Hiking & Biking In Washington With Jeremy & My Other Nephews

You are looking at my nephew Jeremy, aka JR, sometime in August, back in the previous century, on a suspension bridge across a glacier melt creek, on the Schrieber's Meadow trail up Mount Baker, in my old home state of Washington.

Jeremy and several others were taking me on a hike for my birthday. I don't quite remember how that came about, because this is a rather difficult hike and most of these people were not hikers.

When we reached the suspension bridge Jeremy balked. It took a lot of convincing to get him to cross it. In the picture you are looking at Jeremy's triumphant crossing on the way back down the trail. Obviously he had conquered his fear.

As you can see it was a very foggy hiking day. We only made it to the base of Mount Baker, did not make it as far as the Railroad Grade, that being the moraine carved out by a glacier. If Jeremy had a problem with that suspension bridge he really would have hated the Railroad Grade.

That would be me sitting on a log going through my backpack, with my little sister on the left.

I had a lot of mountain fun with Jeremy and my other nephews when I lived in Washington. I remember a cross country skiing adventure with Jeremy's older brother, Christopher, on the east side of Mount Baker, we got high up on some logging roads and had a very adventurous descent.

A time or two I took my nephews on adventures where I think I may have been not exhibiting good uncle judgment. Like one time nephew Joey and I hiked to the top of Sauk Mountain in the Skagit Valley in a snowstorm. It was very icy. Anyone reading this who knows Sauk Mountain is likely cringing at the idea.

I remember just recently Joey's mom emailed me pictures of herself at the top of Sauk Mountain. She told me Joey told her he and I had done that hike. I told her not to ask Joey about the details of that hike because it'd likely lead to me getting scolded, even though the statute of limitations had run out.

My nephew adventures became known as Nephews In Danger after I made a Christmas calendar using pictures of our adventures and called it Nephews In Danger.

In the picture where Christopher and Jeremy are holding chunks of ice, we'd hiked to the Ice Caves, which you can see behind the nephews. This is a yearly phenomenon that you access from the Mountain Loop Highway north of Granite Falls. The snow melts and forms these big caves. There are enter with caution signs. I think entry may now be banned due to there having been a death or two due to falling ice. But, if it's way below freezing, the danger is minimal. So, we explored the Ice Caves.

The best adventure I ever had with Jeremy and his brother took place in September. The snow had melted off the parking lot at the end of the road that leads past the Mount Baker Ski Area. From that parking lot you can easily walk out on Mount Baker. Or climb to the top of Tabletop Mountain. Or hike a number of other trails.

We hiked to the top of Tabletop Mountain, where I took my all-time favorite picture, the original of which I have been unable to find, which perplexes me very much.

That is Mount Shuksan behind Jeremy and Christopher. Christopher is looking south towards Mount Baker. Jeremy is contemplating throwing a snowball at me.

You get to the top of Tabletop Mountain via a series of switchbacks. As a kid I had a memory of seeing this and it looking so strange, seeing people walking up this mountain.

As the years passed I would think of this and think it was something I had imagined. And then, well after I was on my own, I was back at Mount Baker. And there I saw what was what I thought had been an imagined thing, but it was real.

Hiking to the top of Tabletop Mountain, with Jeremy and Christopher, was the first time I had done so. As you might guess from the name, the top is very flat. At the western side it slopes down and is covered with ice, also known as a glacier, or at least very heavy snow.

That is Jeremy watching his brother go over the edge of the ice/snow/glacier. Christopher had not anticipated, nor had I, how fast that slope would shoot him down the slope.

He asked me about 10 times if he should do it. I saw no real danger. When he shot out so fast and went so far, I was a bit worried.

But then it looked fun. So Jeremy and I followed his brother, with Jeremy first and me following down the glacier. That is Mount Baker that Jeremy is body skiing towards.

When I lived in Washington Jeremy also went bike riding with me frequently. I remember one fun time when Jeremy and his cousin, my nephew Joey, rode our bikes from Tracey Owen Park at the south end of Lake Washington, on the continuation of the Burke-Gilman Trail, all the way to the St. Michelle Winery. Where we locked up our bikes and took the tour.

Another memorable bike ride with Jeremy and his brother was from Larrabee State Park on Chuckanut Drive, pedaling the Interurban trail into Bellingham. This bike trail is an old train route. It is adventurous in a couple places. Jeremy balked. But then un-balked. This trail ends at the Alaskan Ferry Terminal in Fairhaven.

As we were leaving the ferry terminal, a cop pulled us over.

We were given free ice cream tickets to reward us for wearing our bike helmets. So, we went to the ice cream shop in Fairhaven and had ice cream cones.

I really do miss Washington sometimes. Like now. And. I miss my nephews sometimes. Like now.

I remember when I moved to Texas my sister telling me she thought it might be hard on Jeremy not to have me to call up, to come down, and do stuff with him or talk to about what's on his mind.

I remember my mom and dad being here in Texas, October of 2001. The Afghan Invasion was underway. We were driving along and for some reason we called Phoenix, where by then my nephew and his brother and parental units had moved. Jeremy answered, he was home alone. This was being the first time in his living memory his country had gone into war mode. It made him understandably nervous.

I did not see Jeremy again in person until February of 2004. And then again in April of 2006.

I need to go to Phoenix.

Celebrating Goober Twin Birthdays While Thinking About Saloon Hopping With Elsie Hotpepper While Cicada Mate

You are looking at the very deep blue view from my patio a little before the sun fully rose this next to the last Saturday of July 24.

It being July 24 it is the Happy Birthday of the Goober Twins, Big Ed and Wally. Big Ed is 47, while Wally turns 67 today. Due to some sort of complicated genetic difference the twins aged at different rates, starting from the time they were birthed, decades ago.

I thought about going saloon hopping with Elsie Hotpepper Friday night, doing the hopping in her Bartmobile. But, I was too tired for a long night of Hotpepper saloon hopping.

Maybe I'll be more energetic tonight.

I was not the only one in my D/FW Metroplex zone of Texas to make note of yesterday's storm causing a quick 20 degree temperature drop that was quite refreshing. Steve A was pedalling his bike in the Alliance/Gateway zone when the temperature drop hit him.

Steve A's bike speedometer/odometer has a thermometer. I did not know that was an available option. It's like me and cell phones. I've fallen way behind the times.

It is only 78 out there right now at about half past 6. Something has gotten my herd of cicadas all riled up. I've seldom heard them in such a mating frenzy. The Angelina Jolie/Marilyn Monroe/Elizabeth Taylor (in her prime) cicada equivalent, must be being busy flirting in the Magnolia trees that surround my pool.

The cicadas have now gone dead silent, replaced by birds tweeting. A bug must have gotten lucky with Jolie/Marilyn/Elizabeth.

The sun has now almost totally lit up the place. Time to go swimming for an hour or two.

A Late Friday Afternoon Texas Thunderstorm Rumbled In After I Got Back From Wimberley

This afternoon I took a virtual trip down to Texas Hill Country, to Wimberley.

Soon after I was done with my Wimberley trip the sky began to darken. Soon after the sky darkened I started to hear thunder rumbling in the distance.

You are looking at the view from my patio soon before that dark cloud started sending down an awful lot of water, along with some lightning bolts.

Upside of this latest storm, it dropped the temperature from the 90s down to the 70s. So, off with the A/C, open with the windows.

The National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Watch for my zone of North Texas. I don't think it rained enough to do any flash flooding, at least in my location.

Oh oh, I thought the storming was over, but a big boom just rattled my cage. I saw no flash, but the strike had to be close to rattle my cage that much.

I've heard from the Queen of Wink. She'd gone missing. Again. Due to both technical electronic issues and due to going undercover, once more, in her ongoing San Antonio Top Secret Operation.

Schizophrenic Tandy Hills Hiking With Yellow Fuzzballs

It was in the high 80s when I hit the Tandy Hills before noon today. It was a very schizophrenic day, hiking temperature-wise.

With the wind being in minor gust mode I was hiking along, enjoying a bit of a Wind Chill Factor. Then the wind would stop and the Heat Index would kick in. It felt like going from the low 70s to the low 100s, back and forth, over and over again.

I have been churning out webpages of late. This is something I'd not done much of in awhile. I was a bit rusty at first, but then my memory of HTML kicked in and I eventually reached hyperspeed about 2 days ago.

Betty Jo Bouvier opined, again, that I need to go to Phoenix, to see my mom and dad. And my youngest nephew. My youngest nephew has been on my mind again today. His name is Jeremy, with a middle name of Ryan. So, he has always been JR. Though I've always called him Jeremy. I don't remember ever calling him JR, but everyone else does.

I was in Phoenix for 10 hours in February of 2004. My mom and dad had not yet moved to Phoenix. This was the first I'd seen Jeremy since 2001. We all went to a happy hour at some Phoenix place before going to an In and Out for my best burger ever and then sticking me back on a plane.

While at the happy hour place Jeremy and I went out to the parking lot and took turns on his skateboard. Jeremy asked me if I'd come to his high school graduation that June. I said I would. But I didn't make it. I felt guilty about that at the time. But, I don't recollect getting a graduation announcement. I likely did, though, I just don't remember.

I've no idea what the name is of the yellow wildflower I snapped a picture of today. Yellow Fuzzball? Frizzy Yellow Green Balls?

A HOT July 23 Morning Thinking About Swimming & My Nephew's Heart

As you can see from the July 23 morning view from my patio the majority of the sky is blue with a little wispy cloud action.

I opened my windows in the middle of the night. A cooling breeze blowing in from the outdoors is so much nicer than the A/C blowing cold.

It is not 7 am yet, and already 80. Almost time to close the windows.

I did not go swimming yesterday due to my attempts to try and break free from my repetitive habits.

This morning I've decided that breaking free of my repetitive habits really is not high on my priority list. So, I'm going swimming in a few minutes.

My sister called me last night and told me the details of my youngest nephew's heart condition. I felt a lot better after talking to her. What an ordeal they have been through.

I do not recollect if I've previously mentioned my disdain for the medical business. My one and only up close and personal experience with that business was shocking, disgusting, appalling, maddening and turned me, long ago, into one who thought the entire business needed a complete makeover.

My nephew's experience with the medical business completely reinforced my extremely negative opinion of how that business operates too much of the time.

It's time to go swimming now.

I have no idea where I am going to take a virtual trip to today.

Walking The Bayous Of Village Creek Thinking About The Big Thicket & My Nephew's Ticker

No, you are not looking at a bayou somewhere in the wild wonderland of the Big Thicket National Preserve out in East Texas.

What you are looking at is a bayou in Arlington called Village Creek, located in Village Creek Natural Historic Area. This area should be named Indian Village Creek Natural Historic Area, but the Indians were wiped out of their village and out of the area's name by incoming undocumented illegal aliens called Texans.

This morning, like I said earlier I would, I took a virtual trip to the Big Thicket. Interesting part of Texas. UNESCO designated Big Thicket as a Biosphere Reserve. There are 85 types of trees, over 1,000 flower plant types, almost 300 types of birds and, disturbingly, more than 50 reptile species. Including alligators.

Leaving Big Thicket, I got gas on the way to Village Creek. So, naturally, I called my mom to tell her I got gas and how much it cost. I talked to my mom during the entire walk under the Village Creek trees.

My mom had 2 family news items. I found one upsetting, the other not so much. The not so upsetting news was mom told me one of the incoming Tacoma Twins is a boy. I've not quite figured out if this incoming boy will be my nephew. Or not. It's very confusing.

The upsetting news was also nephew related. My youngest nephew, one of 2 who lives in the Phoenix zone, in his young 20s, is having heart problems. Going to a doctor quickly had my nephew sent to a heart specialist. He's been fitted with some device to help control the rapid heart beating while tests are being done to figure out what is wrong.

My mom was a tad sketchy on details, so I called my sister, but got no answer. It's so strange. I've got all these out of shape, semi-old, unhealthy relatives, about whom it would not shock me to hear a heart problem had developed, but to be told that my ultra-skinny, skateboarding, easy-going, youngest nephew has something wrong with his heart, well, that just does not seem right.

I'm thinking for several reasons, I need to take a trip to Phoenix.

ESPN Broadcasting Super Bowl From Downtown Fort Worth Parking Lot

The next Super Bowl will be played in Arlington in the new Dallas Cowboy stadium. It seems like only yesterday history's worst case of eminent domain abuse was being used in Arlington to kick people out of their homes, stealing their land, to build a stadium.

And now that stadium, built so shamefully, will shamelessly host a Super Bowl

Meanwhile, in Fort Worth, a town that also has a tendency to abuse eminent domain, has its own Super Bowl stuff going on.

Yesterday Fort Worth's goofy mayor, Mike Moncrief was not pouring purple kool-aid into the Trinity River or shooting guns in downtown Fort Worth. Instead of those noble type activities, the dishonorable mayor was announcing that, uh, the parking lots, known as Sundance Square, will be used by ESPN as the location of their coverage of the Super Bowl taking place about 20 miles to the east.

Mayor Mike breathlessly opined, "It will transform our city from this day forward. It's one of those places along the road that help define our city. I believe ESPN was looking for a unique setting, a setting that made a Texas statement. And Fort Worth says Texas. This will give international exposure to millions of people and raise the curiosity not only for our city but for North Texas."

Oh. Where do I begin? A cable network broadcasting from a downtown Fort Worth parking lot will transform Fort Worth? Helping define the town? International exposure to millions? Raising curiosity about Fort Worth's parking lots?

And then Ed Bass, the man behind so much that is not quite right in downtown Fort Worth, who the Fort Worth Star-Telegram said helped bring about a renaissance of downtown, with the Sundance Square project, focused on what Bass seemed to think was an Old West theme, due to Fort Worth being a favorite haunt for the Sundance Kid and the Hole in the Wall Gang and other nefarious sorts 100 years ago.

Bass said, "Why did they come here? Because this is where the action is. And ESPN is coming to Fort Worth because this is where the action is."

Butch Cassidy and the Gang came to Fort Worth because it was a notorious lawless zone with its Hell's Acre area of bordellos, saloons and gambling joints. Not because it had a reputation as Action City. Now, modern day Fort Worth remains a bit of a lawless zone, as compared to other towns in America, but I doubt ESPN chose to come to Fort Worth because it has a mayor who does dirty deeds, that would land him in prision if he was not being mayor in a lawless zone, where criminal acts of conflict of interest are permitted without fear of punishment.

Then the Star-Telegram says, "With the Chisholm Trail parking lot's famous mural of longhorn cattle being herded by two drovers as a backdrop, viewers worldwide will see a slice of history in modern Fort Worth and learn why its motto is "Where the West Begins." Football fans across the world tuning in for ESPN's coverage of Super Bowl week in February will get a huge taste of downtown Fort Worth and its historic Sundance Square."

Famous mural of longhorn cattle? Famous with who? Historic Sundance Square? What is historic about a bunch of downtown Fort Worth parking lots being called a square? Now, when I've opined about the goofiness of the "Sundance Square" nomenclature before I've heard from the Sundance Square marketing director explaining to me what an amazing project of building restoration and preservation the Sundance Square project is. That its scope extends far beyond the network of parking lots.

But. Historic? The local propaganda describes Sundance Square as an Entertainment/Shopping District. I don't know of any other big city downtown in America that is not an Entertainment/Shopping zone.

But, Fort Worth is the only city in America, with a population over a half million, who's downtown does not have a single department store in its "Shopping District". No Neiman-Marcus, no Nordstroms, no Penneys, no Macy's, no Dillards, not even a Sears. There is a store where you can buy a cowboy hat downtown, however.

I wonder if the ESPN people checked out Heritage Park, where Fort Worth began, just a short distance north of the famous mural ESPN is going to be broadcasting in front of? I guess the Heritage Park eyesore must sit outside the 16 square block of renovated/restored structures that encompasses Sundance Square.

Isn't the Super Bowl broadcast on one of the networks? ABC, NBC, CBS or FOX? Would not the logical spot to broadcast your coverage of a sporting event be where the sporting event is taking place, not in some random downtown's parking lot? Is ESPN not allowed to infringe on the network's broadcast rights? Which likely include using the stadium as a backdrop?

I'm thinking this ESPN Super Bowl broadcast from Fort Worth deal is yet one more time where the good ol' boy network of goofballs who run Fort Worth are hoping magic is striking that will finally cause the rest of America to be able to recognize something in Fort Worth. A better plan would have been to use the Fort Worth Stockyards. At least it's a unique location, unlike downtown Fort Worth's parking lots and that famous mural looking down on that historic square.

One thing I am grateful for this morning. This ESPN news would seem to have been a perfect opportunity for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram to break out its patented "Green With Envy" verbiage. As in, towns far and wide are green with envy because ESPN is coming to Fort Worth. Or Fort Worth is the envy of other towns because ESPN will be broadcasting from a downtown Fort Worth parking lot.

Instead, the verbiage was a bit more sophisticated, words like "famous" and "historic" used to describe objects that are neither famous or historic. But, this is much less cringe inducing than the Star-Telegram's green with envy verbiage. I consider this progress.

A Clear Blue July 22 Morning In Texas Heading To The Big Thicket

As you can see from the view from my patio, the sun is up, the sky is blue.

I was up before the sun was, this morning, but I did not make it outside to take a picture til after the sun arrived.

I am working at trying to be less of a creature of habit, hence the tardy picture of the view from my patio. And the fact that I am choosing to forego my regular, habitual morning swim.

There was some extremely good mockworthy material in this morning's Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The mocking will need to wait for another blogging.

I have no idea what I am going to do today. Except for a virtual trip out to East Texas, again, to the Big Thicket National Preserve.

Sitting Under A Fosdic Lake Tree Trying To Talk To The Queen Of Wink After Visiting Marshall Texas

I ended up being a bit sore from Sunday night's fast running, due to downpours. I seem to have compounded this with Tuesday's Tandy Hills hiking.

So, today I had myself a really good swim, an activity which seems to make the aches and pains way less achy and painful.

By 11 this morning I was feeling no need for an additional endorphin fix. So, for my fresh air fix, or my fix of what passes for fresh air in Fort Worth, Texas I went to my favorite picnic table, overlooking Fosdic Lake in Oakland Lake Park.

I brought a book along, but prior to reading my intention was to call the Queen of Wink. Because the Queen of Wink told me to call her. I always do what I am told.

But the Queen exercised her Royal Prerogative and refused to answer her phone. So, I opened my book.

I was in the shade of several trees, with a pleasant breeze, quite a nice circumstance for doing some book reading.

Previously to heading to Fosdic Lake I had headed east to the Piney Woods Region of Texas for a virtual visit to Marshall. Interesting town. Both Martin Luther King and Jesse Jackson went to school there. It was a hub of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. And a hub of the Confederacy in the 1860s. And Marshall puts on one of the world's most spectacular Christmas displays called the Wonderland of Lights.

It is currently 95 with a Heat Index of 100 in my zone of Texas. Two years ago today I was in a state of shivering shock, having spent an icy night in a Tacoma Basement Dungeon. Oddly, right now, it is 95 in Fort Worth. In Tacoma, right now, just reverse those digits. It is 59 degrees in Tacoma.

59 degrees is closer to 32, and freezing, than it is to 95. How did I ever manage to live in that brutal climate? I do recollect wearing shorts far less frequently in Washington, than I do in Texas. And I had a lot of long sleeve shirts and sweaters. And long pants, lots of long pants. And sweat pants. And long underwear. I do not clearly recollect if I ever went shirtless in Washington. I'm sure I must have gone swimming a time or two without being in a wetsuit.

If I remember right, tonight, 2 years ago, my sister got home from work and insisted I help walk the dogs at Point Defiance. It was brutally cold, I had a sore throat and my eyes had not yet adjusted to the extremely clear sparkling air and water. Brutal.

I must go find video of that brutal icy walk along the beach at Point Defiance...

July 21 In Texas Thinking About Snow & Swimming

No. That is not the morning of July 21 view from my patio.

I was stopped from taking a picture this morning of the view from my patio, due to the fact that when I turned my camera on it told me to charge the battery.

Actually, what it said was "Replace Battery Pack". I'd not seen this message before.

What you are looking at is the view from my patio last winter, around Christmas, if I remember right. A very rare foot of snow fell on North Texas.

Hard to imagine that possible in our current status of going over 100 every day, Heat Index-wise.

I find it difficult to believe, right at the moment, that I continued taking a morning dip in the pool all winter long. But I did. Often a very quick dip, then a fast run for the hot tub. I don't know if I am going to continue this bizarre practice this coming winter.

I'll be heading to the ice free pool in a little bit, after the sun finally decides to arrive. The early morning, very dark sky was still missing the moon this morning. Where has the moon gone?

I think I'll do me some virtually tripping to the East Texas Piney Woods zone again today. To Marshall. A town with an interesting history.