Dustin's Cats

My son, Dustin, is a cat and horse person. These are the four cats that he, his friend Rob, and Dustin's girlfriend, Desi, have found over the past few years. The odd marked white cat with gray marking is named simply Kat. She was found abandoned as a small kitten. The vet didn't think she would live but she did with the only lasting problem being she is almost blind. Rob says it doesn't matter as he is almost blind, too, due to his diabetes problem. The next cat is Teddy who showed up about 2 years ago as a small kitten. To me he looks like he is a lot Maine Coon Cat. Next is O.C. (is short for 'orange cat' or 'other cat') who decided I as his new best friend. Last is Fiera, a kitten Desi took in that is a Manx, as seen in the one photo showing she has no tail.

Winking Kitty

Badlands :: Rolling in the Dust

Wednesday, August 24th - - The gravel road continued on for a few miles but I turned around and headed back to the main road. As I passed Sage Creek Basin Overlook the bison that had surrounded me a few minutes earlier had made their way off into the prairie. To my right another small band of buffalo were coming across the road. Traffic was stopped until long after they had passed.



Prairie Dogs provide a service to the buffalo by giving them a place to roll in the dirt! At the entrance to the burrows there is always a large pile of dirt that has been thrown up by the Prairie Dogs digging the tunnels. Hopefully, when a bison decides to roll in that dirt, the little fellows have made it safely underground!





Going down....



Really getting into it!



Ah, that felt good.



Giving it another go.



Shaking off the dust.



Feeling better, I'm sure!

Mystery Photo # 7

This is the sixth post (and 7th photo) in a series of unidentified photographs from the Charles Wiseman Family Bible. See this post for background information. Click on the "Mystery Photo" label at the bottom of the post to see all of the photographs in this series. As always, you can click on the pictures to enlarge them.



Paper photograph on card stock. 2 3/8 x 4 1/16. Printed on back: 1856-1884 H. C. Millice, Photographer. Warsaw, Ind. P. O. Box No. 246.

The date 1884 on the back of the picture may provide a clue - if the photo was taken in 1884 it could be Nathaniel Howard Wiseman, born July 18, 1884 in Tippecanoe Township, Kosciusko County, Indiana. He died May 14, 1956. I knew Nathaniel Howard as "Uncle Howard" - All of Dad's relatives that were older than him were called "Aunt" or "Uncle" regardless of the relationship. Howard was actually my Dad's first cousin once removed. Howard was the son of Laura Mariah Alexander and Henry Weir Wiseman.
Take a closer look at the top of the picture. . . It's been altered, perhaps hiding the face of a person beneath the coverlet holding the baby?

Phend-Fisher Family Reunion Ledger - 1909 and 1910

In Oct. 1909, the families met at the home of Christian Phend in Nappanee, Ind. to re-organize.
Meeting was called to order by Wm. Phend.
A song was rendered.
Prayer by Rev. Walmer.
Talk by Wm. Phend
Talk by Grandpa Phend
Remarks by Rev. Walmer.
The following officers were elected
Pres. - Wm. Phend
Sec'y - Ivy Wehrley
Treasurer - Christian Phend
Song "God Be With You Till we Meet Again" concluded the program.
A good dinner was served to about 40 guests.
Adjourned to meet again at John Ernests, near Dunlap on June 25, 1910.The P.M. was spent in seeing the sights about Nap[panee]




The Sec[ond] reunion of the Phend - Fisher families assembled at John Ernests, near Dunlap, June 25 - 1910.
The A. M. was spent in getting acquainted and exchanging greetings.
At noon a good dinner was served, under the large trees on the lawn. Each one bringing a filled lunch basket. About 70 partook of the bounteous feast.
At 3 o'clock the following program was rendered.
Song by all
Prayer by Geo. Walters.
Solo by Mrs. Belle Miller.
Recitation by Freddie Phend.
closing Song by All.
Adjournment.
Later it was decided to meet at the home of Frank Wehrleys in Nappanee, Ind on June - 1911.The following were from a distance - Sam'l Fisher - Kan.
Mr & Mrs Delvin Phend - Iowa
Mrs. Belle Miller - Iowa
Mr and Mrs. Jno. Ringenberger - Garret
Mr and Mrs Jacob Phend and family - Mich
Mr and Mrs Henery Phend and family - Columbia [City]
Mr and Mrs. Geo. Walters
To view all articles in this series click on the "Phend-Fisher Reunion Ledger" label at the bottom of this post.

Preparing for Long Distance Rides

They say a good rule of thumb when working up to a long distance ride, is to ride in a week the number of miles you plan to do in a day. This morning I looked at my wall calendar (which now resembles a numerology chart) and realised that I've ridden around 200 miles over the past week, Saturday to Friday, distributed over the seven days as 16-60-0-0-24-40-60.




Today I feel all right. A little beat up, but no more than usual. Still, I am not convinced that doing this milage over the course of multiple days means that I can ride even 100 miles in one go. After a 60 mile day I am depleted to the point that in the end I cannot imagine being in the saddle a second longer.




And I take too many breaks. For instance, yesterday's milage was divided into: 8 easy miles alone/ break/ 20 hilly miles with a fast partner/ lunch break/ 24 hilly miles with a fast partner/ break/ 8 easy miles alone. Is it even fair to call that a 60 mile ride? The longest I've done so far in a group without breaks has been a measly 35 miles.




I don't like the idea of "training," and prefer to think of these rides as preparation. I never want to get to the point where I hate being on the bike and have to force myself to ride. What I like about the past week is that I've managed to not only put in 200 miles, but to feel good about it. What I don't like, is the limit I am sensing: After 60 miles I just don't feel that those remaining 40 are in me.




How do you prepare for long distance rides? Is it normal to feel a daily milage ceiling past which you can't seem to advance?

Phend-Fisher Family Reunion Ledger - 1913

The Fisher - Phend reunion was held at McNaughton Park at Elkhart Ind. July 24 1913. About 70 being present. A fine picnic dinner was held at noon, After dinner the following programe was rendered.
Opening song.
Bless be the tie That Binds, with Gladys Shaw at the piano.
Prayer by L. S. Fisher pastor of the First Evangelical church at Elk.
Welcome by J. J. Phend
Solo - Walter Shaw.
Piano Duette Gladys & Edith Shaw
Reading Irene Walters.
Duett Fred Earnest & Mrs Fomy [?].
Solo by Little Miss Marie Lusher.
Election of officers. Officers Elected.
Mrs. John Earnest Pres.
Bertha Shaw Sec.Mr. J. J. Phend Tres.

Meeting adj. to meet the last Sat in June 1914 at Rodgers Park Goshen Ind.
Jacob Phend age 87 yrs old was the oldest present
Little Geraldine Lusher 5 mo. the youngest.




[Page 2]
People who attended the reunion at McNaughton Park July 24 - 1913.
Henry Phend Columbia City
Gladys Phend
Berniece Phend
Paul Phend
Garreld Phend
Susie Phend
C C Shaw 870 Tipton St
Vernon Shaw
Surelda Phend Elkhart
Gladys Shaw Elkhart
Leroy A Conrad New Paris
Lulu Conrad
Harley Conrad
Delta Conrad
Lucile Conrad
Ralph Ernest Goshen
Fred I. Ernest Goshen
L. A. Fisher
Samuel Fisher 621 Conne St Lawrence Kan
Jacob Phend Etna Gren Ind
Jacob E. Senff Bremen Ind
Della I Senff
Hilda Seff
F. A. Wehrly Nappanee Ind
Ivy Wehrly
La Mar Wehrly
Evelyn Wehrly
Fred G Phend
Harry Shaw
Sophia Shaw
James Shaw. Elkhart

[Page 3]
Edith Shaw
Grace Walter Hamilton St. Louis
H. J. Ringgenberg Garrett Ind
Kate Mitchel Goshen
Mrs. D. G. Walter
Chester Walter
Esther Walter
Mildred Walter
David Walter
Irene Walter
Mrs. Hazel Burer 317 Myrtle St.
Mrs Walter Slear Jackson, Mich.
Master Elliott Slear
Mrs Nora Lusher
Howard [?] Lusher
Vera Lusher
Marie Lusher
Helen Lusher
Geraldine Lusher
Walter R. Shaw - Elkhart
Mrs. Fred Calkins Crawford St. Elkhart
Mr. Fred Calkins
Mr & Mrs Alfred Kane Bristol Ind
Mrs. C. Gerard 322 S St Joseph St South Bend
Mrs Thomas McGowan New Carlisle, Mi
Mrs. S. L. Little 610 Gardner Court Elkhart Ind
Mrs. C. J. McGowan 610 Gardner Court Elkhart

[Page 4]
Mrs V. R. McGowan Garrett, Ind
Mrs Dora C Walters Elkhart
Mrs Bertha Shaw Elkhart
Jacob Phend Elkhart
Louisa Phend Elkhart
Mrs J W Slear Elkhart
Mrs C. Willson Elkhart
Moses Phend
Katharine Phend
Mr. E. G. Walters
= + = + = + = + = + =
As my research continues on the Phend-Fisher families I am able to "link" more of these people to their families. The entry for "Samuel Fisher 621 Conne St, Lawrence, Kansas" pretty much confirms that the Samuel Fisher I've found in Douglas County, Kansas is the right man. In 1910, he was living on Connecticut St. in Lawrence with his daughters Rachel and Ruth, assuming that "Conne" was used as an abbreviation for Connecticut.

The Phend-Fisher families gathered for a reunion in Elkhart County, Indiana almost annually from 1909 until 1943. Usually held at Nappanee, the events of the day were recorded in an old ledger book, now in my possession. Sadly, the fragile pages have turned brown, separated from the binding, and are, in effect, disintegrating. Some years more information was recorded than in others, but, for me, these pages provide a glimpse into the past. Spelling has been retained as it was in the original though some punctuation and paragraph breaks have been added. To view all articles in this series click on the "Phend-Fisher Reunion Ledger" label at the bottom of this post.