Winter on Hungry Jack Lake

Here is another view of Hungry Jack Lake, this time a wide-angle view. The other day I posted a close-up, abstract shot of the snow drifts on the lake that was taken with my telephoto lens. The clouds were really neat above the lake when I made this photo. Because of the winds, the clouds were moving fast and it was fun watching the shadows move across the frozen surface of the lake.

Brigstock to Great Oakley via Geddington

Part of Mel Jarvis'sAround Corby Walk, but clockwise.





With Barry and Gordon. between 9 and 10 miles in reality. Weather - a shower before we started, then very windy, but sunny. Hard work in the teeth of hurricane Katia's tail.





Beware - ignore miles 5 to 7 on the garmin link- no way did our guided tour of Geddington church cover 2 miles! Nor was I running back and forward across the village! Technical hiccup. Then I left the machine running in the car for part of the journey back. Human error.





We started walking from behind Brigstock Village Hall, crossing the stream via a footbridge, and taking the right-hand of two paths uphill over several cultivated fields. The path runs parallel to and slightly higher than the A43 road.

Making our way towards Stanion with a headwind

Crossing the brook

Once in Stanion we turned left into Willow Lane, then left again just before Keebles Close along a short footpath leading to the Pocket Park, which is managed for wildlife. After the park we turned left again and walked along the road for about 100 yards before turning right on to the footpath which took us uphill through more fields towards Geddington Chase.

Walking uphill from Stanion

The path cuts off the corner of the first field, then follows the hedges as it climbs up a hundred feet or so. It is well marked. Eventually we arrived at Geddington Chase, and followed the wide grassy avenue to Chase Lodge, a fine well cared for house and garden, ruined (for me, though I'm sure the owners have good reason) by their guard dogs, which bark enthusiastically as soon as they hear or see you.

We followed the clear footpath arrows around the house and took the path south-west - not the one directly opposite us. This leads downhill through the woods, past an abandoned building, and on to a track which becomes Wood Street leading into Geddington village. This is a village with a history far bigger than its size would imply. Its most famous attraction is the Eleanor Cross, built by Edward I to mark one of the resting places of the funeral procession of his wife, Eleanor of Castile, as her body returned to London in 1290.



We stopped to look at the information board outside the church, and local enthusiast and editor of the Geddington website, Kam Caddell, came to tell us about the village and gave us a guided tour of the church, which dates from around the eighth century, and stands on a previous pagan site, linked to the well beneath the cross, which is reputed never to dry up. The village was a favourite haunt of English royalty for most of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. For more information about this , go to the village website.

The bridge over the River Ise was built in 1250

We crossed the bridge and walked along Bridge Street almost as far as the Post Office/ Tea Room before turning left along the path leading through a park. It took us out at the main road (opposite Dallington Crescent. The path continues across the road, just next to the drive to a house. We followed the path, eventually turning right near Mill Farm and emerging on to the road between Geddington and Newton. A few hundred yards of road walking, then we took a path to the right. There are two paths - we followed the right hand fork.

We walked uphill through a couple of large cultivated fields towards an electricity pylon - the highest point of this section. The next stretch was downhill, under the railway bridge, and through a field near the old Great Oakley Station. Across the road and into a field next to the track the path has paving stones - the story goes that the landowner laid York stone slabs for the locals to walk to the station, which was far enough away from his land that it caused no disturbance. But once the station was no longer in use, the York stone was replaced by something cheaper - concrete.





We emerged into Great Oakley at the Row, and shortly afterwards took a footpath to the right, through the hall grounds, past a large pond, and past the church with its one-handed clock







We followed the road from the church, turned left, then right to pick up the footpath which follows Harper's Brook to the Spread Eagle.





Then it was about a mile to collect Gordon's car and get a lift home ( and a bag of apples!)

"Queensland - The Steep State" The Crux Magazine story

Featuring the Phil Box photo that went to number one in the U.S. for 3 months on rockclimbing.com

Click on the story to enlarge and read.





The Rock! mag story







Poster that appeared in Crux 4



Photo: Neil Montieth





"Call of Duty" 28 Coolum Cave The very long and very steep "Call of Duty" is an extension of the original Gareth Llewellyn line "Weapon of Choice".





Photo: Antoine Mousette

Neato! Nice Porter You Got There...

For those of us who spend more time reading and communicating about bikes on the internet than in person, sometimes we go years before hearing bike terms uttered out loud. And so we form our own pronunciation, discovering only later that it might not match the way others pronounce the same words. Largely this is because so many bicycle words are foreign in origin. Even if we know the original language, it is not clear whether the common pronunciation matches it or has been distorted.



I remember the first bike word I had to adjust from the way I said it mentally was panniers. When I first started seeing this term I assumed stress on the second syllable (rhymes with veneers) and found the anglified stress on the first syllable jarring (I still can't get over that the English will pronounce ballet as "bally"). But I switched early on, and now PAN-iers sounds perfectly normal - though I still pronounce it the other way when referring to the French skirt hoops.



With other words, I cannot switch over. At some point I realised that many people pronounce porteur as "porter." Porter bike. Porter bars. Porter rack. What? It's porteur, rhymes with connoisseur!



Likewise, I have heard randonneur bikes called random-ners.



And I have heard decalleur pronounced as deCAY-ler.



English speakers generally pronounce mixte as mixtee, not "meext" as in the original French. Although I notice that some - not knowing French but wishing to pronounce it in what they believe to be the correct way - say mix-TAY, as if the French word had an accent aigu at the end (mixté). I have always said it the anglicised way, just because "meext" sounds strange to me as a noun.



Then there are the Japanese manufacturers. In my head, Tange sounded like the first part of the word "tangible," and I was pretty sure I'd heard it said that way. Later I started hearing "tahn-gay."



And I've always mentally pronounced Nitto like "neato," later surprised to hear bike shop mechanics pronouncing it to rhyme with ditto. They in turn found my way amusing. "Really, neato? I guess they are kinda neat-oh components!"



Dia Compe seems to be a free for all. I have heard dee-yah-coump, dee-yah-coum-pay and Diacom.




Of course all of this is more entertaining than anything. Languages get mixed and terminology evolves; there is not necessarily a "correct" way to pronounce any of this stuff. Though I am still not sure about dynamo... Stress on the first syllable or the second?

Mockingbird

This isn't the best photo because I took it through the window screen. This mockingbird, his mate, and three chicks have taken up residence in our back yard and like to come onto the patio to eat the bugs that the bug zapper light attaches each night. I like the fact that they come eat the bugs but the male mockingbird had apparently lived somewhere where there was a very tinny, cheep sounding windchime before he came here. And he had learned to make the noise of that windchime and used that noise to call his chicks to come eat bugs. It sounds sort of like a small, tinny, cheep bell and can be quite irritating after several hours of hearing it. Mockingbirds are known for imitating the songs of other birds, and learning to make odd noises like sqeeky gates, kids toys, barking dogs, meowing cats, and now windchimes.Also you would have thought that the mockingbirds would have got used to me watching them out the window. Oh, no. But they would let my old cat lay outside on the patio and watch them. The cat is closer to them than I am. That was fine. But me at the door or window with a camera. Never. I was finally able to get this shot through the screen and it is the best I have managed so far.And smart birds that they are, this family of mockingbirds has also learned that if they sit on that plant stand that the bird is on that they get a little of the cool air that comes through the window from the air conditioner. We have a swamp cooler and they do better if a window is cracked open. I didn't realize that I was putting the plant stand in a direct line with the window when I put it there. I haven't been able to use it for a plant as our bad winds have knocked off the ones I have tried there and I gave up and let the birds sit on it.

James Joslin :: 1844 Sale of Land to Edwin and Joseph Joslin

These are the land records previously mentioned in which James and Abigail Joslin sell the remaining 40 acres of their land purchased in 1837 to Edwin M. Joslin and Joseph A. Joslin. Edwin was only 14 years old at the time and Joseph was a month shy of 12. Edwin and Joseph each paid $50 for their 20 acres of land. Edwin sold his land for $200 on January 21, 1851 to Lysander P. Joslin (Deed Book E page 213). On November 1, 1853 Lysander also purchased Joseph's 20 acres for $300 (Deed Book G page 143).



On the left is the record of sale to Edwin. Joseph's record is on the right. Click on the images for a larger version.

Whitley County, Indiana Deed Book "D" page 187
Transaction dated August 1, 1844
Filed August 14, 1849 9 A.M.
James Joslin & wife To Edwin M. Joslin Warrantee Deed

This Indenture made the first day of August in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred and fourty four between James Joslin and Abigail Joslin his wife of the County of Whitley and State of Indiana of the One part and Edwin M. Joslin of the County and State aforesaid of the other part. Witnesseth that the said James Joslin for and in Consideration of the sum of fifty dollars to him in hand paid by the said Edwin M. Joslin... a certain tract or parcel of land in the County of Whitley aforesaid as following towit the South half of the North East quarter of the North West quarter of section Twenty five in Township thirty two North of Range Eight East in the district of Lands subject to sale at Fort Wayne Indiana Containing twenty acres...

Signed by James Joslin and Abigail Joslin
Witnessed by Nancy Cozens
John H. Alexander, Justice of the Peace

=+==+==+=

Whitley County, Indiana Deed Book "D" page 188
Transaction dated August 1, 1844
Filed August 14, 1849 9 A.M.
James Joslin & wife To Joseph A. Joslin Warrantee Deed

This Indenture made the first day of August in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and fourty four between James Joslin and Abigail Joslin his wife of the County of Whitley and State of Indiana of the one part and Joseph A. Joslin of the County and State aforesaid of the other part. Witnesseth that the said James Joslin for and in Consideration of the sum of fifty dollars to him in hand paid by the said Joseph A. Joslin... a certain tract or parcel of land in the County of Whitley aforesaid it being the North East quarter of the North West quarter of Section twenty five in Township thirty two North of Range Eight East in the district of land subject to sale at Fort Wayne Indiana Containing twenty acres...

Signed by James Joslin and Abigail Joslin
Witnessed by Nancy Cozens
John H. Alexander, Justice of the Peace

The Straw Brothers

Alex:









Just say for example you were from Colorado and youhad dual U.S. - Australian Citizenship.

Then imagine you were fanatical about snow boarding and climbing.

And your older brother was too.

Take into account that Colorado has aguably some of the best powder in the world and is not such a shabby place for climbing either.



Then lets just say you chose to live most of your life in Brisbane.

Either there's a girl I don't know about, or he's running from the law.

Eric: As above, but 3 years older.


Good choice boys?


Eric:













..The Straw Brothers taketo "Black Leather Dungarees" at Coolumand find out all about the hype, the pump, and the pure excitment of one of the Cave's best and highest.


















..










Alex on "the slab" section of the route. Not a slab. Just not as crazy steep.







Whether youclaim to be a boulderer or a boarder, you are going to need a beanie.

Otherwise who's going to believe you?






Climbers, don't just dream about being as cool as these guys, do what I do- copy their look.

Get the "Climber Beanie", hand made from un-dyedAlpaca and Merino wool, atRed Phoenix Emporium




Or at least click on the link to seethe boys represent Red Phoenix,the uber cool, cult style outfitters to the very chic.










Good choice boys.

jj