Humid Lucy Park Jungle Walk With Lukewarm Shower

It was back to Lucy Park I ventured this morning on this first Tuesday of the 2022 version of June. As you can see, clouds are blocking a blue sky, today.

It was only 86 degrees when I arrived at my destination, but felt way HOTTER due to the high humidity which has come to town due to the recent rain deluge.

Even though it was HOT enough for snakes in the grass to be slithering, I opted to hike the backwoods zone of Lucy Park.

As you can see, the prairie grass has grown quite tall. Who knows what hides inside that jungle of green.

I had not made note of the big tree you see here during previous jaunts through the Lucy Park backwoods jungle. I have no clue as to what type tree this is.

The current 15 day forecast is for day after day after day being HOT, with several days going over the 100 degree mark.

Every summer there comes a time where one does not need to mix in some hot water to take a shower.

We are weeks away from the arrival of summer, and my cold water already is lukewarm to a degree where it really is not accurate to call it cold water. 

Cold water and ice cubes coming out of the refrigerator render the lukewarm situation bearable...

Cruising To Alaska With Sedro Woolley's Beth C

I saw that which you see here, yesterday, on Facebook, in a posting by Miss Beth C of Sedro Woolley, taking a pre-boarding photo of the little boat she is cruising to Alaskan on.

I do not know if the Miss Beth cruise is cruising out of Seattle or Vancouver.

I suspect it is likely Seattle, but, the dock doesn't look right to me. Well, doesn't look right for either Seattle or Vancouver.

Then again, it has been years since I have seen either Seattle's or Vancouver's docks.

I don't know if it is back easy to cross the border in to Canada. COVID shut the border way back when that nightmare began.

Cruising to Alaska from Seattle is something which began happening after I moved to Texas.

I did not see the cruise ships with my own eyes til August of 2008 when I spent a Thursday in downtown Seattle. If I remember right there were two cruise ships in Elliott Bay on that Thursday in August. 

I don't know if it was the cruise ships causing it, or it was just a normal busy day during tourist season, but it was human gridlock everywhere I went that day in downtown Seattle. Pike Place Market was packed. The waterfront was thick with people. Westlake Center was also packed, as was Pioneer Square, where I spent most of the day.

I made a YouTube video of that August of 2008 visit to downtown Seattle. I shall see if I can find it.

Okay, I found it.

I did not remember that this video does not go to Pike Place, but instead walks through Westlake Center to the bus tunnel to ride back to Pioneer Square. A

s you will see in the video, Seattle buses have a lot of riders on a lot of buses. The buses no longer go through the Seattle bus tunnel.

Trains use it now.

Which seems so odd to me, because I remember when the bus tunnel was first announced its purpose was to get the buses off downtown Seattle streets.

And here is the video....

Humid Goose Stepping With Feisty Sikes Lake Geese

Yesterday saw rain falling nonstop for hours. Eventually, after hours of being housebound, I made my way across the moat-like flooded zone surrounding my abode to my motorized motion device to drive to Walmart.

Today, the first Saturday of the 2022 version of June, a mostly clear sky has returned, along with extreme humidity making 77 degrees feel way hotter.

Before noon I decided to roll that aforementioned motorized motion device to Sikes Lake to join the throngs of humans and geese.

The group of goslings you see above, with their maternal parental unit guarding them, greeted me where I parked. Mother goose did not hiss too much at me when I walked around her babies.

A quarter mile later, on the south end of Sikes Lake, I stopped walking when I came to a large gang of geese who then started chasing me when they saw I was taking their picture.

Geese are so temperamental. I think they were being extra feisty today due to being happy it is not raining and not windy.

Most of the Sikes Lake geese belong to a flock. But you do see some loners, or pairs, and wonder if they had been banished for some reason. Or are they just anti-social geese?

I think if I were a goose I would choose not to be in a flock...

The First Friday Of June Dawns Wet & Loud In Wichita Falls

When I opened my bedroom window blinds this morning my eyes were struck by multiple lightning bolts in the distance. So distant I heard no thunder resulting from those multiple lightning bolts.

Two hours later what you see above is the view from my kitchen window. A downpour of rain is pouring down. You can see the downpour, but you can not see that the lightning bolts have moved closer, close enough now to have the thunder sound effect arrive soon after seeing a lightning bolt.

I looked out my abode's exit a few minutes ago and saw that rain has already arrived so copiously that I am now surrounded by a moat. I suspect I will not be leaving my abode until the moat drains enough to allow a semi-dry access to my motorized motion device, which is keeping dry under the carport.

This morning's storm was not on the menu when I checked the weather forecast yesterday. This morning the weather menu had changed to suggesting some rain with possible thunderstorming might be happening this morning.

All this water will be making for some extreme humidity when blue sky and the sun return...

Walk Around Sikes Lake With Sister Jackie And Wild Horses

Yesterday my Arizona sister, Jackie, walked around Sikes Lake with me. During the course of walking I asked if she was still regularly going to Maricopa to the Ah-Chin Casino.

That lead to sister Jackie telling me the wild horse herd one sees on the drive to Maricopa has gotten huge. And has morphed into multiple herds. Sporting multiple wild horse colts, this spring time of year.

I have seen those wild horses a couple times, with the herd only being 5 or 6. 

Sister Jackie sent my phone the above photo of one of the wild horse herds one currently sees on the drive to and from Maricopa.

Apparently multiple cotton fields have been turned into alfalfa fields, which the wild horses greatly enjoy munching on.

Seeing that photo got me to realizing that next month, July, it will be three years since I have flown to Arizona.

I really tire of time seeing to fly by ever faster.

I have a high school class reunion happening in July. I do not believe I will be attending. My other Arizona sibling, Spencer Jack and Hank Frank's grandpa Jake, is currently driving north, to escape the Arizona heat and enjoy seeing Spencer Jack, Hank Frank, and their parental units.

A couple days ago I was talking to one of my old school classmates, old, as in going all the way back to first grade. We pondered the possibility of a different type class reunion. Such as possibly, with a select few, doing something like going to Hawaii, or some similar tropical location.

If Lake Powell were not currently in falling water levels, drought mode, I might suggest renting a big houseboat. That might be fun. 

In the meantime my exciting outdoor walking venue options for today are Lake Wichita Park, Sikes Lake, or Lucy Park.

Or, I could go on a bike ride, because it is not being windy today. A rare occurrence, of late...

Texas Welcome To June With Big Bend National Park

I flipped my National Parks wall calendar to June this morning and saw that which you see here. I thought is this a Grand Canyon National Park photo from down at the Colorado River level of the canyon?

Then I got out my magnifying glass to read the caption at the bottom.

Big Bend National Park in Texas.

Big Texas has only two national parks. Big Bend National Park and Guadalupe Mountains National Park.

I have not been to Big Bend. I have driven by the Guadalupe Mountains.

I would like to visit Big Bend National Park. I have seen photos of excellent hiking trails. It is around 500 miles from my current Texas location to Big Bend National Park.

People seem to be back traveling again. Elsie Hotpepper is currently beaching on the Florida panhandle. I am not quite ready yet to get on a plane. Or go on a long roadtrip....

HOT Humid Lucy Park Hiking With No Snakes

 It was back to Lucy Park I ventured on this last day of the 2022 version of May. In the photo documentation we are on the Circle Trail, looking north.

As you can see, there is some cloud action in the sky. That slight cloud action somewhat mitigated the extreme HEAT by blocking some sun rays. That and a strong wind make the HOT humid hiking somewhat tolerable.

Of late, talking to people back in my old home zone of the Pacific Northwest, there is a lot of whining about it being cold. Cold there, this time of year, means temperatures in the 40s and 50s. 

Cold here, at my current location, this time of year, means temperatures in the 70s and 80s. We are currently scheduled to have a cold front arrive in a day or two, dropping temperatures into that chilly 70 and 80s zone.

I have yet to see a snake slithering this year. Did that sub zero deep freeze of two Februarys ago wipe out the local snake population? How does being in a deep freeze work for cold blooded critters, I find myself wondering?

I am hoping this day after day after day of strong winds begins to abate, so that I can have myself a mighty fine time riding my bike. I do not like bike riding whilst dealing with 45 mph wind gusts...

Windy Sunday Visit To Lake Wichita Beach

On this final Sunday of the 2022 version of May, with the outer world temperature in the 90s, and with the wind blowing gusts slightly slower than 50 mph, it seemed like a walk in shade-free Lake Wichita Park might be pleasant, with that natural cooling from the wind making up for the lack of shade found easily at Lucy Park.

I had barely parked and exited my vehicle when a strong gust sent my visor cap sailing. A couple hundred feet later I caught up with the visor cap.

As you can see via the photo documentation, the Lake Wichita tide was out, with a large expanse of beautiful beach exposed. The photo documentation does not do justice to the whitecaps the wind was whipping up on the lake.

I saw multiple groups making their way up and down Mount Wichita. The wind is stronger the higher one goes. I saw several people have to crouch down to keep from being blown over when a strong gust gusted on them.

I no longer hike to the summit of Mount Wichita.

Looking at the photo of the trail to the summit, it looks short, and not too steep, and thus easy. Looks are deceiving. After a couple incidents of stumbling and tripping I decided it was not worth the sprained ankle risk to make that trek to the Mount Wichita summit.

I have hot dogs ready to grill for tomorrow's Memorial Day picnic. I have yet to find hot dog buns...

Shady Saturday Walking With Linda Lou In Lucy Park

With the outer world back being HOT, and windy, and humid, it was back to shady Lucy Park I went on this final Saturday of the 2022 version of May.

Mount Vernon's Linda Lou went walking with me today.

At one point I was so engrossed in the talking and walking that I did not realize it was me being yelled at to get out of the way of a disc golf goal net. That was a little embarrassing. I am just not used to being referred to as "sir". So, when I heard yelling saying "Sir, would you please move away from the goal," I did not realize I was the "sir".

You would not know it via my shady photo documentation, but Lucy Park was busy today. The Lucy Park swimming pool is now open, which accounted for some of the vehicles. And a lot of disc golfers were disc golfing. And a lot of picnickers were picnicking.

There is still a "TRAIL CLOSED" sign, but the bridge across the Circle Trail chasm has been added, awaiting side rails. The reddish orange you see near the center of the photo is the Wichita River. Still running slightly high from the deluge earlier in the week.

It was nice having a couple day break from needing air conditioning. We are back being warmed to slightly under 100...

Back To Lucy Park With The Wichita River Running Red

It was back to Lucy Park my motorized motion device took me today. The first time at Lucy Park since Tuesday's day long deluge. 

As you can see via the view of the Lucy Park suspension bridge, the Wichita River is running high, but not in flood mode. But freshly painted that Utah Redrock color I find aesthetically pleasing.

I don't know the reason why, other than the return to blue sky and a pleasant temperature, but Lucy Park had a lot of visitors today. Twice I was asked how to find the falls. There are multiple signs pointing the way to the falls. And maps.

I don't know why it is confusing.

Other than the fact that I asked for directions to the falls on my first visit to Lucy Park. But back then the signage that exists now had not yet been installed. And I made my inquiry at a Texas Information Center booth, where I also got several maps, brochures, sunblock chapstick and the directions to the falls.

It was at that information booth, where the where are the falls question was asked, that I was told to be sure to take the trail to the top of the falls to see the surprising source of the falls.

The remodeled Lucy Park suspension bridge is way wilder to walk across than the previous version. It seems to have way more up and down motion, along with swaying back and forth motion. And that happens just walking slowly across, not trying to get the bridge swaying. The walking difficultly amps up with multiple people crossing. It is sort of entertaining to watch.

I really need to find a new hobby...