Warm Wichita Bluff Hiking With Record Breaking Hoodoo

Monday arrived warm, as promised by the weather gurus.

By the time I arrived at the west entry to the Wichita Bluffs Nature Area, an hour before noon, the outer world was heated into the mid 70s.

Google Fit, on my phone, calculated that during my walk on the bluffs I had 37 Move Minutes, covering a little over two miles.

I have no clue how accurate this Google Fit thing is, but it seems nice to get feedback of this sort, even though no clue as to the accuracy level.

The main Wichita Bluff's Hoodoo Cairn location was sporting the tallest Hoodoo I have yet seen in Wichita Falls. This erection must have sprung up after the gale force winds blew in over the weekend.

I walked til I reached the highest bluff elevation, where one first is able to look out to the east.

And so, in the above photo documentation, we are looking east, across the Wichita River, at the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Wichita Falls. 

I enjoyed doing the hill hiking today for the first time since I had an unfortunate slip on ice which left me battered and bruised. And sore.

Tomorrow the weather gurus predict another HOT day, followed by Wednesday's Arctic Blast blowing into town, with snow possible.

Google Takes Me Back To White Rock Lake In Dallas

Is everyone with a Google account getting these daily emails purporting to be photos of memories tied to a specific day, which usually make no sense?

At least today I do remember the location in the photos, which often is not the case.

The above are all photos of White Rock Lake in Dallas.

Earlier this century I frequently frequented White Rock Lake and the park which surrounds the lake.

This is an extremely popular location. A paved trail goes all around the lake. It reminded me of Green Lake in Seattle, with White Rock Lake being a bigger lake with a much longer trail around it.

I have roller bladed all the way around White Rock Lake, and Green Lake. White Rock Lake was a bit more challenging to roller blade than the flat trail surrounding Green Lake.

In the photos above I am not certain who that is in the upper right photo. It looks like one of the Goober Twins, but I can not tell if it is Wally or Big Ed.

A dam damming a creek is what creates White Rock Lake. When a lot of rain falls the lake spills over the dam's spillway with a rather spectacular waterfall.

It has been so long I wonder if I could find my way to White Rock Lake again. I think the last time I was there was when mom and dad made their final visit, back in January of 2009.

Go to the White Rock Lake webpage I made years ago and you'll see photos of the various scenes you see at White Rock Lake...

Sunday In Lake Wichita Park Discovering New Circle Trail With Bridges

On this next to last Sunday of the 2022 version of February, what with the temperature being almost summer-like, I decided to get my daily endorphin dose by doing some fast walking at Lake Wichita Park.

Arriving at the park's parking lot I saw the tide was out, and a strong wind was making waves and whitecaps.

I walked off the Circle Trail to trailblaze the open land around Mount Wichita. Eventually I came to the location where many months ago I came upon the start of construction of a new section of the Circle Trail.

Today I decided to take a closer look at the current state of the new section of Circle Trail, and soon found myself surprised by what I found.

A short distance from the current Circle Trail I came upon rebar ready for cement. And a slight distance further I saw new trail already cemented. I figured the already cemented section likely was not too long, and so continued on to walk on it.

Soon I was surprised to come upon two bridges on the new section of Circle Trail, crossing a pair of inlets off Lake Wichita.

Above we are at the end of the first bridge, with the second bridge ahead.

About a half mile after crossing those bridges I came to the current end of this new section of Circle Trail. And so, I turned around to head back to start.

In the above photo we are on that second bridge, heading back to cross that first bridge.

In the above location we are almost back to where we started walking on the new section of trail. That is Mount Wichita hovering over the horizon, along with hovering over the parking lot on which my vehicle is parked.

Fun walk today. Went further than my norm. Tomorrow we are scheduled to get heated to somewhere in the 80s. And then on Wednesday winter returns, with the temperature not going above freezing, with snow possible.

I am looking forward to the arrival of Spring in a little over a month from now...

Saturday Going To Library Takes Me To Lucy Park Finding Huge Green Blob

The morning of this next to last Saturday of the 2022 version of February I found myself in need of going to downtown Wichita Falls, to the library, to secure a fresh supply of reading material.

Since I was in the neighborhood, and sine warm air with zero wind had returned, I went from the library to Lucy Park. 

Instead of my usual walking on the paved trails, or the Lucy Park backwoods, today I opted for the cross country, off trail means of meandering about.

Doing such took me up close for the first time to one of the 'holes' that disc golfers try to throw their discs into. That is what you see photo documented above.

Continuing on I walked across a huge open space of brown grass, zero trails, and few trees.

In that huge open space I came up that big green blob of foliage which is somehow managing to remain green whilst all else is some shade of brown.

Soon after seeing the big green blob I came open a tree void of leaves, but sporting the round orangish-brown balls you see dangling like Christmas tree ornaments.

It has been nice, today, to have the temperature back in the 60s, after the past couple days of brutal cold blowing strong winds.

Incoming possible snow is in the forecast for the coming week...

Today I Did Not Get Shanghaied On The Way To Lucy Park

It was back to Lucy Park I went today on this next to last Friday of the 2022 version of February.

Yesterday was so cold and windy I did not feel like layering on sufficient layerage to facilitate keeping warm.

So, I went to ALDI instead.

On the way to ALDI I got Shanghaied by a croaky voiced, semi-elderly great grandmother, with a penchant for telling long, complicated narrations, which are sort of like listening to an audio book, as read by Granny Clampett.

Eventually, after sitting in my vehicle parked on the ALDI parking lot, with the engine off, hence no heat, listening for almost an hour to what was yet one more chapter in a soap opera I've been listening to for what seem to be months, I finally had to tell the croaky voiced great grandmother that I had to terminate the tale and head into ALDI so as to put an end to my shivering.

Anyway, that photo above illustrates why I like going to Lucy Park for some fast walking. So many trails going so many directions.

I do not remember previously showing the Lucy Park attraction you see photo documented above. The Lucy Park Log Cabin. Available to be rented for a birthday party, or other event of the sort which a log cabin would be a useful venue.

I have seen the Lucy Park Log Cabin in event mode many times. Including today. Preparations were under way for something.

Due to little wind, the disc golfers were back disc golfing the Lucy Park disc golf course. And pecan pickers were back picking pecans off the ground.

The outer world chilled to around 23 degrees last night. Warmer air is scheduled to arrive tomorrow.

I'm ready to watch this winter disappear in the rear view mirror...

Windy Wednesday Walk In Lucy Park

Rain and thunderstorms are scheduled to arrive at some point on this next to last Wednesday of the 2022 version of February.

So, with a steady wind blowing around 20 miles per hour, with gusts gusting over 40 miles per hour, this morning I drove to Lucy Park for a windy commune with nature.

Due to the wind there were zero disc golfers tossing discs today. I don't remember when last I was at Lucy Park and saw no disc golfers.

There were a couple pecan pickers. I think the pecan pickers show up when it is windy thinking the wind will be knocking some new pecans to the ground.

The above photo documentation does not do justice to documenting how windy it was. A gust knocked my hat off, at one point.

I did not have too much trouble retrieving the blowing hat...

Cupid Valentine's Day Card From That Special Someone

Tootsie Tonasket, also known as Aunt Alice, sent me the sweet Valentine's Day card you see above.

Tootsie Aunt Alice enjoys the annual Cupid outing, getting in costume and shooting love arrows at the unsuspecting.

Happy Valentine's Day to one and all...

Warm Walking Lucy Park With No Knead Bread

That is the Side Shadow of the Lucy Park Thin Man you are seeing here.

The temperature returned to being pleasant on this 2022 version of Valentine's Day, and so it was to Lucy Park I drove to have a commune with nature and to acquire some endorphins via aerobic stimulation.

The shadow does not accurately reflect the fact that it was warm enough to be in shorts and a t-shirt.

Last week Linda Lou sent me a link to a YouTube video instructing how to make no knead bread.

Last night, before the Super Bowl, I mixed up a bowl of no knead bread and let it fester overnight.

This morning I baked the load of no knead bread and tested it for lunch today.

It was whole wheat and good. Really good. And easy to make. However, I have not often made anything with flour, or requiring sprinkling flour on a flat surface for dough rolling purposes.

So, I learned flour can turn into a bit of a white dust storm. I'll likely make no knead bread again. But, not today, and probably not tomorrow.

Continuing on from no knead bread to walking around Lucy Parik.

 With that clear blue sky and the brown grass, the above Lucy Park view looks warm.

And so it was...

No Cold Walking Past Local Crime Scene Tape

Too cold to go on a pleasant outdoor walk today. So, I went to ALDI and Walmart instead. Prior to leaving my abode, looking out the kitchen window, I saw police car lights flashing a short distance south, at the intersection of Southwest and Taft Boulevards.

I figured there had been a wreck, hence the multiple police cars.

An hour or two later I returned to my abode via the Southwest Boulevard route. That stops me at a stoplight for the turn left onto Taft. 

When I reached that location I was surprised to still see multiple police vehicles. And yellow crime scene tape strewn all around the perimeter of the property.

I suspect it will be tomorrow morning via reading the local newspaper online that I will learn what happened. A robbery gone bad? A shooting? Something else?

Oh, and it is my little sister's birthday today.

Happy Birthday, Jackie!

UPDATE: After hitting the publish post button I went to the Wichita Falls Times New Record. Turns out I did not have to wait til Sunday morning to find out what happened...

Not Too Painful Walk Around Sikes Lake With No Goose Attacks

Tomorrow it will be a week since I had myself a bruising crash to the icy snow covered ground on the MSU campus. 

Yesterday it was painful walking the backwoods zone of Lucy Park.

I was going to take a break from doing anything strenuous whilst vertical, but by mid-morning I was feeling cooped up and in need of fresh air.

So, it was to Sikes Lake I drove to take a leisurely walk around the lake. It was less painful than yesterday's walk.

What you are looking at above is part of the dam which backs up incoming creek water, causing Sikes Lake to be a lake. As you can see, a fence keeps walkers from falling into the dam spillway abyss. 

The geese were well behaved today. None chased me, unlike the previous Sikes Lake visit.

The geese appeared to be enjoying the warmth. There were no goose flotillas in the lake.

All the geese were in sitting mode, no waddling, no honking, just sitting, like the birds in Hitchcock's The Birds, acting all peaceful before going into attack mode...