"Into the great wide open"

on the venue for Saturday was more backroad base miles & the weather was perfect though overcast all day, I quit using an I-pod quite awhile back as I like to hear what's going on around me & today it was meadowlark's welcoming in the balmy temps. but it seems I always get a song stuck in my head for the whole ride, today it was Tom Petty's "Into the great wide open...under a sky of blue...a rebel without a clue" however it goes, anyways that seemed like an appropriate song for the ride

this is a grove of Cottonwood trees & what's odd is they are in the middle of nowhere out in the hills & there used to be a whole bunch of platform nests in them during the summer that were used for Blue Herons nesting, I always thought this was odd until reading up on Herons & learning that this is pretty common for them to raise their young away from the water that they spend most of their lives wading in.

the first of several cattle guard crossings

these guys came up to the road to check me out on the way by

these backroads have this effect on me!

a sign of things to come?

YEP! these kids were in a playful mood & wanted to race to!

the Fargo launches across these!

I've always had a problem staying hydrated with just plain old water & am trying this MIO stuff & in the peach tea flavor it is great, just a few drops in a bottle & you're good to go

CAUTION, WHIP POPPING, ROPE SWINGING COWBOYS AHEAD!

I love these signs & the roads that are ahead of them!

the new Jandd Mt. handlebar pack holds the right amount for a day trip like this

lunch with a view on the North Platte river bridge

back on the north canal to head it home from Keystone just as the wind really came up into my face! the canal is running full bore right now to so it's wise to pay attention. another great day on the bike, ended up with 40 miles & can't wait to ride this route again.

Fine tuning, a history lesson & one CRAZY DOG!

Been riding the heck out of the new fargo & tweakin' it some, including the new bar end caps compliments of 5 Trails Winery in downtown Paxton, their Zorx brand caps they use to bottle wine are the ticket for drop, wrapped bars & are FREE after buying, opening & drinking 2 bottles of wine!

Sunday Lane & I went 12 miles west for a Keith Co. history lesson of this old building which is called the Cider Mill, used to set on old Highway 30 or the Lincoln Highway about 5 miles west of Paxton where it was the office for a gas station & they sold cherry & apple flavored cider buy the glass or jug to weary travelers stopping for gas, a friend of ours salvaged it from demolition & turned it into a garden shed years ago, funny part is my folks remembered it from when they drove through here in 1952 on their honeymoon to Yellowstone! the spindle holding the windmill blade is from an old Model A, great to see this old stuff being preserved & actually knowing the story behind it.

And our crazy dog Tate wants to take up spelunking I believe as he's been practicing getting into some really tight spots for napping lately, what entertainment he brings us!