Country Views: Flora And Fauna

Adventures On 4th Street: My way outta town Saturday.

Well, I wasn't supposed to ride alone, and I was supposed to ride a big, 77 mile route N.Y. Roll had laid out, but things didn't work out that way. Probably for the best, for me, as it turned out.

First, the reason I missed N.Y. Roll's ride- That was on me. I changed some things on my Noble Bikes GX5. I did not get to test ride the bike, due to the weather Friday, since it rained. Well, I didn't get the cassette tight enough, and it was rattling and well..... Back home I go! I was about half way to the ride meet-up when this was discovered. 

Anyway...... An easy fix, but by the time it was taken care of I had missed the ride start time. I had let N.Y.Roll know and when I was ready, I just went and did my own ride headed North. The wind, what there was of it, was out of the North and so, I decided to take in a tailwind home plan. I went out of town via 4th Street and Donald Street to reach Moline Road and finally out onto the gravel.
 

I haven't even reached the gravel yet on Moline Road and there is a deer (Left side) running ahead of me.

The eaves of the rain clouds head South- I'm headed North!

Immediately upon getting on Moline Road I see a deer. That was cool! Then, I rode out from under the gloom of clouds which had brought the rains Friday and into Saturday morning. In fact, it had spit some precipitation on me as I was heading out of town. But once I cleared the city, I was in fine, if not a bit cool, weather. 

Blue skies....

......and Sunshine!

See, when you've been subjected to high humidity and temperatures in the upper 80's and lower 90's for the better part of July, riding when it is in the low 70's and not so humid feels 'cold'. Ha! We Mid-Westerners are going to be absolutely freezing on the first 50 degree day this Fall! 

The corn and bean crops keep on maturing.

Little pale pink prairie roses

 

This time of year things get kind of 'hairy' and wild looking in the ditches and fields where the wild plants flourish. Plants are blooming everywhere, and grasses have matured and are turning brown already. The tall corn cuts off your view in many places and this lends a bit of a closed-in feeling which you don't get when it is "Brown Season" or in the Winter and early Spring. Coupled with the heat and humidity, it feels like your are getting wrapped up into a warm, green, vege-blanket. 

This Collie-looking beast was so unkempt looking- and vigilant! I had to dismount here.

The Red Winged Blackbirds gathering on the high lines.

I came across an obstacle near the corner of Moline Road and Marquise Road. It was large, hairy, unkempt, and barking incessantly. It was in no mood to allow me to ride by. So, I dismounted and talked to this beast as it continuously barked and went back and forth up the road as I approached, what I assumed to be, its home. That was where another barking dog, on a chain, was also staring me down and would have joined the larger dog, had it been free to do so, but thankfully it could not. 

Of course, the owner was either gone or not paying attention to the goings on. I ended up walking about a quarter mile before this mangy looking mutt, with slavering jaws agape, decided I was no longer a threat and let me mount up and ride away Eastward. Finally! Peace and quiet throughout the land!

A nice splash of pink here near the corner of Marquise Road and Sage Road.

Not much further South- A splash of yellow.

The delay with the dog was no big deal. I wasn't feeling 100% on this day anyway. And here is 'Reason #2' that it was good that I did not go on the big ride. My right knee was a bit painful at times. I had a very sluggish feeling overall, and I was a bit tired. At one point I actually let out a big yawn! I turned down the wick a bit and just toodled along. 

At least the wild flower show on Sage Road was worth pedaling out for. I saw all sorts of flowers and they were all beautiful. I had made it up to the county line, and decided to turn back with the wind and head back home. There was no sense in digging a bigger hole for myself to have to recover from.

A quick rest stop at The Big Rock.

This opportunistic grasshopper finds relief from the Sun in my bike's shadow.

Yeah, it was a really good thing I did not try a big ride like the 77 miler N.Y. Roll did Saturday with a couple of friends. I would have had to have bailed out on that anyway. Or....I would have stupidly kept going long after I should have bailed. Glad I didn't go now.... Not because I didn't want to be with others, but because I just wasn't feeling it Saturday. 

 I guess I really never noticed how far you can see from this hill on Sage Road.

Allis in chains: Looks like a Model C perhaps?

I eventually made my way back home, and for the next three hours I sat bobbing in and out of sleep. Eventually I went down for a two hour long nap. I was knackered! Even after I ate a lunch. Didn't matter. I was down for the count the rest of Saturday afternoon. At least I got something of a ride in and had a bit of adventure anyway.

Country Views: Flora And Fauna

Adventures On 4th Street: My way outta town Saturday.

Well, I wasn't supposed to ride alone, and I was supposed to ride a big, 77 mile route N.Y. Roll had laid out, but things didn't work out that way. Probably for the best, for me, as it turned out.

First, the reason I missed N.Y. Roll's ride- That was on me. I changed some things on my Noble Bikes GX5. I did not get to test ride the bike, due to the weather Friday, since it rained. Well, I didn't get the cassette tight enough, and it was rattling and well..... Back home I go! I was about half way to the ride meet-up when this was discovered. 

Anyway...... An easy fix, but by the time it was taken care of I had missed the ride start time. I had let N.Y.Roll know and when I was ready, I just went and did my own ride headed North. The wind, what there was of it, was out of the North and so, I decided to take in a tailwind home plan. I went out of town via 4th Street and Donald Street to reach Moline Road and finally out onto the gravel.
 

I haven't even reached the gravel yet on Moline Road and there is a deer (Left side) running ahead of me.

The eaves of the rain clouds head South- I'm headed North!

Immediately upon getting on Moline Road I see a deer. That was cool! Then, I rode out from under the gloom of clouds which had brought the rains Friday and into Saturday morning. In fact, it had spit some precipitation on me as I was heading out of town. But once I cleared the city, I was in fine, if not a bit cool, weather. 

Blue skies....

......and Sunshine!

See, when you've been subjected to high humidity and temperatures in the upper 80's and lower 90's for the better part of July, riding when it is in the low 70's and not so humid feels 'cold'. Ha! We Mid-Westerners are going to be absolutely freezing on the first 50 degree day this Fall! 

The corn and bean crops keep on maturing.

Little pale pink prairie roses

 

This time of year things get kind of 'hairy' and wild looking in the ditches and fields where the wild plants flourish. Plants are blooming everywhere, and grasses have matured and are turning brown already. The tall corn cuts off your view in many places and this lends a bit of a closed-in feeling which you don't get when it is "Brown Season" or in the Winter and early Spring. Coupled with the heat and humidity, it feels like your are getting wrapped up into a warm, green, vege-blanket. 

This Collie-looking beast was so unkempt looking- and vigilant! I had to dismount here.

The Red Winged Blackbirds gathering on the high lines.

I came across an obstacle near the corner of Moline Road and Marquise Road. It was large, hairy, unkempt, and barking incessantly. It was in no mood to allow me to ride by. So, I dismounted and talked to this beast as it continuously barked and went back and forth up the road as I approached, what I assumed to be, its home. That was where another barking dog, on a chain, was also staring me down and would have joined the larger dog, had it been free to do so, but thankfully it could not. 

Of course, the owner was either gone or not paying attention to the goings on. I ended up walking about a quarter mile before this mangy looking mutt, with slavering jaws agape, decided I was no longer a threat and let me mount up and ride away Eastward. Finally! Peace and quiet throughout the land!

A nice splash of pink here near the corner of Marquise Road and Sage Road.

Not much further South- A splash of yellow.

The delay with the dog was no big deal. I wasn't feeling 100% on this day anyway. And here is 'Reason #2' that it was good that I did not go on the big ride. My right knee was a bit painful at times. I had a very sluggish feeling overall, and I was a bit tired. At one point I actually let out a big yawn! I turned down the wick a bit and just toodled along. 

At least the wild flower show on Sage Road was worth pedaling out for. I saw all sorts of flowers and they were all beautiful. I had made it up to the county line, and decided to turn back with the wind and head back home. There was no sense in digging a bigger hole for myself to have to recover from.

A quick rest stop at The Big Rock.

This opportunistic grasshopper finds relief from the Sun in my bike's shadow.

Yeah, it was a really good thing I did not try a big ride like the 77 miler N.Y. Roll did Saturday with a couple of friends. I would have had to have bailed out on that anyway. Or....I would have stupidly kept going long after I should have bailed. Glad I didn't go now.... Not because I didn't want to be with others, but because I just wasn't feeling it Saturday. 

 I guess I really never noticed how far you can see from this hill on Sage Road.

Allis in chains: Looks like a Model C perhaps?

I eventually made my way back home, and for the next three hours I sat bobbing in and out of sleep. Eventually I went down for a two hour long nap. I was knackered! Even after I ate a lunch. Didn't matter. I was down for the count the rest of Saturday afternoon. At least I got something of a ride in and had a bit of adventure anyway.

Country Views: The Golden Season

A flat sky and golden hues.

The time of Summer has passed on. We're looking at Fall straight in the eyes now. The entire feel of the World here has shifted gears.

There is something about this time of year. It is........quieter. I think that has to do with the change of hues, partially. We go from Spring and Summer's loud,brash greens, eye popping flower colors, and bright skies to Fall's more subdued golden hues of yellow and brown under dun colored skies.

Then there are the sounds. The song birds have all fallen silent, or they have moved on Southward. Only the occasional bright rasp of the Blue Jay is heard now. Insects chirp incessantly, not just during the dark hours, but all day now. It makes it seem as if one should be sleeping. The trees are losing leaves and starting to fade. Some have already shown patches of golden yellows or oranges.

And out in the country everything is turning a golden yellow. Corn, soybeans, and ditch plants. All going toward a slow drift to the Brown Season. The color green is getting punctuated with contrasting colors, and it looks great, for now.

Petrie Road's Level B section was  no match for the Ti Muk 2, despite it being a bit wet.

I had to get out to ride. It was my first Monday off for the "off season". I suffered through this last Fall, Winter, and early Spring too. Work is not going well, but that's a story that will have to wait to be told later. Hang tight on that, and yes- I'll be all right. Soon.....sooner than later, all will be made clear.

Anyway..... It was a very humid but cool day, and the threat of rain persisted throughout the morning hours. I could have sat and waited to see what might happen, or I could get out and make something happen. I chose the latter. I'm glad that I did, despite the fact that it actually rained briefly just as I was on my way to my starting point at Prairie Grove Park.

As you know from yesterday's post, I re-upped the sealant on the Ti Muk 2 and it needed riding in, plus with the flat pedals that bike has, I could finish up a "last test ride" for some shoes I am reviewing for RidingGravel.com. So, I loaded up that bike, strapped some rain gear, just in case, to the rack, and headed South with a view to ride Petrie Road's Level B section and then back to town. Just a short ride, but on the fat bike into the Southeast wind, it wasn't necessarily easy. The roads weren't bad but the wind was stiff.

In fact, speaking of those roads, the scars from last Winter are quite evident yet. If we have another difficult Winter, in terms of weather, this situation will play itself out again next Spring with more bad road conditions. Maybe we will get a reprieve from that and see the roads finally recover though. Hard to say anymore with the crazy weather that happens more often now than not.

The Ti Muk 2 bracketed by Sunflowers

Sometimes you have to just stop and look a little closer.

The Level B road was no match for the Ti Muk 2. I rolled that thing like a champ. The sandy bits, the muddy bits, and the rocky bits. Fat tires rule! A gravel bike would have made it a real challenging mile though. I seriously doubt I would have made it without a dab or two.

The Southeasterly wind pushed me back to the truck in a hurry after the B Road. It was almost too easy compared to the grind I had going out. But, I had other things to get to Monday and so I headed back towards the house and got busy. It was crazy to see how fast things change in the country though. That's definitely one thing that has remained the same about this part of Iowa and the World, ironically. There is a constant state of change going on here.

Country Views: The Golden Season

A flat sky and golden hues.

The time of Summer has passed on. We're looking at Fall straight in the eyes now. The entire feel of the World here has shifted gears.

There is something about this time of year. It is........quieter. I think that has to do with the change of hues, partially. We go from Spring and Summer's loud,brash greens, eye popping flower colors, and bright skies to Fall's more subdued golden hues of yellow and brown under dun colored skies.

Then there are the sounds. The song birds have all fallen silent, or they have moved on Southward. Only the occasional bright rasp of the Blue Jay is heard now. Insects chirp incessantly, not just during the dark hours, but all day now. It makes it seem as if one should be sleeping. The trees are losing leaves and starting to fade. Some have already shown patches of golden yellows or oranges.

And out in the country everything is turning a golden yellow. Corn, soybeans, and ditch plants. All going toward a slow drift to the Brown Season. The color green is getting punctuated with contrasting colors, and it looks great, for now.

Petrie Road's Level B section was  no match for the Ti Muk 2, despite it being a bit wet.

I had to get out to ride. It was my first Monday off for the "off season". I suffered through this last Fall, Winter, and early Spring too. Work is not going well, but that's a story that will have to wait to be told later. Hang tight on that, and yes- I'll be all right. Soon.....sooner than later, all will be made clear.

Anyway..... It was a very humid but cool day, and the threat of rain persisted throughout the morning hours. I could have sat and waited to see what might happen, or I could get out and make something happen. I chose the latter. I'm glad that I did, despite the fact that it actually rained briefly just as I was on my way to my starting point at Prairie Grove Park.

As you know from yesterday's post, I re-upped the sealant on the Ti Muk 2 and it needed riding in, plus with the flat pedals that bike has, I could finish up a "last test ride" for some shoes I am reviewing for RidingGravel.com. So, I loaded up that bike, strapped some rain gear, just in case, to the rack, and headed South with a view to ride Petrie Road's Level B section and then back to town. Just a short ride, but on the fat bike into the Southeast wind, it wasn't necessarily easy. The roads weren't bad but the wind was stiff.

In fact, speaking of those roads, the scars from last Winter are quite evident yet. If we have another difficult Winter, in terms of weather, this situation will play itself out again next Spring with more bad road conditions. Maybe we will get a reprieve from that and see the roads finally recover though. Hard to say anymore with the crazy weather that happens more often now than not.

The Ti Muk 2 bracketed by Sunflowers

Sometimes you have to just stop and look a little closer.

The Level B road was no match for the Ti Muk 2. I rolled that thing like a champ. The sandy bits, the muddy bits, and the rocky bits. Fat tires rule! A gravel bike would have made it a real challenging mile though. I seriously doubt I would have made it without a dab or two.

The Southeasterly wind pushed me back to the truck in a hurry after the B Road. It was almost too easy compared to the grind I had going out. But, I had other things to get to Monday and so I headed back towards the house and got busy. It was crazy to see how fast things change in the country though. That's definitely one thing that has remained the same about this part of Iowa and the World, ironically. There is a constant state of change going on here.

Country Views: Fields Of Flowers

Big sky day in Iowa

Yesterday was another in a string of awesome, lower humidity days. A very welcome respite after the inferno we endured last week. I had heard from my friend Tony that Northern Black Hawk County was mostly "hero gravel" with spots of deeper patches where the county is still trying to fix the blowouts created from last Winter. So, I figured I'd better go investigate that, and see some roads I haven't been on all year.

I drove out to the North edge of Waterloo and parked at Gates Park where the city put in a small gravel lot a few years back. From there it is a short mile to Moline Road and gravel not long after that. I can be on gravel within ten minutes from parking, which is nice. Sometimes I ride all that way from the house, which adds about 3-4 miles, one way, of city riding. I wasn't interested too much in doing that since just this past Wednesday a guy got hit and run on his bike not more than a block from where I live and ended up in critical condition. These things have a way of spooking me. I'll probably get over it, but yesterday....no. I was not going down that street. 

A truck going down a road I was about to cross. It's really dusty out in the country now. Recent rains notwithstanding.

 Moline Road was the "out road" on the old 3GR route I used to do every Saturday morning. I haven't used it in over a year since I ran into a big, what I think was a Great Pyrenees, dog that was pretty vicious. I have avoided Moline and used Sage Road since then. But I've heard that there has been no sign of late of the big, yellowish, hairy beast, so I figured I'd risk going the old way again.

Initially the gravel was as my friend Tony had reported. Very smooth, fast, and punctuated occasionally by short patches of deeper fresh gravel. Then I came upon Dunketon Road and after crossing it I rode on a fresh patch of the deepest gravel I've ridden on in quite some time. The Tamland was squirrely and fishtailing all over. Not a lot of fun, but it wouldn't be the last patch of that!

I'd forgotten how many places on Moline Road were lined with trees.

I saw several fields filled with wildflowers of yellow and purple. 

I rode past the place where the big hairy mutt had pinned me down a couple of years ago and saw nothing but a nice lady in the yard who gave me a wave. Hmm..... Maybe that mutt has been neutralized or is gone. Don't know- don't care. All I know is I was able to pass by peacefully.

So, I rode on past Denver and up another mile, then West. I rode only a mile of Ivanhoe and then peeled off South again on Killdeer since I had to get back to the house to get some things in order for my son's birthday celebration. He turned 16 yesterday.

Barns for Jason #1

Barns For Jason #2

The road I turned on was probably the fastest and smoothest so far. In fact, there was still evidence of frost boils and some dirt. It's a section of road with some big, roller coaster style hills that are fun to roll. Then you cross the Denver blacktop, and it is mostly down hill for quite a while. The thing was, South of the Denver blacktop the gravel was all fresh and very deep. Tony mentioned that Bremer County had laid the gravel down like this. He was right about that on this section! I came off a pretty good sized hill and hit the loose stuff and was basically at the mercy of physics. Good thing bicycles like to stay upright! The back end was loosey-goosey as I'd ever want it to get and the front wasn't far behind! Sorry about the technical terminology there, but that's the only way to describe it!

About two miles of the loosest gravel ever here. (And another Barn for Jason)

I worked my way back South and East until I made it back to Moline Road again, then it was a short jaunt to the truck. It was a very enjoyable ride and I think it possibly may have been one of the nicest days of the year.

Now I have to just get the Bubblegum Princess done up for the weekend, grab some gallons of water for the water stop, and get some good sleep tonight and tomorrow night then it will be off to the GTDRI. I felt pretty good during this ride, but as Mrs. Guitar Ted said to me later, I haven't been getting in many long rides at all this year. It will be a tough go to do 92 miles in the hills of Poweshiek County, but it is what it is.

Country Views: Fields Of Flowers

Big sky day in Iowa

Yesterday was another in a string of awesome, lower humidity days. A very welcome respite after the inferno we endured last week. I had heard from my friend Tony that Northern Black Hawk County was mostly "hero gravel" with spots of deeper patches where the county is still trying to fix the blowouts created from last Winter. So, I figured I'd better go investigate that, and see some roads I haven't been on all year.

I drove out to the North edge of Waterloo and parked at Gates Park where the city put in a small gravel lot a few years back. From there it is a short mile to Moline Road and gravel not long after that. I can be on gravel within ten minutes from parking, which is nice. Sometimes I ride all that way from the house, which adds about 3-4 miles, one way, of city riding. I wasn't interested too much in doing that since just this past Wednesday a guy got hit and run on his bike not more than a block from where I live and ended up in critical condition. These things have a way of spooking me. I'll probably get over it, but yesterday....no. I was not going down that street. 

A truck going down a road I was about to cross. It's really dusty out in the country now. Recent rains notwithstanding.

 Moline Road was the "out road" on the old 3GR route I used to do every Saturday morning. I haven't used it in over a year since I ran into a big, what I think was a Great Pyrenees, dog that was pretty vicious. I have avoided Moline and used Sage Road since then. But I've heard that there has been no sign of late of the big, yellowish, hairy beast, so I figured I'd risk going the old way again.

Initially the gravel was as my friend Tony had reported. Very smooth, fast, and punctuated occasionally by short patches of deeper fresh gravel. Then I came upon Dunketon Road and after crossing it I rode on a fresh patch of the deepest gravel I've ridden on in quite some time. The Tamland was squirrely and fishtailing all over. Not a lot of fun, but it wouldn't be the last patch of that!

I'd forgotten how many places on Moline Road were lined with trees.

I saw several fields filled with wildflowers of yellow and purple. 

I rode past the place where the big hairy mutt had pinned me down a couple of years ago and saw nothing but a nice lady in the yard who gave me a wave. Hmm..... Maybe that mutt has been neutralized or is gone. Don't know- don't care. All I know is I was able to pass by peacefully.

So, I rode on past Denver and up another mile, then West. I rode only a mile of Ivanhoe and then peeled off South again on Killdeer since I had to get back to the house to get some things in order for my son's birthday celebration. He turned 16 yesterday.

Barns for Jason #1

Barns For Jason #2

The road I turned on was probably the fastest and smoothest so far. In fact, there was still evidence of frost boils and some dirt. It's a section of road with some big, roller coaster style hills that are fun to roll. Then you cross the Denver blacktop, and it is mostly down hill for quite a while. The thing was, South of the Denver blacktop the gravel was all fresh and very deep. Tony mentioned that Bremer County had laid the gravel down like this. He was right about that on this section! I came off a pretty good sized hill and hit the loose stuff and was basically at the mercy of physics. Good thing bicycles like to stay upright! The back end was loosey-goosey as I'd ever want it to get and the front wasn't far behind! Sorry about the technical terminology there, but that's the only way to describe it!

About two miles of the loosest gravel ever here. (And another Barn for Jason)

I worked my way back South and East until I made it back to Moline Road again, then it was a short jaunt to the truck. It was a very enjoyable ride and I think it possibly may have been one of the nicest days of the year.

Now I have to just get the Bubblegum Princess done up for the weekend, grab some gallons of water for the water stop, and get some good sleep tonight and tomorrow night then it will be off to the GTDRI. I felt pretty good during this ride, but as Mrs. Guitar Ted said to me later, I haven't been getting in many long rides at all this year. It will be a tough go to do 92 miles in the hills of Poweshiek County, but it is what it is.