Welcome Break ~

 We received a taste of what the southern part of the country has been enduring.  Our humidity added to the intense heat. Everything had been so green, after the nice rains we'd received in July. It was like a switch had been flipped.  Last Saturday, the 19th felt like someone had turned on the furnace. I spent as much time as I could stand, outside watering.

"Feels like" - Start of the heat~

It was an uncomfortable week at the least & miserable at the worst.  We had a Garden Club meeting on Monday & even with the heat, there was a great turnout, super presentation & we all enjoyed getting together. As the week went on, every day was hotter than the last. Our morning "low" on the 22nd, broke the record - at 80 degrees.

Yesterday, it was such a relief when the heat dissipated. There was the short spatter of rain early in the a.m., enough to raise the humidity.  In spite of that - it was a stunning summer day.  I spent the afternoon mowing the marsh, the one place that stays green without watering.  It has the perfect combination of shade, rich soil & a low elevation on the hill.  

With the cooler weekend forecast - today I was ready to get Smokey on the trail.  After lunch I drove to Silver City, enjoying all the wonderful smooth, new blacktop!

Field of Soybeans~

As the afternoon progressed, the day did heat up into the mid-80's.  I was thankful for the little bit of breeze from time to time.

Welcome shade~

When I reach the heavily shaded sections of trail, where the Walnuts stand tall, the temperature always seems to drop a couple of degrees.

At the park~

The puffy white clouds floating by on the clear blue sky, only accentuated the feeling of a late August afternoon.  Leaving Malvern, the sunflowers growing along the area that had been burned, were in full bloom!  Blazing spots of yellow amidst green foliage.

Standout Sunflowers!

I had again, to my surprise, made really good time on the ride. Every time I ride off the concrete & onto the gravel, the old dead tree below greets me.  I wonder how many more windstorms it will withstand - hopefully a lot.

One of many dead trees~

Butch scheduled home time for Friday over a month ago.  Tuesday the 15th his reset was cut short at 15-hours.  He was told to go ahead & deliver a day early to Kent.  When he arrived, there was a four hour wait to be unloaded.  With his 70-hour clock expired, he was driving on recaps - by way of Port Angeles, Sacramento & Denver.  From Denver, he delivered to North Platte, picked up an empty & made it home!

Butch & Traveler, happy to be home!

His time away from home, always seems to stretch forever, but time at home flies by.  It's always a relief to see Traveler coming down the street! The "Honey Do" list isn't too long & we appreciate our time together more than ever!  

Another Ride ~

 The weather is cooperating this week!  Such nice days, to spoil us before the heat & humidity roll in.  I decided another ride this week would be more fun than mowing.

Wind blowing the corn~

The corn is done growing, has tasseled & now will wait for the harvest.  I should have taken a short video of the wind blowing across it, almost like waves in the ocean.  

Smokey on the trestle~

With a decent wind blowing from the north, I took advantage of it on my way to Malvern.  I knew the trip back riding into it - wouldn't be nearly as easy.  Smokey moved right along; I minimized the stops to see if I could match my best time so far this year.  

Bicycle Tree~

I missed getting a photo of the very top of the new art installation on my last visit.  At least from an angle where you can see the wings on the bike!  Turning back north, I made my usual stop at the park.  The wind was blowing the water & it was another stellar summer afternoon.

Cattails growing at the ponds edge~

This park is such a restful spot - we're so lucky to have the nice public spaces we do.  The campground at the far side, only had one RV.  I've not seen anyone fishing so far this season either.  Our warmest time of day is usually between 4-5 p.m. & I started back after talking with Butch.  When I called him, he said was expecting my call.  Even with all the distance between us, we're still in tune :-) 

North on the Concrete~

The concrete is just so nice to ride on, I wish the entire trail was hard surface.  There are days when the crunch of the limestone gets old to my ears.  The silent sound of the tires on the concrete, is golden!

Small reflective pond~

Last year, the farm near here put in a small dam & created the pond.  It was so pretty, reflecting the green grasses along the edge. Riding into a decent wind was something I hadn't had to do in a while.  

Just as Smokey rolled up onto the boards of the Trestle, I caught movement off to my left.  A Great Blue Heron was taking flight!  He must have been very close to the trestle & the sound of the bike on the boards had scared him.  I instantly stopped & took out my phone, but too late to get his photo.  He flew off around the bend in the river.  It reminded me of a day years ago.  I was riding Jas across a small bridge in WA & we spooked a Blue Heron up from beneath it.  As he took flight, his long legs almost hit Jas in the ears!  

Silver Creek on a warm summer afternoon~

The river is a draw for wildlife in the area.  (In the past few weeks, a neighborhood in Omaha has had Cougar sightings!)  I was so happy to have my sighting last Oct. near this same area.

I made good time the final few miles back to Silver City.  Silver Spokes was open - I stopped for take-out - before heading home.  I have the Explorer back, repaired from hail damage, so made a quick trip to the car wash.  The sun was just behind the trees of the woods, by the time I put Smokey away.    

August on the Trail~

In the month of August, we've enjoyed almost daily changes in the weather.  With off & on-again rain, then heat & humidity, it had been two-weeks since I'd been on the trail.  Today was mid-80's with some relief from the humidity.  The weather forecast for the weekend & next week - is for record breaking heat - possibly in the triple digits.

Following the Pilot car~

Mari Jo had warned me of the paving project on 278th.  Turning north off Gaston, I was first following the Pilot car.  I was also driving the Bronco.  The Explorer has been in the shop for repair from the bad hailstorm in July.  After the Bronco had been sitting for several years, I had the hood painted a few months ago.  Of course - now the Bronco's hood has damage too, just not nearly as bad.  There's a difference in a vehicle made from Steele & one from Aluminum. 

On the trail~

It felt great to enter the green shade of the trail!  Everything is so lush, it's like a mid-west rainforest.  If we had such a place!  The humidity is higher though, with mature corn fields on either side of the trail.  Especially on days when there's not much breeze.   Today was one of those.

Bicycle Tree~

I stopped by Little Red's Automotive to schedule maintenance on the Bronco.  On my way I couldn't miss the Bicycle Tree & new covered picnic area.  The tree was originally in a small park next the grocery store in Malvern.  When the grocery burned down, the tree was damaged.  Now, the artist has repaired the structure & it seems to have found a new home.

Face on the tree~

Colorful, very inventive & somewhat surreal.  Smokey & I weren't quite sure how we felt about it.  I'm sure there are more bikes than I would believe to recycle each year.  At least these make a statement!  I'm sure the covered picnic table will get a lot of use too.

The treetop~

We retreated back to the park.  Having made better time than I'd expected I was ready for my break.  It was a picture-perfect day for the middle of August.  Such a blue sky & the evenly spaced white fluffy clouds drifting by. 

A summer day in Iowa~

I talked to Butch for a few minutes.  Yesterday he was in Oregon & the temperature was 105.  Today, he was passing Red Bluff; CA & the temperature was 109.  

As I turned back north, the little breeze I'd enjoyed on the way out, was gone.  The late afternoon sun felt & looked strong out in the open.

Hairy Sunflower - Helianthus hirsutus

The sunflowers along the trail are in full bloom & add such a bright spot of yellow to the green backdrop!

Wild Grape~ 

Wild Grape is again taking over any area of the trail where it gets an opportunity!  Trees are fair game & many are covered with the vines.  It's beautiful & provides a carpet of leaves that cover all the broken limbs on the ground.

Back in Silver City, I went into Happy Trails to catch up with Mari Jo.  The two-day Rooster Tail ride this last weekend drew many riders from the Omaha area.  Restaurants & shops were busy!  Since it rained on Sunday, I was surprised the trail didn't show more damage.  I understand many of the riders opted for car rides home.  I was happy to have the trail to myself!  

OTR - California Dreamin'

 Butch made it home last week, in time for us to attend the 100th anniversary of the Sidney Rodeo on Veteran's night!  By the time he received his dispatch mid-day Monday the 7th, he was already behind schedule.  He picked up a load in Omaha & delivered to Hillsborough, OR on the 8th - on time! Once he was back in the pacific northwest, it was no surprise when the next dispatch took him to southern, CA.

5:25 a.m. TA in Redding, CA

This morning, he had fueled, picked up a coffee & as he returned to Traveler, stopped to take the above photo!  It's literally never - that you only see one truck at a fuel island!  Especially in CA where there are so few truck stops.  Today was the day.

11:36 a.m. on the way to Fowler, CA

Decent traffic conditions also hardly ever exist in the state.  No matter the time of day, when a wreck happens, any schedule you may hope to achieve is tossed out the window.  Instead of being early, Butch was 20-minutes late.  

Traveler at Maxco Supply 12:34 p.m.

Thankfully, it wasn't long until Traveler was backed up to the dock & the unloading had begun.  The delivery was for 32 lb. Hydro Guard medium.  A roll is 23,357 ft. & 3,827 lbs. The load delivered was 44,000 lbs. 

This is the first time Traveler has pulled a Jacko trailer with the company logo on the side.  Rumor has it - Traveler will be sporting the Jacko logo before long...  Sad, since the Blake Scott Logo gets so many compliments.

Inside Maxco Supply~

Butch said it was impossible to get a picture that accurately shows the size of this building!  Huge, spotless & well managed.

2:27 p.m. North bound Hwy 99 ~

Just two-hours later, he was already on his way to tomorrow's load just outside Stockton, CA.  (Traveler slowed down to admire his image in the mirror! :-)  From there he'll be heading back up to Tacoma, WA.  

Butch's Highest Mileage Day to date~

Earlier this week, on his way to OR, Butch set another personal daily mileage record at 745-miles in 10:27.  He can only drive legally for eleven hours per day & had stretched those hours right to the wire.  With the trailer loaded at 18,000 lbs., climbing the passes didn't slow Traveler down! :-) 

Break from the Heat~

 Or so I thought!  The forecast was for lower 80's & slightly less humidity.  By the time I'd driven to Silver City it was already warmer than I'd expected.  Happy Trails was busy, I waved to Mari Jo & took off down the trail.

At Happy Trails~

I'd taken my usual two bottles of water, but I stopped just over a mile out to take the first of my electrolytes.  Even in the shade of the trail, it was much warmer than I like & no breeze at all.

Soybeans getting huge~

The corn is well over 5 feet tall now & completely encloses the trail where it's planted on both sides.  Again, a perfect block to any possible breeze.

The Walnut Grove~

Seeing the Walnuts & the shade they provide, made it seem cooler, but it wasn't.  I thought about turning back at the Hwy 34 underpass but decided to continue on.  The last mile or so of concrete is always such a nice reward after seven miles of limestone.

Arch at Malvern, looking north~

Riding all the way to the depot, I stopped under the shade of the arch to log my stats.  Any shade at all was welcome - but the only breeze - was the one Smokey made!

View from the north picnic area~

The southern picnic covered area was occupied, so I rode on around to the far end.  On a Sunday, I was actually surprised there weren't more riders out.  I made my usual call to Butch.  He was in the middle of a reset, on a strip of land between the Columbia River & Columbia Slough, just outside Portland, OR.  His weather, in the low 70's with a nice breeze off the water, made me very envious!  As we were talking, I could see a large line of thunderheads off to the north.  The weatherman had forecast storms later tonight, into early tomorrow morning. 

Silver Creek west, from the trestle~

The weather forecast was wrong.  By the time I was back at the trestle, the clouds had moved in.  With them, the almost constant, rolling sound of thunder.  I was more than thankful for the cloud cover though.

Tall Bellflower~

Here & there were the Bellflowers, still in bloom.  I've found a couple of these in our woods, so I hope to have more.  Native American's used the crushed root for coughs.  I felt a couple drops of rain, so picked up my pace the last few miles. The air was positively stifling...  No breeze, very still & humid.

Just two miles south of Silver City~

Once I was back into an open area, I had to stop to get a photo of the amazing clouds sweeping in.  There was no doubt now - rain was coming fast!

I got back to Happy Trails, loaded Smokey & went inside to say goodby to Mari Jo.  She was closing up shop & said if I hadn't shown up soon, she'd have gone looking for me.  So nice of her!  I'd driven just to the top of the first hill out of town - when the rain hit!  A torrential downpour!  I put the wipers on full blast just to see at all.  I drove out of it, but a steady rain followed me back to Glenwood.  I had just enough time to put Smokey away when the heavy rain hit.  

We've gone from very, very dry, to getting at least some rainfall every other day.  The grass is so green & growing so fast, the mowing continues to be non-stop.  At least I don't have to water! :-) 

(Interesting stats from Omaha.  April through June 6.00 - rain.  July alone - 6.30)

White Cloud Trestle - South~

 I said in May, I'd return to this section of the trail & today I did.  I don't like parking at the Depot.  The grade of the little parking area puts the rear of the Explorer too high for me to lift Smokey onto the rack.  Butch suggested I go to the park just across from Agriland.  It was perfect & easy!

Ready to leave~

I rode around the south end of the pond, out onto the trail & past the Depot.  Past the big bike art installation, I didn't stop for a photo.  It was definitely warmer & muggier than it has been & especially so - since there was very little breeze.

Toward Marsh Rd.~

The first section of the trail is a unrelenting uphill grind.  Once I was past Marsh Road, it's more rolling, but there's one section with heavier rock than I'm used to.  It gave me an appreciation of the riders who ride on the gravel roads.

Tall Bellflower~

I'd seen the above flowers blooming last year & have identified them.  They are such a pretty color & the only thing I've found along the trail blooming this time of year.

Sign in the tree to the right~

The trail was dappled with sunlight the last couple miles to the White Cloud truss bridge.   The signage is getting weather worn, but you can still make out the message. 

Imogene 10 miles~

No doubt about it, at least in my opinion.  It's a tough ride to go from Malvern to Imogene.  Besides today & another ride this May, going out 7-miles, I've traveled it twice one way & once, a round-trip.

Elevation~

The Garmin chart above shows the four rides, the one on the far right, longest & green line is the round trip. It was my first year back on a bike - riding Speedy - May 29th of 2020.  At just under 28-miles - I was so tired coming back - I got off & walked up the last of the big hills.  The two in the middle, I'd made it one way to Imogene & Butch picked me up there.  

I noticed my average speed had dropped after my leg injury, but now, partly thanks to Smokey, it's increasing again.  Even riding just over half-way today, it's a considerable improvement. My goal is to ride all the way to Imogene, sometime before this year is out, but I'll need to find a ride back!  

White Cloud Trestle over the W Nishnabotna River~

This bridge & the view from it, is beautiful.  It was erected in 1910 using 1884 parts.  At 305 ft. total, the main span is 115 ft.  It is a few years older than the Silver Creek Trestle, erected in 1923.  I have to admit, I'm in love with the old bridges & in awe of the engineering & crews that constructed them.

View upstream from the trestle~

The day had warmed & was very still, just an occasional slight breeze to cool me off.  I hadn't seen anyone on the trail.  The town of White Cloud, just a short way beyond the trestle, began as a mill & a ferry operated across the river.  Both White Cloud & Glenwood were started before there were railroads.

Crossing the narrow bridge~

In less you're on foot, this is a one bike at a time crossing.  There's about 6" left on each side of the handlebars.  

I made it to the cattle guard in the photo below & stopped for a break at six miles.  I called Butch & told him Smokey wanted to turn back. :-) I turned the bike around to face north & took a short rest break.

Starting back?

But then, I looked south.  There was one more rise & I really thought I might be close to the area I named Cottonwood Pass on my first ride.  Oh heck - what's another mile or so?  I finished the climb & started down the far side until I heard my Garmin buzz at 7-miles.

The trail continued; I turned back~

There was plenty of trail ahead of me for another day, six to seven miles more to reach Imogene.  Returning to Malvern, I'd have several miles of downhill grade!  Yippee!  It was a blast sailing along making my own breeze.  My t-shirt almost dried out!

Smokey on the White Cloud Trestle~

A coyote ran across the trail at one point.  He was moving fast & so was I.  More clouds had moved in too, giving the day a silvery glow & dropping the temperature a couple degrees.  After the bridge, it was a bit of a grind back to Marsh Road.  Once across, we were back under the canopy of the trees.  I enjoyed a final nice downhill into Malvern.

My route~

Coming into town, I whizzed along on the concrete portion of the trail, back to the park.  A good workout & a really enjoyable ride.  Two back-to-back longer rides did take a toll though!  Now, the hottest days of the summer season are due to arrive.  I'll be glad when they're in my rear-view mirror!

Back on the Trail~

The corn has tasseled!

It has been a busy month.  I worked steadily to get all my yard work done before Jentry & the girls arrived.  With all the much-needed rain we received - the grass grew almost faster than I could keep it mowed.  I had Troy come back twice in one week, to help me keep up with it!

6:08 a.m. Butch warming up Traveler~

It was hard to see Jentry & the girls leave on the afternoon of the 14th...  We hardly had time to walk the woods, when the rain started!  Then, early on the morning on the 15th - Butch too - was back on the road.  The house was suddenly too quiet!

On the trail~

Today, was the day!  I loaded Smokey & drove to Silver City.  I could hardly wait to get going on the trail.  It felt good to be peddling again & watching the rich green of the scenery flow by.  It wasn't long before I started noticing trees down.  The last storm had really done a lot of damage.  The volunteers had been busy for the past few days, with chain saws to get the trail clear.

At the trestle~

As I traveled further south, I was amazed to see so many green leaves all over the trail!  This area must have gotten a lot more wind & rain than we did in Glenwood.  The further toward Malvern, the more the trees had been stripped of their leaves.

The leaves made an interesting pattern on the boards~

I stopped for a short break before continuing on.  It had been two weeks since I'd ridden & I could feel it.  With the temperature in the mid-80's & only moderate humidity, I wanted to take advantage of such a nice day in mid-July.

Broken tree~

The limb ripped from the tree above, gives an idea of how strong the winds must have been.  I hadn't thought our wind at home had been all that bad, until I walked the woods & found the top of one of my favorite trees broken off about 50 ft. above the ground...

7-17-1023 In our woods~

It's firmly hung up in another Walnut & will be difficult to get cut out.  I'm determined to not have any more equipment in the woods.  I'll have to find someone to do it with a ladder.  If it breaks from the trunk & drops, it's in line with my trail signpost. :-(

At the Park - wind~

I rode up to the depot before turning back to the park.  While I was talking to Butch, the wind picked up, blowing from the north.  The ride back, into the wind was a little more difficult than I'd hoped for.  Even with a few stops - I made the ride within a couple minutes of my usual time.

Turkey Tail Feathers~

On my second stop, I spotted a feather almost in the middle of the trail!  As I picked it up, I noticed the second one, just a short distance away.  I didn't realize they were from a wild Turkey until Dessa Montgomery, at Mills County Conservation - identified them for me.  I added them to my growing collection.