(dis)Comfort Bike Blues

Only two weeks left until I return to the US, where the Co-Habitant, our two kitties, and our small flock of bicycles await me expectantly!



That is the good news. The bad news, is that I will not be cycling for the remainder of my stay in Austria. Apparently, I have managed to mildly injure myself by cycling too fast and too much (60-80 km rides) on a bicycle that was not designed for it. I was warned that this could happen, but my enthusiasm for the trails got the best of me and I did not heed the warnings. Now I need to take a break and heal completely, if I want to be able to cycle for the rest of the summer. Grrr.



So I guess this is Good-bye to the rental comfort bike I have been riding here for the past 2 months. We've had some good times together, but she just was not made to cope with my demands.



It's not that comfort bikes are categorically "bad" bicycles. Short trips feel marvelous, and they can handle a wide range of town and country terrain. But the longer the trip and the faster you attempt to ride, the more you begin to feel the limitations of their anatomy. Whereas the road bike is built for speed, the mountain bike for off-road use, and the Dutch-style bike for utility, the comfort bike manages to combine components of all three in a way that provides the full benefits of neither.



Clever Cycles has an excellent article that compares the anatomies of different types of bicycles and explains why comfort bikes can feel the opposite of what their name suggests:

Ergonomically, I think comfort bikes ...are sort of a disaster. They have the steep-ish seat tube angle of a mountain bike, and simply bring the bars much closer and higher... This results in a very shallow torso angle so the buttocks can’t help much with pedaling. You see riders of these bikes bobbing their torsos forward with each pedal stroke trying vainly to enlist more muscles to the aid of their smoking quadriceps. The saddles are appropriately broad to support the upright rotation of the pelvis, but all that broad tragic squishiness leads to chafing because the seat tube angle puts the pedals too nearly below the hips. A common compensation is to set the saddle too low, which only makes the other problems worse.

This describes exactly the problems I was having with the rental hybrid. At first it feels quite comfortable, as it does give you a fairly upright posture. But the longer you cycle, the more you feel that the seating tube angle, the handlebars, the space between the different parts of the bike, etc., all sort of work against you rather than for you as you attempt to go long distance, climb a hill, or pick up speed. And, if like me, you keep at it despite feeling the bike's limitations, the inevitable results are pain and possible injury.



If you are shopping for a bicycle, be aware that what are called "comfort bikes" do not have the same construction as traditional relaxed frame bicycles such as the old English 3-speeds and the Dutch-style bicycles.



It will be difficult not riding a bike for 2 whole weeks now that I've gotten so used to it! But no doubt this period of velo-abstinence will make me appreciate the bicycles waiting for me at home all the more.

How Slow Can You Go?

In cycling, some associate skill and experience with being able to go fast. But going slow - and I mean really slow, like walking pace - can be even more difficult. When I first began riding as an adult, I could not keep my bike upright at super-slow speeds. I remember that the steering was hard to control; I'd end up losing my balance and having to stop. Even a couple of years down the road, it was easier to ride at 20mph than at 2mph. But finally I got the hang of it, and today I am able to ride at walking speed with no trouble at all.




Looking back on this, I would say that slow cycling is one of the most useful bicycling skills I have picked up so far. Here are just some of the practical applications I've noticed over the years:




Wobble-free starting

When I talk to novices about cycling for transportation, a common theme that comes up is the fear of swerving into traffic when starting from a stop at a light. You can see it in the city: When some riders push off from a stop, the front end of their bike will wobble before they gain sufficient momentum to proceed in a straight line. Now, some bikes are easier to balance at slow speeds than others, but with sufficient skill even a twitchy bike can be ridden at walking speed wobble-free, eliminating this anxiety.




Navigating traffic

Riding in the city can be all about stop and go traffic. Being able to cycle slowly while maintaining full control of the bike makes this easier to handle, allowing the cyclist to maintain momentum and to travel more efficiently. Particularly useful is what I think of as "hovering." This is a practice that is somewhere between trackstanding and riding at walking pace. It comes in handy when inching your way forward in a line of stopped cars, changing lanes in dense traffic, waiting to turn left at an intersection, or proceeding in ambiguous right of way situations. It is much easier to both show your intent and accelerate from a position of hovering than it is from a stopped position.




Safe MUP sharing

It used to drive me nuts to ride on crowded mixed use paths. Finding it stressful to navigate around hordes of unpredictable pedestrians, I would simply avoid MUPs during peak hours. But the greenways around here are quite scenic and can be relaxing if riding slowly is not an issue. The same "hovering" skill I find useful in road traffic works just as well for meandering amidst joggers and dog walkers.




Riding on dirt and uneven surfaces

Cycling through muddy, rocky and otherwise challenging terrain can reduce a bike's speed considerably. Yet keeping your balance and being able to steer the bike precisely is more important than ever in those conditions. My new-found enjoyment of unpaved riding has much to do with improved slow cycling skills.




Thinking back to how I finally learned all of this, two distinct experiences come to mind. First, riding fixed gear. I remember vividly how the fixed drivetrain made me feel dramatically more in control of the bike at slow speeds. No one was there to instruct me; it was as if the bike itself was teaching me. And after getting my body used to balancing on the fixed bike that way, some of that eventually transferred over to freewheel bikes.




But the real change was a result ofinstructional paceline rides. These rides taught me a number of useful techniques, including how to maintain continuous pedaling and consistent cadence regardless of speed. To ride slowly, we were instructed to switch into a low gear while pedaling and feathering the brakes, instead of coasting. This taught me to maneuver the bike smoothly, to control my speed with precision, and to stay stable even when moving at a crawl. Somehow pedaling made all of this easier and reprogrammed my body to balance with the bike. Almost immediately, I saw major improvements in my everyday bike handling skills.




If fixed gear bikes and paceline rides are not for you, one thing you could try is this: When out riding, pay attention to your pedaling. To slow down, try switching into a low gear while pedaling continuously, instead of coasting while pedaling in a high gear occasionally. To slow down even more, feather the brakes while continuing to pedal. Try to go slower and slower using this technique.Gradually your body will learn to maneuver the bike at slow speeds, whether pedaling or coasting.Learning to ride slowly transformed me as a cyclist; it is a skill I highly recommend picking up.

Bear Creek Mountain

A bunch of us decided to get out of town and try something new, so we headed for Bear Creek Mountain. The first 3 miles are fairly flat and feature several meadows.


Most of the elevation gain is at the end of the hike. Some pikas kept running around and whistling in this rocky area.



The kids enjoyed themselves in a large deposit of Mt. Saint Helens ash that we found on the way up.


Dahlia, Lily, Bill, Daisy, Danielle, Jennifer, Doug, Tania, Tina, Bethany and Dreamer, the dog, on top. Our view was limited, since we were in a cloud. It was nice to get out, see some new sights and spend the day in a place where the high was only 60 degrees!

Misadventures in the Thaw

As you may have inferred from the dearth of personal posts and new pictures, there has not been a great deal of cycling lately. But suddenly, yesterday: a thaw. A cursory glance outside suggested that the streets hadsomewhatcleared of snow, and so I eagerly dragged out the bike. But what was meant to be a productive day, became instead a frazzled misadventure.



Liberated from the heaps of snow under which it's sat for over a month, my entire street now looks like it's being dug for trenches. I am amazed that this could happen over the course of a single winter, especially since they'd just recently repaved it. There is barely a foot of road where the asphalt is not broken, and it's nearly impossible to cycle through what is essentially one big ditch.



Soon I was on the main road, which has bike lanes in both directions. That is the bike lane in the picture above. When the blizzards were in full force, it was understandable that the bike lanes were not cleared. The whole town was covered in yards of snow, and I don't think bike lanes deserve special treatment compared to traffic lanes and sidewalks. But they do deserve equaltreatment, and for the past couple of weeks they have not been getting it, as far as I can see. Everything except for the bike lanes is now cleared.



After a couple of swerves and dodges, I decided to get out of the bike lane altogether and cycle on the road. The drivers thought I was insane. Apparently, they are no longer sympathetic to cyclists being in the traffic lane, because the conditions aren't harsh enough to evoke the "winter weather mode of politeness." I got a couple of "what are you doing??" gestures through rolled down windows, and my feeble attempts to point at the slush and ice in the bike lane elicited only blank stares. The bike lane looked fine to them - at least fine enough to make it no longer acceptable for me to be out in the traffic lane. After this happened a couple of times, I gave in. I didn't want to be right. I just wanted to get where I needed to go without arguing with every third car that passed me. So I got back in the bike lane. And that's when it happened: My first near-accident.



I don't have pictures of what the spot looked like, but it was similar to the watery area you see behind the bike here. I was cycling along a more or less clear portion of the bike lane, when suddenly I approached what looked like water with some slushy edging to it. It was getting dark at this point, and I considered that the water might in fact be covering a layer of ice. But by the time this thought entered my mind, I had a choice to either brake suddenly, swerve around it, or go through it. Looking over my shoulder, there was no room to swerve. And braking seemed like a bad idea in that particular spot. So I went through it. There was indeed ice underneath the water, and the bike's reaction surprised me. It did not slide out from underneath me or flip over upon hitting the ice, but remained upright while "skating" in a zig-zag, much like a car would on an icy road. Incredibly, I kept my balance and tried to contain the zig-zagging within the bike lane, as there was a steady flow of cars to my left. It seemed to me that this went on forever, but in all likelihood it was probably over in less than 10 seconds. I looked back afterward, and the ice-watery stretch was a quarter of a block long. I feel comfortable classifying that as a safety hazard.



I don't mind admitting that the experience left me a bit shaken, and I decided to turn back before reaching my intended destination. I switched on my lights and cycled on the road again, not caring whom I was inconveniencing and how they chose to express that. Then I stopped by a shop near my house to get some olives.



Not having taken my pannier along, I put the olives in a paper bag and secured the package via "rat-trap" - which made me think about rack design again. It is surprising to me that the Gazelle rack, which is rated for a huge amount of weight, has no provisions for bungee cord attachment. I don't really trust these rat trap thingies.I also have mixed feelings about "cafe locks." They are heavy, they are not always easy to use, and you can hurt your fingers if they get in the way of the lever popping back up when the lock is released - which is exactly what happened after my olive purchase.



I arrived home without further incident, albeit trailing olive brine from the rat trap having pressed into the container. A notification of a missed package greeted me with a malicious grin, as I removed the leaking packet from my bike rack and prepared to drag the Gazelle up the stairs. A productive afternoon it was not.



But surely there are lessons to be learned from this. The lure of the first thaw is not to be trusted? Water-covered ice is more treacherous than packed snow? Don't let drivers bully you into a bike lane that you feel is unsafe? Yes, all of those certainly seem to fit, but somehow I don't feel a whole lot wiser after the experience. What exactly am I supposed to do next time, cycle on the road and be shouted at the whole way? Or stay off the bike until the city finally decides to clear the sides of the roads? Neither is an appealing option.

Mt Rainier Storm & Flood Damage Photos - Carbon/Ipsut

The NW corner of the park usually has its own share of flood related damage each year. And though it's not unusual for there to be Carbon River inspired washouts, this rainstorm brought substantially more destruction to the area. For example, here is the idyllic Ipsut Creek Cabin. It suffered heavily during the flood. Is it me, or does this place remind you of Yoda's house on Dagoba?

This creek diversion gives literal meaning to the name, Ipsut Creek Cabin. If Yoda did live here, he'd have to use quite a bit of "the force" to fix things.

As for the Carbon River Road, more than two miles of it washed away in at least four separate spots. In some places, the river flowed down the middle of the road (like here). For climbers, this could spell delay in early season attempts of Liberty Ridge.

AND another washout closer to Ipsut Creek Campground.

As for the Wonderland and other park trails, here's a brief run down on the storm damage. Keep in mind, the full extent may not be known till next spring, as these assessments were made from the air. For now, backpackers should probably expect things (bridges) to open up later than normal next summer. There are at least 10 bridges out around the Wonderland Trail. New trail needs to constructed in four other places. That includes a half mile reroute between Lake James and Cataract Creek and another 750 foot section in Stevens Canyon. NPS Photos

Avalanches and Prestigious Awards

Before we get to the fun stuff, I need to mention that the temperatures are going to really heat up later this week and possibly into the weekend. If you’re coming to Mount Rainier, be very careful around (or avoid altogether) steep snow slopes and glacial icefalls. As the freezing level climbs above 10K, the avalanche hazard is likely to SOAR. We’ve had over 900 inches of snowfall this winter and spring and you don’t want to be caught under it as summer returns for a few days.

So do you remember Phill Michael? He was the Canadian climber who helped those lost hikers on the Muir Snowfield last fall. Well, his actions earned recognition from the Secretary of the Interior. Here is the press release about his actions, the award and a picture from today’s ceremony. Great job, Phill! You can find more about Phill, this story and his other adventures at secretspot.net! He also discusses the incident in a radio interview.

Skills, Experience and Compassion earn Canadian Citizen the Department of Interior’s Award for Bravery

Mount Rainier is recognized for its inclement and hazardous weather. The Muir Snowfield on Mount Rainier is noted for its hidden crevasses and cliffs; hazards that have claimed the lives of many day hikers, skiers and climbers. A night without shelter while lost on the snowfield often ends tragically.

Preparedness, skills and experience are critical prerequisites for any climber venturing onto the mountain’s often treacherous upper slopes. At any time of the year the weather can change suddenly creating dangerous conditions. It is imperative that climbers begin their climb prepared to wait out the weather if it becomes necessary. Being prepared can mean the difference between life and death on the upper mountain and can help save the lives of others. Phill Michael came prepared to climb the mountain and ended up saving the lives of two backpackers who were not prepared to overnight in the challenging environment typical of the upper mountain.

If not for the skill, preparedness and efforts of Phill Michael, it is likely that the two backpackers would have perished. All too often, the story of lost hikers on Mount Rainier ends sadly. Phill Michael’s actions and preparedness directly resulted in the saving of two visitors on Mount Rainier. For these efforts, the National Park Service awarded Mr. Michael its Citizen’s Award for Bravery.

On September 16th 2007, climber Phill Michael was descending from Camp Muir during a storm when he came upon two visitors who were lost and ill prepared. That couple was also descending from Camp Muir, but found themselves disoriented and without shelter in one of Mount Rainier’s most notoriously dangerous locations. While descending, Mr. Michael heard distressed voices and moved in their direction. The path back to Paradise was completely obscured and it was quite foggy, rainy and windy. After following the voices, Mr. Michael soon located the two backpackers. At that time, the couple was in despair as they had no way to reorient themselves, navigate off the mountain or provide shelter. Mr. Michael used his equipment, skills and abilities as an experienced guide to erect a shelter out of his tarp and care for the two lost backpackers. Over the following 48 hours, Michael attended to the couple while the snow, wind, and rain continually threatened. During a brief respite from the storm on day three, Mr. Michael was able to reorient the team and descend safely back to the Paradise.

The skiers are taking over!

New snow and warm temperatures this final weekend in June brought out the most skiers I have ever seen on Rainier. The DC, Emmons, Winthrop, and Fuhrer Finger were all skied. The ski conditions were great for the most part. The snow was firm but somewhat punchy down to 13,000 feet. Conditions improved as the snow softened and became less wind- affected. There was good corn skiing from about 11,500' to about 10,000'. The snow became heavy and wet below that altitude. Above is a photo of one of those skiers descending the Cleaver. Although the skiing can be fabulous, be realistic about conditions and your ability, and be sure to be "on your game", as exposure to cliffs below can severely impact your outing in the event of an uncontrolled slip!

Conditions and weather have combined this week to give us stable weather and great climbing. Climbers summitted via the Disappointment Cleaver, Ingraham Direct, Fuhrer Finger, Kautz Glacier, Tahoma Glacier, Liberty Ridge, Winthrop Glacier, and the Emmons Glacier. Of course, the warm weather has its downside: rock fall and ice fall have increased exponentially, and a few routes have started to melt out... notably Gibralter Ledges, which had seen quite a few ascents this year.
--Adrienne Sherred - Photo by Andy Anderson

Arches Revisited

Ten days ago I left Hovenweep National Monument and continued north toward Moab. My intention was to stay a few days and spend some time at Arches National Park. I immensely enjoyed my visit there, about a year ago. However, after a stop at the visitor center, where I learned that most of the campgrounds in the area were already full and booked for the weekend, I resumed driving. There is a State Park at Green River about 45 minutes northwest of Moab and, as luck would have it, they still had quite a few campsites available. It was mid-afternoon when I checked in and before the sun set the campground was full.



The next morning (Friday the 13th), I decided to stay at Green River State Park for the weekend. It was a gorgeous day and after doing a few chores in the morning took a drive over to Arches National Park.





One of the numerous formations at Arches. It was late afternoon and nearby formations cast their shadows, slowly creeping ever closer to this formation.





Another formation silhouetted against the skyline.



The snow-capped La Sal mountains rise up in the distance and dominate the horizon



Balancing Rock. From this angle it really does looks like it is doing a balancing act.



But as you walk around it, the angle of view and perspective change; it is securely attached to the base rock. In time, the wind and rain will erode the base further and some day, in the distant future, the balancing rock will be no more.





And, of course, the setting sun marked the end of another beautiful day!

Sage and Sunflowers

More Bonanza

This newspaper clipping shows Michael Landon - Little Joe, Dan Blocker - Hoss, and Pernell Roberts - Adam.

Bull Moose at 3:00 A.M.

Last night at 2:00 A.M. I woke to check the aurora index and next thing you know I'm spending the remainder of the night and early morning out in the woods! During the evening the aurora forecast was looking more and more favorable but not strong enough to head out before going to bed. So, I set my alarm for 2:00 hoping that maybe by then it would be worth going out. When I checked the forecast after my alarm woke me it indicated that the aurora was at "STORM" level! Once I saw that, I was on my way outside with my camera in tow. Unfortunately, it started to rain just moments after I arrived at my first location along the Lake Superior shoreline. The aurora was active, I could see it plainly in the sky between the rain clouds. The rain prevented me from getting any shots so I altered my plan and decided to head inland and see if the sky was clear away from the big lake.



On my way up Old Highway 61 in Grand Portage I drove right by a swamp and there, standing not more than 20 feet off the road, was a big bull moose! He didn't even move when I drove by, so I slowly backed up to get a better look at him. He still wasn't moving, so I turned the truck a bit until the headlights were shining right at him. He just stood there, staring at me as I stared back at him. This photo was taken through the windshield of my truck. I think it turned out pretty good considering it was a hand-held shot from behind the wheel of the truck and at ISO 6400! I took a few more pictures of him before he started to walk away. As he walked away I shot a couple of video clips of him as well. It was a great start to my late night photo outing!

Redwood National and State Parks

Redwoods are cool. They make you realize that Mother Nature is AWESOME! It is humbling, to say the least, to stand in the shadow of a giant Redwood tree and realize that it has been living for more than 1,000 years. In fact, Redwoods can live to be as much as 2,200 years old and grow to be almost 400 feet tall and 26 feet in diameter. The bark of a Redwood tree can grow to be 12" thick. Yet for all their size and grandeur, Redwoods originate from one of the smallest cones to be found in the world. The cones produced by a Redwood tree are typically only about one inch long.





I spent the last two days exploring different areas of Redwood National and State Parks. This area is in northern California, between San Francisco and the Oregon border. This was my second time visiting the Redwoods and I enjoyed this visit as much as the first. The Redwood forests are, in a way, like the Grand Canyon. Their immense size is a wonder to behold, yet the feeling of that immensity is very difficult to portray in a photograph. More than anything, it is simply a wonder to take a walk beneath the canopy of a Redwood forest.



Above: I saw this plaque on a bench in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. It's a quote from Shakespeare which reads: "One Touch of Nature Makes The Whole World Kin". I thought it was a sentiment worth sharing, and I did my part by giving one of my giant Redwood relatives a hug :-)

In Memoriam - Jacob J Phend (1920-)

Jacob J "Jake" Phend (my first cousin twice removed, i.e., my grandfather's first cousin) passed away Wednesday, May 31, .. at Elkhart General Hospital. He was born May 11, 1920 in Elkhart County, Indiana to Jacob J Phend and his second wife Elizabeth Gast Corpe. Jake's father was 61 years old when Jake was born and 63 when Jake's sister, Sophia Elizabeth, was born. His father passed away in 1929 when Jake was 9 years old and his mother died five years later, when Jake was 14.

Jake was another distant cousin that I met while researching the Phend family. He didn't know much about his Phend relations since he was so young when his father died. But he soon found that he had a lot more relatives than he ever dreamed he had. Jake was a regular attendee of the "extended" Phend Family Reunions that have been held on the "even" years since 1992.

He had a great sense of humor, with a streak of orneriness thrown in for good measure. At each of the reunions he attended he brought me a gift - a "puzzle" made of wood or metal. One year it was a small heart with an arrow through it, with no indication of a cut line in the heart. I never have figured out how he got that arrow through the heart! Another year it was a "Quarter Pounder". I saw him coming across the yard with a McDonald's carry-out bag. He just grinned and handed it to me. I tentatively opened it and inside was a small "spring-loaded" clothespin with a miniature "hammer" positioned on top of a quarter coin.... he was definitely one of a kind.

Jake always got a kick out of introducing himself at the reunions... he was Jacob J Phend, his father was Jacob J Phend, and his father was Jacob Phend. He was thrilled when one of his grandchildren named his first child Jacob. Jake had two sons, I don't know why he didn't name one of them Jacob. Two of his grandchildren have the middle name of "J" so that is carried on also. The picture below of Jake, me, and his wife Evadean, was taken at the reunion in Kalona, Iowa in August 1998. That's the "Quarter Pounder" in the upper right corner of the post.

The following is Jake's story, in his own words, written March 23, 1991. . .Dear Becky, I am probably the worlds worst letter writer. When it comes time to write a letter, I can usually find at least ten things that should be taken care of, and a hundred things I would rather do.About my Dad. I don't remember much about him. He was a farmer, and seemed to always have a lot of nice horses around. He had an artificial leg but I didn't know how he lost it until one day, Surelda [1] told me about it. He was hauling material to build the dam in Elkhart and the horses ran away. Some of the timbers fell on his leg and smashed it. They had to take it off. Now, they probably could of saved it. You talked with Surelda, and she probably told you more than I can about Dad.About myself, do you want a long or short story. Since you are not here to tell me, I'll give you a story some where in between a long and short, and you can decide for yourself what to use in your book.I was born May 11, 1920 in Elkhart County, Indiana. Attended a one room school (Oak Grove) in St. Joseph County until the 6th grade. Went to Granger Consolidated school up to the 9th grade. Then went to Washington Clay High School at Roseland, Indiana and graduated high school in 1939. Not much work available in 1939, so I joined the CCC [2]. Went to the state of Washington and worked with the forestry department for two years. I enjoyed that kind of life.After two years I came back to Indiana but was not satisfied, so I joined the Marines and then I started to see the country. Went through boot camp at San Diego Marine Base. After training at San Diego I was put in Fleet Marine Force and sent to Samoa, for jungle training. When the 1st Marine Division was sent to Guadalcanal we went along. This was the first offensive action of American Forces in World War II.On Guadalcanal I got malaria and jungle rot but did not get wounded. When the Guadalcanal campaign was over our unit was put back into the 2nd Division Assault Forces and was sent to New Zealand to re-group and train for the next landing.In New Zealand our unit was formed up into assault teams of four marines to each team. We was trained to use flamethrowers and T.N.T. demolition charges. When we left New Zealand our next assault landing was on Tarawa. During that campaign our team was credited with knocking out 32 pill boxes and machine gun nests. The casualties was very high on Tarawa. The assault troops suffered 60% casualties, wounded or killed. Again I did not get wounded. I'm sure someone was taking care of me.

From Tarawa we went to Hawaii to re-group and train for the next landing. When we left Hawaii we landed on Saipan. This campaign was different than Tarawa. They had caves on Saipan. We used demolition and flamethrowers to get the Japs out of the caves. Again the casualties was high for that assault force.

Tinien was a fair size island south of Saipan and after Saipan was secured we took Tinien. Tinien was a breeze compared to the other landings. The CB's built an air field on Tinien and the bomber that dropped the atomic bomb on Japan took off from that air field. After Tinien we went back to Saipan. There was a group in our company known as the "Old Ones" not because they was old, but because out of the 250 original men who had started in Samoa, there was only 35 of the original bunch left.

The Marine Corps made provision for those Marines with over 32 months overseas duty to return to the states. So from Saipan I went back to the states for a 10 day furlough and was then sent to the East Coast to report into Marine Base at Paris Island, N. C. for a refresher course in assault engineering methods. After looking through the training manuals we found that most of the training was what we had developed in the islands through personal experience. So I was sent back up to Norfolk Naval Base, put on a ship that went through the Panama Canal and back out into the Pacific.

We joined up with a task force at Hawaii and left Hawaii. After two days out of Hawaii our task force was joined by another task force, the ocean was full of troop ships, battle ships, and aircraft-carriers, cruisers and destroyers, as far as you could see on the horizon was ships. We landed on Okinawa. This campaign was a real mess. Lots of casualties, but they kept me out of the hot spots. My sole duty on this campaign was advisor to a company of assault engineers. This was the last American offensive action of World War II. I had seen action in the first offensive and the last offensive action of World War II, with a few campaigns in-between.

My assault team has four Presidential Unit Citations from President Roosevelt and two from President Truman. After Japan signed the peace treaty I left Okinawa for the states, and after nearly 5 years in the marine corps, I figured I would get discharged and find out what civilian life was like. I never got wounded, had malaria and jungle rot on Guadalcanal. On Saipan I had dengue fever, but was never wounded. For the most part, I enjoyed my hitch in the Marines. It was a very exciting time, and I did get to see a lot of the world.

After I got out of the Marine Corps I returned to South Bend, Indiana. Got a job in a small factory that made folding cartons and started enjoying a peaceful civilian life. I met a girl at a church supper that they had for returning service men. The girl finally became my wife. My mother-in-law told me later that when Evadean [3] saw me at that supper, my goose was cooked. We lived at Lydic, Indiana and had two boys and one girl, Tom, Jim, and Linda. Eventually the company I worked for transferred me to St. Louis, Missouri. By then I was a supervisor. I worked for Packaging Corp. of America (a subsidiary of Tenneco) 36 years, retired in 1982. The company was good to me and I enjoyed my work, but retirement has been very good, I recommend it for everyone.

I like to camp and travel, hunt rocks, I'm a half way rock hound, and make things with wood. Every other year the "Old Ones" from the Marine Corps get together and talk and talk. Only about 20 of the bunch is left [4]. After all, we're all getting older. Evadean says each time they get together the stories get bigger. Well our memories are getting older too.

Becky, I did not put any dates down because I can't remember them. If you can use some of this in your book, good. If none of it is any good for your book, that's o.k. too. You asked for something about Jake Phend so here it is. Will see you in Osceola this fall [5], and good luck with your book [6]. Jake.

[1] Surelda was Jake's half sister.
[2] CCC was the Civilian Conservation Corps.
[3] Jake married Wilma Evadean Hardy on February 15, 1947.
[4] 20 of the "old ones" were still living in March 1991.
[5] Osceola, Indiana was the site of the 1991 Phend Reunion.[6] The Phend Family History was published in August 1991, and Jake's story was used in it's entirety. It's a story that everyone should read. It's amazing that he made it all the way through the war, through all of the battles he was in, without getting shot. Thanks Jake, for everything.

Summer on Northern Light Lake

I spent a good portion of today kayaking on the Brule River and Northern Light Lake. My hope was to see Moose, but that did not happen. I did, however, see two Bald Eagles, a Kingfisher and several ducks. It was a beautiful day to be on the water!

Fashion Friday

At the request of Lotus, over at Red Phoenix Style, I've included some shots of what's hot at the crag right now.Here's Sister Matt bringing vinyl snake skin to the sport. Surely a first, and so practical, windproof, dust resistant and looks so good.Here's Oli channelinga Caribbean Pirate

And his fabulous shabby, pirate, rasta details.

Massive lats never go out of style, don't you think?Antoine sported his and twin chalk bagsas he crushed "Separation Anxiety" 28Always the corporate whore, I wore the Red Chili logo shirt in sky blue.