The Beautiful Old Barn

When we drove by this beautiful old barn, I snapped a few drive by shots. I mentioned to Nathan that it was one of those things that I would love to take 20 pictures of. So he went back. And I took 20 pictures of it.



I really love old barns like this one. They are so classic. They have so many stories to tell. I remembered my own stories of being in barns. I remembered the smell of hay that goes along with being in a barn. I remembered how scratchy that hay feels on bare summer feet and legs. Nice memories go along with barns.





Truth be told, after I took my 20 shots, I then took 23 more.



I could have easily taken 43 more.



Living the life in sunny Florida.



A PS to this post. My MIL recently sent some beautiful pictures like these and told us that my FIL had wanted to take pictures of old building and make a book with them. She said perhaps I could pick up that project. I think it's very likely that I will do just that!

Leveling the Playing Field

File this under "duh" if you will, but I need to acknowledge this out of fairness to Rivendell, and as a means of providing information to others wondering just how much of an effect one's positioning on a bike can have on pedaling effort and speed. Earlier I described being considerably faster, particularly uphill, on the Seven bicycle I have on loan in comparison to my Rivendell Sam Hillborne. It was widely agreed that there were many factors involved in this difference - from frame geometry, to weight, to positioning. For some time now I'd been considering making changes to my Rivendell, and finally it's been done - thus somewhat leveling the playing field between the two bikes, with interesting results.



You may spot a number of other alterations in these pictures, but for now I will talk just about the difference in positioning. Namely, the bike now has a longer stem (8 cm, instead of 6 cm as previously). The handlebars have been positioned slightly lower as well.



We've also reduced the amount of setback on the saddle by about 2 cm (not just by moving the saddle forward, but by replacing the seatpost). The overall effect is that my lean has increased by a small amount, my weight on the bike has shifted forward, and my hips are move directly above the cranks.



It's important to stress that I would not have found this position comfortable a year ago, so making these changes is not so much "admitting a mistake," as altering the bicycle's set-up to reflect my changing skill level and preferences. I very much find this position comfortable now - comfortable and fast.



We rode to Lexington, MA to try some hill intervals. I did not attach a saddlebag, so that I could get a sense of how the bike itself performs. And it performed well - albeit differently from the Seven.

Here is my amateur description of what happens on the two bikes when I cycle uphill: The Seven allows me to very easily "attack" a hill - to cycle up it at a fairly high speed, until I run out of steam toward the end and am forced to slow down. In comparison, the Rivendell does not like to "attack" and forces me to slow down earlier. In its previous state, this slowing down happened almost immediately and drastically. Now it happens half way up, and the speed drop is considerably smaller. Cycling on flats, the new positioning makes the Rivendellfaster to accelerate than previously. Not as fast as a racing bike of course, but I no longer feel as if I am sitting "behind the bike" unable use my weight efficiently.

Once I attach bags, that will no doubt slow it down some. But I have a strong feeling that the change in performance is due to the forward placement of my weight more than anything else - when I ride the bike now it feels inherently different - more responsive and more efficient. I am not trying to convert the Rivendell to a Seven and I am not considering taking it on paceline rides. I want to keep the wide tires, the fenders, the rack, the bags, the lighting - there is no compromise possible on that end, as these features are extremely useful to me. But the Seven's positioning (and my enjoyment of that positioning) has most definitely affected my expectations in terms of performance, and I don't think I can go back to short stems and seatposts with generous setback. Not that there is any reason I should - It's all about what you are comfortable with at any given point in time.

Patagonia Sun Hoody

Photo courtesy of Atomic

The skier?

http://www.kilianjornet.cat/





One of the really fun things about winter alpine climbing is
the amount of gear it takes. OK, one of the really annoying things about winter
alpine climbing is how much gear it takes.



Because of that I am always
looking for gear to make my fun..more fun.



By the time spring roles around, things lighten up gear wise. Nothing better than being on the snow skiing or climbing and not having to be bundled up.



Once in a while you come
across something that is a total surprise and you wonder how you ever got along
without it. Patagonia's R1 Hoody comes to mind. Patagonia's Sun Hoody is the
easy to wear mid/outer layer that is lighter yet than the R1 Hoody. Tech shirt in weight but enough insulation for spring skiing, a chilly run or just casual wear.



Seldom do I find a useful piece of climbing clothing that I want on
every spring and summerclimb and ski, rock or snow. But also a piece of
clothing I want to wear every day...24 hrs a day. And this one I do. I really
do. Admittedly I look like a dork in it but I LOVE this hoody! Wearing one as I
type this as matter of fact. Yes, it is SICK...but these things rock!



But nothing better skiing in bright sun light on brilliant snow while dressed in a "white" set of clothing. Helps with hydration and helps you keep a more stable body temp. Take a hint from Jilain Jornet above. Nice to have a hood and not have your ears burnt off as well.















I've owned a couple of the sun hoodiessince I wrote this up first in . Just picked up another one in a new color. $59 @ full retail last week. Easy enough to find at half that price in the off season. I had seen onlytwo
colors until recently ..off white/silver and the ninja color, olive drab. Gotta love the
military contracts. Now they are coming in a couple of pastel colors.



I have a couple of versions. One with a small zipper pocket on the hem, now the pocket is on the chest and there is another versionwith a kangaroo pocket. The latest/newest chest pocket versionseems to be the most practical for my own use.





I say the Sun hoodyrocks!



Patagonia sez:



Men's Lightweight
Sun Hoody $59 msrp

Breathable, fast-drying hooded top with 30 UPF sun
protection for next-to-skin use.



A highly evolved second skin designed to
maximize your time on the water. For simultaneous air conditioning and tough 30
UPF sun protection, the super breathable, fast drying Sun Hoody is made of
lightweight polyester jersey. A 3 panel hood protects your head, a hip closure
pocket keeps keys, wax and hand lines sorted, and we've added thumb loops at the
cuffs for added coverage. Recyclable through the Common Threads Recycling
Program.







Details

•Soft and supple polyester fabric with sun
protection

•3-panel, self-fabric hood provides airy, ventilated sun
protection

•Thumb loops at cuffs for added coverage and sun
protection

•Zippered pocket at hip

•Flat seams reduce chafe

•4.3-oz
100% polyester jersey with 30-UPF sun protection. Recyclable through the Common
Threads Recycling Program

•246 g (8.7 oz)

•Made in
Vietnam.



Technology



The UV protection offered by this garment is
rated “very good.” *



* When tested in accordance with Australian/New
Zealand test methods AS/NZS 4399 or AATCC

183/ASTM6603/ASTM D6544.

Wordles Wednesday

No, that isn't a typo. And no, don't worry, this won't be a feature every Wednesday ;-)

Last week when footnoteMaven passed around the Wordle virus to the genea-blogosphere with her post Let Me Get A Wordle In Edgewise, I didn't have time to play. She did a follow-up with Do Not! I Repeat - DO NOT - Read This Post! With links to other genea-Wordles and some other fun stuff.

In school, and the Navy, I was nearly the last in line for everything (surname Wiseman, right). And have a tendency to be a bit late for meetings and appointments. Not on purpose, though it might seem so. Anyway, as the saying goes "Better Late Than Never" here are my contributions to the genea-Wordle-world. One is for the surnames in my Mom's lines, and the other is for my Dad's lines. The size of the name is dependent upon how many ancestors have been entered in my database with that name. As always, click on the images to see a larger version.

Family Visiting Us in Florida

All of this talk about missing Austin while he visits family has reminded me that we've had family visiting us in the past few months. We are so used to not having any family living near us that it's a special treat when we do have that. In February (27th) my cousin Mike and his wife Brenda came to visit us. They brought their sweet dog, Boo, who has since passed away. I hadn't visited with my cousin in probably over 20 years so it was an extra special treat to have time with he and Brenda. They are some of the kindest, most positive people you will ever meet. They even gave me a gift of a CD with a gospel group singing a song that Brenda wrote on it. Sometime we want to get over there way to hear her sing and play with her band. Good times!



Then we had another visit today from my Mom and nieces and nephew. Ambir and Auburn drove up one day and we got to see them on top of the other family visitors. It was wonderful to have time together. We even got to play charades together.





Living the life in already HOT Florida!

Of Rabbits and Hares

This was among the first photos taken with the new Nikon P500 camera, which arrived on the 8th. I stepped out the back door on my way to take pictures and this little fellow was sitting across the alley. I got two shots off before he darted away. This is not a cropped image...





This jackrabbit, also known as a hare, was seen in Mountview Cemetery in Billings on the 13th. At first I thought it was a grave decoration, albeit not near a grave, but then I noticed its eyes were moving.





A close-up shot, at the full 36x magnification of the zoom lens.



It was a little wobbly in the hind legs when it stood up – a lot like my legs after I've been sitting for too long!





It looked back at me, then jumped off – literally – covering a distance of five feet or more with each hop as well as a foot or more in height. And it was fast! Sure was fun to watch too. (In a search for info on jackrabbits I found out that they can leap up to 10 feet and reach speeds up to 40 mph. Their young are born furred and with their eyes open.)

Oh! Canada...

This post is being brought to you from the Tourist Information Center in Grande Cache, Alberta, Canada! (Refer to the Map to see where that is... north of Route 16, about halfway to Grande Prairie on the road not shown.) I'm now into my third full day in this beautiful country and have managed to travel a little over 500 miles. It is a gorgeous day. Sunshine and blue skies, though a bit hazy but with no clouds.

When I arrived at the Roosville Port of Entry (north of Kalispell, Montana on US 93) at 4:20 pm on July 28th, there were a dozen vehicles and two motorcycles in line ahead of me. Fortunately the wait wasn't long. Fifteen minutes and a few questions later I was in British Columbia, Canada. The questions? Was I carrying: any firearms, anything I was going to leave behind in Canada, currency of any type valued at more than $10,000 Canadian, any alcoholic beverages? He also asked where I was going and what route I was taking to get there – it's a good thing I finally got around to figuring that out before I crossed the border!

According to the map I have, there were several Provincial Campgrounds within the first hundred miles. I stopped at the first one, called Kikomun Creek, about 20 miles from the border. It looked to be more like a resort since many of the RVs had decks or patios alongside them. I was quite relieved when the nice lady camp host said she had a spot for me. It was a nice place with friendly people. The sun was shining and it was in the upper 80s but there was a nice breeze and my camp site was in the shade. Ya can't ask for anything better!

It started raining just after sunset along with some thunder and lightening and then it rained most of the night, but I didn't care since I wasn't out in it! However, there were scattered showers along the 200+ miles I drove on Thursday. Cloudy skies with intermittent rain and a bit of sunshine. The scenery more than made up for the weather!

Upon entering Kootenay National Park at Radium Hot Springs, the sun was shining once again. This view of the Kootenay Valley is about half-way through the park. (Please, double-click on the images to view a larger version.)

This is half of Two Jack Lake, near Banff, taken between rain showers. I think it is the west half but my sense of direction got totally confused with the drive up there! At Two Jack Lake there is a lakeside campground and then there is the other one. The former was full but there was plenty of sites available at the other one, which is where I spent my second night in Canada.

Shortly after leaving Kikomun Creek Campground I saw a moose with her calf crossing the highway. There were a lot of deer grazing alongside the road. In Kootenay Park there were a group of about a dozen mountain goats, several quite small, near one of the pullouts on the other side of the road.

The drive through Banff and Jasper National Parks was amazing. I'll have some more pictures later (very slow internet connection) but they aren't all that great since the weather wasn't cooperating. It was cloudy and overcast most of the two days I spent there.

Photographs taken on July 29, ...