Coalcrackers

This is Coaldale, Pa. I took this picture at Easter time in 1987. Less than a week out of the Air Force, my family and I were on our annual trip to my Grandmother's. We went more often than just at Easter time but we rarely missed an Easter Sunday in Coaldale. Coaldale is small town in the mountains of Schuykill County, a place that seemed to be visited more than lived in. Not a lot of young people most of those left to find jobs and raise families elsewhere. There was never much to do when we would go there, so we would walk. Explore. As a kid I knew where the movie theater was (the Angela), the supermarket and where most of the Mom & Pop candy stores were. Even into the nineties it was like stepping back in time. This place, more than anywhere, was a town of pride, pride in who you are and pride in where you came from. The Lithuanians, the Russians, the Slovaks, the Irish and the Italians each lent their flavor to this place and made it unique. Being Slovak, Easter meant kielbasa, and not just any keilbasa, you had to go to a certain place and get their keilbasa. And sirok, made with eggs, milk and pepper, I always called it Easter Cheese and paska, the Easter bread. And pierogies (potato filled pasta) and halupkies (stuffed cabbage) and haluski (noodles with cabbage and potatoes), man am I hungry now. It's been years since I last visited and my kids haven't been there since they were small, I really should make another trip up, maybe this Easter.

As a side note, I always post between 9 and 11 at night for the next day, if you didn't know that already. So, technically it is still February 6th.

Carl's Drug Store (PG XLVI)

What is it about drugs store? This is the third drug store I've featured on our regular Wednesday program we like to call Painted Gentleman. There was Perduzzi's and then there was Althouse's, now it's Carl's time to shine. Actually I have another drug store I need to scan, we'll cover that later. And look, Carl's is a two-sided gentleman, there hasn't been many of them. The Rexall Store is now E.L.M. Department Store on South Baltimore Street (Route 16) in Greencastle, PA. We should also, while we're here, thank Mr. Reynold's for these wonder signs, yes, if you look close enough you can see he signed them.

Draw

This is the drawbridge leading onto Chincoteague Island. They are, as we speak, building a new causeway over onto the island that will allow vehicles to make a straighter shot to the beach. No more hauling your boat through downtown. I'm not sure if the new causeway will include a drawbridge or not, but it sure will suck not to see this one anymore. I tried to get some sunset picture that included the draw but overcast skies eliminated sunset.

I took this at Christmas time and liked the way it turned out, except for the post.

Late Night

This picture is one of me screwing around with the timer at night. I went to Gods Acre Cemetery in downtown Shippensburg, PA. From the plaque on the gate post "1738-1926 Dedicated to Patriots and Pioneers who sleep in this Gods Acre"

This is also an unexpected self-portrait. Oops.

The Road to Ruin

St Paul's Reformed Church, built in 1902, on South Potomac Street in Waynesboro, PA is on that road to ruin. Privately owned for more than 15 years and divided into apartments, it is again for sale. I would love to see this large window lit up, but that would never happen. Through the holes that have been broken in it you can see that there is wallboard behind some of it and, sadly, if you look at the bottom left corner you can see where they broke it out to exhaust the clothes dryer. It's a wonder that the owner didn't sell the window, one this large and with this kind of details would bring thousands you'd think. What a shame. Stupid is as stupid does.

Six More Weeks

Sorry, I have no groundhog pictures for you today. Somehow that big rat saw his shadow, don't ask how, but he did. Someday I ought to run up to Gobbler's Knob and see the seer of seers, the prognosticator of prognosticators, Phil. Heck, after Cooperstown last summer Punxutawny would seem like a piece of cake.

"As I look around me, a bright sky I see, and a shadow beside me.Six more weeks of winter it will be!" Punxutawny Phil, 2/2/08.

Check it out.

Number 5

This is Westphal Hose Company #5 in Martinsburg, Berkeley County, West Virginia. Located on North Queen Street they are one of the two stations that make up the Martinsburg Fire Department. I took this picture in April of 1988, yes, 20 years ago. When I first uncovered it in an album in the basement I thought, "Hey, I can use this as an Old School picture", but the little I could find out about them I did find out this is still an active station.

Martinsburg is now on my list of places I need to go back too. That list is getting long.