In Case You Were Wondering...

Yes, I did find someplace cooler! When last I left you, I was sweltering in 100 degree temperatures, along with much of the Midwest and the East Coast! Thursday morning (July 21st) I continued driving through Toledo and on into “Pure Michigan” northward. At Standish (north of the “thumb”) I followed U.S. 23 along the coast of Lake Huron. It was a very nice tree-lined drive with little traffic, but views of the lake were few and far-between. Of course, I could have stopped at one of the many public access areas but the temperature was still near 100 degrees and I was quite comfortable in my air conditioned van!



The temperature did drop the further north I drove but still in the 90s. Oddly enough it wasn't until I turned inland a ways that the temperature dropped into the upper 80s. I spent the night at very pleasant State Park at Onaway on the shores of Black Lake near the upper tip of the Lower Peninsula. The temperature actually got into the 70s overnight. Upper 70s but 70s nevertheless!



It seems that every campground has a different atmosphere to it. Some have open campsites with little privacy but the people seem friendlier there than at the campgrounds where the sites are more secluded. Some, by their very nature – such as those on or near lakes - tend to be noisier than others. It was tempting to spend a few days at Onaway but it was a busy place with lots of kids and dogs and was very noisy.



So on Friday morning I went in search of a more quiet, secluded place where I could simply relax and perhaps work on the research papers I had accumulated while in Ohio...



No, it's not Michigan! But thought I'd share this, which was taken about six weeks ago in the Rocky Mountains. Perhaps it will make someone feel a little cooler during this heat wave ;-)

How to write poetry

"Once upon a midnight lunchtime dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore blog,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door."

"Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately raven muscovy duck, of the saintly poopy days of yore.
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But with mien of lord or lady, perched above below my chamber door.
Perched upon a bust of Pallas an ancient doormat, just above below my chamber door,
Perched, and sat shat, and nothing more."






(Apologies to Edgar Allen Poe.)

(Also apologies that I could not figure out how to make the line breaks look prettier!)

Old Truck

On the edge of the meadow where the logging camp used to Lee and Tuffee check out the old truck.

Maple at Hemme

A bigleaf maple tree in the Las Trampas Regional Wilderness at Hemme Avenue in Alamo. This photo was taken back in April.

Right now, this area is dry and dusty, eagerly awaiting the first drops of winter rain...

Once in a Blue Moon

Six days after my first official Permanent, I found myself riding another. An entirely different and slightly longer route with a couple of brief stretches of dirt, but otherwise the same idea. The other day a friend was teasing that I write the most detailed 100K ride reports ever. True, it probably takes some riders longer to get through my reports than to ride the routes! But you know, there may come a time when I think a 100 km bicycle ride is not worth writing about. And that makes me a little sad. We go through our learning experiences, growing pains and all the wonder that comes with them but once. Today I appreciate that more than ever.





The Blue Moon Permanent marked this year's New England Brevet Season Kick-Off Party. The start of the ride was crowded, with a varied mix of cyclists. The bikes ran the gamut from road race to traditional randonneuring machines. Like a handful of others, I hung back and began a few minutes after the official start. Though I saw other riders along the way, I rode mostly on my own this time.



The route weaved through Boston's south-western suburbs, taking us to the scenic Noon Hill reservation and the Blue Moon Caféin Medfield. Although the towns on this side of Boston are known to be high in traffic, the route itself was remarkably quiet. Orchards and farms comprised much of the scenery, alternating with stretches of sleepy residential streets bordering bodies of water. At one point there was even a Forest Road that, uncharacteristically, went through an actual forest, rather than a series of strip malls or new housing developments! Pamela Blalock's route design skills are a rare talent.





My experience of this Permanent was very different from last week's. I didn't question whether I could finish before the cutoff time; that now seemed like a given. Instead, riding such a circuitous route solo gave me the opportunity to focus on improving my navigation skills. I made a game of trying to not go off course a single time, and succeeded. I also tried to see whether I could manage to make fewer, shorter stops while still enjoying the scenery.



I cycled the 10 miles to the start and arrived with only a few minutes to spare, not giving myself a big break before the event this time. The ride itself was just over 67 miles and I finished it in 6 hours 25 minutes. My computer shows 3,900ft of elevation gain, but the climbing was distributed in such a way that I did not especially feel it. The descents seemed tamer than last time as well. My overall average speed (including stops and the sit-down meal) was 10.45mph, which is a bit faster than last week's 9.9mph. My average rolling speed was about the same: 13.1mph. If I can improve my times a bit more, I might be able to do these rides on the camera bikesoon, with proper photo stops, and still make the cutoff - but not just yet.





After the ride I stuck around for the Brevet Season Kick-Off Party at the Ride Studio Cafe, then rode home in the dark, for a total of 87 miles. I took a quick shower, went out for a walk, then stayed up late working and woke up early to work some more. I do not feel any worse for wear after this Permanent. Unlike last time, I did not even have that crazed, feverish feeling afterward. It felt like a normal ride that just happened to be timed and counted "for credit."



There may come a time when I think a 100 km bicycle ride is not worth writing about. In the meanwhile, I am enjoying it all. The slew of new sensations that every ride brings, the shameful yet oddly liberating experience of being the weakest cyclist of everyone I ride with, and of course, the beautiful local scenery waiting to be discovered.

Functionality, Comfort, Aesthetics

A couple of my recent posts have generated some engaging commentary on "form vs function" and the validity of aesthetic preoccupations in cycling. I put the phrase "form vs function" in quotation marks, because I do not view it as a dichotomy that needs to be resolved. For me, the two concepts are in a symbiotic relationship, whereby one enhances the other and is incomplete without the other. I readily acknowledge my interest in aesthetics. But I stop well short of putting aesthetic factors before practical ones, which I hope comes across clearly throughout Lovely Bicycle.



There are three basic qualities that matter to me in a bicycle, and these qualities are functionality,comfort,and aesthetics. All three are essential for me, and I could not love a bicycle if either were lacking.



To me, functionality means that a bicycle must be good at what it was designed to do. For instance, a racing bicycle is designed with the goal of winning races. It therefore must possess qualities such as the ability to gain speed quickly and extreme maneuverability. Anything in the design of a racing bicycle that detracts from its ability to win races is a functional flaw. By the same token, an urban transport bicycle is designed to serve as a viable means of transportation for the city dweller. It therefore must possess features that enable the cyclist to comfortably and conveniently travel in everyday clothing, to observe their surroundings, to securely transport their bags and packages, and to travel in the dark. Anything in the design of an urban transport bicycle that detracts from this is a functional flaw.



Because functionality is a factor of individual needs, it is subject to great variability. Just as there are different types of bicycle racers, so are there different types of urban commuters. A diplomat who wears crisp skirt-suits and freshly-polished shoes to work and has a 2-mile commute will likely require different features from a transport bike than a computer programmer who wears jeans, sweaters and sneakers and has a 12-mile commute. A bicycle's functionality can only be evaluated in the context of its intended use.



And of course, regardless of what kind of cycling a bicycle was designed for, functionality means that everything should be working properly: structurally sound frame, proper assembly, and quality components.



The notion of comfort is equally important, and equally subjective. We need to be comfortable on a bicycle in order to enjoy riding it, or even to tolerate riding it. The more comfortable we are, the more we ride, and the safer our cycling behaviour. An uncomfortable bicycle can make commuting, touring and even racing a nightmare.There are many, many factors that go into what makes a bicycle comfortable - from the geometry and material of the frame, to the positioning of the saddle and handlebars, to other, more elusive aspects.



Being comfortable on a bicycle involves, first and foremost, being pain-free. In particular, pain in the hands, knees, butt, crotch and neck are the sort one should not be experiencing while cycling, as it can cause injury.



Comfort also means that a cyclist should feel good about their ability to control and handle their bicycle: to mount and dismount, to balance, to pick up speed in the manner they want, to handle turns, to climb hills, to control descents, to make emergency stops, to carry a load, and to cycle through traffic. And while to an extent all of this certainly depends on the cyclist's skill level, it also very much depends on the bicycle. A given cyclist may be comfortable doing these things on one type of bike, but not on another. I am a firm believer in finding a bicycle that both feels good to ride, and matches your skill level and comfort zone, rather than attempting to adapt to a bicycle that does not feel right.



Finally, I believe that the aesthetics of a bicycle are no less crucial in the enjoyment of the overall cycling experience. Put simply, aesthetics is how appealing or attractive we find the bicycle to be. Do we enjoy looking at it? Does it fill us with excitement and pleasure? Do we feel compelled to touch it, to ride it? It is about an emotional response, and it is about individual definitions of beauty.



Though some are more aware of it than others, the aesthetic experience is a natural part of our everyday lives. As we move through our environments and go about our daily activities, we are always looking and always responding with some degree of emotionality - whether it is positive, negative, or some form of confusion. Almost nothing leaves us entirely indifferent, unless we do not notice it. We prefer certain colours over others, certain shapes over others, certain spaces over others, and certain faces over others. Aesthetics are not just for the frivolous or the rich; they are not something you are aware of only when looking at paintings or choosing expensive curtains. All ordinary objects and everyday experiences have aesthetic qualities, and being able to extract these qualities can bring joy and fulfillment to the way we experience life.



Needless to say, what we consider "aesthetically pleasing" is extremely subjective, probably even more so than comfort and functionality. To some extent, it has to do with our inherent sense of harmony, symmetry, and balance, as well as with the associations evoked by the given object. Suffice to say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.



The importance of functionality, comfort and aesthetics in the cycling experience extends beyond their individual roles; it is the interaction of the three that is crucial. How useful is the functionality of a bicycle that is not comfortable? How useful is the comfort of a bicycle if it is not functional? What good is a beautiful bicycle that is either uncomfortable or non-functional? And how sad it is for a bicycle to be functional and comfortable, but not excite you or make you smile?The most successful bicycle design is one where functionality, comfort, and aesthetics intersect.The graceful sweep of a loop frame is not only visually pleasing, but allows easy step-through. A handle bar bag secured to a randonneur-style front rack is not only handsome, but extremely useful on long trips. Form and function are best enjoyed as a happy couple.



In my posts on Lovely Bicycle, I do not pretend to be "everyman" or the voice of other cyclists. Far from it! I am a kooky, peculiar person with an unconventional lifestyle and profession, and I am comfortable with that. Neither do I make prescriptive statements about what kinds of bicycles other people should like or should be riding.Personally, I love bicycles that are functional, comfortable, and beautiful - and that is what I write about. You may relate, or you may not. Life is all about personal preferences.

Rough Start to - 3 fatalities

2007 has become a dangerous year at Mount Rainier, even with the roads closed. Since mid-February, there have been three fatalities within the park boundary, a terrible trend as the park prepares to reopen this spring.

The first incident involved a skier who ducked a ropeline at Crystal Mountain Resort for backcountry turns. The intent was to catch fresh tracks down the White River drainage (and into the park). That skier was caught and killed in an avalanche and the Crystal Mountain Ski Patrol recovered the body.

The most recent accident involved a married couple who drowned in Ipsut Creek. The pair were crossing a footlog when Annette Blakely slipped, fell, and was quickly swept downstream in the frigid current. Her husband, Robert, immediately shed his backpack and leaped into the stream in an attempt to save her life. Sadly, both were caught in a log jam and drowned.

The News Tribune, Seattle Times, and Seattle PI have been covering the accident and recovery in detail, but a few details have emerged in the stories that are inaccurate. Some are minor, for example, a helicopter did not spot the body from the air. Another, however, is misleading. That is that the footlog to get across the washout was clearly established and marked. Here in this photo, you can see the two foot logs in question. The lower log was the one where the accident occurred, the upper is the preferred log to cross...

An accurate point about all of this is that the park, the roads, and the trail system are in very rough condition. With so much damage, climbers, backpackers, skiers and hikers will need to take extra precautions when visiting this spring and summer. Normally minor incidents in places like Ipsut Creek will be more difficult to respond to and manage.

As for the latest recovery, my thoughts are with the family and friends of the Blakely's. I would also like to thank the Pierce County Swiftwater Rescue team (and the bomb team, the dive team, and the SAR team too) for the outstanding assistance in this incident. In the image above, the field operations leader views the screen of an underwater camera.

Lake Superior Ice Ornaments

Yesterday while walking the shoreline to photograph the first sunrise of the new year, I found countless fascinating ice formations hanging from the rocks at the water's edge. These particular formations were my favorite. The first thing I thought of when seeing them was "they look like Christmas ornaments!" The sun was just starting to hit the rock on the upper right. The "ornaments" were still in the shade had this beautiful blue color. As the water lapped at the ornaments, they would momentarily lose the blue color. When the water receded, they once again turned blue. You never know just what you're going to find when you're out exploring in nature :-)

Thunderhead Cloud

A thunderhead cloud building up over the Sandia Mountains for a rain shower in Albuquerque, New Mexico as seen from my house west of there.

Joslin Family :: Grandma Responds to Irwin's Letter

If you haven't already done so, you may want to read the post Joslin Family :: First Contact before continuing. In that post, my grandmother corresponds with Edith Wessler and makes contact with her 2nd cousin, Irwin Joslin. Their correspondence continues... This letter was typewritten. It has been transcribed as written including spelling and typing errors. Click on the image to view a larger, readable version.

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

Box 27
North Webster, Ind. 46555
March 21, 1969

Mr. Irwin Joslin
1002 E. Tripp
Peoria, Ill. 61603

Dear Mr. Joslin,

I was so delighted to receive your letter of March 3rd as I had been hoping to hear from the Joslins in the west. I have so many interesting things to tell you of the family, that I hardly know where to begin.

You were right about the birthdate of your grandfather as my records show that he was born January 2, 1852. Then the record shows that Luther Joslin married Dorothy Elliot in 1876. Now may I make a suggestion? Could the above named Dorothy Elliot have died and your grandfather married Phoebe Dorcas some time later? I notice that your father, Virgil was born Feb. 1891. That is 15 years after the marriage record I have, I am having a copy made of the letter written by Andrew Joslin on Feb. 7, 1895 and sent to my grandmother. I will send this to you as soon as I can.

Now I shall tell you some of the things I know about our family, other than that which Mrs. Wessler has told you. The Goodrich family tree has been researched by a member of the family and it seems that they were from Wales and the line was traced back to several Kings(?). This is not of much interest to me as I expect some researcher made some money for this. However, the family was very interesting after coming to Indiana in 1834. They were of the first settlers. Abagail and her husband James Joslin had several children by that time. Lysander was 9 years old. He married Lydia Robison in Aug. 1843. They were both 18 years old. In the next 24 years they had 15 children. Now this was a big family by any standards and I know where the family lived and it was very poor land. They did not prosper financialy as can be understood. By 1877 four of their children were married and five had died. That year they took the 6 remaining children and went to Kansas. I have letters from them written in 1890 and 1894.

My grandmother kept in touch with Eliza, who died in 1885. Her decendents are in Iowa. She also wrote to Roxie Parkinson (their husbands were half brothers) and Madella Quillan and Ida Dressier. I have some old letters from these. Robert Quillan the author and columnist of the 30's was Della's son. Please ask any questions that you would like answered and I shall do my best to help.

Grandma Mellisa Brubaker had two sons, Charles Romain b. Aug. 1872 and Hale b1886. Charles Remain was my father. Hale died when only 25 years old and had not married. I have a brother William Hale Brubaker and a sister Jane Jacobs. I was born 1902, my sister 1903 and Bill 1905. I Have 5 children, 17 granchildren and 7 great-granchildren.

I do hope that you can come to Indiana some time. I know of only one Joslin family here, besides my family and that is the decendents of Lysander's sister, her granddaughter and I are very close friends. I shall send the copy as soon as I can.

Very sincerely yours,
[since this was grandma's carbon copy, there was no signature]

=+==+= Some Notes Regarding the Letter =+==+=

The confusion over Luther's wife was partially because the bible record stated that Luther had married Dorothy Elliot. Apparently grandma had not seen the Whitley County marriage record (Bk2 p521) which gives her name as Phebe D. Elliott. Also, in Irwin's first letter to grandma he simply wrote his grandmother's name as Phoebe Dorcas and my grandma interpreted that to mean her maiden name was Dorcas. Irwin's father, Virgil, was the fourth child of Luther and Phebe. Their first two children came rather quickly then there was a six year gap between the second and third as well as between the third and fourth child. Their fifth (and last) child was born two years after Virgil.

James and Abigail come to Whitley County in 1838 and they were among the first settlers in the county. That makes Lysander about 13 at the time rather than 9 years of age.

The sister of Lysander's that grandma mentions in the last paragraph was Emily Eliza Joslin Long and her close friend was her 2nd cousin once removed, Gladys Burnworth Moore, who was only 4 years older than grandma. Gladys was one of the "girls" that grandma played cards with on an almost weekly basis for many years. I don't recall ever having met Gladys, though my mother knew her too, so it is possible. I attended a Burnworth Family Reunion in the summer of .. after tracking down Gladys' two sons who live in Columbia City. One of Gladys' nieces, who also happened to live just two blocks away from me at the time, compiled a history of their branch of the Burnworth family. They knew that Emily's parents were James and Abigail (Goodrich) Joslin. She graciously loaned me her book so that I could make a copy. It was chock full of family pictures and obituaries, a real treasure!

Other posts in this series:

• Joslin Heritage Tour
• Joslin Family :: First Contact

Their Roots are Showing

Friday, February 15th - - Today was a travel day. I left Big Lagoon State Park in Florida and ended up in Monroe, Louisiana by late afternoon. There I would spend the weekend visiting with my distant Joslin cousins, Sue and Joann (with whom I have traveled in the past), as well as their sisters Missy and Sally, and of course, their mother Ruth. Joann's son, Matt and his two children were also visiting so I had the chance to meet them. Sue wrote about their visit to the cabin - she has some really nice photos of the kids. It was great to see them all again! Thank you, once again, for your hospitality.



Monday, February 18th - - Departed Monroe, Louisiana and traveled westward on Interstate 20 then south to the Martin Dies Jr. State Park a few miles west of Jasper, Texas. The forecast called for rain, and that is what Mother Nature delivered, with intensity at times.





The sky brightened up a bit as the sun was going down, but the break didn't last long - it rained throughout the night.





By morning, the rain and clouds were gone and blue skies were all around. There are two rivers that join together at Martin Dies Jr. State Park. I don't know which one this is but the water was low - perhaps because of the extended drought in Texas the last few years.







If you've ever wondered what the root system of a Cypress tree looked like, now you know! I'm guessing that there is one large "tap-root" that extends further down into the ground that supports each clump of trees.



I traveled further westward and south a bit to South Llano River State Park. Located a few miles south of Junction in central Texas, along Interstate 10. I had picked up a "bug" just before getting to Monroe that got worse as time went on. It started as a sore throat, then coughing, and then a headache and sinus pressure. I finally gave in after five days and went to a medical clinic in Junction where I was prescribed an antibiotic and cough syrup. Within two days I was feeling much better. Thank you very much!



South Llano River State Park is a nice park. The campground was great, one of the nicer ones in the Texas State park system (in my opinion). The sites are large with lots of space in-between each site. You pick your own site so can select a shaded or sunny site, whichever you desire. It was a good place to simply lounge around and recover from a minor illness. I did take advantage of some of the shorter trails and took a walk most every day. The weather couldn't have been better - well, except for the one day (Monday, the 25th) when the temperature dropped into the 50s and the wind gusted up to 50 mph! That day was mostly spent at the library!



Wednesday, February 27th - - Another travel day. Finally feeling well enough to move on... heading further south.



Wednesday, March 6th- - I know you are wondering - Where am I now? I will say this - I'm still in Texas, just not as far south as I was this past week!

Gretton - Rockingham and back in the snow

With Norma, Eddie and Maureen. 6 miles.






a bit of a cheat - this was yesterday







I didn't take the camera today, as it was foggy. Four of us set off along the Jurassic Way footpath from Gretton to Rockingham, via West Hill. This was the most difficult part of the walk, made slippery by sledge-worn snow and grass. The walk is about three miles to Rockingham tea-shop, where we stopped for a welcome mid-morning coffee break, and back again. An excellent morning out.

Spring Snow at Portage Brook

This year, spring in Northern Minnesota has been slow to arrive. This photo, captured the day after a late winter storm dropped 5 inches of snow on the Arrowhead Trail in Cook County, is proof of that fact. Most people that I've talked to recently have had more than their fill of winter. I, on the other had, welcome a late winter/early spring snow storm, especially after the rivers have opened up. The contrast of fresh snow and running water makes for some incredible imagery. This waterfall is a little-known gem not far from the Canadian border. The trail to this falls is not marked, and is a short but rugged hike. Just before you get to the falls, there is an area where blowing snow collects and drifts rather badly. I had to wallow my way through a drift that was almost waist-deep in order to get to this vantage point on the falls. By the time I got back to my vehicle, my pants and shoes were soaked from pushing my way through the wet snow. As is often the case, however, the photos that I got were worth the effort. This image was made using my Canon EF 17-40mm lens, shutter speed was 1/2 second, aperture f22, ISO 50.