(Please remember, if you'd like to enlarge
any of the pictures in my blog, just click on it.
Then hit your back arrow to go back
to where you left off.)

As the summer is winding down, I find myself looking for a last bit of excitement.
And even though today was cool and overcast,
it turned out to be a perfect day for a Nature Hike -
or should I say Nature Bike!
I still enjoy riding my bike as much as I did when I was a kid.
See...I can do it with no hands even!

And so this afternoon I biked all the way to the end of our town's bike trail,
and crossed over the Minnesota River.





Looks like some time ago they built a fire pit.
And these cleft-footed tracks tell me another visitor was here as well,
perhaps earlier today.

Too bad it's a bit dark here. Too dark for a descent picture.

But here's a lovely little pink flower.
If only the Monarch would fly over here to get it's picture taken.
Some bugs are just camera shy, I guess.

but it always makes me sad to see the first fallen leaves.
Summer gives way to fall, and fall gives way to winter...
Enough gloomy thoughts.
Time to head back to my bike and continue my little adventure.
But do I go back the way I came (boring)
or take an alternate route through the tall grass?


including this cute little guy. I named him Charlie.

I feel something crawling on my arm. I brush it off and discover...
this!

And to think, it was probably on me since the tall grass!
I think I'd rather have a wood tick...
No, I wouldn't.
I hate ticks.
Back to the bike trail.

Hey look! There's more Monarchs in these
wild flowers growing along side the trail.
This one is feeding on a lovely wild thistle.
I think blooming wild thistle are just gorgeous! Don't you?

These late hatching Monarchs
will likely fly thousands of miles and winter in Mexico. Amazing.
Here are some more of those cute yellow bugs.


This poor old Viceroy has been through a lot.

He's lost a chunk of each hind wing, and tons of scales to boot.
Poor fella. Oh well.
At least he doesn't need to fly down south for the winter.
He'll die soon. Viceroys winter as caterpillars in these parts.

See the orange ball on this guy's leg?
It's the pollen he's been collecting.
He stores it there. What a smart and busy bee!
After I got tired of looking at bugs I continued on, back through town,
past the grain elevator, and the ball park, and some graffiti covered buildings,
(Between you and me, I find graffiti art to be quite stunning
and pleasing to the eye, but I won't post it here lest there be
some vulgarities in my photo I am unaware of.)
and finally came to just the place I was hoping to find.


That is the end of my hike,
the end of my blog,
and (unfortunately) the end of summer.
But it's also the end of the hiatus I have been taking from blog writing.
I plan to go back to posting one-a-week from here on out.
Or at least, until next summer.
Bye for now!