Reading and Riding

When I started cycling I never dreamed of getting into bicycle-themed literature. In fact, I intentionally avoided it. I guess I wanted to think of myself as "normal," didn't want to get obsessed, you know?.. Just a person who rides bikes, and nota person who is so defined by them that even her reading list is bike-themed.Fast forward several years, and my coffee table is littered with books and magazines about... you guessed it, cycling. My laptop has browser windows open to cycling-themed reading material. I'm a goner for sure. And you know what's worse? For some reason, most of the stuff I like is roadie themed. Let me explain: There is some truly excellent writing in this genre. Not just writing that seems good because I am into bikes. But writing that is so genuinely compelling in its own right, that it has gotten me interested in topics I had otherwise been indifferent to. Here is a sampling of my favourites, by category:



Book: The Rider by Tim Krabbé. I posted a sort-of review of it last winter and it remains my favourite. It is ultimately a novel about human introspection. That just happens to also be about bicycle racing. By the end, you may not be able to separate the two.



Writer: Limiting myself to just one, I would have to sayGraeme Fife. "I'm not greatly interested in results, frankly but the metaphysics and aesthetics of cycle racing excite me enormously," this man once said in an interview.



Magazine: I started readingRouleurbecause it was available at the Ride Studio Cafe libraryand I was looking for something to leaf through with my coffee. After a couple of issues I was hooked. The articles have an unexpectedly brooding, almost dark tone to them that lured me right in. I had no idea what I was reading about half the time, but it was gorgeous, so I kept reading until it gradully began to make more sense. That's how they got me.



Blog: Red Kite Prayer. This is a roadie blog that I really have no business reading. But the entries are so thoughtful and well written that I keep checking in and finding common threads, sometimes even patches of common ground.



Blog Entry: Favourite cycling blog post of all time is a masterpiece by a girl named Beth Newell. Now, this is a girl who went from riding her first roadbike to turning track national champion in just a few years, all the while documenting it hilariously. But my favourite post of hers has little to do with cycling, and focuses instead on a student exchange trip to Hungary. So, if you're having a dull night, do yourself a favour: Pour a nice glass of wine, click here, then search for the phrase "perhaps the most traumatic story about my calves dates back age twenty" and start reading from there. You will not regret it.

Typically Dutch 010: Beschuit met Muisjes

The other week we received a surprise visitor at work, a female colleague who recently gave birth and her 10-week old son.

The ‘Beschuit met Muisjes’ given to me. She gave birth to a son, so it’s white and blue muisjes. When it’s a girl, its white and pink muisjes.

In the Netherlands when there is a birth of a baby, it is customary for the new parents to treat visitors, friends, relatives, neighbours and colleagues with ‘beschuit met muisjes’. It is basically a thick flaky biscuit spread with butter and the muisjes on top. Muisjes are sugar-coated cumin (anise) candies. The butter holds the muisjes together so that is an important ingredient =)

Kids here eat the muisjes as a spread on the bread as well, with the butter of course, for breakfast and lunch.

The Dream? The Adventure!

I don't know what climbing, specifically alpine climbing, means to anyone including myself. I can no more tell you why climbing is so important and good for me than I can tell you how the universe was created or what "life" is.


But I know it started as a dream, a wish for adventure and a ability to comprehend what I saw in nature as something more than just special.

No matter what I climb, the type of terrain or how much I enjoy the moment it is all related to being in the mountains eventually and alpine climbing.

I get teased sometimes about my obvious boot fetish. Couple of things happened recently to bring me back to the original "dream", cold feet and why my desire of wanting to climb so badly.

The boot fetish is based on the reality of spending a lot of time out doors as a young kid. My parents hunted, fished and skied. Of course all that slowed down when they had kids..at least until we (the kids) could walk. And by walking I don't think we had to be able to walk far before we were off on their adventures. From my childhood I remember three things from those adventures, cold feet, how I liked heights when everyone else got scared and how much fun it was to be in the snow.

So the boot fetish should be easy to understand. I had cold feet from day one!

In the late 1950's the lookout shown above was the first place I remember seeing, and others talking about, climbing. I can remember my Dad walking with me out to the lookout and back hand in hand on that set of stairs. I was in the 2nd grade. Imagine my surprise to find out the Needles had its, "first recorded technical climbing is April 1970, Fred Beckey, Dan McHale, Mike Heath climbed the South Face of the Warlock, an 8 pitch climb rated 5.9." That ascent is of course a a full ten years after me seeing climbers in the Needles.

The view of the Needles from the lookout.


That was 50 years ago and I still get a thrill remembering the journey. It was another 10 years before I was to actually climb. But not because of a lack of desire. As I aged I remembered the thrill of that simple visit to the Lookout and the awe I had for the guys climbing on the rocks.

Learning to ski held my attention as did dirt bikes, basketball, football, bicycles, guns, knives and swimming. In the late '60s and early '70s our high school library carried a French magazine called "Paris Match" and even though I was taking French I couldn't read much of it. But, my Oh my, the pictures! Rene Desmaison made me WANT to be a alpine climber. Add a subscription to National Geographic my Grandmother gave at Chrismas every year since I was born (really, since I was born) and how could I not WANT to climb :)


" Readers of Paris Match read his dramatic reports and a radio audience measured in millions shivered with him during a live broadcast caught in a storm on the north face of the Grandes Jorasses......

In the 1960s when many of the so-called “last great problems” in the Alps were being addressed, Desmaison played a leading part in solving them. One attempt on the unclimbed Central Pillar of Freney, high on the Brenva face of Mont Blanc, became a France v Britain race. A team including Chris Bonington, Ian Clough and Don Whillans had a day's lead and were attempting the difficult overhanging crux of the climb when a group led by Desmaison appeared, attempting the same pillar by a nearby line. Bonington recalled that the corner crack they were trying to climb was too wide for their pitons but too small for the protective wooden wedges they were carrying. A request to the French for suitable gear met a firm and not unreasonable “non”, as the same gear was needed on their own route. Bonington and Whillans persevered, overcame the crux and dropped a rope to the rest of their team which the French then asked to use to ascend the difficult pitches. The rope was left, but seemingly failed to find a mention in French accounts of the climb.

Desmaison's closest brush with death came in the winter of 1971 attempting a new route on the Grandes Jorasses. With Serge Gousseault, a newly qualified Chamonix guide, the two climbers became trapped by violent storms sweeping the mountain face. After six days of slow, difficult climbing the weather had closed in. They reached a summit cornice, an overhanging lip of snow and ice, only a short distance from safety but were unable to move, hanging from pitons in a festoon of ropes. Rescue helicopters twice arrived above them but failed to understand Desmaison's signals for help. On the 12th day Gousseault froze to death and it was two days later that Desmaison, near death himself from cold and dehydration, was air- lifted to safety. Two years later he returned and completed the climb, once more arriving on the summit in a storm. "
René Desmaison, French mountaineer, guide, author and film-maker, was born on April 14, 1930. He died on September 28, 2007, aged 77

So between Desmaison and Gaston Rebuffat, another French Alpinist with a penchant for photography, writing and good climbs I was hooked long before I ever owned an ice axe.

Skiing, when I started, most still used leather boots. And the boots could be used for walking as required as well as skiing. Not cutting edge technology by any means even then but a whole lot of fun. Not a lot of difference between skiers and climbers then from my limited perspective.

Then while in high school our family moved to a little town just east of Mt. Adams. From our new home you could see Mt Hood, Mt Adams, St Helens, and of course Mt Rainier!

Now I just had to learn how to climb mountains! Of course I had no clue just how much mountains and climbing would come to influence the rest of my life.

A duplicate of my first "climbing" boots, age 14. Army surplus, alpine troop, ski and mtn boot. Bought in Lewiston Idaho with paper route money shortly before seeing Mt. Hood up close for the first time.

That was my start. Yours?

Philosophy Panniers: Two Versatile Classics

Just as I was lamenting the difficulty of finding classic commuter panniers that fit a variety of bikes and racks, a new company appeared offering just that: Philosophy Bags, based in Portland, OR. Handmade in the USA out of locally sourced materials, the description and looks of these bags were almost too good to believe, so I had to see for myself. Philosophy sent me their two pannier models to review: The Intrans satchel (above left), and two versions of the narrow Burnside (above right). We agreed that I would purchase the ones I wanted to keep, if any, and return the ones I did not.



Overview of the Models



The Philosophy Intrans is a traditional satchel design that will look familiar to all. I asked for the brown and tan model, but there are several other colour schemes to choose from as well. Its dimensions 14.5x12x6", the Intrans will fit a full sized laptop and more.



The proportions of the pannier itself are equally suitable for heavy-duty Dutch bikes and for more delicate roadbikes or mixtes. Although large, it does not give the impression of overwhelming a bike, as many other panniers do. And despite its size, heelstrike can be avoided on the majority of bike and rack combinations thanks to the adjustable hooks of the mounting system (details later in the review).



To my eye the Intrans looks most "at home" on a large, classic, upright bicycle - but this is a matter of personal taste.

Once opened, the satchel reveals a slight, expandable "roll top" - making it a bit more roomy than it appears to be when closed. The inner fabric is off-white. Inside is a suspended compartment with two medium pockets. A wooden ruler is attached to the base of the outer flap and acts as a support for the leather handle.



The Philosophy Burnside is a more unusual pannier. Narrower and longer than the Intrans, its outside dimensions are11.5x14x6". The narrower design makes it ideal for bicycles with short chainstays and small racks.



Though it does not look out of place on a heavy upright bicycle either. It is not a small pannier, just a differently oriented one. A clever design that is both roomy and avoidant of heelstrike.



Inside is the same suspended double-pocket as on the Intrans, only narrower.



The genius of the Burnside design is its expandability. While on the outside, it looks like a classic pannier, once opened it reveals itself to be a roll-top, offering considerably more room than one would have expected (the expandability feature is more dramatic than on the Intrans).



Here is the Burnside with the buckles open. Because the roll-top expands upwards, there is no possibility of heelstrike when the bag is opened; you can fill it will groceries and keep cycling.



This is what the Burnside looks like filled with 1.5 bags worth of groceries.



Features



Both the Intrans and the Burnside panniers have a number of distinct and appealing features. The US-made 23oz tri-ply cotton is water resistant, oil resistant, and breathable. The leather is vegetable tanned and likewise made in the USA. Buckles and D-rings are stainless steel.



Detachable messenger straps are included with both bags, as are leather teathers for the optional attachment of rear reflectors. The reflector can be moved from one D-ring to another, depending on what side of the bike you attach the pannier to.



The buckles feature snap-closure attachment, making the bags fast and easy to open and close on the go.



The snaps are heavy duty and secure.



The satchel-like Intrans pannier comes standard with a leather handle, and such a handle can also be added to the Burnside as an optional extra feature.



Mounting System



Philosophy panniers feature the Rixen & Kaul Klickfix mounting system - a well-tested system that is also used by Berthoud and Carradice. Having tried several other pannier mounting systems previously, this is my favourite one so far. It took me a few minutes to understand how to operate the hooks so that they close around the rack tubing, but once I got it they were simple and quick to use.



The R&K system isadaptable to racks with a variety of tubing diameters (8-16mm), making it extremely versatile. The hooks are not only large enough for racks with thick tubing, such as my Gazelle, but they are also sprung - which allows them to close just as tightly around racks with thinner tubing, eliminating bouncing.



The hooks are attached to a long aluminum rail, along which they can be slid to a position that avoids heel strike even on bikes with shorter chainstays.



The lower hook is supplementary, and helps keep the bottom of the bag from bouncing or flapping. The plastic side-hook slides along the rail and clips to the racks stays.



I have tried the R&K Klickfix system on four bicycle racks so far: The Velo Orange Constucteur Rack with thin tubing, the handmade Bella Ciao rack with medium tubing, the Gazelle rack with thick tubing, and the Pashley Roadster rack with monstrous (even thicker than the Gazelle) tubing. On the Pashley Roadster rack,the R&K hooks are a tight fit, possibly too tight for recommended use.On all the other racks, themounting system fits without issues. Regarding the PashleyRoadster rack, note that the largeOrtlieb QL-2 hooks fit equally tightly, and note also that the Pashley Princess does not use the same rack as the Roadster and the R&K system should fit it easily. It's possible that the tubing of this particular bike's rack is simply too thick for any pannier.



Criticisms



It took me several weeks to take all the pictures used in this review and to test both panniers, and during all this time I have been trying to come up with something critical, but not having much success. As far as functionality goes, I can't really think of anything substantial. One point to note, is that when I wore the Burnside over my chest "messenger style" off the bike, the lower (supplementary) sliding hook got caught on some of my clothing - namely the hems of cardigans. This only happens when the bag is in some positions, not others, and it does not happen when the bag is worn over one shoulder.I'd prefer it if the Burnside had a leather handle and I could simply carry it in my hand - and as mentioned earlier, Philosophy informs me that this is now an option. My only other suggestion would be to possibly reconsider the colour of the interior and the shoulder strap: The off-white is attractive, but a darker colour would hide stains and age better. Other than that, I honestly cannot think of anything. These panniers are exactly what I wanted in the sense that they are classic, roomy, and can fit all of my bikes without heel strike or rack compatibility issues.



Which to Keep?



The Co-Habitant will be returning the black Burnside, because he does not feel comfortable with the hooks' tight fit over hisPashley's rack.And as much as I love both the Intrans and the Burnside, I will keep just one pannier, as I neither need nor can afford both of them. It's a tough call. The Intrans is a more traditional satchel design and feels somewhat better balanced in my hands. The Burnside fits all of my bikes in such a way that the hooks don't need to be adjusted from one bike to another, which makes it more convenient for multiple-bike use. I think that this feature may end up winning, and I will keep the Burnside while tearfully returning the Intrans. Or maybe not! Either way, Philosophy panniers are high quality, well though-out, versatile and classic products that are well worth their price and are unlikely to disappoint. Best of luck to this new company.

Lions, Lambs, and White Flowers

Between cool snaps and dark windy days, there are a few warm, sunny, glorious hours. Spring is sneaking in.

We've seen a few swallows, a bat, and lots of mosquitoes and gnats. (I've had two itchy bites already.)

It's not really planting time yet though. At the gardening conference, I tried tying my hands behind my back to keep me from buying any plants so early.

But they had Sun Golds. Last year after reading a book about a New York couple's adventures in market gardening, I looked everywhere for Sun Golds, the cherry tomato that they had praised to the heavens. No joy. I could find the seeds, but they need to be started indoors and there's just no room.

So when a vendor at the conference had Sun Golds, I had to get them. And then I figured I might as well get a few other things as well.

While the tomatoes are in an aggravating "outside during the day - make sure they're out of doggie reach - remember to bring them in at night" arrangement, the lettuce and broccoli could go in the ground right away.

Which of course was a powerful signal to mother nature, to unleash a hail storm and days upon days of rain.

I took these pictures last weekend, before all the bad weather came to town. If sound were an option, in the background you'd hear a husband and a dog begging me to hurry up and quit taking so long.


Bloodroot. One of my favorite spring wildflowers. Even the latin name has blood in it: Sanguinaria canadensis. It looks dainty, but it must be tough if it has the name "Canada" in it and can live in Alabama too.


Rue Anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides or Anemonella thalictroides). A magnified bloom. In real life it's less than an inch (2.5 cm) across.


Toothwort. The genus used to be called dentaria, alluding to the roots that look like teeth, but was changed to cardamine. (If you know why, clue me in.) There are lots of species of toothwort. I think this one is Cardamine concatenata. I've read that you can eat the peppery roots, but I haven't tried it.


Toothwort close up.

Foggy Day in the Garden

Heavenly Blue, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

It's foggy outside right now, but that hasn't stopped the morning glories from opening.

The fog probably has, though, stopped the tomatoes from ripening...

Springy

Red admiral butterfly on Sweet cicely. (Vanessa atalanta on Osmorhiza longistylis.)

This is the same type of butterfly from last year's butterfly wrangling post.

I know that they are widespread, but somehow it still surprised me to see a picture of one on a blog from Israel that I ran across recently. (Lots of nice flower and cat pics there too.)

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Technical note: Yesterday's bluebird post was MIA for most of the day due to Blogger problems, sorry!

It will probably be Rurality Lite for a while due to several things (none of which are bad news). Some obnoxious bragging coming up soon about one of them.

Into the U.P.

Crossing the Mackinac Bridge into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.July 31, ..

The first stop was at Brimley State Park, about 15 miles west of Sault Ste. Marie, on the shores of the St. Mary's River. Several pleasant days were spent in the area. Blue skies and sunshine were abundant. Daytime temperatures in the mid-80s with lows in the 60s overnight. Very nice!



Of course I visited the Locks at Sault Ste. Marie. A very large freighter had just entered the locks from the higher Lake Superior side. It took quite a while to get it lowered so it could eventually make its way to Lake Erie and eastward. Movement was imperceptible. Only when you looked away for a few minutes then looked back at the ship could you tell it was sitting lower beneath the top of the locks. Eventually the gates of the locks opened and the ship was on its way. I overheard the Park Ranger (Sault Locks is a National Historical Park) telling someone that the ship that went through was 105 feet wide while the locks were 110 feet wide. A rather tight fit overall.





A few minutes later, a small tourist boat came through. Entering from the east side it had to be raised in order to exit on the west side and into Lake Superior.





The top of the boat is below the top of the locks.



Twelve minutes later, the little boat was on its way. It didn't take nearly as long to raise this little boat as it took to lower the large freighter.



A very nice visitor center has displays on the history of the building of the locks as well as a very informative 20-minute movie.

Franklin H. Foust

Franklin H. Foust was the original owner of the Historic Brick Outhouse recently moved from Springfield, Ohio to Columbia City, Indiana. He was married to my 3rd Great-Grand Aunt Maxia Jones Foust.



The portrait engraving on the left is from "Counties of Whitley and Noble, Indiana Historical and Biographical", Weston A. Goodspeed Historical Editor and Charles Blanchard Biographical; Chicago: F.A. Battey & Co., Publishers, 1882 and the one on the right is from "The History of Whitley County, Indiana" by S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring; B. F. Bowen & Co. Publishers, 1907. Below is the gravesite for Franklin and Maxia, in the Masonic Section of Greenhill Cemetery, Columbia City, Indiana.



Franklin's obituary, published in The Columbia City Commercial-Mail on Friday, May 24, 1912 is pretty much a combination of his biographies that were published in the above mentioned county histories in 1882 and 1907. I have added some paragraph breaks to make it a little easier to read and a link for "fanning mills" since I didn't know what they were :^)

Franklin H. Foust, pioneer merchant, banker and farmer, Oddfellow and Methodist, who had reached the ripe old age of 87 years last January 10, died at his home on east Van Buren street this city Saturday morning at 9:55 o'clock.

Franklin H. Foust retired from the presidency of the Columbia City National Bank on January 10, 1910 and gave his time to overseeing the work on his farms near Columbia City from that time until last fall, when he was confined to his home on east Van Buren street with infirmities due to his advanced age. He was unable to leave the home after that only on two occasions this spring when he was given an automobile and a buggy ride.

Mr. Foust was taken to his bed in his last illness on last Sunday and realized that he could not recover, though he had a desire to live to be a centenarian. The last three days of his illness he was in a semi-conscious condition and slept peacefully away at 9:55 o'clock Saturday morning.

Franklin H. Foust was the last and oldest of 15 children, 9 of whom grew to manhood and womanhood. His surviving relatives are: Mary Foust, daughter of the late Archie Foust, who with her mother Mrs. Jessie Foust have resided with the deceased since the death of his wife which occurred March 11, 1910; Cleon Foust and Mrs. Fred Morsches, his nephew and niece, children of his late brother Allison, and Franklin B. Foust, a son of his brother, the late Jacob Foust of Atlanta, Kas. The survivors of his wife are Curtis W. Jones, Mrs. Mary Sherwood, Charles I. Jones, Mrs. Harry L. Taylor and Frank L. Jones. All of the relatives named reside in Whitley county, and all but F. B. Foust in Columbia City.

In addition to the relatives mentioned, three children of Jacob Foust, deceased, a brother of Franklin H. Foust, reside in the west. They are: Orpha Ridpath, of Goodnight, Okla.; Mrs. Mary Clover, of Cambridge, Kas.; and Charles V. Foust of Atlanta, Kas. These children were born to Jacob Foust's second wife. F. B. Foust of this county is a child of Jacob Foust by his first wife.

Judge Walter Olds of Fort Wayne who was called to the Foust home as soon as the death occurred and came at once, is a distant relative of the deceased. The Mother of Franklin H. Foust was Mary Olds and Judge Olds is a descendent of the same family.

The funeral of Franklin H. Foust occurred from the home Tuesday at 10 o'clock, Rev. C. W. Shoemaker officiating, and interment made in the Masonic cemetery. The business houses were closed during the funeral. The active pallbearers were Frank E. Kenner, J. E. North, Alton Beeson, John M. Mowrey, Jacob Jontz and C. W. Tuttle.

Franklin H. Foust was born in Delaware county, Ohio, January 10, 1825. The paternal grandfather, Jacob Foust, was born in Germany, and when a youth accompanied his father to the United States, settling in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, where the family became tillers of the soil. Jacob Foust removed to Delaware county, Ohio, being one of the first settlers in that section.

He located where the city of Delaware now stands and constructed the first bridge across the river between that point and Columbus. The family lived in their wagons until they could hew timbers and complete the erection of the primitive log cabin which served as their domicile. The land was wild and the Indians still disputed dominion with the incoming pioneers. Jacob Foust bore arms in the war of the Revolution and in recognition of his service was awarded a pension, which he continued to draw until the time of his death.

His son Henry, who was born in Pennsylvania, married Mary Old, of the same state, in 1812, and settled ten miles north of Delaware where they began housekeeping in a log cabin, typical of the place and period. He enlisted as a soldier in 1812, while his wife contributed what she could to the cause by doing camp work at Fort Norton. After the war they were reunited and for more than sixty years lived happily on the farm which they had reclaimed from the wilderness, where both eventually found graves. Henry Foust was a successful farmer and accumulated a competency. He was a man of strong individuality and integrity of character and served many years as a local preacher of the Methodist Episcopal church. He had nine children who grew to maturity.

Franklin H. Foust was reared on the old homestead in Ohio and bore his part in its reclamation and cultivation. Schools were scarce and poor in those days, but he managed to acquire an elementary knowledge of the ordinary English branches and arithmetic. In his boyhood he partially learned the shoemaker's trade at which he frequently worked until twelve o'clock for the compensation of fifty cents a night. The frequent want and need of a dime taught him to realize the value of money, a lesson never forgotten during his subsequent career. He made most of the footwear worn by members of his family, and in every way did his part toward their support. He hauled wheat from Delaware county to Sandusky City by team, a distance of seventy-five miles, and sold it at sixty cents per bushel.

In 1848, unable to command a single dollar, he hired to Adam Wolfe to peddle fanning mills, retaining his position for two years, receiving for the first year eight dollars per month and expenses, which was increased to fifteen dollars the second year. Even at this small compensation he managed to save some money, and in the fall of 1849 formed a partnership with his employer under the firm name of F. H. Foust & Co., for the manufacture of fanning mills. This association was maintained without interruption until the death of Mr. Wolfe in 1892 at Muncie, Indiana.

At the time above mentioned partnership was consummated, Mr. Foust came to Columbia City, rented a room and began the manufacture of fanning mills, the firm continued this enterprise for three years. In 1852 the firm purchased a stock of dry goods, valued at about ten thousand dollars, and opened a store which the partners operated about nine years. Mr. Foust hired an experienced buyer to accompany him to New York to purchase the original stock, but subsequently attended personally to all purchases. The firm retired from the mercantile business to engage in other lines in which the senior partner, Franklin H. Foust, especially was destined to achieve a notable success.

Mr. Foust for some time did collecting and banking business of modest order. During the war he received deposits, and the confidence which was placed in him is shown by the fact that his system of accounts contained in merely making a note of how much he received and from whom, making no charge for his services. In this way he had in his old-fashioned, large fire-proof safe at one time deposits aggregating sixty thousand dollars. Realizing the necessity as the town grew, he opened a private banking house in 1867 in partnership with Mr. Wolfe. This enterprise prospered and became the center of the most reliable financial concerns in northeastern Indiana, its conservative management gaining public confidence and making it widely known.

The firm acquired ownership of about one thousand acres of land contiguous to the city, of which three hundred acres were brought under cultivation, the remainder being devoted to pasturage. In April, 1904, the bank was organized as The Columbia City National Bank, Mr. Foust being made president. About this time the properties of Foust & Wolfe were divided, [rwNote: a line is illegible, but it probably mentions the settlement of the estate of Mr. Wolfe] Mr. Foust retaining about seven hundred acres of land, all personal property, and the banking building for his share, the balance going to the Wolfe estate. Later he sold the bank building to the bank.

Mr. Foust after retiring from the banking business devoted such of his time as his health would permit to his large farming interests but two years ago became interested in the banking business, although not in active capacity. At that time he became a stockholder and was elected a director, in which capacity he has since served, of the Farmers Loan & Trust Co., of this city.

Franklin H. Foust joined the Odd-fellows order soon after reaching 21 years of age and had been a loyal and enthusiastic member of that order until death. He was the oldest member of the local lodge of the order at his demise.

His father before him being a staunch Methodist, and for many years a minister of that denomination, Franklin H. Foust was born and reared in Methodism and never departed from its teachings. He had been affiliated with the Methodist church of this city during the entire history of the church and had always been one of the church's strongest aides, both with his active held and in a financial way. He was greatly interested in the erection of the proposed new Methodist church to occupy the site of the present edifice. Mr. Foust taught a Sunday School class in the Methodist church for over 40 years, and among his last inquiries for the welfare of old friends, was concerning members of his old Sunday School class. He had been a trustee of the church many years.

Tombstone Tuesday :: Robert Quillen and His Wives

The remains of Robert Quillen and his second wife, Marcelle Babb, reside in a mausoleum at Cannon Memorial Park in Fountain Inn, Greenville County, South Carolina. He was the son of James Downey and Mandella (Joslin) Quillen and a grandson of Lysander and Lydia (Robison) Joslin. Robert was my 1st cousin 3 times removed.

For some reason, being in the mausoleum was a bit of a 'disturbing' experience for me. One of the custodians of the cemetery unlocked the building and went in with me to find the Quillen vault, and I'm glad he was there. It was dark inside, even with the lights on, and was just plain creepy. I get goose bumps just looking at these pictures and thinking about it. I have no such qualms about going to a cemetery and spending hours there. Perhaps it is the confined space of the building and the closeness of the remains that bothers me...

The Quillen crypt is the middle one in the photo above.

QUILLEN
MARCELLE BABB / JANUARY 16, 1898 / JUNE 9, 1971
ROBERT / MARCH 25, 1887 / DECEMBER 9, 1948

Robert's first wife, Miss Donnie Cox, is buried in the Fountain Inn Municipal Cemetery, Greeneville County, South Carolina in the same plot as his parents, J.D. and Della (Joslin) Quillen.

MISS DONNIE / WIFE OF / ROBERT QUILLEN / 1882 - 1922

Happy Birthday, Brother

My Brother, Jack Lynn Wiseman, was born on this date in 1949. In the picture below, I was 17 months old, Doug was 28 months old, and Jack was about 3 weeks old. He probably won't see this, but I was thinking about him. . .

Typically Dutch 001: Dog or cat in the bike basket

I thought I will start a “Typisch Nederlands” (in English – Typically Dutch) foto entry that epitomizes the Dutch and the Netherlands.

Spotted this cute little puppy in a basket bike this weekend when I did the grocery.

In the Netherlands, cats, little puppies, and small dogs are carried by their doting owners in a bike basket. The most extraordinary I ever saw was in Maastricht. The little hyperactive dog stood on the bike’s steel rod while his master pedaled the bike!

For big dogs, the owners usually bike side by side with them. Hand on the bike handrail and the other hand on the dog’s leash. The most preposterous I ever saw in this country was a car slowly towing a dog. Unbelievable how lazy some people are.

Coaster Brakes: Yay or Nay?

I love coster brakes on upright city bicycles and for me this feature is pretty much a must. But I am also aware that not everyone feels the same. So when I am asked whether I think a coaster brake is "better", I can respond only by outlining the pros and cons, as I see them. In short, here is my take on the coaster brake:



What is a coaster brake?

A coaster brake is a rear brake on a bicycle that is activated by pedaling backwards. If you want to slow down, simply start to push the pedals backward instead of forward with your feet. The harder you push back, the more braking power is applied. This type of brake is common in upright city bicycles, and it is usually (but not always) supplemented with a front hand-operated brake. The coaster brake is internal and lives in the hub of the rear wheel, rarely requiring maintenance or adjustments.



Why I love coaster brakes:

. I find that coaster brakes deliver softer (no sudden jolts), smoother, and more consistent stopping power in city traffic

. I like to have one hand free in traffic, so that I can signal while braking

. I find it easier to modulate coaster brakes at finer increments without totally losing momentum

. I have problems with the nerves in my hands, and find it painful to use hand-operated brake levers frequently (like in stop-and-go traffic)

. I find coaster brakes intuitive and stress-free to use: it makes sense to both accelerate and slow down with my feet

. I like it that coaster brakes require virtually zero maintenance or adjustments



Why some dislike coaster brakes:

. They find the act of backpedaling confusing or counterintuitive

. They find it inconvenient that with a coaster brake, you cannot bring the pedal back into starting position in the same way as on a non-coaster brake bike

. They feel that a coaster brake does not provide sufficiently strong braking power

. They lack the leg strength to activate the coaster brake (or have problems with their legs or knees that prevent them from doing so)



I should also add that coaster brakes make sense only on upright city bicycles. Using them on a roadbike would be tricky, because of the speed and the leaned-over position (though I do know of some who have tried, just for fun).



If you have never tried a coaster brake, there is no way to know whether it's right for you until you test ride a bicycle fitted with one. When I tell anti-coasterbrakites that I love coaster brakes, their response is usually "Oh, but I bet that's because you got used to riding a bike like that when you were a kid." Not true: The first time I tried a coaster brake bicycle was in April . It was love at first backpedal!



How do you feel about coaster brakes, and why? I am sure all feedback will be useful to those wondering about this braking system.