In Wichita Falls Fall Is Like Summer But With Pumpkins

Saw that which you see here, last night, on Facebook, and thought it to be amusing, because it is so true.

From the City of Wichita Falls, Texas Government...

It's Fall y'all! You know what that means?

Nothing. Zero. Zip. Because it's still 97 degrees outside today. It's like Summer, but with pumpkins...

Jason & Spencer Jack Take Us On Whidbey Island Tour

Incoming email from my Favorite Nephew Jason, last night, photo documenting a day trip Spencer Jack took his dad on, exploring Whidbey Island.

First the email, then the other instances of photo documentation in addition to the one above...

FUD --

Thought you'd enjoy these PNW photos from the last full day of Summer.

Spencer and I drove me the entire length of Whidbey Island starting at the Mukilteo-Clinton ferry until we reached the tropical-like sandy beaches of Mutiny Bay.  I hadn't known of Mutiny Bay until unfortunate events of late, in which a float plane apparently nose-dived into Puget Sound presumably killing all 10 on board.   Looked for plane parts, but only found seashells and lots of driftwood.  Weather was in the upper 70s, so wading in the water felt refreshing.

Stopped by the Lagoon Point community--a first for me.  Spencer and I considered buying a summer beach home in this small community--similar in size to Birch Bay, but later after finding out that a tiny cabin waterfront lot sells for over a million dollars, we have since decided to save our money for other adventures.  Like getting gas for our truck.  Gas here is currently still $4.50.

We moved north to the Coupeville ferry dock.  On public boat launch dock, we met a couple locals, who appeared to be enjoying too much of our local legal weed.  After helping them secure their boat to the dock, they invited Spencer, who can easily pass for 21, and myself to the local bar for happy hour. 

We kindly declined and moved uphill to the newly refurbished Fort Casey.  Many of the closed off areas are back open, clean, and well-lit with historical placards and directional signs.   The last time I explored many of these parts was with a favorite Uncle as a kid in the 1980s or early 1990s before much of these areas we closed off.    I wish I would have taken pictures of the reopened bunkers, but I didn't think to do such.   I will be sure to put this on my 'to-do' list for you.

Hope all is well in TX and I hope someday soon you can return to the PNW and explore one of the longest islands in the United States.

I am guessing the above is the ferry about to dock at Clinton, on Whidbey Island.

Above that looks to be Spencer Jack on, maybe, what Jason describes as the tropical-like beaches of Mutiny Bay.

 And FNJ on that same beach, I think. 

Above I am fairly certain that is Spencer Jack, at Fort Casey, on an overlook looking over the upper part of Puget Sound.

Fort Casey is the remains of an actual fort, built during the era of the Spanish-American War. It is a large complex of bunkers, tunnels, big guns, catwalks, observation towers and more. More than once I took Jason and his little brother out to Fort Casey to have fun getting scared in the dark tunnels.

If I remember correctly, and sometimes I do, the last time I was at Fort Casey was with Jason's little brother, my Favorite Nephew Joey, currently the proud papa of Hank Frank.

Joey and I took our bikes on the ferry to Port Townsend, on the Olympic Peninsula, wheeled around town, barely made the last ferry back to Whidbey.

The ferry back was a rough rock and rolling float due to a strong tide. It was well past dark when we got back to my vehicle. The ranger had put a note on my windshield saying he suspected we were returning from the ferry, past the time the gates to the park were locked. Instructed us to the ranger station from whence the ranger nicely opened the gate for us.

Gas in Washington is more than a dollar more than when I last filled my tank in Texas

Seeing these photos sure does make me a bit homesick. You really appreciate a scenic wonderland when you have not seen on in way too long....

Autumnal Equinox Cool Lucy Park Walk

This morning I was in need of books to read, so it was to downtown Wichita Falls I ventured, to that socialist enterprise known as a public library.

Since I was in the neighborhood, and with the temperature being in the relatively cool 80s, after the library, it was to Lucy Park I drove, for a fast walk with Mother Nature.

As you can see, there is not a cloud in the sky, and not just in that little slice of sky you see in the photo documentation. No clouds to be seen, no matter which direction you looked.

I erroneously thought Fall began yesterday on the 21st. But, today, September 22, is the day of the Autumnal Equinox.

All those green leaves you see in the photo documentation should soon be turning into more appropriate Autumn colors, and then disappearing totally, rendering Lucy Park a shade-free zone til the Vernal Equinox, also known as Spring.

I hope we make it through to Spring without Winter delivering a slippery cold white mess, of the disturbing sort we endured the past two Winters...

Potato Harvesting With A Cascade Mountain View

I saw that which you see here, this morning, on Facebook, via Miss Carol B.D.

Miss Carol indicated this was her dinner time view, last night, watching potatoes being harvested.

When I saw this photo I instantly recognized where it was taken from, even before reading Miss Carol's description.

On the Skagit Flats, looking east at the foothills of the Cascade Mountains.

In Western Washington, no matter which direction you look, the horizon is altered by hills and mountains.

Looking west it is the Olympic Mountains that pierce the horizon. 

Being surrounded by hills and mountains sort of makes the sky look smaller.

Now, at my current location, no matter which direction I look, nothing in the form of a hill or mountain pierces the horizon.

Looking out the window in the room I am currently in, all I see is a big blue sky, hovering above utter flatness, with a few big puffy cotton ball clouds breaking some of the monotony.

Some day soon I need to see a mountain. Or an ocean. My sanity is at stake...

Final Day Of 2022 Summer Shady At Lucy Park

On this final day of the 2022 version of Summer, it was to Lucy Park I drove to do some HOT fast walking.

Lucy Park is my only local destination with a lot of trees providing a lot of shade.

And a lot of shade was needed on this last day of Summer due to the temperature being in the 90s by the time I was out in the outer world, about an hour before noon.

The temperature in the 90s. With only a slight breeze blowing. So, little Wind Chill.

Much of the shady walking in Lucy Park takes place off the paved trail, with such necessitated by the fact that long sections of the paved trails are not under tree cover.

And now, continuing on with the last day of Summer, it is time for Taco Salad...

HOT Sunday Walk Around Sikes Lake

The heat has returned HOT on this third Sunday of the 2022 version of September. When I went to Sikes Lake for a walk around, around an hour before noon, the outer world was already heated past 90.

I thought this HOT nonsense was over for the year. But, this coming week, as we end summer and begin fall, the forecasters are forecasting a return to over 100 degrees.

You can not see the whitecaps of the waves on Sikes Lake, but they are there, small, but still there. Strong gusts of wind made the heat a little less HOT.

Today there were a lot of other walkers, joggers, baby carriage pushers, and a rarity, a roller blader.

I do not see many roller bladers in this town. Did that fad never take hold here? Or has the roller blading fad faded everywhere?

A couple months ago I almost bought roller blades, on Amazon. I used to enjoy roller blading. Til I didn't.

And then when first in this town I thought the Circle Trail would be fun to roller blade on. But, when I went to do so I found my roller blades were no longer usable.

That roller blader today has me back thinking I might try that, again...

Fort Worth's Tenuous Connection To Tombstone's O.K. Corral Gunfight

I saw that which you see here in today's, Saturday September 17, 2022 online edition of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

I saw this and thought to myself is this another iteration of the Star-Telegram's habit of touting something about Fort Worth as being something special, when, well, in reality, not so special.

 Long ago, back when I subscribed to the hard copy version of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, I made note of the frequency of what I called the Star-Telegram's green with envy syndrome, where an article in the Star-Telegram would claim that some ordinary thing in Fort Worth was somehow causing towns, far and wide, to be green with envy.

Eventually I made a webpage documenting multiple examples of what I called Green With Envy Syndrome.

So, what is Fort Worth's connection to Tombstone, Arizona's famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral? You can read it yourself by clicking the The famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral: Did you know there was a Fort Worth connection? link and hope you are not blocked by a paywall.

I can tell you the condensed version of the Fort Worth connection to that famous gunfight.

Wyatt, Virgil and Morgan Earp, along with Doc Holliday had that O.K. Corral fight against Ike and Billy Clanton, Billy Claiborne, plus Tom and Frank McLaury. Both McLaury brothers and Billy Clanton were killed in the gunfight.

The McLaury brothers had a third brother, William R. McLaury, who was a Fort Worth lawyer.

And now you know the Fort Worth connection to the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral...

Birch Bay Postcard Bandit Strikes Again

The Birch Bay Postcard Bandit strikes again.

All summer long I have been getting Birch Bay postcards reminding me that I was supposed to be heading northwest, to Washington, this summer, with the highlight being a multi-day stay at Birch Bay, with all but one of my siblings and most of my nephews, and all of my nieces.

But, that did not happen.

I did some amateur handwriting analysis, again, to see if I could find a clearly obvious match to other incoming mail, so as to identify the Birch Bay Postcard Bandit.

I came to no for certain conclusion.

But, I have suspicions. 

What confuses me, this time, regarding coming up with suspects, is the fact that this Birch Bay postcard was addressed to "Mailing Dr. Durango".

I do not know of any of my relatives, particularly any of the siblings, who knew I came to be known as Dr. Durango, back in the 1990s.

My first website was called "Dialing Dr. Durango".

That is real close to "Mailing Dr. Durango".

Trouble is, I do not believe my number one suspect has any knowledge of me being Doctor Durango.

It's all so mysterious.

Week Til Fall Wilting Lucy Park Jungle Visit

With the outer world temperature nearing 90, well before noon, on this third Thursday of the 2022 version of September, I ventured back to Lucy Park for some shady fast walking in the Lucy Park backwoods jungle.

On recent walks through the Lucy Park backwoods jungle I have made note of the fact that the Lucy Park tall grass had sprouted taller and greener than I remember seeing it previously.

With fall falling a week from now, I guess it makes sense that the Lucy Park tall grass is now shrinking, wilting and turning brown, as photo documented above.

Or it may be the lack of much rain of late which may be causing the jungle to whither and the green to fade. 

With only one week remaining of summer, unless I come across something slithering soon, this will be the first summer since I have been in Texas that I have not had a single snake encounter.

Escaping Musty McNutty Gaslighting Via Wichita Bluff Nature Area

What you are looking at here is the picnic pavilion at the highest point in the Wichita Bluff Nature Area, looking east, where you can almost see the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Wichita Falls.

This morning Musty McNutty gaslighted me about needing liposuction to deal with excess adipose tissue.

I feel so sad when someone fat shames me.

So, to deal with my sadness, I drove to the west entry to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area to do some fast walking, hoping to burn off some of that fat Musty McNutty is shaming me about.

The temperature was in the 80s. The wind was supposed to be gusting to nearly 30 miles per hour. I did not experience any gusting that seemed to reach that speed. 

I think tomorrow, if conditions remain the same as today, I may opt for the shade of Lucy Park to get in my regularly scheduled fat burning.

In the meantime I brace myself for more Musty McNutty gaslighting...