Sunday, August 19, 2012

A Ride by a River

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Wildflower patchwork
Clouds like moving mountains
Birds singing Sunday joy

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A cool morning (the entire week has been remarkably cool - but no one's complaining), with temps in the 60s. Rain is falling when I get up, so I take my time over breakfast, hoping the weather will clear - which it does.

This morning I am prepared for a long ride:

Homemade energy bars ratio-based recipe:
Heat 1 part each peanut butter and honey until just simmering.
Remove from heat; stir in 4 parts oatmeal
(or oatmeal combined with breakfast cereal and/or grains of
choice), and 1/2 part each of desired add-ins
(mine were raisins, sunflower seeds, and chocolate chips).
Press into a buttered dish and let harden for several hours
or overnight. Loosely based on this recipe.

No more hungry rides for me, I'm hoping.

The sky is still grey with rainclouds as I set out. A flock of geese flies low overhead, making me think rather uneasily of autumn.


I pass a marsh edged with all kinds of wildflowers, including these cheerful heliopsis...


...in front of which are wild chicory...


...all edged by this gorgeous red clover. I love red clover, but for some reason seldom photograph it. Such a humble blossom, but so very beautiful.


Also growing in this spot are Queen Anne's Lace and wild phlox. A true wildflower quilt.

A few miles on and around a corner, grapevines vie with barbed wire in a twining competition:


Across the road some corn carts are sleeping in. (When I pass this way a few hours later, they've been put to work, trundling along behind a tractor.)


A colourfully-winged bee embraces a knapweed blossom:


Eggs, anyone?


Two swallows have had a spat and aren't speaking just now. (But all around are birds singing their little hearts out.)


Red barn, green fields: the colours of a Wisconsin summer.


Today I am expanding my riding territory. Turning on to a road that is new to me, I see this sign:


(Nice of them to warn me. But the road turns out to be no bumpier than any other of the rural roads I ride on.)

I don't think I'll have any trouble complying with either of these requirements:


I pass a small heard of Scottish longhaired cattle - not a very common sight around these parts.


It's time for a break and a snack. For some miles I've been riding along the Wisconsin River, but there are just enough houses along the shore to obscure the view. Finally I come to a corner with a boat landing and some public seating.

Energy bar with river:


And just the river this time. It's very lovely and peaceful here, and as you can see the clouds have broken up and pulled back to a picturesque distance:


Now the road begins to rise and fall as it follows the curve of the hills that line the river. The picturesque clouds peep over a corn-covered horizon:


Swallows at Sunday meeting, all prim and proper and dressed in their best tailcoats:


Another view of the lovely winding river:


I top a small hill and go careering down the other side, when something glimpsed across the fields causes me to slam on the brakes. Another barn quilt for my photo collection!


(The field is very large, making it hard to get a clear close-up.)


Finally I reach the halfway point of the ride. Here the Wisconsin River has broadened out to become Lake Wisconsin, and my route takes me across a causeway with wide blue views.


There are some lovely hills to be seen across the lake. (I hope next month to be riding among them.)


About six miles later, it's time for another snack break. I pass a likely-looking park and pull in.

Iris is parked against a handy oak tree...


...while I, having the park entirely to myself, find a spot in the shade to sit and eat.

This is what I see in front...


...and this is what I see when I turn around. The scent of the pines is warm and spicy and fills the air with a quiet gladness.


I've miles to go yet, and hope to keep future photos to a minimum. But I have to snap this incredibly beautiful barn which sports a fascinating cupola:


A few miles further, I see some striking clouds piling up to the north. One is particularly imposing:


Here's a less-immaculate (but friendlier-looking) barn:


The imposing cloud is shape-shifting as the miles go by.


Each new view of it is better than the last - so I decide to keep snapping it.


I pass some particular equine friends, and am pleased to see that their pasture is much greener than it was a month ago.


Another view of the cloud du jour.


The sun is behind me now - good time for a shadow shot.


No longer clear-cut, the imposing cloud has become soft and feathery-looking:


With just 4 or 5 miles to go, I'm starting to feel tired. (The energy bars seem to have done their job.) Two miles later, I'm quickly running out of gas, and stop for one last break. A few bites of the remaining energy bar, a few ounces of water, and a final photo through the southward-looking trees.


The break really helps recharge my legs, making the final miles fast and easy.

The beautiful weather, lovely views, and fresh air have blown the cobwebs out of my soul. A very good ride indeed.

45.1 miles

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29 comments:

  1. Amazing pictures of a very beautiful ride. Thanks for sharing it with us, now if you could only share the burned calories.
    hugs,
    Meredith

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    1. Thanks Meredith - but I think I ate them all back again. :)

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  2. what a lovely bike ride. I loved the shots of the changing clouds and the lake and barns. Those energy bars keep you going! Well done! How lovely to have cooler temperatures, we are suffering under a heat wave here!

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    1. Yes, the temps have been autumn-like but as I said no one's complaining. Except maybe the gardeners. :)

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  3. Oh yes, I 'll take some eggs with one of those energy bars! Thanks for the recipe...so much better than the processed bars. :-)

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    1. Thanks Astri - there are lots of recipes out there but this one is simple and I usually have these things on hand. If you're interested, also check out a blog called nomeatathlete - there's a very complete, very adaptable, bean-based energy bar recipe there. :)

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  4. Oh Sue, what a ride! I loved the photos and so many of those with flowers had bees drinking their nectar! My son ahad a few highland cattle on his farm at one time but the bull kept chasing his milking ones......I'll leave you guess the rest! The barns are gorgeous especially the quilting one. I love going on your bike rides with you but am glad that it is you doing the hard work! Joan

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    1. Thanks Joan! I never get tired of snapping barns and flowers ... and clouds. :)

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  5. Your bars look very yummy.
    Those cows look similar, maybe not quite the same, as what I'd describe as Highland Cows - wonder if they are the same breed but Americanised? Juliex

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    1. Yes, Highland Cows is the proper name - I couldn't think of it yesterday, and when I Googled "Scottish longhaired cattle" quite a few matching photos came up, so I thought I'd stumbled on the right name. Thanks, Julie. :)

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  6. You've worn me out again, 45 miles! How do you do it? Love the pictures, particularly the barns and cattle. Do you live in a very small town?

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    1. I live in a village of about 2000 people. And the mileage really isn't that much in cycling terms. Serious cyclists ride 60 to 100 miles without batting an eye. :)

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  7. Oh wow..what a ride! 45miles...that's a good ride! Good for you. This is something I have been wanting to do for a while now..one problem...no bike!!thanks for sharing your lovely photos, love the geese flying overhead, true...maybe a sign of the seasons changing! Have a wonderful week!

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    1. Thanks, Shari! It already feels a bit like autumn here. :)

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  8. Beautiful ride! I love seeing the Wisconsin scenery.

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    1. Thanks so much for commenting, Sarah! I love the scenery here too.

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  9. 45 miles?!?! Wowie! You are indeed going to make 60! What beautiful places you ride. You always find wonderful photos along the way. I commend you for talking yourself into stopping to take photos! That gets hard on a long ride!

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    1. It's funny you should say that ... I really did experience it on the second half of the ride. Of course many photos are taken from the saddle, which helps. :)

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  10. I cant believe how far you have cycled! You must be so fit. And such beautiful countryside too!

    Pomona x

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    1. Thank you, Pomona ... fit but not slim, I'm afraid. Ah well. :)

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  11. Look at those clouds and that landscape. Your rides are such a joy and so lovely.

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  12. Love the scenery from your ride. I am impressed with your mileage. You go, girl. I have some photos of quilt blocks from around here if you would like some. I would be happy to send them to you. There are several around East Tennessee and I try to snap a pic when I see one.

    Sharon

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    1. Thanks, Sharon! I'd love to see them. You can find my e-mail address if you click on my profile button.

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  13. You have the most beautiful skies! I am envious. That rough road sign looks awfully familiar to me. :)

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    1. Oh dear. Is that symbolic or literal? Either way, I wish for smooth roads for you and the Goatmother. :)

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  14. Greetings from the Pacific Northwest...I found your blog on Marigolds as we live pretty close to each other and we also have goats from the same dairy herd...another friend, who lives nearby!
    Anyway, I am originally from Mich. which has pretty much the same terrain, climate, etc. so very much enjoyed your bike ride today through the countryside...took me home! :) I love barns too and have a collection of photos I took of them from all over the place but the nicest ones seem to be from the midwest!!
    PS. You do beautiful crocheting...is that how you say it? :)

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    1. Thanks so much for commenting, Christina! Any friend of Marigold's is a friend of mine. I'm so glad you enjoyed the photos. :)

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  15. PS. I am Queen Quattra on Marigold's blog....Quattra is my goat, herd queen (I only have 4) :) and she is quite queenly, sure of herself!! :)

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