Throwing Thursday Back To Burlington June 1997 With The Jones Boys

Or was it June 1998?

I do not remember for sure, but my limited mathematic calculating skills tilt the year to being 1997, due to the nature of the occasion of the picture, and who is in the picture, and the year that particular person was born.

The particular person in question was born in 1979, in June of that year. That particular person would in the following decade become the proud papa of Spencer Jack, which renders that particular person my nephew Jason.

Who would have thought when this picture was taken that a decade later I would be returning from Texas to find myself chasing a toddler named Spencer Jack around Bay View State Park?

Those are the Jones boys lined up in the backyard of 1027 Washington Avenue in Burlington, Washington, the backyard of the house I grew up in.

We were in that backyard near the end of the event which saw Jason graduate high school, which took place outdoors, at the B-EHS football field. Jason's family sat in what was/is known as the visitor's grandstand on the north side of the field. I remember this as being one odd graduation, what with it being outdoors, and yet still noisy.

Though my memory of this day does not recollect it, due to the photographic evidence you see below, mom and dad were among us graduation attendees.

At that point in time mom and dad lived half the year in Arizona, in Yuma, and in Washington when it got too hot in Arizona. In Washington mom and dad's summer residence was at Lake Cushman, in a deluxe cabin on a golf course, which their eldest daughter, Clancy, built for them.

By the mid 1990s Jason's dad, my little brother Jake, bought the house we grew up in and lived there, with Jason and his little brother, Joey. That all soon was to change for a variety of reasons.

I forgot to mention, that line up of Jones boys at the top is the aforementioned Jake on the left, with Jason next to Jake, with me next to Jason, with Joey next to me on the right.

I did not see Joey this past summer when I was up in Washington. When we were in Lynden, saying goodbye to dad, Joey was up in Canada catching salmon. Joey's grandpa would have approved of Joey fishing rather than being in Lynden, what with Joey being the one who has embraced the family fishing gene he inherited from his grandpa.

I last saw Joey in October of 2015, at a McDonald's in Grapevine, Texas. In 1997 had you told me that in 2015 I would be seeing Joey at a McDonald's in a town in Texas my feeble imagination would not have been able to conjure a scenario where that made any sense. And yet such is what came to pass.

And still really makes no sense...

Visit To DFW & Arlington's Little Vietnam Listening To WBAP Hate Radio Morons

Today was the day of my regularly scheduled doctor visit to the DFW Metroplex.

The drive from Wichita Falls to DFW and back was a mighty fine one today. Except for driving into the blinding bright early morning early rising sun.

Not a single cloud did any sun blotting today, that I saw.

It had been two months since I'd been to Little Vietnam in Arlington. Needing fresh supplies of Asian necessities, such as hoisin sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, chili sauce, rice noodles, jasmine rice, bok choy, ginger, mint, sesame oil, jicama, dragonfruit, and other stuff I am not remembering right now, I got my vittles at the Saigon Cho Market, and then drove to the heart of Little Vietnam a short distance east, to pay my respects at the Buddhist shrine you see above.

For awhile, whilst driving 360 from Hurst to Arlington, I listened to an insane talk radio moron on WBAP named something like Chris Salcedo. He comes on before the King of the Hate Radio nonsense spewers, Rush Dimbulb.

Today I could only listen to a few minutes of the guy who comes on before Dimbulb. He was literally screaming hissing nonsense, rattling on about the great divider, resident Obama, he can't force himself to call him President Obama, refers to Obama as the Occupier of the Oval Office. This guy is so dumb and spews so much idiotic nonsense. It's appalling.

Listening to this miscreant today one got the idea he doesn't understand Obama is no longer the American president, has not been for something like ten months. Replaced by a moron who is an embarrassment to most American's. And the World.

I think it is trying to defend the indefensible, that being Trump, which is making the right wing nut job radio hate speaker spewers spout even more idiotically than their moronic idiotic norm.

Ten minutes, of the local DFW WBAP hate monger, then Dimbulb came on, ranting more coherently, with a more original, literate mastery of the English language than the idiot who comes on before him, who bills himself as a "Liberty loving Latino, unlike those left wing Latinos, he loves this country."

See what I mean. Total idiot. Over compensating for something. Insulting the majority of American Latinos. I don't know what the Mexican/Latino term would be equivalent to being an Uncle Tom type, but that's what crosses my mind listening to this guy for the short durations I can stand it. That and classic Little Man Syndrome.

What is WBAP's excuse for airing this type idiotic hate speak? Does it bring in a lot of local advertising dollars? Are there actually a sufficient supply of ignorant morons out there who listen to this type nonsense without being offending by the wanton stupidity?

Sadly, real sadly, after years of exposure to the Idiot Class, via Facebook, it is all too painfully obvious to me that America's Idiot Class is BIG, hence us currently living in an Idiocracy. Until, hopefully, Trump is removed, but even then, all these idiots will still be among us.

Some with radio talk shows...

Wichita Falls Halloween Nightmare On Ellingham Street

A few days ago I was returning from the downtown Wichita Falls library, heading south on Taft Boulevard, when I came upon a Halloween scene the likes of which I do not remember previously seeing.

On Saturday I rolled my bike's wheels to that aforementioned Halloween scene intending to photo document that which I had seen whilst driving by.

However, it should have occurred to me, what with a strong wind blowing, on Saturday, and a predicted incoming severe storm, that that Halloween scene would be deflated and stored safely from the wind. Which is what I saw when I rolled to the Halloween scene location.

Then yesterday on my way back from ALDI, driving my motorized means of vehicular motion, I drove by the Halloween scene again, saw inflation was back in force, so I took the picture you see above through the driver's side window.

Then, an hour or two later, having not liked the vehicle based photos, I rolled my bike back to the Halloween scene location hoping to do some better photo documentation. Which is what you see below.

The photos do not do justice to this Halloween scene. My camera could not capture all of it in one shot.

Where does one find a giant inflatable black cat such as we see above?

I think the orange trailer had some sort of motion detector, because when motion was detected the trailer's door opened and a ghoul poked its head out the door.

I have seen other elaborate Wichita Falls Halloween displays, but none as big and varied as this one. The others I have seen seem to stick to a theme. Such as a GIANT spider crawling off a roof to an elaborate GIANT web.

I think the year was 2005, October of, I was up in Washington, staying at Clancy & Fancy's in Kent. Clancy & Fancy's next door neighbors at that point in time were a pair of fun loving gals named Mo and Margo.

Mo and Margo went all out for Halloween, with an elaborate themed display in their front yard. Sort of pirate themed, with skeletons, some of which moved when motion was detected. If I remember right there was a screaming sound effect, a big spider that dropped suddenly near the front door, a treasure chest which mysteriously opened out of which an eerie fog spewed and a skeleton glowed.

2005 is a long time ago, over a decade, so my memory of Mo and Margo's Halloween scene may be a bit faulty, with pieces missing. I remember taking video of it, but due to the darkness, that video did not turn out well. The video may still exist on this computer. But, I do not feel too motivated to look for it. That always turns into taking way too long due to finding multiple other videos to look at that I barely remember.

A few more looks at the Wichita Falls Halloween Nightmare on Ellingham Street...

If you want to see the Wichita Falls Halloween Nightmare on Ellingham Street with your own spooky eyes, you will find it at the intersection of Taft Boulevard and Ellingham Street, a short distance north of the MSU (Midwestern State University) campus.

One Degree Above Freezing Friday In Wichita Falls Texoma Zone

It appears that Fall sweet spot of no longer needing air conditioning to cool the air to a comfortable temperature, or the reverse of A/C to warm the air, is about to end, if the prediction for Friday is correct.

33 degrees.

Math and arithmetic is not one of those things I excel at, but I am almost 100% 33 degrees is one chilly degree above freezing.

I guess it is that time of year I go on my annual hunt for where I stored my long underwear...

Wichita Falls Circle Trail Opens Up Wichita Bluff Nature Area

On Friday an incoming email told me the long awaited completion and opening of the Wichita Bluff Nature Area had arrived and was ready for its closeup.

And so, yesterday, that being Saturday, with thunderstorms and possible tornadoes, along with grapefruit size hail and gusty wind on the potential weather menu I decided to check out the new scenic extension of the Wichita Falls Circle Trail.

Let's just get my take on this new development out of the way before we proceed.

I give this addition to Wichita Falls a big thumbs up, four stars and job well done to whoever designed and executed this.

The email I got on Friday told me the newly opened section of the Circle Trail was about 1.5 miles. I think it was longer than that, judging by the hour it took to walk to the trail's current termination.

The entry sign you see above is at the east end of the newly opened trail. The trail terminates a quarter mile, or so, from this eastern entry. You can see where preparations are being made to continue the Circle Trail extension to connect to Lucy Park.

In the next photo we are at the west end entry, seeing a group heading towards the Nature Area's parking lot.

A surprisingly large number of people were checking out the newly opened Nature Area, what with it being a blustery threatening weather type of day.

This new trail section is unique to the Wichita Falls Circle Trail in that the trail  in the Wichita Bluff Nature Area has elevation gains and drops.

Today was the longest I have walked in months. I think my ankles and feet may be complaining soon. In the above photo we are near the entry, on one of several side trails from the main trail, with one of the ubiquitous Wichita Falls swinging benches. That is one of two covered areas you see on the left, which one comes to whilst walking the trail. Providing protection from sudden inclement weather. And the sun.

Eventually the Wichita River comes into view. Several overlooks, with benches, provide rest stops with river views.

Such as the Wichita River overlook you see above.

Above is the second covered weather protector structure. This one is near the east entry to the Nature Area.

One of the aforementioned side trails, leading to yet one more swinging bench overlooking the Wichita River.

And yet one more example of swinging benches accessed by a side trail from the Circle Trail, with these two looking in opposite directions.

And here we are heading up the trail to the parking lot at the west end, Seymour Highway, entry to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area. As you can see, the sky is a bit threatening. Though no actual threat materialized during the time period I experienced this new Wichita Falls Nature Area.

I'm hoping the success of this new section of Circle Trail instigates an impetus to close the couple gaps remaining which keep the Circle Trail from being a true circle.

Mom Takes Virtual Trip To Thailand

Checking email this morning I saw that which you see here, incoming from Arizona.

Message in email...

Took mom to Thai food for lunch. She loves it.

David, Theo & Ruby's maternal parental unit, my little sister, Michele, left the kids behind in Tacoma to fly south to see mom for a few days in the Phoenix zone of Arizona.

David, Theo & Ruby will be flying south to the Phoenix zone next month during the Thanksgiving time frame, to spend some time with their grandma. There is some talk of myself also being there.

I was last in Arizona on August 22. That day, prior to taking me to the airport, mom asked where I would like to go for lunch. I said, I don't care, McDonald's is fine with me.

No, said mom, let's go to a restaurant with a printed menu. How about Chinese, mom suggested. I then said Thai sounds good.

What? Tie? Mom replied.

Yeah, Thai, said I.

To which mom replied again with a variation of what's Tie?

To which our chauffeur, my second littlest sister, Jackie, explained to mom I was referencing Thai food, as in Thai food like you find in Thailand.

Oh, said mom, I don't know of such a place here.

Nor did my sister Jackie.

But, somehow sister Michele found a Thai restaurant in the Phoenix zone and took mom there, where mom learned she liked Thai food.

I am thinking that maybe if I do go to Arizona next month there might be a chance I would get to go to a Thai place, in addition to having turkey...

Creepy Elsie Hotpepper Message About Fort Worth Slaughterhouse Hotel

The creepy message you see here was sent to me via Miss Elsie Hotpepper.

Apparently a deal has been finagled between the city of Fort Worth and a hotel developer to develop a new Fort Worth Stockyards hotel on the site of the long closed Swift Armor slaughterhouse and meatpacking plant.

I do not know if it is Elsie Hotpepper who thinks it sounds creepy to stay at a hotel built on a slaughterhouse grounds, or if someone sent Elsie this message, which she then forwarded to me.

However, due to the well known delicate nature of Elsie Hotpepper I suspect it is she who finds this hotel to be potentially creepy.

Personally, I don't find this all that creepy and I don't think it would bother me to stay in this hotel.

Now if this had been the location where Fort Worth conducted its hangings back in the days when locally such punishments took place, well, that might be a bit creepy.

Ever since my eyes beheld the location of the former Swift Armor operation I thought it to be one of the most interesting things I have ever seen in any town anywhere, wondering what caused this? And why has this rubbled mess not been cleaned up, what with it being at the location of what I thought then was the town's only tourist attraction?

I long ago made a webpage about that rubbled mess which I called The Stockyard Ruins.

When I first saw that which I came to call The Stockyard Ruins I thought they looked like what photos of Berlin looked like at the end of World War II.

A day or two ago I asked someone if they knew how these buildings came to be such ruins. Not realizing til a few minutes ago that I had already asked that question and years ago got an answer, from someone named CM Waring, which I then added to the info on the webpage about The Stockyard Ruins...

The Stockyards Ruins were victims of arson fires, 2, in 1971 and 1973. The amount of animal fat in the buildings left the fires unable to be extinguished. They just let it burn out. I was long interested in how the ruins got in the state it's been for decades. I had to do plenty of digging to get that info, and I couldn't tell you where I finally found it. It was not easy.

A few years ago a FOX TV show called Prison Break used part of The Stockyard Ruins, turning one of the ruins into a Panama prison, complete with barbed concertina wire, guard towers and military vehicles. This is also photo documented on my The Stockyard Ruins webpage.

I wonder if the Armor Hotel will actually get built on the site of The Stockyard Ruins. Or will it turn into yet one instance of Fort Worth vaporware?

DFW Strikes Out In Amazon HQ2 Opening Play

This morning I learned via the Seattle Times As Amazon’s deadline for HQ2 bids closes, speculation on winner heats up article that yesterday was the deadline for metro areas to submit their bid to be considered as the location for Amazon's second headquarters.

This second headquarters thing continues even as Amazon continues to gobble up downtown Seattle. Yesterday I read Amazon has taken over the old Bon Marche/Macy's building, site of a HUGE former department store.

The article in the Seattle Times included info about Amazon's criteria for its second headquarters, along with info about what metro areas have the best shot.

A paragraph about Amazon's HQ2 criteria..

Amazon has, however, detailed its wish list of amenities for a second home — perks like a highly educated workforce and a place with a flexible transportation network.

Oh oh. A highly educated workforce and a flexible transportation network would seem to eliminate one candidate which the Star-Telegram thinks should be a shoo-in. We mentioned this particular Star-Telegram delusion in a blogging last month titled Searching For Dozen Reasons To Lure Amazon To Fort Worth.

That delusion continued this morning when I saw what you see below in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

The Star-Telegram's DFW makes its pitch for Amazon HQ2. Is your city in play? article includes a Star-Telegram produced propaganda video. In the video the Star-Telegram shows various locations in DFW being pitched to Amazon.

In the video guess which location the Star-Telegram pitches first?

If you guessed the first pitch went to that industrial wasteland of an imaginary island screwily misnomered Panther Island, you guessed correctly. Since nothing actually exists on the imaginary island the Star-Telegram used animation to illustrate that which likely will never be, but also included actual video of hapless souls inner tubing in the Trinity River.

Yes, I'm sure Amazon will see tube touting as a big selling point. It is not too difficult for an info/tech savvy company like Amazon to find out most people think the Trinity is too polluted to get wet in, and that Fort Worth's Trinity River Vision (and Panther Island) is what is known in the tech world as vaporware. Vaporware which has developed a well earned reputation as America's Biggest Boondoggle.

Blurb from Star-Telegram touting the imaginary island and likely future Superfund site, that is if Trump does not totally destroy the EPA...

Leading sites in Tarrant County include Fort Worth’s Panther Island, the future Trinity River development north of downtown, and 800 acres in Grapevine that is part of Dallas-Fort Worth Airport.

These two are the leading sites in Tarrant County? As if there are a lot of other sites considered? That open acreage north of the airport seems like a sane candidate. Lots of nearby amenities, including that airport.

Meanwhile, the Seattle Times article also speculates which metro areas are in the lead for the Amazon HQ2 prize, using data from an economist from something called Moody Analytics. A Texas town comes in #1 by this Moody analysis. You can go to the Seattle Times article to see the entire Moody list and some of the determining criteria, but here's a blurb that will reveal which Texas town is Moody's #1....

Mark Zandi took a different approach. The economist for Moody’s Analytics, along with colleague Adam Ozimek, lined up 29 sets of data designed to match Amazon’s preferences.

To gauge a city’s business environment, Moody’s weighed things like metropolitan credit ratings, tax systems and employment growth rates. For quality of life, they used measures of the school dropout rate and arts establishments per capita.

Shake the cocktail, and Austin, Texas, came out No. 1, lifted by a low tax rate and strong job growth.

What a shock. Fort Worth is not on the list. Even with Fort Worth's impressive flexible transportation network. Amazon must not have heard about Molly the Trolley...

Throwing Thursday Back To 2006 In South Dakota Black Hills & Wall Drug

I saw this a couple days ago on Facebook, via my Aunt Jane, who I think shared this via my Aunt Judy. I am guessing Aunt Judy took the picture.

The text along with the photo...

Yet another October gathering--this time in 2006 on neutral turf in the Black Hills of South Dakota. What a great time we had when we met there for several days. We decided it was the first time since Arlene married in 1949 that the siblings had all slept under the same roof. — with (left to right) Shirley Slotemaker, Mel Slotemaker, Hank Hershberger, Arlene Barry, Ruth Hershberger, Jack Slotemaker, Gerry "Mooch" Slotemaker and Jane Slotemaker.

I sort of remember when mom and dad went to the Black Hills for a sibling reunion. But, I remember no details. This was the same year in which Spencer Jack's dad got married for the first time, in April of 2006.

Mom and dad did not attend those nuptials. My recollection of the reason why they did not attend the nuptials of their only grandson to get married (so far) was they did not want to make the long drive north from Arizona at that point in time. Maybe this was because they knew they would be making an even longer drive later in the year, to South Dakota.

I sort of remember asking mom and dad, post their trip to South Dakota, if they visited Wall Drug when they were in the neighborhood. I do not remember if the answer was yes, or no.

Visiting Wall Drug feels almost mandatory once you are within a couple hundred mile radius of that location, due to all the signs enticing a visit with all sorts of enticements, like nickel cups of coffee and ice cream cones for a dime.

I know mom and dad would not pass up an ultra cheap cup of coffee with an equally cheap ice cream cone...

Running To Mount Wichita Summit Not An Option

On my way to ALDI this morning I opted to detour slightly south and west in order to do some mountain climbing on my neighborhood mini-volcano, aka, Mount Wichita.

Upon arrival I quickly saw I was not alone in deciding today to do some mountain climbing.

As I drove to the parking zone the group you see on the mountain were at its base, preparing for their assault on the summit.

About the time I turned off the device which mechanically rolls my vehicle's wheels the pair you see at the summit began running towards the peak. And ran all the way.

Without stopping.

I was appalled.

Looking at Mount Wichita it somehow looks as if it should be easy to run to the top. I thought so the day I first climbed the mountain. I arrived that day, and just like today, saw a guy running to the top. I walked around the mountain and then when I felt sufficiently warmed up, I began to run up the same trail I saw that guy zoom up like an antelope leaping across the prairie.

I lasted maybe 15 feet before I doubled over, hands on knees, trying to catch my breath.

I have yet to figure out why it is so difficult and so endorphin inducing aerobically stimulating to hike to the summit of Mount Wichita. I have hiked countless mountain trails in Washington, Oregon, California, Utah and Colorado.

And never had those trails kick me in the gut like Mount Wichita does.

Maybe this is an age related malady. Next time I am in Washington I need to get to Deception Pass and hike to the summit of Goose Rock. That should let me know if it is an age related, out of shape thing. Or something else. Goose Rock is about a dozen times taller than Mount Wichita. The trail base is only slightly above sea level. Sections of the trail to the top are steep. I have hiked to the top of Goose Rock dozens of times.

By the time I got to the Mount Wichita summit that group I saw heading up upon arrival was heading down. The lady on the right did not feel as if she could make the descent whilst vertical, and so she employed a slide down the hill on her bottom method. I had not seen this done before at this location.