Country Views: These Are The Days

Escape Route: That's the new 11th Street bridge

The haze from wild fires out West was high in the skies here during the back end of the week, It also was really dry, as in very low humidity for this time of year. But it all started to change on Thursday as a tropical storm headed up the Mississippi Valley toward Iowa. I was able to get out and ride on Thursday afternoon for a bit and enjoy the day for a while from the saddle of my Tamland Two. 

I decided to head out East because the breezes were from the Southeast and I wanted to ride into it first and have the benefit of a tailwind later on. That meant a sojourn out to the Eastern side of Black Hawk County was on tap. 

The sky had a grey look as I left with a stiff breeze out of the Southeast and temperatures in the upper 80's. I decided to head out on Newell Road first and figure things out as I rode along. The Tamland Two doesn't have a Redshift ShockStop stem on it so I was leaving myself an "out" in case my shoulders and hands weren't up to it on the ride. This would depend on how the roads were. Too much fresh gravel would likely send me home sooner.

Newell Road looking East

This place had a nice batch of flowers near the road.

Fortunately the gravel was not super chunky or deep. As I traveled Eastward things got better from that aspect, but it was really dusty again. The lack of rain in August has caught up with us and it sounds like we are not going to see much at all from the tropical storm. 

I also found that the breeze was actually a stiff wind. Nice! Well.....it would be once I turned back toward home! But moving into it was a chore. I tried to get as small as I could and just kept spinning in my inner chain ring. 

Newell Road is a long one and due to this fact I was afforded a long time to try and find things to take my mind off the wind. I was thinking about how a lot of people now are getting drawn into the morass that is our political situation heading into a big election. I was thinking about how some folks are worried, angry, or otherwise bent out of shape. Maybe some of them are wishing that "the old days" would return. No social media, less "noise" and more straight talk, no fears every second about something. 

Well, that thinking about the "old days" is stinky. Those days are not coming back. The "good old days" are today. I was thinking about this, living in the moment, doing the best that I can now, not trying to teleport myself mentally backward to some cocked up "golden days" of yore. I like football and many times I hear the players say they have to do their best version of themselves every day. Be the best "one eleventh", and this is all anyone can ask for. Forget the last play, good or bad. The play you are about to make is all that matters. 

I happened to stop to take a look at my iPhone map app to judge what my options were to finish the ride off when I saw a message from an old friend. I messaged him back concerning what I had been thinking about. He messaged me back with the following:

"Don't look back. Don't worry about tomorrow. Live today."

Sometimes my friends are more efficient at saying what I am thinking than I am, so I hope that this person doesn't mind my sharing that here. It succinctly says everything. 

I may have had a tear in my eye as I rode off thinking about how awesome my life was right then and that I was alive and breathing to enjoy it. I do not take that for granted. Oh....and I figured out how to take advantage of the wind in the best way possible. This was very good as well.

Soon all the good spots to have a "nature break" will all be gone for the Winter.

This one will need some work before I take it out again.

My heart was full, the Sun came out, the wind was at my back, and while not everything was all roses, (it never is, is it?), I was grateful. These are the days. Every new day is another chance to make it one of those "good ol' days". 

I hope that you can find some good stuff to celebrate today and be your best in the time you are in. Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!