Saturday Eclipse Viewing From Mount Wichita Summit

I figured if there was to be any Ring of Fire Eclipse viewing in my area the best wide-open location to do so would be at Lake Wichita, perhaps from the summit of Mount Wichita.

I knew we were not directly in the eclipse's path. That was a few miles to the south, with Abilene and Austin getting the full blackout.

Upon arrival at the Mount Wichita parking lot I made note of a larger than usual number of vehicles parked. Likely enjoying the cool weather. We got down to 48 degrees last night. It was barely 60 upon arrival at Lake Wichita.

Last week's one day of rain added some water to Lake Wichita. That band of blue you see in the photo was not there upon my last visit to this location. But, it is going to take a lot more rain to finally float that new dock waiting for water.

I decided to hike to the summit of Mount Wichita for the first time on a long time. I think well before COVID was the last time I made that arduous trek to this summit. I used the trail on the east side of the mountain to get to the top. You can barely see the trail in the photo documentation.

From the summit, looking down at the Circle Trail and the newly added water.

When I was almost to the summit I was greeted by an aggressive poodle guard dog. The poodle's human picked him up to calm him down.

The poodle quit barking when I asked if I could take his picture. Poodles are such vain little mutts.

Back at ground level, upon reaching the parking lot, I saw a lot of people looking at the sky. I looked at the sun and it seemed way brighter than the norm.

I was almost to my vehicle when a girl, who was with a group of skywatchers, asked me if I wanted to see something cool.

Sure, said I.

She handed me sky viewing glasses. I then looked at the sun and could see the eclipse. The sun looked crescent shaped.

Back at my vehicle I looked at the sun again, without sky viewing glasses. At first what I saw looked like the photo I took from that location, looking at the sun.

But, continuing to look, suddenly I could see the eclipse, without sky viewing glasses.

I shouted to the people who had let me see with their sky viewing glasses that I could now see the eclipse without help.

Don't look too long, shouted a guy who was with the sky viewing glasses girl. It can do damage, said he. To which I said, I thought that was only with a direct viewing of an eclipse.

So, I then got in my vehicle and woke the phone to see how many Google Fit Minutes I had walked.

Well.

I could not read the numbers. I was blinded by that bright light. Luckily this blinding phenomenon did not last long, with my full sight returned.

But, it was unnerving. I won't make that stupid mistake again...

Chilly Windy Friday The 13th Wichita Bluff Nature Area Hike With No Snakes

With the temperature barely into the 60s, with a strong wind blowing, with gusts nearing 40 mph, it was back to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area I ventured on this Friday the 13th October day for some high speed windy endorphin inducing aerobic activity.

As you can see, not a single cloud is to be seen, under a bright blue sky.

Midway to the Wichita Bluff summit I passed by the Hoodoo installation zone to see a new Hoodoo cairn had been erected.

When last at this location, a couple weeks ago, there was no Hoodoo. I was deeply disappointed.

And now, we are at the summit of the Wichita Bluffs, looking east at the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Wichita Falls. With the brown Wichita River in the center of the photo.

Still with no clouds visible, no matter what direction one looks.

I had avoided the Wichita Bluff Nature Area all HOT Summer long, due to Blue Msn reporting he came upon two rattlesnakes coiled up on the Circle Trail in the Wichita Bluff Nature Area.

Snakes do not slither when the temperature is at the chilly level it is currently chilled to.

Warm Summer-Like Fall Day At Lucy Park With Dinosaurs

Another warm sunny day in Texas, waiting for the cooler weather of Fall to arrive.

So, it was back to Lucy Park I drove today, to hike through the Lucy Park backwoods jungle.

On the way to the jungle, I walked by the Lucy Park dinosaur dig, where one sees the remains of a Tyrannosaurus.

It never occurred to me, til today, to wonder if back when the throngs of huge dinosaur reptiles roamed the planet, if there were dinosaur snakes, giant T-Rex sized snakes, that would make for a scary addition to a Jurassic Park type movie.

I suspect I will now be having a giant snake nightmare tonight, now that the suggestion has been entered into my sub-conscious...

Walk Around Sikes Lake With No Swimming Or Snakes

Another clear, blue sky, warm, in the 80s, October day in Texas.

Will Summer ever leave?

I walked around Sikes Lake this morning for my daily acquisition of endorphins. I always wonder about the signs you see here, on a cyclone fence, in front of the Sikes Lake dam.

Had there been a problem with people swimming at this location? And, no boating, canoeing or kayaking without universal approval.

I have never seen anyone swimming, boating, canoeing or kayaking at any location on Sikes Lake.

Sikes Lake does not appear to be an appealing location for any of those activities. The lake is too shallow at too many locations.

That and way too murky.

It has been many years since last I got wet in a Texas lake. I think the year was 2002. And the lake was Lake Grapevine in the D/FW zone.

I was swimming in that lake and found myself face to face with a reptile head. I thought it to be a snake. I've never swam as fast as I did to get away from that reptilian head.

Safely on shore I looked at what was chasing me to see it was a big turtle, not a snake.

I doubt there are any snakes in Sikes Lake. But, there are turtles. Another good reason not to swim there...

Getting Gassed On Way To Mud-Free Lucy Park

I erroneously thought the deluge a couple days ago would end hiking the Lucy Park backwoods jungle til dry warm air returned next Spring.

But, as you can see, the mud has dried in the Lucy Park backwoods jungle.

And, after that chilly respite on Saturday, we are back hot again. Not all capital letters HOT, but still, quite warm.

But, so far, I have resisted turning on the air-conditioning.

In my abode.

In my vehicle the A/C was on.

Gas prices are going to be going back up again, thanks to the Middle East calamity.

So, on the way to Lucy Park I filled my tank at $2.96 a gallon.

Apparently gas at less than 3 bucks a gallon is considered cheap gas in most of the rest of the country...

Microsoft OneDrive Remembers Mom & Dad At Dealy Plaza & The Dallas Farmer's Market

Once again I remember the Microsoft OneDrive memories Microsoft thinks I should remember. 

These memories are all from October of 2001. 

Mom and dad's first time visiting me in Texas was a month after 9/11.

The two memories at the top are from the Dallas Farmer's Market. Mom on the left. Mom and dad on the right.

The rest of the photo memories are from Dealey Plaza in Dallas.

I thought mom and and would find the 6th Floor Museum to be interesting. That proved not to be the case.

Mom and dad quickly went through the exhibits, showing little interest in any of it. They had no interest in watching any of the incident documenting films, with mom infamously saying something like, "We lived through this happening, so we really don't need to see anymore."

That visit with mom and dad seems so recent, in my memory. But, it was 22 years ago...

Getting Gassed In Texas Is Way Cheaper Than Getting Gassed In Washington

 A couple days ago I listened to a Washingtonian whine about gas in Washington inching towards six bucks a gallon.

Yesterday I went to ALDI and saw the station where I regularly buy gas has dropped back under three bucks a gallon.

It is interesting how one gets acclimated to the price of gas.

I can remember way back in the previous century filling up the tank of my 65 Mustang for 25 cents a gallon, in Mount Vernon. I remember when an oil embargo in the 1970s caused gas to go over 50 cents a gallon.

And to cut consumption the freeway speed limit was lowered to 50 mph. 

That did not last long. 50 mph seemed so slow.

The last time I drove back to Washington, in early August of 2001. I filled the tank in Amarillo for, if I remember right, 74 cents a gallon. Two days later I needed gas again. I was in La Grande, Oregon. All the gas stations had gas at over $1.75 a gallon.

Outrageous, I thought.

So, I got enough Oregon gas to get me to Washington, where I was sure it would be cheaper.

It wasn't.

I ended up filling up in Prosser, Washington for a little under two bucks a gallon.

Gas prices rose the entire month I was in Washington.

On my return to Texas I once again needed gas, in Amarillo, went to that station where gas was 74 cents a gallon a month before, to see it was now $1.44 a gallon.

$1.44 a gallon sounds cheap now.

$2.99 a gallon sounds cheap, compared to what it costs in Washington, and the rest of the west coast.

And now the Middle East is once again in extreme turmoil. That always seems to cause the price of gas to rise...

Yesterday's Deluge Did Not Flood Lucy Park

I was in the neighborhood after picking up a prescription, so I went to Lucy Park, not knowing if the park was flooded, or not, from yesterday's stormy deluge.

Well, as you can see via the photo documentation of the Wichita River flowing under the Lucy Park suspension bridge, the river is not in flood mode.

Yesterday's rain did render off paved trail areas a bit muddy in place.

I did not venture into the Lucy Park backwoods jungle, because I knew that area would be muddy, with the type mud which sticks to your shoes, with the stuck mud getting thicker the more you encountered it, eventually rendering me way over six feet tall.

My interior space is being naturally chilled to the temperature I have the A/C set to, that being 78 degrees. The temperature was in the 70s when I walked around Lucy Park. 

100 degree plus days began in late Spring. I think every day of Summer went to 100 degrees or above. Which explains why natural air conditioning at 78 degrees is such a mighty fine thing...

Finally A Wichita Falls Flash Flooding Downpour Thunderstorm

This morning I went walking with Linda Lou in the Lawrence Street Walmart. Whilst walking Linda Lou asked me about the weather. I told Linda Lou heavy rain and thunderstorms were predicted, but currently we remain under a clear blue cloud-free sky.

And then, around 5 this afternoon, without Linda Lou, I drove the short distance to the Greenbrier Walmart. By then rain was beginning to drip. And I saw lightning striking in the distance.

By the time I got to Walmart rain was falling in a greater volume than the drippage was dripping when I began my short journey.

I was barely in Walmart when my phone acted up, warning me about an eminent dangerous thunderstorm.

Soon rain began pounding the Walmart roof like thousands of hammers, with bass drum booms from lightning strikes.

It was extremely noisy in Walmart.

After being in the store for only a few minutes, it was checkout time. The rain was then coming down in downpour flashflood mode. A crowd of people stood at the exit, apparently hoping for the drenching to end.

But, I like a good soaking, so I took off running, at high speed. By the time I got to my vehicle I was as drenched as if I'd jumped in a swimming pool.

The photo at the top is looking south through my thoroughly wet windshield.

From this high speed running I realized that all the walking I have done the past year has me in way better shape than I realized. I think excessive walking must be much better exercise than bike riding.

By the time I got back under my carport the drenching seemed to have amped up. My abode was already in surrounded by a moat mode.

I decided, since I was already totally soaked, that I'd take off running again, going the long way around, where the moat is not as deep. 

The rain has slowed. I expect to soon see a rainbow...

Windy October Walk Around Sikes Lake

With the temperature barely in the 80s, with a strong wind blowing, it was back to Sikes Lake I ventured this morning to join the throngs of fast walkers walking around the lake.

In the view here you are looking west, across the lake. 

Later today clouds are scheduled to arrive from the west, bringing possible rain and thunderstorms.

Tomorrow, the day known as Wednesday, is predicted to be wet, with possible flash flooding along with thunderstorms.

Of late the weather forecasts have not had an all that great level of reliability. In other words, I won't be shocked if I see no rain and hear no thunder claps later today, or tomorrow.