Greening Up!

 We're seeing our usual string of stunning April spring days!  No wind, tempertures in the mid-60's, sunshine with broken white fluffy clouds!

Large tree blown down~

It had been two-weeks since I'd ridden & I was feeling the work in no time.  Even so - with the days as mild as they now are & no wind - I had no excuse.  Seeing all the large trees that had blown down with the last storm, was sad.  All had been cleared from the trail, which must have been impassable until the work was done.

Wild Plum in bloom~

I could smell the plums before I saw them!  The air was so sweet!  I was determined to build on my fitness & go the entire way to Malvern.  I love riding on the days that are mid-60's & with intermittent cloud cover.  The light takes on a grayish cast, making the greens seem stronger.

Silver Creek from the trestle~

I met Mari Jo just before the Trestle.  She was returning from her ride & had left earlier than I could make it out.  The view from the trestle never gets old & at about half-way, is a nice place to stop.  Continuing on past, it wasn't long before I was crossing 350th.  I knew if the Dutchman's Breeches were blooming - I was in the area where I've found them before.

Dutchman's Breeches~

Sure enough - I wasn't dissapointed!  There weren't as many in bloom as I'd seen last year, maybe due to the unduly dry year.  They are so amazingly delicate - in what can be a very harsh enviroment.

Quick Recovery~

It was a wonderful surprise to see the burn area by Key's road so green!  In just the two-weeks since I'd been here - all that was blackened by the fire - had morphed into bright green!  (Except for the poor trees.)  The frogs were croking in a symphony of sound.  A pair of Canadian Geese were on the water of the wetland.  It had been replenished somewhat by the rain.

Just past Key's Road~

To the far left of the trail, dirt work is well under way for the new housing development.  All those houses will make a big change in an area that up until now was surrounded by fields.

The Malvern Park pond~

The pond too, had risen just a little with the 5" of rain & terrible hail storm Malvern had received.  The 3" diameter hail had plummeted the town for almost 45-minutes!  It went right through the roofs of many of the businesses on main street.  

This included Little Red's Service where Butch's truck had been in for repairs.  Donnie had called us with the news.  He'd raced to move as many vehicles as possible under cover, but in the process the hood of Butch's F-150 had been badly dented.  I'm sure our local insurance agent has been working over time to handle all the claims.

Creek Crossing~

The creek looked so beautiful with the shore turning green again.  It was late in the afternoon by the time I was returning to Silver City.  I'd made more than my share of stops along the way to appreciate the day & the quiet.  I'd made the trip, but have a ways to go to do it with a semblance of ease!