Brown Season: Blow The Stink Off

Some harvesting activities along Sergeant Road bike path.

The battle between cold and warm air sometimes leaves us in for some spectacular weather. Such was the case Saturday when I was able to get out for a short while on a ride to test some, as of this posting, unheard of product. (More on that later this week.)

So, since the winds were forecast to be from the Southwest, I went out of town via the Sergeant Road bicycle path and then off into the country via good ol' Aker Road. The temperatures were to end up in the 50's but since I went out on this ride 'fore noon, I ended up wearing some cool weather gear. 

I wore some GORE bib tights and a Bontrager base layer with an Omni Wool long sleeved shirt as a 'jersey'. Over that I wore my Voler made Riding Gravel vest. Long Sock Guy wool socks and Northwave Winter boots on the feet, with a Bontrager helmet and my Iowa Wind and Rock buff over my ears. GORE Winstopper gloves went on the hands and Rudy Project glasses on the eyeballs. I was 100% comfortable during the entire ride in this get up. (Most of this gear falls under the Standard Disclaimer) 

The roads were DRY, dusty, and really hard packed. You'd have no idea that we'd gotten copious amounts of rain just over a week ago. Cracks were seen where the gravel had been pushed down into the mud beneath and which then had hardened to a pavement-like consistency.

Horses grazing on a farm off Aker Road.

A tractor pulling a huge grain wagon on Aker Road

Most of the harvest is over now. There are a few remaining cornfields here and there, but those will be rare after this weekend. Farming activities seem to now have shifted to getting fields prepped for the Winter by spraying various things on them to fertilize them. 

This can be Anhydrous Ammonia, or in some cases, poop. Yes. Pig poop, mostly, if ya want ta know. And yes.....that stinks. Very badly! And also- Yes. I saw, and more importantly- smelled- the application of this substance Saturday. 

I post these buildings on Aker Road on here a lot. Something about them that I find interesting, I guess.

A tractor pulling some sort of field conditioner steams down Quarry Road.

I have always found it odd when people build a nice, modern home out in the country, then complain when there is dust, animals, various smells, and when the roads get bad due to weather. 

Really?! 

 It is "The Country", after all, and well.....if you want City amenities, STAY IN THE CITY! And before you move out into "The Country", maybe do some research? I don't know..... This seems so obvious to me. I feel the same way when people buy or rent in the vicinity of race tracks, industrial areas, or airports and then complain. (sigh)

A tractor pulling two manure wagon sprayers (R) and a combine finishing up harvesting (L).

The "Stench Cloud" blowing off the manure spraying rig to the left.

I remember when we'd be going down a gravel road in my Dad's 1966 Dodge Coronet with my Mom and sister and we'd smell those manure/animal smells. Dad would exclaim, "That's the smell of money!", and I always thought that was weird. But it is a smell you have to deal with if you live in the Iowa countryside. 

I came as far Quarry Road and then hopped over to Ansborough for the wind-aided trip back home. Before that turn I stopped and did a little tweaking on the front caliper to get the pads off the front rotor. I have to futz with this a lot since I am constantly switching out wheels and I can tell you that there is enough of a difference in rotor placement because of hub tolerances that having to adjust calipers to clear rotors has become somewhat of a 'super-power' of mine. Nothing to be proud of. Just the way that it is.....

A last blast of Fall color on Ansborough.

When I got home I felt fine, but I needed a shower, of course. I thought of another saying my Dad had which had to do with smells. He'd never say that he was taking a shower when he cleaned up. No, he would say instead that 'he was going to go blow the stink off'. 

I perhaps may have had some 'stink' blown onto me from those manure sprayers. If that was the case, I definitely needed to blow it off! Either way, I was happy to be out and about in the country, where, ya know, it isn't like the city. 

And that's a very good thing.