Timber Hill Sunset

I kind of like this one. I tried something different this night, I think it worked.

Striking Gold

This mornings walk along the Big Spring, on the Outskirts of Newville, Pa, was a more than 2 mile loop out and back. Lots of pictures, lots of colors, lots of birds and lots of flowers. Ever get to a point on an adventure, regardless of how big or small, when you decide to push around just one more corner, 10 more minutes? Is it me or are we more frequently rewarded for that little bit more? I think you miss a lot taking the short cut. This morning I rounded one more corner, walked 10 more minutes and was blessed with gold. Goldfinches. At one point 4 of them were flitting back and forth. Then these two posed for me and I was thankful for my perseverance. Even without seeing anything more than I had already, I enjoyed the additional time on a beautiful morning along the Spring.

March to Destiny 2008

Saturday Post Live, Take 4. Wow, what an afternoon. Actually it started yesterday and I first went in just before lunch to hear Lincoln talk and walk through the camps. I returned for the street skirmish at 3 pm. Everything, including the skirmish, takes place at or near the library on West King Street. I stood on the east side of the creek and watched the Confederates push the blue coats back from Fayette Street over the Branch Creek and onto the Square. This order seemed to allow all the spectators to get a good look at the soldiers. A lot of shots were fired, King Street was littered with the wrappings of the quick-loads. After reaching the Square all the re-enactors paraded back through the street where President Lincoln reviewed the troops at the library before dismissing back to the encampments.

I took a bunch of pictures and hope to work some up on my new program, so be on the look out. I give you, today, a casualty, the Rebs and the Union.

To Lift a Nation

The new 9/11 memorial at the National Firefighters Memorial Park in Emmitsburg, Md. is huge. It is three times life size and is modeled after the photograph taken by Thomas E. Franklin of three firefighters raising the American flag over the ruins of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The sculpture "To Lift A Nation" is by Utah sculptor Stan Watts and it is awesome. I seem to have bad luck with the light in Emmitsburg, to get a good picture I'll have to return to catch the morning (pre-noon) light. I'll wait a little while, the platform the statue stands on is still being completed. If you live close by it is definitely worth the drive to see this and the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial. Don't forget you've got to stop for a entry pass at security.

Down the Line

Seldom used railroad tracks, somewhere south of Bair, York County, Pa.

Let Teddy Win!

While at the Washington Nationals game on June 5th we got to witness a little piece of DC baseball fun... the Presidents Race. It appeared that it may be an historic race this time with Teddy out in front and George, Abe and Tom in the far distant but out of nowhere Teddy was taken down by a panther. Abe pulled out a win on this night. Total standings for the year- Abe 15, Tom 9, George 7 and Teddy... 0. According to the website devoted to such things--blog.letteddywin.com --the rules are simple: "The presidents race winner is not always predetermined. While some theatrics are occasionally planned in advance, the race, for the most part, has been real. Once the presidents break for the finish line, there historically been only one rule: Teddy is not allowed to win."

You just can't make this stuff up.

Mongul Hill Sunset

My luck with the sun setting isn't going well this summer. I see a good sunset lining up but until I get somewhere with the camera I'm too late or there's wires. And when I'm ready and waiting for a sunset I get nothing. These are from June 8th and taken along Mongul Hill Road just east of the village of Mongul, you can see the church in the second picture.

BIG

This cumulonimbus just kept getting bigger. I didn't think there was enough heating left in the day to make anything out of it, but no more than an hour later... BOOM. Just a quick one but enough to end the weed pulling for the evening.

My First O's Game of the Year

Baseball in Charm City, there is no better way to spent a summer evening. We all went down this past Thursday. It was Nick Markakis bobblehead night, remember? The man of the evening is seen at bat in the middle picture. The panoramic picture was worked up on my new Photoshop Elements program. Ain't that cool? Click on that there picture once you can hardly see any stitching! That panorama left the ballpark in my camera as 3 different pictures and Saturday I was avoiding mowing my lawn and played with the pictures coming up with a couple different options. The first attempt though bent the outfield fence and gave the Astros 2 first base coaches. The third picture annoys me. Just who do the Hiltons think they are? I can no longer see the Bromo-Seltzer building from high above home plate. I find this more annoying than Paris! We were parked close to the Bromo building but fidgeting with the camera all night killed my batteries so I guess I just have to go back down. Dang it. And hey, the Orioles won completing a three game sweep of Miggi and his Houston Astros.

Let the Fireworks Begin

Tonight on Saturday Post Live we've got more OOOOH's and AAAAH's than you can shake a stick at. Tonight was the annual fireworks display put on by the South Newton Township Fire Company of Walnut Bottom, Pa. Great show, it probably lasted 35-40 minutes. I had good seats again this year. I've been in on the fair grounds behind the firehouse years ago and you had to lay down to watch them. They were exploding right above your head. As with last year we were maybe 400 yards away, I could see the guy with the flare setting them off. Enjoy these it took a little while to figure things out but I did. Some of these were taken with a 30 second exposure.

National Fallen Firefighters Memorial 5/08

I visited the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg Md again on Memorial Day. I took pictures of the monument again, this time with the afternoon sun shining on in. Last time the morning sun was behind it and it made it difficult to get any good pictures of it. The whole family went along, they were quickly impressed but just as quickly ready to move on. I also got pictures of the newest monument here. If you don't know what that is I'm going to make you wait. Tune in next week. Check out my 7/20/07 post or my 7/13/07 post here.

This Week's Hint to Why I'm Late. Again.

It's been a long ride I'll fill you in on the details later. Let's just say they did some sweeping in Birdland tonight.

Doc Norcross (PG LXII)

The Painted Gentleman this week will take you back to your childhood. Doc Norcross Stadium is the main field for the Shippensburg Little League. Located on South Fayette Street 'Doc' has seen thousands of ballplayers and even a few champions. The sign on the second floor acknowledges the 1978 Girls Major League softball team for winning the Little League World Series, these girls also won the 1981 Girls Senior League Softball World Series. And the boys, too won the 1990 Major Boys USA Championship, losing to Taipei, Taiwan in the World Series. Not too shabby for a town of only about 5,000 folks. The last picture? What would a baseball stadium picture set be without some warning signs?

Lilies

Flowers, day three. And the flower of the day... Lilies! I will have more, my yellow lilies haven't bloomed yet. The red/orange one just bloomed in the past couple of days. Now the orange ones, they are not your average garden variety as everyone here in South Central PA will attest to. No, these are transplanted lilies of the roadside variety. That's right drive down any back farm road and these are what you will find. I just needed something to fill in an area on the far side of the house where I don't go except to mow. Next a break from flowers but as the colors explode you will see more.

More Columbine

I realize you're getting flowers two days in a row, so don't be too surprised if you don't see some more tomorrow. The purple and white columbine is growing near to where my purple ones are growing. They were just a little later blooming. They are a lot smaller, I think they may be a miniature variety. And the pink and white ones I just bought Saturday night on sale along with some called White Angel. They were no longer blooming so I'll post pictures of them next year. Hope you like my flowers because I have a good feeling you'll see more tomorrow for sure.

Flowers for Dad

Yes, flowers for Dad. These flower pictures were taken at Mom & Dad's place. The roses, in fact belonged to his Dad, my Pap, and Pap has been gone nearly 30 years. The lupine, though, is all Dad's. Happy Father's Day one and all.

Saturday Post Live, Take 2

Here it is my second week of Saturday Post Live and I did nothing today. Well, I went shopping. Like I said I did nothing. Didn't even whack the weeds. As luck would have it the drizzly rain let up and the sun peeked through just before it disappeared below the North Mountain. And as luck would have it I had my camera with me. I promise something better next week. Bear with me.

Training Night: Dry Hydrants

Last night was training night. I rode along for the first time in many many years. Along with dry hydrant training was drivers training. We drove out to a pair of dry hydrants on an Amish farm pond north of town. A dry hydrant is basically a PVC pipe that runs underground into a pond or stream. In case of fire an engine would hook up their hard sleeve and draft or pump water out of the water source and either pump it straight to a fire or fill tankers that will take it to the fire. Along with this a driver-in-training got to operate the engine and it's pump and other members learned how to hook up to a dry hydrant and play with the deluge gun.

View From the Other Side

This is the companion to my Vintage Postcard post. That is the same cream/yellow building and the red building is just to my left. Straight ahead is the Branch Creek Bridge and the Shippensburg Public Library. And, yes, I'm knee deep in the Branch Creek.

No Parking (PG LXI)

Just when I though t I had run out of Painted Gentlemen, I remembered I had this one. It is in Carlisle PA to the rear of West High Street behind the Cumberland County Historical Society.

Learning to Fly

While mowing the grass this week I was visited by this little guy. I got some pictures and left him alone but kept an eye on him. Mom would buzz by with encouragements or land in a nearby tree. Finally he lifted off an made it across the yard. Then up and over the neighbors drive and into his yard. I lost him then, hope he made out OK.

"There's no sensation to compare with this

Suspended animation, state of bliss.

Can't keep my eye from the circling sky,

Tongue-tied and twisted just an earthbound misfit, I"

Pink Floyd, 1996

Sunset 6/7/8

With the high temps and humidity there has been a few good sunsets in the past several days. This one from Saturday evening, I think I missed the best part. 'Til a noticed it and mobilized I was left with little color. While watching the colors fade and dissipate I noticed the storm cloud behind me. The storm never hit.

Third and K

This old closed up market at 3rd and K Street SE in DC was across the street from where I parked for the Nationals game last Thursday. Thought I could do something with it but I'm not sure I did. My excuse for the late posts this past week is that I bought and installed Photoshop Elements 6 last weekend. I'm still learning how to use it. It seems to be a lot like the Photo Suite I was use to. Maybe I should go buy one of those Photoshop for Dummies books.

Wishes Made

Today through maybe Labor Day on Saturdays I'm going to TRY to do something I'll call Saturday Live (how original is that?). I'll post late these nights but I'll show you what I did that day. Hopefully it's more that a picture of my weed whacker.

Today was the 6th Annual Franklin County Truck Convoy for Make A Wish. All the opening festivities were held, again, at Cressler Trucking in Shippensburg. The Truck Convoy is a big fundraiser for Make A Wish Foundation that this year got 40 some trucks together to raise money for and give rides to terminally ill children. The parade left through Shippensburg, Chambersburg, Greencastle, over to Waynesboro and back through Mont Alto and Scotland before returning to Cressler Trucking. The trucks included antiques, fire engines (from the Vigilants of Shippensburg, Fayetteville and Mont Alto) cattle trucks, mail trucks, delivery box trucks, dump trucks, trailer trucks, flatbeds, wreckers and even a cement mixer. Plenty of food before and after, pizzas were donated by Papa Johns and Pizza Hut. It was a hot day but few complained the kids seemed to have a good time and I think the drivers even enjoyed themselves.