Achielle Oma: Handmade in Belgium

When I learned about Achielle Bicycles from a Belgian friend three years ago, I immediately wanted one - so much so that I contacted the manufacturer and considered buying one direct when I learned there was no American distributor. However shipping a single bike was expensive, and so Achielle did not end up being my first transportaion bicycle. But I remained interested in the manufacturer. Eventually they gained US distribution, but still I never heard of any bike shop that sold them. It was therefore entirely unexpected when I literally bumped into a wine-coloured Achielle Oma at Hudson Urban Bicycles in New York last week. I did not know they sold them, but there it was - the elusive bicycle I'd been admiring from afar all this time, just standing there and waiting for me to try it.




There was also a grayish-cream one in stock, being prepared for theNew Amsterdam Fashion Show.





The owner of HUB had no idea who I was, but knew I had no intention of buying the bike and just wanted to write about it on some blog.The shop was hectic, with everyone running around getting ready for the New Amsterdam Show, and it was almost closing time. Still, he got the bicycle ready for me and was very helpful - much appreciated. Many thanks also to Nona Varnado, who introduced me to HUB and vouched that I was not a bicycle thief. I test rode the Achielle and just barely managed to snap some pictures before the light faded.






So what makes Achielle bicycles such a big deal? Well, it is this: As far as I know they are the only production Dutch bikes that are still handmade locally from the frame up. Even the tubing is produced locally, according to the manufacturer. Does local production mean a bike is better made than had it been outsourced to the Far East? Not necessarily. Quality depends on skill, method and tools, not on a factory's location. But there is something to be said for bicycles that are produced 100% in-house, from frame to paint to assembly. Pashley does it in the UK with English Roadsters and Achielle does it on the continent with Dutch bikes. They are part of the special remaining few and they keep local manufacturing traditions alive.




Achielle has been making bicycles in the Flemish region of Belgium since 1946 and you can read a summary of their history here. The paint is by Dija-Oostcolor - Achielle's parent company. Because pretty much every aspect of production and assembly takes place in-house, a great deal of customisation is possible. But plenty of stock production models are available as well.





The model I rode is the Craighton Pick-Up Oma -a steel loop frame with 28" wheels, body colour fenders, chainguard and large front carrier. This bike was a 57cm frame, 3-speed with coaster brake only, fitted with cream tires, bottle dynamo lighting, double-legged kickstand, leather saddle and grips, and large wicker basket in front.






The Achielle Oma frame has all the features I value when it comes to craftsmanship. It is fully lugged, including the seat cluster, fork crown and even the loop connector. It also has the bolted rear triangle and the track ends in the rear that I prefer on a bike of this style. The frame is utilitarian and the lugwork is simple, there are no flourishes. But everything that I like to be there is there, and the quality of the finish looked excellent, with precise joints and no sloppiness or bulges anywhere along the frame.






On a bicycle like this, I actually prefer to have a modern bottle dynamo to a hub generator, and Achielle has the option of a braze-on "arm" on the fork for this purpose. Both the bottle and the headlight attach there, making it possible to use a front carrier system without obscuring the headlight.






The classically high and swept back Dutch handlebars are near-identical to the set-up on my formerly owned 90s Gazelle.





Although this particular model has a one-sided chainguard and not a full chaincase, models with full chaincases are available also. A tail light is mysteriously absent here, but it is pictured on the Achielle website.




I rode the Oma briefly along the quiet streets of the West Village. It was exceptionally smooth and, by Dutch bike standards, fast. I did not feel that the weight of the front carrier and basket (with my jacket and camera inside) affected handling. However, the lack of front brake was a problem for me and kept me from testing the bike's speed limits to the extent I would have liked. For those considering the bike, a front caliper can be easily retro-fitted and there are options for a hub brake as well, but obviously this could not be done in the short amount of time I spent with the bike. I would love to do a long-term review of this bicycle with better pictures and more nuanced observations.






The Achielle Oma is a classic Dutch bike in every respect, including weight savings not being a priority. It was funny to watch the model who posed with the bicycle at the New Amsterdam Bike Fashion Show "hand" the Achielle to the assistant whose job was to carry it off stage. This big-boned beauty can weigh upward of 45lb, depending on size and what accessories it is fitted with.Like all Dutch bikes, the Achielle Oma was designed to be stored outdoors or in sheds, not carried. And it is certainly durable enough for outdoor storage, as well as suitable as a winter bike.






Priced at $1,450 for the model shown, the Achielle is not inexpensive. But it is handmade in Belgium from scratch, it looks well-constructed and it handles well. The price simply reflects how much it costs to do that, with only modest profits being made by the manufacturer, distributor and retailer. For me, it is worth it. For others, maybe not. It is good to have options. Were I in the market for a Dutch bike today, Achielle would be the one.

Tombstone Tuesday :: Samuel Bray Wiseman Family

Samuel Bray Wiseman, his wife and one son are interred at Washington Union Cemetery in Tippecanoe Township, Kosciusko County, Indiana. Samuel and Amanda (Alexander) Wiseman are my great grandparents. Their son Scott, not quite eight years old, died of diphtheria. According to Kosciusko County death records, his full name was Ray Scott.

SCOTT - Son Of / Mr. & Mrs. S. B. / WISEMAN / BORN July 31, 1894 / DIED May 18, 1902
SAMUEL B. / WISEMAN / SEPT. 23, 1855 / MAR. 19, 1944
AMANDA WISEMAN / SEPT . 25 . 1860 / JUNE . 2 . 1950
All photos Copyright © .. by Rebeckah R. Wiseman (they were taken July 12, ..)

A "short" field test of the Arc'teryx Zenta AR gloves :)

Some times things just don't go as planned. So you punt. When I first heard part of this story last week I could hear the pain from my stalwart field tester Dave Searlethrough the trans Atlantic email. If you climb you'll likely recognise thepain.





Dave on one of the ramps of the Desmaison/Gouseault on the Grandes Jorasses

All photos courtey of Ally Swintonhttp://allyswinton.blogspot.com/

Dave's story:



"Gloves are quite literally the bane of my existence.....



They are expensive and they always break........ if they make it that far, i.e you don't knock them off a Bivi ledge.



When I got a pair of Arc'teryx Zenta AR gloves off Dane I was totally psyched. On first impressions they looked really well made with excellent features. They fitted my hand really well and I was really impressed by how dexterous they felt for a glove of its size and levels of insulation and protection. I would never normally climb in a glove that had goretex and primaloft in it as I would ordinarily find them too thick to feel anything but when I first tried on the Zenta I knew that they would probably be a lot better than other because they are really well shaped and moulded to your hand.



Just call me Lefty :)



Gloves have a lot of expectations placed upon them. We expect them to be warm, light, strong, dexterous, neat fitting, waterproof, breathable and easy to get on and off.......oh yeah and well priced. I really like that Arc'teryx hasn't conformed to the normal regime of making cheap gloves. They have put more money into the technology and precision manufacture and passed the cost onto you and me - the fussy climbers. So often manufacturers build cheaper gloves that inevitably fall apart after a few routes or never really fit well from the start. I like that these gloves are out there filling the upper end of the market. Having said this though, as a climbing bum, I would really struggle to justify purchasing a pair of these gloves. They will get trashed at some point and any which way you look at it 160 euros is a lot for a pair of gloves that might only last for a few routes.



My last foray into the mountains was for the Desmaison/Gouseault on the Grandes Jorasses. This route is a long and sustained mixed route following a series of steep ramp lines and tricky compact rock sections that require some rock climbing and modern mixed climbing to make progress.





many metersof ice

It seemed to be the perfect time to try out these new gloves so they came along for the ride along with a pair of thinner gauntlets and a super thin pair for harder, drier pitches. I was so impressed by the dexterity of these gloves. I really thought that having primaloft on the palm was going to seriously affect their feel on my tools (petzl Nomics) but I found that it was only a minor issue and I could second all of the pitches easily with the Zenta's on as well as taking on some less technical leads. One thing that I did notice is that I can't fit all of my fingers on the handle which means that I have to push my index finger up onto the trigger to get a better grip to stop my fingers from getting crushed and cold. Not a major issue but it's something to think about when you're trying on gloves in the shop. I have my griprest to the medium setting nearly always as I would rather have more support when I'm using smaller gloves but this means that I can't get bigger gloves like these onto the handle.



Bit of M6 high on the wall between mixed ice ramps



We had a good day out climbing on the Desmaison/Gouseault but it wasn't meant to be. Lots of spindrift slowed our progress down from the start and our heavy packs and lack of acclimatisation further slowed our progress up the face. When we eventually stopped for the night on the face (after 17 hours of climbing) we worked out that we were perhaps only a third of the way up the difficulties of the route and just under half of the way up the face. We realised that it was going to take a lot longer than we originally expected to climb the route and we knew we didn't have sufficient supplies (primarily gas) to make it viable. We found a good bivi site and settled down for some food and sleep. I managed to drop two things off the ledge that night. My Jetboil cup and the right hand of my Zenta AR gloves. Guess which one I found at the bergshrund the next day when we bailed off the route? I definitely would have preferred to have found the glove.



I was really angry at losing such a great glove as I had had a lot of fun climbing in them for the limited time they were with me. They kept my hands warm and snug and dried really quickly inside my jacket when I took them off. The draw cord is perfect, no other way of describing it, and I was surprised by how good they were for manipulating gear. If you're on the market for a super warm, waterproof glove then I would really recommend you take a look at these. If you're serious about your climbing then the extra money is very well spent and for what you get (probably the best designed and manufactured gloves of their type on the market) then they are a good deal. It's a shame that I didn't get to use them for longer to see how they would have lasted but c'est la vie. I suspected that they would have done pretty well as the left one (the one left) shows no signs of wear yet and they got a hammering on Jorasses. Oh and Arc'teryx perhaps some idiot loops might be a good idea but apart from that, nice work, I'm impressed!"

California :: Point Mugu

While serving in the Navy, I was stationed at Point Mugu during the years 1974-1977 and lived nearby at Port Hueneme and Oxnard. The last time I was there was in 1979 upon my return from Japan.

Many things have changed, but unlike a few other places I've revisited, I also found that some things were the same.

My apartment was only a few blocks from the beach and the park at Port Hueneme. The park has been expanded and improved. In fact, there was work going on during my visit. Condominiums and large apartment complexes have been built along the shore. Surprisingly my old apartment building was still there as was the shabby motel and strip shopping mall.

My drive from the apartment to the base took me down Hueneme Road. It really hadn't changed all that much. There are still fields of strawberries – I used to stop at a stand nearly every day when they were in season – and acres upon acres of vegetables being grown. That part of the valley was mostly agricultural and still is.

From what I could see on my drive past the base, not much has changed there either. The housing visible from the road looked the same as it did 30+ years ago.

Driving on down Highway 1 beyond the base was “the rock” and the coast, where I spent many an hour watching the waves crash against the shore. Ah, memories.

The Point Mugu Rock, seen from the south, with Highway 1 passing through the opening.

And from a distance, along the shore.

Mount Healy

After returning from Savage River, we decided to take another hike. The weather was similar to what we had left earlier in the day – cloudy skies with scattered sunshine. The trail started out easily enough leaving from the visitor center and going through the taiga forest. But this trek was more than a little strenuous with a 500 foot elevation gain in the first mile and 1200 foot gain in the second. After six weeks of no hiking, my legs and lungs were screaming “Stop!” but not wanting to admit defeat nor to be left behind by Sue and Fred, it was onward and upward.

Views like this is what makes it worth the effort! About half-way up to the top.

Sue and me on top of Mt. Healy.

The view from the top. The park entrance, Visitor Center, and Wilderness Access Center complexes are in the left foreground “beneath” the rocks.

Fred and Sue, heading back down.

A portion of the lower trail. Since the ground is frozen much of the year, the trees have shallow roots. I wonder, how many feet have trod over these roots? And yet, the tree still lives!

The top of Mt. Healy. We was up there!

While Fred and Sue fixed supper, I laid on the picnic table bench and watched the clouds pass by.

Photos of Bochere Rand

Getting to the top of the popular posts ladder on jjobrienclimbing has never been easy.

I can't do it.

The 4 girls from Urban Climb Gym dubbed Urban Girls clipped that anchor and never lowered off.




A couple of years later jjobrien lined up Bochere Rand for a follow up post.





















Follow Bochere on Facebook.

...If you want daily updates, at dawn, on the first thing that comes into her head.


































Climbers, you know I'm a sucker for a flamingredhead




jj

Neato! Nice Porter You Got There...

For those of us who spend more time reading and communicating about bikes on the internet than in person, sometimes we go years before hearing bike terms uttered out loud. And so we form our own pronunciation, discovering only later that it might not match the way others pronounce the same words. Largely this is because so many bicycle words are foreign in origin. Even if we know the original language, it is not clear whether the common pronunciation matches it or has been distorted.



I remember the first bike word I had to adjust from the way I said it mentally was panniers. When I first started seeing this term I assumed stress on the second syllable (rhymes with veneers) and found the anglified stress on the first syllable jarring (I still can't get over that the English will pronounce ballet as "bally"). But I switched early on, and now PAN-iers sounds perfectly normal - though I still pronounce it the other way when referring to the French skirt hoops.



With other words, I cannot switch over. At some point I realised that many people pronounce porteur as "porter." Porter bike. Porter bars. Porter rack. What? It's porteur, rhymes with connoisseur!



Likewise, I have heard randonneur bikes called random-ners.



And I have heard decalleur pronounced as deCAY-ler.



English speakers generally pronounce mixte as mixtee, not "meext" as in the original French. Although I notice that some - not knowing French but wishing to pronounce it in what they believe to be the correct way - say mix-TAY, as if the French word had an accent aigu at the end (mixté). I have always said it the anglicised way, just because "meext" sounds strange to me as a noun.



Then there are the Japanese manufacturers. In my head, Tange sounded like the first part of the word "tangible," and I was pretty sure I'd heard it said that way. Later I started hearing "tahn-gay."



And I've always mentally pronounced Nitto like "neato," later surprised to hear bike shop mechanics pronouncing it to rhyme with ditto. They in turn found my way amusing. "Really, neato? I guess they are kinda neat-oh components!"



Dia Compe seems to be a free for all. I have heard dee-yah-coump, dee-yah-coum-pay and Diacom.




Of course all of this is more entertaining than anything. Languages get mixed and terminology evolves; there is not necessarily a "correct" way to pronounce any of this stuff. Though I am still not sure about dynamo... Stress on the first syllable or the second?

"Screaming Insanity" 26

"Screaming" is without a doubt the crag classic. A vicious little start then big horns through steep country to a pumpy finish. At the time of bolting it was unclimbable by any Queenslander. Now even with it's extension "Wholly Calamity" it's a warm up route for locals.

I've clocked well over 100 ascents.





Photo: Lee Cujes

Happy Mother's Day!

Mom and Me - Summer of '49
If you'd like, please revisit my post from last year on Mothers and Grandmothers.

Winter finds

Evergreen from a distance, that turned out to be...



American holly (Ilex opaca).

We've only found two of these on our property, and neither one has berries. Possibly the birds ate them all before we found them, though.



Beechdrops (Epifagus virginiana)

I've never actually seen this one in bloom, since I don't venture into the woods a lot in late summer. (100°+ heat, dewpoint over 75°, thousands of bugs that bite, poison ivy galore, whine, moan, complain, etc.)



Spotted Wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata), a.k.a. Pipsissewa.

I have pronounced this incorrectly for years, saying Pippessewa instead of Pipsissewa.

The botanical name always makes me think of chimpanzees. (According to Wikipedia, though, "from Greek: cheima 'winter' and philos 'lover', hence 'winter lover'".)

Come Dance With Me...

Welcome to the February 4th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy! Our topic this time around is "The Happy Dance. The Joy of Genealogy." Perhaps stating the obvious, but, genealogy can become a passion even before you experience that first "happy dance" but once you've actually felt the excitement and joy of that first dance, be it a rousing rumba or a restrained, elegant waltz, you're addicted.

For those of us living in the Northern hemisphere, Ole Mister Groundhog has declared that there will be six more weeks of winter ahead of us, so what better activity is there than to grab a cup of hot chocolate (or some other warming beverage) and spend some time enjoying the moments of joy shared by our 50 contributors? For those in warmer climates, pour yourself a cool drink and enjoy!

To all of the new participants, on behalf of Jasia, I say welcome to the Carnival, and to everyone, thank you for sharing your happy dance moments with us!

Starting us off is Dorene Paul, who presents Charles Cross, First Catholic Mayor of Sandusky posted at Graveyard Rabbit of Sandusky Bay. Dorene says "My heart skipped a beat when I ran across the article 'An English Colony' in the December 3, 1889 Sandusky Daily Register. The author of the article, Mr. Hudson C. Ward, tells how my great-great-great-great grandfather, Charles Cross, came to the United States from England aboard the packet ship the "Hudson" in July of 1830. Mr. Ward was named after the ship."

Terri at The Ties That Bind presents Longing to know you......... which is the first of three parts. The story continues with Longing to know you continued.... and Longing to know you - part 3. Terri says, "Please read all parts for the full story."

Cathy Palm presents Happy Dance Moment or Finding Laura Backus posted at Detour Through History saying "The Rootsweb message that broke down a brick wall. Reliving the moment..."

Donna Hague Wendt presents Hague Happy Dance posted at Another Day With Donna ..... Genealogy - Family History Blog. Donna says "When a family surname can be spelled in a variety of ways, it is a wonderful and "happy dance" moment to stumble on the one way it was spelled in a census to finally find the elusive family. This happened for the 1850 US Census with my elusive Hague ancestors in Rhode Island, under "Ache." To happily continue dancing, a cousin showed me a drawing of the original Hague homestead in Iowa as it looked in 1905."

Sharon Klein presents The Genealogy Shuffle posted at Genealogy. She says "Over the past 10 years or so since I first started my research, I'm had several occasions to kick up my feet!"

Valerie C. presents The First Happy Dance posted at Begin with 'Craft'. Valerie got started in genealogy during a college geography project. She and her mother didn't know much about the family and knew even less about genealogy!

Margaret Ann presents Carnival- Genealogy Happy Dance posted at GeneaDiva's History, Genealogy and "Stuff". Margaret Ann "remembers the many happy dances as a novice at shaking the family tree. She recalls the trips with her Dad and Grandparents seeking information which also led to the next happy dance."

GeneaDiva presents Carnival - Genealogy Happy Dance posted at GeneaDiva's History, Genealogy and Stuff saying, "Although, I've had many genealogy happy dances over the past 27 years some of my most memorable and favorite dances occurred at the beginning of my genealogy adventure."

Sheri Fenley presents The Problem With Pauline - Part 9 - Some Fun With Dr. George B. Sanford posted at The Educated Genealogist. Sheri says "The mailman and I do not quite see eye to eye."

Donna M Moughty presents More Genealogy Puzzles from Ireland posted at Donna's Genealogy Blog. "Solving the problem of which Michael Daly was mine was a genealogy puzzle I wasn't sure I would ever solve. A lecture at a conference on searching common surnames along with a study of all Daly's in a specific location led to the Happy Dance and an early morning phone call from Salt Lake City to Connecticut to tell my mother-in-law how all those cousins were related."

Evelyn Yvonne Theriault presents Tripping the light fantastic posted at A Canadian Family and is "Tripping the light fantastic” – remembering Montreal during the ‘50s swing era”

Jessica Oswalt presents Doing the Happy Dance: Finding Answers posted at Jessica's Genejournal stating it is "A brief mention of a few successes I have had in my five plus years of researching my family."

Lisa presents Growing the family tree: In both directions posted at Small-leaved Shamrock. She says "I started to tell the story of a "happy dance" I did quietly with a sleeping angel on my lap, and went on to share how genealogy fits into the life of my family. I hope you enjoy this look at doing genealogy with children along: the only way I can imagine it."

Brian Zalewski presents Carnival of Genealogy: Happy Dance posted at Zalewski Family Genealogy. Brian claims to have had "a few" happy dance moments and says "If my thought process works, you probably get more of them as you first start your genealogy research. But, they get much more exciting as your research goes on."

Janet Iles presents The Genealogy Happy Dance - New discoveries posted at Janet the researcher. She says "I might not get up and dance but you will hear restrained words of excitement."

Apple presents Dancing Fool posted at Apple's Tree. Apple admits "It doesn't take much to get me to do the Happy Dance. Give me a new little scrap of information and I'm on my feet!"

Greta Koehl presents The Happy Dance: Getting Hooked on Genealogy, Part 3 posted at Greta's Genealogy Bog. She says "Finally doing the Happy Dance was the last stage in getting me totally addicted to genealogy. What did it take to get me to do the Happy Dance? It was finding an ancestor who had touched me through the fact that no one even knew his first name any more."

Geniaus presents The Happy Dance. The Joy of Genealogy posted at Geniaus. From the land down under, Geniaus declares "Until I completed the 99+ things genealogy meme I didn't know that I had been dancing for years."

Tex presents The Happy Dance: Finding Females posted at All My Ancestors. Serendipity (chance, fate, luck, coincidence, etc.) enables Tex to find several long sought female ancestors.

Cherie presents My Genealogy Happy Dance! posted at Still Digging for Roots. Cherie gives us "Three 'Happy Dance' moments!"

Jasia presents The First Find posted at Creative Gene. Jasia says "My 'first find' resulted in my first happy dance. Like a first kiss, or the first flowers received from a lover, my first happy dance was the sweetest. Here are my memories of that very first dance..."

A. Spence presents Family Profile: William Lowry/Lowery/Laury/Lowrey posted at Spence-Lowry Family History saying "My first happy dance was when I could connect a family story about my 2nd great grandfather and a possible sibling of his."

Donna Pointkouski presents The Joy of Genealogy posted at What's Past is Prologue. Donna admits that she has "done many genealogical happy dances over the years - here are a few of my favorites (plus a photo of my favorite happy dancing Gene)."

Melody Lassalle presents My Very First Genealogy Happy Dance posted at The Research Journal. She says "This post is about my first research experience and the moment I knew I was addicted."

Hilary Gadsby presents Best Genealogy Find posted at Genemeet. Hilary says "Over the years I have been researching my family tree like most people I have made several great finds and every time you find that elusive piece of information you get that urge to shout out Yes!!"

Amanda Erickson presents The Happy Dance posted at Random Ramblings saying "My search for information about my dad's (Stiver) side of the family and how I hit the jackpot. "

Colleen Johnson presents The Happy Dance of Genealogy posted at CMJ Office. Colleen says "A little jig, a happy dance, a possible party and some heartburn. Pass the genealogy tums. "

Wendy Littrell presents Oh Yeah! Oh Yeah! posted at All My Branches Genealogy. She says "It doesn't take much for me to stand up and shout for joy when I find something that I think will lead me to more information! It could be a Census entry, a letter, or an email from a distant cousin that has me saying "Oh Yeah!"

Julie Cahill Tarr presents Get Up & Dance posted at GenBlog. Julie takes us on a tour of previously posted genealogy joys.

Craig Manson presents Happy Dance Days Are Here Again! posted at GeneaBlogie saying "In which I do the Happy Dance having found things I thought were lost to time!"

Randy Seaver presents Genealogy Happy Dances and/or Genea-gasms! posted at Genea-Musings. Saying "Randy didn't follow the rules and pick one genea-gasm, he picked four. Read about his England trip, his Norway trip, his treasures in the closet, and treasures from his Aunt Geraldine."

John Newmark presents The Happy Dance posted at TransylvanianDutch. John says, "I can think of three times in my research where my excitement reached a point which may be compared to a "happy dance"..."

Stephen J. Danko presents Doing the DNA Happy Dance! posted at Steve's Genealogy Blog. Steve has discovered two previously unknown distant cousins who match his DNA sequence.

Bill West presents West in New England: DOING THE GENEALOGY HAPPY DANCE posted at West in New England. Bill says "I've had some great Happy Dance moments, but if I ever break down the John Cutter West brickwall, there's going be one HUMUNGOUS Happy Dance!"

Elyse Doerflinger presents Carnival Of Genealogy - 65th Edition: My Happy Dance posted at Elyse's Genealogy Blog saying "This story describes my latest Happy Dance, which occurred only last Thursday after finding a new Keppler cousin."

Elizabeth Powell Crowe presents Success Story posted at Crowe's Nest by Elizabeth Powell Crowe. Elizabeth links to an article about "Two guys in Indiana who giggle their way up the family tree."

Terry Snyder presents Looking for Catherine posted at Desktop Genealogist Unplugged saying "A knowledgeable friend, a court case and a $50 debt, led to Terry Snyder’s happy dance that she details in her post, “Looking for Catherine."

Rachel Murphy presents Finding that Missing Ancestor through the House and Field Books posted at Irish Family History saying "Rachel explains how she found her great-great-great grandfather through the house and field books..."

Jennifer Trahan presents Genealogy Happy Dance: Findng the parents of John Pemberton posted at Jennifer's Genealogy Blog. Jennifer says this post is about "The long but fulfilling search for my 4th-great-grandparents."

Amanda presents The Happy Dance! The Joy of Genealogy posted at A Tale of Two Ancestors. She says "An interview interruption led to a record every genealogist hopes for."

Dru Pair presents The Genealogy Happy Dance posted at Find Your Folks. Dru writes about "doing the Genealogy Happy Dance after receiving a photo of a great-grandmother and also finding a written statement in a birth certificate book from her ancestor."

Andrea Christman presents The Happy Dance! Going Back One More Generation. posted at Family Tales. She says "My happy dance was when I was able to get my husband's line back to specific towns in Germany."

Charles Hansen presents Happy Dance posted at Eastern Washington Genealogical Society Blog. Charles does the research for EWGS and has had many “Happy Dances” for others he has helped over the years, but then he got a phone call from a gentleman in Springfield, Missouri…"

foonoteMaven presents You Really Do Know Her! posted at footnoteMaven. fM says this is "Not a 'Happy Dance' in the classic sense, but I've have never been more excited about genealogy than I was at this moment."

Kathy Brady-Blake presents The Genealogy Happy Dance posted at Kathy's Genealogy Blog. Kathy says "My happy dances happen when I reconnect with long lost cousins."

Barbara Holz Sullivan presents Serendipity posted at Chapter & Wurst saying "Serendipity: unexpected discoveries and a mother and daughter's questioning minds lead to new distant cousins and the genealogists' happy dance."

M. Diane Rogers presents My 1916 Happy Dance - The Joy of Genealogy - Carnival of Genealogy Edition 65 posted at CanadaGenealogy, or, 'Jane's Your Aunt' saying "M. Diane Rogers practices her Happy Genealogist tap dancing only at home with the shades drawn, but once in a while she does find herself forgetting the 'Silence' code in a library or archives."

Thomas MacEntee presents It's Just A Jump To The Left . . . at Destination: Austin Family. Take A Step To The Right, Put Your Hands On Your Hips, Bring Your Knees In Tight… and… go see what it's all about.

Pam Taylor presents Happy Dance and the Joy of Genealogy posted at Taylorstales-Genealogy. What exactly was it that caused Pam to dance, shout, scream for joy, and act like a complete fool in front of her children?

And, rounding out this edition of the Carnival is my contribution, Happy Dance Moments :: Making Connections, which highlights just a few of the times I've made kinexxions with distant relatives and the results of those incredible experiences.

And now, it's time for a Call For Submissions! The topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy, to be hosted by Jasia at Creative Gene, will be: iGene Awards, The Best of The Best! It's Academy awards time... time for the Academy of Genealogy and Family History, aka AGFH, to honor their best blog posts of ..* in the following 5 categories:

• Best Picture - Best old family photo that appeared on your blog in ... Tell us which you liked best and why.


• Best Screen Play - Which family story that you shared in .. would make the best movie? Who would you cast as your family members?


• Best Documentary - Which was the best informational article you wrote about a place, thing, or event involving your family's history in ..?


• Best Biography - Which was the best biographical article you wrote in ..?


• Best Comedy - Which was the best funny story, poem, joke, photo, or video that you shared on your blog in ..?

Please feel free to use this graphic on your post.

Start digging back into your archives and choose which of your blog posts deserve to be recognized for outstanding achievement. This is not a competition between bloggers but a chance for you to spotlight your own shining efforts at recording your genealogy and family history in ..*.

There is no nomination process. You just need to announce your winning blog posts for the 5 categories mentioned above in an article on your blog and submit it to the Carnival of Genealogy. Please act as your own "award presenter" by writing an introduction and include it in the "Remarks" box on the BlogCarnival submission form.

The deadline for submissions is February 15, ...

*We're going to define ".." to include any posts written in .. as well as those written Jan. 1-Feb. 15, .. as well (so that new bloggers can participate).

Tombstone Tuesday :: Jack and Fredona Wiseman

My father and his third wife are buried at Salem Cemetery in Washington Township, Noble County, Indiana. Jack William Wiseman was the son of Charles and Elsie (Shuder) Wiseman. Fredona was the daughter of Abie and Vera (Surfus) Stump.

WISEMAN
JACK W. / JAN 29, 1924 / DEC. 18, 1995
FREDONA M. / SEPT. 28, 1925 / JAN. 23, ..

Photo Copyright © .. by Rebeckah R. Wiseman (taken August 16, ..)

Tropical Splendor

Another fragrant and beautiful plumeria.

Campobello Island :: Head Harbour Lightstation

Thursday, September 20th - - Also known as the East Quoddy Head Lighthouse, the Head Harbour Lightstation sits on a small island at the northeastern tip of Campobello Island. Built in 1829, it is the oldest surviving lighthouse in New Brunswick and one of the oldest in Canada. Its distinguishing feature is the red St. George Cross on the front.



However, at low tide, this island is no longer an island. I arrived at Campobello too late to take advantage of the low tide and visit the station. Ladders, partially visible in the second photo, allow visitors access to go down and walk across the bay.



The first three photos were taken between 12:45 and 1:30 while the last three were taken between 5:30 and 5:45 (Eastern Time, in reality though they were an hour later because Campobello Island is in the Atlantic Time Zone).