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!

A Happy Thanksgiving!

 It took a 40-mile taxi ride & three flights for Butch to get home - but - he's Home for the Holiday!  It took me three-days, but we made it out onto the trail yesterday!  We found Mari Jo walking Gracie in the first mile & she took our photo :-)  At first she was worried a stranger was following me!  :-)

11-23 On the Trail~

Butch had put in for home time & was dispatched this direction last week.  He was in Boise on the 18th, heading to Gooding, ID to pick up a load of cheese.  Arriving in Gooding, he found that the load wouldn't be ready until the scheduled pick-up date of 11/19.  With an extra day to wait, he had time to take Blue over to D&D's shop for an oil change.  It took all day to get the truck into the shop & by evening when the mechanic looked at it, they found a slight oil & coolant leak.  

11-18 Blue in the shop~

The company owner had already made arrangements for a different truck for Butch, coming in December.  Rather than the wait to have Blue repaired - since the semi was due to be traded in next month - he sent Butch home until the new truck arrives in Salt Lake.  The date for that delivery has been moved up - to hopefully this coming week.

Corrine, UT - Blue on his last run with Butch~

Friday evening, I spent on-line, finding flight connections to bring him home.  Everything was pretty well booked up this close to the holiday.  The first flight out, wasn't until Sunday.  He spent Saturday packing up his things, disconnecting all his electronics etc.  Sunday, Butch's day started with a taxi drive to the small airfield in Twin Falls. (The Taxi owner/operator had been an OTR driver!) The first flight took him back to Salt Lake, the next to Minneapolis/St. Paul.  The final flight brought him home to Omaha.  I picked him up just before 11 p.m. Sunday night.

Butch on the trail~

The weather this week has been as incredibly wonderful as it was cold & awful last week.  I've often said, all I have to do is schedule any kind of appointment & the weather will be nice!  It happened again & I ended up loosing a perfectly good ride day.  I was ever So happy the mild weather continued!

On the Trestle~

A ride to the Trestle & back was all I had time for, with pies yet to bake!  I did put cookies in my pack & Butch was surprised when I pulled them out for our treat!

Bikes back at Happy Trails~

All was quiet back in town, everyone home enjoying the perfect day & probably cooking!  Just what I should have been doing!

Pumpkin & Southern Chess~!

It took me until early evening - I don't think Butch would ever let me get away without baking pies!  I do enjoy it though & never deviate from our seasonal favorites.

When I got up to get the turkey in the oven this morning - it was another glorious day.  We miss the kids & Grandkids especially during the holidays, but it's great to have time together.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sunday at the Lake~

 I wouldn't be able to ride tomorrow - scheduled to be our last day before upcoming rain!  Today was sunny & mid-60's, but with wind.  I decided to visit Lake Manawa & ride the hard surface trail.

On my way west~

You can tell from the tall grass there was a good wind blowing.  Enough to keep me working & a few gusts that blew Smokey sideways.  I stopped when I reached the turn into the park to take off my jacket & turned off the Garmin to get it through my sleeve.

Old campground to the left, new & used camper sales on the right.

It wasn't until I reached the entrance to the old campground I realized that I hadn't turned the Garmin back on!  I'd failed to record the two-miles to reach this spot.  But, it's not like I don't know this route well enough to edit my final mileage.

North end of the lake, looking south~

This view won't last, once the development starts here, at least not for me.  

Blooming Locust trees~

The Locust are a bane to most homeowners...  We have one in the Marsh & I'm constantly pulling the non-stop shoots these trees send up.  More than once I've considered cutting it down, but I love shape as they mature.  Butch & I have called the ones we see from the back deck, the "African trees".  For some reason they remind us both of trees shown growing on the African savana's.  The blooms are huge & really beautiful.

Across the lake toward Omaha~

I took the trail to the south side picnic area to take a break, but a wedding party had reserved the area.  What a beautiful place for a wedding!  I stopped far enough away to not intrude.

Trail on the south side~

The trail to the lake is one of the prettiest in the park.  Curving through woods on both sides, you would almost think you were in the country.

The "Heavey Metal" Underpass~

You don't have that feeling on the way back to the Wabash northern trail head!  The photo above is of the underpass under the train tracks.  These trains are ladden with coal, heading for the Mid-American plant nearby.  Built for strength, for sure!

Smokey in the underpass~

It always gives me a strange feeling riding through. Once past, it's just over a mile back to the Explorer.  The ball fields were full of teams playing & surrounding mowed fields were full of cars.  I thought about stopping at Tastee Treat, until I saw the line of people waiting!  

We're all looking forward to the promised rains!  I should have been home mowing the marsh, but couldn't resist one more ride.  Hopefully, I'll have time to get that mowing done tomorrow!

Sun & Muck~

 Sunny, high 50's & not a lot of wind.  This - after days of freezing temperatures.  Mari Jo thought the trail surface was still frozen enough for a ride.  We were only out a short distance, when we came to the first of the soft spots.

Mari Jo & the bikes~

After getting around it, the trail dried out again, but not for long...  We felt committed at that point to continue on the four miles to the trestle.

Beaver's now have two dams'

It was totally a beautiful day - February?!  Nothing like last year!  We've had hardly two snow events, not enough to even call true storms, at least when it comes to inches of white stuff.  It has been cold enough to keep the remnants of the last snow, on the ground for days & days.

Upstream, Silver Creek~

It's easy to see from the solid sheet of ice still on the creek, it has been cold.  Even with the cold though, we've had a handful of days so nice & warm it could be spring.

Limestone on the tires~

On a few of the soft, boggy spots, I took the center of the trail, where there was still a layer of ice.  The ice was easier to get across than the slippery limestone.  We took the very edges of the trail wherever possible.  Our tracks sunk in about a half-inch in a few spots. It really wasn't much fun.  We need a few days of wind - which is expected - to dry it out.  

Back in Glenwood, I drove to the car wash to clean both the Explorer & the bike, covered in limestone & with muck on the tires.  It's been so generally dry; we're constantly warned of the fire danger.  Unheard of for this time of year...

September on the Wabash~

We're now into the weather roller coaster time of year.  After a scorching hot weekend, today we enjoyed temps in the mid-80's & blissfully lower humidity!  Mari Jo had her shop open over the long holiday weekend, so the closed sign went up today!

Breezy at Happy Trails~

Neither of us had ridden for over a week & not together for a few more.  It was fun to be back out on the trail again & so beautiful.  We'd just entered the canopy of the trees when a Monarch butterfly flew right in front of us!  He stayed either ahead or to our side, for quite a way.  A little further - we had several in the air around us!  What a wonderful feeling to be accompanied by such ethereal friends.  

Dead tree down~

Not far south, this dead tree had come down.  Mari Jo looked to possibly move it father from the trail, but it was too heavy for us both.  It was easy enough to get around & the orange ribbon gave a heads up to anyone moving fast.  (By our return trip, it had been cut up & moved to the side.)

Mari Jo kept me so busy peddling, I didn't take many photos!  :-)

The bikes take a break in the shade~

Once in Malvern, we did take a short break before heading back.  The wind was out of the north, so the return trip took a little more effort.  Mari Jo, as usual, made it look way too easy.  My leg continues to improve, but still doesn't have the strength or flexibility it did a year ago...

Monarch, in the Marsh, last Sept.

The Monarch's are in the middle of their fall migration to Mexico.  One of natures wonders - such seemingly frail creatures can make such an arduous journey.  If you read the above link, their destination's habitat is dwindling year by year.  Several local groups are involved in supporting the migration as they travel through Iowa.  Milkweed balls are tossed by bike riders all over the state.  Most of our local trails & roads have milkweed growing along the sides.

Riding with so many in the air around us, is an experience I won't soon forget.  I hope they continue to survive in spite of the challenges.  I'm looking forward to my first fall rides on the trail!

First Ride of Summer ~

 We had just enough rain Sunday morning to add humidity to what was to be another day in the 90's.    When we returned home from a Father's day drive, the wind picked up & blew the heat & humidity out!  Within just an hour or so, temperature's dropped substantially.  

Today, was as I'd hoped - Cooler!  I spent the morning mowing, then after lunch, loaded Breezy for the drive to Silver City.  Mari Jo had a appointment, Butch was driving an activity, so I was on my own.

Breezy watching the corn grow :-)

Butch was telling me - with the new modified corn - it's expected to be waist high by the fourth-of-July.  A change from when I was a kid & knee high was considered on track.  The 70's felt almost cool in the shade on the trail.  There was a lot of wind & some good gusts, more than we'd had a home.

On the trail~

It's so lush & beautiful this time of year, enveloping the senses.  The wind even kept the insects away.  The limbs blown down last week, had been removed.

At the Trestle, 14-miles to Imogene~

My leg was stiff & sore today.  Of course mowing for a few hours, before riding,  probably didn't do it any good.  Doing without the Gabapentin for a week now, has been difficult.  It covered more than just the ache & pain of my leg. 

I'd taken two bottles of water & emptied one by the time I reached Malvern.  I took a short break in the shade by the little depot.  I'd only seen three riders on the trail.  With the nice weather, I was surprised there weren't more.

Today's break spot~

I went to the far side of town to where the trail crosses the main road & passed Fast Stop before turning back.

Breezy & a BIG friend!

A few months ago, the wind actually blew the big bike down!  Since then, it's been reinforced with additional braces to the concrete pad.  The antique town sign, adds a nice touch.

The rear view~

I started running out of steam on the way back.   When a large cloud came over, the temperature would drop & once it almost felt like rain.  This section has seen a lot more rain than we have in Glenwood.  There was one place in the shade where my front tire slipped on the wet surface.  The trail was heavily rutted in many places.

Coming into Silver City from the south~

It was a relief to see town up ahead.  When I downloaded my stats though, my overall speed was actually up 2/10ths of a mile over my last ride here a week ago.  It was super hot that ride, which is probably the difference.  I missed my visit to Butch's shop & my cold coke too!

Beating the Heat?

 No...  It didn't happen...  I was up early, hurried through some chores, loaded Breezy & was leaving the trail-head by 10 a.m.  I'd only managed one ride last week & was anxious to get back out.  

Where the trail meets the road, Silver City~

With the day & the week both scheduled to heat up to the mid-90's, I decided to try an earlier morning ride.  What I hadn't figured in, was the increased humidity.  Breezy was as good as her name & provided me the only breeze of the ride.  The trees along the trail provide shade, but they also hold in the humidity.

Mulberries!

Not far from town, I recognized the first sign of the summer season!  Mulberries littering the trail! I stopped to pick a few from the lower branches.  So very good & sweet too!

Ripe & yet to ripen~

I only saw one couple on the trail, coming from Malvern.  We met at the trestle.  They were complaining about the "blackberry" on the trail & what a mess it was making of their legs.  I didn't bother to correct them, as to the type of fruit, or mention fenders might alleviate the problem?  I'm still surprised fenders have evidentially gone out of vogue.  Just from a safety perspective, I'm happy to have them every time I hear a branch or rock hit.

Under Hwy 34~

This was actually the coolest spot on the trail today.  I stopped long enough for a drink.  The flies were out in force.  Even sprayed from top to bottom, they would land, but not bite.  I couldn't help but remember the rides where Farah & I were attacked non-stop.  At least Breezy doesn't draw them to us :-)

I made it to Agriland in under an hour, which surprised me.  I've given up Gabapentin as of today.  I'd cut the dose in half for the last four-days.  Today, is the first day in over nine-months I haven't taken one.  We'll see if I make it without any withdrawal side effects.  My thought was, drink lots of water & sweat a lot!  Both those were accomplished on this ride!   How do I know how the nerves in my leg are healing, if I'm still on a drug?  I'm going to find out.

Leaving Butch's shop at Agriland~

It was a relief to pull into the shade of the shop!  Butch had another surprise waiting for me - a Mexican Coke - over ice!  I'm really spoiled now!  I stayed in front of the fan for the 30-min. I was there.  My shirt was still soaked when I left.

Full on Lush~

Friday, the Malvern area received .25 of rain while Glenwood only had .08.  It was enough to soften the trail surface & came with a BIG wind.  The wind knocked down trees for miles on the trail, so my anticipated cool ride, didn't happen.  Over the weekend, the trail volunteers were out in force, clearing the mess.

Breezy enjoys the shade on the Trestle~

We were about 3-miles from Silver City when I saw Mari Jo riding toward me.  She'd had morning errands to run.  Still hoping to catch me, our timing was off today.  The heat was getting more intense by the minute & the flies were awful.  We cut our conversation short.

Tree on it's way down~

I'd ducked under this big tree on my way south.  It's an impressive example of how strong Friday's wind gusts were.  They didn't last long thankfully, but it's so sad to see such a big, otherwise healthy tree toppled.  It will have to drop lower before the volunteers & their chainsaws can get it cut.

17 hot miles to add to my tally.  Once home, Breezy got a shower to remove all the purple, squished berries!  The cold spray felt Grand!

Return of the Heat ~

 It took more gumption than I like to admit...  To load Breezy onto the Bronco & drive to the trail.  The week is warming up, with today the coolest - at low 90's & 42% humidity. 

Breezy ready to go~

Just as I was leaving Silver City, crossing the bridge & going into the shade of the trees, two birds were having a fit!  Flying around over me & making every sound of distress they knew.  Looking a few feet ahead, here was a very tiny baby bird, just old enough to get into trouble!  He was totally unconcerned his parents were unhappy, pecking at the limestone & having a fine time!   As I peddled by, he'd moved to the edge of the trail.  I think they were Shrikes - very pretty.

Mari Jo was riding toward me, on her return trip from Malvern.  She had on a sun hat I couldn't help but admire.  I have so much hair though - I just can't stand anything on my head besides a sweat band.

Breezy in the shade~

With the upcoming heat & humidity, the corn will be growing by the day!  It's already probably over six inches tall.  I set my pace, slower in the shade, more speed in the sun!  This section of trail is so nice, in that it's mostly shaded.

Just before the Trestle~

This heavy branch couldn't have fallen more perfectly!  Covering the trail from side to side:-)  Too heavy to move, I lifted Breezy over it at the left side.  I'm sure the trail volunteer will have it cut out by tomorrow.

On the Trestle~

I was taking my electrolytes & the wind helped to keep the day a little cooler.  It was just the 20 mph. blasts I didn't care for.

We made decent time getting to Agriland.  Butch had a surprise for me!  He'd bought a bag of ice to keep in the freezer of the new refrigerator!   My coke was served over ice!  Yum!  We sat in front of the big industrial fan long enough for me to cool off.  

I rode around the lake on the new concrete path, taking it to return to the trail.

Agriland from the Park~

Once on the way back, I took a couple extra water breaks.  The wind was mostly at my back, which was better than riding into it!

Iowa - summer beauty

If you overlooked the heat, it was a beautiful day!  The puffy white clouds managed to sail overhead several times when I rode out into what would have been direct sunshine.  Being a cool weather person, I don't plan to let the heat keep me from the trail!  This ride took me over 300-miles year-to-date.