Gone Fishin'

In Western PA, just hibernating.  Three days here, with nothing to do but walk fifty yards to the fishing pond.  Caught three fish Saturday and two more Sunday in a few hours.

 

Don’t think I reported on the successful tire replacement.  After stopping at two WalMarts, two RV centers and a tire place, I gave up and made it to the campground.  Driving without a spare is amazingly distracting when the spare you used, although it looks new, also matches the original camper color and might very well be the same tire put on the camper in 1988.  That’s almost 18 years ago.  How rotten is the rubber in that tire? 

 

After a decent night’s rest, I got to town, which had a huge WalMart Super Center, with a separate Tire/Lube section, and had four of the exact tire/wheel combo I needed.  I bought two to be sure that they matched and to eliminate any question about the tire that matched the blown one.  Putting them on, I found the disconnected brake connections to be a 10 minute fix, and a small bracket tied back onto the frame finished the job.  Given the way that tire exploded and wrapped around the axle, I was very happy.

 

Good cable TV connection, and a NASCAR race, and a couple hours making notes about the geneaology information I gathered, and it was night.

 

Maybe I’ll go into town today and connect to the world, and walk around a bit.  Maybe.

 

Terry sits in Philadelphia, visiting and awaiting my imminent arrival.

 

#END#

 

Disaster.....averted

It was a regular day, in the huge field they call a campground in the Amana Colonies, Iowa.  I was on the phone, talking to Terry, and had the computer in front of me, with Microsoft Streets and Trips running.  Microsoft Outlook was running.  Microsoft Internet Explorerm wasup with four or five tabs open.  And there was another Explorer with some other tabs open.  I had Word up and also Access.  Maybe Passport America Campground finder.  Those are the one’s I remember.  We talked, I listened and switched from window to window. 

 

As the conversation drew to a close, so did the activity on my PC.  Really drew to a close.  It stopped.  Completely.  Frozen with the so helpful egg timer.  The sand isn’t moving.

 

I waited.  And waited.  A long time.  Then, sure there was no sign of activity I would be messing with, I held the power switch down….for five seconds.  Five seconds is a long time to wait for the end of life as we know it.  If the worst happens, which we always expect, despite the best advice mankind can provide,  the computer will be fried.  Fried toast.  Fried eggs.  Fried is not good.

 

The best is OK, but there are so many not best possibilities that best is completely drowned out in the din of disaster.

 

OK…so the computer is off.

 

I notice the computer is hot.  Not a bit warm.  Not hotter than usual. Not, “Wow that thing can really put out some  heat”.  This is, “Hey, that could burn me” heat.

 

Aside…I have tried to kill a gnat flying over the keyboard and have hurt my hands three times on sure kills.  He/she is still hovering.  Anyone know what Raid does to a keyboard?  Ah Ha!  (Love those) I killed the bastard, and three more flew by in perfect formation!  It’s a conspiracy.

 

I think real writers must believe that there is an audience they are speaking to.  It is still very hard to write with an audience of one or two or three (Thanks for the comments guys.)  I just had a “Talking to myself” moment.

 

Back to my story…

 

PC is hot, and off.

 

I took it out into the record low temperature Iowa September.  Set it on the trucks hood until it cooled.  That took about 10 minutes in temps near 50.  Brought it in, plugged it in, and hoped.

 

The screen jumped at me, scrolling characters, in those “Things didn’t work out so well last time, would you like to be Safe this time” way.  Lots of choices, lots of information.  Before I could even begin reading, there was a box on the screen, reminiscent of 1980 programming, that said, simply, clearly, “Enter Password”.

 

Nothing more.

 

OK.  I know I am not into Windows.  Not yet.  This was before Windows.  This was the bowels of the computer growling.  This was some chip speaking directly to me through the lexan of the display. This was bad.  I knew that almost before I read the words.  There is no password here.  There is no here, here.  This is a place that the computer keeps to itself.

 

I hit the power switch to see if I could convince it to forget that it didn’t know who I was.  Back on, and the request for a password was there without the scrolling information.  Not to belabor the point, but I tried twenty combinations of startup with or without a key press, and was none the wiser.

 

Okay, I’ll play.  password, Password, PASSWORD, Admin, ADMIN, admin, administ  (only 8 characters available), Administ, ADMINIST, A135, a135, Toshiba, toshiba, TOSHIBA,TOSHA135,A135Tosh,A135TOSH,A135tosh…..

 

For about an hour.

 

Then I pulled out the Toshiba recovery disk.   As I suspected, it calmly told me that this wonderful little disk would help recover your computer.  First it would format your disk drive, completely removing all data you have, so please back up before using.  (Yes, you can hear what I screamed at the brilliant author of that bit – If I could back up….!!!)

 

I was desperate.  I stuck it in and turned the PC on.  “Enter Password”.  “Grrrr…”

 

As I am reading the small print on the recovery disk, I see a phone number.  What time is it in Azerbajan?  I dial frantically.  “Hi, Thank you for calling very much to Azerbajani Toshiba, sir.  How may I be of service to you sir if I may ask Sir, very much thanks to6 you?”  My computer broke! “Well, thank you very much for that sir.  May I place you on hold for a minute while I try to translate that into Hindi, sir, thank you, so very much, sir.”

 

After about 600 Thank you, sir’s and a half dozen sincere requests for permission to place me on hold for exactly one or two or (serious problem) three minutes, while he checked on a solution, he finally found a real answer!  The password is a randomly generated number requiring a reset by a technician.  OK, where is that technician?  You can send it in or drop it off.  OK, Bangaladesh…get a map up on your screen.  I am in Amana Colonies, Iowa, heading for Philadelphia.  Draw a line between those places and tell me what’s close.

 

Now, I know this guy has zero information on US geography, and all he understands is that entering a zip code or state will give him names of cities with service centers.  And he’s trying, really.  So I bend a bit.  I suggest Iowa.  All sites are in the wrong direction.  How about Illinois.  I swear he said Moline.  Perfect.  Where’s the Moline tech?  Moline?  Where is that , sir?  You just said Moline.  No sire, where is it, I’ll look it up.

 

OK…no need to belabor the Moline point.  No Moline.  Read the Illinois sites to me.  He reads 10 sites, and on my Southeastern United States AAA Map, I find Chicago, Peoria and one other.  But hot damn, Peoria is right on my way!  The mojo is back!

 

Flash ahead to today, the 13^th.  I got up really early.  It was dark!  Break camp and get in the truck to back up to the popup.  Turn the key.  CLICK!  That’s not the sound a truck makes when it works right.  Before my heart has restarted, I turn the key again, and it starts!   I didn’t even stop to think what that could have meant.

 

By 9:30 am I’m 150 miles away in Peoria and Kandy has the computer running like a jewel in less than an hour.  I am saved!  Off I go, eastward, and I won’t even talk about the construction all over Indianapolis, or the sign I saw too late that said “No Trailers In Construction Zone”.  I made it!

 

No WiFi here, but who gives a damn!  I’ll send this from somewhere.

#END#

 

 

No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.485 / Virus Database: 269.13.14/999 - Release Date: 9/10/2007 5:43 PM

Oy Vey

It’s Saturday the 15^th….and I’m OK.

 

But yesterday.  Oy vey is such a good phrase. 

 

So there I was, on I70, cruising along about 70 or so, and pulled out to pass something.  I must have been next to them, trying to accelerate, but the truck seemed to be having trouble picking up speed.  I started to pull back, glancing in the mirror, still slowing, eyes widening, smoke billowing from the left trailer tire, pieces of tire tread flying…

 

Luck is a good thing to have at a time like this.  I was on a straight road.  There was nobody on my right.  The shoulder was wide, and there was room to pull all the way off.  All things came together to allow a safe landing.

 

There’s nothing fun about changing a tire 6 feet from the roadway with big rigs zipping by at 75 mph.  But it went quick and in 10 minutes I was on the way.  Nervous, but on the way.  I called T to have her look up the nearest WalMart.  Three disconnects later we manage to communicate the location of the closest two stores.  I went to both, but no correctly sized tires.  I wonder if the spare is the original tire?  How rotten is the rubber?  How much air is in it?  Nervous.

 

I pulled into the campground as the rain began.  I was very efficient, not wasting a second outside and I had the camper up in minutes…As I was drying off and getting the inside squared away, the rain stopped.  Figures. 

 

This morning, after a nice hot shower, a call to the WalMart national number locates the nearest Walmart just 6 miles from the campground.  A quick call and I am told they have four tires and rims in the correct size.  I won’t count the chicks yet, but I am optimistic.  The damage from the tire wrapped around the axle appears to be one disconnected brake control wire and a disconnected pipe bracket.  Easy repairs.

 

There’s a fishing lake here, so I may be able to have a nice little vacation.

#END#

 

 

No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.485 / Virus Database: 269.13.14/999 - Release Date: 9/10/2007 5:43 PM

In like a lion

I know that's March, but the lion is roaring at me as we speak. The local weather station says 10 mph gusting to 21. I say 10 to 15 gusting to 30. I say that because the wind is trying to rip the canvas off the camper. The awning is up, and holding, but it is making a lot of noise and flapping like it wants to head south. The camper is bouncing around, abut it all seems to be holding. The weather page says the wind should die down this evening. Exciting.

I ran down Kolonieweg trail around Lilly Pad Lake which was almost completely covered with - lilly pads. About 55 minutes.

I'm back...

Oh, didn't know I was gone. I would have told you, but I was busy fixing the awning which blew down. now the wind has died down, and the awning is rolled up. Oops...wind back.... but quieter since the awning isn't making a fuss.

Wish I knew where the velcro was. I found a broken awning fastener and I have the velcro just for the replacement of that fastener, but where is it??? I have another day to search. Or a Walmart to get more.

Starting to work on organizing the geneaology info...and do a promised review of an RV park, and this blog, and wind watch.

Oh....forget all that. It's dinner time. A guy has to have priorities.

Drying out

The rain is gone because the cold front passed through. Of course they call it a cold front for a reason. Today in the 50's and tomorrow morning in the high 30's. Glad I brought the sweats and vest and coat and such.

I have no real plan today, which is the day I really have been waiting for.... maybe read something, or write, or rithmatic. Just sit in the sun when it warms up a bit. I am almost out of fresh food, so I may go to some local store. Or not.

There is so little time in the normal flow to just act on the spur of the moment. We have lots of choices, but they are always tightly confined within the constraints of taking care of the house, doing things we promised to do, getting to the place we said we would be.

I have paid for four nights here, and have spent two. So, within the constraint of 48 hours until I leave, I am unfettered. It is a nice place to be.

I'm thinking exercise. Not because i like it, but because I need it. Another constraint, but a very general one, and the house I carry with me needs some little bit of care, too. Lots of beautiful land around, and a couple of trails I can hop on. Don't know how much energy I will have, after weeks of sitting behind the wheel and in the libraries. We'll see. Then there is the laundry. Maybe tomorrow.

Cold, Wet, Cozy?

Made it from Topeka to Amana Colonies, Iowa yesterday. I arrived at an RV park with 450 sites on 60 acres! I am out in the boondocks, so far from everyone, I seem to be camping in the middle of nowhere. The bathrooms are a short drive or a very long walk away.

However, I have WiFi and TV and Electric and water. What more can I ask for! Sun maybe, but that may come in the next day or two. For now it's drizzle and 60's. I have the little heater from WalMart going and the place is toasty. It was 61 when I walked in a half-hour ago, and now it's 68.

The fridge was up near 50 yesterday after the drive, so I turned it to a colder setting. Of course, all the lettuce froze! Maybe I need to buy an Amana! The Amana Plant is, surprise, in Amana. It's a little village, and a big plant.

There are seven villages scattered among 26,000 acres of prime farmland: Amana village, East Amana, West, High, Middle, South Amana and Homestead ("It's called Homestead," it is explained, "because there weren't any 'Amanas' left."). In those villages are about 2000 people, and maybe a half-zillion restaurants.

They were a communal religious (not Amish and not Mennonite) society until 1932, when they separated the economic activity from the personal. Must have been caused by the teenager's music!

So what does an Asperger tourist do in a tourist trap? I drove through all the villages, walked the main street of Amana Village, went into the wolen mill and saw the computerized looms at work, tasted two beers at the micro brewery, read the plaque at the Millrace which produced power for the community, and came back to the camper for lunch.

After lunch, an Asperger tourist writes his blog, and reads the weather report.

It's so hot in here (73 degrees) I have to turn the heat down.

The next step is to slow down enough to grab a book and read a bit..... Maybe tomorrow.

I don't got to post no stinkin' posts!

So Terry asks me where the latest blog is, and since she's the only one reading this, I figure I'm obligated to tell her, so I do, and now I'm putting it in the blog, and making a new rule...no blogs when I don't have anything to say.

Yesterday's activity: Drive from Hutchinson, Kansas to Topeka, Kansas. Set up camp. See where the Historical Society is, call them and see if they have someone especially interested in the Beersheba thing. They don't. Eat. Sleep.

(That's why there wasn't a post yesterday)

Today. Sat in the library for about 5 hours, looking through lots of books and newspaper microfilm with no luck. Call the research concluded.

(That's why there wasn't a post today)

Have to research the weather, and when I figure out where it won't be, then research the RV parks and then clean up the camper to get ready to hit it in the morning.

Land owners again.

Hutchinson, Kansas. Home of the Kansas State Fair which starts tomorrow, and the Salt Mine Museum.

No time to play around. There's work to be done! First to 711 S. Main St. That's the address on the ensus in 1895 and 1900. There's an Iron yard on the blockthere, and in between the two buildings they use, an old crumbling building. I asked at the office and they said that was 711. We went and looked at it. An empty shell - well empty of anything but junk piled to the 18 foot ceilings.

It looked to be 120 years old.

I took a picture or two, and headed for the historical society. Not much there, except that there was no Misrach in the city directory in 1895, 1888, 1900, 1903. Then to the County Clerk. A rather sour bunch, as many clerks have been, but they got into it.

After the tax people got the legal description of the 711 property, they gave me an aerial view, and told me the old building was built in 1933! Hard Kansas winters?

Up to the deed lady who found the book of deeds, after I convinced her I wasn't interested in starting from the current owner and going back one owner at a time. She gave me the book to search.

There he was!

Israel Misrach buys lots 201 and 203 South Main St. on November 16, 1901 for $75.00. That is, and was, just .9 miles from town center. Just four lines down, there is Israel selling the two lots on May 1st, 1903 for $450.00!

He paid taxes, found on old hidden microfilms in the basement, of $1.99 on the lot valued at $30.00 (201) and $3.98 on the lot valued at $60.00(203).

I spent some hours at the library without success, and at the City of Hutchinson Building Department, also without success.

Last Kansas stop today was Subway for a late but tasty lunch. Possible thunderstorms tonight.

The land of Oz.

As I drove from Garden City to Hutchinson, I listened to the radio. I presumed that the Kansans would be fed up with the whole Wizard thing. The radio told me otherwise. This is KXYZ, from the land of Dorothy, Toto and tornados, Southwest Kansas.

Speaking of which, there’s lots of clouds and wind right now. No internet service or TV to see about the weather. The shelter is up at the registration desk, just in case.

In the RV Park, all set up by 2 pm, with a replenished supply of lettuce and vegetables. I could run back the 20 miles to Hutchinson to start researching, since the museum is open until 5pm, but I’m not expecting a lot here so I just plan a full day tomorrow.

A quiet day in SW Kansas

So today was follow-up day. First I headed to the County court Clerk’s Office. As usual, Mickie was pissy. I understand this is usual. I asked about any way to find the “two boys” who dragged great grandpa across the prairie for ¼ mile. She was too busy. I offered to return later that afternoon.

Then to the County Clerk of Deeds to see if I could get the Deed where Israel sold the property. Sure. Got it in a second, and then searched to see if he turned around and bought more. Nope. Kept his two grand and went home.

Got a call from the Smith’s. Left the camera case in the minivan. I’ll stop by there in the afternoon. Then back to the Historical Society although they don’t open until 1 pm and it’s not yet 11 am. Janet said something about coming in at 11 on Monday or was it Tuesday?

As I pull in, so does Janet! We head up to the research library, and I suggest that they may have the books of the court, registering the names of the two cowboys who tried to kill great-grandpa. Into the back room, and three of us are pulling big old county registrar books of all sorts off the shelves. Twenty or thirty books later, I retreat to the microfilm machine to review the papers of the area to see if there’s any mention of the case.

I review 6 different newspapers from July 26th through august to see what there is. There is now news about the Jewish Settlers at all. Actually one snippet: Lew … went looking for Goldfarb and didn’t find him.

Goodbye’s all around and Janet tells me that someone told her they got cooperation from clerks by walking in with a box of chocolates. On the way back to the afternoon at the court, I stop at Walgreens and buy 4 small boxes of chocolate. It’s a small town, and everyone will know who got what.

Mickie is there, and when the receptionist says, “ This gentlemen came to see if you had looked for that case”, she replied, “I didn’t know I was supposed to. She disappeared, and returned with some microfilm about 10 minutes later.

She saw the chocolates on the counter and immediately became a different person. Mickie couldn’t do enough to help me! Of course, she couldn’t help me, but so what.

Then I delivered chocolates to Olga and Janet at the historical society and to the clerks and to Pat and Stan Smith as I picked up the camera case. Hope you all enjoy those chocolates. I would have bought a fifth, but my girlish figure must be maintained.

Time out. Laundry should be done washing…need to move it to the dryer.
Done, with a brief nap on the bench outside the Laundry room.

Ready to go to Hutchinson Kansas to see what they were doing there, if anything, in 1900 when they show up on the US Census. Then on to the Kansas State Historical Society HQ in Topeka.

For now, it’s camper clean-up and sleep.

Back to the land.

After three days of research, I joined Pat and Stan Smith this morning to go to the old homestead. About 30 minutes northeast of Garden City we pulled into the driveway of George Fowler. George was a nice guy, but was totally unaware that his land had any history.

We told him about the homestead papers which tell us that in 1887 there was: A sod and lumber house, 1 ½ stories – 18 x 30 ft, five windows and two doors, plastered inside and outside, value $250.00. A sod stable 18 x 22 ft., value $125.00. Two wells – 25 & 35 feet value $100.00. Sod chicken house 15 x 22 feet, value $50.00. Cellar 12 feet deep value $50.00. 30 acres broke – value $90.00. Two cows. Two calves. 100 chickens. 75 turkeys. Two beds. Two tables. Four chairs. Three trunks. Two cook stoves.

He had never seen any signs of the inhabitants. The land has been unplanted for 9 years, being placed in a “Land Conservation Bank”.

We drove around the perimeter of the southern half of the mile by ¼ mile piece of land. The census taker in 1887 listed the location as section 9, which is the southern half of the property, the northern half being on section 4.

Trying to think about homesteading, we all decided the southern end of the property, along Whipple Road, nearest to the Pawnee Creek, was the most likely place to build a house. Stan and I walked out into the field to a slight rise that had a light spot. It turned out to be a patch of milkweed. There were tons of spots around that looked worth investigating, but of course the chance of finding anything is near zero, so we just declared the milkweed patch to be the house and went back to the car.

We then drove home, passing Ravanna’s ruins which amount to the ruins of the school and the courthouse. Both are reduced to a few stones, maybe 4 to 6 feet high in the corners of the buildings.

If I lived here, I suppose I could set out some sort of grid and search the property, maybe with a metal detector, and I would eventually find something, but it would take months or years. I don’t.

I’ll stay another day or two, to see if I can find out just when they left, and if they bought any other land with that $500.00 mortgage he took out on the land in 1887. Then it’s off to Hutchinson to see if they bought anything there.

The most impressive part of today, for the moment, is the 98 degree heat I am trying to ignore.

Comments?

i'd like to know whether anyone is reading this, so be sure to add a comment if you do.

Hard to keep track of what I have written and what I have yet to talk about.

Let's just start with today.

I worked on the trailer brake problem first, figuring out that the problem is not in the wiring of the truck. Somewhere in the trailer. Found some disconnected wires and postponed the fix while I went to the Smith's.

Off I go to see the 'expert'. She really was!

She has been studying Beersheba for at least seven years. In 1999 she created a map of the entire settlement. She showed me document after document she had, and then pulls out the actual homestead papers for Israel Misrach. I now know the size of the house, the number of cows and calves and chickens and turkeys and tables and chairs. I'll report the details someday.

I have a date tomorow to go to the Smith's, where Stan Smith will drive us up to the homestead to meet Gordon Fowler, the current owner, who will show us around. We'll also stop by Ravanna and Eminence. By the way, the Misrachs voted for Eminence to be the county seat in 1887, but it didn't matter since the County (Garfield) was found to be too small to be a county and was merged with Finney County with Garden City as the county seat.

I lost some of what I wrote, but it's bedtime now, so i can get up for the 9am trip to the homestead.

Wisdom for the electronic age: If your ‘atomic’ clock thinks it is in the Pacific Time zone, and you set the correct time in the Central Time Zone, then overnight it will reset itself to Pacific Time! So, with a couple extra hours sleep, I set out for a day of boring research. I expect hours pouring over old books, finding little of interest.

I start at the County Clerk. Immediately one of the clerks gets “into it” She wants to know where Israel Misrack lived. In the file room, there are walls of OLD dusty books neatly stored in floor to ceiling shelves. Each book is about 25 pounds, and about twenty four inches by 16 inches (I am guessing) and about 4 inches thick. There is a rolling ladder on a rail attached to the ceiling.

We check the big index book and almost immediately find the entry for Misrach. Up I go, and hand down the volume. The Garfield County Register of Final Patent Receipts. There on page …whatever… is a receipt for the final Patent Application for West 1/2 of the SE 1/4 of Section 4 and the West 1/2 of the NE 1/4 of Section 9 in Township 22 South in Range 27 West of the Sixth Principal Meridian. This means 160 acres in NE Finney County Kansas.

Found the deed registration and mortgages - $500 days after the 5 years were up for homestead “Proving” and $75 payable in 10 semiannual payments of $7.50.

In the Historical Museum, Olga who retires tomorrow, spent hours, literally, getting all sorts of information out on Beersheba and Ravanna and the Misrach’s (A court file on the forclosure on the land - after they sold it to the next owners). I go back there today to get copies of more stuff…. Was supposed to get a tour guide for a trip to Beersheba, but he can’t. Maybe they will find another today.

Did I mention that the woman who did all the research on Beersheba for the county and has all the records she could compile, wants to get together to share. I think I’ll see her tomorrow (Sunday) and then plan on going there Monday. Now I go to the library to see what they have. Since it takes me two days to find a wi-fi spot I can upload at...here's a brief of the day after what's above.

Spent the morning at the library and the afternoon at the Historical Society library. Reading over and over again the same stories, repackaged, with almost no new stuff. Much about Beersheba. Nothing definite about the Misrachs.

I did review the microfilm of the Garden City Weekly Herald (not the Garden City Herald) and found the original story of Israel Misrach's run-in with cowboys that led to 2 months in the hospital. This is reported on July 26, 1888. We know they were here at least 6 years.

Many of the books and research studies say the settlement was completely gone by 1887! We also know he was in Hutchinson in 1900. That's 185 miles away...too far to commute, I think.

Today I will try to look at the trailer brake problem, and then spend time with Pat Smith, the local Beersheba historian.