Shunshine to Shade ~

 A grand day!  Sunshine, 70's & no wind!  Time to visit the trail & leave my outside chores at home for another day.  I parked by Happy Trails & said hello to Mari Jo before leaving for Malvern.

Are dandelions a wildflower? :-)

The trail south of Silver City was lined with blooming dandelions!  So bright & pretty!  It was really the first day it's felt like & looked more like spring too.  Some of the trees are finally leafing out, so the canopy I look forward to is beginning to appear.

Cottonwood~

  I always stop at the trestle, just over four miles south, unless there are people there.  The old Cottonwood is a friend by now.  Seeing the hint of green in the trees is so welcome, after all the months of bare branches.

Smokey on the trestle~

This is the time of year I like to ride other sections of the trail, but with Butch gone, I no longer have my ride home.  The next section is a very difficult 14-miles from Malvern.  I did it once round-trip & that had been a challenging 28-miles!  

Smokey & the flower Phlox~

Now that the flowers are blooming, the trail is such a beautiful place!  There are several spots far enough away from intersectioning roads etc., the only sounds are the blistful hum of nature.

Break spot by the Depot, Malvern

I did stop in Malvern, but mowing was happening there, as it had been in Silver City.  The roaring mowers do a necessary job, but don't make it easy to enjoy the afternoon.  I soon turned back north.

Both purple & blue phlox.  

I've only found the purple Phlox in a couple places.  It was fun to get a photo of both colors, so close together.

Purple violets~

Violets come in such a vareity of colors!  Even at home, I have white, purple, violet & some that are varigated blue/white.  

Clouds moving in~

I felt a couple raindrops on my way back.  We're still in drought, with only the one decent rain we received on Monday, just under an inch.  I never thought I'd look forward to gray, rainy days but I do now!  They do make me - just occassionally - homesick for WA.  But - after a couple of them I'm more than ready for the bright blue skies of my home state!