Country Views: Harvest Wrapping Up

Escape Route: More Alleys

 The bathroom is done. Mrs. Guitar Ted is back to work. Life is getting back to a routine. I won't say "normal" because, well...... Nothing seems quite right yet. 

This weather! What the..... Summer keeps right on truckin' along, at least up until this week. 80's during the day and 50's at night. Little wind. Dry air. Like really dry air. The corn and soybeans sure make a difference when they are growing. Now they are all dried out and brown, or....gone, so it is easier for the air to be dry here. 

Friday was the first day I really had any chance of getting out into the country for a couple of weeks now. It was to be near 90°F, nearly record-breaking heat. Plus the winds were supposedly only going to be pleasant breezes. More on this later. 

It may have been the last outing in full Summer kit, so I was happy I grabbed this chance to get out there. I took the new Peregrine Mk4, of course, and my aim was to ride it on the Level B section of Petrie Road, which is South of town. This worked out great, as you will see later. 

"Hey! Just paint the lines straight across here,m Joe, so they line up with the sidewalks." Ah....about that!

 

Shaved and prepped for Spring. Wow!

I knew the harvest was running early this year. This was most likely due to the Summer-like heat which would dry plants out faster then if we had "normal" Fall temperatures in the 50's for highs. Even the roads were dried up badly. Dust was everywhere. You could see it hanging in the air as you looked at the horizon line. 

I wasn't quite prepared to see most fields were harvested already and some were prepped as if it were Spring. Wow! This has been a very unusual Fall so far. But, I am happy I had the chance to enjoy the Summer-like heat on a ride since I missed out on most of September due to circumstances beyond my control. 

The corn is in the bin!

 

Well, most of it is. There were some fields out there waiting to be harvested yet. 

Now let's talk about those "gentle breezes" I was told about on Friday. Yeah. Those were not gentle breezes dear readers. This was a pretty heavy wind with a Southwesterly origin. Going South was a chore, and with my lack of steady, long country rides, I was pretty much starting from zero again. I felt it, but I also decided to spin as much as I could, keep my head down, and grind. 

A stop for a decision.

Looking back from where I had come on Petrie Road. 

I stopped at the "Usual Spot" on Aker Road. I should get a sign made for this place and put "The Usual Stop" on it for fun. Anyway, I reckoned I could keep going onward after a brief time to consider how I was doing. The goal, which was to Ride the Level B, was well within reach. I just had to be patient and smart about riding into this stiff breeze. 

Petrie Road's Level B section is different every time I ride it. Through the years it has gotten more rustic and weird. This time it was pretty blown out in places where sand is prevalent. It didn't faze my Peregrine though. Those Schwalbe 50mm tires just pushed me right on through. 

Some actual harvesting being done here. 

I cannot remember if I have ever noticed this stubby silo before. 

Going back North was super easy. Fast and super easy! Again, I don't believe the weather people when it comes to wind out in the country. But I had fun, and I got hot, and it was so dry I went through almost all of my water. This felt sort of like riding in Kansas in their wind and low humidity. 

I made it home and was quite happy I had taken the chance to ride and also happy I did not try to ride more than I did. It is hard when you feel sort of like a dog off a leash. You just want to go fast and far, but the ol' body maybe is not quite ready for that just yet! If I can get into some kind of a rhythm as far as riding, I will regain my long ride capabilities again. 

I sure hope the weather does not flip-flop too hard. I know it will get cold and windy sooner than later, but I need to ride and find rhythm again. I've had two months of upheaval. I am just waiting for things to calm down a bit for me.