Monday Heat Waving In Shady Lucy Park

I have let the HEAT keep me from getting any endorphins via fast walking in an outdoor venue.

Instead, I have been being aerobic in air-conditioned Walmart, pushing a grocery cart for a couple miles.

But, today, on this second Monday of the 2022 version of July, I opted to drive to Lucy Park for some shady fast walking, arriving earlier than the norm, hoping it would not be too HOT.

As you can see via the photo documentation, it was so HOT in Lucy Park that that big tree you see above is glowing orange, like it is on fire.

It did feel sort of good to be in the outdoor sauna steam bath. I probably won't repeat the experience tomorrow.

Today apparently there is some worry that the Texas grid may get over taxed due to the entire state experiencing triple digit temperatures.

We are being asked to be conservative with using electricity.

I have my A/C set at 78 degrees. Is that conservative enough?

I don't know what it would be like to experience a long lasting summer blackout, such as what happened winter before last, with the temperature below zero. I escaped to a motel which still had power.

If the power goes out I assume one would not want to be opening the refrigerator door. Water-soaked towels might be useful to keep cool. A cold shower would not be much relief, due to the fact that currently the cold water is warmer than lukewarm. The swimming pool is currently like a warm bath.

My vehicle's gas tank is full. A full tank should be able to power the A/C for a long time, if the situation grows dire...

Birch Bay Postcard Bandit Strikes Again

Late last month I blogged about a Mystery Postcard From Birch Bay Washington.

That postcard was a mystery because there was no information informing who it was who sent the postcard.

Or why.

And now, this second Saturday of the 2022 version of July, I found another mystery postcard from Birch Bay in my mailbox. Actually, the postcard is about Birch Bay, it was from, or mailed from, Seattle. Just like the previous mystery postcard.

That is both sides of today's Birch Bay postcard photo documented above.

Previously I said I wish I had not discarded last year's batch of Christmas cards, because I figured I could find a writing style match.

Well, this morning I found that I had not discarded this year's batch of Christmas cards.

I found no penmanship match. Not even close.

Is the reason for these Birch Bay postcards something to do with the fact that the past two summers, well, last summer and this one, I thought I was going to be having fun at Birch Bay with all my siblings, except the un-fun one?

But, no Birch Bay plan became known to me. I do know that the ones I was most looking forward to seeing, and building sand castles with, David, Theo, Ruby and their parental units, are going to the other Washington, this month.

I think it is closer for me to go to the other Washington than the Washington with Birch Bay. Maybe I'll make a surprise trip to D.C. to see the Tacoma Trio...

Sizzling 117 Degree Scorcher

At half past five, this Friday afternoon, I left my air-conditioned abode to use my air-conditioned motorized motion device to take me to Walmart.

When I turned the key to ignite the engine, lighting up the various information displays, I was appalled to see the temperature device was indicating I was sweltering in 117 humid degrees.

After driving a half mile, or so, the temperature lowered to 111. The wind chill factor benefit of driving 40 mph? I don't know.

What I do know is Walmart keeps their air conditioned to a cooler temperature than I keep the interior of my abode.

That and way too many people, who are way too big, wear way too little to Walmart. And way too many of them have way too many tattoos.

There currently is no end in sight for this scorching heat wave.

Tonight, around midnight, thunderstorms are predicted as possible. I am already seeing big clouds that look like they could do some loud booming.

Humid Hot 106 In Wichita Falls

The above is a screenshot from my phone taken at 1:22 PM on this first Thursday of the 2022 version of July. 102 degrees, with the humidity making it feel like 106.

I did my salubrious endorphin inducing aerobic speed walking in extremely cool air-conditioned Walmart this morning.

All my previous HOT seasons in Texas I do not remember any previous HOT season coming close to this day after day after day over 100, with the 100 degree days beginning before the arrival of summer.

I sort of regret not making plans to be in the Pacific Northwest this summer.

My last time spending a whole month in Washington was from July 23 to August 23 in 2008. That trip, when I flew Southwest out of Love Field in Dallas, the temperature was over 100. I arrived at Sea-Tac with the temperature barely over 50.

I felt cold that entire month in Washington. I whined about it so much my sister bought me a coat at Costco, which I still have. It's a nice coat.

I remember my first night in Tacoma, in the basement bedroom, I was so cold in the middle of the night I got up and searched for more blankets.

After a few days of shivering in the basement I asked if it were at all possible for me to move to the top floor, which was not used as a bedroom at that point in time.

A top floor which I had discovered was pleasantly warm.

Permission was granted, and a bed was installed. The shivering quit being so chronic...

Back Biking To Hamilton Park Splash Pad

Til today, it has been quite some time since I let my bike roll me anywhere.

Today, an hour before noon, my bike began rolling me north on the Circle Trail, exiting the Circle Trail in Hamilton Park by the Splash Pad, which is what you see my bike's handlebars pointing towards in the photo documentation.

There was some wind blowing, which made the 99 degrees feel a bit cooler. Combining the wind speed with the bike speed, the wind chill factor makes those 99 degrees feel like only 96 degrees. Give or take a degree, or two.

Of late my aerobic exercise of choice has been high speed walking. Such is much more relaxing and comfortable than sitting on a bike seat pedaling.

I think maybe I will be keeping bike riding on hold til cooler temperatures return, and instead continue going on shady high speed walks for my endorphin acquisition...

4th Of July Sikes Lake Cactus Chow Mein & Barbecued Ribs

Sunday night I was carousing way too late, which had me waking up way too late, 4th of July morning, to make it to downtown Wichita Falls for the Independence Day Parade.

I was wary of watching that parade, anyway. I'm still not liking being in a crowd. And there has been a breakout of Monkey Pox infections in Wichita County.

So, instead of watching a parade I paraded myself around Sikes Lake this 4th of July morning. Which is the location of the cactus you see above, sprouting near the trail which surrounds the lake.

My totally traditional 4th of July vittles are ready for consumption.

That is 4th of July Chicken Chow Mein you see in the wok. 

Along with a rack of BBQed ribs. 

I have not heard any firecrackers cracking, so far, today. Last night I heard a few booms, along with some thunder that came with a surprise rainstorm.

Theo Kayaking With Harstine Island Orcas

Incoming 4th of July email from sister Michele and the Tacoma Trio, David, Theo and Ruby, at Harstine Island. The email included three instances of photo documentation. The explanatory text in the email...

On Saturday, we heard Orcas were headed toward Harstine. Theo convinced me to grab kayaks. We paddled out a ways and watched them across Pickering Passage. They were a bit south of us and all the way across toward the other shore. A few boats were close to them and then one came from the south way too fast and close and the whales, maybe 3 or 4, went under. We watched and waited for them to surface and then the biggest one did - right behind Theo and me!!! He saw it but I was too scared to move. It was so loud, and we got wet from the spray. I was shaking so bad thinking the others would also surface but none did. Later, another kayaker approached me on the beach and shared a photo he took off the video he had. He had his phone videoing the whole time, just waiting for them to come up. And a friend on shore shared the final pic, also from a video.

That would be Theo in the kayak in the top photo,

And the above would be the Orca surfacing a short distance from sister Michele and Theo.

The above is from the video shot from the Harstine Island shore.

I think it is rather rare for an Orca pod to be in the far south end of Puget Sound.

Though Orcas are also known as Killer Whales, there really are not any instances I have ever heard of where a killer whale manages to kill a human.

But, it is scary to find oneself in the midst of an Orca Pod. Such happened to me many years ago, whilst fishing with mom and dad near Cattle Point by San Juan Island. As we trolled for salmon suddenly Orcas appeared. At least a dozen, with a couple Orca calves.

The Orca pod surrounded us. Dad hit the brakes on the boat. The Orcas acted like they were checking us out. One got real close, maybe ten feet from the boat, looking like he was smiling at us. Mom reacted much like Michele, totally scared, with me and dad telling mom over and over again that they are harmless, they won't sink the boat.

I think of that Orca encounter every once in awhile. It happened decades before the norm became to always have a photo taking device on one's person. I do not remember ever taking an old-fashioned type camera along on one of the many fishing trips. I now wish I had.

If that Orca encounter with mom and dad happened now, I would be snapping multiple photos and video which likely would go viral once I put it on YouTube, with people finding mom amusing with her hysterical reaction to being surrounded by Orcas...

Blistering Day After Day Over 100 In Texas

I do not recollect this happening prior in my years in Texas.

Day after day after day predicted to get to 100 degrees HOT or HOTTER.

I think I will be going to the 4th of July Parade tomorrow morning in downtown Wichita Falls.

One can easily find a parade viewing location in the shadow cast by a tall building.

The Wichita Falls 4th of July Parade has been cancelled the last two 4th of July's due to COVID. 

I have watched the Wichita Falls 4th of July Parade every 4th that it has paraded since I've been in Wichita Falls.

It is an entertaining parade.

Kids arrive with bags to carry all the candy that get tossed their way by passing paraders. It is a spectacle of flying candy.

I heard a couple firecrackers crack around midnight, last night, but, other than that, so far, no loud explosions...

Visiting Skagit Valley Checking What Is New in Burlington & Mount Vernon's Skagit Riverwalk

I visited the Skagit Valley this morning via Google Earth. I did so due to not remembering a thing or two's location in my old hometown of Burlington. That and I wanted to see where the new public library was located.

And I wanted to check out the Skagit Flats location of a high school class reunion taking place later this month.

Eventually I found myself in Mount Vernon, and checked out, as best I could, via Google Earth, Mount Vernon's Skagit Riverwalk.

The Skagit Riverwalk covers quite a distance, from the south end of downtown, to under the Skagit River bridge you see in the background, and beyond.

In the middle left location you can see a sliver of the Skagit River. As you can see it is a pleasing clean water bluish color, not the murky muddy color I see in most rivers in North Texas, like the Wichita River and the badly polluted Trinity River.

There is not a lot of polluting opportunities upriver from Mount Vernon. As it passes through Mount Vernon the Skagit River is about five miles from its mouth in Skagit Bay.

The Skagit Riverwalk was part of a flood control project aimed at protecting downtown Mount Vernon, which is below the level of the river, when it is in flood mode. 

Unlike what I observed in a Texas town I used to live in, Fort Worth, Mount Vernon's flood control project was an actual vitally needed flood control project, not an imaginary flood control project, such as has been touted in Fort Worth for almost two decades, claiming it was vitally needed, even though no flooding had happened since the 1950s, due to flood control already in place.

Mount Vernon's flood control being vitally needed it was funded by the public. Fort Worth's imaginary flood control project, which is not vitally needed, was so not vitally needed, that no effort was made to fund the project locally, instead relying on federal funding, with that finally happening due to Biden's Build Back Better infrastructure bill.

I don't quite understand how Fort Worth's imaginary flood control project was deemed worthy of this new federal funding. It's perplexing...

July's Wall Calendar Takes Me Back To Yosemite

The month of June flew by in a quick blur. This morning I flipped my National Parks wall calendar to the new month of July and quickly recognized which National Park I was looking at.

Yosemite.

I do not know if that is El Capitan or Half Dome being the primary feature in the Yosemite photo. Or maybe some other Yosemite big rock. 

The first time I visited Yosemite I was not much impressed. It was an early October visit. The waterfalls were dried up, the foliage was brown. Yosemite did not seem to rise to the scenic level of other National Parks I had visited.

And then in the early 1990s I returned to Yosemite. A late Spring visit.

We arrived after dark. Saw lights flickering on the side of El Capitan. Rock climbers secured to the side of the cliff. We checked in at Camp Curry, got our key to the tent cabin we'd reserved for a three night stay.

At check-in you are given wool blankets. The beds in the tent cabin were cots. We were warned to beware of visiting bears. The tent cabin campground was noisy, with a weird constant roaring sound.

The next morning, at dawn's early light, I opened the tent cabin door and quickly realized what the source of the weird constant roaring sound was.

A waterfall falling a short distance from Camp Curry.

That was to be the first of many waterfalls seen during the course of that three day stay in Yosemite.

And, by the end of that three day stay in Yosemite, that National Park had become one of my favorites.

I returned to Yosemite a couple years later, in October of 1994, the tail end of a long roadtrip that started with four days of houseboating on Lake Powell, then Monument Valley, the North Rim of Grand Canyon, Zion National Park and Death Valley, plus other locations I am not remembering right now, like Mexican Hat's San Juan Inn, which I am now remembering.

I do not sneak a peak to see which National Park my wall calendar is taking me to next. My favorites are Bryce Canyon, Zion and Arches National Parks. All in Utah.