A Sad End to a Beautiful Day~

 With June's arrival, comes the increase in temperature & humidity.  Today was overcast & humid from the inch of rain we'd received on Wed. & the .08 last night.  The temperature was only in the 70's. I was looking forward to getting in a ride.  The Wabash trail, with the humidity & emerging insects wasn't appealing.  I decided to make the drive to Lake Manawa.  Being Friday, I was surprised to be the only car in my usual parking area.

Ready to ride~

As I left the air-conditioning of the Bronco, the humidity hit.  I'd better continue to prepare myself, because summer is around the corner.  Looking back at the last few years, my best riding months are usually April, May, September & October.  

On the trail~

The shoulder of the trail hadn't been mowed in a while.  The bushes lining the trail in several places were in full bloom & the air was rich with their sweet smell! 

Gray Dogwood, Cornus racemosa

They grow huge too as you can see in the above photo.  After an internet search, I think I've identified them as Gray Dogwood.  

Mandatory Mulberry Stop!

The other native plant dominating some sections of the park, Mulberry!  I couldn't believe the berries were already ripe.  In several areas, my ride was liberally interspersed with multiple stops to consume fresh, rain rinsed Mulberries!

Mulberry~

The old campground was full of both mature & young Mulberry trees, almost all sporting a heavy load of berries.  I wish I had vehicle access to collect them!

Almost to E. Manawa Drive~

Riding down E. Manawa Drive was awful though!  The construction is off in the far distance from where the above photo was taken.  Just past this spot you go from trail to a sidewalk along the road.  The construction side-dump traffic was non-stop.  The dust & dirt was thick in the air.  A street sweeper was operating without success, to contain the dirt left from all the trucks.  As it swept, the cloud of dust rose 50 feet into the air.  I shifted Shadow into Turbo, went up to my highest gear & flew through that area!

View South along Indian Creek trail~

It was a relief as usual, to make the turn south & ride along Indian Creek.  The quiet is palpable after the noise from the truck traffic.  It was nice to see a flow of water in the creek.  My last ride here had been April third. 

On the bridge over Indian Creek~

You can almost see the humidity in the air~ I enjoyed the southern section & passed the Bronco.  A mile further I took my favorite trail out to the lake.  Only one car was in the parking area by Picnic Spot #7.  

Lake Manawa~

The view is never the same & I always enjoy stopping here.  After a call to Butch, I started back.  For whatever reason, the little meadow below looks so remote yet is surrounded by civilization. 

Riding South~

Butch's analog bike had sold; I stopped at Extreme Wheels before heading home. I found crocheted riding gloves for summer. Driving home, I took I-29 south & exited onto Hwy 34 eastbound.  Cresting the hill, I saw a school bus stopped in the left lane.  It was near the bottom of the hill just past the intersection of 195th.  A white car was totally smashed & on its side in the median.  

Approaching the accident, I started flashing my brake lights at the traffic coming over the hill behind me.  The last thing I wanted was to be slammed into from behind.  The two cars in front of me had slowed & stopped.  Debris covered the road.  Within a minute or two, the cars in front of me started winding their way past the bus & through the debris.  I followed.  Behind me, cars in the left lane began merging to the right.  In my rearview mirror I could see the front of the bus was destroyed.  No first responders had yet arrived.  A man had pulled off to the side & was approaching the bus.  Another lady was running across the median toward the car.  

Once home, I checked our Mills Scanner page.  I'd missed the accident by seconds. The highways have become dangerous places.  In this area the speed limit is 55, but the usual speeds are 65 & higher. 

When we first moved here, the traffic was light & accordingly fast.  Now, with nine years of continued growth, the traffic is much heavier, but speeds haven't diminished.  It's rare to see a State Patrol vehicle.  In other states, Butch tells me the State Patrol stations patrol cars all along the busy highways, making a visible presence which slows traffic to the posted speed limits.  

Two lives lost & lifelong emotional trauma for the bus driver & young team.  My condolence's to all involved.

Under the Clouds~

 Butch had come home late the afternoon of the fifth & managed to do his 34-hour reset here!  He had two nights & one entire day at home.  He left on Friday, the weekend loomed large without him.  When I woke to cloud cover on Sat. & cool temperatures, a ride sounded perfect.

Tree canopy~

 On the first, I'd been mowing, decided to toss a long section of hose out of my way & managed to swing the brass fitting on the end right into the side of my right knee!  The pain was no fun & the knee has a good bruise & a egg size swelled spot.  

I left from Silver City & was soon engulfed in green. My theory was that pedaling would probably help my knee feel better.  At least it didn't hurt any worse.  On a Saturday, I expected more people on the trail, but was happy when I had it almost to myself.

Wild Carrot, in bloom behind Shadow~

The wild carrot is taking over along the sides of the trail.  It's huge & in bloom.  It does have a fernlike quality to the leaves & the blooms are pretty, but it can be toxic to some people. (This is the same plant I worked to cut out of Farah's pasture years ago.)

Fields turning green~

The days of high cloud cover are my favorite.  A respite from the bright sunshine & glare that comes with it.  The light green of growing corn has changed the look of the fields from winter's brown.

Silver Creek, lots of silt~

I took it easy today & stopped for a while on the trestle.  With the filtered light, the black decking didn't radiate the heat it had my last visit.  The creek though is still carrying a lot of silt, thanks to the recent rains.

Boehner Pond~

At the pond, it's so nice to see the water level somewhat recovered.  Only a few people were camping.  Besides a couple people fishing, all was quiet.  I tried to call Butch, but there was no answer, which is unusual.  I didn't stay too long before starting back.  The clouds were actually getting heavier, but rain wasn't in the forecast.

Mulberry Season!

I did - stop - several times to pick Mulberries!  They were so big & sweet & good!  For every ripe one that made it to my mouth, others would just fall off the branch.  It's easy to spot where the trees are, on the concrete sections especially.  Even on the limestone, you can't miss their locations.

Shadow on the Trestle~

I stopped again on the Trestle & this time when I called Butch, he answered!  He'd been driving through Chicago & hadn't heard the phone ring.  Thankfully, he was on the far side of the traffic & glad to be through the city. 

Gray Dogwood~

The above blooms caught my eye on the ride back.  I asked for help identifying them on the Iowa Native Plant FB page.  I'd like to find starts for this shrub & try them in our woods.  By the time I was close to Silver City, I could smell rain in the air. 

Back at the Explorer, I'd just finished loading Shadow when the rain started.  I drove through a decent drizzle most of the way home.  As I passed the new Runza in town, there wasn't the usual line at the drive through, so I pulled in.  I bought one for me & one for Doris, who was watching Finnigan.  As I pulled in her driveway, I could see Finn at the storm door.  Doris said she thinks he could hear the Explorer as I got nearer & was waiting for me.  Such a good boy!  

It was one of my favorite rides so far this year.  With summer around the corner & the heat/humidity that comes with it, I doubt I'll be enjoying more days like this for a while!