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.

Sunroom Painted

These came out kind of dark but this is the sunroom after we painted it. It is a kind of ivory color called White Shell. It was a bit of a chalange to paint with the help of four cats but we got it done. Now we have to do the celling as you can see in the upper corner of the first photo it is not finished. But first things first and we have outside chores to do first.

Zorak?

(Click for extra-large version of beady eyes.)

Do you suppose praying mantids have religious disputes?

Is there a pope of European mantids, and if so, have mantids in Islamic countries declared jihad against him?

Chinese mantids - was there a Confucius among them? Are Indian mantids divided into Hindus and Sikhs?

And, are the Carolina mantids likely to be fundamentalists?

-----

Cool pics of Flower mantids: here, here, here, here, and here.

I just have to throw in the bizarre Wandering Violin mantis.

North Wind, Meet Dirt Roads: the Rawland Nordavinden 650B

The Nordavinden is a newly released bicycle model from the small West-Coast company Rawland Cycles. Earlier this year I featured a friend's Rawland rSogn, which I could not ride because it was too big. At the time Rawland did not make a bike in my size, but they informed me that one would be coming out later in the year. We talked about a test ride, and as luck would have it, a demo bike was ready just before D2R2. I had it in my possession for a nice long weekend - most of it spent riding local and not so local dirt roads.






Norwegian for "the north wind," the Nordavinden was designed as a lighter, sportier frameset than its more rugged predecessors: a zippy bike with low trail geometry that accepts fat tires. Full geometry and tubing specs are available here. Like all Rawland models, the Nordavinden is designed in California and handbuilt in Taiwan.






The larger sizes are built for 700C and will fit a tire up to 35mm. The small size is built for 650B and will fit a tire up to 42mm (pictured here with Grand Bois Hetres).






The frame is designed for sidepull or centerpull brakes. The demo bike came fitted with Rivendell's (discontinued) Silver big-mouth sidepulls.






The dramatic curvature of the fork is immediately noticeable - prompting lots of low trail questions from those who saw the bike whilst in my possession. The trail is 30mm,with 650Bx42mm tires.






Unlike its predecessor rSogn's double plated crown, the Nordavinden's fork crown is the more minimal Pacenti Artisan II, with lighter fork blades.






The "ice blue" paint is a light, shimmery sky-blue. I tried to take some pictures that eliminated the shimmer and showed the true colour underneath. In person, the shimmer makes the blue look lighter. Compared to the (very similar) colour of the rSogn, the Nordavinden is cooler and a bit more saturated.






Looking at the Nordavinden next to the rSogn (front), they are similar at first glance, but less so upon closer inspection. The Nordavinden has an almost level top tube (1.5° slope), compared to the rSogn's more prominent slope. The Norvavinden's appearance is sleeker and more roadish - with fewer braze-ons, narrower tire clearances, lower bottom bracket, shorter chainstays.





Still, the Nordavinden is sufficiently versatile, with eyelets for fenders and braze-ons for a front rack (on the fork blades; optimised for Rivendell's Nitto Mark's rack).







The frame itself is welded cro-moly steel, with some decorative flourishes.






A Rawland chain-slap protector is included with the frame set,






As well as a Rawland seat collar.






The size Small is described as a 54cm frame, measured by its top tube. My ideal frame size for a road fit would have a 53cm top tube, but the small Nordavinden worked nicely with a slightly shorter stem.





Rawland advertises no toe overlap in any of their frame sizes. This held true for me (in size 38 clipless shoes), with room for a fender.







The demo model was built up with Velocity Synergy rims, White Industries hubs, a SRAM Apex drivetrain,






Chris King headset, Soma threadless stem and handlebars, Tektro short reach brake levers and bar-end shifters. The build was not done for me specifically, but I did have a say in stem length and handlebar width, to ensure the bike would fit me. Were this my own bicycle, I would do some things differently for sure. But sometimes it can be interesting to use unfamiliar components.






For shifters, I had a choice between SRAM brifters and bar-ends, and opted for the latter. Prior to this I had not used bar-end shifters in over a year, and it took me a bit to free my brain from Campagnolo ergo mode. By the end, the SRAM bar-ends grew on me, though I still prefer Campagnolo ergos on my own bike.






I used my own pedals and saddle, and installed two bottle cages. The bike did not come equipped for carrying a front load, as it was optimised to do, so I used a saddlebag when I needed to carry a camera and other items.The bike - as shown here, but without bag and water bottles - weighed just over 24lb.






I rode the Rawland Nordavinden for a total of 150 miles over the course of 4 days. First was a 30 mile shake-down ride, which included 12 miles of local dirt roads. The following day, I rode a 50 mile route at the D2R2, over half of which was dirt. The day after, I did a 40 mile local ride that included a paved road, a dirt road, and a rather technical dirt trail. And after that, I did a final 30 mile ride on paved roads - including a couple of hill climbs - before returning the bike.






What I noticed about the Rawland immediately, was that my sense of balance was different on it than on other roadbikes I've ridden recently. I found tight cornering easier than it typically is for me, and I found it surprisingly easy to change my position on the bike without disturbing its balance - allowing me the freedom of activities I usually have trouble with, such as drinking from the water bottle while riding. I remember similar handling when riding the Royal H. Randonneur last summer, but this time I think I was able to appreciate it more - particularly on unpaved terrain. At the D2R2, I was able to descend on loose dirt and gravel faster than I was comfortable doing previously, and to drink all the water I wanted without having to stop. It certainly added to my enjoyment of the day. The following morning, I rode unceremoniously on a somewhat challenging local dirt trail that I've never been willing to ride before.






As far as speed, the Rawland is plenty fast and accelerates with no hesitation. There is a snappy, responsive, roadish feel to it. On pavement it is not quite as fast as my Seven roadbike, and it does not climb quite as effortlessly. But as soon as the pavement ends, the dynamic changes. It's as if the two bikes were made to be friends and supplement each other. The Rawland glides over dirt and gravel, seemingly preferring them to pavement. In part, of course, it is the wide tires - which don't bounce me around the way narrow road tires do. But it's also the handling -again, that peculiar flavour of maneuverability that comes with low trail - that makes it easy for me to pick a line through rutted out areas and to corner on loose sections without reducing speed.On a bike with standard front end handling, I feel less confident riding on winding, unpaved roads and trails - especially descending. This preference might be particular to me, I don't know. But I found the Rawland's handling exceptionally agreeable for riding on dirt.






Notably, carrying weight in the rear was not a problem despite the bike's low trail design. It did not feel much different than riding without a saddlebag, except on steep climbs (with a full saddlebag, the front end "wandered" a bit). I do not know what the bike feels like to ride with a handlebar bag, but I can only imagine that not worse, considering that it's designed for one. I should also point out that I do not know what the bike feels like to ride long distances; my longest single ride on it was only 50 miles. With its front rack braze-ons, a bike like this just begs to be taken on a long, self-supported ride, and I hope to soon read some reviews from owners who've done that.






To think of criticisms is not an easy task here. I suppose I would like the bike even better if it were lighter, though I recognise the weight is pretty good for a bike of its kind. Anotherthing I can say is that I am fairly spoiled at this point as far as ride quality, and from that perspective the Rawland is not the cushiest bike I've ever ridden. It isn't a harsh ride by any means, but I feel that much of the cush is due to the fat tires - and that with narrower ones I would feel the bumpy roads more. Finally, as I've mentioned already,on pavementthe Rawland is not as fast as my Seven - but then I don't think it makes sense to pit them against each other; they are not meant for the same kind of riding. I would not mind owning a bike like the Rawland to supplement my skinny tire roadbike.






While showing off the demo bike, more than a couple of times I was asked why only the smallest Nordavinden size is offered in 650B. I must say I wonder as well, as it is precisely the combination of the wide 42mm Grand Bois Hetre tires and the handling that draws me to the bike. There is demand out there for lightweight, sporty low trail 650B bikes without having to spend a fortune on custom work. The Rawland Nordavinden retails at $725 for the frameset (available from Rawland Cycles directly). While I cannot vouch for the other sizes, I suspect the 650B Nordavinden is a bike that many would appreciate for road-to-trail riding.




Many thanks to Rawland Cycles for loaning out the demo bike, and thanks to the Ride Studio Cafe for putting it together.
More pictures here.

Blue Ice :: Portage Glacier

A mutual decision was made to leave Denali National Park a day early, partially because the time that Sue and Fred had in Alaska was limited and, without advance reservations, we had pretty much done what we could in the park. We drove south on Wednesday (August 11th) through Anchorage and part way around Turnagain Arm to Chugach National Forest and the small town of Portage.

We found a campsite at Williwaw Campground in the National Forest then immediately drove to Portage Glacier Lake and caught the last tour boat of the day for our first close-up look of an Alaska Glacier!

In the late 1800s there were four glaciers in this area that came together. Miners and other hearty souls used the glaciers as portage routes. Portage Lake was formed about a hundred years ago when the glaciers began receding. All four glaciers still exist but three of them are called “hanging glaciers” since they have receded so far and no longer come down into the valley.

Our vessel was the 80-foot Ptarmigan, shown here coming in to shore prior to our tour.

From the visitor center, Portage Glacier is hidden behind the mountain outcropping on the right.

Portage Glacier is on the right. It is called a valley glacier since it goes all the way into the valley. It is 450 feet deep but since there is nothing to give it perspective there was no way to really judge how high it was.

Photographs certainly do not do it justice! The rocks facing us in the center are 175 feet high!

A portion of the face of the glacier.

The closest we got was 300 yards away because of the possibility of calving – where ice breaks away and drops into the water. We didn't see any calving but felt the wake of a shooter – where a piece of ice breaks off beneath the surface and pops up out of the water.

There was a Forest Ranger on board who provided some scientific information about glaciers but, honestly, I wasn't paying attention! The blue color of the ice was intense and amazing. If you want to know more about why the ice is blue, check out this Causes of Color website.

In some places the ice hangs over the surface of the water, thus the “dark line” where the ice meets the water.

To put it into perspective, the Captain showed us a photograph taken a few years ago. He let me take a picture of that photograph and it is being used with his verbal permission. The Ptarmigan (the tour boat we were on) is floating in the middle of the bay amongst smaller icebergs in the same location as we were in – 300 yards away from the face of the glacier – and the boat (the largest of the floating objects) is merely a speck in the water.

Tomato Garden Follies

At
the end of year 6 of the Transplantable Rose blog, what better way to start
year 7 than with tomatoes? We like peppers and tomatoes. We like growing them
and we like eating them. I even wrote lyrics about the end of Tomato season for
a music video called Farewell, Tomato.







After
Philo made our small vegetable plot in .. we tried different ways to support
& protect the plants.




For
a few years we just staked them









Our
next phase lasted a few years - a large, strong, painted wooden framework that
could support plants, bird netting & shade cloth. We hoped the net could
slow down attacks by squirrels & birds.






It’s
been fun trying new varieties every year, cramming in 9 or 10 tomato plants and
7 or 8 peppers, watering them by hand while knocking leaf-footed stink bugs
into soapy water every day, with the reward of some salad tomatoes and frying
peppers.









A
post on GardenWeb suggested tying net gift bags over the tomatoes to protect
them from the stinkbugs. I was too cheap to buy more than 2 – a good thing
since the squirrels chewed off the whole tomato stem & ran away with the
bags.









On
Tom Spencer’s radio program we heard him mention one gardener who painted
wooden balls red & hung them in the garden while the tomatoes were green.
The idea was that any critter attacking the fake tomatoes would be convinced
that hard, bad tomatoes grew in that garden. We tried it and saw no effect, but
at least they’re decorative!












Recent
years broke the weather rules and what worked before no longer held up. Last summer after every pepper plant in the
vegetable garden died, I found a few new plants at a local nursery, put them into containers and those
survived. The bird netting kept the birds from taking the tomatoes, but it
allowed them to poke their beaks through the spaces to puncture the tomatoes.











The
tomato frame filled the entire center of our little plot, making it difficult
to get in to weed, prune & tie the plants and even harder to reach the
stinkbugs. The stakes & frames gave the birds a good place to perch while
they attacked the fruit. But we gardeners had no place to perch - the seat made
from a slice of tree trunk had rotted.









So
we tweaked the vegetable plot, moving the compost enclosure and changing the
layout. A central path looks better and gives us better access. There are fewer
plants this year. Five pepper plants grow in containers and we’re getting a
small, steady supply. We bought only 5 tomato plants and we’re getting a few of
those each day, too.




The
tomato vines are sort of draped over wire cages to hold the fruit off the
ground but they’re not staked. In place of the garden netting I bought a few
yards of inexpensive nylon net to sort of pouf over the top, using recycled bricks to keep it from blowing away. With a tighter weave and no convenient
sticks for birdie feet to grasp, they have to work harder to punch holes in the
tomatoes.









They
can still do it… our Blue Jays boldly cling to the kitchen windows and tap on
the panes! The squirrels will chew through anything and possums and raccoons
lurk at night. We know we can’t beat any of them but we're trying to stay in the
game.









If
a stinkbug lands on the outside of the net it can’t fit through the small mesh.
If the little monster is already inside clinging to the net I use the net to
enfold & squish it.









A
central path now leads to the concrete bench, relocated from the Secret Garden
to the Vegetable Patch. Last June we turned two old compost bins upside down,
painted them, added handles and called them tomato guards. This June they cover
two tubs bought at some long ago garage sale, painted white. The tub on one
side of the path has a pepper plant and a ‘San Marzano’ tomato grows on the
opposite side. There’s something going on here but it doesn’t fit the usual
categories… it’s not Potager and it’s not Austintatious and it’s not Garden
Junk. Maybe it’s Transplanted Frugal Midwesterner?









Two
of the tomatoes were supposed to be our favorite ‘Black Krim’. At planting time
I noticed a ‘Better Boy’ tag down the side of the pot. And that one ‘Black
Krim’ has now turned to None. Look at these tomatoes! They all came from the
same mislabled plant – not ‘Black Krim’ but it might take a tomato-genealogist
to figure out what they are.








On the other hand, when that heirloom-lumpy
tomato at far right finally ripened, it weighed in at over 13 ounces. Folly it
may be, but what a delicious folly it was.