Here's to the Class of 2011

Last Friday marked the end of one stage and the entrance to another. Last Friday evening the Shippensburg High School held their graduation ceremonies. Now all those kids enter the real world. Time to be your own person and conquer the world. Or at least get a real job. Back before my days in high school seniors would plan clandestine maneuvers late at night and you would show up at school and the maintenance barn would be painted to celebrate the appropriate class. My class painted some lame banner that hung on the barn. Lately it is the rock here that sees the paint. Sometimes late at night. Sometimes in broad daylight. Sometimes two or three times a year. Sometimes it even gets hi-jacked by another school and turns a different color. Well I think the Class of 2011 outdid themselves with the ultra-cool Chuck high-top. (the rock is 5 or 6 feet long and 2 1/2 or 3 feet high and wide)

Deer. Real Live Deer.

Forgive the quality, it was early last Sunday morning when I saw these two cross the road in front of me while I was cruising around the State Gamelands. But this is evidence that there are at least two deer living out there. The deer center frame, if you hadn't noticed, is a buck.

22. Cumberland County Firehouses. Future, Past and Present

I got one comment. One. Sparky got it right through. It was almost a complete gimme. The first station was Newburg Hopewell Volunteer Fire Company's new station. So new, in fact, they are not yet moved into it yet. I would imagine they'll be dragging everything down the road any day. This building sits at the intersection of Newville Road and Lovers Lane in Hopewell Township. Second station this week is the Cumberland's old station on Louther Street in Carlisle. The cornerstone denotes that the Cumberland Steam Fire Engine Company was formed in 1809 and built this classic station in 1896. The Cumberland's joined with the Goodwill in 1984 and moved to West Ridge Street. In 2010 they joined in with the combined Empire and Friendship Companies to form the Carlisle Fire and Rescue Services and run now as Cumberland County Company 45. The third station is obviously the Vigilant Hose Company of Shippensburg. This is my house. We've been on this corner since 1843 when the Vigilant Fire Company was organized. The original "Council House" was replaced in 1928 by this building, the "Municipal Building", which housed the Vigilant's, the Police (And the jail) and Borough Council's chambers. By 1994 the building was all ours. Later this month we will break ground on our new firehouse, the "Shippensburg Emergency Services Building", we will share with the Shippensburg Area EMS.

Name That Station 22

Same game. Same rules. Sort of. Just like before these are fire stations past, present and future. They can be in Cumberland or Franklin Counties, in Pennsylvania. The only change is the answers will be posted at 12:01 Saturday morning. Good luck.

Click Here for Answers

The Mill in Newville

Another view of Laughlin's Mill in nearby Newville, Pa. This iconic mill is scene in many forms in and around the small borough in central Cumberland County, Pa.

Ship Jumpers

These are some miscellaneous Track and Field pictures from Shippensburg's Spring 2011 season. Up until now, I think, all I've been sharing is the sprinters and relayers.

Autumn on the Front Range

A random tree along Interstate 70 somewhere on the front range of Eastern Colorado.