Country Views: Late Summer Dusty Ride

Another puffy, blue sky day.

The Wednesday off deal has landed on many puffy cloud, beautiful, photogenic days this summer. It's been pretty astounding how many of these types of rides I have gotten in. I remarked to myself, as I was getting rolling that day, that I think this might be the nicest Summer of riding I've ever had.

Of course, this might also be because I have had no organized events going on for the first time in seventeen years! Yeah......that might be it. It also is a year that has been free of a lot of hassles having to do with the website work, at least for the most part. That has been very pleasant this year as well. I guess there is a silver lining to all this craziness.

Anyway, I ventured North and east of Waterloo this time. The gravel is deteriorating due to how dry it has been. We haven't had any rain in almost three weeks now, which is pretty apparent. Grass is dormant, the weeds in the ditches are dying back, and some corn is showing advanced signs of drying up. Of course, that may also be just advanced genetics causing that, but none the less, it is very dry and we need rain.

The lack of rain means that anything that passes by kicks up a ton of gravel dust and it hangs in the air. Fortunately a Southwest wind made short work of the dust and I didn't have to breathe it in too much. That said, it did get all over the bike again, and another cleaning job was created.

Big Rock Road looking West

Not sure what these are but they sure are pretty!

I didn't ride far or hard. I was still recovering from last weekend. Just a nice, easy hour and a half or more. Close to two hours, I guess. I was testing for some reviews on RidingGravel.com, so I did ride some odd things. Like the shoulder on Donald Street, and some pavement and grass along Highway 63 North of town.

Big Rock Road looking East

I believe these are Prairie Sunflowers

The late Summer flowers are starting to pop now. This will be the last of the 'big show' in the ditches for the year. It will last all month long, but that is going by quickly. The Prairie Sunflowers and Chickory are really popping now.

This corn is looking pretty dried out.

The bike for the day's ride. The BMC MCD

The ride was a successful one from the standpoint of the testing. Also from the standpoint from my fitness/recovery too. The weather sure doesn't hurt these things, that's for certain. I sure hope Fall continues in a similar vein.