Living As Locals and Neighbors

In an attempt to settle in and try to "live like the locals", Diana and I went out to see what kind of trouble we could stir up.

We haven't had this much fun since we ate dried bugs! As much fun as this was, we had to find some other things to do too. We started the day with pickleball with the women. The ladies have been starting at 8:30 so they can get in a few games before everyone else joins in. After that we took a walk around the campground. Then we took the kids to the library and to lunch. We had to do the daily Wal-Mart run too, of course. It was such an average, mundane day. And I loved that.



You see, for years Diana and I have said we wished we could live by each other. I lived in Michigan. She lived in Virginia. I moved to Virginia, and she moved to Florida. I moved to Florida and she moved back to Virginia. So that living as neighbors never really happened.



For the past few years, we've been able to travel together and spend much time together. It's been wonderful. We still haven't quite lived as neighbors though. And while I love being travel buddies, this week it hit me how much we are living more as neighbors since being here. It's been pretty cool in its own way.



Living the life in Virginia!

Grillin' & Chillin'

Tonight we headed to downtown Wauchula, where they had Main Street blocked off for the Grillin' and Chillin' event. It was a fund raising event that had a grilling contest. There was music and some classic cars there too. We had fun!



I didn't take my camera, so these are courtesy of Aric:

And just because they are so cute:

Trees

Roadie Lads and Lasses: Suggestions for Sunglasses?

Almost as soon as I began cycling long distance, I realised that sunglasses were a must for me - not only to protect against the sun, but also to shield against insects that seemed to be irresistibly drawn to my lashes. When I rode exclusively upright bicycles, I simply wore my regular shades - preferably large ones that covered half of my face. But as I began cycling faster and on roadbikes, those no longer worked so well. Don't know about you, but I find regular sunglasses to be too heavy and also not sufficiently stable when I attempt to wear them on a roadbike. They bounce, slip, and generally feel uncomfortable - even starting to hurt the bridge of my nose and my temples over time.



As someone who is talented at losing sunglasses, I could not imagine buying those expensive ones that bicycle stores sell in glass displays. Instead, I got the cheap ones from the bin at the register (you know the ones, every bike shop has them). These worked somewhat better than regular sunglasses, but they still slipped and felt painful over time. So this summer I think I am ready for the real deal and would appreciate your advice - as I am sure would others seeking this information. I mainly want them to be as lightweight as possible, so that I don't feel them pressing the bridge of my nose and digging into my temples. And, of course, I also want them to be stable while I am cycling fast on a roadbike. There are so many makes and models to choose from - what do the roadcyclists among you wear?

Another Ancestor Found!

Last Saturday was a very good day! After returning from a lunch break I found another ancestor! At least I think I have... a subdued Happy Dance ensued. I was working with Deed Records in Montgomery County, Ohio trying to obtain copies of those records for William Lavering, Christian Schuder (Shuder, Shuter, Shooter, etc.), Caspar Stoever (Stiver) and the unknown Huntsicker ancestor.



On December 22, 1842 Christian Schuder, Jr. was married to Sarah Huntsicker in Montgomery County, Ohio. They lived in Jefferson Township, Montgomery County until after 1860. They moved to Elkhart County, Indiana prior to 1870. The only information known about Sarah was that she was born February 2, 1817 in Pennsylvania. Her date of birth was calculated from her age at death as shown on her grave marker and her place of birth is from the 1850 through 1880 census records.



Christian's brother, Peter Shuder, had married Barbara Hunsager on February 20, 1826 also in Montgomery County. (Peter was born in 1799 and Christian in 1813.) In spite of the differences in spelling of the surname, it was thought that Barbara and Sarah were sisters. We had no clue as to who their parents were.



Earlier in the week I had taken a break from viewing microfilms and got on the FamilySearch website to get copies of some Ohio Marriage Records. The image provided a bit more information than the “official” copy that my cousin had gotten from the Montgomery County Clerks's Office – Sarah's brother, J. Huntsicker was present at their marriage ceremony.





Marriage of Christian Schuder and Sarah Huntsicker recorded in volume A-2 page 270 of the Montgomery County, Ohio marriages. (Image 486 from familysearch.org)



Apparently there is no “master” index to the deed books for Montgomery County or, if there is, it hasn't been filmed by the Family History Library! So basically you have to get the microfilm for each book and check the index located at the front of each book. I had gotten through 15 rolls of microfilm (26 deed books) when this deed jumped out at me.



On August 14, 1837 the heirs at law of Margaret Huntsicker sold a parcel of land to Emanuel Shank. Sarah is not named as one of the heirs in the first sentence but is listed each time thereafter that the others are named. I think the Recorder simply left her out in that first instance.



There was another family in Jefferson Township, Montgomery County that has a similar spelling – Huntsinger. But research by my cousin, Caroline Conrad Fawley, pretty much eliminated them as being Sarah's family. More research is needed but I'm fairly confident that Margaret Huntsicker is Sarah's mother and that her siblings are Abraham, John Jonathan, Katharine, Margret, Nancy Burnett, and Barbara Shuter.



And, of course, this all begs the question – who was Sarah's father? And what is her mother's maiden name? And where in Pennsylvania did they live? Anyone researching these families? If so, please contact me! kinexxions@gmail.com



Montgomery County, Ohio Deed records v. B-2 pages 450-452. FHL Microfilm 966656. Spelling and punctuation (or lack thereof) is the same as (or relatively close to) what was in the deed book.



[page] 450



A. Huntsicker

&c to

E. Shank



This Indenture made this fourteenth day of Augst in the year of our Lord One thousand Eight hundred and thirty seven. Between Abram Huntsicker John Huntsicker Jonathan Huntsicker Margaret Huntsicker of the State of Ohio and John Burnett & Nancy his wife and Peter Shuter & Barbary his wife of the State of Illinois, heirs at law of Margaret Huntsicker decd of the first part and Emanuel Shank of the County of Montgomery & State of Ohio of the second part (witnesseth) that the said John Huntsicker Abram Huntsicker Jonathan Huntsicker John Burnett Katharine Huntsicker, Sarah Huntsicker Margret Huntsicker John Burnett & Nancy his wife & Peter Shuter & Barbary his wife for and in consideration of three hundred dollars lawful money of the United States to them in hand well and truly paid by the said Emanuel Shank the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged hath granted bargained sold, aliened released, conveyed and confirmed by these presents unto the said Emanuel Shank his heirs and assigns forever All that lot and parcel of land lying and being in the County aforesaid West of the great Miami River and east of a Meridian drawn from the mouth of the big Miami River being the North end of the said Michael Mayers land and bounded as follows viz. Beginning at a post at the North west Corner of the said Michael Mayers land and running along his W Boundary line Southwardly six chains and thirty two links to a post thence westwardly six chains and twenty links to the place of beginning Containing four acres of land And all the Estate, right title Interest, claim and demand of them the said Abram Huntsicker John Huntsicker Jonathan Huntsicker Sarah Huntsicker Margret Huntsicker and John Burnett & Nancy his wife & Peter Shuter & Barbary his wife of in and to the said premises and every part thereof together with all the singular the privileges and appurtenances to the same belonging, or in any wise appertaining, and the [two illegible words] and profits thereof: To have and to hold the premises hereby bargained and sold, as meant or intended so to be with the appurtenances to the only proper use and behoof of the said Emanuel Shank his heirs and assigns forever. And the said Abraham Huntsicker John Huntsicker Jonathan Huntsicker Katharine Huntsicker Sarah Huntsicker Margret Huntsicker John Burnett & Nancy his wife Peter Shuter and Barbara his wife for themselves Executors and Administrators doth promise, covenant and agree, to



[page] 451



and with the said Emanuel Shank his heirs Executors and assigns that they [blank space] the true and lawful owners of the premises hereby granted and hand good right, full power and lawful authority to sell and convey the same in manner and form afforesaid. And further that they the said Abraham Huntsicker John Huntsicker Jonathan Huntsicker Katharine Huntsicker Sarah Huntsicker Margaret Huntsicker John Burnett & Nancy his wife Peter Shuter & Barbary his wife their heirs Executors and Administrators will warrant and forever defend the aforesaid premises with their appurtenances and every part and parcel thereoff unto the said Emanuel Shank his heirs and assigns against all persons claiming or to claim by for in and to them or any of them or by from or and in any other person or persons whomsoever In witness whereof the said Abram Huntsicker and Susan his wife and John Huntsicker and Amey his wife, Jonathan Huntsicker Katharine Huntsicker Sarah Huntsicker Margret Huntsicker John Burnett and Nancy his wife Peter Shuter and Barbary his wife, who hereby relinquish all their right, title claim, interest or dower in the premises have hereunto set their hands and Seals the day and year within written.



Sealed and delivered in the presence of Joseph Clingenpel [and] John D. Kiefer



Abraham Huntsicker (his mark)

Susan Huntsicker (her mark)

John Huntsicker

Amy Huntsicker (her mark)

Jonathan Huntsicker (his mark)

Catharina Huntsicker (her mark)

Sarah Huntsicker (her mark)

John Barnet

Nancy Barnet (her mark)

Peter Shuder (her mark)

Barbary Shuder (her mark)

Margaret Huntsicker (her mark)



The State of Ohio, Montgomery County

Before me Joseph Clingenpeel a Justice of the peace within and for the County personally appeared Abrah Huntsicker John Huntsicker Jonathan Huntsicker Sarah Huntsicker Catharine



[page] 452



Huntsicker Margret Huntsicker together with Susan and Amy wives of the Said within named grantors and acknowledged the within deed of Conveyance to be their voluntary act and deed for the uses and purposes therein mentioned and the said Amy and Susan being examined separate and apart from their said husbands and the Contents of said deed being made knowna and explained to them Declare that they voluntarily and of their free will and accord without fear of their said husbands did and now do acknowledge the signing and sealing thereoff In Testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands and seals this 14th day of Augt A. D. 1837.



Joseph Clingenpeal J. P. {Seal}



[A similar affidavit was signed by John Barnett and Nancy his wife and witnessed by a Justice of Green County, State of Illinois on October 28, 1837. Peter Shuder and Barbary his wife and Margaret Huntsicker signed their affidavit before James Lamb a Justice of the Peace in Union County, Indiana. The Recorder erred when he wrote that Peter Shuder and Barbary were of the state of Illinois.]





Montgomery County, Ohio Deed records v. B-2 pages 450. FHL Microfilm 966656.





Montgomery County, Ohio Deed records v. B-2 pages 451. FHL Microfilm 966656.





Montgomery County, Ohio Deed records v. B-2 pages 452. FHL Microfilm 966656.

Farewell Festival

Last night Laura and I decided to take advantage of the last day of the and stack a few of our favorite activities. Laura came up with the name "The Farewell Festival." Not really a festival, but a seriously fun day of outdoor activities. Ideally we plan to continue this in upcoming years as well. Here's my recap of our great day!



Phase 1 - Skiing, Seven Springs resort (Somerset Co.)

First activity of our festival was to get in some skiing at Seven Springs. Ice climbing conditions have been dismal thus far, so we've been enjoying some local man made winter and decided this would be the first activity of the day. We left home in time to make a run down from the North parking lot and hit the lifts at 9:00AM when they first started running. We skied for about a couple of hours enjoying the best conditions of the season thus far. There were no mojo sapping crowds as in previous holiday mornings up there, just perfectly groomed, fast running slopes. Yesterday we had 7" of fresh snow which had skiers and boarders swarming the mountain like bees on a hive. We usually only stay until the lift lines take longer than the runs down the hill. Yesterday was a very short day. If we hadn't planned multiple sporting events for our farewell festival day we definitely would've stayed longer to take advantage of short lift lines, fast conditions and fun jibs. Laura and I cruised some hills, hit some rails all the while filming our hijinks! Alas we had to move on to the next phase of our festival which required considerably less clothes than our phase 1 jibwear!



Phase 2 - Ice climbing, Ohiopyle State Park (Fayette Co.)

After Seven Springs, we made a pit stop at home to exchange gear and clothes. After a quick change out of our baggy ski attire into more trim fitting climbing duds. We packed up the Subaru and set off to Ohiopyle. Meadow Run was our destination. We filmed more pre-climbing stupidity in the car then set off for the crag. Not much ice was to be found, but we managed a few laps each on Season Finale M6. I was anxious to see how my injured shoulder would handle dry tooling. I've been resting it for several weeks now under the care of my good friend Dr. Andy. It seemed to work fine for the limited climbing we did. Also to make my climbing day sweeter was that I finally tried my new Lowa Ice Comp "fruits".

Lowa Ice Comp GTX

They were quite fun and much lighter than my standard mixed boot and crampon combo of Lowa Mountain Expert GTX and Petzl Darts. They should prove to make for some fun climbing this season! With still more festival fun ahead we had to pack up and move on to even funnier looking outfits and phase 3. NOTE: Visiting climbers looking for ice. Next weekend should have some drips forming up. Check for ice condition updates both here and on NEice.com



Phase 3 - Winter Running, Mammoth Park (Westmoreland Co.)

Running is a great interest of mine. I've been running for a number of years now and have logged many, many miles and lots of elevation on both trail and roads. It's a great way to keep your cardio in tip top shape (be sure to focus on hills for climbers). Laura started running this fall and has been working hard while following a safe, proper training schedule. Today was proof how much effort and dedication she's put into becoming a runner. Conditions were less than ideal, but she crushed her 30 minute workout today in proper style. We made the short drive to Mammoth Park, a local county park that has a nice 1.04 mile brick exercise path that is usually kept clear of snow for users. The thermometer in the car read 35 Degrees with gloomy skies. The path was plowed, which resulted in removing the snow, but in its place remained ice. Running it required careful and attentive footwork. Several times I found myself having flashbacks to my morning rail slides at Seven Springs. It was a great run to end the year. Laura followed her program and ran 3 laps like a champ completing a 5k for the first time in winter conditions. I ran 4 laps in a slippery 29:42 then running an easy mile to cool down. We walked together and filmed some running segments for future laughs. We had an amazingly fun day of activities. We're going to be heading out early in the morning to follow our New Years Day climbing tradition. We're heading to the Higher elevations to see if we can't find a New Years first ascent!



Farewell ... Hello !



Happy climbing,

Tim and Laura

On Sentimentality and Retiring Old Bikes

When we got the Co-Habitant's SurlyCross-Check frame, it was supposed to be an off-road-capable supplement to his vintage roadbike, not a replacement. But after he built up the Surly and took it on several rides, the oldMotobecane was soon put away. We had expected that the modern cross bike with wide tires would be more comfortable, but slower and less agile than the vintage roadbike. Instead, it is more comfortable in addition to being just as agile and also faster - not to mention more stable and entirely lacking in shimmy on descents.

The Co-Habitant is a wee bit disillusioned in vintage bikes at the moment. All the lugs and "patina" in the world are not worth it to him, if a reasonably priced, good quality new TIG-welded frame fitted with decent components offers a better ride.That is not to say that a mass produced mid-tier Motobecanefrom 1976 represents all vintage bikes. But sometimes experimenting with vintage until you find a good frame can be more expensive than buying new.

Nonetheless, "Myles" the Motobecanewas the first roadbike he'd ridden as an adult, andthe one and only roadbike he's been riding for the past two years. It was old and crusty and we made it beautiful. It was rickety and we updated it with nicer components. That bike got him through multiple trips to Maine and Cape Cod just fine, before he knew that "just fine" could feel even better. It seems almost a betrayal to get rid of it so unceremoniously.



We've considered turning the Motobecane into a beater city bike, but that idea was eventually dismissed. Ultimately, he likes wide tires and stable handling for city riding, and a twitchy 1970s French roadbike is just not his idea of a good time in our pothole-ridden neighbourhood. Fair enough.



So, what to do with a retired bike? One option is to sell it as a complete bicycle. The other option is to strip all the good components, keep them for future projects or trades, and sell just the frame. In the past, we've always gone with the former, even though financially it makes less sense. This time we are considering the latter, but ultimately still leaning toward the former out of sheer sentimentality - if Myles is kept intact, at least he would still be "alive." But of course that's ridiculous.



Later in the summer I will face a similar dilemma with my vintage Moserfixed gear conversion. It feels too small. But more importantly, despite having been reassured about the low bottom bracket issueI've now actually experienced pedal strike on this bike and that's enough to convince me that I need a fixed-gear specific road frame. In the case of the Moser, I plan to move its wheelset and some of the other components to the new frame when I get it, and just hang on to the Moser frame as a keepsake. I got in in Austria and the memories associated with it are worth more to me than whatever money I could get for the frame. Maybe some time later I will give it away to a friend as a gift, but I just don't feel that it's sellable.



What do you do with bicycles that you replace or retire? Does sentimental attachment get in the way of reason?

Indian Bread

The first photo is of a horno or oven that the Pueblo Native Americans bake their oven bread in. This day I didn't get the oven bread but got the fry bread which is a dough that they work out into a circle sort of like pizza dough. Then they fry it in a cast iron kettle full of hot oil that is on a wood fire usually of mesquite wood which gives it a really good taste. Some people like to sprinkle powered sugar or put honey on it but we prefer it just plain. It's best while still hot but still good even hours later when room temperature. We bought some and ate about half of it, then saved the rest for our picnic in the mountains. We had the left over bread with a boiled egg, some canned fruit cocktail.

Bicycle Trainers and Winter Withdrawal

[1884 trainer, image via Wikipedia]

I am curious to know how many of you out there use bicycle trainers. I am now seriously considering one, as mywinter roadcycling situation is truly dire. The frequent snow is making it impossible to plan rides, and all the muscle tone I'd built up over the Spring, Summer and Fall is slowly but surely disappearing. I am starting to feel lethargic and out of shape. There is a lot ofpininggoing on -and it's only the start of January!



Bicycle trainers are a new concept for me and I have no idea what to expect. To what extent does being on one resemble actual cycling?Can they be used with fixed gear bikes?Is fluid necessarily better than magnetic? I don't want rollers, I don't want the trainer to be noisy, and I don't want anything overly complicated - but otherwise I have no idea. Please chime in, and no doubt your comments will be useful to others who are considering this as well. A trainer cannot replace the thrilling experience of riding a roadbike on the open road, but it can at least help me stay in shape while still interacting with my own bicycle. It's going to be a long winter...

Volcano weather monitoring

The weather on Mount Rainier, together with some overly vigorous maintenance efforts in the past have made keeping the weather station at Camp Muir up and running a challenge. However, the problems seem to have all been identified and hopefully we will have the systems up and running soon.



The gear in the photo to the left is used by many agencies, such as the NOAA, NWAC, and the NPS for gathering weather information. It is the highest weather telemetry site it the Northwest and takes a beating all year. You can find the raw data from this site and more mountain telemetry stations at the NWAC website.

Pioneer Museum in Wauchula, FL

The secret life of roots

By ashen roots the (fire pinks) blow


Tough roots among the rocks


The parable of the sower


The (gradual) disintegration of the persistence of memory


The dim tangled roots of things


Erosion, so they say, is the root of all evil today. (This is often misquoted.)

Bumble Bee

This bumble bee was sampling the flowers on my vitex bush.

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

Today was the last day of the balloon fiesta this year. I didn't get to see any balloons up close except for the one in the following post. These photos were taken about 8am.























































Darth Vader in the center















Wells Fargo Stagecoach

















And they were gone.

When Cyclists Complain About Cyclists

[image via Copenhagenize]

Spring is here and the number of new cyclists is multiplying rapidly. It's fantastic to see so many people in Cambridge and Somerville going about their day on two wheels, as if this were entirely normal and natural - which of course it is. But with more bicycles on the roads, this is also the time of the year for complaints: motorists complaining about "scofflaw cyclists" and cyclists themselves complaining about "newbies."



While motorist hostility is nothing new or surprising, there is somewhat of a debate in the bicycle blog world as to whether it's right for cyclists themselves to criticise other cyclists' behaviour. On the one hand, when cyclists don't follow traffic laws and behave recklessly, they not only "make all of us look bad," but actually endanger us. The biggest example of this that I experience in Boston, is when I am intentionally riding toward the left of the bike lane in order to avoid the door zone, and a cyclist passes me on the right. I have also had cyclists nearly crash into me as a result of their running a red light: Ironically, those who do so tend to watch out for cars but not for other bicycles. Naturally, I find such actions disconcerting. I feel no common bond with those who jeopardise my safety - regardless of what mode of transportation they are using.



But when cyclists criticise other cyclists, I wonder about its overall effectiveness. Do the scofflaws feel shamed and curb their transgressive behaviour in response to the critical rants of law-abiding cyclists? Or is it more likely that they carry on just as before, and it's the timid, fledgling cyclists who are scared off from even trying to navigate such a treacherous landscape? This is what I was thinking while reading this post on BostonBiker this morning. While I actually agree with most of the points the author made, the tone just seemed so hostile. It also made me uneasy that the author criticised "new cyclists" - while themselves having only begun cycling this past winter. I have been cycling for over two years in Boston, including winters, and still consider myself to be fairly new at it. While I am safe, law-abiding and friendly, I am not perfect and sometimes make mistakes despite my best intentions. Is there a cyclist ranting about me on their blog because I neglected to signal a right turn last Thursday? A depressing thought.



I would not go so far as to suggest that cyclists must not criticise other cyclists, as part of some Velocipedean Brotherhood Code of Honor. But there has to be a way to discuss these issues in a more constructive manner. Do you complain about other cyclists when you think they are behaving recklessly, or do you opt for a united front? Is there an approach that accomplishes both?

A Night at Spanish Springs

We have enjoyed our first week here in The Villages. Nathan has been able to play lots of pickleball and I've been having fun playing bunco and Mexican Train with Donna. Last night, we finally got to meet up with both Rich and Donna at one of the Town Centers here. There are three Town Squares here and each one has its own theme.



We had a great dinner at Ay! Jalisco. Then we walked around Spanish Springs, where the night's live music and dancing was going on.



One of the unique things about The Villages is the golf carts here. Golf carts are one of the main modes of transportation here, so it is common to see this outside of businesses.



It is so nicely decorated and laid out, that is is pleasant just to walk around and take it in.





After our time here, we headed over for dessert at Ollie's. It was wonderful and I think we will have to visit both places again while we are here!





YUM is exactly right! It was a great first week here! Looking forward to many more.