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!