Pleasantly Cool Lucy Park Jungle Walk

On this second Tuesday of the 2024 version of October it was back to Lucy Park I ventured for some salubrious nature communing via high-speed backwoods jungle endorphin inducing aerobic hiking.

The weather conditions were about as perfect as they can be, pleasantly chilled to the 70 degree range.

As you can see, via the photo documentation of the Lucy Park suspension bridge over the Wichita River, the green of the leaves is beginning to slightly fade, with more of a yellow tint starting to appear.

The first freeze of the Fall should be happening sometime next month, or maybe the big chill will wait until December. 

I look forward to replacing shorts with sweatpants for my outdoor activities.

I probably should go on a hunt for my stash of sweatpants, likely lurking somewhere in my cluttered closet...

Monday Morning Peaceful Bird Watching At Sikes Lake

On this first October Monday of 2024, it was to a dead calm Sikes Lake I ventured this morning for a salubrious endorphin inducing aerobic fast-paced walk around the lake.

The apparent lack of wind seemed to render Sikes Lake mirror-like, but there was a steady breeze blowing, which made for perfect outdoor activity conditions.

The above view is looking west, across the lake, from the east side of the lake. The below view is looking northeast from the north end of the lake.

The slight breeze is causing some rippling action, as that big white bird is perched on the lookout for a fish snack to swim by.

One frequently sees fish jumping out of the water trying to snatch a flying insect. I have only seen a bird catch a fish once, in Sikes Lake.

October Sunday Lucy Park Nature Communing With Power Issues

It was to Lucy Park I nature communed on this first Sunday of the 2024 version of October. As you can see, the Lucy Park backwoods jungle is still green, with Fall not yet falling, sending no leaves to the ground. 

Day after day, of late, the temperature high for the day has been in the 90s. The air was heated into the 80s whilst I was at Lucy Park.

I am looking forward to being chilly. The cold water out of my taps is still being lukewarm, or warmer.

This week, reading the local news, I read that the Wichita Falls zone is nearing being in drought conditions again. 

But, the Wichita River, as photo documented, today, above, does not look to be drying up. And lawns and golf courses are still green.

I had me a couple possible age-related memory lapses today. Upon returning from Lucy Park I went into lunch making mode. I turned on both the smokeless grill and the air fryer, forgetting that doing so causes the circuit to break.

When I realized what I'd done I remembered it was easy to fix, via flipping a switch on the circuit breaker panel. I knew this was in my bedroom closet. So, I walk into the closet, turn on the light, and cannot find the circuit breaker panel on the wall. I found another electrical looking thing I did not remember previously seeing.

So, feeling totally frustrated, I got a flashlight and scanned the closet's walls, eventually finding the circuit breaker panel. I saw what looked like a switch which should be flipped. Did so. That knocked out the lights in my bedroom. Switched that back and then found the correct switch to switch, restoring power to the air fryer, smokeless grill and TV.

I hope that with this second instance I will now remember not to run the air fryer and smokeless grill at the same time. And if I do forget, that I will remember where the circuit breaker panel is located.

Age related memory woes are vexing...

Remembering Throwing Life Jugs To Drowning Person In Dinosaur Valley State Park

That which you see here showed up in my email this morning, via Microsoft's OneDrive Memories of this Day.

I have no recollection of what day this photo may have been taken. But, I do remember the location, and the likely time frame, year-wise. As in near the start of the current century.

I was hiking in Dinosaur Valley State Park, down by the town of Glen Rose in Texas Hill Country, when I came upon a swimming hole carved out by the Paluxy River, with two warning signs.

One of which is what you see me standing in front of, with the sun glaring on the lens of my long-gone antique Casio digital camera, with its reverse the lens photo taking, enabling what is now known as a selfie.

LIFE JUGS: THROW A DROWNING PERSON

The other warning sign warned swimming hole swimmers to beware of the snapping turtles.

I had, and still, have no clue if this LIFE JUGS thing was intended as a joke, or serious. I found it a tad inappropriate to see such in a state park.

The swimming hole looked quite inviting, but I did not indulge, due to taking the snapping turtle warning serious.

I previously had had me a scary aggressive turtle episode whilst swimming in Lake Grapevine, back in early July of 2002. My final time getting wet in a treacherous Texas lake...

Semi-Chilly Wichita Bluff Nature Area Hiking On Second October Day

On this second day of October, with the sky totally blue, with not a single cloud blotting the blue, it was to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area I ventured an hour before noon, to commune with nature via hiking the Circle Trail as it trails over the Wichita Bluffs.

In that photo above we are looking at a rocking bench, looking in a northwest direction. The rocking bench sits on a side trail off the main trail.

The temperature was pleasantly chilled into the 70s whilst I nature communed.
 

And now we are in the picnic pavilion located at the high point of the Wichita Bluffs. In this view we are looking northeast. The stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Wichita Falls would be visible if I shifted the view slightly to the right.

The current long-range forecast is for day after day after week after week of blue sky and pleasant temperatures. 

Apparently, the lack of rain has the Wichita Falls area near being designated once again in drought mode.

One would think the forest of trees would not manage to be so green, at this point in the year, what with the lack of rain.

So far I have seen little leaf color changing action one expects to see this time of the year...

First Day Of October Virtually Hiking Washington's Mount Rainier

This first morning of the new month, flipping the month to October, I saw the scene on my American Scenic Wonders wall calendar is a scenic wonder in my old home state of Washington, that, if I remember correctly, I only saw twice, up close, as in the National Park, all my years of living in Washington.

The second time I visited this scenic wonder was August 11, 2008, with my favorite sister-in-law and her mom. This was the first time I actually did some hiking in Mount Rainier National Park, hiking from the area known as Paradise, up the lower slops of the Rainier volcano.

It being August, Mount Rainier National Park, that day in 2008 was overcrowded with tourists. I recollect finding a parking spot at Paradise was a bit challenging.

Long ago, on one of my other blogs, I blogged about Mount Rainier. I do not recollect if that blogging has photos of that day in August, back in 2008. Just a sec, and I shall go see.

Yes, there is a photo or two from that day way back almost two decades ago, and a video.

The reason I seldom visited Mount Rainier whilst living in Washington was the fact that the mountain was around 130 miles south of my Skagit Valley location.

I was much closer to another volcano, Mount Baker, to go hiking on, and the equally close North Cascades National Park hiking trails, which actually are much more scenic than Mount Rainier, in that the sea of mountains one sees when one is in the heart of the North Cascades is much more of a broadly spanning multi-mountain scene than that one giant Rainier volcano dominating all its surrounding area.

Sometimes I find myself wondering if I will ever again see my feet hiking on a real mountain trail. My nearest current such opportunity is about 50 miles north, in Oklahoma via the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge. I suspect it likely that the Wichita Mountains will not quite be the same as the Cascade Mountains of Washington, and Oregon...

Final September Day Lucy Park Fading Fall Jungle Walk

With the outer world temperature in the mid-80s, an hour before noon, on this final day of the 2024 version of September, it was to Lucy Park I ventured, after a quick library visit, acquiring new reading material.

As you can see, via today's photo documentation of the Lucy Park suspension bridge across the Wichita River, the green foliage is slightly beginning its Fall fade.

The jungle not quite as vibrantly green, with a hint of yellow creeping in.

Soon to turn orange, then brown, before finally falling to the ground, leaving a jungle of bare trees.

The perfect temperature had a lot of people naturing communing, including an elderly couple, even older than me, both with a leashed dog. Cutest little dogs I have seen in a long time.

It has been over 16 years since I have walked a dog. Actually, three dogs. Blue, Max and Pal, in Tacoma.

All three long ago migrated to Doggie Heaven...

Last September Sunday Remembering Dinosaur Valley State Park In Texas Hill Country

Microsoft OneDrive Memory from this Day, which I remember.

But, I do not remember if this particular day was the final Sunday of September in a year earlier this century.

The location is Dinosaur Valley State Park.

Dinosaur Valley State Park has the best mountain bike trails I have rolled my wheels on in Texas. 

Actually, Dinosaur Valley State Park has some of the best mountain bike trails I have rolled my wheels on anywhere, as much fun as the famous mountain bike trails in the Moab zone of Utah.

In the photo I am looking at you via my long gone Casio digital camera with its reverse lens option enabling making what are now known as selfies.

Behind me, that is Big Ed. We are standing in the dried up bed of the Paluxy River.

One sees many dinosaur footprints in the dried up riverbed.

The Microsoft OneDrive Memories included a couple photos I took of the dinosaur tracks in the Paluxy River bed, one of which is what you see above.

I hiked and biked in Dinosaur Valley State Park many times when I lived a lot closer than I do now. 

One memorable biking time in Dinosaur Valley happened on a Christmas day, early this century. I think the year was 2002. The park was empty. No ranger was bothering monitoring the entry. I had an annual pass, but there was no one to show it to.

I biked for several hours, and then realized it was getting dark. That and I realized I was lost. I got a bit panicky as less and less light illuminated the way. Finally, I came to a trail juncture which I recognized and was then able to make my way back to my vehicle. 

I think I need to get a new mountain bike. And take it to Dinosaur Valley State Park...

Final September Saturday Sikes Lake Nature Communing

With the temperature in the low 80s, with a strong wind breezing, it was to Sikes Lake I ventured on this final September Saturday to commune with nature under a bright blue sky.

In the photo documentation you are looking west from the middle of the bridge at the west end of the lake, overlooking the currently blue Blue Lagoon of Sikes Lake.

There were some fellow nature communers today, but I would have thought the number of nature communers would have been larger, what with the perfect weather conditions.

September flew by super fast. Time seems to be accelerating. Is this a function of getting older? I don't like it. October will come and go just as fast. By then we will be in that time of year known as the Holiday Season.

Not my favorite time of the year.

Yesterday I saw Christmas stuff has already been set up in Walmart.

The older I get the Grinchier I get...

Following Skagit Valley's Linda Lou's Moo Goo Gai Pan Directions

That is a wok you see here, with a big batch of Moo Goo Gai Pan, freshly stir-fried for the final Friday of September lunch.

A couple days ago I was talking to the Skagit Valley's renowned culinary savant, known as Linda Lou, when Linda Lou mentioned that she had made Moo Goo Gai Pan for lunch that day.

Is that easy to make, asked I? Yes, super simple said Linda Lou, adding that she would send me the recipe.

And, so she did.

I'm not great with complicated recipes requiring multiple stages, but I managed to do so with the Moo Goo Gai Pan.

Moo Goo Gai Pan first entered my vocabulary way back in the 1970s, via The Bob Newhart Show. Moo Goo Gai Pan was Bob's frequent Chinese food home delivery order. I think it was a bit of a running joke type thing.

I remember, way back then, thinking I never see Moo Goo Gai Pan on a Chinese restaurant menu. And still never have. Or, if I have, I have forgotten seeing such.

But now I have managed to wok and eat Moo Goo Gai Pan, and now I understand why Bob liked it so much...