Sunday Snow In Rapid Retreat With Celery Soup

The sunny Sunday noonish view from my kitchen window.

The snow is quickly retreating. With any luck the retreat will be the last we see of snow and ice til next winter.

Even though the outer world is pleasantly temperatured today, with the snow mostly gone, I did not feel like any outdoor activity due to there being some lingering soreness from yesterday's slip on the ice.

So, this morning consisted of heavy duty soreness abating yoga, then making burritos and celery soup.

Two pounds of celery and still the celery soup did not taste like celery. Supposedly celery is now a superfood with all sorts of salubrious benefits. I'm in the mood for any sort of salubrious benefit.

Yesterday I watched a YouTube video showing how to fold a tortilla into a burrito. The demonstrator made it look so easy. The reality ended up being better burritos than I've made before, but not to the caliber of the demonstrator. I think I need bigger tortillas and to lighten up on the amount of filling.

Cross Country Snow Walking With MSU Hard Fall

With the temperature above freezing for the first time in a couple days, I thought it a good idea to venture out and see if I could acquire some endorphins via fast walking. So, I drove to nearby Sikes Lake and saw the paved trail was still covered with ice and snow.

So, that was a no go. 

I thought the MSU (Midwestern State University) campus might have ice and snow free sidewalks, so I ventured across the street from Sikes Lake and soon saw the campus did look somewhat walkable.

I parked at the north side of the campus in a parking lot mostly void of ice and snow. I walked west and soon came to the herd of Mavericks you see above, frolicking in the snow.

Leaving the Maverick herd I found myself walking on snow. Doing this seemed not slippery at all.

Until I took a fast fall on the way to the cracked Liberty Bell. The fall happened in an instant, with a hard butt and shoulder landing. There likely will be some bruising. I quickly got back vertical and made my way to that bell.

I have never learned why the MSU campus has a replica of the cracked Liberty Bell. This is the area where way back in December the MSU Fantasy of Lights was located. 

Continuing on I soon came to the MSU homage to bike riding. And the Hotter 'N Hell 100. 

From this location, back to my vehicle did not seem to present any slipping danger. But, I was ultra cautious nonetheless.

I am going to venture out into it again in a few hours, to go to ALDI, hoping the shelves are no longer bare, such as was the case last Tuesday, before the snow storm arrived...

Day Two Being Snowbound In Texas

The view from my kitchen window is a bit brighter than yester morning's cold gray view.

But, the view is still cold. Currently only 15 degrees above zero.

I will be remaining snowbound again today. I think. 

We are supposed to go above freezing tomorrow. I hope the heat melts enough of the snow and ice to make being mobile, outside, to not be too treacherous.

So far the power has not had a single burp.

This morning my entertainment has mostly been provided by Winnie the Whiner, whining in Facebook Messenger about things not remotely whine worthy, when there are so many things to whine about which are actually whine worthy....

Snowbound Thursday In Freezing Texas

 Above is the view from my kitchen window around 8 in the morning on the first Thursday of the 2022 version of February.

We began icing up around noon yesterday. By late afternoon a coating of white coated the coating of ice. Even though it already looked to be treacherous driving conditions, I was seeing a lot of vehicular movement, with no slipping and sliding noted. 

So, I decided it might be fun to drive to Walmart. The closest Walmart is about a mile distant. I only slipped once. Above, you are looking at Taft Boulevard covered in white. A short distance south, Taft intersects with Southwest Boulevard. I had no trouble braking at the red light at Taft and Southwest. But, when the light turned green, my wheels did a bit of slipping and sliding before getting some traction.

That sliding had me a bit nervous because the route to Walmart includes two inclines. Not at all steep, but steep enough that ice and snow could make them slippery. 

But, the slipping at that first stop proved to be the only slipping and sliding I experienced during that short drive, both going and returning to my abode.

Walmart had a surprisingly large number of people braving the elements. The walk across the parking lot was slightly dicey, but I saw no one slip and fall. I did make note of the fact that this type weather greatly reduces the usual high number of plus-sized people I see waddling around Walmart.

Below is a screenshot from my phone, taken a few minutes ago.

I don't think I will be venturing out today. Or tomorrow, by the looks of the forecast. I wish I still had cross country skis. They'd be fun on the Circle Trail....

Pre-Deep Freeze ALDI & Walmart Swamped By Worried Hoarders

Pre the incoming weather apocalypse I went to Walmart and ALDI last night. I do not ever recollect seeing the Walmart parking lot almost totally full. Inside the store it was mayhem. Long checkout lines. Some areas bare of goods. I got one of the last three cartons of eggs.

And then I went across the street to ALDI, because I wanted oranges and some other stuff.

I entered ALDI to see what you see above. The produce area virtually totally wiped out. On the right of that lady entering the store is usually stacked with things like carrots, cucumbers spinach, cilantro, grapes, stuff like that. Little remained. On the left is where I would normally find oranges, lettuce, cabbage, apples, and other like things. 

Further down the aisle, on the right of the guy in green with a cane, is the bread section. Totally wiped out. At the end of the entry aisle you come to the meat section. Also totally wiped out.

And so it went throughout ALDI. When did this hoarding frenzy begin? I don't recollect this level of this type thing happening previously.

So far, at a little past 8, Wednesday morning, we are still above freezing.

By one degree.

Going below freezing, along with precipitation, in the form of sleet and snow, is scheduled to begin in a few hours.

I'm well stocked with food products. My only woe will come if the power goes out. And stays out for days...

Last Lucy Park Visit Before Incoming Winter Storm

This first day of the 2022 version of February is likely the last time, for awhile, that I will be going to Lucy Park for a salubrious nature walk. 

Or any other outdoor walking location.

A cold front blows in tomorrow, with ice and snow.

Today's walk was at a t-shirt and shorts temperature.

In the above photo we are looking south at the Wichita River from the backwoods location in Lucy Park.

The east exit point from the Lucy Park backwoods is at the location of the Lucy Park Pagoda.

I thought the pagoda looked particularly imposing, looking up at it from below the bluff on which it sits.

I still have not learned the why of this Pagoda in Lucy Park.

When I got back to my vehicle, at a few minutes past noon, I checked the weather on my phone and took a screenshot, which is what you see below.

It is unsettling how rapidly the Texas weather can change. I am hoping we get through this incoming storm without losing power, or it turning into an ice storm. 

I do not like ice storms....

Semi-HOT Last Day Of January Lucy Park Walk

On this final day of the 2022 version of January I went on an almost hot walk at Lucy Park, after a downtown library visit.

When I began the park stroll the temperature 69. By time I made it back to my vehicle's air-conditioning, the temperature was 74.

Back in my old zone of Western Washington, a 74 degree day, in Summer, would be considered almost unbearably HOT.

There were a few disc golfing groups doing the disc golfing thing. And one solo disc golfer, he being the one you see in black heading toward the big tree. Along with the disc golfers there were a couple clusters of pecan pickers.

Tomorrow is currently scheduled to be semi-HOT for the first day of February.

And then on Wednesday we go into the deep freeze, down to almost zero....

Post Bob's Buddhist Temple Of The Golden Dome Lucy Park Meditation

After the mid-morning Sunday service at Bob's Buddhist Temple of the Golden Dome I drove another mile north, to Lucy Park, to have a meditative commune with nature by fast walking the backwoods section of the park.

The temperature was in the 60s. No wind blowing. Dozens of disc golfers disc golfing, and others doing other things, like skateboarding and roller blading.

This summer-like weather ends tomorrow with a cold front arriving from the north, with winds blowing 40 mph. And then in the following days of the new week the temperature plummets to only a few degrees above zero.

With heavy snow a possibility.

I am not in the mood for any sort of repeat of last winter's deep freeze causing the Texas grid to meltdown for days...

Saturday Warm Temperature With Low Tide on Lake Wichita

With the outer world warmed to an almost balmy temperature nearing 70, it was to Lake Wichita Park I went today to commune with nature and acquire endorphins via aerobic stimulation.

As you see, via the above photo documentation, the tide was out today on Lake Wichita, exposing a muddy beach. It is unlikely there are any clams to dig on the exposed mudflats.

With the sun shining bright through a clear blue sky, the Shadow of the Lake Wichita Thin Man was quite dark today.

As you can see, the Shadow is clad only in t-shirt and shorts, on this final Saturday of the 2022 version of January. So far this is seeming to be a mild winter. We have a little less than two thirds of winter left to make it through.

Snow is in the forecast a couple days from now.

Turning around from the lakeside view we are looking up the steep slope of Mount Wichita.

If Mount Wichita is covered with sufficient snow in a couple days we may see cross country skiers schussing their way up and down the mountain. There is no chair lift or rope tow to take skiers to the summit of Mount Wichita.

One would think there would be some sort of mechanical conveyance to take people to the summit of the only mountain for miles; a chair lift, rope tow, tram, or just a staircase.

As it is, those ruts you see on the trail up the mountain make for treacherous mountain climbing...

January 27 With Google Remembering My First Mountain Bike

 

On this day, January 27, for the first time since Google has been emailing me supposed memories of a specific day, I actually either remember all the memories, or know what I am looking at, which is a supposed memory.

I don't know why Google makes the photo look so distorted, because the original was not at all distorted, but at the upper left you are looking across Lake Meridian, in Kent, at Mount Rainier. I was staying at Clancy and Fancy's and soon after they left for their daily package delivering duties they called to tell me the Mountain was out and looking good. So, I walked down the hill to Lake Meridian, taking photos and shooting video. I will see if I can find the actual photo I took that day.

In the upper right that is my dad and me, standing in front of the wreck of the Peter Iredale, in Fort Stevens State Park on the Oregon coast.

Immediately below the wreck of the Peter Iredale is Big Tex in the Texas State Fair, in Dallas. This photo would have been taken in October, during the fair, not January.

Below Big Tex that would be me on my first mountain bike. And to the left of that is another photo of me on my first mountain bike.

And here is the actual photo of Mount Rainier, which Google badly distorted...