A Change of Time ~

 The last day of Daylight Savings time...  I look forward to moving back to Standard time & wish every year the powers that be would leave time alone!  I'd been hoping to get an afternoon out on the trail.  Another busy two-weeks had gone by!  Today looked perfect.

A beauty of day~

I drove to Silver City, it was quieter than I expected, no cars in the parking area by Happy Trails.  The trail had changed yet again.  The leaves crunched under Smokey's tires; the light was filtered through what was left of the leaves still on the trees.

Healthy tree - cut down~

I hadn't gone far from town, when a newly cut tree drew my attention.  It had been a big, beautiful, healthy tree.  It's mistake I think, was to grow too close to the edge of a cultivated field...  With so few trees here, seeing a nice one cut is sad.

Limbs from the tree, Smokey on the trail~

The trail also has so much deadfall, if someone needed firewood, there would be plenty to gather without cutting another.  What do I know?  The afternoon was just stunning.  Sunshine filtered through the low hanging cloud layer, with only an occasional light breeze.

A trickle of water in the creek~

There is just a little water flowing in the small tributaries.  But when I arrived at the Trestle, the water level in Silver Creek was the lowest yet.  I could see the bottom all the way both up & down stream.

On the trestle~

My favorite kind of day, I took my time & enjoyed being out in the quiet & now open countryside.  I rode on to the park & sat at my usual spot to call Butch.  If not for a long delay waiting for a trailer in Kansas City - he would have had time to spend last night at home...  Instead, he had pulled into Omaha this morning, picked up a load & spent the day crossing the state of Iowa.  He was nearing the I-80 truck stop in Walcott.  

Since the days are getting shorter - I didn't stay too - long before starting back.  The Canadian Geese are gone & the sidewalks around the pond are much cleaner for it!

Green grass, blue sky~

I'd only seen four riders on my way south.  It was so nice to have the trail mostly to myself.  As the temperatures drop & days shorten - I still hope to get in more riding.  Of course, there's plenty of work to do at home yet.  Leaves to rake, blow & mow etc.  I also have branches from the summer winds to burn.

Trestle, looking north~

The light this time of year is so beautiful.  It's easy to peddle along & immerse myself in the rythm of the wheels.  Not quite the same as the sound of hoofbeats, but as close as I can come.  I think of Farah often in the fall months.  That was when we did some of our favorite riding - both in WA & here in IA.

Smokey & sunset~

The sun was setting fast to the SW & a golden glow fell over the landscape. I'd dropped my speed by just a mile-an-hour.  By the time I'd returned to Silver City, I didn't feel as tired as usual & enjoyed the ride more. 

5:18 p.m. Sunset at home~

As I was walking Smokey back to the Cabin, the sun was just dropping behind the trees of the woods.  The bird feeder is just down the hill, from the Cabin. I've caught the neighbor's cats (at least three) stalking the birds almost every day.  When they're not tearing into the trash at the rental house, they come here. I finally resorted to chasing them off with the leaf blower. 

The birds were chattering at me.  I looked at the feeder & sure enough, it was almost empty.  The minute I'd filled it & I'd walked away - it became a very busy place again.  The Downey Woodpecker arrives first, but once he's flown away, the little Black Capped Chickadee's take over!  

When I came in to download my stats, I was just over a mile shy of 600-miles for the year.  Lower than last year, but still respectable for me.  Hopefully the weather will hold for a while yet.