Greetings From... North Carolina

In an attempt to evade the wind and rain, I left the Richmond area the morning of Friday the 13th, heading west and south, stopping for the night in the small town of Stuart, Virginia. It had rained off and on during most of the drive. Sometime during the night, the rain finally stopped.

The next morning I awoke to sunshine and blue skies and drove the few miles west to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The good thing about driving the Parkway this time of year is that there are very few other people doing the same. The bad thing about driving the Parkway this time of year is that all the campgrounds are closed as are the visitor centers and picnic areas.


Near Cumberland Knob, North Carolina
From the Blue Ridge Parkway - November 14, ..

Tree

The windswept tree from a different angle.

Tern Swoop: a Commute-Ready Folder

While we are on the subject of small wheel bicycles, I wanted to share my impressions of the Tern Swoop, which is due to hit bike stores in the US any day now. I test rode the Swoop at the Interbike Outdoor Demo earlier this year. This was the first Tern bicycle I've tried.






Tern is a Taiwanese manufacturer of folding bikes, whose launch was filled with drama. The company is owned by the son and wife of the owner of Dahon. When they left Dahon to set up Tern, the feud and back-and-forth lawsuits that followed fed the industry rumor millfor some time. But it seems that Tern is here to stay. Their initial models were met with positive reviews. Now in their second year of production, they've expanded their lineup, and that is how I encountered the Swoop.






The Tern Swoop is an ultra low step-over model, optimised for commuting in comfort. Specs include an aluminum frame, hi-ten steel fork, 20" wheels with fat tires, v-brakes, racks and lighting, and a quick and easy fold. The bike I rode was the Di7 model, which features a Shimano Nexus 7-speed hub. There is also a SRAM 2-speed Duo model.






The Swoop is a commuter-ready bike. The low stepover makes it easy to mount and dismount for everyone. The fenders and chainguard will keep clothing clean. The wide tires (Schwalbe Big Apples) make for a cushy ride. The generously sized rear rack and built-in cords allow for easy transport of luggage. In addition to the rear rack, there is a luggage socket into which a klick-fix adapter can be installed. This system works with a variety of front bags and baskets.






The bike also comes equipped with dynamo lighting, powered by the BioLogic Joule 3 generator hub. This hub has an on/off switch on the side, which is said to eliminate drag ("...in the 'off' position, the magnets are pulled away from the core of the hub").






The Swoop's positioning is relaxed and upright, with the flat, ever-so-slightly curved back handlebars set quite high for all but the tallest riders.






I rode the Swoop around the Outdoor Demo loop a few times, as well as on dirt for a bit. In total this amounted to 2-3 miles, including some uphill stretches. The bike felt comfortable and relaxed, not unlike a full sized European city bike. The fat tires drowned out bumps very nicely. Unlike some of the other non-Brompton folding bikes I've tried, the Tern Swoop felt pleasantly un-flimsy. I did not sense any play in the fold joints, nor did I feel flex in the frame while cycling. The ride quality was stable and novice-friendly. The bike cannot be called sporty exactly, but it rode faster than its looks suggest, and the gearing was low enough to make the uphill stretches painless, as well as to handle more serious inclines if need be.




As far as comparing it to my Brompton, the Swoop is a more relaxed and upright bike. It rode a bit slower, and somewhat less maneuverably. Without a front load, the steering felt considerably more "normal" than Brompton's distinct (some say "twitchy") steering.




One thing I should note, is that visually the Tern Swoop resembles the Dahon Ciao, which I have not tried. Tern's claim is that the Swoop is a stiffer ride, eliminating flex in the frame, folding joint, and "handlepost." Among other differences is the Swoop's carry handle, and slightly faster fold.






Tern representative Eric Mah demonstrated the fold for the camera, and I also tried it myself. The process is similar to Brompton's, so it felt familiar and intuitive.






The folded size, however, is considerably larger than Brompton's (Brompton: 23" x 22.2" x 10.6"; Tern Swoop: 31.1" x 28.3"x 15"). At over 30lb, the Swoop is also noticeably heavier than a similarly equipped all-steel Brompton (which, according to the CleverCycles configurator, would come in at 26lb, including dynamo lighting and rear carrier). As the Brompton is already borderline for my being able to carry it comfortably for longer than a minute at a time; I would struggle trying to do so with the larger and heavier Tern. That said, Terns are still among the most compact and lightest folding bikes.






The announced retail price for the Swoop is in the $900-$1,150 range, including the rear rack and lighting. The solid build, stable ride, ultra low stepover, commuter-ready features, and easy foldability make it worth considering for those seeking a compact urban transport bike. Overall, the Swoop seems to be a good value. I am curious to see how it will be received once it hits the bike shops.

Egleton Nature Reserve

With Maureen and Gordon - we explored the hides around the lagoons, and then walked up to and round Lax Hill - in all getting on for 6 miles. Weather better than we expected - warm and a bit muggy, but some sun and no rain, other than a few spots. Some damp patches underfoot, though the main walks were fine.



We saw plenty of gulls, various kinds of duck, coot, swans, terns, great crested grebe (one on a nest) and a little egret. We didn't visit the Lyndon reserve where you can watch the ospreys.



Map of the reserve



Information about Rutland Nature Reserve



We had to get permits from the Visitor Centre at Egleton- £4.30 each for us seniors, for a day's permit. The only way to see this part of the land round Rutland Water.

View from the Robin Hide

View from the Lapwing Hide across to the Hambleton peninsula

California Poppies

A pair of California Poppies in mid-May, 2006.

Summer on Top

During the past week of cloudy weather in the lowlands, rangers and others have been enjoying sunny skies and stellar climbing conditions on the upper mountain. Even with the forecast of snow and cold temps the past few days rangers experienced the very opposite above 9,000'. Check out recent reports on the DC, Liberty Ridge, Little Tahoma, the Kautz Cleaver, and the Emmons on our route conditions page. We'll try to stay on top of things as they change and we get new information.

Upper Kautz Cleaver/Success Couloirs

Remember your sunscreen and sunglasses even when you are still under cloudy skies! Come up and talk to rangers for the most current conditions.

As It Might Have Looked 400 Years Ago

These are photos I took of distance views from around Coronado State Monument. Of course the fences are new. 2nd photo shows a brush ramada or outdoor cooking area that would have been similar to those used by the Indians at the time the Spaniards first saw this area.

As always the Sandia Mountains can always be seen. Coronado State Monument is just north of Albuquerque and a couple of hours drive south of Santa Fe. It is right on the edge of the town of Bernallio, and about 20 minutes drive from my house. Don't know why it has taken me about 25 years to get back here since the last time I went. I plan to go more often if I can.

Grippy and Wooly

Even once I had the rest of my winter attirefigured out, the article of clothing that gave me the most trouble was gloves. I've probably gone through half a dozen pairs since I began cycling, and nothing worked quite the way I wanted it to. The big puffy gloves made it difficult to move my fingers and interferedwith shifting and braking, even if the design was supposedly cycling-specific. Also, I do photography work outdoors in the winter, and operating a camera with those is out of the question. Thermally-lined leather gloves can be just as warm while allowing for more mobility, but the leather gets stretched out and worn when used repeatedly on a bike. Wool gloves are hit and miss as far as warmth and some can be quite slippery on the handlebars. My salvation finally came in the form of these charcoal gray wool gloves by DeFeet which I bought on a whim at a local bike shop. They may not look like much, but I love them.



The DeFeet Duraglove is very densely knit, and warmer than any other thin wool gloves I've worn thus far. Once the temperature drops into the low 20s and I spend more than an hour outside I do begin to feel a chill in the finger tips, but above that they keep my hands perfectly warm (for comparison, I have a pair of stretchy-fleecy cross-country ski gloves rated for 20s temps that in reality give out in the low 30s). Aside from the warmth, the DeFeet gloves are form-fitting and stretchy, making it easy to operate both city bike and roadbike levers. And I can press all of my camera controls without removing them. They are not beautiful, but not horrendous looking either. They cost under $20. And the underside is covered with these silicone grippy things that ensure a firm hold on handlebars and camera equipment.



The Co-Habitant is also pleased with his Ibex Knitty Gritty gloves that are similarly designed. He has a pair of both the full fingered and the fingerless versions and he uses both, depending on the temperature, for cycling and photography. The wool on these is softer and a bit chunkier than the wool of the DeFeet gloves, but the idea is the same: stretchy wool for ease of movement, with silicone grips on the underside for a firm hold. The grippy bits here are in the form of little Ibex logos, which I find very cute.

Unfortunately the Ibex Knitty-Gritty gloves do not work for me, because even the smallest size is too big for my hands (beware, these run large), so I cannot compare them to myDeFeetgloves directly.The prices are about the same. To my eye the Ibexgloves are more attractive, but of course this says nothing about performance. The cuff on the Ibex is a tad longer, but on both gloves the length is sufficient.The softer Ibex wool is nice, but I am suspicious that the looser knit might translate into less warmth. Also, I have noticed a bit of pilling on the Co-Habitant's full-fingered gloves after a season's use, whereas the wool on my DeFeet gloves seems less prone to this.

Sadly, I did experience wear and tear with my DeFeet gloves: After 300+ miles of use on the bike, I wore a hole in the tip of the right index finger. While this is apparently a common problem to have with wool gloves, in my case I have to underscore that (1) I'd been wearing these on a roadbike and constantly pressing the ergo lever with my right hand, and (2) I have long fingernails, which no doubt contributed to this. Had I used them solely for transportation cycling on an upright bike, they probably would have been fine. In any case, I've now mended the hole (there is a special way to do this without destroying the articulated fingertip) and will see how long that lasts. If need be, I am willing to keep mending them and to buy a new pair every now and again, because as far as functionality and warmth go these gloves really work for me. I love the dense stretchy wool and the grippy underside; the versatility this style affords has made it my favourite winter cycling glove thus far.

Ancient Giants

Northern California is home to one of the most amazing natural sights that I have ever seen: the Redwood Forest. It is truly awe-inspiring to stand in the shadows of these gigantic trees. This photo was made in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park just outside of Crescent City, California.

Metal Pot

A metal pot or vase inside the Patio Market with the fountain in the background.

Wild Aster

this wild aster came up right next to my horse trailer which I almost never use. It got no care and only watered when it rained which wasn't at all until recently. But it grew, and bloomed even with out any water. Wish all flowers were this tough.

More of Day 3

After the picnic on day 3 we traveled on north to Kalaloch Beach (my guide informed me it was pronounced Clay-lock) - from the mossy trees to the open coast. I am finding out that the trip up the Washington coast has some very unique country and is very interesting.
It was the first time I had seen the ocean in about 4 years. I was thrilled. We took the short hike down to the waters edge, sat on an old log, pulled off our shoes and rolled up our jeans. I couldn't wait to wade into the ocean. But was I surprised! Now I understood why Jan said we wouldn't need our swim suits at the beech. That water was way too cold to get more than our toes into it. There were people who had on swim suits or shorts and were getting wet. Jan said they were probably local people who did it frequently and were used to how cold the water was.
But regardless of the chill (and remember it was August) we waded, made tracks in the wet sand, and looked for sea shells. The tide was coming in and we didn't find anything but broken shells. I took lots of photos of the waves coming into the shore and of the sun just starting to think about sinking toward the west, as well as a few brave kids playing in the surf and building sand castles.
Interestingly there were big, tall trees that came almost down to the shore, leaving only a few feet of sand that varied from 3 or 4 feet up to about 50 feet for the beech area. I was intrigued by this as most of my visits to the beach had been in Florida and southern California where there were usually houses down to the shore or beach's. I had always seen photos of the trees and cliffs by the shore and always wanted to see it. Now I was. There were lots of logs laying everywhere. Great big logs that had once been great big trees. My guide said that sometimes trees fall off of cliffs and get into to the ocean. Other times the logs are lost from logging operations near the shore, or from barges that carry logs on them or they might have been sunk in the ocean for hundreds of years. With the changing of tides and storms they are unburied and wash ashore. Every year a few people are killed when they are playing on the beech and don't notice that there is a log coming in to shore. They are very heavy but the waves and water can throw them tremendous distances making dangerous missiles out of them.

The Flow?

"Want to be truly happy? Submerse yourself in something. Anything. As it turns out, we are happiest when we are focused. In the zone, going with the flow, in the moment, call it what you will. But when you are so focused that nothing else can intrude, then you find happiness.



It’s that simple."





And I might agree. Miles of easy turns in perfect spring snowreminded me of that yesterday.



More below in the link from an interesting and unexpected blog I found today working on another project. Still not sure how I ended up there. But hopefully you'll find it as interesting as I did.Enjoy!



http://kimkircher.com//01/14/the-happiness-of-being-in-the-flow/

Murphy's law of chickens

Given: In the beginning there are 30 or so free-range chickens, three of them male.

Given: There is a little predator problem.

Murphy's law of chickens:
By the time you get down to nine chickens, three of them will still be male.


All that's left of the next-to-last Marans.

Since the last chicken update in April, we've lost five more hens.

We have two chickens still left from our original batch (from spring ..), Stewpot and a white leghorn hen.

The others are survivors from spring ..:
1 Rhode Island Red rooster
1 Easter Egger rooster
1 Marans hen
3 Easter Egger hens

The Easter Egger hens are my favorites - they're sweet (and apparently more predator-proof) and they lay cool greenish-blue large eggs all year long. (They don't stop laying during the molt or during the winter like some breeds do.)

We decided that if we get more chicks next spring we'll have to build a run for them around the coop and stop the whole free-range idea, or at least limit its hours. These chickens are just too fond of the woods (a.k.a. coyote and bobcat central).

Let me know if you want a rooster.

Nikau Palms

Nikau Palms native to New Zealand but growing in Balboa Park.

Children of Lysander and Lydia Robison Joslin

See the post "Lysander and Lydia Robison Joslin" for background information on the family.

Anna Eliza Joslin was born on 08 Nov 1844 in Whitley County, Indiana, died on 28 Jul 1885 in Jefferson County, Iowa and was buried in McDowell Cemetery in Jefferson County, Iowa. She married William Klingaman on 12 Oct 1865 in Whitley County, Indiana and had three children:

1. Charles Sherman Klingaman (1867-1955)
2. Olen Valerus Klingaman (1869-1951)
3. Frank Ellsworth Klingaman (1872-1950)

Mary Jane Joslin was born on 20 Jul 1846 in Whitley County, Indiana, died on 20 Mar 1850 in Whitley County, Indiana and was buried in Adams Cemetery in Troy Township, Whitley County, Indiana.

Elsy Ellen Joslin was born on 05 Aug 1847 in Whitley County, Indiana, died on 09 Mar 1850 in Whitley County, Indiana and was buried in Adams Cemetery in Troy Township, Whitley County, Indiana.

Lillia, Elcy, Esther, and Mary Joslin lie next to their great-grandfather, Bela Goodrich, in Adams Cemetery, Troy Township, Whitley County, Indiana.

Malissa Mariah Joslin was born on 24 Jun 1849 in Troy Township, Whitley County, Indiana, died on 30 Sep 1937 in Columbia City, Whitley County, Indiana and was buried in South Park Cemetery in Columbia City, Whitley County, Indiana. She married William Brubaker on 20 Apr 1871 in Whitley County, Indiana. They had two children.

1. Charles Romain Brubaker (1871-1945 my great grandfather, still need to write about him!)
2. Maurice Hale Brubaker (1886-1910)

Luther Marion Joslin was born on 02 Jan 1852 in Whitley County, Indiana, died on 18 May 1930 in Turkey Ridge, Pulaski County, Missouri and was buried in Colley Hollow Cemetery in Turkey Ridge, Pulaski County, Missouri. He married Phoebe Dorcas Elliott on 02 Mar 1876 in Whitley County, Indiana. Luther and Phoebe lived in Illinois, Kansas and Iowa as well as homesteading in South Dakota before moving to Missouri in the late 1920s. They had five children.

1. Ole Elsworth Joslin (1876- ?)
2. David Judson Joslin (1878-1880)
3. Flora Evelyn Joslin (1884-1983)
4. Virgil Newton Joslin (1891-1959)
5. Phoebe Dorcas Joslin Kutz (1893-1977)

Roxie Arminta Joslin was born on 04 Apr 1853 in Whitley County, Indiana, died on 05 Mar 1941 in Cardin, Ottawa County, Oklahoma and was buried in Baxter Springs Cemetery in Cherokee County, Kansas. She married Jacob Henry Parkison on 30 May 1874 in Whitley County, Indiana. Jacob was a half-brother of William Brubaker who married Roxie's sister, Malissa. Roxie and Jacob had nine children.

1. Wilbert Henry "Bert" Parkison (1874-1932)
2. George Thomas Parkison II (1876-1958)
3. Ida Maude Parkison Frazier (1878-1959)
4. Otis Garfield Parkison (1880-1925)
5. Andrew Franklin Parkison (1883-1910)
6. William Sherman Parkison (1885-1927)
7. Valetta Arminta "Letty" Parkison Strahan (1887-1946)
8. Benjamin Earl Parkison (1890-1962)
9. Gladys Roxie "Babe" Parkison Elder (1892-1982)

John Lafayette Joslin was born on 30 Nov 1855 in Whitley County, Indiana. He is listed with Lysander and Lydia in the 1870 federal census in Whitley County. The last record of John is in the family bible where it shows that he married "Mattie" on September 29, 1890. One family researcher indicates that John "went to California" but no further information is given and we haven't been able to locate him.

Esther Joslin was born on 03 Sep 1857 in Whitley County, Indiana, died on 05 Nov 1858 in Whitley County, Indiana and was buried in Adams Cemetery in Troy Township, Whitley County, Indiana.

Minerva Fatima Joslin was born on 07 Jan 1859 in Whitley County, Indiana, died on 12 May 1905 in Hot Springs, Garland County, Arkansas and was buried in Old Cemetery in Iola, Allen County, Kansas. She married William John Knight on 16 Mar 1876 in Whitley County, Indiana.

1. Merlin Andrew Knight (1878- ?)
2. Nellie Gertrude Knight Sutton (1879-1947)
3. Hale Vernon Knight (1897-1947)

Andrew Hanable Joslin was born on 30 May 1860 in Whitley County, Indiana and died in 1921 in Arkansas. He married Elmina Viola "Minnie" Himes on 01 Jun 1891 in Elkhart, Morton County, Kansas. They had five children.

1. Lottie Mina Joslin Smith (1892 -1954)
2. Frank Andrew Joslin (1896- ? between 1920-1930)
3. Joseph Earl Joslin (1900-1976)
4. George Dimmick Joslin (1902-1993)
5. Rose Joslin Vickery (1908-still living in ..)

Lillian Arvilla Joslin was born on 20 Apr 1862 in Whitley County, Indiana, died on 20 Sep 1863 in Whitley County, Indiana and was buried in Adams Cemetery in Troy Township, Whitley County, Indiana.

Ida Blanch Joslin was born on 11 Jul 1863 in Whitley County, Indiana and died on 04 Mar 1937 in Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri. Ida was married to John G. Dressler on 20 Jul 1882 in Barton County, Kansas but by 1900 they had divorced. Ida later married Sam Lewis and lived in Kansas City. Ida had three children:

1. Charles Joslin (1879- ?)
2. Elnora Dressler (1883 - ? Gravemarker with no date in Mt. Washington Cemetery, Kansas City/Independence, Jackson County, Missouri)
3. Joseph Dressler (1885-1961) moved to Torrance County, New Mexico before 1920.

Mandellie "Della" Joslin was born on 09 Dec 1866 in Whitley County, Indiana, died on 07 Feb 1943 in Hartsville Township, Darlington County, South Carolina and was buried in Fountain Inn Municipal Cemetery in Fountain Inn, Greenville County, South Carolina. She married James Downey " J. D." Quillen on 30 Jul 1884 in Barton County, Kansas. They lived is several counties in Kansas as well as Kitsap County, Washington before moving to Fountain Inn, South Carolina to live near their son Robert Quillen. Della and J. D. had five children.

1. Leroy "Roy" Quillen (1885-1917) It is not known where Roy died. He married Ana Wahl and they had a daughter Lorna, born in Lewis County, Washington 1907.
2. Robert Quillen (1887-1948) His full name was Verni Robert, but he was always known as Robert.
3. Lydia Elizabeth "Betty" Quillen Deason (1893-1983)
4. Marjorie Quillen (1903-1903)
5. Della Lucile Quillen Agnew (1909-..)

Elmer Joslin was born on 04 Jun 1868 in Jefferson County, Iowa and died on 30 Jun 1868 in Jefferson County, Iowa.

Elmus Robison Joslin was born on 04 Jun 1868 in Fairfield Township, Jefferson County, Iowa, died on 11 Aug 1928 in Helena, Lewis & Clark County, Montana and was buried in Highland Cemetery in Great Falls, Cascade County, Montana. Elmus sometimes went by the name of Elmer. He married Catherine "Kattie" Kelly on 16 May 1892 in Aspen, Pitkin County, Colorado. They had three children.

1. Fred Elmus "Freddie" Joslin (1893-1924)
2. Harry Lester Joslin (1894-1956)
3. Frank Allen "Frankie" Joslin (1897-1962)

Snoopy in the moonlight

After spending the last hour of daylight exploring the Devil's Garden we walked back to our campsite and waited for our friend Roger to arrive. We sat at our camp table and chatted for only a few minutes when we heard a vehicle approaching on the dirt road. Sure enough, it was Roger. He had been driving all day and hadn't eaten yet so after a quick meal and some visiting, since it was such a beautifully calm moonlit night, we decided to head back down to the garden to do some moonlight photography amongst the hoodoos. For the next hour and a half Roger and I wandered through the towering sandstone formations looking for interesting compositions. The image shown here was my favorite of the evening. I call it "Snoopy in the moonlight". See if you can tell why I gave the image this name :-)