Pornography?

You know when you see it....











http://www.guardian.co.uk/world//may/30/everest-mountaineer-crowding-hobby-tragedy

Wind & Sand

It is so dry here. We are in a heck of a drought as are several of the other southwestern states. The wind blows and the sand creeps into the house through each and every little crack. You might think you have the best windows made but find out there is not any window that seals well enought to keep this dust out. There are brush fires everywhere. New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Arizona that I am sure of. Tornados are just as bad like in Iowa and Wisconsin. These photos don't show the wind and dirt that well, but they are kind of blurry due to the blowing sand. The first one is after a windy day when the sand is blown like little waves.

Scott School in Troy Township

On the back of the postcard photo above is written “Jane Brubaker 4/3/1914 My School. Wyland Herrold Teacher.”
Jane would turn 11 years old on April 14th, 1914. She is on the right side of the middle row, the little girl with the black bow in her hair. Her brother, William Hale Brubaker, is the young fellow with the white shirt and tie in the front row, in front of Jane. He was 9 years old on February 22nd, 1914. My grandmother would have been 12 years old at the time so should be in the picture also but for some reason she isn't. The family was living at the Goose Lake Farm, in Troy Township, at the time. The school was about 2 miles from the farm. The Scott School was closed in the spring of 1920.
The pictures below were taken in August ...

I've Been Out Walking

Before I started cycling, I used to walk a lot - and I mean a lot. It's a habit I picked up during childhood and carried all through adulthood, no matter where I lived and no matter the season. Whether wandering through industrial neighbourhoods, rambling through the woods, or strolling down endless beach roads - it didn't matter, as long as I walked. I walked fast and I could walk for hours. I exhausted friends who innocently asked to join me on my excursions, after which they no longer believed me when I'd say that something was "just a short walk from here." I horrified dinner party hostesses when they - upon seeing I had not arrived in a car - asked if I'd taken a taxi, by replying "Oh no, I just walked." "But you live an hour from here and you're wearing heels!" "Yes..."



Fast forward to a couple of days ago. With some snow and ice on the roads, I had not been on the roadbike for a few days and was feeling stir crazy. I decided to take a nice walk. It was 20°F out, so I donned my new unpadded bib tights (I am determined to get all the milage I can out of those!), some layers, and set off. This was the first time I'd attempted a real walk since maybe November, but it did not even cross my mind that it would be in any way challenging. I mean, I've always walked. Walking is what I do! Plus I've been cycling like crazy so I was in good shape.




Now I used to hear about this sort of thing from cyclists, but thought it was nonsense until it happened to me. Too much cycling can make you unlearn how to walk? You have got to be kidding me. ButI kid you not. After a pathetic half hour of brisk walking my feet and legs were aching, and I could feel some weird muscles around my knees straining as I tried to take my usual long strides. Like these muscles had gotten all scrunched up now from making pedaling motions instead of walking motions. I turned back, and then for some reason decided to run the last few blocks home. Within seconds there were shooting pains in my ankles and I arrived at my door practically an invalid. Unbelievable.


From now on, I am going to make it a point to walk several times a week. The very idea that something I think of as a lifelong ability and a physical strength of mine could atrophy so quickly is astonishing. I will get my walking groove back this winter and will try not to lose it again. Cycling isn't everything.

Thorp Lookout ..

Jennifer's birthday getaway.

We had lofty ambitions to go hiking/camping in the North Cascades, but the 30% chance of thunderstorms scared us away. I was hoping for views, while Jennifer was hoping for lake swimming. In the end we found a combination that should work just fine; Thorp Lake and Thorp Mountain Lookout.

We got a leisurely start and drove up to the trail head arriving around 11am. Unfortunately, the signage is not ideal and we drove to what is listed in the book as the shortcut. This is a trail at the end of a logging road that leads to the lake. After we geared up and started up the trail we immediately noticed a sign stating it was not the trail. We opted to continue as the trail looked well used (and there was more than a half dozen cars at the "trail head.") However, a few hundred meters from the parking lot we made a right instead of a left. This put us in some open clear cuts and following some trails that looked like game trails. There was flagging tape, so we figured we were heading in the right direction.

After a while of not seeing tape, we stopped for lunch. I scouted ahead, and did not like what I saw. We decided to head back down to the parking lot and hopefully pick up the trail somewhere in between. It was difficult to retrace our steps, and the way down was more slippery than coming up. We slipped a bunch and had to bushwhack even more. After reaching the parking lot elevation, we traversed through some devils club and rejoined the trail. But not after a fair amount of suffering.

Fruits of our labor

This time we noticed the correct trail heading left and followed it. It was nice being on a real trail, and in no time, we were at the lake. Jennifer felt that the two hours of off trail travel was good because the actual trail to the lake was too short. (Mind you, this was the "shortcut" trail.)

Once arriving at the lake we noticed what we often do every time we go in the woods for Jennifer's birthday: the bugs. The mosquitoes at the lake were voracious. Fortunately, it wasn't that hot and we were able to put on jackets and pants to keep ourselves somewhat protected. On the flipside, it did not make us determined to do anything outside, so we hung out in the tent a bit to escape.

Home sweet home

After a bit of relaxing in the tent we got out and scouted the route to the top of the mountain for the next morning. We also took a path part way around the lake to a boulder field and watched the pikas who were apparently watching us. When we returned to the camp, we made dinner.

After dinner, we did a bit more local exploring before retiring to the tent. (The mosquitoes were driving us crazy and we had no repellent.) It was early, but Jennifer felt she could use the sleep.

When we awoke in the morning, the mosquitoes were not as bad. But as we ate breakfast, they became worse. We figured we had to move quickly once done and hopefully the higher we went, the better off we would be.

We started the hike to the lookout and kept moving because stopping made you a target. It was fairly humid, and for the most part going higher did not result in more breeze. It was warm, but I opted to keep my pant legs on to keep the bugs off. There were a few trail intersections, including the one for the real trail to the lake. For the most part the trail switchbacked through subalpine meadows below cliffs.

Flowers
In what seemed like a very short time we were at the lookout, greeted by the lookout, Lori, and her dog Grace. We took in the views and ate snacks, then chatted with Lori for a while before signing the register and heading back down. The lookout had told us the view was better than the previous day, so we were fairly happy that we waited until the morning to come up to the lookout. Rainier was under the clouds, but the Snoqualmie peaks to Dutch Miller Gap were visible as well as Hinman and Daniel. Mount Stuart was just a shadow in the haze.


The hike back down to camp was warm and uneventful. When we arrived back at the lake, we considered swimming, but we cooled off fairly well with the breeze off the lake. We also weren't sure about subjecting more skin to the swarms of mosquitoes. So we packed up and hiked out. While trying to find the trail out, we stumbled upon the toilet. We passed the not so obvious real trail head on the drive out.

I think this is a nice trip for families, but if you needed to do more and just a day trip, there is a nice loop that can be done incorporating Little Joe Thorp Lake as well. It seems to me the ridge trails there would also be nice options, but we didn't consider them at the time.

Mystery Photo #10

This is the ninth post (the 10th and final photo) in a series of unidentified photographs from the Charles Wiseman Family Bible. See this post for background information. Click on the "Mystery Photo" label at the bottom of the post to see all of the photographs in this series. As always, you can click on the pictures to enlarge them.



Paper photograph on card stock. 2 3/8 x 4 1/16. Printed on the back: "H. C. Millice & Krieg, Photographic Studio, Warsaw, Ind., P.O. Box 246" and handwritten, upside down, at the top: "This One Henry Wiseman"
Based on other identified pictures I have, I'm fairly certain that this is Henry Weir Wiseman, son of Charles and Naomi Bray Wiseman, born March 13, 1859 in Switzerland County, Indiana. Henry and his older brother, Samuel Bray Wiseman, moved to Tippecanoe Township, Kosciusko County, Indiana prior to 1880.

Ingalls Lake and Ingalls Peak

A big group ready to hit the trail to Ingalls Lake and the South Summit of Ingalls Peak.

Ingalls Lake on a beautiful fall day.

Dave, Pete and Jim on the South Summit. Mt. Stuart in the background.

Phend-Fisher Family Reunion Ledger (1923)

[page 1]
The fourteenth annual reunion of the Phend - Fisher family was held at the home of Jacob Phend north-west of Elkhart on Sunday Sep 2, 1923.

There were 61 members and 5 friends present. The forenoon was spent in a social way. Rev. J. H. Held gave thanks before serving dinner. Prayer and interesting talk by Rev. Held preceding business session after dinner.

Officers elected.
Wm. Phend, Pres.
Ralph Ernest, V. Pres.
Reuben Pletcher, treas.
Ed Phend, Sec'y.

A committee was appointed by the president to secure date and place for the next reunion, consisting of
Fredrik Wherley
Will Phend
Fred Ernest

Music by Mrs. Ed Phend and La Mar. It was moved and seconded that Mr. and Mrs. John Waddels of

[page 2]
Tippecanoe, Ind. should be recognized as members of the reunion. The[y] were unanimously elected as members.

Ice Cream was served before leaving for home. A collection was taken to defray expenses.
Fred ErnestSec'y.



The Phend-Fisher families gathered for a reunion in Elkhart County, Indiana almost annually from 1909 until 1943. Usually held at Nappanee, the events of the day were recorded in an old ledger book. Spelling has been retained as it was in the original though some punctuation and paragraph breaks have been added. To view all articles in this series click on the "Phend-Fisher Reunion Ledger" label at the bottom of this post.

Song, Dance and Bicycle Romance: The Interbike Fashion Show

bicycles: Linus, outfits: Chrome, models: unknown

Now in its 4th year, the Interbike City Style Fashion Show, presented by Momentum Magazine, was a production in true Las Vegas style. The models - all real bicyclists with healthy body mass indices and mischievous grins - didn't just cycle down the runway. They pranced, twirled, froze in fetching tableaux, and performed choreographed little dance numbers worthy of a small scale musical - against an ever-changing backdrop representing North American cities.

model: Susi Wunsch of VeloJoy, dress: Nona Varnado, bicycle: unknown

Each model would begin with the standard runway walk, then, seemingly spontaneously strike an outrageous pose or break out into a full on dance routine. Could this have been inspired by Glee?

bicycle: Sun Atlas, outfit and model: unknown

Whatever the inspiration, it was a great display of showmanship, keeping the audience entertained and energized.

bicycle: Bella Ciao Superba; panniers: Basil, outfit and model: unknown

After doing their thing on the stage, the models would ride down a ramp and proceed along a cycle path marked with sharrow decals that wound through the spectators' area, adding an interactive element to the show and creating multiple focal points.



The DJ did an excellent job keeping the energy levels high, and even while taking photos I found myself moving and snapping to the beat.

bicycle: Christiania cargo trike; model and outfit: unknown

It was all great theater, though on a critical note I am not sure how well it worked as a fashion show per se.

bicycle: Gazelle Basic, model and outfit: unknown

I found it surprising that the designers were not named and the pieces worn by the models were not vividly described. If the point of the fashion show was to exhibit new lines of cycling-specific apparel and introduce the audience to new designers, I did not really feel that happening. It's possible there was a brochure I missed where this information was provided [edited to add: yup, there was - someone's just emailed me a copy and I've posted it here], but even then I feel that it should have been a prominently vocalised part of the show itself.

bicycle: Biomega, dress: Sheila Moon, model: unknown

This neo-Edwardian dress - which is difficult to photograph but looks stunning in person - was my favourite piece, but unfortunately I did not know who made it or anything else about it at the time of the show. I've since been told it's by Sheila Moon, but I do not see it on her website - link to the dress anyone? I have a dozen photos of it, but as luck would have it most of them came out blurry!

bicycle: Handsome Cycles, trench: Madame de Pe

Another piece that stood out was this cape-like trenchcoat, with its unusual tailoring. I imagine the tent-like shape is to keep the knees dry in the rain.

model: Will of BoxCycles, bicycle: Styriette Pedelec, outfit: unknown

In general, I would have loved to learn more about the clothing, and to know what exactly makes each outfit conducive to cycling - especially since some of the designers must have worked hard on that aspect.

bicycle: Yuba, outfits and models: unknown

All in all, I think the show was more about fostering a positive, even romantic image of the bicycling lifestyle than about displaying specific pieces of apparel - which I don't have a problem with in the least, but which I don't believe is technically a fashion show. Then again, who wants to be technical about it if the audience is having a good time.

bicycle: Electra, outfit and model: unknown

One concept that the show brought across quite successfully, I thought, was the possibility for variety. Some pieces did seem to be bicycle-specific designs, while others appeared to be just regular clothing. Some models were wearing helmets and others were not.



It seems that many manufacturers are trying their hand at cycling-specific street apparel nowadays: everything from jeans and dressy trousers to button down shirts and blazers. And while some believe that to ride for transportation one need only look in their closet, others welcome these bicycle-specific inventions. The Interbike Fashion Show seemed to embrace both views - encouraging cyclists to wear whatever makes them comfortable and to have fun with it.

Velo Conversations

Over the past two days I have been cycling a lot around town on various errands. It's been cold but sunny, and the roads are entirely clear of snow. Cycling down a main road, I often get the feeling that I just want to keep going and going, picking up speed until I am faster than all the cars and not stopping until I reach some mysterious far-off place, like Western Massachusetts. Alas, there were errands to do.

One nice thing about winter cycling, is the availability of bike parking. In the summer, all the bike racks next to or even near the post office are usually full. But nowadays I am one of the few bicycles there.

Interestingly, the racks outside my favourite grocery store are full even in winter. When I came out of the store, there was a woman waiting for me next to my bike who wanted to ask some questions about it. She was riding a "winter bike" - an aluminum mountain bike with very wide knobby tires - and complained that it was much too slow, and that the chain often came off. How was mine? I summarised for her everything that I've described here, and she was excited - until she asked me about the price. She then told me that she is "not in a position to afford a bicycle in that price range". I asked how much her winter bike cost. The price she told me was 60% of what my Pashley cost. I decided to leave it at that, rather than get into a long conversation about "value".

This was one of several unexpected velo-conversations with strangers that I've had over the past few days. The second one happened when I was stopped at a red light. A cyclist on a road bike pulled up next to me, said hello, and asked whether I was riding an electric assist bike. "Oh no, it's just a regular bike," I said - secretly offended that someone would even think it was electric assist. He then asked what the hub on my front wheel was for, and I explained about dynamo-powered lighting. This seemed to be a new concept for the roadbike cyclist and he was pleased to learn about it.

I wonder now how many others who see me cycling think that I have electric assist on my bike because of that front hub! Hopefully, as city bikes with good lighting and drum brakes become more popular, such misunderstandings should decrease. As it is, even Shimano is all about dynamo hubs and drum brakes - as this advert I recently saw attests. It is nice to see a large manufacturer embrace the image of the upright city bicycle in its ads: It is a good indicator that city and transport bicycles have a future in mainstream cycling.

But the third conversation I had took the cake: I went to a cafe to do some work, and locked my bike outside in a way that was visible from the cafe windows. As I settled in with my coffee, a group of older ladies began a conversation with me that basically consisted of disturbing admonitions about all the horrible things that could happen to me on a bike. One of them had a grandson who was hit by a truck. Another knew "at least six young people" who had been involved in gruesome cycling accidents. And so on. I assured them that I was very careful on my bike and somehow managed to politely disentangle myself from the conversation. But my goodness, it is frustrating that cycling seems to invite unsolicited advice of this sort. On the one hand, I know that it's because people "care". But on the other hand, there is a fine line between "caring" and relishing an opportunity to dispense advice. I try to keep that in mind.

Greetings from Arizona!

Thursday, December 1st - - The drive through Las Vegas was mostly uneventful. There was some rain and considerable wind, with gusts up to 40 mph. I'm not a fan of Las Vegas so had no intentions of spending time there. I really just wanted to get south to where I thought it would be warmer. But you know Mother Nature! Always changing things... I spent the night at Cattail Cove State Park south of Lake Havasu City, Arizona. The winds had dropped considerably and the sun was trying to come out from behind the heavy layer of clouds. It was rather cool but at least it wasn't raining!



Friday, December 2nd - - It seems that the winds that came through on Wednesday night also brought cooler temperatures with them. Daytime highs hadn't made it into the 50s and the lows were well into the 30s. A check of the weather on the internet for several places indicated that it was about the same all over southern Arizona. So much for finding a warm place to stay!



I continued south and stopped at Picacho Peak State Park for the night. I had been there at least twice before in my travels through Arizona and knew that it was a nice spot. They had made improvements to the campgrounds and all sites now had electricity. I arrived just before sunset and the clouds had broken up a bit so I decided to go for a walk with camera in hand. And I'm glad that I did!

In the Raw

During a recent visit to Harris Cyclery I had a rather emotional encounter with a creature I had not seen in some time - a Brompton bicycle in raw lacquer. The raw lacquer finish was offered as a standard choice when we were first considering Bromptons several years ago. And then - bang, it was suddenly unavailable. I forget the precise cause (something to do with changes in finishing technique?), but at some point I was told it was impossible to get one, at least for the time being - which of course only exaggerated my memories of how beautiful and unique the raw lacquer was. I mourned its disappearance and fantasised about its return. And now there it was, in the corner of the bike shop - unapologetically glorious in its nudity.



To be clear, this is not just about the Brompton. In my early days of bicycle shopping I had to be talked down from an unreasonable crush on theRivendell Bombadil (the original version), which at the time was distinguished by its raw finish. The bare steel frame looked dirty yet shimmery underneath the clearcoat, and the juxtaposition activated some aesthetic hot-button in my brain quicker than I could pronounce the bike's name. In the Bromptonthis effect is multiplied tenfold because of its diminutive size and complexity. The multitude of miniature brazed joints fascinates while the warm glow of the bronze lures. Oh dear.



This is what the bicycle looks like in its entirety. It can look either charcoal or olive depending on the light, at times bearing a resemblance to tree bark. With a brown leather saddle to set off the frame, the look would be even more organic.



Because the Bromptonis a folder, there are countless opportunities to exhibit brazed joints - which is no doubt why they chose to offer this finish as an option. It underscores the labor and thought that must have gone into designing the fold - so many tiny bits and pieces, all brazed.



Even this!



And this.



Not to mention all of this. (I am curious about that uncapped seatstay though - how is the moisture kept out?)



An interesting feature of the clear coat is that it makes everything look wet, giving an impression of the frame having been freshly completed moments ago. Of course, frames aren't wet when they are brazed, but the impression of immediacy is still there; the process of construction feels alive and vibrant.



I can imagine that the raw finish is not for everyone. Some might find the resulting colour scheme drab. Others might feel it's too busy with all those contrasts highlighting the joints. Others still may not want to be constantly aware of their bicycle frame's construction - I suppose it could make one nervous. But for me, it is a true visual feast.



There is some unresolved debate regarding whether a clear coat is enough to protect a frame from rust, and that is one issue that's prevented me from getting a bicycle with that finish. But if I ever finally take the plunge and acquire a Brompton, I believe that this will be the one. Hopefully it will always remain available as a classic option.