In Which I Find the Fancy Feline and Go Astray

Dandelions looking dandy beside a the street in Hiawatha as I cycle towards the Cedar River Trail.

The afternoon ride today was cool, but comfortable. It was in the upper 40s with high thin clouds giving the sky a milky look, but, despite a breeze, it wasn’t too cold.

Yesterday, I was in winter wear. Today I had on a warm sweatshirt. My hands got a bit chilled, but I was fine.

Not dandelions bloom in Hiawatha.

New Signs as Cedar River Trail becomes Cedar Valley Nature Trail as you cross Boyson Road in Hiawatha.

Trail traffic in Hiawatha near Boyson Road.

I rode over to Tower Terrace Road and got off the bike for a few minutes. Self-portrait in bike mirror at turn around point. Does this vest make my huge tummy look large?

My plan was to head over to the Cedar River Trial in Hiawatha, ride south to Cedar Lake and maybe check out the Mount Mercy University campus on the way home.

It was not to be. On the early part of the ride, I photographed some dandelions, those controversial fancy felines that we fight in our lawns and yet enjoy so much. It marks yet another milestone into “real” spring, when the dandelions bloom.

But when I started riding south in Hiawatha, I came to a blockage. A road project near the library has the trial closed. The Cedar River Trail is a pretty major bikeway through the Cedar Rapids metro area, linking CR, Hiawatha and Robins—one would think some signs and a detour might be in order rather than: “Surprise! Bikeway blocked.”

By the library in Hiawatha, end of the southward journey. Can't set up a detour, Hiawatha?

Oh well. Of course, I could just go out into the street, but this is a main drag in Hiawatha and even in the pandemic era, late afternoon traffic was pretty heavy. I toyed with the idea of backtracking and taking a different route to the Cedar River Trail south of Hiawatha, but in the end, I just decided to head north to the city park in Robins.

It was a quick ride, and, despite the unplanned route, I enjoyed early spring. And the fancy felines. After computer summary, an informative video on dandelions, which was one of my mother's favorite flowers.