Sunday, September 14, 2014

Saturday Afternoon Bike-Path Stroll




















Twas a great September Saturday yesterday from start to finish.  

Beautiful and comfortable weather, projects completed and time for pleasant recreation made for a fun day. That chocolate sundae to top off the day while watching the Mariners wasn't bad either.

My body got a work-out yesterday with plenty of walking and some very rigorous toil.  So rigorous, in fact, that I decided to break what I thought would be a quick project into several stages.

That would be pumpkin-vine removal. 

Seems like an easy enough job, but this year's tentacles spread far and beyond the norm, firmly affixing themselves in some areas to the point that I had to chop 'em to get them to move.  Plus, they seemed to weigh a lot more than usual.

Over the course of day and five overflowing toboggan sleds later, I finally completed a major part of the manure-pile clean-up.  There's still more out there, but the bulk of that pumpkin plant has been removed and piled up in another spot near the barn. 

Each load of tentacles, with a few chewed up zucchinis (the moles have had a great summer) was so cumbersome that I had to hitch up like a workhorse and huff and puff deeply while pulling the sled to the pumpkin-vine depository. 

Maybe I've found a new way to condition these old leg muscles, but I'm probably not going to pursue it.  In fact, I'm wondering if next year I could dice that pumpkin seed in half before plopping it into the top of the manure pile. 

During one of my extended breaks from working the pile, I saddled up Lefty. We took a lovely ride around the place, up and down the road and over to Geneva's where both Becky and Geneva enjoyed some soft-nose petting.

Lefty was pretty well behaved as we visited, even though Lily kept calling from next door and those nasty September flies kept tormenting his underside. 

Over this past week I've brush hogged some new patches in the woods and south of the house near the road, opening up some nice riding spots right here on the place.  Except for those scary shadows in the woods, Lefty seemed to enjoy our leisurely ride. 

And, I really enjoyed it.

Later, with a couple of hours of afternoon left and not wanting to return to the pumpkin tentacles, I took my camera and drove into town to the bike path leading alongside the Long Bridge. 

Having only been on that route one other time with my bicycle since its opening, I enjoyed tuning in on the surrounding sights and sounds.

A train was headed south on the tracks, creating interesting layers of motorized vehicles. No trains, planes and automobiles, but close and colorful.

On the walk to Dog Beach and throughout the day, the planes overhead created interesting patterns in the sky. 

The walk was pleasant with folks biking and folks just plain relaxing.  Another train came north, and I enjoyed watching it with a much different attitude from the days on Great Northern Road when they kept me awake or kept me from getting to or from town. 

Yesterday's thoughts included memories of the time I spent time researching and writing a story for Sandpoint Magazine about our community being the "Funnel" in train lingo.  That's cuz we had three different lines going through here, and I'm thinking we still do. 

Lots of history but yesterday the trains simply contributed to the scenic hodge podge of a community taking advantage of a beautiful Saturday. 

Today may include more time on a horse, and I'm sure less time at the manure pile.

Happy Sunday. 




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