Beach Life

When you go to the beach in the middle of winter you have to expect that things are gonna be a little different than in the summer. No picnic baskets to raid. No dumpsters to hang out at. Just find a dune and chill.

Nash

While in Alaska two summers ago we visited the Husky Homestead near Denali National Park. The Husky Homestead is the training headquarters of 4 time Iditarod winner Jeff King. Early Saturday morning some drunken idiot on a snowmobile sideswiped one team before later crashing into Jeff King's team, narrowly missing him on the sled. Several dogs were injured. One dog, Nash, was killed. Nash's siblings were Crosby, Stills and Young (Young's box was across the road from Nash's).

Clarysville Volunteer Fire Company, Eckhart Mines Station

Clarysville Volunteer Fire Company, Station 2, Lathan Street, NW, Frostburg (Eckhart Mines), Maryland. Allegheny County. Clarysville Volunteer Fire Company ceased operations near the end of 2014, I assume the Eckhart station closed around the same time.

Frostburg Fire Department No. 1, Station 2

Frostburg Fire Department No. 1, Station 2, 298 East Main Street, Frostburg, Md. Allegheny County Company 16. FFD is an all volunteer department established in 1878. Station 2 was built in 1967 when Station 1 became too crowded. Since my last visit in July 2013 they added unit designations to the apparatus door.

40 Years Ago - June 1, 1976

Last weekend we hiked into the Tuscarora State Forest north of Newville near Doubling Gap to find the wreckage of a twin engine Piper Aztec that had crashed into the mountain forty years ago. On the afternoon of June 1, 1976 the Piper went down in severe lightning, rain and hail killing all 6 members of a Milford, NJ family who were enroute to Pittston, NJ from Indianapolis. As a firefighter I've stood in these places soon after they happened. To stand there 40 years later knowing that - take away the rust and faded paint and lack of personal items - this is what the searchers found on the rainy evening. The feeling is somewhat familiar.

Shenandoah Panorama

Just some of the panoramas I took while driving down the Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park late last August.

Sharp-Shinned

I was walking along the Allegheny Passageway on the south side of Cumberland Maryland when I literally almost stumbled on the guy. Just over a roll in the grass this Sharp-shinned Hawk was munching a a smaller, obviously slower bird.