Apparently This Summer In Texas Is Gonna Hurt Like A Mother Trucker

Yesterday on the next to last day of May we hit 100 for the first time this year at my location on the planet.

On this, the last day of May, we have gone to 101, as you can see via the screen shot I shot of my phone a couple minutes ago.

I was hotter earlier in May, in Arizona, where a record breaking temperature was reached. 106 was the number, if I remember correctly.

101 in Texas feels way HOTTER than 106 in Arizona, due to that vexing humidity thing which causes the Texas air to sort of feel like one is getting swatted with wet hot cotton.

I started up my abode's air-conditioning for the first time this year the night I got back here from Arizona, due to the relatively cool Texas temperature in the high 70s, at that midnight time frame, felt so HOT, due to that aforementioned humidity, I flipped on the A/C as soon as I got my hand's on my thermostat.

I fear, to paraphrase Adam Levine, taking out his bad taste profanity, that this summer is gonna hurt like a mother trucker. I do not remember many, if any, 100 degree plus days last year. And now, with summer still three weeks distant we are already hurting like a mother trucker...

Rolling Wheels To Lake Wichita Finds Big Caterpillar Dredging Lake Sludge

I took the first photo you see here a couple days ago at a point in time when there were a few clouds in the otherwise clear blue sky.

I parked my bike and took this photo because it seemed to me someone was making some sort of subtle political statement, what with someone moving a "SUPPORT LAKE WICHITA" banner and a "VOTE YES" sign at a location quite visible atop the Lake Wichita Dam, at the point where the Circle Trail reaches the top of the dam.

VOTE YES turned into a NO VOTE on May 5, failing to pass the two bond proposals which would have finished circling the Circle Trail and would have finally funded the revitalizing of Lake Wichita.

I have not heard if there will be another attempt to get Wichita Falls voters to vote YES, or not. It would seem a better job could be done of convincing voters it is in their interest, and for the betterment of their town, to vote to support returning Lake Wichita to its historical former glory, that and finally completing the Circle Trail.

So, this morning I opted to do my semi-regular bike ride to Lake Wichita via that aforementioned Circle Trail. Upon arrival on top of the dam I saw the sign you see above is still there.

Looking up, from the banner sign, across the lake, at Mount Wichita, I saw that a piece of heavy equipment which I have been seeing stationary for over a week, was, on this day, in full action mode.

I figured by the time I got to Mount Wichita I would be getting an up close look at what this heavy equipment operation is doing.

And now we are at that location, sort of in the shadow of Mount Wichita. A fellow biker bikes towards the Caterpillar dredger dredging mud sludge from Lake Wichita.

And then I rolled on for a closer look. Is this a stage of the Lake Wichita Revitalization underway? If not, what is going on here? There were several City of Wichita Falls dump trucks parked a short distance away, engines running, headlights on, manned with drivers, waiting, I assume, to haul away that which is being dredged.

I thought the plan for revitalizing Lake Wichita called for the lake to be drained and then the sludge dredged, in order to render, eventually, a deeper lake.

Has enough money been raised by the car washes and other somewhat pitiful Lake Wichita Revitalization fund raising efforts to pay for some dredging?

I first learned of the plan to revitalize Lake Wichita soon upon arrival in this town in spring of 2016. Learning the details of this plan it seemed like a good idea. And the informational website devoted to this project, when I first saw it in 2016, indicated the project would be underway by 2018.

Somehow I do not think this Caterpillar dredging on the shore of Lake Wichita indicates the lake's revitalization is underway. But, if not, why is lake sludge being dredged?

Rolling Wheels Over Wichita Bluff Nature Area Circle Trail

Til today I  had not been back to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area since this natural area opened at some point in time last year. Late spring of 2017, if I am remembering correctly.

Til today it had not crossed my mind that it might be mighty fun to roll my bike wheels on this only section of the Wichita Falls Circle Trail which has elevation changes sufficient enough to cause a high speed descent and an aerobically stimulating ascent.

Well, slightly aerobically stimulating ascent. The ascents are not all that steep. But one does go fast on the downhill sections.

As you can see the Wichita Bluff Nature Area is green with foliage. This may later turn a bit more brown as the heat of summer arrives.

Above you see my bike taking a rest on one of the side trails off the Circle Trail, with the side trails affording views and benches, with several of the side trails also providing picnic table pavilions, shaded from the HOT sun.

Above my handlebars are high atop a Wichita Bluff overlooking the Wichita River.

Here we have a more natural bluff overlook, without any bike or fencing blocking part of the view.

And then, turning around from that Wichita River overlook we see the current end of this section of the Circle Trail.

I am assuming this missing section is one of the sections voters did not vote to fund finishing in the recent May 5 bond vote.

So foolish. The two Circle Trail & Lake Wichita Revitalization proposals were to pay the required 25% of the project's total, with the 75% made up of grants, with the granting of those grants predicated on Wichita Falls coming up with 25%.

Like I said, so foolish. And sadly short sighted....

Memorial Day MSU Bike Ride Remembering Seattle's International Fountain With Overpriced Space Needle

This Memorial Day morning I had myself a memorably long bike ride north, taking my rolling wheels first around Sikes Lake, then to the MSU (Midwestern State University) campus, which is currently abandoned.

And then further north, eventually getting lost on Speedway before finding my way to the Circle Trail via Holliday.

At MSU I stopped the bike at the location you see here. A fountain spewing jets of water.

Refreshing on a HOT day, such as is the case today.

The MSU fountain brought to mind my longtime favorite fountain, that being the fountain known as the International Fountain at the Seattle Center. That fountain came into existence at the Seattle World's Fair, which was known as the Century 21 Exposition. The International Fountain is about 100 times bigger than this fountain I got cooled by today at MSU.

Googling International Fountain Seattle Center brought up multiple websites, including a Wikipedia article about the International Fountain, which included some statistics giving one an idea how big this centerpiece of the Seattle World's Fair is...

• 56 "Micro shooters" arrayed as a ring buried in the granite blocks of the fountain floor, on the outer perimeter surrounding the dome. These shoot straight up.
• 77 "Fleur-de-lis" - plate-sized nozzles on the dome, shooting medium-high arcs.
• 4 "Super shooters" - four nozzles on the top of the dome capable of shooting up to 120 feet (37 m) high. Each "super shooter" peak shot uses 66 US gallons (250 l) and is driven by 120 pounds per square inch (830 kPa) of air pressure.
• 137 "Mist nozzles", each with an opening the size of a pinhead to generate fog
• There is an additional ring of floodlights between the "micro shooters" and the dome.

I do not know if the current iteration of the International Fountain still plays music timed to the fountain spouts. Playing dodge the fountain is a popular pastime for kids of all ages on a hot day at the Seattle Center.

Speaking of the Seattle Center. A couple days ago that location came to my mind for another reason.

The Space Needle.

I was reading an article about the newly re-opened re-modeled observation level atop the Space Needle. In the article I read that the elevator ride to the Space Needle observation deck now cost $26. I found that hard to believe, figuring this must be a mistake.

Trust me on this, even with its new glassed over look a visit to the Space Needle observation deck is not worth $26. If I remember right the last time I was at the top of the Space Needle was with Spencer Jack's dad, Jason, and his uncle, Joey. Both were younger than Spencer Jack is now. I don't remember how much it cost to get on the Space Needle elevator at that point in time. But I doubt it was more than a couple bucks. Maybe five at the most.

What does it cost to ride the Seattle Monorail in 2018? Last time I took that short ride I think it was 50 cents each way.

When the giant observation wheel opened on the Seattle waterfront a couple years ago I recollect reading the fee to ride was $13. That seemed reasonable. But, $26 to ride to the top of the Space Needle? That's ridiculous...

Fort Worth Star-Telegram Poo Water Warning Makes No Mention Of Trinity River

I saw that which you see here this Saturday morning in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, a pseudo newspaper which ill serves as the Pravda-like propaganda organ for Fort Worth's corrupt ruling oligarchy which rules Fort Worth in what is known as The Fort Worth Way.

In this Going to the beach this summer? Make sure you're not swimming in poo water article we read...

Oil and water. Peanut butter and pickles. Or, a relaxing beach outing and high fecal bacteria readings.

Yuck.

But that’s exactly what some Texas Gulf Coast beach destinations are plagued with as summer approaches, according to a website called Texas Beach Watch.

No mention is made in this article of the fact that the entity known as the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision, in one of its few "accomplishments" in almost two decades of getting little accomplished, has managed to convince Fort Worth locals, apparently starved for something to do, to get wet in the polluted Trinity River in events known as Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats and Funday Sundays.

With those events held when the monitoring of the pollution in the Trinity River indicates an e.col and fecal bacteria level low enough to supposedly make the Trinity River water sufficiently safe.

Those Thursday Rockin' the Polluted River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats should be starting up soon, what with summer soon arriving.

I wonder if now that the TRWD agency which oversees what has become America's Biggest Boondoggle, that being the sponsor of those polluted river events, no longer has its one and only watchdog of the public welfare, Mary Kelleher, on board, if those weekly testings of the Trinity River will still take place prior to allowing the River Rockin' to happen...

Rockin' Sikes Lake At Wichita Falls MSU Priddy Pavilion

Yesterday early evening I decided to enjoy the mighty fine semi-balmy weather to get myself some fresh air and aerobically induced endorphins via riding my bike on the Circle Trail, eventually ending up circling around Sikes Lake.

Near the north end of the lake I found myself needing to slow down due to a large number of small humans darting about erratically.

When I approached the bridge which crosses over the north end of Sikes Lake I saw that a large assembly of full size humans had assembled.

I quickly determined the assemblage was assembled to listen to music, which started playing soon after I stopped to observe the scene.

Upon arrival back at my abode I consulted the May edition of The HUB of North Texas to learn what I listened to last night was part of the Midwestern State University Live at the Lake Concert Series at Priddy Pavilion, with last night's concert featuring an entity known as the Jay Hollis Band.

The HUB info suggested one bring blankets or lawn chairs. I imagine the blankets were to sit on, not to use to keep warm, since such is not needed in late May at this part of the planet.

I took a photo or two and then switched the camera to video mode to record that which you see below. In the video my pithy commenting alludes to Fort Worth's Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube floats in the polluted Trinity River. And those pitiful little bridges Fort Worth can not seem to successfully build over dry land to connect the Fort Worth mainland to an imaginary island.

I think Wichita Falls should dredge the north end of Sikes Lake to make it deeper, then line the bottom with cement. Then hold Rockin' the Lake Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats at their real pavilion with a real bridge over real water.

Wouldn't that be something?

Stop At Wichita Falls HOOTERS On Way To ALDI

On my way to ALDI this morning, stopped at the stop light at the intersection where Kemp and Call Field/Midwestern Boulevard meet, I looked up to see a new sign has arrived in Wichita Falls.

HOOTERS.

I believe this incoming HOOTERS is coming in to the location previously occupied by Logan's Roadhouse, which hit the road after closing a year or two ago.

I have not read anything about HOOTERS coming to Wichita Falls in the local newspaper. Nor have I seen advertisements soliciting for local talent to staff the cast of the Wichita Falls HOOTERS.

I hope I do not sound too rude, but since I have been in Wichita Falls I have not seen many, if any, of the type talent one sees being in the cast of the HOOTERS I have previously observed.

A HOOTERS recruiter will soon succumb to a sense of hopelessness if he or she tries to find HOOTERS type talent in either of the Wichita Falls Walmarts I frequent. The recruiter would find plenty of candidates with two of the expected HOOTERS assets, but the full package, this I have not eye witnessed in the nearly two years I have been in this town. Well, I may be forgetting one or two full package incidents.

And if HOOTERS has a no tattoos policy, well, from what I have seen in Wichita Falls, that recruiter will have a lot of trouble finding local talent without tattoos.

I have never seen so many tattoos on so many people, as I have in Wichita Falls, with the tattoos displayed on such large surface areas. And so proudly displayed, or more accurately, proudly exposed, due to an insufficient amount of clothing material modestly covering that which one would think those of such ample size would want covered.

Anyway, it will be interesting to see how well HOOTERS does in Wichita Falls...

Before Possible Elsie Hotpepper Lunch Look At Fort Worth's Gateway Park & Trinity River

Today was that last Wednesday of the month, that being the day when I usually return to the Dallas/Fort Worth zone for a variety of reasons, including a perpetual lunch date with Elsie Hotpepper.

On this particular Wednesday I had a couple hours in need of killing, and since I had my bike along I decided to go rolling around Fort Worth's Gateway Park.

We will take a look at what I saw today, sort of in reverse order. I parked near the western Gateway Park boardwalk overlook looking over the Trinity River. We will get to the Gateway Park boardwalk overlook later.

But first, near the end of today's Gateway Park area exploration I found myself atop the last dam which impedes the Trinity River as it flows through Fort Worth. After this dam the river returns to its more natural state as it flow east through Gateway Park on its way to Arlington and then Dallas where the river gets sort of returned to being un-natural again.

As you can see, via the above DANGER sign, it is advised that one not wade, swim or boat in the current state of the Trinity River. Yeah, I'm sure without that sign there would be a lot of people wanting to get wet or float at this location.

On the way down the trail to the dam and that WARNING sign the above additional warning has been added since I last rolled at this location.

"WHEN FLOODED TURN AROUND DON'T DROWN".

Yeah, I imagine before this sign was added a lot of people ventured past this location when the river was in flood mode and met a sad drowning fate. Actually when the river is in flood mode this location is a bit scary and I can not imagine anyone being dumb enough to get near enough to be in danger.

Above, another look at the dam and the Trinity River's current dried up status at this location. This photo was taken part way down the Trinity Trail leading across the dam. You can see that DANGER sign you saw in the first photo in the middle of the dam in the above photo.

Above my handlebars are under the Beach Street Bridge, looking east at that dam we are heading towards, crossing the dried up Trinity River.

The above is new paved trail, accessed via rolling under that aforementioned Beach Street Bridge. This used to be a primitive gravel trail, with the paved Trinity Trail on the other side of the river. Now there are paved trails on both sides of the river. This new paved trail terminates with a return to gravel at the location of the long abandoned original Coyote Drive-In. Or whatever that long ago movie viewing venue was called.

This new paved trail ventures into the zone which I believe the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision, more commonly known as America's Biggest Boondoggle, has excavated a lot of dirt, moving that dirt to the east side of the Trinity River, and Gateway Park, where it has been piled into a sort of mountain. I believe this excavated area is intended to store water when the Trinity River floods and that flood water is diverted at high speed through The Boondoggle's flood diversion ditch which may one day be dug under the three simple little bridges currently being built in extreme slow motion on dry land, hoping one day to connect the Fort Worth mainland to an imaginary island.

I also believe this area I biked through today is the location where J.D. Granger has said his Boondoggle would plant thousands upon thousands of flood impeding magic trees.

I saw no new trees which I could identify as such today.

Speaking of bridges. Today I saw evidence that Fort Worth does know how to build a new bridge.

A new section of the paved trail in Gateway Park took me to the Trinity Trail which is now using the old bridge over the Trinity River as a bike and pedestrian bridge. Above you see my bike stopped in the middle of the old bridge, looking at the new bridge.

That new bridge was built in about a year's time. Built over the actual water of the Trinity River. Water which went into extreme flood mode during the building process. Twice. With one of those times seeing the flood water rise so quickly that heavy equipment had to be abandoned, unable to be moved to dry land before being flooded.

Meanwhile in another area of Fort Worth, under a corrupt Fort Worth congresswoman's son's inept management, three simple little bridges have teetered on ineptly designed V-piers, for years, over dry land.

Early on in today's Gateway Park bike ride I came upon the overlook boardwalk on the east side of the park.

What an improvement over what used to be at this location. Well done.

And look how scenic the Trinity River is at this location. So peaceful. The river almost looks inviting enough to go inner tube floating in it...

Dead Calm Lake Wichita Bike Ride

What with the blowing as near dead calm as this windy location on the planet ever gets I decided a late morning rolling of my wheels to Lake Wichita seemed like it would be a mighty fine time, what with that zero wind blowing thing combined with a relatively cool temperature and air freshly cleaned by day after day of negative ions flashing from lightning bolts.

Due to rain falling of late the Lake Wichita reservoir is at full pool and thus spilling some water over the Lake Wichita Dam Spillway.

You can sort of see via the refection on the dam water how dead calm the air is being currently. A couple ducks were peacefully floating in front of the Lake Wichita Dam Spillway mural, likely pondering if anything on that wall was edible.

A couple miles from the above location, after crossing :Lake Wichita Dam via the Circle Trail, the trail leaves the dam to continue on towards Mount Wichita.

About a half mile after leaving the dam one comes to an overlook spur off of the Circle Trail which overlooks the Lake Wichita wetlands.

I remember years ago, after seeing some photos I took in Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area, Betty Jo Bouvier asked me if it really was as green in Texas as my photos made the landscape appear. Betty Jo lives in what is known as the Evergreen State, on the west side of the Cascade Mountains, in Western Washington.

The last couple times when I have returned to Washington I have found the west side of the Evergreen State not being all that green, with brown being the dominant color, due to not enough rain falling to maintain the dominant green color scheme.

Such is not a problem at my location in North Texas, where green is currently the dominant color.

Below the view is turned around 180 degrees on the above overlook, with the view now looking north at where the spur to the overlook meets the Circle Trail. That is another lake, well, pond, you see in the distance.

It appalls me the two bond proposals proposing to complete the Circle Trail and to revitalize Lake Wichita failed to gain sufficient support in the May 5 bond election.

So short sighted...

Saturday Night Bike Ride With Mountain Climbers Fishing Followed By Thunderstorm

An hour or so before last night's Saturday night scheduled setting of the sun, and a couple hours before last night's scheduled thunderstorm, I opted to roll my bike wheels on the Circle Trail to Lake Wichita and the mountain which hovers over Wichita Falls like a mini dormant volcano with zero chance of ever erupting.

Mount Wichita might wash away in an extremely heavy rainstorm, but erupt? Never. No chance.

Last night when Lake Wichita came into view I saw more fisher people fishing than I had ever seen previously at this location. The fishing dock was crowded with poles. A couple boats were angling in the bay. Multiple people were fishing from shore.

I have yet to see anyone catch anything at this location other than a bug bite.

When Mount Wichita came into view I saw more mountain climbers climbing the mountain than I had ever seen previously. Including the guy in blue you see closest to my handlebars. He was descending the mountain barefoot, holding his shoes.

I can not imagine why anyone would opt to go barefoot on the rough surface of Mount Wichita.

Last night's thunderstorm arrived on time. When the light of day showed up this morning I did not like looking out my bedroom window to see multiple large branches had fallen on and behind my mechanized means of motion.

Just a second while I photo document what I am seeing from my bedroom window this morning...

When, or if, the moat which currently surrounds my abode, subsides, I will likely be doing some log removal.

Anyone need some firewood? I think it's Mesquite....