Wednesday, June 12, 2024

False Accusations Of Going Against Facebook Community Standards


 Earlier today I wrote a blog post titled Remembering Rodeo Grandmas From Ellensburg In Fort Worth.

As I often do, I posted the link to this blog post on Facebook. Seconds after doing so, that which you see above popped up.

I followed the steps to challenge this, indicating there was nothing nefarious about this post that violated supposed Community Standards.

Apparently, this gets reviewed, I assume by a human.

What is totally perplexing is, of late, as in for weeks now, Facebook has been allowing fake posts that trigger a malware warning locking up your computer til you fall for the scam. Or know how to kill it.

Apparently that does not go against Facebook Community Standards. Despite many people complaining.

I shall post this blog post on Facebook and see what happens...

Remembering Rodeo Grandmas From Ellensburg In Fort Worth


That which you see here showed up a day or two ago in my email, via Microsoft's OneDrive Memories from this Day.

You are looking at a parade float in a parade celebrating the opening of Fort Worth's National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame.

Seeing this float was a bit of a surprise, what with it being the Rodeo Grandmas of Ellensburg.

Ellensburg is a college town in Eastern Washington, home of Central Washington State University, a location where I once matriculated.

I webpaged the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame.

That parade had many memorable moments.

Tuesday, June 11, 2024

Drippy Texas Tuesday Downpouring


The drippy early Tuesday afternoon view from my kitchen window.

Rain was not predictably scheduled to arrive in copious amounts today.

But copious amounts of falling water has arrived, currently in downpour mode.

Walmart was my walking venue this morning. At that point in time, that which later became a downpour was in drizzle mode.

Well, drizzle mode on the drive to Walmart, downpour mode when exiting Walmart a half hour later.

Monday, June 10, 2024

Return To Winter-Like Cool Makes For Pleasant Sikes Lake Walk


Overnight the temperature has plummeted dozens of degrees, chilling the outer world into the 70s.

It's like a return to Winter.

And a nice thick layer of clouds is blocking that annoying sun, keeping it from being able to overheat the part of the planet I currently call home.

I do not know how long this respite from HOT is scheduled to last. I do know rain in on the predicted weather menu for later today.

In the cloudy view above you are standing with me on the bridge at the west end of Sikes Lake, looked east across the currently gray lake.

The sudden return to cool had a lot of people enjoying the walk around Sikes Lake today.

The past couple extra HOT days may have toasted the biting bugs. I have not had a new bug bite for two days. 

The air conditioner just cycled on. Why? I do not know. Outdoors is cooler right now than what I have the A/C set to...

Sunday, June 9, 2024

Microsoft Memory Of Someone Holding Baby Sister Michele


 A couple days ago I blogged about a Long Ago Microsoft OneDrive Memories I Don't Remember.

In that blogging there was a photo of me holding my little baby sister, Jackie. I then wondered if a photo would show up in my email, from Microsoft, showing me holding my littlest baby sister, Michele.

At the time I said I had no memory of such a photo.

And then, today, in the Microsoft OneDrive Memories from this Day, there is a group photo, including baby sister, Michele, in which I can not quite tell who it is who is holding her.

I don't think it was me.

This photo has all the Slotemaker/Jones/Barry/Hershberger cousins, surrounding Grandma Slotemaker.

From the left, on the ground, that would be Sheryl Slotemaker, then Carol Hershberger, then on Grandma's lap is the brat, Mike Slotemaker, then Steve Hershberger, sitting next to Jeff Slotemaker, with Danny Hershberger behind Steve and Jeff.

Standing up, from the left, is my little brother Jake, then me, with baby sister Michele in front of me, with sister Jackie next to Michele, with sister Nancy behind Jackie, then Linda Barry and her big brother, Scott Barry.

During the time frame in which this photo was taken, back in the previous century, the Hersbbergers visited from Australia once every four years. I do not remember which of those four-year visits would have been the year this photo was taken.

My best guess would be 1979...

Saturday, June 8, 2024

Wichita Falls Hotter 'N Hell 100 Degrees First Time in 2024


Today my Wichita Falls location is scheduled to get heated to 100 degrees HOT for the first time this year.

All indications are indicating that this coming Summer is going to be a real HOT one. 

The past two days high speed walking has taken place in Walmart, to escape the heat.

Today Lucy Park will be my walking venue, way earlier than the normal walking time, hoping to beat the heat by a few degrees.

I am hoping the high heat will kill off the biting bugs.

I've grown tired of being mealtime for biting bugs...

Friday, June 7, 2024

Scary Mount Baker Bridge Crossing With Nephew Jeremy 30 Years Ago


It seems, if my faulty memory is serving me at all well, that within the last year or so I previously blogged about the day the photo you see here was taken.

This photo showed up today in my daily email from Microsoft with OneDrive Memories from this Day.

Trouble is, I clearly remember this particular memory is from 30 years ago. In August.

Hard to believe 30 years have gone by since then.

That would be my nephew Jeremy, 30 years ago, on a suspension bridge over a creek on a trail that leads to the Mount Baker volcano.

When Jeremy saw that we were needing to cross the creek on that scary bridge he sort of panicked. It took some coaxing from Aunt Michele to convince Jeremy it was okay to cross the bridge. Jeremy insisted no one could be on the bridge at the same time as him.

So, I was posted at one end of the bridge, someone else at the other end.

With Jeremy triumphantly making the crossing, celebrating in the photo I took from the volcano side of the bridge.

30 years ago. 30 years gone by so fast. I shudder at the realization of how old I will be if I make it another 30 years...

Thursday, June 6, 2024

Long Ago Microsoft OneDrive Memories I Don't Remember


Several long-ago photos showed up in my email in this morning's Microsoft OneDrive Memories from this Day.

I know what I am looking at in these photos. I just do not have any memory of the photos being taken.

In the above photo I would guess we are at Deception Pass State Park. That is my dad holding my eldest sister, Nancy. I am next to dad. And the little guy next to me is my little brother, Jake.


And now we are in the front yard of the house I grew up in, 1027 Washington Avenue in Burlington, Washington.

That would be me holding my little baby sister, Jackie, current mother of nephews Christopher and Jeremy and grandma of Cade.

That would be the aforementioned sister Nancy between me and brother Jake, current of father of nephews Jason and Joey and grandpa of Spencer Jack and Hank Frank.

It would be a few more years for a photo of me holding my youngest baby sister, Michele, mother of nephews David and Theo and niece Ruby.

I actually do not remember if there might be a group photo with me holding baby Michele. We shall see if one shows up in my Microsoft memories on some upcoming day...

Wednesday, June 5, 2024

Not HOT Walking Around Lake Wichita At Full Pool


Yesterday's temperature got to one degree shy of 100. That HOT day's walking took place at Lucy Park, where the shade from the trees made the HOT heat totally tolerable.

Today is another HOT one, but not as HOT as yesterday.

So, it was back to Lake Wichita, now at full pool, I ventured today, hoping for a cooling breeze to be blowing across the lake.

And, so it was. 

It was nice seeing the new Lake Wichita kayak launching dock totally floating for the first time, with the walkway to the dock level with the lake.

I have yet to see a kayak get launched from this launching platform.

I'm thinking of maybe getting a kayak. This likely will go no further than the thinking about it stage...

Tuesday, June 4, 2024

Getting Floored In Fort Worth By Ethan Hawke & His Grandpa


 I first saw the "Why was Ethan Hawke back in Fort Worth? Something to do with a movie starring his daughter" question this morning on the front page of the online version of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and thought to myself, like so many times previous, why is this newspaper so goofy?

And then, later this morning, on Facebook, I saw that which I screen capped above.

The Star-Telegram's #1 opinionator and Fort Worth promoter, Bud Kennedy, goofily saying, in reference to Ethan Hawke, "It always floors me to think that Ethan Hawke is County Judge Howard Green's grandson,"

Why in the world would it floor anyone to think someone was someone's grandson? Does getting floored literally mean you collapsed on the floor upon hearing this?

Is anyone else in the Fort Worth zone feeling floored to think Ethan Hawke's grandpa is a county judge named Howard Green?

I am fairly certain this "news" has not floored me....