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| Who needs stinking sunscreen? |
The bright morning sun caused wisps of steam to lift off the grass, the trees, the trailer, and the sticky wetness of the sheets reminded us how happy life is in the midwest (I'm convinced this is the reason these folks stick together). We happily stuck ourselves together careless of the dampness, and we're very happy that we aren't driving today. Judy slept in all the way to 5 A.M. and I myself made it until 7. We then donned our bike clothes for the first of two bike rides. Ashland has a very sublime rail trail that circumnavigates the city. It's ten miles long, and under normal conditions would cover not only the middle of town, but also the water front. Unfortunately, some of the waterfront portion has been washed out due to a severe wind storm two years ago. Nonetheless, our morning ride left our spirits buoyed. We stopped for breakfast and our morning game of crib at the Black Cat Coffee House. We had a passable plate of hash and eggs, two cups of pretty good coffee, and since the world is quite upright, I won the morning game. We also chatted with a young local woman about road conditions. It seems that our travels tomorrow will not be affected by the torrential rains and flooding that afflicted the area yesterday. After our first ride, we rested a bit. Then we decided to do an out and back ride through the Ojibwe Reservation to Odanah. The ride, labeled easy by the bike map, totaled twenty miles. It took us through a bit of farm land and then through thick forest on the reservation. The ride felt good. The temperature wasn't yet too hot; there was very little wind, and the route was flat. If it hadn't been for the horse flies hovering over us like ravenous blood sucking vampires, the ride would have been perfect. As it was, the flies caused us to keep a high tempo. Today's total was thirty miles, our longest to date this summer, which felt good. Neither of us are feeling any ill effects, and except for a little sunburn (Sunscreen??), I feel pretty good. Judy, of course, did apply sunscreen, so she retains her creamy white midwestern skin. We also made reservations for our next two night stay at OB Fuller County Park which sits right on the shore of Lake Michigan. Due to the flooding and the washouts, we'll travel county back roads to get there. It should be a pleasant adventure, but regardless what happens, we'll conclude that life is good, especially today.
Not even the local amphibians could stand up to Mother Nature's wrath.
Selfie of the day: Happily stuck together.
Even this foot long turtle made for high ground.
Much like the small towns on the high line in Montana where the trains used to stop to load grain, Ashland was once a deep water unloading port for the ore that made its way down Lake Superior. The ore barges tied up to anchor cleats like this one. They dot the shore line of what's now the town park.
This juke joint was jumping. Most of the patrons, locals all, were discussing the high water results, but my favorite was a father son combo playing chess in the back room.
Murals like this one are sprinkled around town like whispers of good will and fond memories.
The Wiley Cager" (Notice the grin) readying her next play.
Basted eggs over sweet potato hash. Fair to middling.
We've discovered in our travels that towns the size of Ashland (8-10,000) often are quite progressive when it comes to bike trails, parks, and other tourist welcoming amenities.
This light house, no longer operational, used to provide a beacon for the ore barges and other maritime traffic on the lake.
This former ore dock is now a picnic spot.
The indigenous people, Ojibwe (Chippewa to us whites) lived happily in this region for thousands of years.
The cemetery holds the dear memories of those of long past.
The flood caused runoff has turned the lake a rust color.
Normally, this is part of the city bike trail, but a wind storm two years ago washed this beach section out.
Pure, cold artesian water. We filled our bottles twice.
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