In Which a Turkey Bastes Itself In Sand

Granddaughter who loves fishes is watching them from a bridge while I shoot a biking selfie, or usie. It may be a good thing she's watching her favorite animals--if she paid attention to the camera, her tongue would be out. Gave three grandchildren bike rides today. Maybe being tired after 33 miles is OK.

I worked again on the yard today, but only for a few hours in the morning. The day was mostly a family day—a granddaughter had stayed overnight, so there were pancakes to make in the morning. Then her family came over for lunch.

After lunch, I gave the youngest sibling in that clan a ride home on Francis, and then took the more northern, longer route that leads to the Boyson Trail on the bridge by the Marion High School football stadium to add up some miles.

There were some interesting scenes on the trail on my ride back home. On the side trail that leads to Menards, as I was heading back towards the Boyson Trail, I rounded a bend to find an odd sight. There is a place beside the trail where there had been a fair amount of erosion during spring rains, and the ditch beside the trail is filled with loose sand washed down from the hillside above. In that sandy area, a large turkey was apparently enjoying a warm afternoon sand bath. I stopped and photographed it. The turkey noted my presence and got up to walk away—in not a big hurry, I might add.

Well, a self-sand-basting turkey.

The turkey in the sand, above, and walking across the trail after it is bothered by a biker with a camera. People are so rude.

I also noted one of my favorite June flowers is in bloom—Catalpa are opening up. This showy tree with the huge heart-shaped leaves also produces nice sized, mostly white, pretty flowers. They seem to start flowering pretty early in life, as trees go. I have a tulip tree that is 30 feet tall and a maple that is 15 feet tall, neither of which bloomed this spring. But Catalpa seem to bloom by the time they hit about 8 feet. It gives me some hope for the 5-foot young Catalpa in my yard. Maybe next year?

Along Boyson Trail. Catalpa in bloom.

I went home, took a short nap, and then helped entertain two other grandkids who dropped by. I ended up giving one a ride to Culver’s in Hiawatha for supper, and then transported a child of the other clan home. I was a bit tired by the end of the day. I rode 33 miles. That could dishearten me a bit—a day of RAGBRAI can easily be double that—but then again, on a day of RAGBRAI I would not tote 20 bags of woods chips around and spread them in a new play area of my yard.

Which I did this morning before the bike rides. Plus, over half my miles featured passengers with me on Francis. So maybe 33 isn’t all that bad. And now, before bed, I must bathe my dirty biking body. In water, not sand.