Hard Riding~

 We'd had a somewhat cooler morning.  Cool enough I decided to go out to the trail.  The day continued to warm though & the humidity has been high for what seems like forever.  With just over a week since I'd been on Breezy, I was looking forward to the open spaces of the Wabash.

Soy Bean field, south of Silver City~

After a light rain on Sunday, the trail was dry.  I debated how far I would ride, once I was out there & felt the heat...  First I decided an 8-mile round-trip to the bridge would be enough.

On the bridge, signs of fall~

But...  Once I got to the bridge, I talked myself into going further.  My next destination would be the underpass at Hwy 34.  If I turned back there, I'd get in 12-miles round-trip.

Silver Creek~

Not nearly as dry as last year this time, the creek was flowing.  By the time I got to the underpass, I talked myself into going all the way to Malvern.  

Scrub Butterweed~

Seeing the bright yellow flowers above was a bonus!  It was about this time I realized my motivation, since I'd started riding this section of trail, was visiting my husband at Agriland.  The break by a fan & a cold coke made for such a nice incentive, now gone forever.

Almost to Malvern~

I rode around the lake at the park before reaching town.  The Canadian Geese have taken it over!  The water level was down, the Geese are raising a large brood of young & the sidewalk was a mess.  Sooner or later they'll probably have to be relocated.

I stayed for a few minutes at the Malvern Depot.  It was hot, I was already tired & wishing I'd turned back earlier.  Breezy was up for getting me back, I just had to provide the pedal power.

Breezy back at the flowers~

Only one other rider was on the trail, a tall guy riding a bike with larger tires.  I could hear the noise from the tires as he approached.  I'm glad Breezy is so quiet!  Only a few birds out today, I thought more than once how quiet the day was.  Without wind, the heat & humidity are a burden even to the wildlife.  It felt like a tough 17-miles...

Natures bouquet~

Back at Happy Trails, there was a bag hanging from my bike rack!  Full of fresh tomatoes!  I heard a hail, as Mari Jo came walking up from her house.  She was hoping I didn't have stewed tomatoes!  :-)  

Once home, I'd no more than put Breezy away than Butch called.  He did return to driving a dump truck last week.  He's driving the older truck he likes the best.  He's aptly named it; Red Dog.  Red Dog had broken down with his last load at Google, where he'd been hauling dirt all day.  I returned to the Explorer & picked him up!  Red Dog is in the shop!

Biking @ Glen Cunningham Lake, NE

 Spoiled!  Friday evening's storm passed us by.  We woke to the coolest morning in ages!  A nice breeze & perfect day to take the bikes out.  I'd heard on the news Glen Cunningham lake had reopened early this month.  They mentioned a new trail, all the way around the lake.  This was my first visit since March of 2018 with Farah.  (The lake was drained later that same year to remove invasive species.)   

The Lighthouse~

I remembered there were several entrances to the lake.  Luckily - we ran into a ranger near the campground - who directed us to the Marina.  A big nice parking area, with camera's.  This park had been famous for car break-in's. 

Butch asked me which way I wanted to go?  We took the way over the first of the big new bridges, up the east side of the lake.  

Wonderful surface!

The signage was amazing.  Notifications when a curve was ahead, asking for slower speeds when passing, requesting riders go single file & announce their presence etc.  All trail rules standard on most multi-use trails.  (Of course, ignored by a younger man on an electric bike, who whizzed past everyone without a word.)  

Lake views~

New trees were planted everywhere!  Ginkgo's, pines & oaks, all will add so much to the landscape in future years.  Beautiful new benches about every half-mile too.  The only draw back, most didn't have a view, due to the tall weeds along some sections the lake shore.  I expect that will be remedied, as park personnel continue to work on the area.

Bridge at the north end of the lake~

Further away from the Marina, we were the only ones on the trail.  So nice & quiet, no traffic crossings, just beautiful scenery.  There were only a couple places where the last heavy rain had washed soil over the trail surface, but these were being mitigated.

Riding south down the west side of the lake~

There was one spot, where I knew the horse trail used to intersect the lake shore.  The soft surface trail was gone.  Only four-miles of the original horse trails are left...  Lost to the new development...   Not enough to be worth hauling a horse there...  Only nine-miles +/- or so originally, but you could, with some difficulty, ride around the lake. 

The dam~

No longer riding a horse, I'm now in a position to enjoy having such a nice place for bike riding.  

Breezy on the dam at the south end~

Such a perfect day & easy riding!  There were only a few hills, I experimented with all my gears.  They worked great on the shorter/steeper hills here.  It's the go-on-forever 2-3% grades of the Wabash, where my lower gears, are too low.

Our route~

We returned to the Explorer, with a distance of 6.5 miles total.  This park has become a place the city of Omaha can be proud of.  Covered picnic areas, a fishing dock, of course boating, something for everyone.  It was tempting to go around again, but we had shopping to do.  It's been a while since Butch has worn slacks & a sport jacket :-)

A Very Sultry August!

 It's been a full week since I've been out for a bike ride.  The temperature, combined with high humidity, brings the dew point into the 70's.  Almost every morning I put on old clothes & go out to either mow, weed whack, or spray weeds.  I've got the upper hand on the weeds, at least for the time being.

The Hosta's - in full bloom~

Butch is not going to drive a dump truck.  On his second day, a motorcycle cut in front of him as he was going down an off ramp.  The cars ahead came to a sudden stop.  Butch with a full load, thought he was going to squish the bike, along with the less than intelligent rider. 

So, another week of job searching.  His time at home, played well into my plans though!  I was determined to get the new windows for the house, that have been in storage, since 2017, installed.  What a job it was!  The old windows must have had 100 staples holding them into the frames.  Getting them out - took both of us & a crow bar.  The siding came off too, there was no vapor barrier. Once the windows were in, Butch added new vapor barrier & we decided to paint the shutters.  

New Windows

When we weren't working on the house, Butch cut shutters for the cabin.  I did the sanding & painting.  We'd seen some similar on a house at the edge of town.  I used the same blue we painted the interior trim.

New shutters~

The little AC unit works great.  Combined with the ceiling fan, it cools the room down quickly.  We turn it on when we're working outside & go in to cool off.  

In 2018, we planted Serviceberry bushes all along the north side of the cabin.  They had such wonderful fall color & white blooms in the spring.  Sadly, every year, they died off a little more.  They weren't much more than sticks this summer.  We checked with Sherbondy's, where we'd purchased them.   They are no longer selling them.  For whatever reason they don't do well here, even though they are a native.

New Emerald Greens~

  When Home Depot got in a truck load of Emerald Greens, I talked Butch into giving them a try.  They had just been pulled out of the field & jammed into pots.  With the heat, they were already fading & stressed when we bought them.  We watered them in the pots overnight, then soaked the holes.  If they don't make it, we can get a refund.  We've been so lucky growing them.  All the ones we've planted here are doing well.  I hope our luck holds.  

If the weatherman is correct, after tonight's storm, we're to have a cooler day tomorrow.  Hopefully we'll get in a ride!

Changing Routines ~

 With Butch no longer with Agriland, our routine of a weekly coke break when I rode from Silver City to Malvern, is kaput.  Today, I decided to try some hill work & ride north from Mari Jo's shop in Silver City.  It was the first day this week where the temperature & humidity wasn't either close to, or into the triple digits.  Mid-80's sounded positively cool!  I'd brought two big full bottles of water, my husband would not be waiting with a nice cold coke at the half-way...  

At the new bridge~

This was my first time riding across the new bridge with the intent of going further north!  It's a long, slow, two-mile uphill grade, out of Silver City.  I could tell I hadn't ridden for over a week!  Nor, was I warmed up for the effort.  I won't lie, the climb was a chore.  I kept on truckin', knowing once I hit the crest, I'd have two more miles of downhill to the Mineola trailhead to enjoy.

End of the downhill going to Mineola~

Enjoy it I did!  I needed it to cool down from the grind.  Though this trail is often described as easy, it's long gradual unrelenting climbs are anything but.

Breezy getting a good look at the statue!

The Frontiersman statue had been moved from it's original home at Margaritaville, to the trailhead here.  I didn't stay long, I knew the next phase of the ride would be four more miles, an uphill grade to Margaritaville.

Breezy checks out Keg Creek~

Leaving Mineola, the trail is deceptively flat for the first mile, but soon my legs could feel the burn of the grade.  This section of trail too, has some areas of full sunshine.  I was glad the day wasn't warmer.  

Cowboy Pass~

I remember how excited I was the first time I saw this sign, riding Farah.  I thought with such a name, that horses must be allowed?  I was wrong.

2-21-2017

Bright spots of yellow caught my eye, as I stopped for a short breather.  The leaves almost looked fern like?  A little research & I found them.

Showy Partridge Pea~

Finally, after what seemed like a very long grind, I was at Margaritaville.  Just short of eight-miles, I decided to continue on to the benches in the shade, at the old Dumfries townsite.  I'd only seen a couple other riders.  There's a big event ride on the trail, over the weekend.

Rest spot & half-way~

As I was getting ready to leave, a man came riding by southbound, with music blaring.  Super rude.  I decided with any luck, he'd stop at Margaritaville.  I got on Breezy, with my favorite part of the trail ahead of us, four-miles of downhill.  I buzzed past the rider, who had indeed stopped for a break.

Wild Grapes~

I was a little disappointed.  On my way up, I'd noticed several places where the trail had some pretty severe washouts.  Going back, there were many more.  I reduced speed accordingly to try to avoid the worst of them.

I reached Mineola again & took on the final two-mile climb.  It wasn't pretty, but I got it done!  On the way, I saw the beautiful wild turkey feather below & had to stop to collect it.

Wild Turkey feather~

Once I reached the top, it was again a very enjoyable downhill back to Silver City!  I wanted to get back before Mari Jo closed shop for the day.  I was happy to accept another big bag of fresh tomatoes from her garden.  We again exchanged a pint of Chile sauce for Zucchini relish!

Butch's new ride~

I arrived home after my husband, who had just returned from his first day, at his new job with Lee Construction, here in Glenwood.  Butch may operate equipment & drive a 2005 Mac dump truck.  He plans to get his Class A CDL, a state requirement to drive a side dump.  

August Miles ~

 Summer seems to be going by fast.  It's easy to be lulled by the sweetness of perfect, warm days.  Of course, it is August & things will change quickly back to the heat the month is famous for.

South of Silver City, the corn is huge!

The wind was blowing more so than in Glenwood.  15-20 mph out of the south, southeast.  Riding into it, took effort.  The trail is always so beautiful & I love hearing the sound of just the wind in the trees.

Breezy with the Walnut trees~

The wind had blown one tree down, just south of town, but it was laying on the surface of the trail, so easy to lift Breezy over.  I passed one couple, the lady was riding a Townie!

On the Trestle~

It wasn't long, until I was riding in the shop doors at Agriland.  Butch had been working in the far end.  He pointed to a fan when he saw me.  With the higher humidity, my shirt was soaked.  Our coke was so cold - it was almost a slushy & so good!  I checked out my husbands latest projects, before leaving again for Silver City.  At least going north, the wind was mostly at my back.

Stinging Nettles~

Finally, I identified the rich smell!  It's the time of year the Nettles bloom.  There are so many, the smell fills the air.  Leaving Malvern, I was almost to the first small bridge, when I saw something moving at the edge.  This bridge has a good dip down from the level of the trail.  Someone had packed in dirt to reduce the bump.  Right in the middle of this dirt strip, the tiniest bird ever was taking a dust bath!  Why that particular spot was so special I have no idea - but he was sure cute.

Almost back~ 

A brilliant spot of orange flew up out of the blooming sunflowers & accompanied me down the trail for a way.  A huge Monarch butterfly!  He was so brilliant against the sun.  Back at Happy Trails, Mari Jo took off for home again, returning with several more huge, ripe tomatoes!  BLT's for dinner!

A Ride with Mari Jo ~

 Finally, the weather & Mari Jo's schedule cooperated enough for us to ride!  Mari Jo has been cheering me on, as I've worked to regain the full use of my leg.  She admits "Animal" is one of her nicknames!  :-)  On the trail, she is!  I'm thankful she drops her speed down a few notches for my benefit.  Her years of riding & conditioning are obvious.  Of course when we talk as much as we pedal, speed isn't the goal.

Runaway petunia's, by the early 1900's door step up to the shop.

It's unusual to see the closed sign on the door of Happy Trails!  Mari Jo has the shop open six-days a week during the summer season.  The shop was originally the office of the local newspaper.  Another day of less heat & humidity, we saw several riders out on the trail.

Mari Jo with her Trek Marlin~

Today, I couldn't help but notice Mari Jo's color coordination with her bike!  It reminded me of many endurance riders!  I mentioned it & told her as long as she doesn't start wearing wild colored tights I'm fine with it!  :-)  The color of the bike is matt Mulberry, fitting for an Iowa mountain bike!

Silver Creek from the Trestle~

Last Friday's rain raised the water level of Silver Creek.  It also contributed more silt.  The air looked humid, but it was the gray/white layer of smoke, lightening our usual deep blue summer skies.  We were at the far end of the bridge when we saw a bike coming at us - fast.  As it drew closer, we could see large fat tires & a larger rider on an electric bike.  He didn't even slow down his approach.  He hit the bridge so fast & hard, the decking shook.  Wouldn't it be awful if trails become electric bike commuter highways?

Malvern Station, our half-way break spot~

We stopped in the shade of the big tree for a short break, before starting back.  I'm now over 400-miles for the year & within just a couple miles of where I was this time last season.  That surprised me, considering how slowly I started out.  I haven't done the more difficult sections of trail, except my ride to Imogene.  I'm not quite ready for heat & humidity combined with difficulty - yet.

Back in Silver City, Mari Jo rode off toward home while I loaded Breezy.  She soon returned with a bag full of fresh from the garden tomatoes!  It's the time of year when the farmers bring their produce into town in the back of pickups & set up on the street corners!  I picked up zucchini & sweet corn on my way home!  

Yum!

It was so nice to be back on the trail.  Our weather is due to change back into another cycle of heat & humidity by the end of this week.  I have to remember - it's just the beginning of August!

August - Lake Manawa~

 When I looked back, we'd ridden around Lake Manawa this same weekend last year.  The weather had been similar too! A break in the heavy heat & matching humidity was welcome by everyone.  Even though the smoke from the Canadian fires has been thick, a cooler day had everyone out!

Ready to ride~

 It was late afternoon by the time we reached the park.  

Butch's new seat~

Butch is trying out his new seat, so we made plenty of stops to adjust it & the handlebar height.  Taking the trail going to Tastee Treat, there was a stiff headwind that about stopped us in our tracks.  We turned back toward the park just in time to see a coal train coming in.

Trail winds under the Coal Train~

We've admired the homes close to the park.  What we didn't realize until today, is they do hear the noise from the trains.  Even going slow, there were the squeaks & bangs of a loaded train.

Butch adjusting his handlebars~

The trail along Indian Creek is so straight & flat, it's easy to make good time.

Breezy on the bridge~

The bridge decking is really in need of more repairs though.  Boards had rotten & fallen through.  They do the repairs with steel plates.  I felt like I was riding a horse with easy boots on the back & steel shoes on the front.  Bike Rack was short one of the Tannus tire liners they were supposed to install.  I ended up with one in the rear tire, until the other arrives.  It did soften the ride just a little.

Trail going back into the park~

This is my favorite part of the trail system, is on the far side of the bridge & goes back into the huge Cottonwoods.  The shade is most welcome, as is the breeze that comes off the river here.

Water Lotus blooms~

The yellow water Lotus were in full bloom!  They also seem to be trying to take over the lakes open water!  In area's they were dying, park personnel may be mitigating their too rapid spread.

It was a wonderful day to be out enjoying such a beautiful park!