Getting a Drink

This is Tuffee trying to catch the water from the water hose while I water the plants, trees, and flowers. Tuffee can't go to the seaside like our blogger friend Max so she makes do by playing in the stream from the hose.

Beach Scenes

A few more images from a wonderful day at the beach! Anastasia Island, St. Augustine, Florida. November 30, ...

And, if it is any consolation to those of you "up North", the high temperature for the past three days has been about 60 degrees...

Big Bend :: Hot Springs Trail

One of the easier trails in the Rio Grande Village area is the Hot Springs Trail, which takes you three miles through the hills, canyons, and desert to, where else, Hot Springs! But when the river is high, like it was on this day, the Hot Springs are flooded. So, no relaxing in the springs when you get there! When the river is low, the water from the Springs runs clear and warm. The Springs were developed in the late 1920s. There was a lodge, store, and the Spring House where visitors would soak up the powers of the mineral hot springs. The foundation is the only thing remaining of the Spring House now. The lodge and store buildings still exist though they are no longer used.

The weather forecast was for temperatures in the low 60s so I put on a sweatshirt and nylon windbreaker, packed my little bag with “energy” food to eat along the way, grabbed some water, my hat and walking stick and was on my way.

The trailhead is on the opposite side of the Village, about two miles away, so I drove the van over. After passing through the grove of green cottonwood trees the trail started up. And up. It was uphill for the first 3/10 of a mile. And not just a gradual uphill slope, but steep switchbacks that I am sure have tested many a soul, mine included! As it turned out, this was actually the hardest section of the trail (as far as going uphill, anyways).

The view from the overlook, after you have navigated the first 3/10 of a mile, uphill. It sure seemed like more than 3/10 of a mile to me!

Probably about half way out, there were three hikers making the return trip. They were the first people I had seen since starting out. Of course, they said the trek was worth it. That's what everyone says about every trail it seems. A short while later when I looked back at where I had been, I saw another lone hiker coming my way. In an odd way, it was somewhat comforting to know that someone else was behind me.

It wasn't long before the lone hiker caught up with me. I'm a slow walker, stopping often along the way. His name was Larry and he was from Wisconsin. We chatted for a minute or two and then he was on his way. I'd see him every now and then, up ahead. About this time, it was getting hot. Much hotter, it seemed, than the 60 degrees that had been forecast. I had already taken off the windbreaker and was considering the removal of the sweatshirt. Instead I pulled up the sleeves. Oddly enough it was cooler with the sweatshirt on than with the bare skin exposed to the direct sunlight.

These were growing in what appeared to be solid stone, right on the edge of the canyon. They were about 8 inches tall.

The desert sometimes appears lifeless and barren, but it is really far from it. Life is all around if you just stop to look for it.

Up and down. Following the worn trail of dust and stones. It goes on and on. The Hot Springs are down there, down by the river. Close, but oh so far away!

Getting closer. The Hot Springs are just in front of that sandbar sticking out into the river.

Looking back. At where I'd been.

I heard someone yelling but couldn't make out what they were saying. It was Larry, the lone hiker. He waited until I caught up with him then told me that he had been trying to tell me about the huge spiral fossil in the path. But I had seen it.

The fossil was at least a foot in diameter. And it was right on the pathway. You can't help but step on it as you go down the trail.

Larry and I walked together to the end of the trail. There were picnic tables beneath the shade of a huge palm tree. Upon closer inspection, the tree was made up of five palm trees clumped together, it was amazing. Even more amazing is the fact that I didn't get a picture of it! Larry and I sat beneath that aged tree and ate our lunch. We talked about everything and about nothing. Soon he was on his way back. I stayed and rested for another fifteen minutes before leaving.

The walk back seemed much harder than it was going out. There was very little shade. I found one spot where a rock overhang provided a bit of relief. It helped. I didn't think I'd have enough water so I would take small sips, just enough to wet the lips. It helped.

The last uphill stretch was the hardest. I knew I was getting close to the overlook. I knew I'd made it! And then I heard a voice. Larry had waited for me there, at the overlook. I thought, how sweet. And I thanked him. He said he was concerned since I was alone, he'd been keeping an eye out for me. He said that if I was feeling anything like he was – exhausted – that it would be nice to take a break before tackling that last downhill section.

I found a rock to sit down on. It happened to be in front of a trail sign, which was casting it's shadow. Ah, shade, just enough to get me out of the sun for a few minutes. I drank the remainder of my water and was thankful for it, as warm as it was and as awful as it tasted, it was delicious.

After about 15 minutes of rest, we continued on down the hill, meeting several other people coming up who were just going to the overlook. At the trailhead Larry and I said our goodbyes. He took the picture of me below. Not a glamorous getup, but it got the job done! If I look hot and tired, it's because I was...

Rather pleased with myself, I slowly walked to the van, pulled out a bottle of cool water and sat down in the shade of one of those glorious cottonwood trees! Then I went to the camp store and had an Ice Cream bar! Well, to be honest, I had two!

Phend-Fisher Family Reunion Ledger (1931)

[page 1]
Aug 30 - 1931

The 22 second anual Reunion of The Phend - Fisher familys was held at Elkhart Ind at McNaughton Park Aug 30 - 1931

The meeting was called to order by Pres. Henry A Phend with an opening Prayer by John Ernest after which several talks were given.

The buisness of the day was then taken up with election of officers as follows.
Mr. Claude Pool President
Mr. Ruben Pletcher Vict Pres.
Cecil Phend Sec & Treas.

- - Entertainment Committe - -
Fred Ernest Chairman
Mr. Cecil Phend
Mrs. Cecil Phend
Mr. Russel Phend
Mr. Barton Thornton

It was then voted to have next Reunion at John Ernest Home close to Sugar Grove Church for next meeting Place. to be held Last Sunday in Aug

It was the moved & Seconded that Mrs Barton Thornton

[page 2]
should act as Birth & Death reporter again.

The minuits of the 1930 Reunion were read and approved correct by acting secretary Ruben Pletcher.

The financial report was as follows
Cash $4.05
Payed out 2.42
Balance $1.63
Collection 2.72
Turned over to Secrt Treas. $4.35

Deaths & Births as Reported by Mrs. Barton Thornton

To Mr & Mrs Lee & Bernice Phend Holderman a daughter Barbara Holderman
To Mr & Mrs Russell Phend a daughter Nancy Ann Phend
To Mr & Mrs Ruben & Surelda Phend Pletcher, a son Harrol Delbert Pletcher

[page 3]
Deaths as reported by Mrs Barton Thornton - Reporter

In family of Mr & Mrs Harry Shaw. Their Daughter Miss Shirley Darline Shaw died Nov 3. 1930 age [34 years crossed out] infant.

In Family of Mr & Mrs Henry A Phend. Their daughter Mrs Gladyce Irene Phend Pressler united in marriage to Mr Ralph Pressler died July 4 - 1931 - age 34 years. No children were born to this marriage

In family of Mr & Mrs Painter daughter Miss Maud Painter Married to Charley McGown
[Their daughter crossed out] Mrs Maude McGown died Aug 1931 age 48 leaveing two children. Donabelle & Dorris

Cecil S Phend Sec & Treas



= = = = = = Notes = = = = = =

Gladys Irene Phend was born August 8, 1896 in Nappanee, Indiana and was the daughter of Henry and Susie Yarian Phend. Gladys was married to Ralph Bryan Pressler on September 1, 1922 in Whitley County, Indiana. She died on July 4, 1931 of complications following surgery for appendicitis. Gladys was a sister of Cecil Phend (the secretary-treasurer for 1931).

Maud Painter was the daughter of William and Amelia (Herrold) Painter. She was born May 28, 1883 and died August 16, 1931 at her home in Niles, Michigan. Her marriage to Charles Thomas McGowan took place on July 1, 1905 in Elkhart County, Indiana. Maud and Charles had three daughters, Laura (Mrs. James Huff), Doris (Mrs. Arthur Dickey), and Donnabelle McGowan (still living at home in 1931).

The Phend-Fisher families gathered for a reunion in northern Indiana almost annually from 1909 until 1943. The events of the day were recorded in an old ledger book. Spelling has been retained as it was in the original though some punctuation and paragraph breaks have been added. The Phend Family Reunions were resumed in 1952 and have been held annualy since then. To view all articles in this series click on the "Phend-Fisher Reunion Ledger" label at the bottom of this post.

Ah, Spring!

It's that time of year when Mother Nature can't decide whether it is should still be winter or if she'll let us pass into warmer weather. Last night saw thunder and lightening along with quite a bit of rain come through northeast Indiana. Then I heard it turn to sleet and freezing rain. I looked out the back door about 11 p.m. and there was at least an inch of slush on the patio. By then the mixture had turned to snow. The front of the apartment, which faces the south and which is where the flowers are, didn't get near as much snow/slush as the north side.

So, will my daffodils bloom when their time comes?


As always, click on the image for a larger version...

Little Billy

My grandmother's brother, William Hale Brubaker, 2 years old, February 1907.

Ice is coming...time to start thinking about technique.

Photo courtesy of:http://www.alpineexposures.com/



Every fall I start thinking about ice climbing again, what I learned last year, and what I find are the important things I want to work on this year and the kind of climbing I most enjoy.



Over and over again for the last half dozen years I think the ability to use one tool in the most effective manner is the most importantadvantage with the newest ice tools. Some tools allow you to take advantage of that opportunity better than others.



But no matter the style of tool, being able to easily match hands on an ice tool and make the lest amount of placements per foot of vertical gain is what we are looking for and what is really important.



The fewer the placements the betteryour endurance. The more positions you can use on your tool the more your strengthwill last, short or long term. That will happen on vertical ice or less than as well.



The more you move your hands around and use them in slightly differing manners the warmer your hands will generally stay.



These are videos I have posted previous. But if you haven't seen them it is worth taking a close look at how the climbers in each use their tools. Both the videos are getting dated now for gear but the climbing techniques shown are not. Hopefully you'll get some new ideas of your own from what you see.









and another example here:



http://www.tvmountain.com/video/alpinisme/6769-goulotte-lara-toun-grand-capucin.html







I like havingoptions!

Sometimes It Doesn't Seem Like it's Worth the Effort

But you'll never know unless you try!



Monday, August 8th - - After leaving the Keweenaw Peninsula, I headed south (really, the only direction I could go from there!) and, after a few hours, entered Wisconsin. My sojourn in Pure Michigan had come to an end. A beautiful place, but honestly, I was tired of the humidity - I was hot and sticky during the day and cold and clammy at night! Some place with a little less humidity was in my forecast.



My stay in Wisconsin would be brief – one night and parts of two days traveling across the uppermost tip and along the shoreline of Lake Superior. A quick check of the map and I saw that Copper Falls State Park was just a few miles across the Wisconsin state line, southwest of the town of Ironwood. I arrived at Copper Falls early in the afternoon and secured a very nice campsite.



I had gotten some information about trails when I checked in and the lady at the desk told me about two popular hikes. One of the hikes was to an observation tower. Now, she didn't explicitly state that there was a nice view but it was somewhat implied. You know, it's an observation tower so there “has” to be a good view. She did state that there was a flight of stairs with a few steps involved along the trail as well as at the tower itself. My knees do much better on the way up stairs than they do on the way down, but, I thought I could handle what she described. After a short walk along a relatively smooth trail, uphill, I came to this:





It didn't look so bad. Wide steps and each one wasn't very high. Onward I went. This is the view looking down from the top.





And this is what awaited around the bend...





At the top of that stairway was more of the uphill path. And then, this:





I figured, what the heck, I'm there. Might as well go for it. And this is what I saw from the top of the observation tower.





And this is the view in another direction... I think you get the idea!





I'm sure that in the fall this would be absolutely gorgeous. Maybe even in the winter or the spring when there are no leaves on the trees. Maybe then you could actually see the surrounding countryside. But in the summer? Not so much.



Not all walks or hikes are going to give you spectacular views. But each one does give you an appreciation for nature and this amazing world in which we live. It's not the destination that matters, but the journey itself, and what happens along the way. So I tell myself when these things happen, which thankfully, hasn't been too often.



I took it slow and easy on the way down. Yeah, the knees were hurting some by the time I got back to the bottom. But once back on level ground the pain eased up and I continued on to another little hike.

Ketton Circular

Barry led this walk, and Gordon, Eddie and I followed. Just over 8 miles, fine weather, apart from a few spots of the wet stuff, and relatively dry underfoot for a change.





We set off from Ketton, parking near the phone box, in a lay-by beside the A6121.







We turned left, following the Macmillan Way, past Hibbins House, once the home of a family of stone and memorial masons. The house has several carved decorations.

We walked along the Green, turned right at Manor Green and on past the Coach House to where the path led along a grassy lane and eventually on to a quarry track with a wide bridge above the moonscape of the quarry - used for extracting limestone which is used in the local cement.





The track is pretty clear, and we followed the joint MacMillan Way/Hereward Way northwest for a couple of miles, across various arable fields. There's a lot of rapeseed at the moment. We turned to the north near a minor road, and followed the path across the A606 and downhill. Empingham church can be seen to the left.





Towards the bottom of the slope a path crosses the main route, and we took a right turn, up to a stile in the hedge and then across a couple of fields. There was a horse near Shacklewell Cottage, and we found a reasonable spot for our snack break.

Barry and friend

The path took us back up to the A6121. We walked alongside this on a wide verge for about a third of a mile, before crossing over and taking the footpath to the right. When we emerged on to another wider track we turned right, and then left, at Shacklewell Spinney. The path took us back to the Macmillan/Hereward Way, where we turned left and retraced our steps for a mile or so into Ketton.







Ketton Quarry Wildlife Reserve

SSSI



For future reference a wander through the Wildlife Reserve could be added on to future walks from Ketton.

Sunday at Liberty Hill

When we went up to Liberty Hill, we not only enjoyed the ponds, but also found a stand with the best peaches we'd had this year.

Wordless Wednesday :: Schooldaze ~ Ninth Grade

The Sun Sinks into the Ocean

Beverly Beach State Park north of Newport, OregonSeptember 28, ..

Angels Landing :: The Finale

By the time I went to bed on Wednesday night (May 5th) I had talked myself into making the climb to Angels Landing. I got up early Thursday morning and caught the eight o'clock shuttle bus to the Grotto stop.

The trail up to Scout's Lookout was just as strenuous as it had been on Tuesday. The uphill grades and switchbacks were still just as steep. It didn't take long before I was huffing and puffing and stopping often to catch my breath. And just like on Tuesday, other hikers started passing me within a few minutes on the trail. I didn't care. I took my time and got there all the same.

Soon I was navigating through Walter's Wiggles and had arrived at Scout Lookout. I stopped briefly for a quick snack, and before I could even think about it was up and over that first peak. Then before me was Angels Landing. Still intimidating. Still awesome. I stopped long enough to get a couple of pictures of the trail, then with a rush of adrenaline, I was on my way. I didn't stop to think about what I was going to do, I just knew that I “had” to try.

The first few steps are the most terrifying. But it is mostly psychological. The trail is several feet wide. The Virgin River is almost 1200 feet below.


Left: This was the hardest and scariest part for me. It was a pretty high step up to the cut-out in that first rock and the chain was down low. And I have short legs. And there was nothing on either side of that rock except air. I “knew” if I could get through this section at the beginning, then I could do the rest of it too.

Right: Going up the “spine” of the peak.


Left: Looking back at where I had gone.
Right: Offering a helping hand.


Left: Getting near the top.
Right: Walking across the ridge at the top of Angels Landing.

This is it! The end of the trail. The top of Angels Landing!

Do I looked pleased with myself? You bet!

The Lower Zion Canyon from atop Angels Landing.

The following four photos were taken on the way down from the top and show a bit more detail of the trail.




The descent down took me about half as long as the climb up. It wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it was going to be. You really just concentrate on where that next step is going to take you and you are looking at perhaps ten feet or so in front of you. There were a lot more people on the trail on the way down, everyone was patient and helpful, no one was in a hurry. We all just wanted to get safely down. And we did.

It was amazing! I still find it hard to believe that I DID IT!!

Other posts in this series:

• Angels Landing :: The Prelude
• Angels Landing :: The Overture
• Angels Landing :: Interlude