Wichita Falls Run-Off Voting Leads To Solving Hamilton Park Slingshot Mystery

Saturday I had an interesting run-off voting experience in my current location of Wichita Falls.

With early voting one can vote in any early voting location, so I early vote in what seems a rather odd location, that being inside a mall, in the concourse in front of Penney's in the Sikes Senter mall, which someone unfathomably thought clever to spell center with an "S".

For election day run-off voting one must vote in ones precinct's voting location. For my precinct this was in the Hardin Administration building on the MSU campus. Not hard to locate, once one finds a map of the campus. Driving to that location on Saturday there was only one car parked on the north parking lot. Is this the right location I wondered? Then on the west side parking lot I saw a few more cars. But, no where did I see any "Vote Here" type signs. Or one of those ubiquitous red, white and blue American flags.

I parked and went in the only door which seemed as if it might lead somewhere. I came to a long hall. Down the long hall I saw an elderly lady sitting at a table, still no flag or signage indicating I was in any sort of voting location. I walked to the elderly lady to find I had found the correct location. Soon I had done my duty and voted for the only item on the ballot, Penny Miller for City Council at Large.

Penny Miller lost the run-off election. Most people I vote for lose. I should have voted for Trump.

After voting I told my fellow voters, who I had taken to vote with me, that I wanted to show them something I've seen growing in nearby Hamilton Park, the purpose of which was a mystery to me. A few days prior I had biked by this location to see what looked like a giant slingshot being assembled, with a lot of other material piled up on the parking lot awaiting assemblage.

Above is the photo I took of this Hamilton Park mystery last Saturday.

And now today, four days later, the Wichita Falls Times News Record, (I may have the order of those last three words wrong), had an article explaining what the giant slingshot is going to become.

An "artistic, modern and functional piece of equipment for “Doctor’s Park,” so named for the more than 100 trees planted there donated by the WCMA."

WCMA is the abbreviated version of Wichita County Medical Alliance.

I first saw initial groundwork on this project underway what seems a couple months ago. And now, with construction underway, completion is expected to take a couple weeks.

In addition to an actual project timeline another difference from something being built in Fort Worth was the following sentence...

"The playground is close to the Circle Trail, restrooms and near a large parking lot."

Do you see the item in the above sentence that you would not likely be seeing mention made of in a Fort Worth Star-Telegram about something being built in a Fort Worth park?

If you identified "restrooms" as the item, you are correct. Most Fort Worth city parks do not have modern facilities, no running water, no modern restrooms. Some don't even have that Fort Worth staple of an outhouse.

Shocking, shocking I tell you, for an imaginary world class city like Fort Worth to not have modern facilities in its city parks.

Meanwhile in another town in Texas, Wichita Falls...

Fort Worth Needs An Incentive To Fix Its Downtown Embarrassments

I see this incentive type headline in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and find myself once again wondering why this type thing is not seen as a problem in the town which the Star-Telegram ill serves as its only newspaper.

"AC Hotel, a brand popular in Europe, gets key incentive to build in downtown Fort Worth"

Does anyone in Fort Worth wonder what the problem is with downtown Fort Worth which requires incentives to get someone to build a hotel? Or why the voters have to be bothered to vote to help subsidize the building of a downtown convention center hotel?

I don't think towns with functional downtown's need to resort to incentivizing developers to develop downtown hotels, department stores and other such items common in most thriving downtown's which are not ghost towns on the busiest shopping day of the year, that being the day after Thanksgiving.

How many downtown hotels do you think New York City has had to offer incentives to get built? Or Chicago? Or San Francisco? Or Seattle?

Seattle has dozens of downtown hotels all built without the city offering bribes. The latest expansion of downtown Seattle's Washington State Convention Center includes another convention center hotel. Hotel developers competed to get to be the developer to develop that new hotel. And nothing as absurd as asking voters to help subsidize such a hotel happens in downtown's where developers want to develop hotels.

Fort Worth seems to have some sort of repeating pattern of having to offer what amount to bribes to get some developer to develop something. That or Fort Worth succumbs to ridiculous flattery, or a combo of both.

Such as when a sporting goods store called Cabela's wanted to build the first Cabela's in Texas. Cabela's convinced the rubes who incompetently run Fort Worth that this sporting goods store would become the #1 tourist attraction in Texas, thus making all the incentives Cabela's was asking for a bargain.

Fort Worth fell for that con job. Soon the Fort Worth Cabela's was not the only one in Texas. Now it is not even the only Cabela's in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metro zone.

No way do I know of all the instances where the Fort Worth city government has been conned into incentives, or abusing eminent domain. Such as what was done so that Radio Shack could build their long defunct corporate headquarters in downtown Fort Worth.

Or that Mercado boondoggle on North Main Street, south of the Fort Worth Stockyards.

Or the Santa Fe Rail Market Boondoggle. I know a con job was involved in that embarrassment, misrepresenting what that lame development would be. Were incentives also part of the scam?

Why doesn't Fort Worth focus on fixing its downtown? How many more years will that park celebrating Fort Worth's heritage, appropriately called Heritage Park, act as a metaphor for what is wrong with downtown Fort Worth? A boarded up eyesore allowed to deteriorate, sitting at a prime location at the north end of downtown Fort Worth.

Maybe the city could offer some developer incentives to re-open Heritage Park in all its former scenic glory.

Another fix for downtown Fort Worth?

Cease referring to part of the downtown area as Sundance Square. This is just goofy and confusing to the town's few tourists, even with the addition of an actual square, after decades of there being no square in Sundance Square, the downtown zone is still being called Sundance Square, with the actual square called Sundance Square Plaza, sponsored by Nissan.

And how does Fort Worth ever expect to have a vibrant downtown if few people live there? And why would many people choose to live in a downtown with no department stores, no grocery stores, and few restaurants?

And lose that embarrassing Molley the Trolley public transit device. Converting an old bus to look like a trolley and then charging people $5 to use this public transit is just bizarre. And like already said, embarrassing...

In Texas Trying To Fix Fort Worth's Blighted New Isis Theater Eyesore

A day or two or three ago potential U.S. Representative, Elsie Hotpepper, messaged me regarding that which you see here, an article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about A drama teacher’s dream: Restoring this 1930s Fort Worth movie theater.

I had already seen this article and had already screen capped that which you see here, intending to blog about it, but then forgot about it til reminded by the aforementioned future U.S. Representative, Elsie Hotpepper.

I was not long in Texas when I was first appalled by Fort Worth's New Isis Theater, appalled because it appeared to be an abandoned eyesore blighting the good looks of what I then (and still do) think is Fort Worth's only actual tourist attraction, the Fort Worth Stockyards.

That was almost 20 years ago I first saw the blighted New Isis Theater eyesore. Soon thereafter I began my Eyes on Texas website. At that point in time I was still trying to come to terms with the culture shock of adjusting to Texas, after having spent my entire life in a more modern, progressive part of America, where something like the New Isis Theater would not be allowed to fester in such a sad state of decrepitude in such a location.

Early on in my Eyes on Texas webpage writing my take on what I was describing might seem a bit more harsh than my 2017 version of describing that which appalls me, because, like I already said, I was still trying to adjust to the culture shock.

Most of what is on the Eyes on Texas website predates when I began doing the blogging thing, hence some of the dates referenced on those webpages are from way back early in this century.

During that early in this century time frame I made a webpage documenting some of the tacky things I was seeing, calling that webpage Texas Tacky, if I remember correctly.

The Texas Tacky webpage has a section devoted to the New Isis Theater tacky eyesore. That generated some interesting feedback relevant to this latest iteration of a well meaning person trying to restore that long abandoned theater.

That is a screen cap of part of the Texas Tacky webpage's New Isis Theater section you see here. I will copy some of the text. You may find the message I received over a decade ago about an effort to restore the theater to be interesting...

THE FORT WORTH STOCKYARDS

This example of Texas Tacky is in Fort Worth's Stockyards. There is an abandoned theater on Main Street in the heart of the Stockyard's 'Historical District' called, ironically, the 'New Isis'. This theater appears to have long been abandoned, broken windows covered with plywood as per the Fort Worth standard for abandoned buildings. To add to the tackiness semi-current messages are put on the marquee. On one side the sign says 'Welcome to the Historic Fort Worth Stockyards', while the other side announces 'Christmas in the Stockyards', which would be fine, except this sign still says this, on the first day of spring, 2002, well after Christmas. It is difficult to understand how a major city would allow such an eyesore to exist in the heart of its main claim to tourist fame. Particularly an eyesore with such renovation possibilities. Where is the civic pride? Perhaps a city government group could be sent to other towns to see how they manage to fix such problems. Any of the tourist towns in Washington state would suffice, or any of the tourist towns on Highway 49 in California. Or any of the tourist towns in Colorado, Utah, Arizona or New Mexico. Or just stay in Texas and find out how the town of Archer City managed to renovate their town's famous theater.

UPDATE: In fall of 2005 the reader board on the ISIS was changed to indicate the eyesore was going to be re-modeled. The re-modeling does not appear to be underway.

UPDATE 2:  June 7, 2007 we received the following email:

From: Robert Adams
To: feedback
Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2007 10:40 PM
Subject: The New Isis Theater

Dear Tacky Texas,

As an FYI - The New Isis Theater is currently in the architectural phase of renovation. This will probably take 3-4 months and the renovation approximately 14-16 months. Hopefully we can achieve a look which will remove us from your expertly crafted list of Stockyard buildings in need of repair. You could be very helpful in this process by informing your web viewers that the original seats from the inside of the theater are available for those who would like to purchase a piece of history. These will need to be replaced because of they are only 16 1/2 inches wide compared to modern theater seats at 21". (a testament to the decline of our culinary tastes over the last 70+ years.)

Regards,
robert@thenewisistheater.com

___________________

So, I hope this teacher has a lot of luck with this latest attempt to restore this long abandoned embarrassing eyesore blight on Fort Worth's only actual tourist attraction. But, if Vegas is taking bets I would not put any money on it happening, anymore than Mineral Wells' Baker Hotel getting renovated.

The Baker Hotel eyesore also seems to regularly re-surface as a renovation project which goes nowhere. I have also received multiple communications about such over the years. At one point I got to take a tour of the Baker Hotel.

The Baker Hotel is a bit more impressive than the New Isis Theater, renovation possibility-wise, but I really do not expect either to have a Grand Re-Opening in my lifetime...

2017 Merry Christmas From David, Ruby, Santa & Theo

Opening the mailbox yesterday yielded that which you see here, from David, Ruby, Santa and Theo.

The twins and their big brother's 2017 Christmas portrait with their favorite old gentleman in red.

In the note accompanying the photo I can not be certain who wrote it, as there was no identifying signature to indicate such.

I am assuming the writer was David, he being the big brother and thus the most literate of the trio.

The note told me that this year "We got to pick out what we wanted to wear for our picture with Santa. Ruby chose to wear what we chose for her to wear. Ruby has been real agreeable lately."

So, it appears David opted to attire himself like a young Tucker Carlson, before that particular right wing nut job went full loony and bow tie-less. Theo appears to be in football jersey mode. I can't quite figure out what David and Theo picked out for Ruby. The shirt looks like maybe an Orca is in Puget Sound in front of a rainbow.

David turned nine on September 11. Theo and Ruby turn seven on December 17. Which means I need to get a couple birthday cards prepared and mailed. Since the arrival of Theo and Ruby on the planet I have received a few other photo documentations of their Christmas visits with Santa.

Below are the three other David, Theo and Ruby, with Santa, photos I have archived, starting with what I think is the Santa photo from last year, then my favorite David, Theo and Ruby Santa photo of all time, and the third, the oldest one, when the twins were little toddlers, with it looking like David was likely the only walker of the three...

The next one is classic. The twins terrorized. With David just looking amused.

I wonder what Ruby and Theo have to say when they see the above photo documenting how happy they were to sit on Santa's lap that particular Christmas.

Ruby and Theo totally look like twins in the above Santa photo, before it started to be easy to tell which one was which. But, I am pretty much 100% certain that is Ruby on the left, on Santa's lap, which would make that Theo on the right.

And it looks like David is giving Santa an earful of all which he would like to see under the Christmas tree...

Texas Three Dog Night With 19 Degree Blanket Emergency

The sun is doing its daily illumination duty, but is currently being a bit weak in its daily heating duty.

19 degrees at 8 in the morning of this second Friday of December in this chilly part of the planet which is ignoring the memo informing the weather the globe is supposed to be warming.

Last night was a three dog night, but I have not even a single dog. So, in the middle of the night, when I found myself being colder than I had anticipated being, I had to go on a blanket finding treasure hunt.

After a few minutes of searching I was able to find a couple quilts.

Today's wind chill is currently scheduled to not be as chilling as yesterday's gale force wind gusts which blew my patio furniture to smithereens. Well, that may be a bit hyperbolic, knocked over the patio furniture would be more accurate.

And there is a happy note in all this cold misery. The cold front has knocked the steam out of the weed, grass and tree pollen, thus rendering my allergy woes greatly abated.

I will not be riding my bike today. It is locked up until reasonable temperatures return...

Scientific Survey Determines Texas Has No Hip Towns

No, what you are looking at here is not one of Fort Worth's imaginary signature bridges crossing the Trinity River. Those Fort Worth bridges are being built in slow motion over dry land to connect the Fort Worth mainland to an imaginary island. No real river is being crossed. Someday there may be a ditch under those bridges, though.

What you are looking at here is a bridge which was built over a real river, a real big wide river named Columbia. I am not sure, but I think this is the I-5 bridge connecting Vancouver with Portland, but it may be one of the other bridges. There are several.

All built over actual fast moving real river water, in less than four years.

A couple days ago Queen Diamond D of Tacoma commented on Facebook regarding her surprise that Tacoma had out hipped Seattle in some listing of America's hippest cities.

And then yesterday via the Seattle Times I was surprised to learn that Tacoma's fellow Washington town, Vancouver, was determined, via detailed scientific analysis, to be America's hippest city. The screen cap you see above came from the Seattle Times America’s hippest city is Vancouver, Washington? article.

Vancouver being America's hippest city had a lot of people thinking, huh?

Portland, on the Oregon side of the Columbia, has long been considered to be a trend setting hip type town. There is even a TV show sort of celebrating Portland's uniqueness, called Portlandia. Portland is on the list of 20 most hip towns, but it comes in at #12, Seattle is also on the list, in last place, at #20 most hip town.

I only remember Vancouver as a town one passes through on I-5, heading south to Oregon or California or elsewhere, or being the town one passes through when almost home from a long road trip.

I think the last time I was off I-5 in Vancouver was back in the 1990s. For reasons no longer accessible to my memory I had been talked into driving a relative back to Portland to rejoin her cult attending a strange pseudo school called Multnomah Bible College.

On the way home from that bizarre weekend in Portland (which included attending services at a Rock n' Roll church, which was actually pretty cool, as in the preacher played electric guitar with the singing rockers in the choir) we stopped in Vancouver to have ourselves all you can eat fish, chips, chowders and cole slaw at a Skippers restaurant.

Skippers was a real hip seafood joint before it went out of business.

Shockingly no Texas town shows up on the list of America's Top 20 Hippest Towns. Not even Fort Worth, which bills itself as "Junky Town", I mean "Funky Town". How can a town which is proud of being funky not be hip?

Anyway, the surprising list of America's Top 20 Hippest Towns...

1. Vancouver, Washington
2. Salt Lake City
3. Cincinnati
4. Boise, Idaho
5. Richmond, Virginia
6. Tacoma
7. Spokane
8. Atlanta
9. Grand Rapids, Michigan
10. Rochester, New York
11. Orlando, Florida
12. Portland
13. Knoxville, Tennessee
14. Tucson, Arizona
15. Santa Rosa, California
16. Huntsville, Alabama
17. Tampa, Florida
18. Reno, Nevada
19. Albuquerque, New Mexico
20. Seattle

Salt Lake City is #2? Well, Mormons are rather hip. San Francisco isn't on this list? The town which made hippies famous? Reno? Has Reno had a resurgence from the hard times which came upon the town with the collapse of it being a casino mecca? Boise? Spokane?

Apparently, at four, Vancouver, Tacoma, Spokane and Seattle, my old home state has more hip towns than any other state.

These type list are sort of silly, but also sort of amusing. And possibly somewhat accurate.

It has long been obvious to me my old home state of Washington is hugely more hip than the state I currently find myself in, Texas, where all sorts of things freedom loving states allow are not allowed, like gambling in casinos, smoking marijuana, marrying anyone you like, no pockets of prohibition, being well educated, the list goes on and on....

Seattle Restaurant Boom After $15 Minimum Wage Confounds RWNJs

I am starting to have myself a backlog of what I call blogging fodder which I don't get around to blogging, due to not feeling much like doing so, due to being in about week three of feeling miserable due to an allergic reaction to the air that I breathe which has been overstocked, of late, with too much pollen from weed, grass and trees.

Too much pollen which has been manifesting itself in a daily headache.

So, yesterday, or was it the day before, I saw that which you see here, on the front page of the Seattle Times online. I guess this falls into the category of things I see in west coast news sources, usually the Seattle Times, which I would never expect to see in the Fort Wort Star-Telegram, about something similar in Fort Worth.

But, that is not what amused me.

Way back a couple years ago when Seattle opted to gradually raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, RWNJs (Right Wing Nut Jobs) like college dropout, Rush Limbaugh, and his ignorant hate mongering ilk, spread propaganda lies about four Seattle restaurants being forced to close the very week this minimum wage increase was announced, but well before even the first stage became reality.

And now, a couple years later, with Seattle restaurants paying their help the $15 an hour minimum, even before the final mandated raise to that level, not only has this pay raise not resulted in an epidemic of restaurant closures, apparently the Seattle restaurant scene is booming.

Of course the RWNJs have all sorts of explanations, just like they always seem to do, for once again being wrong about something.

Last summer, August 14 to be precise, David, Theo and Ruby took me to downtown Seattle, to Dick's, where I got to eye witness experience the damage done to Seattle's restaurant businesses by the liberal socialist madness that raised the minimum wage.

Below is a photo I took whilst waiting in line at Dick's....

Dick's starts at $15 an hour, with $25,000 college scholarships, childcare assistance, free health insurance, paid community service, along with regular merit raises.

Now, Dick's has long been known for being a great fast food place to work, with a highly evolved, progressive social conscience.

Meanwhile, in a Texas town like Fort Worth, in what is known as a "right to work" state, which basically means such a state is a union busting state, I don't think there are any fast food places in existence of the Dick's sort.

Working in a right to work state, a restaurant worker in Fort Worth is not even paid the paltry Texas minimum wage of $7.25. If a Texas restaurant worker receives at least $30 a month in tips their employer can get away with paying a minimum wage of only $2.34 an hour. Supposedly the tips are supposed to amount to what results in a $7.25 minimum wage, allowing the employer to pay that paltry minimum. In Texas you can probably guess how well this is regulated and enforced.

So, a month or so ago someone, I think it was Elsie Hotpepper, verbalized about being surprised what a ghost town downtown Fort Worth was on a Saturday. And that the service her group received in one of downtown Fort Worth's few restaurants was atrocious.

Is it really that hard to see the link between how much one pays ones restaurant workers and how well that restaurant operates?

It is not just restaurants. When I am in Washington the quality level of just about everything, store wise, and other wise, is noticeably way more competent and better run than the craptacularness I experience in Texas. Just the difference between a Texas Walmart and the Walmart I went to in Tacoma was surprising. Or any other store, or restaurant.

And another thing. At Dick's I got a Dick's Deluxe, Cheeseburger, Fries and Strawberry Shake. The price of each was about what I remembered them being way back when I lived in Washington late in the previous century. If I remember right, on August 14 a Dick's Deluxe was $3.45. That seems close to what I remember such costing long ago. But, I have to admit, the Dick's Deluxe seemed smaller than I remembered it being.

But, that seems to be the case with just about every thing I remember....

Sikes Lake Geese Flocking Against Seagull Invasion

No, I did not drive to Galveston this morning to ride my bike on the seawall. One would be foolish to think such, looking at this photo of a bike's handlebars and a relatively calm sea which looks nothing like the Gulf of Mexico.

Those handlebars are aimed at Sikes Lake in Wichita Falls, not Galveston, a Sikes Lake with waves almost big enough to make whitecaps, due to a strong wind blowing in from the west.

That strong wind blowing in from the west is predicted to bring with it some extremely cold air, dropping today's balmy 80s somewhere down near the freezing zone.

Yesterday, or maybe it was the day before yesterday, I mentioned the fact that the Sikes Lake geese have become, well, I said militant, possibly radicalized, after learning some of the human species they see walking by them every day roast their kin for Christmas dinner.

On further examination I think it more accurate to suggest the Sikes Lake geese have become territorial, protecting the turf they believe to be theirs.

The territorial thing occurred to me when I came upon the scene below.

Okay, I only had my phone camera with me, which was not able to totally capture what is going on above. Sikes Lake is divided into two pieces by the dam barrier you see above. Why this dam barrier exists I have no idea.

Since I was at this location yesterday a huge flock of seagulls has arrived, possibly confused, thinking they have arrived at that aforementioned Gulf of Mexico.

You can see the spots of white seagulls on the north side of the dam barrier. On the south side of the dam barrier dozens of geese have taken up defensive positions, denying seagull access to what now appears to be the GEESE ONLY part of Sikes Lake. My sad bad photographer skills with a phone camera only show a few of the geese maintaining  a flock of seagulls vigil.

Soon after I left the Seagull/Goose Standoff Zone I came upon one of the GOOSE CHECKPOINTS one must pass through to make transit around Sikes Lake.

I showed my I.D. papers to the Inspector Goose on the left, after which, about a minute later, I was granted safe passage. Even so, one does not drop being wary about the possibility of getting goosed.

Due to all the mention made of late, by me, about geese, Betty Jo Bouvier, she being one of what are known as the Wild Women of Woolley, is thinking of acquiring a goose for house pet purposes, after consulting Aunt Alice about how Aunt Alice trained her goose, Gertrude, to use a litter box, among other domesticated behaviors which rendered Gertrude a welcome house guest of Aunt Alice's for many years.

I suspect I shall not be returning to Sikes Lake tomorrow to check in on the geese and seagulls, due to a near freezing temperature making such an excursion likely unappealing....

First Hot Sunday Of December Finding Wichita Falls Polar Express Mass Transit Trams

On this first Sunday of the final month of 2017, with the weather outside not even remotely frightful, unless one is scared of a December heat wave, I took my bike, again, on a long roll around my neighborhood, enjoying a strong balmy breeze whilst staying cool attired in shorts and a tank top.

Biking on to the MSU campus from the north I was quickly reminded we are in the winter weather time of the year, with this reminder arriving when I saw the Wichita Falls Polar Express mass transit trams lined up and ready to take seekers of bright lights on a Christmas tour of my neighborhood.

Wichita Falls Christmas mass transit is relatively expensive, as public transit goes, costing $5 per person for a half hour trip.

A front view of the Wichita Falls Christmas mass transit trams. The red line trams are the North Pole Polar Express trams, which would make the yellow line trams the South Pole Polar Express trams. I do not know if the two different Poles go different routes through the Christmas lights zone, thus motivating light seekers to ride both route options. I also do not know if one gets a transit discount if one opts to go to both Poles.

At the Solar Express ticket booth we get frequently asked questions answered, thus learning one does not need a reservation, just show up, because a tram leaves every 15 minutes. You will be riding approximately 30 minutes. Do not even think about bringing a pet on board. But you can bring drinks and a blanket to keep you warm. The Polar Express runs all week long, after dark, til December 25, which also happens to be Christmas.

During last year's Christmas time of the year I drove much of the route the Polar Express trams travel, stuck, was I, following one. I have seen a Christmas display or two during my time on the planet. I am not easily impressed. I gotta tell you, the Wichita Falls Christmas lights are the likes of which I have not seen anywhere.

Well, okay, Interlochen in Arlington, Texas is pretty cool, but way too congested. Arlington needs to copy the Wichita Falls Polar Express concept. And then there was Yuma, Arizona, with luminarias, I think that is the word, these lit up candle works of art arrayed on the ground. Festive in a way I'd never eye witnessed previously.

I doubt I will load up a flask with a warming liquid and take a blanket with me on the Wichita Falls Polar Express, but I may drive the route again, with no need for a flask or blanket...

Griswold Christmas Bike By Sikes Lake Goose Stops With Aunt Alice's Gertrude

What with the outer world temperature heading towards the 70 degrees, or more, zone, and with my allergic self feeling the best I've felt. allergy-wise, in a couple weeks, I decided this first Saturday of December would be a mighty fine day to go on a mighty long bike ride.

My route took me to Sikes Lakes, then through the MSU campus, continuing north til heading east on Ellingham, where I came upon the Griswold's Christmas extravaganza, you see above, at the intersection of Taft Boulevard and Ellingham. This is the same location where Halloween sprouted, slightly less extravagantly, in October.

I tried to get the entire extravaganza in wide angle mode, from across the street on the west side of Taft. The result, while showing all, does not do it justice.

I shall return, maybe, on another day and take a close up video of this bit of Christmas excess, which seems to be video documenting worthy. I must also return to the MSU (Midwestern State University) Merry Christmas theme park to shoot another video, but this time with the theme park in animation mode, with the sound blaring. Today this was all turned off. No sound, no animation.

Like I already said, before I visited the Griswold's I pedaled around Sikes Lake where I found what you see below currently residing by the pavilion at the north end of the lake.

There are multiple instances, in various forms, of the type thing you see above, facilitating the taking of Holiday Season type photos with Sikes Lake and one of the Sikes Lake signature bridges as background, likely along with a goose or two or, maybe a couple hundred.

The Sikes Lake geese have become a bit militant of late. Like they have just about had enough of people walking, blading, jogging and biking on their paved trail. And so multiple squads of geese have set up roadblocking Goose Stops such as you see above, forcing one to come to a full stop after which one negotiates passage.

I think maybe the Sikes Lake geese have become radicalized due to someone telling them that some people have a roast goose for their Christmas dinner. A lot of Christmas dinners could be supplied by the HUGE flock of geese who call Sikes Lake home.

But, I have never consumed goose, nor will I ever. They are too cute to think of eating. Unlike chicken and turkeys.

It was via Aunt Alice and Gertrude I became appalled at the idea of cooking a goose.

Above you see Aunt Alice with Gertrude the Goose. Gertrude has been Aunt Alice's house goose for years. Gertrude is litter box trained and well mannered. And a good watch goose, honking loudly anytime someone rings the doorbell...