Riding to the Fox River Park on the south side of Waukesha started out chilly because of the wind. It seemed that most of the time it was a crosswind.

But as the trail descended the hill, approaching the 90-degree bend near the condos, I noticed that I was picking up lots of speed without pedaling.

While it is down hill, it’s not a steep drop. I do not usually notice such a speed increase. Suddenly I realized that the wind must be giving a substantial boost. In that moment I was not looking forward to turning around.

Bryn was with me today on her second ride with her new bike. The fit was adjusted since last time and she had an even better riding experience. Yay!

The photo above is a tiny painted turtle. Bryn wonders how I even managed to see it on the asphalt trail since it blends in so well.

The answer is simple. I have traveled over that part of the trail so many times that I notice even the slightest change. It’s the subtle changes day-to-day and week-to-week that keep familiar territory exciting.

Fortunately I had a quarter in my pack so you can see a size reference. After taking the photo I moved the little creature off the trail so it would not get run over.

Not even 100 feet later there was a toad about the size of the palm of my hand on the trail. I wanted a photo of it too, but it was a bit frightened with me stopping so close. So I just shooed it off the trail.

15.00 miles today. 306.32 miles YTD.