Monday, March 30, 2015

Tombstone Tuesday :: Elizabeth Helms Jones

They (whoever "they" are) say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. So, I hope that Amy Crow over at Amy’s Genealogy, etc. Blog is flattered that I am helping myself to her theme of "Tombstone Tuesday" for a series of blog posts. . . Thanks for the inspiration, Amy!

I have a large "collection" of photos of gravestones from various cemeteries that I've visited and plan to eventually post them at Find A Grave. But until that happens, I thought I'd occasionally post some of the family grave photos here at kinexxions.


Masonic Section, Greenhill Cemetery, Columbia City, Indiana

OUR MOTHER / Elizabeth B. Jones / DIED / Nov. 17, 1883. / AGED / 79 Yrs. 7 Mo. 14 Ds.

The text inscribed below her age is not legible.

My post on Grandma Jones, whose maiden name was Helms, was one of the first ancestor biographies that I posted here at kinexxions.

Hey. You Look Good.

Gran Prix of Beverly
Looking straight at her, he said it with nonchalant sincerity, nodding in approval for emphasis.



"Hey. You look good."



In response she gave him a startled, almost bewildered look. As if caught off guard by his directness. As if to say "Hey buddy, this is a cycling club, not a night club. And don't you know any subtler flirting tactics besides?"



Witnessing the exchange I had to suppress a laugh. When this phrase was first said to me on a ride, I did not know what to make of it either.



Of course the guy was telling her she looked good on the bike. That her position was good, that the bike fit her well, that she had good form. It's all in the tone and in the look. Once you get used to this pronouncement in a cycling context, it's hard to mistake for flirtation. But the first time it does catch you off guard. "You look good." Just like that, huh?



I don't tell other cyclists they look good on the bike when we ride together. I don't feel ready. What do I know good form from bad? Yes I see things, and I think it to myself. But it wouldn't be right to say it. The compliment must have significance.



But when I have my camera the dynamic changes. I tell riders they look good then, and it takes on a different meaning: happy, radiant, picturesque. Maybe they have a contagious smile. Or an intriguing frown. Or the light through the trees is falling on their face just so. Or the colour of their bike interacts perfectly with the colours of the bench they are standing beside. It feels natural to say it then, looking through the lens of my camera. "You look wonderful." Or "That's beautiful - thank you."



And there are times when I know not to say it. Just like sometimes I know not to point my camera. Even though the scene looks perfect, I just don't.



The human gaze is such a complicated thing. It communicates interest, care, the acknowledgement of the other, but also scrutiny. We want to be gazed upon to some extent, but there is always a line beyond which we don't. In cycling, the gaze is ever present - focused on each other's bodies, movements. Sometimes it is silent judgment. And sometimes it culminates in "Hey. You look good." In response to which I simply say "Thanks" and continue to pedal.

Sunday, March 22, 2015

I Doubt that they were Family Pets...

"All Creatures Great And Small" is the topic for the 13th Edition of Smile For The Camera. When I was growing up, the only pets we had were dogs, with creative names such as Buster, Rover, and Bootsie (my post written for the 50th Carnival of Genealogy). I went through nearly every image folder on my hard drive trying to find some other "animal" pictures and re-discovered those below, which were loaned to me for scanning by Aunt Phyllis about four years ago.

Given the size of this horse, I'd have to guess that it was one of the working farm horses. Of course, it may not be as big as it appears - Aunt H. was only about five feet tall.

Bill was my grandmother's brother, William Hale Brubaker (1905-1979). Thag was my grandmother's first cousin, Thagrus Asher Burns (1917-..). Aunt H. was my grandmother's aunt Hazlett (Wise) Burns (1885-1977). Date of photo unknown but Thag looks to be maybe 3-4 years old so it was probably taken about 1920-21.

Uncle Harl was Harlo Asher Burns (1880-1952). He was the husband of Hazlette Wise. I didn't know or remember him since I was only 4 years old when he passed away but according to my mother and her sisters, Uncle Harl was a rather large "somewhat uncouth" man but he loved his family - and his horses! Date of photo unknown.

Uncle Harl in the field with his horses. Date of photo unknown.

Fall Produce

We've been in fresh produce heaven since we arrived in Holley. I can walk across the street to the above produce stand and that's just one of many in this area. I'm taking advantage of the bounty and trying to do some batch cooking to make some home cooked goodness that we can eat now and freeze some for later.



Normally I take time each morning to have some quiet time. I do many different things during this time. It doesn't matter so much what I do, just that I have some quiet time that is good for me and gets me to be a bit more centered before I face the day. The part that is consistent is that I take this time to stop and be mindful of things I am grateful for so I call it my Gratitude Walk, even if I'm not walking while doing it.



With all the prepping I've been doing for the cooking, I've used this as my quiet time. Interestingly enough, it has also been easy for me to do some pondering of things I'm grateful for too while handling all the fresh fruits and veggies. While cooking is not one of my favorite things to do, I do find that I like it so much more when I am using whole foods. It is something that I am in awe of each time I do handle them. I can't help but be aware of the fact that the earth gives us these precious gifts and that whole process is just spectacular in its own way. I think of all of the parts that go into the process in order for food to grow from seed to maturity. Food that nourishes us with its life giving properties and tastes so wonderful to boot. Yesterday I was chopping tomatoes and realized it just feels as if each time I do come in contact with this kind of food in this way, I am literally pulling up a chair to God's table to eat.



So what goodies have I managed to cook up this week? Two batches of bolognese sauce, (Mira gave me her recipe for the Bolognese Sauce which is similar to Pastor Ryan's), two batches of marinara sauce, two batches of chunky vegetable spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, a huge batch of chili, fried apples like Cracker Barrel makes, apple dumplings, apple crisp, apple butter, applesauce and coleslaw. Nathan has made his oh so good salsa and still wants to make another huge batch. I still have butternut squash and pumpkins to use. I'm guessing we'll get some extras to take with us before we leave. I'm going to miss it when we do leave, but we'll soon be back in Florida where we can get year round fresh produce again.



Now if I could just find a way to get someone else to clean up the mess after I cook, I might not mind this cooking stuff at all!



Living the life in New York!

Friday, March 20, 2015

Tombstone Tuesday :: John and Catherine Brubaker

John Brubaker, my 3rd great grandfather, is buried in Barnes Chapel Cemetery, Rock Creek Township, Huntington County, Indiana. His stone is in the middle, foreground. On the left is his 11 month old son, Franklin who died on March 6, 1865 and on the right is his wife, Catherine. Most of their children are buried at Barnes Chapel or in neighboring Star of Hope Cemetery, which is a short distance to the north.





JOHN BRUBAKER / DIED / Feb 8, 1879 / AGED / 59 Ys. 8 Ms. 17Ds.
Remember friends as you pass by.
As you are now so once was I.
As I am now so you must be.
Prepare for death and follow me.
CATHARINE / Wife of / JOHN BRUBAKER / DIED / March 8, 1877 / AGED / 55 Yrs & 4 Ds.

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Spring Weather

Small pockets of sunshine followed by waves of snowy/rainy weather have been passing over the park the last couple of weeks. Winter conditions still persist on the mountain: climbers are still choosing to climb the Ingraham Direct instead of the Disappointment Cleaver, eighteen feet of snow still remains at Paradise, and the snow plows are still hard at work clearing the roads.

Please continue to check back to the
Access and Roads thread for the most up to date information regarding White River and Stevens Canyon opening dates.

With Memorial Day Weekend just around the corner, the climbing season is getting into full swing. The Climbing Information Center will be open daily from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm starting Friday, May 27th. Come on up and enjoy the start of the season!

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

The ‘Hoogtepunten’ or the Blue Route

Last September Dutchman and I did a 12-kilometre hike in Doorn, in Kaapse Bossen which is part of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug forest.



We went to our current favourite starting point, the Heleneheuvel, and this time we took the Blue Route or the Hoogtepunten Route (which means: highlights). We liked this route because we walked on different types of terrain through the forest and across the plains, and we saw a variety of scenery.



Normally it takes 3 hours to finish this route but we did it in 2 hours and 15 minutes. We barely stopped to rest, although we slackened our walk in between inorder to take fotos and appreciate nature’s beauty around us. Because of this my knees were slighting a bit. Lesson learned, take some rest at least after an hour of non-stop walking.



At the end of the hike we had pancakes, scone with jam and clotted cream and fresh mint tea at the Heleneheuvel Chalet. Dutchman had pancakes while I chose to try their home-made scone which was delicious paired with the clotted cream. It was quite timely as by the time we sat down at the terrace of the chalet and ordered our food, it started to rain. We had to quickly move indoors.



Anyway, I now have a very good reason to come back to this place. Enjoy their scone and clotted cream once again and do the Brown Route or Hoog Moersbergen Route. In other words, the 14-kilometre hike =)



The route we took was supposed to be a 3-hour hike.



Stiltegebied means Quiet Territory.



These looked like lean fir trees and the beetle, always fighting for his life.



Pretty house in the forest. Not sure if I would feel safe living in the forest. I always hear about scary stories, as simple as thieves visiting at night!



We came across a field with a children's playground and saw droopy mushrooms.



This is the view from the Helenaheuvel Chalet. Very relaxing.



Cheese and ham pancake and a scone with jam and clotted cream.



The chalet and its terrace. The Heleneheuvel chalet is located in the middle of the forest (Kaapse Bossen).



Walking Period: September

Destination: Doorn (Utrechtse Heuvelrug - Utrecht), The Netherlands





Sunday, March 8, 2015

The Popular Girl: Test Riding the Rivendell Betty Foy

Afterlast week's review of the Rivendell Sam Hillborne, it seemed appropriate to follow up with a test ride report of the Betty Foy. I have ridden her a couple of times before, but never had my camera with me until now. Harris Cyclery has just built up a new floor model in my size - so I took the opportunity to take some pictures and put my impressions into words.While the pictures reflect how this particular bicycle was built up, keep in mind that itis fully customisable: You can change everything from the saddle and grips, to the handlebars and pedals, to the type of components that are on the bike.



Rivendell released the Betty Foy in Spring , in conjunction with the diamond frame Sam Hillborne model. Inasmuch as a hand-built, niche-market bicycle can "sell like hotcakes" I believe the Betty does. She is charming, comfortable, and tough - and the ladies love her for that. The price of the frame alone is $1,000 and a fully built up bike starts at $2,200 or so, depending on the options. To see how this bicycle compares price-wise to other lady's frames in its class, please visit my new Semi-Custom Options page (now linked in the upper left-hand corner).



In terms of construction, the Rivendell Betty Foy is a version of the mixte frame: What starts out as a sloped single top tube splits into two stays at the seat tube and continues (at a slightly different angle than the slope of the main top tube) all the way back to the rear dropouts. The frame is lugged, with custom-made lugs in the shape of hearts and elaborate filigreed designs.



There are many cute and feminine touches, such as the downtube decal featuring tiny red apples



and the filled-in curly-cues on the fork crown.Some of the lugs are also filled in with red, complementing the robbin's egg-blue of the frame.



The Betty Foy frame is available in several sizes (47cm, 52cm, 58cm and 62cm), with the middle two built for 650B wheels, the largest built for 700C wheels, and the smallest for 26" wheels. There is enough clearance for 40mm tires plus fenders.



The frame is made for derailleur gearing, and is typically built up with three gears in the front and eight in the rear. There are eyelets and braze-ons for fenders and racks.



Rivendell states that the Betty frame was designed to be built up with Nitto Albatross handlebars - which are wide and swept back, similar to (but wider than) the handlebars you would find on a vintage 3-speed. I have also seen her built up with drop bars, but the upright set-up is more typical.This floor model was fitted with black rubber grips and "thumbie" shifters, though some prefer cork grips and bar-end shifters.



One thing to note about the Betty Foy, is the unusual sizing: The frame sizes recommended by Rivendell seem larger than what a person would normally ride. For example, I am 5'7" and normally ride a 52-54cm road bike or mixte, yet it is recommended that I ride a 58cm Betty Foy. Having tried both the 52cm and the 58cm frames, I can confirm that the recommendation is accurate. The 52cm Betty Foy felt much too small for me, whereas the 58cm version felt just right. I could have raised the saddle by another inch from the position in which it is shown above, but did not feel like going back inside the shop once I started riding the bike.



I rode the Betty Foy on the roads near Harris Cyclery (actual test ride not pictured), both this time and the previous times I've tried her. It is difficult to compare her to other bicycles on the market, because in a way she is unique. If you are accustomed to road bikes and vintage mixtes, you will find the Betty to be considerably more upright, stable, and comfortable. Sheis more relaxed than a typical mixte and has a long wheelbase - so that there is no toe overlap with the front tire when turning at slow speeds.I also find the step-over height to be lower than on other mixtes I've tried, which is convenient.



If you are accustomed to Dutch-style city bikes,you will find the Betty Foy a faster and sportier ride, but still within your comfort zone. The posture is slightly leaned forward, but still more or less upright. The derailleur gearing may take some getting used to if you have only dealt with internally geared hubs before, but you will appreciate how easy it makes cycling uphill.



In my view, the Betty Foy's greatest asset is her versatility. If you combine the feeling of a vintage 3-speed with that of a derailleur-geared touring bike, she handles like a union of the two: a fast, comfortable bicycle that feels safe and pleasant to ride. I can imagine riding her around the city for transportation, as well as 20 miles over some hills to the next town over. The ride is soft over bumps and potholes (not as soft as on my Sam Hillborne with 42mm tires, but I would need to ride Betty with equally wide tires to compare). Maneuverability in traffic is good, but the handling is not aggressive. I did not ride her on any serious hills, but with the derailleur gearing, the light frame, and the somewhat leaned-forward posture, I imagine it should hardly be a problem. She is what Rivendell says she is: an "all around" bike. If you plan to have only one bicycle for both urban commuting and long distance cycling, this seems like the closest thing on the market to that ideal.



The question I am inevitably asked at this point, is why I did not get a Betty Foy for myself when I was looking for a mixte, if I think she is so great. My main reason, was that I wanted a specific kind of mixte: one with twin lateral stays and proportions that resembled the original French constructeurs. The Betty Foy is not that kind of bicycle. Additionally, I must admit that I find Betty's femininity overwhelming. All the hearts and the bright colours - it's very American 1950s, whereas I am more of a European 1920s kind of girl. And my final reason is ironic - because it is the reason most people love this bike: I don't like the way some of the lugwork is done. If you look at the seat cluster above (see here for what that is), you will notice that the seat stays are welded directly to the main lug, rather than capped. No other Rivendell bicycle is made that way, and I don't know why this model is the exception. Personally, I would rather have a traditionally lugged seat cluster than hearts and curly-cues.



The same is repeated at the junction of the seat tube and support stays. My preference would be for something likethis to have been done here instead. I recognise how nit-picky and obsessive these quibbles are, but little details like this are important to me and I have my preferences when it comes to the way a frame is put together. It's an excellent frame, just not what I was looking for.



After I posted the above image, it was pointed out to me by a couple of attentive readers that there is a blemish right at the weld junction, next to the big lug. I myself did not notice this until my attention was directed to it - but now that it has, it's only fair that I mention it. Personally, I am not particularly bothered by this blemish (I have seen worse on more expensive frames) and it would not stand in the way of my wanting the bike, if it were not for the other factors. Your views may vary.



These issues aside, the Rivendell Betty Foy is an attractive and well-constructed bicycle. A great deal of thought went into the design, with a special emphasis on versatility - which I feel has been achieved here better than on other bicycles I have owned or tried. And apparently others agree, as the Betty has an excellent record of owner satisfaction. All things considered, I think the Betty Foy's popularity is well deserved.

Saturday, March 7, 2015

"Primo" time to climb

Summer is in full swing. Warm temps and mostly clear skies have been generous to climbers and the forecast looks promising.

The snowpack is rapidly melting, which allows for quick and easy access to the alpine. Most of the Wonderland Trail, for instance, has melted out (save Panhandle Gap area.) The meadows are in full bloom, yet the upper mountain still has a fair amount of winter snowpack. Time to climb...

We've posted updated Mt Rainier climbing conditions on the Emmons, Tahoma, DC, Ptarmigan Ridge and other routes... If you've some reports, please pass them along.

PARADISE CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

A shuttle system is now assisting visitors along the Paradise Valley Road and those who park remotely at Longmire and Cougar Rock. The shuttle is free of charge and will operate Friday – Sunday and Labor Day through September 10th. See the Access and Roads page for more information.

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

When Do We Need a Cargo Bike?

Two Bromptons on an Xtracycle

I am thoroughly enjoying test riding the Xtracycle Radish I have on loan for review. What impresses me the most is not so much its hauling capacity (which I take for granted since it is, after all, a cargo bike), as its handling. The Radish is a great ride. It is fast. It is geared for hills. It is easy in stop-and-go traffic, remaining stable when starting and stopping. It is lovely on dirt trails. It likes to keep its line, and I can even ride it no hands - no easy feat for me on most bikes! In other words, I really, really like it.




So now I find myself manufacturing tasks in order to have excuses to ride this cool bike and test its hauling capacity. I should load it up with some Bromptons (done - too easy). I should use it to bring home a Festivus tree. I should borrow some neighbourhood children. I should take the cats skiing. All this brainstorming makes me aware that I don't, strictly speaking, actually need a cargo bike as part of my daily routine. "Don't need a cargo bike?! But you're car free, of course you need a cargo bike!" a friend exclaims. Two years ago, I would have agreed. There are groceries, the hardware store, photo equipment, art supplies, disassembled bikes, large packages. But after all this time, I've adapted to having limited hauling capacity and now only rarely need to transport large or heavy loads. The Radish is a bike I want to need, but in reality would use only occasionally.




On that note, I am curious how often cargo bike owners actually ride theirs cargo bikes. Is it your main ride or a supplementary bike? Do you find yourself riding it more or less frequently the longer you own it? "Soon you'll find all sorts of uses for it, and won't be able to do without," I am told. Yeah, that's exactly what I'm afraid of!

Another Balloon