Other Stuff

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Skirmish Line


A view along the skirmish line of Union troops during March to Destiny in the streets of Shippensburg, Pa. This annual event commemorates the Confederates passing through the town in June of 1863 on their way to the real fight over the South Mountain in Gettysburg. This reenactment was from 2008 and after I worked the picture I realized I had posted it back in 2008, but as a full color version.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

G. La Rosa and Son Bread Co. Inc. NYC


Another storefront from the streets of New York City. This one, also, was along Elizabeth Street (probably 209 Elizabeth Street, ya think?) Although Mr. La Rosa and his boys may not be here anymore it looks like it is now some sort of antique shop or maybe one of those architechural recycling places. They weren't open or I would have stopped in. The side yard had old lawn sculptures and stuff in it.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Daffodils




April shower can and more that likely will come your way. They probably will bring flowers that bloom in May. But daffodils just aren't that patient. The rains of late winter, the sun of early spring and despite the temperature of mid winter these yellow beauties are coming to the party.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Barn Charm


Occasionally I'll tell you about a blog I may visit frequently or sporadically. Today I'm gonna tell you about a blog out of southeast Missouri called Bluff Area Daily. I think I found myself flipping through "Daily Photo" blogs once and came onto this one and now I visit there every once in a while. Well Tricia over there started this thing called "Barn Charm" and posts pictures of barns on Mondays. It's kind of like SkyWatch from down on the farm. I thought of her blog when I took this yesterday morning. (Very AT&Tish, isn't it?) I probably could have used last Monday's barn too. I'm not saying I'll be a regular contributor to this but if a barn needs posting I'll link up to it. I filed this under BARNS. When I get a chance I'll go back through the last four years and add to that file. I guess this would appeal to silo-people, too.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Mergansers on the Conodoguinet




On my morning ride this morning I saw these Common Mergansers drifting downstream on the Conodoguinet Creek. This is my second encounter with the merganser and just like last time I still haven't captured a decent image. The white one is the mature male the others seem to be immature birds.

Friday, March 25, 2011

FDNY Support Vehicles



We found these two vans along the streets of New York. The recruitment van was parked at Sara Roosevelt Park in Chinatown where they had a recruitment stand set up. The Special Operations van was parked across the street from Squad 18's house.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Cat Tails


While walking along Big Spring last Sunday morning I was playing around with depth of field. Change the ISO. Change the f-stop. Go for the cat tail bokah. I think I liked this one best.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Albanese Meats and Poultry

This is on of the many small storefronts I encountered in New York City. The red front is almost reminiscent of a fire station. This market was on Elizabeth Street.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Farner's Amusement Center

Although I've never actually been in Farner's I think it is a, sort of, PG rated pool hall on the corner of North Washington Street and East King Street in Shippensburg.

Monday, March 21, 2011

The Red Barn


On of the many sights I see when I take my walks along the Big Spring on the outskirts of Newville, Pa. This barn resides along Nealy Road.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Out and About

I finally hauled by butt out of bed before the sun came up this morning. First time that's happened on a weekend since hunting season. I took a spin around the gamelands hoping to see some turkeys or deer. Lots of hawks, a few squirrels and one deer. Then I went on down to Big Spring for a walk. First time down there in months and months. The red winged blackbirds are starting back. I also saw mallards, wood ducks, Canada geese, kingbirds, a kingfisher, sparrows, a woodpecker and a blue heron. And three or four muskrats. I hope I can get back into a routine and do some more of those walks all spring and summer.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Tyrone, Pa. Fire Department





As you should know by now I was up north in central Pennsylvania a week or two ago. Passing through Tyrone I stopped by their firehouses for some pictures. Shown first is the Blazing Arrow Hook and Ladder Fire Company. How cool is that name? Blair County Company 33. Their website mentions an older hook and ladder company that went under and the local Redman's Club brought it back naming it after their local chapters name. That was in 1911. This station sits in the 1200 block of Blair Avenue. Also attached to this station is something you never hear of down in our parts. It's the fireman's social club. Second I have the Tyrone Fire Patrol Company No. 1. Googling tells me nothing about this organization. Googling does mention a Neptune Fire Company in Tyrone that I can't find anywhere else. The fire patrol company sits on 15th street at Burley Street. When I peeked in the window it appeared to have a Fire Police van inside.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

R. Glass Leather Shop (PG 166)

I discovered this Painted Gentleman while walking through Chambersburg during their annual Icefest and Fireworks Extravaganza. It was along North Main Street about a half a block north of the square. It faces south, against the one way traffic. That's how it stayed hidden for so long. The Ice sculptures here were meant for you to walk up behind and stick your face into for a picture of you as an ice Eskimo holding your cat. The answer to your next question is, "No."

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Crabman


While wandering through Chinatown we saw this guy. I think he was sizing the crabs and putting them in different baskets.
I don't often go artistic on my pictures. I prefer to see them as the are. Lighten them, boost the color and sharpen. Not always all three but one or two of those options. Maybe, on occasion, switch to black and white. I posted two version of the same picture here.

Monday, March 14, 2011

YMCA, Tyrone, Pa.

While driving home through Tyrone last week, as always happens, something interesting caught my eye. Since when is a building demolition interesting? (this is the third here) When the big CAT is literally centerstage. While snapping these pictures I struck up a conversation with an older gentleman who was also watching the process. He told me this old building was built in 1914. There were basketball games here, a swimming pool, a two-lane bowling alley and a 600 seat auditorium (by the looks of the stage here it must have been a beauty). He said he played in a rock band in the 60's and they would play here. Time has taken it's toll on the old Y. Hurricane Ivan struck the decisive blow in 2004 warping the floors. The current owner made an attempt at saving the building but the damage was more than anyone could handle. By now I'm sure this is a vacant lot. I did dig up a little history here. And I see they have their own My Face page. I don't do the Facebooks, you know, a lot less drama over here by myself.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Phoenix Fire Company, Hollidaysburg, Pa.




With spring almost here I'm seeing the beginning of some work related travel in my future. Last week that took me to Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. Within a short walk of were I was working (in opposite directions, though) I found the current and old firehouses of the Phoenix Volunteer Fire Company. Blair County Station 10. Formed in 1871 they say they are the only original Blair County fire company to make it through both World Wars and the Great Depression. The new station sits at 206 Wayne Street and the old station is on North Montgomery Street (I think). They run two engines, a rescue, a QRS squad and a tower truck. Last year they ran 429 calls.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Elk


Yep, running out of inspiration. In an attempt to not post recurring themes I've had to swim upstream quite a bit to find something new. This bull elk is from October of 2009. And it actually is a good picture. Tomorrow is Fireday and I have that covered. Beyond that...

Wednesday, March 09, 2011

Wanna Play a Little Game



If you were to stop by the Philadelphia Municipal Building you would think you are part of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Scattered about are random, very large game pieces. From the wheelbarrow and iron from Monopoly, Chess pieces, Checkers pieces (even some that are kinged), the play pieces from Sorry and, of course Dominoes. We saw these on the way to somewhere else but had to stop and now I'm sharing them with you.

Tuesday, March 08, 2011

Going out for Chinese



What best describes a place. The people? The food? Would Chinatown be Chinatown without the Chinese? Is Little Italy still Little Italy with the Chinese? One of the reasons Junior and I trek to NYC in February is the food. Although I wish I had the time to experiment more, I think we found some things we liked a lot this year. Dumplings. Like little pierogies with see-through wrappings. Dipped in soy and hot pepper sauce. We got them at Vanessa's Dumpling House on Eldridge Street. They came out looking pink like miniature baby piglets. A little intimidating, but wow. I could eat some now. After the parade we stopped at a Vietnamese restaurant for a baguette sandwich. It definitely looked better than it tasted. Here we broke an unwritten rule and each got one to try. Problem was it wasn't that great and it filled us up. We made this similar mistake last year at a Malaysian place called the Sunrise, I think. Difference was it was very good but too much for someone who want to try something else. Hey, they had a 'roast meat' special at this place. How could you go wrong? And on the walk back to the car we stopped at Natalie's Bakery (not the Nice One Bakery, as seen here) for a pineapple roll. Still too stuffed to eat it we had them for breakfast the next day. So remember the next time you travel someplace new. Eat like the locals. Seems a waste to go that far and eat at a place that is within 5 miles of your house.

Monday, March 07, 2011

Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church




Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church in Mount Union, Pa. Nice weather for a roadtrip. Passed by this church along Route 522 in Huntingdon County. Loved the way the Russian Cross looked against the blue sky.

Sunday, March 06, 2011

Grass Fire for the Stand-By Crew




Welcome to the weekend. Yesterday, while taking a nap on the couch, the pager tones sounded for a grass fire. Well, I'm awake now, might as well take the camera and go. The flames had been knocked down before I got there but there was still plenty of work left for me to document. Our annual banquet was last night so we have friends from Mifflin County come down and man the firehouse for the weekend. This gives everyone time to prepare, enjoy and rest up from the festivities. So in these pictures there is a total of four Vigilant guys. The rest are from 5 or 6 different companies from the Lewistown area. Sometime after midnight the answered an alarm for an auto accident on the Interstate. Great job guys.

Friday, March 04, 2011

Chanute AFB,Illinois FD



Another week of old scanned pictures. This week we are back in the USAF and looking at firehouses. After basic training in the Summer of 1983 I was assigned to technical school at Chanute AFB in Rantoul, Illinois. I would spend the next 13 weeks here. The firehouse sat at the corner of Pacesetter and Galaxy Drives . The engine must have been one of the 1978 Ward La Frances that they ran. They closed Chanute in 1993 and from some of the pictures I've seen since a lot of the buildings were left to waste. Some have been torn down. Sparky spent some time here also, before I got there. I'm sure he saw the inside of this station. I hear they had one of the few brass poles in the Air Force.

Thursday, March 03, 2011

The Streets of Chambersburg



Yes, you have seen this sign before, but finding cool, neon in my neck of the woods is tough. These pictures are all from Icefest in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.

Wednesday, March 02, 2011

P. Zaccaro, NYC (PG 165)



P. Zaccaro
Co. Inc.
Z
Real Estate
Brokerage
Management
Mortgages
Insurance
225 Lafayette St.
Cor. Spring St.
Tel.
Canal 6-1212-1213
General Agents
Efficient Management
The Keystone of Successful
Real Estate Operations
------------------------
Stanley Outdoor Div. Co. NY
------------------------
J. Eis & Son
105 First Ave.
Orchard 4-1209
------------------------
Home Laundry
(the rest is a mystery)
------------------------
Painted Gentleman 165 sits in New York City on the corner of Elizabeth Street and Kenmare Street.