Land of the Lily

Taken along the Pigeon River in Northeast Minnesota. I love lilies, but taking a nice photograph of them is a challenge. This was shot from my kayak without looking through the camera's viewfinder. I held the camera as close to the surface of the water as possible and pressed the shutter button… “shooting blind”, so to speak. It took several tries to get a level horizon!

It's Over...

This weekend has been fantastic! I've had the bestest time ever meeting genea-bloggers as well as other genealogists and even attending a few sessions! It's been such a great time, I really didn't want it to end. I think many of us felt that way.

Thank you to the Geneabloggers Swag Bag Team of Amy Coffin, Thomas MacEntee, Joan Miller, and Denise Levenik for putting together a wonderful assortment of items for us. Another thank you goes to the Sponsors for providing that swag!

I'll post additional photos and more information in the very near future. Thanks to everyone for an absolutely amazing time!!!!


in front: Miriam Midkiff (AnceStories), fM (footnoteMaven and Shades of the Departed), Becky Wiseman
the others: Kathryn Doyle (California Ancestors.org), Cheryl Palmer (Heritage Happens), Denise Levenik (The Family Curator), Elyse Doerflinger (Elyse's Genealogy Blog).

Thomas MacEntee (Destination Austin Family and Geneabloggers), Joan Miller (Luxegen Genealogy), Becky Wiseman, Randy Seaver (Genea-Musings), Miriam Midkiff (AnceStories), Craig Manson (GeneaBlogie), and Susan Kitchens (Family Oral History).

O Joshua Tree! O Joshua Tree!

The Joshua Tree isn't really a tree at all, rather, it is a giant yucca plant. The trunk of a Joshua Tree consists of thousands of small fibers and it lacks annual growth rings, making it difficult to determine it's age. New seedlings can grow up to 3 inches per year in their first ten years. After that they grow only 1 1/2 inches per year.

According to park literature, the Joshua tree was so named by a group of Mormon settlers who crossed the Mojave Desert in the mid-19th century. The tree's unique shape reminded them of a Biblical story in which Joshua reaches his hands up to the sky in prayer.

I was told by a Ranger, that each of the “arms” or the branches of a Joshua Tree was the result of it blooming and flowering. Each bloom creates another branch. The trees bloom in the spring, though they don't all bloom every year. In fact there were some Joshua Trees that were six to eight feet tall without any branches! And then there were other trees with an overabundance of blooms. After flowering, the blossoms drop off, leaving a length of dried stalk. New leaves grow beneath this dead portion, and a new branch begins its growth in another direction. The numerous shapes and sizes of the trees is fascinating.

This was one of the largest Joshua Trees that I saw in the park, perhaps 35 feet high. I don't know what caused it to lose the limb hanging down on the ground but it was somewhat recent damage.

It wasn't the first damage this tree sustained. On the side opposite of the new downed limb was a gaping hole from a loss in the distant past.

It also had one of the most complex branching systems that I saw. It must be very old and is still blooming!

The “furry” nature of the branches helps it to grab and retain moisture from the air.

New branches will grow from the remnants of the flower stalk.

One of the blooms of the Joshua Tree.

And another.

Lupine Explosion

Lupine Explosion, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

First it was a tidy tip explosion, but a return to Shell Creek Road revealed an explosion of lupines.

It's Like Walking vs Jogging

Imagine that you have just taken up jogging. You find jogging healthy, energising - a good way to clear your mind and exercise your body first thing in the morning or in the evening after work. You put on a pair of sneakers, leggings, a t-shirt, and off you go on your jog. At an intersection you bump into another jogger, who recognises you and exclaims: "Oh, I see you've taken up jogging! Finally smartened up and realised that it's better than walking, eh? And look, you're pretty good at it! Before you know it, you'll be jogging to work with a change of clothing strapped to your back - you'll see how much faster it is than walking and how much more control it gives you!"



An improbable and illogical scenario, yes? And yet, it is perfectly normal to encounter the same mentality when it comes to cycling. One question I get asked that absolutely puzzles me, is whether I am "moving away from upright bikes" now that I am comfortable riding a bike with drop bars. What?... Are joggers "moving away from walking"? Similarly, I am perplexed when some congratulate me on becoming a "real cyclist", now that I can ride a roadbike and a trackbike. I suppose that means that joggers and track runners are the "real pedestrians"?





Just like there are many forms of pedestrianism, so are there many forms of cycling - each serving its own purpose. The distinction between upright city bicycles, roadbikes and mountain bikes is not so different from the distinction between walking, running and hiking. Walking is a casual form of pedestrianism that is the most natural and low-maintenance way to travel from point A to point B. It is done in one's everyday clothing, while comfortably carrying items on one's person. Taking up jogging or hiking is all well and good, but you'll probably still want to walk to the grocery store.



My upright step-through bikes are my "walking." They are essential to me, no matter what kind of other bikes I ridefor fun or exercise. I am more comfortable than ever now on a roadbike, but when it comes to work or errands or pretty much any kind of city or transportation I will always choose the upright bicycle with a step-through frame, fenders and racks. As with walking vs jogging, there is no "war" between these two forms of cycling as far as I am concerned. They co-exist, each in their appropriate context.

Nate Wallace?

The Death of Ruth Joslin :: 1830

Official death records were not kept in the early days in Ohio. Then, as now, people often relied upon the local tabloid for news of their friends, neighbors and relatives.

Carol Willsey Bell compiled "Delaware County, Ohio Genealogical Abstracts" in 1980 and on page 51 we find the following entry, citing the Ohio State Gazette: "Sept. 16, 1830 - Died in Liberty Tp. on 27th ult, MRS. RUTH JOSLIN, w/o Jonas, age 59 years." The term "ult" refers to the previous month, i.e. Ruth died on August 27th 1830.

In 1992, Mary V. Reed compiled "Abstracts from Miscellaneous Delaware County Ohio Newspapers 1821-1857" and on page 49, citing the Ohio State Gazette and Delaware County Journal of September 16, 1830 is the entry: "Died in Liberty Township on the 27th ult. Mrs Ruth JOSLIN, aged 59 years wife of Mr. Johns JOSLIN."

From another "Joslin" researcher, I found out that Ruth's tombstone resides within the confines of the Delaware County Historical Museum, or at least it did several years ago. The inscription was transcribed as "Ruth wife of Jonas Joslin died Aug 27, 1830 aged 59 Years."

In this online listing, Ruth is shown as having been buried in the "Joslin Cemetery" along with Jonas Sr. The cemetery is shown as #9 on this map and was located in the southern portion of Liberty Township near the Franklin County line. From its location, I am presuming that the cemetery was on the Joslin farm.

Second Life: on Cycling and Aging

Reading On My Own Two Wheels by Malachi O'Doherty*, I am transported from the North Shore of Massachusetts back to the Antrim coast of Northern Ireland, where I spent some weeks on my bike this past Spring. The Belfast-based author describes many of the same roads I traveled on - the same challenging hills, treacherous weather and glorious scenery - making me long to return there even more than I do already.




But the main theme of the book - whose subtitle is Back in the Saddle at 60 - is that of the author's return to cycling after an absence of three decades, and of the relationship between cycling and aging. Overweight and diagnosed with diabetes at 60, Malachi O'Doherty turned to what had been a favourite pastime of his youth in attempts to regain his health and energy. What follows is a complex and engaging personal account that is part memoir, and part commentary on what it is like to ride again as a changed man in a changed world. It is no longer the 1980s and the author is no longer in his 30s. Confronted with a new breed of bicycles, high-traffic roads, newfangled cycling infrastructure, and a society where cycling is far from a normative behaviour, the author finds himself in a state that is a mixture of wonderment, disappointment, frustration, and delight.




On My Own Two Wheels is a personal narrative. It makes no generalisations, gives no advice, offers up no lessons to the reader. But I suspect the experiences described will be widely relatable. I would estimate that as many as a quarter of this blog's readers are middle aged men and women who had cycled in their youth and have recently gotten back into it, or are attempting to do so. I have met many such cyclists riding for transportation in Boston, and more recently at randonneuring and club ride events. I recall reading that the average age of a Paris-Brest-Paris participant is in their 50s.




There are some specifics in Malachi O'Doherty's story that I find intriguing. One is the way he faces changes that have taken place in the bicycle industry during his time off the bike. Of those who return to riding after decades of absence, many gravitate toward the type of bike that had been popular in their youth - seeking out vintage or classic machines, even taking pains to refurbish them with period-correct components. Some want to ride an exact replica of the bicycle they raced or toured on in their 20s or 30s. Others purchase the kind of bike they had dreamed of, but could never afford back in the day. But the author falls into the category that prefers a clean start and turns to contemporary industry standards. He went to a bike shop, asked for advice, and purchased a modern touring bike - fitted with brifters and clipless pedals in leu of the downtube shifters and toe clips he had used three decades earlier. The new aluminium bike is a size smaller than the steel bike of his youth. It handles differently. Far from feeling at home on the alien machine, O'Doherty nonetheless accepts the new technology and the challenges it presents. I get the sense that for him this is part of the deal: As fondly and nostalgically as he recalls the spirited rides and long touring trips of his 30s, reliving the past is not what he is after; he intends to start a new chapter.




Another choice the author makes early on is to stay away from the racing and club cycling cultures - or any particular bicycle culture, for that matter. He describes his preferred riding style as "tootling," or simply wandering around by bike. And yet, he notices contradictions in himself - competitive impulses and cravings for speed that seem to come out of nowhere and undermine (or enhance? it's not always clear) his experience of the two-wheeled journey. He relates these paradoxes in cycling to paradoxes in life. Perhaps cycling offers a means of understanding himself better.




At the time of writing this post I am 33 years old. What draws a person to the bicycle at the age of 50, 60, 70 and beyond I can only speculate. Some are motivated by health and fitness-related concerns. Others take it up as a hobby after retirement. For others still it seems to be a matter of nostalgia. But regardless of the motive, a not uncommon result is that cycling becomes more than just an interest, but a way of life. A "second life," as one local cyclist in his 70s put it, throwing a slender muscular leg over the top tube of his racing bike and giving me a meaningful wink: "I am in better shape now than I was thirty years ago and my mind is sharper." I believe him. Riding with some exceptionally strong cyclists in their 60s and 70s has made me look forward to that age in a way I hadn't done before. I'd like to be like them when I grow up.




----

*Malachi O'Doherty is an online acquaintance, and I am a great fan of his political books and commentary. A reviewer's copy of On My Own Two Wheels was sent to me by the publisher.

Iron Goat Trail ..

Hot weather and mixed signals caused me to be sans partner again. Originally I was pretty bummed, but really enjoyed my final choice of destination or, conveyance.

I looked through a mountain bike guide and decided to get some low impact exercise. I decided on the Iron Goat Trail as it is in the south side of the valley and should be fairly shady. It is a rail trail and used to be part of the Milwaukee Railroad. It is also part of the larger John Wayne Pioneer Trail, which stretches most of the way across the main portion of the state to Idaho. I was also excited to ride my bike through the Snoqualmie Tunnel. However, since this was a plan hatched before going to bed the night before, I had no idea the tunnel was closed.

The tunnel
I parked for the trail off Exit 38 of I-90, but could have taken the western terminus near Rattlesnake Lake. This is where I saw the sign in the parking lot stating the tunnel was closed. Mostly it meant I did not have to worry about a headlamp, and it was cutting about five miles round trip off my excursion.

Since it was unclear where to access the trail, I accidentally rode up the pedestrian foot trail before locating the rail trail and heading east. I immediately starting riding by the Exit 38 crags where people were climbing (and blocking the trail.) The route is deceptively flat/uphill. It has to do with the maximum angle a trail can climb, which isn't that steep. The trail looks flat, but I had to constantly grind my way uphill. A much different workout than a steep hill where you can alternate between standing and sitting. My speed was twice as fast, and cadence maybe five times faster. Sections with deeper gravel really took extra effort. I paused at the halfway uphill point to catch my breath a bit. It was also nice not to be sitting, as my mountain bike saddle is not meant for thirty miles of continuous sitting.

I rode along occasionally standing to give my backside a rest while passing hikers and other bikers. I also passed numerous trail heads that I have been to before while hiking or climbing. In a little over an hour, I reached the closed tunnel. A few pics were snapped, I snacked a bit, and then it was time to enjoy the downhill. There is a nice picnic area there that offers views of Snoqualmie Pass peaks.

The Tooth, Denny, Snoqualmie Peaks

While I did not have to continuously pedal for the downhill, it was not steep enough to coast the 14 miles. Of course, to make things more difficult there was a headwind in many locations on the return trip. More wooded areas blocked the wind, but on the trestles, it slowed me down a touch. I was back at the car over two hours after I left.

This was a good ride and fairly mellow if you discount the fact that it is uphill the whole way east. Hopefully the state will find the money to make the tunnels safe so one could ride to Idaho if they wanted. The fourteen mile section I was on had some ample camp sites, although I'd imagine I wouldn't need one until the other side of the pass.

Taking It Personally or Taking It in Stride?

When drivers behave rudely towards us, we tend to perceive them as being "hostile to cyclists". But what I wonder sometimes, is whether this is a fair assessment given how drivers behave to one another.



Consider that...

Drivers honk at each other all the time.

Drivers cut each other off.

Drivers roll down their windows and shout "learn how to drive, you moron!" at one another while making indecent hand gestures - even if they are the ones at fault.



Is driver behaviour towards cyclists really worse than their behaviour towards other drivers? And if not, should we just take it in stride, rather than taking it personally? One could make that argument.



Of course, the big difference between intimidating other drivers and intimidating cyclists, is that cyclists are considerably more vulnerable - something I am highly aware of when a driver plays "chicken" with me while turning left at full speed as I am trying to go straight through an intersection, on a green light. Bike lanes and protected bike paths do little if anything to solve this problem if there are no cyclist-specific lights at intersections. It is difficult to take things in stride when the competition is stacked against me both in terms of speed and in terms of safety. But I try to remember not to take it personally.

Frey Yule

A few bolts, a few moves, a few years.

Frey sees things long term.

The project has had cave climbers looking up and wondering for years.

























Frey's contributions to Coolum Cave have been infrequently repeated.They are arkward, hard and undergraded.His new project is likely to follow suit.





Pre-burn concentration.





Toughened on the windswept coast of New Zealand. Tuned in the Blue Mountains of Australia.











Frey - Norse God of rain and sunshine. Yule - Celebrating the re-emergence of Frey.





















"Once you get past the nine metres of hard bouldering,

there's some really nice climbing".Oh, great.







































If the climber can match the shape of the rock,

there is a rest.























Not this time Frey.

Ocean from shipwreck

http://www.iredale.de/maritime/peter1.htm This the web site where there are photos of the Peter Iredale before it went down and right after in 1906 as well as one from 1999.

Autumn Morning Glory

October, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

The 'Grandpa Ott' vines are still putting out a few flowers, but I've let them go to seed, so they don't have too much time left. On the other hand, the 'Heavenly Blues' are still growing and blooming strong.

The Estate of Jacob Switzer :: Widow's Allowance

There were three men (actually four, another has been found) with the name of Jacob Switzer who resided in Columbiana County, Ohio during the 1805-1860 time period. This estate file is for the Jacob Switzer who is my 4th great-grandfather and who married first Catherine Brinker (in 1811, the mother of his children) and second Leathy Bricker (in 1853). Jacob died on November 2, 1859.



Text within square brackets [ ] has been added to indicate difficult to read words.



=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=



The deceased having left a widow, we set off to her the following property, without appraising the same as directed by Statute.

one Lew [?] plate [?] Stove one Family Bible all the Books in Library one Cow all wearing apparel all Beds Bedsteads & Bedding Necessary Cooking Utensils The Clothing of the Family The Clothes and ornaments of the widow The wearing apparel of the deceased one Table Six Chairs Six knives and forks Six plates Six Tea cups and Saucers one Sugar dish one Milk Pot one Tea pot 12 Spoons

Widow's Allowance. Property not appraised.Estate of Jacob Switzer. Probate Packet 4962Columbiana County, Ohio

The following is a schedule of property [illegible word], belonging to the estate of Jacob Switzer deceased, set off by the undersigned for the support of Leathy Switzer his widow,

2 Hog's 21 ½ Ton of Hay 4 Bushels old Corn 4 Bushels Potatoes [???] Cash (there being no other property of a suitable kind to set off [total]	14.00 15.00 3.721 .80 225.00 $258.521

Widow's Allowance. Appraised property.Estate of Jacob Switzer. Probate Packet 4962Columbiana County, Ohio

The Apprentice... aka ice skills again

"Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a structured competency based set of skills."











Ice climbing is a subtlesport. At first glance it would seem to be all strength andbravado.



It isn't. Knowing the difference between a high volume flow and a low volume flow can not only save your life it might well tell you where the best line on the falls will be or tell you whento climb or not in a snow storm or bright sun light instead.



Having an "eye" to know where the quality of the ice changes and will most effect screwand tool placement is not something you can learn in a day's outing. It is just a start. Most will need seasons, or moving to Canmore to accumulate that education.



Pulling plastic has about as much to do with ice climbing as playing basket ball. Both will get you in shape if done at a high enough level. Neither skill will mean squat when you clip on a pair of crampons.



Ice climbing is alsoextremely gear DEPENDANT. I have said many times any old club will do in place of a decent ice tool if your skills will. That is true. But miss match boots and crampons and having the ability to do a gazillion pull ups won't help you for long.



I know for a fact having good rock climbing and rope skills will make you a better ice climber. For no other reason than it will allow you to manage the rope systems easier and quicker.Basic rock climbing skills on how a rope runs or should run are required on ice just as they are on rock.



But being able to lead 5.12 trad (and few really do) isn't going to help you much on ice if you have never placed a screw. It is simple right up until the point it isn't. Why anyone would ever put in a bad screw is beyond me.Finding poorly placed screws while following simply dumbfounds me. Either the leader is WAY in over his head or they are an idiot. Take the time to learn how to put in perfect screws while on theGROUND. Then never, ever put in a bad one. Learn what it takes to accomplish that. It aint rocket science but then it isn't all that easy either with out some practice. Your first grade 4 pillar is NOT the place to belearning how to place screws.



Just as your first 5.10 hand crack isn't the place to learn how to place your first cam. Hello!



I learned to climb ice with a couple of friends who had also....never climbed water fall ice. The sport was new then. The original screws and ice pitons seldom worked. We learned together as the ice climbing standards became more difficult and the gear better. We paid our own dues. Luckily none were costly. But they easily could have been. I can still honestly stay I have not taken a lead fall on ice. But only through the grace of God.



The skilled ice climbers I am lucky enough to climb with can all generally claim the same. Only "modern mixed" has changed that. Even then a smart man/woman will go to great extremes not to fall with a pair of crampons on. You down climb. You hang on the rope, your umbilicals or a screw. You DO NOT fall off.



Remember, "it is a all fun and games until someone loses and eye." Fall off and it just may be your eye!



These days "ice climbers" seem to be born in a gym. Falling is a way of life.



Don't get me wrong...nothing wrong with falling. I have done my own share learning to lead well enough to put up trad .11s and 12s. Andthere were a lot of falls involved both on a top rope and on lead.



You must learn how to DOWN climb.



Climbing up something you can't easily down climb is tantamount to swimming off shore and well out of sight of land. Better to have a safety net. A big one if you can't down climb easily and quickly what ever you climb up. Sure you'll do leads that you can't easily reverse. But they should be damn few and far between. If you can lead grade 4 ice in comfort, you should be able to easily and quickly down climb grade 3 ice. Grade 5 ice on lead then Grade 4 ice should be an easy down climb.



Picked out climbs make you lazy. Make an effort to get on ice climbs that aren't just "sport ice" and totally picked out with foot steps and pick hooks up big sections of the climb. I like that kind of fun climbing myself, "hook and book". But it is TERRIBLE for the techniques required to climb virgin ice.

Get on new ice when you can. You might find Grade 3 ice is hard enough again to get your attention and still be really fun.



Following? If you can't follow any ice pitch faster than your leader can run it out......you REALLY NEED TO STOP AND ASSESS you own skill level. Reality needs to meet ability. Because one of two things is happening here. You are either attempting to climb way out of your skill level or the leader has skills you are a long ways from attaining yet. Nothing wrong with either......it just makes a hard day (and possibly dangerous day) in the mountains for leader and follower if that difference isn't recognised and understood. Just be honest with yourself and your partners. Always push yourself on a top rope or as a2ndto go faster and climb better. You can bet that is how the otherguy got thatmuch better.



Danger? Yes, ice climbing will get youkilled if you aren't careful. It aint the gym or the local cragging area. Things go to shit quicklyon ice and snow. Lots of pointy things to poke holes in your own personal meat bag that can cause problems. Lots of things falling down for one reason or the other. Climbers at drastically differing skill levels put the responsibility (and the majority of the safety issues) on the more experience and generally faster climber.



Leading? Leading isn't a big deal. Falling off and getting injured is. Who do you think will have to haul your sorry ass off the mountain if you take a winger? Better hope your partner is up to the task.



No one has the "right" to lead. You earn that right through experience, patience and skill. You may know how to clip on a pair of crampons. But do you know how to actually fit them? You can buy all the cool gear, read of the books or pump your instructors and partners for infobut if you don't know how it works and most importantly UNDERSTAND the gear/info what good is it when the shit starts to fail?



And all of it will eventually fail, including your partner...



You better have a good plan.



Soloing?



If you want to climb in the alpine fasterand climb more difficultwater icelearn how to be confident soloing in your comfort level of technical skill. In the right conditions WI3 should be casual. The same bullet proof ice in the alpine might well take a belay, the rope and protection. Know the difference. Learn how to simul climb and more importantly...when you should and should not simul climb.



Grades on ice and in the alpine mean very little. Conditions generally mean everything. Think condition, then the technical grade if it is a concern.



You don't yet know what you don't know. Again, nothing wrong with that. But time to open your eyes if you fall into that category and start paying more attention. We all "fall" into that category in case you are still wondering. Including me as well as everyone i climb with. Work harder at going faster, being more aware of your own and your partner's skill setand over all safety. Learn how to down climb among other things. Up your rock climbing skills and over all climbing SPEED in the summer. Better and faster belays, not just your pure climbing speed. It will help your ice climbing and alpine climbing next winter.



Back to the Apprenticeship?



It is asystem oftrainingthe practitioner ina structured competency based set of skills.



To get good and stay safe ice climbing (or alpine climbing) you need to serve a Apprenticeship.



Either get some good professional instruction or find a friend (or a long list of friends) who has/have the ability and desire to pass those skills on to you.



I am still asking questions and learning every trip to the ice. Are you?



Days are long past that I would suggest a few buddies teach themselves how to climb ice....if you want to stay safe while learning our craft.



This post has been called a rant. Fair enough, but IMO more an impassioned plea.But rather a rant to wake some up than stone silence and let them get hurt.

Smooth Sailing on Mt Rainier

The good news, is that we have NO news. Other than a spate of warm weather (i.e. HOT WEATHER,) things remain consistantly quiet on the mountain.

Climbers have been successfully reaching the summit via the "standard routes." Most teams that are in good shape are doing so quite easily and w/o incident. There is an extensive Emmon's trip report here. We're keeping the "current climbing conditions" as up-to-date as possible, with new reports on Ptarmigan Ridge and Russell Cliffs.

As an aside, the wildflowers in the meadows are fabulous. This image is from Eric Hamel of the NPS.