The Road Dogs of Chanute AFB

OK, so Dad has been reminiscing about his days in the Navy, so I broke out my photo albums from way back when. After Basic training at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, Texas some of us flew to Chaunte AFB in Rantoul, Illinois for further training. Among other things Chanute was the training school for Air Weather Service and for the USAF Firefighters. Our dorms were only a quarter,maybe a half, mile from the school building. White Hall, I think. But we still had to form up at , like, 0530 hours and we would march for 30 - 40 minutes to get there. The long way. So, by 5:30 you had to be up, cleaned up and to the chow hall and back. And on nights that lasted too long at the Golden Shield this was way too early. For a while I was one of the mass and believe me you can sleep and march at the same time. One street we crossed everyday with out halting, well, one day we halted. It was an olive drab human mass collision that movies are made of. In short order I volunteered for road guard duty and until I left I was the Point man. The Point man would go out and stop traffic and call out the guards. The Tail man would call the tail guards to relieve them and call them back in after the column passed. When a guard was tapped from behind he came to attention, barked an "ah-oo!" (salute if the vehicle you were holding was an officer), right face and double time back to the head of the column. We made it fun and were verbally complemented by some of the officers we held up while the column passed. From the barking we became the Road Dogs. The Point man I would shout the command, "Road dogs out!" and, of course the Tail man's command was, "Road Dogs, in!" I don't remember where all of these guys guys were from or where they went. Or what they did, for that matter. Some, like me, were going to weather school, and some of those went on to jump school to be a part of Para-Weather units. Right to left was Bowden (from New England, a weatherman who ended up in Caribou, Maine and then onto Ramstein AB, Germany, at the weather station across base from where I worked. Tim actually observed the weather while there), Dean, Me, Sweetman (a weather school wash back who I last heard went to jump school after Chanute), Sword and Van Brocklin. The picture was taken October 31, 1983. Our school started early August and ended November 5th.

The Blizzard, Part Deux

More snow, more black and white. Again, shooting near dark, handheld. The street lights in town give off an orange glow and give my pictures a funky tone and the black and white conversion works really good. The first two are of the cemetery behind the firehouse. Known as God's Acre it is the final resting place of some of Shippensburg's first settlers and war veterans from as far back as the American Revolution. I've been in here before. The last shot is the First Church of God just west of the firehouse (another frequent visitor to the Outskirts). That is the fence to the cemetery on the right of the walk. (p.s. I'll post the additional pictures from the Royal firehouse another day. Until then enjoy these snowy picture.)

The Blizzard

Well the big Blizzard of 2010 has come and is on the way out. I measured about a foot of snow in my driveway. We spent some time at the firehouse today and I stopped back in towards suppertime and had to park a block or so away. But I had the camera out so I took a few pictures. All of these are handheld. I didn't really plan on doing any shooting because it was still snowing otherwise I would have brought my tripod and got some better pictures. Enjoy these, there is some more for later, including more birds hanging out at the birdseed sandwich.

Lincoln Lanes - Lincoln Highway (PG 136)

This will give you something to look at all morning. As promised here are the more pictures of Lincoln Lanes I told you about on Monday. If you haven't seen this before have a look. Lincoln Lanes is just west of Fayetteville and east of Chambersburg on Route 30... the Lincoln Highway. Notice... the book, Lincoln Highway Memories 1912-1940 with the postcard from the Old Home Parade 1914... the keyring with the bowling pin... the Falls over at Caledonia State Park... The couple picnicking with their car... the postcard from Caledonia and Gettysburg... the Wilson College Girls picnic... the book of matches, with some sticking out... the Chambersburg High School Baseball team... the map of the Lincoln Highway... the Queen City Motorcycle Club endurance run October 14, 1917... the charm bracelet, check out the penny on it... and a view of the mountains at Caledonia, ca. 1930. So much to see. (check out my other Lincoln Highway Murals... Gettysburg PG 17... and St. Thomas PG 72 and we can't forget big coffee pot in Bedford PG 33)

The Library

This is the Shippensburg Public Library on West King Street. Also known as the George Stewart House it was built in 1880 and remodeled in 1936 and later sold to the Library in 1957. But that's not what my story is about today. It snowed here last weekend, if you didn't already know. Around here we got 20 to 24 inches of snow. I was driving through town late Saturday evening what I saw this picture waiting to be taken. OK, state of emergency, I can't park on the street. I'll park at the Bingo Palace and cut up they alleyway beside CV's firehouse. Not shoveled. OK, how about along side the post office. Good to go. Start walking about a block back up to the library and see 7 or 8 college kids walking across the street from me. They will be passing right in front of the library. I can kiss those eye catching toadstools of snow goodbye. Hold your breath. No one shoveled in front of the library so most of them wade out to the street to pass. Hold your breath. No one touches the unmolested snow. I'm in business. A note on the last picture (besides the fact my pants are frozen up to my knees, it was 17 degrees out) very little traffic, I have my tripod set up in the street for that one.

Lincoln Lanes

This is a shot a took not long ago and thought I could play around with. Lincoln Lanes is a bowling alley east of Chamersburg, PA along Route 30 just on the outskirts of Fayetteville. You will see more of this place later this week.

Richard Markham

Some more pictures from the Harrisburg Auto Show last weekend. These are, again, picture taken by my son. These cars are all part of the Richard Markham display. That last one is 'Pumping Iron' the old Arnold bodybuilding movie. Check out his site, this dude paints fire so real it looks like it's on fire.

(Super Bowl has gotten everything running late. I'll post tomorrow late afternoon)