Breezy Balmy December Friday Walk Around Beautiful Sikes Lake

 On this second Friday of the final month of 2023, it was back to Midwestern State University I ventured, for a salubrious walk around Sikes Lake, joining throngs of others doing the same.

The locals were out in droves due to the perfect weather conditions. Temperature in the 70s, with a steady wind blowing in the 20-mph range, with gusts into the 40-mph range.

I do not know what the wind speed's windchill effect made those 70 some degrees really feel like. What I do know is the outer world felt extremely pleasant today.

In today's photo documentation you are at the east end of Sikes Lake, looking west. You can see the wind is making waves on the lake. Not quite big enough for surfing, but enough wave action to keep the water birds, the geese, duck and seagulls, grounded.

Today will be the last warm day for awhile. A cold front blows in tomorrow...

Dry Lucy Park Visit While My Old Home Zone Floods

Since I was in the neighborhood, getting drugs from a licensed drug dealer, after that deal was done I drove to Lucy Park for some high speed walking through the former Lucy Park backwoods jungle.

Now with most of the jungle-like foliage laying on the ground.

As you can see, it is yet one more clear blue sky day at my location in North Texas. Predicted to get heated into the 70s today.

Meanwhile, back in my old home zone of Washington, what used to be called a Pineapple Express, but is now called an Atmospheric River, dropped a record breaking amount of water, sending the Western Washington rivers into flood mode.

The Texas town I used to live in, Fort Worth, way back when this century began, started up something called the Trinity River Vision. Purported to be a flood control plan to control floods in an area that had not flooded since the 1950s, due to flood containing levees built way back then.

The Trinity River Vision was also touted as an economic development plan, converting an industrial wasteland in a commercial/residential area. With canals.

In all that time, over two decades, all that can be seen of Fort Worth's myopic vision is three little freeway overpass-like bridges, built over dry land, hoping one day to have a cement lined ditch dug under them, creating an imaginary island.

It took seven years to build those pitiful bridges over dry land.

Meanwhile, over a decade after the Trinity River Vision started trying to be seen, the town I lived in before moving to Texas, had what amounted to being a Skagit River Vision, building a waterfront boardwalk type attraction on the banks of the Skagit River as it passes through downtown Mount Vernon.

The Skagit River Vision included an actual vitally needed flood control component, a flood wall which could easily be put in place by a couple people when the Skagit goes into flood mode, which is happening right now.

The Skagit River Vision's flood control wall was put up yesterday.

Fort Worth is a relatively poor town, not able to pay for its sad vision itself, instead relying on federal funds. The whole operation turned into an embarrassing malfunctioning boondoggle which continues to boondoggle along, well into its third decade.

I believe Mount Vernon paid for its Skagit River Vision itself, you know, the way towns wearing their Big City Pants do.

Upon first exposure it was hard to understand the Texas way of doing things. I've been here long enough now that I am sort of used to it...

Tuesday Walkaround Sikes Lake With Colorful Cypress Tree

It was back to Sikes Lake I ventured on this first Tuesday of the last month of 2023.

I believe that colorfully colored tree, you see above, with two geese floating on the lake, is a Cypress tree.

I'm not much of a botanist, but I think I am correct in thinking this is a Cypress.

A couple days ago, at Lucy Park, I saw multiple instances of this colorful Cypress fall foliage. 

Cypress trees come in many variations, with many having needle-like, evergreen foliage and seed cones. The needle-like, evergreen foliage falls off, eventually, unlike other Coniferous trees. The Cypress behaves more like a Deciduous tree.

Today is being yet one more pleasantly temperatured North Texas December day, warmed into the 60s.

Walking The Lake Wichita Park Flats

If I remember correctly, lately I have made mention of the fact that my location in North Texas is extremely flat. No mountains, over even hills, making a dent on the horizon.

The vast flat space you see in the photo is a view looking east across the vast flats of Lake Wichita Park.

This was my high-speed walking endorphin acquisition go to location on this 4th day of December. The temperature slightly cooler than yesterday, somewhere in the 50s. 

I looked at the long range forecast this morning, into the middle of January. No deep freeze is currently predicted. How can the weather gurus possibly forecast way into the middle of January?

I've only got a few more pounds to lose before I am ready to visit a tropical paradise...

Sunday In Lucy Park With No Leaves

On this first Sunday of the last month of 2023, it was back to Lucy Park I drove for some blue sky nature communing.

I had not been to Lucy Park since late the previous month. At that point in time the area I refer to as the Lucy Park backwoods Jungle, was still jungle-like, with leaves in the trees.

A few nights below freezing in recent days has removed most of the leaves from the trees.

With 20 days til the arrival of Winter, it was time for the trees to lose their leaves, what with Fall falling fast.

The air today was heated to a perfect temperature for enjoying the outer world. 

60 degrees...

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.