Storm Clouds & Wildflowers~

 The forecast for the day was a little iffy.  I enjoyed our mat making group in the morning, then dropped Finn off with Doris.  The afternoon was supposed to be fine but with a chance of thunderstorms moving in later in the evening.

On my way south from Malvern~

I took my husband's advice & decided to leave & ride south again from the park.  The park was empty, as was the trail as I left town.  My goal was to ride a full ten miles out, before turning back.  Imogene, the next town on the trail is fourteen miles.  To do the ride round-trip, I'd have to start much earlier in the afternoon.

From the White Cloud Trestle~

It was another of my favorite type of days.  I've been appreciating air so fresh from our two recent rains.  The clouds looked like they were going to produce more, but I was counting on the weather report to complete my ride.

Shadow & Phlox divaricata 

The further I rode, the more beautiful it was.  Seeing the first of the blue/purple woodland Phlox made my day.  It doesn't take much color to excite me :-)

Blue Woodland Phlox~

Such delicate blooms amid a state of such heavy cultivation reminds me of the resilience of nature.  I have the shrub below blooming now on the hill in our woods.  Over the years it's started to spread.  I appreciate any shrub that thrives under the canopy of the trees.  I was excited to find a few little starts in a couple spots this year.  I've been trying to find it in my plant books without success so far.

Another sweet-smelling shrub~

About to the far end of my ride, I spotted another area with just a few Dutchman's Breeches.  It's like finding the treasure in a treasure hunt when I see them!

Dutchman's Breeches~

The bridges in so many places are in need of repair.  The hole below was a big one & getting bigger with the runoff from the recent rain.  This section looked like the area had received more rain than further north.  There were branches & small limbs everywhere, along with runoff channels cut in the limestone.

Hole opening on the bridge approach~

The rest of the bridge seemed perfectly fine, but I'm always hesitant when I can't see the deck boards on a bridge.  I know the volunteers drive trucks on the trail.  I always feel like if the bridge can support a truck, it's safe to ride over.

South toward Imogene~

As I turned back & started north, the clouds darkened.  The fields are being planted but have yet to start turning green.  The terraces give some definition to the landscape.

4:11 p.m. Looking west~

By the next road crossing, the dark cloud to the east was impossible to miss!  The temperature had dropped, but the day was incredibly humid for so early in the season.  

West from the White Cloud Trestle~

At the Trestle, I didn't stop long & felt the first tiny bit of drizzle.  I still had almost four miles to go to return to the Bronco.  I was hoping to make it before I got drenched!

Back at the Pond~

The Bronco was still the only vehicle at the park.  The incoming clouds were darker yet & the sky had an ominous look to it.  I could smell the negative ions in the air.

The first sprinkle of rain~

I loaded Shadow as fast as I could.  I'd just finished when the rain started.  By the time I was out on Hwy 34, it hit hard!  The wipers could hardly keep up with the downpour.  When I arrived in town, the wind was blowing all the blossoms off Doris's tree.  The grass was covered with the white pedals.  I picked up Finn, drove home & unloaded the bike in the rain.  My windbreaker is not waterproof.  It's been almost never here in IA; I've needed a waterproof jacket!  I can only think of one ride where I got really wet.  

I wiped the bike down & left the battery in the Bronco.  With the thunder & lightening I didn't think carrying a big battery to the cabin when I was soaking wet was the brightest idea!  :-)

Silver City to Boehner Pond~

 Another perfect day in a string of beautiful spring days.  I was anxious to get out on the trail & see if the Dutchmen's Breeches were blooming in the same spot I'd found them last year.  Starting out & seeing the first flush of green in the trees was a great welcome.  The shoulders of the trail too, are turning green & the grass is growing!

Shadow on the trail~

The surface was rock hard; the little rain we've had hasn't softened it at all.  In the photo above you can see the dust in the air ahead, from a car passing on the nearby gravel road.  

Silver Creek~

I stopped a few times just to soak in the day & enjoy the sound of the birds singing in the trees.  All was quiet at the Trestle. The level of Silver Creek has gone down, with only one decent rain in forever.  At least the bottom isn't showing as it had been late this summer.  I appreciated having it to myself.

Dutchman's Breeches~

Success!  As I reached the area where I'd found the flowers last April, I really had to look to find some this year.  The clump above was the largest.  There were only a few, maybe less than 30% of the blooms that had covered the hillside.  I can only guess the dry month may have something to do with it, or possibly they bloom profusely in cycles.  These were almost past their prime, but still beautiful & so unique looking!

Almost to Malvern~

Reaching the concrete riding south toward Malvern, I could smell the blooming trees before I reached to them!  They look like a cherry bloom, but I'm not sure exactly what variety they are. They almost glowed with the bright white against the blue sky & fresh green grass.  I didn't go all the way to the Depot in town but turned off to the pond.

My break spot~

This is where I was sitting, when I was suddenly knocked over from behind!  I had been straddling the bench seat, eating my trail mix. Heart pounding, as I jumped to my feet, a second dog came around the side & tried to grab my bag of snack mix.  I yelled at the dogs & as I lifted my gaze - saw a man, on the sidewalk, walking up from my right & toward me from behind, calling the dogs.  They were Australian Cattle Dogs, one red & one blue.  Both overweight & dragging orange lengths of rope, as unused leashes.  The dogs totally ignored the man, decided I wasn't going to share & continued on their way, oblivious to the yells of their owner. 

I can't even express how totally furious I was.  The man kept repeating "Sorry, so sorry."  He was sorry alright, sorry for letting his dogs run in a public park.  This was now my fourth encounter with loose dogs this month.  

Fields in the process~

I got on my bike & left as fast as I could.  I rode about a mile before stopping at the spot above to call Butch.  He told me I should just stop riding this section of trail.  It's one of my favorites.  I was not carrying my stick but wouldn't have had it handy anyway, sitting there snacking.

The north end of the Silver Creek Trestle~

As far as I can see, the game cameras have not made another appearance in the trees.  Soon, the leaves will open & we'll have the shade I appreciate so much on the hot summer days.

I made good time getting back to the Bronco in Silver City.  Only one other vehicle was at the parking area.  The Happy Trails sign, still on the building, seems so sad now the business is closed.  I know many riders were hoping another bike shop would open, but so far, the old shop sits unused.  It doesn't seem the same without Mari Jo there to chat, when I've returned...

Greening Up!

 We're seeing our usual string of stunning April spring days!  No wind, tempertures in the mid-60's, sunshine with broken white fluffy clouds!

Large tree blown down~

It had been two-weeks since I'd ridden & I was feeling the work in no time.  Even so - with the days as mild as they now are & no wind - I had no excuse.  Seeing all the large trees that had blown down with the last storm, was sad.  All had been cleared from the trail, which must have been impassable until the work was done.

Wild Plum in bloom~

I could smell the plums before I saw them!  The air was so sweet!  I was determined to build on my fitness & go the entire way to Malvern.  I love riding on the days that are mid-60's & with intermittent cloud cover.  The light takes on a grayish cast, making the greens seem stronger.

Silver Creek from the trestle~

I met Mari Jo just before the Trestle.  She was returning from her ride & had left earlier than I could make it out.  The view from the trestle never gets old & at about half-way, is a nice place to stop.  Continuing on past, it wasn't long before I was crossing 350th.  I knew if the Dutchman's Breeches were blooming - I was in the area where I've found them before.

Dutchman's Breeches~

Sure enough - I wasn't dissapointed!  There weren't as many in bloom as I'd seen last year, maybe due to the unduly dry year.  They are so amazingly delicate - in what can be a very harsh enviroment.

Quick Recovery~

It was a wonderful surprise to see the burn area by Key's road so green!  In just the two-weeks since I'd been here - all that was blackened by the fire - had morphed into bright green!  (Except for the poor trees.)  The frogs were croking in a symphony of sound.  A pair of Canadian Geese were on the water of the wetland.  It had been replenished somewhat by the rain.

Just past Key's Road~

To the far left of the trail, dirt work is well under way for the new housing development.  All those houses will make a big change in an area that up until now was surrounded by fields.

The Malvern Park pond~

The pond too, had risen just a little with the 5" of rain & terrible hail storm Malvern had received.  The 3" diameter hail had plummeted the town for almost 45-minutes!  It went right through the roofs of many of the businesses on main street.  

This included Little Red's Service where Butch's truck had been in for repairs.  Donnie had called us with the news.  He'd raced to move as many vehicles as possible under cover, but in the process the hood of Butch's F-150 had been badly dented.  I'm sure our local insurance agent has been working over time to handle all the claims.

Creek Crossing~

The creek looked so beautiful with the shore turning green again.  It was late in the afternoon by the time I was returning to Silver City.  I'd made more than my share of stops along the way to appreciate the day & the quiet.  I'd made the trip, but have a ways to go to do it with a semblance of ease!

Wildflower Time~

 A truly beautiful spring day!  I couldn't resist loading the bike & heading toward the trail.  Once in Silver City, I noticed the wind had picked up & as I left, I was riding right into it.  I didn't care!  It had been a hectic day & I was ready to work off some energy.

Dutchman's Breeches!

The greens are slowly taking over the browns of the winter months.  As I crossed over toward the area where I'd found the flowers last season - there they were!  Just short of a week since I'd ridden & in that time they had gone from unnoticeable to full bloom!  I'd been watching for mine near the creek at home too, but I couldn't find any - yet.

The grass is greening!

Stopping on the bridges with creeks - it's fun to see the changes in the water levels & watch as the edges turn green.

Smokey on the bridge~

Last Saturday I'd taken Smokey into Mari Jo's shop.  I'd lost air from the rear tire, almost every time I went to take the bike out.  Our plan was to remove & check the tire.  The problem became removing it, as it was difficult to get off.  Getting it back on correctly was even more difficult.  I decided to take it into the Bike Rack, which I did on Sunday.  There, they kindly explained the bike has a small latch that needs to be flipped for the back wheel to release.  Service checked out the bike, showed me how to drop the tire & put it back in.  Valuable for me to know, with Butch gone.

Silver Creek

With the beautiful sunshine, Silver Creek almost had a silver sheen :-)  The Cardinal's were out too, racing to cross the trail in front of me several times!  They're such bright flashes of color I can't miss them!

I arrived in Malvern in really good time, well under an hour!  Something a few weeks ago I didn't think I'd ever do.  I rode over to Little Red's Service & talked with Donnie about taking in the Bronco.  He agreed & Phil will tow it over for me next week.

On the way back~

I sat for a while at picnic table by the little Depot before heading back.  It was a nice break, to have the wind at my back.

Sweet William~

A sure sign winter is finally over, is seeing the first of the Sweet William starting to bloom.  Soon, there will be more!  It's been so dry for so long, that even the wildflowers are starting to wilt.  Rain is forecast for later this week & I hope we see it.

Once home, I downloaded my stats to find I'd made this 16.5 trip my fastest ever, average speed 9.7 mph.  Shutting off the Garmin when I stopped for photos, my average moving speed was 9.8.  It's just over a year & a half from my accident & my leg has muscled up again.  It doesn't work quite the same, but it's working.  Changing bikes to the Cannondale has also made a huge difference.  I've reached my goal & made the ride a bit faster than pre-accident!  

Ride into Spring~

 After a week of winds, today was both sunny & calm.  But chilly - very!  Mid-40's - even without much wind is deceptive when the sun shines!  I'd planned a ride to Agriland, but Butch called to say he was on the way to MO.  Not sure when he'd get back, I still wanted to ride my usual route.  Distance/difficulty - but not both at the same time.  It's not that the trail has steep hills, but they are long.

Happy First Birthday Speedy!

A year ago today, Speedy & I took our first ride on the trail.  I'd been out a few times before, but always with Butch.  That ride was only my second on my own.  The first was with Sunny, who Speedy replaced.

On our way

I continue to be in awe of the beauty of the countryside.  It's the quiet, the singing of the birds, the sounds of nature, so soothing to the soul.  The sound of water running over rock is rare in our corner of the state.

Speedy peeks over at the Beaver Dam~

There are a few places it can be heard - the Beaver Dam outflow, or the occasional area's where concrete was added for erosion control.

Phlox divaricate

I had to stop again, to admire the first bright colorful flowers of the season!  

Flowering Plum~

As I enjoyed the smooth concrete just north of Malvern, the smell of the flowering plum filled the air!  As sweet as any perfume.  Speedy insisted on another birthday photo! 

In town, I could see the big door of Butch's shop was closed, so I decided to take a break at the Malvern Depot.  Within a few minutes, I heard trucks coming down the road, the second one my husband was driving!  Good timing for my cold coke!

Speedy & the Floater~

I'd heard the term "floater" & now, can associate the term with the equipment!  Speedy, of course had to have her photo taken again!  

We didn't stay long, I'd broken this ride into two - on my Garmin.  I wanted to compare my ride south, to the same ride, back north.  My 310 XT, showed 8.43 miles & I had the same distance to return to the Bronco at Happy Trails. 

Mounds of Dutchman's Breeches!

When I spotted mounds of white, covering a hillside along the trail, I recognized the same little wild flowers who've made an appearance at home.  I couldn't believe I'd missed them on way south!  I like to think I see everything, but I don't.  I still spook when something comes from my right.

Silver Creek~

By the time I was back at the Trestle, the clouds were rolling in again.  I'd taken both my vest & light weight jacket, but had worked hard enough I hadn't worn either for very long.  I really like the new rear bike rack Raymace pannier bag!  It has a place for my water bottle, is insulated & has tie downs on top for my jacket.

I'd just loaded Speedy onto the Bronco, when Butch pulled in.  We walked across the street, to The Hood for dinner.  After 17-miles, I was starved.  I'm still trying to find the sweet spot between doing & overdoing.  This week was a bit easier - I had just the tiniest more bend in the knee & ankle.  My  average moving speed was up by another 1-mph.  Small gains!

2017 - Our First Year - Settlin' In~

Our first year at the Home Place!  Twelve-months that will go down in our history as a basis of comparison for future years. Whether the routines, the weather, the landscape or the memories.

1-14-17 Our new norm - sunshine!

January, the first couple weeks we were in Boulder. Once we returned home, I was busy hacking, pruning & hauling years of accumulated trash up from the creek area.  The weather was so mild!  Butch was installing cabinets & new sinks in the master bath.

1-21-17 Nika & me - hard at work~

With such nice weather, I started bringing up trash from the bottom of the hillside between our backyard area & the creek.  Projects of one sort or another dominated most of the year.

2-15-17 Butch, Nika & the new fence~

By mid-February, the fence was finally in!  Nika was free to run & was the happiest dog ever!

Butch installed tile backsplash & the new kitchen island.  Farah & I enjoyed trails at Two Rivers, NE & the local Wabash Trace for the first time.  Butch & I joined the newly formed BCHIA, SW Chapter.  Butch was elected Secretary of the Mills County Trails Board - which we both joined.

3-19-17 Clearing~

March, the weather was still wonderful.  I started to clear & clean out the area between our south fence & the creek.  Vines went high into the trees & were covered with thorns.

4-16-17 Dutchman's Breeches

Spring was Grand!  We'd been taking walks around town all winter & continued them into spring.  The local parks were fun to explore & I loved finding new-to-me native flowers!  We took down a large Mulberry tree at the east end of the house.  We were referred to the best deck contractor in the area & John agreed to take on our deck & porch projects.

6-11-17 - Done!

Butch tore off the old deck & John began work on the new one mid-May.  It was complete the first week of June!  The front porch was delayed by our wait for a variance, which we eventually received.  John started the third week of June & by the Fourth of July - it too was done!

7-1-17 Summertime~

Farah & I were busy finding anyplace somewhat local - to ride.  Waubonsie was our usual haunt, but we branched out to Indian Caves State Park, NE, Glen Cunningham Lake north of Omaha, Lake of Three Fires near Bedford & Pierce Creek outside Shenandoah.  All of these places roughly a 100-mile round trip.

Butch was driving the big yellow school bus & doing maintenance at a small apartment property.  Between the two jobs, working full-time.

8-15-17 Mason, Butch, Cassidy & Courtney

August was the month we'd looked forward to all year! Courtney & the kids came for their first visit! We toured the Omaha Zoo & drove to Indian Caves State Park to see the total eclipse. It seemed like every day went by faster than the last... The kids were happy to see the things they remembered were still with us. Farah was thrilled to see them too!

9-3-17 Sliding Door in~

September, Butch installed a sliding door in the family room - where we'd just had windows before.  Huge improvement in the views & accessibility to the back deck.  We had volunteered to help with the BCHIA Poker Ride & camped at Brushy Creek Recreation Area.  Wow - what a great place to ride with miles & miles of trails.  So fun to see all the new to us country!

9-30-17 At Brushy Creek~

October of last year, we were in Sheridan, WY, this year, enjoying our 35th Anniversary weekend at Lake Okoboji.  The drive up was beautiful & the lakes incredible.  So great to find a place that we like so much, easy drive & no traffic!  Yes, we're spoiled now!

10-13-17 Touring the largest of the lakes~

November & fall - gorgeous weather - some of the nicest of the entire year.  Farah & I were on the trails more than any other month & had traveled 400-miles by year's end.  Not the huge number's we used to accumulate, my priorities are changing as the years continue to march by.  We found the north end of the Wabash Trace is closest to home & the longest ride in the area - so we do it often.  We also had fun horse camping weekend with a new friend at Lake of Three Fires.

12-12-17 NW Corner of our second lot~

Though we were still waiting for the survey, I took advantage of the nice weather to start clearing into the timber areas.  After some reconnaissance, it was obvious the area was totally overgrown, forgotten & covered in trash.

December we flew to Washington - then drove south to Oregon - to visit the Grand-kids!  How many ways are there to say how much we miss them?  The two weeks have flown by...  We packed as much fun into each day as possible.  Making memories that will last a lifetime for us & hopefully for them too...

After spending the day at the beach, with the Wrights & loving every minute, they left for home  We drove south - to what was in the past - our favorite get-a-way Cannon Beach, OR.  Though the day had turned cloudy & cool - just an hour before sunset - the sun broke through the low hanging clouds.

We stood witness to a gift from God, humbled to be in such a place, at such a time.  2017 left us in a blaze of glory~

Past Year - 2016~