Monday, November 29, 2010

On the Trail Again....

Well, if you are going to work out the Thanksgiving sludge, might as well do it on a bike. I get bored with walking on a smooth, straight path, so I'd rather ride my bike. There was some good football on today, so Eldy passed on the Pumpkinvine Trail. Besides, it was 42 degrees and that's too cold for him. Me, being a Chicago suburbs girl having grown up with lots of blizzards and lots of snow, cold doesn't bother me. I suppose it will one of these days, when I get too nervous about walking on icy sidewalks and streets and take a good fall. "Wait a minute," says Eldy. "You aren't going to have to worry about that 'cuz you'll be with me and we'll be where it's WARM in the winter!"  Yes, dear...but Eldy knows I might have to go find mountains somewhere so I can experience COLD and that white stuff....I'd really like to try snowshoeing! But first, PICKLEBALL! (see previous blog on that one)

Observation deck over marsh on trail



I suppose many people just hop on a bike out on a trail and think, "Man, it's really dreary now that all the leaves are gone, no color to be found...boring!" I used to be one of those people, but now I have so much more time to pay attention to everything around me. I just seem to notice a lot more, but some of that comes from wanting to take better photos and having fun with my camera. Yesterday I challenged myself to an "I Spy" type of observation.  I went looking for color....I saw green plants still growing, bright red berries on trees, large yellow berries on shrubs low to the ground, some kind of prickly vine that turns from a cherry red in late summer to a bright deep lavender in the fall, and some beautiful wheat colored ornamental grasses. Lots of people out on the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail walking Sunday, I passed at least 20 or more. I also saw a "big boys' fort", that's what it looked like to me. It was the biggest tree stand/blind I've ever seen, and it just looked like what a grown up little boy would call the ultimate fort. Made me a little nervous to see it, but don't think it's been used for awhile for hunting as the walls were starting to fall down. I rode a total of 11 miles yesterday...Good workout but I'm sure the sludge is still there!


The "Fort"



ornamental grasses at Abshire Park in Goshen, IN
Tomorrow is another day, and that's probably a good thing...there was much more stress to today but it will have to wait for tomorrow's blog...time to wind down...see you later....

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