Wally

We chose a balloon at random to watch as it went up from the beginning as they unrolled out the balloon from it's bag onto a tarp, filled it with cold air, heated it with the propane burner, rose up into the air and then lifted off to fly away, or in this case maybe swim would be the better word. This is the first year that Wally has come to the Balloon Fiesta, so it was his first flight here. Maybe even his first flight in New Mexico. We learned from the card that was handed out by one of the crew members that he was from Wisconsin and had just been "born" this year.
Most balloons have a web site and many give out cards simular to baseball cards that have information about the balloon.

Hermmann's Royal Lipizzan Stallions

This morning I made another trip over to see the incredible Lipizzaner stallions. I arrived early enough to visit the stable first and got to spend a good half an hour there. It is so neat to visit the stable and see the horses up close.



I found my personal favorite for today when I saw how much he seemed to enjoy interacting with people.



Then I noticed his name and realized he would fit in with our family really well because his name starts with an A. I told him that he could be one of my kids with a name like his.



He seemed really intrigued by that. I told him we could use another boy to even out the boy girl ratio.



I asked, would you like to go home with me big guy? At which point he nodded his head.



So it's all set. I just have to figure out how to fit him in the RV and then he's coming home with us.



Ahhh, a girl can dream at least, right? Isn't he something though? More pictures later of the show.



Living the life in sunny Florida!

Thank You, Family Tree Magazine

Early this afternoon, I took a break from research at the Family History Library and checked in on Facebook. There I saw a couple of mentions about Family Tree Magazine'sTop 40 Genealogy Blogs in .. so I clicked through and started reading the article. I was amazed and honored to find that Kinexxions had made the list in the "Story Time" category!



There are many fine genealogy blogs being written and it had to have been difficult to pare it down to just 40. I know I'd be hard-pressed to come up with such a list. But, like Randy at Genea-Musings, I was surprised to see some very excellent blogs missing. Congratulations to all of those who are listed.



For new visitors here, the post written in January for the 6th anniversary of Kinexxions, Now It's Six, provides links to the "year end" roundup posts and will give you some idea of what's been written in the past. Posts have been somewhat sparse thus far this year but more will be coming in the near future.



Thank You, Family Tree Magazine. I appreciate the honor and the recognition.

Firecracker

Firecracker, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

Starting off the New Year with a bang...firecracker penstemon!

Comic Strip Trail in Brussels

Still on Brussels... I didn’t get the chance to follow the comic strip trail that Brussels is famous for, however, I managed to see and snapped a few shots of the comic strip murals!

Brussels' Comic Strip Mural: left is TinTin (Mur BD) and right is Victor Sackville (Mur BD).

Brussels' Comic Strip Mural: left is Broussaille (Mur BD) and right is Le Passage (Mur BD).

Brussels, Belgium took post-war Europe on a whirlwind comic strip spin of the adventures of homegrown characters such as Tintin and Spirou, and later, Corentin, Blake and Mortimer, Lucky Luke, Buck Danny, Asterix, Johan and Pirlouit. The comic characters were very popular back then. Nowadays, Brussels boast of its rich comic strip history, there are 4 museums dedicated to comic strip art and dozens of comic book and merchandising shops can be found in the city.

Here is a map of the Comic Strip Trail in Brussels with fotos and explanations of the comic strip murals. The tour includes 31 murals at the moment, and increasing I believe.

Oslo Airport Gardermoen

Hi, just back from Norway and for those into flying, I’ve got here some airplane and airport eye candies while I work on my Oslo fotos.

Flight to Norway is about 2 hours including taxiing. The flight itself was uneventful; I mostly spent my time reading the travel entries in the in-flight magazine. One of the interesting stories there is a Norwegian couple who got married in a romantic chateau in France. For the Norwegians, and their astronomical eye-popping prices duly inflated with government tax, it is much cheaper for them to wed outside their home land. Or, to vacation all the time and stay away from home.







We took Norwegian Air, the new price fighter airline company of Norway. They fly direct to Oslo and Copenhagen from Amsterdam.I’m not fond of flying. I get tense when its take off and landing. And when there is turbulence I try to diffuse my nervousness by forcing myself to nap.

There are a few airports in Norway but the main international airport is called Oslo Airport Gardermoen located about 50 kilometers north of Oslo in the Akershus region.

Now here’s something to fittingly rave about the Gardermoen Airport: It is a glass house! There is so much light everywhere and I can perfectly understand why there is a need. During late autumn, throughout the winter until early spring, darkness envelops the whole country with during winter only having 4 to 5 hours of daylight. So with placing glass walls and glass ceilings, this bids a positive psychological effect that facilitates a much lighter and happier atmosphere. Light always livens up the mood. Even the tube connecting the airport gates to the airplanes are made of glass.








Here is a couple of unfortunate baggage's falling off from the cart in Gardermoen during handling from the plane to the baggage belt. Aside from this, we witnessed a young blonde man (local methinks) handcuffed and literally dragged by his feet, while protesting, by two police officers.



The glass see-through tube from the airport gate to the airplane and queuing up for our take-off turn on the runway.
As a visitor, the easiest and cost-effective way to get from Oslo Aiport to Oslo Sentralstasjon (Oslo Central Station) is by train, and the best choice, which unfortunately is not advertised visibly in the airport, is the NSB train, the country’s national train. The local stop train takes roughly 25 minutes to get to Oslo Sentral. One-way ticket is 102 NOK per person, and re-tour is 204 NOK, which is about €24. Not cheap.

When leaving Oslo S to the airport, take the Lillehammer stop train as this stop in Oslo Airport Gardermoen. Don’t mistake this with the Lillestrom train!

The other train option from the Oslo Airport to Oslo Sentral is the expensive airport express train called Flytoget. I strongly suggest--use this only if you are going to Norway on business and you need to be at your meeting early. Flytoget Express Train takes 19 minutes to get to Oslo Sentral and services the tracks 6x per hour. Not much difference in time really compared to the national train but the price, yes! One-way ticket is 170 NOK and re-tour ticket is 340 NOK, a whopping almost €40 train ticket! The price closely rivals Heathrow Express and Gatwick Express but not comparable really because the UK railway and London metro is a complete enigma for someone who is not local. Norway railway on the other hand is very straightforward.




Dutchman likes to film take-offs and landings. He is crazy about airplanes or anything artifical that flies . He should have been a pilot.



Our plane, Norwegian Air enroute to Amsterdam flying above Oslo or nearby in the surroundings.



Dutchman describes the city as a ‘uitgegroeid dorp’ which means—a developed [insert smirk here] village. Oslo is really small, 10 minutes of biking and you will find yourself in the outskirts of the city already.

Still, I’d like to go back there sometime in the near future to see the Fjords. I’ve already done some research, about 1200 kilometers coastal drive from Kristiansand to Trondheim via picturesque towns of Stavanger and Bergen, but I plan to combine this trip with boat and train to cover all the bases.

More stories about Oslo soon.

Meeting of the Mercians

In the sort of uncanny coincidence that can only happen in the alternate bikeland universe that is the Boston area, our local Somervillain is now also a Mercian owner. His is a vintage model, restored with new paint and period-correct components by the bicycle's previous owner. Somervillain's bike arrived at about the same time as our frames. While we were building mine up, he was putting the finishing touches on his.



Once both bicycles were ready, we of course had to commemorate the occasion. We arranged to meet on a sunny day. Alas as I cycled to our meeting spot, the clouds gathered and so our Mercians met under dramatically overcast skies. They had a great deal to say to one another - though, regrettably we could not understand their secret language.

Somervillain's Mercianis really quite a find. It is a 1971 Olympian model in English Racing Green with white headtube and seattube panels and gold outlining.

The geometry is like that of a club racer (would that be Audax or Sportive?), and the frame fits him well at 61cm x 58.5cm.

The complete history of this bicycle is unknown. The previous owner found it in pretty rough shape - badly repainted and entirely unrecognisable. Only after stripping the surface layer of paint and finding a serial number did it become apparent that the frame was a vintage Mercian. The owner decided to get it restored. He sent the frame off to England for a full repaint and began to hunt around for period correct components.

A year later, the bicycle was restoredto its former glory, and it was beautiful... too beautiful! The former owner found himself incapable of riding it. He kept it as a collector's piece for a bit, but ultimately decided to sell it to someone who would be willing to give the bicycle an active lifestyle.

...which Somervillain was more than happy to do. He got a good deal on the complete bicycle, and is happy both with Mercian's restoration and with the former owner's choice of components -

- which include a Campagnolo drivetrain,



Weinmann centerpull brakes,



andCinellihandlebars and stem.



One thing Somervillain was keen to add to the build, was a set of English Bluemel fenders. He felt that the Mercian did not look right with French style fenders, or the plastic SKS. I've considered this as well and agree that English bicycles don't look right with, for instance, hammered or fluted fenders. But for me the plain ones would be all right, since they really have no identifiable style to them and look fairly neutral.

But the Blumelfenders are quite special and difficult to find. Behold the little contrasting mudflaps.

Despite the 1971 Olympic and my Vincitore being entirely different models made with different lugsets and hailing from different eras, we marveled at how similar they are. The finishing is similar, the tubing is similar, the overall "presence" of the bikes is similar, and our accounts of ride quality are similar. Somervillain describes a responsive, but comfortable ride, easy over bumps and potholes - which is how my bicycle feels as well.

It is fascinating to me that Mercianhas managed to keep their process so consistent over the years with their classic models. You can choose much lighter tubing now if you wish, but the method remains the same. I would love to try an older Mercianin my size and compare it to how mine rides. Unfortunately Somervillain's frame is much too big for me, but if I visit New York City, maybe Justine of Midlife Cycling will let me try her1994 mixte - it would certainly be a treat!

Autumn is Coming...

As we push into late August the first signs of fall are starting to show themselves. Returning clouds, crisp days leading to cold nights, and fewer climbers are a familiar scene this time of year. We actually had some snowflakes fall on rangers the past couple of days, but the report from Muir today was of sunny skies, gentle breezes, and cool fall temperatures.

September is still a great month to climb, one of my favorites actually. Although the weather can be variable, it is still very pleasant for the most part. Climbing in September can also lead to a lot more solitude on a mountain where that is sometimes hard to find. Routes like the Emmons and the Kautz, which can be extremely busy during mid-summer, turn into full-on wilderness experiences in September. Something very notable about this year that is different from previous ones is that the routes still have a lot more snow on them than normally would be present in late August. This means instead of climbing glacial skeleton and having to wind around what may seem like endless fields of huge crevasses to reach the summit, climbers are treated to what can only be described as excellent climbing!

There are a few changes coming in the next couple of weeks of which climbers should be aware. One is that the ranger stations where you register to climb will no longer be open on their summer hours. After Labor Day the Longmire WIC, White River WIC and the Climbing Information Center will all still be open but on a more limited basis. Stay tuned for the exact hours,which we will be posting as we get confirmation on the schedules. Climbing rangers will be around throughout September, but on a more limited basis. So make sure to get your urgent questions answered by a ranger when you register.

Come on out and enjoy this next season change on Rainier. There is still a lot of climbing to be done, and watching the leaves change color from 14,000' is a pretty spectacular sight!

What's Green and Lugged and Not a Bicycle? An Unexpected New Addition!

All right, so some may know this already, but I received a tremendously generous gift for the holidays that is so beyond what I anticipated or deserved that I am almost ashamed to mention it. "Almost" being the operative term, as my excitement clearly surpasses my sense of shame or modesty. Plus I had to confess it sometime.

So, the gift: Well, it's green. It's lugged. But it's not a bike.... At least not yet.

It is a bicycle frame! Exciting and utterly unbelievable! Between this and the custom mixte frame (which is now awaiting paint), it looks like will be The Year of Building Up Frames. I suppose that's taking it to the next level from , which was The Year of the First City Bike Purchase?

But enough rambling. I should really introduce you already. Who is this beauty, shimmering a pearlescent puke green that seems to have been custom-mixed for my bizarre aesthetic sensibilities?

Yes, who indeed?

Well, I will leave you to your own conclusions for now. But have no fear, an excruciatingly detailed post will follow. I just needed to get this off my chest. Happy weekend!

Wordless Wednesday :: The Georgia Guidestones

The Georgia Guidestones in Elbert County, Georgia March 14, ..
Copyright © .. by Rebeckah R. Wiseman

Detroit Zoo and Nieces

We left the two boys with their Aunt Traci and Ashleigh, so they could have some additional family time. I brought two of our nieces back with us: Sherae and Kyanna. Sherae is special to me, not only because she is a sweetheart but also because she shares my middle name. I've always had a soft spot for Rae Rae. Ky is just adorable. When she was younger she'd introduce herself as "Hi, I Ky". Total cuteness! Kyanna is the youngest of the nieces right now, so she is pretty spoiled by all the aunts in the family. Since I live in the land of testosterone lately, I was tickled pink to have GIRLS around. Both of them are true girlie girls to boot. I am surrounded by pink, pink and more pink!



Yesterday we hung out at the campground and did some boring things like grocery shopping. Then we went swimming and played Wii. Today we took the girls to the Detroit Zoo. We have not been here for years and they've changed it around quite a bit.

As cool as the zoo was, the girls made it a hundred times better. I forgot how fun non-teen kids are to take to the zoo! Some of my favorite moments were:

When Kyanna fed the peacocks:

When she showed us how the "mingoes" stand:

When Sherae tried to get the kangaroo to box with her:

And when this beautiful guy let me pet him:

and then told me a story complete with teeth baring and head bobbing:

And last but not least...years ago Nathan and I took our girls to this very same zoo. Ashleigh was three and Ambir was two. Ambir was addicted to her "binky" at the time. (We sent her to Binkies Anonymous at some point, so she's fine now) We got to the zoo and she lost her binky. We didn't have a back-up binky. Soooo...she screamed "I want my binky" the entire time we were at the zoo. It was awful. She had some fierce lungs on her and when she screamed, the whole world knew it. I think this was the main reason we have not visited this zoo since in fact.



Today Kyanna picked something up and when we saw what it was, we cracked up. It was the exact same kind of "binky" that Ambir lost there almost 20 years ago. Ambs, we found your binky!

Living the life in Pinkville, even if temporary, in beautiful family-filled Michigan!

Do Women Want Custom Bicycles?

Not surprisingly, my beautiful mixte by Royal H. Cycles has been making quite a splash. People ask about the bicycle, and when I say that it was custom built the reactions are interesting. Several men (including framebuilders) have asked whether it was a gift from my husband or boyfriend - meaning, whether he was the one who ordered the frame for me, interacted with the builder, etc. Others have asked whether the framebuilder is my boyfriend. And others still have noted the amazing amount of detail for a women's frame and asked whether it was built as aNAHBS bike (show bike) - which is mostly where one would see such a mixte. When I explain that I was the one who ordered the frame, thought up the criteria for it, specified the design features, etc., all without a male intermediary, this is met with amazement. And having thought about it, I doubt this has anything to do with sexism. Rather, I think it is about statistics: According to the framebuilders I have talked with, women do not typically take the initiative to order custom hand-built bicycle frames. The more common scenario, is that a male framebuilder builds the bicycle for his female significant other, or a male bicycle lover orders it for his spouse.

[image via mapcycles]

Thinking about that has made me wonder how women feel about handbuilt bicycles. Do they want them? Or do they perceive the process as either too daunting, or not worth the money or time it takes?

[image via JP Weigle]

At NAHBS and other handmade bicycle shows, mixtes and step throughs have become increasingly popular over the past several years. One might even say that it is now almostde rigueur for classic framebuilders to include a mixte in their portfolio. Does this not mean that there has been an increase in demand for ladies' bikes?

[image via Boedie Cycles]

To an extent, I am sure there has been some increase in demand (and here again we must differentiate between women ordering the bicycles versus their spouses ordering for them). But for the most part, I believe the appearance of women's bicycles at handbuilt shows is mainly symbolic - reflecting the increasing number of women cycling for transportation in American cities.

[image via YiPsan Bicycles]

Additionally, a mixte frame is more challenging to build than a diamond frame. It involves more elaborate brazing and lugwork - giving the framebuilder the opportunity to truly show off the extent of their skills. When done right, a mixte can embody elegant design at its most stunning.

[image via antbike]

So what about the ladies? Do they ever call up a framebuilder and order a bike for themselves? I am not saying that it never happens, and a few builders in particular (ANT, for example) seem to attract female customers. There is also the "lady framebuilder"Sweetpea, which caters specifically to women.But overall, it isn't typical. If you browse framebuilders' websites and flickr accounts that include narratives about recently made bicycles, you are more likely to find descriptions such as "this mixte was commissioned by Joe for his lovely wife Mary" than "this mixte was commissioned by Mary". Will this change as the number of female cyclists grows? I hope so! It would be fun to argue with another female about seat tube angles and lugwork.