With the second wettest July on record, it's no wonder that this August's goathead crop (Tribulus terrestris L.) is the stuff of legends. Already the chenopods and amaranths are over my head. Mentzelia and Psilostrophe are out there along with plenty of cheat grass.
Lizards scurry out of my way as I peddle down the ditch banks, road runners scoot to the side, but the big harvester ants are oblivious of me. I find myself always on the lookout for ants and take evasive action to avoid hitting them. At least the mosquitoes and sand flies are less numerous now that things are drying out a bit.
That said, my last outing was the morning after a good thunderstorm. Sandy areas were hard packed (yeah!) and the water had drained away, but I hit a couple muddy spots near San Lorenzo Ave. After that, I was kicking up clods all the way to my checkpoint north of Eakes Rd. I did a quick check of the pulse (110) and of my time (27 minutes), which compares well with 117/26 from a year ago.
I suspect time and pulse could have been better if I hadn't stopped to hack the Metal Horse Ingress portal. My biking of late has taken to pursuing Ingress portals. I'm particularly proud of the green fields in the ABQ Botanic Garden, northward to the Rio Grande Nature Center, and into the Aldo Leopold Bosque up to Montano Blvd. It's a shame Ingress doesn't have a badge for cycling, but my Trekker badge shows that I've walked 364 km (226 miles) while playing the game. #ftw
