Mountain Mules

If it wasn't for this wonderful group, I don't think anything would happen out west. Mules and pack horses do everything from hauling your gear in to hauling your elk out. You could walk in, you could walk out, but if you want to take a few simple amenities here is your answer. Forgive me for not introducing everyone here but in the first picture is Oprah, looking straight at you, and Julie, looking straight away. Not sure but that may be Luther facing to the right. Luther and I go way back. Julie helped pack out my second elk in 2004. And Oprah just looks lost without Eli around.

A North Carolina Original (PG 160)

This is the Painted Gentleman I found when I got out of the truck to get pictures of the Pepsi and Coke signs while passing through Fremont, North Carolina. Definitely an old, original one. Pepsi first appeared in 1883 as Brad's Drink, in New Bern, North Carolina. It was renamed Pepsi-Cola in 1903. New Bern is just 70 miles east south east of Fremont.

Eagles at the Dam

Quick post today. Here is some of the few pictures I took of some mature bald eagles at Conowingo Dam. We didn't see many eagles and only a few were flying and even fewer were mature. Still well worth the trip.

Crabbing at Barnacle Bill's

One of our favorite things to do at the beach during the summer afternoons is crabbing. To avoid crowds and the typical over crabbed places we will pay a small fee to Mr. Barnacle Bill and crab off of his dock. Sure there are other people out there with us but there is room for everyone. Then it's just a matter of tying a chicken neck to the net, casting and waiting. Sometimes they get away before you can get them out of the net and sometimes they tangle themselves up pretty tight in the net making it difficult to untangle them. I had one pinch me right under the fingernail. Ouch! Drew blood. We ate him. With lots of Old Bay and butter.

Chistmas Doors 2010, part 1

It's pretty bad that I get inspired to take some Christmas door pictures on the day after Christmas.

No. 1; Shippensburg Presbyterian Church on East King Street at South Prince Street. No. 2; First Church of God on East King Street at North Gettle Alley. No. 3; Christ United Methodist Church on East King Street at Apple Alley. No. 4; Vigilant Hose Company No. 1 on East King Street at North Prince Street.

Merry Christmas to All and to All a Goodnight

The problem with the holiday season is that you end up leaving little time for yourself. I just got home a little while ago (that's why I'm posting so late) and from the time the gifts were unwrapped until now I have been home for all of about an hour and a half. Three parties and one friend-visitation from 11:30 this morning until 10:45 tonight. It was a good Christmas here at the home office of the Outskirts of Suburbia, all employees were overpaid as usual. The boss did OK. And me? Just glad the free flow of funds has subsided. Now to get through all two and a half days of "the week that doesn't matter" work and I get another long weekend. That makes three holidays in five weeks. Next holiday... Memorial Day... just 4 months and 30 days away.

How Lovely are Your Branches

It's almost time. It's almost time for Santa to slide down the chimney and empty his sack of toys and goodies under my tree. Because, as you know, I have been a good boy all year. These are just some of the ornaments on my tree. No generic theme for my tree. Nearly everything means something. A lot of vacation things, fire things, soccer, cheerleaders and mermaids. The bike and the fireman I bought while I was stationed in Germany. The cowboy is from Meeker, Colorado, The starfish Santa is from Chincoteague. And the frog somehow made it onto the big tree, usually it's on the girl's tree with the rest of the Christmas frogs.

Up On the Rooftop, Click, Click, Click...

I am trying to get some Christmasy pictures to post but I just can't seem to find them around here. I find no over the top light displays, no nothing that screams Merry Christmas. I guess I'll have to leave town to find something. This is the firehouse, tonight, with it's burnt out lights and all.

In the Meadow We Can Build a Snowman...

Snowmen, Bokah and the Solstice Eclipse

Here is some of the snowmen hanging out inside my house this Christmas. Of course, one of them had to be a fireman. And Bokah. Bokah is the blurred light seen in the background of an image. It's fun to play with. And finally, yes, I did get up in the middle of the night to see the lunar eclipse. It was cloudy all night so any sighting was near impossible. This picture I took through the living room window at 4:30 AM. By sunrise there were very few clouds in the sky to obstruct the moon.

... and All Through the 'house...

As promised here is the start of Christmas pictures. This one is the Vigilant Hose Company of Shippensburg, Pa., taken two years ago. There will be newer pictures to come. I converted this one to black and white to see if the Christmas thing worked without color. You tell me.

The Gull and the Fish

We drove all the way down to the Conowingo Dam, just south of the Maryland border on the Susquehanna River, to see the bald eagles flying. I come home with pictures of a gull fishing. And by the looks of it he brought home enough for the whole family.

OC's Boardwalk Observation Tower

Just like Summer and summer vacations, Theme Week: Summertime here along the Outskirts of Suburbia, is drawing to a close. You can see the memories flashing by like a movie. Like Danny Zuko and Sandra Dee singing all about their summer romance while image of them holding hands and skipping around the beach flashed by as the T-Birds and Pink Ladies doo-wopped along. Summer will be back. It won't be long until it's too hot and uncomfortable to move very far from the A/C. Until then warm some cider, roast your chestnuts and spike the eggnog. Christmas is only a week a way.

Mid-Summer Classic

The other Mid-Summer Classic. Fireworks. Pyrotechnics. Nothing says hot and humid like laying on a blanket in the grass, fat and happy with a hot dog in one hand and a cold beer in the other than large amounts of explosives igniting just over your head. Yes, there's the booms and pops and bangs, whizzers and cracklers and then there is the "sound checks", KA-BOOOOOOM! And the blinding flash of white light that follows. Sometimes three or four of them. No pretty colors, no ooooohhh's, no aaaaahhh's. Just barely enough time to flinch and cover your ears. Ever notice it's always the first thing in the air, too? Like I said, " Sound Check". Just enough to let everyone know "It's Time". And bring the squeamish to tears.

Ahhhh, Summertime!

Please ignore the below freezing temperatures outside, jump into your Bermudas and flip flops and lets go smell the flowers. We're still celebrating summer despite single digit wind chills (what a little frostbite between friends?) Don't worry I'll be all Christmasied up next week, so pop a top, my friends and lets go lay out on the deck.

Be VERY Alert

Corporate decision: we are observing summer this week. That correct... it is Theme Week: Summer. This news is straight from the main office, and I have sworn my allegiance. Today it's baseball. These summery signs are found in Fenway Park up north in Boston, Mass. Just a couple more pictures from our trip home from Maine last, last summer. If you take anything at all away from reading my blog, please, please take a mental note that foul balls and bats, indeed, DO hurt. Thanks for joining in. Next week I promise some Christmas pictures. Promise. And don't interfere with those balls when their in play either.

North Myrtle Sunset

A little breath of fresh air for all of us who survived the hype of impending blizzard that turned to rain showers and mid 30's. I offer you all this view from North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Taken back in October.

Winter's Coming

It's just around the corner. The snow, the cold, the ice, the dark. Will it be a wet one, a white one or a wimpy one? We had snow this early last year and the snow machine hammered us. I guess only time will tell.

And Finding a Christmas Tree

It's Christmas tree time, people. Last weekend was my time. It's a hard time of year to stop what you are doing and venture out to the tree farm, hop a ride on the wagon to the far away side of the farm to wander through the Dougs and find the perfect tree. Is there a perfect tree? Too tall. To fat. That one has a hole in the side. We could put that towards the wall. There's one. Who do I look like, Charlie Brown? Crooked truck. Lopsided trim. Three tops. How about this one? Cut it down. Quick.

Will I give this up for a plastic tree? No way. I'm like the mailman when it's time to look for the Christmas tree... through rain, sleet, snow or freezing cold... we will deliver the tree.

Railroad Graffiti

As a blogger some days I get writers block. I sit here and just don't know what to write. I find a picture to share but the words don't come to me. Then I just type what's on my mind. Do you think that graffiti "artists" ever get that feeling?

This filthy filthy train was rolling eastbound somewhere between Denver and Limon, Colorado.

Black Vultures at Conowingo

Bradley and I may not have seen a lot of Bald Eagles on our trip down to Conowingo Dam last month but we did see a whole bunch of Black Vultures. Many roosted near the parking area were all the photographers (and me) were set up. They have a face only a mother can love, don't you think?

Marshmallow Farming

Sorry for the lacking of posts this weekend, the Holidays have me running around like a mad man. No, This isn't really marshmallows these are bales of hay wrapped in plastic to keep them out of the weather until they are needed to feed livestock over the almost here winter.

20. Cumberland County Fire Stations

OK, time to revel the answers. Thanks again to Wally and Sparky for the before pictures this week.

First station... Citizens Fire Company No. 1 of Enola. Cumberland County Co. 18. Part of the East Pennsboro Fire Department. 230 North Enola Drive in Enola. Organized in 1905 (as the Enola Fire Company No. 1), their station was built in 1928 and dedicated in 1929. In 1942 they reorganized as the Citizens Fire Company.

Second station... Citizens Fire and Rescue Company No. 2 of Mechanicsburg. Cumberland County Company 27. The Citizens Fire Company was formed in 1903 and the new firehouse was built between 1903 and 1905 on South York Street. In 1975 they merged with the Rescue Hook and Ladder Company and became the Citizens Fire And Rescue Company.

Third station... Midway Fire Company No. 2, 17 East Manor Avenue, Enola. Cumberland County Company 17. Part of the East Pennsboro Fire Department. It looks as if their website was just redone and there is no history listed. So, I don't have any information about them. They Run a Truck and an Engine out of this station.