6/19/18
There is Corn everywhere, in front of me, to my right, to my left, and behind. I am surrounded by 6 foot Green.
It is easy to get lulled to sleep by the Common. It happens all the time.
But hidden there is Beauty.
Today we wake early in Denver with a 94 mile ride in front of us. The heat will only get to 90 and Zephyrus has gone back to sleep…guess we were too much for him yesterday. There is however a new issue to be dealt with, Midwestern Thunderstorms. Big Ones. Lots of Big Ones. With Lightening, Thunder, Sheets of Rain and even Hail….Oh My…Wizard of Oz time…
Our route is very rural on back country roads, just a single town of 1000 people over the near century ride.
The day starts pleasant, cool and cloudy but at 25 miles in the sun comes out to bathe the corn for hundreds of miles around. A short shower cools us off… I look to the West for a rainbow but all I can see is Green.
Off I ride alone to the second rest stop surrounded by squeaking corn…you can in fact hear the corn grow if you listen closely enough.
And then…I hear Them…softly calling between the squeaks…
““Look here at us!”
I slow and stare off into the Green fields but see no one.
““Here we are, look near your feet! ”.
And there before me hidden next to the Green, in between the Green, bordering the Green, throughout the Green are hundreds of wild flowers… hidden between the lines.
How had I not noticed them before?
I nod my head in acknowledgement and they smile back at me while striking a pose.
Not one to miss a chance at capturing beauty I click away to save the moment for another time.
In my mirror I can see my two riding partners approach yelling out
““Did you get lost?”
““No, just taking pictures.”
“ Of what? The Corn?”
I just smile, ““I will show you later”.
Wildflowers are special beings. They are unusual with idiosyncratic character traits. They must be hearty to thrive in less than ideal conditions. They must be survivors, no one tends to their daily needs. Their roots must go deep to hold them in place to be able to compete. They must be willing to be knocked down by wind and storms and get up another day to begin again.
And yet with their presence they exude a simple elegant grace.
The three of us ride on and at the next Stop Sign…yes there are in fact Stop Signs in the fields of Corn…I take their picture to add to the collection of today’s Wildflowers.
Later in the afternoon we are caught in one of the Midwestern Thunderstorms and take refuge in a barn. When the worst passes we can see a clearing in the radar of 1 and a half hours ….to ride 24 miles…
I can see that break in front of us, to the right storms, to the left storms and in front no storms…
Having ridden 75 miles the two Wildflowers put aside doubts and sprint the last 24 miles…neither could have done this 3 weeks ago.
Yesterday was a very difficult ride, these two almost wilted from heat exhaustion but were revived by a freezing hose shower and finished the day with pride.
Yesterday was a very difficult ride…one cyclist could not complete the trek…while Two Wildflowers did…
Today was a very difficult ride…they rode 95 miles with a sprint on the side…
Today was a very difficult ride. One cyclist worn out from yesterday decided not to try…
Next time you are surrounded by Fields of Corn take a moment to peer between the lines….you might find some Wildflowers standing there looking quite fine…smiling back at you…
Time Travelling with a Guardian Angel 
Sweet story. Lovely wildflowers, both the botanical & mammalians! So glad you found shelter from the storm. Be safe.💜💜💜
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Good morning Nick,
How could anyone say or write a ride is boring when you have a focus on the wildflowers. Thank you for sharing your thoughts about these wonderful Road Companions.
Be safe,
Mark
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