I should have known better

I knew I had a good ride ahead of me, so I planned out a route that mainly stayed on major highways on a fairly direct route.  I had good intentions, but after the first 30 minutes I gave up on that and went in search of some lesser traveled roads.  I had to refer to the map more than usual to make sure that I was at least heading in the right general direction. I think I added a little over a hundred miles to the distance covered, but it was a lot more fun.  The day started clear, but I ran into some low hanging clouds early on.  The visibility wasn't terrible but with no other traffic, and the limited sight lines, it really gave a sense of being somewhat isolated.  It was a little eerie and cool all at the same time.  I did run into some rain for about an hour or more, but it was mostly a misting and light sprinkle.  After yesterday's heat, I am not complaining about overcast skies and temps in the high seventies.  Passing through California (Missouri), I caught a glimpse of the front yard shown below.  It seemed so perfect, I had to go back and take another look.  The picture doesn't do it justice.  I appreciated it, but know that my yard will never look that way, because I hate messing with that sort of thing.
So now I am in Algona at my Mom's for the next few days.  No real riding planned, until I start back on Monday.

Current Location:  Altona, Iowa
Today's mileage:  586
Total mileage:  1576