Beautiful Second Monday Of The New Year At Lucy Park

Back to Lucy Park today to fast walk the multi-mile big loop.

With the air about 10 degrees above freezing, with almost no wind blowing, this made for a pleasant bout of endorphin acquisition.

From the above photo documentation it would appear I was alone in Lucy Park today. That appearance is deceiving.

Today I took photos with the digital camera I took photos with before switching to using the phone camera. I wanted to see if the digital camera took better pictures. Near as I can tell, I can tell little difference.

However, the digital camera did take an accurate photo of this bucolic view of the Wichita River. I do not know if the phone would do as well.

Tomorrow I shall try to remember to take photos of the same location with both photo taking devices and settle this issue once and for all...

Sunday Eskimo Mode In Chilly Windy Lucy Park

Yesterday I was sweltering in a tropical heat wave, or so it seemed, at 80 some degrees.

Today, on this second Sunday of the new year, I was back feeling like an Eskimo in tundra country, with the temperature above freezing, but with a strong wind blowing gusts faster than 40mph, making the wind chill feel way below freezing.

Even so, I layered on several layers and once again made my way to Lucy Park to do some nature communing.

That would make that me, smiling like an empty headed gigglemugger, above. I was looking across the Wichita River, to the bank opposite Lucy Park. The wind has stripped the brush of any remaining view inhibiting foliage, thus rendering a clearer view across the river.

That clearer view allowed me to see the Wee-Chi-Tah Trail, which runs alongside the river for part of the trail.

I have had no desire to ride this mountain bike trail because the parts I have seen look a tad treacherous.

And I am not just talking about Alligator Alley.

That strip of brown you see in the middle of the photo documentation is a narrow bridge spanning a narrow gorge above the raging rapids of the Wichita River. It would seem that it would be easy to find oneself having an accident which ends up in the river. 

The Wee-Chi-Tah Trail is a one-way deal, with directional signage hoping to keep riders going in the right direction, not running into each other at locations like that aforementioned narrow bridge...

Saturday's Shadow Of One-Armed Thin Man Walks Lucy Park

You are looking at the Shadow of the One-Armed Lucy Park Thin Man here.

On this second Saturday of the new year of 2022, with the temperature soaring into the 70s, after a brief stop at the Wichita Falls Public Library, I was off to Lucy Park for some much needed nature communing.

I soon found I was over dress in long pants. And shed the top sweater covering for a more temperature appropriate t-shirt, to have myself a mighty windy walk.

Yesterday for the first time in a couple years I did not exit my abode.

Not only was it way too cold, I was not feeling well.

I think I may have contracted an extremely mild version of COVID due to extremely limited contact with the extremely contagious McNutty Tribe, most of whom are currently going through their second or third COVID bout, including the matriarch of the McNutty Tribe, Madame McNutty, who is a constant carrier of a variety of contagious contagions.

Today, with it being the first pleasantly temperature day of the new year, I saw a lot of New Year's Resolutionists trying to lose weight via vertical movement. One guy was the most awkward jogger I've ever seen. It almost put my back out just looking at him bouncing along. 

In the above photo we are looking north, on the Circle Trail, adjacent to the Wichita River.

You can see the Lucy Park Japanese Pagoda in the distance. What you can't see is the group of people who appeared to be trying to figure out what the pagoda is doing at this location, with that figuring becoming apparent when I got within earshot. 

Apparently, because a semi-elderly lady, who appeared to be about my age, asked me if I knew the story behind the pagoda. I told her I have been trying to get an answer to that question ever since my first visit to Lucy Park.

It felt good to be out and about and feeling way better today. Tomorrow it gets cold again. I hope not to contract a new McNutty ailment...

Sikes Senter Sent Me Mall Walking Today

With the outer world chilled to 25 degrees, with a strong wind chill factor causing the temperature to feel like 10 degrees, I did not feel like going to any of my regular outdoor locations to get some endorphins via aerobic stimulation.

So, I drove to what is called Sikes Senter. A mall. When I first saw Sikes Senter, years ago, I wondered how it could come to be that someone thought it clever to be alliterative, rather than simply call the mall Sikes Mall. Or Sikes Center Mall. Or just Sikes Center.

Years ago when a new mall came to my old home state, in the town of Tukwila, a suburb of Seattle, it was called Southcenter. At the time Southcenter was the biggest mall in the state. I don't know if that is still the case. What I do know is, if way back when that mall was named, if it was announced the name was South Senter, such would have been mocked til the name was changed.

I was over dressed for walking the over heated Sikes Senter. But I got in enough mileage to get those endorphins.

As you can see, via the above photo documentation, Sikes Senter was not too busy this morning. Half the people I did see were fellow mall walkers.

Tomorrow is supposed to be a bit warmer. I think I will bundle up and brace myself to walk outside, tomorrow. The day after that, or is it two days after that? A heat wave arrives, again, heating into the 70s...

Exiting Lucy Park To Wee-Chi-Tah Trail & Alligator Alley

On this morning's long Lucy Park bout of fast walking I exited the park via the suspension bridge suspended over the Wichita River. That is the suspension bridge crossing the river to Lucy Park, you see above.

When one crosses the river one soon comes to the Wee-Chi-Tah Trail. The one and only mountain bike trail in town. I have not rolled my bike's wheels on this trail. I have hiked some of it. If I remember right the Wee-Chi-Tah Trail is around 12 miles long, making a loop. I think. 

I know the Wee-Chi-Tah Trail is a challenging trail, with some locations having bypasses to avoid a tricky section.

Today I walked as far as the Alligator Alley section of the Wee-Chi-Tah Trail. Due to the temperature being no where near warm, I was in no danger of a hostile over-sized, cold-blooded lizard trying to eat me.

I believe the black diamond on the above sign indicates the Alligator Alley section of trail is one requiring an advanced skill level. I used to have a fairly advanced skill level for mountain biking, but years of not honing that skill have rendered me wary of anything requiring an advanced skill level.

Have I made mention of Google Fit before? I don't remember. A couple weeks ago I installed the Google Fit app on my phone. One gets it from the Google Play Store. For free.

Google Fit tracks how many minutes you move, how many miles you move, how many calories you burn, and other stuff. Such as keeping an activity log.

You input your age, weight, height and gender, which I guess is sufficient info to calculate calories burned.

I have tested the mileage and move minutes and it is accurate. For example, it is 1.1 miles around Sikes Lake. Google Fit gets that right.

I estimate if I keep up the current pace by the end of this month I will no longer be morbidly obese...

Walking Lucy Park Before Mashing Yukon Gold At Home

As you can clearly see, I was able to get my phone's Elsie Hotpepper patented selfie filter to work again, after weeks of frustration.

I have decided one of my new year's resolutions must be to be an even more repetitive creature of repeating habits.

And so it was back to Lucy Park today to do a few miles of fast walking with the naked forest of trees.

Today is the last semi-warm day for a few days. A new Arctic Blast is blowing in tomorrow, chilling the air down to well below freezing. Although, this time, I don't think snow is on the menu.

Speaking of the menu. Today for lunch I used the Instant Pot to make the best mashed potatoes I've ever managed to make. I don't know if it was the Instant Pot that made the spuds so good, or that the spuds were buttery Yukon Golds.

Another look at the forest of naked trees, without my face obstructing the view.

In a couple months the above scene will look like a lush green jungle, with the trees full of chirping birds.

Today I watched several squirrels high up in a tall tree, chasing each other from branch to branch. I do not recollect ever seeing this behavior before, so far above the ground. Looked dangerous, but the squirrels looked quite acrobatically talented.

Heard from Aunt Alice this morning, currently stuck on a hill in Eastern Washington, near Tonasket, due to over a foot of snow rendering motorized movement impossible.

Despite reports to the contrary, the Duchess of Appomattox, Madame McNutty, was not stuck in that massive snow caused freeway backup on Virginia's I-95 yesterday.

Winter is only a couple weeks old. Seems like people all over the country are already tired of it...

The Return Of Temperature Way Above Freezing Is A Mood Elevator

On this 3rd day of the new year the outer world warmed up enough that I was able to venture outside without taking extraordinary measures, such as yesterday's backalava, with excessive long underwear.

After a quick trip to the library I continued on to Lucy Park for some fast walking nature communing.

I tried to take a sour dour selfie, but could not muster my usual sour dourness due to being under a bright blue sky with the holiday season fading into history.

And tomorrow we hit a high of almost 70. This current bout of Winter did not last too long.

Another look, without me in it, of the Circle Trail meandering through Lucy Park next to the Wichita River.

That bit of brownish green in the center of the above photo is the aforementioned Wichita River. That slash of white to the right of the brownish green is some shaded remaining snow, waiting to be melted.

My New Year's Resolution so far remain on track. Those being to eat even healthier, get even more exercise, lose even more weight and to visit Washington this Summer...

Backalava Enabled Sub-Freezing Sikes Lake Walk With Snow

Today, on this second day of the new year, with a strong wind blowing, causing the freezing temperature to feel like 3 degrees above zero, I installed multi layers and then ventured to Sikes Lake to walk around for a few miles.

This was the first time I have kept warm with the backalava you see me hiding in above. This is a type of headgear many Middle Eastern terrorist types wear. So, I left my Uzi at home so as not to scare anyone.

There were only four other people braving the cold whilst I was out in it. Usually, at the start of a new year, one sees a lot of people meaning well with their New Year's Resolution, til the resolve wears off in about a week, and the numbers drop.

Yesterday, as in New Year's Day, I was surprised at how many people were out and about at Lucy Park, seeming true to the usual New Year's Resolution burst of soon to fade activity.

But, it was above freezing yesterday. Overnight an Arctic Blast blew in, with snow. We are currently scheduled to warm up into the 60s in a couple days.

In the meantime my furnace seems to be running nonstop...

Sunday Snow Below Freezing In Wichita Falls

Looking out on the outer world this second morning of the new year, above is what I saw.

Some snow blew in overnight.

A week ago today we were sweltering with summer-like temperatures. And now we are freezing at well below 32 degrees.

Below is a screen shot from my phone this morning..

It would appear we have a few days to go of being cold before a little warmth returns.

I may put on a few layers of outerwear, topped off with a balaclava, and go for a snowy walk later this morning when it should only be a couple degrees below freezing...

Happy New Year Next Year From Seattle's Macklemore & Madame McNutty

Madame McNutty Facebook messaged me the link to a New Year's Eve Macklemore video of a song titled Next Year.

The video takes place in part of Seattle's Pioneer Square.

Next Year is an upbeat optimistic song about the year that begins today. I rather liked it. You can watch and listen to it via the YouTube video below....