On the left is the marker for Jacob Wise in Section "J" at the National Cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee. On the right is the marker for Jacob and Malissa in the Hively Corners Cemetery (now St. Matthew's Church Cemetery) in Thorncreek Township, Whitley County, Indiana.
JACOB WISE / BORN DEC 8, 1827 / DIED MAY 7, 1865
MALISSA A. WIFE OF / JACOB WISE / BORN APR 21, 1833 / DIED AUG 6, 1901
Melissa Ann Stem was the oldest of six children born to Conrad and Indiana (Sisley) Stem. Malissa and three of her sisters were born in Fayette county, Pennsylvania. About 1844-1845 the Stem family moved from Pennsylvania to Chester Township in Wayne County, Ohio where another daughter was born. By 1852 the family had arrived in Thorncreek Township, Whitley County, Indiana where their last child, a son, was born.
On June 27, 1850 in Wayne County, Ohio Malissa Ann Stem was married to Jacob Wise who was also a resident of Chester Township, and probably a son of Peter and Christena Wise who are buried in Gilead Cemetery, Miami County, Indiana.
Jacob and Malissa had seven children, three of whom died young. Their last child was born two weeks after Jacob was drafted. It is not known whether or not he ever saw his youngest daughter. After Jacob's death, Malissa remained on the family farm, and with the support of her oldest son, 13 year old William P. Wise (my 2nd great-grandfather), went about the task of raising her family.
In March 1876, Malissa married Jacob Scott. After he passed away on June 2, 1890 Malissa resided with her son William. A very short obituary was published in the Columbia City Post on August 14, 1901 which stated "The most of her life was passed in the vicinity where she died, where all learned to esteem her for her kind and careful life and many virtues. Her last days were fraught with suffering being a helpless invalid for several years, but she endured her suffering with hopeful patience making no complaint, but with faith looking forward to the relief of the coming dawn of Eternal day."
This wasn't a random thing, but we also saw this beautiful creature here:
After we left this bridge, we saw something else that caught our eye. This was the funniest thing we've seen in quite awhile. We had some interesting conversations about who could own this fine piece of machinery. Someone full of life I bet.
Yes, that is Super Scott's car. Isn't that the coolest car? I can see Austin wanting something like this for his first car!
Though not all will agree with this, I believe that in order to honestly say that you areableto cyclea given distance, it has to mean that you are able to do itsuccessfully. In other words, if you managed to complete a long ride, but could not walk the next day as a result, that does not count as "success"!
I consider my first half-century (50 mile) ride to have happened this summer - despite having once cycled that distance in Austria some time ago. That earlier trip was a disaster, and I wish somebody had warned me against it. Emboldened by having gone on a handful of short rides, one day I just kept going and going - and didn't stop despite feeling discomfort and pain. Riding a rental bike with a plush vinyl saddle and sub-optimal geometry, I pushed myself well past my limits, ignoring my body's warning signs. And after the ride was over, I could not cycle for over two weeks.
3.Make informed and practical clothing choices.The very same pants that feel great on a 10 mile ride, can make your crotch bleed by mile 50 - as the seams begin to chafe against the delicate skin in that part of the body. By increasing distance gradually, you will be able to spot problematic tendencies before they turn into actual problems and cause damage.
4. Consider terrain. A hilly ride is far more difficult than the same distance covered on flat terrain. You may be perfectly capable of completing a 50 mile ride in Kansas, yet find it impossible in Vermont.
6. Expect to make adjustments to your bike, and possibly replacements. If something does not work for you, admit it and do something about it. This may include replacing components such as your saddle, handlebars, grips, gear shifters, etc. - or even your bicycle itself. Sometimes we read great reviews of things, and yet these things turn out not to be right for us. Get something that works foryou.
7. Eat and drink. Cycling can suppress your appetite and trick you into thinking that you are not hungry... until you crash and find yourself completely unable to continue. This weird phenomenon can really sneak up on you. If you are going on a long ride, make it a point to snack when you take water breaks. Some people like energy bars and energy drinks, while others believe them to be unhealthy. I prefer trail mix or chocolate to energy bars. And adding some lemon juice and (a pinch of) salt to your water bottle makes for an effective, all-natural electrolyte replacement drink.
8. Most importantly, listen to your body and go at your own pace. Have realistic expectations and be patient. So you envisioned yourself crossing the Alps this summer, yet you can't manage more than 20 miles on your local rail-trail? So what! Enjoy those 20 miles and keep doing them over and over. One day you will surprise yourself.
Of course a foto must go with the poem above and I choose this one taken in Bantayan Island, Cebu, Philippines last year, August . I snapped this couple on their scooter with their proud dog looking like an experienced scooter rider as we overtook them, me strapped behind Dutchman on a (rental) scooter as well.
A large billboard tells me what the signs mean...
Smaller signs, like this one, dotted the sides of the highway.
What little wildlife I did see was on August 3rd (my second day on the Alaska Highway) between Summit Lake and Watson Lake (milepost 373-613). Oh, and that bit about not stopping on the highway? Forget it – everyone was doing it whenever an animal was sighted. Besides, the shoulders were nonexistent in many places and those animals certainly never appeared where there were turnouts!
Stone Sheep at 8:20 am near Summit Lake, exactly where The Milepost said they would be! But there was only one, all alone. It was right along the highway just a few feet from the van.
It posed for me for several minutes and was still standing there as I drove away.
Bear at 10:35 am. On the off-chance that I'd see any wildlife I had gotten my other camera out (it has 15x zoom but takes lower resolution images). Otherwise this fella would have been a small dot in the photo! Berries were its idea of a good meal.
These two bears (taken at 12:58 pm) were some distance away when I saw them and stopped. I was able to get just one photo before they scurried off into the forest.
A small herd of Buffalo at 1:20 pm. Another small herd was several miles further on. It is possible that these are “domesticated” buffalo since several of them appear to be wearing a collar of some kind. Or perhaps it is a tracking device?
That's all folks! That's it. That's all there was!
Some parts where time stood still:
Some parts where time marches forward. (I did not snap any of these places today). There is always some evidence of religion:
Patriotism:
and Education:
All of these are interesting. I enjoy them as we see them. Nothing compares to my favorite category of all though. It is the What the ?????? category. It's the things that have me wanting to stop the truck, climb out and ask the story behind it. For example:
There has to be a story behind this sign, which was placed in someone's yard. Where there were no apparent businesses around. I'm still trying to figure out the secret message. Which is most definitely proof that the message was not to me.
The Italians are worse, they hung hairy swine’s heads in their delicatessen shops. Fortunately though not in their restaurants. Now that would be insane. I am sure many people will just be so grossed out.
If you are a regular reader, you probably know that the Co-Habitant owns a Pashley Roadster Sovereign. We bought a pair of Pashleyswhen I first started this blog, and while I've since sold my Princess, he has kept his Roadster. He loves this bicycle. It is his main transportation bike, taking him to and from work every day for nearly two years now - in sunshine, rain and snow. This review is based on both his and my impressions of the bike.
Pashley bicycles have been made in Stratford-upon-Avon, England since 1926. The Roadster is a traditional lugged steel English roadster frame with relaxed geometry and 28" wheels. It is powdercoated black and fitted with a 5-speed Sturmey Archer hub, dynamo lighting, and drum brakes. See here for the full specs and here for the complete set of images. This bicycle was purchased in May from Harris Cyclery in West Newon, MA (not a sponsor at the time).
One interesting thing to note about this bike is the sizing. The Co-Habitant is 6' tall and his preferred frame size is normally 60-64cm, depending on geometry. However, his Pashley's frame is only22.5" (57cm), and yet it is his size. That is because the Pashley Roadster has an unusually high bottom bracket (330mm), which makes the standover considerably higher than it would be on a typical bike. For comparison, the bottom bracket height on his vintage Raleigh DL-1 Roadster is 310mm, which in itself is considered high. This explains why theRaleigh and Pashley are both his size, despite the former being a 24" frame and the latter a 22.5" frame. When in doubt, go down a size with the Pashley Roadster.
The PashleyRoadster Sovereign is a bicycle fully equipped for commuting: generous fenders, full chaincase, vinyl dress guards, large rear rack, drop-down kickstand and an integrated wheel lock. The Co-Habitant finds the dressguards and chaincase convenient, because they enable him to wear pretty much anything he wants on the bike - including dressy clothing and overcoats. He does not like tucking his trousers into socks or wearing ankle straps when riding to work, so these features are important to him. The chaincase has kept his chain immaculately clean through two winters and does not stand in the way of rear wheel removal. For those who dislike the drop-down kickstand, the frame does come with a kickstand plate, so it's possible to install an alternative. Initially, we installed a Pletcher double-legged kickstand and used it instead of the drop-down, until it broke, so now it's back to the original.
Though the headlight on the Roadster is dynamo-powered, the tail light is battery-operated. The 2.4W dynamo hub makes it difficult to modify this lighting set-up, and we are really not sure why Pashley chose to do this instead of using a 3W hub and bulb. We are considering eventually replacing the lighting on his bike with a front and rear LED system with standlights. Trouble is, there aren't any classic LED headlights in a style that would suit the Pashley.
SupplementaryCateye battery lights attached for situations when visibility is especially poor. The bolts on the Pashley's front axel make it easy to mount these.
The rear rack is spacious, but made of such thick tubing that most pannier mounting systems will not fit it. The Ortlieb QL2 and the R&K Klick-fix systems sort of fit, but just barely. 
Tires are Schwalbe Marathon Plus. They are not my favourite tires, but the puncture protection is unbeatable.
The saddle is the super-sprung Brooks B33 - especially suitable for the larger gentlemen on upright bikes.
And of course, the shiny "ding dong" bell. That's us, reflected in it.
Though we are both lovers of customisations, there wasn't much that the Co-Habitant modified on this bicycle. All the components have remained stock thus far. As far as positioning, he lowered the handlebars to make them level with the saddle and angled them down a bit, for a more aggressive position. He also shoved the saddle forward by means of reversing the seat clamp. He added a Brooks Glenbrook saddlebag and Millbrook handlebar bag, which are permanently affixed to the bike. The saddlebag contains his lock, bungee cords and saddle cover in the side pockets, with the main compartment kept empty for quick grocery trips and other errands.
The handlebar bag contains his rain gear, gloves, bad-weather cycling glasses, flashlight, and epic toolkit. The toolkit he carries only on longer trips.
The original plastic handlebar grips were replaced with the Brooks leather washer grips. Front and rear drum brakes are hand-operated, and he has them routedright-front.And just in case you haven't noticed, the handlebar set-up includes a cycling computer and twined water bottles in their DIY handlebar mounts. The computer is fairly unobtrusive, blending in with the black part of the riser stem.
And a close-up of he bottle cage mounts. The set-up with the twin bottles sticking out like miniature cannons over the handlebars is over-the-top eccentric for me - but over time I've grown used to seeing them on his bike and even find them endearing. He has also carried paper cups full of coffee in those bottle cages - successfully.
We considered washing the bicycle before taking pictures for the review, but ultimately decided against it. These pictures realistically portray what the bike looks like after a winter of commuting - and a harsh winter at that. The only time this frame has ever been wiped down was after the previous winter. With everything either fully enclosed or stainless, the Pashley Roadster is as low-maintenance as they get. The powdercoating has held up excellently, with just a few scuffs here and there.Over the time he's owned this bicycle, the Co-Habitant has broken two spokes on the rear wheel (one per year) and had them replaced. The wheels also had to be re-trued a couple of times, no doubt due to the horrible pothole-ridden roads on which he commutes. Otherwise, significant adjustments have not been necessary.
As far as ride quality and subjective feedback go, there is a distinct feeling of the bicycle being stable, reliable and enormous.
It can comfortably travel at high speeds, with the cyclist feeling relaxed, perched high above city traffic. And this isn't merely an illusion - with the high bottom bracket and the upright sitting position, the height at which the rider is placed really is out of the ordinary.
The bicycle handles well on the road and off, in dry and wet conditions.In the winter, it has proven to be a trusty companion.
Even during blizzards, the Co-Habitant continued to commute on this bicycle, and felt comfortable doing it.
When describing the Pashley Roadster's ride quality, it is worth noting that it is not the male equivalent of the Princess model: The geometry and handling of the two bikes are different. Performace-wise, the Roadster accelerates faster and climbs hills easier than the Princess, which can be problematic for those who buy the two bikes as a "his and hers" pair. Though this discrepancy between the men's and women's models is unfortunate, the Roadster's performance in itself is terrific.
As for my own impressions of the Co-Habitant's Pashley, I've come to see the bike as his permanent companion or even an extension of his personality. He loves the bike, never complains about it, and uses it daily for transportation, which is fantastic. But sometimes I do wonder whether the bike is overbuilt for his purposes: To me it seems excessively heavy, and I don't get the point of having that monstrous rear rack if it is seldom used for anything other than saddlebag support. Also, it takes great effort to convince him to leave the bike locked up in the city, which is frustrating. At work he has secure locking facilities, but when we go out he worries about the bike too much - which in my view somewhat undermines its usefulness. However, the most important thing is that he enjoys the bike and rides it, which I feel has been accomplished here pretty well.
Though the Pashley Roadster Sovereign is not inexpensive by any means, it is a good value once you consider what is included and add it all up: a traditional lugged frame made in England and a fully integrated "commuting package" consisting of fenders, drum brakes, full chaincase, dressguards, puncture-proof tires, lighting, and a high quality sprung leather saddle. After close to two years of daily use, including two New England winters, the bicycle looks hardly worse for wear - a testament to its durability. As with everything, your impressions may differ, but the Co-Habitant is a happy owner. He is not looking for another transportation bicycle for the foreseeable future.