Under Attack~

 It was another in a string of sunshine & a bit cooler days in the mid-70's.  We'd received .15 of rain earlier in the morning, just enough to raise the humidity.  This September is set to be the driest on record. With the dry weather, the humidity has dropped too.  

Mari Jo's run-a-way pansies~

I drove to Happy Trails & couldn't believe how Mari Jo's pansies have spread.  Twice the size of last years & flowers growing even along the edge of the curb!  I hadn't been on the trail for ten-days, still catching up with the work at home.

On the trail~

By the 13th, the private sewer project had turned the corner of Grove & started up our street.  The noise of the heavy equipment starts early each morning.  The dust has been horrific, so bad I don't even want to be out in it.  I was ready to get away for the afternoon!

A perfect September day~

It would have been a perfect day if not for the biting bugs!  I had sprayed down before I left home.  It didn't do any good at all.  Every time I stopped; I was under attack.  All the riding I've done on the trail the last few years & I've never seen the bugs so bad.

Shadow turns over 400-miles~

Shadow turned over 400-miles today.  I appreciate this bike so much, especially when riding into a strong wind.  I haven't ridden the hilly sections for a while, but if we ever get cooler weather I will be.

Thunderheads~

The clouds kept building, so beautiful to watch.  I continued on to Malvern.  Two men were digging on both sides of the trail.  Instead of going further, I took the streets & rode my loop through the edge of town in reverse, only in reverse.

Arch at the Depot in Malvern~

I rode back to the park, but even there the bugs were after me. 

Silver Creek from the Trestle~

I made good time, even into the wind going back north.  I was the only rider on the trail.  The level of the creek has dropped again, after the rains we'd received in August.  Now, with the farmers starting to harvest the fields, the dust will be thick on the trail. I was lucky we'd received the tiny bit of moisture this morning that settled the dust.

Greens, Golds & Blue~

A picture-perfect afternoon.  Back at Happy Trails I asked Mari Jo what type of lubricant to use on my chain.  She came out & looked at the derailer & chain on Shadow.  It was dirty!  The grime from the limestone was almost rock hard & had packed into any tiny space available.  She suggested washing the chain with Dawn, then rinsing it, drying it & using a dry lube.  I bought a bottle. I'll have to wait for the weekend to work on the chain.  Weekends are a sanity saving grace period from the construction. 

Heading home, I couldn't help but think of all the time & education Mari Jo has dedicated to the riders on the trail.  The permanent closure of the shop in October will be a sad time for so many of us~  

Pedaling on~

 Butch left Friday morning, heading back toward IN.  As I usually do after he leaves, I cleaned anything I could find to clean.  Tasks I don't enjoy taking my mind off his absence.

Maverick~

Today though, even though the heat & humidity have returned, I wanted to ride.  When I pulled into Happy Trails Mari Jo expressed surprise that I was there.  Even mid-80's with humidity in the low 60's was a better forecast than the rest of this week.  Rain is expected later, that will really make things steamy.

Soybeans turning gold~

My energy level wasn't the greatest, but seeing the seasons begin to change is always uplifting.

Walnut canopy thinning out~

The Walnut trees are dropping walnuts everywhere.  Not as many, but larger than last year's crop. They are tricky to navigate & hitting them is no fun.

Tree down~

Thirty minutes into the ride, I found a trail block.  This one was tricky to get over, the split limbs on the right were just close enough together, the bike didn't fit between them.  Lifting Shadow over them both at once wasn't an option.  A rider who came from the opposite direction offered to help, but I declined & managed to angle Shadow, a wheel at a time, to the other side.

Cattails & Sunflowers~

The wetland near Malvern that burned last year, has completely recovered, except for some of the trees that had lined the trail.

Shadow turns over 400-miles~

I realized too, when I don't have the PAS system on, the bike doesn't record the miles!  Really?!  :-)  I usually keep it on.  Riding in the lowest eco mode balances out the heavier weight of the bike.  When my knees start hurting, it's time to either shift the PAS up, or gear down. 

Fields of gold~

I looped through Malvern, then stopped at the pond as usual.  Only two RVs were at the campground.  A Dad came riding in, holding a dog on a leash & with three little kids on bikes!  I was impressed at his skill!

Silver Creek~

It had been cloudy all morning, but by the time I left to ride, the sky was clearing off & the heat was climbing.  The lush greens speak for themselves.

Shadow on the Trestle~

I started moving out after I left the trestle heading back north.  I was tired, hot & the bugs were awful any time I stopped.  Shadow outran them!  Today, I saw no less than three couples riding e-bikes.  Now that I'm riding one, I have to stop complaining about them.  That said, I still have concerns about bikes capable of what I consider an excessive speed of 28 mph.  Way too fast for a multi-user trail.

I picked up Finn.  He had flushed a cat from under one of the bushes in Doris's backyard his last visit & had a great time chasing it over the fence.  Today, the cat held its ground & Finn would not stop barking!  Doris had to go out & convince the cat to scram!  The story had me laughing out loud!  :-)

A Ride at Lake Manawa~

 Butch arrived at home late yesterday afternoon.  With the weather so nice, we decided on a ride at Lake Manawa.  It had been a couple months since we'd been there.  Doris was happy to have Finn visit her, so it would be Butch's first time on his bike without pulling Finnigan in his little trailer.

Butch adjusting his handlebars~

It was also his first time riding the bike with the new stem extender.  We're both much more comfortable riding in a more upright position.  We were surprised that on such a nice weekend, the park wasn't busier.  We only passed one other bike rider on our 11-mile loop.

View to the east~

The Wabash Trail head parking off Harry Langdon Blvd. was almost totally full of cars.  I suspect the north end of the trail was a busy place.  We continued on & parked inside the park boundary, the only car there.

Bridge over Indian Creek~

There was a pretty stiff wind blowing out of the south, but with the added boost of the e-bikes, we didn't have to work nearly as hard!  The repairs to remove all the transition bumps between the paved sections of trail along the west side of the park were a huge improvement.

South side of the park~

The trail along the south side, always my favorite, is so smooth with the new paving.  One of our favorite sections.  It doesn't look or feel like fall yet.  The trees are still green, just a few varieties are starting to show a hint of gold.  The Cottonwoods are always the first to start dropping a few leaves.  We have had a couple nights down in the 40's.

Lake Manawa~

After completing the loop, we passed where the Explorer was parked & continued south to the trail that ends at the lakeshore & Shelter #7.  A large group of people were enjoying a picnic at the covered tables.  We sat out on one of the benches to admire the lake, before heading back to the Explorer.  

Our weather is supposed to return to the heat this coming week.  We've been very dry too, but I never complain about lower humidity.  The weather forecasters tell us we need to be patient, that fall isn't far off.  It's getting closer on the calendar; so, they must be right!

First Ride of September ~

 It was a relief to have a couple cooler & less humid days!  Everyone I know is ready to be done with the end of August heat.  After my last ride, I started thinking ole age was starting to get to me!  I felt much better today, probably because I hadn't been mowing 6" of grass down for hours on end!

On my way~

I was about a mile from the Trestle when Mari Jo came riding up from the south.  We stopped to chat & did a lot of that for over half an hour!  It was such a pleasant day; we had a spot in the shade & each had news to share.  Both of us finally realized we had rides to finish, so went our opposite ways.

The big Cottonwood~

At the trestle, I stopped short of the creek, where the Cottonwood spreads it's shade all the way to the bridge.  I took one electrolyte & afterward realized I really didn't need it.  The day had stayed fairly cool & the humidity was down from what it had been.

Sweet Autum Clematis~

When I looked ahead at the arch by the Depot in Malvern, I could see the blooms of the beautiful fall blooming Clematis from half a mile away.  The sweet smell filled the air.

Shadow at the Arch~

I stopped underneath to enjoy both the smell & the flowers.  Instead of doing my loop through part of town, I turned back north toward the park. I rode around the pond, only one RV was in the campground.  It was beautifully quiet, all the geese were out on the water.

Boehner Pond, looking north~

Seeing so much water in the pond is so refreshing after months & months of drought.  I hope it manages to maintain the higher levels going into fall.  I put in my usual call to Butch, before heading back.  

Northbound, return to the Trestle~

There had been a pretty stiff wind blowing up from the south on my way to Malvern, now it was at my back!  My goal was to work harder than I had my last trip.  I'd managed to cut almost four minutes off my time to the arch.  Riding into the wind, I do really appreciate having the PAS on Shadow.  It's been a while since I've ridden to Imogene.  Maybe I can talk Butch into another ride there when he returns home!