Return To Endorphins Via The Wichita Bluff Nature Area

The outer world the past couple days has been cloudy and cold.

Real cold.

As in, for instance, yesterday a strong wind had the temperature of 39 feeling like 31.

One degree below freezing.

So, yesterday, weather wimp that I be, I did not venture into the outer world for my regular endorphin inducing aerobic activity.

Til today.

A clear blue sky, and zero wind, had today's hiking time temperature of 54 degrees really feeling like 57 degrees.

Relatively balmy, compared to yesterday.

The photo documentation you see above is a look, looking northwest, soon after entering the Wichita Bluff Nature Area, via the Circle Trail, from the Wichita Bluff Nature Area western entry.

The next few days are forecast to be similar to today. This alleviates, for now, my SAD Seasonally Affected Disorder...

Microsoft Takes Me Back To An Enchanted Rock

The chilly photo you see here showed up this Sunday morning in my email, a Microsoft OneDrive Memory from this Day.

That which you see behind me, in the photo, is known as Enchanted Rock. One of the most scenic locations in Texas.

Enchanted Rock is located in Texas Hill Country, a few miles north of Fredericksburg.

I do not remember what winter month it was I first visited Enchanted Rock. It may have been in December. I do remember my second visit, a couple years later, was over Easter weekend, with Enchanted Rock being quite crowded.

Enchanted Rock is in a Texas state park known as Enchanted Rock State Natural Area. 

Natives residing in the Enchanted Rock zone, back when undocumented aliens began invading the area, thought the rock to be enchanted by spooky spirits. Thought thusly because of the weird noises the rock made. 

Modern science of the geology sort came along many years later to explain that the weird noises were made by contracting and expanding granite fissures in the rock, occurring during extreme heating and cooling events.

I have been on Enchanted Rock when it was cold and when it was not cold and have not heard any weird noises.

The hike to the summit of Enchanted Rock is not too difficult. There is no trail taking you to the top. You just sort of make you own route.

I would like to make that trek to the top of Enchanted Rock a third time. It is only a few hundred miles to the south of my current location...

Do Not Let Your Texas Deviance Thrash Pecan Trees

I saw the sign you see here, yesterday, in Hamilton Park, across the street from the area I refer to as the Beverly Hills of Wichita Falls.

I have seen many a pecan picker picking pecans off the ground, in both Lucy Park and at Sikes Lake.

I have not seen any pecan pickers picking at Hamilton Park.

I do not go to Hamilton Park too often, which is likely why I have seen no pecan pickers picking there.

Hamilton Park does not have many trees. I assume some of the few must be pecan trees.

It seems like a lot of bother to gather up pecans, from the ground, then process them by whatever means one must. Shelling the pecans, then roasting them, I presume.

The result of the effort must be worth it, judging by all the pecan pickers I have seen picking.

As for this prohibition against thrashing a pecan tree, I do not know what that means. Shaking the tree to shake loose pecans? Pecan trees are not small. It would seem to be not too easy to shake a pecan tree.

And why does the sign, at the upper right, say, TEXAS DEVIANCE?

Possible Wichita Falls Great Christmas Light Fight Contender

Last year Wichita Falls was the location of the winner of a contest known as The Great Christmas Light Fight. If I remember right, the first-place prize was $50,000.

No, above you are not looking at this year's version of last year's Great Christmas Light Fight. 

The Great Christmas Display you are seeing here is located on Hamilton Road, across the street from Hamilton Park, in the neighborhood I refer to as the Beverly Hills of Wichita Falls.

I do not know if this Christmas Light display on Hamilton Road is accompanied with music, like last year's winner was.

I suspect if this house on Hamilton Road enters this year's Great Christmas Light Fight it will be in the running for the top prize.

I need to point out that my photo documentation was only able to capture a fraction of this entire Christmas display...

Day Three Wichita Bluff High Speed Hill Hiking Calorie Burning

Day three, on this fourth day of December, back on the Wichita Bluffs, hiking the Circle Trail into the Wichita Bluff Nature Area from the west.

As you can see, via the view from the Wichita Bluff summit, looking east at the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Wichita Falls, clouds have obliterated the clear blue sky which had been the norm for several days.

My regimen of amping up the burning of calories, via high-speed hill hiking, seems to be working. I have made note of some shrinkage of the poundage gained from excessive Thanksgiving food consumption, consumption which went on for more days than just the Thanksgiving Thursday.

A lot of people seem to be currently enjoying getting exercise on the Bluffs, which is made much more pleasant when the temperature is not in the 100-degree zone, which happens way too often during the period of time known as Summer...

Back Burning Calories On The Wichita Bluffs

It was back to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area I ventured on this third day of December.

Yesterday I accessed the Bluffs from the west, today I accessed the Bluffs from the east.

Accessing the Bluffs from the east, the Circle Trail follows the Wichita River, til it doesn't.

Which would make that the Wichita River you see beyond the stand of giant weeds.

Hiking the Bluffs two days in a row is part of a campaign to shed the poundage gained by excessive calorie consumption during the Thanksgiving period of excessive calorie consumption.

Along with burning calories the high-speed aerobic Bluff hiking causes a lot of endorphins to get released, which is always a pleasant thing to experience.

I have about three weeks to shrink enough to fit into a tuxedo type suit. I do not know if I can make that happen. But, I shall try my best...

Perfect December Hiking Weather On The Wichita Bluffs

It was to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area I ventured on this second day of December, to hike the Circle Trail to the Bluff Summit's Picnic Pavilion.

As you can see there is nary a cloud blotting the clear blue sky.

Upon arrival at the Bluff I realized I was overdressed, as the outer world was not feeling as cold as I thought it to be before exiting my climate controlled zone. 

So, I shed the gloves and hooded sweatshirt and found the temperature to be totally pleasant with only a t-shirt being my upper outerwear.

As I sit here typing I have been hearing the tornado sirens blaring. It has been a while since I have heard the regular Monday tornado siren test. Why? I do not know. The sirens are too loud not to notice.

Due to the recent overnight below freezing temperatures many more of the leaves in the trees have gone into color change mode than prior to the freezing. Such as the tree you see above, located near the Bluff's summit.

Along with the changing color the fall falling of the leaves has begun, leaving the ground carpeted with leaves, at some locations, something I experienced a lot a couple days ago hiking the Lucy Park backwoods jungle.

Leaves falling to the ground is different in Texas than what I used to experience in Western Washington.

In Texas the leaves dry up and disintegrate. In Western Washington the leaves would slowly decompose, turning slippery and messy. 

The annual leaf cleanup at my Washington abode was not a pleasant task. But, had to be done, or the roof drains would get clogged...

2024 Texas Christmas Decorations Complete

It took a lot of tiring effort, but, eventually, on this first day of December, I got my Christmas decorations fully installed.

As has been the case for a long time, a brown ceramic cactus is my Christmas tree. 

The Christmas Camel came from my Grandma Vera.

The Christmas Stocking, hanging off the Christmas Camel, was a crocheted production of my Grandma Slotemaker.

I suspect it would please both my Grandmas to know their crafty works are my Christmas decorations, well into the 21st century.

I do not remember, for sure, where I got the Christmas Cactus. My best guess is it came from Wall Drug Store in South Dakota. I bought a lot of stuff at Wall Drug Store.

Brother Jake's Cool Mount Baker Volcano Thanksgiving

I am a couple days late sharing that which you see here, which arrived Thanksgiving morning, from my little brother who goes by the name of Jake, even though that name is not on his birth certificate.

The above photo illustrated Jake's Thanksgiving phone text message of "Happy Thanksgiving from the currently cool Pacific Northwest."

That would be the Thanksgiving morning view from my little brother's viewing venue at the Slotemaker-Jones Compound located on the Skagit Flats, near the tulip ground zero viewing location of Roozengarde.

That mountain covered in white snow is the Mount Baker volcano. That band of blue in front of the volcano is known as Cascade mountain foothills.

I replied to my little brother's Thanksgiving message wishing him a Happy Thanksgiving, adding that it is also currently cool in Texas, but from my vantage point I see no mountains no matter which direction I look.

I do not know how many miles I would currently need to drive to see a mountain, any mountain, doesn't have to be a volcano.

As far as I know the only American volcanoes are in the Cascade Mountains, with five volcanoes in Washington, one in Oregon and a couple in California.

Now that you are causing me to think about it, Oregon may have two volcanoes, if one counts dormant Mount Mazama, location of Crater Lake, as a volcano, along with Oregon's Mount Hood.

I just Googled Mount Mazama and learned it is still considered a volcano even though it has not erupted for almost three thousand years before Jesus was born.

At my current old age I at times wonder if I will ever again see an actual mountain...

First Wichita Falls Freeze Of The Freezing Season Arrives On Schedule

The first freeze of this freezing time of the year arrived as predicted, this day after Thanksgiving morning.

The outer world air is predicted to get warmed to somewhere in the 40 degree zone during my regular outdoor endorphin inducing activity time.

Before I do that outdoor endorphin inducing I am going to Walmart to be part of the Black Friday mob. This is usually reliably entertaining.

Walmart may provide all the endorphin inducing I need for the day...