The Iceman Almost Cometh Early To Wichita Falls

What you see here is a screen shot taken moments ago on my phone.

I had just returned from being unexpectedly cold whilst riding my bike around my Caribbean neighborhood, and so was curious to see if the temperature was as cold as it felt.

As in freezing.

Well, as you can see the current wind is making 46 degrees feel like it is only five degrees above freezing.

And the predicted low for today is only four degrees above freezing.

I thought I was adequately attired for these frigid conditions. But, I was not. I will need to add a few layers the next time I go on a similar trek in similar conditions.

This means it is time to go on the annual hunt for wherever it is I have secured my long underwear. Usually this annual search ends in frustration and the purchase of new long underwear.

You can also see, via the screen shot, that yesterday we hit a high of 88, before a cold front blew into town.

At some point during the night I began seeing bright flashes. Eventually those bright flashes got close enough that I heard almost non-stop thunder for what seemed like hours. The booming thunder was accompanied by downpouring rain.

By morning my main way out of my abode was blocked by a temporary lake. I was able to roll my bike through a shallower escape route which was not as inundated as my regular escape route.

Methinks this October storm is a harbinger of a harsh winter, arriving soon, well, in a couple months...

Hot Walk With Lucy Park Pagoda

 

Last week we hit a HOT 100, one day, and then, a couple days ago, an Arctic Blast blew in from the north, taking about 60 degrees off that 100.

Usually the transition from Summer to Winter goes more gently, or so it seems. One day I'm running the A/C, next day I switch to HEAT mode. 

And now, on this third Wednesday of the 2020 version of October we are back in the high 80s, with the A/C running.

What with the return of Summer it seemed like a shady walk at Lucy Park would be salubrious.

And so it was.

I am fairly certain I have blogged a photo of the Lucy Park Pagoda previously. You see these type structures at various locations in Wichita Falls.

I have tried to find an explanation was to the why of these Pagodas, to no avail.

Joining Long Line Of Early Voters In Wichita Falls

The third Friday morning of the 2020 version of October was consumed by digesting the Texas version of Early Voting. 

Til I moved to Texas it had been a long long time since I had experienced voting at a polling place in a voting booth.

If I remember right, by the 1990s my Washington voting was by the permanent mail-in ballot method. For many years now I believe the only way to vote in Washington has been via the mail-in ballot method, as in mailing the ballot, or dropping it off at one of the strategically placed ballot boxes which look as secure as Fort Knox.

But, Texas is an entire different world. It is possible to get an absentee ballot in Texas. And for this election, due to COVID, the mail-in ballot method is possible, though not as easy to do as is the case in Washington. And a few other more progressive modern states.

My previous Early Voting at my Wichita Falls location have been at the Sikes Senter (I did not spell that wrong, it is Sikes Senter, not Sikes Center). The most recent time voting at Sikes Senter was the 2018 mid-term election.

Back then, no line. Just walk up, show the required I.D., vote and go. Taking maybe ten minutes.

Today my first voting attempt was at that aforementioned Sike Senter. I installed the required mask, entered the mall, and soon saw a line ahead of me. That can't be the voting line, I thought to myself, the voting location is way to the left. 

But by the time I was able to see the length of the mall I could see the line covered just about that entire length.

 I walked to the start of the line, to the voting booths, walked back to the end, asking a person at the halfway mark how long they had been in line.

Two hours was the answer.

I decided to try another Early Voting location.

That is part of the Sikes Senter line you see above. There were people behind me, as well.

I then drove to the next closest Early Voting location. A furniture store on Fairway. Got there, saw a lot of cars in the parking lot. And then saw the line, snaking out of the building and around the block.

So, I then decided to make a day of it and drove to the next closest Early Voting location, that being the County Courthouse, which is in downtown Wichita Falls.

Got to that location, easily found a place to park, then found the line, quickly confirmed it was about a half hour to get into the building and another half hour from that point. 

Decided to go for it. The wait did not seem to take an hour. But, I was distracted by doing text messages on my phone.

Before I knew it I was going through the final door, showing my I.D., getting my vote code and then directed to a machine, where I quickly voted, soon exiting, where I took the selfie photo you see at the top.

As you can see my attire was all blue today, which likely provides a clue as to how I voted...

Sunday Lake Wichita Dam Boardwalk Walk Over Water

This 2nd Sunday of the 2020 version of October found me seeking endorphins and heat relief via fast walking across Lake Wichita Dam, with side walks to the floating fish dock, which is the vantage point from which the above photo was taken, looking across the water at the recently completed Lake Wichita Boardwalk.

The Lake Wichita Boardwalk is built upon iconic signature vertical piers. The Boardwalk was built over actual water in about a year's time. No local congress person's son was part of the project.

I do not know why Wichita Falls does not have Rockin' the Lake Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats in Lake Wichita.

Years ago the location where the new Boardwalk is located was a popular resort, including swimming in the lake options, along with multiple other entertainments.

A train and trolley took visitors to the Lake Wichita Pavilion Resort from points distant, such as the Dallas/Fort Worth zone.

All that remains of the long gone Lake Wichita Pavilion Resort are the wooden piers you see sticking up above the water between the floating fish dock and the new Boardwalk.

Perhaps Fort Worth could send some sort of investigative task force to Wichita Falls to try and learn how this little town managed to build a bridge-like structure over water in about a year, whilst Fort Worth has been floundering for many more years trying to build three simple little bridges with imaginary iconic signature piers, over dry land, to connect the Fort Worth mainland to an imaginary island.

Perplexing.

And the cooling wind blowing across the lake was refreshing today...

Hot Humid 2nd October Saturday With Wichita Water Falling

 

I really think I am beginning to go COVID stir crazy. I have not been further than 40 miles from my abode since last March. I do not remember any period in my existence of such a length with going so few miles from my home location.

On Facebook of late I am seeing plans being made for my high school class to have a reunion next summer. I don't see that happening. And I sure don't see myself attending, for a variety of reasons. I do see myself being in Washington next summer, should this COVID nightmare abate sufficiently.

So, today, feeling that stir crazy feeling, I decided to take that long five mile drive north, to Lucy Park, to hike along the Wichita River to the iconic symbol of Wichita Falls.

As you can see, above, I was not alone in deciding to do this today, such as there is that lady you see, taking pics with her phone. I do not know if she had yet noticed the other group getting into position to take some adventurous selfie photos.

The sign says "WALKING OFF PAVED TRAILS AND STEPS BY THE FALLS IS PROHIBITED".

I suspect that group you see being scofflaws did not see the sign. The sign is not positioned in a location where every Falls visitor can not help but see it.

Continuing on I opted to take the brick paved trail which serpentines to the top of the falls and the cemetery source from which it flows.

On the way to the top of the Falls I had another view of the group taking closeup selfies at the edge of the Falls.

Another view, this time from the lookout looking out over the top of the Falls. As you can see the selfie takers are not really getting too close to falling over the Falls. Hence, limited danger.

A final view, this time from the lookout which looks over the biggest fall of the Falls. That group you see at the bottom of the Falls are not being scofflaws, they are on one of the approved paved trails.

And that was my excitement for the day. That and going to Walmart, where I got a pork roast I will grill on the smokeless grill tomorrow, along with okra.

Speaking of COVID. And who isn't? Wichita County has had a record number of new cases four days in a row. I may be off on the number by a case or two, but Tuesday there were 61, Wednesday 67, Thursday 82 and Friday 103, with two deaths.

It is getting worse fast at this location. Or so it seems...

Tacoma Trio's M Street Elementary School

 

Above we are seeing David, Ruby and Theo at their new school.

The Tacoma Trio no longer need to take a bus or walk to school, because they don't have to leave home to go to school.

Each student at the new school has a much larger desk than is the regular school norm. With each desk at the new school equipped with a computer connected at broadband speed to the Internet, and the source of their daily lessons.

Mama Kristen is the Teacher/Superintendent at the Tacoma Trio's new school, monitoring each student as they take their daily lesson from a small screen.

There are two recess breaks during the school day, with an hour for lunch. 

It is not known if there is any sort of sports program at M Street Elementary. With only three students in a school team sports might be a bit difficult. Maybe tennis or golf would work...

Finding The Long Rumored Lake Wichita Park Elephant

 

The last time I rolled my bike across Lake Wichita Dam, via the Circle Trail, when I neared the swampland one encounters slightly east of Mount Wichita I was startled by a deer leaping across the trail ahead of me.

I mentioned this in Lake Wichita Deer Encounter With No Bears Or Native Americans.

In the past month or two I have heard mention made, a time or two, of elephant sightings in Lake Wichita Park.

I figured this had to be a mirage, or someone seeing a plus sized dog of some sort.

Or maybe an elephant is actually making its home in the jungle-like swampland.

It's not like Wichita Falls has not been home to an elephant in times previous. We learned this last month whilst visiting Scotland Park for the first time, blogging about it in A Desegregated Wichita Falls Scotland Park Walk Without Miss Sugar.

Miss Sugar was the name of the Wichita Falls Municipal Zoo's main elephant attraction. 

I was fairly certain it was not a descendant of Miss Sugar which had been sighted in Lake Wichita Park.

So, today I was rolling along, having myself a mighty fine time, along with all the other rollers of various sorts, and mountain climbers working their way to the summit of Mount Wichita, when I rolled off on a side spur off the Circle Trail which leads to a lookout looking out over the marshy swampland.

Atop that lookout I looked left and right, looking for an elephant, to no avail.

And then when I rolled back down from that lookout, by the bench adjacent to that Circle Trail spur I saw the long rumored elephant and photo documented that which I saw.

Which is what you see at the top, with the bench shading the back third of the elephant.

And that has been my excitement for today in these excitement challenged times...

Hope Luke Don't Get COVID But Hope Hicks Do

 

Rolled my bike a few miles this mighty fine first Saturday of the October version of 2020. The temperature barely in the 70s. 

Eventually I rolled around Sikes Lake where I found a lot of chalk drawings drawn on the cement trail. There are dozens of these cryptic drawings. I could sort of glean they were mostly personal well wishes directed at specific people, such as the one you see above, only part of which I photo documented.

The message was telling someone named Luke "You got this, don't get COVID..."

I was in Walmart yester evening for the first time since we learned our Dear Leader has contracted COVID. This was the first time I have been in Walmart since wearing a mask was mandated that I did not see a single fool disobeying that directive and arrogantly wandering Walmart mask-free.

Has the Dear Leader getting COVID rendered the pandemic deniers totally confused? 

Speaking of idiots, and who isn't, a related item, from Facebook.

Prior to learning our Dear Leader and his Third Wife have the virus, we had learned Trump aide Hope Hicks had tested positive.

Someone on Facebook posted one of those meme things, which simply said...

"HOPE HICKS GETS COVID-19"

Now, as a sad example of how annoying Facebook can be, and how many ill informed ignorant type people are on Facebook, always ready to scold people for this that or the other thing which the scolder usually misunderstands. Multiple people scolded the person who simply posted the fact that Hope Hicks had contracted the virus.

On person simply said "how rude". Others scolded variations chastising the cruelty of hoping people get COVID.

Think of how stupid and ignorant one has to be to not know Hope Hicks is a person, working for our Dear Leader, and to think this Facebook poster is hoping that "Hicks" get COVID-19. And by "Hicks" I am assuming the scolders think the Facebook poster means Redneck Dumbclucks. You know, your basic Trump supporters, also known as Deplorables.

Anyway, we are living through troubled times, hopefully better soon, in a variety of ways...

Sikes Lake Peanut Gallery Takes Me To Trump Don't Act Right

 

I had not had the opportunity to roll my bike wheels anywhere the past few days. Today I decided my need to aerobically induced endorphins outweighed anything else. So this morning I rolled several miles north on the Circle Trail before looping back south, eventually reaching Sikes Lake, where I saw that which you see above.

I do not know why Peanuts has been installed on the stage of the Sikes Lake Pavilion. Will a play be taking place? Is this a backdrop for one of the musical events which frequently take place at this location? I have no idea.

Those endorphins are sure feeling mighty fine right now.

Last night's 90 minute verbal assault by our demented president had me feeling like we are currently all living in a temporary insane asylum.

I think it was even before our national nightmare was inaugurated Fort Worth's #1 political activist, Gale McCray, was nailing the problem...

Gale McCray has taken his now iconic "TRUMP THAT BOY DON'T ACT RIGHT" sign all over America, including, as you can see via the above photo of Mr. McCray holding the sign in front of Mr. Lincoln, to Washington, D.C.

Today I tolerated about five minutes of the Rush Dimbulb Show. I was curious to hear how he was going to try and manage to spew nonsensical propaganda to put a spin on last night's debate debacle.

The Dimbulb seemed a bit overwhelmed by the embarrassment. It seemed like he was blaming Chris Wallace, because Chris Wallace was interrupting Trump over and over again right when Trump had Biden reeling and about to display his imaginary dementia. 

It is sort of amusing, well, not really, listening to a couple cases of actual dementia, Trump and Dimbulb, making mock of Biden's imaginary dementia.

I don't know how two more of these type debates can happen. Somethings got to give. Or give up... 

Happy Birthday Hank Frank & Grandpa Jake

 

On this date, two years ago, my little brother Jake became a grandpa for the second time, with the arrival of Henry Francis, also known as Hank Frank. 

On that day, two years ago, Hank Frank became the best birthday present Grandpa Jake has ever received.

Hard to believe Hank Frank is already two years old.

And that I have yet to meet him. Up til a few months ago I was about 100% sure I would be seeing Hank Frank last summer. But the Trump Pandemic ended that plan.

Seems like only yesterday I was having myself a mighty fine time wrapping elaborate birthday present packaging for Hank Frank's dad, my Favorite Nephew Joey. But that happened decades ago, way back in the previous century.

This morning I texted Joey, telling him that I did not have Hank Frank's phone number, and asked Joey to tell Hank happy birthday for me.

Joey texted back indicating he would do so, including the six pictures of Hank Frank you see in this Happy Birthday blogging.

I have no clue what that is on the blue plate. A deconstructed slice of birthday cake? A fruit pizza?

Hank Frank looks an awful lot like the little kid version of his dad.

Above we see Hank Frank working in his fruit orchard. Hank Frank grows a variety of tree fruits. I recollect Linda Lou was supposed to visit Hank Frank and his orchard and fruit stand last fall. Maybe Linda Lou will get around to that this fruit picking season. 

That would be Hank Frank being held by his papa. It appears they are on a boat. Both the water in the background and Hank Frank wearing a life preserver are primary clues.

Yes, this appears to be on the deck of a boat. But what boat? A ferry? Or is Hank Frank taking his dad out on the Sound to do some fishing on a fishing boat? 

Happy Birthday to Hank Frank & Grandpa Jake. I'm sure by the time Hank Frank turns three I will have had the fun of meeting him for the first time. And meeting his mother, Monique, for the first time...