Again this year I'd like to give a big thank you to all my fellow veterans for your service to our country. And to the brave men and woman serving now, your call to duty will help define you for the rest of your life. And for those non-veterans out there who didn't remember to remember that they have parades for people like this, we'll see you in late May and again next November. Thank you all for your support.
Just a short walk south on Centre Street in Pottsville from the Maroons Sports Bar I saw something else and drove around again to check it out. I first took some shots from across the street then out in front of the barber shop. Then as I was staring trying to see if I could make anything out I thought I saw something back in the trees. Check out the bottom picture... "Pouc... treat... to..." and the blue border. Yes, "Chew Mail Pouch Tobacco... Treat Yourself to the Best". Another Mail Pouch ad for Haney to add to ohiobarns.com. OK, that's the back half, now what is the front ad? Zoom in. No, just faded paint on bricks if I do that. Zoom out. Roll chair away from computer screen. That oblong white faded apparition looks like a head. Coca Cola used a soda jerk guy before. Had a bottle cap for a hat. Maybe. But I can't find anything else to distinguish Coke. The fancy letters, the colors or any readable slogan. Squirt had a little yellow haired kid (looked like a relative of Porky Pig) doing ads too, but I've never seen a painted Squirt ad. I've seen hanging store signs and window stickers, but no painted ads. I wonder if the local Historical Society has any old downtown photographs. Might help with the Wrigley's ad, too.
OK, I agree this isn't what you picture when someone says Redtail Hawk. Because his tail ain't red. I at first thought red shoulder hawk but more investigating proves to me that this is a juvenile Redtail. The mottled chest, the size and the thin stripes on his tail helped me figure this out. I had stopped the truck to try for some blue jay pictures, but they weren't hanging around too much. That when I looked up and saw this hawk 15 feet off the ground and 25 feet from me. He eventually flew to another tree. I must have seen 6 or 7 hawks last Sunday morning, I think that must be a sign that they are migrating right now.
This old firehouse sits partially empty right now. A vintage clothing shop, Checkered Past, to the rear and Neato Burrito has the center portion but the old engine room looks like it's just used for storage. Once the home of the Firehouse Brewery and before that it served as, of all things, a firehouse. The Citizen's Hose Company #1 of New Cumberland, Pa. was first organized in 1896 and built this station at 4th and Locust Streets in 1906. The Citizen's became motorized in 1915 and built the back addition in 1927. In 1966 they merged with New Cumberland's other fire company, Elkwood Fire Company #2, to become the New Cumberland Fire Department. Then in 1980 they built a single station across the street from this one. That's where the old cornerstones ended up. More on Elkwood next Friday.
