Neon Breakfast

More of my late night neon the beach pictures. The top picture of Dino's "D-HoP" was the one that got me thinking that I should drive around and take pictures of all the neon signs. The Southern Sunrise sign was a picture of opportunity; I was actually shooting the place across the parking lot from it. It seems there is a lot of these Breakfast/Lunch places that aren't open for supper. Maybe it's a beach thing. Now, Krispy Kreme is a whole other story. Seven o'clock in the evening and this place was hopping. Trying to get a picture without car after car coming and going was harder than going inside and getting a low-cal doughnut.

Ol' Green Beard

Things aren't always what they are cracked up to be. In the years that we've attended the Lunar New Years parade in New York City this colorful individual has made an appearance. Always the green beard, always the rainbow pup in the carriage. This year it even included a live parrot. He wandered through just minutes before the start of the parade. Looking around the inner webs for a name for our super hero here brings nothing. He seems to be in attendance at a lot of parades but he's just not near as famous as the Naked Cowboy.

Barn Charm from Afar

Yesterday I set out for a short drive. Two and a half hours later I got home. A quick buzz through the State Game Lands led me to Three Square Hollow Road. I started to just loop around, then I took a right. This took me up. And up. I stopped at the look out (see below) and started to zoom in on some of the barns and farms in the valley below. This is the Cumberland Valley. From the Blue Mountain to the South Mountain out there beyond the haze of early morning. These barns are on the outskirts of Newburg and Newville. Hopewell Township and Upper Mifflin Township and the small villages in between.

For more barns click on the Barn Charm icon up above here.

Hairy Woodpecker

More woodpeckers at the suet block. Today I was sitting at the computer, with the camera nearby, when this male Hairy Woodpecker showed up. It was really windy yesterday and he kept hanging out on the opposite side of the feeder until finally the wind slowly spun him around so I could get some pictures. The Hairy Woodpecker looks so much like the Downy Woodpecker (female pictured below) and without seeing them nearly side by side you would have a hard time telling the two apart. The Sibley Guide to Birds show the difference as mainly their size, the Hairy is 9.25" with a longer beak while the Downy is only 6.75" with a conspicuous tuft at the base of their beak.

Sky Wheel Sunset

These are all pictures of the sunset at North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The way the country is shaped Myrtle Beach is actually west southwest from North Myrtle, so at this time of year the sun sets down the beach. I didn't notice the Ferris wheel until I was almost back and it was lit up. Myrtle is 15 miles from North Myrtle. The Sky Wheel is the largest Ferris wheel on the east coast and opened last May. At 200 feet tall it has 42 air conditioned gondolas. No wonder I could see it from so far away.

Neon Buffet

I sort of remember telling you all that I spent some of my evenings at the beach driving around taking pictures of the neon signs. Well here, finally, is the beginning of these. Today we go for the seafood buffet neon. All of these are located along Route 17, Kings Highway, between North Myrtle beach and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. We actually ate at Captian Benjamin's, which is one I didn't get a picture of.

Original Ben

When it's unseasonably warm outside and you go to Ice Fest you find things to take pictures of other than melting statues. This is the side entrance to the Franklin County Heritage Center along Lincoln Way East in Chambersburg. And that golden fellow with his back to you is Ben Franklin. Ben use to sit on top of the old Courthouse across the street. In 1991 they took him down and replaced him with a fiberglass replica. The original here is a 250 pound, 8 foot tall hunk of pine covered in gold leaf and was carved in 1865.