Butch had been home over the weekend - it's never long enough. I was missing him already & he'd only been gone a day! The best remedy is loading Smokey & starting the wheels turning. It used to be saddling up the gold girl & riding her rhythmic gaits. Even so, there's something musical about the slight whirl of the tires on limestone, too.
The corn is growing by the day!
I was amazed at how much the corn had grown just since my last visit here on May 23rd! We had ended up with just under an inch of rain over the weekend. So very welcome & obviously the corn took full advantage!
The Walnut Cathedral is fully leafed out!
It was so fresh a day & so great to have a return to the abundant green foliage of the trees. As usual, the Walnuts draw my attention. I can't help but appreciate their breauty, even if they do get the award for making riding difficult once the nuts drop!
The current shrubs are some of the prettiest. I have a few small starts in our woods, but I think they need more sun than they get. Here, they're usually along the edges of the trail, where they get the most of the filtered sunshine.
At the park~
It was a warm day, but with low humidity. Day's like these will be fewer & fewer as summer approaches. I still appreciate seeing the water level up in the pond & even watched as a few fish jumped. This little pond is a popular fishing spot & has a small campground.
As I started back for Silver City, the Elderberry caught my attention! In full bloom - bees buzzing around the flowers. This is my fourth season of bike riding & I haven't tired of it. Of course it's taken four bikes to make it pleasurable. I still cringe when I see E-bikes on the trail, but the day may come. I would take that, to not being able to go the distances I do.
Sweet!
Happy dance! The Mulberries were ripe! Oh my gosh they are so sweet this year! The trees are just loaded with them! I picked & picked for quite a while & wished I'd brought a bag to carry some back with me. They don't travel well though - so I would have ended up with juice - I'm sure.
On the trestle~
The sun is really strong now, I don't waste any time when I'm directly in it. Even the planks of the bridge were radiating the heat back at me.
Butch had called earlier in the day. He'd picked up his load in St. Joseph on Monday & when he tried to adjust the tandems on the trailer, he discovered they wouldn't budge... He tried everything he could think of with no success. After a call to Izeak, (Owner of Blake Scott, who called D&D owner of the trailer) he was told to drive north on I-29 to Sapp Bros. near Percival for a repair.
Arriving at Sapp Bros. - he spend Monday night there - but the wait time for the repair was 14-hours.
He was told to continue on to the Love's just outside of town, near Glenwood. He'd arrived there this morning. They didn't have the correct part, so he'd been waiting all day for the air valve to arrive & be installed.
Traveler at the shop~
I finished my ride & decided I'd drive out to see if Butch was still waiting, since I hadn't heard from him. As I cruised through the big truck parking area, there was my husband, walking across the lot! He'd just backed the trailer into the shop & the repair was in process. We ended up having "dinner" at the Subway! Shortly after I headed home, he called to say he & Traveler were back on the road. He managed to make his delivery in Salt Lake on time!
It was going to be a hot & humid day - but it was the day I had. Butch would be at Agriland & if I was going to ride, a break half-way would be welcome. The trail was still more damp than I imagined. We've had no wind, which usually makes quick work of the drying process.
A mile south of Silver City~
There wasn't even a hint of a breeze & the humidity was enveloping. At Mari Jo's suggestion I bought my first cycling jersey. Mari Jo noticed & as I was leaving said; "It even has pockets in the back." I told her Equestrians aren't into back pockets! She responded just as I hit the trail; "Ice pack!" Well, now, that sounded like a wonderful idea! :-)
Breezy on the trail~
You can tell in both the above photos how damp the surface was. Slippery in places too. There's been questions on our Facebook Verve page regarding the tires that come with the bike. Mine are an upgrade & so far I've not had an issue. Of course I don't do many turns. Crossing heavily graveled roads, so far, I've been fine.
Silver Creek - far from "silver"~
Water levels in the small creeks & Silver Creek, were up from the rains we've received. As always with rain, there's more silt in the water.
I wasn't out to break any records. Yesterday, weed whacking along the creek, I'd slipped & fallen backwards. It bent my bad knee All the way back, until my heel touched my rear... The pain was incredible & I had no idea if I'd re-broken - who knows what? I felt something in the back of my knee give, maybe scar tissue? I didn't think the knee joint was capable of bending so much since the surgery, but with the force of my backwards fall, it did!
With my extensive medical knowledge - not - I've decided if it did it once, there's should be more bend I can get. Now, I'm pushing on it until it hurts & worked the entire ride to keep the ball of my foot on the pedal.
Nate takes me for a ride :-)
I surprised myself by making it to Agriland in an hour. As I stopped, I had a huge cramp in top muscle of my right thigh. Probably from the change I was making & not enough electrolytes. Butch had all the fans going & my cold coke tasted so good! I was about ready to leave when he called me over to where the sprayer had just come in. Nate was willing to give me a ride! What fun!
Corn growing fast!
The clouds were welcome, as relief from the strong sun, but held in the humidity. The only breeze to be found on this day, was what Breezy made.
The wild Elderberry was in full bloom, so pretty against the green. Our edible varieties at home have bloomed now too, I'm hopeful I'll be able to collect some before the birds get them.
Looking down~
In case you think there aren't deep ravines in Iowa, think again! The bridges were built over some difficult terrain.
Wait for me! :-)
Breezy, obviously, was in a hurry to get back! I didn't see one rider the entire 17-miles. The Wabash Trace has recently received another stellar local review. I've very thankful to have it. Butch & I joke about moving out toward Greenfield or Creston. Both towns need School Bus drivers & there's an Agriland almost everywhere. :-) He did mention too - I'd go batty without a place to ride & that's true!
As to the new jersey, usually my cotton t-shirts are soaked half way down. The new jersey was soaked too, but it did breathe enough, I think I was cooler!
Last year, we were working on fencing at the farm. Riding was always my priority, not a lot got done around home. This year things have changed. Without Farah, I still feel some-what incomplete. So many years of self-imposed responsibility & the huge joys (along with the time commitment) that came with it - now over.
Trail into the Timber~
With the warm & sunny spring weather, I've found plenty of new challenges to keep me occupied. I go to the Y, three times a week. The elliptical is my torture of choice, pushing the time, distance & incline, competing against myself. I've always enjoyed some sort of challenge. It seems normal after so many years of competitive riding.
June 3rd - Rain~
Our Mills County Naturalist - used the term infestation - to describe all the bush Honeysuckle on our property. It is truly amazing how quickly these plants sucker, grow & spread. I've taken down all the huge plants that were on the back side of the south fence. It's really expanded our view & given the small trees there a chance to grow.
Butch brought me a reciprocating saw with an aggressive blade. It does a great job of cutting the woody stems down to the ground. A treatment of Torodon, should kill what's left. Butch will use the chain saw on some of the largest & we'll probably rent a chipper to get rid of the debris. It will take years to finish the job. So far - I have at least five piles about ten-feet high.
A friend invited me over to collect plant starts from her stunning yard! The Iris above actually bloomed two-days later. I planted it in the corner of the marsh & I hope it spreads! Another friend has given me huge & beautiful hosta's. Those are now in gardens at the edge of the Timber & on each side of the Cabin.
"My" Yard~
The lower backyard used to be such a mess. All the Autumn Olive here, have been cut down. The four varieties of edible Elderberry I planted last year - are almost five-feet tall & blooming. Soon, we'll be able to sample the berries. We've planted a small White Pine & two Swedish Aspen that I hope don't sucker.
Nika hears Butch's truck!
It's been in the low 90's most of the week with crazy high dew points. I take my electrolytes, drink water & wear a sweatband.
Awaiting blooms!
The days have been stunning, the ground still damp from all the rain. Usually, there's a breeze to dry the sweat. The evenings are warm, the air thick & rich with the smell of blooming flowers & trees. Earlier this week, the Lightening Bugs returned! A spark here, there, high in the air! Giving us notice that summer right is around the corner.
We took the long way! I thought I'd be smart & try my own route to the park. You know how I've said I don't like going to a new place with Farah in tow until I've checked it out? Well, the last cool day - probably of the month - seemed like a good time to go. We toured a section of Omaha - thanks to construction. Next, we toured every entrance - each with a sign designation for; marina, camping, etc. When we did find the final entrance - the one place for horses had no signage saying so. I was so thankful for the Bronco's tight turning radius!
It took us over an hour to get there - not like the 40-min. I was expecting. The day had turned overcast & the humidity was lower than I expected. Farah unloaded, took a look at the lake & started grazing. Once she was saddled, we walked around looking for the trail? There was a concrete path - heading out across a wetland type area. I decided to walk her out that way - since it seemed to be the only option. We found road apples!
Heading out on the concrete path~
The concrete turned to old paving & finally that turned to dirt just before we entered a beautiful wooded area.
Very overgrown with brush~
Overgrown, the trail was actually wet & a little muddy through here, but it was so nice to be in the timber.
Climb up~
Soon we were through it & headed up a short hill. From up on top, we could just see over the trees to the lake.
Lake View
The grass was plentiful~
Enjoying the lush grass~
The trail dropped us down onto a gravel road, we trotted along it past a parking area & found the trail again on the far side. Now, we were right along the shore of the lake.
Farah sees a sail boat!
Again the trail crossed the path & headed up to what was the east perimeter fence line of the park.
East fence line~
We rode along this fence for a way - then dropped back into another beautiful section of wooded trail.
In the trees~
It was just so pretty & oh so pleasant to be riding without the oppressive heat!
Through the trees~
So lush & so pretty - what's left of a wonderland - now surrounded by a city.
Enjoying the green~
All too soon, we found ourselves coming out back at the trail along the lake & took it until we arrived at the campground we'd toured earlier :-)
The Elderberry that grows here is so different from the WA state variety. Beautiful & edible from what I've read.
Heading back~
Once we left the lake trail, crossing back across the gravel road, Farah picked up on a path back up the hill. We took it & ended up at yet another camping area. There were a few people setting up tents for the weekend.
Nice area~
Now we were up on the perimeter fence again. Rather than take the trail we'd come out on, I decided that we'd follow the fence line. Farah loves new places & I love riding her walk. :-)
As we entered the timber again, there was a guy wearing a lime green shirt on the far side of the fence. He was part of a landscaping crew of at least half a dozen men who were working on the estate in the photo below.
Stunning~
This home more than rivals anything I've seen in the Redmond, Bellevue area of Washington State. Just a short walk away - was another amazing home!
More my style :-)
I loved the timber frame style of this one. It had a full story below, hidden by the hill & grass. We came to a little grassy clearing & here was a Mulberry tree full of ripe fruit! Wow! I parked Farah under the tree & started picking, eating & picking some more! It took me right back to my childhood, standing on my saddle & picking from Topsy's back! I offered Farah some berries - which she refused - unlike Topsy - who ate as many as I could pick!
Ripe Mulberries!
Still following the fence, we skirted the area of timber & surprised a large doe. She saw us before Farah saw her :-)
These deer are so much larger than the ones we used to see in WA, she moved off before we got too much closer. We looped around & ended up back on the concrete walkway. The ride was over quicker than I would have liked.
Almost back~
I'm told there's a little more trail on the far side of the road - but I decided to leave that for another day & head home, wondering about Friday afternoon traffic.
Back at the trailer~
Farah hadn't broken a sweat, just under the saddle pad. I let her graze a while, always her reward for taking me out :-) The field hydrants were locked shut, so I filled a bucket with lake water - which she refused. I later read that the water has E.coli bacteria.
Omaha ahead~
I decided to wise up & let google take me home! It was so much quicker & easier than our drive up! As you can tell from the above photo, traffic wasn't an issue. Since Farah's stable is north of town, I could have saved myself about 15-miles if I'd just gone north from there. I dropped her off & by the time I was home - it was another 100-mile day.
Our route~ 6.27 miles
Friends had told me they thought there were about 12-miles of trail, which was one of the reasons I wanted to check this area out. Riding every trail I could find, minus the trails across the road, my Garmin recorded just over six. Still - it's a beautiful park & was an enjoyable ride. It reminded me a little of Bridle Trails, in Bellevue, WA.
