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...

Visiting Tacoma & 15 Other Astonishing American Places

Yesterday I came upon a goofy gallery on the EDGE browser's Microsoft News page titled "16 Astonishing Places in the U.S. You've Never Heard Of".

# 15 was Tacoma, Washington. I think a lot of people have heard of this particular place. The description of what made Tacoma astonishing was a bit odd...

Tacoma, Washington, is a place that’s packed with unique experiences that are often overlooked. At the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, you can see all different sorts of animals and marine life.

At the Museum of Glass, watch or even try glassblowing. Or, why not gaze at beautiful antique cars at the LeMay Car Museum? If you are a sports lover, 24 hours of bowling and indoor mini-golfing at Tower Lanes might be for you.

I have been to Tacoma many times and have never heard of the LeMay Car Museum. And, what with all there is to do in Tacoma, mention is made of a bowling alley with mini-golf?

Bizarre.

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is mentioned, but not the fact that those two locations are just one part of one of the largest urban parks in the world, known as Point Defiance. 

Mention is not made of the Tacoma waterfront, with its many restaurants, or the Thea Foss Waterway, another attraction linked to the Tacoma museums, including the Chihuly Museum of Glass. No mention is made of Point Ruston, another waterfront attraction.

I have been to several of these "astonishing" places, and whilst finding some to be of interest, I sure do not recollect being astonished by any of them.

I've been to San Luis Obispo, Badlands National Park, North Park, Colorado, Flagstaff, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah and White Sands National Park.

I liked Badlands and White Sands, but neither was at all astonishing. 

Flagstaff? Last time I was in that Arizona town was in July of 2017. Stuck there for 7 hours whilst my vehicle got a new fuel pump installed. Now, the Grand Canyon, which is mighty close to Flagstaff, now that is one super astonishing place on the planet.

All I remember of San Luis Obispo is getting burgers at an Arctic Circle. That and the town's hilly location on the Pacific coast. There may be remnants of mission architecture, the likes of which one sees all over Southern California, none of which seems astonishing to me, though I do remember being impressed by San Juan Capistrano.

Anyway, what I got out of this is I am due for a visit to Tacoma, a truly astonishing town...

Remembering Mom & Dad Herding Fort Worth Stockyard Longhorns With Sister Nancy In A Dress

Microsoft OneDrive Memories from this Day that are a tad special.

The first photo I know for sure was taken in October of 2001. Mom and dad's first visit to Texas to see their eldest son.

Mom and dad's second visit to Texas took place in January of 2009, which is how I know the above is from the first visit, due to January being cold, whilst in October it can still be shirtsleeve weather in Texas.

Both of mom and dad's visits to Texas included visiting the Fort Worth Stockyards, which is where we are in the above photo, watching the Fort Worth herd of longhorns pass by. An event which takes place twice a day.

That is mom, on the right, watching dad try to take photos of the herd with his Olympus digital camera. During their visit mom repeatedly instructed dad to take a photo. I doubt those photos ever made their way off the camera.

Both mom and dad visits to the Fort Worth Stockyards also involved going to Riscky's BBQ for All You Can Eat BBQed Ribs.

That is another way I know this photo is from 2001. We were sitting outside at Riscky's. In 2009 we were inside, because it was cold.

I would link to my Eyes on Texas website webpage of the Fort Worth Stockyards, which included photos of mom and dad's visit, but, I have decided to terminate my Eyes on Texas website, after letting it live for a couple decades. I no longer update that website. Thus it has become dated. I no longer enjoy fiddling with HTML code. So, bye bye Eyes on Texas.

I have no clue if the above photo was taken on a day in September, or October. I can see the photo has stamped on it "JAN 64". But, that likely is when the photo was developed, not when it was taken. Photo taking was quite primitive, prior to the invention of the digital method of photo taking.

I do not recognize the car behind us. I do know the location is the front yard of 1027 Washington Avenue, in Burlington, Washington.

On the left that would be me, with my little brother, Jake, next to me, then our then extremely little sister, Jackie, holding on to Jake, with big sister, Nancy, in one of the rare instances of her being photo documented in a dress.

This photo would have been taken about six years before the arrival of our final baby sister, Michele....

Third Day Of Fall Hiking Wichita Bluffs

The night of the third day of Fall, saw the temperature at my north Texas location plummet to a chilly 59 degrees. 

59 degrees was not enough of a chill to return cold tap water to being cold, hence a warm-cold shower this morning.

What with those 59 overnight degrees I figured it would still be a bit chilly by the time I made it to the Wichita Bluffs Nature Area.

I figured wrong. The temperature was one degree shy of 80 when I did my bluff hiking. 79 degrees was still a pleasant respite from being fried at over 100 degrees.

The photo documentation above was taken at the high point on the Bluffs. I got off the paved trail to get close to the purple stick looking plants you see above.

A pointy plant managed to poke me whilst I was squatting down in photo taking position. That pointy plant was quite a stinger, causing a loud 'ouch' utterance.

I think I am going to enjoy amping up the endorphin acquisitioning, enabled by the end of the overheating time of year...

Remembering Having Fun Getting Lost & Snake Scared At The Breaks @ Bar H Mountain Bike Ranch

It was only after looking at multiple photos today in the Microsoft OneDrive Memories of this Day that I figured out where it was I was mountain biking on my now long gone Schwinn Moab mountain bike.

The Breaks @ Bar H Mountain Bike Ranch.

North of St. Jo, Texas, near the Red River and the border with Oklahoma.

It was when I saw the trail signs in some of the photos that I remembered where those trails were located.

Hole in the Tree, Holler, Rustler's Loop & Copperhead, among many more.

I recollect these mountain bike trails as being fun, difficult at times, and a bit scary at times.

That and I got lost more than once.

One of the photos was of a small pond in which dozens of snakes slithered. I assumed water moccasins.

The photo did not manage to show the snakes.

These photos were all taken with my now long-gone antique Casio digital camera with its unique, at the time, feature, where you could reverse the lens and take what is now known as a selfie.

I was living in the DFW zone when I drove all the way north to The Breaks @ Bar H Mountain Ranch a couple times. I am currently living much closer.

Til today it had not crossed my mind to return to this location, even if it is closer...

First Fall Day Warm Lucy Park Jungle Walk

Yesterday, the final day of Summer, the temperature once again went over 100 degrees. Likely for the last time in the year 2024.

Today, the first day of Autumn, also known as Fall, the temperature was supposed to be way cooler than 100 degrees, as in the high 70s, low 80s.

So, with those promised possible chilly temperatures I thought the first day of Fall would be a nice time to stroll through the backwoods of the Lucy Park Jungle.

The jungle stroll did turn out to be nice, but not nearly as chilly as I had hoped. Instead, the air was heated well into the 80s, with little breeze blowing, and with the humidity high.

However, I am choosing to believe that the days to follow are going to be as chilly as forecasted.

I need to amp up my aerobic activity to melt off all the weight I have managed to gain whilst slothily avoiding outdoor aerobic stimulation at the level to which I am usually stimulated, which usually maintains my weight at a relatively skinny level.

I will soon need to be able to comfortably fit into long pants. I think I currently have four pair of pants which can comfortable be installed...

Remember Three Siblings On A Mount Vernon Couch

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

I know who is in the photo. And where the photo was taken. But I have no memory of the photo being taken, or when it was taken.

Sitting happily on the couch, in the middle, between me on the right, and my little brother, Jake, on the left, is our eldest sister, Nancy, back when she was a cute little thing.

I think I am 4 or 5 in the photo, which would make my little brother, 3 or 4 and our sister in the 1 and 2 range.

This photo was likely taken in Mount Vernon, in a house on the south side of what is now College Way, with Skagit Valley College to be built on the north side of the street. If I remember right, college construction began whilst we still lived at that location. 

Nancy was born in Mount Vernon. Brother Jake and I were born in Oregon, in a town called Eugene.

And that concludes today's trip down faulty memory lane...