehow is not as annoying, or painful, as when hit when biking along at a much faster than walking speed.

So, that has been my excitement for this third Wednesday of the 2020 version of November...

Friday the 13th Nature Communing Via Wichita Bluff Nature Area

It has been many months since I took myself to the Wichita Bluffs Nature Area to commune with nature and get some endorphins from aerobic stimulation gained via hiking fast up semi- steep hills. 

And so, this morning I drove to the west entry to the WBNA, attired in layers of insulative clothing material due to the near freezing, well below 50 degrees, which felt like freezing and had myself a mighty fine time doing that nature communing thing.

I wonder if someone is still building hoohoos on the Tandy Hills. I never did catch the Tandy Hills hoodoo builder in the act of construction.

Did the Tandy Hills hoodoo builder move to Wichita Falls around the same time I did, and is the culprit who builds the Wichita Bluffs Nature Area hoodoos, such as you see above?

So, that has been my excitement for this Friday the 13th. Hiking and listening to the idiotic right wing nut job filling in for Rush Limbaugh today. I can not understand how even relatively stupid people can listen to this stuff and not experience it as wackydoodle nonsense totally detached from reality.

And how is spouting what amounts to anti-American inflammatory propaganda not the same type violation of the free speech concept as the fact one can not scream "FIRE" in a crowded theater and then claim no liability for causing the ensuing stampede because its a free country with free speech where any fool can say and fool thing they want, not matter the circumstance.

So perplexing...

Merry Christmas Comes Early In Wichita Falls

My bike rolled me north on the Circle Trail this morning. I exited the Circle Trail at Hamilton Park to pedal through what I refer to as the Beverly Hills of Wichita Falls.

The road one crosses when exiting Hamilton Park is appropriately named Hamilton Boulevard. I head west from this location on Berkley Drive. 

At the exit from Hamilton Park, due north of the intersection of Hamilton and Berkley I saw that which you see above.

A house totally in holiday decoration mode. The photo only shows part of the display. There was much more to the right and left. And installers were busy installing additional installations.

I'm thinking this holiday decorator was wisely getting the job done whilst the weather is so pleasant and conducive to doing so. The temperature is rising into the low 80s today. Under a clear blue sky, for the most part.

As I rolled through Beverley Hills, and beyond, I saw no other holiday decorations already installed.

Well, do we count Halloween?

I guess we do, it is part of the holiday season. So, I did see some Halloween holiday decorations which have not yet been retired to a hidden location...

Cutthroat Hiking With Maxine Makes Me Homesick With Wild Mountain Blueberries

I made mention a day or two ago of the fact that of late I have been hearing from multiple people whom I have long known opine that it is time for me to move back to the Pacific Northwest. These opinion expressers always include verbalizing wonderment as to how I can possibly stand to live in a backward state like Texas.

I always reply to that backward state question by saying Texas is not all that bad, Texans are not all right wing nut jobs, even though such may be in the majority in the rural parts of Texas. I have basically enjoyed living in Texas, for the most part.

But, during this COVID nightmare of limits and restraints, I have been feeling homesick. Someone will send me a photo of something in Washington, and the homesick feeling surfaces. Like yesterday, Maxine emailed and in the email were three photos, one of which you see above.

Part of the text describing the photos...

"We had our last high country hike October 3rd. Hiked up to Cutthroat Pass and then down to Cutthroat Lake and out that trailhead. OMG-Fall colors were in their prime."

The scene you see above is located not far east of the location of my former abode in the Skagit Valley.

At my current location I would need to drive hundreds of miles to see anything like that which you see above.

The Washington Trail Association webpage about Cutthroat Pass via the Pacific Crest Trail.

Many decades ago, way back in the previous century, it was Maxine who led me on my first hike up the Mount Baker volcano. That hike begins at a trailhead at a location called Schriebers Meadow. If I remember right the last time I hiked up Mount Baker from Schriebers Meadow it was with Hank Frank's dad, my Nephew Joey.

And the last time I was at Schriebers Meadow was soon before moving to Texas. I drove myself and two others to that location to do some late summer wild blueberry picking. I am fairly certain I have photos of that wild blueberry picking expedition.

Just a sec, I'll go see if I can find them...

The photos were easy to find, cleverly filed in a folder labeled "Blueberry". Way back in the 1990s I got myself a Casio digital camera. Such a thing was quite unique back then, way before smart phone cameras came to be. That now antique Casio had the ability to rotate the lens to aim the lens at the photo taker, allowing the easy taking of what are now known as "selfies". 

I have long been way ahead of my time in things like this. So, in the selfie above we are at that aforementioned Schriebers Meadow. That splash of white you see behind my right side is part of the Mount Baker volcano. I was probably trying to get the mountain in the selfie.

And then in the above selfie one of my co-blueberry pickers appears to be standing on my shoulder. That is only an illusion.

Now off my shoulder, the above person, who we will refer to as Nurse Ratched, and the person below, who we shall refer to as Big Ed, moved to Texas at the same time I did. 

I remember Big Ed was inept at picking wild blueberries. Doing such requires a high level of dexterity. You can see the bluish tint in the green meadow. That which is blue are wild blueberries.

And the above is that aforementioned volcano named Mount Baker. It is a several mile hike to get from this location to hiking up the slopes of the mountain to the point where you can see and smell the steam venting from the volcano crater.

After I saw those photos from Maxine today I asked her what she used to take such good photos. Turns out Maxine has the same Samsung phone I have. That had me trying to figure out what setting I needed to set different so as to take good photos like Maxine takes.

Maybe it's a change of scenery which makes for improved photo quality...

Sunday Circle Trail Cypress Walk

Today, on this second Sunday of the 2020 version of November I had myself a windy walk on the Circle Trail, which makes this the second day in a row I felt at peace with no worry about enduring another four years of having a mentally ill moron pretend to be the President of the United States.

The Fall foliage has amped up the past couple days. The view you see above is a slight distance from my abode, looking north on that aforementioned Circle Trail. 

Yesterday I was told by someone acting like a horticultural expert that those orange trees you see on the left and right side of the trail are Cypress trees.

I always thought Cypress trees grew in swamps. But, I have no personal pretensions of being a horticultural expert, so I defer to the pretensions of someone who does.

Yesterday I was talking to a Washingtonian who made a strong case that it is time to move back to the Pacific Northwest. I can see the logic in their case. I do sort of miss living where the majority of humanity is of the well educated, liberal, progressive sort.

That and I miss living in a scenic wonderland, with mountains, saltwater beaches, free fresh produce for the picking, like blackberries, and other natural wonders. 

One of my favorite things to do when I lived in Washington was to leave the U.S. and go north to Canada. That is no longer doable. Canada won't let us Americans cross the border, due to the disaster our inept fool of a leader caused with his mishandling of the COVID crisis. 

Has Mexico banned us too? I don't remember hearing such, and one would think I would, what with currently being way closer to the Mexican border than the Canadian border.

I feel like doing something adventurous this coming week, something I have not done in a long time, not since this COVID nightmare began, as in go on a long drive.

Maybe north to Oklahoma, or southeast to DFW. I have not been to DFW for over a year...

Linda Lou Declares Biden Win While Colorfully Celebrating In Lucy Park

 

Soon after I got a text message from Linda Lou saying "Biden Declared President! Thank God!!!" I decided to take that good news with me to Lucy Park for a salubrious communing with nature.

Til walking the Lucy Park trails I had not realized last week's freeze had brought Fall a month late, with the leaves in the trees going into full color mode, with many leaves shed, covering the ground at various locations.

I got back to my home location precisely at noon. I woke up my computer and soon saw something on Facebook which sort of mirrored some of what I was thinking whilst walking in Lucy Park...

"Idiot trump voters. For the next 4 years educate yourself. Take classes in civics, psychology, and logic. If you claim to be Christian do studies in Jesus's teachings so you know how to treat immigrants and people of color, like Jesus was..."

The next couple months are going to likely be disturbingly interesting.

But it sure is nice to finally see some light ahead after such a long time spent in such a dark tunnel...

No Luck Fishing In Sikes Lake Today

 

Today I thought it might be relaxing, and a nice break from waiting for Trump to embarrass himself some more, to take my pole to Sikes Lake to do some fishing.

But, by the time I got to the lake, someone had already taken my one and only favorite fishing spot, which is what you are looking at above.

So, I opted to roll my bike's wheels for a few miles to get some of those endorphins I was hoping to get from fighting with a big fish.

Today is the second day in a row we are having perfect bike riding weather. Clear blue sky, pleasant temperature, and no annoying wind.

And less than three weeks til Taco Thanksgiving...

Christmas Begins Arriving At Wichita Falls MSU Campus

Now, what with Halloween only seen via looking through the rear view mirror, it is time to get ready for Christmas, with that Thanksgiving bump on the road on the way, before getting to Christmas and a New Year.

And so, I was not too surprised today whilst rolling my bike's wheels to the MSU (Midwestern State University) campus to find Christmas arriving in the form of the massive installation that takes place every year at the northeast corner of the MSU campus.

As you can see, via the photo documentation, the weather is blue sky perfect for putting together displays which involve complex electrical connections.

It is way too early to tell if there are new elements this year. Each year previous, which I have observed this up close, new stuff has been seen.

Thanksgiving arrives three weeks from today.

I will not cook anything turkey related this year. I think I will have a Mexican themed Thanksgiving, with tacos and such. 

I am hoping Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, Pennsylvania and North Carolina, or some combo of the five, give the majority of Americans something to be real thankful about on November 26...

Late Halloween Election Night Masking From Tacoma

 

I was wondering why I had seen no photo documentation from Tacoma of Saturday's COVID Halloween. I did receive a written description which indicated a mighty fine time was had by all...

We did have a great Halloween. Two other families (Ruby’s best friends) came over and we had pizza and did a piñata in the backyard. We had a heater on the deck and the fire pit going. Then we walked around our neighborhood. Many houses had bowls of candy out, or bags of candy tied to fenceposts or on a string, and there were quite a few candy chutes. It was really cool. Kids got plenty of candy and declared it the best Halloween ever, I think because their expectations were so low. LOL. Anyhow, it was nice.

And now, on this scary election night, incoming photo documentation from Tacoma, with the Tacoma Trio and their parental units properly attired for what may be a frightful night.

In the front that is Theo on the left, with David in the middle, making that Ruby on the right. With the aforementioned parental units behind them, Kristin on the left and Michele on the right.

It is a bit past 6. I think it is time to get this party started...

Election Day Trump & Confederate Flags On Parade In Wichita Falls Walmart Parking Lot

 

On the short drive to Walmart, near the Weeks Park fishing pond, I was non-plussed to see a group of maybe 10 kids looking to be 10 years, or younger, with no adult figures noticeable, waving large Trump banners stuck to poles.

And then a short distance later I pulled into the Walmart parking lot and saw the pickup you see above, looking like those pickups brandishing Trump banners which assaulted a Biden bus on I-35, down south, by Austin.

I took a photo and stuck my phone back in my pocket when I saw another pickup driving through the Walmart parking lot, as if on parade, festooned with multiple Trump banners of the sort I saw those kids waving.

Walking into Walmart ahead of me was one of the guys from the flag waving pickup you see above.

No mask.

And strutting with that arrogant self righteous dumb look I have seen way too often of late.

Why do they all seem to have the same flat stupid person looking affect on their face.

Walmart was super busy. Are all these people picking up last minute supplies for their Election Watch Party, which was the reason I was at Walmart, I wondered to myself.

Soon upon entry I saw another maskless idiot. This one in cowboy mode. An older guy, wearing too tight Wrangler jeans, sporting a cowboy hat, and that same flat stupid person looking affect they all seem to wear.

And then I came upon a scary looking maskless woman, even more stupid looking than most of the maskless. How do all these people manage to have the same empty expression on their faces, at the same time looking sort of furtive, like a shoplifter worrying she's gonna get caught by the store detective.

These types seem to be sort of proud of themselves. In their simple little ill-informed, un-educated minds they must think they are exercising their rights as a free person in a free land, where no one can tell you to do something like wear a mask, even when a store and a state mandates doing so because scientific research has shown doing so to be preventative, and which has worked to greatly limit COVID in nations with non-idiot leadership.

Like Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, and others.

Meanwhile the Wichita Falls district had 8 more COVID deaths yesterday...