Holy Smokes From Nephew Jason In The Skagit Valley

Incoming smoky email from my Favorite Nephew Jason. No text. Just three smoky photos, and an email subject line of "Holy Smokes".

That is the I-5 bridge across the Skagit River you see above. It does not look too smoky.

Another look at the Skagit River, and the bridge across the river connecting Burlington and Mount Vernon. This view is looking east. Under normal clear sky conditions you would be seeing the foothills of the Cascades.

I just realized, from this view, with no smoke, you would also see Hoag Hill, which is in Mount Vernon, a short distance from the bridge.

I can not tell where we are in the above photo, but with the smoky sun in about the same location as the previous photo I assume we are the same location. But, where did the bridge go?

Today we are having a red flag warning day at my current Texas location.

A red flag warning is a wildfire danger warning. High winds today, along with dry conditions and temperatures into the 90s, are what makes for a red flag warning.

Washington Air Quality Worst In The World

The past several days I have been hearing from multiple people in the Pacific Northwest zone reporting that the smoke from multiple wildfires is the likes of which no one has previously experienced in the lowlands of Western Washington.

The above screen cap is from an email from my Favorite Nephew Jason, subject line: "Struggling for fresh air in the PNW" with email's text saying...

"DO NOT travel to Birch Bay today.  Whatcom County has the worst air quality on the entire planet right now.  We are being advised to stay indoors today.   I have already sneezed many times this morning".

I had not planned on traveling to Birch Bay today. 

And then, yesterday, Linda Lou sent this to my phone...

With text saying, "On the Francis Road headed toward Mount Vernon: a view of our smoked filled valley. It is very bad".

And then we have this screen cap from today's online version of the Seattle Times.

One of the links goes to an article titled "Seattle air quality among worst in world."

In all my years living in Western Washington I recollect many wildfires in the Cascades. I do not remember those wildfires ever resulting in thick smoke reaching the flatlands of the Puget Sound zone.

Overheating On Cool Walk Around Sikes Lake With Missing Horse

 

This morning, upon waking, the thermostat was indicating the interior temperature was 63 degrees. I lasted about an hour before switching the climate control system from cool to HEAT.

A few hours later the outer world was heated to almost 60 degrees when I drove to Sikes Lake for a long walk with the geese.

Soon upon walking I discovered I was overdressed, top-wise, with the hooded sweatshirt being one layer too many.

A couple years ago I made mention of the fact that one of the Wichita Falls Art Museum's outdoor sculptures had been horsenapped. 

The plaque, at the side of the paved trail, installed shortly before the horsenapping, still makes mention of the missing horse with the words "Apple-oosa (large horse)".

No clue why the large horse was called Apple-oosa. The large horse had works of multiple famous artists on its coat of many colors. Such as Picasso, Rembrandt, Matisse, Van Gogh and many more.

I suspect the mystery of the horsenapped horse will never be solved...

Remembering The Civil War & When Linda Lou Pointed The Way Up South Mountain In Phoenix

 Today is one of the rare times that I remember the memories Google emails me, every day.

The upper left is a Civil War battle reenactment I watched at a battlefield west of Weatherford, or maybe it was the battle I watched southwest of Granbury. What I know for sure is I watched a Civil War battle reenactment on two occasions, one near Weatherford, one near Granbury.

It has been a long time since I have heard of any Civil War battle reenactments. They are a HUGE production. Maybe the people participating tired of doing so.

The memory on the lower right is the Baker Hotel in Mineral Wells. I wonder how the restoration of this giant old hotel is going.

The other three memories are of South Mountain in Phoenix.

At the lower left that is Linda Lou pointing the way to the summit of South Mountain.

The two remaining memories are from the summit of South Mountain.

The last time I spoke to Linda Lou she brought up that memory of being on top of South Mountain, and how we witnessed some trinket selling Native Americans being hassled by incoming park rangers. We found this extremely offputting, at the time, and still do.

I wonder what Google will remember for me tomorrow?

Chilly Wichita Bluff Nature Area Walk With Giant Grass

This morning, with the temperature 59 degrees, wearing sweatpants and a long-sleeved t-shirt, for the first time since last winter, it was to the east parking lot Circle Trail access to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area I parked, to go on a fast, hilly walking commune with nature.

I do not know what type tall grass-like foliage this is that you see above, beside the Wichita River, growing twice as tall, or taller, than me.

All green foliage is beginning to show signs of falling, particularly the leaves in trees. 

Tonight, the temperature is currently scheduled to get down to only seven degrees above freezing.

39 degrees.

This sudden drop in temperature should accelerate the fall falling of leaves and browning of that which is currently green.

I have not yet switched my climate control system from cool to heat. That likely will happen tomorrow morning...

Raindrops Falling On My Head With No Thunder Booming

An hour before noon on this third Sunday of the 2022 version of October I exited my abode intending to drive to Sikes Lake for a fast walk with the geese.

However.

By the time I reached the carport, rain was falling semi-copiously, so my driving direction upon leaving the carport switched from heading north, to heading south, and then east, to Walmart, to do some high speed grocery cart pushing.

As you can see via looking past the raindrops splattered on the windshield, I was not the only person slogging through the rain to stay dry in the air-conditioned comfort of Walmart.

A 30% chance of thunderstorms is also on the weather menu for today. But, so far, no bright streaks of light or loud booming have been seen or heard.

Washington Drought, Air Pollution & Skagit River Report From Nephew Jason

Incoming email from my Favorite Nephew Jason, last night. Previously Jason told me the Skagit River has shrunk to a level seldom seen, exposing sandbars in locations usually covered by water. The photo Jason included in the email also shows how horrible the air quality is due to wildfires. Usually in this view you would see the Cascade Mountain foothills. You can almost make out the foothills through the haze. That bridge you see crossing the Skagit River connects Burlington, on the left, with Mount Vernon, on the right. If we turned around at this location, and looked west, we would see the I-5 bridge over the Skagit River. 

 FUD

Tonight, I was on my way into town to pick up some Chili Rellenos when I stopped at the river, hiked up the dike, in the thick smoke and haze, and snapped a picture for my FUD.

I took a photo of the local news last night to remind me to do this for you, as I told you I would send you some pictures of our shrinking Skagit River.   

I want to walk out on that sandbar but haven't done such yet.  The river is at approximately 10 feet deep at its measuring location.  Much different than the photos I sent you 11 months ago when the river was 25 feet higher!

We could use some of our famous PNW moisture.  Rain has been very scarce here. Minimal rainfall in July, August, September, and now October have left us hot and dusty for nearly 4 months.

I have the sprinkler watering my trees in the back yard right now.   

If you want to come up and wade/swim across the river with me, I think it would be fun.  The water has to be very warm right now. No kidding.  

Hope all is well in TX.

-FNJ

PS -- As I am typing this, the weatherman pictured last night, is back on TV reporting about how awful the air quality in Skagit and Whatcom Counties will be this weekend.   I shall send you photographic evidence of this in a separate email. Today was awful, but over the last few years, this has been the norm.   I wish my coolest uncle was here to see all the changes.  Why do people think this global warming thing is a hoax?  

_____________________

The climate change deniers are the same people who think masks don't help prevent virus transmission and other right wing nutjob lunacy....

Low October Tide On Sikes Lake

You are looking here at today's low tide at Sikes Lake.

I saw no one clam digging. Or wading in the water trying to catch a Dungeness crab.

I am so tired of time flying by faster and faster. Already almost half of the 2022 version of October is gone.

Soon the dreaded holiday season will be upon us.

Looks to me like it is time to dredge Sikes Lake again. The last time this lake was dredged, that which was dredged was hauled to Lake Wichita Park, creating what some call Murphy's Hill, but I call Mount Wichita.

Methinks some new dredging in both Sikes Lake and Lake Wichita could result in a series of little mud mountains, creating a virtual mountain range.

I'm sure such would quickly become a huge tourist attraction, what with the scarcity of any mountain-like terrain for many miles in any direction...

Daily Endorphin Acquistion Via Watching January 6 Committee Hearing

My daily endorphin acquisition today is not being acquired via fast walking at any of my many walking venues.

I am getting today's endorphins via watching what may be the final January 6 Committee Hearing. 

Most damning testimony against Trump yet.

So absurd that there are still simple-minded sorts in our country who do not understand what a treasonous criminal Trump is.

Appalling....

Breezy Return To Cool Lucy Park With Hillbillies

 

Clouds have again left town, leaving a bright blue sky behind, with a wind blowing around 30 miles per hour, with a temperature in the 70s, making for a pleasant return to Lucy Park, to commune with nature via fast walking a few miles through the Lucy Park backwoods jungle.

In the photo documentation, the reddish brown that you see on the right is dirt, with the trail passing over it. The reddish brown you see on the left is the Wichita River, with the only thing passing over it, for quite a few miles, is a pedestrian suspension bridge.

The pleasant weather brings out alot more people than when the local weather is in sauna steam bath mode. This pleasant period will not last long, before being way too cold becomes the norm.

This morning I got an odd thing from Virginia, via Madame McNutty.

Apparently the McNutter has been tinkering with making this year's Christmas card. Seems way too early, to me, to be fussing about such things.

I guess it is sort of cute, Jed, Granny, Jethro and Ellie May, being the Appomattox Hillbillies.

I am certain of the identity of only one of the Hillbillies, as that is clearly Madame McNutty being Granny Clampett. The McNutty resemblance to that loveable TV character is uncanny.

I have spoken to the 2022 version of Granny McNutty on the phone a few times of late, to find that her voice is also very Granny Clampettish....