Grandpa Ott Morning Glory

The heirloom 'Grandpa Ott' from behind.

From a different perspective

This afternoon I noticed a hummingbird flitting through the lilies. I grabbed my camera in the hopes of capturing it enjoying the nectar but by the time I got to the window it was gone. Perhaps it will come back tomorrow and I'll be a little quicker. Since I had the camera at the window, I played around a bit with the zoom capabilities and got these shots. I like how the out-of-focus grass enhances the color of the lilies. I'm still amazed by how many blooms are on each plant and am really enjoying them. When we lived at our previous home, the flowers were in beds on the side and at the back of the house and we had to actually go outside to look at them. It's much nicer with them right outside the front window, especially with the high temperatures and high humidity we've been having lately.

So what does this have to do with family history research? Not anything, really, but seen from a different perspective, these views of the lilies are quite different from those taken two days ago. Sometimes (quite often), when I'm stuck with a research problem, it helps if I look at the problem from a different angle. Reviewing the information already found could help in rediscovering information previously overlooked. Talking with someone else and getting their input can also be helpful. Since they aren't emotionally attached to the problem they can take a step back and possibly offer new insight or recommend other areas of research. Regardless whether the problem is resolved or not, it almost always helps to take another look, from a different perspective.

Assateague Island National Seashore

It was as if I had entered a different country. Indeed, I had. Driving south on Route 213 on Sunday morning (October 18th) from Elkton, Maryland, the land became more rural and flat. No more big hills. Traffic was nearly non-existent. A welcome relief from the hustle and bustle driving of the past few days. It was still raining but from the weather reports I was hearing on the radio, I had missed the worst of it. By early afternoon the rain stopped, the clouds were clearing though the sun had yet to make an appearance. There were reports of flooding in the low-lying areas along the eastern shore so I stopped early for the night.

Monday morning brought clear blue skies and sunshine, a glorious morning though cold with temps in the 40s, but at least it wasn't raining! In just a few hours I arrived at the Assateague Island National Seashore south of Ocean City, Maryland. There were areas that were flooded due to all the rain they had received and some of the campsites were affected. I drove around the “loops” in the bayside campgrounds managed by the National Park Service and located the “perfect” spot. It was a relatively large site with a view of the bay and just a small low area, close to the bay, that was filled with water.

That afternoon there were several visitors in the area where I was staying...

Tombstone Tuesday :: Brubaker Family

The Brubaker plot at South Park Cemetery, south of Columbia City on State Road 205, in Whitley County, Indiana. Photos taken in October ... Top photo, taken 10/24, is looking east and the second one, taken 10/09, is looking to the west.

In the top photo, the marker on the left is for my 2nd great grandparents, William and Malissa Joslin Brubaker. On the right is the marker for their son, Maurice Hale, whose life was cut short at the age of 24.

On the Front: BRUBAKER / CO. E 17 REG IND VOL. INF. / WILLIAM 1843-1912 / MALISSA M. JOSLIN / HIS WIFE / 1849 - 1937. On the back: BRUBAKER / G. A. R.

Hale's stone, on the front: BRUBAKER / MAURICE HALE / SON OF Wm. & M.M. / BRUBAKER / 1886 - 1910. On the back is: 1st LIEUT Co G 3rd INFTY. / I. N. G.

Cream Cups at Shell Creek Road

Cream Cups at Shell Creek Road, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

Cream cups wildflowers not usually seen in massive displays. The fields at Shell Creek Road, however, were very different. Blanketing the ground were millions of these cream cups, which are poppy relatives. Spring in California can really be incredible.

Chuck Norris and the Mortal, M8r/x, WI7 90m. aka "Chucky"

"Chucky"



Y'all be careful out there!

Banks Lake, Mile Marker 11.2










FA "Chuck Norris & the Mortal"

A2, M8 WI7, 2P, 90m.

Craig Pope, Scott Coldiron, Jan. 31,



Second ascent and

FFA "Chuck Norris & the Mortal", AKA "Chucky"

M8 r/x WI7, 2P, 90m.

Craig Pope, Jess Roskelley, Feb, 2,



Rack:

Small set of nuts

C3's

MasterCams

knifeblades

BD Peckers

BD Specter

Stubbies

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Steep intro moves to p1

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P1 ice was de-laminated to the point of rock pro only. Slung a gas pocket.

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Shakin off the cold...

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Bottom pitch with 2nd Looming above

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More detail of the crazy

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Top of 2nd p crux - PUMP!

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Delicately sneaking up...

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First "rest..."

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Sizing up the never ending madness!

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Snapping a quick shot - cause I HAD too!! 30 ft out from a BD 000 C3 equalized with
a #1 knifeblade...so wild, even after I cleared a ton if ice...

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Peaking out of the hole I carved out of a curtain...SUPER bummed about the fog...

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Throwing up a hell yeah before dancing up the last 60 ft.

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Looking down into space from the final belay...




http://player.vimeo.com/video/59181866"





editor's note:

Really fun for me to add one of the best mixed climbs I have seen locally and a BIG Congratulations!... to Craig, Jess and Scott for getting it done!

Tombstone Tuesday :: Jacob Berlien (1716-1790)

On page 14 of volume 2 of the The Berlin Family by Reginald Berlin, published in 1992, the author writes:

Jacob Berlin is buried at Abbottstown, Pennsylvania in the Lutheran Cemetery, in the old section, across the street from St. John's Lutheran Church. On his tombstone, which is still readable, is the following inscription: "Here rests the body of Jacob Berlin. Born the 6th of December 1716, Died the 7th of April 1790. Aged 73 years 3 months, 3 weeks. Now has my struggle in life ended. My work in life is finished. I go forth to my Jesus and say to all a good night."

The transcription of Jacob's baptismal record (from the Zahn Collection, Historical Society of York County) shows that Johann Jacob was born to Johann Georg Berlin and Anna Elisabetha on the 17th of December of 1716 and baptized on the 19th. Godparents were Mister Johann Jacob Arbogast; Anna Barbara, Mr. Johann Philips Pfaltzgraff citizen here and married housewife; Mister John Martin Gross, citizen and a miller at the lower mill.



According to the baptismal record Jacob was born on December 17th while his tombstone states that he was born on December 6th. But the two dates actually refer to the same day.



In 1582, there was an adjustment to the calendar year known as the "Gregorian reform" in which ten days were omitted from the calendar. It was decreed that the day following (Thursday) October 4, 1582 would be known as (Friday) October 15, 1582. However, by the time the British were ready to go along with the rest of Europe, the old calendar had drifted off by one more day, requiring a correction of eleven days, rather than ten. The Gregorian Calendar was adopted in Britain (and in the British colonies) in 1752, with (Wednesday) September 2, 1752, being followed immediately by (Thursday) September 14, 1752. Do a search for "Julian Calendar" or "Gregorian Calendar" and you'll find tons of info out there and some explanations that strain the mind.



Anyway, after writing yesterday's post There were three brothers who immigrated... Yeah, Right! I went out on the Internet to see if there was a photo of Jacob's tombstone available.



A quick search of Find A Grave for Jacob Berlin, died 1790, came up empty. I scrolled through the list of cemeteries for Adams County Pennsylvania looking for any Lutheran Church cemetery in Abbotstown and found it listed as Saint John's Lutheran Cemetery. He is listed there as Jacob Berlien, which is the name on his tombstone. Imagine that!



The photo on Find A Grave wasn't the best so I did a search for "saint john's lutheran church cemetery abbottstown pa" the second result in the list said there were tombstone photos of "St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Abbottstown, Adams County, PA." Ya gotta watch those "saints" since sometimes they are abbreviated and other times they're not!



I was in luck because there was a rather nice photo of Jacob's tombstone. I contacted the submitters of the photo (Margaret Gagliardi and Ken Schultz) and obtained their permission to use the photo. Thank you very much Margaret and Ken!







Photo courtesy of Margaret Gagliardi and Ken Schultz and the Adams County, Pennsylvania US GenWeb Archives, used with permission. Tombstone of Jacob Berlien in St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Abbottstown, Adams County, Pennsylvania.



I played around a bit with the photo in Picasa and came up with the version below.







The lowest part of the inscription is still not readable, but the rest of the stone is a little more legible. Using one of the online translation websites I came up with a literal translation of the words, shown below in square brackets.




Hier Ruher der Leib

[Hier = Here; ruhe = reposes or rests; der = of; Leib = body]

JACOB BERLIEN

Gebohrenden 6 December

[geboren = born; den = the]

1716

Gestorben den 7 April

[gestorben = departed, gone, dead; den = the]

1790

Alt 73 Jahr 3 Monat 3 Woch

[Alt = Alter = Age; Jahr = Years; Monat = Months; Woch = Woche = Weeks]




The inscription as shown in volume 2 of "The Berlin Family"




Here rests the body of

Jacob Berlin

Born the 6th of December 1716

Died the 7th of April 1790

Aged 73 years 3 months 3 weeks




Now has my struggle in life ended.

My work in life is finished.

I go forth to my Jesus and say to all a good night.




The translation of the inscription from Find A Grave Memorial# 41797876




Here lies the beloved

Jacob Berlien

born the 6th of December

1716

died the 7th of April

1790

Age 73 years 6 months and 3 weeks




Now that my struggle has ended

My journey is complete

I go to my Jesus

and say to all a good night


Regarding his age at death... Using the calendar in Legacy and inputting the dates 06 Dec 1716 and 07 Apr 1790 his age calculates to 73 years 4 months 1 day. Inputting 17 Dec 1716 as his date of birth, his age then comes out to 73 years 3 months 3 weeks.

The Face Behind Bikeyface

It's not every day that one meets a cartoon character, let alone a bicycling cartoon character. And so imagine my delight upon learning that I live just minutes from one. Allow me to introduce:Bikeyface!

A sure cure for self-seriousness,Bikeyface is a weekly comic strip that offers a parallel universe where all the weird stuff we imagine but don't say out loud materialises in cartoon form. Rich in visual detail, manic undertones, and good old fashioned perversity,Bikeyfacehas charmed thebicycle blogging universe with unexpected gems like"Office Shower Politics","Men in Skirts"and "Winter Beard."

The heroine of Bikeyface describes herself as a "common commuter" type - who wears "non-spandex" clothing, "inappropriate cycling footwear," a hounstooth patterned helmet, and a "bikey smile" as she pedals around greater Boston on her bike, Marlene Dietrich.

Occasionally she will don a cycling-themed accessory, such as this gear pendant (okay, so they're the wrong type of gears)...

...or a beard/muschachio balaclava, to compensate for her lack of facial hair on chilly winter commutes.

But who is Bikeyface really, the woman behind the cartoon and the knitted facial hair?

Well, all right: She is Bekka. She is a painter with a non-painterly dayjob, to which she commutes by bike. She lives in Somerville, MA. Before that she lived in LA and rode her bike there. And she is from New England originally.

The bike she currently rides is a tiny Surly Cross-Check in her favourite colour, which she got last summer and loves. It is called "Marlene Dietrich" because it is sultry and feminine, yet with a tomboyish edge. Of course. Other bikes she has owned have included an Electra Amsterdam and a couple of hybrids, but Marlene is the preferred ride - used for both commuting and long distance recreational cycling.

Of all the people I've met so far via the cycling blog connection, meeting Bekka has been my biggest "the worlds collide" type of experience. Besides living walking distance from one another, we discovered that we have some uncanny non-bikey things in common and spend more time talking about those than we do about cycling. It sometimes feels as if we are interacting as two different sets of people: the real us, with our bikey alter egos hovering in the background. We've talked a little about identity - how we both come across differently on our blogs than we do in person, and how people react to that difference when they meet us. Whereas Bikeyface is a perky, mischievous and boisterous character, in person Bekka is subtle and analytical, and rather difficult to characterise. Visually, she is striking: A soft and delicate face withenormous, unusually shaped blue eyes - the type of face that belongs in a 1930s French film and not so much in a 21st century bike cartoon. I would certainly like to paint her some time, as herself.

In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy Bikeyfaceand invite you to do the same. The strip normally comes out every Wednesday morning and is certain to brighten up your day.

Fritz and Misty

Crowning Glories Galore!

footnoteMaven has posted the 5th Edition - Smile For The Camera over at Shades of The Departed.

The word prompt this time around was "Crowning Glory" and the contributions of the 52 participants will not disappoint you. Please, go check them out, you'll be glad you did! My contribution was The Hover Children :: All Dressed Up.

I'm pleased to say that I will be hosting the 6th Edition of Smile For The Camera here at kinexxions! Thanks, fM, for the opportunity!

The word prompt for the 6th edition is Funny Bone. Show us that picture that never fails to bring a smile to your face! An amusing incident, a funny face, an unusual situation. Share! Choose a photograph of an ancestor, relative, yourself, or an orphan photograph that tickles your Funny Bone and submit it to the carnival.

Your submission may include as many or as few words as you feel are necessary to describe your treasured photograph. Those words may be in the form of an expressive comment, a quote, a journal entry, a poem (your own or a favorite), a scrapbook page, or a heartfelt article. The choice is yours!

Deadline for submission is midnight (PT) October 10, ...

Details for submitting your contribution can be found at Smile For The Camera.

Just One More Iris Photograph

I promise, this will be the last Iris picture posted this year! It's such an unusual color, least one I've never seen before. These are hybrids that we bought a couple of years ago that I brought with me when the house was sold. They didn't bloom last year but according to my mother that's normal as they don't usually bloom the year they are planted. This is the only one that is this color, all the others are the light blue/pale purple color.

Rivendell Sam Hillborne: 2 Year Review

It has now been nearly 2 years since I began riding my Rivendell Sam Hillborne and it seems a retrospective is overdue.Myinitial reviewof the bike was written in the Fall of after 6 months of ownership, and it was basically a celebration of what this bicycle did for me over the course of that time. I had not been able to master riding a roadbike with drop bars until I got the Sam, and so this bike opened up a whole new world to me and made me very happy. Two summers later, I am a different cyclist than I was back then, and my main roadbike is currently a racing bike with skinny tires. So while the Rivendell Sam Hillborne has not changed over the time I have owned it, my perspective has changed dramatically and it is only natural that this review will reflect that.




In its essence the Rivendell Sam Hillborne is a road-to-trail bicycle optimised to fit fat tires and to carry a good amount of weight. Smaller sized Sams are designed for 650B wheels and larger ones are designed for 700C wheels. The frames are made with cantilever brake bosses, eyelets for fenders and racks, braze-ons for two water bottle cages, a kickstand plate and a pump peg. The lugged steel frame is built with oversized tubing that is somewhere in the middle on the heavy-duty scale as far as Rivendell models go. A good way to describe this bike would be as a touring bike with off road capacity. It can also be set up as a transportation bicycle, since it can be fitted with either drop or upright handlebars. The current price for a Taiwan-built frame is $1,050 - almost half the price of most other Rivendell models. It is worth noting that "back in the day" when I got the bike, it was the pre-2TT era and this model came standard with just a single top tube. Now the larger sizes have double top tubes.







The frame geometry is relaxed(71.5° seat tube angle) and "expanded," with a 6°sloping top tube. The Rivendellian concept of an expanded frame is the exact opposite of what in standard roadbike speak is known as a compact frame. A compact frame's sloping top tube is designed to have lots of seatpost showing and the handlebars low. An expanded frame's sloping top tube is designed to have little seatpost showing and the handlebars high. Unless I am completely misunderstanding these ideas, the compact frame and the expanded frame are in fact one and the same, only the sizing is determined differently. According to the compact philosophy, the size of the bike is determined by the top tube's virtual intersection with where the seat tube would have been, had the top tube been level. According to the expanded philosophy, the size of the bike is determined by the actual seat tube length. As such, by Rivendell's standards my Sam is a 52cm frame, and it is the size they recommend for a person of my height. However, a compact geometrist would consider my frame to be more like a 56cm given how tall the headtube is and how long the top tube (57.5cm).






Have I thoroughly confused some of you? Think of it this way: Rivendell's sizing guidelines assume that the rider wants their handlebars at or above saddle height. If that's what you want, go with their sizingguidelines. But if you want a more aggressive position with handlebars below saddle height, go smaller. Given my current riding style, technically the bike I own is now too big for me to set up exactly as I would prefer (ideally I'd like a longer stem and the bars several cm lower). On the other hand, Rivendell's philosophy is what enabled me to learn how to ride with dropbars in the first place. The fit and geometry of this frame size worked well for me two years ago and I was thankful for it.




Currently my 52cm frame is fitted with a 70mm stem, a zero-setback seatpost, and bars 1cm or so below saddle height. The bike is set up with a Shimpagnolo drivetrain with a triple crankset, a 9 speed touring cassette and Veloce ergo levers. The 650B wheels were built with a dynamo hub in the front, which powers the headlight and tail light. The tires are 42mm Grand Bois Hetres. The bike is fitted with VO Zeppelin fenders, a Nitto front rack, and a large Ostrich handlebar bag. I also have a Nitto Campee rack with lowrider attachments that I use during loaded trips, but it is not part of the bike's usual setup.I use Power Grips as foot retention. This setup was arrived at gradually, but has remained stable since the middle of last summer. The complete bike weighs around 30lb, give and take depending on how it is set up.There is no toe overlap.






I am very pleased with the aesthetics and the construction quality of this bicycle. Rivendell is one of the few manufacturers that designs its own lugs instead of using commercially available lugsets, which I find really cool. You can see my close-up shots of the lugwork here. The frame is finished beautifully, with no imperfections. There is a couple of small chips in the paint after two years, but they are not noticeable unless you know where to look. I love the c. shimmery moss-green of my frame and the dark gold accents. I like the design of the headbadge and the decals. I like the fork crown design on my frame, which is slightly different from subsequent fork crowns on the same model (see the comparison here). I do not mind the6° top tube slope, though if given a choice I would prefer a level tube.




As far as weight, I do wish the bike were a bit lighter while retaining the characteristics that make it what it is - namely the fat tires, fenders, rack, handlebar bag anddynamo lighting - none of which I am willing to give up. However, I recognise that the 30lb range is a fairly typical weight for bikes of this style, built up in the same manner.










I will take a deep breath at this point and tackle the subject of speed. Over the past year, I have been test riding some racing bikes and a lightweight randonneur, and being that the Rivendell Sam Hillborne was my only basis for comparison at that point I described those bikes as "faster" than the Riv. The biggest difference I feel between the Sam Hillborne and the racier roadbikes is the acceleration: the Sam is not as quick to take off from a stop and not as quick to accelerate. All that said, I think it's important to note that those comparisons should be considered in context. The Rivendell is slower than racing bikes, because it is not a racing bike. It is a heavier, more relaxed machine, designed to perform a different function.It is reasonably fast for a touring bike.






When it comes to handling, my favourite characteristic of the Rivendell Sam Hillborne is that it is stable and intuitive. In describing test ride reports often I'll mention that such and such a bike takes getting used to before it starts to feel "normal." By contrast, the Sam Hillborne does not require getting used to; it's intuitive from the beginning and remains so. Everything feels safe, neutral and predictable. It is stable at slow speeds and it is stable at high speeds. It is stable uphill and it is stable downhill. It turns easily and does not need to be "forced" to corner. Neither does it "over-react" on turns. The wide tires on my bike further enhance the stability, as well as contribute to the cushy ride quality. Once you've ridden on 650Bx42mm tires over pothole ridden roads and dirt trails, it is difficult to forget the ride quality.




My favourite rides on the Sam Hillborne are those best described as "exploring." Unstructured, rambling, with no time constraints or ideas about optimal speed. With my camera in the handlebar bag, a book, some food, maybe a notebook, a pen and some extra clothing, the bike feels likehome away from home.





And perhaps the most definitive characteristic of the Sam Hillborne is its ability to carry weight. As I've mentioned previously, I ride this bike with a full handlebar bag and experience no adverse effects on speed or handling. The bike just does not care.





When we went on vacation last summer and did not want to bother renting a car, I carried most of our (2 weeks' worth of) thingson the Sam and it was great fun. Carrying weight on a bicycle is not merely a matter of attaching racks and strapping stuff on. Not all bikes do well under a front and/or rear load, and not all bikes have the proper clearances to carry panniers. The Sam Hillborne was designed specifically for things like this, optimised for the culture of "bike camping" that's so popular with Rivendell owners. The front end seems insensitive to properly supported weight, the chainstays are long enough for panniers without heel-strike, and the frame's tubing is robust enough to handle the weight itself. It is really a shame I do not take advantage of these characteristics more often.






In my view, the Rivendell Sam Hillborne is a good choice for loaded touring, bike camping trips, commuting, exploring-by-bike, and all around casual riding - on paved and unpaved terrain. To get the most out of this bike, I would definitely recommend lights, fat tires, fenders, a rack, the whole nine yards - it's what makes it special. If, on the other hand, you are looking for an aggressive lightweight roadbike for training rides, competitive long distance events and such, this isn't it and was not meant to be (Rivendell does make a more aggressive and paired down model that may be more up that alley).




I have tried to put together my thoughts on this bicycle in a way that is fair and well-ballanced. For anyone deciding whether a Sam Hillborne is right for them, I suggest reading my original review and this review (if you can stomach that much of my writing, that is) in sequence: They are both sincere and accurately describe my impressions of the same bike at different points in time.