A Shady Walk To Dry Wichita Falls

Yesterday on the way to the Sheppard Air Force Base Air Show & Open House I glanced to my left at the location where regularly Wichita Falls is flowing over its man made precipice to find myself surprised that Wichita Falls had become a Dry Falls.

My old home state of Washington has a former waterfall known as Dry Falls. This is not a man made former waterfall. Eons ago during the melting of the last Ice Age massive torrents of water carved out Coulees in Eastern Washington, and at one point the water created a giant waterfall, about 30 times larger than Niagara Falls. In modern times that long ago waterfall location is known as Dry Falls, where the only water one now finds is known as the Sun Lakes, location of one of my favorite Washington state parks, that being Sun Lakes State Park.

Today I drove to Lucy Park and parked in the first parking spot I saw upon entering the park, due to that parking spot being the closest to the currently dry Wichita Falls, which I wanted to walk to and get a close up look at the formerly wet waterfall.

I was barely in Wichita Falls a week, way back in May, when I walked to Wichita Falls the first time. At that point in time I did not know how to get to the falls. A nice Texas Travel Center lady pointed the way. That time I had parked about as far from the falls as one could possible park in Lucy Park, which made for a long walk.

At the top you can see the current dry state of Wichita Falls. You can go to my blog post from the first time I saw Wichita Falls up close by clicking on Hiking To The Top Of Wichita Falls and see what Wichita Falls looks like when it is not dry.

Today's walk to Wichita Falls was much shorter than the first time, and very pleasant, mostly under shady tree cover, as you can see via the photo documentation below.

That is the Wichita River you see to the right of the short bridge, above. The Wichita was flowing a lot of water today.

Below is today's dry view from the top of Wichita Falls, You can go to the blogging of my first time at this location to see what it looks like with water flowing over Wichita Falls.

I have asked a few locals if they know what has dried up Wichita Falls. So far no one knows. It did not appear that any sort of maintenance work was taking place which would explain the water lack.

Was Wichita Falls dry during the long drought? I have never thought to ask that probing question before.

I was not the only person hiking to the dry Wichita Falls today. On the way back from the dry falls I ran into a family of five. The mom of the group asked me how much further it was to the falls. I told her they were almost there and asked if she knew the waterfall was currently turned off. Oh no, said she. She did not know. I told the mom that it was still cool to see and to be sure to find the bricked trail to the top of the dry falls.

I was almost back to my vehicular transport when I saw the scene you see above. A  pair of anglers fishing in the Wichita River. From a distance I saw what looked like fish lines angling into the water, wondering to myself, is someone actually fishing in that reddish brown water. And then I came to the fishing platform that hovers over the river and saw the pair of fishing pole holders.

I did not interrupt the fishing pair ask what they were angling for. Could it be catfish? Would this make for extra muddy tasting catfish? Or are catfish only found in lakes? I have no idea.

75th Sheppard AFB Open House Air Show With Japanese Sneak Attack

One comes to this point well after passing through security.

I had myself a mighty fine time today at the 75th Annual Sheppard Air Force Base Open House Air Show.

Upon taking the first exit to the air force base I soon found myself in a slow moving traffic jam. By the time I got to where I could see the entry to the base I could see that gaining entry would take a lot of time.

I decided to bail, and headed north.

Soon I found myself at the Missile Avenue entry to the base, with that entry not being too jammed by traffic.

And so I reversed my decision to bail.

Methinks the number of attendees overwhelmed today's expected estimate. I somehow found myself directed to parking just across the street from one of the security entry points. Others, arriving earlier, and later, were directed to distant parking lots and bused to the security entry points. During the halftime half hour intermission I exited security to return to my vehicle to find a line of hundreds of people waiting to get through security. The air force security guys were seeming a bit frantic, opening up extra lines to get people through.

Getting through security was slightly simpler than airport security. One was not required to remove ones shoes.

I have been to several air shows over the years. All in Washington. At the Whidbey Island Naval Base, Paine Field in Everett and Boeing Field in Seattle.

The Sheppard Air Force Base Air Show was unlike any I have been to previous.

As in this was a show. A narrated show. An entertaining narrated show.

A speaker system the likes of which I've never previously heard, was heard, no matter where one was, as one walked among the planes and people. The show started with that which you see above. A parachuter jumped from a plane whilst another plane created a circle of smoke, while the Star Spangled Banner played, with nary a single kneeler to be seen.

The airfield had plenty of grassy locations upon which to sit. I did not avail myself of that sitting opportunity, due to recent rains having left the ground a bit damp. But many others seemed not to mind the dampness.

The above photo was taken before the Air Show began, sometime past 11am. The crowd steadily grew thicker, til eventually little grass could be seen. I was told the above plane was a bomber of the B1 or B2 variety. Years ago I remember seeing America's new bomber up close at Boeing Field. That bomber did not look like the bomber I saw today. Then again, it's been a few years and my memory fades.

Above I am under the shade of the wing of the aforementioned B1 or B2 Bomber. As you can see the crowd has grown. I do not remember what the narrator was directing us to look at at this point in time.

And then we get to, what for me, was the highlight of what I saw of the show, prior to bailing, due to exhaustion, both from too much time vertical and too much heat.

The highlight was called Tora Tora Tora. A re-enactment of the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor by the Imperial Japanese Navy on December 7, 1941.

I was checking out some of the planes on the tarmac when I looked up and remarked that those planes look like World War II type planes, flying in formation. So, we headed back to the main show zone where I soon found myself witnessing the Japanese sneak attack.

The narration of the attack was well done, and ended with Franklin Roosevelt's famous Date with Infamy speech, declaring America's entry into World War II. I did not keep the video running long enough to get to the FDR part, that would have made for a video too long. But the video I did take does give you a good idea of how well done was the Sheppard Air Force Base Open House Air Show.

The Tora Tora Tora attack was so pyrotechnic that when it was over the Sheppard Air For Base Firefighters had to rush out onto the field to put out the various wildfires that had sprouted in the wake of the attack.

And now the aforementioned video....

Text From Linda Leads To Fidalgo Drive-In Root Beer Float

 This afternoon brought about one of those moments of wonder regarding electronic communicating in our modern world.

Thirty years ago that which we take for granted in 2016 would have been seen as science fiction fantasy if depicted in a 1986 movie.

So, this afternoon Linda R., other than my relatives, the person on the planet I have known longer than anyone else, texted me from Anacortes.

Anacortes is a town on Fidalgo Island in my old home state of Washington. Fidalgo Island is a real island, not a fake island like those Fort Worth promotes as such. Fidalgo Island is connected to the mainland by real tall bridges, which were built over actual water, and serve an actual purpose, unlike, well, anyone who has read this blog before can complete that sentence.

There are two impressive bridges, connected to Fidalgo Island, built over water. The Rainbow Bridge in LaConner and the Deception Pass Bridge, built in about a year, high over very fast moving water.

So, Linda R. texted me that she was at my favorite nephew's restaurant. That would be the Fidalgo Drive-In.

I have mentioned the Fidalgo Drive-In multiple times on this blog, and in a more detailed way on my Washington blog, in bloggings such as...

The Fidalgo Drive-In Has The Best Hamburger In Anacortes and Spencer Jack & Your Hometown Fidalgo Drive-In Family Restaurant in Anacortes Washington and Spencer Jack's Fidalgo Drive-In Hamburger Voted Best in Anacortes.

After Linda R. texted me that she was in my favorite nephew Jason's restaurant I texted Jason and asked him to go say hello to Linda. I then texted Linda telling her I had texted Jason telling him to go say hello to her. Linda then texted me that she was outside at a table on the patio. I then texted Jason to tell him Linda's location. Linda then texted me that she was ready to leave. I then texted Jason that Linda was leaving.

Shortly thereafter I texted my sister, Jackie, who I knew had been in Washington for a month or so, taking a break from the Arizona heat. Sister Jackie is the mama of my favorite nephews, Christopher and Jeremy, aka CJ and JR. I asked Jackie if she'd been to Jason's restaurant on this visit north.

I hit the send message button on the text to Jackie when the incoming text message noise came on at the same time. It was a text from Jason saying he was sorry he missed Linda, but that Jackie and Ginger had been in for lunch today.

A short time later Jackie texted me, with the photo attached you see at the top, of Jackie and one of Spencer Jack's Fidalgo Drive-In root beer floats.

See what I mean about the futuristic nature of our modern communication world?

Shortly after I heard from Jason, Linda texted me again with the photo you see below.

With the message in the text telling me Maxwell is enjoying leaning out the window on the way to Washington Park.

Washington Park was one of my favorite hiking locations whilst I lived in the area.

And now, another text message, this one from Jackie. I'd asked both Linda and Jackie how the food was at Jason's restaurant. Linda told me she had the fish and chips and it was excellent.

Jackie's latest message told me she and Ginger had dungeness crab sandwiches with root beer floats. I had already deduced the root beers floats from the photo at the top. Jackie says there is a cute picture of Spencer on the menu.

So, there you go, this is how electronic communicating in 2016 has me feeling totally connected to my old home zone two thousand miles distant, whilst I am at an isolated location, pretty much out in the middle of nowhere.....

Lady In Turquoise Talks Trash To Me At Sikes Lake

I was only a few steps into today's walk around Sikes Lake when the lady you see here in the turquoise dress smiled sweetly at me and asked if she could ask me a question.

Sure, said I, what do you want to know.

Do you walk here often, she asked.

Uh, thought I, is this sweet young thing using some sorta cliche pickup line on me?

No, I was not so lucky.

She asked me if I ever help pick up litter at Sikes Lake. I told her I never see litter at Sikes Lake, and that this past weekend there was a Sikes Lake litter cleanup which made no sense to me, because when I learned of the pickup I thought to myself it would take one person twenty minutes to walk around the lake and realize there was no litter to pick up.

She then told me people on local social media were complaining about litter floating on Sikes Lake. I asked if she was talking about the Wichita Falls Rants & Raves Facebook page where I'd seen a post which made no sense, with a photo of litter alleged to be floating at the north end of the lake.

The lady in turquoise confirmed the Facebook page was the source of the litter complaint. She and her team of photographers had been assigned the task of looking into this. I assume for the MSU school paper, or the Wichita Falls News Record.

She asked if it is true a creek runs into the lake. I pointed towards the southwest end of the lake and confirmed that is where a creek enters the lake. Apparently it had been speculated that litter was flowing into the lake after getting flushed into the creek by the storms of the past 24  hours, such as what happens to an astonishing level to the Trinity River anytime copious amounts of rain falls.

So, imagine my surprise when a few minutes later I was at the aforementioned southwest end of the lake and saw that which you see below.

Litter in floating flotsam mode. I saw multiple instances of litter in the lake, at the southwest end, something I had not seen during any previous walk around Sikes Lake.

Litter floating from the creek into Sikes Lake could not make it to the area pictured littered in the Wichita Falls Rants & Raves Facebook page. Litter would flow towards the dam spillway, not to the north end of the lake, where there is a barrier clear across the lake, impeding the flow into the area that sparked the concern on social media.

Above is the aforementioned dam spillway, today spilling a lot of overflow, due to the multiple inches of rain of the past 24 hours.

I saw no litter spilling over the spillway during the short time I enjoyed the roar of the falling water.

Changing the subject to something else.

A few days ago I mentioned that tomorrow, Saturday, I was going to the Texoma Fair at the MPEC. At the time I thought that I did not realize that tomorrow is the Sheppard Air Force Base 75th annual open house and air show.

Unless bad weather intervenes I will be going to the air show tomorrow. Sheppard AFB is the training air base for America's NATO partners and other allies.

This is why I can be in the local ALDI and hear German women speaking German.

Such as what happened yesterday. I overheard a pair of women conversing in what sounded to me to be German. I politely interrupted and asked if they were speaking German. Ya was the reply. Cool, said I, just like being in an ALDI in Germany. The pair gave me a courtesy laugh and continued with their German gibberish.

Wichita Falls is a very cosmopolitan sort of town....

Anyone Missing A Wichita Falls Goat Or Fort Worth Rants & Raves?

I saw this this morning on the Rants And Raves Of Wichita Falls Facebook page.

Someone asking if anyone is missing a goat, because a goat showed up on someone's front porch.

Several Wichita Fallers offered to help with the goat.

Is there a Rants And Raves Of Fort Worth Facebook page? If not, someone should make one.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram has a weekly Cheers & Jeers column. When I used to read the Star-Telegram's Cheers & Jeers column it always seemed to me that there were way too few Jeers and way too many saccharine Cheers.

There is a lot to Jeer about in Fort Worth. Are those bridges to nowhere, connecting the Fort Worth mainland to an imaginary island back under construction yet? Has the town's population of park outhouses decreased? Any new sidewalks added to any roads? Any headway on that alleged investigation into Fort Worth and Tarrant County electoral fraud?

Maybe I'll start up a Rants And Raves Of Fort Worth Facebook page. But that seems like an awful lot of bother, and probably should be left to someone still stuck in that town.

I will try and monitor any updates about the fate of the Wichita Falls wandering goat....

Dock Rocking On Lake Wichita With Lightning

This second Wednesday, day before the Ides of September, last seven days of summer, is stormy at my current location in Texas, 15 miles south of the Red River border with Oklahoma.

With rain threatening to drip, I opted, for my daily walking constitutional, to roll my wheels the short distance to the east side of Lake Wichita to do some dam walking.

That is the Mount Wichita pseudo volcano you see to the west on the other side of the lake.

That bridge you see in the foreground, connected to a floating dock, has a sign attached warning that a maximum of only four people, or a total of 800 pounds is allowed on the bridge.

Methinks any random pick of four Texans is going to add up to more than 800 pounds. Texans are a beefy breed of American.

That bridge is a bit active when just one person, weighing less than 200 pounds, such as myself, walks across to the dock. Four people weighing, in total, around 800 pounds would likely make for a very adventurous crossing.

As I stood on the dock, enjoying the rocking motion, to the southwest, I saw a lightning strike, followed several seconds later by a loud thunder boom. With lightning striking and rain starting to drip it seemed like a good idea to cease with being outdoors, so I turned around and headed back from whence I came.

Above is the view from the Lake Wichita dock looking the opposite direction, as in east, at a section of the long earthen dam which holds back the water which make the Lake Wichita reservoir.

By the time I got back to my vehicle's interior the rain was starting to work itself up into downpour mode. But no more thunder booms have been heard, so far.

It is time for lunch now.

Turkey stroganoff, with kimchee and green beans...

Poolside Lounging Before Wichita Falls Texoma Fair

As the days of summer quickly fade to fall, along with falling temperatures, poolside sun lounging will soon be a distant memory.

So with the outer world being heated to a relatively balmy temperature I opted to get some Vitamin D, along with some swim time, in the pre-noon time frame on this second Tuesday of September.

Today, in Wichita Falls, the annual Texoma Fair, also known as the T-O Fair, also known as the Texas / Oklahoma Fair starts up at the Multi-Purpose Event Center, also known as the MPEC.

The Texoma Fair runs from today til Saturday. If I go, and I think I will, I will go on Saturday.

With only a five day run it seems unlikely that the Texoma Fair is going to be as big a spectacle as the State Fair of Texas.

However, sometimes small is better. And in this case I suspect while the Texoma Fair may not be as big a spectacle as the State Fair of Texas, I suspect it will provide me a mighty fine time.

And some corn dogs....

On Top Of Mount Wichita Learning Elsie Hotpepper Is Not In Los Angeles

I was back on the summit of Mount Wichita today, with the mountain totally dried out from the early Saturday deluge.

From the summit we are looking northeast at the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Wichita Falls. I think that is a downtown, sort of tall building, you see on the horizon at the center of the photo.

Lately it seems whenever I get to the summit of Mount Wichita I get a text message from Elsie Hotpepper.

Today was no exception.

The last time I got an Elsie Hotpepper text message on the summit of Mount Wichita it was a cryptic message I have yet to decipher, telling me that Elsie did not like sauerkraut.

Today's summit of Mount Wichita text message from Elsie Hotpepper informed me that she was on her way back from Louisiana.

I thought the Hotpepper was in California, specifically in Los Angeles. Because I saw an Elsie Hotpepper post on Facebook which clearly indicated she was in LA.

I always forget that in Texas LA means Louisiana, not Los Angeles.

I have no idea why Elsie Hotpepper was in LA. I was kept out of that information loop. I suspect alligator hunting may have been involved.

Prior to learning which LA Elsie Hotpepper was in I learned from Miss Mary Not Contrary, also via Facebook, that East Fort Worth was shaken this morning by an earthquake.

When I learned of the Fort Worth quake I texted Miss Puerto Rico to ask if she felt the earth move. She had not.

This morning whilst still in prone position I felt some vibrating that had me wondering if it was from a distant quake. But, I later saw no news of such.

It's time for lunch now. No. I am not going to Nacho Mama's....

Chilly September 11 In Texas With Pepperoni & Tricycles

A chilly 58 degrees when I woke up my temperature monitoring device this morning.

Summer is fast falling away. Fall falls upon us in 11 days.

11.

Today is September 11. How can it be 15 years since that awful morning? So much has happened since that day, much of it not good.

A short time prior to noon I decided to layer on the outer wear and drive the short distance to Sikes Lake to jog 1.1 miles on the Sikes Lake Trail.

By the time I got to Sikes Lake my vehicle's temperature monitoring device told me the temperature had warmed up to 73 degrees. So, I removed a few layers of outer wear and had myself a mighty fine time running around the lake.

I was soon greeted by a pair of ladies pedaling adult tricycles. I don't know if I remember seeing such before. The tricycles looked fun. But, I don't know how one would transport these devices to ones pedaling location.

The people I see out and about in Wichita Falls seem to me to be in much better shape than much of what I used to see at my previous Texas location.

Yesterday I discovered and joined a Wichita Falls Rant & Rave Facebook group. Does my previous location have a Fort Worth Rant & Rave Facebook group? If not, someone really needs to start one. There are a lot of things to rant about in Fort Worth. Not so much to rave about.

Time for lunch now. Pepperoni is involved....

Today I Did Not Find Katie Holmes On The Lucy Park Suspension Bridge

A nightmare triggered by last night's loud, wet thunderstorm put me in mind to go to the best park in Wichita Falls this second Saturday of September.

In the aforementioned nightmare rain was pouring and I was driving past the entry to Lucy Park, quickly seeing the park in flood mode, with the Wichita River having risen above the Lucy Park Suspension Bridge.

In the nightmare I got out of my vehicle, to find myself in a situation where I was rescuing Katie Holmes from the rising water. Soon I found myself in a bizarre conversation with the ex-Mrs. Cruise where Katie was telling me details of how bizarre that marriage was, including details about the Scientology madness.

I arrived at Lucy Park today sort of expecting to see the park flooded. And maybe Katie Holmes in attendance.

I was disappointed on both counts.

On the way walking to the Lucy Park Suspension Bridge I met a family of three, mom, dad and young son, walking in the opposite direction. The mom asked me if this was the way to the waterfall. I said no, you are heading in the opposite direction. I told them to follow me and I'd get them to the right trail.

On the way to the right trail I told the mom, dad and young son that there was something cool on the way I'd show them.

The young son asked if it was a big snake? No, said I. An alligator? No, again said I. An elephant? Again, no said I.

Soon after the elephant question we were at the river and the bridge. The young son did not hesitate a second before walking across the bridge. I have seen kids terrified of walking out on the Lucy Park Suspension Bridge.

Soon the family of three was on their way to the waterfall.

It struck me as interesting that it was only four months ago that I was first at Lucy Park and had to ask directions to the waterfall. And now, it is me who can give such directions.

I have become a Wichita Faller feller....