Mystery Photo #5

This is the fourth post in a series of unidentified photographs from the Charles Wiseman Family Bible. See this post for background information. Click on the "Mystery Photo" label at the bottom of the post to see all of the photographs in this series.
Tintype 2 3/8 x 3 3/4 Photographer unknown. As always, you can click on the picture to enlarge it.

In Memoriam - Teresa Wiseman Plybon (1954-)

My little sister, Teresa Jane Wiseman Ratcliff Plybon was born January 31, 1954 at Warsaw, Kosciusko County, Indiana and died February 18, .. at Daytona Beach, Volusia County, Florida. She had just celebrated her 53rd birthday. The picture below, of Terry and Mom, was taken March 11, .. on our last trip to Florida.

It's sad to say, but I didn't really know my sister. She was 6 years younger than I was and I was pretty much gone from home after I graduated from high school - she was 12 years old then. I moved to Fort Wayne, joined the Navy, went to college and when I returned home in 1982, she was all grown up, married, and divorced, with two daughters. Five years later she moved to Daytona Beach, Florida, with her second husband, where she lived the rest of her life. On January 19, 1989, she had another child, a son, Edgar Delano Plybon. He survives, as does her husband Edgar Lee Plybon, and her two daughters from her first marriage, Tami and Carrie, and four grandchildren.

I saw Terry four times during the 20 years she lived in Florida. So, my memories of her are fleeting, bits and pieces here and there. She was a good-natured kid, overweight most of her life, generous to a fault. She'd give you the shirt off her back if you needed it more than she did. She was always giving to others, even when she didn't have anything, which was most of the time. She did the best she could under the circumstances. She had an infectious laugh and a great sense of humor.

I'm going to Jackson

Sandra and I took this last weekend to visit the most beautiful and soul nourishing Jackson Cafe & Gallery in Melbourne. That's all we did. We went to Melbourne and went to a cafe.




Some of you know my amazing brother Peter O'Brien. Artist, thinker, writer, adventurer.

He has opened the Jackson Cafe & Gallery at 412 Rathdown Street Nth. Carlton.






The opening exhibition is by Peter, himself. Seven rooms of subversion, dreams and poetry.














A science researcher from the nearby University of Melbourne keeps the conversation elevated.












"Ethical Pickles" are stacked for sale on the table. I know some people would fly further than Melbourne to get a jar of these fiery Eggplant Pickles.













At the heart of the cafe is the organic, fair trade Segafredo coffee.











Annie and Peter



So much stainless in the kitchen.










Sandra












I drank four cups of coffee in a day. A personal best. Nothing bad happened. Good to know.









The music: you'll hear up to the minute local Melbourne funk and jazz musicians who drop in for coffee and check on their CD sales. Next minute you'll be drifting away through the years with the poetry of Bob Dylan and Cohen.














We stayed at Peter and Annie's place in carlton Nth.








But we did go outside. Sandra has just turned 55 and is looking fabulous, so I took a moment off from drinking coffee to capture her urban style.























Back to the warmth and the papers.







Two days of art, science and coffee. Time to go.



Sandra booked a Getz for us. Avis gave us a Holden Supercar, racing pack and all.

Climbers, you know I drive like a pensioner but pulling out into Lygon Street, across the tram tracks, in the high competition evening traffic, on a mission to the airport, we put it to use.






Peter revives the form, poetry and hand drawing.



Our dear old friend Kevin. He is dedicated to crafts of ancient cultures. Vikings, Celts.





Life long friend Janet wears a celtic knot in copper, by Kevin.



Sandra prepares the Red Phoenix Emporium capsule collection as passersby look in.



Interesting small rooms upstairs boldly exhibit art.



The schoolroom, for meetings














No wifi. So why don't you just tell me what you had for lunch?



Fall deeply into the art that surrounds you.









Oil and oil paint on canvas.














Annie. Annie's coral bicycle.


The rooms are beautiful and surprising, a hidden staircase, an unexpected light well.










Home made vegetable soup with turkish bread, coffee, fire.



The Red Phoenix Emporium capsule collection.







Peter can justifiably look satisfied. He has achieved a beautiful, intelligent atmosphere that I know will be loved by artists, coffee seekers and conversationalists. Thank you Peter.

Metal Pot

A metal pot or vase inside the Patio Market with the fountain in the background.

Call of Duty 28, Coolum Cave, Queensland Aust.

Photo: Phil BoxBeautiful winter conditions, steep, steep rock and my favorite lap route.

Antoine is on belay for this lap at the "Coolum Sendfest" .

Dutch Bike: Impressions After an Absence

I own a 15 year old Gazelle A-Touren that is pretty much the prototypical Dutch bike. It was my main city bike for a while, until I put it in storage last November. Yesterday I retrieved the Gazelle (I am looking to sell itedited to add: I have now sold this bicycle), dusted it off, and rode it for the first time in 4 months. The nice thing about riding a very distinct type of bicycle after a long absence, is that everything about it seems new again and you notice aspects of the ride quality that didn't stand out when the bike was familiar. So I wanted to take this opportunity to write up my impressions of Dutch bike handling - from the altered perspective of someone who's now also ridden a variety of other bicycles.





My first impression of the Gazelle upon our reunion had to do with the riding position. I forgot that it was even possible to be sitting that upright on a bicycle! I consider my other 3-speed and my mixte to be upright bikes as well, but they are certainly not compared to the Gazelle. The rider's position on this bike is akin to sitting in a chair: back straight, shoulders relaxed, hands holding the bars in much the same manner as one would hold an open newspaper or a tray.







The handlebars are dramatically swept back and very close to the body. There is no feeling of reaching at all - my hands just basically rest on the bars naturally if I simply plop them down, bent at the elbows. This also means that there is very little weight being placed on the handlebars, or on the front end of the bike at all for that matter.





The unweighted front end was a sensation that took getting used to after an absence. However, it was really just a matter of training my body to adjust to it. After circling the block a few times and picking up speed, the handling already began to feel intuitive again. With the handlebars way behind the font hub, this is not a super-responsive bicycle. There is almost a feeling of passivity or detachment in riding it, like being in the back seat of a vehicle instead of the driver's seat.






These factors combined are what's responsible for the "regal" feeling associated with riding a Dutch bike. The effortlessness, the perfect posture, the ability to observe one's surroundings in a way that cannot be done on other bikes - it all encourages a relaxed and confident attitude. The wide 28" tires create a plush ride quality that further contributes to the luxurious feel. The nuisance of potholes and rough road surfaces need not trouble the rider. As I rode the Gazelle around the neighborhood, it felt as if I were sailing aboard a luxury liner more than riding a bike. I had completely forgotten that sensation.




Of course another thing I'd forgotten was the weight of the bike. At just under 50lb, the Gazelle is an armful to drag up and down even a small set of stairs on a regular basis. Having now gotten used to my "heavy" city bikes being a good 15-20lb lighter, I admit I did not welcome the extra weight.






The bike's weight however, does not pose a problem when the Gazelle is in motion. It accelerates easily and retains momentum extremely well. On flats I can fairly quickly get it to 17mph+ in the high gear, which is about as fast as I'd want to go in the city anyhow.




Uphill is of course a different story, though it's not quite as bad as you might think just by looking at the bike. Uphill the Gazelle is slow, but responsive to hard pedaling effort. Unlike some other heavy city bikes, it does not attempt to pull me back, but is willing to advance slowly forward and upward as long as I am willing to push.






Having had the bike out of sight for so long, it was also nice to see its lovely little details again. Being of mid-90s production, the bike is not exactly "vintage," but still the details were more nuanced on these older models than they are today. Examining all the intricate, albeit now rusty, little embellishments on it is a pleasure. The bike was well used before I got my hands on it, and spent a great portion of its life outdoors as I understand it. In light of that history, the extent to which its functionality and aesthetics have been preserved is impressive.






While I love and respect the Gazelle, for my current transportation needs I've come to prefer a more active ride and a slightly more aggressive posture. Still, the positive qualities of this bicycle are hard to beat.




The Dutch bike is an excellent choice for a cyclist who wants to be as upright and relaxed as possible, enjoys a plush ride, prefers to do little to no maintenance on their bicycle even in winter, lives in a fairly flat environment, and is undaunted by weight. It will also appeal to those who love vintage elegance: The basic design of the Dutch bike has gone largely unchanged over the past century and remains an icon of transportation cycling.