Nature Bike

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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.


Then down the highway, and to the public river access.

This I found to be muddy and unexciting.

But what's this? A trail?

On the muddy banks of the river I note that other explorers have come before me.
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.

Ooo. Look! A Monarch in a tree.
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.

You think I'd be used to it by now,
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?

Why not? It's too late in the year for wood ticks. I should be okay.

The grass was all full of happy bugs, buzzing hither and thither...
including this cute little guy. I named him Charlie.

Time to head back to town. But as I stop to take a second look at the river
I feel something crawling on my arm. I brush it off and discover...


this!

It was one of the biggest spiders I'd ever seen.
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?

Almost as gorgeous as the Monarchs feeding on them.
These late hatching Monarchs
will likely fly thousands of miles and winter in Mexico. Amazing.

Here are some more of those cute yellow bugs.

But what are they doing...one on top of the other?

Why it's a regular bug orgy. Charlie doesn't know what he's missing!


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.

I found all sorts of bees and wasps here too.
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.

A quiet little hill on the edge of town where I could sit and finish my book.

Which I did.

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!