Braunston circular

Led by Mel. With Norma, Maureen, Gordon, Barry, Barrie, Terry, Ian, Carol and me. Fine weather, but some overgrown fields and in places muddy conditions underfoot. Just under 6 miles.

The footpath sign is just by the churchyard gate

We started from Braunston church, which we should have looked at a little more closely. - Confession time - we visited Braunston next day, took some better pics, and went for lunch in The Old Plough. A baguette with filling, salad with dressing and coleslaw for £6.25.

Though the interior is interesting, the most intriguing feature of All Saints is outside. Go around the side of the west tower and there you will find an roughly carved statue, about 3 feet high, depicting a grinning figure. The reverse of the figure is flat, and it was used for many years to form a step, so the carving was only discovered when the step was taken up.

No one knows how old the carving is, or what it is supposed to represent, but it is almost certainly pre-Christian. It may be a symbol of an ancient fertility cult, or some form of Celtic Earth Mother. Whatever it is supposed to represent, it is a quite extraordinary bit of primitive sculpture, and deserves more recognition.

More discussion on this stone carvingand more info about the church and carving.

According to the info board she is supposed to ward off evil spirits.

We walked through the churchyard to take the footpath going west. After a couple of fields the path crosses the young river Gwash, and turns south-west. It followed field edges climbing gradually , with clear way markers until we came to a field of long grass where we followed our noses and the map, diagonally upwards to the opposite corner. In fact we veered slightly to our left, but rejoined our route after going through a gate at the top of the field.

Checking grid reference and map

We followed a wide bridleway east along the top of the ridge, until we reached a junction where we turned right. We walked downhill to and through a strip of muddy woodland. At the edge of this we turned left uphill along what looked like a wet and muddy track, but in fact it was reasonable for walking. The path met another track and we turned right and downhill for a short distance, before turning left again, following a bridleway to a junction of ways, where we stopped for a break, just after the three-mile point.




We continued walking straight on ( east) as far as Leigh Lodge. There we turned left (north-east) and followed the route of the Macmillan and Leighfield Ways, up a metalled road, for about a mile. When we reached the minor road to Braunston we turned left (north-west).




The original plan was to take a bridleway on our right, and follow the river Gwash to Braunston via the sewage works and the bridge pictured below. As it promised to be a mud-bath, we took the road instead.

Braunston

All Saints church, Braunston

Drawing of All Saints church by Harry Hamill

The walk touches/overlaps with these two previous walks - this onefrom Nov 28 , and this one from July 21 .

Sackville Trunksack: How Fitting for a Rear Rack!

I have talked ad nauseum about my Carradice Barley bag, and so I thought it was time to review my other bag, the Sackville Trunksack. As far as I know, it is available exclusively from Rivendell, and you can read their product description here.

The Sackville Trunksack is a handsome box-shaped bag, in a dark-olive waterproof canvas with golden-brown leather trim and brass hardware. The large size is designed for the rear rack. It fits Pletscher-style racks perfectly, neither leaving portions of the rack uncovered, nor overhanging from any part of the rack. It looks great on many different types of bicycles, including the Motobecane mixte above and the Raleigh Lady's Sport on the first photo.

Here are some views of the bag. The zipper closure with two separate zippers is very convenient, as it allows you to open and close the bag from any side while remaining seated on the bicycle.

The leather flaps hide the zippers from view and prevent rain from entering.

3/4 view. The colour of the leather flap is an exact match for Brooks "honey" (pictured ont he 1st photo of the Raleigh here) and a shade lighter than the Brooks "brown" (above). The reflective strip is an extra benefit.

Rear view. The leather strap in the back is positioned perfectly for mounting a light, providing a great solution for rear lighting (if you recall, this was my only criticism of the Carradice Barley).

Close-up of the light attachment. Very secure; no wobbling or slanting even during very bumpy rides.

The complete lack of wobble is one of the biggest benefits of the Sackville Trunksack. This is achieved by the tight and precise attachment system: leather straps with snap closure.

The brass hardware is rather attractive.

Inside, the Trunksack is like a large box or chest: There are no compartments. This can be both a good thing and a bad thing. It is good in the sense that you need only to open it once, and all of your stuff is immediately accessible. And it is bad in the sense that, especially if you are messy, your things will soon become jumbled due to the lack of compartments. For me, the benefits of the ease of access outweigh the drawbacks of the lack of compartments - but this is a personal preference.

My one complaint about the Sackville Trunksack, is that it has no structural support and therefore does not retain its form unless it is full. You can see that almost all the photos show various degrees of sagging. We are trying to make a support for it either out of wire or plexiglass, but it is not yet complete. In the meantime, I try to keep it maximally filled.

To sum up what I love about the Sackville Trunksack:
. It fits my rear rack perfectly, securely and free of wobble
. The box shape and the colour scheme are aesthetically appealing
. It is very roomy
. The single zip closure provides easy access
. It is waterproof
. The rear light attachment is excellently designed

And what could use improvement, is the sagging issue.

Edited to add: As of April , I no longer own this bag - having traded it to a fellow collector for another bicycle-related item. I liked the bag, but ultimately prefer Carradice-style saddlebags.

Cycling and Sun Damage

Though I have derived many benefits from cycling, the one drawback I am still struggling with is sun damage. During my first year on the bike as an adult, I thought that I was being pretty good about using sun protection, but noticed visible damage to my skin that seemed to be a direct result of cycling over the summer months. Darkened patches and wrinkles appeared in areas of my face and body that had been most exposed to the sun while cycling. And this was despite using high SPF sunblock and staying off the road during the hottest times of the day.



At some point last summer, I switched from chemical to physical sunblock (titanium dioxide or zinc oxide), which seems to have helped. My skin was sensitive to the chemical stuff, and some friends told me that30SPF physical block worked better for them than 60+SPF chemical, as well as lasted considerably longer. I switched and found this to be true for me as well. Physical sunblock remains visible after application and looks kind of goofy, but at this point I couldn't care less and just want to ride my bike without wrecking my skin.After year two there was still some additional skin damage, but less than before.This summer I will try to be extra good about applying the sunblock as frequently as possible.



In speaking to long-time road cyclists about sun damage, I've learned that it is a common complaint - to the extent that some just accept it as inevitable, embrace their wrinkles and brown spots, and pay frequent visits to the dermatologist. I really don't want to believe that it has to be that way, but my own case has done nothing to prove them wrong.What has been your experience with sun damage as a result of cycling, and how do you deal with it?

Camellias!

Middle Falls Trail overlooks

Yesterday I posted a picture of Middle Falls in Grand Portage State Park and mentioned the ridge-top overlooks that are along the trail. The photo aboveis taken from the part of the ridge that overlooks Lake Superior. Out in the lake on the left side of the photo you can see a portion of the Susie Islands archipelago, on the right edge of the photo is Hat Point. In between lies Wauswaugoning Bay and Francis Island. It sure is a beautiful view and is certainly worth the hike up the ridge!





































After taking in the view of Lake Superior, you can continue to the back side of the ridge for a view of the Pigeon River Valley (above photo). This view, in my opinion, is just as impressive and enjoyable to take in as the view toward the lake. Near the middle of the photo you can see the river as it makes its way toward Lake Superior. High Falls of the Pigeon River is just out of sight on the right edge of this photo. Remember, the Pigeon River is the border between the U.S. and Canada, so all of the land across the river from this viewpoint is in the province of Ontario, Canada! You can also see a glimpse of Lake Superior to the right. FYI - this trail makes for a wonderful fall color hike :-)

Fire in the Sky

While driving down an old logging road off the Arrowhead Trail one evening, I came across this opening that had a grouping of trees that stood out nicely against the sky. I was passing by right after the sun had gone down and the sky behind the trees was filled with this beautiful orange glow.

Look Out Places

The Nature Center is set up so that there is no way to get up close to the ponds where the ducks and geese hang out the most. It is for the protection of the waterfowls. They are kind of like the things that hunters and reserch people or photogephers set up to get close to birds or animals without being seen that are usually called 'blinds'. They have put up block walls with square holes in them to look out onto the ponds and where you can take photos. All of these and the ones of the previous post with the geese were taken from one of the 'blinds'.

Hershey Thousand Trails

Photo Studio - Light Tent

Earlier this week Nikki-Ann purchased a mini photo studio for taking pictures of some of her collectibles. She has a couple of nice examples of the results. The "studio" she mentions sells for about $80 here in the states.

We all have things we'd like to photograph but maybe the cost doesn't quite fit into your budget, can't be justified or perhaps you only have a few things to photograph. The alternative to buying a mini studio is to make one yourself!

Sure. Well, I found two versions of a photo studio/light box you can build yourself and both seem do-able. One is of a temporary nature and is created from a cardboard box while the other is more permanent and uses a frame constructed with PVC pipe. Both sites provide excellent directions. With a little ingenuity, I think these could even be used for taking pictures of photographs that can't be scanned, such as those pasted in albums that would be destroyed if scanned or those too large for the scanner. The light boxes should help eliminate hot spots usually caused by harsh, direct lighting.

I think I might give the cardboard box a try next week. A box, a little tape, and some tissue paper. What could be easier? We'll see.



The photos above show the studio that can be purchased, one that is made from a cardboard box, and one made with PVC pipe. The pictures were obtained from the following sites:

commercial site: http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=312182
from a box: http://strobist.blogspot.com/../07/how-to-diy-10-macro-photo-studio.html
from PVC pipe: http://www.pbase.com/wlhuber/light_box_light_tent

Succulent Blossom

One of my houseplants, a succulent has been blooming some this summer. Here are some of the buds and an open blossom.

Bulletin

We interrupt Fossil Week to bring you this important bulletin.



A phlox bloomed.

A migrating Louisiana waterthrush sang.

A snake slithered.

Butterflies fluttered by in numbers.

Crabapple trees were planted.

Mosquitoes have been slapped and ticks have been pulled.

Shorts have been worn AND frosty car windows have been scraped.

In other words, it's spring.

Midsummer Storm at the Spirit Tree

Yesterday throughout the day and all through last night we experienced one incredible thunderstorm after another. Some particulars from the weather warnings throughout the day: 70 MPH winds, possible golf-ball size hail, heavy rainfall and flood advisories. To top it off the power was out for most of the night as well. We ended up with anywhere from 2 to 4 inches of rain, depending on where the measurement was taken. The Pigeon River in Grand Portage State Park went from a discharge rate of roughly 4,000 gallons per second yesterday morning to about 28,000 gallons per second today. The storms also produced the best lightning show that we've seen so far this year.



As day turned to night I couldn't resist the light show that was going on all over in the sky. I ended up spending about two and a half hours standing on the Lake Superior shoreline trying to capture photos of the lightning. I went down to the Spirit Tree, which is not far from my home. I've always wanted to capture a "knock your socks off" photo of lightning behind the tree (similar to a shot that my dad captured on slide film years ago), but the photo I dream of still eludes me. I am getting closer, however. Last night's storms yielded my best results yet at photographing lightningbehind the tree. The photo you see here is the result of two hours of standing in the rain trying to capture the perfect bolt of lightning while thunder rumbled all around me. It was definitely one of the most uncomfortable periods of time I've ever spent outside with my camera, but an effort that I consider worthwhile when I view this image.

Success, failures and a happy thrashing to all!

Since my return to rock climbing this past summer, Laura and I have been very busy doing crag work and climbing as much as possible. My shoulder injury from last winters rail antics at 7 Springs seemed to take forever to heal into climbable shape. Starting slow and climbing mostly on 5.11 and under seemed to be working at improving my weak shoulder. After only a short time back and feeling a better I upped the stakes and decided to tryPinch Me I'm Dreaming a 5.12+ mixed gear line at The Knobs in Dunbar, PA. The climb went pretty well, except that I aggravated my shoulder during the ascent. Once again I eased back down to vast amounts of sub 5.10's and easing into 11's for the past several months trying to heal it more. I've since recovered enough and managed to climb a few easy 12's without more injury and am feeling OK, but definitely not 100%. I really want to get back into projecting routes and being able to push harder, but I've been nervous about further injury and destroying myself for ice season. Yesterday Laura and I decided to ride into River's End Crag and climb there for a few hours. We climbed several climbs and I decided it was time to see how healed I was. I decided to drop a rope on Sludge Factory a 5.12+ that I've yet to red point. I figured the top rope was best that way I could safely test my shoulders thresholds without over doing it due to red point determination. I've only tried the route a few days since equipping it back in late . Its seen a couple of ascents that I know of and is a solid route for the grade. To date the best I've done is one hang it. There are two very distinct cruxes on this route. One is making it past the first bolt, the second is surmounting the large overhang at the top. In past efforts the top crux has been my Kryptonite. I'm usually so pumped that hanging in for the last clip is not within my abilities and off flying I usually go waiting to hit the ledge below. Yesterday was just the opposite. The bottom crux rocked my world in every conceivable fashion and the upper went without a hitch despite needing a good brushing. I hope this is the sign of better things to come. I've been waiting patiently trying not to hurt myself, but I really miss working near my limits. I've been recently given the pleasure of watching people on our new routes and have throughly enjoyed seeing both success and failure. Not failure because I'm glad they didn't succeed, but glad in a sense that I remembered how much fun failing can be. Failing means you get to have more days perfecting sections that are "tricky" for you, which in turn makes you a more fluid climber. I haven't met a climber that doesn't like success. The more effort, the sweeter the success. Even after the greatest successes I've found that the "send high" is only a short lived moment of glory that is quickly eclipsed by the next line looking to smack you down. Yesterday was just that for me, the fun part... working the line... getting beat by it and getting to come back and try again another day. Failing just means another day of climbing!

Equipping Sludge Factory in

One of the amazing events I recently witnessed was Laura having a great break through this past week. After being dejected by the crux start ofDeliverance5.11+ at Bruner Run on many attempts, she worked out an inspiring sequence that proves that short folks CAN do this line. Using obscure stemming and showing extreme flexibility, she managed to get a clean send. It was quite funny how convinced she was that it was "impossible for her". She declared that it was a line that she'd never get due to the long reach. Only by pure determination and serious effort was she rewarded with the realization that she could send harder lines... Her display of cranking convinced me that I needed to get back to trying harder despite my shoulder. To put the plan in motion, I'm declaring war on Sludge Factory after a couple rest days. Then its on with Devil's Doorway a project route thatI put anchors on Monday. Its a hard line that repeatedly spit me off years ago when I was a stronger climber. Will I ever send it? Hopefully...or not. Getting to try it once again without injury will be reward enough for me! Happy Climbing



On another note be sure to check out the Ohiopyle climbing guide I've put together in blog form. You can find it on the menu at the top of my page! I'm also working on updating my old Breakneck information and making it available. If you find these useful, drop me a comment. I'd be happy to create guides for other SWPA crags if y'all would like them.

Cynthia Rowley Bike on Newbury Street

Including bicycles in shop window displays seems to be the new thing, and some fashion designers are even making their own. Cynthia Rowley beach cruisers are now available for sale in her shops, including the one on Newbury Street in Boston.

Cynthia Rowley clothing has a flirty, girly, 1950's-era feel to it, so the beach cruiser seems an appropriate complement. I wonder how many people out there are buying designer bicycles. The Rowley cruiser is certainly a more affordable alternative to the Fendi Abici!

Hardee County Animal Rescue

Before we ever visited the TT's here, Barb and Dennis told us we had to visit this place when we did stay for the winter. Barb described how the boardwalk elevates you so you can see the animals clearly. I'm so glad she did tell us about it, because we might have missed it otherwise.



I love visiting this very small rescue and I love that we are usually in for a treat with the animals that are here. I also love that we can get pretty close to some of the animals.

Ok, so that animal doesn't count in an official rescue way, because they are not part of the rescued animals. They are part of the experience though, because they are everywhere. There are some animals that I am a bit more fond of here too.This guy was not very big last year. If it is the same guy. He's huge now.

These were not so close, but that's ok...I'd rather not be too close to the green gunk.This guy was annoyed that I woke him up from his nap. He was not amused. I was talking baby talk to him because I thought he was so handsome. Apparently panthers are not fond of baby talk. Who knew? I apologized and moved on quickly. I'm not sure what would posses me to talk baby talk to a wild animal anyways. Besides, I can relate because this is how I feel each and every morning. This was my favorite close encounter. This sweet guy was hanging in his rope hammock and peeked out to see me. I guess baby talk works on raccoons.Aric asked why someone would rescue raccoons. Good question. After seeing this sweet face though, I'd be tempted to. Well, if I didn't live in an RV with three cats, one dog and two teenage boys I would be tempted to. Glad I can visit them this way so I don't have to. Living the life in warmer Florida.