WEFR Dedicates Firehouse Addition

After many years of needing more space, years of planning and months of construction the West End Fire and Rescue of Shippensburg, Pa. finally was able to dedicate this addition and celebrate with friends, neighbors and fellow firefighters. WEFR was organized in 1955 and in 1970 built the original building to the left of the addition. Since then it was added to and now this new area gives them room for all their apparatus and the new gear room and watch room will help them with their day to day operations. Soon there will be a sunny day and I can stop by and update my pictures of Company 15's new station.

Sunset over Tom's Cove

Yes, it is possible to can an awesome sunset from the Atlantic Coast beach. This one was falling over Tom's Cove on Assateague Island, Virginia. This rising tides kept pushing us further and further back from the ocean side of the island. Not near the colors of a sunrise though.

Cresson Street Mural (PG 179)

This mural is along Cresson Street in the Manayunk neighborhood of Northwest Philadelphia. As near as I can find it is call Manaunk Passage by Ken Millington assisted by Bryan Miller and was dedicated  December16, 2003. I like how they incorporated the bridge builders date (1929) into the mural. This is my second train mural from Philly... see here.

Comma

Another butterfly stops by my, now infamous, butterfly bush back in early September. And if you thought identifying birds was tough try to ID a butterfly sometime. I'm pretty sure this is a butterfly called a Comma. What kind of Comma? I give up. You tell me.

Catching a Breeze

OK, by now it's no secret that I spent a long weekend last weekend down on Chincoteague Island, Virginia. Take some pictures, do some crabbing , eat a crab cake or two and just... chill.

So, while crabbing down at Captain Bob's Marina there are two rows of poles leading out into Chincoteague Bay. Normally there is a lineup of gulls on these poles. Friday evening there was a cormorant sitting on one drying his wings.

Being evening and looking west, I thought that would make a cool silhouette picture. All I had to do was wait out the boat people. Lets move along folks, no one else pays any attention to the "NO WAKE" sign.

Finally. Almost out of the picture. Now I can just show the cormorant hanging out catching the breeze.

Now, perfect, just; Bay, bird, pole and dolphin. Dolphin? What the??? Where did that dolphin come from?  The ocean is way out there.

Seriously, me, my wife and daughter were all standing right there. Talking, crabbing and chilling. None of us ever saw this dolphin pass by. I even had a friend ask if I saw anything unusual this trip. "No," I said, "a couple eagles, a couple osprey and some sika deer." Nothing out of the ordinary. Then I came home and looked at my pictures to find I'd been photo-bombed by a damn dolphin.

Atlantic Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company

Atlantic Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company, 10071 Atlantic Road (Route 689), Atlantic, Virginia. Accomack County Company 4. Organized in 1957 this building was also built in 1957. Although it has been renovated and added to many time since then it is now hardly recognizable to what it was 55 years ago. AVFRC run nearly 400 calls a year, almost half are medicals. The run 3 engines a tanker, brush and rescue.

Sky on Fire

This is sunrise across the Swan Cove on Assateague Island, Virginia. On our mini vacation we were on the islands for 3 sunrises and 2 sunsets. I took nearly 800 pictures in less than 60 hours. Most were of the sunrises and sunset. This was Sunday morning.

The Crusty Crab

Lunch on Saturday was a short ride away and back on the mainland. The Crusty Crab is at the end of Harbor Drive in Greenbackville, Virginia. Greenbackville is a small fishing community located 5 miles north across Chincoteague Bay from the Town of Chincoteague Island. The crabby cake ruled and hand cut fries are always good. Greenbackville was settled in 1867 and is home to just under 200 people.

Snowy Egret

 Snowy Egret in Swan Cove on Assateague Island, Va.

Chincoteague Island, Va., 23336

Just a start to beach week. Just got back yesterday afternoon from a quick mini vacation to the islands.

Fly Out

The Vigilant Hose Company of Shippensburg, Pa, assists Shippensburg Area EMS and Penn State Hershey Life Lion load and evac an accident patient. I liked how the black and white gave these a photojournalist feel to them. And there is the YouTube video.

The End of the Street

17th Street looking across Ocean Boulevard. Nothing past Ocean Blvd but sand. And it was two days until new Years Eve. Life was good in North Myrtle Beach, SC.

Society Hill (PG 178)

Painted Gentleman 178. Society Hill Furniture, 1031-33 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. The building, originally called the Wurlitzer Piano Building, was built in 1894. Society Hill Furniture called it home from 1963 until closing up shop in 2008.

Patriots Day, year 11

Here it is eleven years later. Have you forgotten? I was last in New York City last January. At that time the Freedom Tower was well under way. I didn't get to that part of the City but here is the view from the Bowery and Canal Street. The video is a quick one from the East Side somewhere, I don't remember the intersection, it was getting dark and traffic was nuts.

Just remember not to forget what happened today and where we've gone since then. Remember the people who lost everything that day and every day since. 

Banking in Baltimore

This is from Pratt Street down near Inner Harbor in Baltimore, Md. The gold-lined building is the Bank of America building. The skinny flag bearing building is Citibank. Both sitting over on the corner of East Baltimore Street and Light Street. The BOA building is 37 stories high (509 feet) and built in 1929. The Citibank building, aka the William Donald Schaefer Tower, is also 37 floors high, but only a hair over 493 feet tall, was built in 1986.

Philly FD

Philadelphia Fire Department. More later.

Broken

Detail of Norristown State Hospital Building 17.

Butterfly Bush Activity

A little activity at the butterfly bush. I haven't a clue what these are. Moths, I think.

Independence in Bloom

Renovations are nearing the end here in the Outskirts Main Office and I've been working on some pictures for the walls. These are some of the wildflowers at Independence Pass in Colorado.