Homesick For Washington Mountains, Flats & Swans

Saw this, this Saturday afternoon, on the second day of December 2023. The Facebook page is titled Life in Northwest Washington.

The caption says, "I think this pretty much sums up Skagit Valley farmland".

Photos like this always seem to make me a bit homesick.

That is the Mount Baker volcano hovering above the Skagit Valley.

I think those are trumpeter swans in the foreground. A lot of those big birds arrive in the valley this time of year.

The location where those birds are roosting looks to be in what are known as the Skagit Flats. I think my Favorite Nephews, Jason and Joey, and Grand Nephew Hank Frank's orchard and houses are to the right of the view here.

Jason does not live in the house he bought next door to Joey's. Jason lives in Mount Vernon, up that slight hill you see in the lower middle of the photo.

Hank Frank's Grandpa Jake is currently living in the house Jason bought next to Joey's. Hank Frank drives his electric tractor over to Grandpa Jake's every morning to watch cartoons. A mini-road was made for Hank Frank's transit purposes.

It is the flood plain of the Skagit River which is known as the Skagit Flats.

Most of Western Washington is not flat.

Where I currently live, in North Texas, the landscape is pretty much flat. But, I've never heard it referred to as the Texas Flats. Or the Red River Flats. Or the Wichita Flats.

Which seems odd, since it is really super flat for miles and miles in any direction...

My 2023 Christmas Decorating Is Completed

On this first Saturday of the last month of 2023 I completed my Christmas decorating in record breaking time.

That is what you see photo documented.

The Christmas camel was made by my Grandma Vera, back in the previous century. Granda Vera is my mom's mom.

The Christmas stocking was crocheted by my Grandma Slotemaker. Grandma Slotemaker is my dad's mom.

In years past I have had trouble remembering where I stored my Christmas decorations. I have solved this problem by writing a note telling me where I stored the Christmas decorations. So, now, all I have to do is remember where I put the note telling me where I stored the Christmas decorations.

In all the years I have been in charge of Christmas decorating, I have never had a Christmas tree.

Christmas trees always seemed absurd to me. When I lived with my parental units and siblings I recollect every year's Christmas tree installation was a big production. Sometimes it would involve getting a tree cutting permit and driving to a designated Christmas tree cutting area in the Cascade mountains. That was actually a bit fun.

For a couple years my mom succumbed to the aluminum Christmas tree fad. That involved assembling the tree by sticking aluminum limbs into holes on the center pole. Then stringing lights, making for a hideous display of reflective color. With an aluminum Christmas tree there was no need to hang tinsel on the limbs. There was already enough shiny glittering silver.

Thirty more days and the holiday season comes to its New Year's Day end....

Microsoft OneDrive Remembers Me In My Birthday Suit

Once again, a Microsoft OneDrive memory arrived in my email that I don't actually remember.

How could I?

I probably was not even talking or walking when this photo was taken.

What I glean from seeing this photo of me in my birthday suit, is even way back then I had a perky little butt and was a smiling little gigglemugger.

I do know this photo was taken in Eugene, Oregon, the town I was born in.

I also know that my mom and dad mailed this photo to my Lynden grandparental units, as in Grandma Vera and Grandpa Porter.

I heard many times about the fact that when Grandpa Porter saw this photo he quickly wired money to Eugene, with instructions to buy that boy some clothes.

I do not remember what clothes may have resulted. I was way too young to remember anything...

Microsoft Remembering The Slotemaker, Jones, Hershberger, Barry Cousins

Another interesting photo showed up today in my email, one of those daily emails from Microsoft's One Drive, showing my memories from this particular day, which I usually do not remember.

The memory we see here would have come from the 1960s, towards the end of the decade. The photo was likely taken at my grandma's house in Lynden. These would all be grandma's grandkids, the Slotemaker, Jones, Barry, Hershberger cousins.

That would be me on the far left. Sitting next to me, behind two little kids, is my sister, Nancy. Cousin Scott is the next big cousin, in the middle, on Scott's left is my little brother, Jake. The next full sized person is Scott's little sister, cousin Linda. The little blonde girl next to cousin Linda is my little sister, Jackie, much later to become the mother of Christopher and Jeremy and grandma of Cade.

Three of the little cousins are my cousins from Australia, the Hershbergers, on one of their visits back to America. On the right side of sister Nancy, I think that is the youngest Hershberger cousin, Steve, with cousin Danny on the other side of Nancy, which I think makes that little blonde girl on Scott's right cousin Carol.

The other two little kids would be the Slotemaker cousins, Sheryl to the left of brother Jake, and cousin Jeff in front of cousin Linda.

Two more cousins were added a few years after this photo was taken. Those being my little sister, Michele, and Jeff and Sheryl's little brother, cousin Mike.

A Visit With David, Theo & Ruby In Tacoma

I emailed David, Theo and Ruby's Mama Michele yesterday, after someone made mention of the fact I had not made mention of the Tacoma Trio in quite a while. Hence emailing my baby sister yesterday.

After that return emails had me seeing oodles of photos, along with explanatory text.

It likely does not need to be explained that that photo above is David, Theo & Ruby's Halloween Trick or Treating gang, in front of their Tacoma house.

The explanatory text for the above was...

Ruby and Theo spent 3 nights at the Mount Rainier Institute last month. Camping, hiking, sciencing up near the mountain. They loved it. Ruby spends her free time walking the dogs and playing a lot of soccer. She also made her middle school junior varsity volleyball team, so she’s been practicing that too.

The explanatory text explaining what Theo is doing above...

Theo has been enjoying taking pics on walks, playing the sax, ice hockey and practicing for New Year's Eve.

Upon first reading the explanatory text I thought it was the saxophone Theo was practicing for New Year's Eve. Then, upon second thought I realized this was referring to the above photo.

That #13 would be Theo in his hockey uniform.

And then we come to David, with the explanatory text explaining.....

David broke his leg skateboarding last month, had to have surgery. He gets his cast off tomorrow..

David now goes to Tacoma's Stadium High School, where, apparently he has been hobbling along on crutches, til today, when the cast comes off his leg.

Way back in summer of 2004 I stayed a month in an apartment overlooking Stadium High School. It is an impressive building, sort of built on a cliff, with the football field featuring a steep natural bowl making a large section of the stadium's bleachers. 

The Wikipedia article about Tacoma's Stadium High School, has some good photos illustrating why I said it is an impressive building. There is also a photo of the football stadium.

Chilly Walk Around Sikes Lake With Blue Heron & No Rainbow Trout

We chilled below freezing, again, last night. By the time, this final Monday morning of November, that I drove the short distance to Sikes Lake, the temperature had risen to a relatively balmy 45 degrees.

As you can clearly see, it is another calm, clear blue sky day in North Texas. Nary a ripple disturbing the lake's surface.

At the west end of the lake, crossing the bridge which goes over the Olive Green Lagoon of Sikes Lake, I saw the bird you see above, standing in the murky water. 

I think this was a Blue Heron in trying to catch a fish mode.

Someone should let the Blue Heron know he'd have better luck at South Weeks Park Lake, due to the fact that that little pond was stocked by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD)
with rainbow trout a couple days ago. 

South Weeks Park Lake is a short distance from my abode. I drive by it when I drive to my closest Walmart. The past few days there have been a lot of poles dangling over the pond.

344,000 rainbow trout were added to the lakes chosen to be blessed with incoming fish.

Texas lake water gets too warm for trout most of the year. But when the chilly temperatures arrive several lakes get trout added to them.

Two lakes are so blessed in Wichita Falls. But, not Sikes Lake.

The other Wichita Falls lake which had trout added to it is Plum Lake. I have no idea where Plum Lake is in this town.

Cool Sunday In Lucy Park

It was back to the Lucy Park backwoods jungle I ventured on this frigid final Sunday of November, for some well insulated nature communing.

The temperature went below freezing last night. How low below, I do not know.

That is a pile of debris from a windstorm a couple months ago, you see in the photo, waiting for a lightning bolt to strike the pile to make a big bonfire.

Yesterday I made it through an entire football game. That rarely happens. I did hit the pause button at halftime to go to Walmart, and then quickly got back live upon my return, fast forwarding through commercials.

It was the Apple Cup I was watching. The annual final game of the season, between the University of Washington and Washington State University. This has been a thing since way back at the start of the previous century.

The Apple Cup alternates where the game is played, one year in Seattle, one year in Pullman. 

This year the Apple Cup was played in Seattle on a bright clear blue sky day. So, you could see the mountains to the east. And all the boats on Lake Washington.

A lot of boats float outside Husky stadium on a game day. A big floating party called sailgating.

The Seattle Seahawks are scheduled to get beat by the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday. It is the Thursday night game on Amazon Prime. I suspect I will be able to watch that game via local broadcast, what with being in the Dallas zone. Or watch it on Prime.

Or watch the bizarre spectacle of a Fox debate monitored by the inanity named Hannity, with Ron DeSantis debate Gavin Newsom. A red state/blue state debate. I suspect DeSantis will not do well in this debate.

Zoomed Look At Mount Rainier From Texas

I saw that which you see here, this morning, on Facebook.

Anyone who has been to Seattle on a clear sky day knows that this is not what the view of Mount Rainier actually looks like from a Seattle vantage point.

Seeing this reminded me of something from way back on April 5, 1984. Well, it may have been April 6.

The reason I can sort of pinpoint the date is because on April 5 or 6 I was riding a ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island, with nephews Jason and Joey.

When we got onboard the ferry and made our way to the upper deck we saw a newspaper stand with a Seattle Times sporting a big headline, reporting the news that Kurt Cobain had committed suicide. I do not remember the exact headline.

What I do remember is nephew Joey being upset at this news, asking me why would Kurt Cobain do such a thing. 

A cousin of Jason and Joey's mother was Kurt Cobain's teacher in grade school, in, I think, Montesano.

Strange coincidence, way back on August 16, 1977, I was on another ferry, heading to Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands, with Jason and Joey's dad, my little brother Jake. We were barely onboard when we heard on the radio and saw a newspaper headline announcing that Elvis Presley had died.

Back to the subject of seeing the Mountain. That ferry boat ride to Bainbridge Island was on a cloudy, foggy, rainy day. A few minutes after leaving Seattle a couple engaged us in conversation. Asking if we were tourists or natives. We live here, said we, in a valley about 60 miles north.

The couple then told us they were first time visitors to Washington and Seattle. The husband of the couple asked if we could point to where Mount Rainier would be seen if it was a clear day. All three of us pointed in the Mount Rainier direction.

So, that photo at the top, and others like that, cause me to wonder how many first-time visitors to Washington arrive thinking if the sky is clear that Mount Rainier is going to look as big as it does in photos which have taken a zoomed view.

I doubt many are disappointed. The real view is still extremely impressive. I remember a Wichita Falls local, having visited Washington for the first time, found seeing all the mountains to be mesmerizing, especially when she was taken by the friends she was visiting in Seattle, to their cabin near Mount Rainer. 

I can see how if one had lived in a flat place like most of Texas, that being in a mountainous zone might be a bit overwhelming.

Thanksgiving Walking Fantasy Of Lights With Mean Step-Sister

This morning of Thanksgiving of 2023 I drove to MSU (Midwestern State University) to walk around this year's Fantasy of Light installation.

I saw a few new installations.

And above, one of Cinderella's mean stepsisters looks different this year, that being the one on the left, looking meaner than the one she replaced.

I saw this dachshund weiner dog when I drove by this location a couple days ago.

I know an elderly lady from my old home state of Washington, now living in Virginia, who would be a likely candidate to be an old lady with way too many cats. Instead, this elderly lady collects dachshunds, both live and in other forms. 

Such as dachshund decorations of various sorts. Like dachshund Christmas tree ornaments, dachshund figurines, dachshund themed dinner plates, clothing with dachshunds, paintings of dachshunds, dachshund wallpaper, I forget what else. 

Plus one real live cat. The dachshund elderly lady has one cat.

The above is something new. It looked sort of Stephen Kingish, like Children of the Corn. Apparently, it is some sort of choir. A sign said as much, plus I saw a loudspeaker.

It has been a couple years since I walked the Fantasy of Lights at night. I think it was the Christmas season before COVID when last I joined the throngs walking among the lights.

Anyway, I hope y'all have yourselves a mighty fine Thanksgiving....

Cloudy Chilly Windy Lucy Park Jungle Visit

It is a dark, stormy looking, rain-free, windy, third Tuesday of November.

So, with multiple layers of outerwear insulating me from the chill, it was back to Lucy Park today for a fast-paced walk around the Lucy Park backwoods jungle, which remains mud-free, despite the rain which dripped upon us a couple days ago.

Those clouds looked like they should be sending lightning bolts and raindrops to the ground. But, so far, nary a drip, flash of light or boom of thunder

One still sees a lot of wind damage from that extreme windstorm a couple months ago. A lot of trees died from that wind, or survived with severe injuries.

Last night I got all the goods to make Thanksgiving vittles, which will have as the main feature, crockpot lasagna, and barbequed babyback ribs.

The vittles will be on the table and ready for consumption around 1 in the afternoon.

Followed by watching the Seattle Seahawks likely lose another game, viewing provided by Amazon Prime.

If you are an invitee to the lasagna babyback ribs feast, please do not be late for dinner...