Bruising Lucy Park Walk With Tyrannosaurus Rex

It was back to Lucy Park I took my aching self this morning for a semi-fast waddle through the Lucy Park backwoods.

It was way back last Saturday I slipped and fell on hard ice. I saw no bruising in the aching area til this morning.

I would take a photo of the bruise for photo documentation purposes, except the bruise is in an area where my shy modesty prohibits me from sharing it.

It is on the left side of my upper hip zone where the bruise is located. But it is the opposite side, the side that did not hit the ground, that hurts bad whilst walking. 

I've always known falling is hard on the elderly. Now I have first hand experience confirming that fact.

By the time I got back to where I started I sat on a bench for a moment or two, looking at the Lucy Park dinosaur bones from a side I had not looked at before.

It was from this view, above, I realized, for the first time, that this is a partially exposed dinosaur fossil. 

Tail, midsection and head.

Looks like a Tyrannosaurus Rex to me.

I think I will take a break from walking, hiking, biking and roller blading til the bruising abates...

Warm Walking With New Mountain Bike Gloves Making German Burritos

These shoes are made for walking, and walking they are going to do, and if you get in their way, they'll walk all over you.

This morning these shoes walked all over Lucy Park, including crossing the Lucy Park suspension bridge over the Wichita River, where my shoes stopped so I could take a photo, photo documenting we are back enjoying sunny warm weather.

Shorts and t-shirt temperatures and, unlike yesterday, not at all chilly due to wind.

Gel padded mountain bike gloves arrived from Amazon in today's mail. So, now I can resume mountain biking if the mood to roll wheels strikes me. 

A few weeks ago I noticed one of my mountain bike gloves was missing. No amount of searching turned up the missing glove. I figured if I ordered a new pair that would cause the missing glove to show up.

So far that missing glove remains missing.

I used my new found burrito rolling skills creatively for lunch. I boiled some bratwurst, squirted mustard all over a tortilla, put the bratwurst on the tortilla, with sharp cheese and sauerkraut. Then rolled them up like a burrito. In the oven for 10 minutes and out came a tasty German-themed burrito.

Tomorrow the Instant Pot is making wonton soup. Don't be late for lunch or it will likely be all gone...

Tuesday At Sikes Lake With Hoodoos, Joggers, Walkers, Waddlers & Mad Geese

With the ice and snow almost completely gone, except where snow plows piled it into lingering mountains of snow, I had myself a slip free fast walk around Sikes Lake on this 2nd Tuesday of the 2022 version of February.

I was in shorts and t-shirt mode for the walk around the lake. A strong wind made for a chill which made for extra fast walking in order to warm up.

The deep freeze appears to have sprouted some new Hoodoo Cairns at Sikes Lake, such as the balancing acts you see above, and below.

The above Hoodoo Cairns sprouted near the dam which blocks the flow of water and created the lake.

There were a lot of people enjoying the return to a pleasant temperature at Sikes Lake today. Several joggers, lots of walkers, a few waddlers.

I was chased by an aggressive goose today. I do not know what triggered the attempted attack. The monster was honking loudly and making that weird goose hissing noise whilst sticking out its tongue. I was able to quickly run away from the beast.

Tomorrow is scheduled to be warmer. Maybe it is time for my first bike ride of the new year...

Back To Lucy Park Finding Some Snow & Not Falling

That last time I went on a long walk was last Saturday. During that walk I slipped on icy snow and fell hard on hard cement. I thought I would end up with multiple bruises in multiple locations, but, that did not happen.

This morning Doctor McNutt diagnosed that pain from a fall such as this sometimes shows up a day or two later. I scoffed at the doctor's suggestion, and said I was pain free.

And then, an hour or two later I was doing my regular, usually pain-free yoga routine, to quickly find out I have a few sore hotspots.

I decided a walk would be extremely salubrious in my current painful condition. And so it was to Lucy Park I drove.

You can tell via the photo I took of myself that I am in pain. I can barely muster a slight gigglemug.

Lucy Park must have been plowed during the recent unpleasantness, as evidenced by multiple mountain-like piles of snow, such as you see above.

Little ice or snow remained on the paved trails. There are still patches of white in various locations. In a day or two there should be no remaining evidence that this unfortunate coating of white cold happened.

Now it is time for another dose of ibuprofen...

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....