In My Life: 2009

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Wordless Wednesday: Logging in Northern Wisconsin

Logging in Forest county, located in northeast Wisconsin, December 1927. Many of the men featured in this photograph, including my maternal grandfather Harley Space (pictured in the front row, sixth from the left), were children and grandchildren of pioneers who settled this part of the state. As I look forward to time spent 'up north' to ring in the new year with my lightweight snowshoes, Polartec jacket and gloves, Under Armor insulating layers, I think back to when this photograph was taken; a time when it was uncommon to spend more time inside than out. This brings to mind how close we are to losing contact with Mother Nature.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Wordless Wednesday

Christmas morning at my Grandma Bergeron's. When Christmas is played on the highlight reel of my life ... this is what I remember. Merry Christmas.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Happy Winter Solstice

Happy Winter Solstice! The shortest day of the year is one of my favorite days. Not because of the fact that this is the shortest day or that tomorrow we will "gain" one minute of daylight. It is hard to describe the reasons why this day brings with it a sense of joy, of new beginnings. Could it be a connection I feel, a kinship, with the ancients who celebrated the shortest day of the year. I posted about this one year ago today.

In celebration of the Winter Solstice I share with you a poem and wish for you joy on this cold winters evening.

Just Delicate Needles
It's so delicate, the light.
And there's so little of it. The dark
is huge.
Just delicate needles, the light,
in an endless night.
And it has such a long way to go
through such desolate space.
So let's be gentle with it.
Cherish it.
So it will come again in the morning.
We hope.

Rolf Jacobsen
Translated by Robert Hedin
Copper Canyon Press

Photography and post with the exception of poem, Just Delicate Needles,

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Wordless Wednesday

Winter frost "artwork" courtesy of Jack Frost, painted on the back storm door at the cabin. I snapped the photo through the screen giving the illusion of a needlepoint design.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Tombstone Tuesday

Buried in the Merrill Memorial Cemetery located in Merrill, Lincoln county, Wisconsin, this is one of the old tombstones that time and the elements have begun to wear away.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Sunday Morning's Look at Saturday Night Genealogy Fun

With the second week in December coming to a close and the start of the new year on the horizon, Santa Seaver at Gena-Musings has added yet another Saturday Night Genealogy Fun question for everyone to ponder: to express our wishes for databases we want the genealogy companies to bring to us.

1) Define one or more genealogy or family history databases, that are not currently online, that would really help you in your research. Where does this database currently reside?

2) Tell us about it/them ...

Oh my. Are you are old enough to recall the anticipation waiting for the official start to the Christmas season: the arrival of the toy catalog? If you are, then you may recall laying on the living room floor marking the pages to reference for your letter to Santa and will understand why I have chosen for my database wish to bypass the toy section and going right to the top and ask for a Christmas pony.

My wish would be free access to military records relative to the War of 1812 at the NARA.

The selected records offered by several genealogy sites/companies are a start but, of course, the records I am interested in are not included in these selected records.

The progenitor of my Facer family line, Lewis Facer, is listed as having served during the War of 1812. Listed on the one and only piece of paper that a researcher could find states his rank, the company he served in and a hint that more military records exist but are not able to be located. I am convinced this is one of those instances of his surname being misspelled and possibly the researcher was not looking for other possible variances.

I have several other brick walls and holes in my family history that online access to the complete War of 1812 database would either solve or give me clues as to where to look next.

Oh .. and did I mention I would like this access to be a no cost?

So Santa ... I have a blanket on my bedroom floor that will be perfect for my new pony.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Wordless Wednesday

There's no place like home ...

Tombstone Tuesday

John Clare Bergeron, stillborn son of Carol Arleen Bergeron; 9 Sept 1948. Buried in Aniwa Cemetery, Aniwa Township, Shawano Co, WI. Rest in Peace.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Wordless Wednesday: Sisters 1960s

My sister Lisa and I spending part of our summer at our maternal grandparents. Today, my husband and I own the land and within the family we continue to call it simply "the farm." Our cabin sits beyond the maple tree, near the oak tree you can see in the background.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Tombstone Tuesday: Goldrick - Little

To continue the celebration of my Irish/English heritage, this edition of Tombstone Tuesday features my Great Grand Aunt and Uncle, George H. and Elizabeth Little Goldrick. The couple are buried in the Aniwa Cemetery, Aniwa Township, Shawano Co, Wisconsin.

Elizabeth Little was born 20 Aug 1856 in Pickering, Ontario, Canada, the youngest daughter of Andrew and Mary Ann Gallagher Little. Elizabeth married George H. Goldrick on 29 March 1879 in Port Huron, St Clair Co, Michigan. Elizabeth died at her home in Aniwa on 6 March 1927.

George H. Goldrick was born 9 Jun 1851 in Michigan to Edward and Sarah Brunnell Goldrick. Edward's place of birth is listed as Ireland, Sarah's place of birth is listed as England. George died in Aniwa on 13 June 1918.

Prior to 1900, George Goldrick purchased land that had been cleared of timber in Shawano county, Wisconsin. The couple left Michigan and settled in the village of Aniwa along with several of Elizabeth's siblings including her brother and sister-in-law, Cyrus Austin and Frances Dazie Facer Little; Frances' brother Burton Wellington Facer and father W.D. Facer were also included in this migration. Cyrus and Frances Dazie are my paternal great grandparents.

The couple quickly became very successful thanks to shrewd land transactions that afforded the childless couple to spend their money on nieces and nephews, travel as well as building a large home.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Carnival of Irish Heritage Irish Portraits: Little/Lytle

Burton Wellington Facer and Mary Ann Little

Of the many "ism's" handed down through my Dad's family was a favorite of his Great Uncle Robert Edward Little uttered in response to a reference to the families Irish roots: Just because you are born in barn doesn't mean you're a horse.

Well! In addition to giving one the impression that Uncle Robert was opinionated it is a reminder to family historians that sometimes there are nuggets of truth hidden in family lore and legend.

My Irish roots are found within my father's family line, descending from his mother's father's line.

Information taken from their death certificates shows the progenitor of my Little family line was Andrew Little born about 1800 in Ireland and his wife Mary Ann Gallagher, born about 1812, also in Ireland. Listed as the parents of Andrew Little are Andrew and Alice. Mary Ann Gallagher Little's parents are not listed.

According to a Civil War Pension Application filed by Mary Ann on the service of son John Little, Andrew and Mary Ann were married 4 Mar 1832 in New York City, shortly after they immigrated. The couple soon after settled in Pickering, Ontario, Canada. Like many Irish immigrants in this community, they traveled to New York on a regular basis, where many of their eleven children were born. The family then removed to Port Huron, St Clair County, MI. It was here that Andrew and Mary Ann died and are buried.

Andrew and Mary Ann's youngest son and my Great Grandfather, Cyrus Austin Little, married Frances Dazie Facer in 1892 in Port Huron. Frances Dazie's mother, Elisabeth Hornby, was born in Ontario, Canada; the eldest daughter of English and possible Irish immigrants, William Hornby and Frances Howard. Frances Dazie's father, W[illiam]. D. Facer, was born in 1827 in Port Huron, MI. His parents were pioneer settlers who immigrated from Zanesville, Ohio.

W.D. married three times; all of his wives fell victim to plagues and epidemics as well as 7 of his 10 children. Cyrus's sister Elizabeth Little married George Goldrick in Port Huron; when the couple decided to relocate to the village of Aniwa, Shawano county in northeastern Wisconsin, they were accompanied by Cyrus and Frances, Frances's brother Burton Wellington Facer, their father W.D. (now a widower), and three of Cyrus's siblings: Robert Edward (1841-1927), Arthur (1851-1939) and Mary Ann (aka Crazy Aunt Mary...) 1852-1926. It is possible the Archibald Little found living in the Wisconsin Veterans Home in Waupaca County, WI, is also a sibling.

It has been interesting, not to mention, challenging, untangling family legend and lore from facts. In particular Elizabeth Little Goldrick remains a personal favorite and while she and George never had children they were close to my grandmother and her sister, Florence Elizabeth, where the girls were often overnight guests. Elizabeth deserves more than just a few lines and so I will save her story for a future post.

Expanding my research to include local histories and migration patterns has led me to the theory that my Irish roots may have originated from Scotland. Could this be a clue? Just because you are born in Ireland does not necessarily make you "Irish"?

The Family of Cyrus Austin Little and Frances Dazie Facer

Cyrus Austin Little (1865-1933) and Frances Dazie Facer (1875-1948)

Mildred Eileen Little (1899-1968) Florence Elizabeth Little (1907-1998)

Surname Saturday: Space and Armstrong Research

As any family historian will tell you, locating our elusive female ancestors presents a number of unique challenges which is why, after much debate, have decided to highlight my 3rd Great Grandmother Katherine Armstrong Space.

According to census records, Katherine/Catherine Armstrong was born circa 1793 in Pennsylvania. It is believed that her father's name was John Armstrong as this name appears in several families in the Space family. Family legend states that John Armstrong was among the early Scottish settlers of the Wyoming Valley, Luzerne County, PA. Legend also goes on to state that John, as a child, was one of the survivors of the Wyoming Valley Massacre that occurred in July 1776. However, I have been unable to locate any documentation to prove this statement. While there was a well-known figure named John Armstrong involved with this incident, his life and family history are well documented and there appears to be no link between this John Armstrong and the father of my Katherine Armstrong.

Katherine Armstrong married Zephaniah Space on 25 May 1811 in Wyoming Valley, Luzerne Co, PA. Zephaniah was born circa 1789 in Sussex Co, NJ to John Space and Abigail Mott. John, who immigrated to New Jersey from Germany, is the progenitor of my Space family line. John Space is the reason I was able to make my application to the Daughters of the American Revolution; he enlisted in Hackensack, NJ, in 1776 serving for the entire duration of the war: spent the cold winter at Valley Forge and was present at Yorktown. I find it more than interesting that John's older brother, Peter Space, who supposedly immigrated with John, did not serve. But that is fodder for a future post.

John received 100 acres of bounty land in the Luzerne area, where he and Abigail raised a family of 9 known children of which Katherine's husband, Zephaniah, was the oldest known son.

In 1818 Zephaniah and Katherine immigrated to Clarion County, PA, settling on land in the New Bethlehem area. They also raised a family of 9 known children; my line descends from their son, Zephaniah Allen born in 1826.

A Space family history published in 1936 was the cause of my first genealogy "ah ha" moment. Citing a visit by the authors (who happened to be first cousins) to Clarion County as well as information found in census records, gave me reason to believe that what was written certainly must be true - right? It was a number of years before I questioned their statements, including the following: "In the Armstrong family there were only two children, Catherine and her brother John. Catherine's father was John Armstrong, and the parents died when John and Catherine were children. Catherine was reared in East Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in a family by the name of Hart."

When I finally asked myself, "How do I know that this is true?" did I discover no documentation or reference of Katherine living in Clarion County prior to 1818, following her marriage to Zephaniah, in Luzerne County. It seems unlikely that Katherine could be 'raised by a family in East Bethlehem', assuming this is Clarion County, in an area that was not yet settled only to return to Luzerne County to be married in 1811. A list of the early settlers of Clarion County area does not list "Hart."

Another Space and Armstrong family researcher has shared information from her ancestor claiming that Katherine Armstrong's mother married twice. The first marriage to John Armstrong with John and my Katherine as issue. The second marriage to Adam Nolf/Nulph with five children born to this union: Jake, John, George, Polly and Barbara. The girls marrying brothers Nicholas and Jake Hetrick. Both Nolf/Nulph and Hetrick are common families in the Clarion County, PA area.

"Finding Grandma Katie" remains at the top of my Top Ten Most Wanted. Maybe 2010 will be the year I discover her family and make yet another connection in her life.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun

Mr. Saturday Night has issued the latest Saturday Night Genealogy Fun challenge, to post our most memorable Halloween memory. I so enjoyed reading the posts (especially Midge's post complete with photo!) it's hard not to join in on the fun.

My favorite memory surrounding Halloween, isn't so much one memory in particular as it is about 'the bunny costume.'

While I never had the pleasure of wearing the costume, complete with a hat that tied under the chin and a set of floppy bunny ears, my three younger sisters did. Reminiscent of Ralphie in Christmas Story, except for the fact they also have fond memories of wearing the costume. I believe my sister Lisa, the first one to wear the costume, is now the custodian of all that is left of the costume - the hat.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Treasure Thursday, 29 Oct 2009

Among the many treasures in my life, I count time spent traveling to England and Scotland with my Mother as some of my most cherished memories.

Over the years my Mom has gifted me with paintings she has created chronicling some of our favorite holidays. The Abbey Hotel in Cornwall and St. Catherine's Lighthouse on the southern tip of the Isle of Wight.

Shells gathered on walks on the beach fill the Ball jar that once belonged to my grandmother Mildred Little Bergeron. The shells, mixed together in the jar, represent visits from Lands End to John O'Groats, Dover and St. Ives to the Orkney Islands.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Wordless Wednesday

A tribute to one of the many rural schools, no longer in existence. My featured photo today is the Brown Bear School, formerly located in Vilas Township in Langlade county, Wisconsin.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Tombstone Tuesday - John Crump Hogarty 1825-1904

Grave marker of John Crump Hogarty and his family located in the Riverside Cemetery in Hogarty, Marathon County, Wisconsin. John Hogarty, Willard Ackley, Benjamin Gilham and my great-great grandfather, Isaac Stone, were among the early settlers in what is now Marathon, Lincoln and Langlade counties.

John Hogarty, born in Virginia, came to the area known as Marathon county around 1844 and along with Ackley and Isaac Stone settled aong the banks of the Eau Claire River. When Marathon County was created in 1850, the area was occupied by the Ojibwe. The Eau Claire, navigable by canoe, was important to the area due to the presence of large tracts of virgin timber, known simply as "The Pinery."

Hogarty set up a trading post halfway up the Eau Claire; records show the principal trade was pork, flour, salt, a few 'groceries', dry goods, hardware and crockery. Isaac Stone also set up a post with similiar goods; both Hogarty and Stone bartered for furs, maple syrup and timber. Hogarty and Stone engaged in cutting and floating pine logs down the Eau Claire River with Willard Ackley, who operated a post at the forks of the east and west branches of the Eau Claire, ten miles upstream of Hogarty.

All of these men married into the Ojibwe, marrage records show the men served as witnesses at these ceremonies. Unfortunatley, no record has been found to document Isaac's marriage. However, documents do show that in 1855, following the birth of their third known child, Isaac Stone's wife died and was buried at Hogarty's Trading Post. Eventually this site became the Riverview cemetery.

The back of the marker reads:

"An Irish-Chippewa Family of Wisconsin"

John C. Hogarty of Irish ancestry, born in Virginia in 1825, came to Marathon County about 1844 and died in 1904. He was a farmer, lumberman and Civil War Veteran. He married Set-Os-Na-Qua, daughter of Swa-Juan-A-Qua and Nit-Wen-Osk and grand-daughter of Chief Great Eagle, after her death he married Moke-Gesick-Co-Qua, daugther of Sak-a-See-Do-Qua and ay-May-Way-Con

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Wordless Wednesday

Family of Charles Finley and Agnes Josephine Jones Polar:

Leona, Archie, Agnes, Charles, Esther, Ralph, Alma

Monday, October 19, 2009

Victory at Yorktown - October 19, 1781

During 1781 and 1782, Washington had been working toward a decisive conclusion of the war. As a result of reports from an intelligence service led by Benjamin Franklin in Paris, Washington was convinced that British public opinion definitely was turning against continuing the American war. Washington knew if the British army could be trapped between American land forces and the superior French fleet for a sufficient period of time the British could be compelled to surrender.

In September 1779 the fleets and armies of France and Spain attacked the British fortress of Gibraltar. Great Britain could not afford to lose its precious gateway to the Mediterranean. Because Gibraltar could be reinforced and supplied only by sea, its support became the most important responsibility of the British fleet.

In 1781, when Gibraltar was especially hard pressed, 29 French ships of the line under Adm. François Joseph Paul, comte de Grasse, were able to sail from Brest on March 22, bound initially for the West Indies but with orders to be off the American coast in July and August. Washington learned of the French fleet's departure on May 22 and with Rochambeau planned to attack Clinton in New York City. In June, French troops were recalled from Newport, R.I., to join Washington's forces. The New York offensive never materialized, however, because Clinton's forces, reinforced by an additional 3000 German troops, were too strong, and the New England militia failed to come forward in sufficient numbers.

On August 14, Washington received word that de Grasse was bringing the French fleet to Chesapeake Bay. He immediately decided to attack Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia. The troops of Washington and Rochambeau marched south, leaving a containing force to watch Clinton in New York. De Grasse's fleet arrived at the Chesapeake capes on August 30, drove off a British fleet under Adm. Thomas Graves and established a tight blockade of Cornwallis's army. Some 16,000 American and French troops and Virginia militia, under Washington's command, laid siege to Yorktown. Cornwallis made several vain attempts to break through allied lines, but on Oct. 19, 1781, he was obliged to surrender.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Genea-Musings - Saturday Night Genealogy Fun

Randy Seaver at Genea-Musings has posted his Saturday Night Genealogy Fun with the title "Family Increase."

1) Pick one of your four great-grandparents - if possible, the one with the most descendants.

2) Create a descendants list for those great-grandparents either by hand or in your software program.

3) Tell us how many descendants, living or dead, are in each generation from those great-grandparents.

4) How many are still living? Of those, how many have you met and exchanged family information with? Are there any that you should make contact with ASAP? Please don't use last names of living people for this - respect their privacy.

5) Write about it in your own blog post, in comments to this post, or in comments or a Note on Facebook.

Since I am usually 'up north' on a Saturday night with limited cell (broadband) service, I miss out on most of the Saturday night Genea-Musing fun. But not tonight!

1.) I have chosen my paternal great-grandparents Francis Xavier Bergeron (1863-1953) and Mary Elizabeth Reinwand (1865-1951)

2.) I created a chart using Family Tree Maker

3.) The descendants of this family are as follows:
Children: 8 (all deceased)
Grandchildren: 19 (14 are deceased)
Great-Grandchildren: 24 (2 are deceased)
Great-Great-Grandchildren: 39 (2 are deceased)
Great-Great-Great-Grandchildren: 7

4.) There are several branches of this family line that have not been updated in a couple of years but then, securing accurate information from them has always been difficult. My grandfather divorced his first wife while living in Minnesota, where he was born and spent the early part of his childhood. He moved to northeastern Wisconsin where he met my grandmother and where they lived the remainder of their lives. There has always been a sense of being on the outside looking in with the family that remained in Minnesota, something my dad and aunt mentioned many times. I do exchange Christmas cards with several of these cousins - a good reminder that the 2009 Christmas card should include a printout of their family information and ask for an update.

My family was hit very hard by the Flu Pandemic of 1918: Four of Francis and Mary Reinwand Bergeron children died during the epidemic. Two daughters died leaving no children while the two sons both left behind a wife with young children. One son, Henry, lost his 3 week old daughter to the flu less than a month before his death.

Over the years, Francis and Mary raised a number of their grandchildren during different times of their lives. I often think about how difficult it must have been to never have experienced 'empty nest' or at least only for a short period of time.

This is a great exercise in confirming my belief that all family historians researching their family should expand their research horizons to include "cluster genealogy" or what others call "whole family research." Several of my grandfather's siblings married siblings: the two sisters who died during the flu epidemic married brothers while another brother married the sister of my grandfather's first wife. Had I not expanded my research to include the spouses and their families, I would not have discovered a second Bergeron-Reinwand connection.

Mary Reinwand's sister-in-law was Catherine Wilmoth. Catherine's sister, Johanna Wilmoth, married Adolphus D. Bergeron, the brother of Francis X. Bergeron.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Wordless Wednesday

Autumn's Wordless Wednesday - A tribute to those special moments when you round a corner and discover the beauty of the season.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Happy Birthday Dad

It's the annual October occurrence, known simply as Birthday Week. Birthday's in rapid succession: my birthday, Dad's and my maternal grandmother which also is - was - their wedding anniversary. Also sharing the October birthday month was my Dad's sister Marian and my paternal grandmother. For years it was just the three of us until the addition of spouses and their families: two brother-in-law and a great-niece sharing my Dad's birthday and a host of other family members adding to Hallmark's bottom line on my behalf.

2009 marked a milestone anniversary, Dad's 80th birthday. For the first time in fifteen years, our family gathered together to mark the occasion and rediscover the bonds that hold us together.

Laughter, food, hugs, smiles - shared by other family gatherings throughout history in small towns and large cities. Inside jokes, those special stories that end in gales of laughter no matter how many times the stories are told make each family unique and ours is no exception.

Dad - Happy Birthday and thank you. For your love and support, both given unconditionally and in generous amounts, "pressed down and running over." Thank you for providing your daughters with a firm foundation as well as sharing your love of Big Band music, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett - football, cribbage and holiday traditions - memories of camp fires and tiki lights - Christmas carols and baptisms - all of which are now part of the fabric of who we are. Individually, we each share our own special memory of walking down the aisle on your arm.

As parents we have discovered yet another gift you have given our family - memories of time spent with Grandpa John.

In childhood, we press our nose to the pane, looking out. In memories of childhood, we press our nose to the pane, looking in. ~ Robert Brault

To the outside world we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each other's hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time. ~ Clara Ortega

Dad, your guiding hand on my shoulder will remain with me forever. ~ Author Unknown

My mom is a never ending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being. I may sometimes forget the words but I always remember the tune. ~ Graycie Harmon

We are inclined to think that if we watch a football game ...

we have taken part in it. ~ John Fitzgerald Kennedy

I love my father as the stars - he's a bright shining example and a happy twinkling in my heart. ~ Adabella Radici

Cows are amongst the gentlest of breathing creatures; none show more passionate tenderness to their young when deprived of them; and, in short, I am not ashamed to profess a deep love for these quiet creatures. ~ Thomas de Quincey

Chains do not hold a marriage together. It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads which sew people together through the years. ~ Simone Signoret

A man knows he is growing old because he begins to look like his father.

~ Gabriel Barcia Marquez

There's something like a line of gold thread running through a man's wordswhen he talk to his daughter, and gradually over the years it gets to be long enough for you to pick up in your hands and weave into a cloth that feels like love itself.

~ John Gregory Brown, Decorations in a Ruined Cemetery, 1994

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Wordless Wednesday

A chilly early Autumn sunrise "up north" Wisconsin

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Wordless Wednesday

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Wordless Wednesday: Happy Riley Boy

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Wordless Wednesday

On July 27, 1953, a ceasefire was reached to halt the Korean War/Conflict and establish a demilitarized zone. However, no peace treaty has ever been signed, technically leaving North and South Korea at war.

In honor of all veterans of the Korean War, I will break the silence of Wordless Wednesday and express my thanks for their service to our country. A special thanks from a proud and grateful daughter to my Dad for his service.

These photographs feature the Korean War Memorial located at Lake Pacawa Park outside of Plover, WI.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Birthday Jeff.

With Love From Your Biggest Fan,

Mom

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Travels With Iris

One of the joys in my life is biking. What started out as an alternative to walking seems to have taken on a life of its own. Our first bikes were Schwinn comfort bike - comfy seat, sitting upright - the perfect bike for a couple of then forty-year-olds rediscovering biking. The kind of bike you could just jump on and head off down the street. After a few months spent riding around the neighborhood, Al and I progressed to tackling one of our area's 'gems', the Green Circle Trail. A twenty-seven mile route that encompasses not only city streets and neighborhoods but paths through pine and hardwood forests as well as views of the Little Plover River and the Wisconsin River. While I would have been happy continuing to put miles on my Schwinn, Al began to look at mountain bikes, something more suited to off road biking. The purchase of the mountain bikes was the start of our relationships with the Trek dealers within a 100 mile radius.

Thanks to Bring's, Wheel and Sproket, Machinery Row and Trek Bicycle Store, not only do I have three bikes but just about every gadget and cycling apparel that allows me to ride in any kind of weather except snow (that is where I draw the line.) However, when I want to find my center, there is nothing better than hauling out the mountain bike, nicknamed Iris for the color of her paint, and biking half of the Green Circle. I can clear my mind of the clutter and where oftentimes the answer to those nagging family research questions seem to drop down from nowhere.

I wish everyone those green spaces in your life to help balance the beauty of the city with the beauty of what my grandmother use to call 'the out of doors.'

I remember a hundred lovely lakes, and recall the fragrant breath of pine and fir and cedar and poplar trees. The trail has strung upon it, as upon a thread of silk, opalescent dawns and saffron sunsets. It has given me blessed release from care and worry and the troubled thinking of our modern day. It has been a return to the primitive and the peaceful. Whenever the pressure of our complex city life thins my blood and benumbs my brain, I seek relief in the trail; and when I hear the coyote wailing to the yellow dawn, my cares fall from me - I am happy. ~Hamlin Garland, McClure's, February 1899