Final September Saturday Keeping Cool At Sikes Lake

On this final Saturday of the 2025 version of September it was to Sikes Lake I ventured for some much-needed endorphin acquisition and the corresponding calorie consumption.

In the photo documentation you are standing on the rocky eastern shore of Sikes Lake, looking in a southwest direction.

The outer world air at my North Texas location is cooled to an extremely pleasant temperature today.

That seems to have resulted in a far larger than the norm number of people out enjoying being under the sun without feeling like you are being broiled.

The arrival of fall, with its predictable drop in temperature, comes at an opportune time for me, enabling me to ramp up my physical activity, so as to burn more calories, and lose some weight.

About 20 pounds.

An event is coming up which will require me to be in outerwear of the uncomfortable suit type, with the dress slacks part of the suit requiring me to shrink. That or go slacks shopping. Which is an activity I prefer to avoid.

Being 20 pounds lighter will make being stuck in an airplane seat feel less sardine can-like. I remember way back in August of 2008, weighing 20 pounds less than I do now, flying from Love Field, in Dallas, to Seattle, on Southwest. Most comfortable flying experience ever.

I think part of that extra comfort may have been due to being on a Southwest plane, instead of an American Airlines plane, which is what I am stuck with, flying out of Wichita Falls...

Happy Birthday, Brother Jake, With Microsoft's False Tulip Memories

The photo you see here arrived a couple minutes ago, via email from Microsoft's Memories from this Day.

This instance is one of the times I know for certain this memory could not have happened on this day, late in the month of September.

In the photo we are located on what is known as the Skagit Flats. A vast agricultural zone which in the spring (not fall) sprouts huge fields of flowers. 

Mostly tulips, which is what you see in the photo.

The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival month is a HUGE tourist attraction, drawing throngs to the valley from all over the world.

In the photo we are looking east, at the Cascade Mountain foothills. The Mount Baker volcano is to the left, with seeing that mountain blocked by Mount Vernon's Little Mountain.

My little brother, Jake, he being Spencer Jack and Hank Frank's grandpa, and the pa of my nephews, Jason and Joey. lives near the location of the tulip field you see in the photo.

Today is my little brother's birthday. A few minutes ago I texted him a Happy Birthday message.

No matter what particular day in the year it is at my North Texas location, no matter which direction I look, I will see no mountains. Or vast fields of colorful flowers.

Currently I do see a vast field of goats when I look in the right direction. The hundreds of goats have become quite the local tourist attraction, but, as far as I know, not drawing throngs from all over the world...

Today Finding Risky Instability Over The Wichita River In Lucy Park

On this final Thursday of the 2025 version of September it was back to Lucy Park I ventured for some pleasantly temperatured salubrious endorphin acquisition gained via high-speed walking.

After one of my earlier visits to Lucy Park, this month, I recollect mentioning that I found the Lucy Park suspension bridge over the Wichita River to be causing a dizzying sensation, due to swaying more than it had in the past, and some of the bridge planks being a bit warped.

Please note the signage seen in today's photo documentation, making note of a new sign which has been added since my last visit. 

A close up look at that new sign...

Now, it seems just a bit odd to have one sign, the one which has been there ever since I first saw this suspension bridge, years ago, advising "CAUTION MAXIMUM LOADING 20 PERSONS", whilst adding a new sign indicating the bridge is unstable and risky to cross.

Would the city not face some sort of serious liability if someone was to cross this bridge, seeing only the original sign, not seeing the new, small, highly suspended sign, and then suffer a serious injury of some sort?

Seems to me if the city is thinking the bridge is unstable and risky to cross, that maybe closing access to the risky bridge would be the wise course to take and then proceed to restore the bridge to its former un-risky, stable glory....

Nephew Jason Takes Me Virtually Home To Mount Vernon

A year or so ago my Favorite Jason Nephew sent me a link to a real estate listing for 1114 Pawnee Lane in Mount Vernon, Washington.

The house was a disaster. Apparently, the roof failed, pretty much ruining the entire interior, all three floors, along with ruining the rooftop garden and other damage.

Even so, the house was listed for just under half a million bucks.

Which seemed totally bizarre, what with that house having been built in 1985 for around $65,000, and sold in 2002 for around $135,000.

And now, this third or fourth day since the fall of fall, incoming email from the aforementioned Favorite Jason Nephew.

Text in the email, "Went for a nice fall drive this morning.  Fall leaf foliage is nearly in its peak. We are in a pattern of cool crisp mornings with afternoon sunshine.  Snapped a shot of this Pawnee Lane home.  I see new windows have been installed."

The large image is the photo Jason included, of what the Pawnee Lane house looks now, in 2025. Inset at the lower left is one of the few photos I have of that house, taken soon before I moved from that house to Texas.

That house looked real nice when I left it. It has been tackied up in the years since. An ugly garage door added to the carport. The stairs to the second floor entry oddly rebuilt. Ugly windows. The glassed awning at the second floor entry, covering part of the rooftop garden atop the carport, has been replaced with what looks like a sloping, solid structure.

I spent many hours on many days swinging in a hammock under that glass-roofed awning, taking breaks from tending to my garden of tomatoes, blueberries, flowers, strawberries and various herbs.

I should have more photos of that house. Maybe I have hard copy, non-digital, old-fashioned type photos in one of my many photo albums which I've not looked at in years.

Or maybe there are photos in one of the picture folders on this computer. Though a quick look only found a few....

Jimmy Kimmel Live Tonight In Wichita Falls But Not Seattle

I was surprised this morning when I got to the Seattle Times part of my regular morning perusal of online news sources, to see an article headline saying, "KOMO won't air return of Jimmy Kimmel's show in Seattle, owner says".

The owner of Seattle's KOMO ABC affiliate is the Sinclair Broadcast Group. Sinclair was founded by a right wing conservative nutjob.

At the time of learning of Seattle's continued Kimmel ban I did not know if my local, Wichita Falls, Texas ABC affiliate was owned by Sinclair, or if the show was airing tonight, no matter who the owner might be.

Well.

I got around to turning on my TV, scrolled to KFDX-TV, that being the local ABC affiliate, broadcast from a tower in Lawton, Oklahoma, about 30 miles north of my Texas location to see tonight's listing shows the Jimmy Kimmel Show.

So, my DVR is now set to record tonight's likely highly viewed return to the air of one of America's funniest and best comedians and truth tellers.

Last night I posted the following meme on Facebook. By this morning there were a few comments generated by Seattle's continued Kimmel ban.

Janice Burwash--I’m waiting to see if the Seattle ABC affiliate will air it. “Beginning Tuesday night, Sinclair will be preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming,' the company said. 'Discussions with ABC' are ongoing as we evaluate the show's potential return.” This includes Seattle.

Bruce Forrester---I believe it will be on Hulu the next day.

Durango Jones---Janice Burwash I was just getting ready to blog about the extreme irony of progressive, liberal Seattle's ABC affiliate not airing the Kimmel return due to being owned by a right wing nutjob named Sinclair. Meanwhile, at my non-progressive, non-liberal Texas location the ABC affiliate is not owned by a right wing nutjob. and, as far as I know, tonight's returned will be aired. I have yet to turn on my TV to make sure, and set my DVR to record it, as late night talk shows are way past my bedtime....

Stuart Langley---Bruce and Janice- I certainly hope that citizens in your Market raise a stink. It would be great to see Sinclair have to change attitudes. As you likely both remember, Sinclair, owned by a right-wing billionaire who bought a large portion of the local TV markets in America a few years ago. Their purpose was to manage news. You may remember the fuss at the time.

Janice Burwash---Stuart, I’ve got my TV set to record Kimmel’s return tonight. When I check tomorrow morning I’ll see what happened. I may need to send an unhappy customer message to Sinclair.

Bruce Forrester---We will probably have access to the shows content around 8:30 - 9:00pm pacific time as it will be airing on the east coast.

Durango Jones---Stuart Langley, I thought Sinclair was the name of the right wing nutjob. Had to Google Sinclair to find out I was wrong...

Sinclair, Inc., doing business as Sinclair Broadcast Group, is a publicly traded American telecommunications conglomerate that is controlled by the descendants of company founder Julian Sinclair Smith. Headquartered in the Baltimore suburb of Cockeysville, Maryland, the company is the second-largest television station operator in the United States by number of stations after Nexstar Media Group, owning or operating 193 stations across the country in over 100 markets, covering 40% of American households.                  

September Sunday Morning Extreme Wichita Falls Thunderstorm With Flash Flooding

A totally un-forecast storm is being a wild, loud ride, this next to last September Sunday, in the 2025 year. 

A chance of thunderstorming was forecast for late yesterday afternoon. That did slightly happen, along with a few raindrops.

Then, about 4 this morning I began seeing lightning flashes. Soon the flashes were close enough that I heard the thunder.

The flashing and thunder booming has gone on now for hours.

We are coming up on 10 in the morning.

About an hour ago the rain switched to extreme downpour mode, which caused the Weather Service to issue multiple Extreme Flash Flooding Warnings.

Some of that flash flooding is what I photo documented, above. The view from one of my windows which faces west, across Taft Boulevard, which is currently in flooded mode.

If the rain lets up enough I may try to make it to my carport, to maybe drive to Walmart, and to check on the goat herd. Do goats do okay in heavy rain with bright lightning flashes and loud thunder booms?

Friday Morning Look At My Neighborhood Goatscaping

This morning, before the sun arrived to do its daily illumination duty, I read an article in Texoma's Homepage about my new neighbors, a big flock of vegetation chewing goats.

After reading the article I updated yesterday's My Wichita Falls Neighborhood Invaded By 100s Of Goats blog post about the goats.

When the sun finally arrived this morning, I looked out my bedroom window and saw no goats.

But, I had just read that the goat flock would be spending their nights penned in on Holliday Creek. So, I assumed they were on the side of the creek not visible to me from my window vantage point.

That the goats were there was confirmed when I saw people walking and biking on the Circle Trail, stopping to get their phones out to take photos of what I assumed had to be the goats I could not see.

So, I attired myself sufficiently for outdoor exposure and went to check on the goats.

This morning, I opted to photo document the warning sign advising CAUTION! due to an ELECTRIC FENCE.

I do not see how that fence could possibly be electrified. What's the power source? Where is the insulation keeping the wire from being grounded? Having been electrified by an electric fence, more than once, during my childhood years, I did not opt to touch the fence to test my theory that the fence was not actually electrified. 

 And here you see some of the goat flock, vertical and chewing the scenery after a good night's slumber.

In this morning's Texoma's Homepage goat article I learned that the Goatscaping scenery chewing is going to go on for several weeks.

My Wichita Falls Neighborhood Invaded By 100s Of Goats

This September Friday afternoon, around 4, I looked out my kitchen window and found myself surprised to be seeing goats. 

Six or seven goats.

Weeks ago, or was it months, I recollect reading that some local goat herder was going to be herding a few goats on the slopes of Holliday Creek to cut down the excess vegetation in an environmentally friendly way.

But, no goats showed up, til today.

The Circle Trail runs adjacent to Holliday Creek, at my location. My vehicle is parked adjacent to the Circle Trail.

In other words, it was a short walk to get a close up look at the goats.

Well.

Imagine my surprise when the full scope of the size of the goat herd came into view.

Not six or seven goats, but what looked to be maybe a couple hundred goats, on both sides of the creek.

The goat version of barking is a pleasant sound when it is dozens of the barkers doing the bleating. The goats seemed to be having a mighty fine time.

A temporary electric fence, well, what the signage claimed to be was an electric fence, with a warning not to touch, or try to pet the goats, kept the goat herd from venturing on to the Circle Trail seeking greener pastures.

Above you can see the temporary electric fence crossing Holliday Creek, blocking the goats from heading north

Traffic over the Holliday Creek Southwest Boulevard bridge was being affected by the surprising spectacle.

The crowd of goat lookers continues to grow.

In a town a tad shy of interesting tourist attractions, this goat herd should provide one for its duration.

If only the town had an actual local news covering newspaper that would let the locals know there is something to take the kids to see at Weeks Park. Lots of parking at that park, easy to find, accessed off Southwest Boulevard, just drive past the fire station. 

Are the goats staying overnight? There was no visible goat hauling vehicle to be seen. It must have required multiple such vehicles to haul so many goats.

UPDATE:

Local NBC TV, KFDX, also has an online version, Texoma's Homepage, which is actually what amounts to being a good local news source, unlike the online version of Wichita Falls only print version of a newspaper, known as the Wichita Falls Times Record News.

This Friday morning Texoma's Homepage has an article, and video, about my neighborhood goat invasion...

City of Wichita Falls deploys goats to tackle tall grass

The article, in its entirety (minus the video)...

WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — The City of Wichita Falls welcomed lots of little landscapers to help combat tall grass Thursday morning.

On Thursday, September 18, about 500 goats and some sheep were set loose along the shore of Holliday Creek near Weeks Park to enjoy an acre-sized buffet of tall grass.

City of Wichita Falls public information officer, Chris Horgen, said ‘Goatscaping’ is a viable option to get into places mowers can’t. The goats will be grazing around-the-clock for two to three weeks, and Horgen said the benefits go beyond being eco-friendly.

“It’ll reduce wildfire. You know, it’s a wildfire mitigation tool because we’re gonna get some of this high grass that’s fuel for wildfires in the winter to come down, with this, because they’ll eat these to the roots,” Horgen said. “This will be everything that’s behind us that these goats and sheep are eating will go to the roots of the ground.”

Horgen said an electric fence and a shepherd dog are on hand to keep the four-legged grass munchers from getting into trouble.

Officials ask residents to keep their distance and to keep pets away from the goats and sheep. The goats are corralled in a one-acre area at a time and will be visiting for a few weeks.

Almost An End Of Summer HOT Walk Around Sikes Lake

In the photo documentation you are looking southwest from the rocky east shore of Sikes Lake, on the final Tuesday of the 2025 version of summer.

Fall falls in less than a week.

We seem to have zoomed past halfway through September, way too fast.

I am beginning to become no fan of how time seems to be accelerating, the older I get.

Even though this is almost the end of summer, the outer world, at my North Texas location, managed to be HOT, under that totally clear blue sky you see above.

A high in the mid 90s, today, as measured by the Fahrenheit method which only one or two nations use to measure the temperature.

My air-conditioner is currently trying to get my interior temperature down to 78. I forgot to activate it when I exited my abode to go to Sikes Lake. The cold air blowing on me feels good.

In about a month I suspect it will be heated air blowing on me which will be feeling good, after a chilly walk around Sikes Lake, or some other local hiking venue...

Dizzy Sunday Vertigo Suspended In Lucy Park

I took a break from nature communing yesterday.

So, today, on the second Sunday of the 2025 version of September, I ventured to Lucy Park to join the throngs busily nature communing.

I had not walked across the Lucy Park suspension bridge over the Wichita River for quite some time, til today.

By the time I got to the middle of the bridge I was regretting it. Recent flooding has warped many of the bridge deck planks. The bridge swayed way more than previously, just from one person walking on it.

The swaying, gaps in the warped deck, river flowing beneath, all contributed to making me a bit dizzy.

Getting my camera phone out of my pocket for photo taking purposes was problematic, as was turning on the phone, trying to see the screen to aim the camera was also problematic.

I took two photos and then hurried off the bridge.

Back on dry land I looked at the two photos and saw one of my fingers had gotten in the way of the lens, ruining both photos.

I was not going to go out on that bridge to take another photo, so I took the one you see above, whilst standing on land which was not noticeably moving.

In addition to the photo documentation showing the vertigo inducing bridge, you can also see, even as the start of fall rapidly approaches, we are still in lush, green jungle-like mode at my usually brown, this time of year, location in North Texas.