Yet another nice day, in a string of nice days. Even though I had almost 60 miles to ride today, I got a rather late start. I was up by 6:30 and was finished with breakfast by 7:15, but it was after 9:30 before I got rolling. It is so easy to fritter away the morning, reading the paper, playing a couple of computer games, packing up, etc.
By the time I started, the temperature was in the 70's, the sky was a brilliant blue with not a cloud in sight, and the winds were only 3-4 MPH. In other words, perfect cycling weather. These conditions lasted for a couple of hours, but by midafternoon, the temperature was in the mid 80's, there were a few scattered clouds, and the wind had picked up just a little. If it weren't for all the corn and bean fields, it would have been easy to imagine being back in Florida instead of northern Indiana. It felt so good to be warm!
Farming lesson for the day...
Just a couple of miles after I started, I rode by a farm that grain that looked like it was ready for harvest. I didn't know what the crop was, but the crop was not nearly as thick as the nearby wheat fields, and a lot of the crop looked like it had been mashed down. As I was pondering the situation, I saw a farmer roll through the field in an ATV and then get out with a sprayer in his hand. Of course, I had to stop and ask him about things. I found out that the crop was a cover crop of cereal rye. and that it was brown because it had been sprayed with Roundup. Tim, the farmer, explained that he farmed using a cover-crop no-till system. Shortly before (or after) planting the soybeans, the rye is sprayed to kill it off, but is otherwise left alone. I asked if the rye would not interfere with the harvesting of the soybeans, but he said no. He explained that as the season progresses, the rye falls over, or in his words " the worms pull it down". The rye ends up becoming mulch, which prevents weeds from growing and at the same time adds organic material to the soil. He was very proud of the fact, that while most of the soil in the area has 2.5% organic material content, his farm has double that amount, or 5%. It's amazing what you can learn when you stop to ask about things!
A cover crop of cereal rye. The soybeans were just beginning to sprout underneath.
Tomorrow, I head for Angola, IN, about a 70-mile ride. I hope to get an earlier start than I did today.
Today's ride: 59 miles (95 km) Total: 2,208 miles (3,553 km)
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John PaskalidesKerry. I saw a video feed on MSN today about the efforts to clear the snow from the "Ride to the Sun" road. Holy catfish batman, They started bulldozing a week ago in hope to get the road open. There's a lot of snow in "dem dare hills". Include many photos whence you get there. I'm glad I didn't panic and sell Nvidia in the last year (like numbskull Kathy Wood did). That freaking stock is killing it. AI has been a good catalyst for me!! Getting on the sail boat tomorrow. Should me fun. I will suggest topless sunbathing for ALL! Reply to this comment 1 year ago
