Another HOT Wichita Falls Red Flag Warning Day In Texas

If today's third Tuesday of the third month of 2025 temperature, as measured by the Fahrenheit method, reaches its currently predicted high, today will be the HOTTEST day so far this year.

Which likely means today will be the first time in 2025 that I will activate my interior space's air-conditioning mechanism. 

It has already been HOT enough that I have utilized my motorized means of motion's air-conditioning mechanism.

That and my interior space has already become HOT enough this year to the point where I have activated my computer room's ceiling fan for a brief period of spinning.

I was hoping that this year, by the time of year when it gets way too HOT, that I would have reduced my insulative layer of adipose tissue to a degree which rendered me feeling cooler. 

That and being able to fit into a pair of Levi corduroy jeans which have vexed me for way too long.

Along with today's HEAT, we are also under a RED FLAG WARNING, which is a warning which warns that strong winds may spawn wildfires and dust storms.

Wildfires and dust storms have wreaked a lot of havoc in Texas and Oklahoma in recent days...

Sunday Dust-Free Cloud-Free Sikes Lake Walkaround

Yesterday, the day known as Saturday, also known as the Ides of March, also known as the third Saturday of the 2025 version of March, some rain precipitated.

That precipitation seems to have wiped the sky clear of Friday's excessive dust, rendering Sunday's outer world, at my location, once again with a cloud-free blue sky, as you can see via the photo documentation from today's walk around Sikes Lake.

The outer world dropped a lot of degrees during the Dust Storm, with the cool continuing today, with the outer world chilled to barely 50 degrees, as measured via the Fahrenheit method.

Tomorrow, the day known as St. Patrick's Day, heat is scheduled to return, as in a high in the 80s, or higher...

Is A 2025 Dust Bowl Blowing Into Wichita Falls?

All day long, this March 14 day before the Ides of March, wind has blown, non-stop, at times with hurricane strength blows.

Around 5 this afternoon of the second Friday of the third month of 2025, tired of being housebound, I ventured out into the wind to check the mailbox, and then, if not being too vexed by the gusting wind and the dusty air, continuing on to Walmart.

In the photo documentation we are heading east on Southwest Parkway. As you can see, the outer world looks foggy.

But that is not fog. It is dust. Dirty dust blowing in from who knows where, carrying who knows what. What I do know, is the short time I was out in it was enough time to manage to irritate my eyes, causing excessive blinking.

On the way to Walmart the wind was pushing me from behind. On the way from Walmart I was heading into the wind, which at times made for some unsettling vehicle movements.

I thought, at first, I was having a vehicle malfunction, til I realized the unsettling vehicle movements were being caused by those hurricane strength gusts blowing over 70 miles per hour.

We have another day of this scheduled for tomorrow's Ides of March. 

Is this how the infamous Dust Bowl of the 1920s began?

Pre Ides Of March Wichita Falls Windy Dust Storm

That which you see above is the view from one of my kitchen windows, looking south, with nary a cloud in the sky. The reason the cloud-less sky is not blue is because predicted strong winds have blown clouds of dust skyward.

You can see the windy Ides of March forecast below.

Wind gusts of 71 mph? Isn't that bordering on hurricane strength? With the super strong wind, along with way too much dust, methinks I shall not be doing my regular daily outdoor nature communing today. 

Unless I do my nature communing at Walmart, which seems unlikely at this particular point in time.

Suddenly, as I look out my computer room window, the dusty sky has taken on a light reddish color.

I battened down all my hatches, this morning, upon learning of the incoming big blow. But, so far the big blow is coming from the south, and so my patio furniture is in no danger of getting zapped.

I just realized, today is March 14. Isn't the Ides of March, March 15? This morning, I saw someone on Facebook opine something along the line of hoping a modern-day Brutus gets inspired to create a modern-day Ides of March.

Googling, I see I was right, tomorrow is the Ides of March...

The "Ides of March" refers to March 15th, a date infamous for the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BCE, a moment immortalized by Shakespeare's play, "Julius Caesar," and the phrase "Beware the Ides of March".

The Ides of March (tomorrow) in Wichita Falls is also predicted to be windy and dusty...

With COVID Over Is It Time To Build A Sandcastle With Theo?

I almost lost something valuable, to me, today, returning books to the library.

I almost forgot to retrieve that which I use as a bookmark, before sliding the book into the "RETURN" slot.

My bookmark is getting a bit threadbare. It has been in use since early on in the time of COVID.

I do not remember the reason, Birthday, Christmas, Halloween, or what, but an envelope arrived in my mailbox. And in that envelope, among whatever else was in that envelope, there was a note from my Favorite Nephew Theo, also known as my Favorite Theo Nephew.

The note said...

When COVID 19

is over I want

you to come

over to build

a sand castle

Theo

Just a sec, I shall go find a photo which shows why Theo was thinking of sandcastle building with his Favorite Uncle.

In August of 2017 I spent several days at Birch Bay with Theo, his big brother, David, twin sister Ruby, parental units, Michele and Kristen, and Theo, David and Ruby's other favorite uncle, my little brother, Jake.

On one of those days at Birch Bay, when the tide was low, exposing a lot of sand, Theo, Ruby and I had a mighty fine time building a sandcastle. 

In the photo documentation above, Theo has not yet given up in the battle to stop the incoming tide from breeching the castle's walls.

The next morning, I discovered the elevator, accessed near the door to the rooms we were staying in, went up a few flights, to a rooftop deck, with a view. I elevatored back to get Theo to take him to the view from the rooftop deck.

From whence the remains of our sandcastle could be seen, in the center of the sandbar, to the left of Theo.

Now, just looking at this photo of Theo, you can tell this is one fun kid. 

Hard to believe it has been 8 years since I have been in Washington. Since COVID I have only been out of Texas once. And that was just to go across the border to Oklahoma.

Time flies by way too fast.

Just yesterday something caused me to calculate how old my Jason nephew is. The last time Jason and Spencer Jack went to Disneyland, Jason told me he now gets why I said it wore me out the last time I did Disneyland.

Well.

Yesterday I figured out Jason is now five years older than I was the last time I did Disneyland, Christmas Day of 1995. I stayed til Disneyland closed that Christmas Day. It was fun, but exhausting, even with a mid-day break back at the motel...

Remembering Rolling Mom In Arizona With Green Chile Relleno Quiche For Lunch

Ever since I have been again receiving Microsoft OneDrive Memories of this Day, via email, it has been Memories from way back in March of 2019.

Among today's Memories is the one you see above. My niece, Ruby, leading a parade down Buena Vista Drive, the road in Chandler, Arizona on which Ruby's Aunt Jackie resides. 

Ruby was leading us to a park. Neither Aunt Jackie nor Mama Kristen is in the photo, which would seem to indicate one of them was the photographer.

In the photo I am wheeling mom, brother Jake is in blue on the left, with Jake's (and my) nephew Christopher with a leashed dog, then redhead nephew David between the dog and me. Right behind me is the mom of two of the kids in the photo, friends of Ruby's who had moved from Tacoma to Maricopa, Arizona. Next to the Maricopa mom is my niece-in-law, Christopher's first wife, Carissa (that may be spelled Carrisa), with nephew Theo holding a basketball in front of my littlest sister, Mama Michele.

That was one fun day, that day in March, way back in 2019. So much has happened since then.

Now, let's go from the past to today, the second Tuesday of the third month of 2025, and check out what's for lunch.

A few days ago, Florence Jean Halbert's mom posted, on Facebook, a photo of something which looked tasty.

I then commented "Recipe Please."

Soon thereafter, Florence's dad Facebook messaged me the recipe.

I altered the recipe a bit. Instead of roasted green chiles I air-fried three poblano peppers. Instead of a cup of heavy cream I used a cup of non-fat yogurt. Instead of a pie crust I stuck a 12 inch whole wheat tortilla in a cast iron skillet, instead of a pie plate.

The result was tasty, though the plated result may not look all that tasty, what with that big glob of salsa covered refried beans and spinach plopped haphazardly on the plate.

I'll make this again, maybe doubling the number of poblanos the next time...

Microsoft OneDrive McDonalds Memories Of Horse Riding Pool Mesa Parks With David, Theo, Ruby & Mom

Til a couple days ago, when a Microsoft OneDrive Memory from this Day arrived in my email, I had not realized I'd not been receiving the OneDrive Memory emails for quite some time.

When I saw these current memories, I thought these can't be from this day, as in a day in March.

And then I remembered, these memories did happen in March. In 2019.

That March was the most recent time I have seen my Tacoma nephews and niece, David, Theo and Ruby. Or their parental units, Michele and Kristen.

That March was also the last time all my siblings, but one, and all the nephews and nieces, but two, plus my mom, were all together at the same location. As in, we were all in Arizona.

After a short search I found I made a blog post of David, Theo and Ruby on a horse riding expedition into the desert at a Dude Ranch in west Chandler, Arizona, with additional photos, in addition to the one above.

That was one super fun day.

After the horse riding, we went to a nearby McDonalds, where Uncle Jack had arranged a special tour for David, Theo and Ruby. Along with an all you can eat McDonalds lunch for all of us.

That would be my mom, with three of her grandkids, and their Happy Meals. After this we headed north, to the town of Mesa, to have fun in the two best city parks I have ever experienced.

The OneDrive Memories included photos of the Mesa parks. I shall see if I can find the blog post I made of that day and those parks.

Found the Mesa Parks blog post...

David, Theo & Ruby In Mesa's Riverview & Pioneer Park

The photos in that blog post give one a good idea why I thought these to be great city parks.

And then, this morning's OneDrive Memories from this day were memories from a day following the day of the horse riding, McDonalds and Mesa city parks.

There were multiple pool pics, including this one of me hoisting Nephew David.

This was in Aunt Jackie's backyard pool. Prior to the party Jackie thought the water would be too cool to pool. I thought otherwise. The kids all agreed.

I must have made a blog post of this, and the parade to a nearby park which followed.

 Be right back.

Yes, found the pool party and park blog post. Forgot it includes an amusing video of Theo driving grandma's van...

Cool Arizona Pool With Theo Driving Ruby On Handlebars

That concludes our look at Microsoft OneDrive Memories, for today...

Chilly Sunny Sunday Wichita Falls Walk Around Sikes Lake

The sky has begun to clear over North Texas, as evidenced by the view you see here of the Blue Lagoon of Sikes Lake, looking westward.

Yesterday's day long deluge of rain was the first such has happened at my Wichita Falls location for quite some time.

Along with some thunderstorming.

I do not know if last night's predicted snowflakes materialized. There was zero evidence of such when the sun began its daily illumination duty, an hour late, due to that annoying switch to Daylight Savings Time.

Hiking around Sikes Lake was cold, real cold, on this second Sunday of the third month of 2025. This required insulated sweatpants, hooded sweatshirt, and gloves. I thought we were done with this type chill for a few months.

On the plus side of the weather, we are forecast to get into the 80s in a couple days. 

Today I thought the Sikes Lake waterfall would be falling a lot of water due to the copious amount of rain which deluged the last 24 hours.

But, such was not the case.

There was a litle water falling over the dam, making for the only waterfall in Wichita Falls, due to, I learned this morning, the fact that the official Wichita Falls waterfall is currently turned off. 

The official Wichita Falls waterfall is an artificial waterfall which gets its water to fall by sucking it from the Wichita River. A river which currently is running too low to make it easy for the artificial waterfall to suck up enough water to fall. That and the low river level has caused debris to clog up the water intake.

I have opined previously that it might behoove Wichita Falls to send some sort of task force to Chandler, Arizona to make note of that town's multiple artificial waterfall water features, finding out how such was funded, then replicate it by installing multiple artificial waterfalls all around Wichita Falls.

I have no clue how the current one and only Wichita Falls artificial waterfall came to be, only that it happened in the 1980s.

Slava Ukraine Via Watercolor From Washington

That which you see here is the work of a Pacific Northwest artistic creative sort, whom I have known for decades, showing support for Ukraine, via a water color, painted, and then installed in a window, for all passersby to see.

All across America, and the world, similar shows of support for Ukraine are showing up.

"Slava Ukraine" is a Ukrainian phrase that means "Glory to Ukraine". It is a national salute and battle cry that symbolizes Ukrainian sovereignty and resistance to aggression. 

A day or two ago on my Washington blog I made mention of Seattle's example of support for Ukraine.

I wish I had the talent, of some sort, to show support for Ukraine...

March Roars In Like A Thunderstorming Snowy Lion One Week Late In Wichita Falls

It was only a couple days ago I looked at the long-range forecast for my North Texas location and was pleased to see nothing but warm days ahead, well into Spring.

Yesterday, day 7 of the third month of 2025, the outer world was heated well into the 80s.

Last night, around three in the morning, a thunderstorm boomed into town, downpouring copious amounts of precipitation.

And now, today's forecast for tonight.

SNOW!

With the temperature predicted to be a low of 37 degrees, as measured via the Fahrenheit method, I don't understand how precipitation can be falling in the form of snow. Unless that wind chill factor making those 37 degrees really feel like 26 degrees, as indicated via the forecast, can somehow freeze the falling rain into snowflakes.

What I do know, for certain, is I will not be engaging in any outer world nature communing today, unless one counts going to Walmart as nature communing, which I often do, what with such being a bit of an anthropological expedition observing multiple examples of human extremes, such as excessive tattooings, piercings and odd clothing choices, such as Walmarting in one pajamas...