Dam Winter Walk With Lake Wichita Boardwalk Construction

With the weather outside closer to frightful than delightful, rolling my bike wheels did not seem like it would be a pleasant experience on this drizzly gray second day after Christmas.

So, instead of rolling my bike wheels I rolled the wheels of my motorized conveyance device to the Lake Wichita Dam Spillway parking lot to take a walk on the dam via the Circle Trail to check out the current state of progress on the construction of the new boardwalk on Lake Wichita.

Above is a panorama view of the boardwalk construction from the floating dock which floats a short distance north of where the new boardwalk will be able to be walked on in a few months.

Above you see a kayaker parked among the ruins of the old boardwalk pavilion, and behind the kayaker a pile driver is pounding piers into the lake. As you can see multiple piers are in various stages of construction.

This boardwalk is being built over actual water, with a four month project timeline. Fully funded and no inept local politician's son having anything to do with the project.

On the floating dock from whcnce the above photos were taken, looking west across Lake Wichita at the Mount Wichita pseudo volcano piercing the horizon in the distance.

I took a photo of the historical information installation which is installed atop the dam, so as to show you what the previous Lake Wichita boardwalk and pavilion looked like before they went up in flames over a half century ago.

Wichita Falls really needs to get focused and realize what a good thing it would be for the town to make the Lake Wichita Revitalization a reality...

Merry Day After Christmas Photo Documentation Part 2

On Christmas we blogged about a Merry Photo From Christmas Past.

That Merry Photo included my Great Grandpa Sundean. I said I could not remember his first name. I do not remember him ever being referred to by his first name.

All I remember of Great Grandpa Sundean was that my mom remembered him fondly, along with my Great-Grandma Sundean, who died before I could have a memory of her.

Great Grandpa and Great Grandma Sundean would take mom on camping trips and roadtrips, which I guess was one of the reasons mom was always fond of both, with both referring to both her grandparents and camping and roadtrips.

I recollect just about every summer of my young kid years going east of the mountains, as in driving over the Cascades to Eastern Washington, to camp at Soap Lake.

Mom would always regale us with tales of the Nudist Colony which operated on the opposite side of the lake when she was a kid.

Soap Lake is (or was) an odd location. I do not know if that is still the case. But, when I was a kid, and mom was a kid, people would come to Soap Lake to stay at the town's Health Spa, to bathe in the supposedly health restoring waters, and to cover themselves with mud from the lake, and then let that mud dry on them under the hot sun.

Soap Lake sort of invited being in it without clothing due to the soapy water easily causing a rash from clothing rubbing skin.

Downtown Soap Lake, back when I played there, had a fountain in the downtown zone which dispensed drinking water right from the lake, to be consumed for its likely totally imaginary curative powers.

So, today, the day after Christmas, Jones family historian, Jason, alleviated me of one of my bits of ignorance, that being the first name of my Great Grandpa Sundean.

We shall get to that, but first mention must be made of the first two photos. Above we are looking at Hank Frank, often known as Henry, on Christmas. Henry is barely over a year old, so this would be the first Christmas in which he was able to actively participate.

The photo of Hank Frank was texted by his dad, my Favorite Nephew Joey, this morning, with the text saying more photos would be arriving later. As of late afternoon on the day after Christmas, later has not yet arrived.

And then we have the second photo.

This was sent by Jason earlier. I did not see it til later when Jason responded to email questions about the following three photos. In the email answering my questions Jason said "You must not have received the text explaining the photos."

Well, I had not. I did not realize Jason had sent me text messages with photos. My excuse is there have been a lot of text messages with photos in the past 48 hours. That, and I can be a bit inept keeping track of things.

I forgot to mention, the text along with the photo of Spencer Jack said "Spencer Jack assembling his new Boeing aircraft."

And now Jason's solution to the great grandpa name mystery.

A. Edward Sundean 1876 - 1960.

I assume Jason must have taken this photo during one of his visits to the cemetery which is the final resting place of his Great Grandma Vera, along with Uncle Pete, whose obituary Jason's brother, Joey, sent to me this morning, which I thought was intended to provide me the name to go along with Great Grandpa Sundean. Uncle Pete was Grandma Vera's little brother. He was a Merchant Marine. It was always a BIG deal when Uncle Pete was home from one of his sailing around the world adventures.

I almost forgot to mention, a followup query to Jason had him telling me the A. part of A. Edward Sundean, stood for Andrew. And that my great grandpa was always known a Edward. Although, apparently, never by me.

The next two photos which Jason sent me today totally puzzled me as to where he got them. I asked and have just now learned that Jason and Joey each received a bible which was among the items saved when clearing out mom and dad's house in Sun Lakes.

Brother Jake mailed one bible to Jason, and the other to Joey.

The photo above would appear to have  been taken at mom's high school graduation.

I have never before seen a photo of my mom being a young girl. I would guess mom is just a little older than her grand daughter Ruby is in 2019.

I suspect more photos may be arriving. That will likely lead to a Merry Day After Christmas Photo Documentation Part 3...

Merry Day After Christmas Photo Documentation

I think I was separated from my phone last night. I had heard no incoming message noises.

So, this morning when I woke up the phone I saw a plethora of text messages from last night, including the photos you see here.

Christmas morning I text messaged Merry Christmas messages to relatives relatively able to receive such messages.

Including a Merry Christmas message to Mama Michele in which I asked something like "Are you kids spending Christmas at the new cabin?"

A reply soon arrived telling me that the kids, as in David, Theo and Ruby, insisted on leaving the cabin and returning to home base in Tacoma out of concern that Santa would not be able to find them at the new cabin on Hartstene Island.

The message also indicated that the Tacoma trio and their parental units would likely return to the cabin later Christmas day. Or the following morning.

Among the text messages this morning were ones documenting the fact that the return to the cabin, and Hartstene Island, took place on Christmas.

Above we are seeing Ruby, Theo and David with what Santa brought them, confirming it had been a good idea to return to their Tacoma home base.

And then later Christmas day it was back to the island for some chestnut roasting on an open fire.

Okay, I made up that roasting chestnuts part. The actual text said something like "Keeping warm on the beach."

And now the sun has almost completed its illumination duty for the day, leaving Kristin, Ruby, Theo and David getting closer to the fire to keep warm, whilst Mama Michele photo documents.

I can not tell for sure, but it looks like Kristin may be holding my favorite dog relative, Blue the poodle.

Well, I guess me and my fellow newly orphaned siblings had a mighty fine first Christmas as orphans.

I was relative free in Texas, with lasagna on the menu for the Christmas feeding.

Brother Jake went to a potluck at an RV concentration camp in Mesa.

Sister Jackie spent Christmas at the Ak-Chin Casino Resort in Maricopa, joined by nephew Christopher.

Christopher's brother, Jeremy, enjoyed being blissfully, peacefully alone at home whilst his parental units were staying at the casino.

Nephew Joey was at home in the Skagit Valley with his in-laws from Montana.

I don't know where Joey's big brother, Jason, spent Christmas, but I did hear from Jason Christmas morning, via text message, which was what set off my sending of Christmas text messages...

Merry Photo From Christmas Past

The above was incoming from Favorite Nephew Jason this morning, with the text accompanying the photo saying...

"Merry Christmas.
Santa brought me this photo."

I do not know where Santa got this photo, or how he knew to bring it to Jason. In the photo that is my mom, also known as Shirley, or Miss Daisy, holding Jason's primary paternal parental unit, my little brother Jake. In the middle that is me being held by my mom's mom, Jason's great-grandma, my Grandma Vera. Next to Grandma Vera is her dad, my Great-Grandpa Sundean. I am drawing a blank trying to remember Great-Grandpa Sundean's first name.

My best guess is that this photo would have been taken in Lynden, at Grandma Vera's. Judging by the size of Jake and me we likely were still living in the town in which we were born, Eugene, Oregon. I doubt Grandma Vera trekked south for Christmas. It would have been much more likely we would have driven north, what with virtually all the relatives being in the Lynden zone.

I just realized there is no one still alive who might be able to provide factual details about a photo such as this.

Merry Christmas!

Panorama View Of Wichita Bluffs Takes Me To Lake Powell Houseboat & Moki Dugway

My new phone seems to take better photos than my old, as in a decade old, digital camera. I still prefer that taking a photo the old fashioned method to using a phone's screen as the photo viewfinder.

The new phone has three photo modes. Regular, Pro and Panorama.

I was unaware of those three modes until I apparently accidentally switched the phone camera into panorama mode.

The result of that accidental switch is not the panorama photo you see above. The above photo is the result of trying to take a photo in panorama mode, on purpose, after I discovered this feature. In the above panorama photo you are looking north at a panoramic view of the Wichita Bluff Nature Area.

I don't quite see the benefit of this panorama mode thing, in this form. I guess it allows one to show a much wider, albeit way narrower, view of the scene one is photographing.

Way back in the previous century, the year was 1994, I bought a new Nikon camera to better facilitate photo documenting the long road and houseboat trip I was about to embark on. That Nikon camera, pre-digital, had a panorama mode function.

To put the Nikon camera into panorama mode one opened the camera and stuck a rectangular piece of plastic at a location over the lens.

One of the roadtripping houseboaters on that trip was a professional photographer. When I repeatedly fussed with putting the Nikon into panorama mode he rather condescendingly explained something like, you do realize, don't you, that all that is doing is causing the frame to cut off the top and bottom of what is gonna be exposed to the film.

I was dense regarding what the professional photographer was explaining to me. I think it was years later til I finally understood.

When the rolls of film containing the panorama photos got processed the processor, usually Costco, somehow knew to make those panorama photos long and skinny, like the one you see above.

Ironically. those photos I took long ago with my now antique, long gone Nikon camera, are among my favorite photos I have ever taken. Even the professional photographer agreed they turned out good, when eventually he saw them.

I wonder if I have any of those old panorama photos on this computer. I would have had to have scanned them digitally, and if they exist, I might find them on the web pages I long ago made about my Hell Houseboat on Lake Powell adventure.

I shall go look and see what I can find. If I can not find photos, I know I can find a link to the Hell Houseboat on Lake Powell webpages.

Okay, found some of the panorama photos, stuck with the files I found of the photos documenting houseboating on Lake Powell.

Except for the first photo, which is photo documenting the start of the descent down the Moki Dugway, after ending the houseboating, then crossing Lake Powell via ferry, before reaching the scary Moki Dugway, on the way to staying overnight in Mexican Hat, before driving through Monument Valley, the following day, where, if I remember right, I took some more panorama photos...

That aforementioned professional photographer was morbidly afraid of heights. When he saw the warning signs at the start of the Moki Dugway and could see the long descent, the dozens of switchbacks, and that the road was gravel, he panicked. I had to move one of my passengers into the professional photographer's van to drive him down the Dugway, whilst the professional photographer fortified his courage with an adult libation, whilst sticking his head in a pillow case so he could not see.

Above you are seeing my co-pilot, Wanda, nonchalantly looking at the view which freaked out others.

Of course, due to my unflappable driving ability I was the preferred houseboat pilot. But, I did let others do some of the boat driving, at times.

If I remember right, Rainbow Bridge is the world's biggest natural arch. It is something to see. But the float up the side canyon off Lake Powell, to reach Rainbow Bridge, well, that was one of the funnest boat experiences I have ever had.

I believe the above was taken our last night on Lake Powell, at the docking site we called Bat Cove, due to the thousands of bats which appeared when the sun began to set. This was the occasion which caused me to lose my fear of bats and instead see them as valuable allies in the fight against flying insects.

Swimming in the warm, crystal clear water of Lake Powell is a mighty fine thing. This also was at the location we called Bat Cove.

The above is also a look at Bat Cove. I took off hiking, I do not remember with whom. We got high enough that the houseboat looked far away. It was heading back as the sun began to set that I found myself surrounded by a protective wall of bats.

Looking at the above panorama photos from long ago, I think think my old Nikon camera took better panorama photos than my new phone.

Perhaps I will adjust to taking better panorama photos via this new means...

Follow The Sign To Find Wichita Falls

A couple days ago I visited Lucy Park for the first time in a long time, what with the nearby Wichita Bluff Nature Area being my usual current go to place for some hill hiking or biking.

On that recent visit to Lucy Park I came upon the new sign you see here. I thought it to be a good addition.

Directing the direction challenged in the correct direction to find the infamous Wichita Falls.

My first visit to Lucy Park, soon after arrival in my new location, I found my way to Lucy Park. It was a hot April Saturday. And on that day Lucy Park was packed. Lots of people. Had to hunt for a parking place. I remember thinking, wow, this is a popular park.

Well.

I don't know what was special about that first visit to Lucy Park, but I have never seen that park so packed with people ever again.

And on that day whilst walking on what I did not know then was the Circle Trail, I came upon an informational booth of the nearby Texas Visitors Center, which I also did not know, then, was nearby, immediately across the, also nearby, Wichita River.

The friendly lady who wo-manned the Texas Visitors Center booth was willing to answer my questions. Such as are there any parks with hills nearby? And how do you get to the Falls from here?

She directed me to follow the Circle Trail alongside the river and in less than a mile I would come to Wichita Falls.

I remember at the time it seemed to take a long long walk to get to the Falls. And now I've done that distance so many times it seems a short distance.

And now these new signs have been added to make it easy for anyone to find the Falls, without needing to ask directions from a local...

Linda Lou Shares Oprah's Skagit Valley Tulip Festival Accolade

I saw that which you see above on Facebook yesterday, via the Skagit Valley's award winning Raspberry Jammer and constructor of Graham Cracker Houses, Linda Lou, .

The text under the photo says "The Oprah Magazine just came out with the 10 Best Flower Festivals in the US. We're number 4!"

The "We're number 4" refers to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.

Reading the article there was no indication this was a list of the top ten in order of best to 10th best. It seemed to more be a list of the top ten flower festivals in the United States.

Nonetheless, no surprise that the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival would be on such a list. That festival draws around a million visitors from around the world, every year.

I believe the traffic management has improved a lot since I least was subjected to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. At least such is what I have been told.

There is another Washington state flower festival on the list. Along with one from Texas.

The entire list of ten...

1.  Portland Rose Festival
2.  National Cherry Blossom Festival
3.  Rochester Lilac Festival
4.  The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
5.  Tulip Time Festival
6.  North Carolina Azalea Festival
7.  Bluebonnet Festival
8.  The California Poppy Festival
9.  Washington State Apple Blossom Festival
10. Mackinac Island Lilac Festival

The Apple Blossom Festival takes place in Wenatchee. I have never attended that festival. Back in the previous century the Apple Blossom Festival had quite a party reputation.

The text from the Oprah magazine article about the two Washington flower festivals and the one in Texas...

The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
Held from April 1-30, The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival celebrates the blossoming of millions of tulips in Mount Vernon, Washington. It was designed as a driving tour, so visitors can hop in their ride to bask in the fields of tulips across Skagit Valley at their own leisure.

Bluebonnet Festival
The annual Bluebonnet Festival will take place April 10-12, in Burnet, Texas featuring live music, food, and shopping while visitors admire the area's brightest bluebonnets.

Washington State Apple Blossom Festival
You can check out stunning apple blossoms during April 23-May 3 at the Washington State Apple Blossom Festival, which was founded to celebrate apple trees in the region of Wenatchee, Washington.

_________________

Regarding the article's description of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. The millions of tulips do not do their blooming in Mount Vernon. The tulips bloom on the Skagit Flats, west of Mount Vernon, altough, I do think that photo above is taken just outside the outskirts of west Mount Vernon. The Skagit Tulip Festival takes place all over the valley, with various of the town's holding various events.

While I have not attended Washington's Apple Blossom Festival, I have experience Texas Bluebonnets, although not at the festival in Burnet.

I have to say, the Texas Bluebonnets are something to see, as is the whole Texas wildflower display when it erupts each spring.

Earlier this century I drove south to Texas Hill Country to hike up Enchanted Rock. And before that hike visited a wildflower farm in Fredericksburg.

And then after hiking up Enchanted Rock drove north through the most incredible displays of  wildflowers I have ever seen.

Unlike the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, the Texas Bluebonnets, and fellow wildflowers are a natural phenomenon. Both are spectacular to eye witness...

Texas Burn With Sister Jackie In Wichita Bluff Nature Area

The day before America's presidential embarrassment got indicted, I mean, impeached, Sister Jackie, from Arizona, went on a walk and talk with me on the Circle Trail in the Wichita Bluff Nature Area.

After multiple minutes of walking I sat myself down on one of the Wichita Falls patented swinging benches which was swinging near the parking lot on which I had parked, at the west end of the Wichita Bluff Nature Area.

A few minutes after sitting and swinging, and continuing to talk to Sister Jackie, vehicles began arriving at the parking lot.

This seemed unusual, as this parking lot does not attract a lot of action around noon on a Tuesday.

Soon the people getting out of their cars began sitting up a folding table. And then began putting stuff on that table.

From where I was watching the stuff on the table looked like maybe a big container from which coffee or hot chocolate might be poured. I could not make out the nature of some of the other stuff being arranged on the table.

And then a big blue bus arrived. I told Sister Jackie what I was seeing and verbalized wondering what was going on. I began to terminate the talk with Sister Jackie as I walked past the bus and table. I asked one of the ladies monitoring that table what was going on.

She told me they were taking the wives of Sheppard Air Force airman on a tour of Wichita Falls attractions.

To which I replied, well, this is a good one. Meaning good attraction.

Sister Jackie then asked, before I ended the call, if I was offered hot coffee or chocolate. I replied in the negative.

As soon as I ended the Sister Jackie call that lady who told me what was going on gave me a come hither wave. And so I returned to the mysterious table, where she asked me if I would like one of these, handing to me that which you see photo documented above.

A container of something called Kenny's All Purpose Seasonings Texas Burn which, according to the information on the container, will "Add Spice & Excitement to Every Meal!"

I have been in need of adding some spice and excitement to my every meal, but I have yet to do so with Kenny's Texas Burn.

I always have myself a mighty fine time communing with nature in the Wichita Bluff Nature Area. I think, what with the outer world being colored blue, not too windy, not too cold, a hike or bike on that section of the Circle Trail might be just what the doctor would recommend, if consulted, to lift me out of my current lethargic doldrums deeply in need of some spice and excitement...

David, Theo & Ruby's Tacoma Impeachment Rally With Trump Baby

Theo & Ruby Holding On To Baby Trump

Yesterday whilst blogging about Theo & Ruby's Happy Birthday Impeachment Present mention was made of the hope that possibly photo documentation might arrive documenting Theo, Ruby and David at the Tacoma Trump Impeachment Rally.

That photo documentation arrived after 9 pm last night, which would have been 6 pm on the west coast, I think.

I always seem to mess up the time difference. Arizona not having Daylight Savings Time, south of the Grand Canyon, only exacerbates my time zone confusion. Now that we are all on Standard Time I think Arizona is two hours behind. And the west coast three hours behind.

I digress. I am tired and my mind is rambling.

I did not hear of any Trump Impeachment Rally taking place in Wichita Falls. I figured there would be one, what with the big march the day this nightmare began with Trump's inauguration.

In that first Impeachment Rally photo, above, it appears that Theo, Ruby and David are outside one of the museum buildings in Tacoma's downtown, near the Bridge of Glass.

And I see Tacoma has acquired one of those popular inflatable Baby Trumps in Diapers balloons, which Theo and Ruby appear to be holding on to.

Okay, I just asked David, Theo and Ruby's mama if my location guess was correct. And the answer quickly came back that I was sort of correct.

The Tacoma Trump Impeachment Rally did take place downtown near the museums and the Bridge of Glass. The Impeachment Rally took place at  Union Station, the old train station which has been re-purposed as a Federal Courthouse.

This location is on Pacfic Street, which is one of the main ways into downtown Tacoma. Light rail runs past the museums and galleries, connecting downtown to the intermodal transit center by the Tacoma Dome.

Whilst the Impeachment Rally was happening buses, cars and light rail trains passed, honking and with those on board waving support. 

Yes, I can now sort of remember this being Union Station. I think the last time I was at this location we went to the UW bookstore across the street, where Theo and Ruby got some sort of confection at Starbucks, then walked past Union Station to the Bridge of Glass to cross over the highway to the Thea Foss Waterway.

I don't think that is David, Theo and Ruby's sign behind them shouting "IMPEACHMENT, 25th AMENDMENT, MILITARY COUP... I REALLY DON'T CARE DO U? JUST GET RID of HIM!"

It may not be their sign, but I think I can safely say the sign reflects their sentiments, along with millions up millions of other actual patriotic Americans...

Enjoying Joining Saturday Night Wichita Falls Fantasy Of Lights Crowd

Yesterday whilst talking about Linda Lou's Graham Cracker House I made mention of the fact that last night I was scheduled to guide a tour group through the Wichita Falls Christmas zone, collectively known as the Fantasy of Lights, including the Burns MSU Fantasy of Lights, and the Fantasy of Lights one finds in the neighborhood adjacent to the Burns MSU Fantasy of Lights.

I took a few photos, none of which do any sort of justice to how incredibly fantastic this light fantasy actually is.

My tour assistant took video of the drive by of the actual Fantasy of Lights, which does give one a good idea of how spectacular this Holiday extravaganza is, and what a HUGE crowd of light fantasy viewers show up for the show. You can view that video, eventually, below.

Above we are driving by one of the four long Polar Express trams carrying light seekers from Fantasy of Lights central, on the MSU campus, riding through the area I refer to as the Beverly Hills of Wichita Falls.

The Polar Express trams were running at full capacity. All four of them. The above photo shows only the last two cars of one of the long trams. I would estimate there were at least 200 people aboard. When my tour group passed the area where one gets a ticket to ride the Polar Express we saw a line of at least another couple hundred waiting their turn.

Last night I also saw a large group of bikers, lit up, and rolling through the light fantasy. That looked fun. I also saw one of the horse drawn carriages clip clopping along soon after I saw the throng of bikers.

Below are the best I came up with, photo-wise of the lights in the Beverly Hills of Wichita Falls.

The streets of the Beverly Hills of Wichita Falls are lined with big trees. And the streets have sidewalks. Which last night hosted a lot of walkers. The tree trunks are wired with light, but that is not what we are looking at above. Above is one home's light fantasy.

The above is showing only a small part of this HUGE installation of lights and animations. This display is in front of one of the mansions on Hamilton Boulevard, across the boulevard from Hamilton Park. The mansion next to this one had the most impressive display of light animation seen last night.

My favorite of the Beverly Hills of Wichita Falls mansions is the one with the bright trees you see above. I wondered what this house would do for lighting. And last night I had my answer. The ultra modern style house was dark, surrounded by trees covered with so much lighting it sort of looked like giant illuminated caterpillar infestation tents.

Below is the aforementioned video drive by of the MSU Fantasy of Lights, followed by more commentary.



Prior to experiencing what Wichita Falls does Holiday Season lighting-wise, the most impressive such thing my eyes had ever witnessed was Interlochen in Arlington. Drivers drive from all over the D/FW Metroplex to join the slow traffic jam that drives through Interlochen.

I do not know why Arlington and Interlochen have not thought of the Wichita Falls tram type solution to that annual traffic jam mess which make the Interlochen experience a bit unpleasant.

The Wichita Falls Holiday Season lighting operation is a lot more coordinated effort than the Arlington Interlochen effort. Just the way all the trees along the streets are all lit up with matching lighting is one example.

It is not Interlochen's fault that the roads in that neighborhood sort of constrict easy traffic flow, with only two ways in and out.

One of the many positive attributes of the HUGE Wichita Falls lit up area is the multiple streets with multiple in and out points, thus making for zero traffic flow woes. That and those four long trams helps. Plus Wichita Falls having that sprawling Fantasy of Lights installation at the heart of it all, with lots of easy parking, so people can choose to get out and walk among the lights, or take the stay in your vehicle Santa drive-by option.

Bottom line, good job Wichita Falls. This town does so many things quite excellently. Which is sort of significant, because I ain't all that easy to impress...