Disciplined Fifty: Or “%$#@” Rob I am not doing 50 again,” Diane 10/5/2016

We rode 50+ miles today, 35 uphill.  Yes, it was railroad grade but it was tough slog. We managed to 8.2 mph with fully loaded gravel bikes and it was not fun.  If there was any joy in the ride it was that we could still do miles within allotted time through maintaining the discipline of more riding than resting or talking with others. (Diane did break ranks at one stop and held forth with her favorite story on bike repair on the road – but she said “they started it when they asked about how my bike was configured.”)
When you ride to get from “A to Z” in “X to Y” time, you don’t stop to take many pictures.  Will try to do better tomorrow. Rob  

One of the last vestiges of the KATY railroad, this tile granary still shines in the sun.  

Diane cranks up one of the multi-mile grinds (at this point she can still put on a happy face).

These wild grapes were very much out of reach. A childhood favorite but not a delight to be reprised today.

As Autumn is upon the Ozark Border Country, wildlife is storing food for the winter. We encountered a number of what we have come to call "suicide squirrels" the stream out of the ditches just flying in front of the bikes carrying walnuts. One today even managed to scream between Diane front and rear wheels.  On one of the few downhill runs of the day we also saw our first terrapin but I could not make myself turn and ride back up the hill.  So the wildlife shots of the day are insects :).

This  grasshopper hitched a ride on Diane..