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!