Biking the Backroads Home

I biked to school today - well, Tom drove me to Highway 18 and I biked the 10 miles - but then I rode the entire 20 miles home. While I am not in good biking form, I still fully enjoyed the ride. The detail of the roadway and its surroundings always surfaces: horses serenely grazing in a green pasture; cows content behind a fence; vast acres of corn with fat ears hanging on tassled stalks; even the trash and road kill offer visual variety. In my truck commuting, I see hawks nearly every day. But I never hear them. Today I heard a red-tailed hawk as it circled above me. I will bike two or three times a week, not just for the fuel savings, but for the incredible scenery that folds out across these rolling roads.