Maple Aurora

I have been suffering from Aurora withdrawals again lately, since our last good showing of Northern Lights was over 2 months ago. What can I say? The last year and a half of good solar activity has me spoiled and I want more :-) This one was taken on October 25, along one of the Maple ridges in Grand Portage, MN. It is a favorite spot of mine to photograph the fall colors, but is also a wonderful spot to photograph the trees silhouetted against the night sky once the leaves have fallen.

Wordless Wednesday :: Standing By

The Great Forest Park Balloon Race, St. Louis, Missouri
September 1994Copyright © 1994/.. by Rebeckah R. Wiseman

Sawtry- Steeple Gidding - Little Gidding - Sawtry

Led by Barry. With me and Gordon. Weather sunny, strongish W wind. One point where I'd switched off Garmin. Just over 10 miles.



We parked at the end of St Judith's Road, at the bottom of a grassy hill where several dogs were being exercised. We set off upwards - it's not too high - I notice our maximum elevation was 225 feet, but, as we were on the edge of the fens, this is a mountain.

High enough to offer wide views of the countryside.

yup - going up!

The wind was chill, but we soon warmed up. A couple of butterflies seemed to be enjoying the sun too.








We walked alongside Aversley Wood and turned right at the top, along the Bullock Road track.





A dog-walker had recommended that we should look among the trees for a "star pond", a pond specially built so that bullocks being driven to market all had access to drinking water. No water there now, but the shape of the channels can be seen near the corner of the wood.





We returned to the Bullock Road and followed this north-west for about half a mile, turning left, south-west past some farm buildings. The way zig-zags a little, before heading uphill, still south-westwards, then diagonally across a field. We headed to the left of a group of trees to a gap in the hedge, leading on to a T junction.

Gap in the hedge and signposts for T-junction.

Our way was straight ahead along the minor road to The Giddings



Where the road bent to the right we turned left along a footpath, following the waymarks round three sides of a square, past a pond and the evidence of old buildings on the ground - the remains of the medieval village.

Plan of Steeple Gidding on display in the church.

The path came out on the road a short distance away from the church of St Andrew, now cared for by the Redundant Churches Fund.

St Andrews, Steeple Gidding

Inside the church

View from the bench in the churchyard

After a snack break we continued west towards Little Gidding, turning right from the main track at the side of a small wood, which led us to the settlement, originally founded by Nicholas Ferrar in the 17th Century. There is now a tea shop, as well as a pilgrimage and retreat house. The church is very small and hidden away.

Little Gidding Church

T S Eliot called one of his Four Quartets after this place, and there is a copy of his selected poems in the church. There is an interesting extra link about his connection with Little Gidding in the link above.



A quotation I rather like:

We shall not cease from exploration





And the end of all our exploring



Will be to arrive where we started


And know the place for the first time.

The next section is where the Garmin was switched off - the path is clear on the OS map and on the ground. From here we took a path downhill and south west. This crossed to the opposite corner of the field, then round the hedges and over a footbridge, where we turned right and headed more or less north west. The path gradually swung round to the north east, follwing field boundaries until we came to a small road. We turned left and very shortly right on to another path, still heading more or less north east, along the right hand side of Cow Pasture Gorse, turning left to follow the edge of the wood, parallel to a line of electricity pylons. A short distance after the end of the wood we turned right and headed slightly uphill to the left hand side of another wood - Cow Pasture Plantation.

Looking along a track into the plantation

This path took us through a narrow field, with a house at the other end, and then through a gate and back on to the Bullock Road.

We turned right and walked southeast, with Cow Pasture Plantation on our right.

Shaggy inkcap by the Bullock Road

We followed the Bullock Road for a good mile, passing Lodge Farm on our left, before the track joined a minor road. Another break in the warm sunshine seemed a good plan at this point.



When a path crossed the road we took the left hand turn north east towards Woodfield Farm and then due east and gradually downhill towards Sawtry. The path was easy to follow and took us behind some housing and back to our starting point.

Peak-a-boo-Rose

Farewell Followed by Freezes

Depressing weather is on the way, appropriate right now, since Molly Ivins died yesterday. How can both Molly Ivins and Ann Richards be gone? Whether you agreed with their ideas or not, the world needs more smartass women, not less.
[Cowtown Pattie has some good words about this Texas legend, and James of Austin has a good story, too.]

For the past week there’s been sniping among the weathermen [they seem to be all men], with some insisting that Austin should prepare for the coldest temperatures since the mid-1990’s, and others scoffingly sure we'd barely sustain a freeze. The latest prediction falls somewhere in the middle: a cold front bringing a hard freeze tomorrow night, followed by three nights in the twenties.










Philo and I went to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center last Saturday for the tree event, but we also looked at some paintings and strolled the paths.

One section of the garden celebrates the plant hunters and botanists who are remembered in the specific names of many native genuses. Austin gardeners who include Salvia greggii among their favorite plants can pay tribute to Josiah Gregg. Other plants with his name include Acacia greggii, Eupatorium greggii and Dalea greggii - those grey leaves surrounding the sign belong to Gregg's Dalea.
We didn't buy any trees, but we came home with several shrubs. That’s our new Evergreen sumac, Rhus virens, in the black container at the front.
The mature specimens of sumac on the trails were quite beautiful. We'll do our best to help this shrub thrive, by planting it as recommended in a raised bed with decomposed granite added to the soil.

There's a dwarf Nandina growing in the large terra cotta pot behind the sumac. Its leaves are green in summer, but the first cold snap turns them red, and they stay that way for months. So think twice before counting on dwarf green Nandinas as a green background for your flowers ... those ruby-red tones might screw up any spring color scheme using delicate pastel tones!

Look behind the Nandina for the Gardenia, subject of a July 14th post. That gardenia should probably go into the garage for the weekend.
Our tall, white-flowering evergreen Abelias look unchanged after the ice, but not the one Abelia that blooms pale pink.
The leaves on this Abelia still had medium green leaves in October, seen here with the stripes of Canna ‘Bengal Tiger’ in the background.

Now the canna is a cluster of brown stumps, and the Abelia leaves have responded to the ice by turning a sort of dark burgundy.











When the ice storm bent their tree branches, the result was so dramatic that the Loquat, Magnolia and Oleander got all the attention. They gradually rebounded, with some lost leaves, and a few branches that appear to be permanently bent. Philo thinks the ice actually improved the shape of Magnolia 'Little Gem'! But in the week following the freeze, everything didn't bounce back like these flexible evergreens.
Plants that usually grow easily here, some of them natives, gradually gave evidence that they may not be returning this spring. Every Salvia guaranitica, growing robustly in large stands around the yard, in different soils and various exposures, died down to the ground without leaving the usual tuft of green at the base, and the Pineapple sage doesn't look good. Texas native Tecoma stans, also called Esperanza or Yellow Bells, turned hard and brown, with no signs of life, and both Barbados Cherries look very bad. If any of the Cupheas, Durantas or Lantanas are alive, they’re hiding it well.

Although all the ice-covered Camellia flowers turned brown and mushy, the Camellia buds emerged from the ice to produce another set of blossoms.

All the blue pansies in hanging baskets and containers lost open flowers, too, but in a few days they started blooming again. This colorful scene greets me every morning when I open the curtain - but what will I see on Monday?

Cumberland Island :: Dungeness

The morning of Sunday, December 27, .. was another chilly, gray, gloomy, overcast morning; the same as the three previous mornings. I had been hoping for at least a little sunshine and a slightly warmer day but, based on its beginnings, I didn't think that was going to happen. Saturday I had gone to St. Marys to check out the town and find out about the ferry going to Cumberland Island National Seashore. Good thing I did, as reservations are recommended!

So the reservations were made, but not paid. I could still decide not to go. However, I figured with the way the weather had been, it was as good a day as any!

After a short drive into St. Marys, then paying the fees ($17 for the ferry and $8 for the National Park Entrance, the latter was covered by my wonderful National Parks Pass), and listening to a short orientation lecture, I boarded the ferry with the other passengers. I was amazed by the number of people with camping gear, it seemed like about half the people on-board were campers. The campsites on the island are primitive. The only facilities available are showers and restrooms and those only in the main campground areas. You're completely on your own in the backcountry. Whether they are staying in the campground or backcountry, everything that is needed by the camper has to be brought in by them and anything they bring in has to leave with them. I'm not quite prepared, yet, for that kind of camping, especially when the temperatures dip down below the 30s overnight!

There was a heated cabin area on the ferry where some passengers sat during the 45 minute ride out to the island but many, myself included, opted to sit outside in the cool morning air. Refreshing is how some might have described it. Most of the day-trippers like myself disembarked at the Dungeness Dock on the south end of the island while the rest went on to the Sea Camp Dock a mile to the north, where it was a short trek to the campground.

In order to learn a little about the history of the island and its inhabitants, I opted to take the Ranger Guided Tour of the Dungeness Trail. I've since found several websites that give more detailed information and they have added considerably to what I learned that day. Links to those websites will be listed at the end of this post. The Ranger who gave the tour was very knowledgeable and entertaining as well.

The Dungeness Trail leads you to the Dungeness Mansion, or rather, to the ruins of the second Dungeness Mansion. The first Mansion, four-stories high and huge, was begun in 1796 by the widow of Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene and her second husband, Phineas Miller. The mansion was completed in 1803. Shortly thereafter Dungeness became a mecca for the early Georgian high society. After the Civil War the Mansion was not maintained. It fell into disrepair and in 1866 burned to the ground.

About 1880-81 Thomas Carnegie (a brother and partner of Andrew Carnegie) purchased much of Cumberland Island. With his wife, Lucy, Thomas built the second Dungeness Mansion where the first had been. It was a 59 room Scottish-style castle complete with turrets, a pool house, 40 outbuildings, a golf course, and acres of manicured gardens. Thomas Carnegie died in 1886 leaving his wife Lucy with nine children. Over the years, four other mansions were built further north on the Island for use by the children. The house at Plum Orchard has been restored and is open for tours twice a month. It happened to be open the day I was there but I chose to explore the southern end of the Island rather than view the house.

The second Dungeness was used through 1929 then it sat vacant for 30 years. In 1959, it too burned to the ground. All that remains of that magnificent mansion are a few walls, standing like sentinels, guarding the past. Some day, they too will fall.

Left side of the Dungeness Ruins, from the front.

Dungeness Ruins from the front-left corner.

Dungeness Ruins from the rear-left corner.

Dungeness Ruins. Window detail.

The remains of the recreation building.

The Tabby house, which stands off to the right side of the Dungeness Ruins is the oldest house on the Island. Tabby is a kind of concrete made of oyster shells, lime and sand. Built around 1800, it dates from the time of the first Dungeness Mansion. It was the only building in the area that was spared by the Carnegie's when they built the second Dungeness.

To be continued...

See these websites for more information on the history of Cumberland Island and the National Seashore:

• National Park Service
• Outdoor Places
• CNN Article (Posted in 1998, but still valid.)
• Wikipedia

Phend Family Vital Records from Switzerland

On December 31, .. I was "exploring" databases on WorldConnect. In previous searches I had never found any entries on the surname Phend. Imagine my surprise when the results showed not just one family but several by that surname! All in the same database. I immediately sent an email to the contributor of that database and as a result found a distant cousin, Sonja Reid, something along the line of 4th cousin 5 generations removed, but a cousin nevertheless. And I will be forever indebted to her for the information she provided. At that time she didn't have my ancestor, Johannes Phend, in her database but Sonja was pretty sure that he belonged to her family. Sonja had been doing extensive research on the Gsteig bei Interlaken Parish and had the microfilms at her local Family History Center.

I gave her all the information available (names, dates of births, marriages, etc.) and, amazingly, two days later I received an email from her with transcriptions of the applicable records! And she sent printed copies the following week. I was so excited, I sent an email out to all of the Phend relatives that I had email addresses for, about 25 of them, and waited for their response. The result was disappointing, not a single one of them replied! Perhaps they didn't want to acknowledge that our immigrant ancestor, Johannes, was an illegitimate child? I don't know, it didn't make any difference to me. The only thing is, there will always be a dead end to that line since his father's name was not recorded. We only know that, according to his christening record, he was the illegitimate son of Catharina Fendt. But, along with the records Sonja sent, she also provided information for several more generations of Phend's and other connecting lines in Switzerland. It was Awesome.

Presented below are those transcriptions and cropped scans of the records. You'll definitely have to click on the images to be able to read the records. Johannes Phend and Barbara Wyss had five children: Barbara, Margaret, Johannes, and two infants who died at birth. Barbara died in 1821 while giving birth to the last of those infants. In 1824, Johannes married Susanna Kuebli and they had a son, Jacob, born in 1829.

Daughter, Barbara, was born 6 Jun 1807, christened 14 Jun 1807. Her parents are Johannes Pend, tailor, from Aarmuehle and Barbara Wyss. The witnesses are Jakob Pend, von (from) Aarmuehle; Magdalena Wyss, Jakob Blatters weib (wife), am Wasserbach; Anna Wyss, Hansen in der Polsteiten.

From the Habkern Kirchenbuch, 1627-1925 created by the Evangelisch-Reformierte Kirche. Microfilmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah at the Staatsarchiv des Kantons Bern, 1992-1995. Call Number: ..678 & ..679. FHL Film ..678, Births 1807, Page 13.

All of the records below are from Gsteig bei Interlaken Kirchenbuch, 1593-1875 created by the Evangelisch-Reformierte Kirche. Microfilmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah at the Staatsarchive des Kantons Bern, 1991. Call Number: ..438 - ..447.
Daughter, Margaret, was born 23 Feb 1812, christened 1 Mar 1812. Her parents are Johannes Bhend and Barbara Wyss, from Habkern. The witnesses are Johann Caspar Brugger, storekeeper from Aarmuehle; Margaretha Bhend, the old "Hauptmann's" daughter, from the same place, single; Magdalena Bhend, Jakob's (deceased) daughter, from the same place, single.
FHL Film ..440, Christenings 1812, Page 165, Entry 21.Witnesses: Johann Caspar Brugger, Handelsmann, von Aarmuehle; Margaretha Bhend, alt Hauptmans seel. Tochter, indidem, coelebs; Magdalena B'hend, Jakobs seel. Tochter, indidem, coelebs.

Son, Johannes, was born 20 Jul 1815, christened 30 Jul 1815. His parents are Johannes Bhend, tailor and Barbara Wyss from Habkern. The witnesses are Herr Christian Tschiemer, Gerichts Statthalter (some kind of a local official) from Habkern; Jakob Blatter, uxoris affinis, from Wasserbach in the same place; Barbara Wyss, born Wyss, from the same place.
FHL Film ..440, Christenings 1815, Page 251, Entry 96.Witnesses: Herr Christian Tschiemer, GerichtsStatthalter von Habkern; Jakob Blatter, uxoris affinis, am Wasserbach, indidem; Barbara Wyss, geb. Wyss, auf der Burg, an der Bolseite, indidem.

The birth and death of a child of Johannes and Barbara was recorded just above hers and says that a premature daughter of Hans Bhend from Aarmuehle and Barbara Wyss from Habkern was born dead on 10 Dec 1821. She was buried on 11 Dec 1821.
FHL Film ..446, Deaths 1821, Page 149, Entry 86
Text: Ein todtgebohrenes unreifer Maedchen der Hans Bhend von Aarmuehle und der Barbara Wyss vo Habkern.
Recorded just below the child's record is the death of Barbara Bhend, born Wyss. She died 14 Dec 1821, was buried 16 Dec 1821. Barbara Bhend, born Wyss of Habkern, the wife of Hans Bhend from Aarmuehle, married 9 Mai 1806, died from heavy, long childbirth requiring an operation. She was survived by 4 children. She was 37 years and 10 months old.
FHL Film ..446, Deaths 1821, Page 149, Entry 87Text: Barbara Bhend, geb. Wyss von Habkern, der Hans Bhend von Aarmuehle, Ehefrau geb. , cop. 9 Mai 1806. Storb als Kindbetterin, an geschwaren, langen daran sie eine operation ausgehalten, hinterlasst 4 kinder. Alter, 37 Jahr, 10 Monat.

The marriage record of Johannes Bhend and Susanna Kuebli. The banns were proclaimed January 4, 11, 18 and they were married in Gsteig on January 23, 1824. Johannes Bhend, from Aarmuehli, christened 18 January 1782, illegitimate child of Katharina Bhend, widower of Barbara Wyss, deceased, from Habkern. Widower since 14 Dec 1821. Susanna Kuebli, from Aarmuehli, christened 1 January 1786. The daughter of Jacob Kuebli and Verena Laederach, deceased, from Worb.
FHL Film ..444, Marriages 1824, Page 56, Entry 3.Text: Johannes Bhend, von Aarmuehle, get 18 January 1782, unehelich, Mutter, Katharina Bhend. Wittwer des Barbara Wyss sel. aus Habkern, seit 14 Dec 1821. Susanna Kuebli von Aarmuehle, get 1 Januar 1786, E. Jacob Kuebli, Verenea Laederach, sel von Worb.


Jacob [my 2nd Great Grandfather] was born 27 June 1829, christened 5 Jul 1829, the second child of Johannes Bhend and Susanna Kuebli. His father was Johannes Bhend, from Aarmuehli, the son of Katharina, deceased. His mother was Susanna Kuebli, from Aarmuehli, the daughter of Jacob and Verena Laederach from Worb. They were married, 23 January 1824. The witnesses are Jacob Kuebli, des kinds Grossvater (the child's grandfather); Jacob Kuebli, Sohn, der Mutter Bruder (son, the mother's brother); Margaritha Bhend, des Kinds Halbschwester (the child's half-sister). FHL Film ..440, Christenings 1829, Page 792, Entry 80.

The Estate of John Rupert :: The First “Final Account”

The will of John Rupart dated October 17, 1828 was admitted to probate in Columbiana County, Ohio in August of 1831. On August 5th 1832 a “final account” was prepared and submitted to the Court of Common Pleas.





First page of Final Account dated August 5th 1832.Estate of John Rupart. Packet 1439. Family History Library microfilm 2032592.

The final account of Conrad Yerian and David Erhart

as Executors of the last will and testament of

John Rupart late of the county of Columbiana deceased.



The appraisment was on the 3d September 1831

when goods were appraised to the amount of - - - - - - - - $106.51



The sale of the personal estate was on the 24th

September when goods were sold to amount of - - - - - - $



These accountants charge themselves with

the amount of the sale bill - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $144.21



These accountants claim a credit for the following

sums paid on account of the estate

1831 Augt 20 - - No 1 - - Paid Peter Spangler - - - Auc - - - $5.00

1831 Sept 3 - - - No 2 - - Paid Joseph Morris - - - taxes - - - 1.04

1831 Sept 23 - - No 3 - - Paid David Arter - - - - - Auc - - - - 0.75

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $6.79



Costs of Administration

1831 Sptr 2 - - No 4 - - Paid C. D. Coffin Clk - - - - - - - - - - - 5.25

1831 Sptr 30 - No 5 - - Paid Michael Arter qualifying [?] Appr - 0.37 ½

1832 Jany 18 – No 6 - - Paid Philip Andre Appr - - - - - - - - - - 0.50

1832 Jany 18 – No 7 - - Paid Peter Crossinger Appr - - - - - - - 0.50

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Amount Carried over $7.62 ½





Second page of Final Account dated August 5th 1832.Estate of John Rupart. Packet 1439. Family History Library microfilm 2032592.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Amount brought over $7.62 ½

1832 Jany 18 - - No 8 - - - Paid Joshua Copeland crying sale - - - 2.00

1832 Jany 18 - - No 9 - - - Paid David Wiley Appr - - - - - - - - - - 0.50

1832 Jany 29 - - No 10 - - Paid C. D. Coffin Clk - - - - - - - - - - 1.00

1832 May 19 - - No 11 - - Paid C. D. Coffin Clk - - - - - - - - - - - 0.40

1832 Sptr 24 - - No 12 - - Paid William Morgan Clerking - - - - - - 0.75

1832 Augt 22 - - No 13 - - Paid Fisker A. Blackman Atty Fee - - - 5.00

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $17.30 ½



To the Honorable Court of Common Pleas for the county of Columbiana.

The undersigned Master Commissioner of the Court to whom was refered

the account of the Executors of the last will and testament of John

Rupart late of said county, deceased Reports that in pursuance of the

Rule of the Court he has examined said account and finds that the amount

received from the sale of personal estate is - - - - - - - - - - - $144.21

It being the whole amount charged against said accountants



I do find by proper vouchers exhibited that said accountants have paid

debts owing by said estate to the amount of - - - - - - - - - - - - $6.79



Costs of administration inclusive of the sum to be allowed by Court to

Executors for their services is - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $17.30 ½

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Total Credits - - - - - - - - - - 24.09 ½





Third page of Final Account dated August 5th 1832.Estate of John Rupart. Packet 1439. Family History Library microfilm 2032592.

Leaving in the hands of said executors for distribution - - - - - $120.11 ½



Out of which the Executors compensation for their services and Master fee

to be allowed by Court to be deducted.



All which is respectfully submitted

August 25th 1832 Fisher A. Blackman, Master Comm



Atty fee - - - - - - - - - - - - $2.00

Executor - - - - - - - - - - - - [?] .64

Aftermarket Dynamo Lights: a Clean Look

When setting up dynamo lighting on a bicycle with no provisions for it (i.e. no internal routing or special braze-ons), there is always the question of how to route the wiring so that it looks "clean." After all, no one likes to see black wires coiled around a frame's fork and tubes. When setting up the lights on my Rivendell some time ago, the Co-Habitant and I developed a nice method that is practically invisible, and I've been meaning to share it. So when we recently did the same to my Bella Ciao, I made sure to document it.

This method assumes that your bicycle is equipped with fenders, and that you are installing both a headlight and tail light. I will also assume that you already know how to connect the lights themselves; this is not meant to be an electrical tutorial.

The key to our method is using as little wiring as necessary - running it in a straight line parallel to existing stays and tubes, as opposed to coiling it, and securing it with colour-matched zipties. It's a simple idea, but colour-matched zipties really do blend in with the bicycle when all is said and done. You may be surprised to learn that they are available in all sorts of colours - from bright rainbow hues, to neutrals such as clear, white, cream, taupe and gray. We use small gray zipties to route the wire from the tail light along the non-drivetrain side fender chainstay.

In natural light, the result looks like this.

We then proceed along the non-drivetrain side chainstay, using a larger colour-matched ziptie. This frame is a sort of pale military green, and this beige ziptie blends in nicely.

Continuing the same underneath the bottom bracket.

In natural light, the wiring really does "disappear" when routed in this manner, staying close to the chainstay.

If your frame already has shifter cable braze-ons on the downtube as this one does, then you can simply attach the wiring to the shifter cable itself (small black zipties this time). Otherwise, use two large colour-matched zipties for the dwntube, like we did here.

For the headlight, you will need to leave enough wire so that your ability to turn the handlebars is not constricted. We prefer to achieve this by creating a coil here. To do this, simply wrap the wire tightly around a pen or a stick.



And voila, there is your coil. Notice the additional ziptie along the shifter cable, just to keep everything neatly in place.



Finally, use the same colour-matched zipties along the fork as you did along the chainstays, routing the wire to the hub as tautly as possible.



Even frames with internal routing often lack provisions for the fork, and here I find it especially important to find zipties in a colour that blends in with the paint - otherwise it can look as if the fork is cut into pieces, its elegant curvature disturbed. I am using my camera flash to show the process, but in daylight this really looks quite unobtrusive.



In natural light up close.



And from further away.



Having used this method on three bicycles now, I am pleased with it and don't particularly covet frames with provisions for internal routing. Nothing has ever come loose, and visually I am pretty happy with it. You are welcome to use our method, or to share your own.