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!