Wool for Swimming?

We are staying on the North Shorefor a while, and the weather is unbelievable. Yesterday began with a thick, frigid fog, giving way to blinding sunshine and oppressive heat, followed by a sudden darkening of the skies and a mini-redux of the previous day's violent downpour with a temperature drop of at least 20F - all in rapid succession and repeated every several hours. It was as hilarious as it was frustrating, as we kept scrambling to start one thing after another, only for our plans to be thwarted by the elements. Food was rained on, warm clothing was shed no sooner than it was donned, camera equipment was hastily put away no sooner than it was set up, several pairs of shoes now needed drying, and my hair was a hopeless rat's nest of a mess. Others might have given up at this point, resigned to spend the day under a blanket with a bottle of rum. But we are stubborn - and also perversely delighted by the irony of finally being able to get away in August like normal people (instead of September as in previous years), only to be greeted by Autumnal weather as usual. Maybe freezing, stormy holidays are just "us" and we shouldn't fight it. Also, the closest town is a dry town (!) and there is no rum.

Anyhow, just when I thought the day was shot, something wonderful happened: I went swimming in the ocean. Not the type of tentative Northern New England "swimming" where you stoically spend five minutes in the water before your limbs start to go numb. No, I swam with abandon in the warmest salt water I've experienced around these parts. After yet another storm, the sun came out again at about 5pm and we happened to be near a beach. I took my shoes off to walk in the shallow water, and was taken aback when it did not feel like ice. I waded further in and it just kept getting warmer and warmer.Maybe the storm brought forth some rare tropical current? Just an hour earlier it had been cold out and I was wearing layers upon layers of wool, including Ibex long-johns and an I/O Bio Merino sportsbra. Deciding that these were decent enough to pass for swimwear, I removed everything else, went right in the water and swam until the late afternoon sun lost its warmth.

While I'd thought my improvised wool swimsuit would be bulky and uncomfortable, it turned out to be anything but. The fabric clung to my body as well as my synthetic swimsuits and kept me warm not only in the water, but also once I got out and air-dried without a towel in the cooling evening air. Pretty amazing. I liked it so much compared to wearing my normal bathing suit, that I think I'll just keep wearing this if I ever get a chance to swim here again. The beaches are not especially glamorous around these parts, so I don't think anyone cares. But this makes me wonder whether anybody actually makes contemporary wool bathing suits. I don't mean nostalgic/retro 1920's style garments, but a normal, "athletic coverage" type of swimsuit that's a mix of wool and spandex. A preliminary search has not yielded anything promising (though the Ibex website shows young ladies frolicking on a boat in their wool underwear), but I will keep looking. Has anybody else tried swimming in wool?

Come Dance With Me...

Welcome to the February 4th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy! Our topic this time around is "The Happy Dance. The Joy of Genealogy." Perhaps stating the obvious, but, genealogy can become a passion even before you experience that first "happy dance" but once you've actually felt the excitement and joy of that first dance, be it a rousing rumba or a restrained, elegant waltz, you're addicted.

For those of us living in the Northern hemisphere, Ole Mister Groundhog has declared that there will be six more weeks of winter ahead of us, so what better activity is there than to grab a cup of hot chocolate (or some other warming beverage) and spend some time enjoying the moments of joy shared by our 50 contributors? For those in warmer climates, pour yourself a cool drink and enjoy!

To all of the new participants, on behalf of Jasia, I say welcome to the Carnival, and to everyone, thank you for sharing your happy dance moments with us!

Starting us off is Dorene Paul, who presents Charles Cross, First Catholic Mayor of Sandusky posted at Graveyard Rabbit of Sandusky Bay. Dorene says "My heart skipped a beat when I ran across the article 'An English Colony' in the December 3, 1889 Sandusky Daily Register. The author of the article, Mr. Hudson C. Ward, tells how my great-great-great-great grandfather, Charles Cross, came to the United States from England aboard the packet ship the "Hudson" in July of 1830. Mr. Ward was named after the ship."

Terri at The Ties That Bind presents Longing to know you......... which is the first of three parts. The story continues with Longing to know you continued.... and Longing to know you - part 3. Terri says, "Please read all parts for the full story."

Cathy Palm presents Happy Dance Moment or Finding Laura Backus posted at Detour Through History saying "The Rootsweb message that broke down a brick wall. Reliving the moment..."

Donna Hague Wendt presents Hague Happy Dance posted at Another Day With Donna ..... Genealogy - Family History Blog. Donna says "When a family surname can be spelled in a variety of ways, it is a wonderful and "happy dance" moment to stumble on the one way it was spelled in a census to finally find the elusive family. This happened for the 1850 US Census with my elusive Hague ancestors in Rhode Island, under "Ache." To happily continue dancing, a cousin showed me a drawing of the original Hague homestead in Iowa as it looked in 1905."

Sharon Klein presents The Genealogy Shuffle posted at Genealogy. She says "Over the past 10 years or so since I first started my research, I'm had several occasions to kick up my feet!"

Valerie C. presents The First Happy Dance posted at Begin with 'Craft'. Valerie got started in genealogy during a college geography project. She and her mother didn't know much about the family and knew even less about genealogy!

Margaret Ann presents Carnival- Genealogy Happy Dance posted at GeneaDiva's History, Genealogy and "Stuff". Margaret Ann "remembers the many happy dances as a novice at shaking the family tree. She recalls the trips with her Dad and Grandparents seeking information which also led to the next happy dance."

GeneaDiva presents Carnival - Genealogy Happy Dance posted at GeneaDiva's History, Genealogy and Stuff saying, "Although, I've had many genealogy happy dances over the past 27 years some of my most memorable and favorite dances occurred at the beginning of my genealogy adventure."

Sheri Fenley presents The Problem With Pauline - Part 9 - Some Fun With Dr. George B. Sanford posted at The Educated Genealogist. Sheri says "The mailman and I do not quite see eye to eye."

Donna M Moughty presents More Genealogy Puzzles from Ireland posted at Donna's Genealogy Blog. "Solving the problem of which Michael Daly was mine was a genealogy puzzle I wasn't sure I would ever solve. A lecture at a conference on searching common surnames along with a study of all Daly's in a specific location led to the Happy Dance and an early morning phone call from Salt Lake City to Connecticut to tell my mother-in-law how all those cousins were related."

Evelyn Yvonne Theriault presents Tripping the light fantastic posted at A Canadian Family and is "Tripping the light fantastic” – remembering Montreal during the ‘50s swing era”

Jessica Oswalt presents Doing the Happy Dance: Finding Answers posted at Jessica's Genejournal stating it is "A brief mention of a few successes I have had in my five plus years of researching my family."

Lisa presents Growing the family tree: In both directions posted at Small-leaved Shamrock. She says "I started to tell the story of a "happy dance" I did quietly with a sleeping angel on my lap, and went on to share how genealogy fits into the life of my family. I hope you enjoy this look at doing genealogy with children along: the only way I can imagine it."

Brian Zalewski presents Carnival of Genealogy: Happy Dance posted at Zalewski Family Genealogy. Brian claims to have had "a few" happy dance moments and says "If my thought process works, you probably get more of them as you first start your genealogy research. But, they get much more exciting as your research goes on."

Janet Iles presents The Genealogy Happy Dance - New discoveries posted at Janet the researcher. She says "I might not get up and dance but you will hear restrained words of excitement."

Apple presents Dancing Fool posted at Apple's Tree. Apple admits "It doesn't take much to get me to do the Happy Dance. Give me a new little scrap of information and I'm on my feet!"

Greta Koehl presents The Happy Dance: Getting Hooked on Genealogy, Part 3 posted at Greta's Genealogy Bog. She says "Finally doing the Happy Dance was the last stage in getting me totally addicted to genealogy. What did it take to get me to do the Happy Dance? It was finding an ancestor who had touched me through the fact that no one even knew his first name any more."

Geniaus presents The Happy Dance. The Joy of Genealogy posted at Geniaus. From the land down under, Geniaus declares "Until I completed the 99+ things genealogy meme I didn't know that I had been dancing for years."

Tex presents The Happy Dance: Finding Females posted at All My Ancestors. Serendipity (chance, fate, luck, coincidence, etc.) enables Tex to find several long sought female ancestors.

Cherie presents My Genealogy Happy Dance! posted at Still Digging for Roots. Cherie gives us "Three 'Happy Dance' moments!"

Jasia presents The First Find posted at Creative Gene. Jasia says "My 'first find' resulted in my first happy dance. Like a first kiss, or the first flowers received from a lover, my first happy dance was the sweetest. Here are my memories of that very first dance..."

A. Spence presents Family Profile: William Lowry/Lowery/Laury/Lowrey posted at Spence-Lowry Family History saying "My first happy dance was when I could connect a family story about my 2nd great grandfather and a possible sibling of his."

Donna Pointkouski presents The Joy of Genealogy posted at What's Past is Prologue. Donna admits that she has "done many genealogical happy dances over the years - here are a few of my favorites (plus a photo of my favorite happy dancing Gene)."

Melody Lassalle presents My Very First Genealogy Happy Dance posted at The Research Journal. She says "This post is about my first research experience and the moment I knew I was addicted."

Hilary Gadsby presents Best Genealogy Find posted at Genemeet. Hilary says "Over the years I have been researching my family tree like most people I have made several great finds and every time you find that elusive piece of information you get that urge to shout out Yes!!"

Amanda Erickson presents The Happy Dance posted at Random Ramblings saying "My search for information about my dad's (Stiver) side of the family and how I hit the jackpot. "

Colleen Johnson presents The Happy Dance of Genealogy posted at CMJ Office. Colleen says "A little jig, a happy dance, a possible party and some heartburn. Pass the genealogy tums. "

Wendy Littrell presents Oh Yeah! Oh Yeah! posted at All My Branches Genealogy. She says "It doesn't take much for me to stand up and shout for joy when I find something that I think will lead me to more information! It could be a Census entry, a letter, or an email from a distant cousin that has me saying "Oh Yeah!"

Julie Cahill Tarr presents Get Up & Dance posted at GenBlog. Julie takes us on a tour of previously posted genealogy joys.

Craig Manson presents Happy Dance Days Are Here Again! posted at GeneaBlogie saying "In which I do the Happy Dance having found things I thought were lost to time!"

Randy Seaver presents Genealogy Happy Dances and/or Genea-gasms! posted at Genea-Musings. Saying "Randy didn't follow the rules and pick one genea-gasm, he picked four. Read about his England trip, his Norway trip, his treasures in the closet, and treasures from his Aunt Geraldine."

John Newmark presents The Happy Dance posted at TransylvanianDutch. John says, "I can think of three times in my research where my excitement reached a point which may be compared to a "happy dance"..."

Stephen J. Danko presents Doing the DNA Happy Dance! posted at Steve's Genealogy Blog. Steve has discovered two previously unknown distant cousins who match his DNA sequence.

Bill West presents West in New England: DOING THE GENEALOGY HAPPY DANCE posted at West in New England. Bill says "I've had some great Happy Dance moments, but if I ever break down the John Cutter West brickwall, there's going be one HUMUNGOUS Happy Dance!"

Elyse Doerflinger presents Carnival Of Genealogy - 65th Edition: My Happy Dance posted at Elyse's Genealogy Blog saying "This story describes my latest Happy Dance, which occurred only last Thursday after finding a new Keppler cousin."

Elizabeth Powell Crowe presents Success Story posted at Crowe's Nest by Elizabeth Powell Crowe. Elizabeth links to an article about "Two guys in Indiana who giggle their way up the family tree."

Terry Snyder presents Looking for Catherine posted at Desktop Genealogist Unplugged saying "A knowledgeable friend, a court case and a $50 debt, led to Terry Snyder’s happy dance that she details in her post, “Looking for Catherine."

Rachel Murphy presents Finding that Missing Ancestor through the House and Field Books posted at Irish Family History saying "Rachel explains how she found her great-great-great grandfather through the house and field books..."

Jennifer Trahan presents Genealogy Happy Dance: Findng the parents of John Pemberton posted at Jennifer's Genealogy Blog. Jennifer says this post is about "The long but fulfilling search for my 4th-great-grandparents."

Amanda presents The Happy Dance! The Joy of Genealogy posted at A Tale of Two Ancestors. She says "An interview interruption led to a record every genealogist hopes for."

Dru Pair presents The Genealogy Happy Dance posted at Find Your Folks. Dru writes about "doing the Genealogy Happy Dance after receiving a photo of a great-grandmother and also finding a written statement in a birth certificate book from her ancestor."

Andrea Christman presents The Happy Dance! Going Back One More Generation. posted at Family Tales. She says "My happy dance was when I was able to get my husband's line back to specific towns in Germany."

Charles Hansen presents Happy Dance posted at Eastern Washington Genealogical Society Blog. Charles does the research for EWGS and has had many “Happy Dances” for others he has helped over the years, but then he got a phone call from a gentleman in Springfield, Missouri…"

foonoteMaven presents You Really Do Know Her! posted at footnoteMaven. fM says this is "Not a 'Happy Dance' in the classic sense, but I've have never been more excited about genealogy than I was at this moment."

Kathy Brady-Blake presents The Genealogy Happy Dance posted at Kathy's Genealogy Blog. Kathy says "My happy dances happen when I reconnect with long lost cousins."

Barbara Holz Sullivan presents Serendipity posted at Chapter & Wurst saying "Serendipity: unexpected discoveries and a mother and daughter's questioning minds lead to new distant cousins and the genealogists' happy dance."

M. Diane Rogers presents My 1916 Happy Dance - The Joy of Genealogy - Carnival of Genealogy Edition 65 posted at CanadaGenealogy, or, 'Jane's Your Aunt' saying "M. Diane Rogers practices her Happy Genealogist tap dancing only at home with the shades drawn, but once in a while she does find herself forgetting the 'Silence' code in a library or archives."

Thomas MacEntee presents It's Just A Jump To The Left . . . at Destination: Austin Family. Take A Step To The Right, Put Your Hands On Your Hips, Bring Your Knees In Tight… and… go see what it's all about.

Pam Taylor presents Happy Dance and the Joy of Genealogy posted at Taylorstales-Genealogy. What exactly was it that caused Pam to dance, shout, scream for joy, and act like a complete fool in front of her children?

And, rounding out this edition of the Carnival is my contribution, Happy Dance Moments :: Making Connections, which highlights just a few of the times I've made kinexxions with distant relatives and the results of those incredible experiences.

And now, it's time for a Call For Submissions! The topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy, to be hosted by Jasia at Creative Gene, will be: iGene Awards, The Best of The Best! It's Academy awards time... time for the Academy of Genealogy and Family History, aka AGFH, to honor their best blog posts of ..* in the following 5 categories:

• Best Picture - Best old family photo that appeared on your blog in ... Tell us which you liked best and why.


• Best Screen Play - Which family story that you shared in .. would make the best movie? Who would you cast as your family members?


• Best Documentary - Which was the best informational article you wrote about a place, thing, or event involving your family's history in ..?


• Best Biography - Which was the best biographical article you wrote in ..?


• Best Comedy - Which was the best funny story, poem, joke, photo, or video that you shared on your blog in ..?

Please feel free to use this graphic on your post.

Start digging back into your archives and choose which of your blog posts deserve to be recognized for outstanding achievement. This is not a competition between bloggers but a chance for you to spotlight your own shining efforts at recording your genealogy and family history in ..*.

There is no nomination process. You just need to announce your winning blog posts for the 5 categories mentioned above in an article on your blog and submit it to the Carnival of Genealogy. Please act as your own "award presenter" by writing an introduction and include it in the "Remarks" box on the BlogCarnival submission form.

The deadline for submissions is February 15, ...

*We're going to define ".." to include any posts written in .. as well as those written Jan. 1-Feb. 15, .. as well (so that new bloggers can participate).

Alaska Highway :: Mile 0

I'm at the beginning of the Alaska Highway at Dawson Creek (aka Mile 0), British Columbia, Canada! Only 1523 miles to Fairbanks...


As you can see, it is a beautiful day. After three days of cloudy, overcast, gloomy skies it is nice to see some blue up there! Today is a National Holiday for Canada – Heritage Day. Maybe the shops just haven't opened yet but there is very little traffic and it is quiet here in the downtown area where there is free wifi, for which I am grateful.

Photos taken a few minutes after 10am this morning (Monday August 2nd).

Moving on down the road...

How a Grocery Store Won Me Back

There is a grocery store nearby that I've always neglected despite its proximity. They did not have a great selection of foods. They often sold stuff that was spoiled or expired. At thethe checkout, the cashiers would argue with me when I declined plastic bags. And the bike parking outside was iffy. This store is so close I could easily walk to it, butcarrying bags of groceries is just easier on a bike. And since I did food shopping by bike anyway, I figured I might as well shop at the stores I preferred, even if it meant riding further.




I suspect that other residents of our neighbourhood felt similarly, because about half a year ago the nearby store began to aggressively reinvent itself. They cleaned up, reorganised their merchandise, added an organic foods section. They expanded their selection ofproduce. The quality control is much improved. They now sell reusable shopping bags and don't argue when customers decline plastic.




But best of all, they allow me to roll my Brompton inside and use it as a shopping cart. No questions or comments, other than the occasional "Look, it's a bike and shopping cart in one!" Considering that othershops have thrown me out even when I've walked in with the bike fully folded, the permissive attitude of this store came as a pleasant surprise. Walking in with a small-wheel shopper is really no different from pushing a huge shopping cart; they get it. Now I shop there almost exclusively. Not only have they improved their store, but they've made shopping by bike a breeze.




While those of us who ride small wheel shoppers are in the minority, many cyclists report that their shopping preferences are guided by the store's bike-friendlieness. This can refer to a number of things, from adequate bike parking, to the parking lot being safe to navigate, to the location itself being reachable via a bike-friendly route. Do these considerations play a role in where you do your grocery shopping?

Dead Tree

This dead tree was right outside the gift shop and made an interesting photo.

Allensworth State Historical Park

After leaving Death Valley on March 27th I had decided to continue west to the coast of California, still seeking warmer weather. Along the way, I saw a sign for the Colonel Allensworth State Historical Park, which is located off of Interstate 5 northwest of Bakersfield, California. I went there not knowing what it was, only hoping that it had a campground.

The entrance welcomed me and I knew that I was in a very special place. Thankfully, it also had a campground!

According to a brochure that I picked up, the town of Allensworth was established in August 1908 by Colonel Allen Allensworth and four other settlers. It was the first settlement in California founded, financed and governed by African Americans. Their dream was to develop a thriving community based on the belief in programs that allowed blacks to help themselves create better lives. By 1910 Allensworth’s success was the focus of many national newspaper articles praising the town and its inhabitants.

Born into slavery and educated illegally, Allensworth ran off and joined the Army during the Civil War. He became one of the Army's first Black chaplains and at his retirement in 1906, he was the highest ranking African American commissioned officer in the United States military.

The townsite was purchased in 1974 by the California State Parks. Some of the homes and buildings have been restored while others are reconstructions.

The Stockett House and outbuildings.

The First Baptist Church.

Each building has a sign which provides a brief history.

The prefabricated house of Colonel Allensworth, delivered by railroad and assembled in 1911.

Additional photographs can be found on this page of the Allensworth Historical Park website. A biography of Colonel Allensworth can be found on Wikipedia.

Monday Mailbox: What is a High Nelly?

Monday Mailbox is a weekly post dedicated to questions received over email. Here is one, for a nice change of pace:

It's been fun discovering what to call different styles of bikes through your blog... diamond frame, step-through, loop frame, mixte, truss frame, Frascona curve! But what exactly is a High Nelly?

I have wondered about this myself, especially about the term's origin.




Used predominantly in the UK and Ireland (and not very common anymore), in a general sense "High Nelly" describes upright bikes. More often than not, the term refers specifically to women's bikes, and particularly to vintage ones. So, for instance, an old fashioned loop frame with swept-back handlebars up higher than the saddle might be called a High Nelly - similar to what an omafietsis to the Dutch.





But in Northern Ireland last summer, I was treated to a more detailed explanation. I was told that originally, "high nelly" referred to a specific style of a woman's bicycle frame, where the head tube was extended considerably past the height of the seat tube. This ensured that the handlebars could be set up as high as possible, for a fully upright and ultra-ladylike position. Apparently, only frames thus constructed are true high nellies.






Interestingly, in manufacturing its popular Lady's Tourist model, some time in the 1940s Raleigh switched from the original extended headtube design to one where the headtube was more or less level with the seat tube. The measurements of my 22" 1973 DL-1 frame are almost identical to the measurements of my 22" 1936 Lady's Tourist frame, save for this aspect and the resulting difference in posture.So, going by the explanation above, only the very early Lady's Tourists can be considered high nellies, whereas the later DL-1s (as well as most other post-war English 3-speeds) are not. And according to the same definition, lots of modern bikes can be considered high nellies, since extended headtubes are now quite popular.




Unfortunately, I cannot find any written information about the origins of the term, so I can't cite my sources beyond "conversation with collectors." And sadly, who exactly this Nelly was, for whom I assume the style of bicycle was named, remains a mystery.

Gretton - Harringworth Lodge - Gretton

With Barry. 6.5 miles. Snow still underfoot, though melting. Cold wind from west. Misty.



We followed the Jurassic Way east from Gretton, along the farm track and across the fields. We turned right before we reached Harringworth Lodge, where a permissive path is marked in a gap between two pieces of woodland. This took us to a surfaced track where we turned left again, and carried on until we met the road from Deene to Spanhoe. Another left turn, ignore the path to the right, and continue until there is another path indicated in both directions. We took the left-hand path, across the middle of a large field with a house and a few outbuildings on the right. At the other end of the field Harringworth Lodge and Lake come into view at the bottom of a short descent.





We saw a distant hare, and closer, some hardy long-horn cattle. Then a herd of deer crossed our path, from the woods on our right. Maybe we disturbed them with talking? A while later on the other side of the lake, we found a couple of sheep stuck in the bars of their feeder, wedged by the sheer quantity of thick wool. Nobly rescued at Barry's insistence, they dashed away, without even saying thank you. The farmer arrived in his Land Rover, so I guess they'd have been fine.





(more later)

65 Miles Later

Despite our idyllically mild summer, I have not been doing much in the way of long or difficult rides. Somehow I just haven't been able to get into the rhythm of things after returning from Ireland. My body is absolutely treacherous when it comes to things like this, too. The more and harder I ride, the more and harder it wants to ride. But if I ease up, it quickly gets lethargic and soft, creating a vicious cycle. "I can't join that fast group ride today, I am too out of shape!..." but of course that only makes it worse for next time.




Today, however, I woke up with a calm sense of certainty. This was the day I would get off my butt, move my schedule around, and go on a long ride. I didn't know how long, but it was going to happen. Setting off in the early afternoon, I eased myself into it by stoppingat the Ride Studio Cafe10 miles in. I think secretly I hoped there would be someone there who'd ride with me, saving me from the urge to sit around drinking coffee and reading magazines all day. But no such luck. Summoning my willpower I pressed on.




And after that, something strange happened. Namely, I sort of relaxed on the bike and got lost in daydreaming. This happens to me sometimes, but never for this long. Before I knew it I was approaching the end of a familiar training loop on auto-pilot. Surprised and not feeling very creative, I could think of nothing to do but repeat the loop, determined to be more mindful this time around. There is a hill along the way, and it's one I have always disliked. How was it possible that I hadn't noticed it, daydreaming while climbing and not even feeling the dreaded "out of shape" pain?




The second time around the loop, I approached the hill with awareness. Okay, so here it was ahead. I downshifted. Now here I was, cycling up the hill. I waited for the misery of it to wash over me, but it didn't. Instead, it was almost meditative. Enjoying the shade of the leafy trees, my mind wandered in the middle of the climb. Before I knew it, I'd completed the entire loop again and it was time to ride home before it got dark.




I rode a total of 65 miles and it took me about 4 hours. It was not a difficult route, but I am still surprised that I was able to just go out and do it. My muscles may have turned to jelly over the past couple of months, but apparently some of the endurance I'd built up is still there.The mysterious ways in which the human body responds to cycling and changes because of it never cease to amaze me.Several hours and a cheeseburger later, I am now clutching my aching legs,reaching for Ibuprofen,and complaining - but also feeling deliciously alive.No matter what we might think, we are never too out of shape for a ride.

Gumley circular

Led by Barry - with Gordon, Maureen and me. Fine and sunny, very wet underfoot in places. Very rolling - great views. 7.6 miles.



Covering some of the ground of this walk on 21 Nov , but this time we could see the views.

Some overlap with this walk on 8 October as well.









We set off from Gumley, and took the footpath opposite the telephone box. This path heads south-west. Just before Gumley Lodge we turned west crossing several fields before arriving at a small road close to Laughton. We crossed the road and followed the footpath into the village. A token sit on the bench - to check the map - and then through the village and past the church.

Laughton church and 'cob' wall

Crook House (cruck house?)

We followed the path to the west after the church, downhill towards Mowsley, over a brook, and up hill, across a lane and into the village by the church and the old school.

Mowsley church

At a bend in the road we took a path between buildings, and when it reached a field we took the right hand footpath. This led downhill, crossed another field and a stream. and headed north along field boundaries, clearly marked. We found a sheltered spot, with trees, where the ground was not too boggy and had our first break of the day.

The track led more or less north until we reached a junction near Saddington Lodge Farm. Here we turned right and headed north east towards Saddington village.

They took the longer route - I went direct. Luckily the boots proved fairly watertight.

In Saddington we went past the church, the riding school and the pub.

View of Saddington Reservoir from the pub

A little further along we turned right along the Leicestershire Round path - 1 and 3/4 miles to Gumley. Through the long thin field where there is usually one horse, then over the three bridges and up the hill where cows were grazing today.




At the top the views of the reservoir were excellent with no crops to block them.

Saddington Reservoir

Not the memorial seat . . .

The flat high level path is one of my favourites in the area. We continued to the memorial seat to Mary Hodgkin -the ideal spot for a second break.

Views to the north east - maybe Church Langton? And Charnwood hills in the distance.

From the seat at the high point of the path we carried on along the Leicestershire Round path, across Debdale Lane and into Gumley past the church.

A shortish walk, but quite hard going - hills and mud underfoot.

I Love Being Mimi

The hardest thing about being gone for seven months was not seeing the kids and grandkids. The really great thing about being Grandma or Mimi is that they miss you almost as much as you miss them. Or at least they tell you they do!



We were able to see our gorgeous grandchildren today, after seven long months. That is like a lifetime in Grandparent time. One of the first thing Liv does is show me that she has drawn a picture for me. Liv is an artist so I always love her art work. Here is one of her masterpieces that has "everyone" in it, according to her.



From left to right: Mimi, Auburn, Austin, Papa, Olivia and Gabe and the second row has Dad and Mom.





Nathan is highly offended by this picture and I just don't see why? Just because I am much bigger than him, first in line and colorful does not mean a thing. Ah, Liv always knows how to make my day. She even made our hair the same, complete with matching flowers.



Not to be outdone, Gabe asked to use my camera and took some pictures with it. He has shown real skills in this before, and I see that he's still as good as ever which just tickles me pink. Here is some of his work of Coco and their dog Jaeger and their gorgeous Mom, Renie:







They are just the coolest kids ever. I think Papa kind of likes them too:



Truth be told, he adores them as much as me. And it always so endearing to me to watch him interact with them. We are hoping to have lots more fun with them over the next few months.



Living the life in Florida!

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.

Breaking Up

High Falls at Grand Portage State Park as the river starts to open up in early April of . This photo was taken yesterday afternoon, just before we had a big thunderstorm that dropped some heavy rain on the area. I'm going to walk back up to the falls this afternoon to see what kind of a difference yesterday's rain made on the ice and the water flow.

La Sportiva Batura

The NEW La Sportiva Batura!



It may look the same, but trust me, it aint!



Above: Jack Roberts in the 1st generation Batura climbingCurtain Call in .



La Sportiva makes two of the most popular and highly technical alpine single boots on the market, the Nepal Evo and the Trango Extreme ExLt GTX . Both are truly benchmarks in current technical alpine/ice footwear. I and many others get an exceptional fit and performance in either of these La Sportiva boots.The Batura is a bit heavier and a good bit warmer than the Trango Extreme. And now abit heavier andstill a bit warmerthan the Nepal Evo. So the Batura is in heady company here. It is easily slotted into the La Sportiva mountain boot line, between traditional single boots and heavier double boots.









La Sportiva Spantik 3#.05oz / 1362g

La La Sportiva Baruntse 3#2.5oz / 53oz 1502g

La Sportiva Batura 1st gen. 2#7oz / 39oz, 1105g

La Sportiva Batura 2nd gen 2#11/ 43oz 1219gm

La Sportiva Nepal Evo 2#10.5oz / 42.5oz/ 1205g

La Sportiva Trango Evo Extreme GTX 2#3oz (35oz) / 992g



More here on weights

http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//04/weights.html





The Batura is state of the art technology in a stiff soled, flexible upper cuff and warm mountain boot. What is not to like here?



Before I answer that question, a couple of comments before I get in tothe gist of this Batura review.



I think the Batura style boots (boot with a built in insulated gaiter) have the most potential in cold weather alpine climbing of all the boot designs currently available. The "best design" might well evolve into a super thin dbl boot or new technology (OutDry for example) might allow the single boot design to finally live up to the task of multiple days out with no worry of accumulated moisture.in the boot. I don't know. But I do think the boot manufactures are on the right track. La Sportiva, Zamberlan, Scarpa and Kayand all have similar styled boots available now.



The new Batura



At the moment my two favorites are the current version of the La Sportiva Batura and the Scarpa Ultra. And while close to being prefect for my needs, neither are perfect,as of yet. So you are about to read a detailed and very specific commentary on my thoughts of the Batura. It was and is a very good boot. The potential is so great I think it worth the effort in being very specific in my critic and comments. Mycomments to followmight sound harsh out of context. So think about the next sentence before you decide just how good or bad the Batura is.



High praise? The Cold Thistle blog's opening picture is a pair of Batura on my feet for the2nd ascent of Blue Moon, IV WI4 R M6 5.8 At the time the climb was a good challenge for me. It was no accident I chose to climb in thethe Batura on"Blue Moon".











I started climbing in the original La Sportiva Batura in 2007. I used the same pair of boots off and on until I sold them last winter (/) while they were still in decent shape and lots of life left in them. They had held up well and no issues on the zipper or boot for that matter. But I have not been kind in my previous reviews of the Batura. All thewhile having specificallychosen the Baturafor some of my best winter climbs in the last couple of years. Some quite cold, where a double boot would have been more appropriate, And not even a hint of a cold injury in the Batura let alone cold feet.



I had hoped La Sportiva would have done it better for fit and comfort the first Batura go around. The previous Trango Ice series of boots certainly gave La Sportiva the back ground and insight to get it right on the Batura. I bet my $550 cash on La Sportiva getting it rightthe first time in fact.



I wouldn't have made the effort to get another pair of Baturas recently or do this review if La Sportiva had not chosen to make a few significant changes to the Batura Changesfor the better, imo. Having spent the last 6 months in the 3 Scarpa, Phantom series of boots,the Ultra, the Guide and the 6000, I can make some easy comparisons.



Worth stopping here for a moment I think and discussing design in general. Often times I look at several products from differing companies builtfor a singular purpose. It might be boots or crampons or ice tools for example. Three different categories of gear and all very specific and highly technical. Making direct comparisons of similar items makes it is easy to see things that get missed. Sometimes it is durability. Some times it is fit. Some times you just have to wonder why they stopped "there" instead of finishing the project. Or may be they thought the project was finished. It might bea pair of boots, a crampon design, ice tool, or a pair of pants.



Classic example? I looked at a British's climbing company's new lwt belay jacket the other day. Amazing jacket. Primaloft 1, Pertex shell, nice long arms, perfect cuffs and a generous helmet compatible hood. One internal zippered pocket and two unlined outside pockets. Unlined to be lighter and absorb less moisture. Beautiful jacket that I'll never buy. Why? No zippers and no other way to close those two outside pockets. What were they thinking?



It happens a lot on anything you want to look at and compare in detail. Even boots.



Back on task. Here are the previousBatura reviews and comments:



http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//04/la-sportivas-batura.html



The comparison post belowis rated 2nd for all time hits on the Cold Thistle blog! A comparisonI don't believe is valid now with the newest modelis now available.



Comparison here:



http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//04/scarpa-phantom-guide-vs-la-sportiva.html



Whilestill an issue just not as much, thankfully. One way to address the soft ankle support issue.



http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//01/added-support-for-la-sportivas-soft.html



If you are buying new bootsnow, make sure you don't get just the new zipper and the old boot internally!

Which is exactly what the boots shown in the picturebelow are, a new zipper and the old boot. There is a BIG difference between that boot and what I am now reviewing.









The main reasonsI think the Batura is worth another look?

The new zipper is nice, incredibly so compared to the previousyellow YKK toothed version. This one looks to be asmall, continuous coil, YKK that hastaped seams on the inside and a decent seal on the outside. But it is only water resistant. Water proof maybe in perfect laboratory conditions where nothing flexs the zipper. No where close to being water proof once you move the zipper around a bit.. Great over size slider and pull strap though. At least the zipper moves up and down very easily. That should no longer be a zipper failure point.TheScarpa TZip is pushing the definition and seems fairly "water prof". The TZip has been whateveryone seems to havemeasuredreliability byto date.. I've never felt a zipper "ooze quality". This new zipper on the Baturadoes. It remains to be seen just how reliable it really is. The small coils worry me. But I would expect adistinct improvement on durability and water resistance over the original YKK. Why La Sportiva didn't just buy the T Zip for this project still baffles me. But that isn't the reason, thezipper is trivial in my mind. I didn't have anyissue with the first one but almost everyone else certainly seemed to.



I think the change making the Batura worthy ofanother look and detailed reviewis themajor redesign of the lace system, heel pocketand a totally new boot tongue. All threeof whichgreatly improve the over all fit. Heel lift is totallyeliminated now even with my funky feet and super skinny ankle volume. I had to come back and add this part becauseI hadn't yet stuck my hand inside the boot and felt around. These boots have the biggest,specifically built heel pocket I have ever seen in a mtn boot.And I have seen a lot of mtn boots! Thepronounced heel pocket is comfortable on my foot so far. No track record on the heel pocket but gotta say it sure impresses me. The fit, because of the new heel pocket, is incredible. Thetongue is noticeably thicker, better articulated at the ankle and much more comfortable. The old wear pattern on the sides of the previous boot's tongue is also reinforced now.



La Sportiva says the Batura is built on the Nepal last. It may be true but you couldn't prove it by me. I find th Batura much tighter in the heel now and much bigger in the toe box than the Nepal Evo. I found the original Batura had a bigger toe box as well. The bigger toe box makes for a warmer boot I think. I certainly have room to roll my toes and wiggle them around tokeep them warm or warm them if chilled.

More room in the toe boxis a big advantage over the Nepal Evo I think. It feels like the Batura was designed specifically for cold weather climbing......with the appropriate attention to detail and build quality.



The more I wear and use this boot the more impressed I become. I am not easily swayed because of my experience with thefirst generation of Batura.



.











The fitis really important to me. This versionof the Batura really delivers there. The Batura hasalso gained a bit of ankle support on the forward flex by adding the extra and well spaced eyelets. Which were really needed imo.



The advantages the Batura has over the Scarpa Phantom Guides/Ultra are worth listing;

Not all are obvious to first inspection let alone 1st use. It took 6 months to come to these conclusions.



Batura advantages:

Muchbettercrampon fit (and it is a biggy as almost anything snaps on perfectly)

Betterand slightly taller gaiter

More comfortabletop gaiter closure

slightly better Achilles ergonomics on the cuff design

Much stiffer midsole

Laces that stay tight first try

A strongerand reinforced toe box

Better boot/ankle protection from crampons

Slightly larger external volume should mean a warmer boot



But the Baturais at least 3oz(7.5oz on the Ultra) per boot heavier than the Guide.

And it isbuilt like a truck. It can afford to be "better".



Above: Check out the new positions of the fivecuff "eyelet"on the ankle and upper cuff compared to the previous version pictured on the right below. Basically 4 eyelets where there were only 2. before. And they are all better positioned and more comfortableon my skinny ankles and shin.





The previouspicture is the newest Batura. In thepicture above compare how thelock lace has been moved down, another lace eyelet added above it. The metal speed lace on the original Batura have been replaced with a lower profile and less intrusive fabric "eyelets". The actual lock lace eyelet is lower profile and way less likely to bite my (your?) ankle in use. As the previous one did occasionally on my foot.

You might wonder why, if I like the Scarpa Ultra and the ScarpaGuide so much, why would I bother playing the Batura again. Easy answer. The first being, crampon fit. Yes you can get a crampon to fit the Guide but it takes some effort. The Ultra and 6000 take more than a little effort and some serious desire with a bit of trickery thrown in to get a perfect fit. The Baturahas a more rigid sole that the Scarpa Phantom boots....any of the Phantom boots. Another majoradvantage on steep ice.From my experience with both brands of boots I also prefer the gaiter on the Batura. That is notan opinion easy tocome by. The Batura gaiter seems tobreath better in really cold conditions and is easier on the back of your calf and Achilles tendononce tightened.The Batura cuff is ergonomically better cut for Achilles tendon relief. Seemingly trivial but I also find the Batura gaiter easier to tuck my pants into instead of using a pant leg over them as a gaiter. Not so trivial if youwant a smallerprofile on yor lower leg. And lastly the reinforced toe box on the past Batura seems much more durable and reliable than the Scarpa toe box. The Scarpa Guide toe boxis rapidly gaining a reputation for collapsing on water icefrom the pounding they take.



Tucking your pants into the Phantom line almost guarantees wet feet as the tight elastic gaiter stops evaporation from the boots cuffs. For me the condensationand freezing only gets worse in really cold weather.







By the numbers you can see the Batura is 99g or 3.5 oz heavier per bootthan the Scarpa Guide. More than a fair trade for a slightly stiffer boot sole, toe boxand a softer cuff if they fit your feet. 3.5 oz heavier than the Scarpa Guideor 7oz heavier per pair. As I mentioned the volume is slightly larger than the Guide. And the boot is a bit heavier (115g or 4.2oz) than the 1st generation design. I would expect the Batura to be a slightly warmer bootthan the Scarpa Guide simply by volume alone.



What I am looking at is over all weight and thickness of the mid sole on theLa Sportivas as a comparison.. "MIDSOLE: 8-9mm "



By thenumbers?



TRANGO EXTREME GORETEX



WEIGHT: 35oz- 992g-Gore-Tex® Insulated Comfort Footwear INSOLE: 9mm insulating Ibi-Thermo MIDSOLE: 6-7mm HP3 SOLE: Vibram® Lavaredo (Sticky Supertrek Rubber)



NEPAL



WEIGHT: 42oz 1205g -leather with high-abrasion resistant fabric/ Vibram® rubber rands LINING: Gore-Tex® Insulated Comfort Footwear INSOLE: Insulating Ibi-Thermo 9mm MIDSOLE: 8-9mm TPU/ PU inserts/ SBR Aircushionion resistant fabric/ Vibram® rubber rands LINING: Gore-Tex® Insulated Comfort Footwear INSOLE: Insulating Ibi-Thermo 9mm MIDSOLE: 8-9mm TPU/ PU inserts/ SBR Aircushion SOLE: Vibram® with Impact Brake System



BATURA EVO



WEIGHT: 39oz 1106g-Elastic Corduraynamic™ with water repellant membrane UPPER: High tenacity nylon/ Insulated anti-dragging felt/ Insulated PE/ Insulating aluminum layer LINING: Polyamide Thermic layer/ Mesh INSOLE: Insulating Ibi-Thermo 9mm MIDSOLE: 8-9mm TPU/ PU Inserts/ SBR Aircushion SOLE: 8-9mm TPU/ PU Inserts/ SBR Aircushion





The real numbers on weight?



La Sportiva Batura original version 2#7oz / 39oz, 1105g

La Sportiva Batura 2nd gen 2#11/ 43oz 1219gm

La Sportiva Nepal Evo 2#10.5oz / 42.5oz/ 1205g

La Sportiva Trango Evo Extreme GTX 2#3oz (35oz) / 992g



SCARPA Phantom ULTRA new model 2#3.5oz (35.5oz) 1006g

SCARPA Phantom GUIDE new model 2#7.5oz (39.5oz) 1120g



The Batura is going on 5 years old this winter. That is a long time to leaveanytechnical bootin today's market place unchanged. Obviously La Sportiva has sold thousands of them world wide. That isn't luck. The Batura is a good boot...just not yet a great boot. It is a good step closer though imo. But I'm glad La Sportiva is still invested in the idea and continues to improve upon it. The technology and basic design have huge potential.



Here is some of what I have learned in those 5 years on the Batura. The old zipper wasn't very reliable and certainly wasn't water proof. Both of those issues the new water resistant YKKzippershould havesolved. The original Batura had a reputation of "eating your feet". Foot cramps were a common complaint. I suspect that was because of the fairly rigid sole, not enough rocker (although La Sportiva did try on the rocker) and the really soft ankles. The soft ankle will let us walk a long ways in some pretty stiff soled boots. I suspect the soft ankle is making your foot do things it normally would not be doing. My theory anyway. Lots of ankle flex and a virtually rigid sole makes a great mixed boot. But if La Sportivawould only add a little additionalankle support, you would havehave a great alpine boot as well with littlelosson hard mixed.



The Batura excels in this kind of mixedterrain.

photo courtesy of Daniel Harro



If the mixed is going to be very difficult(as in modern mixed and bolts) most will have a fruit boot or a lighter pair of mtn boots like theTrango Extremeon anyway.



Durability is always an issue with fabric boots. La Sportiva 's Batura answer forcrampon durability, lots of heavy rubber reinforcement on the fabric at the instep of the boots.







For whatever reason, fourof us stopped usingthe Batura after theonset of some serious foot issues last fall. Which happened to co inside with the NA release of the new Scarpa Guides, thankfully. Used Batura were turning up in numbers on Ebay.The foot issues were not something any of ushadever experiencedbefore. Neuromas and bone spurs were common with this boot onmy and other Batura owner's feet. I have not had the same issue with the Scarpas. My foot issues have almost totally disappeared while climbing in the Scarpa Ultras. May be it is just the better insole that Scarpa provides but I would hate to think it was something that simple. Insoles are easy to replace.



I am not a biomechanical kinesiologist. But myguess is the extra flexibility of the mid sole and the added ankle support of the Scarpa Guide and Ultrais what saves your feet.Again only my guess here but something is defiantly happening with these only slightly different combos of stiffness, sole rockerand support between the Scarpa boots and the La Sportiva boots. The flex in the Scarpa sole allows your foot to more in a more natural way when walking.I suspectthe extra support in the ankle limits thestress on the foot as well. Down side to that is I would rather climb on a rigidsole forice and alpine. I don't have huge concerns on how well a climbing boot "walks". With any45/46 size bootall have a littleflex. Some just less than others.



The new Batura has substantially more rocker in the sole than the original version. I noticed it immediately in the few few steps I took once in the boots.



While my photos with the yard stick shows 1 1/8" for rocker on the Batura and 1 1/ 4"on the Scarpa Ultra, the soles are enough different that the extra 1/4" of rocker and how I measured it is questionable. But even then that is only1/16" per foot. TheBatura actually feels like it has more rocker than the Ultra. All the while the Batura is stiffer in the sole by a good bit and about the same now compared to the Scarpa Guides for ankle support.



Batura shows 1 1/8" rocker.



Ultra shows 1 1/4" rocker.









Scarpa Ultra, super thin (and light weight) lugs on the left, the Batura with full depth lugs on the right.

Scarpa Ultra's uber sticky and low profileVibram® MULAZ sole on the left. On the right the Batura'sIBS is a sole born from the collaboration between La Sportiva and Vibram. The sole presents a new treading system, the IBS or Impact Brake System which was designed by La Sportiva and developed by Vibram to reduce impact on hard terrain. I am thinking, a lwt weight and super sticky rubber may have been a better answer :)





The old plastic Kolfach Ultras double bootswere totally rigid boots with a good amount of rocker built into the sole and some reasonable ankle support front to back. Ispent some time in my old Koflachs recentlyjustas a comparison. I have walked may miles in those boots and never had foot issues. Shin bang...sure. But my feet were generally happy. The Kolflachs climbed rock and ice well enough. And we all like "happy feet".



The next couple of months of climbing should give me an idea if any of theinternal changes have made the Batura a more comfortable boot on my feet. But I already know they are a much better boot for me than the previous generation. Have to say I am pretty stoked at the end result. The test will be my opinion 90 days from now. I'll report back my findings here.. But so cool to have multiple pairs of perfectly fitting crampons again!



More details of the Batura and a Scarpa Ultras as a comparison. What you don't get from the pictures is the obvious better build quality of the La Sportiva. Which to be honest, surprised me.







The toe's sole profile is the reason crampons fit the Batura so much better than the Ultra.