Back on the Trail~

 Sunday & a beautiful day.  I hadn't ridden the limestone since my wreck, so I decided to leave from the park, go south & see if I could find the hedge apple tree. (I didn't find it, or someone had already picked them all up.)  It's one of my favorite sections of the trail to ride in the fall.

Ready to leave~

There were several families having a picnic near the playground swings.  With this weather, everyone who's been hoping for nice fall days are out enjoying them!

From the woods to the open~

To say I was more careful on the limestone is an understatement.  I've ridden through some sketchy areas many times, but now I'm aware of the consequences of one wrong move.  I'm considering removing my metal pedals & changing them out to the originals.  Those metal grips didn't feel good at all when they hit my leg.

White Cloud Trestle~

I miss my old route to the Silver Creek Trestle, but I'm determined to avoid it all I can, since the installation of the game cameras.  I just pray they leave this bridge alone.  It doesn't get the traffic, since it's a longer ride from the Mineola area, the origination place of some of the organized rides.

Stunning October day~

The leaves seem late to turn this year, maybe because we had some decent rain over the summer months.  In the next couple weeks, the colors should be at their peak.

My break & turnaround spot~

I'd ridden 7.41 miles to this point, according to my Garmin.  I took a short break & called Butch before starting back.  The trucks were roaring along the gravel roads with loads coming from the harvest.  I stopped short of the crossings.  I dismounted to let the drivers know I was waiting & wouldn't be trying to dart across in front of them.  That would be insane.

Very dry corn~

The fields that are still up, look dry & ready for the harvesters.  Beautiful gold in the afternoon sunshine.

Looking north at the White Cloud Trestle~

Back at the trestle, the trees are still green, just starting to show some gold.  It's always a fun ride back, mostly downhill.  I did moderate my speed though, lesson learned.

Back to Malvern~

Things were quiet in town, just a few cars going by on main street.  

Return to the park & Bronco~

Returning to the park, I was sorry the ride was over, but I'd left Finn home & try to limit his alone time to four hours or less.  He's always so good while I'm gone & meets me excitedly at the door when I return!  I'm hoping to get out for a few more rides this month, but the month seems to be flying by.  I'm still mowing & of course the Walnut had the most bumper crop of our years here!  For the last two weeks I've picked up at least 1-2 five-gallon buckets of walnuts a day!  (I counted & a full bucket holds over 250 walnuts!  I wish I was close to one of the collection sites!

The Walnut gets Trimmed ~

With the damaging wind storms, the local tree companies have been swamped with work.  Bill at TNT did the first work we needed on the Home Place in May of 2017.  The removal of a big, overgrown Mulberry at the east end of the house.  It had created quite a mess & we didn't want it coming down in a storm.

Mulberry~

Our beautiful Walnut out front, was carrying a full, heavy load of walnuts when the storms came through.  Each broke a few branches.  Butch cut out what he could reach with the ladder, the rest were too high.

Walnut, 8-26-2021

I was mowing all morning & just ready to stop for lunch when Bill & George pulled up.  We discussed the tree's damage.  We'd had it professionally pruned by an arborist the first spring we were here.  Since then, it had grown & grown!  Bill explained to me how some of the branches could contribute to the tree getting significant damage, if they weren't removed.

Bill goes to work~

After a short break, I was anxious to go back out & watch Bill at work.  I helped haul branches to the chipper.  

Yard full of branches!

It wasn't long before the yard was full of small limbs.  The chipper was going full speed.  I wanted the chips for my trails.  Walnut trees are allelopathic, so the chips can't be applied around bedding plants.  They should work well for my trails though.

I also asked Bill to cut down a tree at the edge of the forest. It's been in the process of dying off for several years now.  In no time it was down & I really appreciated the mess hauled away!  It took just about three-hours to get the job done. 

The grass for a huge distance around the tree, was literally covered with walnuts!  You couldn't walk the sidewalk without chancing a slip & fall.  About the time I was wondering how I'd ever get them all picked up, the boys next door came home from school!  I asked if they were interested in earning some money picking up walnuts?

My hard working "crew"~

I pulled all Farah's old buckets out of the horse trailer & walnuts were flying into them!  Soon, we had the wheelbarrow full!  We emptied that load & filled it again before we were finished!  I really enjoyed the company of the kids!  What a hard-working crew they were!  Mom & little sister came by to help with the last few :-)

All done~

All the limbs overhanging the house were trimmed back.  Bill said the tree will "fluff" out again next spring.  I'll miss all the shade, but with fall around the corner, the leaves will soon be dropping anyway.  It's the first tree to lose it's leaves & the last to open them.  I'm just happy it's healthy & the main limbs are all strong & rot free.

Exceedingly Warm~

 We're moving into the warmest/hottest part of our summer season...  Not my favorite time, since working or riding outside can be somewhat miserable.  I like doing both!  Today, slated as the coolest for the next two-weeks, was a ride day.

I unloaded Breezy in Silver City & stopped to catch up on the news with Mari Jo.  I didn't stay long, since just standing in the sun was enough to bring on the sweat.  The trail, with it's shade is always appealing.

Breezy enjoys the shade~

The Walnuts provide the most beautiful canopy.  Our big Walnut in the front yard, sustained it's first injuries ever, in the big wind storm that rolled through overnight on the 8/9th.  (Wind gusts of 60-80 mph were recorded.  last Sat., Butch used a 24ft. ladder to cut away broken limbs.  One is still so high up he couldn't reach it.  

Bright Blues~

It's always a somewhat magical feeling to be out in nature.  My addiction of choice.  I'm thankful I found a replacement for all the time I used to spend in an actual saddle.  At least Breezy' s saddle has helped me to stay in shape, more fun than the gym!

On the Trestle~

The humidity was very high, but a slight wind from the south helped a little.  

Break spot~

The coolness inside the Hwy 34 underpass is always welcome in this kind of weather.

The train~

I'd left a little early today & heard the train coming from a way off!  I put on some speed & managed to make it in time for a picture!

At Agriland, the big fans were blowing & Butch has several projects underway.  He was under one of them when I rode in.  Soaked half-way to my waist, I headed for the front of the closest fan!  A coke over ice revived me.  By the time I decided to leave, the high haze of smoke had begun to move back in & the clouds blocked some of the sun's heat.

Nearing Keys Road~

The photo doesn't do justice to the smoke in the air.  Omaha is right on the edge of where the smoke from all the wildfires is moving across the US.  A friend in Ohio - said the sky is white with it.  Here, the weatherman says it's keeping our temperatures down a degree or two.  It won't help going into the end of the month, when we're to get  feel's like temperatures in the triple digits.

Four-miles to go~

I appreciated the break from the direct sun on the way back.  I saw five riders out today, the most I've seen so far this season with the exception of the organized ride in June.  Finishing off the 17-miles, I cooled off in Mari Jo's shop before heading home.  It may be a while, before I tackle riding again.  It's the time of year the corn sweats!  You can smell it in the air, some evenings.  Into the 90's & humidity isn't fun & I'll take the comfort of AC!

The Heat is On~

Friday, when I usually am looking forward to the weekend & having Butch home, I was in a grumpy mood...  There are those days - I miss my horse friends more than others.  I miss talking horse, smelling horse & riding...  Still... Always...

Farah & I did this bridge a couple times illegally.  She never liked it & was cautious going over.  I think it was the slanted boards.)

The day was to be hot, but the humidity not as high as it will be this coming week.  I decided if I wanted to get in another ride, it would be a good time to see how I'd hold up to the higher temperatures.  Since I like to be out there for a while, today I decided to err on the side of caution & only ride from Mineola to Silver City & back.  A round-trip of eight miles.

Wild Carrot

The plant above starts out as a beautiful frilly, almost fern like looking plant.  Within just a couple weeks it can grow to be over ten-feet high & take over a field!  It has taken over sections of the trail!  The blooms are pretty, but do not smell good.

A high spot on the trail~

I look back at how difficult I used to think this section of the trail was.  Now, I'm just cruising over it.  In Silver City I decided to stop at the little Happy Trails bike shop.  We'd seen the owners sitting out earlier this week.

What a great shop!   All kinds of things people riding the trail might need.  From tubes, to snacks, ice cream, bug spray, bike bags, etc.  Mari Jo introduced herself & we ended up having a nice conversation about biking & bikes.  Not the same as horses, but still, fun.  Mari Jo has been riding bikes for as long as I've been riding horses & was a wealth of information.   She has a book on the counter where customers can sign their name & where they're from.  People from all over the world have visited this tiny town on a limestone, rural trail.

Sheer cuteness!

She said she's had many offers from people wishing to purchase the bike above!  It was loaded!  I'm sure some little girl had an amazing time riding it!

I had plenty of time & decided to stretch my personal envelope & continue for a couple miles further toward Malvern.  Hardly any wind today & with the shade of the trail, it was probably five degrees cooler than out in the blazing sun.  I stopped to take the photo below & got my first nasty bug bite on the trail.

Walnut Trees~

 Once I'd gone another two-miles I stopped for a drink.  Just as I did, a grandfather & his grandson passed me.  I let them get some distance ahead before I started back.  Before long though, I saw the grandfather stopped along the side of the trail, as his grandson peddled on.  He said;  "That kid has more energy than I do!"  I laughed!  I caught up to the boy.  We were both going the same speed - so I told him we were doing ten-miles an hour.  He asked me how I knew that?  I showed him my Garmin.

He told me they had ridden from Mineola to Malvern & now were heading home to Mineola!  That's a 24-mile round-trip!  No wonder his grandpa was tired!  Once back in town, we both parked our bikes at Happy Trails.  He - to wait for his grandpa & I bought a bottle of bug spray!  :-)

At the hill crest, downhill to Mineola~

The day had really warmed up.  My trail buddy had left & I said goodbye to Mari Jo.  The miles back to Mineola went fast.  Happy with myself for saddling up, getting in a fun ride & meeting some nice people!

"Little Joe" Flies Away Home~

I have been a nervous wreck!   It's been almost a month, since I discovered that a female Cardinal had decided to build her nest just to the left of our front door.  We have been tip-toeing in & out for weeks now.  Each time we would come or go, she left the nest.

June 6th~  Female on the nest~

 She was such a devoted mother.  It was very hot the day I managed to get her photo.  I'd snuck around from the backyard & used the zoom from out on the lawn.  We bought black sunflower seeds & put them in a clay drainage dish on the rail right under her nest.  Within a day - those seeds were being enjoyed!

June 10th - baby chicks!

About the time I thought that the eggs wouldn't hatch - they did!  It was about 15-days since I'd first discovered them.  Pretty much on schedule.  Everyone told me that the male helps with the feeding of the chicks & sure enough - he appeared out of nowhere!  We watched over the next few days as the parents would fly out, then return with a bug in their beaks & feed the chicks.  We both figured it would be at least a couple weeks - before the youngsters were big enough to try their wings.

The Male comes by~

 A crew of men had been working along the west side of the abandoned house to our east & cut away all the weed trees & shrubs yesterday.  When we got home, there was no activity at the nest.  I started worrying that maybe the parents had lost their home, been scared off & abandon the chicks.  I don't think I slept a wink last night - peeking out the door to see if the mother had returned.  She hadn't...

This morning, as we went to leave, I looked up to see this tiny little chick sitting on the edge of the nest looking right at me!  I couldn't believe it!  At lunch I was telling our friend Joe about the chicks & suddenly the name Little Joe popped into my mind.  The perfect name!

June 15th - Peeping Joe!

We came home after lunch - I couldn't see him on the nest & thought he might be asleep.  I decided to get a fluffy towel & put it under the nest - just in case one of the fledging's took a tumble.  I had the towel & walked past the living room windows on my way to the door - when I noticed this tiny little guy peeking in!

Little Joe is very friendly~

I grabbed the camera, carefully opened the door & walked out to get a photo.  He didn't seem to mind at all.  Butch checked the nest & it was empty!  We had to leave again & I expected that Little Joe would be long gone by the time we'd return...

Today - 4 p.m. still on the porch~

Wrong again!  He was still here!  He flew from the top of the rocker to the rail, back to the deck, then to the wire.  All the time stretching his wings & chirping.  I stayed in the house & watched out the storm door.  Soon, the female arrived.  She tried everything to convivence him that he needed to fly away with her...  No go...  He looked destressed, but he was Not leaving the safety of the porch.  Soon - a bright flash of red appeared.  The male!  He too, tried & tried - no luck...  He flew up into the lowest branch of the Walnut watching & chirping at Little Joe.  Butch finally walked up & shooed him with the brim of his baseball cap.  Little Joe did not care!  

Finally - there was a flutter of tiny wings!  We both thought he'd hit the ground & went around to check.  I didn't see him?  Then - I looked up & there he was! 

Success!  In the Walnut!

Little Joe had made the longest flight of his life & was in the Walnut!  I couldn't believe how tiny & helpless he looked up there!  Within seconds, he was hopping along the big branch, glanced over his shoulder at me & disappeared into the leaves.

Daddy is So Pleased!

Daddy had been sitting up a little higher, but soon came down & followed Little Joe off into the upper reaches of the tree.  I felt So Proud!  Our first bird grandkids have flown the nest & taken flight off into the big, wide, wonderful world!  What amazing parents these two cardinals were.  I'm sure they'd spent most of the afternoon keeping an eye on him.  Never giving up on their last fledging until he'd made that all important first flight & joined the rest of his family!  We feel blessed to have played a small part in the drama of this little families life~

It's Been a Long Time Comin'

One of our favorite ways to either start or end the day - has been to sit out~

Our view~

Last evening - for the first time, we could sit out & watch the rain!  With Butch working almost full-time between two jobs, we asked around for recommendations & were lucky enough to find John.  His reputation as the best is well deserved!  I had a few special requests - one - to have the railing high enough that when seated - I can see under it!  Having started on the 15th - even with the challenges that the weather created - John said today, he will be finishing up tomorrow!  The deck chairs will finally come out of storage!

Red Fox~

  As we were admiring the view, I saw a fox dart across just behind the swing!  He's the second one we've seen so far.  Butch saved us the demo expense by tearing off the old raised deck.  He started by pulling nails to salvage what decking materials he could - but soon I heard the chainsaw start up!  That made quick work of what was left! 

Butch doing demo - 94 degrees!

We'd hoped to start with the front porch but had to apply for a variance & are waiting for a positive outcome before we can begin.  Since the house faces north - having covered entries will be a huge improvement.   Luckily - John stopped the materials delivery for the front in time & replaced it with a new order for the back!

Walnut & Honeysuckle~

To say it's been a beautiful month is an understatement.  In WA - my favorite months were always May & Oct.  I think here - it's going to be the same.  The bushes lining the backyard are Honeysuckle & the smell has been incredible!  The air absolutely rich with their scent!   How sad I find they are an invasive species & almost impossible to eradicate.   The four younger trees we were worried about - they were so late to bud - are Walnuts!  Our big one out front is just now opening it's leaves!

Wall of Honeysuckle blooms~

I can't see myself investing the years of energy to attempt to remove the Honeysuckle.  The bird population is so large & seems diverse here - they bring in the unwanted seeds.   Instead - I'll try to control their spread & plant what natives I can.

In the meantime - we're thankful to have a new favorite outdoor space.  A place where we can enjoy the ever-changing views - created by the incredible variety of deciduous trees!