Prom

These are the Date's flowers on Junior's vest. I took these outside on the deck table to take advantage of the sunshine. I don't know what was more exciting; the Prom or the sunshine and no rain.

Sapeurs - Pompiers de Paris - Aubervilliers

Not only has this been Theme Week: Scans, it is also turning into a foreign language lesson. A quick post today, I'm running late. I found this picture among those from Paris. From what I wrote on the back this is the Paris Fire Brigade located in Aubervilliers. Aubervilliers is a northeast suburb of Paris. This must have been where my hotel was when I visited back in 1986.

Bienvunue a` Peripherie de la Banlieue

Year Five, Day One and the 4th Annual Cyber-Rollcall

That's right. One more year down. That's four now. This past year has been a busy one for me. Here at home, more so than here in the Blog-O-Sphere. This past year I posted 348 new posts, bringing my total to 1451 in four years. The past few months have seen a drop off in weekend posts, which will probably continue. I will post on the weekend if there is something you need to see. Otherwise unless you're coming to help mow the grass and shovel snow I'll see you during the week. The past year has also seen a drop in postings from a lot of my once daily reads. Is the blog dead? Has the evil MyFace generation taken over? Do you need to hear every detail of my existence? Don't look for me there, I don't see that happening.

This past year has brought me to new and exciting places and old and familiar places. Doing some things more and doing some things less. I bought a new lens to play with and a flash that I haven't fully explored. I spend some summer time in my favorite of places; Chincoteague Island, Virginia. Breathed the crisp Rocky Mountain air from a tent 10,000 feet in the Colorado Rockies. Spent Father's Day, solo, in Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. Junior and I met some friends at the Lunar New Years in Chinatown, NYC, again. Visited Balloonfest near Greencastle, Pa. for the first time. Our first attempt at the Great Philly Cheesesteak Road Trip. And back to old familiar Gettysburg, Pa. where a thought of recreating old postcards was born (stay tuned this summer). And a day trip to the Conowingo Dam, this time with an old friend, Brad Myers. This year? Who knows. Summer vacation isn't set yet. Father's Day daytrip isn't confirmed yet. Another Cheesesteak Roadtrip is in the works along with some much missed baseball. More Barn Charm on Monday's that I will link up to (there was 31 last week). More Painted Gentleman on Wednesday's as I find them. More SkyWatch on Thursday's even if I don't link up to it (there was 242 last week). More Fire Day Friday's and more Name That Station (soon). I can't wait.

The pictures I have posted here have all been posted before. Some are your favorites, some are my favorites. Most just tell my story since last year. Not all are 'frame-worthy', that has never been the intention here. All tell a story and are a glimpse into my head. Please excuse the spinning, it happens to me all the time. Top to bottom in no particular order... 1. Postcards from Gettysburg. May 20th, 9 comments. 2. Maryland Heights Overlook. Harpers Ferry, WV. June 22nd. 3. Green Grove Gardens Balloonfest 2010. August 2nd. 4. Sunrise, Friday the 13th. Assateague Island, Virginia. August 19th, 14 comments. 5. Pre-dawn. Assateague Island, Virginia. September 2nd, 5 comments. 6. The View from Eutaw Street. Camden Yards, Baltimore, Maryland. October 7th, 9 comments. 7. Carolina Dreaming. North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. October 14th, 10 comments. 8. The View from There. Flat Tops Wilderness Area, Colorado. November 4th, 13 comments. 9. 2nd Alarm Assignment. Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. November 15th. 10. The City in the Mirror. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. November 18th, 11 comments. 11. PFD Engine 20 Ladder 23. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. January 4th. 12. Crabman. Chinatown, NYC. March 15th, 4 comments. 13. Sunset. Cleversburg, Pennsylvania. April 14th. 14. The Barns of Meeker Past. Meeker Colorado. April 25th, 14 comments.

And now the Cyber-Rollcall part. Leave a message and let me know you're still out there. Unless I really am all alone here. Last year I had 6 people admit to stopping by.

Herr Gemalt vom Stadtrand von Vororte - Deutschland

Scans today come, again, by way of Europe. These are some of the many painted houses and buildings I saw while I was in Germany. The top two came from a volksmarch we participated in in Eichelberg. The last two were from my final trip to Munich. Munich is by far my favorite city. Anywhere. This was just three weeks before heading stateside to start a whole 'nother life. This is also, I think, within a week or so of getting my new Canon AE-1. So there was a lot of trial and a lot of error. These buildings, like many others, were more than paintings they were advertising. The first one translates to 'Old Rider'. I'm not sure of the meaning, maybe it means a stop for someone who has traveled a long time. The picture shows a cider or wine press. The second one, 'Zuchterheim' translates to 'Breeding House'. Notice the farm animals? The chicken, rabbits and pigeons? But the Moninger Beer sign tells me this is no longer a farm building. The third one reads 'Zerwick Vault, The Oldest Bavarian Wild Business - 1264'. This is a restaurant serving wild game. And the last has no words but I'd bet you could buy a liter of beer there.

Chateau de Versailles

Today's scans come from a long weekend trip to Paris back in 1986. Among the things I did that weekend was to visit and tour Versailles. Versailles was the seat of power in France starting in 1682 when King Louis XIV moved here from Paris. And it lasted for a little more than 100 years. Read the real history here. Among my pictures are the front gates of the palace, the Louis the XIV statue and the Gardens of Versailles. Those not posted include some on the artwork and rooms inside.

The Barns of Meeker Past

It won't be everyday this week but I am officially declaring it: ThemeWeek Scans. Plus I am, once again, sharing with Barn Charm again this week. These two beauties are on the outskirts of Meeker, Colorado. Although neither really looks like the stereotypical "Barn" both serve that purpose. The first, located beside a homestead just as beauteous has, if you look close, there is a fence up to it to contain and restrain livestock of some sort. There may not be a tractor here, but that my friends, is a barn. Picture number two appears to have been a dwelling of sorts at one time or another. But the door coming out of the gable end of the second floor loft tells me that this was a barn long before Jenny here used it to endure a snowy Colorado winter.

Dauphin County Convention 1981

Today we have scans. Scans of pictures I took at the 1981 convention of the Dauphin County Fireman's Association held by the Progress Fire Company. I will not expand on the pictures but feel free to add your own knowledge. They are, top to bottom, Vigilant Hose Co., Shippensburg's 1969 Seagrave, Engine 352. Harrisburg City's Engine 8. Engine 28, "Blue Max", from North Lebanon Township. Duncannon Fire Company. I don't know the designation of the refurbed deuce and a half but my guess is that it is a Brush truck. And the last old Ford is Engine 53 from Highspire.

Sunset Rerun

This would be the same sunset I posted last week. One this awesome can not be contained to one post. I can't promise that it doesn't make another appearance before I'm done with it. I've mentioned that the camera hasn't be making it to the eye as often as it once did. Trying to find inspiration is something I've talked about in the past. The flowers are blooming but I've taken so many flower pictures in years past. The birds have migrated back. But finding inspiration with the same bird on the same branch is difficult. Maybe I should just break out the albums and start scanning for a week, hope for better weather and spin the compass for a drive. Hopefully summer is more productive than the past winter.

Bromo Tower

I've posted the Bromoseltzer Tower before. I will post it again. Soon I hope to get some night time pictures of it. The Orioles started the season with a bang but have since fizzled. I think this requires a person trip to check things out. You know, for the fans. Maybe a Baltimore roadtrip would help out the old blogging slump that going on here, too. Heck, a sunny weekend could do that.

Rain or Shine: Track 2011

This season is typical spring. The good, the bad and the ugly. Tuesday's meet started bad and ended ugly. Thursday's meet brought sunshine and comfortable temperatures. Junior took second place in the 400 in both meets. The 4 x 400 relay team took a loss in the downpour but pulled out a convincing win for the setting sun Thursday evening. I know the kids have to stick around for all events to end but it is refreshing to see all gathered around for the final event cheering and screaming the relay team on. As if that run was the pivotal event of the meet. Whether is is or not. I'm sure the boys enjoy the basking for all of their 4 minutes.

More of the Flooding

These are a continuation of the flooding pictures I posted yesterday. The first two will be my "Barn Charm" for today. The second two show the flooding from the Conodoguinet Creek at Ramps Covered Bridge, a covered bridge that crosses over the creek. The Conodoguinet flows left to right behind the barn on the top two pictures.

ps. I think I now have all my barns linked together under the "Barns" label.

And the Rains Fell

It rained yesterday. And rained. And rained. And then it rained really hard. Well this morning I took a drive a see. The worst was the Conodoguinet Creek in Hopewell and Upper Mifflin Townships. Some bridges were impassable, some closed with barricades and some the water was so high it was best that you couldn't see just how high the water was. I drove through some flooded roadways but the worst ones where barricaded and I knew best to turn around. Other streams that feed into the Conodoguinet were not nearly as bad. Some were barely bankfull. This area got between 3 and 5 inches of rain yesterday. Local weather shows the Conodoguinet about a half a foot above flood stage and reaching almost two feet over by this evening.

FDNY: On the Job

This is Ladder 50 and several engines on a run back in 2006. I can't think of what bridge this is but what I do recall is this was a box truck fire. Ladder 50 runs out of Throgs Neck, the Bronx. Along with Engine 89 they are known as the Cuckoo's Nest.

Sunset

The view from Cleversburg. I know it looks more like the open savanna but this is just the view over an open soybean field. And the tower. That's my tower. That's the tower behind my house. But from the other side. I was pleased with the sunset Sunday. The first in a while that was worthy of, "Hey, pull over up here" We've all been there, haven't we?

C.O. Bigelow's Pharmacy

This is the same building I had posted last Wednesday as the Painted Gentleman of the week. Today, though, we are doing the storefront view of it. Bigelow's is in the West Village neighborhood of New York City. Been there forever. After getting home and looking at the pictures I took of the building I saw a bunch of details I wish I would have picked up on. But I would have had to cross the Avenue of the Americas. Not always an easy thing to do.

Track & Field Season

It is spring. It is Track and Field Season. Not counting the meet that was rained out already, last Saturday was the second Invitational meet of the year. Windy. Cold. Threat of rain. Mud. Yup, it's Track season. The worst thing about taking Track pictures is these guys run right at you. How the heck do you focus on something coming at you at 15 mph. That's why you see Ship's 4 x 400 relay team warming up and not speeding at me. This is this incarnation's first time running the relay together. Let's just say that they didn't finish in last place. It's all up from here.

Squad 252, Bushwick, Brooklyn, NYC

I know, I know, I'm posting FDNY pictures again. I have more. I had forgotten that I had this picture of Squad 252's Hazardous Materials unit. So I thought I'd add a few other shots from in and around the old Station 52 of the old Brookyln Fire Department.