Seeing Possible Sikes Lake Bird Solidarity With Washington High School Walkouts

Another beautiful blue November day north of being deep in the heart of Texas.

Yesterday I power walked three or four miles on the Circle Trail, eventually enjoying the water wonders and scenic mountain views of Lake Wichita.

Today I decided to power walk in a more northwesterly direction with Sikes Lake as my walking destination.

I don't know what was going on with the Sikes Lake bird population today, what with all the birds of all the various sorts being out of the water.

Even the blue heron you see above was not water bound. Usually birds of the blue heron sort are skittish, but this guy was so un-skittish I thought it might be injured. I was able to get close enough to see no apparent injury.

Maybe the Sikes Lakes bird population was joining the throngs protesting in support of those feeling threatened by the recent election.

Moments prior to exiting my abode I learned via Skagit Breaking News, on Facebook, that yesterday students in my former high school, that being Burlington-Edison High School, and students in the high school of the town I lived in prior to moving to Texas, Mount Vernon High School, left school to protest in support of those feeling threatened by the recent election.

The MVHS students marched to the Skagit County Courthouse, about a one mile march. I do not know where the B-EHS students marched, but I am fairly certain it was not the Courthouse, because that would be about a five mile march.

I do not know if it is still the case, but for decades, beginning back during the 1960s, during the Vietnam War, a peace vigil occurred at noon on every Wednesday at the county courthouse.

I saw a BIG example of this way back in November of 2004 when I happened to be in Mount Vernon on a Wednesday, exiting I-5 to downtown where I quickly found myself seeing protesters in large numbers doing their Wednesday vigil thing.

I recollect taking pictures that day. Just a sec, I will go see if I can find them....

Well, apparently I only took one photo of the protesters that day. I was more focused on taking pictures of how well landscaped Mount Vernon's freeway exits were, and its public transit hub, as compared to the pitiful freeway landscaping in the Texas town I was living in at the time.

Was Twitter already alive in 2004? I don't remember. But that would explain the abbreviated spelling of  'SHOULD"....

Possibly The Bluest Sky I've Ever Seen May Be In Wichita Falls

Yes that is true, a very blue sky, but maybe not the bluest sky I've ever seen. Likely the bluest sky I have ever seen is in Seattle. There is an entire song documenting this fact. Along with the hills being the greenest green.

There are not many hills in Wichita Falls, so the hills being the greenest green, or not, is not an issue.

Among the many things I like about my current Texas location, compared to my previous Texas location, is the air is so much cleaner.

As in clear.

Clear air way into the horizon. No smoggy orange haze.

Last night when I exited my abode after dark I was surprised to see the much anticipated Super Moon hovering above, living up to the hype. That was one big moon last night.

This morning I felt the need to move in fast speed mode. So, I walked the Circle Trail to the Lake Wichita Dam and then on to the Lake Wichita Dock from whence I took the photo above, of that also aforementioned clear clean blue sky, with Mount Wichita popping up like a pimple in the middle of the horizon.

I can not remember when last I hiked to the summit of Mount Wichita. I don't remember when  it was, or why it was, the novelty of going mountain climbing at my current location became less attractive.

I think maybe I will return to the summit of Mount Wichita this week. Maybe on Wednesday, if I don't drive to the Dallas/Fort Worth zone on that day. If I don't drive to D/FW this Wednesday, I likely will the next Wednesday, that being the day before Thanksgiving.

I zoomed in from the Lake Wichita Dock to take the above photo of Mount Wichita. Looking at that mound of dirt, looking like a mini-volcano, one would not think it would be at all challenging to hike to the summit.

Well, I can assure you, it is an endorphin inducing bit of aerobic stimulation to haul oneself to this particular summit...

Elsie Hotpepper Leads Me To A Bench Muttering To Myself

This Sunday morning I took myself on what I hoped to be a salubrious walk on the Circle Trail which circles by my abode.

A short distance from my abode I came to the scene you see here.

A bench overlooking a collection of pillars rising out of Holliday Creek.

Somehow this scene triggered a traumatic memory of a disturbing nightmare from last night.

Shortly before getting horizontal last night I was disturbed by a disturbing video Elsie Hotpepper put on Facebook.

In that video, for about what seemed a half hour, a guy with a thick British accent screamed vitriol, with about every other word being that infamous word known as the F word.

From what I could make out of what the guy was screaming, apparently he felt that Americans, and, I assume, the rest of the world, would be better off if we learned to communicate politely with those with whom we disagree.

The thinking behind such a sentiment seems sound, even when loudly and vulgarly expressed.

However, in actual practice I have found that trying to reason with those with whom I disagree to be extremely frustrating and fruitless.

Usually because there is some underlying bit of misinformation which is the foundation of the person's erroneous belief.

Like where do you start when someone tells you that the Democrats want to impose Sharia Law and ban beer and make all women wear scarves covering their faces?

What do you say to such?

I try to be reasonable, but the responses go even more sideways and impossible to fathom, let alone reason with.

So, this Elsie Hotpepper caused me a disturbing nightmare where basically every person I transacted with spoke ignorant nonsense based on nothing that I was able to relate to.

Eventually the nightmare ended with me sitting alone on a bench muttering to myself.

This morning I did not see that Elsie Hotpepper video still playing on Facebook. Elsie probably got in trouble with her mother for that excessive F-word thing.....

Stars & Stories Tonight On The Tandy Hills With Cocoa

Saturday, November 12, 2016 at dark-thirty (5:30 pm)

PrairieSky / StarParty 

featuring members of the
Fort Worth Astronomical Society and their telescopes 

PLUS mythological stories of the constellations by

Twice Upon a Time Storytellers

Weather should be cool and, hopefully, clear

Free hot cocoa while supplies last

Brought to you FREE by Friends of Tandy Hills Natural Area

Come on in!
_________________________

It has been awhile since I have been on the Tandy Hills on a Saturday, or any day. I can not imagine what would keep me from being on the Tandy Hills tonight for a  Prairie Sky Star Party.

But I must admit, my imagination is very limited.....

Walking My Neighborhood Yellow Brick Road With Lions, Robots, Pirates, Camels & Elves

I had not gone on a long salubrious walk for a few days, so today I decided to follow the yellow brick road to Midwestern State University, also known as MSU, to check out something I've been seeing whilst driving by on Taft Boulevard.

An odd collection of various installations, which on a quick drive by seemed possibly Christmas themed, with some confusing anomalies, like robots and pirate ships and lions.

Upon a walk through inspection it soon became sort of obvious this is a Holiday Season installation.

The WELCOME under giant candy canes was a good clue. As was Santa riding a train.

Not sure where lions fit in as part of a Holiday Season theme. The caged lions seemed tame.

No Happy Holiday location is complete without a robot.

The Jolly Roger pirate ship is a short distance from the robot. I think the lead pirate may be aiming his pistol at the robot.

I think the camel was carrying one of Three Wise Men, visiting a baby in a manger surrounded by sheep.

A Ferris Wheel full of happy Elves is also a must have at a well stocked Happy Holidays theme park.

I do not know how many miles I walked today. I do know the walking took about two hours, with the only non-walking being when I stopped to take pictures.

I wish the pink pumpkin was offering rides so as to return me to my abode without having to walk back.

The MSU Happy Holidays theme park looked to have multiple moving parts and various elements of illumination. I suspect if I drive by this location after the sun goes down all comes to life with a lot of bright lights and noisy merry making.

I must remember to return, after dark, before the Happy Holiday Season leaves for another year...

Happy Birthday To My Favorite Nephew Joey

That would be Spencer Jack's Favorite Uncle Joey you are looking at here.

Today is my Favorite Nephew Joey's 35th birthday.

Happy Birthday, Joey!

Seems like only yesterday I drove from Bellingham, where I was living at the time, to United General Hospital, in the Skagit Valley, to meet my new nephew.

35 years ago.

Joey is the only one of my relatives I have seen in person for over four years. Joey had a job to do in Dallas last year. If I remember right that was in October of 2015.

That is the Mount Baker volcano behind Joey in the photo. On a late August day back in the 1990s.

Long ago I made multiple webpages titled Nephews in Danger. I did not remember those webpages still existed, til this morning.

On Joey in Danger on Mount Baker you will see other pictures of Joey hiking up Mount Baker.

I texted Joey a "Happy Birthday Favorite Nephew Joey" this morning.

Joey texted right back with a "Thanks FUD!"

Friday Texas Taste Of Africa At Midwestern State University

Last Friday I experienced my first adult spelling bee.

Tomorrow, which is also Friday, I may be having myself a Taste of Africa. Unlike the adult spelling bee this would not be the first time I have had a Taste of Africa.

My final college year, at what is now known as Central Washington University, I took an African history class.

For some reason I remember the course being called African Safari. But, African Safari may have been the name given that course's Taste of Africa.

I don't remember who prepared that African Safari Taste of Africa. Were we each assigned a recipe?

What I do remember is Miss Chris and Linda R. drove over from the west side of the mountains, unexpected, uninvited (by me) to participate in that Taste of Africa. I do not remember how they knew about this, but I do remember they somehow contacted, via letter, the teacher who taught the class.

And he invited them.

Tomorrow's Taste of Africa is not at Central Washington University. Tomorrow's Taste of Africa takes place at Midwestern State University in the Legacy Hall Multipurpose Room. I do not know where on the campus this particular room is located. I do know rooms are easy to find at MSU.

Last Friday my spelling bee co-cheerleader was the librarian at MSU. Naturally she is a good speller. I know where the MSU library is. I suppose I could go ask the librarian where the Legacy Hall Multipurpose Room is located.

Spencer Jack Is Not A Happy Voter This Morning

Spencer Jack is not looking too pleased, this morning, holding up the latest edition of the Skagit Valley Herald.

Methinks we are all Alice now, journeying against the majority's will through the looking glass.

A scary journey where wrong is right, down is up, stupid is smart, insane is sane, lose is win.

This morning the world is a scarier place for many of our planet's inhabitants....

Video Documentation Of First Spencer Jack Presidential Election Vote

Spencer Jack's dad called me last night. During the course of that conversation I was informed Spencer Jack was going to be voting in his first presidential election in the morning, and that I would be receiving documentation documenting Spencer Jack voting.

It did not occur to me that this documentation would be in video documentary form which you can view below via YouTube.

The text accompanying the video documentation...

Spencer and I were up before the sun this morning excited to cast our ballot.  We know that to make a democracy work we cannot just be observers.  We voted!

Texas voters, stuck in some point in time in the last century, may be surprised to learn that in Washington there are no polling places. One does ones voting from the comfort of ones home, or wherever one feels comfortable voting. And then you cast your vote by dropping your ballot in an Official Ballot Drop Box.

No Photo I.D. required.

However, in Washington, unlike Texas, there are no absurd electoral fraud issues, such as the vote harvesting currently being investigated in Tarrant County and other Texas counties.

Watch the YouTube video below and see Spencer Jack voting and then drive to deliver the ballot, followed by a real good clue for whom Spencer Jack (and his dad) voted....

Day Before Election Texas Stormy In Many Ways

This morning of the day before I hope the 2016 election comes to its merciful end the outer world at my current Texas location is being like a stereotypical winter day in my old home zone of Western Washington.

Rain.

But, looking out my bedroom window this morning I see something I doubt anyone in Washington sees looking out any of their windows.

The Lone Star Flag of Texas, blowing in the wind under the more well known flag of the United States of America.

This election has taken a toll. During the course of the past year I have learned things I did not know before about so many people.

So much ignorance, bigotry, racism, downright stupid idiocy has been cluelessly, I assume, been laid out bare for anyone to clearly see, by way too many people who, prior to this election causing previously undetected slime to rise from the swamp, I had assumed were not ignorant, bigoted, racist, stupid people.

Tomorrow starting around 6pm I will be having myself an Election Party. I am hoping the party ends early with me going to bed feeling secure that my country has not descended into utter madness.

If the party does not end early I will have a pot of coffee brewed, hoping to be perked up enough to remain vertical until I get the news that I can get horizontal feeling secure my country has not descended into utter madness....