Sunday Swaying In Lucy Park With Dumas Demons

On this third Sunday of the new year of 2021, which is also the last Sunday with America having the worst president in its long history, and with this Sunday at my location being a wind-free, cloud-free blue sky day, I took myself to my favorite Wichita Falls park, which is Lucy Park, to do some nature communing, along with disc golf dodging.

As you can see I used my phones recently installed un-patented Elsie Hotpepper selfie app to take a photo whilst swaying on Lucy Park's Wichita River suspension bridge.

I used the app's distort the size feature to make me way smaller. I do not know why one would want to make oneself way smaller, but now I know how to do so should the need arise.

Last night Linda Lou called and amongst the many subjects talked about one was being in Cabo San Lucas on May 1 for my third oldest nephew's first wedding. Linda Lou did not get an invitation, and mine did not include the "plus one" option, so I guess Linda Lou won't be attending this nuptial event with me.

Changing the subject back to America's worst president ever. Yesterday I drove to Sikes Lake for a walk around the pond. Upon arrival I saw that which you see below, parked on the parking lot...

Upon seeing this my first thought was wondering if this was a busload of Trumpers heading to Austin to do something disruptive on Wednesday. That orange color scheme seemed Trumpy. And not knowing there needs to be a 'B' in DUMBASS also seemed Trumpy. 

But would a group of Trump cultists accurately name themselves "DUMBASS DEMONS"?

Such seemed unlikely.

And then I remembered there is a town called Dumas, near Dalhart, north of Amarillo. A soccer game was being played on the field behind the bus. Googling Dumas Demons I quickly learned the town's high school is known as the Demons.

Demons seems an odd mascot/nickname for a school.

The high school from whence I graduated is known as the B-EHS Tigers. That seems a rather ordinary, common, nickname.

And an odd choice since there are no tigers running loose in the state of Washington.

Now that you have me thinking about this there are a lot of demons running loose in Texas. Ted Cruz comes to mind, among many others...

Save May 1 For Cabo San Lucas CJ & Carissa Weston Wedding

A day or two or three ago I made mention of the fact that so far this new year of 2021 seems to be full of new experiences I have not previously experienced.

Such happened again yesterday when I opened my mailbox to find an invitation to a wedding in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

I have never been to a wedding in Cabo San Lucas previously. Or a wedding anywhere in Mexico.

Late last year I was told I would be receiving a "Save the Date" card in the mail, telling me to save May 1, 2021 so I could be in Mexico for the nuptials of my Favorite Nephew Christopher and my soon to be Favorite Niece-in-Law, Carissa.

I never did receive that "Save the Date" card.

But yesterday's invitation told me everything I need to know, including the formal dress code's color scheme for the actual wedding, and the dress code and color scheme for the pool party after the actual wedding.

I won't need to be buying any new clothes for the actual wedding because the color scheme is earth tones. Earth tones have been my clothing color scheme for decades. The color scheme for the pool party is tropical colors. I have a swimming suit which could pass as tropical, along with an Hawaiian style shirt.

So, I am all set for the color scheme part of this Big Event.

It has been 14 years since I have been to a wedding. That one was in April of 2006. Favorite Nephew Jason's first wedding. That wedding took place in the United States, in the town of Burlington. A passport was not needed. Attending that wedding simply required flying a couple thousand miles.

You can visit the Carissa Mott & CJ Weston Wedding website and see photos of the beautiful soon-to-be bride and my nephew, along with a plethora of details about the wedding...

Dodging Flying Acorns In Lucy Park Naked Tree Forest

 

So far almost every day of this new year brings a new experience I had not previously experienced.

Yesterday's new experience was driving a patient to a clinic for a colonoscopy. That new experience began only a couple hours past midnight.

This morning's new experience came after delivering that same patient to another clinic for another procedure. 

Since the patient delivery location was in the neighborhood of Lucy Park I thought I might be able to have myself a mighty fine time communing with nature and the forest of Lucy Park's naked trees.

A section of the Lucy Park forest of naked trees is what you see photo documented above.

Any leaf which remained stuck on a Lucy Park tree was removed by the time I arrived today, due to the strong wind gusting over 40 miles per hour. Over and over again.

The high velocity wind made for a fun walk, dodging various natural items flying at high velocity.

And thus, yet one more new experience. Dodging flying acorns, among other foliage related airborne material.

I think the Lucy Park forest of naked trees might possibly be the most scenic thing to see in this town in which I am temporarily located. In a couple months all those trees will again get dressed, turning the currently naked forest into a lush looking jungle.

I prefer the Lucy Park forest when it is not in jungle mode.

I wonder what exciting new experience I will be experiencing next? I await it with eager anticipation...

Hiking The Dry Falls Of Wichita Falls

Today marks the second time I have successfully used the un-patented Elsie Hotpepper Selfie phone app. I was at the location you see photo documented above due to dropping off a patient at a clinic on the north side of Highway 287. South of that location is the Falls of Wichita Falls, so I walked the Circle Trail under Highway 287, which quickly takes one to the location of the Falls which Wichita Falls is not named after.

Several days ago whilst driving south from nearby Oklahoma I noticed the Falls of Wichita Falls were currently in Dry Falls mode.

Such was still the case today.

It seems, to me, just a bit ironic, that a fake falls built so the locals could finally have an answer for incoming visitors who ask where is the location of the falls this town is named after, that this falls is turned off, and into a dry falls, for long lengths of time.

This seems to happen frequently.

Thus seeming to negate the purpose of having a fake falls to point to when someone asks where are the Falls of Wichita Falls.

One would think that it might have been worth it to make the original design such that the falls falling was not dependent on factors, such as the Wichita River into which the falls falls, running a bit high and dirty, necessitating turning off the Falls..

Anyway, I had myself a mighty fine brisk chilly walk today in the zone of the Wichita Falls Dry Falls.

 Above you are looking at the bricked serpentine trail switchbacking to the summit of the currently dry Falls at Wichita Falls.

And here we are are at the summit of those currently dry falls, looking north, at the traffic on Highway 287 with people in vehicles driving by wondering why no water falls from Wichita Falls...

Successfully Using Elsie Hotpepper Selfie Style App At Sikes Lake Before Seattle Seahawks Football

What you see above is me looking at my phone, with Sikes Lake behind me.

I used the newly installed Elsie Hotpepper Selfie Style app to take this photo.

I was sent the beta test version of this app to see if I liked how it worked, and if I could even get it to work.

I do not know if or when this will be available on Google Play, or other app providers.

The photo was taken during yesterday's walk around Sikes Lake. At that point in time the temperature was well above freezing, but still quite chilling.

Right now, a couple hours before noon on this second Saturday of the new year, the temperature is below freezing.

I do not yet know if I will be getting any salubrious endorphin inducing aerobic activity today. 

I am scheduled to watch the Seattle Seahawks beat the Los Angeles Ram this afternoon on their way to winning another Super Bowl. The football viewing party will include lasagna and fried chicken.

Elsie Hotpepper Has Me Looking At Mary's Plight & Fort Worth's Blight

 

A couple nights ago a late in the day text message came in from Elsie Hotpepper telling me "You should blog about Mary's Plight".

The next morning I texted Elsie asking "How can I blog about Mary's Plight if I don't know what Mary's Plight is?"

To which the Hotpepper replied "Look at Mary's Facebook".

And so I did as the Hotpepper suggested, which is always the wise course to take whenever the Hotpepper suggests anything.

Well, turns out I already knew about Mary's Plight. But I was not aware of the current status of Mary's Plight.

Years ago Mary Kelleher's Plight first came to my notice when Fort Worth Weekly did a cover story about Mary's Plight. Which at that point in time the plight was flooding of her property caused by a mismanaged shale fracking site. The inability of Mary to get the city of Fort Worth to do anything about the fracking causing flooding eventually morphed into Mary winning election to the board of the Tarrant Regional Water District.

Once she was on board that board Mary soon found herself stonewalled as she attempted to get something done about the flooding. Soon it became apparent this was a hopeless cause, with the fact becoming clear that there was an institutional lack of concern about the damage being done by bad urban planning which resulted in serious flooding issues, often of the deadly sort.

But all that was years ago. Let's move to 2021 and the current status of Mary's Plight.

Well, Mary's Plight remains a flooding issue. And the city of Fort Worth's inept inattention to what is known as urban planning in modern towns in America. But, sensible things like intelligent urban planning is just not the Fort Worth Way of doing things. Prime example being the ultra embarrassing Trinity River Vision Boondoggle, which has been Fort Worth's Blight for most of this century.

Let's let Mary's own words describe her current plight. These words are from the Facebook post I was directed to by Elsie Hotpepper...

This is a photo of our farm after LGI Home Builders clear cut about 100 acres on the hill above us (outlined in black).  It goes underwater like this every time we get a hard rain.  We were underwater for more than a year!  Our neighbors’ properties suffered flooded acreage, workshops, barns, washed out driveways, and cracked floors and retaining walls.  We have filed a lawsuit against LGI and need financial help in paying for our legal fees.  LGI should be held responsible for their actions. Any amount will help us!  Thanks in advance!

The photo referred to is that which you see at the top.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise money to help Mary and her neighbors with the legal fees resulting from their lawsuit against the perpetrators of the damage to their property.

On that GoFundMe page you will find additional verbiage describing Mary and her neighbor's plight...

Have you ever had a bad neighbor?  A really bad neighbor?  We have one, LGI Homes.  We've tried to do what good neighbors should and expressed our concerns and issues directly.  We've incorporated the media, the city, and our government representatives in our efforts.  We have exhausted our options and run out of time.  At this juncture homebuilder LGI can continue their homebuilding practices without conscience for the neighborhoods and families that they impact.  We are going to hold them accountable. We are neighbors banding together in a  lawsuit against LGI Homes.

________________________

Over the years I have been asked a time or two why it is I have, a time or two, verbalized disdain regarding various issues I have eye witnessed in Fort Worth which I have found difficult to understand, appalling, embarrassing, downright stupid, or a combination of various elements of disdain.

But, it is an issue like Mary's Plight which is the Fort Worth type thing which appalls me the most. A well run modern American city would not allow a clear cut on a hill above an area already known to be flood prone. 

If a well run modern American city somehow made the mistake of allowing a damaging clear cut to take place, which then resulted in damage to citizen's property, that well run modern American city would be who initiates a lawsuit against the perpetrators of the damage, in behalf of the damaged citizens.

If Mary and her neighbors lived in a well run modern American city they would not have to hire a lawyer to help them recover from the damage, that well run modern American city would take up the cause in the damaged neighbor's behalf.

And thus, this is just one more example of why I have long said Fort Worth is a blighted backwards backwater pretending to be something it is not, in so many ways...

Hiking Lucy Park Muddy Wichita Falls Backwoods With Green Tasmanian Devil

With the temperature nearing the 60 zone I thought I might be able to have myself a mighty peaceful time communing with nature at the best park in Wichita Falls, which is Lucy Park.

I thought correctly.

As in I was able to have myself a mighty peaceful fine time communing with nature in the backwoods area of Lucy Park. I did have a couple mud incidents which were mildly unpleasant, but did not greatly interfere with having myself a mighty fine time.

And today, unlike yesterday, I did not have excessive outerwear causing any overheating.

One long sleeved shirt over a t-shirt, over cargo shorts. It was like being back in summer again.

Well, except I never wear anything long sleeved in summer.

This particular, green, long sleeved shirt is well over a quarter century old.

I got it in the Disney store in the Caesar's Palace mall in Las Vegas, way back in 1994. The people I was with opined that a shirt with the Tasmanian Devil on it perfectly matched my difficult personality. If I remember correctly when I indicated I did not want to buy such a thing it was bought for me.

I seldom wear this irksome shirt. But, today I did.

No one went hiking with me today.

Last night the Skagit Valley's Linda Lou went to Walmart with me. That was fun. Linda Lou is what is known as a good conversationalist. Which in my world translates into meaning Linda Lou does not mind listening to me ramble on and on.

I think it has been a couple weeks since I have rolled my bike's wheels. If this wheeling prohibition goes on much longer I may forget how to operate that machine...

SAD Sitting On Wichita Bluff Nature Area Bench Under Clear Blue Sky

What you are looking at above is the view I was viewing around noon today, sitting on a swinging bench on a side trail off the Circle Trail which winds its way through the Wichita Bluff Nature Area.

The 4th day of the New Year has been the first at my location where the sky is devoid of clouds, and the temperature is not hovering near freezing.

And, even though the temperature was nearing 60, I failed to make note of that fact prior to leaving my abode to do some nature communing. In other words, I was overdressed in sweatpants and too many upper layers.

As I sat on that Wichita Bluff Nature Area swinging bench I tried to organize my thinking, listing all the things I am feeling depressed about, in alphabetical order.

By the time I got midway through the alphabet I quit dwelling on what was depressing me when I realized the very act of going through what depresses me in alphabetical order was just one more thing to be depressed about.

I really should not turn on the radio when I am driving to a communing with nature. I end up on talk radio out of DFW, WBAP, right wing nut job talk radio, with the #1 right wing nut job, Rush Limbaugh, off air today, replaced by someone even more idiotically wrongheaded with incendiary seditious illogical hate speech spewage which really needs to be banned, in the same manner that the free speech concept spelled out in the U.S. Constitution does not extend to it being a right to dangerously, falsely scream "FIRE" in a crowded theater. 

And the morons who call in to let the world know what mindless idiots they are, just add to the feeling that there is something dire wrong with the water way too many people drink, literally and metaphorically.

Other than that somewhat depressing bench sitting I had myself a mighty fine time getting some much needed endorphins so as to combat what I am thinking is likely an onset of SAD (Seasonally Affeceted Disorder).

One thing I thought today, which I don't recollect ever thinking before, is do not ever take your good health for granted. It can be taken from you in a flash, in myriad ways, many of which, over which, you have little control.

Depressing...

Hank Frank Driving 32 Hours To Build Snowman With Favorite Uncle

 A blizzard blew through town early this first morning of the new 2021 year, coating the outer world in white, which I did not know had happened until the sun began its first illuminating duty of the new year.

Soon upon seeing a winter wonderland had arrived I text messaged David, Theo, Ruby, Hank Frank and Spencer Jack asking if anyone wanted to go ski down Mount Wichita, do some sledding, cross country skiing or building a snowman, with their favorite uncle.

Hank Frank was the only one who got back to me with a possible snow play date. But, that it would take around 32 hours to drive to my location.

So, I decided not to wait for anyone to play in the snow with me and opted to build a snowman all by myself.

The resulting work of icy art is what you see photo documented above.

I have not decided if snow on the first day of 2021 is an ominous omen, or a fortuitous omen. What I know for sure is a couple hours past noon most of the snow has melted, with only patches of white remaining.

Spencer Jack & Jason Drive Us Under Downtown Seattle

 

Right around the time of the most recent version of Christmas FNJ (Favorite Nephew Jason) and FGNSJ (Favorite Great Nephew Spencer Jack) emailed me some photos.

Okay, now that I am typing that, those most recent are not the ones I am thinking about. It was photos a few weeks previous, those being photos of Spencer Jack and his dad in Seattle.

In response to those Seattle photos I told Jason that I would greatly enjoy video of a drive through the new Highway 99 tunnel under downtown Seattle.

That tunnel began construction in 2014. The tunnel opened for traffic on February 5, 2019, a year later than originally planned due to the Bertha tunnel boring machine getting stuck when it hit an unexpected chunk of steel.

That photo above documents the tunnel opening event which allowed people to walk through the new tunnel before it opened to traffic.

The same year the Highway 99 tunnel began getting bored in 2014 another town in America, Fort Worth, had a TNT exploding ceremony to mark the start of construction of three simple little bridges being built over dry land to connect the Fort Worth mainland to an imaginary island. Those three little bridges had an astonishingly long four year project time line. Four years to build three relatively simple bridges over dry land. And now, six years later, none of those three bridges is open to traffic.

The Fort Worth Trinity River Vision Boondoggle has become a mess of an eyesore, with no end in sight. And no one held accountable. One element of what is known as The Fort Worth Way.

And now back to Jason and Spencer Jack and the Seattle tunnel.

Email from Jason and Spencer Jack this morning...

I told Spencer Jack of your request for tunnel video.  He informed me that we have one.  This morning he passed that along from one of his devices to one of my devices, so I could send it to my e-mail and eventually send it to you!

It was Tuesday, February 5, 2019, the 2nd day of the tunnel being open.  Spencer's school was canceled that day due to snow on the ground.   The snow was obviously manageable for us seasoned PNW residents, as I don't remember it being much of an issue.   After exiting the tunnel we made our trek a few miles south to the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field.    If my memory serves me correctly, we then ended up at Dick's for lunch.

For those who have never been to Seattle, Dick's is an extremely popular burger joint with multiple restaurants in the Seattle zone. If you are ever in the area try a Dick's Deluxe. Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

And now the Spencer Jack and Jason video trip though the new tunnel the day after it opened to traffic.

They were heading southbound, where the tunnel starts to go underground by the Seattle Center. That is where the Space Needle is located. The tunnel exits near the Seattle Seahawk's stadium and the Seattle Mariner's ballpark. As Jason and Spencer exit the tunnel the videographer takes a quick glance to the left at what looks to be where the Seahawks play football.