Sunday, January 31, 2010

Yellow and Orange







This morning my son and I drove to Harrisburg for our yearly visit to the Auto Show. Held each year at the Farm Show Complex, today was the final day. While I took my camera along with us, I left it in the truck and let my son do all the picture taking, and give you a glimpse into the mind of an 'almost' 16 year old boy at a car show. Today's post is simply titled 'Yellow and Orange'. Top to bottom... Yellow... Chevy Camero Transformer edition (from the movie), Ferrari F430, Dodge Challenger RT, Orange... Lamborghini Murcielago, AMC AMX and Lexus IS-F. No picture, though, of the Hummer H3-T in General Motors new orange color Solar Flare Metallic. I like.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Birds at My Feeder... Finally



I set up some bird feeders after Christmas. They sat untouched until last weekend. First it was the Goldfinches. A wasteful bunch. Look at the thistle seed flying out of his mouth. Then this Cardinal showed up for some of the sunflower seeds scattered in the yard. Today it was a House Finch while I was at work and the Dark Eyed Junco was just chillin' out on the lattice work. (Ha, Chillin'. It was 18 degrees outside, get it?)

Friday, January 29, 2010

LAFD - old school - Lower Allen FD








It's been a while since I have posted this many pictures in one post but since I don't normally post active firehouses I needed to start at the beginning and take you through the whole story. Well, not really a story but what I can condense from their website (which has no history link). (LAFD) The first two pictures are my Old School Firehouse pictures. I know they don't look too old school but.
Lower Allen Township Fire Department covers Lower Allen Township in Cumberland County, running as Company 12. Lower Allen Township covers about a 10 square mile area between Camp Hill, Lemoyne and Mechanicsburg. They run out of two stations, Station 1-12 is the new firehouse that was built in conjunction with other municipal offices and located on Gettysburg Road near Lisburn Road and seen in pictures four and five (showing the front and back of the apparatus bays). And Station 2-12 is on Rupp Avenue closer to Route 15 and Wesley Drive. The old Station 1 still sits empty on Hummel Avenue near the Route 581 underpass (picture one and two).

Thursday, January 28, 2010

SkyWatch - Two Sunsets for the Price of One


The problem with SkyWatch. As one of those people who has the bad habit of pointing my camera towards the sun all the time, SkyWatch Friday gives us an outlet for our addiction. But from this Friday until the next we must endure seven more sunrises and seven more sunsets. Then we are left to toil over who makes the cut. Who gets to represent the sun and its many colors and creations and step up to the challenge of my SkyWatch peers and which ones end up as a Tuesday or worse a weekend post. One day last week I walked up the hill behind my house and after a half an hour I walked back down with three completely different views of the same sunset. (not to mention that the sun dogs were gone before I made it up the hill). Today I give you the best of the week taken on that same trip up the hill of the same sunset.
Until next week, and I'm stuck picking a picture for SkyWatch of the 14 different incarnations of the sun, click on the icon to the right and see what other people without my problems see when they look to the sky.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Chambersburg Ice & Cold Storage (PG 133)




Barry,
I took another drive to Chambersburg and did a couple loops around the Grant Street area near Jim's Country Market last Sunday morning before it rained. I found this. Is this the Gentleman you remembered or do I keep looking? I also found another nearby partially covered with a sign.
Thanks for the lead, Haney.
If anyone ever reads the comments my old friend Barry recalled seeing an old faded sign in Chambersburg. I found the Chambersburg Ice & Cold Storage Co. sitting right on Grant Street between 2nd Street and Kennedy Street. I found two addition signs in the borough and a huge multiple mural building south of town. The Painted Gentleman supply is slowly being refueled.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

I Got My Bale Out


This may actually be what I was looking for a couple weeks ago. (check here) This, I ran onto on the way back into town last Saturday morning. I didn't notice all the haze when I was taking this but it is looking pretty bad. I've always admired this point of view and have made several attempts at it but this, so far I think, is my best. back before I started this blog I frequented a blog by Kathleen Connally called "A Walk Through Durham Township" (Bucks County, Pa.) and I still stop by occasionally. She has mastered the farm field and lots of sky pictures. Check out this one or this one or this one (which is actually sky and lots of farm field). My other attempts are here and here.

Monday, January 25, 2010

The Stairs Out Back 1


Again, the location shall remain anonymous but the result speaks for itself. The lighting was just right this evening and the simplicity called for a touch of black and white. As the title says, "1". which means there is a , "2". Next week you can come back and see which version you like better.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

The Way, The Truth and The Light


This is another window from the First Church of God in Shippensburg. This is the church next door to the Vigilant Hose Company. This window, in fact, is on the front side of the church and Jesus overlooks the ramp to the firehouse. I've posted the front window from King Street and the side windows from on the roof of the firehouse before (and here, too). I just wish more churches lit up these beautiful works of art.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Coke-itecture


You don't see this every day now do you? I remember the Coke plant in Chambersburg use to have these but it doesn't anymore. Someone got smart and removed them. This is the bottling plant in Harrisburg and there must be eight of these. I just hope they don't go to waste.

Friday, January 22, 2010

New Kingstown Fire Department - old school



Old School Firehouse in New Kingstown, Pa. New Kingstown sits on Route 11 midway between Carlisle and Harrisburg. Maybe a little closer to Carlisle. This is the original firehouse for the New Kingstown Fire Company, Cumberland County Company 33. The Company was formed in late 1911 and this building was dedicated July 20, 1912. The NKFC stayed active until 1935 when things got a little dormant. In 1942 things picked up again and they reorganized and remain very active today. This little building was home until 1957 when the moved up the road and around the corner onto Locust Point Road. Today, as I type this, they are busily building a new station behind the 1957 building, hoping to be opened and dedicated this year. Congratulations to them, I am just starting to feel their worries. Check out the NKFC website and learn more about them and the soon to be new Station.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

The Dykeman House Under the Stars - SkyWatch

This, again, is the Dykeman House, sitting overlooking Indian Head Springs in Shippensburg, Pa. Blah, blah, blah. Took this shot two weeks ago when I took the picture from Tuesday, January 12th. I just adjusted the tripod on the outside chance I would pick up some of the stars that were out, namely Orion. Hopefully you can see them here. As I previously mentioned there was no moon, only window candles and a couple driveway lampposts. I still like the reflection on the spring picture better but this one is a close second.

As always click on the SkyWatch icon on the right sidebar to see the sky around the globe.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Grubb's Coke (PG 132)


Just when I thought I had exhausted the immediate area of Painted Gentleman, I found this one Monday afternoon. I literally worked a half a block west of this garage. Walked up Raspberry Alley to this garage. Today was the first time I noticed it. U-turned back and added it to the collection. North Mountain Road and Raspberry Alley just a half a block south of the square (circle?) in Linglestown, Pa. Linglestown, a.k.a. St. Thomas, sits north northeast of Harrisburg along Route 39 in Dauphin County. I've posted their old fire station once, here.
Drink Coca-Cola in Bottles. Grubb Bro's Garage.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Shadows at Night


I really liked the way these shadows crossed and made darker and lighter shadows. Thought black and white helped show this better. Location to remain nameless to protect the guilty.

Monday, January 18, 2010

the alley, the answer, 8:21 pm

That shouldn't have been too difficult. The clue may as well have said this is Richard Avenue from the North Queen Street intersection (oops, thanks Wally). Thanks for playing along.

the alley, 8:21 pm

This I shot last week, it was a good time because the neighborhood was quiet. I won't be able to get this picture this week. And it wouldn't be as clean. Answer at 6pm.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Birds at the Feeders 5/16/2009






These are some more of the birds at the feeders at Wildwood Lake in Harrisburg. male Goldfinch, Blue Jay. Bronze-Headed Cowbird and a Female Goldfinch.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

The Flower Girl

Just playing around with Photoshop and trying something different. No sure I got the something I was looking for but I do think I got different. Funny thing is I started out thinking more dark and eery and this is where I ended up. The statue and flowering tree were found at a local public gardens.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Walnut Street Bridge and the Frozen Susquehanna


This is one of the pictures I took at this time last year from City Island looking back into the city of Harrisburg. That is the Walnut Street Bridge all lit up with the State Capital Building in the background.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

The Light Truck




On of the local grocery stores was having a grand re-opening last weekend and to celebrate, starting Thursday, they had this guy and his truck with great big lights on it come in and shine them up into the sky. The truck had 4 separate lights on it that revolved and rotated (are they the same thing?) and in general shined up into the sky. Well, Thursday and Friday evenings were overcast and I was able to get just one good picture showing the circle it drew on the clouds. Again on Friday Night I saw it and got the camera set up on the tripod and was going up the hill behind my house and they shut the darn thing off. Did it work? (the great big light and the re-opening?) Well it seemed to bring the Amish in by the buggy, bicycle and on foot. Don't know if they bought anything but they stopped by to check out the truck with the great big light on it.
And to see if anyone else saw a truck with a great big light on it shining up into the sky click on the SkyWatch icon on the right side of you screen.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

1 Thousand




All hail the power of Photoshop. If you haven't figured out yet, today is POST NUMBER ONE THOUSAND. No bells, no whistles, no balloons and no cake. I just knew I had to do something different for this one, so I went back over my files and found some pictures begging for a little touch up. I hope you like these.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

The Dykeman House Reflection

OK, this is quickly becoming my favorite subject. I think this is the 4th post of it. This, as usual, is the Dykeman House, overlooking Indian Head Spring. It is one of those places I drive past constantly and see in every kind of day and weather. Saturday night I set up my tripod , put my nifty fifty on the Rebel and tried not to get hit standing on the shoulder of a surprisingly busy road. Temperature in the upper teens. No moon yet. Candles in the windows. A couple walkway lights. F-stop at 3.5, ISO at 100 and 30 seconds later... waa-laa.

Monday, January 11, 2010

The Luhrs Center at SU

Another night shot from Shippensburg University. This one is the H. Ric Luhrs Preforming Arts Center. They have concerts and stuff here. The high school has their graduation commencement here. As for Sparky telling me I need a visitors pass to be on campus, he doesn't understand the theory of Hit and Run photography. Get in, get your picture and get out. Don't be conspicuous. Keep moving. Act like your suppose to be there.