New York August NYC Meet-Up 2021

[Calzone]

This was a double post.

 

[Calzone]

Another computer error.

 

[Calzone]

I am very-very pleased and surprise with all the White Oak seedlings I have. Last year they started spouting in the fall in the zip lock bags, then I figured I had to prevent the new roots from becoming desiccated over the winter.

I decided to plant them in some containers from IKEA that I found being thrown out in Manhattan. I figured these 6 containers would be useful because they can hold about a cubic foot of soil. I used two of them to winter the spouting acorns I gathered from a tree that dropped thousands of them.

I created a bed of a mixture of manure/compost combined with peat moss in about a 50/50 mix. The idea was to creat a loose bed that’s would hold a lot of moisture. Over the winter I watered these beds that were stored in my enclosed front porch.

So when I dug into the beds I found that all the acorns were viable and I have no duds. I moved them into two one gallon zip lock bags with just enough bedding mix to keep them happy. Tomorrow it will reach into the 60’s after twenty degree temperatures that ended last night.

I likely will plant them around the marsh, on the slope of the dead end, and 14 of the largest growers I will plant in half gallon containers where they will get a bit of extra care over the summer before being planted in the fall.

Glad I have more than I need, and pretty much I have enough to grow and establish an oak forest. Did you know that oak trees offer and sustain the most biodiversity of any tree? Did you know that acorns can be ground into a flour? Oak trees are also great for erosion control because they have massive root systems.

One bad thing though is that they are slow growers.

The Red Oak acorns my friend Dan gave me still have not sprouted. Anyways it is still early…

At the top of the dead end, on what I call the “table” is a kinda level area where I transplanted Maple saplings to create a grove of trees. I also have a few feral Maples I transplanted into containers that I have yet to plant in the ground.

A lot of environmental construction is going on with restoring the land.

I think I will eventually move the pile of Japanese Maple leaves and pollinoses to the 6 foot landing I created by the marsh grass. Japanese Maples don’t thrive in direct sun, so living in partial shade would be alright with them. I expect mucho-mucho seedlings to sprout from this pile of rankings I rescued and saved.

Again I will containerize them, but this year I will do a better job of protecting them from ice to prevent the 60% die off I experienced this year. Oh-well.

Spring looks to be almost here. I’ll really know when the Spring Peepers have their crazy orgy in the Frog Ghetto.

Cal

POSTSCRIPT: BTW likely have 60-80 White Oak seedlings to plant.

 

[Calzone]

In today’s episode of “Calvin The CF” he goes to DSW to use and save $5.00 on either sneakers of a pair of work boots.

He immediately goes to the clearance rack and secures a pair of black Timberline waterproof “Chucca Boots” that are discounted 40% off the $159.00 price. In the end he purchases the boots for only $98.10.

The $5.00 off kinda covered the tax.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Yesterday in the dead end’s “table” “Maggie” saw an animal turd. What was notable was that it had hair/fur in it.

From my neighbor, John, he mentioned that a poop from a Coyote is like a dog turd, but has hair/fur in it.

Otherwise it could be from the Bobcat. Anyways I figure some carnivore.

When driving on Main Street I saw a Ground Hog yesterday right in town. In the past I have seen them around the Peekskill train station. Remember I saw one a few weeks back when it triggered a motion detector controlled light near my patio in the front-backyard.

Today it will go well into the 60’s, but along with the warm weather will be rain in the afternoon. I will have the envelope I need to plant the Oak seedlings in the morning. Anyways a playful experiment and a deadline.

In further research I discovered that White Oaks acorns germinate in the fall upon falling from the tree. Meanwhile Red Oaks need to be “hardened” over the winter before germinating in the spring. BTW the Red Oak is slower growing.

Seems like Oak trees planted in open areas don’t grow as tall and tend to sport wide canopies. These shorter trees also tend to bear more acorns. In my case I can have both scenarios, so I’m considering this into my landscaping.

My property is the only one with a clearing and an unobstructed view. The dead end is semi-open, and my one neighbor’s property is woods. Certainly a few Oak trees along these edges will grow tall and compete one day for the sunlight, but then again I can see shorter Oaks with wide canopies in the more open areas being like umbrellas of shade.

I have enough seedlings to make plantings in groups of two or three. Perhaps I’ll allow some natural selection to happen on its own, or maybe I’ll prune out the weaker tree in the future. Already some acorns have a six inch tap root, and I can see why Oak trees are great for erosion control.

Know that the roll-off from the “table” to the marsh is nearly 30 feet, so in 20 years the shorter trees planted near the marsh grass might not block my views.

So I regress again, and I admire the beauty, the simplicity, and the sense of wonder of being like a child again when everything in my world is about playing and learning, where “work” is not part of my life. Somehow I never lost this sense of playfulness, the sense of wonder, and my curiosity as I aged.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Good news is that Nippon has the first shutter curtain to repair my M3. Happy-happy.

So now another long wait for my M3, M6 and a LF lens. Not inexpensive.

My M6 took a beating. Bought it used in 2008, in 2009 it went to Sherry for an overhaul and upgrades, then for a decade it was used very heavily.

I planted Oak seedlings. This will be an interesting ongoing experiment.

Made a trip to Home Cheapo to buy 20 bags of manure/compost for the beds around the pergola. Looks like I need another 10 bags. Oh-well.

Maybe tomorrow I’ll do some digging. Have to install a root barrier we bought last year. I need to dig a trench 3 feet deep. Doesn’t have to be wide, so it should not be too hard.

The weather changed, the rain is expected around dinner time.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

We live in an age of shortages and inflation, and I am glad that I own and accumulated lots of stuff that either is no longer available, or cost prohibitive.

Never realized how my M6 would be worth crazy-money, how hard it might be to get a good M3, and how some lenses like my Nocturnal-Nikon have appreciated.

Anyways selling makes no sense because once gone it will not be easily replaced. So there is wisdom in “Buy and Hold.”

So a good position to be in right now is to have more than you need. A lot of this gear pretty much is a store of value almost like a gold coin.

How long can this craziness go on? For a while we lived in a time of abundance, and if you believe in regression to the mean an age of shortages and inflation could last a long time.

It will take some strategy to endure through this time.

In history in the 70’s there was a 7-day war and an oil crisis. It took about a decade for things to settle down. Don’t forget 4 out of 5 recessions are triggered by high energy prices.

Because I’m retired I can somewhat moderate and deflect some of the ill effects, but for most people no. I already have mucho durable goods, and I have stockpiles of food, shoes and clothing. Then I have enough land where I can actually grow some food. I don’t have to be a regular consumer. In fact I have a good supply of luxury goods, enough where I don’t need more.

In a ways I now live in a bunker of sorts.

Anyways brace yourself for a harsh ride. I don’t think inflation or high energy prices are going away soon.

In retirement mode I finally figured out that perhaps going retro is the best way to go. Pretty much because I can recycle what I already own, I can build out the steel IBIS as a 2x8 using discontinued old retro SunTour XC Pro rear derailleur, Sun Tour thumb shifters, and a 12-26T Titanium cassette that I originally had rigged up on the Ti Basso Mountain.

Then I can use a retro 9-speed XTR on the Ti Basso for a 3x9 for very wide rage gearing. This bike has a relaxed geometry and a long wheelbase, so it is the bike for long epic rides. I can also easily convert it into a 1x9 urban Newsboy.

Somehow this leaves a full 11-speed XTR drivetrain plus spares unused as a resource for some future use or update. This is not a bad thing. Also know I bought this 11-speed XTR on close out when Shimano announced it was coming out with a new12-speed drivetrain.

Funny thing is that the 11-Speed did not die out, and now 3 years later it is still being manufactured and sold. Did I save a lot of money by loading up the truck when things mistakenly were closed out.

The Ti IBIS is my only built out 11-speed bike currently set up says a 2x11 cross country bike.

Pretty much a modern update would not be a better bike, but the throwback 8 and 9 speed uses a 3/32 wide chain which is more durable and lower maintenance than the new skinny chains used on bikes with more gears on the rear cassette.

I forgot, the Peekskill building inspector called to inform me that our building permits are ready. I have a good relationship with him because of the Pergola. He mentioned that pretty much all we are doing is a direct replacement with the only exceptions being adding a dishwasher, and moving the sink.

This leaves me hopeful that our house will not get a new assessment an higher taxes. For Westchester our taxes are remarkably low, and I hope to keep them low.

Will be really great if I can build out the garage workspace and keep my taxes low. Pretty much an additional 600 square feet that I call workspace. Hope Devil Christian is right: it still is a garage, even though heated, with AC, and insulated. The garage attic would be deemed “storage space.”

I’ll have to have some plants in the “conservatory” to call it a “greenhouse” even though I intend on using it as an office space with a million dollar view.

I’m kinda hoping that the Oak forest I started takes root. Twenty years from now it would really stand out, and I will be proud that I grew them from acorns. How cool would that be?

Cal

 

[Range-rover]

When I sold my M8 a few years back, I didn't think I wanted it again but some how I found another one with a few Leica lenses and I'm
a happy camper now, I don't care if it's only 10 mega pickles the color is different enough to make me smile when I use and take see the
results, has Leica gone up all of them have. I just sold a non-working one for $700.00 I guess it went to China and it will be rebuilt or
used for parts, goes to show you you never know so don't sell anything if you don't have to.

 

[Calzone]

When I sold my M8 a few years back, I didn't think I wanted it again but some how I found another one with a few Leica lenses and I'm
a happy camper now, I don't care if it's only 10 mega pickles the color is different enough to make me smile when I use and take see the
results, has Leica gone up all of them have. I just sold a non-working one for $700.00 I guess it went to China and it will be rebuilt or
used for parts, goes to show you you never know so don't sell anything if you don't have to.

Bob,

I’m so happy I have a camera arsenal built up. It took some time, but buy and hold worked well for me. I bought a lot of great stuff at good prices that I could never replace today.

You hit upon how a camera can become an extension of yourself and your identity. A lot of sentimental value goes on that I think some people dismiss.

I moved around a lot, and perhaps suffered a different kind of homelessness being a gentrifier, but having some connection to the past and a sense of history/legacy I think grounded me. At least I had something permanent in my life that was not going to change or go away.

So after decades of struggle, I struggle no more, and in the end I have lots f stuff I consider treasure because it is not replaceable.

Kinda funny the typo above, “Mega Pickles” to me is “Mega Pick-L’s.”

Yesterday I changed my mind again and built out the Ti Basso (Litespeed) mountain bike as a 1x11 XTR. The 2.35 Rocket Ron tires with bladed Mavic wheels is somewhat a fat tire bike. Looks mucho evil.

A while back I saw two U-Tube video’s: one was this guy who looked like an engineer/nerd who struggled installing a tubeless mountain bike tire on a Mavic UST wheel. He bemoaned hat it was not easy and reported it took him 2-3 hours to mount a tire.

I was learning about the new tubeless development at the time, then I clicked the link that he supplied from Mavic where a technical specialist pretty much installed a tubeless tire on a Mavic UST wheel by hand without any tire levers in about 40 seconds.

So the link mentioned the trick of centering the bead into the deeper channel to relieve the tension. Pretty evident that the engineer/nerd could not follow directions. He was really frustrated, angry, and pissed. In his video he called the Mavic video he linked as a lie. I found his arrogance and stubbornness really funny. It showed himself as being mighty dumb. LOL.

So I kinda learned that mounting tubeless tires is not so easy, but I also learned my own technic to make it easy. Know that I’m a lazy slacker. I use this “Pony” clothespin like clamp to pinch the tire so I can use both of my hands to work the bead around the rim. Not so bad and kinda EZ-PZ. The clamp makes it easy to center the beads into the deep channel in the rim for less tightness against the rim sidewall.

So the tires held pressure overnight without sealant. “I’m so clever.” LOL.

So pretty much I need sealant, but I think I will do a field test just to make sure the drivetrain is adjusted right. In the end the 1x11 is really a simple minimal setup, and I may have to rethink about going 1x11 and 2x11 XTR on the steel IBIS.

A triple is more complicated and problematic. I would rather ride than maintain bikes, so less maintenance works for me. I can see using another 1x11 on the steel IBIS. Hmmm. Also know that I have mucho stockpile of 11-40T and 11-42T cassettes.

There are also these “Wolf Tooth” chainrings that I bought. Some are elliptical for extending power range, but used on 1x drivetrains they feature a patented hooked teeth to prevent “chain-drop” on wide range geared bikes that have mucho gears and spread.

The Wolf Tooth chain rings work best with modern rear derailleurs that have “clutches” that control chain bounce. The idea here is not to throw a chain when on rough terrain.

So back in the day the wheels and rims were lighter, and also the tires in use today are fatter and wider. Modern bike have this rotating mass weight increase, especially wheels with disc brake capability where the centralized stress of a disc brake requires stronger spokes and a heavier duty rim.

The point being is that in the past bikes were lighter, but today the bikes are more bombproof and stronger. My bikes are a bit of a combination of both old and new. Modern drivetrain, bigger tires, but still in the realm of a “weight-weenie.”

So all this stuff is new to me. Kinda fun the learning, and in particular having the time to fully explore things in a childlike manner is a wonderful regression and experience. No rush, do deadline, and no stress or pressure. Pretty much a state of self-nurturing that is a pursuit of rather simple interests.

So now I have two built out mountain bikes, and I have to finalize the steel IBIS. I am very pleased with the way the two titanium mountain bikes came out. The Ti IBIS is heavier, but it is a 2x11 and has a savage overbuild using a lot of parts designed for a tandem.

”Maggie’s” literary agent informed her that some British publisher bought the exclusive rights. A pretty big advance was offered to ensure that the book would not go into a bidding war. Understand that Maggie already got an advance from an American publisher and now the foreign rights are up for grabs.

Maggie at this point is finishing up the second chapter, which is a long one.

Cal

 

[Range-rover]

It wasn't a typo, that's what I think of all this mega-pixel stuff mega-pickles!. The camera market amazes my now, one week
there's praising one camera system then the next week a new one comes out and that one the best now but to me it all looks
the same and after awhile you can't see any difference.

 

[Calzone]

I took a ride to Croton on the Hudson to a bike shop to buy tire sealant. I wanted either Orange Seal Regular or Stan’s Race Sealant because they do well in sealing large holes and gashes.

So after applying the sealant one should go for a ride to coat all the surfaces. The sealant is basically latex that will eventually dry out in the inside of the tire and rim. The recommended dose is 3 ounces.

Anyways the Mavic UST wheels with Schwable tubeless tires seem to hold air really well even without sealant, but Blue Mountain has lots of thorns and rocks.

Went for an hour ride as an extended test of the 1x11 Ti Basso. The good is that the gearing is perfect, and I actually would not want more gears. The low is low enough, and the high is usable on pavement when needed. XTR shifting is amazingly smooth, even under load, and in a word precise.

Also good is the 2.35 wide tires. The 30 PSI though was too much pressure. Next I will go 25 PSI in the rear, and perhaps 23 PSI in the front. I was surprised that the Rock Shox Judy SL was still kinda stiff, even though it has light springs in it. I was expecting it to be more compliant, but I guess the geometry and my rear weight distribution does not present much of a load on the front end. Oh-well, that’s why I think I can run 23 PSI on the front.

BTW lower pressure makes for more traction, especially with wider tires. Pretty much it is about contact patch on the ground.

So the bad is that the Ti Basso is kinda long wheel base with a low bottom bracket, especially when compared with an IBIS Mountain Trials. On my ride there are some downed dead trees, so log hopping thick logs about a foot in diameter is a bit hairy because the long wheelbase makes it hard to wheelie the front end violently, which is required so that you don’t get hung up and see-saw on your chain ring awkwardly.

On an IBIS the tall bottom bracket creates less of a pivot, and you start out with a higher ground clearance so the pivot is less violent. Pretty much jumping a 12 inch log is really crashing half the bike into the log and using body English and momentum to get you over the obstacle.

Also bad is that the Ti Basso has slow handling, and basically is a little too slow to draw a line through the rocks. At time it feels like I’m driving a school bus through the trail.

So next time I will drop the tire pressure at least 5 pounds and perhaps more on the front, but I don’t want to go too low where I’ll damage/dent the rim.

I can see the Ti Basso being the bike of choice in snow and being a better bike for winter riding. The fatter tires make a big difference, but the handling and for maneuvering the IBIS is a better bike, but it is a tricky and challenging ride. Perhaps not the best on ice, frozen ground, or rocks hidden under fallen snow.

Anyways the Mavic front wheel has radially laced bladed spokes, and the rear wheel has one side radially laced with bladed spokes. The other side is either two cross or three cross. The fatter tires stand out as bold, and this is on a bike that is made of highly polished Titanium that resembles a chrome plating. Pretty much a flashy bike that looks both retro and very modern, but is really timeless.

BTW I used clipless peddles, but I made the release looser so I can get out quicker.

Next I will perform a field trial of the Ti IBIS. The rear tire is only 2.1 wide, but the geometry puts most of the weight right over the smaller 24 inch rear wheel. The IBIS has a hyper short wheelbase combined with a twitchy steering, but I have a Rock Shox Judy XC with a 2.35 wide Rocket Ron up front. With this geometry I might be able to go 21 pounds PSI on the front tire because the rear tire is loaded so much. The weight distribution is such that most of the rider’s weight is right over the rear wheel for traction.

The IBIS is rigged as a 2x11, but I can convert it to a 1x11 easy enough if better suited. EZ-PZ.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

A rainy day. Yesterday we bought one of those wildflower gardens in a bag. I think I will take advantage of the rainy weather to plant and spread the seed as ground cover on the back-backyard table.

Not sure how the steep slope I created with leaf mulch will fair, but oh-well. Pretty certain that gravity will seed some of the leaf mulch.

Earlier in the week a crew worked on installing a gravel driveway across from the brook. Seems there is a building plot being developed. The grand daughter and I explored that area over the winter when we discovered a utility road to nowhere.

Eventually we discovered a man hole and a utility meter in the woods. This location is not so high above the frog swamp and might be prone to flooding if Dickey Brook floods. From my backyard the house would not be visible unless I’m way in the back.

I have a feeling it might be an expensive house. Remolds Hills is basically a commune in Buccanon where people own the structures, but the land is all co owned. This new development is likely outside that, and pretty much this house will have a private driveway. The house will be built on a shallow ridge. If the house owner is smart, it would be wise to elevate the structure to mitigate any flood risk. Let’s see.

Where I live, according to the real estate reports, we are not in an area prone to flooding, and on a scale of 1-10 we are considered a 1. Meanwhile the Hudson River is not so far away, and I can hear the trains on the Hudson Line from my house.

But as far as severe weather we are rated 100 out of a hundred, because we get so many severe weather warnings. We can expect 25 severe storms a year, and yes they can be severe. Luckily we have not lost power.

So I have until about 10:00 AM to apply sealant and maybe get in a ride. I hear in the bike shops about old guys that ride every day and how strong they are. Anyways I want to be one of them.

Hope to be surprised on how the Ti IBIS navigates the technical challenge at Blue Mountain. It should be in its element. Know that my prior riding was on a rigid steel IBIS with only 3 speeds and gearing not low enough for the task. The Ti IBIS has more gears, lower gearing, and a front suspension fork which should make a huge difference.

I think the Ti Basso though is the lighter bike. I built the Ti IBIS with a lot of heavy tandem parts, and the drivetrain is a bigger 2x11 instead of a 1x11 on the Ti Basso. The cool thing about the Ti Basso is the relaxed geometry for long epic rides. It also kinda fits into a gravel bike territory in a ways, but remains a mountain bike.

Then again I have a set of old Mavic retro wheels that are skinny and lightweight that allow easy conversion into a 1x9 XTR shifter along with a Dura Ace rear derailleur to create the urban “Newsboy” as a EZ-PZ conversion. This also includes changing the front fork using a vintage chromed Koski fork that is mucho retro cool.

I hope to be able to pick smoother lines with the more agile bike (Ti IBIS). I also know that log hopping will be easier. Lifting the front wheel is easier with the shorter wheelbase.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

I beat the rain and got an hour 15 minute ride in on the Ti IBIS. I ran 25 PSI on the rear tire and 24 on the front, and the Ti IBIS with its quick/fast handling proved that it was a more fun and effective bike to ride at Blue Mountain.

The skinnier rear tire was no handicap as far as traction goes, the bike overall performed well, and was more fun to ride.

So a thought comes to mind is to just remake the Ti Basso back into just a 1x8 Newsboy and leave it at that. Still a cool bike, but what to do with those trick Mavic UST wheels with 2.35 wide tires? I could buy a frame and make another bike…

One limitation though is it would have to be a frame that uses rim brakes, meaning it would be retro. Anyways a cool thought, and the idea being for a fatter tire bike with a front suspension for say winter biking.

Problem with the Ti Basso frame is that it was built before mountain bike front suspension existed so when you add in a longer fork the steering geometry gets a lot slower.

Not sure if I put on the chrome Koski fork and make the Ti Bsasso a full rigid if the larger tires are enough Cush to deal with the rocks, but a lighter front end might mitigate some of the long wheelbase problems of not being able to lift the front end easily to log hop.

Oh-well…

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Today I did a 2 hour ride today. Pushed some big gears on some hills, and did some standing working the bike like a stair master to develop strength.

So I started two days ago with an hour ride, then a harder hour and 15 minute ride, and today two hours. Still taking it easy, but opening the envelope a little each day.

In an earlier post I mentioned how I reverted to a child like playfulness, curiosity, and open learning due to not having work in my life anymore. I forgot that not only do I feel like a child, but also as a highly functional adult. Pretty much being a highly functional adult allowed me to enjoy this childish behavior.

I am becoming a bike-bum because riding is the most important part of my day. Pretty much the focus of my day. Today I waited for the day to warm up and to give the trails a chance to dry.

I lowered the tire pressure for more cush and traction. The Ti IBIS is a great bike for Blue Mountain because it is a technical bike.

The rage right now is Gravel Bikes, which my interpretation is a bike that has a long wheelbase, lax geometry, and is sturdy enough that it can go off-road. My logic is why not a mountain bike like the Ti Basso. Already it is a 1x11, and I can add 2x11 to expand the gearing easily. Also I have an extra set of wheels set up with skinnier tires than the fat 2.35’s I have mounted on the bike now. With the skinny tires the look is mucho “Newsboy.”

So a gravel bike is somewhat like a road bike, but has lower gearing that is in the realm of a mountain bike. It all gets kinda grey and confusing, but the idea of a relaxed comfortable bike for long epic rides I kinda understand. The IBIS’s are not relaxed bikes at all, and in fact are kinda hyper.

So the Ti Basso has a long wheelbase, relaxed geometry, and the comfort required. Some Gravel Bikes are 1x11 or 1x12, but others are 1x11 or 2x12. I’ll be removing the front suspension and replace it with a retro/vintage Koski fork. This chromed fork has a 2 inch trail so it will actually increase the wheelbase.

If I mount the Schwable Marathon Supremes on the retro wheel set the tires are pretty close to being slicks that are 1.6 inches wide and very road worthy. I also have a set of Maxxis Cross-Mark’s that are 2 inches wide, and these tires are great on hard pack. Then I have 2.35’s as my fat tires.

Lots of flexibility with the selection of tires and wheels I have. All setups look evil BTW.

My experience on snowy trails in Blue Mountain is that the snow acts like padding and a cushion against the rocks smoothing them out. Set up as a 1x11 with fat tires the Ti Basso should do fine in snow.

More playing around and research made me discover how I could use a long cage XTR 9-speed derailleur along with a mountain bike 11-34T cassette to transform my 52/39T Dura-Ace Ti Basso Road into a road bike set up for mountain road riding, which is right across the Hudson River in Bear Mountain and Harriman State Parks.

Know that I stockpiled mucho 9-speed Dura-Ace cassettes so converting back to a standard road bike is EZ-PZ with a cassette change, a derailleur change, and a chain change.

Then I discovered a Wolf Tooth “Roadlink” which is a derailleur hanger extension that will allow me to use a Dura-Ace road derailleur on the steel IBIS with a 11-34T cassette to creat a 2x9 that utilizes a 34/24 chainring set to have ideal compact gearing for the steel IBIS. This bike will get the XTR trigger shifters with thumb and index finger paddles.

On the Ti Basso Road it will get Dura-Ace Bar-Cons that are converted to thumb shifter using Paul’s Thumbies.

So lots of things are evolving on the bike front, but things are finally firming up.

So all-in-all a very productive day of playing. Still waiting for White Industry hubs to build out wheels.

Cal

Post Script: I ordered the hubs on February 10th. Chris King hubs are delayed by 12 weeks, but stuff from White Industries seem to be backed up 10 weeks. Other items 4-6 weeks…

Anyways I figure time is my friend because I’m retired. Really being thoughtful. When these bikes are done I figure I’ll have to find something new to obsess about. LOL.

 

[Calzone]

There are three Japanese Red Maples that I planted under the canopy of some mature White Pines. A bed of pine needles mulches them. I dug though the pine needles and saw that all three survived the winter, and as far as spring sprouting goes these tiny seedlings that are still only 3 inches tall are rather advanced than the potted ones that got extra sun and water.

So I think I discovered a slacker’s way of growing Japanese Red Maple seedings. All I need to do is rake the pine needles, move the mulch pile of red maple leaves and Polly noses to under the white pines, and then cast the pine needles over the Japanese Maple mulch. Pretty much effortless.

Anyways another childish discovery…

Meanwhile out of all the potted Red Maples I nurture I now think only three made it through the winter. The ones under the White pines, although smaller, are further along in their spring spurt.

Anyways a lot of science is accident. The three seedlings I planted under the white pines was a crazy experiment, but who knew? So now I know how to establish a nursery of sorts.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

I figured out what kind of animal that both “Maggie” and I saw separately in our front-backyard: it was a long tailed weasel. The motion detector lights revealed we had an intruder, and we found out it was a weasel.

Funny thing is I have a friend called Weasel who was a roadie for the bands Foghat and Cheap Trick from back in the day.

When my friend “Iron Mike” attended Woodstock 2, I asked him to get me a T-shirt. Now I have this mucho loud Woodstock 2 tie-die. “Maggie” hates this shirt because it is so loud.

So one day I wore the Woodstock 2 shirt, and I ran into Weasel who mentioned that only about 650 of those shirts exist, and that he knows this because he designed the shirt. He mentioned that it is an instant collectible and already rare.

So this is a great example that the world is not that big.

Been in conversation with “Mike the skinny hipster” who is a wack job. My former neighbor in NYC, Mike is a crazy biker, and also like many good/great photographers a bit OCD. LOL.

Anyways we plan on doing some exploration of the 52,000 acres of Bear Mountain and Harriman State Parks on bikes. Mike has some mucho crazy Gravel Bike with a highly rated Campy 12 speed.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Giving myself a rest day. Then I’ll start building some strength.

Pretty happy with my bike builds, eventually they will get done, so pretty much I have to be patient with myself and all the delays.

$71.50 to fill the a compact car’s 16 gallon tank with high test. Ouch. I checked EBAY for prices and availability and prices are higher and the pickings are slimmer. Even new production Matchless amps are not offered anymore on EBAY.

The two vintage Matchless amps that are available that are of Mark Sampson era and also both have the rarer 2x10 speaker configuration that are no longer available, they are priced at nearly $5K for one and nearly $10K for the other. Only one Brown Fender amp available for nearly $5K.

The point I’m trying to make is that the supply is so dry that the pricing is insane in the case of the Matchless amps, and the pickings are so slim and thin at this point that there are hardly any offerings. I checked EBAY not too long ago, and something has changed dramatically.

Then I speculate, what if Matchless ceased to exist? I checked recently to see if they are alive still. One thing that has changed that I reported in an earlier thread is that Carbon Composition resistors are no longer being made, and pretty much this is a key element to the vintage sound in guitar tube amps. Pretty much all there is is NOS and eventually that will run out.

For the 1966 Blackface Pro Reverb amp I found being thrown out in Manhattan I had to buy some NOS Carbon Comp resistors and this was a desperation buy on EBAY at a crazy price. I don’t see how Matchless could continue under these conditions of scarcity. Whatever stockpile they have will play out, and then perhaps they are done.

So I believe things are catching up, and that a great boutique company like Matchless will go under. My thinking when that happens the amps I own will become very dear like the amps I saw recently on EBAY and the prices won’t be crazy at all.

Know that the old Mark Sampson era amps and the brand new amps built today are exactly the same except for a cosmetic change in the amp handle. This subdued the vintage value a lot, but if new production ended, then it would be a game changer.

IMHO the shortages are going to destroy some businesses that were great. In this example it is a supply of cheap resistors that have drift, low tolerances, and a certain noise signature that are key to the vintage sound.

So in driving around Peekskill, I discovered many different vibes that define different parts of the City. We definitely live in the hill-billy section in the south, but as you head more and more north the yards get smaller and the vibe gets more urban and multi family with smaller and smaller yards. Also the oldest homes seem to be concentrated in the northern end.

So like a true city it has many different neighborhoods. I happen to love mine the best because of the privacy and the somewhat remote location that is kinda hidden.

In my animal kingdom, it seems the Robins love tearing up my lawn in my back backyard. There are these divits all over the place so my hill-billy back-backyard looks like a teeing green, but I don’t mind the mess because that’s my style.

So the long tailed weasel I think is one of my neighbors. Weasels eat mice, rats, squirrels, and rabbits. ”Maggie” thinks Weasels are Fugly, but I think they are cool.

I have a lot of digging to do. I think I will dig up all the bulb plants and pot them just to get organized. These plants are scattered all over the yards in a disarray that is mucho random. The bulbs are all clumped up and need to be redistributed so they can spread and fill in again. Pretty much another huge mess.

Pretty much this is a huge undertaking. Then we have mucho-mucho Peony that I have to do something with. I have to relocate them and create a new bed somewhere. Another big task. I also have a mature False Indigo plant too that also needs to be moved.

I await the really true spring weather.

Cal

 

[MrFujicaman]

A weasel in your yard? What is Andrew Cumo doing in your yard?

 

[Calzone]

A weasel in your yard? What is Andrew Cumo doing in your yard?

MFM,

That’s funny.

What is not so funny is that Hillary and Bill live not so far away.

I guess I like Weasels because they are kinda skinny like me, but also are known to be fierce and known to attack larger animals. I can relate to them.

In the Vietnam War some F4 Phantoms were set up for electronic warfare to jam radars, destroy suffice to air mislead batteries, and pretty much create mucho confusion. These planes were called “Wild Weasels” I guess because they are both playful and mean.

Anyways kinda like having a wild pet Ferret that is supersized that is about the size of a skinny/lanky cat but with short legs. I suspect the nest is somewhere beyond the back-backyard.

My one neighbor reported that he had two six foot Rat Snakes in his basement that he had removed. Cost him $400.00 for the service. I saw a Garter Snake in my back-backyard.

So I have GAS for a crazy IBIS full suspension bike. Not inexpensive, but I figure not a bad investment because it would promote health. Maybe not this year because I got so much going on, and already too many open projects. I want to finish building out all my retro bikes first as a goal.

The justification would be to have the real fat tires for traction, cush, and control. Blue Mountain is kinda made to trash bikes with all the rocks, and riding retro bikes is kinda just being stubborn. I’m glad I have them, but it is like the lure of large format when you also own mucho Leicas.

Anyways retirement is truly great. I am very impressed with how the Ti IBIS turned out. A very pretty bike, but it looks also evil and mean. Perhaps I should call and name the Ti IBIS “The Wild Weasel.”

At the bike shops you hear of an old guy who is known to ride every day, and how strong they get because of the conditioning. Pretty much that’s the key: to ride every day. I want to be one of those old guys that people talk about in the bike shops.

So an new IBIS Mojo or Ripmo would rank as being comparable to owning and driving say an Audi R8 or some other super car.

You should know that a lot of the things I do annoys “Maggie.” At Dick’s I bought these Nike knickers that she hates. Pretty much styled for a kid skate boarder, they are sized as a kid’s large, so on me they are knickers. The print is kinda busy, and that is what I love about it, just of the name “Nike” all over the place in white with a black background like a negative.

Anyways you got to be mighty cool to get away with wearing these knickers at the age of 64. I think she hates these knickers more than my entire collection of tie-die T-shirts. LOL.

Kinda funny how easy it is to annoy Maggie.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Check out www.ibiscycles.com.

Been watching a few videos. Did you know that IBIS pretty much was the first to go carbon fiber for mountain bikes?

A new model called “Exie” is a cross country bike that sports 2.4 wide tires, full suspension, is their new bike that is made in the U.S., while the Ripmo and Mojo have the frames built in either Taiwan or Vietnam. The Exie is built in a solar powered factory, and the amount of engineering, and testing was purposely designed using a lot of front end engineering and design to bridge the gap where U.S. labor is 5 times more expensive than Asian labor.

Mucho technology driven, and lots of tech and brain power. The other 4 owners of IBIS are also heavy lifters that have mucho bike history in their pockets. This is a private company owned by 5 individuals. Lots of expertise here holding the very edge of the state of the art.

In one video the steel Mojo and the later Ti Mojo from the early to mid 1990’s was brought up in a lengthy interview about IBIS history. Pretty much a classic bike that is legendary, but know my Ti IBIS Mountain Trials uses the same titanium internally butted tubing that was developed for the Ti Mojo. BTW my bike is likely a one-off.

So in a video two young hard core riders get the opportunity to go on a ride with Scot Nicole, the founder of IBIS, they go on a 2 hour ride, and right from the beginning 64 year old Scott starts gapping the younger riders. Pretty much one of the young riders says, “This is going to be a tough ride because I’m already feeling the pain and we just started.” LOL.

Anyways these young guys are getting kinda beat up trying to hang with Scot.

So you have to understand that I have to dig in, and pretty much I want an Exie which with carbon fiber wheel upgrade and SRAM 10-52T with a 30T chainring is pretty much a $10K bike. I was not kidding about the comparison to driving a super car.

A dealer is not that far away in Briarcliff Manor…

Interesting to note that Scot compares a Ti Mojo as a pinnacle bike of its time (mid 1990’s) but to compare with the bikes he makes today the difference is astounding. Pretty much getting an Exie is a logical conclusion for me.

So an IBIS is a bird, and Scot picked a bird to represent the freedom, soaring, and flying, but he mentioned that he did not do due diligence because when not flying an IBIS resembles a stork and looks ungainly when on the ground.

Anyways I think Scot has it right, there is a sense of freedom one gets from riding… This is why I ride…

Cal