This ride had been a goal since earlier in the spring. Butch & I had driven around the area of the farm to see if we could find any other Grade B roads. We not only found one, but also found where it met up with the Wabash Trace. My idea was born - to ride from the farm to Mineola. Of course I'd had grand plans to ride miles & miles of this trail - before I found out it was exclusive to bikes...
Past that pesky herd of cattle~
I'd had an appointment with the retinal specialist in the morning. My eyes were so dilated I could hardly see a thing, so we had lunch at the Gathering Place on our way home. There had been a light rain in the morning as we were driving into Omaha. After lunch, it was still relatively cool & the rain had stopped. I hurried to the farm & saddled Farah. I had the horse trailer still hitched, so the plan was... If I wasn't back to the farm by the time Butch was off work, he'd come out & take the Bronco to find & pick us up!
Corn turning golden~
I sprayed us both down with all the bug spray I could. Now, it's the mosquito's... Twenty-two cases of humans with WNV this season & 14 hospitalized. I'm thankful Farah has had the vaccine for many years now. There was a light breeze, but the road had been freshly rocked.
"Ditch Weed" :-)
The photo above is for my WA & CO friends :-) Yes, wild ditch weed does grow in the ditches, but I doubt it would bring the big bucks the legal growers get! We made good time all the way to the two silo's - the furthest north we'd gone.
Almost to the Grade B Road~
As we passed Jean's house, Farah wanted to stop, but they weren't home. We did take a short grazing break at the silo's. Next, a right turn onto Cary road. I'd forgotten it was still gravel for a way.
From gravel to dirt~
We were going forward, east, down the steep hill & onto the dirt. Sweet relief! Again, no way could or would I road ride without shoes. Even with steel, I kept our pace to Farah's nice little 4.5 mph walk.
On the dirt~
I was surprised at how washed out & rutted the road had become since Butch had driven the truck on it. Some of the washouts were close to a foot deep. It was so beautiful out here though. Quiet & just the occasional buzz of a fly.
To the Wabash!
It was just under five-miles to the Wabash. Farah recognized it & set a pace like she thought we were going all the way to Council Bluffs. I wish we had been.
Looking back the way we'd come~
Since the sun had definitely won out over the cloud cover, the heat & humidity had shot up. It was great to be in the shade of the trees. I often think of how beautiful this state & all the US was back in the day, before it went under the plow or loggers axe.
Cooler & beautiful on the trail~
Linus had mentioned there was at least once bridge & we soon came to it. It looked sturdy & Farah was happy to cross. It seemed to have a slight tilt to it, but I think it was more the way I see things now.
Soon, we were at the Barrus Road crossing. No traffic, so we hustled across to the far side.
Crossing Barrus Road~
Now, it reminded me of sections of the Centennial Trail, where the trail parallels a road. There were a few cars, but nothing like the traffic we used to see in WA.
Mineola sign - between the ears~
It was fun to line up the town sign between Farah's ears as she checked out a dog on the far side. I had just stopped her as we'd crossed a second bridge to take a photo, when we were buzzed by a group of at least five bike riders! I'd felt Farah tighten up & in the next second they were flying by just off my left stirrup! Rude... Farah reacted even faster than I had. She snaked her neck to the left & barred her teeth in a direct threat at the last rider to pass! He looked shocked as he took evasive action & actually apologized!
I called Kathy to let her know the her crazy customer with the horse was in town & going to come by for a photo. :-) She & Wayne met us out front. Wayne with a nice fresh apple & Kathy went to the kitchen for peeled carrots! Farah politely took turns taking a bites of each :-)
Thrown in the Hoosegow?
Kathy had a pretty good idea of how we'd gotten there. She's involved with the Iowa Heritage Foundation - local trail organization. I think we were lucky we weren't thrown in the Hoosegow! Lets face it, Farah would have hardly fit! We didn't leave so much as a mark on the trail surface.
Looking West~
We trotted up the big hill past the Lutheran Church, on Main street, before turning south on 8th. A couple sitting on their front porch waved as we went by. Coming up on the last hill before Jean's house, Farah dropped her head, took the bit & broke into a huge gallop all the way to Jean's driveway! There was no way she wasn't going to stop to see her friends!
Farah's friends, Jean & Don!
Farah is totally enamored of Don! She gives him kisses & acts like he is the top man in her life! I have no idea how Don has managed this friendship - but he could certainly have another career as a horse whisperer! While we were talking, Butch pulled up in his truck? Still waiting for his new hearing aids, he had misunderstood the plan. He went back for the Bronco, but by that time we were almost to the farm.
Almost back to the farm!
He'd flown past us on the last leg, heading for a turn-around spot & Farah was furious as she watched her trailer go by! The expression on her face was priceless. Something like; "How could he have possibly missed seeing us?!"
Our Route
When he came along side, I told him to just go on, we only had a mile to go & were at that stage where the tough get going! Whether it's twelve rock hard road miles, or the fifty of a race, those last miles are priceless. It's where you know you are a team & you have accomplished a great goal.
A bath before the mosquito's came out, more spray, dinner & Farah was bedded for the night.
When the Grandkids & their parents leave, the house is always way too quiet! The plane in Omaha was delayed at departure by almost an hour. It was a relief when we heard they'd landed safely in Seattle.
Enjoying home~
For the last week, we were busy enjoying family time. It was David's first visit since he'd helped Butch with the first U-Haul load out from WA. Everyone went to visit Farah more than once, but neither of the grandkids wanted to ride. They both had when they were little, but now they're old enough to decide for themselves.
Helping with the mowing
I picked Farah up at the farm & brought her home for a bath. Here, she can graze without the constant attack of the bugs that are still active out at the farm. The lawn is growing faster than we can keep up with it. Last evening was the most perfect we've had in months, the temperature dropping into the mid-50's, with a light breeze. I opened every window & turned on the ceiling fans to air out the house.
Today warmed up into the mid-70's again with a light breeze & low humidity. Farah loved getting a bath. She's already starting to shed her summer coat, not that there was much of it! With the extended season of high heat & humidity her coat was the thinnest I've ever seen it.
As with every seasonal shedding, her brand appears for a few weeks. I still wish the iron had been hot enough to turn the hairs white.
Grazing~
I'd brought home the ground tie & she loved being out on the grass, fresh & green after all the rain & heat. Our riding miles are pathetically low this year. I'm so behind on my blog posts, there are some good stories yet to be written. I'm hoping with my schedule & the weather, we can still get in some trail time!
The years & the miles we've spent together - we've always taken the long way home... The meaning of the word home has changed over the years. It was incredibly hard when Farah was no longer home with us. We never did call the boarding stable her home. We just referred to it as her barn.
As we leave the farm~
But then, when Janice offered her barn, it became Farah's home & she knew it. She has really seemed to enjoy being there, recognizing her things & so happy when she sees us coming down the road twice a day. She's smart enough - she understands where our home is. She's perfectly at ease grazing in the yard. She still thinks the shed would work for her & always goes over to check it out.
Richly green~
It was probably high 70's, but the cloud cover made it seem a little cooler, if still horribly muggy. The weatherman had mentioned a slight chance of rain. After lunch, I went right out & saddled up. You could smell rain in the air & off on the horizon the clouds were getting heavy & dark.
Someone asked me the other day if I was scared to ride with my vision now limited. The answer is no. Riding feels more natural for me than walking on my own two feet.
Sunbreak on the tasseling corn~
If you're outside for any length of time at all, even walking, you're wet with sweat this year. When the rain started & a light breeze came up, both Farah & I were glad! The bugs were minimal & that was a blessing!
Checking out something in the distance~
We were passed by not one, not two, but three big pieces of equipment. No dust & Farah hardly batted an eye at the noise. As we rounded the corner, we could see where they had pulled into a large machine shed.
Farm Equipment~
I'd hoped to make it to the grade B road that crossed over to intersect the Wabash Trace, but right after this sunbreak, as you can see from the dark clouds ahead - it started to pour.
Moving toward us~
At least it wasn't one of those storms with thunder & lightening, just rain. So much like riding in Washington, it made me homesick for those cool, gray days.
Something else was Out there~
We stopped under the big Cottonwoods on Carolyn's farm for a short break before starting back.
Wet brome~
We picked up the pace, too nice not to enjoy some speed & only a few fly's to outrun. The other direction, the storms were still a way off. Sunbreaks would come along & the heat would jump up in seconds.
Corn & storm~
Finally though, the rain won out. We galloped up the last couple hills to the farm. Our running hill road was way too wet to use, though Farah glanced that direction as we went by.
Coming back onto the farm~
Both of us soaked, but it felt so Good! I unsaddled, turned on the generator & gave her a good bath before turning her out on the ground tie. It was the first time in weeks she could graze without the bugs chasing her. I cleaned out the old hay in the barn, swept & dusted. The mice have finally found the tack room, but I have everything sealed tight.
Farm in the rain~
By the time I was done, it was Farah's dinner time & she was ready to come in. I hated to leave. But - it's always hard to leave her~ As the song says; "If you'd had more time..."
The rain came! The humidity went so high last night that it was like walking out into a sauna. The rain didn't come in until later this morning, but with the lawns starting to burn, it was welcome.
On our porch~
My friend Jean was having her Bible Study today & I decided to get away from all I was doing & walk. The temperature was only about 75, but with the humidity I wore the lightest rain jacket I had. It only took a block until I was as wet under the jacket as I was on top!
Heading back home~
The air smelled so very fresh & it was so quiet out. Not that there's ever much traffic, but today there was even less. I wanted to walk the square that would take me up to the tallest hill in our area.
Going up!
It doesn't look as steep as it is! It is steep! It got my heart going, that's for sure. I felt like a slug after a couple weeks of not riding or walking much either. I've been doing my share of work - mowing, weed-whacking etc., but it's not the same.
At the top~
I know it's the top, because one of the town's three water towers sits up here! My knees don't like the downhill, but I do!
Heading down!
Way, way, way down at the bottom of this hill is the Homeplace. Our elevation is around 1,016 feet. The Garmin said that the top of the hill is 1,133. So in 1.5 miles I'd gained 203 feet of elevation. Sadly, only burned 110 calories :-( Riding Farah five-miles of country roads burns about 350 C.
My route~
My average speed, even carrying a bag of fresh tomatoes on the trip home, was 2.9. Not nearly as fast as Ms. Farah's, but respectable. Of course when it comes to top speed, the mare has me beat! I'm hoping the cooler days will last long enough we can get out!
Please click on the link under the photo for some really interesting information on the artist that created this amazing art & the meaning behind the beauty. Just the statistics of the build are staggering. We're getting to know our way around Omaha better with every visit. Since we've yet to find a facility that isn't under some kind of construction - we've been doing some walking too! After finding a place to park, we started hiking around the UNMC University of Nebraska Medicine campus. Eventually, we found where we were supposed to be. This 82ft. glass tower is imposing & I'd like to come back to see it at night. The cloud above it almost looked like smoke coming from the top!
Don & Millies in Omaha~
When we were done with the business part of the trip, I was starved! A week ago we'd found Don & Millie's in Bellevue & totally enjoyed a local favorite - the cheese frenchee! I don't think I've ever written a blog post about food, but these are special. At least if you're a fan of grilled cheese. We were hiking back down the hill to the truck, when I looked across the street & there it was! A Don & Millie's! It must have been pre-ordained!
The Ultimate!
These are so very good that you can just ignore the calories! :-) With the Peters family coming for their summer visit in a couple weeks, I've already told them that they are in for a real treat!
Omaha has surprised us with it's cosmopolitan flair, while maintaining that friendly mid-west feel. We checked out a couple of the western wear stores in the area, but only one had any tack at all. Here too, growth is fast & fields are disappearing under acres of new home developments. Roads are constantly being widened to accommodate all the increased traffic. Having seen this happen through the years to Seattle, I don't wish it for Omaha~
After seeing the beautiful Marigolds at the Gathering Place last year, I was determined to try them myself. Linus was so kind in sharing his seeds & expertise with me. I decided that I wanted to plant a row along our south fence, where we could enjoy them from the deck. I carefully followed Linus's directions & it was fun to see them sprout. The blooms began to appear the first week of June.
By July 3rd~
By early July, you could easily see the short hedge of growing marigolds! I was so excited, my first time planting from seed & the first time I've had the opportunity to grow them in such numbers. I started out with just two fence sections, but soon headed to the store to buy more seed & increase the size of the row. One packet was $1.79 & contained about ten seeds. I asked Linus if he had any more to share & he gave me enough for two more sections & for another bed of the Tiger colored seed for the east end of the house.
Linus's flowers - 4th of July
I mentioned my marigold planting to Aunt Shirley in Sheridan. Soon, an envelope arrived full of seeds from her plants! I shared with Linus & put mine in a large planter. Even though it was a little late in the season, they started to bloom by the end of July! All are a beautiful dark color that Linus calls Tiger. Since they reproduce true to the color each year - they're a heritage seed.
These are the Tagetes Genus Marigolds from Sheridan, WY~
There are only a few with yellow blooms in the row
The yellows!
The package of seeds I'd bought to fill in the gaps are a blend of light & dark oranges.
Dwarf Bolero
I walk along the row & enjoy all the colors, along with the distinctive marigold smell. So far, we've had hardly any mosquitoes. Is it still to early for them, is it the rainier than normal season, or the marigolds? The only downside, is that the Japanese's Beetles do eat them. I pick the pests off the blooms several times a day... I'm hopeful that following generations may develop a resistance to them I've used Sevin on the the plants from Wyoming. For whatever reason they seem to be attacked more than the one's that grew from Linus's seed.
For the pot out by the mail box, I found a last flat of those in the photo below at the local hardware store.
By our mailbox~
I've given up trying to find the actual names of all the different colors or varieties. Instead, I'll spend my time enjoying them. I fertilize once every week or two & hope that the color lasts well into fall.
In full color~
I'm collecting seeds too. I toss some over the hillside. Maybe they'll go wild in that area. The weeds, vines etc. that I spent so much time cutting, pulling & spraying are finally under control, so having color there would be grand!
