Afternoon Gravel: Through the Swarm

The color was so hot, they seemed like miniature suns, their centers exploding, projecting sharp sparks ahead of me across the path. These sparks had a purpose, though, simply to fly on to the next golden yellow corona and its treasure of pollen. Their paths were deliberate and purposeful unlike the paths of the frenzied swarm I had had to pass through earlier; I don't know what had disturbed that hive, but I was glad they did not perceive me to be the enemy.

I don't usually head out on these afternoon gravel rides with any kind of theme in mind, something that would compel me to search out particular images to photograph, but today I did. It was unusual. 

Texture. It seemed like a good theme to pursue. The riding surface of the gravel loop is far from one-dimensional, ranging from smooth tarmac to equally smooth compacted dirt, transitions from small rocks to chunkier stone, then back to sand, wood bridges drop to gravel and river rock washed down centuries ago from granite heights. Our riding constantly changes as we transition from one surface to another, solid and sure to loose and squirmy. 

Someone has been going great guns with the grading lately; I knew they scrape the roads periodically, but I didn't know that they also clear the basins - the look rather ugly now, devoid of wildflowers and such, but then I guess aesthetics are not the goal.