Happy 115th Birthday Grandma Vera From Jason

Today, the day after Christmas, is my mom's mom's birthday. Grandma Vera. 115 years old.

I had not remembered today was Grandma Vera's birthday til an incoming email from my Favorite Nephew Jason ended with "PS---Happy 115th Grandma Vera".

The email also included the above photo, with the following text explaining the photo...

"I set aside this picture to share with you of my favorite brother with your favorite brother and your look alike father.  Best I can guess is that in the far distance is Kami. No writing occurs on the back of most of my Slotemaker family photos to indicate the occasion, but I surmise it was Christmas in the mid to late 80s. My guess 87-89ish, based on Joe's size. If this was Henry playing cards, he would use those long sleeves to hide Aces."

I draw a blank regarding the "Kami" to which Jason refers. I also do not recognize the interior space where my dad is playing some sort of card game with my Favorite Nephew Joey.

The Henry to which Jason refers is Joey's first born, Henry Francis, who I call Hank Frank.

Some more tidbits from Jason's email...

"Hope all is well in Texas. It has been a very wet fall and the start of winter has been more days of endless chilly rain."

The very wet fall in Washington has been very much in the news. Meanwhile, in Texas, it is pretty much day after day of clear blue skies. With the temperature going into the 80s today. 

And this bit of news....

"I'm set to have your Arizona sister babysit your brother in mid-January for a week. We are all looking forward to that."

The last time Jason sent my brother to Arizona, if I remember correctly, Jake was sick for most of the visit. I believe, currently, I have two sisters in Arizona. Both in the Phoenix metro zone.  One of the sisters is a parttime Arizonan. I suspect it is only the full time Arizonan sister my little brother will be visiting.

And then there is this...

"I have been told that I need to make plans to be in Anaheim in December of 2027. I'm only going if you are."

My little sister, Michele, Theo and Ruby's mama, mentioned this to me, this Christmas of 2027 Disneyland excursion. I have not been to Disneyland since Christmas of 1995. Stayed til closing. It was exhausting. 

And then there is this trip invite....

"I still think I should treat you to a week in paradise though, that being Hawaii, and not Fantasyland. Let me know when you are craving a tropical vacation. I'm planning on heading over in early January with some old folks. You are always welcome to join."

Jason seems to go to Hawaii several times a year. He recently made a hasty return from Hawaii when the Washington flood news seemed so dire. I have not flown anywhere with Jason since flying to Vegas with Jason and Joey, shortly before the move to Texas. I remember shortly before the move to Texas driving Jason up to Canada to ride the Skytrain to Vancouver, then the Seabus to North Vancouver. That was fun. 

One more blurb from Jason's email...

"I better get going to work. New Year's Day will mark the start of my 20th year of owning the Fidalgo Drive-In. How quickly the time flies when you are having fun."

That is hard to believe. 20 years. I've been up in Washington since Jason opened his Anacortes restaurant, but have not been to Anacortes. I did not realize til talking to his grandma, my Favorite Ex-Sister-in-Law, Cindy, a couple weeks ago, during the flood, that Jason's first and only born, Spencer Jack, is now 17, or was it 18?, and currently in college at Central Washington State University, where he is learning to be an airplane pilot.

I first met Spencer Jack back in August of 2008, when he was not quite two years old. And then again in August of 2017, at Birch Bay. I think Spencer was 12 at that point in time.

Time sure does fly fast, and the older one gets the faster it seems to fly....

Having A Hot Very Merry Mexican Christmas

I do not remember there being a previous Christmas where I felt the need to turn on the air conditioning.

But, such is the case on today's Christmas.

I will be adding to today's heat via the Mexican food I am making today. Tacos, chile rellenos, and all the other Mexican food regulars, with guacamole being the only cooling element.

I think I shall try to find time to do some nature communing in today's summer-like temperature...
 

Christmas Eve Eve Shadow Of The Lucy Park Thin Man Nature Communing

 A couple days into winter, the morning of Christmas Eve Eve, it was to Lucy Park I ventured, for the first time in several weeks, to have myself some salubrious nature communing in pleasant, summer-like weather.

Which would make the above photo documentation the Shadow of the Lucy Park Thin Man.

As you can see, above and below, the predominant color scheme of Lucy Park is now not too colorful. Mostly brown.

What you see above is a look at the current state of area of Lucy Park which I refer to as the Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle. Currently not in jungle mode.

Entering Lucy Park today I saw something I've never seen, previously, at my current Texas location.

Three deer running alongside the Wichita River. 

Upon parking and exiting my vehicle I hoped to be able to photo document the deer. I did see them again, but not close enough to photograph. And they were being chased by a dog, which had the deer leaping and moving real fast.

How did three deer find their way into the heart of a congested urban zone? 

If I saw deer at nearby Lake Wichita Park, that would not surprise me, as that location is at the edge of the urban zone.

Of late my nature communing has consisted of walking in Walmart, observing all the various human forms. Such is not great exercise. I feel well exercised by today's nature communing in Lucy Park.

The reason my nature communing of late has been taking place indoors is because the temperature has been in the freezing zone. But, yesterday a heat wave arrived, which is scheduled to continue for several days.

Today I suspect I will be switching my interior space's climate control back to air-conditioning mode. Something I do not remember ever doing, previously, a couple days before Christmas...

Upcoming Wichita Falls Predicted Heat Wave On Christmas

 A couple weeks ago the local, Wichita Falls, Texas weather forecast was forecasting a chance of snow precipitating on Christmas Eve, followed by a chilly Christmas Day.

But now, with only five days til Christmas Eve, the weather forecast is now forecasting a very warm 80 degrees on the day before Christmas, with Christmas also forecast to be very warm, making it one of the warmest Christmas Days on record.

I do not remember ever needing to switch my interior space climate control from heat mode, back to air-conditioning mode, on Christmas, but, I suspect such shall be the case this year.

Happy Birthday Ruby & Theo

Today Nephew Theo and Niece Ruby turn 15. This seems hard to believe. That they are that old.

Seems like only yesterday Theo and Ruby greeted me a few minutes after getting off a plane at Sea-Tac. I blogged about that moment in With Sheriff Help David, Theo & Ruby Find Their Uncle.

But, that was in early August of 2017. That week up in Washington was the best time I'd had in a while, mostly due to the fun of getting to know Theo and Ruby and their older brother, David.

The photo above was taken, that week, during a fun time at Tacoma's Point Ruston. I blogged about that in Point Ruston Ruby, Theo & David Surrey Survey Of Tacoma's New Waterfront Development.

I think it was the day before we went to Point Ruston that I was Riding Tacoma Waves With David, Theo & Ruby.

We spent several days at Birch Bay. And one day several hours in Lynden, during which Ruby Slotemaker Finds Road With Her Name On It. 

It was a sad departure, leaving Washington, flying south to Arizona. I blogged about that in Sad Washington Departure Leaving David, Theo & Ruby Behind After Blackberry Milkshakes.

It was to be almost two years til I saw Theo & Ruby again. This time in Arizona. In March of 2019. I think I was in Arizona about a month, that visit, with Theo & Ruby, their parental units, and brother David, staying about a week.

During that week we had a lot of fun, including a Cool Arizona Pool With Theo Driving Ruby On Handlebars. That blog post has a video of Theo driving Grandma's vehicle.

More swimming took place at Grandma's pool in Sun Lakes. That was blogged about in Driving Miss Daisy To Swim In And Out To Tucson. I have zero clue what the Tucson reference was in reference to.

There are some fun parks in the various towns in the Phoenix metro zone. The town of Mesa had the funnest I came across, including the two blogged about in David, Theo & Ruby In Mesa's Riverview & Pioneer Parks.

Another fun day was spent Riding Horses With Miss Daisy, David, Theo & Ruby. That included a memorable visit to one of my brother-in-law's McDonald's, where David, Theo & Ruby got a tour and Happy Meal boxes filled with every available Happy Meal toy.

Christmas of 2027 I may be going to Disneyland with Theo & Ruby, and others. I would hope I may get to see the twins before then.

Time flies so fast....

Getting Saucy With Trump At The Pork Shop in San Tan Valley Arizona

Whilst looking for photos of Linda Lou taken during Linda Lou's visit to Arizona, back in October of 2018, because today is Linda Lou's birthday and I wanted a photo of her for wishing Happy Birthday purposes, I came upon some photos I did not remember taking.

These photos are Trump related. Pro Trump or Con Trump, I cannot tell for sure. The two Trump related posters were in the window of some sort of butcher shop called The Pork Shop.

The poster on the left advises to "GET SAUCY", with a pig wearing a MAGA hat.

The poster on the right, seen closer in the above photo, clearly sports a Trump image, above verbiage saying "THE PORK SHOP IS THE BEST PEOPLE:"

And, in the Trump image he is clearly sporting pig's ears and a pig's snout.

My guess would be that the Pig Shop owner is not a Trump fan.

I do not remember which Phoenix metro area town this was in, other than it was one of the towns to the east of Phoenix. Maybe Gilbert.

Typed the previous paragraph before remembering Googling The Pork Shop might tell me what Arizona town this butcher shop is in.

Well, that took two seconds to learn The Pork Shop is in San Tan Valley, Arizona. With a good website which you can visit by clicking The Pork Shop.

I wonder what Trump themed posters The Pork Shop's windows are sporting now?

Merry Christmas From Hank Frank, Cade & Cambri

 Christmas cards arrived yesterday, from two of my nephews, with the card including photos.

On the left that is my nephew, Christopher, the bearded one, with wife, Carissa. On Christopher's right that is Christopher and Carrisa's first born, Cade, currently two years old. Between Christopher and Carrisa is the latest addition to my extended family, baby girl, Cambri.

Which would make that a closeup of Cambri and Cade in the middle photo.

Christopher, Carissa, Cade and Cambri currently reside in Chandler, Arizona.

In the photo on the right, that is my nephew Joey, next to wife, Monique, standing behind their first born, Hank Frank. 

I talked to Hank Frank's grandma a couple days ago, a call during which I learned Hank Frank is now 7 years old and is doing incredibly well in school.

Hank Frank and his parental units live in Washington, in their home on the Skagit Flats, which recently escaped being flooded, whilst Hank Frank was vacationing with his mom and dad in Maui.

I assume Hank Frank is still in Maui.

From his grandma I learned Hank Frank already knows how to read and write. And is a math whiz.  Asking questions well above his age grade. Such as asking his grandma what the state fish of Hawaii is.

Apparently, Hank Frank has a hobby of remembering thinks like that.

On Santa's Lap With Theo & Ruby

That which you see above is one of my all-time favorite photos. 

My Niece Ruby and Nephew Theo not being too happy to be sitting on Santa's lap.

Whilst big brother, Nephew David looks amused.

Ruby, Theo and David look quite young in this photo.

In a couple days Ruby and Theo turn 15 years old.

Meanwhile, David is now 17 years old.

I do not know if Ruby and Theo still get unhappy when they sit on Santa's lap...

A Silver Lining From My Little Brother On The Skagit Flats

From my little brother, this morning, his current view from his location on the Skagit Flats. With the accompanying text saying, "Behind every storm is a silver lining."

The Skagit flooding turned out not to be the horrific disaster predicted.

When I asked my brother if he was back in his Skagit Flats house he replied that "I never left."

I thought an evacuation order had been given to those living on the Skagit Flats.

And yesterday morning, upon waking my computer I was shocked to see a screaming headline saying the entire town of Burlington had been ordered to evacuate due to a flash flooding Gages Slough. And that the National Guard was facilitating the evacuation.

Well.

Turns out my old hometown of Burlington did not evacuate. Gages Slough only flooded part of Rio Vista Avenue. And did not flood nearby Lucille Umbarger Elementary, where I did my grade schooling. 

When I first read the Gages Slough flash flood news it made no sense to me that this could cause the entire town to need to be evacuated.

Most of the town is at a higher elevation than Gages Slough. No way, I thought, water from that Slough could manage to reach the house I grew up in, a couple blocks north of the Slough.

Another Atmospheric River is predicted to soon hit Washington, well before the current flood waters have receded. And the mountains are currently getting record breaking snow. Sometimes Western Washington floods are caused by a rapid rise in temperature causing a rapid melting of snow.

I fear we may be just in Part 1 of Washington's weather disaster...

Flooding Gages Slough Has National Guard Evacuating My Old Burlington Hometown

Moments ago I woke up my computer and quickly found myself shocked seeing that which I screencapped above.

The National Guard is going door to door in my old hometown of Burlington, advising residents to evacuate because Gages Slough is flooding.

The home I grew up in is about three blocks north of Gages Slough. The grade school I grade school in, Lucille Umbarger Elementary is a couple blocks south of Gages Slough.

As I began typing this post text messages arrived from my brother and Linda Lou, telling me about the Burlington evacuation. Brother Jake says he is high and dry. I assume he is being high and dry at nephew Jason's house, which is in the Mount Vernon neighborhood known as Hillcrest, well above the Skagit River.

Linda Lou is also high and dry at her abode in the Hillcrest neighborhood.

I have yet to learn if the Skagit breeched the downtown Mount Vernon floodwall.