Who loves humidity? (17 June)

Well, the dragonfly pictured above, and all those awful mosquitoes and flies that bombarded me during my walk through the Shawnee Prairie Preserve certainly do. For the Cross Roads riders, who pedalled through 104 miles of the sticky, hot air, the appreciation was not so pronounced. However, the beautiful countryside, the good, almost traffic free roads and friendly wind conditions made the long ride enjoyable.

Meeting a number of Amish along the road, who responded to greetings with a friendly wave, was a highlight for many riders.
Tom sent me this photo as I missed this special moment. My visit to the Preserve took me in another direction. Since it was Sunday, the visitor center (and restrooms!) was closed. Unfortunately, the box containing trail maps was also empty so there was no information about the area. Trails wandered through the forest, out into meadows, along a slough, crisscrossing themselves. Luckily there was some signposting or instead of writing this blog, I might still have been trying to find my way out of the thick vegetation!

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