New Year's Eve Eve Return of The Shadow of the Sikes Lake Thin Man

On this next to last day of 2024, also known as New Year's Eve Eve, it was back to nearby Sikes Lake I ventured for some high-speed walking.

As you can see, today there is nary a cloud blocking the clear blue sky.

What you cannot see is the temperature was in the 70s, with a strong wind steadily blowing, with gusts gusting, gustily. With some of those gusts gusting so strongly it made remaining vertical difficult.

 As you can see, via the photo documentation of the Shadow of the Sikes Lake Thin Man, the current summer-like heatwave made shorts and a t-shirt the required outerwear today.

Today's heatwave ends tomorrow, if the current forecast turns out to be accurate, with tomorrow's high being in the low 50s.

Today's high is predicted to possibly get into the low 80s.

I do not think today's heatwave will necessitate switching the interior climate control system from heat mode back to air-conditioning mode.

Final 2024 Sunday Using Caution On Mount Wichita

On this final Sunday of 2024, it was to Lake Wichita Park I ventured for some nature communing under a blue sky with the air warmed to a t-shirt and shorts level of warm

When I see the signs warning that one should use caution when climbing the hill, it always causes me to think that I do not think things like hills usually need such a warning.

But, a good steep mountain might warrant such a caution.

And, since the mound I call Mount Wichita is the only thing remotely resembling a mountain anywhere within many miles, methinks the signs should be altered, with the hill word changed to mountain.

Soon after taking the photo of the hill warning sign I saw some mountain climbers braving the steep climb to the summit of Mount Wichita. I could not tell if they were being properly cautious.

After many many months of being nowhere near full pool, Lake Wichita looks to be totally in lake mode, as we head into the new year.

In the view of Lake Wichita in the photo documentation we are on the Circle Trail, looking west, well, maybe slightly southwest.

We are currently scheduled to have a couple more days of non-winter-like temperatures, and then with the new year arriving, so does a cold front.

Back To Lucy Park One More Time In 2024

On this start of the second week of the 2024 version of Winter, it was back to Lucy Park I ventured, likely for the last time, this year, joining throngs of other nature lovers enjoying the return to a mostly cloud-free blue sky, with a temperature well above freezing.

As you can see, looking over the Lucy Park suspension bridge which crosses over the Wichita River, little foliage remains above ground.

Apparently, the national news has been making it sound as if Texas has been hit with tornadoes and violent thunderstorms, as indicated by the queries I have received about such from multiple Washingtonians.

The current Texas tornadoes and thunderstorms have been far to the south and east of my North Texas Wichita Falls location.

No tornadoes or thunderstorms in the current local forecast for the foreseeable future. 

Today the outer world was warmed into the 60s when I was out walking. T-shirt weather....

Brother Jake Reminds Us To Remember Grandma Vera's Birthday

What you see here is the horizontal device in my bedroom, upon which I usually sleep. Why are you seeing my sleeping device at this point in time, you may be wondering?

Well.

Last night, the evening of December 26, the day after Christmas, a few minutes before I was scheduled to watch Amazon Prime broadcast the Seattle Seahawks trying to win their final game of the season, I got a text message on my phone, from my little brother Jake, he being Spencer Jack and Hank Frank's grandpa, and my nephew's, Jason and Joey's, dad.

The text message said...

"124 years young today..."

The text message included the photo below.

It took me a second or two to realize what the text message meant and how it related to the photo.

Grandma Vera, was my mom's mom. Grandma Vea's birthday was December 26. Apparently, according to my brother's calculations, Grandma Vera would have turned 124 years old yesterday.

Grandma Vera endured dealing with serious arthritis which left her fingers sort of gnarled, and which resulted in constant pain.

To alleviate the pain, somewhat, and to keep her fingers able to function, Grandma Vera was a crocheting and knitting machine, churning out dozens of Afghans, knitted caps, mittens and other things made with yarn and needles.

When we were pre-teenagers, Grandma Vera taught me and my brother how to knit. My brother became quite adept at knitting, able to make mittens using multiple needles, and knitted caps. I was not so talented, only able to make simple things, like a scarf.

When I got my brother's text message about Grandma Vera I replied and said I have some Grandma Vera Afghans stored in my abode. I then went looking for them, finding two and a crocheted pillow in my closet.

I took a phone photo of what I found and sent it to my brother.

Then I took one of the Afghans and installed it in bedspread mode on my bed, which is what you see photo documented at the top.

Til I put the Afghan on my bed I did not realize it was so big.

I do not know how many Afghans Grandma Vera made over the years. I know the total number is somewhere in the multiple dozens. All the relatives have at least one Grandma Vera Afghan, as far as I know.

I remember one time when Grandma Vera was giving me an Afghan she remarked that she hoped these things she made helped us remember her. I recollect telling Grandma Vera I'd always remember her for much more than the nice things she made.

Grandma Vera was my free-spirited relative. It was from Grandma Vera I think I got any free-spiritedness that I may possess. 

It is not only relatives who now have Grandma Vera Afghans. Back in October of 2018, when Linda Lou was visiting my mom, in her abode in Sun Lakes, Arizona, Linda Lou verbalized admiration for a white Afghan Linda Lou saw folded on mom's bed.

Mom then gave that Afghan to Linda Lou.

Linda Lou was flying from Arizona to Palm Springs, and had no room for the Afghan, so I drove it back to Texas and then mailed it to Washington.

Methinks it would greatly please Grandma Vera to know her Afghans are very much in play in 2024, and being talked about via newfangled devices that did not exist in Grandma Vera's time.

Anyway, Happy Birthday, Grandma Vera, a day late!

Christmas Morning News of Incoming New Member of the Slotemaker/Jones/Weston Clan Along with Lasagna and a Potato Chipper

An unexpected Christmas present, from my sister Jackie, arrived on my phone, real early, this 2024 Christmas morning.

That which arrived on my phone included the above photo, with the following explanatory text...

"Ho Ho Ho Marry Christmas! We just found out Cade will have a sibling next Christmas! Due the first of August!"

A new addition to the Slotemaker/Jones/ Weston Clan to look forward to in 2025!

That would be my nephew Christopher, holding his first born, Cade, whilst also holding what looks to be ultrasound images.

No mention was made whether or not the ultrasound images revealed if Cade is going to have a baby brother, or a baby sister.

Also, this Christmas morning, an envelope was opened which arrived in my mailbox several days ago, with instructions that it was not to be opened until Christmas.

I always do what I am told, so, this morning I opened the envelope and found a Christmas card, along with a Christmas stocking, which, as you can see, via the below photo documentation, that I have added to my Christmas decorations, which previously consisted only of the red stocking with a bell on the toe, sitting atop a camel.

I was surprised to find the Christmas stocking was filled with crisply folded pieces of paper of the sort one uses to buy stuff.

There were a few packages, wrapped colorfully, sitting on the floor under my Christmas Camel Stockings. Upon opening one of those packages I found an item, from TEMU, made in China, called a Potato Chipper.

That is the Potato Chipper you see above. I will be pleasantly surprised if this Potato Chipper works well in the vegetable chopping department. 

If the Potato Chipper does work well, it would have come in handy yesterday, when I made a big pan of Lasagna, which is currently in the oven, getting baked.

In the past year I bought and broke, from Amazon, two vegetable choppers. 

Under the Camel I found another wrapped up item I like a lot. A sweater type garment in my gray signature color.

So, that is my Christmas so far, today. Soon my Christmas buffet will open, with that aforementioned Lasagna, and other stuff, including French Beans sauteed in butter.

And peach pie.

I made a page break after butter because it read like I was sautéing French Beans in butter and peach pie.

Anyway, I hope one and all are having as Merry a Christmas as I am on this bleak cloud covered cold gray Texas day in December...

Merry Christmas Eve Drizzle In Wichita Falls

In the view you see here you are riding with me on Wichita Falls' Southwest Boulevard, heading west, a couple minutes before noon, on 2024's Christmas Eve.

You can see, via the photo documentation, that the sky is not blue today at my North Texas location.

A total gray sky cover is dripping drizzle, making my location, hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean, seem like a stereotypical Pacific coast Winter day. 

Earlier, before the drizzle arrived, fog was the main feature with today's Christmas Eve weather.

I was not outside whilst the fog was fogging up the landscape, so, there may have been drizzle drizzling at that point in time, continuing after the fog dissipated...

Day Before Christmas Eve Colorful Fun at Walmart

No, that is not my vehicle, festively decorated with Christmas spirit. This vehicle was parked next to me when I returned to my vehicle after enduring the throngs crowding in Walmart.

The above was the second photo I snapped of this truck, with the first photo snapping just as the vehicle owner returned.

I thought the person might object to being photographed, but I took a second photo, anyway, after the truck's door was opened with the owner not positioned in a way able to see a camera, well, phone, aimed at them.

Why would someone paint Christmas lights on their vehicle, even if somehow only temporary?

Yesterday, after the day's sun illumination had ended, I saw another truck, totally covered with blinking LED type lights in multiple colors.

Why is such not considered to be a road hazard distracting fellow drivers who might suffer from being easily distracted, such as myself?

A Closer Look at MSU's Fantasy of Lights Dorothy and the Old Shoe Lady

Yesterday, after I blogged about a short visit to the Midwestern State University (MSU) campus with a quick look at the annual Fantasy of Lights installation, with the sole photo documentation, of such, being a look at Dorothy and Toto and their fellow Yellow Brick Road travelers.

Someone, after seeing the photo of Dorothy and Toto, anonymously asked if a close-up look could be had, so as to determine if the MSU Fantasy of Lights Dorothy looks like Judy Garland.

So, on my way to eventually get to ALDI, I stopped at MSU, again, this time for a longer look at the Fantasy of Lights, followed by a walk around the deserted MSU campus. 

I believe today was the first time I have walked around the MSU campus since before COVID. Before COVID I frequented the MSU campus frequently.

Looking critically at Dorothy and Toto, I quickly saw, as you can see above, neither look at all like their Wizard of Oz movie counterparts.

Soon after leaving the Emerald City I came upon the Old Lady who lived in a shoe, who had so many kids she did not know what to do.

Well, the lady who lives in that shoe, with all those kids, does not look old enough to have so many kids.

The Old Lady does appear to be adequately endowed to adequately nourish multiple kids. 

Far from the Old Lady and her show house I came upon the homage to the MSU Mustangs.

Normally the herd of four Mustangs is frolicking through a pool of water, with water appearing to splash.

But, today the pool was dried up. Likely part of being prepared for the harsh winter to come.

As you can see, via the photo documentation, the second day of winter, at my location, is no longer cloud-free, unlike yesterday's cloud-free totally blue sky first day of Winter.

The ALDI visit finished my Christmas prep. I now have all the ingredients to make the big Christmas Lasagna that will be my Christmas centerpiece, along with peach and cherry pie...

Visiting Toto, Dorothy and the Boys at MSU's Fantasy of Light

On my way to my eventual destination, driving by Midwestern State University, I decided to make a quick stop to take a photo of this year's iteration of the Burns/MSU Fantasy of Lights.

Which would make that Toto, Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion and Tin Man heading to the Yellow Brick Road to take them to the Emerald City, you are seeing in the photo documentation.

I have not been to the Fantasy of Lights, after dark, when the lights are all on, since the December before COVID struck. 

The Fantasy of Lights draws a large crowd after dark.

But, I do not know how large that crowd is when the outer world gets cold, like it did last night, chilling to 28 degrees.

As you can see, on this first day of Winter, the shortest day of the year, hours of daylight-wise, there is not a cloud to be seen in the current cold clear blue sky, as seen from my North Texas location...

Wichita Falls Backyard Ski Hill Not Opening Tomorrow

Saw that which you see here and immediately thought it to be one of those things I see in a Washington online news source which I would never see in one of my local Texas news sources about a similar thing happening.

I saw this news about Seattle's backyard ski hill, this morning, in the Seattle Times.

Now, Wichita Falls does have a hill. I call it Mount Wichita. It is located in Lake Wichita Park. Mount Wichita is a manmade mountain. Made by piling up the residue that resulted from dredging Sikes Lake, late in the previous century.

Snow does fall in Wichita Falls. Sometimes in copious amounts, coating the outer world in a semi-deep layer of snow.

But, even covered with snow, it would not be feasible to ski on Mount Wichita. Too steep for cross-country skis, impossible to ski with regular downhill type skis. Impossible due to there being no ski lift to take one to the summit of Mount Wichita.

I am fairly certain there are no locations in Texas where one can ski. One needs to go to either New Mexico or Colorado to find a ski resort, with New Mexico likely being the closest, either Ruidoso or Taos. 

I have been to both those New Mexico locations. But, never when snow is on the ground...