On your left*

Early morning fog hovering over the pond.

I went on a bike ride today.  I went on a train ride, too.  The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad has a Bike Aboard! program that, for a $2.00 fare (yes, you read that right — $2.00!!), allows cyclists to bike along the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail in one direction and ride the train back to where you started, or as in my case, the other way around.

Boston Mill Depot

I started out in Boston Mill, taking a few photos of the Cuyahoga River while waiting for the first train of the morning.

The Cuyahoga River is not this blue, but was reflecting the sky.

It was a lovely morning.  Cool, clear, a little breezy.  It didn’t stay cool for very long.  By noon it was near 90 degrees.

Waiting for the train.

Here it comes!!

I love traveling by train, even for such a short distance.  And it was a relatively short distance.  I haven’t been on my bike in about a month (and a day).  I blame it on the car crash which totaled the hitch for the bike rack along with the car.  Truthfully, I could have been riding around the neighborhood which would have kept me in great shape because we have hilly, country roads.

Traveling by train

The total mileage for my ride was 10.5 miles, and took longer than it should have because, as usual, I stopped to take photos every now and then.  I did pick up the pace and go all out the last 4 miles or so because the day was really beginning to heat up.  There is a poster in the bike shop I frequent which states something along the lines of “You sweat.  The wind cools you off.  There is no charge for this service.”  That sums up summer cycling pretty well.

The Botzum Depot, where I got off the train.

It felt good to ride again.  Well, mostly good.  I’m still working out the saddle sore business.  I invested in bike shorts and a so-called comfort seat.  The combination helped, but presented another set of problems that would require me to step over the line and enter the land of TMI.  Let’s just say that with all the investments I’ve made, I’m going to have to figure this out.  There must be a way to come to a happy (and comfortable) medium.

On the Towpath Trail.

I was surprised at how much like autumn it already looks.  Leaves are changing color, and quite a few are already carpeting the ground.  I’m sure that’s related to the drought situation.  The river looked low.  In some spots it seemed little more than puddles.

I stopped to say hello to this Green Frog perched on a lily pad.

I ventured off a bit to visit Indigo Lake.

And stopped at Szalay’s Sweet Corn Farm for a snack.

They had just hauled in a truckload of freshly picked corn.  Unfortunately I was there too early to have roasted corn for my snack so I settled for a peach and some fresh apple cider.  I went back after my ride to pick up some corn which I had for lunch.  That stuff is so sweet it almost tastes like candy.

I also stopped to smell the flowers. And photograph them, of course.

It was a fantastic way to start the day.  The ride got me to thinking about what I intend to do for my next challenge.  I will have completed my year of yoga and pescetarianism soon.  Less than a month to go.

Back on the trail after my snack.

If this winter turns out to be the usual northeast Ohio winter, cycling is not a year-round possibility.  However, I could challenge myself to get in a certain amount of mileage between now and when the snow starts to fly.

Riding on the boardwalk.

I’ll have to give it some more thought.  In the meantime, I also need to get ready for our group blogging walk.  Or blogging group walk.  Or walking (and riding, because I know one or two of you are planning to cycle) bloggers group.  Whatever the case, we should be able to set a date soon.  I’m thinking late September or the first week or so in October will be good.  What do you think?

Another look at the Cuyahoga River (taken before my ride).

That’s it from the not-so-boggy Bogs for today.  Thank you for stopping by and joining me on my train and bike rides.  I’m thinking of going for a swim in the pond.  Meet you out at the swim platform.  Last one in is a rotten egg!

Changing colors on a foggy morning

Wishing you a delightful and delicious day, evening, or night, wherever and whenever you are on the spectrum of time.  And a great weekend too!  🙂

*On your left:  For those who don’t have much experience with bike & hike trails, “on your left” is something you say to people you are passing so they will know you are coming around them (on the left).  If you have a bell on your bicycle, you could use that instead.  I do have a bell, but notice people seem to respond better to an “on your left” than the ringing of the bell.

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