Happy Birthday From FNJ

The above showed up in my email this morning, from my Favorite Nephew Jason, also known as FNJ. There was not much text along with that which you see above. The text simply said "Happy Bday FUD".
 

Kayaking Under Mount Rainier With David, Theo & Ruby

Text accompanying the above photo which showed up on my phone this morning, "We took an evening paddle to celebrate your early birthday".

I can not tell for sure if that is Mama Michele or Mama Kristin paddling with the Tacoma Trio of David, Ruby and Theo.

I know for sure that that is Mount Rainier in the distance behind them, and that they are paddling on Puget Sound in the Harstine Island zone.

Mount Rainier does not look to be in nearly as bad a shape, white covering-wise, as the bad shape I learned this morning is the current status of Mount Shasta, as evidenced via the photo below...

Mount Shasta is the most accessible of the Cascade Mountain volcanoes, what with being a short distance east of the Interstate 5 freeway. I don't know if there are trails up the slopes of Mount Shasta, like there are on Mount Rainier and Mount Baker. Without snow it looks like you could just make your own trail hiking up Mount Shasta.

Sure looks fun to go kayaking. Months ago I was almost certain I would be up north in Washington at this point in time, and getting to go kayaking, among other fun stuff...

California's Mount Shasta Has Lost All Its Snow

This morning on Facebook the above was posted showing the current status of California's Mount Shasta volcano.

Anyone who has driven Interstate 5 through northern California has seen Mount Shasta. I've done so more times than I can remember. I've never seen Mount Shasta anywhere near this no snow condition.

For months now, it seems, on Facebook I have been seeing the ongoing shrinking of Lake Shasta, that being the reservoir behind Shasta Dam. But this morning is the first time I've seen one of  Lake Shasta's primary water sources all dried up.

We are still awaiting photo documentation from Linda Lou of the current status of Washington's Mount Baker volcano. 

Flying Over Naked Mount Rainier With Sister Jackie

Above you are looking at Favorite Sister Jackie and Favorite Brother-in-Law Jack's view of Mount Rainier as they flew by on their way from Arizona to Washington.

Part of the text that came with the photo said "Mount Rainier has lost all its snow". 

I have never seen Rainier looking like this, with the only white remaining being the glaciers. The Mountain looks naked without its snow covering.

Linda Lou told me she was gonna send me a pic of the current status of Mount Baker, after she told me she'd never seen that volcano with so much rock exposed and I asked if photo documentation was possible.

I have never thought to wonder before why the Cascade Mountain range has so many volcanoes, whilst I do not know of a single volcano in the Rocky Mountain range.

Well, there is the Yellowstone area which is one gigantic volcanic cauldron. But, I don't think that counts as being a volcano.

Sometimes when you fly into Seattle, when Washington is free of clouds, and the plane flies the right route, one can get a glimpse of all five of Washington's volcanoes, along with Mount Hood in Oregon.

Whenever I fly into D/FW, when Texas is free of clouds, and no matter which route the plane takes, I can glimpse no volcanoes.

But one might glimpse what passes for being a mountain if the plane flies near Guadalupe Mountains National Park...

Finally We Hit 100 In Formerly Chilly Wichita Falls

Today, Monday August 9, is the first time this year I have seen my phone tell me we've hit 100. About a month behind my old home zone going over 100. 

I did not go on a bike ride today, or yesterday.

Too HOT.

This morning I had the fun adventure of chauffeuring a senior citizen to the doctor for a regularly scheduled checkup.

Which took over an hour.

I sat in my vehicle, under the shade of a tree, with the windows open, reading, whilst the old man got checked up.

I had a break from reading when someone from my old home zone called because he was stumped trying to identify the people in a photo I had sent his phone. He only was able to identify three of the five, even though he'd seen one of the two he was not able to identify, in person, two Saturday's ago.

I sent the same photo last night, that time via Facebook, to someone from my old home zone who now lives on the east coast. She was on a train returning from a vacation at an Atlantic Ocean resort town to her current home zone where Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses Grant at Appomattox. She also was only able to identify three of the five, but only one of the un-identified was the same stumping one as what stumped the other stumped person.  

I knew Linda Lou, who sent me the picture, was meeting up with the person these other two could not identify. And even though I had been told, when I saw the photo I had to ask to confirm, because, well, this person did not look much like I remember her looking.

So, I can see why those other two could not identify this person who looked so different, but there really is no excuse for not recognizing the other two, Betty Jo Bouvier and Russell B...

Nephew Jason Sends Me Cascade Mountain Hiking With His Mother

When I visited Facebook this morning I soon saw there was a message from my Favorite Ex-Sister-In-Law, Cindy, who is also Spencer Jack's grandma, and nephew's Jason and Joey's maternal parental unit.

Cindy's Facebook message asked me if I was able to see the pictures of the hike she went on yesterday. And that Jason thought I would be interested in seeing them.

I messaged back to Cindy that I had not seen her latest hiking pictures, but I would go find them, which I did, including the one you see here, with Cindy at the end of a wooden bridge.

I told Cindy that I assumed Jason wanted me to see these pictures as part of the multi-front attempts to make my homesick for the ultra scenic Pacific Northwest.

Cindy messaged me back saying that Jason thought I'd taken him hiking the Bridal Veil Falls/Lake Serene Trail, and so I would like seeing them. So this was not an attempt at triggering homesickness.

I have zero recollection of taking my Favorite Nephew Jason to this location, accessed off Highway, also known as Stevens Pass, one of the mountain passes over Washington's Cascade Mountains.

I don't remember ever taking Jason hiking anywhere. I do remember taking his little brother, my Favorite Nephew Joey, on multiple hikes, to locations like Mount Baker, Sauk Mountain, and the Glacier Peak volcano.

Til yesterday Western Washington had gone 55 days without rain. Cindy and her fellow hikers got dripped on, but looked well prepared for such a calamity, as evidenced by the below photo, with Cindy in the yellow raincoat.

The south Puget Sound Seattle Tacoma zone did not get much precipitating, but my old home zone of the Skagit Valley did.

One person opined Saturday's long downpour was like Mother Nature was making up for her 55 day absence with a massive deluge.

Even with a 55 day drought Washington's mountain forests appear to still be quite evergreen.

Cindy said they hiked the Lake Serene Trail, not the Bridal Veil Falls Trail. But, even so, I am assuming the waterfall we see below must be Bridal Veil Falls. Then again, it could be just one of the many waterfalls one sees in the Cascade Mountains, which is the reason why this mountain range is so named. Because of all the Cascades cascading down the mountain slopes. 

Years ago I recollect being somewhere in the North Cascades, on a logging road, and opining that I did not recollect ever seeing so many waterfalls before. The argumentative sort in the vehicle with me then told me those were not waterfalls. If they are not waterfalls, what are they, I asked? The argumentative sort hemmed and hawed trying to come up with what these were if they were not waterfalls.

The eventual answer was "They are downhill rivers".

No I am not making that up. I don't remember how many days passed before I realized the word the argumentative sort was searching for was "cascades".

Does the above look like a waterfall or a cascade to you?

One day, hopefully soon, I will get to witness such things in person...

Biking Fishing & Mountain Climbing At Lake Wichita

My new bike rolled me to Lake Wichita for the first time this morning.

And, now that I have a speedometer/odometer attached I know how many miles that particular bike ride is.

9.54 miles.

I saw a lot of people enjoying the outer world today, including multiple people fishing, such as those you see above, under a canopy next to the Lake Wichita flying fish sculpture. 

I don't like the idea of eating fish one catches in water so murky it has zero visibility. Fish caught in pristine clear water seems like a much better idea.

It has been a long time since I have hiked to the summit of Mount Wichita. Today I saw several making the treacherous trek. 

As you can see, even though we are days into August, we are still green in North Texas.

I read this morning that Western Washington got its first moisture in 55 days yesterday. And that was just a light misting. 

I also read that last month's record breaking heat wave turned the Walla Walla Sweet Onion crop to cooked mush. I have not heard if the fruit orchards of Eastern Washington have been hurt by the HEAT. 

Mom & Dad's 70th Wedding Anniversary

On this day, August 6, 70 years ago, my mom and dad became husband and wife. 

August 6, 2008 was the last time I was at the same location as mom and dad on their wedding anniversary.

That location was my sister Michele's house in Tacoma, a year or two or three before the arrival of David, Theo and Ruby. The only kids in the Tacoma house at that point in time were the Adventure Poodles, Max and Blue.

I did not see mom and dad on the day of their 50th anniversary, because that year, 2021, August 6 was on a Monday, so the Happy 50th Anniversary party happened the following Saturday, August 11.

If I remember correctly, and sometimes I do, I was on the road, somewhere between Texas and Washington on August 6, 2001. No one, but two of my nephews knew I was roadtripping home for mom and dad's 50th.

That roadtrip home in August of 2021 was my last time to have done so. The world seemed to drastically change a month later, on September 11, which happens to also be my Favorite Nephew David's birthday. Next month David becomes a teenager.

Throwback Thursday To Blackberry Shakes At Fife's Pick Quick With The Tacoma Trio

The above may be my favorite photo taken during the previous decade.

August 15, 2017.

Theo, David and Ruby were taking me to the airport to send me to Arizona. 

On the way to the airport we stopped at the Pacific Northwest's legendary Pick Quick burger joint in Fife, to have ourselves some burgers and blackberry milkshakes.

During my week with the Tacoma Trio I taught them there is nothing better, milkshake-wise, than a blackberry milkshake.

Ruby was hesitant at first, being a chocolate aficionado, but eventually Ruby came over to the blackberry side.

If I remember right, Aunt Jackie and Uncle Jack have left Arizona and are currently having fun with the Tacoma Trio, and their parental units, along with seeing some less fun relatives.

With COVID spiking again I hope a new lockdown doesn't leave Jackie and Jack stranded in Washington...

Firing Walmart Hiring Kyle To Change My Oil

 

The above was the view through my windshield for about 10 minutes this first Wednesday morning of the 2021 version of August.

I was getting my oil rapidly changed.

For several years now, well, since I moved to this town, I have been getting the oil changed at my nearby Walmart.

But, the last couple attempts at doing so, being told it would taken an hour, and that they were under staffed, and the final straw, standing for 10 minutes waiting for the guy who told me it'd be a minute before it checked me in, I decided I was being dumb getting an oil change at Walmart.

So, the local radio station I listen to most is known as BOB. On BOB I frequently hear an advertisement for Kyle's Quick Change. The ad makes a good case for getting ones oil changed at a locally owned enterprise.

Kyle is the voice speaking on this ad. Kyle has a classic Texas accent. Not quite as strong as Elsie Hotpepper's when she is in sailor on shore leave mode, but close.

Kyle does not pronounce oil the way I am used to. As in oil rhyming with boil. Kyle pronounces oil as rhyming with bawl.

"Get yer next awl change at Kyle's Quick Change and I guarantee your satisfaction." Or words similar to that.

The team changing my oil chattered the entire time, like some sort of rapid sitcom dialogue, that was funny to listen to because it was all about how many whether or not my vehicle had 6 or 8 cylinders.

I recognized the voice of the person dealing directly with me, and when he handed me back my credit card I asked if his was the voice on the radio ad. He confirmed that it was he and thanked me for noticing.

Well, I won't be going back to Walmart again for an oil change. I arrived at Kyle's around 9 this morning. I was back on the road, heading to the library, by about 9:10.

I got back to my abode by 10 and was able to get in a long bike ride before noon...