Poor ducks

When we are away from home and return after dark, the ducks sometimes elect to spend the night on the pond. The next night, they're usually back in the pen, waiting for us to close the door. No harm done.

Recently though, after we came home late several nights in a row, the ducks refused to return to the pen at all. We tried herding them off the pond, but they were having none of that.

Duckie (1, 2) disappeared. If I'd laid bets on which duck might be picked off first, it certainly wouldn't have been Duckie, the flightiest one in the group.

Then Runt disappeared. Then Bluebill. Dagnabbit, we were going to be stuck with only male Runner ducks left, and wouldn't the female Muscovy just love that, come springtime? And why won't those dumb-as-a-box-of-rocks ducks come back to the safety of the pen at night?! You'd think they'd notice their comrades getting nabbed.

Then Runt reappeared. I don't know where she'd been... she didn't look injured. I am guessing that something chased her, and it took her a while to find her way home again. I held out hope for the other two girls for a few days, but it looks like they're not coming back.

I'm not sure what's getting them... coyotes, bobcats, raccoons, or turtles. Or something else our game camera hasn't caught here yet.

I'm going to try tempting them into the pen in the afternoon, with corn. But they have to be in the vicinity of the back yard to see it, and I can't have fed them too much in the morning, or it won't work. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

The Ambassador Theater and How It Rocked DC

Around 1927, my mother thinks she remembers walking with her Dad from Mozart Place to the Ambassador Theater on 18Th and Columbia Road to see something new-"a talkie" featuring Al Jolson in The Jazz Singer. Now flash forward forty years, and what Mom doesn't remember is that in 1967, the shuttered theater became the home to something new again-possibly the most amazing place ever to see a rock show in the history of this small town. I, unfortunately, was only about eight at the time, but over the weekend, yet another forty years forward, I went to a reunion of those who made it happen. Jeff Krulik our local film maker (and hero) helped bring these guys together from all over the country for this event.

In 1967 Tony Finestra, Court Rodgers and Joel Mednick were three young guys selling fire extinguishers of all things when they heard about the Summer of Love out in San Francisco. Out they went, and back they came to D.C. with ideas to make it happen here- the musical side of things anyway. They rented the Ambassador and booked The Grateful Dead. The Dead's equipment arrived, but unfortunately the city pulled their permit at the last minute and fought the project every step of the way. But our boys fought back and finally opened on July 28, 1967 with local band Natty Bumpo and headliner The Peanut Butter Conspiracy.

The Ambassador was an enormous space. All 1500 seats had been removed. The Psychedelic Power and Light Company took over the balcony and used multiple projectors and black lights to fill the room and cover the walls with colors and images that was a stand alone show of its own. Tickets were $1.50 on week nights, $2.50 on weekends. The mezzanine level boasted a head shop selling lava lamps, posters and well, you know, hippie stuff. What a scene it must have been. Not only was it a concert hall, but they tried to make a community center as well. Neighborhood kids were invited for special matinees- one involved a jazz band and a light show. It was also used as a staging area for the march on the Pentagon. Norman Mailer was there.

Jimi Hendrix needed work that summer. He'd been touring with The Monkees, but his style didn't quite fit that double bill. He ended up booked at The Ambassador for 5 nights that August-and Pete Townsend came to see him. (I'm not making this stuff up- ask Nils Lofgren.) This all happened here.

Canned Heat, Moby Grape, John Lee Hooker, Vanilla Fudge, The Fugs, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band and more all appeared at The Ambassador. Our own Joe Dolan of The Beatnik Flies mopped the floors there. His cousin, Patty made this hoe-down poster.


The sad thing is it couldn't last. It was partly a matter of bad publicity and partly the atmosphere of the times. (Even I remember how threatened people were by the hippie thing.) At the reunion, stories were told about police who gave parking tickets to legally parked theater goers. They also waited outside to arrest kids who had violated the D.C. curfew and scared them back to the suburbs. Plus it was a huge project to take on. The experiment ended about six months later. Sadder still the theater was torn down not too long after, and a vapid non descript plaza took it's place. Just last month a Jimi Hendrix tribute show came through town and played at Constitution Hall. Perhaps a better place to have it would have been there on that soul less plaza. It needs some life again.

The next time you are in Adam's Morgan, you might want to walk by there-and remember Jimi plus all the others that once played and worked there in that now gone place.
Remember the ghosts that once were dreams.



P.S. Speaking of ghosts: The Ambassador once stood on the site of The Knickerbocker Theater, but in 1922 the roof collapsed under the weight of snow. Ninety eight people were killed.


More From Nils Lofgren:
"The room was humming, not only with the expectation of seeing the Jimi Hendrix Experience, but that Pete Townshend was in the audience, and it was just an extraordinary pivotal night for me. Hendrix came out and said he was going to dedicate the first song to Pete Townshend and he was going to do a rendition of 'Sgt. Pepper.' Now being naive, and being a huge Beatles lover, a lot of us thought 'well, you're only a three piece band, how can you play 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band,' there's all these other guitars and strings.' We just didn't have a clue of what Hendrix was really about. He counted off the song and I remember he kind of disappeared, he just did one of those things where he fell to the floor, sitting on the floor rocking with the guitar between his legs kind of doing a 'Purple Haze/ Sgt. Peppers' riff, then he sort of bounces back up and does an insane version of 'Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band.' And when he dropped to the floor everyone just jumped up to try to see him, and from that moment on everyone was standing and mesmerized by obviously the greatest rock and roll guitar player that ever lived... There were just a lot of inspired moments like that at the Ambassador; it was this dark, beautiful, haunted, inspired room that you could go to and get lost in the light show and friends and the camradarie and the excitement of being in the audience discovering all this great new music; it was this real pivotal place in Washington, DC for all of the music scene, young and old."

Baby Wiley

Baby Wiley has taken a moment to rest. Notice I said a moment. Most of the time he is going full blast and it is almost impossible to get a photo of him. By the time I snap the photo he is gone.

Clementine Pradal

Here at jjobrienclimbing we've had hundreds of letters from readers asking "When are you going to add some sophistication to your blog".

Hey, what was wrong with Big Al?............. OK, OK, I hear you.

So here's Clementine Pradal. She's French, she's stylish and she climbs in pearl earings.



Sophisticated enough?











That's Damo in the background, more from him later.







Clem works Coolm Cave's icon 26, "Screaming Insanity".

I'mconfident the stylish bloggers over at Red Phoenix Styleare going toaward Clemtheir highest approval.































Even Princess Russ never lookedthis good at the Cave.





Clem grew up climbing real mountains (in the French Pyrenees) with her family. Before she could walk she would climb mountains.



Two years ago she climbed 22's and hated anything and everything steep. Now she loves steep routes, enjoys falling (sometimes!), secretly hates slabs and climb's mid-20's.















Oo, nice chalk bag jj







All that stylish climbing can wear a girl out.

Wordless Wednesday :: Icelandic Church

Near Keflavik, Iceland. Summer of 1973.Copyright © 1973/.. by Rebeckah R. Wiseman

Velosteel Coaster Brake Hub

When I decided to build up an ANT Truss Bike as a single speed with a coaster brake, I soon discovered that the only commonly available hub choice was Shimano. I have ridden Shimano coaster brake hubs, and there is nothing wrong with them. But somehow having one on a bike that was otherwise so old-school and classic felt off. So I asked around and learned, via the ever-helpful bikeforums, about a small manufacturer in the Czech Republic called Velosteel.






Velosteel focuses exclusively on producing single speed coasterbrake hubs. As I understand it, they took over the machinery that was used by the former Fichtel & Sachs company to manufacture the original Sachs hubs before SRAM bought them out. Therefore, Velosteel hubs are supposed to be identical to the vintage Sachs single speed coaster brake hubs found on many continental European city bikes made prior to the year 2000 - especially Dutch and German bikes. I have ridden a number of bikes with Sachs hubs in the past and I've always liked them, which made Velosteel an appealing choice.




As of last summer, the way to buy a Velosteel hub was on ebay. I do not remember where I bought mine, but I am told this is a reliable source in the US. I am still not aware of any US bike shops that carry these hubs, but if you are please let me know and I will update this information. I bought the hub, and Jim at Harris Cyclery built me a wheel around it.






While I am not sufficiently knowledgeable to explain why the Velosteel hub is more "old school" in its construction than a currently-produced Shimano hub, suffice to say that its overall form, its finishing, and the way the shell is put together all look distinctly different from modern hubs and distinctly similar to vintage ones.




There is no branding on the hub itself, and the only mark of the manufacturer seems to be on the reaction arm, which is stamped with: "VELOSTEEL MADE IN CZECH REPUBLIC." There may be a serial number stamped somewhere indicating date of manufacture and such, but I have not noticed it.






Having ridden the ANT over the past several months, I can make some observations about the Velosteel hub. My first impression was that it was too "soft;" I could not lock up the rear wheel without exerting a huge amount of effort. However, I wanted to wait before sharing this impression - thinking that it was possible the hub would "wear in" over time. And it did, after about 40 miles - during which I made it a point to use the brake often. Now the hub can lock up the rear wheel with reasonable effort. It also modulates braking power very nicely, which is something I love about a good coaster brake.I do feel that the Velosteel allows for finer modulation than the currently produced Shimano coaster brake hub.I get into the rhythm of using it, and it makes city cycling feel like such an organic, smooth experience.




Last year I started a discussion about vintage vs modern coaster brakes and the amount of backpedaling "give" they allow before the braking mechanism is engaged. I noted that in my experience, older coaster brakes allow for more give, which I prefer. In the comments others reported this difference as well - but some suggested that it might be a function of the vintage coaster brakes being worn out with age, as opposed to differently designed. Well. My Velosteel hub started out brand new, and it has "give" similar to the old vintage Sachs coaster brakes I've ridden. This is just one piece of anecdotal evidence of course, but I think it's useful to offer it.






Overall I like the Velosteel hub and have a feeling it will only improve with age - somehow, I feel as if it's still wearing in. I would love to get feedback from others who have used it, especially on a bike that's their regular commuter and for a period of several years.




As with everything, I think it is good to have options. The Velosteel hub might be a welcome alternative to Shimano for those who prefer a coaster brake hub with a more classic look and feel. I wish more American bike shops carried Velosteel.

Winter Sunset, Whitecaps Bay

Here's a recent sunset shot from Grand Portage. This was taken a few days ago, one of the best sunsets of this winter so far. Most of our sunsets this winter have been met with very cloudy skies but this one had a few patchy clouds, just enough to really help accent the sunset color. The temperature was relatively mild when I made this shot, but the wind was really strong off the lake, elevating the wind chill and making this shot a bit of a challenge. Even with my gloves on, my fingers had a good chill after shooting this blustery winter sunset.

Beka Burbery - Kiwi Girl

I went to a big-deal seminar years ago. A certain big-name, brick-jawed American success coach. It was huge.

A 14 hour mega motivation marathon, the first 10 minute piss break was at the 6 hour mark.

Content covering; dedication, commitment, success strategy.

It's easy to be cynical, but to be honest, I learned a lot.

Climbers, you already know the message:

How bad do you want success? How badly do you want to do, what you want to do?

Would you limit your budget to a dollar for dinner, less for breakfast, forego a comfy hotel and live in a single, crappy unheated room, weave your bicycle through the dusty Chinese traffic?































Well, probably yes.

I met Rebekah Burbery in Yangshuo, doing just that, she was turning a week of budget into months.

I can't help but examine my own balance of commitments across work, home, climbing. Comforts.







The thing that struck me about Beka is that she practices high-level frugality and keeps the beautiful air of friendliness and full-scale positivity. Generous of spirit. Such a joy.














The route: Yangshuo Hotel 7b White Mountain - China.





















Back in her homeland of New Zealand she couch surfs and sleeps in her car to extend her climbing life between bursts of Outdoor Education work.













I decide I'm happy with my choices. I work hard. I enjoy a beautiful home. I have short trips to amazing places and meet inspiring people. I blog about it.









Vignette:

My mind is on something else.

As I stare through the crappy, blistering window-tint of the van, outside it's dark and dusty.

The road back from White Mountain to Yangshuo is in ruins. The van winds around searching for a workable course through the potholes, dodging buses. We make it into town, there's trucks, and diesel, and danger. It's very cold, and I'm sort of sleepy and aching, thinking about getting back to my hotel, dinner, bed.

Somewhere out there Beka is on her bicycle.

I generalise to myself; Kiwi girls are hardy.












Thanks Beka. jj

Lift-Off!

Check out these Bald Eagle shots I captured on my way to Grand Marais this morning. I was heading in early for a clinic appointment (tested postitive for strep throat... bummer!) when I saw this Eagle perched in a tree that was on the verge of falling over. These photos are proof positive that it always pays to have your camera gear in the car with you, and in this case, to have some extra time. I was traveling about 15 minutes early for my appointment so when I saw this Eagle I had plenty of time to pull over, walk down on the beach and get some pictures of him.

Switzer Family Number 4 :: Jacob G. and Catharina

This previous post was a summary of the Tax Lists, Land Records, and Census Records for each of the Jacob Switzers, and in that post this Jacob was identified as Jacob #4.



The Estate File in Columbiana County, Ohio (Number 4874) gives his name as Jacob G. Switzer while the Columbiana County Cemetery Inscriptions (v1 p6) lists him as Jacob C. Switzer. I'm going with Jacob G.





Jacob G. Switzer died March 25, 1859 at age 70y 4mo 17d (date of birth calculates to November 8, 1788). He is buried in Columbiana Cemetery, Columbiana County, Ohio.



His wife Catherine/Catharina died December 17, 1850 at age 62y 3mo 5d (date of birth calculates to September 12, 1788). She is also buried in Columbiana Cemetery, Columbiana County, Ohio. The gravestone transcriptions give her name as Catharina. The Ohio Death Record for Anna ( Switzer) Grove gives her mother's name as Catherine Mummert while that of Sophia Sweitzer shows it to be Catherine Murmmouh. A record on Find-a-Grave gives her name as Catharina Murmmoth.



On April 16, 1859 Isaac Switzer of Stark County, and James Crook and Joseph Anglemyer of Columbiana County signed a bond for $.. for Isaac Switzer who was named Administrator of the estate of Jacob G. Switzer.





Above is a portion of the final account that shows there was a balance of $917.63 in the estate of Jacob G. Switzer which Isaac Switzer was ordered to distribute according to law.

“The deceased in his lifetime having made advancements to most of his children of unequal sums, in order to equalize each as near as possible, the above balance was distributed as follows between the six heirs who have received the least by way of advancement, as per receipts filed.”

The above statement implies that there were possibly other heirs that did not receive a part of the final distribution... Census records seem to show that there may have been other children not named as having received a distribution.





The heirs that received a distribution and the amount they received were:

Ann Switzer – 194.60 ½

Sophia Switzer – 194.60 ½

Benj. Switzer 134.60 ½

Lydia Keck – 194.60 ½

Eliza Crook – 94.60 ½

Isaiah Holloway agt for Susan Holloway - 94.60 ½

Probate Judges & Attorneys fees – 10.00

Equal balance in Admr's hands $917.63

In the sale bill for the estate of Jacob G. Switzer, which was very difficult to read, there were several entries for a Tobias Switzer but none for Isaac or Benjamin. Is Tobias a son? Tobias also owed several notes to the estate amounting to $452.07 and it was reported in the final account that T. Switzer had paid $456.28 to the estate.



This Jacob Switzer does not appear in Columbiana County census records until 1830 and then he is listed in Fairfield Township from 1830 through 1850. See the above-mentioned previous post for details on the census records and well as the land ownership information.



From the census records it was determined that the family of Jacob and Catherina Mummert Switzer seems to have consisted of at least:

one male born 1826-1830

two males born 1821-1825

two males born 1816-1820

two females born 1826-1830 [Anna born 1829 + one other]

one female born 1821-1825 [Sophia born 1822 and Lydia born 1824]

one female born 1816-1820 [Eliza born 1818]

one female born 1811-1815 [Susan ?]

Known children of Jacob G. and Catharina Switzer (they received a distribution of his estate):

• Susan (Switzer) Holloway is probably the Susan Switzer who married Charles Holloway on March 10, 1839 in Columbiana County (v3 p208).

• Eliza/Aliza (Switzer) Crook. Aliza was born October 4, 1818 and died April 20, 1903. She is buried in Columbiana Cemetery, Columbiana County, Ohio. Eliza married James Crook on September 12, 1844 in Columbiana County (v3 p382). James Crook was born September 17, 1820 (calculated from age at death) and died October 23, 1895 at age 75y 1m 6d. He is buried in Columbiana Cemetery, Columbiana County, Ohio.

• Anna (Switzer) Grove was born December 25, 1825 in Fairfield Township, Columbiana County, Ohio and died March 16, 1910 in Columbiana, Columbiana County, Ohio. The Ohio Death Record of Anna Grove gives her parents as Catherine Mummert and Jacob Switzer. Anna was widowed at the time of her death. Since she was named as Ann Switzer in the distribution record or her father, it is likely that she married “Mr. Grove” after 1860. The informant on the death record was Valentine Grove.

• Sophia Switzer was born May13, 1830 in Ohio and died April 27, 1916 in Youngstown, Mahoning County, Ohio. She is buried in Columbiana Cemetery, Columbiana County, Ohio. The Ohio death records give her parents names as Catherine Murmmouh and Jacob Sweitzer.

• Benjamin Switzer was not found in a quick search of the marriage records or census records for Columbiana County.

• Lydia Ann (Switzer) Keck was born April 27, 1837 and died March 11, 1870 and is buried in Columbiana Cemetery, Columbiana County, Ohio. Lydia married to Peter Rick [Reck/Keck] on 27 April 27, 1858 in Columbiana County (v38 p333). Peter was born October 17, 1834 and died October 6, 1900. They are buried in Columbiana Cemetery, Columbiana County, Ohio.

Other possible children of Jacob G. and Catharina Switzer:

• Isaac Switzer was the Administrator of the Estate of Jacob G. Switzer. He may be the Isaac Switzer who married Christina Zimmerman on January 2, 1840 in Columbiana County (v3 p226). He was found in the 1850 census in Lexington Township, Stark County, Ohio (page 462): Isaac Sweitzer was 37 years old (born about 1813 – doesn't quite “fit” the ages of “sons” in family of Jacob G). He was a farmer and was born in Ohio. In his household were Christina Sweitzer, 40; Silvenus Sweitzer, 8; Henry Sweitzer, 6; and Benjamin Sweitzer, age 3.

• Tobias Switzer was the only Switzer that purchased goods from the estate. He also owed several notes to the estate, which he paid on April 6, 1860.

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

I do not plan to pursue this family any further. The information is being presented here because I have it and hopefully it will be of some use to another researcher someday.

Castle Bytham - Pickworth - Clipsham - Castle Bytham

On a fine day, still a tad sticky underfoot. With Gordon, Maureen, Barry and Eddie. 10.6 miles.





We set off from Castle Bytham, taking the footpath which goes past the Castle pub, then the church and the cemetery, which has the sign 'Welcome to Castle Bytham Cemetery'!

The path skirts the graveyard and then comes to open country. There was a pretty cold, though southerly, wind.





The fields were a bit muddy, but the path was fairly straightforward, though we did deviate slightly before reaching the Clipsham Road. On the other side the path led past School Farm - though it looked as though it had been neither for a very long time.

We could see the remains of a small triangular opening in one wall - but I clearly didn't put it in the pic

Onwards and south we trudged, until we reached Holywell quarry, where we followed the path just fine until it seemed to head into a wooded gully, which was a little too wooded. We took an easier route slightly to our right, coming out just a little off track, before reaching the Holywell Road.



The path continued as a bridleway leading gently uphill towards Pickworth Great Wood.




Looking back towards Holywell quarry



From here to Pickworth the path was clearly marked - through the wood and over the fields to emerge beside Manor Farm. We turned left to have a look at the arch, which is all that remains of a church from the 12th, 13th or 14th century. The present owner came out and chatted to us about it.











The present church is very plain and was built in 1821.

We walked straight past the limekiln this time! It was only when I read the Pickworth link that I realised it claims to be where the poet John Clare worked for a while.

Here's one I took earlier (18 Nov)

Once again the path was clear, heading slightly north of west, and just after crossing a narrow band of trees we decided to stop for a break - there was a convenient fallen tree.

It was just after this that I went off track (in spite of warnings that the track has been diverted!). When I look at the garmin trace on the map link below, it's obvious that I went too far to the west (left) of the wood. Much better to have stuck closer to the edge. Another excuse - we were a little distracted by one of the less welcome sights of this part of the world - the hunt were out as well.





An extra half-mile or more added on to the walk, but with the aid of Barry's grid refs and compass bearing, we found our way through Clipsham Quarry, which is marked as 'old' on the map, but is in use.



From here to Clipsham things went smoothly again, but as we were behind schedule - we're such timetable-dependent people especially when we're hoping to reach the pub in time for lunch - we decided to give the Yew Tree Avenue a miss this time.

We reached Clipsham just opposite the Olive Branch pub, and turned right, walked round the bend to the left and turned left - after a little while we turned right and followed the route I had already walked on Nov 18th. The route is clearly marked from near Clipsham Court, and goes behind Clipsham House, then crosses fields in a north-westerly direction and reaches Addah Wood. It runs alongside then turns right into the wood, and after a while left (north) through Lady Wood. The path runs fairly close to Stocken Prison perimeter.

We came out of the wood, and once again my map-reading proved less than perfect. Now I can see that the contours mean the path runs along the bottom of the dip!

A slightly slippery footbridge - at least if your boots are muddy.

If there was a waymarker, we missed it, and added another half-mile and at least 50 feet of climbing to the route. However, it was not difficult to find our way back to the track, which then goes under the disused railway to the Castle Bytham Road. A short uphill walk and we were in the village - just too late for a pub lunch, but fortunately the tea room in the village hall is open until 3 on a Thursday. Very much appreciated by all of us.

A Tree?

I think my 3 black cats thought I had gone nuts for putting up a tree in the house even if it was an artificial one. They helped me decorate it and then undecorated it.

On Bicycle Maintenance and Limitations

Some food for thought for those who believe that all cyclists must do their own maintenance and repairs: Not everybody has the physical strength for it. I've lately spoken to several persons who have sheepishly admitted this, and were then relieved to hear that I have the same problem. My personal weak point is lack of hand and upper body strength, which can result in difficulties with even routine tasks. For example, I am not always able to open the quick release levers on wheels. On some bikes it's easy, but on other bikes I simply can't - no matter how hard I pull. Similarly, tires can be difficult to get off the rim: With some wheel and tire combinations I can work the tire iron until I am red in the face, but it won't budge and the tire refuses to come off. It is frustrating, because with many bicycle repair tasks I can give precise step-by-step instructions to someone else, but just can't physically do the work myself. And it's even more frustrating to watch the Co-Habitant do in 2 seconds what took me 10 minutes of pantingnot to be able to do.



From the correspondence I get, I know that there are cyclists out there who feel sad when they read unkind remarks on bicycle websites about those who don't do their own maintenance. If bicycle repair is easy for you, that's super. But please keep in mind that it is not easy for everybody. After all, just because knitting and sewing are easy for me, does not mean that everyone who buys their clothes ready-made is "just being lazy." Some people have arthritis, others have a bad back, others still are simply not strong enough - or even not dextrous enough - to work on their own bicycle. In areas where cycling is more common, this is acknowledged as "normal" and people are not expected to repair their own bikes unless they are enthusiasts. But in the US there is often an "oh please!" mentality when a cyclist mentions that they don't work on their own bicycle.



The way I see it, it is helpful to be aware of your limitations and to plan accordingly.If you can't repair a flat, accept it - and be prepared. Buy tires with good puncture protection. Know where all the bike shops are in the area where you travel, in case there is a problem and you need support. Know where the nearest subway, train and bus stations are. Carry a mobile phone, cash and a credit/debit card as a matter of course, in case you are stranded in the middle of nowhere and need to call a friend or a taxi to get you. And most importantly, please don't feel bad if you can't do repairs on your own - you can certainly still ride a bike! We are all good at some things and bad at others, and there is not a thing wrong with that.

Skull Rock

Many, many years ago, I'm guessing about 15 years ago, while roaming around in the Jemez Mountains we found a rock that with a lot of imagination can look sort of like a skull. Then for many years we had sort of lost where that rock was at. We knew the general area - the mountains - but never got to where the rock was. Last fall we decided to find and came close but it got to late before we found it and we had to come home to feed the critters. Plus I wanted to see it in daylight so I could photograph it. Last week we went to the mountains and actually found Skull Rock again. Maybe to you it doesn't look like a skull. But to me it does, but then I have a heck of an imagination for things like that. These are photos of Skull Rock from a little distance and then closer and closer. Of course the real close up has a lot of shadows on it cause it sort of shades its on face all day. In the following posts are some of the other rocks that were near by.