Wood Cutting

Went to mountains for first load of fire wood this year. I want to stay warm this winter. Plus we love getting out like this. There were the nasty yellow flowers that make us sneeze so all over but they did look nice.

The guys behind the lens

And here's a rare treat... a couple photos of the guy behind the lens :-)



(Above: Me at Grand Teton National Park - Photo by Gary "Jake" Jacobson)

(Below: Me at Swan Lake, Yellowstone National Park - Photo by Gary "Jake" Jacobson)



(Below: Stuart and I under the elk antler arch in Jackson, Wyoming - Photo by Stuart Dahne)



(Below: Jake and Stuart in Yellowstone National Park)



I had a blast with these guys photographing in Yellowstone and the Tetons. Thanks again guys for one heck of an awesome trip! Jake and Stuart are both fantastic photographers... do yourself a favor and check out their work:

Jake's website: http://www.frozenshutter.com/

Stuart's website: http://www.stuartdahnephotography.com/

Enjoy!

Dirty Little Secret

Sure, at first glance this is just another filthy Sturmey Archer hub. Those who know bicycles will see that it's an AW model, which identifies it as being from a vintage 3-speed. But look closer still. Anything unusual? If you have a good eye, you can see the words at the very bottom of the hub: "Patent applied for". Patent applied for? Why, this must be one of the earliest Sturmey Archer hubs ever made! What bicycle can it possibly belong to?

Meet my "dirty little secret". She was given to me about a month and a half ago, but I kept quiet, because I am not yet certain what I will do with her. From a historical point of view, this is an amazing find: an early Raleigh Tourist in all original condition; year of production most likely 1936. This early Raleigh is the predecessor to the DL-1 Lady's Tourist I so love, but there are some notable differences between them. This early bicycle has a geometry that I find somewhat puzzling: The seat tube is quite long (almost the same size as on the 22" DL-1), but the wheelbase is extremely short, making for a crowded "cockpit" with very little room between the saddle and the handlebars. This makes the bicycle seem much too small for me, even though the saddle height is just right for my size. I would love to know the reasoning behind this construction.

A very early Sturmey Archer 3-speed quadrant shifter. This preceded the trigger shifter that we are used to seeing on the handlebars of vintage 3-speeds. On diamond frame bicycles, the quadrant shifter was mounted on the top tube. On this bicycle it is mounted at the very top of the "loop" tube. Aside from some fading due to age, this beautiful shifter is in perfectly preserved condition. The whole bicycle, in fact, seems to be frozen in its original state, save for a coat of surface rust. The rod brakes are attached via braze-ons on the inside of the fork (as opposed to clipped on, as became the standard on later models) and function extremely well. The chrome on the handlebars and rod levers is in excellent condition.

The original chaincase is entirely intact and dent-free. Notice also the holes drilled for skirtguards in the rear fender! I wonder what sort of guards this bicycle had when it was being ridden 70+ years ago.

The rear reflector is glass, not plastic.

And I believe the pump is original as well, though the handle has split open. It is engraved with a Greek-themed motif. Aside from the split pump, other aspects of the bicycle that are damaged beyond repair are the melted rubber grips (see first picture) and the cracked tires. The wheels themselves look extremely rusty, but some have suggested that they might be salvageable by a soaking in an oxalic acid bath.

The bottom line however, is that I am at a loss about this bicycle. Under the circumstances in which it was given to me, it was pretty much impossible not to take it. But I have no idea what to do with it! Even in its present state, I could probably sell it and make a bit of money, but the thought of doing that makes me sad. I could restore it and probably make quite a bit of money, but that's sad as well. Plus it looks like I will be having a very busy winter, and restoration projects might prove impossible with everything else I already have on my plate. Perhaps I should look into donating it to a museum? In the meantime, this 1930's beauty is being kindly housed by Open Bicycle. For anybody local who is interested, the bike is available for public display (but it is not for sale). Ideas for what to do with it are most welcome. Perhaps it would make a good winter bike? (I kid, I kid!)

Mono Lake

Mono Lake near the town of Lee Vining in east-central California.October 11, ..

Parson Jones

Parson Jones, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

Redwoods are tall trees. Really tall trees. Sometimes so incredibly tall that they dwarf anything nearby...including other redwoods.

This tree is named Parson Jones, and is found in Armstrong Redwoods State Park. At 310 feet tall, it's one of the biggest trees in the area...truly an amazing sight!

Towers

One of the first things you see when you get to the top of Sandia Crest is all the TV and Radio towers that tower over the Crest. Many of them have been there more than 40 years, and others are newer. It seems to be the best place to have these communication towers. You frequently see men working on them. This day there were several trucks from Qwest Telephone Company which supplies all the landline phones in Albuquerque and most of NM and some other places.

Making Sense of Handling Characteristics

"Hey, so how does it ride?"



It seems like such a simple question. But the more I learn about bikes, the less certain I am how to answer it.As cyclists, our experience expands as we ride more, and as we try different bikes. And our vocabulary expands as we talk to other cyclists, bike mechanics, salespersons; as we read cycling literature, including myriads of bicycle reviews in magazines and blogs.One thing I notice is that while there are default terms used to describe bicycle handling characteristics, these terms are weakly defined - with different persons using them in different contexts.In particular, it fascinates me to navigate descriptions of bicycle stability versus twitchiness.



In reviews I will often read that a stable bicycle "tracks well" or "rides like it's on rails."As I understand this notion, it means that the bike holds its line of travel on its own accord, without the rider having to constantly micro-correct the steering. This is generally considered to be a good thing. But can it be too good? For me, when experienced at high speeds the feeling of the bike being on rails can also make it resistant to turning. And what about going around sudden obstacles? If the bike tracks so well that it resists changing course, would this not present a problem when encountering an unexpected pothole, or when the rider in front of us swerves?



The concept of twitchiness is not so simple either. There seem to be different kinds, and I can think of at least three: There is the "squirrely" twitchiness of a racing bike that makes it hard to controlat slow speeds.This is not to be confused with the twitchiness of low trail - a very different kind of feeling, that gives the rider a more active role in the bicycle's line of travel. There is also the twitchiness associated with a "light front end," regardless of geometry.



Stability can vary with speed. On some bikes there seems to be a linear relationship: The bike will start out twitchy when slow, stabilise at moderate speeds, and "ride like it's on rails" when going especially fast. The faster you go, the more stable it is. Other bikes will be stable at slow speeds and track exceptionally well at moderate speeds, but then level out or even ease up at fast speeds. Other bikes still will handle more or less the same regardless of how fast you ride them.



Whether a bike is described as stable or twitchy, it is hard to know what that means without additional detail, which is not always available. What I wonder is, have there been efforts to maybe create a guideline for both reading and providing descriptions of how a bicycle rides? Without context and well defined terminology, it seems that anything goes and we can easily misunderstand each other's impressions of handling characteristics.

Polar Rotation

My friend Roger (http://www.rogernordstromphoto.blogspot.com/) was just here for a weekend visit and we spent some time together photographing the stars on friday and saturday nights. Roger has been interested in learning more techniques for shooting stars, and since I shoot a fair amount of night-time images, he wanted to pick my brain a bit.

We are both armed with Canon 5D Mark II full-frame cameras, which means we have cameras that are capable of producing some stunning night images. While we didn't have the best skies for shooting stars (there were more clouds than I would have liked), we still came away with some fun images.

Leics Round 6 - Mkt Bosworth to Bagworth

With Marta. We deviated from the route a couple of times, and altogether walked perhaps two miles more than planned. A fine day, but with the cold north/ northeasterly wind still blowing. Snow lay on the ground in sheltered places, but there were also plenty of muddy and boggy patches. Most of the fields we had to cross were fairly dry. About 12 miles in all. A surprising amount of uphill, though none steep.





We park at the Country Park.More info about Market Bosworth Country Park andwalks from there, and information about the memorials to horses in a nearby field.

We walk into the town centre - it looks old-fashioned with its veg shops, cafés and pubs, and is still commemorating the Battle of Bosworth.





More info about Market Bosworth Country Park and walks from there, and information about the memorials to horses in a nearby field.



We walk down Back Lane, past some interesting buildings







and fairy-tale gardens.



Then we go across a field, making our way to the far right corner, where we meet a lane and turn left.









The next section of reclaimed land is being developed as a golf course. The path keeps fairly close to the left hand edge, and continues in the same direction until we turn right over a footbridge.

The path crosses the bridge - not sure why the sign points left

The simplest way from here is cutting the corner of the field to where there is a waymarker part way along the hedge. Signs are a little confusing, though not seriously misleading. The path leads directly to the edge of Carlton village, which we can see over the fields.





When we reach the road we turn left, then right along Shackerstone Walk, past the old school.

Sir Wolstan Dixie, of Market Bosworth appears to have endowed several schools. One of these baronets was a 'colourful character'

We walk past the green, and follow our footpath as it turns left behind some huge barns. At the end of the field we turn right and walk along the field edge to a footbridge, then uphill.

Colourful characters of the ovine kind

The signs are clear along by some hedges until we reach some very open fields - again the path is clear, and the mud is fairly dry today. We reach Keepers Cottage on the road, and this is where our diversion to avoid the closed footbridge starts.

It would save hassle if the diversion was posted up here to help walkers who may not have consulted the Leicestershire Round website for updates.

Turn left and follow the road over the railway line and take a footpath to the right just beyond.



We stopped at Shackerstone for a much needed lunch. Walking was quite tough today, because of the wind, and the occasional muddy sections.

We liked the roof!

The Ashby Canal at Shackerstone

Better than a guard dog?

We walked for a short distance along the canal, then turned right as instructed and crossed the disused railway line, then it's over the stream, and under a second railway line. We follow the waymarkers and the hedge and join a muddy field road. We turn right here.

The field road carries on for a fair distance, climbing gently but persistently until it passes Odstone Hall, with it's fenced ha-ha, perched high with wide views.





We pass the hall and Ivy House Farm and come to the road to Barton in the Beans - I love that name. The road goes downhill for about 400 yards, and wings to the right. Just here there's a footpath to the left, and another field track/mud-bath leading up. There are electricity pylons mentioned in the LR book, but they may have been rerouted - we saw none.

We have a slight problem with signage here - and walk two sides of a field to reach the footbridge down to our right. When we've crossed that all is crystal clear again as we follow signs through fields and uphill until we see Nailstone Church spire directly ahead of us.

It's just a question of aiming for that - but the paths are obvious - and not wet.

We decide we deserve another break after the last three huge and windy fields, so we take shelter by the hedge before we cross the A447.

This road does need care - partly because the steps down through the hedge are worn and seem to want to throw the unwary straight on to the carriageway!

Over the A447 and along Vero's Lane - the name is marked at the other end. We pass Nailstone Church, and are almost tempted to walk along the footpath opposite. For once we're awake, and realise we need to turn left and then right at Manor Cottage.

The way is clearly marked and the book's instructions are good.

After a couple of miles we pass the Underhills Wood scheme where land is being reclaimed under the auspices of the National Forest.





Nailstone church is still visible on the skyline.

A short distance to go and we're back in Bagworth.

Bagworth church - no, it doesn't really bend.

This wasn't the most exciting stretch of the Round, though the wind may have prejudiced us slightly!

A Night Out at Capone's Dinner Theater

For various reasons, we have not been out to do many date nights this winter. Nathan asked me if I wanted to go out with a group of pickleball friends and I jumped at the chance. We went to a dinner theater in Orlando named Capones. The show was really well done and was really cute.

Of course it didn't hurt any that they picked on our fearless leader, Matt, during the show. Which made it even ten times funnier for us.

I'm so glad that Matt organized the night, and I'm so glad we went with the rest of the group.

Yucca Blossoms

Close up of some yucca blossoms.

Off to a European road trip in the southwest of Germany, Alsace in France and a bit of Swiss

I will be off to a long weekend European solo road trip. This trip will highlight culinary discoveries, stunning architecture, unrivaled history and the splendor of nature.



My base will be the beautiful town of Colmar in France. The rest of the places I will be visiting are for stopovers and side trips. With road trips, one must stop somewhere to refuel and move the legs a bit, just perfect to combine these with a lunch or dinner and sightseeing in the lovely cities and towns that fall along the route.



As a tradition in this blog, I always post the flag of the country and the coat of arms of the city-town-village I am going to. Here they are:







Colmar, France

Beautiful Colmar village will be my holiday base in this road trip. I will be doing a side trip to the Alsace Wine Route Villages (I will not post the coat of arms of the small villages as they are quite a few and they are just beside Colmar anyway).







Basel, Switzerland

This will be a side trip from Colmar. Dont you just love the minimalist Swiss flag and Basel coat of arms?







Heidelberg, Germany

This will be a stop over.







Strasbourg, France

This will be another stop over.







Bonn, Germany

This will be a stop over as well.



Stay tuned for the travel reports. A bientot! Tschuss! Ciao! Gegroet! Laters =)