Biddies Gone Biking: Boxing Day in Council Bluffs, IA

Boxing Day--and this was a completely different ride. My gut is fully recovered. The sun is out. The sun is out. The sun is out. Also, Steve dropped me at the start so I didn't have to ride through the crumbling streets of Omaha.

This ride started in Nebraska, right on the Missouri River and next to the office building where Connor will supposedly work someday. That's his building in the background.

The impressive and beautiful pedestrian bridge over the Missouri.

I love the little balconies over the river on the left-hand side of the building.

My picture is unreadable, but I liked this title "A River of Hope." The sign is about how changes to the river enabled the capture of hydroelectric power and protected riverside communities from floods but how those changes also damaged habitat, threatening many species of fish, birds, and insects. Now, the sign says, efforts are being made to fix that so there will be balance. And hope.

A better view of Connor's building from higher on the bridge.

Looking north up the river.

This cool statue is in Iowa. With his big feet and little head, I joked he was Connor with his new HUGE slippers and his tiny head.

I rode the levy away from Council Bluffs. It was crispy cold.

The view looking back at Council Bluffs. After all the gray, I couldn't believe the blue sky!

Five miles in I came to this little pond. It was still cold enough to see my breath, but I took off my gloves and stopped for a bit to birdwatch.

I haven't checked my Sibley's yet, but I don't think I've seen a tree sparrow before. I didn't see it this time either--at least not that I could be certain of. But there were many birds here. Such a surprise after the scarcity of flying things two days before in Omaha.

I rode through patches of fog. And along this canal, I saw MANY predatory birds. Two golden eagles and several hawks. None of them liked me on the trail, so they often flew off before I could get my gloves off and my binocs out. I finally decided to ride with my binocs around my neck so I could get to them more quickly. Of course, as soon as I did that, the birds disappeared.

I began to see signs of a lake on my left.

And the canal continued.

Just as in Omaha, I crossed back and forth.

And then a wrong turn brought me to the shoreline. I was so glad this happened or otherwise I would have missed seeing the 8 or 9 bald eagles frolicking around in the sky, perching in trees, and eating their pray on a branch. There were also many many Common Mergansers cruising around.

The name of the lake and park--I came to this sign in a different place.

After some city riding and a serious wrong turn that I caught because I noticed by the sun I was riding southeast instead of northwest, I arrived back at the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge.