Sizzling 106 Sunday In Wichita Falls

We are over a week til the start of Summer.

Already we have had multiple days heated to over 100 degrees HOT. With this second Sunday of the 2022 version of June scheduled to hit 106.

I will not be going out today for some pre-noon salubrious aerobic activity seeking the relaxing acquisition of endorphins.

Yesterday's Circle Trail hike at Lake Wichita over heated me. I do not recollect previously having such a dire reaction to being too HOT.

Apparently the wind today will be making those 106 degrees really feel like 104.

UPDATE: The temperature forecast has had two degrees added to it. We are now heading to a high of 108 degrees HOT today...

HOT Walk On Lake Wichita New Circle Trail Section

On this second Saturday of the 2022 version of June the outer world today is scheduled to be heated to 103 degrees. 

Yesterday I had a way too HOT walk with Linda Lou in Lucy Park.

Today I thought walking the Circle Trail in Lake Wichita Park might be cooler, hoping an air conditioning wind would be blowing across the lake.

Well.

My hoped for cooling wind only slightly appeared. After about 30 minutes I was beginning to over heat, but quickly cooled down once I was back in my vehicle's air conditioned space.

This new section of the Circle Trail is now completed, with railing and benches installed. There are now, I think, only two short sections to complete to finally make the Circle Trail a complete circle.

Property owners along this new section of Circle Trail raised multiple objections to having this trail in their backyards.

These trail protestors seemed oblivious to the fact that other new sections of the Circle Trail also had property owners complaining about it being such a bad potential problem, such as where the Circle Trail trails by my current abode.

And then when the Circle Trail gets installed, with the result being that it has created no problems, has enhanced property values, with real estate listings mentioning being near the Circle Trail as an asset adding value.

That photo at the top is right at the start of the new section of Circle Trail. I like how it sort of serpentines.

A short distance later Wichita Lake comes in to view, along with a bridge across an inlet from the lake.

Installing the railing you see here was the construction step that opened the trail resulting in the "TRAIL CLOSED" sign being removed. I previously walked this section of the Circle Trail whilst walking around the "CLOSED TRAIL". 

Several of those aforementioned property owners have stuck up "No Trespassing Private Property" signs.

And then we come to the current end of this section of the Circle Trail.

The sign above the barrier says "TRAIL CLOSED". And the property owner has parked multiple boats to block the way of the next phase of trail construction.

I look forward to the Circle Trail being completed. I will then be able to leave my abode and pedal my bike for 26 miles in a big circle...

Hot Walking Sikes Lake With Obstinate Geese

It was back to Sikes Lake I went today to do some HOT hiking with the Sikes Lake geese. 

The geese were being exceptionally annoying today. Instead of getting out of my way they slowly waddled in front of me til I could take it no more and moved them out of my way by increasing my speed til I out waddled them.

I had not made note of the above patch of Sikes Lake wildflowers before. Not sure what brand these are. Indian Paintbrush, maybe?

Apparently we are heading into a record breaking heat wave, with day after day after day over 100, under something called a heat dome which will be heating up the Southwest, all the way from Texas to Nevada.

Linda Lou called last night and made mention of how fun it would be to take a cruise somewhere cool.

Like Alaska.

Linda Lou is currently house sitting for Miss Beth who is currently cruising to Alaska, having set sail from Seattle a couple days ago.

Linda Lou informed me it was Seattle from which Miss Beth set sail. A couple days ago I mentioned not knowing if it was from Seattle or Vancouver the cruising began.

I have only been to Alaska once, flying from Seattle to Juneau, and then a seaplane to Hoonah, then the Alaska ferry to Sitka, then flying back to Seattle.

What I saw of Alaska was similar to Washington scenery, on steroids. Things like the Mendenhall Glacier. And I remember the saltwater being the clearest I had ever seen, being able to look deep into the water.

Windy Wet Wichita Falls Wednesday With Thunder

 

Wie is das wetter heute?

Wet, extremely wet. And windy. With thunderstorming also on the menu, but not yet delivered.

I do not recollect rain and thunderstorms being part of the weather prediction for my location when I looked at the forecast yesterday.

You can not tell it via the photo documentation of the view from my kitchen window, but the wind is blowing strong. That bit of black you see to the right of the green tree is a woman chasing a wind blown run away garbage bin.

I was going to go on a bike ride today, at least that was my plan after reading yesterday's forecast which forecast that today was not going to be windy. Or raining. 

I do not know what I am going to do to get my required daily dose of aerobically induced endorphins...

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....