Chilly Tuesday Beachcombing Lake Wichita

It was to Lake Wichita Park I ventured this overcast, semi-foggy, first Tuesday of the 2022 version of December.

Which would make that Mount Wichita, also known as Murphy's Hill, rising behind the Vietnam War Memorial.

Yesterday the outer world at my location was heated to degrees in the 80s. Today the big chill has returned.

Recent rains have not reversed Lake Wichita's low level, which has rendered a big beach at the Lake Wichita Park parking lot.

Another look at how the lake has shrunk, with a solo beachcomber combing the receding shoreline.

And here we are on the beach, halfway to the shoreline, looking back at Mount Wichita.

This all looks rather desolate, doesn't it?

Christmas Decorating While Theo Snow Soccers With Poodles

This morning someone who shall remain nameless made reference to my Christmas decorations saying...

 "I'll spend the day getting all my decorations up inside and outside.  I'll send you pictures tonight.  You and your little Christmas hanky are just sad!  haha."

I replied asking "What you talking about?"

To which this unconscionably rude person compounded the rudeness saying, "I thought the only decoration you put out was a crocheted hanky?"

With the mention of the crocheted work I knew what this rude person was talking about, that being the red crocheted Christmas stocking my Grandma Slotemaker Jones gave me decades ago.

Now that I knew what the rude person was talking about I set out trying to find the crocheted Christmas stocking. I looked in every drawer, every cabinet, everywhere, to no avail. 

And then when I went to the multi-level table on which my TV sits, to get a screwdriver, I looked up and saw where the red crocheted Christmas stocking was hiding, in plain sight, sitting on a camel my Grandma Vera gave me decades ago.

Which makes that what you see above in the photo documentation, my one and only Christmas decoration.

Also in the Christmas spirt are a couple incoming photos from Tacoma, showing the latest snow to fall weeks before winter arrives.

Those are two of David, Theo and Ruby's poodles you see above, trying to gain admittance back into the house after dodging snowflakes in the backyard.

And here we see my Favorite Theo Nephew getting ready to play some slippery soccer.

Mama Michele is the coach of Theo's soccer team. I don't recollect Mama Michele being a soccer player. I do recollect Mama Michele being a softball player.

December Wall Calendar Takes Me Back To The Grand Canyon

The past couple months, my 2022 wall calendar featuring American National Parks, each month, has been National Parks I have not been to, such as last month, which was Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Or September's National Park, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, which is in Ohio, and which I had never heard of til seeing it on my wall.

Or August's National Park, which was Arcadia National Park, in Maine.

But, for the final month of 2022, the December National Park is Grand Canyon National Park, which is one of the National Parks I have been to several times, both the North and South rims.

Way back in the last century, I do not remember what year, I hiked the Bright Angel Trail from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, down to the Colorado River. That is a brutal hike, easy going downhill, brutal making the climb back to the rim of the canyon.

I do not recollect seeing the Grand Canyon in person, this century.

I think my last time at the Grand Canyon was in October of 1995. That visit was part of a roadtrip which started with four days of houseboating on Lake Powell. That October visit was to the North Rim, which has way fewer visitors than the South Rim.

It was an overnight stay at the North Rim, in a log cabin.

During the night a blizzard blew in with about a foot of snow. We were stranded til snow plows could arrive. If I remember correctly the road was cleared by around noon, thus enabling making it to Zion National Park for that night's reservation in the Zion National Park Lodge.

I wonder if during my remaining years of still being vertical I'll make it back to the Grand Canyon again....

David & Theo Enjoying Snowy Day In Tacoma

This afternoon I asked David, Theo & Ruby's maternal parental unit if the kids were having another snow day. They aren't, but Ruby stayed home today due to having a cold.

The aforementioned maternal parental unit sent a link to a video on the Tacoma News Tribune. In the video you see Theo trying to get on a sled with two other kids, Nica and Cora. I was also told I would see David in the background in an orange jacket.

It took a couple viewings til I figured out which was David, and which was Theo trying to get on a sled.

When I thought I saw David, I paused the video to make the screen cap you see below.

While I was making that screen cap that aforementioned maternal parental unit emailed a screen cap from the News Tribune article, which shows the same thing I screen capped, but with David missing.

David is not a fan of sledding. But, he does like making snowmen. 

Click the link to see the See people enjoying a snowy day in Tacoma after an overnight snowfall video.

Sure would be fun to play in the snow with David, Theo and Ruby. That'd likely be almost as much fun as making sand castles with the Tacoma Trio...

Lucy Park Backwoods Foliage-Free Walk

Yesterday was cloudy and cold. Before leaving my abode I thought today was also cold, but not cloudy. Thinking the outer world to be cold I was under too many layers when I drove to Lucy Park for some fast-paced nature walking this morning.

The temperature was slightly under 70. I removed some layers and was able to render a result which was comfortable.

Via the phone photo documentation, you can see that aforementioned blue sky. You can also see that the former Lucy Park backwoods jungle has lost most of its greenery, the leaves in the trees, the grass on the ground.

It has been a month or two since I have rolled my bike anywhere. I need a change of habit and scenery. Bike rides would sort of provide that change, sort of...

Tacoma Snow With Theo & Ruby

Incoming snow photos from Tacoma this afternoon.

I am cold currently at my North Texas location, but it looks way colder at my old Washington location.

 Above that is the backyard of the Tacoma Trio, David, Theo & Ruby's house on M. Street in Tacoma.

That is the patio deck in the foreground, covered with snow. If all is as it was the last time I saw this location, the barbecue left of this view is the last place I successfully barbecued chicken.

And here we are seeing Ruby, and I think Theo, sliding down a hill at Wright Park, which is a park a short distance from their M. Street abode.

Here we see Theo testing whether snow tastes like vanilla ice cream.

 While Ruby laughs at Theo eating snow.

No clue what Theo and Ruby have done with brother David, who does not show up in these photos.

The start of school was postponed two hours yesterday due to the snow, and cancelled for today, due to more snow than had been predicted, falling and sticking.

First Day Of December Chilly Walk Around Sikes Lake

On an ultra-chilly first day of the 2022 version of December it was to Sikes Lake I ventured this morning for a fast walk around the lake.

The phone photo does not do justice to the deep red color of the tree you see on the left.

Fall leaf colors are seeming more vibrant than the norm this year.

The phone photo does do justice to managing to capture the outer world looking cold. Cloudy, no wind, and the lake looks frozen.

There were a surprising number of people braving the cold today for a walk, or jog, around the lake.

I have been getting multiple reports from my old Western Washington home zone of snow. I am expecting snow photos of the Tacoma Trio of David, Theo and Ruby, later today. I've already seen a snow photo from Tacoma's Queen V. 

It seems a bit early for snow to be piling up on the Puget Sound lowlands. Is this a harbinger of a hellacious winter to come?

Back To Mudless Lucy Park Colored Orange

It was back to Lucy Park today, on this final Tuesday of the 2022 version of November.

As you can see, there is nary a cloud in the bright blue sky.

As you can also see, the trees are finally doing their fall orange color duty, for the most part.

I tentatively walked the Lucy Park backwoods zone today. I say tentatively because I needed to be on the lookout for mud caused by the day long deluge a few days ago.

I have had two serious mud incidents in the Lucy Park backwoods zone. Once on my bike where the mud stuck so thick to the tires that they had trouble rolling. And one time walking where I suddenly found myself a couple inches taller due to the glue-like mud which had stuck to my soles.

But, I had no mud issues today. The outer world being heated into the 70s may have dried up the mud.

It was pleasant to be back in shorts and t-shirt today. Felt like a stereotypical summer day I decades ago regularly experienced in my old Pacific Northwest home zone. Tomorrow is scheduled to be another warm day, and then we chill again to freezing...

Honolulu Thanksgiving Santa With Spencer Jack & Jason

Three photos in my email box this last Sunday morning of the 2022 version of November. With the photos there was the following explanatory text...

Hello FUD --

Spencer and I kept checking our mailbox and phones for a Turkey invite. 

After no such luck, we moved southwest to our favorite winter destination.

Talked to Santa today. He said he would 'consider' moving me off the naughty list.    

Watched the best Xmas parade last night with half of the island.  Lots of marching bands all playing Christmas tunes.  

So that's good.

Hope you are doing well, staying safe, healthy and warm in TX.

I think you would love it here. We sure do. Maybe someday you can join us.

FNJ

For those not familiar with what the initials FUD and FNJ represent, FUD is Favorite Uncle Durango, FNJ is Favorite Nephew Jason. I have two FNJs, with the second being FNJ1s little brother, Joey, aka FNJ2.

It sure would be fun to be in Hawaii with FNJ and his replica, Spencer Jack. I think that rock formation behind Jason in the above photo is known as Diamond Head, the remains of a long dormant volcano.

And here we see Spencer Jack trying to stay out of the sun so as to avoid getting suntanned. 

My current location is somewhat looking like the scenery in these three photos from Hawaii, in that blue sky has returned after yesterday's day long gray sky with constant dripping.

Rain Flooding Post-Thanksgiving Saturday In Texas

Looking out my bedroom window on the dawn of the day after the day after Thanksgiving, which is also known as Saturday, the outer world at my location is drenched from hours of rain.

The exit from my abode is currently flooded.

If I want to use my mechanized means of motion it will entail taking a circuitous route to get to the vehicle, unless I want to put on hip waders to walk dry through the moat.

The dripping is scheduled to drip all day long, so there will be no outer world walking today, unless it is under an umbrella.

It has been a couple days since I have walked in any of my favorite walking venues, unless one counts Walmart as such.

Yesterday, Black Friday, I ventured to the nearby Walmart expecting it to be super busy.

It wasn't.

But there were a lot of Black Friday deals clogging the aisles.

One of which was a combo cooking device in the form of an air fryer, rotisserie, dehydrator.

My air fryer died a few weeks ago. I've been missing it. And so, I got that Black Friday air fryer, rotisserie, dehydrator from Walmart yesterday.

Today's wet weather is reminding me of a stereotypical fall winter type day in my old home zone of Western Washington, where today snow is on the Pacific Northwest weather menu, in the mountains, and possibly in the Puget Sound lowlands.

I am hoping my current location makes it through the cold months with zero snow. 

What I hope for usually does not happen.

Usually, the opposite of what I hope for happens.

So, my location will likely get buried in a blizzard with near zero temperatures...