In Which I Must Find My Winter Jacket

Earlier this week, bike in rack behind Warde Hall.

Rode to campus early on Wednesday, using mountain bike due to chance of rain. It sprinkled on the way in, one of several times I experienced water on my rides. Bike (above and below) on campus shortly after 7 a.m.

The scene this morning: I drove Thursday due to rain, but today was determined to bike to work. But Thursday had been a long day, with me having to do some class work after I got home at 9 p.m., so I was not early to bed.

But I had to be early to rise. That’s not very wise.

Oct. 22—and something is new this morning. It’s our second frosty morning this week, with the frost being far more widespread. So, despite being a bit pressed for time to get to an early class, I had to move the shoe rack in order to open a closet door.

Time to dig out the biking jacket and some gloves.

I dreaded opening that closet door. I am terrible at finding stuff, and hate the process of looking. Of course, I “solve” that problem by putting it off as long as possible, for that wonderful combination of doing something I’m not good at which always takes too long when I don’t have time.

Quick Sunday night ride to Milwaukee Road bridge.

Moon reflected in C Avenue Pond during late bike ride home.

Well, this morning the bike gods were with me. I scooted the shoes, opened the door, and the white stripes of my blue biking jacked were clearly visible, right in the middle, directly in front of me. And gloves were even easy to find in a bin on the top shelf.

It’s been a decent biking week, even if some rain had me driving Thursday. Friday’s ride was cool and windy, but I’m fine with my jacket on.

This afternoon, as I was packing for the bike ride home, I got a text from my wife. “It’s raining,” she said. It was. I checked the radar, and it looked light and like it might end soon.

Don’t always trust radar. With the jacket, despite getting a bit damp on the way home, I managed to stay warm. And the rain was never heavy, although it sure was more persistent than I expected.

And so it goes. You find the jacket and a cold rain finds you miles from home.

All in all, I would still call it a win of a week. And I cannot complain about finding my jacket—I am not thrilled by the deepest cold of winter, but frosty weather I can dress for.

And no biting insects!

And to finish off this post, four morning views of the C Avenue pond at Collins Aerospace.

In Which The Old Mountain Bike is a Star

Sac and Fox Trail today. Beautiful sunshine.

Today’s 28-mile ride was a bit longer than I expected. I thought it would take me about two hours to ride the Sac and Fox Trail. It’s a 7-mile trail, but I had to ride to it and come home after it.

I often start at the south end, ride north, and then head home. The north end is closer to my area of town.

But I knew there was road construction in the roads near the north end, and I was riding the old mountain bike. The Fancy Beast is best for rough ground, but it’s heavy and slow compared to my other bikes, but I was not really wanting to climb the Cottage Grove hill on this bike.

Project blocks street that would lead to trail. It took me a bit to find the detour. Not matter, it was a nice day to ride back and forth for a while.

Going down the hill? Sure.

Getting to Cottage Grove in the first place involved some back-and-forth, as I had not ridden that way since Cottage Grove was torn up at First Avenue. It took an hour for me to find my way to the north end of the trail.

And I still wasn’t sure what I would find there. The woods had been torn up in the derecho last year, and I had seen plenty of notices about volunteer projects to clear this trail. Plus, there was the question of the condition of the trail after a wet start to October.

But it had been so dry before October that I thought the ground probably would absorb yesterday's rain well enough for the trail to be OK.

And it was way more than OK. It was the kind of ride filled with an exhilarating change in attention, to the close details of the trail at many spots, dodging ruts and puddles. And yet, pausing now and then to see the sky, the scenery, the gorgeous way Iowa can look on those few fine fall days where no day seems more beautiful. Here are a bunch of pretty nature images from the ride, post continues after the images:

Frog statue in park at north end of trail.

Maple tree at north end of trail starting fall colors.

Vulture circles over trail.

Looking up at fall colors on Sac and Fox Trail.

Flowers blooming in woods beside Sac and Fox Trail.

Cedar River seen from trail.

Ride, see something, pause. I had planned this partly as a photo safari anyway, and to capture the spirit of the day, I found myself using my bike as a picture prop, so I ended up with a bunch of trail-bike images.

At one point, I came around a bend and practically was face to face with a doe, munching some plant. She dropped the plant from her mouth, but did not move. I stopped, got out a camera, and shot portraits of her. Then, from the woods behind her, a smaller deer, possibly a yearling, bounded, up, and suddenly the pair were on the move, flashing their white tails, leaving me to ponder that encounter.

Well, hello doe. Let me make your image.

Profile of the trail doe.

Deer crossing trail.

The closest deer is the young one who showed up. The tail of the larger doe is seen at the right of the image.

I made good time, although the ride was proving longer than I had anticipated. I never slipped while on my bicycle, although once, when I was making images of my bike, I stepped into what I thought was a dry waterway and discovered very soft mud. When I stamped my feet to clear some mud, my right knee was very tender.

Sorry about that, knee. But you still served me well, and even if that pain was only halfway through a 28-mile ride, you were OK when I was riding and even allowed me to take an evening stroll with my wife.

Well, cool. It wasn’t a good day. It was a great day to be on the Sac and Fox Trail, rolling across the planet on an old, but serviceable mountain bike. Images post-Sac and Fox, followed by images of the start bike, some selfies and a map of today's ride:

Milkweed seeds along Cedar River Trail.

Mural on building beside Cedar River Trail, viewed from the side trial along the levee, leading to the site where the bridge is slated to be built in a few years.

Turkey buzzards on sandbar on Cedar River, viewed from Otis Road.

Butterfly at Prairie Park Fishery.

Bee and butterfly at Prairie Park Fishery.

Someone put a small plastic cow on top of the "Frame" artwork at the Prairie Park Fishery.

First of many image of bike on ride.

Map of today's ride. Bunny in a top hat?

Selfie near start of ride on Sac and Fox Trail.

After Sac and Fox, break time at Prairie Park Fishery.

In Which I Walk and Ride into Fall

The kind of day it was Saturday. Walking at Backbone State Park.

Saturday, Oct. 9—My wife and I drove to meet family at Backbone State Park north of Cedar Rapids. We spent the day hiking pretty trails (which were also slightly frightening for an old man who is scared of heights).

It was a nice way to spend a pleasant day. And after we got home, knowing that rain was coming for Sunday, I took a quick evening ride out to Lowe Park.

I felt pretty macho going on even a quick ride after the long hikes. My wife and I did a 30-day challenge in September that involved more frequent walks, and although that month is over, we’ve continued the habit. As a result, I think I’m a better biker, too, partly because I’ve shed a few pounds.

My bike at Lowe Park on Saturday.

It was getting a bit dusky by the time I rode to Lowe Park, me and my bike with its lights on.

The rain moved in and today was the first day fit again for riding. It was also the final day of classes before fall break at the university where I teach.

I usually use the hybrid bike for commuting, but again rode the road bike today. I had to give an exam in the morning, but knew I would probably leave a bit earlier than usual, and planned to circle Cedar Lake on the way home.

The plan worked well. Around 3, when I left my office, I first zoomed down a grassy hill to a vegetable garden on campus, to harvest some tomatoes and also to shoot some images of afternoon butterflies.

I don't think this one is cheating as much as the Backbone image. I actually rode my bike to the garden near Basile Hall at Mount Mercy University to make this image before starting my ride to the lake.

Sunny this morning after Monday's rain. Clouds moved in later, but the sky was blue as I ride my bike past the C Avenue Collins Aerospace pond during the morning commute.

Then, I rode to the lake. As it turned out, there is some project underway at the south end, and I couldn’t circle the full lake, but I still enjoyed the partly sunny, cool fall afternoon.

It’s still an unusually warm October. In a normal year, we’d be thinking about the first frost. Not this year. But at least it felt like a pretty fall day and not a summer one.

Then, it was time to head home. I had a date with my wife. To go on a walk, which is a thing we’re doing more of now.

Bike at Cedar Lake 1.

Bike at Cedar Lake 2.

Trio of gulls fly over Cedar Lake.

Today, circling the whole lake is not an option.

A trike rider passes by headed downtown. It's not my sister. It's a Not Cate.

Flower. Because.

Watching the work at the lake trail.

Close look at trail closed sign.

Medium look at signs.

Bike parked behind Warde Hall. Starting to look a bit like fall.