Forward Motion ~

 It was going to be a hot & humid day - but it was the day I had.  Butch would be at Agriland & if I was going to ride, a break half-way would be welcome.  The trail was still more damp than I imagined.  We've had no wind, which usually makes quick work of the drying process.

A mile south of Silver City~

There wasn't even a hint of a breeze & the humidity was enveloping.  At Mari Jo's suggestion I bought my first cycling jersey.  Mari Jo noticed & as I was leaving said;  "It even has pockets in the back."  I told her Equestrians aren't into back pockets!  She responded just as I hit the trail;  "Ice pack!"  Well, now, that sounded like a wonderful idea!  :-)

Breezy on the trail~

You can tell in both the above photos how damp the surface was.  Slippery in places too.  There's been questions on our Facebook Verve page regarding the tires that come with the bike.  Mine are an upgrade & so far I've not had an issue.  Of course I don't do many turns.  Crossing heavily graveled roads, so far, I've been fine.

Silver Creek - far from "silver"~

Water levels in the small creeks & Silver Creek, were up from the rains we've received.  As always with rain, there's more silt in the water.

I wasn't out to break any records.  Yesterday, weed whacking along the creek, I'd slipped & fallen backwards.  It bent my bad knee All the way back, until my heel touched my rear...  The pain was incredible & I had no idea if I'd re-broken - who knows what?  I felt something in the back of my knee give, maybe scar tissue?  I didn't think the knee joint was capable of bending so much since the surgery, but with the force of my backwards fall, it did!

With my extensive medical knowledge - not - I've decided if it did it once, there's should be more bend I can get.  Now, I'm pushing on it until it hurts & worked the entire ride to keep the ball of my foot on the pedal.

Nate takes me for a ride :-)

I surprised myself by making it to Agriland in an hour.  As I stopped, I had a huge cramp in top muscle of my right thigh.  Probably from the change I was making & not enough electrolytes.  Butch had all the fans going & my cold coke tasted so good!  I was about ready to leave when he called me over to where the sprayer had just come in.  Nate was willing to give me a ride!  What fun! 

Corn growing fast!

The clouds were welcome, as relief from the strong sun, but held in the humidity.  The only breeze to be found on this day, was what Breezy made.

Elderberry~

The wild Elderberry was in full bloom, so pretty against the green.  Our edible varieties at home have bloomed now too, I'm hopeful I'll be able to collect some before the birds get them.

Looking down~

In case you think there aren't deep ravines in Iowa, think again!  The bridges were built over some difficult terrain.

Wait for me!  :-)

Breezy, obviously, was in a hurry to get back!  I didn't see one rider the entire 17-miles.  The Wabash Trace has recently received another stellar local review.  I've very thankful to have it.  Butch & I joke about moving out toward Greenfield or Creston.  Both towns need School Bus drivers & there's an Agriland almost everywhere. :-)  He did mention too - I'd go batty without a place to ride & that's true!  

As to the new jersey, usually my cotton t-shirts are soaked half way down.   The new jersey was soaked too, but it did breathe enough, I think I was cooler!

Summer Begins ~

 Spring is gone, summer is here.  With it, the heat & humidity have returned.  We're again just over four-inches below normal for rainfall.  Thursday evening a thunderstorm with strong wind gusts rolled through.  Many trees sustained damage, but ours were fine.  Another storm came in last night.  Our rain gauge says we've received over 1.5" so far.  It's not Nika's favorite time of year :-(

Tinkle Branch Trail~

I've been braving the humidity to get caught up with all the weed-whacking, edging & mowing.  Butch had been hauling water for the  plants in the woods.  

Beautiful, but very invasive~

This year, the dominate ground covers seem to be a lime green grass, (above & yet to be identified),  Violets & Creeping Charlie.   I've managed to control the stinging nettles & mowing keeps the weeds from going to seed.

Edge of the Woods~

In March, a big wind storm blew my gold stainless gazing ball away...  Weeks later, I was working at the SE corner, along the creek, when I looked down to see it floating in the water!  It had been stopped by a small jam of branches!  Dirty & almost full of water, Butch waded in to recover it!

Polish Spirit Clematis~

It's been a struggle, but the Clematis I planted on the Cabin light post is climbing & blooming this year!  The Echinacea are in full bloom & I'm expanding their area.  I love seeing the butterflies visit.

Mr. Snapping Turtle returned to the marsh.  He dug a deep hole, coming & going for several weeks.  It makes all the work worth while, seeing the changes the last year has made, in both the Marsh & the Woods.  Almost all of last years plant starts, have come up.  The biggest disappointment has been the ferns.  I'd transplanted so many - evidentially our harsh winter killed them off.

The Marsh~

The young trees struggling for light, when trying to compete with the Honeysuckle, are now growing!  Most are Ash, but there are three Catalpa trees! The one behind the signpost is so beautiful!  The shade the large leaves provide is perfect for the hosta's I've planted along the old log.  The blooms are big & showy.  

My friend Laura, offered me large leaved hosta's she didn't need, from the front of her house.  I made several trips & have planted at least 25 starts on the hill in the woods!

6-4-2021 The view~

The Pyrus calleryana Chanticleer tree we planted April 12th, is doing fine.  It doesn't seem to mind the heat & will provide much needed shade for the south side of the house.  The tree is famous for it's fall color, too.  Speaking of fall, this year, I plan to stay close to home.  I'm looking forward to the crisp days & time on the trail, I missed last year.

First Ride of Summer ~

 We had just enough rain Sunday morning to add humidity to what was to be another day in the 90's.    When we returned home from a Father's day drive, the wind picked up & blew the heat & humidity out!  Within just an hour or so, temperature's dropped substantially.  

Today, was as I'd hoped - Cooler!  I spent the morning mowing, then after lunch, loaded Breezy for the drive to Silver City.  Mari Jo had a appointment, Butch was driving an activity, so I was on my own.

Breezy watching the corn grow :-)

Butch was telling me - with the new modified corn - it's expected to be waist high by the fourth-of-July.  A change from when I was a kid & knee high was considered on track.  The 70's felt almost cool in the shade on the trail.  There was a lot of wind & some good gusts, more than we'd had a home.

On the trail~

It's so lush & beautiful this time of year, enveloping the senses.  The wind even kept the insects away.  The limbs blown down last week, had been removed.

At the Trestle, 14-miles to Imogene~

My leg was stiff & sore today.  Of course mowing for a few hours, before riding,  probably didn't do it any good.  Doing without the Gabapentin for a week now, has been difficult.  It covered more than just the ache & pain of my leg. 

I'd taken two bottles of water & emptied one by the time I reached Malvern.  I took a short break in the shade by the little depot.  I'd only seen three riders on the trail.  With the nice weather, I was surprised there weren't more.

Today's break spot~

I went to the far side of town to where the trail crosses the main road & passed Fast Stop before turning back.

Breezy & a BIG friend!

A few months ago, the wind actually blew the big bike down!  Since then, it's been reinforced with additional braces to the concrete pad.  The antique town sign, adds a nice touch.

The rear view~

I started running out of steam on the way back.   When a large cloud came over, the temperature would drop & once it almost felt like rain.  This section has seen a lot more rain than we have in Glenwood.  There was one place in the shade where my front tire slipped on the wet surface.  The trail was heavily rutted in many places.

Coming into Silver City from the south~

It was a relief to see town up ahead.  When I downloaded my stats though, my overall speed was actually up 2/10ths of a mile over my last ride here a week ago.  It was super hot that ride, which is probably the difference.  I missed my visit to Butch's shop & my cold coke too!

Beating the Heat?

 No...  It didn't happen...  I was up early, hurried through some chores, loaded Breezy & was leaving the trail-head by 10 a.m.  I'd only managed one ride last week & was anxious to get back out.  

Where the trail meets the road, Silver City~

With the day & the week both scheduled to heat up to the mid-90's, I decided to try an earlier morning ride.  What I hadn't figured in, was the increased humidity.  Breezy was as good as her name & provided me the only breeze of the ride.  The trees along the trail provide shade, but they also hold in the humidity.

Mulberries!

Not far from town, I recognized the first sign of the summer season!  Mulberries littering the trail! I stopped to pick a few from the lower branches.  So very good & sweet too!

Ripe & yet to ripen~

I only saw one couple on the trail, coming from Malvern.  We met at the trestle.  They were complaining about the "blackberry" on the trail & what a mess it was making of their legs.  I didn't bother to correct them, as to the type of fruit, or mention fenders might alleviate the problem?  I'm still surprised fenders have evidentially gone out of vogue.  Just from a safety perspective, I'm happy to have them every time I hear a branch or rock hit.

Under Hwy 34~

This was actually the coolest spot on the trail today.  I stopped long enough for a drink.  The flies were out in force.  Even sprayed from top to bottom, they would land, but not bite.  I couldn't help but remember the rides where Farah & I were attacked non-stop.  At least Breezy doesn't draw them to us :-)

I made it to Agriland in under an hour, which surprised me.  I've given up Gabapentin as of today.  I'd cut the dose in half for the last four-days.  Today, is the first day in over nine-months I haven't taken one.  We'll see if I make it without any withdrawal side effects.  My thought was, drink lots of water & sweat a lot!  Both those were accomplished on this ride!   How do I know how the nerves in my leg are healing, if I'm still on a drug?  I'm going to find out.

Leaving Butch's shop at Agriland~

It was a relief to pull into the shade of the shop!  Butch had another surprise waiting for me - a Mexican Coke - over ice!  I'm really spoiled now!  I stayed in front of the fan for the 30-min. I was there.  My shirt was still soaked when I left.

Full on Lush~

Friday, the Malvern area received .25 of rain while Glenwood only had .08.  It was enough to soften the trail surface & came with a BIG wind.  The wind knocked down trees for miles on the trail, so my anticipated cool ride, didn't happen.  Over the weekend, the trail volunteers were out in force, clearing the mess.

Breezy enjoys the shade on the Trestle~

We were about 3-miles from Silver City when I saw Mari Jo riding toward me.  She'd had morning errands to run.  Still hoping to catch me, our timing was off today.  The heat was getting more intense by the minute & the flies were awful.  We cut our conversation short.

Tree on it's way down~

I'd ducked under this big tree on my way south.  It's an impressive example of how strong Friday's wind gusts were.  They didn't last long thankfully, but it's so sad to see such a big, otherwise healthy tree toppled.  It will have to drop lower before the volunteers & their chainsaws can get it cut.

17 hot miles to add to my tally.  Once home, Breezy got a shower to remove all the purple, squished berries!  The cold spray felt Grand!

Return of the Heat ~

 It took more gumption than I like to admit...  To load Breezy onto the Bronco & drive to the trail.  The week is warming up, with today the coolest - at low 90's & 42% humidity. 

Breezy ready to go~

Just as I was leaving Silver City, crossing the bridge & going into the shade of the trees, two birds were having a fit!  Flying around over me & making every sound of distress they knew.  Looking a few feet ahead, here was a very tiny baby bird, just old enough to get into trouble!  He was totally unconcerned his parents were unhappy, pecking at the limestone & having a fine time!   As I peddled by, he'd moved to the edge of the trail.  I think they were Shrikes - very pretty.

Mari Jo was riding toward me, on her return trip from Malvern.  She had on a sun hat I couldn't help but admire.  I have so much hair though - I just can't stand anything on my head besides a sweat band.

Breezy in the shade~

With the upcoming heat & humidity, the corn will be growing by the day!  It's already probably over six inches tall.  I set my pace, slower in the shade, more speed in the sun!  This section of trail is so nice, in that it's mostly shaded.

Just before the Trestle~

This heavy branch couldn't have fallen more perfectly!  Covering the trail from side to side:-)  Too heavy to move, I lifted Breezy over it at the left side.  I'm sure the trail volunteer will have it cut out by tomorrow.

On the Trestle~

I was taking my electrolytes & the wind helped to keep the day a little cooler.  It was just the 20 mph. blasts I didn't care for.

We made decent time getting to Agriland.  Butch had a surprise for me!  He'd bought a bag of ice to keep in the freezer of the new refrigerator!   My coke was served over ice!  Yum!  We sat in front of the big industrial fan long enough for me to cool off.  

I rode around the lake on the new concrete path, taking it to return to the trail.

Agriland from the Park~

Once on the way back, I took a couple extra water breaks.  The wind was mostly at my back, which was better than riding into it!

Iowa - summer beauty

If you overlooked the heat, it was a beautiful day!  The puffy white clouds managed to sail overhead several times when I rode out into what would have been direct sunshine.  Being a cool weather person, I don't plan to let the heat keep me from the trail!  This ride took me over 300-miles year-to-date.

Back on Track ~

 Today, slated as the coolest for the next long while, I drove the twelve-miles to Silver City.  After a short chat with Mari Jo, Breezy & I were on the trail.

Toward Malvern~

This section was the first I rode on my own, over a year ago now.  It's also become my go-to for afternoon rides.  It's the closest trail access from home.  

The round-trip on this section, is just about 17-miles.  The half-way in Malvern, at Agriland makes a perfect rest-stop, to visit Butch.  There's also no big hills, just gradual inclines, which have worked well during my leg's rehabilitation.  

On the Trestle~

Though warm, in the mid-80's, the clouds floating by overhead offered relief from direct sun.  In the shade of the trees, the temperature on the trail is probably five-degrees cooler.  There was just the lightest of breezes.

The river flows by~

The feel of summer is in the air.  The warming temperatures, after a somewhat strange & cool spring, is something many are looking forward to.

Roof tops of Agriland~

The roof of the shop can just be seen above the growing cattails in the marsh.  The birds love this area too.  I pulled into the shop, one of the men went to find Butch & offered me a coke, out of the recently donated refrigerator!  Now, the crew can buy & keep drinks cold, rather than using a pop machine.  I stayed to visit for a while, but wanted to be back in Silver City by five.

The Trail Arch~

Leaving Malvern near the Station, I noticed the flowering vines on the arch are almost ready to bloom!  They looked so dead earlier in the spring, it's always a surprise to see they survived another winter.

I took it easy today, my leg still sore from the weekend.  Even so, I matched my latest travel time on this section of the trail.

A beautiful view~

The sun was reflecting off the water in the creek.  An outflow from the nearby pond added the sound of running water.  

The latest seat I'm trying out, seems to be working.  My balance, stopping & starting on Breezy has really improved too!  I'm hoping I'll stay motivated to ride in the heat - this summer!