Clay Jug

This is probably my favorite of all the photos I took on mine and my friends trip to Old Town. It was sitting in a back corner of an outdoor coffee shop area.

Larger Continent, Longer Trips, Hotter Days, Grandiose Daydreams

Having just returned from abroad, many important matters were on the agenda. Naturally, one of them was a trip to Harris Cyclery. The shop is 9 miles from our place and the temperature was over 100F, but nothing could deter me from going on a ride after sitting still in a airplane for hours.

Good thing the Co-Habitant had those two bottles on his bike, because the heat and humidity were brutal. In Vienna I had gotten used to taking many short trips throughout the day and almost forgot that "commuting" and "errands" in Boston are a bit different. But I am clearly in better shape now than I was even a couple of months ago: The 18 mile round trip to Harris Cyclery used to feel like a "pilgrimage," but now it's just a casual trip.

As for the sun and heat, these are my solutions. Over the past year, I have been trying to switch to natural hygiene products: essential oils instead of perfume, herbal deodorant instead of aluminum-based antiperspirant, and mineral-based sunblock. It has not been easy. In Vienna I've finally found Eco Cosmetics SPF 30, which I love. Its only active ingredient is titanium (to which I am, thankfully, not sensitive) and the rest is herbal moisturisers. It works perfectly and is soothing on the skin. Finding a deodorant was even more challenging, but I've finally found the Queen Helene Tea Tree Oil Deodorant Stick. It works for me as well as the real stuff, and I like that it has a dry, matte texture, as I hate the feeling of sticky roll-ons. So there - if you are looking for natural ways to deal with sun and heat, these have worked for me. On the ride to Harris I neither got sunburnt nor had a "deodorant failure".

At the bike shop I picked up a couple of things I had been meaning to get, and also something unexpected: They had a stack of boxes with clipless shoes on clearance, and I bought these for $25.

They are SPD shoes that can be worn either with cleats attached on clipless pedals, or as regular shoes on platform pedals. I know, I know - I was just making fun of the Co-Habitant for getting clipless shoes and pedals. But I will explain that these aren't for any of my regular bikes; they are to practice for the velodrome (I plan to get a license when I return to Vienna in November). I brought a vintage frame back from Austria for fixed gear conversion, and I will need to put a foot retention system on it and finally force myself to learn. I did not plan to buy the shoes so soon, but here they were in just my size and at a great price - so now I have them.

Clipless shoe love? I don't know. The Co-Habitant was victorious as I made my purchase, suggesting which pedals I should get to go with the shoes (and me vehemently disagreeing). Later in the day, I wore the shoes (without cleats) on a 26 mile ride, just to see how they felt or regular pedals. Frankly, I am not in love with the super-stiff soles. I like moderately stiff soles, but these felt like overkill and detracted from comfort. Is this degree of stiffness an acquired taste that you get used to gradually? And I wonder whether the "ugly as sin but comfortable" Keen sandals everyone is getting have a similar feel to them?

In any case, I have my bike project plate so full at the moment, that it is comical. In the coming weeks, we will finally build up my Royal H mixte, make some much-anticipated updates to my Raleigh DL-1, and oh yes, create a fixed gear bicycle. Stay tuned, and try to stay sane in the heat!

Death Record of Eliza Wise Hoffman

When I visited Wabash last Thursday I stopped at the Health Department to get a copy of the Death Record of Eliza Wise Hoffman. When the clerk was looking at Eliza's record she made the comment that the handwriting was atrocious. I asked to look at the record myself but my request was refused. As was my request for an actual copy of the record itself. Instead what she said she'd do is get another clerk to look at it the next day and then mail the certificate to me. So, figuring that was the best offer I'd get, I paid the $5.00 and gave them my address. The certificate arrived in the mail on Saturday.

Unless there is a specific reason that you need a certified copy, you should request a "genealogy copy" of death records in Indiana, whether requesting them from the county or the state. Also inquire as to the cost if ordering from a county, each one seems to charge a different fee. The charge for ordering from the state is $8.00 and it must be paid in advance. They call it a "record search" so you pay whether or not they find the requested record. Information on ordering death records (and birth records) can be found at the Indiana State Department of Health website.

=+==+==+==+==+=
Genealogy Copy of Death Certificate of Eliza Jane Huffman.
=+==+==+==+==+=
Certificate of Death Registration
Wabash County Health Department
Decedent's Name: ELIZA JANE HUFFMAN
Date of Death: November 2, 1920
Place of Death: PAW PAW TOWNSHIP City: WABASH
Age: 78 YEARS Marital Status: WIDOWED Gender: FEMALE
Cause of Death: CANCER STOMACH
Certified By: G. P. KIDD MD
Cemetery: IOOF PAW PAW TOWSNHIP ROANN IN Disposition Date: 11/04/1920
Funeral Home: SCHULER-ROANN
File Date: 11/30/1920 Book: 1918-25 Page/Line: 41 #512 Issued On: 02/15/..
Signed by (Health Officer)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Not all information is available for all years.
Birth Date: 05/11/1842 May 11, 1842 Birth City: [blank] Birth State: OHIO
Occupation: HOUSEWIFE Industry: DOMESTIC SSN: [blank] Race: WHITE
Address: City: ROANN State: INDIANA
Spouse: ARTHUR HUFFMAN
Father's Name: PATR ? WISE Father's BirthPlace: PENNSYLVANIA
Mother's Name: CHRISTINA Maiden: GARNE Mother's BirthPlace: UNKNOWN
Informant's Name: EFFIE WASTHREY ? Inform. Address: ROANN, IN Relationship: UNKNOWN
=+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+=
Eliza's Spouse was Anthony Huffman, not Arthur. Her Father's first name was Peter. The informant was probably her daughter, Effie Wertenberger.

The new piece of information from this record is the maiden name of Eliza's mother, GARNE. Although I don't know how helpful that will be! An initial search for that surname at www.ancestry.com turned up absolutely no useful information. Without having actually looked at the death record I don't know if GARNE is what was in the record or if it was perhaps, a best guess by the clerk.

Greetings from California – Again!

It was a roundabout route, but I made it back to California on June 5th and have been visiting with my first cousin, David, who lives in Southern California. The last time I saw Dave was in the spring of 1992 when the company I worked for sent me to Los Angeles for some computer training. He said I don't come to see him very often! But I've seen him every year I've been to California since he moved out here! Anyway, it has been great seeing Dave again after all these years!


And now, I'm going to Jamboree! I'm so excited that I'll be able to meet some of my fellow genea-bloggers. Of course I'm planning to attend "a few" of the sessions too! It's not my first conference but it will be my first Jamboree. I remember last year wishing I could be there. It looked like everyone was having so much fun and I'll admit to being a little envious, but not this year 'cause I'll be there!

After Jamboree, I'll play “ketchup” with a few posts on where I was during the last week of May and the first week of June... Coral Pink Sand Dunes (again!), the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Lee's Ferry, Lake Powell. No big adventures though; mostly just taking is easy.

Another Rose

Plant Life at White Sands

I was amazed at the variety of plants and vegetation that survive in the dunes of White Sands National Monument. The dunes are constantly on the move, engulfing everything in their path and then slowly uncovering them again. Certain plants have adapted to the environment and manage to survive a little longer – as the sand covers them they grow taller, but when the dune moves on and leaves them exposed they can no longer support their tall growth and then they crumble and die. These are but a few of the plants I saw...



















There was seldom an expanse of the dunes (close to the road) where there were no human footprints. I walked as far as my legs would take me before the knee began hurting and then turned back. There were other footprints in the sand besides those of us humans - - these prints descended the high dune to the ground about 30 feet below and at a very steep angle! Was it a kit fox? They have adapted to the environment by being very small, no more than 5 pounds. They seldom show themselves during the daylight hours.





All photos were taken on Friday, January 6th, ...

jjobrien

Forgive me for:

A. Asking your name more than once when we meet at the crag.

I want to get to know everyone but I'm not great with names.



B. Blogging photos of myself. I'll keep it to a minimum.



C. Plus the usual stuff, coveting neighbours asses, trespassing, etc.





The loss ofanother of our precious own last week re-enforces my quest to know and value every one of you out there.

We are bound by our compulsion to climb harder and higher. It's not a trivial activity. It gives meaning to life. Clint gave more meaning to his life and ours through his climbing.


Getting involved in your striving for excellence is what enriches my climbing.













Scott Hailstone and I got up early to get these shots.

"Black Leather Dungarees" 26 at Coolum Cave has been untouched for years. Such an impressive route.

It's high and steep.

Years ago I made a start on developing this route.

I couldn't make sense of such crazy terrain and calledon the expertise of Lee Cujes to map it out and send it.







Don't do this move.















Climbers, many things make us different butthis is what makes us the same.

We love the fight, the struggle and swinging around high off the ground.













Wardrobe: models own.

The T-Shirt features an ancient Buddhist text refering to the nature of the world as illusion.

Illusion or not, I'm in.




















That shoe I'm putting in your facewould be the Red Chili Carona VCR

You don't have to watch the ads.




It's a big deal for me.

I am nowhonoured to be part of the Wild Country teamwith my own special pageon their UK site.

















That's the Wild Country Elite Ultralite harness andHelium quickdraws.

It's just the gear you want for redpointing a route like BLD.

Radicallylightwith superior action.



















Here I am representing Red Chilion the Expedition Equipment site.




Brisbane climbers, you can get this amazing gear from local rockstarOliver at K2











I know you wanted to see a kneebar.

This one is bomber, and I never thought to use it when I first sent this route.

Age brings cunning.

It also brings laziness, senility and incontinence, but we make the most of it.





















All photos: Scott Hailstone


Scott is about to embark on a year long journey

through the worlds most amazing places.

Take care. Everyone.

Thanks Scott

Pine Tree on Ridge

Paul Carson Step-Through Bicycle

As I stood composing this shot, a woman passing by with grocery bags stopped beside me. Looking at the bicycle, she tilted her head to the side and smiled. "That bike!" she said, "It looks like... happiness." It was a funny outburst, no doubt inspired more by the sunny day and the quaint tree-lined street, than by the bicycle itself. But I knew what she meant. Because this particular bike fit into the idyllic backdrop perfectly. Simple, friendly and inviting, it looked like no more and no less than what it was - a yellow bicycle on a beautiful summer morning. Maybe Paul is onto something here, I thought.






Even though Paul Carson makes bikes and teaches others how to, I do not really think of him as a framebuilder. He is more of an engineer, an experimenter, a problem-solver. Paul doesn't see what he does as a craft, but as production that he loves to simplify and optimise. You might not find him polishing frame joints for hours on end. But you will find him making ridable prototypes with speed and ingenuity ...as well as the tools, fixtures and parts to facilitate doing so. In a sense, Paul is like a magic genie who can turn wishful thinking into reality, and fast. On one occasion, I watched him make a rear rack in under 20 minutes, so that he could try out a pannier on his roadbike. Another time, I wondered how difficult it would be to make a double-plated fork crown from scratch. He asked me to elaborate. I explained and showed pictures. He thought about it, then ducked into a corner. Hack-hack-hack. File-file-file. Flames! Flames! "Like this?"






And there it was - double-plated fork crown for oval blades, spaced for a wide tire, just as I described. "Glad you like it," he shrugged. "I'll get a batch of these machined." That's Paul Carson, in a nutshell.






Unlike most other local builders, Paul is not part of the racing scene. He isn't even really part of the local bike scene so much; he is just his own entity.Perhaps that is why he gravitates toward making city bikes. City bikes have an immediate and obvious utility. And it is fun to see them cruising around the neighbourhood, ridden by ordinary people, carrying milk and potted plants. Over the past months, we've been discussing some ideas for step-through designs. We both like the feel of old English 3-speeds and we also like low trail. Wouldn't it be great to combine these? While our ideas diverge when it comes to wheel size and exact geometry specs, overall Paul's idea of a great step-through is not dissimilar to mine. When he asked me to tryhis prototype, I was eager to give it a go.






Made of touring grade cro-moly tubing, the Paul Carson Step-Through is designed around 700C wheels with up to 35mm tires and fenders. Ithas a gently curved top tube, and is proportioned so that the handlebars can sit at or just above saddle height. 72° head tube angle and 73° seat tube angle. Trail in the mid-40s.




These framesets will be made to order in a range of sizes and with a menu of options, with prices starting at $650 for a TIG-welded frameset with standard (lugged) fork crown, made for caliper brakes. The price includes powdercoat in a range of standard colours and a headset. Extras include the option of fillet-brazed construction, handmade double-plated fork crown, handmade stem, and cantilever/ v-brake bosses. Turn around is 4 weeks.






Paul designed this frame with versatility of build in mind. Semi-horizontal dropouts make it possible to use either derailleur or hub gearing. The bottom bracket height (300mm with 28mm tires) is sufficient to set up the bike as a fixed gear. Braze-ons include eyelets for racks and fenders.440mm chainstays are long enough to carry panniers without heel strike. And the front-end geometry will handle a front load.






The demo bike I tried was built in size 55cm and with all the extra options. Fillet-brazed joints, smoothly finished, but not fussed over.






Canti-lever bosses and cable hanger.Twin plate fork crown.






And fillet-brazed stem (threadless).






Paul set this bike up with 28mm tires and fenders, a single speed drivetrain,





swept-back handlebars with cork grips,






and a Brooks Flyer saddle.








Leaving my own bike at the Asylum, I rode the Step-Through around town in the course of the morning, simulating some of my regular routes. When I struggle for something to say about a bike's handling, that generally strikes me as a good thing - as it means nothing is "wrong" with it. Paul's bike felt familiar, natural, normal. It also felt casual and accessible, more like a cool, repainted vintage bike than a new handmade bike. And it really did look oddly at home in our neighbourhood.




The fit worked well for me, with a more aggressive posture than a fully upright bike. There was no toe overlap with the size 55cm frame and 28mm tires with fenders, though it was close. The steering felt responsive and intuitive. My own city bikes are low trail (under 30mm) and this bike handled like a more neutral version of them.






As far as nit-picks, the step-over height could be a bit lower for my taste. And in my view, a practical city bike (especially for a pothole-ridden neighbourhood like ours) would ideally be specced with 35mm wide tires minimum, not maximum. This is where a smaller wheel size might be worth considering, especially if toe clearance is a priority. Personally, I also prefer lower bottom brackets. But I know that some riders like to feel as if they are "sitting high in traffic" on their bike, which the higher bottom bracket accomplishes.Otherwise, not much else to criticise;I liked the bike.






Paul Carson is an exciting person to know. He has ideas about streamlining the framebuilding process to make handmade bikes more accessible, andI will be following his work with interest. Made in this vein, the Carson Step-Through is not meant to be an artisanal show-stopper. It is a cute, friendly, ridable bike, with a friendly price, handmade in Somerville MA.

Sunset over Kanopolis Lake

Saturday, May 7th - - After such an exhilerating visit to the Center of the US and the Largest Ball of Twine, I headed south and ended up at Kanopolis State Park. It is located 33 miles southwest of Salina. It was a scorching 95 degrees by the time I arrived – and the air conditioning wasn't working in the van! I found a nice primitive campsite with shade and settled in for a late afternoon nap.



Toward evening, it started cooling down and I went for a walk down toward the lake. There I found just the “right spot” for viewing the setting sun. The skies had been hazy all day and the haze created the perfect atmosphere for an amazingly colorful sunset.

Velo Purgatory

People who have lots of unfinished bike projects lying around must be used to this - but to me there is something sad and anxiety-provoking about having a bike at home that's missing parts, or a frame that has not had a chance to become a bicycle yet. It's as if the non-functional bicycles are in a state of velo-purgatory - crying out to be completed and ridden.



My beautiful Royal H. mixte frame came home today, and it looks like I will be building it up much later than I thought - possibly in the end of the summer, or whenever I manage to save the money. And my attempt to tackle the Sam Hillborne frame on my own over the winter did not end well. In the end I brought the frame back to Harris with the metaphorical tail between my legs, and it is only now being built up - in the very midst of the spring customer rush. Naturally, having a bicycle built at a shop is more expensive than doing it oneself, and so my plans for the Royal H. mixte are on hold until some serious financial recovery time after the Hillborne. In the meantime, I better wrap it in bubble-wrap and put it away. I don't think it's healthy to sit on the bed next to a bicycle frame and stare at it for this long.



My Mercier mixte is now also a "purgatory bike", albeit very temporarily. The large chainring is off getting "de-toothed" by a fine gentleman who is a reader of this blog, as part of my scheme to convert this bicycle to a 5-speed. The chainring will be back soon, and till then I respond to the Mercier's questioning glances by gently stroking its handlebars and assuring it that it is not being disassembled for parts but is being improved.



Ah the joys of obsessiveness, anthropomorphic tendencies and an overly vivid imagination!