Mr. Moon and Friends

My Colorado posts will continue next week, today was the first day of deer season here in PA and all I can say is that this hunting season is picking up where Colorado hunting left off. I spent about 7 hours in the woods today (I missed out on the thunder and lightning) and saw a total of ZERO deer. A special thanks to the idiots, I mean experts, at the Pennsylvania Game Commission for mismanaging the state deer herd all these years. It's time we hired someone who knows something about wildlife management and not just someone they're related to.

Enough on that subject. Did anybody look up in the sky right at sunset? Well if you didn't this is what you missed. The moon, Jupiter and Venus in this here triangle formation. Pretty cool.

Smoke in the Building

I actually rode along with our second engine out, Engine 252, to a call for smoke in the building. Engine 252 staged on the hard road, there were already 4 engines in and around the building, Engine 152 had the hydrant at the southwest corner. The truck set up to check the HVAC equipment on the roof. A unit on the third floor was found to be the problem. Maintenance workers took care of it. We got things packed back up and returned to the station.

Channeling Ansel Adams

Part of my out and about last Sunday morning took me to a lookout called Buzzard's Rock. There once was a stone wall that surrounded this lookout. It became a popular place for partying, still is, lots of broken bottles and spinning tires. Most of the stone wall has been destroyed and the rest graffiti'd. I walked down into the large rocks at the base of the lookout and got these pictures. When I saw them I thought I'd try an Ansel Adams black and white thing with them. Not too bad. But I guess the bottom line is they're no El Capitan and I'm no Ansel.

Burd Run Red Bird

Burd Run, at least the area I was at yesterday morning, sits just outside the Shippensburg University. It is a park owned by Shippensburg Township. In the 70's someone straightened the stream, I guess to make farming it easier. Four, maybe five, years ago University environmental students reconstructed the run to it's historical path. Along with this they planted native plants and informational signage along a path. During my walk I spotted several cardinals but with the thick brush I had to switch to manual focus and got some decent pictures. I also saw a blue jay, a small hawk and some ducks who saw me first. During summer walks I've heard and seen frogs and a lot more ducks. I'll remember this area next time I need to talk a walk and have limited time.

On Frozen Pond

Happy Thanksgiving.

I went for a drive this morning. Out around the game lands hoping to see some game. Well, I probably should have gotten out of bed a little earlier. I saw nothing. Lots of small game hunters out and about so I didn't want to go for a walk without some orange on. Swung back into town and walked along Burd Run. More on Burd Run later. These gulls I found on the eastern outskirts of Newburg. I guess there won't be any fishing this morning.

Leaf Tobacco (PG LXXXIII)

Today's Gentleman is another from the streets of Lancaster,Pa. Located at 237 North Prince Street at the Prince Street Boutique. I'm going to take a guess but I think it says "Lancaster Co. Tobacco Company". Lancaster, as I've said before, is a big tobacco producer. I've seen it hanging in the Amish barns drying in the fall. What do you think? What you should be thinking is, "Hey, I've seen this building before." Cause you have. This is the backdrop for my August 2008 header.

Jays in the Afternoon

Like I was saying yesterday, my day, the first day of hunting in the Colorado mountains, had been trashed by two inconsiderate hunters. My afternoon was limited to bird watching. The most common bird we run into while hunting is the Gray Jay. Whiskey Jack. Camp Robber. Call them what you will they are comical to interact with. In the past while wasting time in camp we've tried to feed them out of our hand. We've put sunflower seeds on our hats and knees. They would fly close enough to knock the seeds off and then snatch them up and eat them on the nearest branch. The second picture isn't that great for quality but this is the closest he came to me. It is a Stellars Jay. That deep blue body with jet black head make him stand out. He is about eighty yards away. Did I mention the wind I had to deal with from the Snag? Look at the neck feathers on the Gray Jay, I'm lucky this picture turned out as good as it did with him swaying on that little pine tree.