Way Too HOT Final Days Of Summer In Wichita Falls

With only a couple days of Summer remaining, I thought we were done with the temperature heating up to 100 degrees, or higher.

But, I thought wrong, as evidenced by the forecast for Wichita Falls for today, as in Thursday, and tomorrow, as in Friday, getting heated to 100 and above.

It is not even yet past 9 in the morning and the A/C is already doing its cooling job...

Microsoft OneDrive Remembering Redheaded Crankypants

Some days I find myself not liking what I see when I open an email from Microsoft with today's supposed Memories from this Day.

Such was the case today.

I have no clue as to the day this photo was taken. I do know the photo was taken back near the beginning of the current century.

Taken in the kitchen in the house which was my first Texas abode, on what was then known as Hicks Road, now known as Bonds Ranch Road.

The Redhead, looking like she is threatening to lick me, was instrumental in causing me to move to Texas, late in the previous century.

I do not know why I was looking happy in this photo. It must be an illusion.

By the time this photo was taken, the name I used most regularly, when referring to the Redhead, was Crankypants. 

I remember once someone in Tacoma warning me that my particular type personality would not get along well with Puerto Ricans and Redheads. 

Balderdash thought I. What a silly suggestion.

For years I got along perfectly fine with the entity I called Miss Puerto Rico. 

I have known only one Redhead with whom I eventually did not get along well with...

DO NOT ENTER Drought Stricken Sikes Lake

As the days of Summer dwindle down to a precious few, it was back to Sikes Lake I ventured on this third Tuesday of September. Sikes Lake has done a lot of evaporating since last I was at this location.

I do not know what the danger is which warrants CAUTION DO NOT ENTER signs. Maybe the exposed lake bottom has a quicksand potential.

The north end of Sikes Lake is in severe drought. The south end of Sikes Lake is not yet in severe drought mode, as photo evidenced below.

In this view we are standing on the bridge at the west end of Sikes Lake, looking east. The lake has turned shallow at this location, but not yet to the muddy bottom exposing level of shallow.

I saw birds standing out in the water, indicating how shallow the water is.

What with Sikes Lake not being very deep I do not quite see the need for NO SWIMMING, BOATING OR KAYAKING signs. I don't think the lake is deep enough to float a boat. Or swim in.

We had what turned out to be a brief respite from excessive HEAT.

Summer is currently ending with day after day of the temperature nearing or going over 100 degrees. 

Remembering My Habitat In The Hamlet Of Haslet

A Microsoft OneDrive Memory from this Day in this morning's email that I remember, well, the location, not the day the photo was taken, that I do not remember.

The location, the little hamlet of Haslet, a suburb at the far north end of Fort Worth. 

This house in Haslet was my first Texas abode. This abode eventually became my least favorite abode I have ever aboded in. 

I did like the swimming pool, though.

Saturday Looking For Mount Rushmore But Ending Up In Mexico & Other Places

This second Saturday morning of September I found myself looking through folders of photos, looking for photos from a roadtrip taken way back in, I think, 1992, give or take a year. 

I was hoping to find photos of Glacier National Park, that park's Going to the Sun Highway, Devil's Tower in Wyoming, and the Black Hills in South Dakota, with Deadwood and Mount Rushmore. Also Wall Drugstore, in South Dakota.

But, though I know those photos are somewhere on this computer, I could not find them. If I had it to do over I would be much more organized with how I save files.

I did find several photos of folders from another trip, later in the 1990s. Photos of the second time I did a Lake Powell houseboat float, along with mountain biking in Moab, including the Slickrock Trail, which is what you see above. Me on the left, on my now long gone Schwinn Moab mountain bike, Big Ed on the right, on another long gone mountain bike. I think Wanda took the photo.

That roadtrip, back in the late 1990s, was a long one, in addition to four days of houseboating, several days in Moab, there was Monument Valley, Mexican Hat. Durango and Silverton in Colorado. Then on to New Mexico and Taos, then south New Mexico to Alamogordo, then White Sands National Monument, which I think is a National Park now, then west to Tombstone and Yuma in Arizona, crossing over into Mexico, then north to Las Vegas, before beelining it back to Washington.

I have not been on a roadtrip since October of 2019. This has been my longest roadtrip drought. I feel this situation needs to be alleviated...

Riding With Mr. Spiffy Via WAYMO All Over The Phoenix Area

From July of 2017 til July of 2019 I found myself in Arizona multiple times. Twice via driving, multiple times via flying.

During each of those Arizona visits, whilst driving around in the Phoenix metro area, I would see WAYMO self-driving test cars on the road, being tested. 

When a WAYMO car would pull up next to me at a stoplight I could see there was no driver, but there was someone in the passenger seat.

This seemed a tad unsettling to me. 

And now, a couple days ago, on Facebook, via the DFW entity known as Dapper John, aka Mr. Spiffy, I learned WAYMO is now active. Mr. Spiffy used WAYMO to transport himself all around the Phoenix area, including the airport.

I have driven into the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport multiple times. Doing so is a tad stressful, particularly at rush hour.

I remember a particularly stressful drive to the Phoenix airport, with mom in the passenger seat, next to me, and Linda Lou in the backseat, being delivered to the airport. I nearly had a wreck moving over a couple lanes to get to the airport exit.

Mr. Spiffy seemed quite pleased with how well WAYMO worked, basically a driver-less UBER.

And now, this morning, I read WAYMO is coming to Austin. 

Soon, I am sure WAYMO will be here in Wichita Falls...

Picking Wild Mountain Volcano Blueberries With A Pain In My Neck

Microsoft OneDrive Memories from this Day that I do remember, and that actually may have happened in September.

A September way back in the previous century. The year 1997 or 1998.

The location is Schriebers Meadow in the Mount Baker National Recreation Area. Schriebers Meadow is the location of the most popular trailhead taking hikers eventually up the slopes of Mount Baker, along with many scenic side trails.

Schriebers Meadow is also the location of a vast field of wild mountain blueberries, which is what we are this location to do. Pick blueberries.

The photo at the top, and the photo below, was taken with my antique Casio digital camera, with its unique, at the time, ability to reverse the lens, enabling the taking of what are now known as selfies. 

In the selfie at the top, that woman on my shoulder, being a pain in my neck, is picking blueberries. Eventually that woman would continue being a pain in my neck, all the way to Texas.

 A view of Mount Baker from Schriebers Meadow.

It was about a 40-mile drive from my Mount Vernon abode to the Schriebers Meadow location.

I do not know what motivated me to initiate a blueberry picking expedition to Schriebers Meadow. I had more blueberries than I was ever able to consume due to blueberry bushes I planted on my rooftop deck.

It seems so long ago, now, that I lived so close to a volcano, and a scenic wonderland.

Mountains to the east, saltwater beaches to the west. Actually, mountains were visible east, west, south and north. But, the mountains, that were the nearest, as in the Cascade Mountains, were thus the most accessible from my home base location.

Sometimes I wonder if I will ever see a mountain, again, before my time on the planet is terminated...

A Memorable Return To Taos New Mexico With Green Salsa

Microsoft OneDrive Memories of this Day which I remember fondly. But, the month was October, not September. I think the year was 1997. Maybe 1998.

What I do remember is this was the last long roadtrip I have tripped on. And boated on.

Houseboating on Lake Powell, followed by taking the Moki Dugway to Mexican Hat and Monument Valley. Then Moab for some mountain biking and hiking. Then Durango and Silverton before making it to Taos, New Mexico. After Taos it was south to Alamogordo. Then west to Bisbee and Tombstone, Arizona. Ending up that day in Yuma, going to Algodones, Mexico the following day. Then north to Las Vegas, staying in Luxor. From Vegas it was north, with a night in Tonopah, or was it Hawthorne? Then a couple days in Reno, before the final leg back to Washington.

I liked everything about Taos. The town square at night seemed like Disneyland at night, to me. Outdoor eating venues, beautiful lighting, lots of people, music.

And then there was bike riding all over Taos, including to the north end of town, to the Taos Pueblo. The Taos Pueblo smelled so good. I think the predominant fragrance was sage. And Indian Fry Bread.

Just about the best Mexican food I have ever enjoyed was at a Taos restaurant called Fred's. Odd name for a Mexican restaurant. The New Mexican version of Mexican food is different than the American Mexican food norm. Or Tex-Mex. There is always green salsa at a New Mexican Mexican restaurant.

And Hatch Chiles always factor into New Mexican Mexican food.

Taos is one of the locations I have enjoyed which I would like to return to. Perhaps I will do that one day soon...

Monday Morning Wichita Bluff Nature Area Nature Communing

With the temperature in the 70s, and the humidity low, with a slight breezing blowing, it was back to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area I ventured on this second Monday of September for some salubrious hilly hiking and nature communing.

In the photo documentation you are at the highest point on the bluffs, looking towards the northwest, with two swinging benches available for your sitting needs.

I had no need to sit, and so continued on.

The temperature being way below 100 degrees, after so many weeks of sweltering, seems way more noticeable than previous times when the cooler time of the year arrives.

Last night the A/C had no reason to turn itself on. The ceiling fan above my bed was not spinning.

By about 3 in the morning, it was chilly enough that I contemplated getting off the bed and finding a blanket. But, I did not do so, but will do so before bedtime arrives tonight...

Cool Sunday Sikes Lake Walking With Herons

On this second September Sunday it was to Sikes Lake I joined the throngs walking around the lake, enjoying the almost chilly, well, way below 100 degree, temperature.

A breeze blowing and low humidity, along with the temperature being in the low 70s made for the outer world at my location being about the best it ever gets.

In the photo documentation you are looking west, from the middle of the bridge at the west end of the lake, across the greenish-brown Sikes Lake lagoon.

A blue heron, at least that is what I think it was, was in the water at the right side of the photo. I can not make out the bird in the photo. Maybe it flew away whilst I was getting my phone out of its pocket.

Methinks I am going to be greatly enjoying the outer world the next couple months, after making it through the current way too sizzling summer...