Nittany Lion Franks (PG XXXII)

Painted Gentleman No. 32. Kessler's on Hummel Avenue in Lemoyne, PA is , as you can read, "The Home of Nittany Lion Franks". The Nittany Lions are, if you didn't know already, the mascot of Penn State University. Nittany refers to the mountain range outside of State College, PA. And franks are Hot Dogs, duh. Kessler's is a forth generation family owned business that has been around since 1916 making various meat products including fresh and smoked sausages, franks, bologna and a sausage named "Primal Scream", you can get these at Harrisburg Senator's games if you are brave enough.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween, no I didn't forget.

I hope you all get a good sugar high tonight.

Bivouac of the Dead

This is the Cemetery at Antietam Battlefield. The battle of Antietam took place on September 17, 1862 and marked the deadliest day in American history. More than 23,000 dead or wounded. Compare that to D-Day, June 6, 1944, with 2, 510 casualties. Surrounding the monument at the center of the cemetery are plagues with some verses of Theodore O'Hara's poem Bivouac of the Dead. For more on the cemetery check the Department of National Park's website for the entire poem look here. The last picture is the graves of the unknown.

The muffled drum's sad roll has beat

The soldier's last tattoo;

No more on life's parade shall meet

That brave and fallen few.

On Fame's eternal camping-ground

Their silent tents are spread,

And Glory guards, with solemn round,

The bivouac of the dead.

No rumor of the foe's advance

Now swells upon the wind

Nor troubled thought at midnight haunts

Of loved ones left behind

No vision of the morrow's strife

The warrior's dream alarms;

No braying horn nor screaming fife

At dawn shall call to arms.

Your own proud land's heroic soil

Shall be your fitter grave

She claims from war his richest spoil

--The ashes of her brave.

Theodore O'Hara, 1858

Mr. Moon

Just playing with my zoom and tripod. It's amazing how fast the moon rises, you could actually follow it in the series of pictures I took while trying to get this right. Kinda looks like the Death Star.

Out of the Dark and Into the Shadows

Today marks my 6 month Blogiversery. Six months of my pictures, my pointless stories and my dry sense of humor. If you've been reading, Thanks. When I started this I said, "I'll let people know about this after 50 posts" but when I hit 50, it felt like I had just gotten started. Six months feels like the right time. Today I changed my profile to include a name, not the name my parents gave me but a name my uncles gave me more than 30 years ago. Sooner or later the spiralling circle of pictures will start to pinpoint me and as more friends who know me start to find this site they will recognise the name and who I am, those who didn't know me before, now know me. Hi, I'm Haney, nice to meet you. Thanks for stopping by.

These pictures are from yesterday. My wife and I took a ride through the mountain to see the changing colors, but with a week of rain there was only a little color left. Next weekend might be even better. Enjoy, and stop back often.

A Drive Through the Woods

This is from last weekend and shows where the colors were. (Please ignore the utility pole). It is raining now but I will be going through the mountain roads this weekend to see what I can see. I guess there was alot more green than I thought. Check back, I'm pretty sure what tomorrow's post will be.

WMRR Freight Station

Here's one I pulled from the way-back machine. August 18, 1979, six months before I joined the fire department, Shippensburg, PA, South Earl Street and West Orange Street, the old Western Maryland Railroad freight station, training. After dry training on this building for several weeks the companies of the Shippensburg Fire Department finally set fire to the old freight station and stood-by as it burned to the ground. I was running around with my trusty 110 camera and I got a few classics. This being one of them.

Note the church steeple in the background, less than 7 months later, on a Sunday morning in March 1980, this church would be heavily damaged by an arsonist. That being one of my first major fires.

The Barn with the Reflecting Window

This is the barn with the once peeling paint from this post. The Amishman has arrived and the painting has started. The picture was from last Sunday and I was hoping to get the setting sun reflecting in it, but the angle and position of the windows didn't work out. You know I'll try again sometime when there is a more dramatic sunset.

Hiding in Plain Sight (PG XXXI)

Sometimes you drive past something for so long that it either doesn't register or it just becomes forgotten. This Mail Pouch barn on Route 453, about 3 miles northeast of Water Street, PA (yes, that is the name of the village at the intersection with US 22) in Huntingdon County, is just such a place. I have been driving past here for 13 years and it took the website Ohio Barns to find it. And this day I actually drove past it again before I turned around to look, and there it was, hiding in plain sight. This is another one of those were you jump out quick snap a few pictures and take off again. My luck though, these people are probably very friendly and use to talking to people about this piece of Americana.

Under State

OK, who saw this coming? Raise your hands it couldn't have too many of you. These are obviously from under the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Bridge, aka the State Street Bridge, in Harrisburg, PA. Under here is a parking lot, the bottom picture is looking out towards Cameron Street. The top picture is a detail of the old light fixtures that are under here. The light was dripping water, so I had to time when I took my shot.

Over State

These eagles sit over the entrance to the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Bridge, aka the State Street Bridge, in Harrisburg, PA. This bridge, opened in 1930, honors soldiers and sailors from all wars. It spans Cameron Street and the Paxton Creek and the eagles sit on the 7th Street side of the bridge looking towards the Capitol.

ROCKtober in Colorado

I've been accused of be a bandwagon jumper lately. Nowadays, when I where my Rockies hat, Phillies fans think I'm a bandwagon jumper. Oh contraire. My son has a Colorado Rockies uniform that is size 12 months and a jersey shirt he got for Christmas 2 years ago. We saw them get beat by the Tigers in 2003 and again get beat by the Padres in 2005. And Jeff Francis was the losing pitcher that day. My kids have their picture with Dinger the mascot, even. In 2003 while touring Coors Field we ran into Manager Clint Hurdle and chatted briefly with him, nice guy by the way. We saw them in Baltimore in 2005 also (of course, the O's lost that one). While at the Coors Field game in 2005 we sat in the purple seats that ring the stadium at 5280' above sea level (yes, that would make it a "Mile High") even though we had better seats (it was 102 degrees and those seats were shaded). No , I am not a bandwagon jumper, and had the Expos not moved to DC, I would say they were my favorite "National League Team". But the O's continue to be MY TEAM.

Changes

The leaves are changing quickly here. The rain yesterday put a whole lot of them on the ground, but of those still hanging on I'd say that peak is very close. Next week may be too late. I have a picture, you can see it once Big Blogger fixes things up.

p.s. picture finally added 10-21-2007, OoS.

Sleep Tight

Sleep tight where ever you are. Whether you live in Suburbia or the Outskirts, sleep tight. Someone is out there watching over you.

State Street, Sunday Morning

Just a quick post. A view of a couple churches on State Street in Harrisburg City, just a half a block from the Capitol.

Feed From the Checkerboard Bag (PG XXX)

Painted Gentleman Number Thirty. I noticed this vacant building from Route 581, on the west shore of the Susquehanna River, and drove around Lemoyne, PA for a short while until I found it. It sits to the rear of Plum Street and 5th Street. I don't know anything about C. S. Willis and Sons but this is my first and only Purina building. The side towards Route 581 must be some housing developments for a local realtor.

Cooperstown Bronze

These are some of the statues outside of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. On the mound we have Satchel Paige and behind the plate, Roy Campanella. Satchel started his career in the Negro Leagues in 1924 with the Mobile Tigers and in 1948 he was offered a contract with the Cleveland Indians making him the oldest rookie in MLB history. He helped them win the pennant that year. Retired in 1953, Satchel pitched 3 innings for the Kansas City A's in 1965 at the estimated age of 60, to become the oldest pitcher in MLB history. Roy played with the Brooklyn Dodgers for all of his 10 years in the Bigs, caught in 5 World Series, was the National League MVP in 1951, 1953 and 1955 and was the first black catcher in MLB history. Campy was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1969, Satchel was inducted in 1971.

Peter Piper's Garden

These are some of the peppers in my garden. These are the japalenos. I let some turn red so that I have a little different flavor. I also have pablanos, bells and serranos. And a little bit of leaf lettuce, some garden, huh?

Garden of the Gods, Another Look

Here are some more pictures from the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. This park was donated to the city of Colorado Springs by the children of railroader Charles Elliot Perkins with the stipulation that it remain forever open and free to the public. As I said in my last post about the Garden this place is very beautiful, the red sandstone, the sage, the wildlife, it is a garden of the Gods. In the short time I spent inside the park, we found many trails, some short and flat and some that were more of a challenge. Someday I hope to get back out and explore some more. We saw people climbing some of these formations, now that's just crazy, we also saw deer out feeding around sunset and, oh yeah, we found some cacti in bloom.

The Barn With The Peeling Paint

These are some of the very first pictures I took with the new camera. This barn is on my cousins farm, it has been in the family for most of a hundred years. It is suppose to get painted this fall so just overlook the peeling paint if you're a farmer, if you're a camera person and not a farmer, yes the peeling paint makes an old barn look better. Give it some character.

All Shapes and Sizes

Fire hydrants come in all shapes and sizes but one thing is for sure (hopefully) is the color. Did you know that different colors mean different things. Usually the top of the hydrants color is coded to the amount of water pressure that is available form the hydrant. blue is for hydrants that flow over 1500 gallons per minute (GPM) these hydrants are very good. Green is for flows of 1000 to 1500 gpm and are good in residential areas. Orange indicates a flow of 500 to 1000 gpm and are marginally adequate. And then there is red, yes the color you always thought a hydrant should be, well red is a hydrant that only flows less than 500 gpm. A lot of thing can determine how good the flow to a hydrant is, and the proximity to the source is very good. The further away the hydrant is the lower the flow will be and if your hydrant like mine is at the end of the line thank heavens for Tankers.

Think Pink

These pictures are from last Sunday's Harrisburg walkabout. This is the fountain behind the State Capitol building and yes, it is pink. The PA Commission for Woman turned the fountain pink to kick off National Breast Cancer Awareness month and to remind people of the importance of early detection and treatment of breast cancer. Check out the press release here.

The Writing on the Wall (PG XXVIII & XXIX)

Painted Gentlemen 28 and 29 come from upstate New York. Number 28 is Stanford Sign Works at 1001 West Seneca Street in Ithaca and 29 is Schuyler Iron and Agricultural Works in Watkins Glen, down by the docks on Seneca Lake.

The Yankees Lose, Theeeeeeeee Yankees Lose!

Hey, George! There goes another $190, 000,000 well spent. I know, let's blame in on the manager.

Mono Diablo

I took my new camera for a walk yesterday morning in downtown Harrisburg. I parked on Locust near Front Street, walked up to 2nd, down to State Street, up and around the Capitol Building, to the State Street bridge, down North back to Front and then back to the where I parked. You will, over the next week or so, start to see some of these and other pictures from that walk and the Rebel, so check back daily. This, however, caught my eye. This evil monkey-dude is part of a crest on the north side of the Pennsylvania State Capitol Building. I just don't know what else to say.

Native Sons

These Native American dancers were dancing in 102 degree heat at the Manitou Cliff Dwellings outside of Colorado Springs. We visited there in July of 2005. I loved the colors against the red stone. More on the cliff dwellings another time.

With each new day that comes to pass.

Will the great spirit free us all at last?

He said we were the chosen ones.

For all we had there’s nothin’ left.

We won’t forgive - we can’t forget.

You know that your day will come.

My native son.

Bryan Adams, 1987

Imitation is the Greatest Form of Flattery

Yesterday I was tooling around on line looking at some photo sites and I checked out Trek Earth. I like this site, they post pictures from around the world. Normally I check out the West photos daily but Friday I clicked on Northeast and up popped this picture Here. I thought "Holy Cow, someone stole My Picture." After going back and forth their picture is from the center lane and maybe 100' closer. Gotta wonder did they see my picture or is my picture just one of millions?

Carlisle Fire Department, old stations

Carlisle, PA. Union Fire Company #1 on West Louther Street was organized in 1789 and built this building in 1888. The old fire house is now the company museum. Union's run as Cumberland County Company 41.

Good Will Fire Company #1's old fire house is on East Pomfret Street, just a block off Hanover Street. This building is now the Salvation Army Thrift Shop. The Good Will's were Company 44.

Cumberland Fire Company were housed on East Louther Street, this building I somehow missed a couple of weeks back when I shot all the others but I got back to it. It was at one time a carpet store but now appears to be unoccupied. Cumberland's were Company 40. In 1984 they merged with Good Will and now run together as Company 40, the Cumberland Good Will Fire Company.

Yellow

Flower pictures, this time the theme is yellow. Even the bee is yellow. Enjoy.

8th Street and Court Avenue (PG XXVII)

This weeks Painted Gentleman comes to us from Reading, PA. This mural is on the side of an old church at the corner of 8th Street and Court Avenue. I could not find the significance of this painting, I did try. The flags, the gentleman, the lady, it must be something important to the history of Reading or Berks County but try as I may, I came up empty. The painting is in the shape of Berks County, I did figure that out. If you know, let me know. Have a good day.