Thursday's Wichita Falls Cold Front Arrives On Schedule

 As mentioned in yesterday's, Wednesday, Wichita Falls temperature report, reporting that my vehicle was reporting 110 degrees of excessive warmth, with the sweltering predicted to be short-lived, with a cold front blowing in Thursday, also known as today.

Well, the prediction was accurate, as you can see via the photo documentation, I photo documented, when I started up my motorized means of motion to drive to an appointment.

78 degrees.

Brrrr.

That is two degrees colder than I have my interior space's air-conditioner set to.

Long pants and a long-sleeved shirt kept the chill under control.

This return to natural air-conditioning is not predicted to last too long, so I shall enjoy it while it is here...

Sweltering At 110 Degrees In Wichita Falls

Yesterday, when I left the air-conditioned comfort of my abode, to drive to Walmart, my vehicle's temperature monitor indicated the temperature was 106 degrees.

Today, that being the day known as Wednesday, I left the air-conditioned comfort of my abode at about the same time, driving to ALDI, not Walmart.

Today my vehicle's temperature monitor indicated the temperature was 110 degrees. As you can see via the photo documentation.

I've not experienced this level of HOT since getting scorched in Arizona.

Relief is scheduled to arrive tomorrow, with a cold front blowing in, dropping the temperature into the relatively chilly 80s.

I am totally prepared for tomorrow's Big Chill, with sweatpants and sweatshirt washed and ready...

HOT Wednesday Walking With Sikes Lake's May Flowers

With the outer world heated to 91 degrees Fahrenheit, heading to a predicted high of 99 this second Wednesday of May, today it was to Sikes Lake I ventured for some HOT nature communing and endorphin acquisition via high-speed walking.

As you can clearly see, via the photo documentation, the April Showers (and additional showers the current month) has produced a plethora of flowers. Most of the pink evening primrose sort, though I did see a couple patches of yellowish-orangish wildflowers today. 

The yellowish-orangish wildflowers were not located in a location making for easy photo documentation, or I would have photo documented them.

The current HEAT wave ends today, with a chilling cold front arriving tomorrow, dropping tomorrow's predicted high to a relatively chilly 86 degrees.

All the local lakes, including Sikes Lake, are at full pool for the first time in years. Such may not last long with the coming, likely extremely HOT, Summer....

HOT 106 Second May Tuesday In Wichita Falls

 As per the temperature prediction I made mention of earlier today, with the temperature prediction predicting the temperature would get to 99 degrees, HOT HEAT was clearly the case when I exited my abode around 5 this afternoon, getting hit with a blast of HEAT which felt as if I was back in Arizona.

The HOT temperature was mechanically validated when I ignited my motorized means of motion and saw its temperature monitoring device indicating the temperature was 106 degrees, as measured via the Fahrenheit method.

The vehicle sits under a carport cover. Does that increase the HEAT level? I don't know. Does the vehicle's temperature measuring device measure the outside temperature? Or is it the inside the vehicle temperature?

The fact that inside the vehicle it did not feel anywhere near 106 degrees would seem to indicate it is the outside temperature being measured, which is likely made HOTTER by the carport's metal roof.

Soon upon putting the vehicle in motion the temperature began to drop, eventually stopping dropping when it reached 99. Which was one of the predicted temperatures for today's high. With the other prediction predicting a high of 98.

Anyway, methinks this portends for a miserably HOT coming Summer...

99 Degree Possible Record-Breaking Heatwave Wondering Why Beto O'Rourke Was Speaking In Wichita Falls

The above screen cap is from this morning's Wichita Falls Times Record News AccuWeather weather page.

Today and tomorrow predicted to hit 99 degrees as measured by the Fahrenheit method of measuring the temperature.

Also, from this morning's Wichita Falls Times Record News...

Wichita Falls will flirt with record heat on Wednesday. The National Weather Service predicts a high of 98 degrees that day, which is perilously close to the record for the date of 100 degrees set in 1952.

So, apparently the National Weather Service prediction predicts one degree cooler than the AccuWeather temperature prediction.

Also, apparently, if we do hit 99, or 98, degrees tomorrow, this will almost break the 100 degrees temperature record set way back in 1952.

This morning's Wichita Falls Times Record News is not the first time I have made note of the fact that this town's newspaper can be a bit sloppy. 

An example of such, for weeks now the Times Record News has had on its list of Top Headlines, on its front page, a link to an article asking, "Why did Beto O'Rourke speak in Wichita Falls?"

Below is a screen cap illustrating this...

You click on the link and below is a screen cap of the entire article, which clearly does not answer the question posed in the Top Headlines...

It is instances such as this Beto O'Rourke non-article which have caused me to wonder if the Wichita Falls Times News Record has any humans involved in its publication. Wondering if it may be some computer created production.

Ironically, the below appears right below the list of Top Headlines...

Methinks perhaps whoever is doing this alleged working, needs to work a bit harder. 

I know I would like to read a news story explaining what happened to the completion of the Circle Trail link from Lucy Park to the new section of the Circle Trail, which was completed a couple years ago, that being the section which includes the Wichita Bluff Nature Area. 

Also, regarding the Circle Trail, an article explaining what has stalled another missing Circle Trail link, that being the continuation of the trail where it now terminates at the new section west of Lake Wichita Park, which was completed a couple years ago.

And, how about an article explaining what is going on with that creek project one has watched happening slowly for a couple years now, that being the creek that goes under Maplewood, between Kemp and Midwestern Boulevard. 

And, just last week, what was the deal with that big carnival which appeared on the Sikes Senter mall parking lot? Was there some sort of festival or celebration happening that brought this carnival to town?

There you go, I have let those supposedly working to improve my newspaper reading experience know what I think. I'm sure it will make a big difference...

Hot May Day Board Walking Lake Wichita Dam

On this second Monday of the 2025 version of May, it was a short distance to the south, I ventured, to Lake Wichita Dam, to do some well-heated nature communing.

As you can see, via the view through the cyclone fence atop Lake Wichita Dam, water is still spilling over the dam's spillway, well over a week since North Texas got drenched with a lot of rain.

In the above view we are on the Lake Wichita Boardwalk, looking across the Boardwalk towards the dam's spillway we were at in the previous photo.

Still on the Lake Wichita Boardwalk, now looking Northwest, across Lake Wichita, with Mount Wichita making a slight poke to the sky, on the horizon.

Now we are back on top of the Lake Wichita Dam, looking north at a trio of bikers riding off the dam. This paved trail atop the dam is part of the Circle Trail which trails around most of Wichita Falls.

Now we are once again looking Northwest, across the Lake Wichita floating fishing dock, with Mount Wichita again being a slight poke on the horizon.

It has been a few months since I have done my daily nature communing at today's location. The temperature bordered on being HOT today. With virtually no wind blowing, there was no wind chill factor mitigating the HOT.

Walking this location, which I have walked frequently over my years of living in the Wichita Falls location, for some reason a recent email came to mind.

That being an email from a person who had been reading my blog posts and felt she needed to share with me that she was greatly enjoying her new living location, and the bedroom she had turned into an office where she spent hours reading, writing and drawing.

Whilst, she opined, I appeared to be doing the same thing, day after day. But that was okay if I enjoyed it.

For some reason I found this, what seemed to be a totally pointless judgmental comment, to be off putting. Particularly since it was coming from what I had come to see as a bloviated bore, doing basically nothing, day after day after day.

But, of course, polite gentleman that I am, I never shared that opinion. Til, now...

Happy Mother's Day With Mom At Arizona's Tortilla Flat

Incoming Mother's Day related emails from my Favorite Nephew Jason, aka FNJ.

The compiled text of the three emails...

FUD- 

Happy Mother's Day 2025.  I asked your brother last night if he was going to drive up to Lynden and bring your mother flowers. His response indicated that there is a slim chance of that happening. I myself am going into the restaurant to supervise, as Mother's Day is typically the busiest restaurant day of the year.   

Thought I'd share a photo with related mothers in it that I dug out this morning. 

But, I find searching for pictures of your mother is nearly an impossible task, as there are so few.  But I did find one of me pictured with some of your other favorite mothers.   I'm not sure of the occasion, but your sister Nancy appears to be lighting a birthday candle.  Grandma Vera is looking annoyed and perhaps isn't enjoying herself and probably just wants to go home, or to BINGO.  My best guess is that this was taken circa 2000.  By then I think you had left the state.

-FNJ

Mother's Day 2025 Addendum

And I forgot to tell you, that if you ever truly miss your mother, I have a fix for that. I can arrange for you to spend time with Shirley 2.0.

I have no clue where Jason is in the above photo, with his Great-Grandma Vera, and a pair of his aunts. Nancy, aka Shirley 2.0, on the left, with Jackie, in blue, next to Nancy, who Jason suggests is lighting a candle.

Saying I have no clue where Jason is in the above photo, I was referring to the location where the photo was taken. I know where Jason is in the photo. That is him, next to his Great-Grandma.

As for Jason suggesting Nancy is lighting a candle, okay, looking at the photo, at full-size, before I shrunk it for blogging purposes, I can see that it looks like Nancy is lighting what may be a candle, with matches in her left hand. Here is the zoomed view...

As for Jason having a shortage of photos of my mom, also known as his Grandma. I do not suffer that same problem. I have a lot of photos, with many taken in the years 2017-2019, including the photo at the top, taken at Tortilla Flat, on the Apache Trail in Arizona. 

That is me behind mom, with Linda Lou on the left and Big Ed on the right.

Renders me a tad melancholy, seeing that photo of mom at Tortilla Flat, and realizing that at that point in time, there would not be many more days like that. Wish I could live that day's Apache Trail drive to Tortilla Flat over again...

Flooding Recedes Re-Opening Muddy Lucy Park

On this second Saturday of the 2025 version of May, I ventured back to Lucy Park, just like I did last Saturday.

Last Saturday I found Lucy Park flooded and closed.

A week later, as in today, the flooding has mostly receded, with walking in parts of the park possible, with a lot of dried-up river mud to walk over.

And, apparently, it is doable to be fishing in the still running high, Wichita River.

The Lucy Park suspension bridge over the Wichita River remains closed.

I could tell the river had flooded above the bridge deck, due to chunks of wood remaining, waiting to be removed. As you can see, the river currently remains almost as high as the bridge deck.

 My favorite area to hike in Lucy Park is the area I refer to as the Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle.

The Jungle remains deeply flooded, as you can see via the photo documentation. It will likely be a couple months before the Backwoods Jungle dries out.

And there you have it, your look today at the Wichita Falls zone of Texas in which I currently reside...

Wichita Falls Friday Holliday Creek Hail & Rain Deluge With Egrets

Earlier on this second Friday of the 2025 version of May, I found myself driving north on Kemp Boulevard, a route which took me by Lake Wichita's dam spillway. Which I saw was still spilling a lot of water, after having been spilling no water for several years.

The water which spills over the Lake Wichita dam spillway spills into Holliday Creek.

Yes, that is spelled correctly. This particular version of that word has two l's, one more than the one l one is used to.

Holliday Creek eventually makes it way to the Wichita River, flowing by my abode on its way. The Circle Trail trails beside Holliday Creek, for a few miles, including by my abode.

And so, late this afternoon I took a rare late afternoon walk along the Circle Trail, hoping to get a good photo of Holliday Creek in its current state of flowing a lot of water, after having been dry for several years.

As you can see, via the above photo documentation, I was able to get a photograph of Holliday Creek, with a small white bird posing for me. I think this may be an Egret, maybe.

Soon after taking the photo, I began being hit by big drops of rain, plopping quite vigorously. 

And then some balls of hail were added to the mix.

I was only a couple hundred feet from getting under the cover of my carport. I made it there to wait out the deluge.

After about 10 minutes of waiting, I got bored and opted to make fast tracks back to my hail and rain-free interior space.

And now, a half hour later, no rain is falling, the sun is shining bright. And the A/C just turned on...

Favorite Nephew Jason's Current Plot To Get His Favorite Uncle Back To Washington

Shocking news today from my Favorite Nephew Jason. The house I built in 1985, that I sold after I moved to Texas, is for sale again.

Jason sent me the Zillow listing, which had around 40 photos of the current condition of the house I left in excellent condition. I barely recognized it.

I did like the totally re-built deck out back. It looked way bigger, though not multi-level. But, it now has a big hot tub.

I hate what they've done to the carport. Closed it off with a tacky garage door. The stairs to the main floor have been totally re-done. The glass-roofed atrium on the rooftop deck is gone.

As is the big rhododendron which was to the right of the stairs. Why would someone remove that?

It looks like all the landscaping has been removed, except for the trees which were there before the house was.

Jason's final message of the day regarding my old house....

So, all I would need to do is buy it, renovate it to be as nice as when you left it, and then your long Texas Exodus would be over with?   Sound like a good plan?

Yes, that does sound like a good plan....