Curiosity won - and So did I...

Quite often I get frustrated with using online trees, particularly those on ancestry.com but I continue to use them for clues. And sometimes you get lucky if there are sources attached, which doesn't happen all that much.







At the time I was checking these trees last week, I already had a record of Dietrich's baptism but decided to click through to see what the record was because it looked like a different source than what I had.







I was surprised to see an image. Other records of baptisms I'd seen on ancestry were like the above but without images. I was a bit disappointed because it appeared to be the same document in my files. But I clicked on through anyway.







The above is a portion of the page. The entry for Joh. Dietrich is 3rd from the bottom. Looking at it closely I noticed that his sponsors were different than the record I had. The copy I already had shows the sponsors to be Dietrich Schadler and wife while the sponsors for Johannes (just above Joh. Dietrich) were Joh. Schwenk and Regina! This is apparently another transcription of the records. But how could I know which is correct?



The other thing I noticed, which I've circled in red in the above screen shot, is the number of images for this record set. Curiosity got the better of me and I started “jumping” through the images a hundred at a time. Image 150 looked like a journal or diary as was image 250. But image 350 displayed baptism records written in German Script! I had landed on baptisms for the year 1758 so started going back 20 pages pages at a time. Image 310 was for August 1751 so back one more page and there in the lower right corner was the entry for Dietrich! How cool is that!!







Above is a portion of image number 309 with the year 1751 at the top of the page. The entry for Dietrich is on the second line. It shows that his parents (in the first column) are Michael Hofmann and Maria Engel. The second column shows Joh: Dietrich born 22 June baptized 21 July. In the third column are the sponsors Dietrich Schädler and wife. No, I don't read German but this was, luckily for me, quite legible. And of course, having the transcriptions helps.



If you have an ancestry account and are logged in you can click on this link to get to the full image. There are two pages per image and Dietrich's entry is at the bottom of the second page.



This is part of a larger collection of “Pennsylvania Church and Town Records, 1708-1985” which ancestry added and which Randy Seaver wrote about in January. Being a little more curious, today I took a look to see what all was in the Montgomery > New Hanover > New Hanover Evangelical Lutheran set. You have to have an ancestry.com account to view the images.



“A List of Baptisms from 1740 to 1825 as they appear in the records of the congregation. New Hanover Lutheran” begins with Image 1.



A Diary or Journal begins with Image 141 which is dated 1865 Cheltanham, Montgomery Co. Pa. I didn't take the time to determine the writer. It begins in 1865 and goes through 1893. There were names written throughout. The first few lines of the first image: 6th mo 8 oh 1865. Our wedding day, were married at Germantown Meeting. A warm tho. pleasant day. A good many friends to dinner, more to tea, about 50 beside our family. Our bridesmaids and groomsmen all went home with us and spent the night. They were Enos Laikin and Mary Ann Imes, William Taylor and Mary A. Ogborn, Morris Ogborn & Susan Leattergood.



Miscellaneous Documents starting with Image 267: Permission to microfilm, then documents relating to the incorporation of the German Lutheran Congregation. Some documents in German Script, later ones in English.



Baptism Records in German Script begin with image 280. They start in 1744 and continue through 1878. Marriages begin with image 683 and go from 1809- 1882.



Deaths start with Image 721. The year 1886 is on the first image and 1884 on the last of 10 images so they aren't in any kind of order.



There's a bit of the history of the congregation, lists of Members and Communicants 1855-1919, Baptisms of Infants 1885-1912, Marriages 1887-1912, Burials 1886-1913 with a notation on the last page that there were “500 funerals at New Hanover to date”, more Communicants 1906-1921.



There are 20 images of German Script dated from 1744-1765 appearing to be congregation history and old records as well as several pages of signatures (in German) dated 1765-1790. And finally, Miscellaneous Records in German Script 1766-1796 (marriages, lists of trustees).



It's truly amazing the various types of records found in this data set. Most of them are of no use to me since my ancestors were gone from Pennsylvania by the late 1790s but what I found there (the baptism record of Dietrich Hoffman) is absolutely fantastic!

More Pickleball and Another Covered Bridge

Tonight we went all went back to Cortland to play pickleball again. I had a chance to talk to the ladies more this time and I really enjoyed getting to know them better. There is just something about pickleball players that is really special. They just seem to have a zest for life. Many of these players spend time at The Villages in Florida and it showed in how they played. They were a tough crowd. We had a great time with them. I felt a bit sad saying goodbye, not knowing if we'd see them again or not.

New "Unoffical" Speed Record Set

On Wednesday morning, July 11, Justin Merle, an avid climber, international mountaineer and current employee as a guide with International Mountain Guides (IMG), broke the Mount Rainier summit speed record with a time of 4 hours, 49 minutes and 35 seconds. Here is a link to a recent article on his climb in The News Tribune.

The previous record holder, climbing ranger alum Chad Kellogg, set the record in 2004 with a time of 4 hours, 59 minutes and 1 second. Like Merle's time, it too was not officially recorded; there was no time keeper available at Paradise, Camp Muir or the summit to confirm the event. However, we do have pictures taken by Merle of his watch before and after the climb and climbers up at Camp Muir also confirmed seeing Merle on his descent. This obviously leaves room for disagreement for all those non-believers, but this level of athletic achievement, in such a challenging sport as it is, and a dangerous location as Mount Rainier can be, deserves a nice tip of the hat and a hearty "congratulations". There is no doubt Merle has raised the bar, and the level of anticipation for those other hopeful climbers looking for a new challenge. So, a lingering question remains, “Who's next?”.

Below is Merle’s account of the trip:

Times 6:00:05 -- left the upper Paradise parking lot
7:33ish -- climbed through Muir
8:30ish -- top of Cleaver
9:27 -- Columbia Crest
9:30 -- left register after signing the book
9:35 -- descended from crater rim
10ish -- Ingraham Flats
10:10 -- Muir
10:30 -- Pebble Creek
10:49:40 -- back in the parking lot
Roundtrip -- 4:49:35

I wore light boots (Sportiva Trango S) and Kahtoola

aluminum crampons, lightweight pants and a lightweight longsleeve top. I carried a BD Bullet pack with 2 liters of Cytomax in a hydration bladder, a light Goretex top, warm hat, and gloves. For fuel I carried 6 Gu packages and a pack of Shot Blocks. Overall, the route conditions and weather were almost perfect. The route was direct above the Cleaver and there wasn't much for traffic aside from the guided parties, who were all quite nice in letting me pass. I went to the tippy top and took the time to sign in at the register. It was quite windy on the crater rim and on the summit; aside from that the breeze was pleasant and I did not have to add any layers except a pair of gloves during the ascent. The descent went well--good snow for plunge-stepping and striding out pretty much all the way down. I did fall once on moderate terrain near 13000' as I was cutting some switchbacks--slid a couple meters before regaining my feet. On the descent, I left my pack at Muir and my crampons at Pebble Creek--thanks to the guides for carrying them down. I timed myself on my Suunto watch, and also used the logbook funtion to record the ascent/descent. The only "proof" I have of the times are a couple of before and after photos of the watch, and video taken with the same camera, before and after (I left the camera in a stuffsack at the trailhead). I did sign the register, and saw a lone climber on Columbia Crest, but did not speak with him.

This was my 106th summit of Rainier, by my best count.

~Justin Merle

Shorter Cranks, Dainty Pedals, and the Ambiguity of Toe Overlap

Last week I was offered the opportunity to trade the Sugino Alpina crankset on my mixte for the exact same model with shorter cranks, and I went for it. The original cranks were 170mm. The ones on it now are 165mm. A 5mm difference is very small, but can be significant. For instance, some say that shorter cranks make for a smoother pedal stroke. But my reason for the change was to reduce toe overlap. I mentioned previously that my mixte has it to a small degree, and that I'd like to get rid of it since I now use this bike mainly for transportation. In theory, that could be done either by converting to 650B or re-raking the fork. But before resorting to such drastic measures, I wanted to try something easier.



In addition to the shorter cranks, I also replaced the MKS Touring pedals with Velo Orange City Pedals. Being smaller, my assumption was that the new pedals would reduce overlap further still - though I am now told this isn't so.



Either way, with the new set-up my toes are about 1/4" further back from the front fender than where they were previously.These are the longest-toed boots I own, and with my foot in its most typical position on the pedal there is no overlap even on the widest turn.



Aerial view.



But the thing about an upright bike that is ridden casually and with no foot retention, is that you can plant your foot on the pedal any which way. Sometimes I am sloppy, and plop it down further forward than typical when starting. In that sense, the toe overlap issue remains ambiguous. I need to ride around with this setup for a few weeks to see whether it still happens on occasion. I am not sure whether I notice any difference between the old cranks and the new ones, but it's possible that my pedaling feels a little "rounder." Or I could be imagining it, because that's what I've been told is supposed to happen. (Crank length placebo effect?)

As for the VO City Pedals, I absolutely love them so far. Ever since having tried them on theRainbow Bike, I wanted them for myself. They don't stab my bare legs and toes the way MKSTouring pedals do, they are grippy, and they are extremely light (228gr per pair).It also does not hurt that they are pretty - though this, of course, is in the eyes of the beholder.



One caveat though, is that these pedals are very narrow (82mm across) and I have heard from a couple of people who find them uncomfortable for that reason. If you have large feet or tend to wear bulky workboots on your city bike, these are probably not the best choice.

So far I am happy with the changes I've made here, and together with the new basket the mixte has definitely turned into a transportation bike. The toe overlap was minor to begin with, so hopefully this will render it insignificant - but we'll see.



If you've ever played around with crank length on your bikes, did you notice a tangible difference? I have bicycles with cranks ranging from 165mm to 175mm, and they all feel fine, so I tend to use things like bottom bracket height and wheel size to determine what cranks a bike should have. But what do I know! Maybe with time I'll be able to tell the crank length of the bike I am riding just by the way it feels to pedal... though I remain skeptical.

Salvaging Style with Hats, Scarves and Argyle

Spending what seems like all day trekking back and forth over hills, then dragging our loaded bikes to photoshoot locations across dunes and marshes... frankly I have abandoned all hope of appearing fresh or presentable. Cycling-condusive clothing and tangled, sweaty hair hidden under caps are the new me for the time being.



Well, at least the hats themselves can be nice. I have many, and am often asked where I get them. The sources are usually a mix of unidentifiable small shops, and uninspired places like Target and Urban Outfitters. This one is actually from the Army-Navy store in Provincetown, bought a few years back. It is a heavy wool "newspaper boy" type hat that, surprisingly, can be worn even in hot weather.



I have also finally mastered the art of tying a scarf around my disobedient hair, thanks to this post on Knitting Lemonade.

This is the first scarf-tying method that has worked for me so far - staying put all day, rather than sliding back off my head when I least expect it.



Thanks to the headscarf, my gaunt exhaustion is semi-disguised as glamorous fatigue. The blue fabric also matches the bruises on my legs rather nicely.



As for the Co-Habitant, he chooses to express himself with socks.

Here is another pair.Yes, argyle socksandSPD cycling shoes.Sure, things can get silly. But what better way to sweeten a long ride?

Fat Pony

Here is Jack and my mare, Nita having a confab about not getting enough attention. Yeah, I agree, BlackJack is over weight. All of my horses seemed to suddenly get over weight in the past month or so. No, I haven't been riding enough, or doing ground work with them. Either I don't feel like it, or it is raining, or muddy, muddy, or I am busy at my job, or cleaning pens, and making sure water buckets are clean and full. It seems there are never enough hours in the day.

Leics Round 4: Sharnford to Barwell

With Marta. Sunny day, started chill, but warmed up. Very little wind. We took our time. Way clear, mud near gates, otherwise good underfoot. Very flat. 7 miles.



A magical misty drive over to Barwell - if a little longer than I expected. The day turned into the most glorious warm spring-like day so far this year.

Our starting point in Sharnford

We set off from our parking spot on the
back lane behind the garage, turn left along the main road, then cross over
and walk past the 'no entry' sign. When we reach Aston Lane, we turn left after Ivy House, and follow the Leics Round markers across fields to a
track and a gate on the corner of Lychgate Lane. We divert into Aston
Flamville , which is a small picturesque village with manor house, a 1715
dovecote and St Peter’s Church.

We took the footpath on the left just after these gates, on Aston Lane

This is where we left the Leicestershire Round for a visit to Aston Flamville.

Aston Flamville's restored dovecot, originally built in 1715

The sunny sheltered side of the church at Aston F. We had a short break on the sunny bench.

This world's a City full of crooked Streets,

Death is the Market-place where all men meet

If Life was Merchandise that men could buy

the rich would only live, the poor might die

A sign of spring

We go back along Lychgate Lane, and cross the M69 via a bridge. Today it's quiet - there's been an accident just up the road. Later I find out that two people have been injured, but their injuries are not life-threatening. I think the helicopter we saw a little earlier must have been the air ambulance.

Some of the Aston Alpacas we saw just before the bridge over the M69

Once over the bridge our path is alongside the motorway for a couple of hundred yards, before heading off across country once more. We meet a lone walker heading in the opposite direction.



The signs are clear, and the yellow marker posts have recently been repainted. Our only slight wander off track is at one point, just over three miles in, on my garmin map, where we can see a yellow post a couple of fields away and head straight for it, only to discover we can't get through the hedge. It's easy , if slightly irritating, to find the correct path.

From here it's straightforward to the edge of Burbage. We decide not to visit today, but walk left along Sherborne Road, turn right along Salisbury Road, then right along Winchester Drive, and cross the Sapcote Road to pick up thepublic footpath.

The sign tells us the path goes to Burbage Woods and Common and this is easy to follow. With the Woods on our right we make our way to the railway bridge.



It's a little tricky here - which yellow marker do we follow? To make things more complicated the golf course appears to be using yellow topped posts to mark out fairways - I think. We keep to the side of Sheepy Wood, then head across the Common, or a bit of the golf course. We're trying to make for the visitor centre, and with the help of the map and a bit of luck we are not challenged until we are within a couple of yards of a LR sign. The path takes us to the main road, and we turn right to walk along the pavement for a couple of hundred yards, as far as the visitor centre. Today it's closed, and there's a truck cleaning out what smells like a septic tank. We don't hang around for too long.



Back to cross the busyish road, and we have no problems following the markers to Barwell Lane, round the right hand side of a house, then left along the lane. We could miss the turn to the right, but today we have most of our wits about us, and arrive at Barwell with no problems, other than the muddy gateway that's saved itself for our last treat of the day, just before we emerge into Barwell itself.



Finally we make our way through the village, pausing to grab a sandwich at the Red Lion, and then it's back to the car and we have a bit more of the Round under our - in my case, slightly over-dressed today - belts.