(Almost) Wordless Wednesday :: The View from the Other Side

Say Cheeeez! Taking group pictures at the Joslin Reunion on November 23, .. in Springfield, Missouri: Missy, Sue, George, Babs, Tim, Jim, and Linda.

Attack!

I can't help it. Her tail was just too temping. I had to jump on it.

Bandstand

This is the traditional Spanish type bandstand that was in most of the town squares in New Mexico. There is still frequently bands playing there but not on the day I was there. It is surrounded by several large cottonwood trees and is across the street from the church on one side, and shops on the other three sides.

Tombstone Tuesday :: Long Family, Salem Cemetery

The Long family plot at Salem Cemetery, Washington Township, Noble County, Indiana.

Emily Eliza Joslin was the daughter of James and Abigail (Goodrich) Joslin. She was a sister to my 3rd great grandfather, Lysander Price Joslin. Emily was married to John Long on October 12, 1854 in Whitley County, Indiana. Her obituary states she was the mother of eight children but I have found record of only four: Edwin Monroe Long (1856-1928), Jennie Candice Long Myers (1863- 1911), Cora Alice Long Burnworth (1866-1926), and Mott R. Long (1866-1950).

JOHN LONG / 1826 - 1900 / EMILY E. LONG / 1837 - 1929

John Long's obituary was published on February 7, 1900 in the Columbia City Commercial, Whitley County, Indiana.

John Long was born in Ross county, Ohio, Nov. 23, 1826, died Jan. 21, 1900, aged 73 years, 1 month and 25 days. He emigrated with his parents to Indiana at the early age of 10 years and remained with them till Oct. 12, 1854, at which time he united in marriage to Emily J. Joslin and moved to the site of his present home soon after. Seven children was the result of this union, three of whom preceded him.

He united with the Freewill Baptist church, of Ormas, Ind., in February 1890, and has always lived in consistent accord with its tenants. As to his Christian character and fortitude no words of praise can pay better tribute than his humble and patient resignation during the past eighteen months of his affliction. Never once complaining or murmuring as to his lot, but only waiting for the summons to come up higher. As evidence of his faith and hope when interrogated as to his future, he smilingly replied that all was bright to him and earnestly requested all to do right and meet him in a better world.

As a neighbor he was ever kind and true to his convictions of justice and right. As a husband and father his past life's devotion demonstrates better than words can tell. In the sacred grief of the friends thus deeply bereft we can but drop the tear of sympathy, and for consolation point me to Him who doeth all things well. Though confronted by sad mementos of the pale horse and its rider that has severed the silver cord and so ruthlessly broken the dearest of earthly ties, it has but strengthened that invisible tie that binds us to the spirit land beyond. Though sorrow chills our souls and the clouds of gloom cling close above our heads while the weary years roll by, we have the cheerful assurance, "there is light beyond the clouds" and every year but narrows the surging tide and brings us closer to a blissful reunion in that haven of peace and rest.

Funeral services were held at the Salem church, Tuesday, Jan. 23, conducted by his former pastor, S. H. Dull, of Hillsdale, Mich., and the remains were interred in the cemetery near the church.

Emily's obituary was published on December 6, 1929 in the Columbia City Post, Whitley County, Indiana

Mrs. Emily Long, 91, passed away at the county hospital near here at 6:30 o'clock Friday morning following an invalidism of several years duration. Mrs. Long had been ill many months following a stroke of paralysis and in recent weeks had contracted a heavy cold which was thought to have hastened her death.

The deceased was born on December 12, 1837 and at the time of her death lacked but six days of being 92 years old. Mrs. Long was well known in the county. Surviving is one son, Mott Long, of Anderson, Ind. The decedent had been a patient at the institution where she died since February 20, 1928. The body has been removed to the Smith funeral home on South Line street.

Mrs. Long was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Long [sic] and was born at Columbus, Ohio. When a small child she came with her parents to Lorane. She was married to John Long in 1853. She was the mother of eight [sic] children, seven having preceded her in death. Funeral services will be held at the Smith funeral home Sunday afternoon at 2 o'clock with interment in the Salem cemetery in Noble county.

MYERS / CANDAS J / 1862 - 1911 / FERDINAND / 1857 - 1911
Candas was the daughter of Emily and John and is buried next to her brother Edwin.


FATHER (on top of stone) / E.M. LONG / NOV. 10. 1856 / JULY. 8. 1928

The obituary of Edwin M. Long was published on July 11, 1928 in the Columbia City Post, Whitley County, Indiana.

Edwin M. Long, past 71 years old, a native of Etna township, Whitley county, died Sunday afternoon at 1:05 o'clock at the county farm and asylum after an illness of almost a year due to infirmities of old age. He was confined to his bed for the past seven months.

He was born in Whitley county and was a son of John and Emily Long. His father preceded him in death but his mother makes her home at the county farm. She is past 91 years of age. Mr. Long resided in Whitley county practically all his life except for twenty years when he was a carpenter in Fort Wayne. He returned to Whitley county from Ft. Wayne two years ago.

The deceased was twice married. His first marriage was to Dora Jane Bowlby. Two children were born to this union. Esta, wife of Samuel Swihart, of Fort Wayne, and Coral Haynes, of Kettle Falls, Wash. He was married a second time to Florence Kimes, of Ft. Wayne, who survives. Mrs. Long has been at the county farm for the past several months aiding in caring for her husband. There are two step children surviving this marriage, Ralph Kimes of Ft. Wayne, and Edna Kimes of New York. A brother, Mott Long, resides at Anderson. There are nine grandchildren and three great grandchildren living. Shortly before his death Mr. Long made arrangements to be baptized in the Mennonite church.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday afternoon at 2 p.m. at the Hood & Smith funeral home in Columbia City. Rev. Benjamin King, of Fort Wayne, will conduct the services and burial will be in Salem cemetery.

I like fall.

Good riddance to flea beetles, aphids and lace bugs.

Cactus Flower

I have these cactus in a large clay pot. Each year they beautiful blossoms. Sometimes in the morning when the sun is on them just right they get a yellow cast to them that even comes out in the photos. Not sure why.

A Custom Rivendell Roadbike

Some time ago I got the chance to try a custom Rivendell, built for local cyclist and bicycle mechanic Jim A. I had been eying this beautiful bicycle in Jim's corner at Harris Cyclery for a couple of years now and did not have the nerve to ride it. But as my curiosity grew and my bike handling skills improved, the stars finally aligned and it all culminated in a test ride.





As far as Rivendells go, this one is both iconic and unique. The lugwork and color scheme look quintessentially Rivendellian, but the frame was built by Roland Della Santa in 2000, whereas today theircustom frames are usually built by Mark Nobilette. Of course being custom it was also built according to Jim's proportions and specifications, in particular to accommodate his long legs and a short torso.





As far as lugwork, there are some special touches such as the double-plated fork crown,





the elegant seat cluster,





and the filigreed lugs framing the contrasting head tube panel. Of course I love the sage green and cream color scheme. If I were to get a custom Rivendellthis is pretty much what it would look like.





Jim has this bicycle set up with Nitto Noodle handlebars, bar-end shifters, a compact drivetrain,PanaracerPasela28mm tires, and a green BrooksB17 saddle. The frame was built for short reach brakes, and will fit a 28mm tire with fender.





The frame size is 54cm x 53.5cm. With its standard diameter tubing, level top tube, and road geometry, this bicycle resembles a classic roadbike more so than Rivendell's currently produced models - which was one reason I was interested in trying it.






I rode the bicycle for a 5-8 mile loop through the suburbs with some hills. While I did not put the bike "through the paces" (I was still pretty nervous about marring its pristine condition), I did get a basic sense for its handling and speed. And... my main impression was that it handled similarly to my Mercian - to a freewheel, geared version of it, that is. The acceleration, the turning, and just the general feel of the Rivendell felt so similar that it was as if I was riding a different version of my own bike. With the handlebars set up for Jim but the saddle lowered for me, I was more upright than I wanted to be, and also there was some toe overlap with the front wheel, so on my own bike the specs would be a little different. But otherwise it felt comfortable, while also being lighter and more responsive than the stockRivendellSam Hillborne I own.






It is hard to believe that 2000 was 12 years ago, but time does fly. Since they opened shop in 1994, Rivendell's philosophy has been shifting consistently in the direction of wider tires, hardier tubing, upright handlebars, greater off-road capacity, and reinforced frames (double top tubes, diagonal tubes, etc.). But in the past they did offer more roadish models that were essentially classic lugged steel road-to-trail bikes with decent tire clearances - nothing fancier or more eccentric than that. Trying a custom bicycle from this period was a treat, and has helped me understand the company's history. Many thanks to Jim A. for allowing me to ride his bike and to share these pictures.

Plate Ice Sunrise, Whitecaps Point

As promised, here is another shot from this morning's sunrise over Lake Superior. Whitecaps Point (not an official name, just a name I came up with to reference this area) was lined with beautiful plate ice this morning. Soft swells were rolling in off the lake, and the plates of ice were rubbing against each other in the swells, making a magical "shooshing" sound. It was a gentle sound, not loud and abrasive like the sound made when the plates are piling up against the shore. I sure do love this time of year and wish it lasted longer. Spring is on its way, though, and soon I will be heading to the canyonlands of the southwest for a 3-week camping/hiking/biking adventure honeymoon with the love of my life!

Shiloh Revisited

It was 3 1/2 years ago that I wrote a little something about the Civil War battle at Shiloh in western Tennessee and about two of my relatives (or rather, one confirmed and one potential relative) who gave their lives in that battle. I have now been to the battlefield at Shiloh (also known as Pittsburg Landing) three times, the most recent being a week ago (November 15th). I'm not sure what keeps drawing me back there. Perhaps it is the spirit of Jacob Berlin and of Ralph Goodrich and of all the other men that lost their lives there. Each visit leaves me with a greater appreciation and sense of awe for those men and what they went through.

The video shown at the visitor center is the same one they have been showing since 1956, according to the ranger on duty last week. And the exhibits on display are the same as the ones the last time I was there in ... But this time, I looked a little closer and noticed something that somehow I had missed the last time...

How I missed it, I don't know. But, see those two photographs on the left – the ones of the soldiers standing in their camps? They are of companies of the 9th Regiment and the 44th Regiment of Indiana Volunteer Infantry! It struck me as odd that there would be on display photos of two regiments from Indiana to represent the northern troops... and that those two regiments are the same ones that Jacob Berlin and Ralph Goodrich served with! Jacob was in the 9th and Ralph in the 44th. What are the odds of that happening? Of course, they aren't the same companies that Jacob and Ralph served in, but still. Makes you wonder... I took close-up photos of the pictures and will have those in a couple of future posts.

Some of the relics on display at Shiloh National Battlefield visitor center.Belt buckles, buttons, knives, bullets, and mini-balls.
Both Jacob and Ralph were in the line of battle along “The Sunken Road” a portion of which was named “The Hornets' Nest” because bullets were flying by so close and fast that it sounded like a mass of hornets buzzing. This realistic diorama shows part of the action along the Sunken Road. A sign alongside it states “At one point in the battle, as the Confederates were trying to break the Union defense line at the Hornets' Nest, the Confederates concentrated the greatest collection of artillery yet to appear on the American continent. Artillery played a major role in the battle, supporting infantry advances, breaking enemy attacks, and causing many of the deaths and injuries.”

I walked along the sunken road, now a wide path through the woods, looking for the monument for the 44th Regiment. I missed the path that veered off to the left toward the monument the first time through but found it on the return walk.

The Monument to the 44th Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry.
Its backside faces the path and the “front” side of the monument faces the direction in which the troops were facing during the battle - south.

The backside of the monument is inscribed with details of the battle:44th InfantryCommanded byCol. Hugh B. Reed.
“This regiment formed in this line Sunday, April 6th 1862, at 8.30 a.m. It repulsed several charges made by the enemy, including four terrific charges by right of Gibson's brigade, which, under orders of Gen. Bragg, was attempting to force this part of the line back. During these engagements the woods caught fire. At 2.30 p.m. regiment fell back to a line with 1st Brigade, then to rear and left of the Bloody Pond, where it charged on enemy's infantry and artillery. Here seven flag- bearers were shot down. At 4.30 p.m. slowly fell back and supported siege guns. Monday, April 7th, regiment fought the enemy till 3 p.m. Number men in action, 478. Casualties: killed, 1 officer and 33 men: wounded, 6 officers and 171 men; missing, 1 man: total, 212." Ralph Goodrich died on April 8th of wounds he received during the battle on the 6th.

The monument to the 9th Infantry was supposed to be in the field just north of the Sunken Road, as marked on the park map by the Ranger, but I never did find it... this website has a photo of it. The inscription reads “Commanded by Col. Gideon C. Moody. This regiment arrived on the battlefield at 9 p.m., April 6, 1862, moved upon the enemy at daylight of the 7th, was hotly engaged at this place 10 a.m. Repulsed a heavy attack from the front (south), and charged with brigade to the right (west), and drove back the enemy. At 12.30 p.m. was sent by Gen. Nelson across the road to the left to the aid of Col. Ammen. Casualties: killed, 1 officer and 16 men; wounded, 7 officers and 146 men; total, 170." Jacob Berlin was among the 16 men killed.

This was in the area of the Hornets' Nest. The monument to the 44th was to the east about a quarter of a mile down the path.

Going International

Looks like summertime is finally going to be with us for awhile. With nothing but sunny days in the forecast, now is the time to come out and crush the mountain! Conditions on the upper mountain are as good as they get for early July. Routes such as Liberty Ridge and the Fuhrer Finger that normally get a little thin this time of year are still holding lots of snow and should really be climbed a lot in the coming weeks.

Climbing rangers have been fairly busy over the past weeks with a number of tasks including climbing the mountain, training with the military, doing a couple of searches and rescues, and in our spare time trying to keep the toilets clean. One of the most special things that has happened in our world lately is that we have been able to host Ang Tshering Lama, a Nepalese climber, who was here as a guest ranger for three weeks in June. Ang spent time at both Camp Muir and Camp Schurman, patrolling climbing routes with rangers, taking part in our various trainings, and assisting in multiple rescues. If you were at Camp Muir or Schurman in the past few weeks you might have even caught a smell of the delicious food he cooked up for us during his stay. This is the third year in a row we have hosted Nepalese climbers in our program and we are very proud of our close relationship with their climbing community. Later this summer we will be hosting the Korean Alpine Rescue Team, so stay tuned...

Be sure to come by the Guide House up at Paradise, or one of the other ranger stations around the park, and say "hello."

Wondering Horse

The other night about 8pm I heard the neighbors dogs barking and my mare, Star, whinnying so I went out to see what was going on. At first I didn't see anything then something nudged me in the back. I knew instantly it was a horse, I've been nudged like that so many times, but what was one doing in front of the garage? It was my Quarter Horse mare, Nita. Apparently hubby or I didn't get her gate shut good when we gave them their afternoon snack and filled water buckets. I'm not sure how long she was out but by the time I got to her she was ready to go back to her pen for the night feeding we do at about 9pm.
Since we still have mud from all the rain we have been having it was easy to follow her tracks the next day and see where she had been. First she went to the cottonwood tree right outside her pen that has a nice bunch of grass growing at the base of the truck and ate the grass. Next she sampled some of my roses near the tree and tip-toed through a pile of used lumber and sheets of tin that we had pulled of the hayshed roof last year to replace with better material so the roof didn't leak. We have slowly been using the lumber and tin for some other minor projects but it was a messy pile of junk that no horse should have been in. Next she visited the two ponies in their pen and went on by the kitchen window and into the back yard. To get there she had to go under the brase that helps hold up the gate that is usually left open. The brase is just over 6 feet tall, enough for hubby to walk under. Nita is 15 and a half hands tall so if she had her head up she would have smacked into the brase. (you can see it in the photo taken last week when it snowed) She made a trip around the back yard and walked right by the hole that the dogs had dug that morning (I think they were after one of the rats that tunnel under the garden). She then when back out the same gate and by the kitchen again to where she was by the garage when she and I found each other.
I couldn't find even a tiny scratch on her. I think she might be the kind of horse the cowboys called a 'night horse' because they can get around in the dark so well. I was just glad she didn't get hurt.

Chick progression

Since we moved the little chicks out to the coop, it's been harder to get them to sit still for their close-ups.

They don't want to sit in my hand any more. It would embarrass them in front of their peers.

The only time they're interested in me is when I'm feeding them. Teenagers!