Try To Find Me Tomorrow When Manly Men & Wild Women Hike Tandy Hills

• The Following Message is the Official 2016 Manly Man & Wild Women Announcement from the MM & WW Hike Organizers....

It's a new year and a new you. Time once again to test your mettle by participating in the... 7th Annual Manly Men Wild Women Hike the Hills There's nothing complicated about it. Just show up at Tandy Hills Natural Area, the coolest green space in the inner city, and enjoy the great out-of-doors. Our goal is to hike border-to border-to-border-to-border, tracing the steel cable that defines the 160 acre boundary. Your rewards include but are not restricted to:

1. You will lose at least 2 pounds. (They don't call it Tandy HILLS for nothing!)
2. See sections of the park known only to a few hawks and a couple of scrawny coyotes.
3. Celebrate the 56th anniversary of the coolest park in Fort Worth.
4. It won't kill you but will make you stronger (for the upcoming Brush Bash*)
5. Work up a good appetite for lunch

Who: Friends of Tandy Hills Natural Area

What: Manly Men & Wild Women Hike. All ages welcome. Leashed dogs welcome. (No wimps, please.)

When: January 1, 2017 10:00 am (allow 1-1.5 hours for hike)

Where: Tandy Hills Natural Area, 3400 View Street

Why: For the fun and glory of it.

Bring: Water, snack, camera, hiking boots, hat.

RSVP: > > > to Don Young ASAP.

____________________

Amazing how time flies by so fast. Seems like only yesterday I hiked the first Manly Men & Wild Women hike. And now tomorrow the 7th iteration of such takes place.

I blogged about that first Manly Man & Wild Women Hike way back when it took place on January 2, 2010 in a blogging titled Tandy Hills Hiking With Wild Women, Manly Men, The Queen Of Wink & Princess Annie.

Way back in 2010 the Queen of Wink still occupied her royal throne, with Queen in waiting, Princess Annie, still installed the Wink palace.

At some point in time, post 2010, a palace coup removed the Queen from her Wink throne. Princess Annie then abdicated and fled the palace, seeking temporary refuge with a former King of Wink.

Recent reports indicate the former Princess has returned to the former palace. No further details are known.....

Looking For A Missing Golf Ball On My Way To The Texas Caribbean

Around noon of the Eve of New Year's Eve I opted to exit my abode to head north on the Circle Trail.

It had been a day or two since I had attended to my endorphin needs.

I was not long into today's breezy jog when I saw that which you see here, a scene I have seen previously.

A golfer at the bottom of the slope which leads from Weeks Golf Course to the sometimes raging waters of Holliday Creek.

Are these golfers hunting for a golf ball which has gone missing? Is this done because it is best to find the missing ball so as to continue ones golfing without suffering some sort of point penalty?

Or are golf balls so expensive that one is willing to risk falling into a creek in order to retrieve a valuable ball?

I suppose if I had bought that Golfing for Dummies book I might find the answers to these probing golf questions.

Anyway, I did not linger long enough to determine if the missing golf ball was successfully located.

I continued on my windblown way til I entered the Caribbean part of my neighborhood via Barbados, continuing on to Antigua and then back to Barbados til I left the Caribbean. I have yet to find Cuba during my Caribbean traipses. One would think the biggest island in the Caribbean would be included.

I saw on this morning's weather menu that we are currently scheduled to return to a deep freeze the first week of the new year. I hope that forecast changes. I am not a fan of the Texas version of a deep freeze. Particularly if ice is involved.

Currently no Ice Storm is on the local weather menu...

Spencer Jack's Grandpa's Million Dollar Christmas

Yesterday my phone made its incoming text message noise whilst I was in Arlington's River Legacy Park.

The message was from Spencer Jack's grandpa, also known as my little brother, Jake.

I was unable to open and read the message, with the phone telling me something about a network error.

This morning I remembered to text my little brother mentioning the message with the network error and my inability to see or read the message.

A few minutes later that which you see above arrived on my phone. I assume this is that which generated the network error message, though that was not made clear.

When I got the image off the phone I saw that it was Spencer Jack's Christmas present for his grandpa. A Gift Certificate for One Million Dollars redeemable at the Fidalgo-Drive In in the Washington port city of Anacortes.

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.

I copied and pasted the two above paragraphs from the latest blogging in which I mentioned the Fidalgo-Drive-In, with that blogging titled Text From Linda Leads To Fidalgo Drive-In Root Beer Float

Regarding Spencer Jack's Million Dollar Gift Certificate, I was unable to legibly make out much of that which was in the card Spencer Jack made for his grandpa.

Near as I can tell part of the card said....

Merry Christmas,

I hope Santa didn't mix up your present from me like he did with my dad.

Love Spencer

I may have gotten the gist of that totally wrong. I ran the image through every photo filter I could think of that resides on this computer, to no avail regarding being able to read anything clearly on the card.

I wonder if I were in Washington at the same time as my little brother if he could take me to the Fidalgo-Drive-In for a cheeseburger and blackberry milkshake and charge it to his Million Dollar Gift Certificate? I hope so. It gives me something to look forward to.....

Mountain Passing With Spencer Jack On The Trinity River

Well. I have had myself a day. It started around midnight when suddenly my horizontal slumber device went into total systems failure mode.

I will spare relaying the gory details.

Suffice to say by the time the sun began to leave today I had already installed a new bed.

I suppose you are wondering what that Winter Wonderland is that you are looking at here.

I'll get to that.

But first I need mention that after a night of extremely troubled sleeping woes I may have been a bit unrested, but reliable person that I am, I stayed with an agreed plan to act as chauffeur for a driving challenged individual, ferrying said individual to various locations in the Dallas/Fort Worth/Arlington Metropolitan Mess.

During the course of transiting from Wichita Falls to D/FW I did not pass through the scenic Winter Wonderland you see above. I'll get to that later.

But first the, uh, scenic wonder I saw up close today in Arlington.

The Trinity River looking clearer and cleaner than I have ever seen it look. The river was flowing with an almost inviting shade of green which I might have been tempted to get wet in if the temperature had been much higher than today's rather warm 80s.

Above you are looking at the River Legacy Park trail bridge across the Trinity, which connects the south and north sides of the park.

A few hours later I was leaving the D/FW mess when my phone made its incoming text message noise, whilst I was getting gassed in Decatur. Among that which was coming was the picture you see at the top.

Today, apparently, judging by the photo evidence, Spencer Jack took his dad over Stevens Pass to Eastern Washington, to the Alpine tourist town of Leavenworth, and then over another mountain pass named Blewett, to go to Ellensburg, home to Central Washington University, where I and Spencer Jack's dad, and his mom, matriculated.

That is Stevens Pass I believe we are looking at above, well, not the actual pass, which is the summit, but a look at the road one drives when one crosses Stevens Pass. This is extremely adventurous driving in winter. Avalanches are known to be quite a problem.

Then again, I may be wrong, that may be a look at Snoqulamie Pass, also known as Interstate 90. If that is the case, Spencer Jack went to Central before driving over Blewetts Pass to Leavenworth, and then possibly returning home over Stevens Pass. Going west over Stevens Pass in winter can be a bit scary. There is this section on the west side of the pass that can show up in my nightmares, even though I have not driven it this century.

In the next photo Spencer Jack is in Leavenworth. This I know without a doubt.

Leavenworth is a themed tourist town the likes of which one will not find in the state I am currently in.

Texas.

Due, partly, to the absence of these things called snow covered mountains.

Leavenworth is fun year around. I think the last time I was in Leavenworth was in 2001, August of.

Leavenworth in winter is a special type of fun. Miles of cross country ski trails are in the town. I remember one October, late in the last century, Spencer Jack's Favorite Uncle Joey and I somehow ended up in Leavenworth late on a Saturday night during Octoberfest. It was memorable.

And then we come to my Alma Mater. Central Washington University.

I wonder if the Walnut North Apartments still exist. Those were my abode during my time at CWU.

Spencer Jack is already looking like he is ready for college.

It is currently early in the evening. I am extremely tired. That new bed is looking inviting. I am almost 100% certain it will survive tonight without catastrophic failure. Then again, I have been known to be wrong a time or two....

Heading South On The Wichita Falls Circle Trail Finding Sidewalks With No Boondoggles

Yesterday I opted to head north on the Circle Trail after leaving the relative comfort of my abode.

Today I opted to head south on the Circle Trail after leaving the relative comfort of my abode.

Tomorrow I will be opting to head neither south or north on the Circle Trail after leaving the relative comfort of my abode.

Tomorrow I will be heading southeast after I leave the relative comfort of my abode.

I do not currently know how far southeast I will be heading tomorrow. Multiple variables are yet to be determined.

Regarding today's walk south on the Circle Trail. As you can see, this section of the circle is very straight, heading towards Kemp Boulevard and Lake Wichita Dam.

I did not make it to the dam today.

Instead I opted to route through a neighborhood to the west, leaving the Circle Trail to walk on a Wichita Falls novelty called sidewalks, which I rarely had available to me when I walked in the primitive Texas burg which calls itself Fort Worth.

Fort Worth should send some sort of task force to Wichita Falls to find out how Wichita Falls manages to have roads with sidewalks on both sides of the street, and parks with modern restroom facilities, with nary a primitive outhouse to be found.

And no embarrassing Boondoggles run by the unqualified son of a local corrupt politician....

Happy Holliday Creek Walk Along The Circle Trail

Hope y'all are having yourselves a mighty fine merry day after Christmas.

Warm air and blue sky has returned to my location on the planet.

A week ago today I super fast walked in sub-freezing air to Lake Wichita Dam.

I have had a hitch in my get-a-long, to varying degrees, ever since last Monday's super fast frigid walk.

Today I decided to take my aching self on a walk along the Circle Trail. That would be a view of that walk you are looking at here, looking north. That stream of water surrounded by freeze burned grass is Holliday Creek.

I do not know why Holliday Creek is spelled with two l's, unlike the Happy Holiday version of the word. I assume the creek is named after some guy whose last name was Holliday, with two l's.

On the east, or right side of Holliday Creek, in this view, is the Weeks Golf Course. I saw multiple golfers tooling about in their golf carts, enjoying the return of reasonable weather.

Going on a slow leisurely walk seems to have had an abating effect on my get-a-long's hitch. I suppose I should, or could, take myself some ibuprofen. But, I do not like taking potent painkillers....

Spencer Jack Takes His Dad White Christmas Sledding In My Old Neighborhood

Spencer Jack and his dad texted me a few minutes ago from Eaglemont in my old home zone of Mount Vernon in the almost always Evergreen State of Washington.

After the incoming Spencer Jack text message an incoming phone call arrived from Spencer Jack of the old-fashioned talk mode.

During the course of that phone call, for the first time ever, Spencer Jack Merry Christmas-ed me, and I he.

Prior to finding sled worthy hills at Eaglemont, Spencer Jack took his dad to my exact old home location at 1114 Pawnee Lane. Spencer is standing in front of my mailbox. My house is up the cul-de-sac on the left, barely visible.

The short Pawnee Lane cul-de-sac becomes a sledding mecca during those rare times there is enough snow to warrant such. I remember one winter where we were snowbound for well over a week. No vehicles. The hills in my neighborhood became alive with sliding merriment well into the night.

However, as you can see, sliding was not doable on Pawnee Lane this particular Christmas.

Eaglemont is a golf course country club type deal up the hill from Pawnee Lane. Very steep hills. When I first learned to mountain bike it was the Eaglemont hills which got me in shape for Moab and Slickrock.

Spencer sent me two videos. For some reason I could not view and edit them, this time, via my usual method. I just got a blank black screen. So, I was unable to morph the two videos into one. But, they are short and you can use your own ample imagination to morph the videos....

Spencer Jack Is Having Himself A Rare Skagit White Christmas

I mentioned earlier that whilst I was wind walking around Sikes Lake I got an incoming text message from Spencer Jack's dad, my Favorite Nephew Jason.

That text message included the photo you see here, along with a screen cap from Seattle's KOMO TV showing Santa in the midst of delivering, according to KOMO, seven billion presents.

Looking past Spencer Jack's Christmas tree, through the window, the outer world appears to be white. And I'm not just talking about the white vehicle.

The text in the message confirms that outer world being white thing...

FUD---Santa arrived here some time last night while I was sleeping.

I am now waiting on FNSJ to arrive.

As you know, he maintains two residences here in Mount Vernon, one on the Skagit flat farmland and one on the hill. His home on the hill is enjoying a white Christmass this morning. The snow which arrived two days ago and has stuck around providing white Christmas.

FNSJ has asked that I take him to the Eaglemont area today to do some Christmas snow sledding.

I don't recall the last time we had a White Christmas in the Skagit Valley.

Hope Santa found you at your new residence. Have yourself a very Merry Christmas.

Just as I was about to hit the publish button on this blogging a new incoming text message arrived from Spencer Jack and his dad. This one included sledding video to be YouTubed and then added to a blogging.

Extreme Christmas Deflation Prior To Windy Wichita Falls Walking At Sikes Lake

For Christmas illustrative blogging purposes my plan today, prior to walking around Sikes Lakes, was to journey a slight distance further north on Taft Boulevard to photo document, in daylight, the biggest display I have ever seen of Christmas inflatables.

Well.

Due to this bout of extreme weather we are currently weathering, that biggest display of Christmas inflatables is currently deflated, I assume so as to prevent the wind from blowing Santa and his friends into the next county.

I will try and remember to return when the inflatables are once again full of air, before they leave when the new year arrives.

The way back south to Sikes Lake takes me by the parking lot for the Polar Express.

The Polar Express consists of multiple trams which haul Polar Expressers on an after dark journey through a winter wonderland of Christmas lights the likes of which I have seldom, if ever, seen.

I must remember to try and photo document that which the Polar Express sees before the lights disappear for the year.

By the time I got to Sikes Lake the wind was in full gusty mode. I saw one person step out of his vehicle to instantly find his baseball cap airborne at high velocity. I wish it had occurred to me to get out my camera and video document that guy's chase of his windblown cap.

I was not long into walking into the gale when my phone made its patented incoming text message noise. It was Spencer Jack's dad with a snowy Christmas message with photos.

After reading the text message I re-inserted the phone into its pocket and took my camera out of its pocket and put it in video mode. That video is viewable below. The wind is very loud, drowning out my commenting, for the most part.....

Thick Fog From Texas To Washington With Ice & Snow

This morning I blogged about my foggy outlook on the outer world in A Very Foggy Merry Christmas Eve Morning.

A couple hours later my phone made its incoming text message noise.

The text message noise was coming from Spencer Jack and his dad, with the following message...

Thick fog, with ice and snow, here today too.

Along with the picture you see here.

The "too" part of this message is a bit erroneous, due to the fact that the fog I was trying to see through this morning contained no ice or snow.

In the picture it appears Spencer Jack is driving his dad north on the I-5 freeway, about to exit to Highway 20, in my old hometown of Burlington.

If it were not foggy, to the right, you would be seeing what would be called a "mountain" in Texas, but is just known as Burlington Hill in the Skagit Valley, a location from which one can see actual mountains no matter which direction one looks.

Speaking of fog (and who isn't?) the fog has now lifted at my location.

What you are looking at above is the same view from my computer room window we had a foggy out look from this morning, with the sky now clear, with no mountains to be seen.

Actually the dirt hill known as Mount Wichita is about two miles in the distance, to the right. Also known as to the southwest. However, Mount Wichita does not reach a high enough elevation to render it visible from two miles away.