The Tempest

Lake Superior is an amazing subject, one that I never tire of photographing. The Big Lake has a seemingly infinite number of moods, but one of my favorites is when the waves are kicking up like they were last night. Shooting the waves as they break over the near-shore rocks is endless fun. I made about 60 exposures of the waves in order to get this one shot that I really like. All the others, while nice, just didn't have the right amount of whitewater surrounding the rocks. This one was the best of the bunch, at least for what I was looking for.

Water, Water Everywhere

In the morning they did warn me

it would be a day of rain.

But how could I've predicted

such tumult on its way!

Stroke after stroke I pedaled

with a swift and forceful motion,

but water fell upon me

as if amidst a stormy ocean.

Water, water everywhereand not a drop to drink!Water, water everywhere,my bike did nearly sink!

And so November is upon us, and with it the November Rain. Funny, because I don't remember it being quite this bad last year, but I've probably just blocked it out. Today it rained so hard, that the water not only covered my face, but went inside my nose and mouth. Feeling as if I might drown while cycling was a curious sensation. I could hardly see anything in front of me, but thankfully drivers seemed to all be showing remarkable courtesy. Maybe they just couldn't believe that a cyclist was on the road in such a downpour and felt sorry for me.

When it is raining this hard, I prefer to be on a heavy, upright, and exceptionally stable bike.When I owned my Pashley, I often talked of how good it was for cycling in the rain. To my relief, the vintageGazelle is the same, if not better. The handling makes this bike unfellable. The enormous wheels and wide tires part lake-sized puddles, grip slippery surfaces, and float over potholes. The fenders release a mighty spray and keep my beige raincoat beige. Defiant in the downpour, I cycled with dignity even as water streamed down my face. And I arrived at my destinations only slightly worse for wear.

The other two things I like to have when cycling in the rain are good lights and a saddle cover. I was not sure how well the bottle dynamo would function when wet, but it was absolutely fine (I am beginning to develop a fondness for the bottle) - and my LED-modified headlight made me highly visible. As for the saddle cover, despite having accumulated many Brooks covers at this point, my preferred method is to use a ratty plastic grocery bag. The plastic bag performs two functions: it is more waterproof (gasp!) than a Brooks saddle cover, and it makes the bicycle look considerably less appealing to thieves. Not that many thieves would be tempted to drag away a 50lb clunker with a locked rear wheel in a downpour...

And speaking of dragging: I must say that carrying a wet, slippery 50lb bicycle up the stairs is even more delightful than doing so with a dry one. I have noticed that when it comes to lifting a heavy step-through, it is important to find a comfortable spot to grip - one that is well balanced and will prevent the bicycle from twisting or buckling in my arms as I attempt to maneuver it. Despite being heavier than my previously-owned Pashley, the Gazelle has a better "sweet spot" in this regard, and so I find it easier to carry... just not when the frame is slick from the rain. Still, I managed to wrestle the enormous Dutch creature up the stairs and through the door without either of us taking a spill, after which we had a cup of tea and recited poetry together. It is essential to have a bicycle that is more than a fair weather friend.

your last chance at free gear for a month!

Tomorrow at midnight I'll draw a member's number and give away your choice of aBlue Ice Warthog or a Octopuss pack. But you must be a member of the blog to get drawn.

The Brinker Kinexxion

The following Deed Record was found on June 7, .. at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. It was the occasion of an extremely happy “Happy Dance” for me, as reported by Carol several days later. You see, it had been many, many years since I've been able to add a new ancestor to my pedigree chart.



I was ecstatic, to put it mildly. I had finally found the maiden name (as well as the actual first name) of the mother of Elizabeth (Switzer) Yarian – Catharine Brinker – and the name of Catharine's father, Andrew!



Not only had I added a new ancestor, but, I didn't know it at the time, I would have the Brinker lineage several generations back to the early 1700s in Switzerland. It seems that extensive research has been done on the Brinker family by two ladies who have documented Andrew's parents and grandparents!



In addition, at least one book has been published on the Leatherman/Lederman family – the wife of Andrew Brinker was Barbara Leatherman.



Yes, those last two days before I left Salt Lake City on June 9th were filled with amazing revelations and I was busy gathering as much information as possible, barely even reading most of it at the time!



And this document, a Quit Claim Deed dated the 11th of August in 1849 was the catalyst for that research frenzy... the heirs of Catharine Sweitzer were “selling” 213 acres in section 12 Fairfield Township, Columbiana County, Ohio to Thomas McCoy for which he gave one dollar to each of them. I've added emphasis on specific "important" portions...

Daniel Deemer, etal to Thomas McCoy.

Know all men by these presents the we Daniel Deemer and Susan Deemer his wife, of the county of Columbiana, Jacob Mondwick and Barbara Mondwick his wife of the County of Portage, Peter Bubecker & Rebecca Bubecker his wife of the County of Mahoning, Jacob Yarian & Elizabeth Yarian his wife of the County of Portage for and in consideration of the sum of one dollar each to us severally in hand paid by Thomas McCoy of the county of Columbiana the receipt whereof is hereby Acknowledged, have remised, released, and forever quit claimed... all our right, title and interest both legal and equitable in and to the following described premises, situate in the county of Columbiana and state of Ohio, and being the South East corner or part of section number twelve, in township number twelve, in range number two in the district of land offered for sale at Steubenville. Beginning at the South East corner of said section then on West with the line of the same thirty chains and seventy five links to a post, thence North fifteen degrees West fifty chains and fifty nine links to a post on Peter Firestones line thence East thirteen chains & twenty five links to a post, thence North ten chains and eighty seven links to a post, thence East thirty chains to a post, on the Eastern boundary line, thence South with the section line fifty nine chains and seventy four links to the place of beginning. Containing two hundred & thirteen acres and forty two hundredths, be the same more or less. It being the tract or parcel of land willed & devised by Andrew Brinker late of Columbiana County, deced, to his daughter Catharine Switzer & her heirs & deeded by the executors of said Andrew to said Catharine. To have and to hold the aforesaid described premises with all the privileges and appurtenances unto the said Thomas McCoy his heirs and assigns forever, so that neither we the aforesaid grantors above named nor our heirs nor any other person or persons claiming by through or under us shall at any time hereafter by any ways or means have claim or demand any right or title to the aforesaid premises or appurtenance or any part thereof. In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands and seals this eleventh day of August A. D. 1849.

Signed, sealed and delivered in presence of us

Samuel Entrilkin

George W. Entrilkin

The deed was signed by Dr Daniel Deemer, Susannah Deemer, Jacob Morndick, Barbary Morndick, Peter Buckecker, Rebecca Buckecker, Jacob Yarian, and Elizabeth Yarian.



Received for record January 30th, 1850. And recorded on the second day of February following.

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

But there was one thing that really, really puzzled me about this transaction. Did you notice that I put the word selling in quotes in the paragraph prior to the deed transcription?



Why was the land sold to Thomas McCoy for so little – just one dollar paid to each of the heirs?



It seems I had overlooked another earlier deed recorded in volume 41, page 818. I had made note of it but not the name of the purchaser and I hadn't taken the time to view it while in Salt Lake City – I was concentrating on deeds that included “etal” with the grantors name! On my visit to Columbiana County I looked up the record and found that Jacob and Catherine had actually sold the land for $5,000 to Thomas McCoy. However, I neglected to write down the month and day of the transaction (I got in a hurry because the Recorders Office was extremely busy). The year was 1849. Most likely earlier than August 11th since it was recorded in an earlier volume than the other deed.



So, why?. If Jacob and Catherine sold the land to Mr. McCoy earlier in 1849 then why was there the second transaction with her heirs signing off on a Quit Claim deed? Catharine was still living – she didn't die until 1852. So, why?



I don't have an answer to that question. I'm just very glad that they did, otherwise I still might not know that Catherine Brinker was the mother of Elizabeth Yarian. Nor would I now have several more generations added to my ancestral pedigree chart!





Columbiana County, Ohio Deeds Volume 42, bottom of page 596 (FHL Film 926947)



Columbiana County, Ohio Deeds Volume 42 page 597 (FHL Film 926947)

Superior Ice Arch

I found this cool arch today just as the day was ending. The cloud cover was pretty thick so there wasn't much "good" light for sunset, but I still found the scene interesting enough to photograph. A few days ago we had a lot of wind which pushed some ice in close to the shoreline, and the resulting wave action as it buffeted the ice along the shore made some neat arches, caves and other formations.

Balloons

Ah, the joys of winter!

Of all of the family pictures in Mom's albums, this is the only one I found that was taken outside during the winter. It was the winter of 1964 and shows me and my little sister. It looks like I lost my foot, or at the very least, my boot! The houses in the background belong to the neighbors.

Winter used to be fun! Really, it was. Tromping in the wind-sculpted snow drifts. Going sledding down the big hill. Ice skating on the river. Building snow forts with my brothers. Snow-ball fights. Playing outside for so long that it took hours to get warmed up again. Hot chocolate, with marshmallows. Ah, the joys of youth and playing in a winter wonderland!

An early spring snowfall at our house at Karen Kove, north of Columbia City, March ...

My front porch. December ... It almost looks like this today. New fallen snow is pretty, even, dare I say, beautiful. That is, unless, like today, I had to go somewhere. Yesterday we got about 8" of the fluffy white stuff, which, considering conditions elsewhere, isn't all that much. But the wind was blowing too. I certainly didn't enjoy driving this morning on the slippery, snow-packed roads in below zero temperatures (with a -25°F wind chill). Brr.

For me, the best thing about winter? Spring is not all that far away...

The old crabapple tree at Karen Kove, spring of 1999.

Cotton Candy Ice

Yesterday afternoon we were in Grand Marais to pick up some groceries and possibly shoot the sunset. We were contemplating just heading back home without shooting sunset, though, because the cloud cover was so thick. But, just as we were deciding whether or not to head back, the clouds right along the horizon started to clear. So, we headed over to the campground to photograph the shoreline looking to the west. I sure was glad we decided to try it, because sunset was glorious! Especially when photographed over this shoreline ice that Jessica said looked like cotton candy. We also ran into fellow photographer and friend Bryan Hansel, who was coming out of the library when he noticed the same thing we did and headed to the same location as us. It's always a wonderful experience to witness a sunset such as this. Even better when you can share it with others!

Gunks Routes: Sixish (5.4+)

(Photo: following the 5.3 pitch two of Sixish)



Sixish was one of my first outdoor climbing experiences. It may well have been THE first experience I had in the Gunks.



It was the summer of 2006. I was with my friend Greg, who'd introduced me to climbing in April of the same year. Greg had been climbing for a couple years. He had some leading under his belt, but not much.



I was little more than a liability to him. My experience was limited to toproping indoors with a GriGri. When we climbed outdoors, Greg had to teach me the standard commands and tutor me in ATC usage at the start of every pitch. I was just along for the ride, willing to follow Greg up anything. I was enthusiastic, but I brought nothing to the team. By agreeing to climb with me, Greg knew he was taking responsibility for both of us.



I remember nothing about the first two pitches. As I recall they went uneventfully enough.



What has stayed with me is what happened at the end of pitch two. We arrived at the GT Ledge and Greg began to scope out the 5.4 pitch three. And he wasn't at all pleased, because it looked scary. Over our heads was a gigantic roof. The guidebook said to move left to where the roof met the wall, and to climb up on the outside face of the cliff. Then we were to traverse back right just above the lip of the giant roof, and underneath a second roof, for about 15 feet to a notch, where we would head straight up to the top.



Greg thought the traverse looked precarious. It didn't appear to him that it could possibly be only 5.4. He worried that if he fell he'd hang below the roof and have trouble getting back on the rock. He was especially upset about a pointy dead tree stump, about ten feet tall, that stood on the GT Ledge just below the finishing notch. Greg envisioned taking a fall at the end of the traverse and being impaled on this stump. This was an unlikely event, but Greg can be morbid like that.



Of course, at the time, I had no tools with which to judge the likelihood of any of Greg's fears coming to pass. I just sat there impotently as he thought out loud about the risks of continuing, and about bailing. He considered leaving gear behind so we could rappel off. He worried about whether we could get down to the station atop pitch one with a single rope rappel. Unsure of this, he decided we had no choice but to continue.



Of course, I now know that we could have easily reached the next station with a single rappel. And I now know that we could have done even better: a short walk left on the GT Ledge would have taken us to the bolts above Kama Sutra, an unbelievably easy two raps to the ground. No need to leave any gear behind. But back then I was a blank slate, with nothing to offer, which turned out to be a good thing in this instance because our collective lack of information led us to continue with the climb.



Finally Greg led pitch three of Sixish; he got through it with no problems. Then I followed the pitch and it turned out to be a formative experience in my climbing life. I had no expectations, but the pitch nevertheless surprised and delighted me. No pitch in a gym was ever like this. The climbing up the face was straightforward, and then a perfect foot rail appeared just where you needed it to move back to the right above the giant roof. Traversing felt entirely different than moving upward; the most elementary of steps seemed somehow insecure when the movement was sideways. The position between the two roofs added a thrilling element of exposure. Then the exit through the notch to the top featured good holds, but the features of the real rock again seemed entirely new to me. Maneuvering my body through the notch was unlike any climbing I'd done before.



I arrived atop the cliff to find Greg totally high on having successfully done it. The lesson for him was that Dick Williams can be trusted. If Dick says the pitch is 5.4, you should have faith the holds will be there.



For me, the lessons were different. I was learning what real climbing was like. I was at a stage where I still found pulling on plastic to be novel, great fun. But doing a climb like Sixish made me see that climbing outside had so much more to offer. And I began to fall in love with the special features of the Gunks: the wandering traverses, the roofs, the escapes. The peace of sitting on the GT Ledge, comfortably belaying your partner in an atmosphere of seeming isolation among giant rocky overhangs. The pleasure of watching the birds slowly circle, of admiring the green valley below.



Fast-forward five years to . I was climbing with Margaret on a very hot day. She was looking for easy leads, and after I led Son of Easy O (5.8) in the bright sunshine, I was looking to collapse, I was so dehydrated. We took the very short walk over to Sixish, and upon finding out it was in the shade, we decided to do it.





(Photo: Placing gear at the crux of the 5.4+ pitch one of Sixish)



I was figuring I'd lead pitch one because Margaret seemed interested in taking the easiest pitches. In the case of Sixish, the easiest pitch is the middle one, which is only 5.3. I also thought it might be fun to try the 5.6 variation start to the climb. But then we looked at the traditional 5.4+ start to the climb, which ascends a large left-facing flake and then moves left into the big corner system, and it seemed pretty straightforward. Margaret said she thought she'd be fine leading it. I was sure she'd be more than fine leading it and I was thrilled to follow her.



It turned out to be a bit of a sandbag. If I'd been told this pitch was rated 5.6 I wouldn't have argued. The climbing past the initial crux flake is steep and pumpy. The holds are very good, but hanging out to deal with pro is surprisingly strenuous. Then the pitch moves left to the big corner and it gets pretty pumpy all over again. This pitch is not very long, maybe 60 feet or so, but it packs a lot of value in.



Margaret had no trouble with the climbing, of course, but she did get a bit confused about where to belay. I told her I thought I remembered that she was to go all the way around the big corner to the left and onto the main face to finish the pitch. But she found a small ledge in the big corner which seemed to match the "small belay stance" mentioned in Dick's guidebook, so she stopped there. When I arrived I thought she'd made the right choice, but then I began to lead pitch two and as soon as I moved onto the main face I reached a much better stance with some fixed gear. This was obviously the right place to do it. It wasn't an issue of safety or even really of convenience, and Margaret didn't miss any important high-quality climbing by stopping where she did. But you'll find if you lead pitch one of Sixish that you'll have a more comfy belay if you move all the way around the corner onto the main face.



I led the 5.3 pitch two, and it was such a pleasure. The pitch goes up and slightly left, passing an overhang. Then it moves right to a vertical crack system that provides plentiful holds all the way to the GT Ledge. As I led the pitch I was struck by how nice the climbing was, and how I hadn't realized what I was missing by not doing these easy classics much any more. I couldn't remember the last time I considered doing a 5.4 like Sixish. There are so many of them in the Gunks; it is so easy to take them for granted. How many climbing areas have such high-quality super-moderates like this? In most places a 5.4 would be an unpleasant thrash up a gully. But in the Gunks you get clean climbing up steep rock with great holds and pro. What more can you ask for?





(Photo: At the end of the traverse on the 5.4 pitch three of Sixish)



When we reached the GT Ledge I found the scene unchanged from 2006. The big, pointy, dead tree stump was still there. I assured Margaret she'd find the perfect foot rail up there above the roof, and she cast off on the lead. While she took care of the lead I looked at the 5.10 b/c variation, which is the original aid route directly out the huge roof. Standing on the ledge it appeared to me there'd be good pro in the crack running out the roof but later I saw Dick gives this variation a PG/R rating. I'm not sure whether he gives it this rating because of the pro through the roof, or because of poor protection for the face climbing below. It looked like it would be fun to try it out if the pro were good. I'd wager it would be easy to rig a toprope from above by climbing Sixish through the traverse and then bulding a gear anchor above the roof, but I would be a little concerned about the swing you'd take if you blew it before making much progress out the roof, or during the face climbing below the roof. You might swing out and hit a tree pretty hard.



Soon enough it was my turn to follow pitch three. The traverse was great, still exciting and exposed even after a little more experience. I was surprised by one aspect of the pitch I didn't remember: the notch at the finish is kind of hard for 5.4! Like pitch one, it is surprisingly pumpy. The holds are there but they aren't quite the jugs I was expecting, and pulling through the notch felt to me a lot like pulling a small roof. It is a fitting finish to a great three pitches of climbing, well worth doing regardless of whether 5.4 is your leading limit.

The Gold Country

The Gold Country, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

Yesterday we went on a day trip to the foothills of Yosemite National Park. I had heard that there were some wildflowers out....

...there were.

Hillsides and mountains were covered in sheets of California poppies and popcorn flowers. Some of the mountainsides were literally completely orange with only the occasional tree to break the flowers. It was a truly incredible day.

I took this photo on a very steep hillside in the Merced River canyon near Briceburg.

Pinched Moon

I was leaving work today when I noticed the full moon rising over the Pigeon River. The moon was so big and clear that I had to take a picture of it. This Birch tree is right behind our visitor center at work and I noticed that the moon was lining up with the tree and it looked like two fingers "pinching" the moon. Pretty cool :-)

Adventures with Twine

The most typical use of twine on a bicycle, is to secure the inner edges of handlebar tape. Normally, bar tape is secured with black electrical tape and left as is, but I find that this looks unfinished. With twine, the handlebars will look more appealing and the tape will be more securely attached.

I use cooking twine, which is softer to the touch than industrial twine. It is white in its untreated state and turns caramel-brown when amber shellac is applied.

After wrapping your bar tape and securing the inner edges with electrical tape, the twining can begin.

First apply a layer of clear double-sided tape over the electrical tape.

Cut a half-armlength of twine.

Apply the twine over the double-sided tape by simply wrapping it around the handlebar and placing it down neatly onto the sticky surface of the tape. There should be no gaps and no overlap.

When the surface of the double-sided tape is covered with twine, cut the remainder off. There is no need to secure the twine, since it is stuck to the double-sided tape. This will provide a good temporary hold until shellac is applied.

Using a paintbrush or a sponge brush, cover the twined area with amber shellac following the same principles described here.

After three layers of shellac, the twine should feel completely solid and have a deep amber colour to it, at which point the project is finished. Your bar tape will be more secure than ever and will look great.

If you've finished twining your bars and still crave more, do not despair: There are lots of other places on a bicycle where twine can be used. I twined the chrome connector piece between the rack and the rear stays on my Pashley, because I was not satisfied with how the expanse of chrome stood out in an otherwise green and black colour-scheme. The dark amber twine softened that area up, and integrated it nicely with the wicker basket, brown leather saddle, and handlebar grips.

Here is a close-up of the twined rack connector. I thought that this was a failry subtle detail, but to my surprise, several people commented on it while examining my bicycle.

My most daring use of twine thus far, has been the twining of my Shimano Nexus shifter. My reasons for doing this were two-fold: I thought that the big rubber shifter was too modern for the aesthetic of the Pashley's handlebars, and I also found it unpleasant to the touch, especially in the sumemr heat. Covered with shellacked twine, the shifter blends in better and is more comfortable for me to use, as the twine provides a better grip than the rubber. There was some concern regarding whether the twine would adhere well to the rubber, but this was not an issue; just wrap it tightly prior to shellacking.

Of course, once you do this to your shifter, there is no going back: the shellac will disfigure the rubber if you ever decide to remove the twine and you will need to buy a new one. Twine at your own risk!

For more twining ideas, Rivendell has some nice pictures and instructions, as well as hemp twine for sale. Also have a look at this marvelous twined water-bottle pictured on The Epicurean Cyclist.

The Estate of Dederick Hoffman :: Property Widow Kept at Appraisement

In addition to the Widow's Allowance provided for Susannah Hoffman by the administrators of the estate of Dederick Hoffman, she also took a few items at the time the estate was appraised.







A list of the property with Its value that the widow kept at the appraisement.

Estate of Dederick Hoffman (Packet 805) Columbiana County, Ohio

FHL film 2032459 accessed June 8, ..








A list of the property with Its value that the widow kept at the appraisement.

Estate of Dederick Hoffman (Packet 805) Columbiana County, Ohio

FHL film 2032459 accessed June 8, ..

	D C
one twelve gallon kattle - - - - - - - -	02 50
one ten plate Stove and pipe - - - - -	11 00
one German Sermon book - - - - - -	01 50
one lot of Flax - - - - - - - - - - - - -	00 40
one Table - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -	00 75
one bed and beding - - - - - - - - - -	06 00
one lot of flax and tow - - - - - - - -	00 75
one Reel - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -	00 25
one lot of lether - - - - - - - - - - - -	01 00
one Spider frying pan pot trameland coffee mitt - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -	02 00
one fat hog - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -	03 00
one chest - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -	01 00
one Side Saddle - - - - - - - - - - - -	06 00
three chairs - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -	75
	$42 00

The above is an Inventory of the property that the Widow kept at the apprased value

May 15th 1826

Samuel Hoffman

John Hoffman

Administrators of the Estate of
Detrick Hoffman Deceased

The total as calculated by the appraisers was $42.00 but their addition was off a little as the amount adds up to $41.90 which is the amount shown in the final settlement papers.

A Sock for Your Lock?

image via thelocksock.com

A while ago, some of us began noticing knitted "u-lock cozies" on bicycles, and I always thought it would be neat if someone were to start selling them. Turns out a Lovely Bicycle reader recently did.



The Lock Sock is a hand-knitted sock that will fit a mini or standard u-lock - its function to prevent the lock from scuffing the bicycle's frame. I think these things are adorable, but never made one for myself because I don't use u-locks.



If you do use a u-lock and are longing to dress it in a knitted sock, one of these could be yours. Leave a comment describing how you lock up your bike and include your email address, and I will pick the recipient at random. Deadline is 11:59pm tonight, Pacific Standard Time. You will be able to choose a sock from the colors available and Stephen of The Lock Sock will mail it to you directly from Brooklyn, NY.



Thanks for reading and have a good weekend!

Changes are Coming :: The First Step

This, a 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier with 148,200 miles on it, has been replaced.

With this.

A .. Dodge Grand Caravan with 31,000 miles on it. I wasn't overly thrilled with the color (or lack thereof), but I can live with it ;-)

Now, why would ol' penny pincher me exchange a little fuel efficient Cavalier, which got 30 miles to the gallon, with a vehicle that will get 8-10 miles per gallon less? Oh! There's a reason. But I'm not telling just yet. For now I'll just say that an extended road trip is in the works. . . it's something that I have been wanting to do for a very long time, and that time has finally come! And the first step has been taken...

The little Cavalier has served me well for nearly 10 years. It was a good little car, and I think that my brother and his wife (who are now its owner) will get lots more use out of it. I'm sure it has a few more miles left. I can only hope that the Caravan will be as reliable and dependable as the Cavalier was.

Sunset over the Crazies

The Crazy Mountains (also called the Crazies) are an isolated “Island Range” sitting between Big Timber and Livingston in south-central Montana and are the dominate landmark in the area. The highest peak is Crazy Peak, which stands at 11,214 feet and rises over 7,000 feet above the Great Plains to the east.

These photos were taken on July 17, .. near the exit ramp of Interstate 90 a mile east of Big Timber. I couldn't decide which one I liked the most... the clouds kept changing, as did the colors, which were absolutely amazing. Mother Nature put on another fantastic display. Enjoy...

8:37 pm

8:46 pm

8:53 pm

8:56 pm

8:59 pm

9:09 pm

Eagle Landing

Just one of the 4 Eagles that I saw flying around the visitor center at work today. This immature Eagle was coming in for a landing on one of the Birch trees along the banks of the Pigeon River.

Cactus

Here is another photo of the cholla cactus. This shows the cactus itself better as well as the flowers.