Mist, Muscatine, White Thistle, Subie Love and Root Beer Success...

Misty Morning. 

The Sun fights to Shine through. 

Several days go by and the internet has been wonky.   I  do not like dealing with bad internet when I post the blog... all those pictures and stuff.   But,  I can't let too many days go by without posting something..so:  Here's what happened while I was gone..

There is always a Creepy Old
man behind her. 

Made you look!

The weather has been more Fall-like than normal.   Cool mornings with temps climbing into the mid 80's in the afternoon.   If you can avoid the Sun,  the outdoor conditions are almost pleasant!  We were promised a couple days of rain this week, and it did...  a little.   Just enough to cause a thick mist and a wet sidewalk.  Just enough to remove my Murals that I chalked on the unprotected areas.    But that is the fun of using Chalk on the sidewalk...  you never know how long it will last.

Blue Heron in the river. 

Squirrel conductor.

Cheryl has been enjoying the cooler temps.  We ran in Muscatine the other day. ( Wednesday is out normal routine. )  The Trail along the river was busy.. as usual these days.   Even the Wildlife seems to be appearing more.   It is not every day we see a Great Blue Heron in the Mississippi.

Cheryl finds the Hops Plants. 

Lots of Hops

We have been trying to limit our bike rides in the evening to give Cheryl's knees a break.   Exercising twice a day may be good for the psyche,  but it can wear and tear your other body parts.    But finding an excuse to stop so the bike ride is not so intense can be alluring sometimes. 

Larger Cones,  Not
ripe yet. 

We wanted to see if the Hops were out on the other side of West Chester... They were!  Some cones are pretty large!   But most of the ones we saw are just coming out.   I'm now concerned that my Hops Plant may not bear any cones this year.   Having never grown Hops before, I do not really know all of the things that are involved with their cultivation.   Maybe this is the year they will not bear cones, and next year will prove to be more productive.   In any case.. looks like there are lots of Hops along the trail to harvest when the time comes.

White Thistle Flower! 

While biking along the trail,   the Purple Thistle is out in numbers! But something caught my eye the other day and I happened to have the Camera to prove the sighting!  A White Thistle!

A Purple Thistle Flower.  LOT of
these out there. 

I just looked it up, and there are two "white Thistle" plants out there...  This is not one of them!   So... From my "Biology 110" Course while at Michigan State.   I'm assuming this is a recessive Genetic Allele that causes the flower to  lack the purple pigment it normally has.  As the picture shows,  it is NOT simply a pale version of the purple flower.  It is funny, it was the only one of its kind and it stuck out like a sore thumb against the purple backdrop of flowers.    I love finding Unique wildlife/ wild flora.

Polishing the Subies Headlights.

Nice and Cloudy now.

I took the opportunity to work on the Subie's Paint job yesterday.   The finishing touches were just a final clear coat over the paint I added a few weeks ago.   Yes.. a few weeks ago!    The Heat, dust, and threat or rain have all conspired against me.  But I think it is "good enough" for the moment.   I can't do the best job possible out in the open, but I can at least add a layer of Protection.

Apply Clear coat.   Like New! 

I also fussed with the  headlights while I had the Clear coat out.   They were getting a little foggy.   I sanded them down to a smooth finish and then applied the clear coat.   I'm sure it will not last either... because Iowa is a very dusty, gravely state.   And I do not drive in the dark very much.    But hey!  It was something to do in a pleasant day.

And lastly, I want to mention the Root Beer Project.   My second attempt has worked out far better.   We added the Lactose and I left out the Bittering agent from the recipe.   As a result, I get a thicker head,  frothy and creamy mouthfeel, and a sweeter taste.  The on;ly problem is..it taste a lot like a medicine.   Perhaps it is the Anise star or the lack of Sasparilla root .  Either way, it at least tastes more like root beer than before.   Cheryl says I should download a recipe from one of those name brands or "traditional" Root Beer manufacturers.  I was disappointed that A&W use premixed concentrate that they make in the morning at their stores.   There is no art in that, they just mix it with sugar and carbonated Water!    ( No Fermentation required)   So... Much more research will be required.  In the mean time,  at least I will be able to drink this version.

Hope everyone is having a fine week so far.   the weekend is almost upon us and there is a roller coaster of weather up ahead.   (Hot, Hot, cool,  cold!)   I'm still waiting for some rain.   Maybe the internet will allow me to post this after I'm done.   We shall see.  In the mean time... THanks for stopping in.