In Which an Indifferent Deer Roams

These MMU students presented a research report on Monarch butterflies. It made me want to plan some milkweed on campus.

Hyacinth at Noelridge Park.

Today turned into a bike adventure day.

First of all, I attended a poster presentation event as part of Mount Mercy University’s “Scholarship Day.” One of the posters was about Monarch butterflies, and it got me thinking again about my “bikers for butterflies” concept.

I am taking part, I hope, in an MMU Bike Club ride tomorrow—I am still hoping to get the club to consider planting milkweed in a butterfly garden on campus as a service project, and maybe to get involved in an effort to plant milkweed along bike trails around Cedar Rapids and beyond.

Butterfly women, are you interested, too?

Crab apple at Cedar Lake.

I was on campus a bit later than usual because my wife began teaching a men’s health class, and I was her opening day guest speaker. My topic was the image of men in the media. I managed to use a Tom Petty music video to make a point. Or get to the point. Or roll another joint. You don’t know how it feels to be me.

Crab apple at Noelridge Park.

Anyway, it was getting on towards 7, with the sun low in the sky, as I straddled Francis and headed out. It was such a pretty, sunny late afternoon that I headed to the trail and went south, first, to ride around Cedar Lake. And there, just for your viewing pleasure, I snapped some photos.

Cedar Lake and moon.

Then I headed north, but before going directly home, I diverted to go down the Lindale Trail to the Boyson Trail—my aim was to get to the other side of the Bowman Woods hill so that I could ride up it for RAGBRAI training.

And I snapped a few more photos—sunset along the trail and a deer that, despite popping out of the woods as the sun slipped over the horizon, was still in enough light to be captured. It did not seem concerned by me or Francis—it was an indifferent deer, out for an early evening snack, which it enjoyed maybe 20 yards from me.

If it had a bike, I’m sure it would have ridden it. Because it was that nice of an early evening, a good time to spend on a bicycle.

Deer along Boyson Trai.

Sunset along Boyson Trail.

Noelridge Park crab apple.