Edwin M. Joslin :: 1916 Certificate of Death

This week I received several death certificates that had been ordered from the Indiana State Board of Health, among them that of Edwin M. Joslin. His father's name is not given and his mother's name is listed as Mabethy Goodrich. That information was provided by Edwin's daughter Nellie Gunkle. To me, it seems feasible that "Mabethy" could be a corrupted version of "Nabby" which is how Abigail Goodrich was found in several other records, or perhaps it is wishful thinking - but at least his mother's maiden name was given as Goodrich!


357 stamped in upper right corner
13939 stamped on left above name

Place of Death: County of Tippecanoe, Township of Perry
Indiana State Board of Health / Certificate of Death / Registered No. 115

PERSONAL AND STATISTICAL PARTICULARS

Full Name: Edwin M. Joslin
Sex: Male
Color or Race: White
Widowed
Name of Wife: Sareph A.
Date of Birth: Dec 17, 1829
Age: 86 years 3 months 20 days
Occupation: Retired Farmer
Birthplace: Ohio
Name of Father: --- Joslin
Birthplace of Father: unknown
Maiden Name of Mother: Mabethy Goodrich
Birthplace of Mother: unknown
Informant: Mrs. Ed Gunkle
Address: La Fayette, R.R.L.
Health Officer: Dwight R. Baker

MEDICAL CERTIFICATE OF DEATH

Date of Death: April 3, 1916
Cause of Death: Arterio Sclerosis
Duration: two years
Signed: J. E. McCabe, M.D.
4/6, 1916
Address: Buck Creek
Place of Burial or Removal: Isley
Date of Burial: 4-9 1916
Undertaker: Dwight R. Baker

Exploring by Land

While we were having fun on the boat, we came across this place that we just so happened to hit the tide right so we could get out and explore by land some. This had the kids very excited! The boys hopped out and pulled us as close to shore as possible. Austin carried Lauren so she didn't have to deal with water creatures.

After walking across some very, very slimy water and dodging jelly fish, we hit the land. Once we hit land, we were all super excited about this venture.

The kids rushed ahead to see what exactly was here. They liked the bird blind. Josh filled us in on what he thought this place was all about. Josh knows everything about everything, so we learned a lot!

We all liked the nature we found there. Can't you just smell the sand and sea salt?

Sometimes we approach learning differently in our households. Sometimes it looks very similar. Today was an example of where we approach learning in the same way. In both our homes, it is a daily thing where learning looks just like what you see here. Someone finds something interesting and eventually you find the whole gang gathered around discussing it.

Well, except for Josh...who has his own path to explore at the moment!

I love how we will all roll up into the learning and enjoy it together, each adding something to the experience. It's one of the things I most enjoy about traveling with Daryl and Diana. So what kinds of goodies did we find?

Pretty cool, huh? Diana graciously took a picture of us, and right after that my battery died so I did not get one of them.

This place ended up being so awesome, I'm putting it down as one of my faves. It's been a long time since I did that, so I guess we were due one! Thanks, Daryl and Diana for making our day so great.



Living the life in beautiful Virginia!

The Paradox of Long Rides

Since describing my overnight ride to Maine last week, I've received an unexpected amount of correspondence from readers who feel drawn to long bike rides, but aren't sure they can handle them physically. The only other time I've had such a volume of email, was after my 100 mile ride along the Danube last Autumn - a similar theme. There is considerable interest out there in long distance cycling among those who love bikes but are not necessarily athletic.




Here is an excerpt from an email from Barbara that sums up the sentiment nicely:




"...[I am] not a strong cyclist, but I just loved your description of riding to Maine in the moonlight. I want to do a ride like this so much, it makes me want to cry! Can the weaklings among us experience a similar journey, or am I a hopeless romantic?"




This resonated with me, because it pretty much expresses my own point of view. I love the idea of covering long distances by bicycle, of experiencing beauty and adventure along the way,of bonding with companions as our wheels hum and our headlights illuminate the road. In my imagination, I do not envision this as an athletic activity or an endurance event. Ideally, it would be just a very long bike ride.




And therein lies the paradox: Yes, it is possible to experience long distance cycling from this perspective. But in order to do so, we have to get to the point where we are strong enough, so that a 100+ mile ride feels like a fun adventure and not like a physical feat we've just barely managed to survive. And this, in turn, means working up to it and getting in shape for it.




How is this different from just riding? I suspect there is more than one answer. But the way I interpret it, the crucial difference is that the rides are more structured - with the goal of building up miles, speed, and time in the saddle. Prior to last summer, I never followed any kind of structure, hoping that my endurance and handling skills would just build up organically, inspired by the joy of riding alone. I am sorry to say that this did not happen. Only when I started taking part in club rides,met experienced riding partners,and adapted a more focused approach, did I undergo significant improvements. The structure and discipline changed my body, ultimately giving me more freedom. This may not be the path for everyone, but I am being honest about what it's been like for me.




While the readers who contacted me about long distance riding did so seeking some form of insight, it was in fact I who ended up gaining insight from them; insofar that they helped me recognise this contradiction. I am sometimes asked what my goal in roadcycling is. And I think that my goal, if any, is to get to the point where riding long distance is entirely about the journey and the scenery, not about overcoming physical limitations. But I am willing to work on overcoming those limitations in order to get to that point.

Bikes, Balance, and Riding No Hands

So, yesterday something monumentally cool happened: I rode no hands for the first time. (Before anyone points out that the picture shows one hand on the bars - this is not captured in the picture!)I was alone with no one to witness my no-hands magnificence but the drivers passing me on the quiet side street.I had both hands off, and not just hovering above the bars, but properly off - dangling at my sides as I sat back on the saddle. I rode that way for an entire block, then put my hands back on the bars when it was time to turn. Then I took them off again and rode that way for another couple of blocks. I would have kept practicing, but it was freezing.




I was riding the Paper Bicycle, cominghome from skating, and somehow the bike seemed to whisper to me "You can take your hands off the bars now, do it..." - so I did. I was absolutely amazed that I could do it, and that it felt relatively safe and intuitive. The front wheel just kept going unwaveringly straight as I pedaled. But having tried the same maneuver on a couple of other bikes (both upright and road), it didn't work and the front end seemed way too unstable with my hands off the handlebars. So this appears to be bike-specific for me. I am wondering what it is that makes some bikes easier to ride no hands than others.If I practice long enough on thePaper Bicycle, will I eventually feel comfortable riding a "normal bike" no hands as well, or is the skill unlikely to transfer? I will try not to get too excited, but this is making me feel like maybe I am not an entirely hopeless case!

GEORGE P. CORKINOS

When my nephew and I proof read the death notice for my father, George P. Corkinos, we both missed that extraneous "r" at first. Everything we have done as a family this past week has been in a collective state of disbelief. It is hard to accept that this man is no longer here with us. Usually when a human reaches the age of 91, people shake their heads and say how sorry they are, but the word shock does not usually come up as it has this week. My father was so vivacious and charming- no one believed he was as old as he was. He had a great run.

His name, of course, was George P. Cokinos. The 'p' is important. There is my cousin, George A. Cokinos, my nephew, George S. Cokinos and and my cousin Mark, who is actually George M. Cokinos. (He has a son named George as well.) That's just off the top of my head. Believe me, I could go on.

My father was out cruising when he fell. He had been in Florida since New Year's Eve, tanning on the roof of his condo every day that the sun shone. The ship was in port in Mexico when he tumbled down the stairs, and he was taken to a hospital in Cozumel, then to one in Fort Lauderdale, but he never recovered.

He went out doing something he loved- traveling with my mother and my sister, tanned and vibrant, but not able to overcome the blow. It is a blow to us all- everyone who knew him- whether it was a brief meeting or a lifetime of friendship, he always made an impact. (I've actually felt sorry for a car salesman in his presence.)

I will be starting a new site as a memorial as some family members have requested. Please send me your memories or stories- pictures, too. (lyndalu@gmail.com) You can get to the site by hitting this link- Big George

My Dad 's life touched a lot of people. He was kind. He was funny. His sense of humor was one of a kind. His special name for me was Gunga Din. "Gunk" for short. What could be funnier than that?

Only about a million stories which I hope to keep adding here and at the new site.

Thanks, Dad. It was a blast.

Harringworth Lodge on a misty afternoon.

About 3 miles.









Ducks (mallards) and a heron by the lake and a few smaller water-birds, plus the inevitable rattling pheasant.

Finally Paint

This is the brown paint we put on 3 sides of the house or should I say Lee painted it. I didn't do much to help. It is a bit darker than I had figured it would be but still looks so much better than the old dirty gray that it had been.

Have Delta Cruisers Met Their Match?

How is this for proof that my aesthetic preferences do not trump all else: I think the old, nondescript tires on my vintage Gazelle may have been ever so slightly more comfortable than the gorgeous, creamy newDelta Cruisers I replaced them with. I replaced the old tires not for the looks, but because they were 15 years old and worn out. I rode with the original tires for the first 5 months of owning the bike, but winter was coming and it seemed like the right time to get new ones. And as long as I was replacing them, the 28" Schwalbe Delta Cruisers were the natural choice: beautiful, gloriously shock absorbent, and puncture resistant. I love them on my Raleigh DL-1, I loved them on the Steyr Waffenrad I rode in Vienna, I love them in the 700C size on my Royal H. mixte, and I loved them in the 26" size on my formerly owned Pashley Princess and Raleigh Sports.



What I like about Delta Cruisers in terms of functionality, is that they are both fasterandcushier (i.e. better at dampening road shock) than other tires I've tried in equivalent sizes and widths. Whenever I replace other tires with Delta Cruisers, the change has always resulted in an "Ahhh, much better!" feeling... until now. It's a tiny difference, but I think the old tires on the Gazelle may have felt softer. I am not ready to state this with certainty, because the roads are in such worse condition now than they were before winter's start and part of me hopes there may just be more potholes now than before. But on the other hand, I remember the feeling of going over thepotholes themselves as having been a bit better with the old tires. Darn! Just when I thought I was done with this bike, there is something new to obsess about.



It took me a while to determine the brand of the old tires, as they were quite worn out. But finally I was able to make out "Kenda NL 40-635." Ah, so they are Kendas, made for the Dutch market. The checkered tread pattern looks just like this, but I don't see any 28" tires on Kenda's website. I've been able to find some on ebay that look like they might be the same model - or at least the current version of the same model, as the tires on my bike were made 15 years ago. But will they feel as good as my old ones? I've read so-so reviews of Kenda tires and it's hard for me to believe that they could be more comfortable than Schwalbe Delta Cruisers. Still, I am open minded and will readily admit it if indeed this is so. I don't want to replace the lovely Delta Cruisers, but for me ride quality is an area where comfort wins over aesthetics. Does anyone have 28" Kenda tires on their bike?

Sarasota Expo Pickleball Tournament

Due to my work schedule and being sick schedule, I have not been able to play in any pickleball tournaments yet this winter. Karen asked if I'd partner with her for one that happened to be on my day off and I was thrilled to do so. I had not been out on the courts for weeks so I went out a few days before to get some practice in.



Tuesday, March 6th, we headed out with Art, Hedy and Donna to Port Charlotte for an expo that ELS hosted. There were four communities playing in the expo, Peace River, Harbor Lakes, Terra Ceia and Bay Indies.



Sadly, Karen and I did not end up getting to play as partners because the women played Round Robin games. We really enjoyed the group of women that we did play with and we had a fun day. I forgot my camera, so the pictures here are ones that Donna took that day.



Our community did very well in the tournament with Rene and John taking first place in the men's games.



We really cleaned up in the ladies games, with Karla taking first, me
taking second, Donna taking third and Karen taking sixth.



The park did a great job with the entire event, even providing us with a wonderful lunch.




This is one tournament that I'd show up for next year if they repeat it again!

Christmas Parade in Wauchula

Last night we all went to downtown Wauchula, where I sat on Main street in order to watch the Christmas parade. Nathan and Austin were going to be a part of the parade, helping out with the Thousand Trails float. My ankle kept me grounded so I went as a sideline cheerleader.



Since I was going solo for the parade watching, that also meant I got to do much people watching while there. I love to spend time people watching. It is fascinating to me. You can really learn a lot from a place by doing this. And I came away from this parade, which was beautiful, reminded that so often small towns in America offer a view of some of the best and the worst that our society has to offer.



I saw much that told me that racism and preferential treatment is alive and well in our country. No matter how forward we move in these areas, situations like this tell me how far we have to go yet. My heart was heavy in the moments I was witnessing that. It is not something that seemed congruent with a Christmas parade to me.



At the same time, those same people who surrounded me also shared what makes our country beautiful to me. There is something touching about parades that feels almost patriotic to me. People do a great job of pulling together to make the parade happen. People do a great job of coming out to support the parade by bringing their families and enjoying the result of the hard work. I love it when towns pull together in this way.



Parades give people a chance to share what is important to them.





I loved seeing those that were near and dear to me. Nathan holding the banner and Buddy and Diane:







It was a wonderful night and I was really touched to see our "home for now" represented there. The Jammers did a great job! It definitely put me in the Christmas spirit even more.



Living the life in small town Florida!

Jamestown Settlement

Since it has rained the past few days, we have not had much outdoor activity beyond Pickleball. So we were very excited to have sunshine today, and took advantage of it by visiting Jamestown.

The Jamestown Settlement began in 1607, which was thirteen years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock.

From the website:



"a group of 104 English men and boys began a settlement on the banks of Virginia's James River. They were sponsored by the Virginia Company of London, whose stockholders hoped to make a profit from the resources of the New World. The community suffered terrible hardships in its early years, but managed to endure, earning the distinction of being America's first permanent English colony.

Today at Jamestown Settlement, the story of the people who founded Jamestown and of the Virginia Indians they encountered is told through film, gallery exhibits and living history. "

Rain, Rain Go Away? Or on Second Thought, Stay!

I have not been cycling for the past week due to nonstop rain. But today I finally could not take it anymore: Despite the overcast sky and the morbid forecast, I went. By mid-day, it did rain. And it was great!


Some nice things about cycling in the rain:
. it's good for your complexion
. you can sing in it (and I did!)
. the grass and trees look super green, almost neon
. the lovely scent of flowers really comes out
. you have the cycle paths mostly to yourself
. you have an excuse to wear screaming red and lobsterman yellow!


Above: My empty Apfelspritzer mug, in an empty outdoor cafe -- in the rain. Look how red those geraniums look!

Climbing pack in Cham?

More on climbing packs from Dave Searle in Chamonix. Call it a Euro perspective :) Thanks Dave!















With the recent Cold Thistle theme being
centred around climbing packs I thought I’d put in a word or to as well.




Last year and the year before my climbing
pack was the Black Diamond RPM 26. It
was more or less the ideal Chamonix climbing pack and served me well on many
good days out from big north faces to sunny rock climbing and hauling 25litres
of water on training runs. Its simple
clean design, low weight and smart features where a real winner. The material is good, tough enough to withstand
granite chimneys (cheese graters) without being too heavy. With two side pockets and a small lid pocket
stashing gloves and snacks is easy and with a simple yet effective draw cord
compression on the front shedding a layer is easy to. It was however difficult to carry a rope on
the outside (necessary
if your packing bivy stuff) and the zip top
closure was slightly worrying. I never
had any problems but when the teeth start to sit funny it’s pretty scary to
think it could burst open at any time landing you in deep trouble.




I have recently replaced the BD with a Blue Ice Warthog 26.26 litres seems to me to be the
perfect size for a climbing pack out here in Chamonix. If you need anything bigger you’re either
doing something wrong or something very hard!
The only time I needed a bag bigger last year was on my failed attempt
on the Desmaison/Gouseault with would have required two bivi’s on the North Face
of the Grandes Jorasses.




I much prefer the lid system on the Warthog
which makes carrying a rope a breeze with the separate strap and the helmet
carrier is a great idea to, something that the RPM was missing . The Ice ace
loops are simple but work really well. I
have even jerry rigged the Rope carrying strap combined with a ski strap
through the lower Ice Axe loop to make a rudimentary but effective ski carrying
system. It worked fine with my 108
waisted ski’s and held the ski’s in the perfect cross carry position for
bootpacking.












The material on the Warthog is tougher and
a lot more durable so it should last longer than my RPM and also would take the
odd hauling session if required. The
removable light waist belt is good to (the same as the RPM). I never climb with a waist belt but it is
good to have one for those long slogs up to the bottom of the Jorasses.






The quality of Warthog is superb too. It’s still going strong after half a season
of use and abuse without any signs of wear.
I’m looking forward to giving it as much use and seeing
how it fairs!

Velo Suicide (Don't Do It!)

An alarming phenomenon has been brought to my attention that I wish to share with my readers. We don't give this a great deal of thought, but perhaps we ought to: People are not the only ones effected by the winter blues; bicycles feel them too.



[velo suicide; image by Astroluc]

In Boston, this most recent and serious victim of vSAD (velocepedian Seasonal Affective Disorder) plunged to his death off the bridge into the frozen Charles River. Thank you to Astroluc for bringing this tragic and under-reported story to the forefront. We do not know why this bicycle chose to end his life. Perhaps he was not ridden enough once the winter season began. Perhaps he was not loved enough. It could even be that I am to blame - with my incessant talk of "lovely bicycles" and my rants against welding marks. Clearly I have been insensitive to the fragile self esteem of our dear velo friends, and for that I am truly sorry.



[velo suicide: close-up; image by Astroluc]

To all the lonely, isolated, unloved bicycles out there: Please do not despair. You are all lovely and special in your own way. If your owner has neglected or abandoned you, know that there are options out there - such as Bikes Not Bombs, who will take you in, feed you hot soup, restore you to good health an find you a new home. Stay warm and keep away from the Charles River. And to all the bicycle owners out there, be aware that velo suicide can take on epidemic qualities, as one of my favourite educational films so poignantly illustrates. Take care of your bicycles and don't forget to tell them you love them this winter, even if you don't ride much.

Horned Toad

I adore real horned toads so this one really intrigued me.