Hot Tuesday Sun Setting Bike Ride To Sikes Lake

Last night, before the sun set on the second day of the 2022 version of March, with the temperature nearing 80, my bike's handlebars took me on a ride which eventually arrived at Sikes Lake, a location I had walked around earlier in the day.

Which would make that Sikes Lake you see the sun setting on above.

I am liking being back biking after a couple month sabbatical. 

Due to the weather reversal from last week's Arctic Blast Deep Freeze, the locals are coming out in numbers I had not previously seen, apparently eager to enjoy this sudden arrival of what seems like summer.

The Circle Trail was also being busy with bikers, joggers, walkers, dog walkers, strollers, skateboarders and scooters.

I wouldn't mind getting one of those new fangled electric scooters. They look fun...

Remembering Wee's Wedding With Hillary To Oregon Sand Dune Buggy With Mom Beached

Once again Google is goofy with its look back at my memories from this day, with this day being March 2.

Unlike most of these Google memory emails, where I have no clue what some of the memories are, in today's instance I know that each of the memories are. Why Google thinks I would be remembering these memories on this particular day, I do not know.

Two of the memories are from Wee's wedding in Singapore. You probably could guess those are the photos in the upper left and lower right.

The lower left memory is from My Date With Hillary, way back in 2008 in the Fort Worth Stockyards. That is a memorable memory.

The upper right is the Oregon Sand Dunes, with me and my siblings and cousins getting ready to go on a dune buggy ride.

And under that Sand Dune photo that would be my mom, likely also on the Oregon Coast, maybe at Fort Stevens State Park.

HOT Day Two Of March Goose Walking Around Sikes Lake

It was to Sikes Lake I went today for an extremely pleasant commune with nature. As you can see the lake is in dead calm mode, due to no wind blowing.

With the temperature in the mid 70s, and now wind, today felt like summer. Judging by the throng of walkers, joggers, scooters and bikers multitudes are enjoying basking in outdoor warmth after last week's Arctic Blast Deep Freeze.

The Sikes Lake geese were behaving weirdly today. A lot of honking. I think the sudden arrival of summer confuses the birds and makes them a little grumpy.

Sikes Lake has multiple gazebos installed around the lake. In the above photo we are looking west, with that building on the left being a Hilton Inn. The last time I saw Elsie Hotpepper was at a gazebo near that Hilton Inn.

Above we are looking northeast towards the Midwestern State University campus. As you can see a sole goose is guarding that particular gazebo. The geese can be a bit possessive about their gazebos.

A couple years ago I made note of an unexplained disappearance at Sikes Lake. Soon after the above plaque was installed, making note of two works of art, one being Painters Parade, that being the small horse you see above the plaque.

And the other being Apple-oosa, a large horse, which you do not see, because it galloped off to some unknown destination.

I have asked previously if anyone knew what happened to the large Apple-oosa horse, with no answers forthcoming. 

Speaking of bikers. Late yesterday afternoon I went on my first bike ride of the year. And had a mighty fine time. By the time I got to Sikes Lake, last night, it was borderline crowded, which made it fun.

First March Day 75 Degree Shadow Of The Lucy Park Thin Man

That would be my left foot you see here, stepping on my shadow whilst once again going on a long endorphin inducing walk on the trails of Lucy Park.

Unlike a week ago when an Arctic Blast blew into town with a deep freeze, and snow, on this first day of the 2022 version of March, a tropical breeze has blown in.

That tropical breeze warmed up the outer world into the 70-degree zone today by the time I reached Lucy Park.

Unlike the multiple layers required to be warm outdoors a week ago, today I was able to keep cool in a t-shirt and purse pants, also known as cargo shorts.

I saw a few remnants of snow today, resisting melting. I suspect all evidence of snow will be gone by tomorrow.

And I hope last week's slippery nonsense is the end of such til the next winter shows up.

Walking past the Lucy Park side of the suspension bridge across the Wichita River I noticed a sign I had not made note of before.

CAUTION

MAXIMUM

LOADING

20

PERSONS

I would think 20 persons would totally overload this flimsy bridge. I'd be nervous sharing it with just five full figure Texans.

My photo documentation does not do justice to how big and weird looking the above tree is. There are multiple examples of this in Lucy Park. Iam looking forward to paying attention, this Spring, to the various trees sprouting leaves.

Unlike yesterday, I did not turn today's lunch black. I made turkey tikki masala without incident. 

When I got back from Lucy Park, before lunch, I lubricated my bike and pumped up the tires. The tires did not need much pumping.

I do not think I have gone on a bike ride yet this year. I hope to rectify that situation later this afternoon...

Warm Lucy Park Walk Over Water With Blackened Turkey Pot Pie Casserole

Warmth has returned to the outer world at my North Texas location.

Along with a mostly blue sky.

So, on this final day of the 2022 version of February, it was back to Lucy Park I went today, with minimalist outerwear of t-shirt and shorts, with last week's deep freeze a fading bad memory.

Being in Lucy Park would seem to indicate that that which you are looking at above is the crystal-clear water of the fast moving Wichita River, as viewed from the middle of the Lucy Park suspension bridge.

Totally change of subject.

I made turkey pot pie casserole this morning, before driving to Lucy Park. I thought I turned the oven off at the end of the pie's baking time. A half hour after that I returned to the kitchen to discover I had not turned the oven off, but instead had turned the temperature knob to high broil.

A half hour at high broil rendered the turkey pot pie casserole into being Cajun blackened turkey pot pie casserole. 

I was able to easily remove the black top, and that which had been under the broiled black top remained totally tasty.

I really need to work at being more detail oriented...

Us Dickie's Loving Trendsetters With Our Unique Fort Worth Fashion Style

 

That which you see above was the top story in this Sunday's, February 27 online edition of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

This is the goofiest delusional Star-Telegram headline since way back near the start of this century, when another Sunday edition of the Star-Telegram touted "TRINITY UPTOWN TO TURN FORT WORTH INTO VANCOUVER OF THE SOUTH",

20 years later Fort Worth is no closer to being the Vancouver of the South, than it was way back then.

Trinity Uptown morphed into being the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision, better known as America's Biggest, Dumbest Boondoggle.

Does Fort Worth have a fashion style is the question the Star-Telegram is asking today.

Well, first off, I must say it is this type delusional nonsense which I have long made fun of due to it being so absurd.

Fort Worth being the Vancouver of the South with a unique fashion style.

According to the Star-Telegram the Fort Worth fashion style somehow revolves around workwear from Dickie's. 

Dickie's is a clothes making company located in Fort Worth. Dickie's bought the naming rights to Fort Worth's multi-purpose facility, now known as Dickie's Arena.

Ironically, I have a Dickie's jacket just like the one the guy in the above photo is modeling. I had no clue I was being Fort Worth fashionable when wearing this jacket, which I did as recently as yesterday, whilst walking in the cold at Lucy Park in Wichita Falls.

Does this mean Wichita Falls has a unique fashion style too?

Icy Saturday Lucy Park Walk With Gas

On this final Saturday of the 2022 version of February my smiley face was able to get outdoors for the first time in a couple days of being icebound. 

There are still some slippery spots, but they are now navigable.

Russia had not yet invaded Ukraine when last I had exited my abode. So, today was the first chance to get gassed before the price goes way up.

On Thursday, that being the last day I saw the gas station I gassed at today, gas was $2.98 a gallon. Now, a few days later, it has only gone up a dime, to $3.08. 

This time of year, when the temperature hovers around freezing, I tend not to fill the tank. Today the tank got filled, figuring who knows what is coming next. Huge price hike. Or a disruption to the gas supply. Who knows?

Had a relatively fine time walking around Lucy Park after getting gassed. I did not expect there to be many people in the park today. I was wrong. There were multiple groups of disc golfers. And a couple joggers. And one guy finding pecans in the snow.

By tomorrow ice should no longer be an issue.

I hope...

Mysterious Arrival In My Mailbox Of COVID-19 Self-Test Kits

At some point in time, yesterday, between five and six, I tired of being snowbound.

So, I put on a few layers of outerwear and slid my way to the mailbox.

Opening the mailbox I saw a package was inside.

I was not expecting a package. I took the package out of the mailbox and saw that it was not from Amazon, which was my initial assumption, assuming I'd forgotten I'd ordered something.

Returning to indoor warm comfort I opened the package, which was packaged in several layers, with the final layer being bubble wrap.

Breaking through the bubble wrap I was surprised to find that which you see photo documented.

Two COVID-19 Self-Test At Home Antigen Rapid Test kits, with each kit containing two tests.

Is this something that everyone is being mailed without initiating it via some request method? 

I do have one other possible explanation.

I suspect Linda Lou caused these Self Tests to be mailed to me.

Because a couple days ago Linda Lou told me she had acquired several COVID test kits, along with a supply of N95 masks.

I currently feel fine.

I shall wait til I don't feel fine, and then take one of these tests...
 

Day Two Of Wichita Falls Deep Freeze

Day two of being in the deep freeze. You are looking at the mid Thursday morning view from my kitchen window. A view which is about the same as yesterday's mid morning view from my kitchen window.

We are not scheduled to return to being warmed above freezing til tomorrow. And before that happens more snow is scheduled to arrive sometime this afternoon.

Yesterday, around five in the afternoon I had grown stir crazy from being snowbound. So, I layered on the layers and ventured out to the mailbox. I figured if it did not seem too slippery on the walk to the mailbox I'd see if my vehicle was also stable on the icy snow and able to take me to Walmart.

Well.

See that road in the photo. That is Taft Boulevard. About where you can not see the road anymore is where it intersects with Southwest Boulevard. During our last ice event I had trouble getting traction at that intersection. But not too much trouble.

Last night as I headed to the intersection the light was green. I thought I'd sail right through. And then the light turned red, with plenty of room for me to come to a stop. And so I did.

Whilst waiting for the light to return to green I tested to see if I had traction. I did not. The tires spun, without moving me.

I was able to back up, because the traction problem was caused by this intersection having a slight slope, allowing me to slide in reverse.

There were no cars behind me. I tried to go forward. Again I started to slide.

Soon there were cars behind me. I went through an entire light cycle from green back to red, blocking traffic.

I started to back up, again, the cars behind me saw what I was trying to do, and also backed up. This time I backed up far enough that going forward I had enough momentum to go forward.

Trouble then was the light had turned back to red.

But, vehicles heading west on Southwest saw what I was trying to do and stayed put while I was able to turn right to head west on Southwest. And then at the first turn around opportunity I turned around and headed east to Walmart, without further slipping of a serious nature.

No matter how stir crazy I get today I am not venturing out. Not even to the mailbox...

Wichita Falls Covered In Snow Again Chilled To One Degree Below Zero

I had hoped we were done with this until next winter, but the view above is what I saw when I looked out my kitchen window this Wednesday morning.

The weather forecasting gurus were wrong about yesterday's temperature, which had been predicted to potentially soar into the 80s.

But the Arctic Blast arrived instead, putting North Texas in a deep freeze a day earlier than expected.

As you can see via the below screen cap from the Wichita Falls Times News Record, it is real cold out there with the wind chill making 17 degrees feel like -1 degrees.

I won't be going walking at Lucy Park, Lake Wichita Park, Sikes Lake or the Wichita Bluff Nature Area today...