HOT May Monday Sikes Lake Walk Looking For Wildflowers

HOT Monday in May today. With the temperature in the upper 80s, with a strong wind blowing, it was to Sikes Lake I ventured today to provide feeding material to the various bugs which seem to find me tasty.

I do not recollect ever having such a big collection of bug bites as I currently am sporting. Not even on a hike on a trail on one of the Cascade Mountains did I ever get this many bug bites, and those trails are notorious for biting bugs til you get above the timberline. 

Now that I am thinking about it, to hike a Cascade Mountain trail during bug season I would douse myself with bug spray. I do not like dousing myself with bug spray. I may have to start doing that. The bug repelling bracelets do not seem to be working.

Last night something happened which I do not recollect ever happening before. I fell out of bed. We are at that time of the year when one does not sleep under the cover of blankets. Apparently with no blanket to restrain me I rolled out of bed, onto the floor. This was not a pleasant wakeup. 

And not til walking around Sikes Lake did I realize I am a bit sore in various locations, I assume an after effect of the fall out of bed.

We are past the middle of May and I have not seen many wildflowers. Just the pink evening primroses. One would think with the copious amount of rain that it'd be a banner year for wildflowers.

Those are not wildflowers you see in the above photo documentation. 

Well, they may be wildflowers, but those flowers are not growing wild, they are part of the landscaping at the entry to the Wichita Falls Museum of Art.

In addition to this being the time of year that one does not sleep under blankets, it is also the time of year when taking a shower with no hot water added to the mix is refreshing. Cold water is currently sort of lukewarm, due to that vexing outer world HEAT...

Microsoft OneDrive Memory Of Pioneer Plaza In Dallas

On this third Sunday of May, incoming email from Microsoft had this OneDrive Memory from this Day.

I do not remember if I was at this location in May. I do remember I was at this location many times whilst I lived in the Dallas/Fort Wort Metroplex.

That Longhorn you see behind me is one of many such sculptures at Pioneer Plaza, in Dallas. Cowboys on horses are driving a herd of Longhorns by a waterfall.

Pioneer Plaza is adjacent to a cemetery which is adjacent to the Dallas City Hall.

That cemetery has many interesting gravesites. And is the location of the largest statue I've seen since I've been in the South, commemorating the Confederacy. I may not remember all the heroes of the Confederacy that make up this statue, but, I think among them were Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson.

I suspect, like what has happened to many such statues, this one has been removed. I've long thought do that is a bit wrong-headed...

Finally Water Spilling Over Lake Wichita Dam On Mt. St. Helens Eruption Anniversary

It was to Lake Wichita I ventured on this fine May Day.

The third Saturday of the month.

And the anniversary of the day Mount Saint Helens exploded in my old Washington state home zone.

I was taking a bath on the Sunday morning that volcano blew up. I heard three loud concussive booms. Did not know it was the mountain exploding til a few minutes later when the next-door neighbor checked in to see if we knew the volcano had erupted. That turned into one long day of watching the non-stop news.

Anyway, back to Lake Wichita. This was the first time in over a year, maybe way over a year, since water was seen spilling over the Lake Wichita dam's spillway. And spilling in copious amounts it was.

Now we are at the top of the dam, looking through a chain link fence at the water spilling over the spillway.

Walking to the end of the Lake Wichita Boardwalk I saw these two guys fishing amongst the wood piers that are all that remains of the Lake Wichita Pavilion, which burned down way back in the 1950s.

The temperature is heading into the 90s today. The A/C is keeping my interior space cool.

Summer will soon be upon us. Record breaking heat is currently predicated. Not looking forward to that...

The Remains Of The Lucy Park Japanese Pagoda Remain No More

The rain has let up on this third Friday of May.

Since I was in the neighborhood, getting meds from a nearby pharmacy, I opted to continue on to Lucy Park for a bout of nature communing.

A year or two or three ago, time flies, who can keep track, I was surprised to see that the Lucy Park Japanese Pagoda had gone up in flames, leaving only the metal framework upon which it had been built.

That remaining metal framework began to look like an intended work of sculptural art. Some suggested painting the metal before it succumbed to rust.

But, such is no longer an option. 

The metal framework remains of the Lucy Park Japanese Pagoda have been removed, as you can see via the photo documentation above.

I never saw mention made of the Lucy Park Pagoda flameout in what passes for a newspaper in this town, the Wichita Falls Times Record News.

So, I do not expect to see an article about the removal of the Pagoda's remains. Or if a new Pagoda is planned to arise from the ashes.

I have never been able to learn why a Japanese Pagoda was erected in Lucy Park. There must be a reason for it...

Microsoft OneDrive Memories From Today Of Baby Beauty Sister Nancy & Baby Bobcat

Amusing baby pictures today in my email, via Microsoft's OneDrive's Memories from this Day.

No clue how it might have been determined the Memories from this Day were from May, let alone this day in May.

In this photo of myself on the left, my little brother, Jake, on the right, we see what may be the first instance of our eldest sister, Nancy, all dressed up looking like she must be going somewhere real special.

Nancy won a Baby Beauty Contest around this time, sponsored, if I remember correctly, by the Skagit Valley Herald, that being a real newspaper in my old home zone, a newspaper of the quality sort which had me realizing such was not the case when I began reading the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, widely regarded as a really bad newspaper, but not quite as bad as the newspaper of record in the town I am now in, the Wichita Falls Times Record News, which mainly covers local sports, local crime, and a few other things, once in awhile, such as recently there was an article about a few new restaurants opening in town.

Okay, that was one super long run-on sentence, beginning with 'Nancy' and ending with 'town'. I just could not stop that sentence from running on and on.

Continuing with the baby theme of today's Memories.

Over my years of biking, hiking and roller blading in Arlington's River Legacy Park, I came upon many critters. Many snake encounters of various sorts. And armadillos.

And bobcats.

My first bobcat encounter scared me. At that point in time I did not realize they were harmless.

My most amazing bobcat encounter was on the park's trail bridge across the Trinity River. I was on my bike, heading onto the bridge, when I saw a big bobcat entering the bridge at the other end. I continued on, as did he. We met in the middle, with me saying "Howdy kitty." The bobcat paid no attention to me, just continued ambling across the bridge.

My best bobcat encounter was with the bobcat kitten you see above. I zoomed in with the camera, knowing I did not want to get too close, which would have made the bobcat mama nervous.

I do not see much wildlife of the bobcat, snake, armadillo sort at my current location. I did come upon a cute lizard a couple days ago at Lucy Park...

Another Sleep Disrupting Thunderstorm In The Wichita Falls Disaster Area

Last night, around three in the morning, thunder booming began, after lightning lit up the darkness. This lasted for hours, along with copious amounts of rain hitting the ground.

I was able to sleep through some of it.

The sun has been doing its daily illuminating duty for about an hour, but it still looks dark, rain is still dripping, thunder continues to boom, off and on.

Yesterday we learned, surprisingly, that Wichita County has been declared a Disaster Area due to recent rains doing damage, none of which I have eye witnessed.

I assume the current drenching is amplifying the Disaster Area into being even More Disastrous. 

Walmart will be my venue today for acquiring endorphins via high speed walking and anthropological observations...

Apparently Rain Has Turned Wichita County Into A Disaster Area

Saw that which you see here, this morning, on the front page of the online version of the local newspaper called the Wichita Falls Times Record News.

Wichita County has seen a lot of rain fall the past couple weeks. But enough to have made the county a disaster area? Apparently there has been some road damage. I have not seen any road damage.

I have been in an area where a disaster has struck a time or two or three, with, if I am remembering correctly, the area not declared a disaster area.

Like when downtown Fort Worth was struck by a tornado, early in this century, killing several and doing a lot of property damage. I do not recollect a disaster area being called.

When Fort Worth and Tarrant County were hit with deadly flash floods, again earlier this century, drowning some, including a little girl named Ally Collins, and leaving Elsie Hotpepper's home teetering on the brink of falling into a raging creek, I do not recollect a disaster area being declared.

In my old home zone I think I recollect when the Mount St. Helens volcano erupted, killing dozens and doing an incredible amount of damage, I do not recollect a disaster area being declared. Maybe because it was so obviously a disaster no one needed to declare it as such.

I remember the valley I lived in before moving to Texas, the Skagit Valley, being hit by destructive flooding due to the Skagit River breeching dikes intended to contain the river during floods. Was a disaster area declared? I do not recollect it, if it was.

Anyway, more heavy rain is on the way at my current location, arriving later today, compounding the situation in this area, which is already, apparently, a disaster...

In Lucy Park With High Wichita River Water & No Bug Bites

It was back to Lucy Park on this HOT humid Tuesday, for some nature communing and a walk to the center of the Lucy Park Suspension Bridge over the Wichita River.

As you can see, the Wichita River is running high. What you can not see is the river is moving fast.

Usually this river lumbers along in real slow motion.

Today's fast-moving river, barely below the suspension bridge deck, a deck which sways at the slightest movement, made for a sort of dizzying effect when looking down through the wooden planks which make up the bridge deck.

I like the color scheme of the river's redrock red, and the blue of the sky. I think I'll paint my house that shade of red, with the trim blue. With a little tree shade of green thrown in, here and there.

Day two of wearing anti-bug-bite bracelets on my wrist and ankles, with no new bug bites. Lucy Park is usually my most bug-bite prone park.

Hot Humid Sikes Lake Walk With Ankle Wrist Bracelet Bug Protection

Yesterday, the day known as Mother's Day, Mother Nature opted to unleash an almost all-day long downpour temper tantrum at my North Texas location.

Including many lightning strikes and thunder booms.

By today, as in Monday, the sky has somewhat cleared, rain is not on the weather menu for today. But all that rain, the past couple days, combined with a lot of sun HEAT, is making both outdoors and indoors super humid.

Yesterday my daily endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation took place in Walmart, due to that aforementioned excessive drippage.

Today I opted to drive to nearby Sikes Lake for some fast humid walking with my fellow fast humid walkers.

This marked the first opportunity I had to make use of the wrist and ankle citronella bracelets I got upon advice from the Skagit Valley's favorite Linda Lou nurse.

That is what you see photo documented above. My left wrist, bug bracelet protected, with my pointing finger attempting to point at the Sikes Lake dam spillway, which is spilling some water today.

So far I make note of no new bug bites. The biting bugs should be out in force today, what with all the rain, the heat and the humidity.

I hope Linda Lou's anti-bug bite prescription works.

I have grown weary of having so many bug bites.

Why I have become attractive bug biting material, this year, after never being attractive bug bite material my previous years in Texas, is a mystery, with no current apparent explanation readily available...

Happy Mother's Day To All You Moms Including Mine

It has been five years since I have made a Happy Mother's Day call to my mom. Hard to believe it has been that long.

The photo you see here is of me wheeling mom towards the restaurant at Tortilla Flats, in Arizona. With mom providing directions I drove myself, mom, Big Ed and Linda Lou on a treacherous twisty road to our final Tortilla Flats destination.

This was in October of 2018.

The next year, 2019, I was back in Arizona in March and July.

Both times being the worst flights I have experienced. Almost half a day stuck in DFW International, waiting to fly to Phoenix. And the other incident having flights out of Wichita Falls cancelled due to weather so bad planes could not land at DFW. So, I had to book a new flight for the next day.

Both incidents had me out of my usual window seat, stuck in the dreaded middle seat.

I have not flown since 2019. COVID put an end to doing such for a year or two. Or was it three? All I know is I really do not have much desire to fly anywhere.

Anyway, Happy Mother's Day!!!