First ride of Fall~

  After the weather forecast had promised us two-days of rain, we ended up with .06 Friday evening about 8 p.m. as thunder & lightening rolled through.  Saturday had been gray, with a layer of cloud cover, high humidity & stifling air. This morning though, dawned bright, clear & fresh.  It was a relief, even if the heavy rain forecast didn't materialize.

On the dry trail~

It was another nice Sunday to go out, I always enjoy the drive to Silver City.  Even after almost seven years - it seems novel to me - to be on a road with no traffic.  I said hi to Mari Jo before leaving town.  Weekends are busy at Happy Trails too. 

Dry creek bed~

This is the first time I've seen any of the creeks completely dry.  The other two held a tiny trickle of water, but the one above had not a drop.  

Smokey with my new Handle Stash water bottle holder~

I've been looking for a way to carry a second bottle of water on Smokey.  Up to now, I've used the holder at the back of my rear pack, then put a small bottle in the pack.  It wasn't convenient & the small bottle had leaked on my things more than once.  The Handle Stash was invented in 2020.  I found it online & it's perfect!  The mount is very adaptable & stable.  It can be attached to either the inside or outside of the handlebars.  It's also supposed to absorb the bumps of the trail.

No color yet ~

It doesn't really look like fall yet, but it seems the sun has moved lower in the sky. It's been so dry the leaves are falling from the trees without turning color.  I rode to the arch in Malvern, before turning back to the park.  My picnic area was vacant, but other cyclists rode around the pond while I was there.  

Butch spent the weekend up near Salem OR - taking unexpected time off the road due to another scheduling snafu.  He was stranded for over 60-hours after a dispatch was cancelled on Friday.  This left 34 drivable hours on his clock & he ended up with another reset...  He had to find his rain jacket for a walk; they were getting so much rain!  I told him to please send the rain our way.

White fungus~

This one limb laying alongside the trail is the only one I've seen covered with a white fungus. It's caught my attention twice now.  Heading back to Silver City, a couple of the fields where I saw equipment my last visit, are now harvested.  The big field just out of town is still up. The soybeans have such a strange look when all the leaves are dry.

Dry soybeans ready for harvest~

These stellar days could go on forever, if we could just start receiving more in the way of moisture.  While parts of the state have actually received measurable rain, we've stayed dry.  The upcoming forecast is for more record-breaking heat, with temperatures soaring into the 90's for the weekend.  I'll be spending my time watering, rather than riding!