Microsoft Memories Of Oklahoma's Turner Falls

It has been a while since I have remembered all the memories in a Microsoft OneDrive look back at my memories for a particular day.

I do not remember if it was exactly on August 31, but do remember it was on an extremely HOT day in August that I visited Turner Falls Park for the first time.

I'd been in Texas a little over a year when we drove north to Oklahoma, to Turner Falls and the Arbuckle Mountains. At that point in time I had seen nothing remotely scenic in Texas, of the beautiful scenery sort, which I was used to seeing living in the Pacific Northwest.

A couple years after that first visit to Turner Falls I visited the Texas Hill Country for the first time and was pleased to see beautiful scenery of multiple types, such as Enchanted Rock.

Years ago I made a webpage about Turner Falls, and then later made a second Turner Falls webpage after a January visit which found Turner Falls in flood mode. 

In addition to the waterfall, Turner Falls Park also has caves to explore, trails to hike, swimming holes and a castle to explore.

Currently I think I may be living closer to Turner Falls than when I lived in the D/FW zone. I would be on board for a return visit to Turner Falls...

Dodging Windfalls In Lucy Park Jungle With No Snakes

With the temperature in the almost chilly upper 80s, on this next to last day of August, it was back to Lucy Park I trekked, to commune with nature via the Lucy Park backwoods jungle.

As you can see, all the windfalls that fell during that extreme windstorm a couple weeks ago have not stopped blocking the trail.

I was somewhat easy to get around, or under, the windfalls.

Once again I saw nothing slithering in the grass today in the Lucy Park jungle.

We are currently scheduled to go above 100 degrees for the first days of September.

Soon the temperature will cool enough that it no longer will be necessary to keep an eye out for cold-blooded reptiles.

If we make it to the cool temperatures without seeing a single snake during the HOT time of the year, it will make the first HOT season in Texas that I have not had any snake encounters...

Almost Chilly Barely 80 Degree Return To Sikes Lake

With the outer world chilled to barely being in the 80s, it was to nearby Sikes Lake I ventured on this final Monday of August, for some nature communing with ducks and multiple humans.

That would be the Blue Bayou of Sikes Lake, located at the west side of the lake, which you see photo documented.

Before the Sikes Lake mass geese extermination, last month, one would see some geese at this location. Today I saw no geese, not a single goose, nowhere on or off the lake. It is as if the few surviving geese decided to relocate before the exterminators came for them.

The duck population at Sikes Lake seems to be flourishing. I came upon a flock of dozens of ducks soon after crossing the bridge over the Blue Bayou.

Currently the temperature prediction is for a return to being heated over 100 degrees when September arrives in a few days.

I think I am going to enjoy wearing sweatpants in a month or two, way more than I have ever enjoyed wearing sweatpants in years previous. That, and long pants. I am looking forward to being back in long pants...

Relatively Chilly Sunday Lucy Park Visit With An Armadillo

With the temperature well below 100, in the low 90s, it was to Lucy Park I ventured on this final Sunday of August for some breezy communing with nature, which would make that the Lucy Park suspension bridge over the Wichita River you are seeing here.

Most of the wind damaged trees have been removed since last I was at the Lucy Park location. 

Possible thunderstorms are on the weather menu for today, but, looking at the mostly blue sky it does not seem likely any thunder booming is going to be heard at my location.

I hiked the Lucy Park backwoods jungle today. The windfalls across the trail have not been removed, but multiple trails have been worn into the grass making for an easy walk around the windfalls.

Walking in any tall grass sets me a bit on edge, on the lookout for anything slithering in the grass.

So far, this summer, I have seen zero snakes.

Today I saw a dead armadillo, on the trail, that I almost stepped on. Which startled me a little. I do not recollect seeing in armadillos at my current Texas location. When I lived in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex zone I would see dozens of those cute hard-shelled mammals, the cutest being baby armadillos.

I wonder what an armadillo was doing in Lucy Park. And what killed it.

Armadillos are one of the State Mammals of Texas. I believe the law protects armadillos from being murdered.

But, the law does not protect armadillos from being roadkill, something frequently seen in the D/FW zone.

108 For Hotter 'N Hell 100 With Below 100 Arriving Tomorrow

Look at what is on the weather menu for tomorrow!

Under 100 degrees for the first time in what seems a long time. With some possible thunderstorming.

Today, Saturday, August 26, the temperature is scheduled to reach 108 degrees.

Today, in Wichita Falls, we have thousands of bikers in town for the Hotter 'N Hell 100 race. Thousands of bikers roll their wheels for 100 miles under the scorching sun predicted to heat to 108 degrees today.

If it was not so HOT I would venture to the MPEC (Multi-Purpose Event Center) downtown to watch the racers cross the finish line. I have only done that once, on a cloudy day, not heated above 100 degrees, and I recollect that day as being miserably HOT.

There are many things to see at ground zero of the Hotter 'N Hell 100 location. Food trucks, vendors vending various bike-related products, a big tent covered beer garden, live music, an art garden of various works of art featuring bikes. 

I do not know if the bike art garden is a regular feature, or just was part of my one and only time attending.

An interesting tent near the finish line is the Triage Tent, where those wounded by a bike wreck get their wounds attended to. This was one of the bloodiest things I have ever seen in person.

I have never had the slightest inkling of a desire to ride my bike in the Hotter 'N Hell 100.

Maybe if it was the Hotter 'N Hell 10.

Actually, there are several other races of shorter duration for those for whom pedaling 100 miles is not even remotely feasible...

Hotter 'N Hell 113 Sunday Degrees

Today is scheduled to be the HOTTEST day so far this HOT time of the year. What with it being very HOT dangerous HEAT, I won't be doing any salubrious endorphin inducing aerobic activity in the outer world today.

My air conditioning system failed, over night, a couple nights ago. This had the interior space being 87 degrees. The air conditioning system was quickly fixed soon after the sun arrived to begin super heating us again. A heat pump part called a capacitor had died.

Today is the next to last Sunday of August. A day or two over a month to go til the end of this super HOT summer.

The Hotter 'N Hell 100 bike race is next weekend. Unlike last year's Hotter 'N Hell, this year's temperature is currently predicted to be over 100 degrees. 

Two Girls In Bikinis Frolic In Wichita Falls

 

Saw that which you see here, this morning, via a Wichita Falls radio station's website.

I found it a bit disturbing that a pair of girls in bikinis would get into the murky water below the manmade Wichita Falls.

I have always thought the water was way deeper than as indicated by the knee deep water the two girls are standing in.

I also always assumed there was a pump in the pool which re-circulated water to the top of the falls.

From the 1023 The Bull website article about this swimming incident...

Official Rules for The Falls in Wichita Falls

It shall be unlawful for any person to swim or bathe in any ornamental water fountains, ponds, streams or lakes situated in any city parks within the city, except Lake Wichita and the areas of Lake Arrowhead which are not designated as a no swimming area by subsection.

The girls were filmed during their falls frolic, for a TikTok video.

The girls claim they barely got their feet wet and did not get totally in the water, which does look way too shallow to enable swimming, despite what the title to this article says....

Mid August Bare Naked Look At Mount Rainier

Saw that which you see here, this morning, on Facebook, via Washington's Miss Chris. I believe this look at Mount Rainier is looking at the Mountain from Tacoma. Perhaps from Point Ruston, near Point Defiance Park.

The Mount Rainier volcano looks like a giant version of the only mountain in the Texas town I am currently in, a manmade mountain I call Mount Wichita, but which is also known as Murphy's Hill.

It is a couple months before snow might start sticking to Mount Rainier. I do not recollect ever seeing the Mountain as bare naked of a frozen covering as what appears to be the case in this photo.

Mount Rainier is home to several glaciers. I assume the white which remains are those glaciers, with last winter's snow long melted.

The snow and any glaciers have long been gone from Mount Wichita. The nearest real mountain is hundreds of miles from my current location.

Unless one counts as real mountains the Wichita Mountains, which are located in Oklahoma, about 60 miles north of my Wichita Falls location...

Cool August Windfall Walk Through Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle

For the first time in many days we are not going to be heated to over 100 on this 14th day of August. 

89 degrees is the predicted high for today. With a strong wind blowing, making the air feel cooler than the low 80s temperature I enjoyed at Lucy Park this morning.

Some of last Thursday's blown over trees have been cleared off the Circle Trail. Today I walked the Lucy Park backwoods jungle, where none of the windfalls have been removed. This made for some challenging obstacles, navigating around the fallen debris, through tall grass, keeping a sharp lookout for snakes slithering in the grass.

I saw nothing slither today. But, I was attacked, repeatedly by jumping grasshoppers. 

Time seems to be flying by ever faster. We are already over half way through summer. I am ready for summer to come to a merciful end...

Hot Walk Around Sikes Lake With Few Geese Along With Goose Murder Protesters

 

I did not overheat during yesterday's walk in Lucy Park. Clouds were blocking most of the sun's rays.

So, today, the day known as Saturday, the second such day of August, I decided to walk around Sikes Lake, even though there is little shade at that location, and the temperature was in the 100-degree range, with a strong wind blowing, making the air feel cooler than 100 degrees.

The air may have felt cooler than 100 degrees, but, unlike yesterday, today I overheated, ending up being a sweaty mess by the time I got back to the air-conditioned comfort of my mechanized means of motion.

Tomorrow I think my walking will once again take place in Walmart.

The walk around Sikes Lake is noticeably different since the mass extermination of 343 geese, about a month ago.

The remaining Sikes Lake birds, even though being birds of different feathers, seem to be flocking together, sharing one of the few shady locations around Sikes Lake.

Even though the mass murder of the Sikes Lake was several weeks ago, the Goose Murder Protesters are still protesting. By the time I exited the Sikes Lake parking lot about a dozen protesters were waving Goose Murder protest signs, standing in the shade on the south side of Midwestern Boulevard.

I have yet to learn what the goal is of the Goose Murder Protesters. Do they want to see someone charged with Goosicide? Or what?