In Which Four Rides Exceed 20 Miles

March 24--Spring break has ended and classes at Mount Mercy University began this morning. When I saw the sun making this daffodil outside the library shine in the morning sun, I regretted not having a bicycle in a nearby bike rack. But that time isn't quite here yet, even if it is coming.

One week of bicycle riding plus a day. Monday of last week was the first ride that I took this year—due not to winter, but to a heart bypass operation I had in January.

Today, the next Monday, was ride four. That first ride 8 days ago was just over 2 miles, and today I cycled 8.2 miles. The ride today was notable for another reason, too—I rode from the Lindale Trail to the Boyson Trail, and returned the reverse way—to get from the Boyson Trail to the Lindale Trail, I had to climb a modest hill.

Granted, I climb a little hill on C Avenue to get from my house to the bike trail in the first place, but this trail hill feels like a more substantial, slightly steeper, climb. It is not a mountain, not a big hill at all—but still. I feel pretty good about biking 8 miles—a pretty big increase in my ride mileage—and adding an extra incline into those miles, too.

March 24--Some big utility project in Marion means the north end of the Boyson Trail is closed for now, and limestone area of the trail is quite rutted. I have not been on my mountain bike yet--my rides so far have been on the lighter road bike--but I did miss the mountain bike today. Still, most of my route today was paved, and even if the trail was rutted, I just slowed down and was careful and didn't have any problems.

I know 8 miles is a nothing ride to any serious biker but my theme for 2025 is simply to return to biking, to slowly build my stamina without injuring myself and to enjoy rolling across the planet again.

In the past, say fall of 2024, I rode a bicycle to work most days. I have not done that yet in 2025. Riding to work requires an early morning start and a commitment to bike back home when I am tired in the afternoon. Once I start, I still won’t be able to do it every day—I have cardiac rehab every Tuesday and Thursday and need to commute by vehicle on those days so I can drive to those appointments—so any bike commuting in spring semester will have to be Monday, Wednesday or Friday.

March 18--Second ride, a bit over 3 miles--my wife and I drove to a park in Robins next to a bike trail and did a bit of afternoon riding there. Still moving slowly, still a little shaky, but completed ride two.

It's also complicated by medical advice to avoid prolonged exposure to less than 40-degree air. I am not sure that guideline is really as important as it was in the weeks immediately following my surgery—but still, I’m waiting for somewhat better morning weather before I take that first ride to work.

On the other hand, the 8 miles I biked today is a bit more than a ride to and from work, by the most direct route, would take. My two-way commute via the shortest route adds up to a bit over 7 miles. And on riding to work there is the issue of climbing—there are more rises on the ride to work, no huge hill, but several places where I would need hill-climbing gear.

I’m working my way back to bike commuting. I’m not quite there yet, but I am getting close. Maybe that will be in next week’s biking report—it depends on warmer morning weather, but as March goes on, the chances of good biking weather do go up.

I hope wherever you are, if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, that you are starting to enjoy spring rides. Slowly, I am, too. So, for 2025 I have just over 21 miles—not a huge number, but much bigger than zero. I feel good about being back on two wheels and I look forward to adding more miles as time goes on.

March 21--Pretty spring day on Lindale Trail, which has been my go-to place for these first rides of 2025.

In Which I Contrast Two Winter Rides

Jan. 27--Grey sky at Waldo's Rock Park.

Six days separate my latest two bike rides.

It’s been a bit of bummer this January, to be so seldom being out on two wheels. I’ve make a halfhearted effort to ride an indoor bike for exercise during dreary ride-hostile days, but it’s honestly not the same.

It seems actually being outside is a huge part of my biking experience. Without the wind, the trees, the trail, the people, the deer, the birds, the walkers, joggers and things to see and experience, biking is just not as enjoyable.

And lately, outdoor riding hasn’t happened much. The theme for January this winter in Iowa has been arctic cold followed by a weird winter wet and warm interlude, with daily rains.

Jan. 21--On Lindale Trail bride. It's better than it looks. the snow is so thin riding on it wasn't bad.

Jan. 21--Trail behind Amoco and Popeye's has not been cleared of snow, so I have to navigate a short city block. The street has been plowed for cars, but the deep salty slush is show going on a bicycle. In contrast, trail pavement is pretty clear.

So, it was nice, in the past week, to be out twice. I rode 7.11 miles on Sunday, Jan. 21, and 11.7 miles today, Saturday, Jan. 27. I guess 7 and 11 must be my lucky numbers this week.

They were contrasting rides, although both were late afternoon rides. My life seems to be filled with busy days—either I’m putting in lots of hours at work during the week or I have family events on the weekend. To be honest, while I do look forward to a more relaxing schedule this summer, I enjoy both the work and the fam, so it’s not bad to be busy the way that I am. But it does cut into rolling time.

So last Sunday, at the end of the arctic blast, I rode a few miles on the Boyson Trail. Snow on the road was a challenge. The trails had been cleared, but not all of the sidewalks or streets I used to get there—the Sunday ride convinced me that Monday would a be a driving day, and cold rain the rest of the workweek did the same trick.

Jan. 21--Deer  seen near north end of Boyson Trail, just as I am deciding it's time to head back home. "Hey pinky," I imagine them thinking. "We don't have warm houses to go to. What's your excuse for being out here?"

Despite being “warm,” it was darn cold. It was about 18 degrees with a stiff wind—my phone weather app put the wind chill at about zero Fahrenheit. I was toying with maybe aiming for 10 miles, but after a short ride into the wind, determined that I would just be happy with what I got and I headed home.

Today was different. For one thing, I was not going to ride the Boyson Trail—part of it is limestone, and days this week have been both wet and above freezing, which means that part of the trail would be mushy and sloppy. I knew from ruts on the Jan. 21 ride that not all bikers share my philosophy, but I just don’t enjoy furrowing a trail like a plow and would rather not, thank you.

But the sidewalks and little piece of street I would use to get to the Lindale Trail are clearer now, thanks to a week of melting. Even where they have not been shoveled well, pavement is showing on the sidewalks.

So, today I got the Fancy Beast out and mounted it at about 4:30. I was planning a quick sojourn, maybe another 7-mile ride before darkness set in.

I headed east. There were a few places, at intersections, where I was glad to be mounted on my trusty winter beater mountain bicycle, where snow speed bumps from street plows were still in place, but by and large the trail was clear. My one concession to the winter was that I didn’t ride on bike lanes, which I usually use when crossing Marion on the Grant Wood Trail. Today, the little pavement interfaces that lead from the sidewalk portion of the trail to the street trail part of the route were still blocked with sone.

Never mind. I didn’t think traffic would be heavy on the wide walkway along the trail route, and I was right. While I did encounter one other biker on the trail and saw several walkers and joggers, the trail traffic was decidedly light.

And I just kept rolling. I wasn’t as dressed—no long johns, no scarf. It was in the 30s and not terribly breezy, a grey, damp, but decidedly warmer day.

I expected to get to Highway 13 and then turn around. I know the city of Marion clears its trails, but I am also aware that Linn County does not. (And I don’t want that to sound like a complaint—I understand traffic and walking and other considerations means it makes sense for the cities to clear their trails, while the many more miles and many fewer trail users makes the opposite decision by the county pretty clearly understandable).

Anyway, the Highway 13 tunnel is marked as the interface between city and county, so I expected that to be the end of snow clearance and the outer limits of my ride. I was pleasantly surprised that the city carried on, clearing the trail all the way to Waldo’s Rock City Park on the east edge of Marion.

Beyond that, trail seems snowbound, so I stopped, made a selfie where the snow clearing ended, and then mounted up, circled the pond at Waldo’s Rock and headed back for home.

It was getting full dark, but it was cloudy and I was not out in the county. If you have a low cloudy evening in the city, the clouds act like a giant reflector and the “dark” areas of the trail have far more ambient light than you might expect.

Jan. 21--Very cold late afternoon ride, me near north end of Boyson Trail, when I turned back towards home.

On Jan. 21, I was glad to put in over 7 miles but also very glad to return to a warm house and relieve the deep chill in my old bones Today, I kind of wished I had started earlier. The day was very grey, but from a biking point of view, much more rider friendly.

In any case, in two rides of 1’s and 7’s, I had contrasting experiences, but enjoyed them both. That’s the thing about the outside, even if you go to some of the same places and ride the same trails, it’s different from day to day, and I love that difference.

This next week may be different. It will continue to be in the 30s, but is not forecast to include daily rain showers. Perhaps there are more miles coming soon! So far in 2024, 94.18 miles.

Jan. 27--A much warmer bike ride, me with bike parked where the snow clearing ends, where trail meets Waldo's Rock Park.

In Which I Appreciate An Old Bike

Dec. 27, 2022--Parked at Waldo's Rock Park, east end of Marion, Iowa. The Fancy Beast, the perfect bike for today's ride.

If the Fancy Beast were human, I think it would be getting its driver’s license about now. I’m not 100 percent sure of it’s age, because my oldest son acquired it as a perk of an internship at Microsoft in Seattle when he was in college at Iowa State University. But I think he graduated from high school around 2003, which means the internship maybe was in the summer of 2006, which would make the Fancy Beast, my Raleigh mountain bike, about 16 years old.

Well, whatever. It has been bitterly cold lately in Iowa, so my biking has been rather limited. Today, however, the temperature flirted with 20 Fahrenheit, and the wind chill actually made it into positive numbers above zero.

In short, it was cold, but not the impossible 30-below wind chills we had just before Christmas.

Me during photo stop at Waldo's Rock Park, selfie made with phone. The appropriate look for an Iowa biker today.

The city where I live is not great at snow removal. It tries, but somehow Cedar Rapids seems consistently less effective than its associated smaller towns—we live between Marion and Hiawatha in a northern peninsula of Cedar Rapids, and many times in a snowy winter, a quick jaunt east to Marion or west to Hiawatha will confirm that street snow removal is possible to do more efficiently. Well, to be fair, CR is a much bigger city and sprawls a lot, too—many, many more miles of a greater variety of streets cannot simplify snow plowing.

Anyway, while it was warmer today, I faced the question of whether it was wise to ride on slick streets. I decided to stick to the C Avenue sidewalk and head south to the Lindale Trail. If it had not been plowed, well, it would be a sign for me to make it a very short ride. I didn’t feel like attempting the snow-covered side streets.

Heading home on Grant Wood Trail in Marion--snow is blowing across the trail. It was a south wind, a warmer day than others recently, but still cold enough and windy enough that some snow was on the move.

The passage along C was indeed a bit dicey, but the sidewalk had been cleared enough that I was able to shift down, ride slowly and make it up the C Avenue hill. When I got to Walgreens, I was in for a slightly nasty surprise as the store hasn’t cleared the latest snowfall from its sidewalks at all.

But the parking lot was passable, and I took it. The short street leading from it to the trail was a snowy mess, but I only had to cross it and start riding on the trail.

Where I was in for a pleasant surprise. During a short ride before Christmas, a dusting of snow had not been cleared on the Cedar Rapids part of the Lindale Trail, although Marion had cleared its portion of the trial.

Today, well, clearly the trail had been plowed. There was still snow on it, but the kind of intermittent snow cover one has on a sidewalk after a snowblower is used. On The Fancy Beast, it was a bit of a slow ride, but not really a dicey one—I pretty much could pick out pavement and only had to cross a thin layer of snow now and then. Easy-peasy if a bit slowsy.

Low afternoon sun seen over Lininger Park as I ride back south from Boyson Road.

Bike trail at Lininger Park.

Approaching Lininger Park.

Stubble of corn field seen from Grant Wood Trail.

I had started my ride at about 2 p.m. My wife, a daughter and three grandsons were going shopping to a book store, and I decided to ride my bike while they shopped.

It was a cold ride and my feet were not particularly happy with my life decision. But I wrapped a scarf around my face and had my full winter layers on, so despite some chilled toes I was not unduly uncomfortable.

And the sunshine, while not warm, was refreshing to be out in. I didn’t fly along the trail, more like a slow slog, but I just kept heading east. I didn’t have a goal in mind—I figured when I got to city’s edge, the trail would be uncleared (the county doesn’t remove snow from bike trails—and I don’t really mean that to be a complaint, I don’t really expect them to, it’s just a reality that a city park department can deploy more resources in a smaller area than a county, with both a smaller set of park employees and many more miles of trail, can).

Anyway, I got to Highway 13, where one side of the underpass is labeled “Linn County” and the other side “City of Marion.” I figured it would be the turn-around point, but I was in for another pleasant surprise. The park department of Marion Iowa has plowed the Grant Wood Trail (where does the Lindale Trail become the Grant Wood Trail? Honestly, I don’t know, but at the east edge of Marion, you’re clearly on the Grant Wood Trail) all the way to Waldo’s Rock Park.

Where the city plowing ends on Grant Wood Trail--bike at turnoff to Waldo's Rock Park.

Basically the same view as above, different camera, slightly different angle, longer lens.

Looking across frozen pond at Waldo's Rock Park.

I paused to make some images there and then headed back west. I turned down to the Boyson Trail and rode the new creek side trail up to Boyson Road. It was getting past 3:30 in the afternoon, and at this time of year it’s growing dim. And I figured once the sun started to touch the horizon, the air wouldn’t feel very warm. So instead of continuing all the way past Linn-Mar High School to Tower Terrace Road, today I turned back and rode home.

It was a farther refreshing ride. Even if it was very slow—going slower than usual on my slowest bike—the only bad part was when I got back to the street in Cedar Rapids at the end of the Lindale Trail. There was a bit of soft dirty road snow covering a layer of slick, compact white sow—perfect slipping conditions and I did indeed slip.

Hawk that I had seen sitting in tree launched into flight. On new creek trail in Marion Iowa (what is this trail actually named?).

Hawk in flight.

Where I first saw the hawk, moments before it jumped into the air and flew directly over me.

Group of deer in field beside trail in Marion.

This is one of the tree above, seen a few minutes before beside the bike trail.

Ducks in creek along Boyson Trail--ponds all frozen, but some running water is still open.

But, I was on The Fancy Beast. Going slow. I’m lower on that bike anyway. The slip was inconsequential, I simply had to put my foot down and skid to a slow stop. Getting going again took awhile as I was still in bad conditions, but I was stubborn and rode rather than walked the bike to the Walgreens parking lot, where conditions improved.

I thought, looking at the bike computer, that it was a 14-mle ride. But once at home, when I checked the connected app on my phone, it turned out it was a 13.97 mile ride. Whatever. Maybe tomorrow, when it’s supposed to get well above freezing, I may repeat the route and ride a bit more and pick up that missing 0.03 miles. So far for December, 72.91 miles, with 2,720.32 for the year.

I am not going to make it to 3,000. But I should easily top 2,800 miles for the year, and that’s not bad. Thank you, Jon and Matt, son and son-in-law, previous owners of The Fancy Beast, who allowed this old man to take custody of this sturdy little bike. I appreciated it today.

Fat tire biker seen on Boyson Trail, a bit fancier than the Fancy Beast. I only saw a few walkers and this biker, but the people I met on the trail seemed to all be in good moods. It's nice to be out in the winter world again.

In Which I Have My Own Trails

Nov. 17--Bike on campus after cold morning ride. Some flurries, but all-in-all, I could have ridden road bike.

Nov. 18--Walked my bike across the C Avenue Bridge. Rode the road bike today, not a bad move.

One reason to ride the mountain bike on Nov. 19. Parked on snow by trail bridge. Trail has been cleared, but there is a layer of the white stuff, which makes wide tyres nice.

It was cold in Iowa on Nov. 19—very cold for this time of year. It was a day that would not have been out of place in the dead of winter rather than late fall. The temperature struggled to approach 20, but the wind helped make up for that by not struggling so much to reach 40 mph.

So the wind chill flirted with zero Fahrenheit.

I had missed two days biking this week due to snow. I had commuted on wheels Thursday and Friday, however. And I am babysitting a daughters dogs, so I decided to head out on my mountain bike. My plan was to ride the Boyson Trail area, and then decide whether to continue to her house or return home and drive there.

Started my Saturday ride heading west on the new section of trail headed west from Lindale Trail. It was very cold going that way, but it proved I could ride that direction. And Blair's Ferry Road is now all open, as far as I can see--new trail project done?

Another view of bike on bridge in late afternoon, sun going down.

Although it's cold. I think mountain bike looks at home on mountain bike trail.

Heading home on Grant Wood Tail in Marion, enjoying Christmas lights at West End Diner.

Getting ready to walk bike across bridge.

Well, it was too cold to do the whole Boyson Trail complex, but I did have my mountain bike, so I indulged in the easy mountain bike trail by the main trail. It was a bit bumpy—frozen, uneven ground. Still OK to ride at slow speed on a mountain bike. And I always ride a slow speed.

I took the new creek trail out to Boyson Road. I knew that the cold wind was blowing from the west, and I was headed east, so if I continued on to my daughter’s house, I would face a very challenging ride home.

What the heck. YOLO. I went for it.

And. Wow.

That was a cold ride home. Still, I had my full winter regalia. Warm boots. Two pairs of socks, the outer one being thick winter ones. Long underwear. A t-shirt, a long-sleeved t-shirt, a warm sweatshirt, wind-cutting jacket, mittens, a scarf, a biking cap under the jacket’s hood. All in all, my face did get very uncomfortable and I had to ride in a lower-than-usual gear as I climbed a 40-mph wind “hill,” but the ride was doable.

I took the Grant Wood trail home. The new bridges there are like the C Avenue bridge—covered in snow and ice, so I did walk across the curvy new bridge. The Milwaukee Road bridge, which is straight and shorter, I did ride slowly—although, given the choice to live my life again, I would have walked that, too.

I did see a possum on the trail in the dim light on the way home. I was expecting maybe to see deer, but none were out. Only mad dogs and Englishmen may go out in the midday sun, but only CR Biker is crazy enough to ride the trail on a super chilly day like today.

No other bikers were in sight. I felt like I owned the trails today, like they were made only for me. Delusional, I know, but if my grip on reality were strong enough, would I have been out there to begin with? My only other human contact were two dog walkers that I encountered—even when it’s cold, a dog has to be walked. Which, by the way, is one reason that I have owned one dog in my life, and am done with that phase, thanks.

I made it home, only mildly frozen. My wife, who had been out all day visiting a different daughter and helping her with a house project, had made a nice hot dinner of shrimp, french fries and green beans. It was just the ticket to warm a chilly biker.

Above and below, stopping to make images on mountain bike trail off of Boyson Trail. I didn't have to worry about blocking bike traffic on this cold day!

The rides to work Thursday and Friday were quite cold, too. To be honest, we’re just at the edge of when CR Biker would give it up—zero Fahrenheit, whether actual or in wind chill, is generally as low as I go. But the weather is to return to a more seasonable range in coming days, and I don’t regret my cold rides this week.

I rode almost 47 miles this week. There are six weeks left in the year, and I am 438.36 miles short of my 3,000-mile goal. I had been thinking I would have to aim for 100 miles a week to get it done, but that’s not the math. I will have to do more than 47, but if I managed a bit over 70 miles in each seven days I could get there.

So far this month, 113.57 miles. So far in 2022, 2,561.64 miles. With 438.36 miles left to reach my goal, it’s way too early to either claim victory or give up, but I don’t feel like I’m in a bad place.

Well, we’ll see if I make it. In my mind, I’m already a winner.

Or crazy. You be the judge.

In Which I Encounter Creature Features

July 28--Late day sun seen on the new trail bridge linking the Lindale Trail with the Grant Wood Trail in Marion. One of my frequent biking spots.

One reason I’m a biker is that I like the outdoors—in all seasons. The flowers of spring, the greens and sun of summer, the colors of autumn, the stark landscapes and quiet of winter—it’s all pretty to me.

But I can do without eating extra protein as I ride, thank you very much. I like watching the birds and deer and bunnies and snakes and bees and butterflies—I just don’t want to chomp on them during a ride.

Yet sometimes I have no choice. When did it happen? I didn’t record the date, but my bike computer records a short ride late on July 28, a Sunday. That could have been the ride where it happened.

I was riding a bit later than usual, doing a quick ride before it became full dark. As I often do these days for a quick ride, I rode down the Lindale Trail. The new bridges into Marion, the new side creek trail off of the Boyson Trail that leads back to Boyson Road near 10th Street—there are just more riding options there than there were in past, and it’s easy to pick up some quick miles.

And pick up some bees.

Aug. 10--A bee on a coneflower in my front garden. Not "that' bee, since this is a full daylight shot.

I was enjoying the evening. As the light faded, the heat of the day was gone. There was a pleasant chill in the air, and the trail was busy with bikers and hikers out enjoying a fine twilight.

It was such a quick ride that I didn’t even bother to take a water bottle. A mistake, given what happened.

I was probably ¾ of a mile from home, headed west on the Lindale Trail, riding with lights on in semi-light. In the deep shade of some trees, I caught a glimpse of something in the air, headed right to left, crossing the trail directly in front of me. I was zooming along, mouth breathing, and whatever it was, it did not make it.

Aug. 7 image of late day on the Lindale Trail, probably about the place where it happened, a bit later and darker than this.

Collision. Two bodies in motion. One small, insect size, one a 250-pound pudgy old hairless ape, zooming along at 12 mph or so. The small body entered the open cavity of the large body and smashed into the back of the big ape’s throat.

I felt a quick choke and a sharp pain, and involuntarily swallowed. Whatever it was, it was an uncomfortable size to suddenly gulp down. The bug’s life may have quicky ended in my digestive juices, but not before its final act—to defensively sting me in the back of my throat.

My throat immediately felt intensely sore. I gasped a bit and worried about my airway staying open. A water bottle with some cool liquid to sooth me would sure have come in handy. I slowed, but proceeded with the ride.

Well, luckily I was still breathing when I got home. I reported what I thought was a bee sting to my wife, a nurse. She gave me some cold medicine and some ibuprofen, and then we both Googled about throat stings.

Yikes! As usual, the internet was in some ways way too helpful. “You’ll be fine,” one site said. “Go to the emergency room now!” another screamed. “A biker in Spain was stung by a bee in his throat and died” a helpful story reported.

Well I’ve never been to Spain. The music may be nice, but whatever doomed insect (bee, bumble bee or wasp) that I ingested merely left me with anxiety and a sore throat.

We stayed up a bit late that night, my wife, my oldest daughter (who was visiting) and I. My wife inspected by throat but saw no stinger—although from the size of the creature I unexpectedly choked down, I suspected it was a wasp or bumblebee, which maybe was lucky because I didn’t have to reenact the online story of the doctor who plucked a stinger from his own uvula. No honey bee committing suicide by leaving its barb lodged in me, although even a creature with a smooth stinger didn’t survive the encounter.

The soreness grew no better that night—but no worse, either. I was able to sip ice water and never had trouble getting air, although swallowing was painful.

That night, my daughter said the next day, she got up to go to the bathroom and was worried because it was quiet. “Is dad OK?” she worried. Then came the loud rumble of my snoring.

“I’ve never been so happy to hear dad snore,” she said, recounting the tale.

The next day, the throat was just a bit sore, but I was already much better and I quickly recovered. So I guess the ape won that round. And I’ve had many good recent biking experiences. The visiting daughter was here with her children, and a 3-year-old grandson fell in love with biking on the Tag-A-Long seat. Almost every day, his first question to me was whether we were going on a ride. He informed me that his dad is going to buy a bike identical to mine with an identical seat so that he can continue to ride.

The grandson has two older sisters, and I went on a few rides with them, too, although they proved too tall for the Tag-A-Long. Instead, our rides were on an old tandem bike, a late 1970s era Schwinn that my wife and I use now and then.

Aug. 11 view of Lowe Park on sunset ride. I kept my mouth shut.

Aug. 8--Went on a 30-mile ride with my oldest sun, visiting from San Francisco. Part of the ride was out to Waldos Rock Park, where we saw the paving taking place on a section of the Grant Wood Trail headed east.

One of my bikes in the afternoon at Mount Mercy University before my ride home. Bike commuting is underway.

Pretty late day summer sky on the new creek trail that heads east from the Boyson Trail.

One granddaughter helped me watch some dogs for a second daughter, and we enjoyed an 8-mile round trip on the old tandem.

My rides lately have been more frequent and shorter, as the commuting season has begun. The weather has been very nice for biking, which is lucky n this summer of extreme weather on this continent. I’ve enjoyed the sight of many deer and rabbits and butterflies—and am happy to report that, with one exception, none of them has attacked me in the throat.

So far, in 2022, I’ve rolled 1,668.3 miles. I finished July with 274.76 miles—a bit down from June and many fewer than if I had ridden RAGBRAI. A sister who was going to came down with THAT virus right before the ride, and anyway, I was too busy with family to take a week off for a bike ride. In the first 11 days of August, 86.06 miles. And one bee (or wasp) sting—may it be the last. Images of a few of the harmless creatures I've seen, including multiple ones of a snake on the Lindale Trail that did me no harm:

Aug. 11--Saw this snake on the trail and narrowly avoided riding over it. Made it's image and then "encouraged" it to finish crossing the trail by using a stick.

My road bike beyond the trail serpent.

I've gently nudged the snake into the grass. Before slithering off into the cover, it doesn't act particularly grateful for my help.

Aug. 11--Used the new creek trail off of the Boyson Trail to get to Geode Street, then headed north to ride on the Lowe Park Trail. It's great rabbit habitat, based on the many bunnies I saw there on my ride.

Aug. 8--One the ride with my won, we encounter this family on the limestone part of the Lindale Trail. She was munching grass. The fawn was getting a drink from mom. Neither seemed too concerned about us.