Stealth Devon Berry?

Stealth, for sure.    Devon, maybe.    Victor H. Berry has just shown up today with a 12 marker result from the Genographic Project and without notice of any sort from FTDNA.

Victor matches Gerald, #64, with his 12 markers but, as I've noted several times in these posts, 12 marker matches with the same surname only raise a possibility of a genetic relationship.    Now that Victor is a part of FTDNA he should order his Y-Refine12to37 upgrade to determine for certain whether he is a Devon Berry, or not.

Of course, this is all further complicated by the fact that Gerald and Ralph, #162, are not for certain genetically related.    They match 25/26 markers but don't have those 'fast movers' among their common alleles so we really only have a probability that we actually have a family of Devon Berrys.

Madison Co. Berry?

New results arrived yesterday for David, #159.    David's Y-DNA1-12 panel of his Y-DNA37 order was reported yesterday by FTDNA and it looks like he's going to be a Madison Co. Berry.

I think David's results had not been expected until early June.

Cemetery Records

This film may have information of interest to some of you -

Adventures at SFI

As promised, this is a cursory review of my time here while Betty was going to her Spring Dulcimer Week at the Augusta Heritage Center in Elkins, WV.

As I mentioned, I get to spend the week with my friends at SFI (Smakula Fretted Instruments) working on whatever I may have gathered over the winter.    This year I didn't collect much so I only had my fiddle to reglue where the top was starting to come loose and an old fiddle bow of mine that had gotten a really bad rehair job several years ago that I decided I'd try to rehair myself.


I forgot to take photos when I glued the top on my fiddle so you'll just have to try to imagine what I'm describing.    The top was starting to seperate from the sides at the tailpiece end - almost imperceptible.    I don't think I'd have noticed except Bob told me it was.    That's a pretty simple repair job   -   open up the crack enough to be able brush in some hide glue, clean off the excess on the finish, clamp it and let it dry.    As I said, I hadn't noticed that the top was coming loose but after I'd glued it back I was amazed at the difference in volume and power it made in the fiddle.    I guess when things fade gradually we just don't notice that they have.

I was approaching the bow rehair with some trepidation and without much confidence.    I even forgot to start taking photos here until I'd already half prepared the bow hair by tying the tip end, as you see here - - the black mark around the end of the hair near the tip. [Remember, these photos enlarge when you click them.]

This will show the tip and the end of the hair and the wedge to hold it in the tip.
And here is the hair wedged into the tip of the bow -
Next we move to the frog end of the bow -and its hair end tied off -
Unfortunately, here we have another lapse in the photographic record but suffice it to say that the hair is wedged into the frog in somewhat the same manner as at the tip.

The result should be a flat, orderly hair surface with which to contact the fiddle strings, as seen here -
My bow also had a winding end uncovered so I glued a piece of leather over it, again with hide glue -

resulting in this finished product: which turned out much better than I had expected.

A Caveat, however, some people shouldn't be allowed around sharp instruments, unsupervised -
And the annual lunch at Bob's Hot Dogs, just west of Elkins off Rt. 33, where my delicacy was a hotdog garnished with home fries, jalepenos and ramps!    Yum!
Tomorrow it's back to Winchester and my dogs!

DNA and SFI

This week I'm in Elkins, WV, for Betty's Spring Dulcimer Week at the Augusta Heritage Center.    I mostly just stay out of the way by hanging out with my friends Bob Smakula and Andy Fitzgibbon at SFI (Smakula Fretted Instruments) and volunteering to man the door (tickets and money) for the Thursday night concert.

Yesterday at SFI we celebrated an old friend's 100th birthday, unfortunately posthumously -Melvin Wine was one of the old master West Virginia fiddlers who died six years ago at the age of 93 and who epitomized the Old Time West Virginia culture of 'passing it on'.

I'll try to get online tomorrow to say a little about what I'm working on this week but, to our main subject, John, #142, now has 25 markers and is definitely confirmed to be an Augusta/Washington Co. Berry.

John's results weren't expected until later in May but so far we've gotten two of his three panels more than a month ahead of time.    Perhaps his final panel is not far behind.

Additionally, Keith, #54, has gotten his results for his Deep Clade Extended C test.    I try not to pretend that I know about Deep Clade stuff but for those of you who are knowledgeable or interested, Keith is now haplogroup R1b1b2a1b5, shorthand R-L21, and his SNP results are: L11+ L21+ L23+ L49+ M126- M153- M160- M173+ M18- M207+ M222- M269+ M343+ M37- M65- M73- P107- P25+ P310+ P311+ P312+ P66- SRY2627- U106- U152- U198-

Augusta/Washington Co. Berrys

New results for John, #142, who expects to be an Augusta/Washington Co. Berry.    John's Y-DNA1-12 panel of his Y-DNA37 order came in yesterday evening and even though it's only 12 markers, so far, so good.

Disappointed?

Dont be.    But to get the most out of your results, consider these suggestions.

Everyone should go to your FTDNA Personal Page:   First, click on the 'Setup Preferences' tab and select your matches to be set against the entire database.    Leaving it set to "display of matches only to my Surname Project" will severely limit your opportunity to see matches that may be of interest to you but are not yet in the Project.    Severely, as in 'No Chance'.    One exception to this advice is that if you have more than 12 markers tested it will probably be a good idea to uncheck the 12 marker button.    Since 12 marker matches are mostly meaningless this will avoid those 'dear cousin' emails from folks with different surnames.

Next, you should all check your Y-DNA 'Matches' tab.    Those of you who have gotten new results, be sure to upload them to ySearch.    Take a look to see if the 'Click here to upload to Ysearch.org' line is there.    If that line's not there, no worry.   You've already done it.    If it is there, click it. This doesn't happen automatically, only semi-automatically.   You don't have to type the numbers in but you do have to click the 'Click here to upload to Ysearch.org' line in the Y-DNA 'Matches' tab.

Also, while you're at your Personal Page, you have the opportunity to upload a gedcom of either your Y-DNA family tree or your mtDNA family tree, or both.    Just click on the 'GEDCOM - Family Tree' line and follow the instructions.    Or you can ask me for help.    Having this information available online can be very helpful to others trying to make a connection to you, particularly on the mtDNA side.

FTDNA's third panel, Y-DNA26-37, contains five fast-moving markers, four of which, DYS570, 576 and CDYa&b, have been useful for separating lines in some families and in some cases determining whether there is a family match or not.    Those of you having only 12 or 25 markers tested might want to consider upgrading to 37.

Unfortunately, those of you who have tested elsewhere than at FTDNA are missing those important 'fast-movers'.    I suggested to FTDNA that there must be a price point at which they could offer that third panel as a 'stand-alone' product but they seem to be having none of it.    At this writing the most economical method of getting these markers that I've yet been able to devise is to order Y-DNA1-12 from FTDNA's Promotion for individuals that have tested their Y-DNA with Relative Genetics, DNAHeritage, Ancestry, Oxford Ancestors or Genebase (not SMGF) for $59 and then order Y-Refine12to37 for $99.00, total $158, or the just the missing five markers, DYS607 $7.20, DYS570 $7.20, DYS576 $7.20, CDYa&b (DYS724) $12.00, plus a $9.50 transfer fee, $43.10, total $102.10.

I'm assuming that you've gone to the trouble and expense of DNA testing to further assist your family research.    These steps will help optimize that possibility.

If you need any help it is as close as emailing me here.

Another friendly reminder - If you've been considering upgrading or ordering any new tests where FTDNA already has your DNA sample on hand, take this as a sign that TODAY'S the day to do it.    It will save you up to a week on getting your results back.    Place the order before 4:30 or so Wednesday afternoon, Mountain Time, to avoid waiting up to a week additional for the next batch to be shipped out to the lab.

Results and a question

Y-DNA38-67 results came in for Keith, #54, yesterday.    Still no matches but Keith is the poster child for 12 marker 'false positive' results.    At 12 markers Kevin, #151, is an exact match to Keith and eight others are a distance of 1 from him.    At 25 markers, however, Kevin is a distance of 7, and at 37 markers, 12.

In addition, Edward, #110, received his Y-DNA26-37 upgrade.    A question for you Faires Berrys:    Take a look at the results for DYS576.    Does this fast moving marker separate family lines?  .  .  . or what's going on here?

For those of you with new puppies

The 3 P's of House-Training Success:     Predictability, patience, and praise.

These things go hand in hand for successful house-training.      Here's how to get your pup to go where he's supposed to:

• Set a schedule.    Plan to feed and walk him at the same time every day.


• Stick to the menu.    Don’t change his diet.    And give the same amount at each meal.    No table scraps!


• Pick a spot.    Right after eating, take him out to the same spot each time.    After he does his business, heap on the praise!


• If you catch him in the act  .  .  .  don’t have a cow.    Firmly tell your pup “No!” or “Stop,” and take him to his designated area  -  -  and remember to praise him when he goes.    If you see an accident after the fact, never drag your pup back to the crime scene    He will be confused and hurt, which could set back all of your hard work.

The first 7 to 12 weeks of puppyhood is the ideal time to begin house-training  -  -  that's when your little guy can learn best.    But at this age, pups can't fully control their bladders, and accidents will happen.    So that throw rug you spent a mint on  .  .  .  better put it in a safe place!

From Dog Age tip of the week -

NEW from Ancestry.com

Ralph, #162, is our newest Participant.    Ralph tested 30 markers with Ancestry and is perhaps a match with Gerald, #64.

Here are their genetic distances -
Here are their haplotypes -The problem here is, as you can see, that even though they match 26 of 27 common markers, differing only at DYS464c, Ralph doesn't have those four fast-moving markers from FTDNA's third panel.

FTDNA's third panel, Y-DNA26-37, contains five fast-moving markers, four of which, DYS570, 576 and CDYa&b, have been useful for separating lines in some families and in some cases determining whether there is a family match or not.

Unfortunately, Ralph, like others of you who have tested elsewhere than at FTDNA, is missing those important 'fast-movers'.    I suggested to FTDNA that there must be a price point at which they could offer that third panel as a 'stand-alone' product but they seem to be having none of it.    At this writing the most economical method of getting these markers that I've yet been able to devise is to order Y-DNA1-12 from FTDNA's Promotion for individuals that have tested their Y-DNA with Relative Genetics, DNAHeritage, Ancestry, Oxford Ancestors or Genebase (not SMGF) for $59 and then order just the missing five markers, DYS607 $7.20, DYS570 $7.20, DYS576 $7.20, CDYa&b (DYS724) $12.00, plus a $9.50 transfer fee, $43.10, total $102.10.

Here are the yAncestrys for Ralph and Gerald -

Termites or Locusts?

Good news!    We have two new members in the Project today.    Robert, #160, who ordered his Y-DNA67 test, and David, #161, Y-DNA37.    I've received part of David's yAncestry but no indication whether either expects to match any of our current families.

Carol is making a concerted effort to pry yAncestry and 'short bio' information out of our new merged Barry people.    We could use some help here, folks!    We shouldn't have to nag you to get information to help you in your genealogy search.    Take a few minutes this weekend to send your info in.

Still missing numbers 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 155, 156 and 157.

Benton Co. Berrys

If my memory were better I would have remembered that John, #145, was supposed to be a Benton Co. Berry.    It isn't and I didn't.    The reason I know that I should have remembered is that his yAncestry was with the Benton Co. folks, just waiting for confirmation by his DNA sample.

The rest of his results were returned last evening and he has only one difference from the modal haplotype.    John is the first Benton Co. Berry to test since about November, 2006, and is the only Benton Co. Berry who has tested 67 markers.

C'mon folks.    Let's get busy!    Don't forget, you all still don't know who Samuel Berry's parents were.

The rest of them

The balance of John's, #158, Y-DNA25 order came in last nite so, as I said I would do, I compared his 25 marker results with the entire Project and, alas, still no matches.    Rats!

In addition, John's, #145, Y-DNA38-67 results of his Y-DNA67 order came in.    None of his first panels of markers, just those.    Unfortunately, this panel is made up of 20 slow, 9 medium and only 2 fast moving markers and matches way too many folks so we'll just have to wait for a couple of the earlier panels which, combined with this one, will remove the ambiguity.