Raindrops Falling On Day Full Of Inspirational Messaging

My mailbox was full of cards this week, well, maybe not totally full, but the two you see here I particularly like.

One from my sister, with what may be a new McDonald's burger, with black and green olives, in addition to all the regular condiments.

And a card from my mama, with my mom writing a note in the card, which takes mom a bit of effort, what with mom's eyesight not making for easy writing, or doing much of anything.

In the coincidence department, just as I was typing about mom writing a note on a card the phone made its incoming call noise. I looked at the phone and saw it was mom calling. Told mom I was able to easily read what she wrote, and that she could write a letter if she wanted to and the recipient would be easily able to read it. Mom did not seem to believe that this was true.

Anyway, off the phone and back to what I was saying...

After opening and reading what was inside all the incoming envelopes I decided to brave the possibly inclement weather to go on a sun-free cloudy bike ride.

I originally intended to ride the Circle Trail to Hamilton Park, then exit that trail to roll through the Wichita Falls version of Beverly Hills, eventually reaching Midwestern State University with a drink break at my favorite neighborhood fountain.

Well, incoming drips from the sky caused me to exit the Circle Trail prior to Hamilton Park to take the short cut to MSU and that aforementioned fountain, where I stopped for a drink and took the photo you see above.

See that plaque to the right of my handlebars? I'm sure you are curious what the message is on this plaque...

"AS WATER REFLECTS A FACE SO A MAN'S HEART REFLECTS THE MAN".

I guess that makes sense.

Soon after taking the above photo the drippage picked up in intensity, so I made a beeline back to my home base, with one roll around Sikes Lake, since the drippage had lessened by the time I reached that location.

Lake Wichita Dead Calm For Elsie Hotpepper's Birthday

For days now the forecast has been for possible rain and thunderstorms.

So far no such booming wet thing has happened, that I have noticed.

Today's stormy weather, so far, has consisted of dead calm, as in no wind, no rain, no nothing remarkable.

Unless one considers that dead calm thing remarkable in this usually windy location on the planet.

Today is Elsie Hotpepper's latest birthday. Last year, if I remember right, was the last year in which Elsie Hotpepper celebrated her 29th birthday. I am no good at math, so I don't know if this makes Elsie 30 or 31 today.

I decided riding my bike to Lake Wichita was a perfect way to celebrate Elsie Hotpepper's birthday. I have never seen Lake Wichita look so wave-free as it looked today. Like it was frozen. A lake of ice on a HOT August day.

It appears the paddle board purveyor who sets up shop, almost daily, in the parking lot which sits under the shadow of Mount Wichita in Lake Wichita Park, had a couple customers today, paddling boards on the mirror smooth Lake Wichita, whilst a pair of egrets try and decide whether or not to wade out to the paddle boarders.

Lake Wichita is shallow, real shallow. Which is why the lake quickly dries up when North Texas goes into drought mode. And is yet one more reason the lake needs to be dredged.

Switching the subject back to the most important event of the day, that being Elsie Hotpepper's birthday.

This morning Elsie asked me if I would participate in day three of her annual month long birthday celebration by making the chicken fried steak she has requested as part of her Sunday Birthday Buffet.

I am having trouble coordinating with the rest of the Birthday Buffet Chefs, so it remains in doubt whether or not I will be able to actualize this particular Elsie Hotpepper chicken fried birthday request...

Return To Wichita Bluff Nature Area Finds Circle Trail Extension Well Underway

Last Saturday I found bluff hiking at the Wichita Bluff Nature Area to be so salubrious that I thought maybe I have been overdoing the bike riding and not doing enough of that natural activity known as walking.

So, yesterday, what with the outer world being chilled to somewhere in the 80s, with a wind blowing in from the north, and clouds blocking the sun, I returned to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area and, unlike last Saturday, I hiked all the way to the current end of the trail.

Where I found a pleasant surprise.

Above what you are looking at is the view from near the current east end of the trail, from one of the covered rest areas, looking at the Wichita River flowing between the trees.

At this location the sound of heavy equipment machinery operating wreaked havoc with the nature area sounding natural. Continuing on to the current end of the trail it soon became apparent what was making the noise.

The new section of the Circle Trail is well underway!

How is this coming about, I wondered? What with the voters last May not approving the funding to complete the three missing sections of the Circle Trail. Maybe the funding for what I saw yesterday was already in place.

A few months ago when I biked to the location you see above, where the trail is blocked on the other side of the sidewalk closed sign, all one saw was scoured earth where a paved trail might eventually be. And so I was surprised yesterday to see that that paving has now taken place.

You can not tell it via the above photo, due, most likely, to my poor photographer skills, but this new section of trail looks steep enough to provide a high speed thrill when one is going down the bluff, and some endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation when one is going up this section of the bluffs.

Above you are looking at more of the newly paved trail, far below the photo taking vantage point. A bulldozer and a mechanized dirt scooping device were what was making all the heavy equipment noise.

When I eventually made it back to my motorized means of locomotion I decided to drive to where Loop 11 crosses the Wichita River to see if this new trail making effort has reached that location.

Crossing the river I was pleased to see the trail makers in operation. I then wondered how the trail was going to get across Loop 11. Turning around and re-crossing the bridge I was able to see that the Circle Trail is going to go under the bridge.

I do not know how far it is from Loop 11 to Lucy Park, or by what route the Wichita Bluff section of the Circle Trail will reach Lucy Park. I assume the trail will be running beside the river.

When the Wichita Bluff Nature Area section of the Circle Trail makes its connection to Lucy Park this will likely greatly increase the number of people enjoying the Circle Trail in what is likely going to come to be known as its most scenic, most adventurous section of the trail.

Visiting Durango Building In San Antonio Whilst Looking At The River Walk

I was looking through a folder of photos from last month when I came upon this one which I had forgotten about.

In July, whilst I was in Arizona, Bob Skywalkerman, via Elsie Hotpepper, sent me the photo you see here.

Apparently this Durango Building, if I remember the original text message correctly, is in San Antonio, which is a Texas town south of Austin.

San Antonio is known around the world for its River Walk.

That and San Antonio being the location of the Alamo.

The San Antonio River Walk walks for miles alongside the San Antonio River.

I do not know if this world famous attraction came about due to something called the San Antonio River Vision.

I am fairly certain the San Antonio River Walk was likely built in a timely fashion and involved no imaginary islands or imaginary signature bridges. Or employed an unqualified local congresswoman's inept son as the San Antonio River Walk's project manager.

San Antonio is a modern Texas American town wearing its Big City pants, unlike other Texas towns I can think of....

Point Of No Point Sand Castle Building With Theo & Ruby Without David Or Orcas

Yesterday afternoon my favorite Theo nephew asked his mom to send me some photos.

When I saw the photo you see here I was able to figure out why Theo wanted me to see what he was doing.

Building a sand castle.

Last summer Theo and I and my favorite Ruby niece had a mighty fine time building sand castles and sand forts in the sand at Birch Bay, up northwest, in Washington, a few miles south of the border with Canada.

Looking at the photos I could not tell where the sand construction was taking place.

And so I inquired.

I was then told that Theo wanted me to guess the location.

My guesses which followed ruled out Birch Bay, due to the sand not looking right. I then ruled out a Pacific coast beach because the little waves did not look right. I thought maybe it was a beach by Fort Worden, on the far northeast side of the Olympic Peninsula. My final guess was some location on Hood Canal, perhaps a Hood Canal beach near the Clancy and Fancy estate.

I was wrong on all guesses.

Eventually Theo let me know he was doing his sandy work at Point No Point. The name sounded familiar to me, but I required Google to fine tune my memory.

Googling brought up a lot of Point No Point information, including two Wikipedia articles, one about the Point No Point Light, and another about Point No Point.

I think that must be the Point No Point Light, known as a lighthouse, in the distance behind shovel waving Ruby.

In part Wikipedia had this to say about Point No Point Light...

Point No Point Light is an operational aid to navigation on the northeastern tip of the Kitsap Peninsula on the west side of Puget Sound, at Point No Point where Admiralty Inlet joins Puget Sound, near the small community of Hansville, Kitsap County, in the U.S. state of Washington. Point No Point Light is considered the oldest lighthouse on Puget Sound and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In case you are wondering this is how Wikipedia explains the Point No Point landmark name...

Point No Point is an outcropping of land on the northeast point of the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington, the United States. It was the location of the signing of the Point No Point Treaty and is the site of the Point No Point Light.

It appears Ruby was the project engineer for the sand castle building project, directing Theo and mama Kristin.

There was no photo evidence provided documenting Ruby doing the actual sand castle building.

And where was Theo and Ruby's favorite David brother?

My guess is David has been watching the news and has developed a totally irrational fear of getting anywhere near Puget Sound. All the news stories of late about the Puget Sound Orcas, also known as Killer Whales, would be the type thing to make David nervous.

Last summer David totally freaked out over one Dungeness crab in Birch Bay, requiring he be air lifted, well, carried, back to shore.

Orcas used to be known as Killer Whales. A totally inaccurate name. Orcas are harmless to humans. It is humans who the Orcas might accurately call Killer People. But, the humans have long been trying to rectify the harm done to Orcas.

To limited success.

I think I have mentioned before my one and only up close encounter with a pod of Puget Sound Orcas. I was fishing with mom and dad, out near Lopez Island in the San Juan Islands. Suddenly a pod of Orcas appeared, heading towards us. At least 20.

Mom got a bit panicky. Dad stopped the boat. This was before the current era of always having photo documenting equipment on ones person.

Soon the pod of Orcas was all around us. Some slowed to take a close look. Right up to the boat. There were one or two baby Orcas in the group. There was something about the way the Orcas were looking at us that seemed friendly and totally non threatening.

Even mom totally calmed down.

And then it was over, as we watched the pod swim away from us.

Orcas are not the only whales which visit Puget Sound. They are just the most well known.

Soon before I moved to Texas I was out at the Rosario Beach part of Deception State Park. We were walking along the beach and suddenly an enormous whale showed up, slowly going along the edge of the steep beach, feeding on who knows what. This was a whale much bigger than the biggest Orca.

I do not not know how David would react to seeing a giant whale up close to shore. But, I suspect his reaction would be amusing...

UPDATE: After reading the concern about the missing David he arranged to have the following photo sent confirming that he was also with his brother and sister at Point No Point. But David opted out of sand castle building for driftwood collecting.

Wind Chilling Saturday Wichita Bluff Hike With A Hoodoo

What with today being almost chilly, what with the outer world in the low 80s, and a strong wind providing some wind chilling, it seemed like a good idea to make my semi-regular monthly Saturday return to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area to do some paved hiking on Wichita Bluff.

Since my last visit to this scenic area of Wichita Falls the new sign you see here has been installed. I don't quite understand the need for this sign, what with it being located only a few feet from the big sign over the trail which tells one they are entering the Wichita Bluff Nature Area.

Today, whilst hiking the paved trail which traverse Wichita Bluff, the scenery was reminding me of the Tandy Hills which I used to regularly hike in Fort Worth. The Tandy Hills are located a short distance east of downtown Fort Worth. Wichita Bluff is located a short distance west of downtown Wichita Falls.

It was that which you see below which brought the Tandy Hills to mind.

What looked to be a collapsed Hoodoo. One of the many mysteries of Fort Worth's Tandy Hills was the frequent appearance of Hoodoos at various random locations. The Tandy Hills Hoodoos could be quite large, tall, and elaborately balanced.

There are a few seating opportunities on the Tandy Hills. But not nearly as ubiquitous and luxurious as the rocking benches one finds along the Wichita Bluff trails.

I do not remember if one ever gets a good view of the Trinity River from any location on Fort Worth's Tandy Hills, even though that sad river runs quite close to the north side of those hills.

Above you are looking east, with that shiny object in the center of the photo being the Wichita River. The stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Wichita Falls is in the distance, with the, uh, interesting landmark known as Big Blue dominating the skyline. Looking at these photos one would not think one is surrounded by a city.

The foliage looked almost un-naturally green to me today. I was expecting brown to be the dominant color scheme, what with a lack of natural irrigation falling from above of late.

The Wichita Bluff hills were busy today with more activity than I have witnessed previously. Walkers, joggers, bikers and that which you see below.

A dog directed a pair of people on what appeared to be motorized skateboards. This means of locomotion looked fun. The motorized skateboards seemed to have no trouble going up hill. The skateboarders and their dog zipped by so fast I has no opportunity to ask any questions.

I hope Wichita Falls voters find it in their hearts to vote yes to fund the completion of the Circle Trail. Connecting the Wichita Bluff Nature Area to Lucy Park would be a good thing.

August 3 Low Tide At Wichita Falls Sikes Lake

If you spent most of your time on the planet near the ocean, in my case that being the Puget Sound affiliated with the Pacific Ocean, when your handlebars see something like what they saw today at Sikes Lake, a specific thought comes instantly to mind.

As in...

Tides out.

A low tide.

Must be a full moon.

On Wednesday, that being the first day of this new month of August, when I visited with Beto O'Rourke, he made mention of the drought which tormented Wichita Falls for years earlier in this current century. And that it looks like North Texas may once again be at the start of a drought.

Which means that is not a low tide on Sikes Lake you are looking at above. It is Sikes Lake in low water, starved for rain, possible drought mode.

The ducks and geese which reside at Sikes Lake seem to be adjusting to the low water. Much of the lake no longer has water deep enough for the birds to float. So, they stand in the goose knee deep water and do their food foraging from a standing position.

I do not know if the Sikes Lakes ducks and geese know of Lake Wichita, which is only a couple miles south of their shrinking Sikes Lake location. I saw Lake Wichita yesterday. So far at that location I am seeing no low tides. There is one dried up creek. With lily pads looking a bit dehydrated.

Rain is in the forecast a week from now. That type forecast seems to happen frequently. And when those anticipated wet days arrive those day's forecast reverts, more often than not, to the regular blue sky. And hot.

Huge August 1 Beto O'Rourke Rally In Wichita Falls Stone Palace

Beto O'Rourke made his 4th return to Wichita Falls last night, on the first day of August, a little over three months before I, along with millions of other Americans, hope Beto puts an end to Ted Cruz being the senator from Texas.

I had previously watched short clips of Beto speaking. I had had others tell me how impressive he is in person.

Last night I found myself among those impressed to see Beto in person.

I do not recollect ever previously witnessing a political figure be so articulate, speaking so long, with no notes, or teleprompter, and with that which was being said seeming so authentic and so in the moment, what with Beto making Wichita Falls and surrounding area references over and over again.

The Beto rally took place in the Stone Palace in downtown Wichita Falls. Last night marks the first time I have been to an event in the Stone Place without running into one of my favorite Texans, Dana Wood Knot.

Miss Wood Knot was likely in the Palace, but I did not see her due to the size of the crowd, with some estimating the number as high as a thousand, and some as low as 700. There were not enough chairs, so it was literally standing room only.

I do not recollect when I was last at an event where those attending were so fired up. When Beto arrived a rock band began blaring, with the crowd standing, trying to see the incoming Beto.

I only had my phone camera with me, hence the bad photo above, and the equally bad YouTube video below, with that video showing part of the aforementioned Beto arrival.

Way back in 2016 I found myself in downtown Fort Worth on the same day Trump held one of his campaign events at that town's convention center. This was before the term "Deplorables" had been used to describe many of those not repulsed by Trump's repulsiveness. That day I had a visceral bad reaction to all the creepy people I was seeing lined up to get in to see Trump.

Last night, surrounded by hundreds of liberal, progressive, democrat decent type people, it felt like I was witnessing something historic, like this is what it is like when America comes roaring back, decent, good, right-minded, intelligent, caring America.

I hope I am right....

Perplexing TRWD Land Swap Deal For Fort Worth LaGrave Baseball Park

A couple weeks ago, whilst I was in modern America, Arizona to be precise, Braig Prickley Facebook messaged me with a link which led me to the TRWD PRESS RELEASE you see partially screen capped here.

I read the press release and thought to myself what fresh ridiculousness is this nonsense.

I then replied to Mr. Prickley telling him something along the line of what with me currently being in modern America I just don't have the energy or desire to much care about fresh nonsense from back in backwards America.

And then I got back to Texas and soon found myself reading the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's "news" article about this fresh nonsense, with the article titled Deal to reopen Fort Worth Cats’ LaGrave Field full of dreams, but is there money?

Reading the Star-Telegram's question about money was not the question I was asking when I read about this "deal".

Before we get to looking at this deal let's look at what Mr. Prickley had to say after I replied to his message...

Yeah, looks like slimy Jim Lane got his way.  When they won the election, he said his TOP PRIORITY was getting minor league baseball back at Lagrave Field.

The slimy Jim Lane to which Prickley refers is one of the TRWD board members.

There is no mention made of it in the Star-Telegram article, but wasn't it Jim Lane who finagled an earlier "deal" regarding the land around LaGrave Field? A deal which had the TRWD spending multiple millions of dollars to rescue a bankrupt friend of Jim Lane. A friend somehow associated with LaGrave Field and its demise, if my memory is serving me correctly.

And then after the TRWD paid for that land, part of that land became the world's first drive-in movie theater of the 21st century.

Any of this ringing a bell with anyone? No mention is made in the Star-Telegram article about the previous TRWD property purchasing shenanigans in the LaGrave Field area.

This Star-Telegram article about LaGrave Field tells us...

The Fort Worth-based water district, teaming with the federal government to split the Trinity and create the new island, also got $1.3 million in the trade plus 8.1 acres including the stadium.

The water district is teamed with the federal government to split the Trinity River and create a new island? Does the federal government know they have been teamed with the TRWD to split a river and create an imaginary island?

And then this about the land that was swapped so the TRWD could take over LaGrave Field...

In exchange, Houston-based Panther Acquisition Partners will get 15.3 acres along what is now a levee, giving the group a total of 26 acres on what will become Panther Island when the river is split.

What is this new nonsense about splitting the river?

Am I understanding correctly? The land which the TRWD swapped for the land including LaGrave Field is currently underneath 15.3 acres of Trinity River levees, which will be removed if the Trinity River Vision ever becomes something someone can see, with that land under the levees then part of the imaginary island.

And then there is this...

Right now, we’ve only heard lofty promises. If they come through, the new Panther Island development across the Trinity River from downtown will be anchored by a boutique ballpark and events facility built around the legendary 92-year-old ballfield. Here’s how iffy this deal is: It requires $4 million at signing from a charity foundation that does not even have a board of directors yet but is already collecting money.

The imaginary island development will be anchored by a boutique ballpark? And an events facility? Built around a legendary ballfield?

You reading this somewhere in modern America, have you ever heard of Fort Worth's legendary ballfield?

The deal required $4 million from a charity?

Why does Fort Worth never seem to do things the way towns wearing their BIG CITY pants get things done?

If you are reading this and have not seen Fort Worth's LaGrave Field, back when it re-opened, after reading what seemed likely to be hyperbolic exaggeration in the Star-Telegram about this newly re-opened facility, I ventured to the future imaginary island and took some photos, and then webpaged what I saw in Fort Worth's LaGrave Field.

During my multiple visits to the Phoenix metro zone this year, and last, I have seen multiple baseball parks, some beautiful big complexes, complete with a hotel and other amenities, such as the Chicago Cubs Wrigley Field at the north end of Dobson Road, in Mesa. Or my most recent last day in Arizona when Miss Daisy's driver drove us by the spring training ballpark for the California A's. Any of these Cactus League ballparks would be a worthy ballpark model for a big city like Fort Worth.

And why is the TRWD, as in Tarrant Regional Water District involving itself in something like trying to re-open a defunct ballpark?

Perplexing...

Giant Duck Takes Over Wichita Falls Catfish Pond

Driving Southwest Boulevard, east, this morning, heading to Walmart, as I drove by my neighborhood catfish pond at the south end of Weeks Park I was surprised to see a giant duck floating by the catfish pond's fountain.

I decide to put the short drive to Walmart on hold whilst I parked at the catfish pond's parking to get a closer look at the plus-sized duck via walking the paved trail which circles the catfish pond.

When I reached the part of the trail which afforded a look at the duck's backside I learned that, apparently, the duck's name is WALLY. That may be an erroneous assumption. Maybe WALLY is who owns this duck. Or maybe WALLY made the duck.