Returning Again To My Old Washington Home With More Detail

 

A few days ago my Favorite Nephew Jason caused me to virtually Return To My Old Home In Mount Vernon Washington.

In blogging about my return to my old home I made mention of some of the changes that sort of unsettled me for inexplicable reasons.

And I mentioned wondering what was done to the bathrooms, specifically mentioning wondering about the first floor bathroom and its heavy metal blue fixtures.

Well, this morning the aforementioned Nephew Jason emailed me a link to a different realtor's listing of my old home.

And in that listing there are 38 photos, giving me a much better idea of the changes made to my old home, including the downstairs bathroom, which you see above. I'm guessing no one could figure out an easy way to get that tub out of there. Additionally I was surprised to see the tile I installed all those years ago is still there. 

The photo of the upstairs bathroom, that being the one which was mine, surprised me with the new sink. One of those trough type things which became trendy a few years back.

After I blogged about my old home zone, after that first listing which Nephew Jason sent me, Elsie Hotpepper texted me saying she was only able to see one photo. I guess the Hotpepper was curious to see what's been changed, familiar as she was with the original version, due to frequent visits...

Yellow Wildflower Harbinger Of Coming Texas Spring

Overnight one of the harbingers of spring arrived on the landscape outside my abode. Spring is scheduled to be sprung in 10 days, March 20.

I don't know the name of the colorful yellow wildflower you see above. Dozens  bloomed overnight. This wildflower does not have a pleasant fragrance. I would say it instead has an unpleasant fragrance.

Soon my favorite Texas wildflowers should be blooming, as in the Evening Primroses.

This morning the reason I exited my abode, and saw the newly arrived splashes of yellow color, was because I was driving to Lucy Park to have myself a salubrious communing with nature via walking the Lucy Park backwoods zone.

The Lucy Park nature communing went well. But, I saw none of the colorful yellow wildflowers coloring up Lucy Park. 

What with the temperature warming, as in yesterday we got into the 80s, this time of year, whilst walking a backwoods zone, one must be on the lookout for frisky snakes enjoying the return of warmth to their slithery cold blooded selves.

The Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup should be happening next weekend. If memory serves that Roundup is always the second weekend of March. Maybe it has been cancelled due to COVID...

Washington Ranked Best State In Union With Texas Ranked 19th Worst

I saw that which you see here this morning on the front page of the online version of the Seattle Times, some Local News that Washington named the best state in the union for the second year in a row.

Clicking the link to see who or what it was which named my old home state as the best in the union brought me to a article titled...

Best States Rankings--Measuring outcomes for citizens using more than 70 metrics

Where it was easily seen that it was US News & World Report which was doing the ranking of the American states, from best to worst.

The first paragraph of this ranking article explains how the ranking was done...

Some states shine in health care. Some soar in education. Some excel in both – or in much more. The Best States ranking of U.S. states draws on thousands of data points to measure how well states are performing for their citizens. In addition to health care and education, the metrics take into account a state’s economy, its roads, bridges, internet and other infrastructure, its public safety, the fiscal stability of state government, and the opportunity it affords its residents.

As one expects with these type rankings the usual suspects are at the top, as well as the bottom.

Texas came in as the 31st Best State, or looked at a different way, the 19th Worst State. 

The first three paragraphs of the Seattle Times Washington named the best state in the union for the second year in a row article amused me due to triggering the memory of something which started bugging me soon after I moved to Texas, that being a tendency of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram to tout this, that or the other perfectly mundane thing as being something which would cause other towns, far and wide, to be green with envy. 

I found the Star-Telegram's green with envy verbiage and its various iterations to be so bizarre. It was several years later when a lifelong Texan explained this type bragging was born of Fort Worth's civic inferiority complex. I don't know if that explained it, or not. 

So, the first three paragraphs of this Seattle Times article about something legitimately brag-worthy...

Everyone knows the Pacific Northwest is the best and Washington is the best of the best, especially compared to other states.

But that seems kind of mean and elitist, so we don’t talk about it too much among our friends from other states, right? Right?

U.S. News & World Report, however, has no such compunction, boldly naming Washington the best state in the union for the second time in a row — the only state to be so named twice — and unapologetically identifying the worst.

Anyway, this extremely comprehensive analysis of the American states sure does explain to me why I experienced such culture shock when first exposed to many things in Texas. I came from progressive liberal Washington, to a state not known for being progressive. Or liberal. Or well educated.

I did not know til reading this US News & World Report that Washington has the fastest growing economy in the nation. I know when I am up in Washington I sure do notice it appears to be way more prosperous than my current location. 

If you listen to right wing nuts jobs, a peculiar breed of which Texas has many, Washington should not be doing too well economically. It has been several years now since Seattle (and many other west coast locations) raised the minimum wage to $15.

Just last week I read in the Seattle Times that 19 new restaurants were opening this month.

During the pandemic slowdown...

Wichita Bluff Nature Area After Falling Into Bathtub Hoodoos

I had what I think must have been a sleep walking incident last night. I was in my bathroom, apparently asleep, and went to get back in bed, except I was still in the bathroom, where there is no bed.

Instead I lowered myself into the bathtub, eventually crashing down on my tailbone, real hard. I awoke to find my legs draped over the edge of the tub, with me unable to pull myself up. Thrashing around I somehow turned the faucet on, cold water. That woke me up fast, with me quickly swinging around and getting vertical.

What a living nightmare.

I thought I would end up badly bruised, with a big blotch of purple. But, no sign of such. 

So, to unkink my aches and pains I decided a salubrious walk with nature via the Wichita Bluff Nature Area would be a mighty fine thing to do.

I figured right.

I sat on the bench you see above for a few minutes, pondering my multiple miseries and woes. And then started walking again.

Eventually I came to the location where I usually find a Wichita Bluff Hoodoo. Or two.

 As you can see via me standing on the Mars-like landscape, there is only a pile of rocks at Hoodoo Central.

I hope last night's sleep walking incident does not portend a return to this happening multiple times. I already have sufficient aggravations. I do not need a new one...

Return To My Old Home In Mount Vernon Washington

Yesterday both my little brother Jake and little brother Jake's eldest, my Favorite Nephew Jason, text messaged me a link to a house for sale which both thought I might be interested in.

That being my house in Mount Vernon, which I left to move to Texas soon before the start of the new century.

That house was built in 1985 for a measly $65, 000. And then sold in 2002 for what seems now a measly $135,000. 

And now it is for sale, again, for almost a half million bucks.

Which seems totally nuts.

The link to the listing had some photos of the current state of the house I built 35 years ago. The kitchen has been totally re-built, now with modern stone countertops of granite or marble. The cabinets are now black. And the wall painted orange. I liked the upgrade to the appliances, but not much else. I think the original version looked much better.

One of the photos showed the flooring in the upstairs living room area. It was carpeted when I left it. Now it is a dark hardwood floor. 

None of the photos showed the tile flooring I had fun installing, in the kitchen and the upstairs entry. I suspect it likely has been replaced. The tile in the kitchen had a long crack caused by a small earthquake. I liked that crack due to knowing its history. 

I had planted multiple rhododendrons which my mom and dad gave me. From the above photo I can see the one in the front of the house has been removed. 

The most disturbing upgrade, which I do not like at all, is the open carport has now been turned into a garage, with a garage door which does not match the look of the house exterior.

I long ago made a webpage of my old home in Mount Vernon. Click that to see what it looked like way back in the previous century.
 
You will also see Hortense, who used to read the morning Seattle P-I with me. Hortense made the move to Texas, and died a year later at 21 years old. Hortense is buried in Haslet, a suburb north of Fort Worth.

Wichita Falls Winter Storm Impact

This informative information you see above showed up yesterday. Right at this moment I am not remembering where it showed up. Probably Facebook.

When the snow began to pile up last month I was surprised to see snowplows plowing the snow. I wondered why this town which gets so little snow would have snowplows.

I do not remember my old hometowns in Washington having snowplows plowing snow when snow created a problem. And snow in the Western Washington lowlands happens more frequently than my current location.

And from the above info we learn that not only does this town have snowplows, those snowplows plowed 876 miles of snow. 

It does not surprise me too much that the temperature going below zero is the coldest it has been here in over 50 years. Apparently by some accounting this was the first ever statewide disaster. I thought that was electing and re-electing creepy Ted Cruz was considered by many to be a statewide disaster.

I was not here in 1985 to know that the recent snow covering was the most since 1985.

My current abode is a short distance south of the infamous Wichita Falls 1979 Tornado known locally as Terrible Tuesday. I did not know til reading it that the recent power outage was the largest since Terrible Tuesday.

Millions In Toxic Relationship With Texas

Yesterday we asked If The Texas Governor Is A COVID Idiot?

In addition to asking that question we answered the question by making mention of the Facebook reaction of many Texans to their governor declaring Texas back opening 100% and lifting the mask mandate.

And now on this 4th day of March, when many similar type idiots think that Trump will be re-installed today as president, Facebook provides additional reaction to the Texas governor's latest embarrassing idiocy.

We have gleaned some of what we have seen on Facebook today.

The comments to these various postings on Facebook are sort of alarming. Alarming in that it is alarming how cluelessly idiotically ignorant way too many people are.

Such as no understanding of the actual concept of freedom of speech, or freedom in general. The reality that one is not free to shout "FIRE" in a crowded theater is lost on these sorts. 

And their concept of government, in that government has no business telling citizens what to do. That a person can process the data themselves and decide for themselves whether or not to wear a mask, with no thought given to the fact that another citizen might understand the need to wear a mask, and the threat posed by those who refuse to wear a mask.

Taking these type idiot's logic to its logical conclusion why should the government decide on an arbitrary speed limit? An idiot should have the freedom to decide how fast to drive. These type idiots can apply their idiot logic to any law. 

And these same type idiots are the most ardent in demanding the government put an end to abortions.
 
Anyway, scroll down for a sampling of Facebook memes regarding Texas Governor Greg Abbott ending the mask mandate...

Is The Texas Governor A COVID Idiot?

Earlier today Spencer Jack's Favorite Dad, my Favorite Nephew Jason, texted me saying "I just heard on the news that Coronavirus is apparently over in Texas."

That was the first of many messages today from friends and family who live to the west of Texas, appalled that the governor of Texas would totally open Texas and lift the mask wearing mandate, whilst we are still in the midst of a deadly pandemic.

I told Jason that I have seen many people currently living in Texas who are also appalled at the latest idiocy from the Texas governor. Texas does have some idiotic doozies at the top of the state's government. 

In addition to Governor Greg Abbott we have Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and the Attorney General of Texas, Ken Paxton.

I do not know how the same state which elected someone popular across America, like Anne Richards, to be the governor, can elect the trio of bozos I mentioned in the above paragraph. 

Maybe part of the problem is so few people vote. I think Texas has the lowest, or near the lowest voter turnout of the 50 American states.

I have long opined, ever since my first experience with voting in Texas, that perhaps part of the lack of voter interest is there are so few things to vote on on any ballot I have ever voted on in Texas.

I do not recollect voting for school board members, water board members, justices of the peace, and other such things on a Washington ballot. Maybe such was on the ballot, but I just don't remember due to all the other things to vote on.

In Washington, and the other west coast states, and many other states across America, voters vote on things like legalizing marijuana, abolishing the state liquor sales monopoly, various public works projects, funding for parks, multiple initiatives, referendums and propositions. 

In Washington a citizen who thinks they have a great idea, which they think the public would support, can get enough petition signatures from voters to put an Initiative (hence the name) on the ballot. This type thing makes for much livelier ballots, unlike the boring, simple ballot one votes on in Texas.

Like I already said, I told Jason I am seeing a lot of reaction among Texans to the latest embarrassing stupidity from the state's governor. We are barely past how ineptly Greg Abbott handled the Texas power meltdown disaster.

Many think Abbott is appealing to his idiot base by pandering to their bizarre ongoing ignorant nonsense about mask mandating being some sort of government take away of their freedom, most recently on display via another Texas embarrassment, greasy creepy Ted Cruz shouting FREEDOM at the end of his CPAC comedy routine. 

That screen cap you see at the top, from Facebook, I have seen repeated multiple times on Facebook today, Texans displaying a mask saying "My Governor is an Idiot".

I think these Idiot Governor masks began appearing during the Texas Deep Freeze Disaster. 

The Facebook screen cap above is Jon Perry's version, with his comment adding "I live in Texas."

Jon Perry is one of the many Texans I have come across who do not fit the Texas redneck ignorant poorly educated yahoo stereotype.

As is the case which has happened multiple times since I have been in Texas, when I find myself thinking now this is a clear thinking, intelligent, logical, sensible Texan, I then find myself learning that that person is not a native born Texan, as is the reality in the Jon Perry case.

With Jon Perry I think his formative years were on the east coast, Massachusetts, I think. 

No, Jon Perry is not related to that other idiot governor of Texas, Rick Perry. Nor is he related to Katy Perry. Wait, a sec, I'm not sure of that.

It will be interesting when next I visit Walmart to see if there is a noticeable drop in the number of people wearing masks.

Also from Facebook, seen moments after posting the above...

Miss Tamara Takes Me To Lucy Park Tree Gazing Meditative Peace

 A clear blue sky has returned, banishing gray clouds to I don't know where.

I read this morning that we Spring forward this coming Sunday, with the annual arrival of Daylight Savings Time.

I am down to only two clocks which cause me vexation trying to remember how to change the time, every six months. Those two being my coffee pot and my alarm clock. I have not re-set the coffee pot since our recent bout of power going off and on. So, clearly that is not an essential clock.

However.

The alarm clock is near my bed and tells me the time when I look its direction in the middle of the night. The alarm clock was not affected by the power outages, because it has a battery backup. 

I just remembered, I have a third electronic device which does auto switch the time.

That being the EXUBY DVR which records over the air TV. I remember the last time the time switched I was vexed to find that which I thought I had recorded not to have happened. After a couple weeks of vexation I checked the settings and saw I had to tell the device it needed to pay attention to the time switch. I don't think I had to manually make the switch, but that I just had to indicate the EXUBY DVR was in a location where such nonsense existed.

I need to confirm this serious EXUBY DVR situation.

I forgot to make mention of that photo you see above.

Well.

Today, what with the outer world being so sunny, and somewhat warm, compared to two weeks ago today, when the outer world temperature was below zero, I thought a walk at Lucy Park would be a pleasant thing to do.

I thought correctly. It turned out to be quite pleasant.

I walked the trail which trails through the Lucy Park backwoods zone. 

Recently, on Facebook, a fellow Washingtonian, Miss Tamara, posted a photo of a tree which she took whilst laying at the base of the tree, looking skyward, whilst meditating upon the serene scene.

When amongst the Lucy Park trees I looked for a similar serene scene to lay before and ponder. 

To no avail.

Eventually I let the photo you see above suffice as my looking skyward meditative tree.

Gazing skyward I did find some meditative peace. But, finding that sort of peaceful meditative place is not one of my fortes.

Fellow Washingtonian, Miss Tamara, had the benefit of spending decades honing her Bohemian life skills in Southern California, whilst I have been in Texas having anything Bohemian leached out of me.

Anyway, I sure am looking forward to that upcoming extra hour of daylight..

Are Those Elsie Hotpepper's High Heels On Cannon Beach?

 

Saw the above on Facebook this morning of the first day of the 2021 version of March.

Apparently Miss Kellie, who is the opposite of me, in that she is a Texan currently exiled in the Pacific Northwest, specifically on an island in Puget Sound in Washington. With me, a Washingtonian currently in exile in Texas, with nary a real island to be seen within many miles.

Miss Kellie's fellow Texan, Elsie Hotpepper, who has never been exiled to anywhere other than the town she grew up in, has long had a relationship with Cannon Beach on the Oregon Coast.

Elsie Hotpepper's relationship with Cannon Beach basically grew from a visit to that town several years ago, after which the Hotpepper was haunted by the iconic image of Cannon Beach, that being Haystack Rock, which seemed to follow Elsie Hotpepper every where she went, including back to Texas.

I have not heard from Elsie Hotpepper for a day or two or three. She has been a bit stir crazy cranky of late, just like most of us exiled in Texas, after losing power, water and peace of mind due to the sub-zero results of a Polar Vortex taking over the Lone Star State for over a week.

So, for all I know, Elsie Hotpepper hopped a plane to Portland and drove herself to Cannon Beach, where she beached her high heel ruby slippers to have herself a bracing skinny dip in the cold Pacific.

And then forgot to pick up her shoes when she ran back out of the water to seek heat in the nearest warming hut.

Yeah, I'm sure that is the explanation for the random red high heels on Cannon Beach...