Return to Lake Manawa~

 Have I mentioned how very dry it is?  Dry?!  Our temperatures are running 15 degrees above normal & no rain is expected at least into next week.  Today, instead of low to mid-50's our high was 69. I decided to ride the smooth trails at Lake Manawa.  I hadn't ridden there since the 2nd of July.

The trail to the park~

I parked at the Wabash Trailhead; the lot was close to being full.  I expected most of the traffic would be on the trail & I was correct.  I had a hard time motivating myself - I felt tired - probably due to the piles of leaves I've been raking off our trails.

Even the weeds are dry~

The textures & shades of brown & tan created by the dry weeds was beautiful in its own way.  It's strange to say but the dryness is getting on my nerves.  Here & there we get a gray day; I look at the sky & hope for the rain that doesn't come. I'm still watering my shrubs & trees.  When I do, I'm amazed they survive.  The soil is as hard as rock.

At the old campground~

I dread riding along the Veterans Memorial Hwy., but the traffic today wasn't bad & it's just a short distance.  I called Butch from the old campground.  He spent the holiday at the Iowa-80 Truck stop.  He had time in his scheduled dispatch to get in a 34-reset.  He was given a very nice Veteran's hat & $15. off his dinner at the restaurant.  He bought & installed a much louder horn on Maverick too!  The one the truck came with sounded like a horn on a passenger vehicle.  It would have disappointed the kids in town who always expect him to hit the horn as he goes by!  :-)

Across the lake to the Mid-American power plant~

At this point, I'm only five miles into the ride, so we didn't talk long.  Next was the long stretch along Indian Creek.  The wind was coming from the side, so not as bad as peddling into it.  

Marker at the Indian Creek Bridge~

I'd forgotten about all the new paving on the trail at the south end of the lake.  So nice & smooth!  Smokey flew along, we even got up to 16 mph on one section.  There were only a few riders out & closer to the campground, a few people walking.  

The Lake, looking across to Council Bluffs~

The gate was closed to my favorite stopping spot - so I had it to myself!  It had been a busy place every time I'd been by earlier this year.  It gets reserved for parties & each year it seems more people are using it.  As I started to sit down on the bench, I saw a folded potato chip package stuck between the boards of the seat.  Just disgusting for someone to take the time to fold it up & stick it there, rather than pack it out!  I looked down & the trash was the most plentiful ever.

Trash I picked up~

I used my empty snack bag, turned it inside out & picked up a plastic fork, two plastic straws, a glue stick, ribbon reel, cigarette buts, the potato chip bag, etc.  Soon the bag was full.  I took it to the dumpster on my way out.  Next time I'll bring a bigger bag.

The late afternoon beauty~

Leaving along my favorite section of the trails, I couldn't help but enjoy the beauty of the fall day.  Heading back, I had the trail to myself.  Once back at the Explorer I looked across at Tastee Treat, hopeful that they might still be open?  No, closed for the season. So much for that idea.  Back in Glenwood, I had a 30-min. wait to wash dust & dirt off the Explorer & Smokey.  One of the farmers had brought his tractor in to one of the two working bays - you can imagine how long that takes!

I made it quick with the Explorer!  The temperature was dropping, our nights are still getting down into the 30's.  I got home after the sun had set behind the woods.  The days are getting shorter by the minute!  Literally!