Look At Washington's Deception Pass Bridge & Fort Worth's Texas Bridge Deceptions

I saw the photo you see here, yesterday, on Facebook. A photo from my old Washington home zone.

I lived about 25 miles east of this bridge.

That tree covered hill you see rising from the far side of the bridge is known as Goose Rock. This was a frequent hiking location for me when I lived in an area with multiple such scenic hiking venues.

That structure over water, connecting those land masses is known as Deception Pass Bridge.

Seeing this photo of Deception Pass Bridge managed to bring the Texas town of Fort Worth to mind.

There were many things about Fort Worth which perplexed me upon exposure, due to much being so alien from my experience growing up in liberal, progressive, modern, Washington state.

Deception Pass Bridge was built in the early 1930s. Taking less than a year to build. Over actual water, connecting to actual islands.

This century I watched the town of Fort Worth struggle to build three simple freeway overpass type bridges, over dry land, taking seven years to do so, after a TNT explosion celebrating the start of the astonishingly long construction project.

Those Fort Worth bridges began construction around a decade after a public works project the public did not vote for, known then as the Trinity River Vision, began. A supposedly vitally needed economic development and flood control scheme. 

Flood control where no flooding had happened for over half a century due to flood control levees already in place.

So vitally needed that a quarter century after the Trinity River Vision began trying to be seen, there is little to see.

And then you have Deception Pass Bridge, built almost a century ago, over actual water, connecting three actual islands.

Fort Worth's three little bridges which took seven years to build, over day land, were, by now, supposed to have cement lined ditches dug under them, with Trinity River water diverted into the cement line ditches, creating what Fort Worth already calls Panther Island.

No, you reading this in sane America, I am not making this up. Fort Worth thinks this bizarre project will result in an island. And that this will be a popular attraction for the town.

Meanwhile, due south of "Panther Island", at the north end of downtown Fort Worth, we have Heritage Park, overlooking "Panther Island".  Heritage Park purports to celebrate Fort Worth's heritage and history. But, it has been a boarded-up eyesore since 2009. 

I first blogged about this in 2009 in Amon G. Carter Foundation Fort Worth Heritage Park Fix. And many times after that, such as Why Is Another Million Dollars Needed To Fix Fort Worth's Heritage Park Embarrassment?

A couple months ago I asked Elsie Hotpepper if Heritage Park is still a boarded up eyesore. Elsie told me such was the case. I assume I would be told otherwise if this was no longer the case.

Truly perplexing...

Frist Day Of August Noontime Thunderstorm Downpour Power Outage

Thunderstorming was on the weather menu for later today, as in, after the sun goes down.

However, whilst peacefully enjoying lunch during the noontime hour, thunder began booming in the distance, and relentlessly grew closer til I was seeing flashes and hearing booms up close.

And then the rain arrived. Downpouring copiously.

I opened my front door to take the photo you see above. The photo does not do justice to the volume of rain that is falling.

I can see a moat has already formed, making it a fun adventure to make it to the carport where my motorized means of motion sits.

Power has gone out twice in the past 10 minutes. Quickly restored.

The sky looks to be getting brighter. Methinks the worst of it may be over. For now...

Not Too HOT Walk Around Sikes Lake With Ukrainian Sunflowers

It was to nearby Sikes Lake I ventured today for my regularly scheduled daily nature communing, on this first day of the 2025 version of August.

This morning my AccuWeather weather information source indicated to me that the temperature would be 79 degrees, as measured by the Fahrenheit method, at my regular endorphin acquisition time.

When I exited my abode I was pleased to see the sun mostly blotted out by clouds. I was also pleased to feel a cooling breeze blowing.

But, the temperature was 84 degrees, according to my phone, with the humidity making it really feel like 91 degrees, also according to my phone, despite the wind and the sun being blocked.

So, my hoped for chilly nature communing did not happen.

I did come upon a new patch of sunflowers blooming near the lake shore. That is what you see photo documented above.

That big bright yellow sunflower reminded me of the recent work of the renowned Pacific Northwest artist known as Tamara El, and her recent series of painted homages to the sunflower symbol of Ukraine.

Thunderstorming is on the weather menu for later today. With more thunderstorming tomorrow, followed, supposedly, by thunderstorming and heavy rain, with possible flash flooding, on Sunday. 

I expect I shall manage to remain dry, despite the dire predictions indicating otherwise...

HOT Hiking Wichita Bluffs Nature Area On Last Day Of July

Yesterday the outer world at my North Texas location got heated to well over 100 degrees, as measured by the Fahrenheit method.

Overnight, a cold front blew in, knocking the low for last night into the low 70s, again as measured by the Fahrenheit method.

So, with today's high temperature forecast to be in the low 90s, I thought this last day of the 2025 version of July might be a mighty fine time to get my daily endorphin fix by nature communing on the trail through the Wichita Bluffs Nature Area.

Well.

I thought wrong. 

Not much of a wind was blowing, til I hit the highest point on the Bluffs, which is where I took the photo documentation, looking east across the Wichita River at the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Wichita Falls.

Whilst under the shade of the pavilion located at the Wichita Bluffs Nature Area high point, I checked the temperature via my phone's weather app.

90 degrees.

Halfway back to my starting point, also known as the parking lot where my air-conditioned motorized transport was located, I started getting real HOT, turning into a sweaty mess. I took off my shirt, which helped a little, but not much.

Methinks today marks the last time I will be doing any mountainous bluff hiking til the weather starts being more reasonably cool...

Getting HOT While Trying To Be Cool At Lake Wichita

With the outer world temperature nearing 100 degrees, as measured via the Fahrenheit method, on this next to last day of the 2025 version of July it was to nearby Lake Wichita I ventured, hoping fora cooling breeze to be blowing across the lake, making for some semi-pleasant nature communing.

Well, there was a breeze blowing, providing some heat relief, but it still felt way too HOT.

In the above photo we are about to walk onto the Lake Wichita Boardwalk, walking out over the lake. A nice breeze blew when I reached the end of the boardwalk.

In the following photo documentation, we are no longer on the Boardwalk, we have walked onto the floating fishing dock which is a short distance north of the Boardwalk.

You can see, via the wave action, that wind is blowing across the lake. So much so that the floating dock had some up and down action, so much so that I think those prone to such might suffer a mild seasickness bout.

That is the Mount Wichita pseudo-volcano you see rising above the horizon at the northwest side of Lake Wichita. Mount Wichita looks like it has lost most of its green foliage cover.

I do not remember a year previous where I have found myself so looking forward to the end of Summer and the arrival of cool temperatures....

Be Careful Going Against Mysterious Rules Too Many Times!

This morning's email included one from my Favorite Nephew Jason referencing yesterday's Russian earthquake and the resulting tsunami warnings across the Pacific Ocean.

I thought Jason's email to be amusing, which quickly had me blogging about it in Nephew Jason Reports No Russian Tsunami Reaching Mount Vernon.

As is often the case, when I was back on Facebook I posted the link to the Russian Tsunami blog post.

Almost immediately I got a notification that the post had been removed due to violating Facebook community standards, with a warning about going against the rules too many times.

Huh?

Clicking the explanation link it appeared that this post was removed due to supposedly being misleading spam. Or some such thing. It was confusing. And did not provide any explanation which came even remotely close to making any sense.

I then clicked on the ask for a review option, or whatever it was called. At the end of that the end message was that it would take up to four days to get back to me.

Earlier this year I terminated my massive Eyes on Texas website, after a couple decades. I was no longer updating that website, and so it really made no sense to keep paying to host it.

Now, I am wondering if today's Facebook incident may be a hint that maybe it is time to let Facebook go the way of MySpace, and move on.

I really do not need any additional nonsensical aggravations aggravating me senselessly...

Nephew Jason Reports No Russian Tsunami Reaching Mount Vernon

Email from nephew Jason this next to last morning of the 2025 version of July, a day also known as Wednesday. The email included a screencap (not the one you see above) from a Washington news source known as the Bellingham Herald.

That screencap from the Bellingham Herald showed where tsunami waves were potentially going to hit various locations on the Washington Pacific Coast.

One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded shook the east coast of Russia, yesterday, generating tsunami warning across the Pacific. By this morning most of those warnings had been lifted.

The text in Jason's email said, "So far the water has not reached Mount Vernon".

I replied that the same was the case at my location.

Mount Vernon is a few miles from water connected to the Pacific Ocean, that particular water is known as Puget Sound. It would be possible for a tsunami to hit the Pacific Coast, and continue through the Straits of Juan de Fuca, reaching Puget Sound, but that would need to be one really big wave.

Way back in 1964 a super strong earthquake shook Alaska. Back then there was no tsunami warning system. The Alaskan quake generated strong, what were then known as 'tidal waves', which struck the Washington Pacific Coast, doing some damage. And doing a lot of damage in Northern California, most severely to Crescent City, with that town's downtown destroyed, and over a dozen people drowned.

The last time I was on the Washington Pacific Coast, summer of 2004, I was sort of surprised to see multiple "Tsunami Evacuation Route" signs. This was something new. Prior to seeing those signs, on this visit to Washington I was surprised in the Tacoma zone, near Puyallup, to see "Volcano Eruption Evacuation Route" signs.

I assume the Volcano related signs were installed after the Mount St. Helens eruption made clear how dangerous such an event can be. The Tacoma/Puyallup "Volcano Eruption Evacuation Route" signs are due to the Mount Rainier volcano being nearby.

At my current location the nearest ocean water is hundreds of miles distant. There is no volcano for way more than hundreds of miles distant.

Hence, there are no signs at my North Texas location pointing to evacuation routes...

HOT Lucy Park Walk With Pink Wildflowers

With the outer world warmed to a temperature in the 90s, it was to Lucy Park I ventured on this final Monday of the 2025 version of July for my daily naturing communing at the only one of my nature communing locations which provides some good sun blocking shade trees.

Even so, it was still a little too HOT to comfortably acquire my daily endorphins, but, I persisted and got my much-needed dopamine fix.

Tomorrow is scheduled to be HOTTER than today. Methinks I shall be getting my endorphin dopamine fix in an indoor nature communing location on the final Tuesday of July.

Even though the outer world is being a little HOT, at my North Texas location, that does not seem to cause any wilting action of the Lucy Park pink wildflowers you see photo documented above.

I assume these are wildflowers. I may be erroneous in that assumption.

Another bit of photo documentation from today's shady Lucy Park nature communing.

As you can see, the Wichita River is running a bit low under the Lucy Park suspension bridge. You can also see, via the photo documentation, some of that shady action I mentioned.

I do not recollect the outer world remaining so green, this late into Summer, at my current Texas location, previous Summers. Such is a result, I assume, of higher-than-average rainfall during 2025.

I thought, what with all that rain, that this Summer was going to be a nightmare, bug bite-wise. Last Summer I was constantly getting bug bit, was bug spraying myself before entering the outer world.

This Summer I have not been bug bitten a single time. Not even a mosquito bite. Perplexing...

Microsoft Mis-Remembering Nephew Jason's Wedding

In the photo you are seeing my Favorite Nephew Jason, with his newly minted bride, Jenny, future mother of Spencer Jack, cutting into their wedding cake at their wedding reception at Mount Vernon's Eaglemont Pavilion, where Jason, at that point in time, had a restaurant.

This event took place on a date, in April, with me not remembering the specific date, other than I think it was a Saturday.

What I do know for sure is that Microsoft's OneDrive Memories from this Day is wrong. Today's OneDrive Memory email included multiple photos of that wedding which took place way back in April of 2006. 

Not on July 27 of 2006.

Two years later, in July and August of 2008 I was up north, in Washington, where one day we were up in the Skagit Valley, at Bay View State Park, when Jenny brought Spencer Jack to meet relatives he'd not met before, such as me. 

Let me see if I can find the video I made that day I met Spencer Jack. Found it. Forgot my mom and dad are in the video. Seems so recent that day at Bay View, but in three years that will have been 20 years ago...

Seeing Baby Cambri June Weston In Arizona For The First Time

Earlier today I blogged about a Chilly 90 Degree Sikes Lake Nature Communing With Baby Cambri June in which I made mention of learning of the arrival of a new relative.

In that blogging the last thing I wrote was "I have yet to see photo documentation of the newest family member."

That is no longer the case. Photo documentation arrived on my phone a few minutes ago, which would make that the beautiful baby Cambri June you see above, and below.

In the second photo, mama Carissa is bottling baby Cambri June, whilst big brother Cade Christopher assists.

In addition to the photo documentation, the phone text message, sent by Cade and Cambri's Grandma Jackie, corrected me as to Cade's middle name, about which I was erroneous in the blog post earlier today.

It is Cade Christopher, not Cade Jay or Cade Jack.

I don't know what it is, at my elderly age, which gets to me when I get news of a new relative baby. The news instantly makes me happy, and then strangely teary-eyed. The getting emotional part is a bit perplexing.

It may have something to do with being the oldest sibling. I was too young to remember when my eldest sibling was born, which would be brother Jake. He is only 13 months younger than me. I do remember when our eldest sister, that being Nancy, was born. Nancy's birthplace was a hospital in Mount Vernon.

It was the birthday of Cade and Cambri's grandma, my little sister, Jackie, which was the most memorable. It was February 12, 1961. In Burlington, the hospital was a block from our abode. The morning Jackie was born our dad told me to bring my siblings, Jake and Nancy, to the curb on the south side of Fairhaven Avenue, in about half an hour, and look up to the 4th floor.

We did as instructed. And soon we saw our dad holding our new baby sister up to a window so we could see her.

I remember it being so much fun being big brother to baby Jackie. We really did spoil her with attention. I remember taking her on bike rides, and other such things. Such is likely why I so enjoyed it when I found myself having nephews to dote on.

Nine years after the arrival of baby Jackie, my final sibling arrived. On April 13, 1970.

I remember driving mom somewhere when she told me I was gonna have a new baby brother or sister. We waited a week or two to tell brother Jake and sister Nancy. Baby Jackie was the last to be told. The whole family went into Jackie's bedroom to tell her.

We did not anticipate Jackie's reaction. She refused to accept the fact that a new baby was arriving. Eventually Jackie got used to the idea.

I remember the morning baby sister, Michele, was born. Many of my classmates knew what was happening. There was a phone anyone could use outside the principal's office. I called United General Hospital, asking for Mrs. Chatt, family friend and the head nurse at the hospital. Everyone around me knew I was calling to find out if it was a boy or a girl.

Mrs. Chatt got on the phone. I asked if all was all right. Mrs. Chatt then told me I have a new baby sister. I turned to the gathered crowd and said, it's a girl. There was a loud collective groan. I guess the hope of many was that the baby would be a boy.

Later that day Linda Lou and I went to the hospital to see my new baby sister for the first time. One of the first things mom said to me was something along the line of "Mrs. Chatt said it sounded like you called from a loud assembly." No, I told mom, there were just a lot of people in the hall.

Anyway, I think it is these type memories which sort of effect how I react to the news of a new baby arriving in the family...