Ridin' Sunny!

 Well...  When I get these ideas in my head...  Personally, it's always been about how far can I travel & what places are there to see?  In elementary school, at day's end, I would cut up to the first ridge of the mountains, visit the horses there, then run back down.  Always arriving home, before Mom realized I was late!  I was ready for some time out-on-the-trail.  It's spring, Farah is not here, so I'm on my own.

My round-trip~

Sunny just managed to fit in the back of the Explorer. My plan was to leave from Silver City & ride to Malvern on the Wabash. Afterward, I'd meet Butch at Agriland & he would drive me back to Silver City. A nice one-way ride for my trial run.

I checked my tires, as I was leaving, to find my rear tire totally flat... I called Butch, who suggested I meet him at Agriland, where he'd fix my tire. Fine - I could still ride, but now, whatever I did, would have to be a round-trip.

Leaving Malvern

Butch replaced the stem on the tire & I was on my way.  It was a totally beautiful late morning.  Mid-60's & a light breeze.  Concrete for the first mile or so, was a nice bonus!

Creek Crossing~

I came to the first creek crossing & expected I'd see several more before I reached the spot where Butch & I had stopped on Sunday.

Between the bars~

There was quite a bit of traffic noise.  I knew I was heading toward Hwy-34.  

Under 34 

Sunny was rock solid through the tunnel!  No spooking at all :-)

Silver Creek Trestle Bridge~

Coming to this bridge was a bit of deja-vu.  It looked so similar to Tin Bridge in WA, on the Whitehorse Trail.  Silver Creek was flowing under, not nearly as large, or as noisy as the North Fork of the Stillaquamish.   This was about the 1/2 way point, on the way to Silver City, at four-miles.

Silver Creek~

The old wrecked, rusted train cars were lining the bank.  Whether by accident or design I don't know.  I was peddling along in second gear & making good time.  

Trail work~

Maintenance work was being done along portions of the trail.  The one thing I noticed, riding on & off of the bridges could be a little rough.  The transition from trail surface to wood plank was covered with dirt & sand to lessen the bump. 

Sunny posing in Silver City~

It took us, just over an hour, even with photo op stops.  There was no cell service, even in town.  I was going to call Butch & let him know I'd arrived.  Hum...  This means - heading back...

Oxymoron~

Sunny was in great shape.  Tires had stayed inflated, even when we'd crossed a couple roads of rough gravel.  I had myself convinced the trail was relatively flat, so how difficult could it be?  

Uphill grades into the horizon~

Well...  The wind had really come up - really.  Heading back to Malvern, I was peddling right into it.  In places, I was almost blown to a standstill.  It was obvious...  now...  What I thought was flat - was - in reality a nice uphill grade.  Sunny is Not light - by any stretch of the imagination - at 34 lbs.

Back at the beautiful creek~

It was enjoyable to hear my Garmin make it's familiar buzz sound at each mile.  Funny, how hearing that sound for so many miles & so many years sticks in my head.  

Nice old sign~

At nice bridges, we'd take a break.  I was very happy to see this sign!  Only four-miles to go! 

Sunny - 4-miles from Malvern

We passed four boys heading the other direction.  They all said; "HI!" & complimented me on my wheels!  I crossed the last road, back onto the concrete.  In no time, off the trail & back at Agriland, where things were absolutely humming!  Trucks going in, trucks going out etc.  I stopped by the office & just as I did, Butch went by, on his way to the shop.  He'll bring Sunny home in his truck.  

Sunny & a Tractor!

We're thinking of putting the bike rack on the Bronco for my next outing.  Climbing gratefully into the Explorer - ah - felt so nice.  The round-trip mileage was 17-miles.  I finished in just over two hours.  Just don't ask about my knees!  :-)

Ten-Years Ago Today~

This year's winter in Iowa has been very different from the last - our first!  I take solace in the fact that longtime residents are in agreement with me - this cold, ice & snow is a little more than what a usual winter has been for a while.

So, - with a world of white again outside the windows & an ice storm on the way - I sat down to take a glimpse back to where I was ten-years ago.  It's almost like time travel.  (Since 2000, when I started switching over to digital photography, I've backed up all my images on external hard drives, filed by date.)  Below are a few photos from a long-ago day, in a faraway place~

Mt. Pilchuck~

 This was the year our friends sold a part of their property to build a second home on the coast of Mexico.  It was called the Plateau, which is just what it was.  A large flat piece of land elevated above the Stillaguamish river.  It was accessible up a steep, rocky road from the drive below.  This farm is undisputedly the most beautiful in the Pacific Northwest.  We spent some amazing years riding here.

The drive along the Stillaguamish River~

The plateau is where we galloped the horses.  Evias would ride the young Thoroughbreds, I'd ride Khari & we'd be the sensible pony horse for the youngsters.  Khari would out-trot them at the start, then pin her ears when they'd go breezing past us.  There was somewhat of a track all along the perimeter & the views were stunning.  The Homestead was only three-miles away - we were neighbors & being adopted into this family was an honor.

The Farm~

I'd been on my way home when the clouds parted after a week of rain & the sun appeared.  It was a hard day for me, the roads were going in & the place that was like heaven on earth was being changed forever.  Ground was breaking for the new homes slated to be built.  The camera was in the Bronco, so I decided to pay a final visit to the Plateau.

End of the Rainbow~

 What I saw took my breath away~ The Rainbow arched from the far side of Mt. Pilchuck, all the way over to the farm.  The colors were the strongest I'd ever seen.  I stood in awe of the majesty of the planet we call home.

The Horizon~

I watched as the air around me changed.  Off over the distant peaks of the Cascades, dark foreboding clouds brewed snow.  The temperature dropped & the transition from the blazing gold of the late afternoon sun to the dark gray of the rapidly approaching storm was intense.

It was my last visit.  We had plenty of riding on the rest of the farm, but it was never quite the same~