Return to the Wabash Trace~

 The weatherman kept repeating himself, "Get outside, get outside!"  It was our first day without the awful heat & humidity.  Tomorrow we'll go into the feels like triple digits.  It's the time of year when we blame the corn sweating for our high humidity.

I'd been planning a ride on the trail for a while & today was the perfect chance to go.  I parked at Silver City, still sad that Happy Trails Cycle is gone...  There were several cars in the parking area, only one with a bike rack.

So lush & so green!

As I entered the trail, the lush greens & dappled shade were an ah moment!  With the Walnuts providing the high canopy, the trail this time of year is at its most beautiful.

Loaded Mulberry tree!

I was surprised to see the Mulberry trees still ripe with fruit!  Especially since the one's at Lake Manawa had been ripe at least two weeks ago.  It took me longer to make the trip to the pond, since I had to stop & partake of nature's abundance!  My fingers were purple by the time I took my break.

A beautiful Iowa corn field~

Just past the Hwy 34 underpass is this beautiful field of corn.  Absolutely manicured to perfection.  Such a beautiful scene, quintessential Iowa.  The Grade B roads had been very soft from the rains, but were dry enough to cross without sinking in.

Boehner Pond~

The park was quiet, just a couple families camping & the Canadian Geese.  Truly one of the most enjoyable July days we've had this year.

Silver Creek from the Trestle~

Returning to the trestle, I stopped again to admire the view.  The level of the creek was up especially compared to this time last year.  It was so quiet, only the sound of the birds in the trees.  I was not happy though to see that riders continue to deface the steel structure of the trestle with stickers.

Trestle over Silver Creek~

Stickers pasted everywhere.  One on each upright & another on the cross beam just in the photo above.  I could probably count close to 15.  Each with the name of a bike club or group.  Of course, they pale in comparison to the booze bottles strapped to the uprights.  I didn't bother to get a photo of those.  It seems some people have little regard for the historic beauty of the bridge.  I watched this type of thing happen over the years of riding trails in WA, now it seems Iowa is no longer immune.

Trail Camera mounted to the Trestle~

Evidently attaching Trail Camera's to the Trestle is now fair game too.  It had been quite a while since I've been here, so I'm not sure when they reappeared.  This time mounted to the upright, rather than trees.  Monitoring each & every rider who crosses or stops on the bridge. I didn't spot it until I was leaving.  It sickens me to think some unknown person will have photos of my stop.  Such an incredible invasion of privacy.  I posted to the Wabash Trace Facebook page & mentioned that signage should be posted to alert trail users of the surveillance cameras now in place.  It took the sense of peace out of a place I've appreciated so much. 

900-miles!

I was just a couple miles from Silver City on my return north, when Shadow's odometer turned over 900-miles.  My first ride on this bike was March 28th of last year.  I enjoy it more every time I ride. It was after 2000, when Lithium-Ion batteries were introduced.  The improvement in e-Bike performance - distance, speed etc. contributed to the explosion in sales.  Practical for commuting & everyday pleasure riding, they are a boom to riders in their 70's, 80's & beyond, allowing them enough power assist to continue to enjoy the trails.

Into July ~

 I've mentioned before that July is not my favorite month.  This year though, with the rain we've received, my usual watering chores have been non-existent.  The Walnut limbs are drooping under the weight of their nuts & a few are already dropping.  The trees by the swing have grown so big, it's hard to remember the size they were when we first arrived.

July first~

Butch wasn't home for the fourth.  He did come in for what was originally to be a quick overnighter on the fifth.  He pulled into Nationwide to drop his trailer with two minutes to spare on his ELD.  He'd left the Farmland Rest Area in IL early in the morning & even with construction driven 494-miles.  He was to make a delivery in Lincoln, NE the following day.

9:00 p.m. On the 5th, Butch & Maverick are Home!

We had a late dinner & he left at 6 a.m. Sunday morning.  Finn & I slept in - but were soon awake when Butch reappeared asking if I wanted a latte?  The warehouse he'd been scheduled to deliver to, was closed.  Yippee!  He would have Sunday home!  It was another in a string of hot & humid days.  We went to see F1 & really enjoyed it. 

7-8 Flowers~

With the rains & humidity, the flowers are amazing this year.  I've spent a lot of time weeding & spraying the weeds I can't pull, but it's been worth it.  Everything I've planted, has had plenty of room to grow.  I still have a lot of the hillside to tame, but the Hosta's are more numerous than the weeds!  

My Appleblossem Rosebud Germanium~

A relative of my dark red germanium, it too has the small, tight full blooms.  I read that it was a favorite of Queen Victoria & I can see why.  I've kept it on the deck rail this year & it loves the spot.

Presto Dark Red Germanium 

The red is still impossible to find.  Even the page I had bookmarked for this variety is gone.  I have the five plants I wintered over sitting out in pots with full south exposure.  They're compact & covered in blooms.  The new starts I have on the deck, with morning sun & afternoon shade.  I'm thankful that daughter Courtney still had the variety I'd shared with her years ago & paid back the favor when mine accidentally froze!

7-13 Finn in his favorite spot~

Finn is one tough boy!  He'll spend time outside, no matter how hot it is!  One afternoon he was laying on the sidewalk in the full sun!  I told him he'd be a baked Finn if he didn't come in!  He spends a lot of time watching for Woody the Woodchuck who seems to have taken up residence on the abandoned property to the east of us.  The other morning, he even managed to corner him again under the lawn tractor!  You'd think Woody would wise up!

East end of the deck~

The polycarbonate panels make such a huge difference on the deck.  The filtered light is perfect for us to sit out & for the fern, orchid & Hosta.  I've given up putting any plants on the west end.  The afternoon sun bakes them to a crisp, even with watering twice a day.

Here we are, almost midway through the month & yesterday I was back on two wheels!  That post to come~

Back on Two Wheels~

Saturday was a cooler day than we'd had in a while.  There was a high haze in the air, filtering the direct sunlight.  I hadn't ridden since the 6th of June & that was my only ride the entire month.  I looked back at last year & I'd only ridden three times, so didn't feel as bad about it.  

Ready to ride~

Lake Manawa was calling my name, the hard surface & more open riding is much more appealing to me than the bugs, dust & higher humidity of the Wabash.  I was surprised to be the only car in the parking area.  For a weekend, the park was surprisingly quiet.

North toward the I-29 underpass in the distance~

I took the far eastern trail that connects to the Wabash just over halfway, before turning back into the park.  The wide-open views are so pretty out here.

Looking toward I-29~

I rode along E Manawa drive & turned west to ride parallel with Veterans Memorial Hwy. before turning left for a couple blocks to ride west on Wright Rd.  From there I cut around the gate into the old campground.  No wildlife today, no mulberries either, but a really nice view from the north end of the lake.

Sailboats on the choppy water~

I love seeing the sailboats on the water.  The wind had picked up & it looked like a perfect summer afternoon to be out.  

Along Indian Creek, I spotted feathers at the edge of the trail.  I hadn't found any feathers at all last year.  I stopped to check them out.  There were the two bigger ones I took & two smaller ones.  All dark in color & I was pretty sure they had to be from a Turkey Vulture considering their size.  Not my favorite raptor, but a nice addition to my collection.

Turkey Vulture feathers~

There are a couple trees in town, where the Vultures congregate.  They are noisy & dirty when gathered in numbers.  I'm thankful I seldom see them fly over at home.  The first time I ever saw one, Butch & I were riding the horses in Eastern, WA.  We came around a corner & saw several roosting in a pine.  I thought they were the ugliest birds I'd ever seen & my opinion hasn't changed!

Indian Creek looking south toward the Missouri~

The Missouri is just a short distance from the south end of lake.  I didn't take the access road today & haven't for a while.  It was nice to see so much water in the creek.  The level of the Missouri has been up & we're expecting more rain this week.

Sailboats from my bench~

By the time I reached my rest spot, the haze had thickened & I was glad of it!  The breeze made the day one of the most pleasant in a while.

Hoary Vervain

Very unusual & such a color standout, I've admired the above wildflowers for several years.  (Thank you to daughter Jentry for the i.d.)  They brighten the open field I pass on my way to  the lake shore.  I didn't see the turkey's this visit either, it's been a couple years now.  I stayed for a while, enjoying the breeze off the water before heading back.

The Park & the Missouri~

As you can see in the Google Earth photo above, the river is almost the southern boundary of the park.

South trail, west~

I was glad to be back on my bike, but it's hard to stay motivated during the heat of summer.  I work outside in the morning, before the day heats up.  I'll hope for another cooler day or two so I can revisit the Wabash.  At least I don't have the limestone dust to clean off my chain when I ride here!