Cool Sunday Rolling Lake Wichita Circle Trail With Indians

Yesterday I was way too bloated with blackberry cobbler to give any thought to possibly rolling my bike wheels anywhere.

That and I had other things to do.

And I was in no mood for any additional  excessive high humidity heat exposure.

But this first Sunday morning of June I was in the mood to do some wheel rolling, what with the outer world temperature plummeting overnight to almost winter-like levels in the low 70s.

And with a chilling wind blowing.

So, I headed south on the Circle Trail, well before noon so as to avoid the post-church throngs. Even so I counted almost 50 Circle Trailers this morning, wheeling on various devices, jogging, walking, mountain climbing and fishing.

At the location you see above that is Mount Wichita in the distance, and the shore of Lake Wichita on the left. At this location if one is moving fast and not paying attention and misses the turn one might find oneself rolling into the lake. But I doubt such has happened too often.

At the informational sign atop Lake Wichita Dam today I exchanged pleasantries with a couple Indian natives.

Not Native Americans, natives of the nation Indians are named after.

This had me wondering why there is no Indian restaurant in this town. At least I am not aware of such.

I can't remember when the last time I had myself a mighty fine feeding at an Indian restaurant. But, I do remember where it was. Tandoor in Arlington....

Wichita Falls Farmers Market Blackberry Day Cobbler Bliss

I have already returned to air-conditioned comfort from this morning's trek to downtown Wichita Falls where I joined throngs of blackberry aficionados cobbling to BLACKBERRY DAY at the Wichita Falls Farmers Market.

Today's was the biggest crowd I've seen at the Farmers Market since last summer's Watermelon Festival.

I will admit right now I was a pig with the BLACKBERRY DAY blackberry cobbler. It was just like at the Watermelon Festival, as in way too easy to indulge more than once in the sweet delicacy.

And since anything blackberry is among my favorite things, I may have over indulged in the blackberry cobbler.

Today's Farmers Market produced a plethora of free samples in addition to the blackberry cobbler. I had myself some tasty tamales, jalapeno fudge, salsa and other stuff I am forgetting. Dozens of vendors were vending their wares. Some homegrown, some homemade.

The Wichita Falls Farmers Market today very much reminded me of Seattle's Pike Place Market,  but on a much smaller scale. And no nearby ferry boats and cruise ships.

Wichita Falls does a lot of things well, but does not seem to brag about such in any venue I am aware of.

Unlike the Texas town I previously lived in which regularly annoyed me with bragging about some lame thing, touting it as being something it was not remotely close to being.

Such as this pitiful little food court-like thing called the Santa Fe Rail Market, which was touted as being modeled after Seattle's Pike Place and public markets in Europe, when it bore no resemblance to either, and was such a lame operation it quickly failed.

And then there is the Fort Worth version of a Saturday Farmers Market. Just as pitiful as the failed Santa Fe Rail Market, and not remotely as bustling as today's Saturday Farmers Market in Wichita Falls.

Maybe the Downtown Fort Worth propaganda purveyors and their Chamber of Commerce cohorts could send a task force to Wichita Falls to see how to run an actual Farmers Market, and then tout the Fort Worth version as being modeled after the Wichita Falls Farmers Market, finally recognizing something like Seattle's Pike Place is way too impossible a target for a town like Fort Worth to hit...

Saturday June 2 Is Blackberry Day In Wichita Falls

I really do live a magically charmed existence.

Sort of.

Just a couple days ago I was lamenting to a fellow former Pacific Northwesterner about missing being able to pick blackberries, free for the picking blackberries, growing like weeds, all over Western Washington.

And now, just a couple days after lamenting the blackberry lack at my current location, what do I learn?

This Saturday, as in June 2, from 7:30 in the morning til 1 in the afternoon, in downtown Wichita Falls, at the Farmers Market, it is BLACKBERRY DAY!

An advertisement type blurb from the BLACKBERRY DAY people...

This Saturday is Blackberry Day at The Market! We will be serving over 200 pounds of FREE blackberry cobbler between 9 and 11am! Plenty of fresh blackberries will be available for purchase as well as other seasonal and local vegetables like lettuce, cabbage, squash, tomatoes, potatoes, a variety of greens, radish, cucumbers, local honey, pecans, fresh baked breads and pies, jams, jellies, fresh seafood, and a variety of handmade items such as soaps, lotions, and jewelry. Additionally, there will be live music by Hazel and kids will be able to color a picture of the market at the free craft table! We'll see you Saturday! 8th & Ohio • Downtown Wichita Falls

So, BLACKBERRY DAY begins at 7:30, but the blackberry cobbler does not make its appearance until 9am, and exits at 11am. I can work with that time frame.

The last blackberry I had the pleasure of having was last summer, up northwest in the aforementioned Western Washington, picked by me along with help from David, Theo and Ruby. The twins and David had planned on making me a blackberry cobbler with our pickings before I flew south, but time ran out on that endeavor.

Early last month when I found myself in Arizona, in Chandler, for reasons unfathomable to me at the time I found myself at a Dairy Queen. When asked if there was anything I wanted I said I wouldn't mind a blackberry milkshake, due to having enjoyed such multiple times in Washington Dairy Queens.

Well, there were no blackberries anywhere on that Arizona Dairy Queen's menu. Maybe delicate blackberries are a no-no in the HOT desert. I have never had the, uh, pleasure of being in a Texas Dairy Queen, so I do not know if blackberries are on Texas Dairy Queen menus.

By tomorrow afternoon I should be able to tell you whether a Wichita Falls blackberry tastes as good as a west coast blackberry. I suspect it will....

Apparently This Summer In Texas Is Gonna Hurt Like A Mother Trucker

Yesterday on the next to last day of May we hit 100 for the first time this year at my location on the planet.

On this, the last day of May, we have gone to 101, as you can see via the screen shot I shot of my phone a couple minutes ago.

I was hotter earlier in May, in Arizona, where a record breaking temperature was reached. 106 was the number, if I remember correctly.

101 in Texas feels way HOTTER than 106 in Arizona, due to that vexing humidity thing which causes the Texas air to sort of feel like one is getting swatted with wet hot cotton.

I started up my abode's air-conditioning for the first time this year the night I got back here from Arizona, due to the relatively cool Texas temperature in the high 70s, at that midnight time frame, felt so HOT, due to that aforementioned humidity, I flipped on the A/C as soon as I got my hand's on my thermostat.

I fear, to paraphrase Adam Levine, taking out his bad taste profanity, that this summer is gonna hurt like a mother trucker. I do not remember many, if any, 100 degree plus days last year. And now, with summer still three weeks distant we are already hurting like a mother trucker...

Rolling Wheels To Lake Wichita Finds Big Caterpillar Dredging Lake Sludge

I took the first photo you see here a couple days ago at a point in time when there were a few clouds in the otherwise clear blue sky.

I parked my bike and took this photo because it seemed to me someone was making some sort of subtle political statement, what with someone moving a "SUPPORT LAKE WICHITA" banner and a "VOTE YES" sign at a location quite visible atop the Lake Wichita Dam, at the point where the Circle Trail reaches the top of the dam.

VOTE YES turned into a NO VOTE on May 5, failing to pass the two bond proposals which would have finished circling the Circle Trail and would have finally funded the revitalizing of Lake Wichita.

I have not heard if there will be another attempt to get Wichita Falls voters to vote YES, or not. It would seem a better job could be done of convincing voters it is in their interest, and for the betterment of their town, to vote to support returning Lake Wichita to its historical former glory, that and finally completing the Circle Trail.

So, this morning I opted to do my semi-regular bike ride to Lake Wichita via that aforementioned Circle Trail. Upon arrival on top of the dam I saw the sign you see above is still there.

Looking up, from the banner sign, across the lake, at Mount Wichita, I saw that a piece of heavy equipment which I have been seeing stationary for over a week, was, on this day, in full action mode.

I figured by the time I got to Mount Wichita I would be getting an up close look at what this heavy equipment operation is doing.

And now we are at that location, sort of in the shadow of Mount Wichita. A fellow biker bikes towards the Caterpillar dredger dredging mud sludge from Lake Wichita.

And then I rolled on for a closer look. Is this a stage of the Lake Wichita Revitalization underway? If not, what is going on here? There were several City of Wichita Falls dump trucks parked a short distance away, engines running, headlights on, manned with drivers, waiting, I assume, to haul away that which is being dredged.

I thought the plan for revitalizing Lake Wichita called for the lake to be drained and then the sludge dredged, in order to render, eventually, a deeper lake.

Has enough money been raised by the car washes and other somewhat pitiful Lake Wichita Revitalization fund raising efforts to pay for some dredging?

I first learned of the plan to revitalize Lake Wichita soon upon arrival in this town in spring of 2016. Learning the details of this plan it seemed like a good idea. And the informational website devoted to this project, when I first saw it in 2016, indicated the project would be underway by 2018.

Somehow I do not think this Caterpillar dredging on the shore of Lake Wichita indicates the lake's revitalization is underway. But, if not, why is lake sludge being dredged?

Rolling Wheels Over Wichita Bluff Nature Area Circle Trail

Til today I  had not been back to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area since this natural area opened at some point in time last year. Late spring of 2017, if I am remembering correctly.

Til today it had not crossed my mind that it might be mighty fun to roll my bike wheels on this only section of the Wichita Falls Circle Trail which has elevation changes sufficient enough to cause a high speed descent and an aerobically stimulating ascent.

Well, slightly aerobically stimulating ascent. The ascents are not all that steep. But one does go fast on the downhill sections.

As you can see the Wichita Bluff Nature Area is green with foliage. This may later turn a bit more brown as the heat of summer arrives.

Above you see my bike taking a rest on one of the side trails off the Circle Trail, with the side trails affording views and benches, with several of the side trails also providing picnic table pavilions, shaded from the HOT sun.

Above my handlebars are high atop a Wichita Bluff overlooking the Wichita River.

Here we have a more natural bluff overlook, without any bike or fencing blocking part of the view.

And then, turning around from that Wichita River overlook we see the current end of this section of the Circle Trail.

I am assuming this missing section is one of the sections voters did not vote to fund finishing in the recent May 5 bond vote.

So foolish. The two Circle Trail & Lake Wichita Revitalization proposals were to pay the required 25% of the project's total, with the 75% made up of grants, with the granting of those grants predicated on Wichita Falls coming up with 25%.

Like I said, so foolish. And sadly short sighted....

Memorial Day MSU Bike Ride Remembering Seattle's International Fountain With Overpriced Space Needle

This Memorial Day morning I had myself a memorably long bike ride north, taking my rolling wheels first around Sikes Lake, then to the MSU (Midwestern State University) campus, which is currently abandoned.

And then further north, eventually getting lost on Speedway before finding my way to the Circle Trail via Holliday.

At MSU I stopped the bike at the location you see here. A fountain spewing jets of water.

Refreshing on a HOT day, such as is the case today.

The MSU fountain brought to mind my longtime favorite fountain, that being the fountain known as the International Fountain at the Seattle Center. That fountain came into existence at the Seattle World's Fair, which was known as the Century 21 Exposition. The International Fountain is about 100 times bigger than this fountain I got cooled by today at MSU.

Googling International Fountain Seattle Center brought up multiple websites, including a Wikipedia article about the International Fountain, which included some statistics giving one an idea how big this centerpiece of the Seattle World's Fair is...

• 56 "Micro shooters" arrayed as a ring buried in the granite blocks of the fountain floor, on the outer perimeter surrounding the dome. These shoot straight up.
• 77 "Fleur-de-lis" - plate-sized nozzles on the dome, shooting medium-high arcs.
• 4 "Super shooters" - four nozzles on the top of the dome capable of shooting up to 120 feet (37 m) high. Each "super shooter" peak shot uses 66 US gallons (250 l) and is driven by 120 pounds per square inch (830 kPa) of air pressure.
• 137 "Mist nozzles", each with an opening the size of a pinhead to generate fog
• There is an additional ring of floodlights between the "micro shooters" and the dome.

I do not know if the current iteration of the International Fountain still plays music timed to the fountain spouts. Playing dodge the fountain is a popular pastime for kids of all ages on a hot day at the Seattle Center.

Speaking of the Seattle Center. A couple days ago that location came to my mind for another reason.

The Space Needle.

I was reading an article about the newly re-opened re-modeled observation level atop the Space Needle. In the article I read that the elevator ride to the Space Needle observation deck now cost $26. I found that hard to believe, figuring this must be a mistake.

Trust me on this, even with its new glassed over look a visit to the Space Needle observation deck is not worth $26. If I remember right the last time I was at the top of the Space Needle was with Spencer Jack's dad, Jason, and his uncle, Joey. Both were younger than Spencer Jack is now. I don't remember how much it cost to get on the Space Needle elevator at that point in time. But I doubt it was more than a couple bucks. Maybe five at the most.

What does it cost to ride the Seattle Monorail in 2018? Last time I took that short ride I think it was 50 cents each way.

When the giant observation wheel opened on the Seattle waterfront a couple years ago I recollect reading the fee to ride was $13. That seemed reasonable. But, $26 to ride to the top of the Space Needle? That's ridiculous...

Fort Worth Star-Telegram Poo Water Warning Makes No Mention Of Trinity River

I saw that which you see here this Saturday morning in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, a pseudo newspaper which ill serves as the Pravda-like propaganda organ for Fort Worth's corrupt ruling oligarchy which rules Fort Worth in what is known as The Fort Worth Way.

In this Going to the beach this summer? Make sure you're not swimming in poo water article we read...

Oil and water. Peanut butter and pickles. Or, a relaxing beach outing and high fecal bacteria readings.

Yuck.

But that’s exactly what some Texas Gulf Coast beach destinations are plagued with as summer approaches, according to a website called Texas Beach Watch.

No mention is made in this article of the fact that the entity known as the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision, in one of its few "accomplishments" in almost two decades of getting little accomplished, has managed to convince Fort Worth locals, apparently starved for something to do, to get wet in the polluted Trinity River in events known as Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats and Funday Sundays.

With those events held when the monitoring of the pollution in the Trinity River indicates an e.col and fecal bacteria level low enough to supposedly make the Trinity River water sufficiently safe.

Those Thursday Rockin' the Polluted River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats should be starting up soon, what with summer soon arriving.

I wonder if now that the TRWD agency which oversees what has become America's Biggest Boondoggle, that being the sponsor of those polluted river events, no longer has its one and only watchdog of the public welfare, Mary Kelleher, on board, if those weekly testings of the Trinity River will still take place prior to allowing the River Rockin' to happen...

Rockin' Sikes Lake At Wichita Falls MSU Priddy Pavilion

Yesterday early evening I decided to enjoy the mighty fine semi-balmy weather to get myself some fresh air and aerobically induced endorphins via riding my bike on the Circle Trail, eventually ending up circling around Sikes Lake.

Near the north end of the lake I found myself needing to slow down due to a large number of small humans darting about erratically.

When I approached the bridge which crosses over the north end of Sikes Lake I saw that a large assembly of full size humans had assembled.

I quickly determined the assemblage was assembled to listen to music, which started playing soon after I stopped to observe the scene.

Upon arrival back at my abode I consulted the May edition of The HUB of North Texas to learn what I listened to last night was part of the Midwestern State University Live at the Lake Concert Series at Priddy Pavilion, with last night's concert featuring an entity known as the Jay Hollis Band.

The HUB info suggested one bring blankets or lawn chairs. I imagine the blankets were to sit on, not to use to keep warm, since such is not needed in late May at this part of the planet.

I took a photo or two and then switched the camera to video mode to record that which you see below. In the video my pithy commenting alludes to Fort Worth's Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube floats in the polluted Trinity River. And those pitiful little bridges Fort Worth can not seem to successfully build over dry land to connect the Fort Worth mainland to an imaginary island.

I think Wichita Falls should dredge the north end of Sikes Lake to make it deeper, then line the bottom with cement. Then hold Rockin' the Lake Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats at their real pavilion with a real bridge over real water.

Wouldn't that be something?

Stop At Wichita Falls HOOTERS On Way To ALDI

On my way to ALDI this morning, stopped at the stop light at the intersection where Kemp and Call Field/Midwestern Boulevard meet, I looked up to see a new sign has arrived in Wichita Falls.

HOOTERS.

I believe this incoming HOOTERS is coming in to the location previously occupied by Logan's Roadhouse, which hit the road after closing a year or two ago.

I have not read anything about HOOTERS coming to Wichita Falls in the local newspaper. Nor have I seen advertisements soliciting for local talent to staff the cast of the Wichita Falls HOOTERS.

I hope I do not sound too rude, but since I have been in Wichita Falls I have not seen many, if any, of the type talent one sees being in the cast of the HOOTERS I have previously observed.

A HOOTERS recruiter will soon succumb to a sense of hopelessness if he or she tries to find HOOTERS type talent in either of the Wichita Falls Walmarts I frequent. The recruiter would find plenty of candidates with two of the expected HOOTERS assets, but the full package, this I have not eye witnessed in the nearly two years I have been in this town. Well, I may be forgetting one or two full package incidents.

And if HOOTERS has a no tattoos policy, well, from what I have seen in Wichita Falls, that recruiter will have a lot of trouble finding local talent without tattoos.

I have never seen so many tattoos on so many people, as I have in Wichita Falls, with the tattoos displayed on such large surface areas. And so proudly displayed, or more accurately, proudly exposed, due to an insufficient amount of clothing material modestly covering that which one would think those of such ample size would want covered.

Anyway, it will be interesting to see how well HOOTERS does in Wichita Falls...