Ring Billed Gull

A Ring Billed Gull basking in the sunset light on Crescent Beach.

Shiny Red Advertisements

For some reason there are a lot of old fire engines sitting around Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle. I saw these two in Myrtle sitting out in front of beach wear/ souvenir shops. There were others in front of restaurants and one at the pawn shop. That old Ford looks about as old school as it gets. But the La France looks like it could be put back in service pretty quick.

Further on Down the Line

Sometimes, with my job, I get to go to far away places and see exotic views. And sometimes I'm working along the railroad tracks out near Pittsburgh. I don't ever really go to exotic far away places. Pittsburgh is about exciting as it gets.

Mr. G and the Really Big Hot Dog Guy

North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. 17th Street South just off of Ocean Boulevard. Not open in the winter. Actually there were these large burgers and  hot dogs all over the place. Mr. G here was just the only one within walking distance. Too bad he was closed, cause dang, he's got a little bit of everything.

And Then There Was the Time We Climbed Mt. Ogden

While stationed in Utah I remember on Labor Day Weekend in 1984, my room mates and I decided to hike up and over Mt. Ogden. I don't remember just who was responsible for the idea but it sounded like a good idea at the time. So we drove Dave T's car over to Snow Basin Ski Area and parked it. Then we took my car up into the hills above Ogden and Weber State University. I see now there are three different routes from the west, I haven't a clue anymore which one we took. At some point we hit the camping area and set up our tent and built a fire. I remember sleeping outside by the fire that night instead of the tent. Got cold, too. Next morning we headed to the top. I, of course, was the last one there. Then it was all down hill from there. We walked down, under and through the ski lifts back to the car. I think we celebrated by going to our favorite Mexican Restaurant that night.

Picture 1: The summit from the camping area.

Picture 2: Hill AFB, the Great Salt Lake, Antelope Island and the Lakeside Mountains west of the Great Salt Lake from near the top. Mt. Ogden sits along the Wasatch Front which is the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. Denver is on the eastern front of the Rockies.

Picture 3: My room mates Dave T (who was soon leaving to be a hurricane chaser) and Dave O (who I don't think had been on base more than a week or so), on the summit at 9572'.

Picture 4: Dave T and me, in desperate need of oxygen,  at the base of the summit. Ogden and the Great Salt Lake in the background. I think that might be Weber State University in the lower right corner.

Picture 5: Looking down the east side at Snow Basin Ski Area and Pineview Reservoir, near Huntsville, Utah.

Spring View Farm

Barn Charm 18. Spring View Farm sits on the outskirts of Newville, Pa. along Big Spring Road. The Big Spring runs right across the road from where I am standing, Hence the name. When I walk along the Spring to take bird pictures I pass by this barn. But when I'm walking and birding I'm usually only carrying my zoom lens and it doesn't back up enough to get the whole barn. So, until today, I have never gotten any pictures of this barn. Or the white board fence . Or the stone row.

As with every Barn Charm every week (with or without me) you can find more and better barn pictures than these here by clicking the logo below and checking out Tricia's site.

Gravel Springs Lutheran Church

Another look at the Gravel Springs church from a trip to Frederick County, Virginia last fall. The Lutheran Church sits at the intersection of Brill Road (which I'm standing on) and South Pifer Road. The cemetery was no more than a hundred feet or so wide and extending from Pifer road southeast maybe 500 feet. The iron fence surrounded the entire place.