After commuting on bike for several months it was finally time for a two-wheel excursion, breakfast with my friends Larry and Jeff in McFarland.

The UW arboretum is always beautiful in the early morning.

The path not taken.

The Oak stand at the edge of the Curtis Prairie.

So many memories with this old gate.

Saw dozens of turkeys, all over the arboretum in the early morning. Also scared up a couple of deer when I stopped to take this photo.

Also saw and heard cranes, geese (& goslings), ducks, robins, cardinals, blue jays but the most common heard and seen was the red wing blackbirds.

Enjoyed the recently resurfaced Cap City Trail through the Capital Springs Recreation Area, and the serenity of 9 Springs Creek.

The fish must be biting! Actually it’s opening day of fishing season. Counted fishermen in 50 boats on the lake from this spot. The number of bike riders started to increase after I took this photo. Perfect weather for either activity.

With the water tower in sight, the end of the ride was near. Only a couple more miles to go.