Thursday, March 28, 2024

Acquiring Endorphins At Sikes Lake With A Terrible Tuesday Tornado Memorial Sidetrip


The past couple days I have not acquired my required dose of endorphins via aerobic stimulation, due to not wanting to be in the outer world with it being wet and cold.

Pushing a shopping cart for a half hour, in Walmart, really does not suffice in the endorphin acquisition department.

Without my endorphin fix I start to get grumpy. I assume this to be like the withdrawal misery a drug addict experiences when a drug fix is not to be had. I also assume endorphin withdrawal is likely much milder than withdrawal symptoms from something more potent.

So, today, on this final Thursday of the 2024 version of March, with the outer world back being warm, I ventured to nearby Sikes Lake for some high-speed endorphin acquisition.

Along with a lot of other people enjoying the return to non-winter-like conditions.

Today I exited the Sikes Lake trail at the west end to enter the Wood Memorial Park.

There is a monument in Wood Memorial Park. That is what you see photo documented above.

This memorial memorializes those who died in the 1979 Red River Valley tornado outbreak.

Known in Wichita Falls as Terrible Tuesday.

This memorial is located in the path of the deadly tornado. The Red River Valley tornadoes broke out on April 10, 1979, killing 58 people, injuring 1,927 more.

I have experienced three tornadoes since I have been in Texas. I have never seen the stereotypical twister. All I have seen is a dark, greenish wall cloud, with the tornado somewhere behind the wall.

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Microsoft OneDrive Takes Me To Dinosaur Valley With Wanda & Mrs. Lee


Today's Microsoft OneDrive Memories from this Day had one I'd just as soon not remember.

The photo was taken with my now long-gone Casio digital camera, with its selfie taking function, functioning well before taking selfies became something someone does using their phone.

On my left shoulder, in sunglasses, that would be Wanda, first wife of Wally, from Seattle, having flown to Texas about four months after my arrival in the Lone Star State.

On my other shoulder, that would be Mrs. Lee, first name Cathy. Now deceased. The accursed nurse who caused me to think it a good idea to move to Texas.

I am just about 100% certain this photo was taken in Dinosaur Valley State Park. That being my favorite Texas state park. Miles of fun, treacherous mountain bike trails, easy to get lost on...

Monday, March 25, 2024

Windy Monday Lake Wichita Walk With No Rain


Due to wind and rain, yesterday's nature communing took place in the dry confines of Walmart. 

Today, on this final Monday of the 2024 version of March, blue sky has returned, but the strong wind remains blowing.

So, it was to Lake Wichita Park I drove today for some windy nature communing. Which would make that Mount Wichita behind the soldier saluting on Wichita Falls Veterans Memorial.

The rain the past couple days rendered walking on the grass to be a bit muddy. My shoes were caked with mud before I realized I was walking over terrain not conducive to mud-free walking.

Tomorrow there we be some sort of dedication ceremony celebrating the completion of the new entry road and parking lot at this location. I do not recollect ever hearing of a parking lot dedication ceremony before.

I likely will not be in attendance at this ceremony....

Saturday, March 23, 2024

Saturday Sikes Lake Coyote Walk


It was to Sikes Lake I ventured on this next to last Saturday of the 2024 version of March, to get me some endorphins via high-speed walking.

The temperature during walking time was in the low 50s. I wish we would return the HOT balmy days of the final weeks of Winter.

In the past couple weeks Sikes Lake has seen the installation of multiple coyotes, serving the same purpose as scarecrows. In this instance the scare coyotes are being tasked with terrorizing the Sikes Lake geese and duck flocks.

Since the scare coyotes have arrived there are noticeably fewer birds flocking around the lake.

Using scare coyotes to cause the geese and ducks to fly to a different location seems much more humane than the mass murder of 387 geese, last year.

A mass murder which generated a lot of protesting.

Apparently, someone is tasked with moving the scare coyotes to new locations, so the geese and ducks never get wise to the fact that these are not real coyotes.

Friday, March 22, 2024

Wichita Falls Pharmacy Visit With Bloody Sideshow


I had myself some police action excitement today. I was taking an elderly man to his pharmacy to pick up some prescriptions. 

Franklin Pharmacy, on Brook Avenue, to be precise. Upon seeing the Franklin Pharmacy parking lot, from a distance, I could see the parking lot was busy. Getting closer I saw that the parking lot was busy due to there being six Wichita Falls Police cars helter skelter on the parking lot.

Upon driving onto the Franklin Pharmacy parking lot I saw a man with a bloodied head, sitting on the parking lot, handcuffed.

I found a space to park next to the police car you see photo documented. The elderly man then went inside the pharmacy to get his meds.

After sitting for about a minute I was suddenly totally startled to find the handcuffed bloodied man outside my window, looking at me and screaming "Take me to the hospital." As a policeman grabbed the bloodied man from behind the bloodied man hollered at me "You're dead!"

A couple policemen then struggled to get the bloodied man into the backseat of the police car.

The bloodied man continued yelling, things like I don't fit in here. The policeman kindly told the bloodied man to just lie down.

After about another minute the policeman opened the door and, I think, removed the handcuffs due to the bloodied man yelling they hurt him.

Eventually the police cars began to leave, and the elderly man returned to the vehicle. I asked if he'd found out what this was about. He was told the bloodied man had been inside the pharmacy, making a scene, when he refused to leave the police were called.

No clue how the man ended up bloodied. To my eyes the police were all acting totally calm, reasonable and professional, like they were well-trained to deal with these type incidents.

Wichita Falls To Be Almost Totally Eclipsed On April 8


This morning's Wichita Falls Times-Record-New has an article about the upcoming, April 8, eclipse.

The article had an interactive feature where you enter your zip code to be shown how close to the total eclipse you are located.

My location is that orange spot you see on the map.

Apparently in Wichita Falls we will experience 95% of the total eclipse. 

The eclipse begins during the afternoon of April 8. I do not know at what time that afternoon I can expect darkness to arrive for a few minutes.

Thursday, March 21, 2024

Third Day Of Spring Thunderous Storm Arrives In Wichita Falls As Predicted


Arriving right on time, as scheduled by the National Weather Service. An epic thunderstorm, dropping a downpour of rain, hail and lightning strikes. With a lot of loud booming.

The view you see here is what I saw upon opening my front door. Impossible to get to ground level without getting drenched and pummeled with hail pellets.

Right now the storm seems to be abating as quickly as it arrived. 

If I make it to ground level I don't know if currently a moat is making it difficult to get to my means of motorized motion.

I shall soon see. Maybe...

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Remembering Driving Chandler Boulevard In Arizona


Melancholy Microsoft OneDrive Memories from the Day, in my email this morning. This memory is from March. I do not remember what day in March. But, I do remember the year.

2019.

So much has happened since March of 2019. Covid. Becoming an orphan, Sister Jackie, who is driving mom's vehicle, with me in the backseat, and mom riding shotgun, is now a grandma, heading north, on Chandler Boulevard (I think) in the bustling Arizona town of Chandler.

Grandma Jackie's grandson Cade, is the newest member of the family.

Baby Cade is now around a half year old, I think.

From July of 2017 and July of 2019 I visited Arizona multiple times. Usually for a month. Doing a lot of driving, on Arizona's excellent smooth roads.

Every time I'd return to Texas, and get back in my Texas driver's seat, I was jarred, thinking something was wrong with the vehicle, due to the ultra-bumpy ride. Then I remember, I am back in Texas, where the roads are in bad shape in places. Such as the entry to the freeway one comes to when leaving the Wichita Falls airport.

I have found most Texas highways of the state highway sort, to be roads in real good condition. The roads in some Texas towns, such as Fort Worth and Wichita Falls, not so much.

Wichita Falls still has some city streets which are made of brick. Driving over a brick road is extremely bumpy...

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Perplexing Survey Experience With Walmart

Perplexing email this morning from Walmart. The email asks that I confirm I visited the Greenbriar Road Walmart on March 12, 2024 to begin a survey about my Walmart shopping experience to get a chance to win a $1,000 gift card.

I never win anything, ever, that I can remember, so I clicked to Begin Survey.

After answering several questions that seemed totally easy to answer, the survey suddenly took a perplexing turn which I can not figure out.

The survey mentioned several items I bought that day and asked me to rank them.

How does Walmart know what I bought that day and thus able to link that information to my email address?

The only identifying element is I do use a debit card. And that debit card does have my name on it. 

But how could that debit card lead Walmart to my email address?

If this survey was from Amazon it would not be at all perplexing. Amazon knows my email address, as it is linked to my Amazon account.

I have no Walmart account. 

Even if I did have a Walmart account that still would not explain how Walmart linked my purchases that day, to me, and my email address.

There likely is a simple explanation which I am too simple to figure out...

Monday, March 18, 2024

Last Week Of Winter Wichita Bluff Nature Area Nature Communing


On this third Monday of the 2024 version of March, it was back to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area I ventured today, for some hilly nature communing.

As you can see the sky is a bright clear blue, except some white exhaust spewed from a Sheppard Air Force Base jet.

The temperature was in the mid 50s zone, not quite back to chilly winter-like, but nowhere near being in the HOT summer-like zone of the past couple weeks.

Spring is scheduled to arrive later this week.


I hiked to the highest point on the bluffs, looking east at the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Wichita Falls on the horizon.

It has been several months since I went hiking the bluffs. It was quite invigorating. The distance to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area, from my abode, is the furthest distance of any of my local hiking destinations.

Tomorrow, weather permitting, methinks I shall be back at Sikes Lake. I was there yesterday. Several goose spooking coyotes have been installed around the lake...