Saturday Bike Ride With Dorothy & Other Fond Memories

Again with a look back at my memories from this day that Google seems to think I remember. This time I remember three of the four memories. I have no idea why I am remembering Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. I thought this was a photo I took at the MSU Fantasy of Lights, but my bike took me to that location and found that Dorothy, Toto, Tinman, Cowardly Lion and the Scarecrow have now arrived outside the Emerald City.
 

As you can see, the MSU Fantasy of Light's Dorothy bears no resemblance to the Dorothy I allegedly remember.

The memories I do remember are the one in the upper left, which is me high above my residence at the time, the houseboat you see docked on Lake Powell.

My antique Casio digital camera took that photo. Smart phones had not yet been invented. But, the Casio camera had a swivel lens which enabled the taking of that which in the next century came to be known as a selfie.

The photo on the upper right is Big Ed in the Rocket Garden at the New Mexico Museum of Space History, in Alamogordo, New Mexico. We happened to be there on the day several astronauts were being inducted into the Space Hall of Fame. While Big Ed wandered the Rocket Garden I watched an IMAX film shot in the International Space Station. This was so impressive. It felt like you were in the Space Station.

Below Big Ed, next to Dorothy, I think that is the Fiery Furnace Hike in Arches National Park. I think that is Wanda climbing up a rock, with either Big Ed or Wally behind her, offering no assistance, with me in the foreground looking at that aforementioned Casio camera.

Was nice being back on the bike on this first Saturday of the 2021 version of November...

Blue Sky Friday Walk At Lucy Park

The recent SAD (Seasonally Affected Disorder) bout ended today with the return of a bright blue sky, with nothing wet dripping to earth.

And so I rolled my motorized motion device to Lucy Park for a couple miles of communing with nature.

Above we are at the northwest side of Lucy Park, looking at a picnic table sitting on a bluff overlooking the Wichita River.

I have had a picnic only once at Lucy Park. Early on during the COVID quarantine era I bought a Wholotta Box from Taco Bueno and drove it to Lucy Park. The Wholotta Box turned out to contain a whole lotta awful. Worst tacos, worst burritos, and worst chips ever.

After yesterday's Taco Bell experience I am done with fast food Mexican joints.

That is, until I am up north in Washington where I can go to Taco Time and get one of their giant burritos filled with healthy ingredients, rolled inside a whole wheat tortilla, or Taco del Mar for the best fish tacos I have ever had.

I would not trust a Texas fast food fish taco to not be using catfish as the main ingredient. 

It is almost 60 degrees coming up on 2 in the afternoon. Perhaps I will go on a bike ride in a couple hours. It's been awhile since I have rolled my bike's wheels....

Storm Free Visit To Dead Calm Lake Wichita Before Stealing Taco Bell Taco

In the first photo you see here it almost looks like I am at an ocean beach with waves crashing to shore behind me.

Sadly, such was not the case.

I do not know why this looks so stormy, because it was not. Total cloud cover, yes, but zero wind, dead calm, Lake Wichita turned into a motionless mirror.

As you can see I am making a lot of progress with the selfie taking under the kind tutelage of Janatee Largo, also known as Thelma McNutty. 

Janatee is a master at offering constructive criticism, which she offers without hesitation, not caring if the constrictive criticism was solicited, or not.

Today's chilly endorphin inducing aerobic activity took place at the Lake Wichita Dam location.

Usually a strong wind blows here, necessitating signage warning to beware of such. But, as you can clearly see, dead calm was what was happening today.

In the above photo documentation we are on the Lake Wichita Boardwalk, looking west across the lake to Mount Wichita looming tall on the distant horizon.

Off the boardwalk now, heading to the Lake Wichita Floating Dock. When a strong wind blows, making waves, this floating dock can feel like being on a carnival ride.

Now we are on the floating dock, looking south at that boardwalk we were on moments ago. 

And now we are back on the Circle Trail, on top of Lake Wichita Dam, heading north.

It was nice today, being outside without being buffeted by strong wind gusts.

Completing today's nature commune it was a short drive to Taco Bell to pick up lunch. Today was Taco Bell's "Steal a Taco Day". Apparently if anyone stole a base during the recently completed World Series, today, nationwide, Taco Bell was giving away a free Dorito taco. 

I also got a Supreme Burrito. My dad learned to like Taco Bell after mom and dad moved to Arizona. But, me? I do not understand how Taco Bell, or any of the taco fast food joints, stay in business...

Was That A Seattle Seahawk Today At Chilly Sikes Lake?

Coldest day today since last winter's dip below zero. Or so it seems. 

46 degrees.

Cloudy.

With a slow drizzle drizzling down from the sky, making my current location's outer world seem like a stereotypical winter day in my old home zone of Western Washington.

And so I layered on the layers of outerwear and drove to Sikes Lake for a fast walk with the Sikes Lakes geese, ducks and hawk.

As you can see from the photo evidence above, my selfie photo taking is improving. I have been getting selfie instructional input from Thelma McNutty, also known by her stage name of Janatee Largo. Why would you take a stage name when your real name is already memorable? I do not know the answer to that question.

Behind me, besides part of Sikes Lake, you are seeing one of the sculptural works of art stuck on the ground by the Wichita Falls Museum of Art. 

Above we are standing on the bridge at the west end of Sikes Lake, looking east. If I were on my bike this is a location where I stop for a hydration break. No need for hydrating today. Mother Nature was providing a steady stream of hydration.

And now we are on the bridge at the north end of Sikes Lake, looking at the aforementioned hawk, perched on the bridge's railing. The hawk did not seem to mind a human passing by. Having recently watched Hitchcock's The Birds, I was wary of getting too close to the hawk. Even though the attack birds in The Birds were not hawks. 

Was this hawk a seahawk? I don't know if there actually is a bird known as a seahawk, or just a made up name in order to be alliterative with Seattle. I suppose I could Google to find out the answer to this serious question. But I've got other stuff to do right now that is more interesting than investigating seahawks.

Chilly Fall Walk To Wichita Falls Waterfall

The outer world was chilled to 50 degrees when I left my abode this morning. With the windchill factor making those 50 degrees feel somewhere in the 40s. 

I left my abode to drive an elderly gentlemen to his pharmacist to pick up some prescriptions. 

After that I asked the elderly gentlemen if there was anything else he would like to do. It's been awhile since I've walked to the Wichita Falls waterfall, said he. But, that's a bit of an incline to get to the falls, no matter which access point you use, are you sure you are up to such a challenge, asked I?

Yes, was the reply.

And that is why you are seeing a photo of the Wichita Falls waterfall on this second day of the 2021 version of November.

From the Circle Trail a serpentine brick paved trail takes you to the top of the falls. 

The steepness of the trail to the the top of the falls was too much for the elderly gentleman, so he opted out and just meandered slow motion down the Circle Trail, whilst I went to the top of the falls.

Above I am at the top of the waterfall. That person you see below the waterfall is not the aforementioned elderly gentleman.

So that has been my thrilling excitement for today. Doing something I've done many times previous...

UPDATE: Day After Halloween Trying To Find David, Theo & Ruby

 

I was hiking the backwoods area of Lucy Park when my phone made its incoming text message noise. Checking the message I saw a photo with text asking "Can you find your niece and nephews?"

When I got back to my home zone and my computer, I plugged in the phone to extract the photo and check email. In the incoming email was the same photo that was on my phone, with the same text, but with the addition of "Happy Halloween".

Is Ruby holding the green light saber? Is that Theo the green light saber is pointing at? Or is that Theo being Einstein? Is that David behind Ruby, with the red eyes?

And on the ground that looks like a poodle in a Halloween costume looking like my poodle nephew, Blue, who is currently residing in Doggy Heaven with his brother Max.

Late this afternoon of the first day of November another photo arrived in the email, asking if I guessed right. Below is that photo and below that we will see if I guessed which ones were David, Theo and Ruby...

Well, I got Zero right. When I replied to the email I had not looked at the original again and quickly assumed I guessed correctly with Ruby. But, Ruby is not holding the green light saber. Ruby is the one in blue to the left of the light saber. David is way in the back, the redhead. And Theo is in red, behind the green light saber.

No Halloween Bread For The Lucy Park Ducks

With the outer world chilled to 61 degrees, with the air moving at about a 10 mph pace, thus creating a wind chill factor making the outer world feel like it's chilled to somewhere in the 50s, I again opted out of rolling my bike wheels anywhere on this last day of the 2021 version of October.

Instead I drove to Lucy Park for some nature communing and duck walking. On this day of Halloween we shall take a look at the Lucy Park Duck Pond. Where a lot of geese co-habitate with the ducks. 

At the west entry to the Duck Pond signage warns against feeding the birds bread. MSU needs to put up similar signage at Sikes Lake.

The photo does not make it clear, but above the Duck Pond was dominated by big water lilies. 

The ducks see a human and gravitate, I mean, float, towards the human, in this case, me, hoping I am going to toss some Halloween treat at them.

A pagoda style bridge across the Duck Pond. I have yet to learn what's up with all the Japanese type structures in Lucy Park.

The trails around the Duck Pond have multiple sitting opportunities, on swing benches. Which is the Wichita Falls norm.

And that concludes our tour of the Lucy Park Duck Pond...

Hank Frank & The Great Halloween Pumpkin

Earlier this 2021 Halloween, in a blogging about a Super Slug Halloween I wondered if I would be seeing Trick or Treat costume pictures today of David, Theo, Ruby, Spencer Jack and Hank Frank.

About an hour later the photo you see above showed up on my phone.

Hank Frank with a great giant pumpkin.

That is the Mount Baker volcano hovering above the foothills you see in the background behind Hank Frank.

Happy Super Slug Halloween

 

Most people who have spent any time at all in the Pacific Northwest will know what the above Halloween costume is costuming.

Known by most as slugs. By some as snails. They come in several sizes and colors, including the version known as a banana slug, due to being yellow.

Slugs are sort of the PNW pest equivalent of cockroaches. I never saw a cockroach til I moved to Texas. I don't think they exist in the Pacific Northwest. 

A couple years ago a friend of mine here, a lifelong Texan, flew up to Washington for the first time. Being surrounded by mountains for the first time in her life impressed her the most. She said she found the mountains mesmerizing.

And then there was this other thing she'd never seen before that she found disturbing.

Slugs.

On her first morning in Seattle she went out to the backyard of the friend's house in which she was staying and saw dozens of giant worm-like things leaving a trail of slime in their wake. She quickly retreated back into the house and alarmingly reported some sort of invasion was taking place in the backyard. The friends rushed outside, saw the invaders, and simultaneously said "slugs".

Slugs can be a big nuisance. I had a rooftop garden at my house in Mount Vernon. I grew strawberries, basil, spinach, blueberries and I forget what else. Somehow slugs managed to get up the stairs and into the various food growing containers.

You can buy slug bait which attracts and kills them, leaving a trail of slime and a slug corpse in its wake. Or you can put beer in a saucer. The beer attracts the slug, which then drowns, happily drunk.

I wonder if I will be getting Halloween costume pictures of David, Theo, Ruby, Spencer Jack and Hank Frank today?

Spencer Jack may have reached that age where he thinks he is too old to go trick or treating...

Looking At Memories I Don't Remember

Google continues its sporadic sending of email with the subject line of "Look back at your memories from this day". This last Saturday morning of the 2021 version of October Google sent two memory looks. The one you see above and another made up of photos of Aunt Alice, and one of me.

In the look at memories above I only remember two of the memories. In the lower left that is me, at Dinosaur Valley State Park. There is a swimming zone there, with no life guard, but does provide Life Jugs to throw at a drowning person. The only other memory I remember from above is that is Reunion Tower in Dallas at the lower right.

Above all but the lower right are Aunt Alice in her various Halloween costumes. In the upper left and right Aunt Alice is Mary Todd Lincoln. Lower left Aunt Alice is Marilyn Monroe. Next to Marilyn, Aunt Alice is Gloria Swanson. And then on the lower right, that is me and Wanda on a houseboat on Lake Powell.

What fond memories to not remember...