In Which Unstable Summer Skies Still Allow Rides

Monday ride, hybrid bike parked at Cedar Lake.

The final full week of June 2020—it’s suddenly very warm and humid in Iowa. We’ve had several rainstorms this week, with chances of rain almost every day. Still, it’s also been partly or fully sunny at times, and despite being short on time, I’ve enjoyed several rides.

Sadly, today, Saturday, the day that I usually do a long ride, I didn’t get on the bike at all due to other things going on. This has turned into the year without a summer, partly due to extra planning for school and partly due to sometimes expensive, always time-consuming home projects.

Still, there were many satisfying rides this week. Thursday featured a nice afternoon ride with a 4-year-old grandson. We rode to a nearby park, played for a while, and then came home via the Boyson and Lindale Trails. I ride slower with him on the Tagalong seat anyway, but kept the pace low the breaks frequent on this hot, humid afternoon. The ride totaled almost 6 miles, which was pretty long for him.

Images from Thursday ride:

Boyson Trail: Grandson watches butterfly.

Dropping sticks in Dry Creek on Boyson Trail.

Mercy Drive at MMU is open--evening ride.

Grandson investigates dirt by bridge on Boyson Trail.

Wednesday I took a quick evening run to Lowe Park in Marion. The sky, as it often is in Iowa at this time of year, was quite nice.

Images from Wednesday ride:

Sun going down at Lowe Park.

Another view of sky on Lowe Park Trail.

Heading west from east end of trail.

Tuesday, I took my two bikes in to the shop, finally. The road bike should be done soon, with the mountain bike taking a few more days. The bike shop has a rear wheel for the road bike, which has a busted rim. The mountain bike only has a broken spoke, but the wheel is old and it felt like a good idea to get it replaced. After taking the bikes in for service, we, my wife and I, went on a quick ride with the grandson.

Tuesday pictures:

Bicycles ready to be taken into shop.

Another view of bikes--and milkweed--at shop.

This and next several images--bees and milkweed as I wait for estimate on bikes.

C Avenue park--evening ride to play and then take grandson home.

And finally, I made many more images from Monday's ride, a night when I went down to Cedar Lake.

Monday images:

End of bike ride, sun going down at Collins Road.

Woodchuck near Cedar Lake, hiding in grass by trail.

Milkweed in bloom by Cedar Lake.

Fading light at Cedar Lake.

Late afternoon light on Rohde Family Plaza, MMU.

Bird at pond at Collins Aerospace.

Clouds in Iowa sky.

Early in ride at pond on C Avenue.

Bike parked at Cedar Lake, here and below.

Flowers in bloom at Cedar Lake.

Low sun at Cedar Lake.

Collins Aerospace pond as night fades.