Monday, March 31, 2014

Change in Guardianship for the Fisher Children - 1847

In the will of Michael Fisher, signed by him on March 19th 1845, he appointed John Shear and Christian Grosman as guardians for his children. This record changes the guardian to Robert Reed. These records were located back in the mid 198Os when I was just starting research on my families and I don't recall now whether I couldn't find additional records at that time or if I just didn't look any further. It seems like there should have been additional records since the guardians were supposed to make periodic reports to the courts. I need to investigate to see who John Shear, Christian Grosman, and Robert Reed were and to see if they are related to the Fisher family in some way. There should also be a record of the sale of the property that Michael willed to his wife Christenia. Lair Fisher is most likely the daughter Leah who was named in Michael's Will. The oldest daughter, 18 year old Louisa, is not mentioned in this guardianship record. She would marry Jacob Phend on August 27th 1847, eleven days after this record was dated.



Spelling and punctuation retained as in the original. Paragraph breaks added.

Carroll County, Ohio Probate Record C August Term 1847

page 52 (The top portion of the page is concluding another case, signed by WR Lloyd, Clerk)

Caroleine Fisher. Catherine Fisher. Sophia Fisher. Rachel Fisher. Samuel Fisher. Lair Fisher. Solomon Fisher. Lydia Fisher} Minors.

Be it remembered that heretofore towit: at a Court of Common Pleas began and held at the Court House in Carrollton, within and for the County of Carroll and State of Ohio, on Monday the 16th day of August AD 1847. on the first day of said Term. Caroline Fisher & Catherine Fisher came into Court and chose Robert Reed to be their Guardian who is approved as such by the Court, and on motion the Court appoint Said Robert Reed to be the Guardian of Sophia, Rachel, Samuel, Lair, Solomon and Lydia Fisher. Thereupon Said Robert Reed gave bond to the State of Ohio in the sum of One Hundred Dollars Conditioned according to Law with John Reed his Surety who is accepted as such by the Court.

Thereupon Letters of Guardianship issued to said Robert Reed, as follows, to wit.

The State of Ohio Carroll county } By the Honorable John

page 53
Pearce. President of the Court of Common Pleas for the fifth Circuit in Ohio. Thomas Cummings. John Ebersole and John S. Hunter Esquire, Associate Judges of said Court in and for the County of Carroll, To Robert Reed. Greeting! Be it Known that the Said Judges, confiding in your care, prudence and fidelity have by these presents, Appointed Robert Reed Guardian for Caroline Fisher, Catherine Fisher, Sophia Fisher, Rachel Fisher, Samuel Fisher, Lair Fisher, Solomon Fisher, Lydia Fisher, minor children and hers at law of Michael Fisher late of the county of Carroll, deceased investing you the said Robert Reed with full power and authority for them and to their use, to ask, demand, sue for receive and take into your possession and Custody all and Singular, such parts and portions of Estate both real and personal, which is or may be coming to them as heirs to the Estate of the Said Michael Fisher deceased. or which by any other way or means whatsoever doth of right belong them the said minors, and to manage, employ and improve the same for the best advantage and profit during their minority. and to do all and whatsoever May be Necessary to be done in and about the premises As fully and Effectually to all intents and purposes. As they might or could do personally, being of full age.

In testimony Whereof, I William R. Lloyd Clerk of Said Court have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Seal of Said Court at Carrollton, this 16th day of August, Anno Domini, one thousand Eight hundred and forty Seven. W R Lloyd Clerk, By Geo F Kenedy, D. C.

Noosa with Nate Foster

Location: Boiling Pot - Noosa National Park

Model: Nate Foster

Photos: jjobrienclimbing








I was thinking about Boiling Pot recently. Gritty short cliffs over sensuous worn stones, washed by the sea. I used to climb there when I first started. The place has been photographed to bits in every Noosa coffee table type book but I think there's potential for good bouldering photography.

Here's what Nate and I came up with.
















I think a million people or more visit Noosa National Park every year. There's a constant stream of families with boogie boards and towels colliding with each other on the path, as they migrate from carpark to beach to next beach and back.

Only one or two people visit for the climbing, but the bouldering is quite good and there's trad routes to be had at the southern end of the park.

Being neither a boulderer nor a traddie I only add to the million every few years.









































jj





Retrovelo Paula in the Countryside (with Her Vintage Friend)

I have written about Anna's Retrovelo Paula before, but I was not able to evaluate the ride after what was only a couple of minutes on a cold November day. This time around it was summer, and Anna and I went on a nice long trip along the Danube - she on her Retrovelo Paula and me on theSteyr Waffenrad (the bike I ride while in Vienna). Our ride was30-miles round trip, and for a stretch of it we swapped bikes.



Here is Anna on her beautiful bike.



I must pause and mention here that she was wearing a stunning outfit taylor-made for her in India: slate blue kaftan, white trousers and white cape. It looked elegant and kept her cool on what turned out to be a very hot day.



But back to the bikes: neither the Retrovelo nor the vintage bike I was riding had a problem with the magnitude of the ride, which did include occasional (but mild) hills.



We rolled out of Vienna and passed through the beautiful countryside of Klosterneuburg, Krietzendorf, eventually stopping at a scenic spot in Greifenstein.



Here is me with the Retrovelo Paula during our trip. This dog decided to join us for a bit - no doubt because he liked the bike!



Anna's feet and sandals. My main impression of the Retrovelo Paula is that it is a comfortable ride with a feel of gliding to it. The bicycle is clearly well-made and of high quality. It rode very differently from the vintage Austrian bike I was on, but similarly to my Pashley back home (afterthe latest round of modifications I made to the Pashley). Prior to its latest modifications,I would say my Pashley was more sluggish than the Retrovelo Paula, but post-modifications they are about the same. One interesting point, is that I did not feel a huge difference in "cushiness" between the Delta Cruiser tires that I had been riding on my vintage bike, and the Fat Frank tires on the Retrovelo; to my surprise the ride quality was similar.



Overall I liked the Retrovelo Paula, and found its ride quality to be in the same general category as that of Pashley and Velorbis. I think that between the three of these, preferences really depend on individual tastes more than anything else. I know of one former Pashley owner who tried the Retrovelo, liked it better, and has now gotten one (and is selling her Pashley). However, I do not feel the same, and wonder how much of the difference she felt is component and setup-related. The Retrovelo is a very pared-down bike in comparison to the Pashley, and I think the choices of tires and gearing further contribute to the sportier feel of the ride if we compare their "out of the box" set-ups - but all of that can be changed, and I feel that the basic ride quality is similar.



In terms of manufacturing quality, I would rateRetrovelo as being on par with Pashley and better than Velorbis.Aesthetically, I think the Retrovelo has hands-down the best fork-crown design and lugwork of the three, but it has a few practical drawbacks - such as a lack of chaincase and dressguard.As for weight, the Retrovelo Anna was riding felt to me as if it weighed exactly the same as my Pashley at home; it is not a light bicycle by any means.



Other random notes... The Retrovelo has handlebars that to me feel unusually wide, a bit like cruiser bars. Some may like this, others may not. The braking system is hand-activated hub brakes. If you are a coaster brake fan keep that in mind, but I know that some dislike coaster brakes and will see this as great news. The bicycle is equipped with dynamo lighting, front and rear.



The bottom line is: the Retrovelo is an excellent modern bicycle built in the classic tradition. It is fairly fast and maneuverable, comfortable, gorgeous, and its owners love it. If it is within your budget, I doubt that you will regret choosing this bike.



But... I have yet to find a modern bike with a ride quality I like better than my vintage Raleigh DL-1 or the vintage Steyr Waffenrad I ride in Austria. I honestly wish that wasn't so, as I'd feel more comfortable riding a reliable modern bicycle than a vintage one. But it is as if the modern designs did something to the geometry of the bikes that has made them less efficient than their vintage equivalents. Maybe someday I will figure it out.

Sunday, March 30, 2014

Rockslide

This is on the road to Jemez Springs. A few weeks ago there was a rockslide from this ridge. You can see the lighter color where the rocks slide down the ridge. There is the house on the left and another hid in the trees at the bottom of the ridge. I took photos from a parking lot across the road where a small store is. That must have been a lot of noise and very scarey for those living there. On the left side of the photo on the second layer of rock ledge there was a small slide about 20 years ago. We noticed it when we drove up one day and the scar was still fresh then.











Friday, March 28, 2014

Ruby Beach

What I didn't know when my guide insisted we leave Hurricane Ridge was that we had one more major stop to make. It was at Ruby Beach. It was a couple of hours before we got there and it was late afternoon, and again it was high tide when we arrived at the beech. And this beech was even more fasinating than Kalaloch had been. There were sea stacks here. Sea stacks are the big rocks that stick up out of the ocean. A lot of them even have a small eco system right on top, with plants, and trees growing on them and birds nesting on them. It was cool at Ruby Beech and looked like a storm was brewing far out to sea. No blue skys now. This little inlet was just made for taking photos of, but it looked like it would be far underwater as the tide came in.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Changing Seasons



So if you haven't already heard, summer is fully upon us here on the Mountain. Since the beginning of this month we have had thousands of climbers and skiers coming out to play on Rainier. Looking around the mountain last week from the side window of a Chinook helicopter we saw evidence of people climbing and skiing almost everything around. There were ski tracks down all the standard routes, plus a good many down some more technical non-standard routes. This was pretty amazing considering all of it was happening in mid to late July, a time of year people usually put away their skis and stop attempting routes like Mowich Face and Liberty Ridge.

With all of the beautiful weather we have been blessed with over the past few weeks our large snowpack is starting to morph into its usual mid-summer condition. This means that while most routes on the mountain are still in very good shape and holding lots of snow, climbers may start to encounter some ice poking through the snow in steeper areas, and some crevasses opening up forcing climbers to do a little more routefinding and endrunning of large cracks.

Over the past week Climbing Rangers have been out climbing Mowich Face and Ptarmigan Ridge along with all the standards like the Emmons and DC. Reports have been of excellent conditions in all places. Want to get an early August ascent of some steeper west side routes? Now is the time! With great snow-free trail conditions making for fast approaches and snow still clinging to most everything above 10,000' the stage is set for some great climbing. Just be aware that with warm days rockfall and icefall hazard increases, so climb at night when it's cool and be aware of what and who is above you at all times. Ya know, like when to hold 'em, when to fold 'em, when to climb and when to run. Speaking of running check out the fracture on Lib ridge below Thumb Rock! Although not normal at all for this time of year it is a testament to how much snow we have received and how warm the days have been.


Check out the new route updates and photos from the past week of climbing, training (always), and flying. Come on up and enjoy this seasonal transition with us here on Rainier!

Monday, March 24, 2014

Pancake Ice



So far, this winter has been rather mild with very little snow and days/nights that have been too warm for any serious development of ice on the lake. Last night, however, the temp did drop a bit which meant that this morning there were some nice "pancakes" of ice floating in a couple of areas along Grand Portage Bay. One of these areas (shown above) was very close to my house. How could I resist stopping and making an image of such beautiful ice formations so close to my home?

After photographing the ice I took a drive up to the Mt. Josephine wayside along Highway 61. This wayside was improved by the MN Department of Transportation this year. They replaced the bathroom building, built a new parking area and picnic sites, and last but not least constructed a very nice viewing platform that takes in the view of Mt. Josephine, Wauswaugoning Bay and the Susie Islands. The photo below was taken from this new viewing platform. I have taken many a photo from this location over the years, but I have never seen the trees stand out the way they do in this photo. The lighting was such that it really accented the trees. Even though there isn't really too much snow or ice in the photo, I still think it conveys a strong feeling of winter.

Friday, March 21, 2014

Sutton - Ailsworth - Ferry Meadows




Open bell-tower at Sutton



































If you can't live in a castle . . .






'Antique' way marks










Thorpe Lodge - beautiful, but there's a lot of traffic noise!




Gunwade (?) Ferry Bridge




Footbridge near Castor Mills




Castor Watermill










Nene Valley Railway




Water Newton Weir






Towards Wansford Station

Close to the Nene we saw a green woodpecker - it flew up from the ground showing off its yellow rump, calling as it flew in typical green woodpecker fashion.



This walk covers some of the ground I walked on September 23