Almost Spring - Finally!

 The weather is still on a roller coaster of warm to cold, cold to warm.  Yesterday was overcast all day & felt cold.  My Germaniums have spent several nights outside; we stayed above freezing & they're under cover.  

I had my usual morning at mat making, then took my friend shopping at Dollar General.  She offered to take me to lunch, but the day was so nice I declined.  Doris insisted on taking Finn & agreed that such a great day - especially with no wind was perfect for a bike ride.

On the trail~

I hurried home, loaded my bike & left for the lake.  I thought about trying the trail but didn't want to risk getting there to find it soft.  Monday we'd had another lighter dusting of snow & everything had frozen.  There were still puddles of water on the paved surface here.

Train tunnel~

I rode out east through the tunnels & had the rudest experience with other bikers I've had yet.  As I was a short distance away from the first of the two tunnels, a pedestrian was walking toward me, in the tunnel, staying to the right.  Behind him I could see two people on bikes coming fast.  As the first of the bikes came up on the person still in the tunnel, he moved into my lane & cut between us!  I had to come to a complete stop.  The woman following had the nerve to do the same thing!  It never ceases to amaze me at how rude people can be. 

Mid-American~

I peddled hard & fast to work off how steamed I was before returning to the park.  I never saw the couple again, which was a Good Thing! 

View from the old Campground~

A group of photographers were walking along the shore of the lake today.  When I was in the campground, I had two flybys!  The first was a huge Eagle, the second a big Red-tailed Hawk.  The birds were singing & enjoying the beautiful day as much as I was.

Crossing Indian Creek, heading East~

It's always an ahhh moment when I make the turn back into the wooded southern section of the park.  I only saw one other bike rider & a few people walking.

Shore of the lake~

I shouldn't have been surprised to see the rocks along the shore covered in a layer of frozen snow/ice.  I was surprised though, especially with the now wide-open water.  It made for an eerie combination.

My break spot~

I was riding later than usual, but the days are so much longer now!  Hours of sunshine to enjoy again, especially when we have a break from the wind!  I returned to town to pick up Finn.  He & Doris had spent the afternoon outside soaking in the rays.  My lazy boy had to yawn & stretch before accepting his harness.  It was such a beautiful evening by the time I got home; I sat out until almost dark.

First Ride of March~

 After a string of several gray overcast days, we received .65 of much needed rain last Friday & Saturday night.  Now, we're close to breaking records for warmth.  Today was expected to reach over 70 degrees with 20-30 mph wind gusts.  With the rain, the Wabash Trace would have been too wet to ride.  The last pictures I saw of the limestone surface, it was terribly rutted.

On my way~

As usual, being on the trail in the fresh air felt great.  There were more people at the park than I've seen in months.  I think the nice weather & longer days motive everyone to get outside & enjoy the spring-like weather.

I-29 foreground, I-80 east bound background

I rode further out the trail heading north that connects with the road going east to the Wabash Trail head.  It wasn't until I turned back south toward the park & the wind hit me in the face, I realized I'd be riding right into it on my way back.  

Shadow under I-29

The train cars were just sitting under the Interstate.  Being under the thunder of the interstate is a novel experience.  

Campground~

More of the dead trees have been cut out of the campground.  Some that I know were alive last season have also been cut down.  I hope some of the Mulberries were saved.  It's always such an oasis of quiet, after the noise of riding along the edge of Veterans Memorial Hwy.

The Lake through the trees~

The ride south along Indian Creek was a bear!  The wind was really gusting.  I ended up in Turbo & hanging onto my sun bill to keep it from blowing away.  It was a relief to make the turn at the SW corner of the trail system & turn east again.  The wind coming at me from the side was preferable to head on.

The Lake~

I had my ultrasonic dog barking deterrent with me today.  I put it in my front bottle holder so it's handy if I need it.  Two ladies walking a young German Shepard were ahead of me.  I announced my presence & watched as they grabbed at the dog & pulled him off to one side.  He instantly fixated on me & began trying to lunge my direction.  I pressed the button as I was going by & it was amazing to see him instantly freeze in place!  At the least, it distracted him long enough for me to get by!  

When Finn is riding in his cart with Butch & I, I follow behind.  He loves to bark like a fool at every person we pass.  The last time we rode at Lake Cunningham, he learned quickly if he did, I would press the button!  It's been a very helpful training tool & I highly recommend it.

Heading back~

The trail above is one of the least used, probably because it's a long walk from any of the parking areas.  Another reason it's my favorite.  As you can tell, the sky was such a clear blue!  It's getting so close to spring, you can smell it in the air.  I hope it's long, wet & mild!

500,000 Miles & the Fourth Year!

Butch & Maverick II

Today marks the Anniversary of Butch's Fourth year driving OTR!  It almost seems surreal it's been that long since the day he left from CFI for his first solo dispatch!

2-28-2025 Delivery, Flesh Company, Parsons, KS

The winter weather was mild for the mid-west.  Dispatching was consistent & the year started off smoothly.  It was a surprise when he started getting dispatches back to the Caves.  The Caves are huge & are used as a warehouse facility for many companies.  There are several entrances in both MO & KS & IL.

3-6-2025 Entrance to the Caves~ Independence, KS

These underground facilities have been put to use store housing treasures from the National Archives.  The more I've read about the area, the more fascinating it is.  It is as safe a storage as any I can imagine for a variety of assets that aren't safe in an area prone to tornadoes.

Butch flew out to Columbus & picked up Maverick II (#2616) March 11th.  The engine had been replaced.  This is the truck he finished off the year with & is still driving.

4-8-2025 Amish Horse & Buggy~

Butch was on his way to Massillon, OH in the photo above.  Can you spot the black horse & buggy waiting on the right - at the light at the upcoming intersection?  Just after he'd finished his time with his trainer, he'd followed a horse & buggy for miles in PA on a two-way road.

5-19-2025 Waiting to pick up at Independence, KS

May, the weather turned stormy with possible tornados in the forecast.  Butch arrived at the Caves late in the afternoon & spent the night just outside the entrance.  I told him if the weather got any worse, to go to Security & ask to go in!  

6-20-2026 Butch arrives home~

June 20th, Butch made an unplanned trip home.  I'd made an unplanned trip to the hospital.  It was such a relief to see him when he walked into my room!  I think my rapid recovery was due to his return!  I went home the following day.  

6-25-2025 Tune-up

At Nationwide in Omaha, it was time for Maverick II's (#2616) tune up.  The VNL 860 has been running perfectly with the new D13 engine.  Its size is impressive.  The semi weighs 18,200 lbs. 

7-3-2025 Love's Service truck arrives ~

An inside tire blew out at 5:37 p.m. on the trailer, 39 miles from Butch's delivery in Kentucky.  After calling Nationwide, he called Love's service.  The service truck made it to his location by 9:57 p.m. & had the new tire on by 11 p.m.  He had 28 min. left to drive on his clock.  He arrived at his destination within minutes of his 1 p.m. delivery time.

7-23-2025 

Butch was returning to Nationwide early in the morning, to pick up a trailer after a few days of home time.  Traffic was light when suddenly, a car came up in the outside lane & hit the side of the semi at the drive tire.  The car was thrown into the bull bar, bounced off from the impact, flew into the air, flipped over & landed on its wheels, on the shoulder.  Butch pulled off & called 911.  He walked toward the car to find a man in a police uniform, who had just gotten out of the car.  Bellevue Police & Emergency vehicles arrived on the scene.  After giving them his information, Butch was told he could leave.  We later found out the driver was a Bellevue PD officer.  

Maverick sustained a few scratches on the fender - each side of the drive tire.  The lug nuts were scratched, but the bull bar protected the front from any further damage.  We were thankful no one was seriously hurt.  Butch turned in his dash camera to Nationwide, who gave it to their insurance company.

8-31-2025

Above is the view inside the Kenosha Visitor Center, WI.  Some of the welcome centers Butch visits are beautiful & very informative.  The Schaefer & Hebior Mammoth's are 14,500 years old.  Kenosha County has two of the six oldest Archaeological sites in North America.  

9-23-2025 Ohio Welcome Center

Looking back at the month of September, Butch made a total of seven pick-ups & twelve deliveries to OH, TX, KY, IL, NE, IN, MO, KS & IA.  Driving the mid-west, after two years now, Butch still prefers to overnight at rest area's when he can.  Many of the rest areas or welcome centers have trails where he can take his evening walks.

10-27-2025 In the Caves~

This year, he made several trips to the Caves, both to deliver & pick up from several different companies.  He'd spent the night at the Ameristar Casino's parking for semis - across from one of the entrances to the Caves.  The following morning, he made his delivery. (Many of the early homes, churches, barns etc. in the Kansas City area were built using limestone block.

11-17-2025 6 a.m. View from the Love's Travel Stop, Bates City, MO

His favorite truck stop is still Iowa-80, but Love's is a second choice when there's a spot open.  He's seen inexperienced drivers cause damage to other trucks, already parked at the overcrowded truck stops.  He also has one or two smaller truck stops where he overnights, especially in KY. 

12-1-2025 - Leaving home~

Butch had been home for a few days.  He helped with the start of the Christmas decorations.  The furnace went out the afternoon before he left.  He called a friend who has a local HVAC company & thankfully the replacement was installed within two days!  Finn & I stayed warm with the fireplace & oil heaters.  Butch managed to stay just ahead of the storm to pick up a loaded trailer & travel east.

1-15-2026 Butch & Juanita

Those of us who crochet ground mats from plastic shopping bags, tell our family & friends to always be on the lookout for colorful plastic bags.  Butch found a truck stop with some bright red bags.  We gave then to Juanita, who makes some of the most beautiful mats of our group.  Juanita gives each completed mat a name.  The one above is the 55th she's finished, christened Hot Rod Hoge! 

2-19-2026 Gateway Rest Area, Mascoutah, IL

This season Butch drove Maverick #2555 from 2/25/25 to 3/11/25 a total of 4,297 miles.  3/12/25 Butch picked up Maverick II #2016.  From then to 2/25/26 he's driven that semi 115,566 miles.  

Total mileage with both trucks for the fourth year is: 119,971.  In the last four years of Over-the-Road driving, Butch crested the half-million-mile mark with a grand total of 502,797 miles!   

Congratulations to my husband for making his goal, staying safe & covering a LOT of miles at the wheel!

Third Year - OTR

Lake Manawa - Open Water!

 I shouldn't have been surprised when I turned into the park & saw all of Lake Manawa free of ice!  This happened in the ten days since my last ride on February 8th!  

Trail on the right, road on the left~

The day had started out sunny, breezy & warm.  We've been experiencing record breaking high temperatures for the first half of the month.  By the time I got home from mat making & loaded my bike, clouds had moved in.

Mid-American

The sun was still trying to break through but was losing to the wind-swept clouds.  I'd hoped to get Butch out on his bike during his last home time.  The weather had been perfect, but he had appointments scheduled.  He also finished the trim work around the utility closet.  All time consuming.

Cottonwood & Shadow~

I've been thinking I might break my record for rides in February, but with snow forecast Thursday, it may not happen.  The Cottonwood above is on a far corner of the golf course property.  I admire it every time I ride by.  It's been battered & beaten but still survives.

Eagles Nest~

I also stopped in the old campground to zoom in & get a photo of the Eagles nest.  It reminds me of the huge one our friend Dean had on his farm in WA.  I've seen the Eagles on several occasions & hope their home is protected.

Towards the lake~

The clouds continued to thicken & the wind was brutal.  I was determined to finish my usual loop & take my break at the lake shore.

Wind on the open water~

The wind was from the NW & blowing the waves my direction - which is about in the middle of the south shore.  It was cold too!  I stayed long enough to give Butch a call.  He was driving in 70-degree weather just coming into Missouri from IL. 

My break spot~

 I hope for the sake of all the ranchers in OK, KS & TX that the snow/rain we're expecting extends far enough south to help put out the fires.  It makes me sick at heart when I see the reports.  We've been under a burn ban for days now.  Even so, a few uninformed people have tried burning their brush piles.  Everything here is tinder dry.  I've been watering for almost two weeks.

Prayers for our neighbors to the south & hoping our weather forecast is correct & we see either rain or snow soon!

75 Years Strong~

 It was a beautiful, if chilly windy morning here in SW Iowa, land of my birth.  Five years have already flown by since the last time I posted regarding a milestone birthday.

This morning, I opened my grandmother's cedar chest, something I haven't done in a long while.  Inside are throws I've crocheted over the years & a variety of mementos.  (The word memento is defined as something that reminds us of a memory, a reminder of something past, or what is to come, a souvenir.)

Mom's~

Two of the throws were made for my parents, one for Dad & one for Mom.  (Never did I dream back in the years I worked on them & gave them as gifts; they would ever return to my hands... But they have.) Two more, one for each of the girls.  Now, I plan to give them to our grandchildren.

My favorite items are the oldest.

My first dresses~

I'm sure each grandmother contributed one & my mother the third.  When my sister & I were going through Mom's things & we found these in her cedar chest, labeled - I discovered there's a reason I've always liked fur!

My fur stole with Ermine tips~

Mom didn't leave a note as to who gave this to me, but I'm so thankful she was thoughtful enough to keep it for me.

My "Indian Girl" dance costume~

The most heartbreaking time of my early years in Greenfield, was attached to the above costume Mom hand made for me.  I was probably about four & was taking both tap dancing & ballet classes.  A huge program was planned & I had the role of one of the "Indian Girls"!  I was so ready & constantly practiced for my important part!  Mom was an expert seamstress & my costume was one of the finest.

Just a day or so before the big evening, I went to bed then woke sick with a tummy ache.  I remember lying in bed hurting as my groans of pain woke Mom.  She came in; gave me a baby aspirin & put a cold cloth on my head.  When my pain only became worse, Dad came in.  They decided I was going to the Doctor in town the following morning.  The Doctor told my parents to take me to the hospital in Creston as fast as possible.  I had appendicitis.  The next thing I remember is being in a big white room & the Doctor covering my nose with ether.  

I woke so sick!  The smell of ether is one I will never forget & hope to never smell again!  My first question was to ask if I could still participate in the program?  It was that night & no I could not!  My costume went unused & into the cedar chest.  I remember all my friends coming to visit me & lots of gifts, but the disappointment lasted a long time.

2/10/1955 

Another walk back in time!  

Train Cars over the Trail ~

 It's hard to complain about the weather in February when it's been as warm as early spring.  Most are complaining though - it's the dryest anyone can remember.  A friend told me she had a neighbor who used a backhoe to dig out a large nuisance tree.  The root ball just popped out of the ground.  As deep as the roots went, the soil was powder dry.

Shadow & the Bronco~

It was another stunning afternoon!  I'd just been riding a few days ago but couldn't pass up such a perfect day.  Reports say the Wabash still has many soft spots, but if this weather keeps up, I'll have to go see for myself.

Work continues~

Since it was Sunday, I stopped at the area of dirt work & took a photo through the fence.  They have to be digging out another holding pond of some sort, since the area already has several.

The new berm along the trail~

The berm is very large.  The Loess Hills soil looks & acts so much like fine sand.  It's notoriously erosive & difficult to manage.

I had an unexpected surprise today when I took the trail going north toward I-29.  The railroad was moving cars & attached one car to another right over the first underpass.  It was fun to watch!

Iowa Interstate Engines~

Two Iowa Interstate Engines were on the tracks.  The red & yellow on the black is so sharp looking.  They must have been providing the power.

Indian Creek Bridge~

For whatever reason, the wind is almost always blowing toward me (from the south) along Indian Creek.  It was a relief to reach the bridge & turn onto the wooded trail.  I continued to the Savana trail & stopped at my usual break spot - Picnic area #7.

Mutual of Omaha's future headquarters~

From my bench at the south shore, I've been watching the crane's working on a skyscraper in Omaha.  The above building when completed, will become the tallest in NE, IA, MO, KS & the Dakota's.  Only the second skyscraper for Omaha.  

Heading back~

The wind was only 10 mph today, even a difference of a couple miles an hour makes a huge difference in how warm the day feels.  Today was grand!  My second ride this month & third for the year.  I love riding when it's cool, but I'm also really looking forward to seeing Green again!

First ride - February~

It had been a month since I'd had my bike out!  January was cold & windy.  I'm not going to think of early, warm days of February as strange anymore.  This is probably the fourth year in a row I've been riding in 50-to-60-degree weather & enjoying the sunshine.  I thought about going out to the trail, but the lake views of Manawa are always a draw.

On the little loop trail~

It took me a while to decide what to wear for a jacket.  I wasn't out long before I was putting my windbreaker over my vest.  Even thought it was mid-50's the breeze as I rode felt cool.

Dirt work~

I have no idea what's going on between the SE corner of the park & the Missouri river, but there's been a lot of dirt moved & mounded along the far side of the trail.

Yellow Pin marks the area~

I think it must be some type of expansion for Mid-American, but that's a guess.  Regardless, it's made a mess for months now.  Crossing Navajo St. on the trail is tricky with all the truck traffic.

Looking North, Parallel with the train tracks

Once I'm past the area, there's a nice section of trail that goes all the way under I-29 & connects up to the Wabash Trace.  I go out a mile or so, before turning back into the park.

The front engine~

The trail goes under the tracks to the far side.  The engine above was rumbling alongside the trail.  There were three more behind this one. There were no loaded cars in sight, I'm sure the schedule of loaded cars coming in & empty cars going out is a tight one.

Canadian Geese

Back riding along the side of E. Lake Manawa drive, the Canadian Geese were taking advantage of the little pond of open water created by the dirt work for the new housing development.  All was quiet there.  I was surprised, since the weather has been cold, but nice.

Indian creek looking south~

The wind was howling today & the 25-mph gusts were no fun.  Without the additional assist of an e-bike my knees wouldn't have held up to the effort.  Even on my e-bike, my knees were sore by the time I was done riding.

Lake Shore~

The lake was beautiful as usual.  There was a lot more standing water, on top of a thin layer of ice, than even my last visit in January.  Besides the sound of the wind, it was a quiet afternoon. I think it was last year I saw the young Eagle in the Cottonwoods.  It looks more open now, since the big ones were cut down last season.

Heading back~

There had to be a five-degree temperature difference between the shaded areas of this trail & the sunshine of the Savana.  Only a few people were out, with dogs.  The owners who have big dogs always seem to choke up on the leash.  The dog thinks I must be something scary if their owners have such a strong hold on them.  I made it past without incident - always a Good Thing!

In April, it will be six years I've been riding a bike.  I shipped Farah back to WA Sept. of 2018, Butch & I got our bikes out in 2019.  We also worked on clearing the lots we'd purchased.  By April of 2020, I was riding consistently.  

My bike needs a longer break line, since we raised the handlebars.  The shop we use is slammed with work.  I called & it looks like it will be two weeks once I take it in, to get it back.  I've been riding my analog bike on the trainer, but it's sure not the same!