Spring Ends~

In a rush!  We went from what I thought was a wonderful spring, to heat on June first!  Once it arrived, it stayed.  Since, we've just had a day or two here & there where the temperatures were moderate.  Very little rain to date, we're four inches below normal.

6-16-20 SW Corner~

Our view has changed pretty dramatically.  The Walnuts have taken over!  It seems like they've doubled in size with the honeysuckle gone.  The edible Elderberry, (blooming far left) are now huge!  Much nicer than nasty Autumn Olive.

5-23-20 Bleeding Heart~

 Very thankful for all my friends, (especially Clara) who've donated plants to my Timber project!  I want to re-do the page, for a better timeline, of my work to rehab to this area.

6-4-20 Wild Iris~

 The Wild Iris, from Jean, have doubled in size since last season.  They are thriving at the east end of the marsh.  I hope they continue to spread!

6-4-20 NW from the Swing~

 I've been spending hours & hours working on both the Marsh & Timber.  It's about keeping the weeds down & spot spraying.  I was still planting too, right to the end of June.  Butch put hoses all the way down the hill - so I can keep the newly introduced plants alive.

6-4-20 Tinkle Branch Trail~

 Weeds will be an ongoing issue, since the area is surrounded by them.  I keep a strip between our lots & the neighbors mowed down, which I hope will help.  My plan is to prevent the ones I can, from going to seed.

6-9-20 East - The Marsh~

 I thought the Marsh was no longer a Marsh, until we finally received a couple good rains!  The water appeared & it was so wet I couldn't get the mower through at all for a while.

Part-time resident Snapping Turtle~

Mr. Snapping Turtle returned too!  He made a huge hole in the mud & held his ground as I weed-whacked past him.

6-9-20 From the Marsh, West~

 It's so pretty down here now...  We put grass seed in all the areas left bare after removing the Autumn Olive & Bush Honeysuckle.  I'm keeping it mowed & hope eventually more natives will return.

6-13-20 New Signpost~

 My other project was the trail sign posts.  Butch cut the cedar & I did the lettering & painting.  This time, I found colored glass post caps.  They sparkle when the sun strikes them.

6-13-20 Timber Trail~

This is the trail that starts behind the Cabin & goes around the bottom of the hillside, before connecting with Tinkle Branch Trail.   Butch ordered 3-yards of mulch delivered.  I spend two-weeks getting it moved to the places I needed it.  It was more dust & pieces of plastic than mulch, but it covered the ground in my new flower beds.  After a heavy layer of preen, it should help with weed control.

The lightening bugs returned in June & fly through the woods in the evenings!  It's so much fun to stand at the top of the hill & watch them zipping between the trees. 

Point-to-Point Bike Ride~

Slated to be the last day - of a break from the heat & humidity - I wanted to do a longer ride.  Butch came home at lunch & drove me to Council Bluffs, the beginning of the Wabash Trace.  Then, drove the Bronco back to work in Malvern.  My plan was to meet-up with him there.

Connie & Speedy~

Going south on the trail- seems to be overall -a little more of a downhill grade than north.  The last time I rode here, my Garmin wasn't working, so I didn't get elevation information.  I've not been wearing a helmet in the heat, but Mari Jo has convinced me I need to buy a light colored one & wear it...

Speedy sporting new rear reflectors~

 Speedy insisted on going over to the horse trail for a photo op under the arch tree.  Farah & I always liked this portion of the trail.  In April, I'd ridden round-trip from Mineola to Council Bluffs & it seemed difficult both directions.  Today, I could tell the difference in my level of fitness.

Margaritaville~

 At Margaritaville, the trash cans were no longer chained to the hitching post!  Yippee!  Now maybe if a horse does come this way - the hitching post will be available.  Not that any do.  I knew of my 22-mile planned ride, the four-miles into Mineola would be all downhill grade!

Ripe Mulberries!

 Right in the middle of a fine, fast stretch I saw ripe Mulberries hanging on a branch just off the trail!  I had to stop for a snack & they were So good!  My fingers were purple in no time.

Coming into Mineola~

 It was a gorgeous day, warm, but just a light breeze & low humidity.  Only one car at the trailhead, which surprised me on such a day.  I continued on toward Silver City.  I forgot to get a photo of Happy Trails Cycle, but the little building with it's sun logo is always a welcome site.

Mari Jo had her new bike in the shop & offered to let me take it for a spin.  It was tempting, but I'm still giving myself a year to see how much I ride.  I like Electra's Flat-Foot Technology & riding in a more upright position.  I pick Mari Jo's brain on shifting, gears, all things bike!  :-)

Coming into Malvern~

 My elapsed time was 3:34, with a moving time 2:28.  I'd spent most of an hour in Silver City.  My average moving speed was 8.7, which seems to be about where I land on longer rides.  On a cool day & an 8-mile ride my best has been 10.5.

Pulling up to the shop~

I could see the big shop doors open as I pulled up.  The Bronco was inside & my husband was under it!  Speedy got worried she would have to take me back home!  :-)

Speedy & The Bronco

But no, Butch had changed oil & found two loose nuts on the transmission!  The Bronco was all fixed & ready to go!   When we parked at Tobey Jacks, people out on the patio complimented Butch on his Bronco!  It seems every time he gets to drive my Bronco, he gets compliments on it!  How does that happen?

A Day on the Trail~

Since the first of June, it's been unseasonably hot!  I'd been working outside all week, dripping sweat & soaking my work clothes...  I was looking forward to the rain due to move in late yesterday.  When it did, it was so incredibly humid you could see it in the air!

First rain was forecast for today, but that changed to overcast, cooler & chance of showers.  Yes!  After lunch I loaded Speedy up & headed for the Mineola parking area on the Wabash Trace. 

On the Trestle Bridge~

Now that I have a new way to escape to the great wide-open, I look forward to it.  My original plan was to ride from Mineola to Silver City & then the bridge - before turning back.  Well...  After a short stop in Silver City to visit Mari Jo, I was at the bridge in no time.  The trail wasn't wet, but it was a little sticky.  

Speedy says the corn is growing!

 With the temperature in the high 70's, even with the humidity, if I kept moving it wasn't bad at all.  I decided if I wanted a longer ride, maybe today was the day to do it.  I talked myself into continuing on to Malvern.  Butch was gone driving an activity - so I wouldn't get in my usual visit at Agriland.

Heading back north at Malvern~

 Butch had mentioned how much work Arman had done edging the trail at Fast Stop, so I rode far enough to check it out.  Things sure looked nice & neat!  Here, I'd turned around & would be headed back north.

Malvern Depot~

 I didn't realize until I looked it up, that the Depot acts as overnight accommodation's for bike riders on the trail.  It's really a cute little property, with a picnic table & chairs on the far side.  I stopped for a couple minutes & ate a few nuts before starting the ride back the way I'd come.

Huge old tree~

 Being immersed in all the green is such a wonderful feeling.  I ride along, admiring the trees!  Some with branches spanning the trail - natures natural arches.  The one above grabbed my attention today & I had to stop for a photo.

The downhill to Mineola~

I was glad I only had the one climb out of Silver City, then the wonderful two plus mile downhill grade into Mineola!  I like riding the trail this direction - just for the final section where I can let Speedy go!  :-)  I think Speedy has some of Farah's traits!   We did just over 25-miles.  I'm amazed at how far I've come just since mid-April.  I don't see fifty's in Speedy's future, but a nice LD now & then is fun!

Hillsdale Lily Garden~

A bright, sunny & warm start to the week!  Our Glenwood Garden Club had scheduled a field trip to the Hillsdale Lily Garden.  We started out with ten members confirmed to go, but only four actually arrived at the farm.  Some had visited before - but with new varieties appearing on the market each year - there's always something new to see!

Todd explaining the fine points of daylilies~

Though the fields weren't yet in bloom, Todd had forced several of the newest varieties into early blooms, so we could see the amazing colors. The history of the daylily is as colorful as the flower.  Check out the American Daylily Society.

I didn't get the name of this stunner!

Lu explained how the flowers are grown, divided into different sections. Several varieties were already showing buds. I look forward to going back in a few weeks to see all the colors!

Acres of Daylilies~

Even though it was a very warm morning, there was ample shade provided by huge Walnut trees. Plenty of seating & notebooks full of information on the plants available, including price, size, bloom time etc.

Names of the varieties are at the beginning of each section~

There were several varieties that sounded interesting, but it was the photos, that drew my attention. I'd read about Going Bananas - a plant that is supposed bloom almost continuously. (But it's still a day lily!) The first were already opening in the field.

Going Banana's

The sale table was full of extra plants for $2.00! Who could walk away from that? I wanted at least one red & the Chicago Inferno was perfect. I bought three from the sale table.

Chicago Inferno

The plant below grabbed my attention from when we first saw the buggy full of blooming plants. I wanted a rebloomer - these get a blooms that last a day, but then more buds continue to open.

Sharky's Revenge

My last selection was the most extravagant - but the green color was so unique. Some lily's Todd explained, can take a year or two in a new location to gain their full color range.

Green Inferno

Lu & Todd started their daylily farm in 2015 & are just now realizing their dream of a busy, viable business. The Omaha World Herald ran an article on the farm.

Framed article on the farm~

I was disappointed at the turn-out... But with Covid-19 continuing to be at the forefront of the news, our Garden Club meetings have been few & far between. I'm sure we're not the only long-standing group to feel the effects.

I'm taking Butch back this weekend to purchase a herbicide Todd recommends to kill the reed canary grass. I have a patch of old fashioned daylily's at the corner of the marsh, overrun with the invasive. Clara noticed last year that at least one of them had a double bloom! I've been taking advantage of this patch to start others along the creek.

I spent the afternoon getting my purchases in the ground!  So looking forward to those blooms next summer!  Laura, Janice, Diane & I really appreciated Lu & Todd's hospitality. If you're in the area, a stop at this farm should be on your must-do list!
Further information at;  Hillsdale Lily Garden~

The Heat is On~

Friday, when I usually am looking forward to the weekend & having Butch home, I was in a grumpy mood...  There are those days - I miss my horse friends more than others.  I miss talking horse, smelling horse & riding...  Still... Always...

Farah & I did this bridge a couple times illegally.  She never liked it & was cautious going over.  I think it was the slanted boards.)

The day was to be hot, but the humidity not as high as it will be this coming week.  I decided if I wanted to get in another ride, it would be a good time to see how I'd hold up to the higher temperatures.  Since I like to be out there for a while, today I decided to err on the side of caution & only ride from Mineola to Silver City & back.  A round-trip of eight miles.

Wild Carrot

The plant above starts out as a beautiful frilly, almost fern like looking plant.  Within just a couple weeks it can grow to be over ten-feet high & take over a field!  It has taken over sections of the trail!  The blooms are pretty, but do not smell good.

A high spot on the trail~

I look back at how difficult I used to think this section of the trail was.  Now, I'm just cruising over it.  In Silver City I decided to stop at the little Happy Trails bike shop.  We'd seen the owners sitting out earlier this week.

What a great shop!   All kinds of things people riding the trail might need.  From tubes, to snacks, ice cream, bug spray, bike bags, etc.  Mari Jo introduced herself & we ended up having a nice conversation about biking & bikes.  Not the same as horses, but still, fun.  Mari Jo has been riding bikes for as long as I've been riding horses & was a wealth of information.   She has a book on the counter where customers can sign their name & where they're from.  People from all over the world have visited this tiny town on a limestone, rural trail.

Sheer cuteness!

She said she's had many offers from people wishing to purchase the bike above!  It was loaded!  I'm sure some little girl had an amazing time riding it!

I had plenty of time & decided to stretch my personal envelope & continue for a couple miles further toward Malvern.  Hardly any wind today & with the shade of the trail, it was probably five degrees cooler than out in the blazing sun.  I stopped to take the photo below & got my first nasty bug bite on the trail.

Walnut Trees~

 Once I'd gone another two-miles I stopped for a drink.  Just as I did, a grandfather & his grandson passed me.  I let them get some distance ahead before I started back.  Before long though, I saw the grandfather stopped along the side of the trail, as his grandson peddled on.  He said;  "That kid has more energy than I do!"  I laughed!  I caught up to the boy.  We were both going the same speed - so I told him we were doing ten-miles an hour.  He asked me how I knew that?  I showed him my Garmin.

He told me they had ridden from Mineola to Malvern & now were heading home to Mineola!  That's a 24-mile round-trip!  No wonder his grandpa was tired!  Once back in town, we both parked our bikes at Happy Trails.  He - to wait for his grandpa & I bought a bottle of bug spray!  :-)

At the hill crest, downhill to Mineola~

The day had really warmed up.  My trail buddy had left & I said goodbye to Mari Jo.  The miles back to Mineola went fast.  Happy with myself for saddling up, getting in a fun ride & meeting some nice people!

Ride in the Wind~

The heat broke last night.  Temperatures dropping 20-degrees within two-hours.  We were under a Tornado warning, but even with sustained gusts of over 40-mph - no Tornado!  The rain came too & waking this morning to brilliant blue skies & fresh clean air was wonderful!

I'd been champing at the bit to get out on the trail.  Today's winds were gusting 20-30 mph, but with a temperature in the upper 70's - I'd be happy to brave the wind.

Speedy with her new rear rack & bag~

I decided to do the run from Silver City to Malvern.  One of my favorites & it gives me a stop at Agriland to see Butch.

First of the blow downs~

We were only about four-miles out from town when we came to the first limbs down.  This one was easy to get around.  I moved a few branches on the left & away we went!

Trees down~

The next, was a dried old limb from a tree that the high winds finally brought down.   Again, not bad to get around.  There were several places where smaller limbs were across the trail - I stopped & moved a bunch of those.

The Big one!

This one though - was a dozy!  It gave me pause, as the high winds were continuing & the trail is covered on both sides by trees.  I was so sad to see a nice one of this size on the ground.  It's the shade that makes the trail so nice on hot days.

Speedy just made it under!

With ditches on both sides, full of stinging nettles, getting around this one would have been difficult to say the least!

Mulberry's~

We'd just come to the concrete about 2-miles from Malvern & were really moving when I hit the brakes!  Berries were all over the trail!  With last nights rain, they were ripe, clean & oh so good!

Pretty good sized too!

I remembered giving Farah a handful when she was here!  She's never been keen on berries, but she sure looked funny mouthing them!

I stayed for a Coke at Agriland, before starting the trip back to Silver City.  The clouds would come & go.  The wind, that had been coming from my side most of the way over, was now coming right at me.  I really didn't even care - it was just so nice to be back out!

The Trip back~

Almost back to town, a ATV was coming at us.  The driver pulled over to talk.  He was pulling a trailer with pieces of cut limbs.  I told him that he'd only just begun!  :-)  Butch was waiting the the trailhead in Silver City.  The owners of the bike shop were sitting at their picnic table as we were loading Speedy onto the Bronco's rack & complimented her.  I told them about all the downed trees & mentioned the gentleman I'd spoken to.  They said he is a volunteer & enjoys going out after storms to clean up the resulting debris.

Someone asked me the other day if it was difficult to no longer be riding Farah.  Difficult can't even begin to describe it...  But - riding a bike has given me the incentive to still get out!  Out - helps!

Dinner at Tobey Jacks was as good as always!  It was So nice to have the respite from the heat & humidity!