Owl

A big hoot owl and to the side is a bird.

A Pedestrian Walking Their Bicycle is Still a Pedestrian

Lately I've felt some hostility from drivers when crossing the street while walking my bicycle. Is it the holiday spirit setting in? Either way, it's as if drivers see the bicycle and are incapable of processing me as a pedestrian, even though I am walking.The reactions have ranged from impatience at crosswalks - including honking, presumably so that I'd cross faster - to downright continuing to drive as if I were not there, even when I am already in the process of crossing the street. I have seen it happen to others as well.



A pedestrian with a bicycle is still a pedestrian. They are not any slower than a person wheeling a shopping cart or a baby stroller, so there is no reason why they should be any more "annoying." Does the mere sight of a bicycle enrage some drivers so such an extent, so as to warrant the extra hostility? That would be a sad state of affairs.

I'm “Home” for the Holidays...

Greetings from Louisiana! I've made it safely to my destination and will be here through Christmas and New Years. It's not “Home” as in Indiana, but it is “Home” in the sense that my friends welcome me as family (we are, after all, distantly related). Mother Nature has not been very cooperative with the weather since I left Utah so it is quite nice to be “settled” in and out of the elements for a few weeks. I can't thank them enough for allowing me to be a part of their family!



To all of my friends and family scattered around the country, and all of the readers of Kinexxions, I offer you my heartfelt wishes for a Merry Christmas.

Caddo Lake Revisited

Tuesday, April 12th - - It seems like it has been much longer, but it was just 12 days ago that I was here at Caddo Lake State Park near Marshall, Texas. There seems to be a little more green now, which is just fine with me ;-) and the water lilies are about to burst out into bloom.



It was nearing sunset when I arrived this time, and like my previous visit the light was amazing.

Hovenweep National Monument

In the southeast corner of Utah and southwest corner of Colorado lie the ruins of several prehistoric, Puebloan-era villages in a place called Hovenweep. It is not far from the Four Corners Monument, which is the only place in the United States where four states - Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado - come together and where a person can be in four states at the same time. But you can't do that until July because it is closed for renovation!

In the early evening light at Hovenweep, the structures within the canyon were not easily seen. Those on the rim of the canyon took on an other-worldly aura, especially when viewed in the last rays of the setting sun. Still, I stood looking in awe of those who had built them and looked forward to tomorrow when they could be seen better in the light of day!


Photographs taken on May 18, ...

Horseshoe Bend

A mile or so south of Page, Arizona the Colorado River navigates around a horseshoe bend. There is a 3/4 mile trek through the sand, up and down a hill, to get to the overlook, but it is well worth the effort. I went there twice.

The first visit was late in the evening before the sun set. The overlook faces west so the sun was directly behind the bend.

The river and the rocks, highlighted by the lowering sun.

The early morning light gives it a completely different look.

As the kayaks and canoes were preparing to leave a beach on the bend a big motorboat passed by.

These photos were taken on June 3rd and June 4th. I left Page on the morning of the 4th for Southern California to visit my cousin and to attend the Genealogy Jamboree. After Jamboree I spent two days on the coast near Point Mugu and Ventura (no photos, gloomy, foggy, but still nice) then ventured into the central part of the state...

Zion National Park

The first full day at Zion, I played tourist. I walked along the 1.7 mile fairly level, paved Pa'rus Trail that follows the Virgin River through the Zion Canyon. I hopped on the shuttle bus and got off and on at every stop along the way to the end of the line. Then I walked along the River Trail for another mile or two and a few hours later, caught the shuttle bus ride back to the campground. It was a gorgeous, relaxing day and I enjoyed every moment of it.

The view from the valley floor, midway along the Pa'rus Trail.

The peak known as "The Watchman" towers over the Lower Canyon. The Virgin River flows through the canyon and over thousands of years has helped create this marvelous place.

The wind-whipped water from one of the waterfalls in the Upper Canyon.

A grove of trees in the Upper Canyon area, caught in the fleeting rays of sunshine.

The view from my campsite, near sunset.

Bicycle Snow Cover!

As we head towards the New Year, I give you this image of our neighbor's awesome bicycle cover!

It is snowing here in Boston again and the forecast promises that it will continue doing so for four days straight. So far, I have not exactly been a heroic winter cyclist, but in , I hope to get increasingly more comfortable. Other cycling goals include: touring long distance, conquering drop bars, developing stronger upper body musculature for wielding the Pashley, learning more about bicycle components, and dare I say, wheel building? Yes, that may be in my future over the winter months. Stay tuned and have a Happy New Year!

Good Morning

My morning glory flowers are now doing great. The tiny spots aren't camera problems but are pollen.

A Rainbow Beam

Friday afternoon it clouded up and I thought for sure we would get a good shower but we didn't. We did get to see a part of a rainbow in a really dark cloud.

What Is a Girl to Ride?

Starting this weekend, we will be staying on Cape Cod for a bit, like last summer. It is not a vacation in the classic sense since we will still be working, but it will be a welcome change of scenery - and of course there will be time to cycle.



It was only decided for certain that we will go last night, and now I have a day to get ready. While for many women, I imagine the most pressing question would be what clothing to pack, for me that is pretty much settled. Our photo equipment and props are also ready to go.But what is a girl to ride?Now, that is another matter!



I could take Graham. Pros: He can handle the hilly, long distance rides we plan and has an excellent lighting system for those pitch-black country roads. Cons: A roadbike is not the best idea for in-town cycling (we are staying in Provincetown), plus I would be so nervous to leave him locked up at a bike rack!



I could take the brand new (yet unnamed) mixte. Pros: I can ride her both in the town and in the country, and I know she is comfortable. Cons: We have not installed the lights yet, and are waiting for a part that may or may not arrive today. And I would be just as nervous to leave her locked up in town as the Rivendell.



Or, I could take Seymour Blueskies. Pros: He would be fast on those hilly roads, and I would not worry about leaving him locked up on a bike rack in town. Cons: he does not have dynamo lighting, is not quite as comfortable as the other two options on super-long rides, and, as a roadbike would not be ideal for in-town cycling.



Taking one of the vintage 3-speeds is out of the question, because they would not be able to handle the substantial hills of the outer Cape, so the three bikes above are my options. Since this will be home away from home for a while, ideally I would have two bikes: one for in-town and another for long-distance hilly rides - but that is not realistic. Whichever I take, adapting to a one-bike lifestyle for a bit should be interesting!

Who Wants a T-Shirt?

The other day I received a couple of t-shirts from Jon Gehman (maker of the Roadster Rack I wrote about earlier). These come in funky colours and are made based on his pen and ink drawings of wacky bike cartoons. I have more t-shirts than I know what to do with, so I thought it would be fun to give them away! Here is what I got:



"Biker Chick". This t-shirt is sage green and features a drawing of a Mennonite(?) woman in a bonnet and apron, riding a step-through bicycle with a basket and baby chicks on the rear rack. (Take that, WSJ!) The size is marked "M", but I would say it is an XS-S - suitable either for ladies size 0-4, a child, or a very scrawny man. It is longish in the torso. 100% cotton.



"Go Gitcher Bike, Let's Roll!" This t-shirt is bright turquoise and features a drawing of a mischievous boy, about to take off on his 1950s banana seat cruiser. The size is marked "L", and I would say it is a ladies' L / men's M. In the picture I am cinching it at the waist, but in actuality it is loose throughout. 100% cotton.

If you'd like one of these t-shirts, please leave a comment with the funniest, or silliest, or stupidest, or cleverest bicycle-related slogan you have seen (or came up with yourself), and don't forget to mention which of the two shirts you want. I will pick a recipient for each t-shirt at the end of this weekend. Continental USA only please (unless you are willing to pay for the shipping). As some of you know, I am very bad with mailing stuff, but I promise I'll be good on this one and will try to send the shirts to their rightful owners quickly!





[Edited to add: The recipient of the green t-shirt is sarahgringa. Turquoise shirt goes to MandG. Please email your mailing address to: filigreevelo-at-yahoo-dot-com! ]

Water Falling

A beautiful, yet artificial, waterfall in Arizona.

Selle AnAtomica: My Impressions

[Edited to add: This review is of the older generation Selle Anatomica Titanico; the review of the current model can be found here.]




Some time ago I bought a red Selle Anatomica Titanico saddle, initially to go with a vintage bicycle I had at the time. But when I was loaned a Seven roadbike earlier this summer, the Selle Anatomica migrated onto it instead: It promised to be more comfortable than the bike's native racing saddle and was a perfect match for its red decals. This is how I had the saddle set up on the bike, and I put about 700 miles on it.





Founded in 2007 by the now deceased avid cyclist Tom Milton,Selle Anatomica is a small American manufacturer of leather saddles. The company is now run by the founder's sister, Meredith Milton Evans. Notably different from the other leather saddles on the market, Selle Anatomica offers several potentially attractive selling points. One is the long "anatomic" cut-out, which they claim allows the two sides of the saddle to move independently, thus relieving pressure on soft tissue. The other is the "watershed leather," which refers to the saddle's treatment with a waterproof top layer. The saddles are available in a variety of colours, and there are separate versions rated for heavier and lighter riders. You can read more about the design and specs here.





I purchased my saddle in Spring and since then a couple of changes have been made that I find somewhat confusing but will try to summarise. Selle Anatomica now advertises being made with cro-moly rails, so I am not sure what the rails on my saddle are made of. They also changed the weight criteria, so that what were formerly called the "Clydesdale" saddles and recommended for persons weighting over 180 lb have now become their regular saddles and are recommended for persons over 140 lb. If I understand these changes correctly, then what is now called the "Titanico" model is a slightly different product from the saddle I own, and the version I own is more comparableto what is now called the "Titanico Legacy." However, based on my conversations with the manufacturer I am not entirely certain of this, and I hope that she might clarify in the comments.





My impressions of the Selle Anatomicaunderwent several stages. Initially, the saddle felt so comfortable that I could hardly believe it. The tension of the leather was just right, there was no pressure anywhere, and the cut-out slot worked as advertised. The leather was softer, more pliable and more "hammock-like" than other leather saddles I'd tried and I could feel it moving with me, as opposed to my body moving against it. There was no chafing or soreness what so ever, and there was no breaking in period. It was almost too good to be true.




Then, after about 100 miles, I began to feel a sharp pinching pain in my "soft tissue." The pain would come and go, seemingly at random, and felt as if someone took a pair of pliers to a fold of skin along my crotch. Eventually I realised that the slot somehow began to close in at its narrowest part, pinching my skin right through the padded bicycle shorts. Soon after that I also noticed that (after only 150 miles), the saddle had sagged dramatically. At the time we were unable to determine whether it was the actual leather that sagged, or whether the bolt controlling the tension had unscrewed. But in retrospect it seems to have been the latter, because once we increased the tension and screwed the bolt in tightly, it did not sag again nearly as much.




We assumed that tensioning the saddle would also solve the pinching problem, but the occasional pinching persisted. We tried bending the leather inward in the part of the slot where it pinched, but that did not help. After some investigation, it turned out that a few others reported this same problem with Selle Anatomica saddles, and the recommended solution was to use a knife to enlarge the slot in the spot where it pinched. Just as we were debating whether to do this, the pinching suddenly stopped on its own around mile 400. I kept waiting for it to return, knife at the ready, but it did not. With no explanation, the saddle suddenly felt as good again as on the day I got it. For the remaining 300 miles I rode on the saddle, there has been a gradual and slight loss of tension, but no further problems.




Having ridden with this saddle in the rain multiple times on a bike with no fenders, I can confirm Selle Anatomica's claim that the saddle is absolutely waterproof. The rain just rolled right off without getting absorbed into the leather. However, the "watershed" layer eventually began to wear off - not from the rain, but from my contact with the saddle. You can see this in this picture, which was taken after 400 miles. On the manufacturer's website, it is suggested that the top layer could wear off over time as part of everyday use, and that eventually the owner may need to send the saddle back for re-waterproofing (which is done for an extra fee, as far as I understand). It is not specifed for how many miles the "watershed" leather is designed to last before the top layer needs to be reapplied.



Overall, my impression of Selle Anatomica is a positive, but somewhat frustrated one. If the tension remains as it should and the slot does not pinch, it is the most comfortable saddle I have ridden on. If the watershed layer remains intact, it is the most maintenance-free leather saddle I have experienced. However, neither of these factors has been stable for me, and so I would describe the saddle as high maintenance and rather unpredictable. With its price on par with mid-range Brooks and less than Berthoud, personally I would buy Selle Anatomica again and would be willing to fuss with it just to achieve the level of comfort I know it is capable of giving me. But be aware that this is an unusual saddle, and that user experiences tend to be varied - even more so than with the other leather saddle manufacturers. I hope that Selle Anatomica remains in business and continues to streamline its product. With its unique design, it is a welcome alternative to the other saddles currently on the market.

Snowdepth Record at Paradise

Starting on the 7th of August this year, we have more snow at Paradise than ever recorded since 1916. The world-record snow years in the early 1970's made for similar snow packs this time of year, but the cool weather has caused the snow to melt more slowly than usual. Our total snowfall for the winter of was approximately 907 inches - not a world record, but one of the five biggest snow years Paradise has ever seen.



What's different is our cool summer we've had this year. Just today, I skied all the way to Camp Muir from the Paradise parking lot. That's amazing. It's August and we should be enjoying the flowers.



I anticipate that our record breaking trend will continue a few weeks. It never really cleared off today at Paradise. The moist, marine-layer that has Seattle fogged in is strong enough to push all the way to Paradise.





Here's the data break down:

Chil Pepper Ristra

Chili Pepper Ristras where hanging a lot of places in Old Town. A ristra is a string of dryed chili peppers. New Mexico is known for lot of different kinds of chili peppers. It was and still is tradition to hang the strings of chili ristras on your house to finish drying and then over the winter you could take down a string and use it in what ever you were cooking. I don't use enough chilis or chili power to buy the ristras (and most people don't). Most of what I use is already ground into a fine powder ready to put into my beans, or chili stew. Hatch, New Mexico raises more chilis than any other place in the United States. I can't seem to raise them at all.

Grosvenor Arch and Cottonwood Canyon Road

As my time on this trip nears its end, I've been reviewing many of the images that I've made throughout the trip and in so doing realized that I left out sharing the spectacular Grosevnor Arch with you! I visited this arch about a week ago, on the same day that I hiked the Willis Creek narrows. Grosvenor Arch is located down the Cottonwood Canyon Road, which goes right through the heart of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Its a little odd visiting this arch as Cottonwood Canyon Road is a fairly rough road with lots of washboard bumps and rocks, yet when you arrive at Grosvenor Arch you are treated to a nice picnic area with toilet facilities and a paved walkway leading up to the arch.

Since my visit to the arch was in the middle of the afternoon, I was thankful to have some nice clouds in the sky to make the mid-day photos a bit more interesting. After photographing the arch I continued to drive down Cottonwood Canyon Road, admiring the scenery along the way. I snapped a few images along the road, then turned around when I was roughly half-way through the road (about 23 miles). I would have continued all the way through the road, but I wanted to be back at Bryce Canyon that night to shoot the sunset.

As I write this update I am in Wall, South Dakota after a drive through the Pine Ridge Reservation and an afternoon/evening visit to Badlands National Park. I am working my way back home with mixed feelings. After spending a few weeks on the road its nice to be heading home, but at the same time I don't want the trip to end. At least I can take comfort in the knowledge that not long after I return home flowers will be blooming and the trees will be budding, and summer will soon be here! Look for a post about the Badlands to come in another day or two....

(Above and below: Some of the scenery along Cottonwood Canyon Road)

One of the “Family Tree Magazine 40 Best”

This post is coming to you from “the lodge” at Chisos Basin in Big Bend National Park, courtesy of their free (Really. Really. Slow.) Wifi. The weather yesterday was absolutely gorgeous. Sunshine and blue skies and the temperature reached a high of 86 degrees, though it didn't feel that hot to me. Probably due to the nice breeze that was blowing all day long. Today, Mother Nature is not quite so kind. It is in the upper 20s and snowing! Fog rolled in during the night and the temperature plummeted. About 10:30 I made my way to the visitors center and joined about 25 other people milling about trying to decide what to do. The weather in the lower elevations isn't much better than it is here in the Chisos Basin.

I came to the lodge for a hot meal and found out that they have Wifi available! So I went back to the van and grabbed the netbook. But the battery is down to 15% with no outlet available so I don't have much time left... Upon checking my email I saw a note from Diane Haddad that mentioned that Family Tree Magazine had announced their selection of the 40 Best Genealogy Blogs. And Kinexxions made the list!!

It is indeed an honor to be among the other blogs included in the list. Thank you to Family Tree Magazine and especially to everyone who voted for kinexxions. In some respect I feel like an impostor. Blogging and Genealogy in particular, have taken a backseat to travel. Family History posts have recently been few and far between. That doesn't mean there aren't stories to be written or research yet to be done. Far from it. But at this point in time, they aren't a real high priority for me.

I am proud to be a member of the genealogy blogging “geneablogger” community. There are many, many blogs being written by some very creative and talented writers. This community is a group of people who are extremely generous with their research stories, tips, advice, and support for one another. And the community is growing – each new blogger adds something to the whole, making it better than it was before. I look forward to watching it grow.

Thank you and Congratulations to all of the other blogs that made the Family Tree Magazine Fab Forty!

The Death of Joseph A. Joslin :: 1919

Joseph's certificate of death was obtained from the Health Department in Plymouth, Marshall County, Indiana back in May ... Even then, they would not make a copy of the actual entry. I requested a "genealogy copy" so, thankfully, on the back of the death certificate she typed the "additional information" that wasn't included on the face of the certificate.



Information from the front of the certificate:

Joseph A. Joslin died June 21, 1919 at Plymouth, Indiana. He was 86 years old at the time of his death. Cause of death was Chronic Colonietis and Senility. It was signed by L. D. Eley, M.D. He was buried June 23, 1919 in the Bremen Cemetery by J. L. Bunnell, Undertaker. The record was filed on June 23, 1919. Certificate No. 1662 recorded in Book CH-30 Page 113.

Additional information typed on the back by the Clerk

Date of Birth - Sept. 11, no year given in Ohio
Retired farmer
No father listed
Mother - Abigail Goodrich

==+====+==

So, here we have it, finally! Something that definitely connects him directly with his parents, though only his mother's name is given. At least it is something!

Joseph's obituary, published on June 26, 1919 in The Weekly Republican, Plymouth, Indiana does not give the names of his parents but does say that he was born in Delaware County, Ohio:

Joseph J. Joslin, aged 86 years, died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. J.W. Burger, 220 N. Walnut street, this city, at 4:20 Saturday morning after a week's illness. Mr. Joslin was born in Delaware county, Ohio but for several years has lived on a farm near Lapaz. He is survived by four children, Mrs. J.W. Burger of Plymouth; Mrs. Seymour Kanaar, of Lowell, Ind.; Mrs. Silas Wener of Bremen, and Delbert Joslin who lives on the old homestead near Lapaz. The funeral was held in Lapaz Monday afternoon, at 1:30, and burial was in the Bremen cemetery.

His obituary was also published in the Plymouth Weekly Democrat on June 26, 1919:

James [sic] J. Joslyn died Saturday morning at 4:20 o'clock at the home of J. W. Burger, corner of Walnut and Washington streets, aged over eighty years. He came here from Lapaz and was making his home with the family and was the father of Mrs. Burger. He had been sick for more than a week. The funeral was held at Lapaz Monday at 1:30 p.m. and the body was taken to Bremen for burial.

It's odd that in most other records I've found for Joseph his middle initial is shown as "A" and not "J" as in the two obituaries.

Door Slave

it seems that I have become a door slave to 2 dogs and 3 cats. Of course I have known for the past 50 years I have been a door slave to large number of dogs and cats but it seems to be worse the past week or so. There is always one or another of them wanting in or out. They come in, they go out. And repeat. And repeat. The dogs have to go to use the facilities. But the cats were supposed to be indoor cats. I insisted on my cats being indoor cats if I lived in town, especially in an apartment. but here on several areas they enjoy going out as much as I do. I don't force them to go out, but I do "train" as much as you can train a cat to come in at dark each evening. I do it by constant, presistently doing a "cat roundup" each evening. They don't like it but it is a necessary evil as we have coyotes in our area. I see a lot of cats in our area now that are out at night and I am surprised more of them don't disappear. In the mean time I will continue to be a door slave. I just wish they wouldn't always wait until I sit down to ask to come in.

Climbing and skiing, and advice on cell phone use

If you haven't noticed, few posts means lots of work and activity here at Mount Rainier. The weather has remained stellar over much of the past week and things have been busy. During this period, climbers and skiers have been tackling the mountain from all directions. Of particular interest are new and extensive reports for Liberty Ridge, Ptarmigan Ridge and the Fuhrer Finger (photos included).

It seems that a few people are just itching to be rescued or call 911. We've had a number of "alarms" or "callouts" over the past few weeks, thankfully nothing has been serious! That said, one callout is in progress and involves a 2 person team pinned down in a whiteout on Liberty Ridge near 13,700 feet. We suspect that they will be fine, as they are well prepared for 2 more days on the mountain. As a reminder, if you carry a cell phone, make SURE you call 911 during an incident or emergency, not your family members.

On the other hand, two separate teams had somewhat serious accidents but self-rescued. Neither of those teams used a cell phone to alert friends. One incident involved the skier who fell 300 feet on the Emmons Glacier last weekend. A more recent event involved a 2 person team on the Kautz Glacier. One member dislocated his shoulder while descending (balled up crampons). As a reminder, we're still working on that streak of NO NEW MAJOR RESCUES since 2005. We hope to continue this trend...

First photo is by Josh Farris near 12k on Ptarmigan Ridge; the second is of a climber on Liberty Ridge by Dmitry Shapvalov.

Evening Cruise

Both chicks from nest #2 have hatched! Yesterday we spent late afternoon and early evening photographing them as they swam around the lake. Once both chicks are born they don't waste any time leaving the nest and once they leave the nest they don't go back. Heading up today to spend more time photographing them. Nice and sunny right now so I hope it stays that way!

Microburst

Wednesday's forecast predicted thunderstorms, and after a sunny humid day a rapid downpour descended on our neighbourhood in the afternoon. Later we learned that the next town over had experienced a microburst - an intense storm similar to a tornado, only with wind patterns in the opposite direction. Over 100 full grown trees were uprooted in the storm in the course of very little time. No one was hurt, but property was damaged.



The next morning I went on a ride and found the Minuteman Bikeway impassable, with huge toppled trees in close succession blocking the entire path. As municipal workers in neon vests surveyed the area, confused bicycle commuters wandered around looking for alternative routes without having to ride on the high-traffic main road which the Bikeway parallels.






The side streets were blocked. Municipal vehicles were gathering from all directions - those huge machines where you feed them pieces of tree and they mulch it up. Finally, I went on the main road and competed with a procession of buses in mid-day heat until my nerves had worn raw. Drivers were especially out of sorts that morning, behaving aggressively and honking at cyclists for simply being "in the way" - probably not realising that we had all been displaced from the adjacent bikeway and had nowhere else to be.



Riding under these conditions, I realised how spoiled I've gotten lately - forgetting how stressful cycling can be when drivers behave like this and there is no alternative route. I was getting honked at continuously for trying to take the lane. But as busses kept cutting me off and car doors swung open with abandon, taking the lane was the only safe option. Eventually a few of us formed a cluster: me, a woman in a yellow sundress on a cruiser, a teenager on a mountain bike, and an older man on a time trial bike. The cars went wild, but at least there was safety in numbers.






The pièce de résistance happened on my way home. I was already back in Cambridge and riding on a quiet MUP when around the bend a municipal carcomes charging at me head-on, taking up the entire width of the path. The guy slammed his brakes when he saw me and I slammed mine, feeling a huge surge of adrenaline. We stopped within inches of each other and I had one of those not-quite-but-almost crashes that I am so talented at. I kept the bike from hitting the ground, in the process contorting my body unnaturally and twisting my elbow. Ouch. But who cares about a little ouch; I am just glad he did not run me over. We had words, if you can call it that. Me: "You could have killed me!" He: "Sorry sweetheart, I didn't see you coming!"



I suppose the take-away lesson here is to stay off the roads after natural disasters? Easy enough for someone doing a training ride, but what about those who commute that way? I don't think the city even announced anywhere that the Minuteway Bikeway was impassable, whereas they certainly would have announced it had a major road become unavailable to drivers. Maybe when there are more of us, things will be different. I hope so.