Hiking With The Wichita Bluff Hoodoos, Grasshoppers & Sunflowers

Today I returned to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area to go on a long hike. All the way from the western parking lot to the eastern parking lot and back. A roundtrip of around five miles. It has been awhile since I hiked this long a distance.

I don't know how well I would do these days, going on a real hike on a real mountain with a real elevation gain and a distance of 10 miles, or more.

I forgot to mention, as you can see above, the Wichita Bluff Nature Area Hoodoo Cairn has risen to an unprecedented height. Today the Hoodoo Cairn was being buffeted by a strong steady wind. With gusts.

Just to the right of the Hoodoo Cairn, behind that green bush tree, there was the splash of yellow you see below.

Are these sunflowers? They look like sunflowers. Whatever they are they were swaying in the wind, so much so I was surprised the photos I took were not all blurry.

Grasshoppers were out in force today. They can be a bit annoying. Multiple times today one hopped right at my face...

Gimme Three Steps While Thelma McNutty Finds Linda Lou With Lynyrd Skynyrd

I did not realize, til Thelma McNutty suggested it yesterday, that the Skagit Valley's Linda Lou could possibly be the Linda Lou in the Lynyrd Skynryrd "Gimme Three Steps" song.

But, I really do not see how the Skagit Valley's Linda Lou could possibly be the Linda Lou in this Lynyrd Skynyrd song.

1973 was the year "Gimme Three Steps" was a hit. Linda Lou would have only been 19 years old. Maybe 20. Okay, I guess that possibly Linda Lou was old enough to possibly have been some sort of Lynyrd Skynyrd groupie and song inspiration.

The lyrics to "Gimme Three Steps" really don't make much mention of Linda Lou. Certainly not sufficient detail to make a clear identification (video below the lyrics)...

I was cutting the rug
Down at place called The Jug
With a girl named Linda Lou
When in walked a man
With a gun in his hand
And he was looking for you know who
He said, "Hey there, fellow
With the hair colored yellow
Whatcha tryin' to prove?
'Cause that's my woman there
And I'm a man who cares
And this might be all for you
I said, excuse me

I was scared and fearing for my life
I was shaking like a leaf on a tree
'Cause he was lean, mean
Big and bad, Lord
Pointin' that gun on me
"Oh, wait a minute, mister
I didn't even kiss her
Don't want no trouble with you
And I know you don't owe me
But I wish you'd let me
Ask one favor from you"

"Oh, won't you
Gimme three steps, gimme three steps, mister
Gimme three steps toward the door?
Gimme three steps, gimme three steps, mister
And you'll never see me no more"

For, sure

Well the crowd cleared away
And I began to pray
And the water fell on the floor
And I'm telling you, son
Well, it ain't no fun
Staring straight down a forty-four
Well, he turned and screamed at Linda Lou
And that's the break I was looking for
Well, you could hear me screaming a mile away
I was headed out toward the door

"Oh, won't you
Gimme three steps, gimme three steps, mister
Gimme three steps toward the door?
Gimme three steps, gimme three steps, mister
And you'll never see me no more"

Show me the back door

Sunday Communing With Nature & Disc Golfers At Lucy Park

As you can clearly see I am getting way better at taking selfie photos with my phone.

The wispy clouds above me were wisping above Lucy Park this Sunday morning.

Dozens of disc golfers were spinning frisbees into wire traps. 

I don't see why disc golfing is so popular. I also don't see why regular golfing is so popular. 

If forced to choose one I think I would go with disc golfing.

Throwing a frisbee at a target looks like more fun than hitting a little ball with a stick trying to get the little ball into a little hole in the ground.

I have been talked into golfing a couple times. It was a slow torture.

We are past the middle of October and the leaves in the trees are still green.

I would have thought some disc golfers would have shown up in the above photo. There was a large group to the left, another to the right.

And soon after I took the above photo a solo disc golfer was wandering from one group to the next asking if they'd found a phone on the fairway. When he asked me that question I said I don't know where the fairway is. And I have seen no phone.

I think I will go on a bike ride this afternoon. Yesterday's bike ride I cut short because I was wearing shorts and got too cold. Today's walk around Lucy Park was in sweat pants and long sleeved t-shirt.

Seems like only yesterday the outer world at my location was heated into the 90s. Last night got down to the chilly low 40s.

This bodes ill for the coming winter. I don't think Texas has fixed its power grid...

Chilly Wichita Bluff Walk With Linda Lou

Linda Lou, from Washington's Skagit Valley, hiked the Wichita Bluffs with me this 3rd Saturday of the 2021 version of October.

The outer world got near freezing last night. Well, within 10 degrees of freezing. So, I was in sweatpants and long sleeved t-shirt for the hiking today.

We were not more than a minute of the hiking today when we came across what looked like a homeless camp. This was seen shortly after walking under the west entry arch into the Wichita Bluff Nature Area.

Upon further examination it was determined this was part of a photographer's set up, because we saw a photographer photographing a couple of people behind that green tree you see on the right.

And the photographer was asked if that was his pile of stuff on the other side of the tree. With "yes" being the answer.

The Instant Pot just beeped indicating it has completing pressure cooking today's lunch...

Is Fort Worth Grand Jury Investigating A Local Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization?

Outrage over the Tarrant Regional Water District payoff to former TRWD Executive Director, Jim Oliver, has opened a can of worms that has long been in dire need of being opened.

A Grand Jury investigation is underway.

Maybe this will finally lead to a RICO investigation. (Racketeer Influenced & Corrupt Organizations)

Apparently at the latest TRWD board meeting it became apparent that some of the board members have no understanding of even the simple type of corruption known as nepotism.

Fort Worth's new actual real news source of the investigative journalism sort, Fort Worth Report reported on the TRWD Grand Jury Investigation in Grand Jury Investigating Tarrant water district.

Having a real news source in town seems to have motivated the Fort Worth Star-Telegram to act more like a real newspaper.

The above is a screen cap from the front page of the online version of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram with a link to an article about the TRWD Grand Jury investigation titled Grand jury investigating Tarrant Regional Water District after complaint about settlement.

It will be interesting to see where this Grand Jury investigation goes...

In Disneyland With Spencer Jack & Jason

A couple years ago my Favorite Nephew Jason emailed me a photo of himself and Spencer Jack standing in front of what looked to me to be Utah-like scenery, along with a Route 66 road sign. This confused me because I did not think Route 66 went through Utah, or any Utah-like scenery.

Last night FNJ emailed a similar photo and asked, once more, if I could guess where he and Spencer Jack were. This time I replied "Disney California".

Jason then called to tell me I was correct. Spencer Jack took a couple days off school and flew his dad to Anaheim. Jason is now at the age when a day at Disneyland is exhausting. So, he left Spencer to continue riding rides, whilst Jason walked back to the hotel to get some rest and call his favorite uncle.

This morning another photo showed up in my email.

Above I can tell Jason is in Disneyland, floating on a canoe, following the Mark Twain Riverboat on the Mississippi, heading to Tom Sawyer Island.

When last I was in Disneyland, Disney California had not yet been invented. That last visit was Christmas of 1993. Disneyland broke an attendance record that day.

Way back then it cost around $30 to get admitted to Disneyland. If I remember last night's conversation correctly, Jason told me it cost $290 each for a two day pass to both Disneyland and Disney California. I'm thinking that price must include some sort of express pass.

When I was around Spencer Jack's age our annual family vacation was to California and Disneyland two years in a row.

We did not just go to Disneyland. We also went to Knott's Berry Farm, Universal Studios and Sea World.

Doing such in 2021 for a family of six would cost a small fortune.

The Mountain Is Out With Madame McNutty

Another in the continuing series of making her homesick Facebook posts from Madame McNutty. 

Madame McNutty comments "Fantastic photo. The Mountain is out and everything."

I think I have made mention previously of the fact that in Washington when you say "The Mountain is out" you are referring to Mount Rainier, even though it shares being a volcano mountain with four others in the state.

But, Mount Rainier is the only one of the Washington volcanoes which can be seen almost anywhere in the state you happen to be, which is why Mount Rainier is on the Washington state license plate.

Even though this is a bird's eye view of the Space Needle, which is a view most visitors to Seattle do not get to have, this is a more realistic photo of the Seattle skyline and Mount Rainier than most.

Often a photo trick is done which makes Mount Rainier look way bigger and way closer to Seattle than it actually is. This photo shows accurately how Mount Rainier actually looks from Seattle.

Now, the view of Mount Rainier from Tacoma does have The Mountain seeming way closer and way bigger.

I remember back in the last century, on a rare rainy day in Seattle, Hank Frank's dad, Joey, and Spencer Jack's dad, Jason, were riding the ferry with their favorite uncle, from Seattle to Bainbridge Island. As we were floating along a tourist asked if we were locals. Yes, we replied, we are not tourists. The tourist then asked if we could point to where Mount Rainier would be seen if the sky were clear of clouds. All three of us simultaneously pointed in the same south, slightly east, direction.

I wonder how many tourists visit Washington hoping to see The Mountain, but don't get to, due to it being socked in by clouds. I remember the first time going to San Francisco being disappointed due to not being able to see the Golden Gate Bridge, due to thick fog.

Speaking of the Space Needle. My favorite Macklemore song and video, "Can't Hold Us", ends with Macklemore landing on top of the Space Needle, looking much like the Space Needle image above...

Rainy Wichita Falls Library Return With Lucy Park Plaque Walk

That is the entry to the Wichita Falls Public Library you are looking at, shrouded by trees.

I was last at the library two Saturdays ago, as in 10 days ago, and somehow managed to read the four books I checked out that day and so needed to return to check out four more.

Maybe I should check out more than four, that or slow down my reading speed. But it gets cumbersome carry so many books in my book bag. Five might be my limit.

The forecast for today is for heavy rain and severe thunderstorms. Leaving the library the sky looked menacing, but, even so, I decided to go to nearby Lucy Park for a brisk walk of a mile or two.

Eventually rain began to drip, but I made it back to my vehicle without getting soaked.

A few days someone asked me if Lucy Park was named after Lucille Ball. I recollect when first hearing this park's name wondering why it was named such.

There is a plaque stuck to a big boulder by the Lucy Park Duck Pond which explains the name.

Lucy O'Neill Saunders was a Wichita Falls oil baroness. That is not mentioned on the plaque. I learned that elsewhere. Lucy owned the land which is now Lucy Park, land which was donated in her mother's memory by Frances Ann Dickinson.

Last Night Thunderstorm Before Today's Clear Blue Calm

My bike decided to roll me to Sikes Lake today, after visiting Hamilton Park and the MSU campus.

As you can see the outer world is pretty much dead calm at my location on this second Monday of the 2021 version of October.

Such was not the case last night when a strong thunderstorm with 70 mph winds and a short downpour poured down. The power only flickered a couple times. Tornado warnings were issued for Wichita County and the surrounding counties. 

But, the tornado sirens never went active.

While this storm was happening I was on a virtual Amtrak train ride, going from Manassas to Lynchburg, Virginia. It was a rocking and rolling train ride. Almost as bad as my one and only time of riding Amtrak from Seattle to Portland. And back.

Or was that Tacoma to Portland? And back.

I can't remember, for sure. What I do remember is the ride back was worse than the ride to. And, that by the time I was back driving I had to pull off of I-5 so that I could throw up. First time I have ever been seasick.

And it was from a train ride. Not a rocky boat ride...

The Shadow Of The Wichita Falls Thin Man On Sunday MPEC Walk

That is the Shadow of the Wichita Falls Thin Man you are seeing here.

On this second Sunday of the 2021 version of October I decided not to go to church this morning, and instead went on a walk around the Wichita Falls MPEC.

Multi-Purpose Events Center.

I have only gone to a few events at the MPEC. The finale of the Hotter 'N Hell 100, a Christmas Crafts Show and an anti-Trump Rally.

I don't know how the MPEC came to be. It is a large complex consisting of several buildings and HUGE parking lots.

Since I have been in Wichita Falls I have not seen any big projects come to fruition.

I have heard of big plans, such as the Lake Wichita Revitalization Project, which I learned of soon upon arrival via a well done website. And when I learned about it I thought that the revitalizing was going to soon come to fruition. I now see the well done website no longer exists, but its domain name is available for $5,195.

Anyway, let's continue on with our look at the MPEC.

Above, that is a small section of the MPEC's large parking area, with a solo pickup parked under some shade trees.

Kay Yeager Coliseum is where hockey gets played, along with other sporting type events.

Sheppard Air Force Base is a NATO training base, located at the north side of Wichita Falls, which is why we are seeing flags from other nations blowing in the breeze between Kay Yeager Coliseum and the Ray Clymer Exhibition Hall. The Ray Clymer Exhibition Hall is where that Christmas Crafts Show aforementioned was located.

Standing under those NATO flags looking at the entry to the Ray Clymer Exhibition Hall.

One of the entries to Kay Yeager Coliseum. These were steep steps. So, I ran up and down them. I can see where these steps could get a bit dicey when a large crowd exits.

From the top of the Kay Yeager steps looking towards the Agricultural Building on the other side of the Wichita River. We will get there eventually.

A view of the MPEC grounds. During events such as the Hotter N' Hell 100 there are variety of things taking place in this area. Like a beer garden, multiple food vendors, bike related art and a lot of people.

Now we are heading towards that aforementioned Agricultural Building. I'm sure it has a name, but I don't know what it is. .

Some sort of event was happening today. There were dozens of RV's parked to the left of the view above. And horses were making horse noises in a corral to the right. One solo cowboy was seen riding a horse.

In the middle of the pedestrian bridge which takes you to the Agricultural Building I stopped to take a picture of the Wichita River.

And above you see the Shadow of the Wichita Falls Thin Man walking back across the bridge, heading to the parking lot where we started our MPEC tour.

I enjoyed not going to church today. I may make a habit of it...