The Attack Of The 20 Foot Weeds On Wichita Falls Circle Trail

Yesterday I biked the Wichita Bluff Nature Area. During that bike ride I saw tall weeds like you see above, but did not feel like stopping to photo document them. I wasn't in the mood to do such. Even when a snake slithered across my path I did not feel like stopping to photo document it.

Today my bike took me on the Circle Trail, north of Hamilton Park, where eventually the trail once again runs alongside Holliday Creek. As the trail nears Holliday Creek a forest of those same type weeds I saw yesterday almost takes over the trail.

And today I did feel like stopping to photo document them.

The foliage is jungle-like at my Texas location.

Back in June of 2017 when I had decided to return to Texas from Arizona, my little brother, Jake, volunteered to follow me home, so I didn't have to worry about another traumatic vehicle breakdown and having to deal with it alone.

I did not think this was a good idea. It could become too complicated, which later seemed the case when I was stuck in a traffic mess in El Paso. And then after that was unable to find a motel vacancy in West Texas. Eventually I stopped at a rest area west of Abilene to rest for a couple hours. 

I started driving again a couple hours before sunrise. It was when the sun rose that I realized it would have been amusing to have Jake following me.

Why, you ask?

Well, the route back to Texas is through desert country, non-stop brown desert country, from Arizona to New Mexico to West Texas.

As I headed north from Abilene and the sun began illuminating the landscape, well, that is when I realized it would have been fun to hear Jake's reaction.

Because, when the world lit up that morning it was no longer brown. It was lushly green, like you were in another world. Jake would not have been expecting this, due to being like a lot of people, thinking that all of Texas is dry brown desert.

I don't know why the outer world here is remaining so green. We have not had much rain. Last week's prediction of day after day of rain and thunderstorms pretty much petered out, with only a couple downpours, both of which I managed to get wet in...

Will Heidi Klum Attend Fort Worth Fashion Week?

Yesterday I saw that which you see above from Fort Worth Report, via Facebook. Fort Worth Report is Fort Worth's new news source. Fort Worth Report has been accurately reporting on the ongoing TRWD/TRVA scandals, doing actual real investigative journalism. Having a real news source in town seems to have caused the Fort Worth Star-Telegram to slightly more accurately report on those aforementioned scandals.

Now, I don't know what to make of this Fort Worth Report news I saw on Facebook. Apparently Fort Worth is going to have an event resembling the world's four major fashion weeks. Those four being, according to the blurb above, Milan, Paris, Long and New York City.

I have never heard of the city of Long. I suspect London is what the writer meant to type. 

So, this fashion designer, named Phillip Maximillian, created Fort Worth Fashion Week to cultivate Cowtown's fashion scene, hoping to steer the spotlight from cowboys to fashion.

Good luck with that cultivating was my reaction.

I have seen the New York City Fashion Week via TV's Project Runway. Heidi Klum was the hostess for the Project Runway part of New York City Fashion Week. I don't know if Project Runway still exists. I think Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn have moved on from Project Runway to a similar show on Amazon called Making the Cut.

Dallas has a fashion district. I forget what it is called. Maybe it is just called the Dallas Fashion District. I wonder why Dallas doesn't have a Fashion Week? Such would seem to be way less ridiculous than Fort Worth having a Fashion Week....

Spencer Jack Takes Jason To An End Of Interstate 5 Mystery

The three images you see here arrived in my email a couple days ago, sent by my Favorite Nephew Jason.

The text in the first email, which included the first image was...

"This reminded me to send you some pictures…now I must go find them."

Well, this seems to be a screen cap from Jeopardy. With the correct answer being "What is Washington?"

That is one weirdly worded Jeopardy clue. Makes it sound like one end of I-5 is in a salmon canning center in Blaine. Blaine is the last town in America, heading north on I-5, before reaching Canada.

Now on to the second email, which includes the pictures Jeopardy reminded Jason to send me. The text which accompanied two pictures...

"Call me sometime for an explanation of these border pictures. This is an X-rated story."

Okay, let's take a look at the two border pictures and see if we can see anything X-rated...

Okay, above Jason and Spencer Jack are on the U.S. side of the border, with the Peace Arch behind them. The American side of the Peace Arch says "Children of a Common Mother". I see nothing remotely X-rated.

Let's look at the next picture.

Now Spencer Jack has crossed into Canada and is on the north side of the Peace Arch. The message on the Canadian side of the Peace Arch is "Brethren Dwelling Together In Unity."

Again I see nothing remotely X-rated.

I can not remember when last I was in Blaine and at Peace Arch Park. I was close in August of 2017 when I was at Birch Bay and Lynden, just a few miles south of the border.

When Spencer Jack's grandpa and I were a little younger than he is we thought it was great fun to be at Peach Arch Park and go back and forth across the border and then later brag about how many times we went to Canada that day.

Years later I was at another border absurdity. Four corners, where Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona's borders meet. There is a monument at this location, with tourists stopping to take photos of being in four states at once, which involved putting one foot in one state, another foot in another state, a hand in another state and the other hand in another state.

I did not stop to take a picture. Although, thinking back on it, it might have been amusing to take some pictures of people contorting themselves like a game of Twister, in order to be in four states at once.

When I get the answer to the X-rated mystery I will let you know...

Finding Hotpepper Stats Picking Wigs Biking To Neon Green Sikes Lake

Well, this first day of the 2021 version of October is going well.

It began with an urgent text message from Elsie Hotpepper who was in a panic because she could not see her visitor statistics. I can't imagine getting so many visitors that I felt compelled to keep track of them. I may not be sufficiently concerned about monitoring who visits me. I was able to fix the Hotpepper's visitor statistics problem.

Then an hour or so later I found myself being consulted by a young lady as to which was the best look, the wigged one or the natural one? Photos accompanied the question. I could not tell which of the two was the wigged one, so simply went with the one that looked best to my sartorially skilled eyes, and chose the option on the right. Soon I was to learn I had opted for the wigged option. As apparently had dozens of others who had been consulted.

Some time after looking at wigs I took off on a bike ride, eventually reaching Sikes Lake. On the western bridge across Sikes Lake I stopped for a hydration break. I looked down to see the algae in the lake had turned an un-natural shade of almost neon green.

Just like my bike.

No rain downpoured on me today. And the last two days of a little rain has done nothing to help the water level in Sikes Lake, or Holliday Creek. 

I finished the bike ride a bit past noon. I entered my abode and soon the phone was making its incoming call noise. I saw the Elsie Hotpepper avatar. Oh oh, I thought, she must be freaking out now that she sees who is visiting her. I answered the phone, asking, what the hell do you want? Elsie likes it when I curse like a drunken sailor on shore leave.

Well, the answer had nothing to do with that which I feared it was about. I can not talk about what the subject was. I have been sworn to secrecy. 

I start this new month with the goal of finally losing the three pounds I have been trying to lose for seven years. I hope to realize this goal by the time November arrives...

Hiking Wichita Bluff Nature Area With Rain Drops

Under what appeared to be a threatening sky I drove to the west parking lot at the west entry to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area, at about an hour before noon, long before the predicted arrival of rain and thunder.

Yesterday when I blogged about hiking the Lucy Park jungle comments were made along the line that the commenters did not realize it was so green in Texas.

So, I thought today whilst hiking in the Natural Area I would photo document some more greenery.

Now, I must point out, the majority of Texas is not green, it is more a pleasant shade of brown, but if you added up all the square miles that are green the total square mileage would like be bigger than the entire are of my old home state, Washington, nicknamed the Evergreen State. 

So, let's continue with our hike through the Wichita Bluff Nature Area.

Some insist on calling the above natural formation a cairn. I prefer hoohoo. This hoodoo looks quite delicate. I don't think it will survive a strong wind.

The Circle Trail is the main trail which trails through the Wichita Bluff Nature Area. There are multiple side trails off the main trail, all with benches at the end of the side trail.  Or two benches such as you see above.

Getting towards the east end of the Wichita Bluff Nature Area we come to the side trail you see above, leading to a covered picnic area, along with a view of the Wichita River below.

In the above we are on another side trail, looking north at a bench on another side trail. Can you find the bench hidden by the tall prairie grass?

The above is looking at a low point in the Nature Area, with a bridge going over a creek which is currently dry. You may be able to make out the Wichita Bluff Nature Area's other covered area. This one is more of a pavilion. I have seen wedding taking place at that location.

In the above I am near the end of today's hike. The trail goes up a slope, turning to the left. Partway up this slope big drops of rain being to paint polka dots on the pavement. I was about 200 feet from my vehicle when the frequency of the big drops increased to being in downpour mode. By the time I shut the door of my vehicular rain shield I was soaking wet. That makes it two days in a row this has happened, which I mentioned in a blogging earlier today.

Above we are looking out the rain soaked windshield at the Wichita Bluff Nature Area sign we saw at the top. I did not realize when I took this photo that it was also a selfie.

I don't think I will be doing any afternoon bike riding today. I'm already hearing thunder booming.

A Sikes Lake Late Afternoon Thunderstorm Drenching

Late yesterday afternoon I rolled out under a threatening sky and had my bike take me to Sikes Lake. Those clouds you see on the west side of the lake were sparking lightning bolts, along with a constant drumbeat of thunder.

To the left of my handlebars, also known as south, there was a massive gray wall of clouds. I figured I could get in a bike ride before any of these cloud formations made it to my location.

I figured wrong.

The second time around Sikes Lake I started feeling water. I thought it was my water bottle splashing, with the wind carrying the splash and hitting me.

I thought wrong.

Soon there was no denying that I was being pelted by big raindrops. I switched modes to making a beeline for home mode, pedaling as fast as I can.

When I started pedaling fast I was a little under two miles from being under cover.

I was pretty much soaking wet by the time I made it to that aforementioned under cover location.

Today a heavy thunderstorm is predicted for this afternoon. I think I will go hiking the Wichita Bluff Nature Area this morning...

First Fall Hiking The Lucy Park Jungle

With the outer world chilled to a comfortable temperature I thought a hike in Lucy Park would be salubrious today. This is the time of year when it begins being appealing to do such. I suspect I shall be hiking the Wichita Bluff Natural Area this week, as well.

Above you are looking at the Lucy Park suspension bridge which crosses the Wichita River. When I got to this location an elderly couple with wild big white hair was slowly crossing. I knew they would not appreciate me getting on the bridge whilst they were trying to cross, because it is impossible to stop the bridge from swaying. 

As I howdy-ed the pair, as they finally got back to land, both cautioned me to tread lightly because some of the planks look ready to fail. When I crossed the planks did look a little more tired than they have looked previously.

Continuing on.

Off the suspension bridge, halfway between the bridge and the Lucy Park log cabin, I saw the interesting looking foliage you see above. I like the varied collection of trees which grow in Lucy Park.

Changing the subject back to the weather. Today blue sky has returned. Yesterday the blue sky left right on schedule, replaced by angry looking thunder clouds. Eventually, around the time the sun ceased illuminating, a brief thunderstorm erupted, along with what I thought were the tornado sirens.

I could hear rumbling in the distance, but no flashes. And then suddenly there was an explosively bright thunderbolt, with an equally explosive BOOM, simultaneous with the flash, meaning the lightning bolt struck real close.

Not much rain fell. By morning the outer world was mostly dry. And I saw no sign of where that lightning bolt struck earth. 

More storming is on the menu for this afternoon.

Seven Day Forecast Of Sort Not Seen For Months

Looks like we are heading into a week of wet and thunder booms. And a pleasant drop in temperature. It has been a long streak with no rain. Looking out my window at Holliday Creek, it is a trickle.

I get to drive an elderly person to a doctor's appointment this afternoon, right when the strong afternoon thunderstorm is scheduled to arrive. I suspect I won't be needing to run the air conditioner whilst waiting in the parking lot.

So far, looking out the window, I only see blue sky, no clouds...

Happy Belated Birthday Grandpa Jake & Hank Frank

I was distracted yesterday, I guess, and forgot to text Happy Birthday to my little brother and his littlest grandson, Hank Frank.

Hank Frank was brother Jake's birthday present three years ago yesterday. And Jake got to be up in Washington when his birthday present was opened, I mean, born.

I thought I was going to get to meet Hank Frank, and his mother, for the first time two summer's ago, but COVID intervened. I thought for sure I would get to meet Hank Frank, and his mother, the summer which just had its closing, but COVID was still intervening.

I was in the parking lot of the Beach Street Walmart in Fort Worth when I got a call telling me about the arrival of Hank Frank. I do not remember who called me. 

I think I am likely the only one of Hank Frank's Great Uncles and Aunts who have not yet met him. Though I do not recollect sister Michele mentioning seeing Hank Frank. Sister Jackie had a great time meeting Hank Frank and his mom, Monique. 

Anyway, I hope brother Jake and Hank Frank had themselves a mighty fine time on their Happy Birthdays!

UPDATE: Hank Frank's dad, Joey, sent my phone a picture of Hank Frank's birthday party. A party Hank Frank's grandma, my Favorite Ex-Sister-In-Law, Cindy, flew home from Italy, just to be there. I was not invited. I was always invited to all Hank Frank's dad's birthday parties...

Google Takes Me Back In Time Down Memory Lane

For a few months now, once a month, Google emails me an email, part of which is what you see above. The subject line in the email this month says, "On this day September 26 look back at your memories from this day."

Sometimes I do not remember the memory, or the date of that memory. In today's memory of this day of September 26 I definitely know this memory is not accurate. It is the photo on the lower left which I know exactly what date that photo was taken.

August 11, 2001, one more before that date which will live on in infamy, 9/11. 

I had driven solo back to Washington for my mom and dad's 50th wedding anniversary party. No one but two of my nephews knew I was doing this. I believe this may have been the last time all my siblings were together at the same location.

Nope, just remembered we were all present at nephew Jason's first wedding five years later.

In the photo from August 11, 2001 me and my siblings are lined up chronologically. The eldest, me, is on the left, next to little brother Jake, then big sister Clancy, second biggest sister Jackie and little sister Michele. I do not know why Michele is the tallest in this photo. In front of us, sitting, dad, mom and grandma Vera, my mom's mom.

As for the other photos.

The upper left is the pasture and pond at my first Texas location in the little town of Haslet, a suburb of Fort Worth.

The upper right looks to be the Paramount Theater in Seattle. Why I would have taken this picture I do know. I have no memory of having done so.

Under the Paramount Theater is my dad holding the aforementioned big sister Clancy, when she was still little and called Nancy. Next to dad that would be me, with little brother Jake on the left. 

At the bottom right that would be me, sitting on some sort of barrel. Possibly at the Fort Worth Stockyards, but I really have no memory of this.

So there you have it, a trip down memory lane, some of which I remember...