I had intended to get out on my bike early this morning, but we slept in until 7:00 and that made my start later than I had anticipated. The sun was already hot and getting hotter.
There's a fire someplace -- I don't know where. Maybe someone can tell me. I could smell smoke in the night and the distant mountains are obscured by smoke.
Nellie was up for the run and my riding is stronger every day. I made it halfway up Plank's pitch before getting off to push the rest of the way. It's not my legs that give up but my air capacity. At least, that's what it feels like. But never mind -- once out of the hole the ride/trot went just fine. Nellie knows every old farm pond between here and the end of Miller Road and today she took advantage of them. She keeps up just fine and when I'm slow, she trots past me.
As I approached the end of Miller Road, the "old Shawley place," I saw a rattler in the middle of the road. "She" was as surprised as I and in a flustered manner started to coil but thought better of it and headed into the tall grass. It happened so fast I didn't have time to take a picture, and I wasn't going to chase after her. Nellie was behind me and already anticipating the turn-around, so that's what I did.
The ride back was fairly uneventful. I stopped in several spots to take pictures. The harvest on Miller Road seems to be over. The fields are now stubble and the equipment is gone.
Arriving at Dobson Road, I saw dust and knew that Mike was heading out, carrying his road bike in the pick-up to the spot on Russell Ridge Road where the gravel gives way to pavement. Nellie recognized the pick-up and arched her ears into a question mark. However, she knew to stick with me and we came on home.
Mike called me at noon from Craigmont to say he had finished his snack and was returning. (Maybe we're really going to enter the cell phone age after all.)
It's hot now -- 93 -- and getting hotter. It's 76 in the house. Mike closed all the windows before 10:00 and it's 76 in here -- comfortable enough. The thing is, I have this fallish urge to bake and I just don't dare because the propane stove belches out heat -- wonderful on cool or cold days but not in the summer. Once it gets hot in the house on a hot day, there's no way to get back from it until evening.[Photo 1 was taken at the end of Miller Road. Little Canyon lies between me and the closer ridge, which is Central Ridge. Behind Central Ridge is Big Canyon and I don't know what we call the land beyond. I'll have to find out. The second picture is just a vista from Miller Road looking out toward the Clearwater River, which I guess would be north-ish. The last picture also looks north from Miller Road over a newly-harvested field. See the smoky haze.] KW
4 comments:
Happy Birthday.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! I hope you were able to celebrate with a tasty hot weather dinner and dessert.
What did Mike go to Craigmont on his road bike for? There seems to be a story here that got lost.
Hi Chuck! Mike rides to Nezperce or Craigmont just for the fun of it -- that's all -- just an exercise ride. His reputation precedes him amongst the farm folk, most of whom don't participate in activities that are strictly for the exercise. Mike has learned a lot about the countryside and its communities by cycling. In fact, the other day, a couple of dogs ambled up and he recognized them as belonging to Praests. We figured they had ranged out 4-5 miles from home. The owner thanked us for calling -- said the dogs would likely be home by midnight.
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