Low Sunday Sikes Lake Tide Waiting For Winco To Open Tomorrow

This second Sunday of the 2025 version of October has Sikes Lake in what looks like low tide mode, with a large flock of ducks mucking about looking for something to eat.

Seems like the ducks should be flocking south for the coming winter. Or is this already their winter southern location?

The outer world is still being way too warm at my southern location. The high will hit the 90s again today, with no predicted temperature relief in the near predicted future.

The speed controlling chain on my bedroom ceiling fan broke last night, when I pulled on it to turn the fan on. So, I have nothing spinning overhead in my bedroom. The A/C seems to be sufficing, so far, making the lack of a ceiling fan bearable til repaired tomorrow.

The walk around Sikes Lake was pleasant today, not too hot, only in the low 80s. And breezy. There seems to be an increase of people enjoying the outer world now that it has become more pleasant, temperature-wise.

Tomorrow brings a big change in my regular routine of going grocery hunting at Walmart. Winco is having its Grand Opening tomorrow.

When I lived in the DFW zone I never grocery shopped at Walmart, even though it was nearby. I instead drove the few extra miles to Winco.

The Wichita Falls Winco is real close to ALDI, and way closer than the DFW Winco I used to drive to.

Losing Weight Walking Around Sunny Sikes Lake

On this second Friday of the 2025 version of October, I opted to use the trails around nearby Sikes Lake to get me some much-needed endorphins, which renders the above photo documentation to be the view looking southwest from the rocky shore of the east side of Sikes Lake.

When I looked northwest from this viewpoint I saw something which seemed a bit strange to be seeing in a bright blue sky an hour before noon.

The moon.

What looked to be a full moon was looking way too close.

I tried to take photos, but zooming in with the phone camera rendered the moon a blurry mess.

If I remember correctly, and sometimes I do, a week or two ago I made mention of the fact that I was in need of dropping about 20 pounds so I could fit into some outerwear I needed to be able to fit into so I could attend an upcoming event which requires not being casually attired.

So far, I have managed to drop around five pounds. I need to shrink to my 2008 size. That is a long time ago, 2008 is, that year being the last time I was attending an event which required not being casually attired.

I need to get a bike. I think it has been at least two years since my last bike was stolen...

No Fine Billing Notice From Wichita Falls Public Library

Yesterday's mail brought me something totally wackydoodle, totally fitting this wackydoodle era we seem to be trying to live through, as good-naturedly as we can manage to muster.

Last week I returned five books to the Wichita Falls Public Library.

Which is the entity from whom I received the aforementioned wackydoodle-ness.

The letter contained a 'Fine Billing Notice". 

But there was nothing "fine" about the notice.

Of the five books I returned, the library is claiming two of them were somehow damaged to a sum of $54.00

$34.00 for 23 1/2 Lies: Thrillers by James Patterson
$20.00 for Hanging Woman Creek by Louis L'Amour

I have checked out hundreds of books over the years of residing in Wichita Falls. Without ever, to my knowledge, inflicting any damage on any book.

But, somehow I supposedly managed to seriously damage two books, of five, recently returned.

Makes zero sense.

The only 'damage' I have noted in books I have checked out is sometimes previous borrowers have written something in the margins. Or made a mark, as if, maybe to make note of where they have ceased reading for the moment.

How can any agency of any sort send out any sort of "Fine Billing Notice" without making note of what the alleged damage consists of?

That and the fact that the mailed "Fine Billing Notice" makes no note of by what means one is expected to pay this fine. There is no return envelope, no info at all regarding the means by which one is supposed to pay this fine. Where to send it, to whom to send it. Nothing.

Is sending a billing notice of this sort even legal?

It'd be like getting a letter from the police informing that you are being fined $54.00 for two breaking the speed limit offenses. With no detailing of where or when these alleged speeding offenses allegedly happened.

I really do not want to turn this over to my lawyer. But, I clearly feel I am being seriously wronged here.

And that this is taking up my time to deal with this. Maybe I should send a bill to the library, charging my regular hourly rate. 

One thing for sure, methinks my days of being a patron of the Wichita Falls Public Library are over. It's time to find some new reading material sources....

Hike Along Wichita River Finding New Circle Trail Section Under Construction

The past couple visits to Lucy Park I have noticed what looked like work on extending the Circle Trail.

I wondered if this was the long-anticipated Circle Trail completion of the section between Lucy Park and where the Circle Trail heads into the Wichita Bluff Nature Area.

There has been no mention made of this project in this town's absolutely inept newspaper, the Wichita Falls Times Record News. A newspaper which for over six months has featured the repeating headline at the top of its home page asking the question "Why Did Beto O'Rourke Speak in Wichita Falls?" where clicking on that link brings you to a non-article which does not answer that extremely poignant question.

So, on this third day of October, I hiked from the east Wichita Bluff Nature Area Circle Trail parking lot and walked towards Lucy Park to see if the trail was being worked on.

Via the photo documentation at the top you can see that such is the case. All that is needed is for some cement to be added.

And then that will leave only one short section to fill in to make the Circle Trail an actual complete circle. That being the section which currently terminates shortly after leaving the west end of Lake Wichita Park.

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?