We asked at the resort office where the best place was to see them, and then headed out. We drive to this place and get out and off in the woods we see two huge elk. And because we are so easy, we were freaking out at how cool it was and stood there for the longest time looking at them from a distance.
I'm not embarrassed in the least that we were so geeky excited over it, because it is cool. Really, really cool to be this close to elk. We're asking Elijah what he thinks and making a big deal about it. He's not real impressed. Then we realize that he can't see from way down there. He was a little more excited when I put him on my shoulders.
Then Ashleigh and I noticed that way on the other end of this place there appeared to be a group of people doing something with a group of animals. We say that maybe the elk are closer to the fence down there and people are getting to feed them or something. Because Nathan can be a know it all, he says nah...those are deer. We squint and look again and say...uh...I don't think those are deer. If they are, those are some monster deer or something because they are big. And the guy at the office said we could feed them crackers sometimes and we can't do that from here. But we might be able to do it from there. Because I can be pushy, I say...let's go!So we headed out, with a pit stop at K-Mart for crackers, and went to find the spot where maybe we could feed the elk.
I'm so glad we did because this is what happened there.
In all of about 5 seconds flat Elijah transformed from boy to warrior/man-child/great and mighty hunter. Or something like that. I half expected him to start making Tim Allen noises or something. It was awesome!
Nathan was trying to help him and he did the teen hand wave that means Pfffttt...I got this one. I am boy, hear me roar! Were the elk large you might ask?
Yeah, you could say that! Dude rocks is all I have to say!More tomorrow because there are more pictures that I want to share and I'm not used to daily blogging now so my hand is tired already.
Living the life in Michigan!
http://www.mountainsoftravelphotos.com/Makalu/Main.html
You couldn't help but also notice on Joe's web site his climbing in Nepal and his obviousinvolvement in the Sherpa community.
Today we drove on the Blueridge Parkway, and got out to hike to Crabtree Falls.
This was Aric's first waterfall, which was really special. I think he was impressed. Nathan and I were too!
When we talk about "bike porn," all too often the attention is on the obvious stuff: the frames, the lugs, the cranksets, the handlebars. But what about the more subtle components? I know what you're thinking: I must be into some fancy, handmade, outlandish stuff. But I am really a girl of simple tastes at heart. Take, for instance, the little brass bell. Round, shiny and boisterous, I cannot get enough of these perfect little creations. All the world reflects in their polished surface, and they have seen everything your bicycle has seen. Sometimes I will be rolling along, and I catch a glimpse of the sky and trees reflected in my bicycle bell. How delightful to see my surroundings in miniature form, right on my handlebars. 
And then there is my excessive affection for the classic Sturmey Archer 3-speed trigger shifter. God, I mean look at it! Something about the shape, the font, and the overall design just says "stare at me, touch me, use me!" That little notch on the trigger so eager forme to shift gears. No other shifter has inspired such emotion within me. Am I being weird?
Although if you want weird, I will admit that I also have a thing for indicator chains. That's right: those little bits of chain stretching from the hub. Oh how I yearn for glimpses of their jewel-like elegance - unobstructed by the horrendous plastic enclosures in which they are often housed today. Please, manufacturers: Free the indicator chains!
And I must not forget my longing for classic brake levers. I have tried to cope with standard modern ones, but how can I forsake the curves of theseVO classics? The gentle tapering and the ball at the tip... A cold sleek modern lever cannot hope to offer the same tactile experience.
As more beginner cyclists are in the market for new bicycles, I receive more and more questions from readers asking what I think about various makes and models listed on the Budget Options page. People want nice bikes, but, understandably, they also want to save money - and myvintage bicycle recommendationis not for everyone. What about a simple, basic new bike that is classic and comfortable, at a reasonable price? After all, it seems that more and more manufacturers are starting to offer exactly that.
I am always torn when asked for my own opinion: While I want to be objective, I simply don't like most of the lower-priced bikes that are out there at the moment.I have tried 80% or so of the bicycles on myBudget Optionslist, and so far very few of themhave made me feel that they are worth the price. It's one thing to spend a couple hundred dollars on a bike and not care, but a price tag in the range of $500-600 is a lot of money to me -too much money to spend on something that I believe is shoddily made, will likely require upgrades, will not feel entirely comfortable even with those upgrades, and may fall apart on me within a year. In the long run, I believe that such a bicycle may costmorethan an "expensive" bike. And I am especially surprised to hear of people choosing the lower-end bikes, and then buying Brooks saddles, leather grips, fancy lighting and expensive pannier systems to go with them. By the time they are done upgrading, the cost of the bike can reach a price point at which they could have gotten a higher-end bicycle - with many of those upgrades already included, not to mention with a better frame and higher quality components.
Samuel Bray Wiseman, his wife and one son are interred at Washington Union Cemetery in Tippecanoe Township, Kosciusko County, Indiana. Samuel and Amanda (Alexander) Wiseman are my great grandparents. Their son Scott, not quite eight years old, died of diphtheria. According to Kosciusko County death records, his full name was Ray Scott.
With a blizzard raging outside, what better way to spend an evening than working on bikes? The Co-Habitant agreed to help with my Gazelle (and by "help" I mean "do most of the work"),in exchange for which I prepared lavish portions of a dish that is sort of a cross between French Toast and a Croque Monsieur - only larger, fluffier, more generous on the cheese, and with some secret herbs that make it special. He likes my cooking, I like his mechanics: win-win!
Though I bought new tires for my Gazelle months ago, we had been procrastinating with their installation, as it required dealing with the formidable chaincase. Removing it seemed complicated. And who knew what was under there after all these years?
TheGazelle'schaincase is a vinyl casing that is stretched over a metal support structure.It is clipped and fastened at several attachment points - including an amazing system of clasps along the bottom, the likes of which we have never seen before. I am not certain how closely the current-production Gazelle chaincase resembles the one on my 15-year-old A-Touren model, but mine was not exactly easy to remove and install - not a project for beginners at least.
Once removed, this is what was inside. It's entirely possible that the drivetrain has not been worked on since the bicycle was first purchased by the original owner. The metal structure supporting the vinyl casing was covered in surface rust, as were parts of the chain itself. But otherwise, there were no apparent problems. These bicycles were built to be used and abused for years without any need for maintenance.
We were disappointed to see that the chainring did not have little gazelles carved into it like the older ones did. But I suppose that would be too much to expect from a '90s model. The metal chaincase support structure disassembles into several parts - allowing the rear portion to be removed without taking the whole thing apart.
The main chaincase attachment bolt is on the chainstay - a more secure method than attaching chaincases or chainguards to the bottom bracket. Another point of attachment rests on the rear axle. While more difficult to tinker with, the benefit of the vinyl chaincase design, is that it is less likely to rub or knock against the chain. It also weighs less than plastic or metal chaincases - though somehow I doubt that was a concern for the makers of Gazelle.
The Co-Habitant was thoroughly impressed by the design of the GazelleA-Touren's rear triangle, and believes it to be a better (more integrated) system than that of the vintage Raleigh DL-1 or of the modern Pashley.
Everything on the Gazelle fits together just so, as if the parts were all custom-made for each other. And once the chainguard is off, the fork ends are cut in such a way, so as to facilitate wheel removal. The 28" wheels with the stainless steel rims weigh a ton.
The routing of the tail light is entirely internal: The wiring comes out of the chainstay right next to the fork-end, and snakes along the inside of the rear fender invisibly. These are the kinds of design elements that make this bicycle a fully integrated system - almost an organism - that experiences very few problems. There are fewer things to shake loose, break, or fall out of adjustment, which is what makes it so low maintenance.
I know that some enthusiasts would have next taken the whole bike apart, scrubbed off the rust, polished the frame and components, and put it back together - but we prefer to let functional bikes be. Having checked the drivetrain, none of the components seemed to be any worse for wear despite some cosmetic degradation, so we just cleaned them up a bit, greased everything, adjusted the brakes and shifter, and closed the whole thing back up. I will replace the chain soon just in case, but that is about it. Changing the tires on this bike was easy, and the cracked originals are now replaced with newSchwalbe Delta Cruisers. We also removed the vinyl dressguards and are replacing them with something more personalised. The snow continues today, but by the time it is over the winterised Gazelle will hopefully be ready for her test-ride. Working on this bicycle has made us both appreciate just how well it was built. I know that the current-productionGazelles differ in the way they are constructed, but I hope that they retained at least some of the ingenuity of the original design.