Madame McNutty, Linda Lou & Brother Jake With Skagit Tulips

What you see here was posted on Facebook, yesterday, by the entity known as Madame McNutty. A tulip field scene from our old home zone of the Skagit Valley, with the Mount Baker volcano hovering above.

This Facebook post led to a dialogue between my little brother, Jake, who recently moved back to the Skagit Valley from Arizona, Linda Lou, and the aforementioned Madame McNutty.

In that dialogue we learn who lives in that house you see on the right, above the tulips...

Jake Jones--That's where I'm living now.

Madame McNutty--I’m green with envy!!!

Linda Lou--hi Jake!

Jake Jones--Hello Linda Lou!

Linda Lou--I have been out to see the fields during weekdays. (less traffic) I will see if I spot your house when I journey that way again.

Jake Jones--And when I say, "that's where I'm living now." I'm now living in the house in the photo.

___________________

The last time I was in the Skagit Valley in April was way back in the year 2006. I did not see any tulips at that point in time, due to the fact I did not make it out to the Skagit Flats, where the tulips bloom...

Mr. Perry Causes Me To Look For The Texas Testicle Festival

 I saw that which you see here, this Sunday morning, on Facebook, via the entity known as Mr. Perry. 

Mr. Perry has a highly sophisticated ribald sense of humor. So, I assumed this was a joke.

And then I Googled "Texas Testicle Festival" and learned this is not a joke, it is a real thing. In Fredericksburg, Texas.

There are multiple websites which have info about this festival, including the Best of Texas website which Googles at #1 with its Texas Testicle Festival webpage, where I read the following information...

Music and great food underlie the planning for this event, including the sweetbreads and Rocky Mountain oysters, paired nicely with some adult beverages (and a little bit of friendly ribbing), these things go down like butter!

Other delicacies such as barbecue ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, and Oysters can also be found at the Testicle Festival, so you absolutely won’t leave hungry regardless of your tastes.

Don't miss our Testicle Eating Competition! $40 Sign up fee - $100 Cash Prize, all the Testicles you can eat during competition and FREE BEER to wash it down!

From the San Antonio Current Texas Testicle Festival webpagewe learn some more details...

The fest will dole out fried family jewels of several different animals, as well as sweetbreads made from the thymus or pancreas of calf or lamb. Past festivals have included turkey, lamb and veal testicles that have been served up battered, fried or grilled.

_____________________

I have been to Fredericksburg a couple times. It is a nice tourist town, sort of German themed. I don't think I will make any effort to return to Fredericksburg for the Texas Testicle Festival, even with it being as tempting as it sounds...

Windy Sikes Lake Walk With Evening Primroses Coloring The Landscape

It was to Sikes Lake I ventured this third Saturday of the 2023 version of April, for a walk around the lake, along with dozens of other walkers enjoying the high-speed wind.

Since my last visit to Sikes Lake the Evening Primroses have blossomed in pink bloom mode.

Way back late in the previous century, in late April, I recollect heading to Dallas/Fort Worth on Highway 287, at some point after passing through Amarillo pink blossoms began coloring the landscape.

This was my introduction to Texas wildflower season. 

At some point, after Amarillo, I got off the road so as to check out, up close, these dainty pink blooms.

It was a few years later I finally learned the name of this Texas wildflower...

With Linda Lou In Lucy Park While Prudy Judy Gardens

It was back to Lucy Park I ventured on this HOT day in Texas. With a clear blue sky with nary a cloud in sight. And the air heated into the 80s.

Linda Lou spent some time with me today in Lucy Park. During the course of visiting with Linda Lou she told me about a mighty fine lunch she had yesterday in Anacortes with Betty Jo Bouvier, Honey Lulu and Mr. Clyde.

If I make it to Washington this summer I hope to have a mighty fine time seeing Linda Lou, Betty Jo Bouvier, Mr. Clyde, and a few others.

Speaking of people from my high school years.

Another person with whom I attended Burlington-Edison High School, showed up this morning on a poster advertising World Wide Naked Gardening Day.

This particular person was a bit of a Prudy Judy when I knew her in high school. Nice to see that the 2023 version is so free spirited....

99 Degrees With Unexpected Surprise From Amazon

 Yesterday I mentioned going to the library with several books recommended by Linda Lou on my list of what books I hoped to check out.

I blogged about this in Linda Lou Library Recommendations Before Lucy Park Jungle Trek. 

Of the three authors I could find only one, Rachel Joyce, but not the book of Rachel Joyce which Linda Lou had recommended. So, I checked out a Rachel Joyce novel titled Perfect.

Around four this afternoon of April 13 I set out to go to Walmart to get onions, jicama and mixed greens. When I got in my vehicle and looked at the temperature reading in the rear view mirror, I was surprised. I knew it was hot, but not 99 degrees HOT.

Methinks we are in for a scorcher of a summer.

It is a tad difficult to make out the 99 degrees on the right side of the rear view mirror.

When I returned from Walmart I went to check the mailbox. I found a package from Amazon. I ordered something from Amazon last Friday. It arrived a day later. Fastest Amazon delivery yet.

So, I had no idea what I was going to find in this package from Amazon, til I opened it to see it was the Rachel Joyce book title Linda Lou had recommended, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.

Had Linda Lou read yesterday's blogging about my futile book search and proceeded to have a copy sent to me by Amazon, with it again being delivered the next day?

I don't know. I suspect I will soon find out the answer though...

Linda Lou Library Recommendations Before Lucy Park Jungle Trek

Today was a books due day, so it was to downtown Wichita Falls I ventured this morning, to spend a few minutes in the library returning books and acquiring new reading material. 

Linda Lou had recommended three books by three different authors. I could find only one of the authors, Rachel Joyce, but not the recommended title of The Unlikely Pilgrimage. Instead, I got a Rachel Joyce novel titled Perfect.

Since it was nearby, after the library, it was on the Lucy Park where I opted to speed walk the Lucy Park backwoods, which, as you can see, is rapidly returning to lush jungle mode.

The temperature was in the 70s, still a bit cool for slithering snakes to give chase, but, even so, I kept a wary eye on the lookout for anything slithering.

The biggest snake I have seen since being in Texas was seen in the Lucy Park backwoods zone, several years ago. 

I do not like snakes. Never have, never will...

Hank Frank's First Easter Photo Documentation

Incoming email this morning after Easter, from the Skagit Valley zone, where apparently Hank Frank Jones has learned how to use a camera. 

In the photo that would be my favorite ex-sister-in-law, Cindy, sitting next to her eldest son, Jason, who is sitting next to his eldest son, Spencer Jack, who is sitting next to my little brother, Jake, who is also Spencer Jack's grandpa. I forgot to mention, Cindy is Spencer Jack's grandma.

The explanatory text accompanying Hank Frank's photo...

Thought you’d enjoy this picture.

Henry’s mom and dad cooked a delicious ham and bbq rib luncheon for his favorite uncle, cousin, grandmother and step grandfather, along with his new neighbor known to him as Papa Jake.

The photographer was a young man, who goes by the name Henry. 

He took this picture prior to an Easter egg hunt which was held in less than ideal weather, as Skagit County had a blustery Sunday.

Nonetheless, he was excited to partake.

Hope all is well in TX. 

Hope you can visit soon. 

FNJ

Happy Easter Morning With The Lucy Park Throngs

I set out for Sikes Lake, this fine Easter morning, then changed my mind and headed north to Lucy Park to join the throngs in Easter picnic mode, most having hauled in barbecue grills. Such making for a fine atmosphere of barbecuing smoke perfuming the air.

As you can see via the Lucy Park photo documentation, the Lucy Park backwoods zone is now in full green mode, soon to turn into what looks like jungle, where snakes and alligators may slither and lurk.

Gray is the dominant sky color today, with a few blue patches...

It's that time again!

 You know what to do...

Don't vote for the one they call Geren's nephew.

Don't vote for the appointed one, who ran on a slate with two of the current board members, twice.

Don't for vote the one no one knows.

Just Vote Joe!

Joe Ashton for TRWD – Board of Directors

Good Friday Hiking Around Mount Wichita Being Revitalized

This first Friday of the 2023 version of April took me to Mount Wichita in Lake Wichita Park, for some pleasant temperatured nature communing.

What you are looking at, with Mount Wichita in the background, is the current status of the Lake Wichita Revitalization Veterans Memorial Plaza, due to be completed by the end of May. 

So far that under construction Veterans Memorial Plaza is the only Lake Wichita Revitalization being vitalized. Originally this Veterans Memorial was to be at the fishing dock on the east side of the lake. I remember, way back in, I think, August of 2017, going to an event at Lake Wichita Dam where a local car dealer donated a giant half million dollar check to help pay for the Veterans Memorial.

I first heard of the Lake Wichita Revitalization Project when I moved to Wichita Falls, way back in the previous decade. 

Currently Lake Wichita continues to shrink, creating what looks like tide flats. 

In the above photo we are as close as possible to the water, without the ground being muddy, looking back at Mount Wichita.

And here you see a brave guy who managed to get to the summit of Mount Wichita. Years of erosion has made climbing this mountain a bit treacherous, particularly the going downhill part.

I do not remember Mount Wichita looking as green, previously, as it looked today...