4th of July Weekend

Happy Birthday, America! Another year older and another year deeper in debt. And we still owe our souls to the company store. This week's blog covers local events from Prince Gallitzin State Park to the annual car show in Northern Cambria, PA.

A bumblebee and 2 other insects make a meal out of this Coreopsis.

Welcome to Crooked Run Campground, Prince Gallitzin State Park.

The campground at Prince Gallitzin State Park has a nice boat dock and beach area for campers only.

On Thursday, 2 July 2009, Cambria County held one of it's Youth Fairs at the park's campground.

Playground at the beach area.

Face painting was just one of the many activities that kids could participate in at the Youth Fair.

Making a necklace or a wrist band is a favorite stop for the kids.

Golfing in the park.

Pontoon boats line the shore of Lake Glendale.

Portrait.

Shot right after the rain stopped, the drops of water still cling to the leaf of the rhododendron.

My bird field guide might tell me that this Red-Eyed Vireo is the most abundant bird in the deciduous forests of the east, but this is the first time we've seen them here in Susquehanna Township.

One of the big problems at Glendale or any other lake for that matter are weeds. When I saw this floating weed eater sitting on the shore near the main marina I was drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

Weed Eater.

After several years of holding their annual Regatta during Mountain Days, the Lake Glendale Pontoon Association has gone back to having the event on the 4th of July weekend. This year the theme was "Red, White and Blue" in honor of the holiday.

Pontoon boats started to gather by the main marina around 12:30 on the 4th of July.

Some boaters went all out displaying the nation's colors.

Main Marina, Prince Gallitzin State Park, Patton, PA.

Vote for me, vote for me!

Coast Guard Auxiliary.

My ride for the regatta was the lovely Helena Jean, a 22 foot long Vagabond.

After dropping me off at the dock, the Helena Jean heads back out to the lake to enjoy the rest of her fourth of July weekend.

Sailboats.

View from the top

'36 Dodge Pickup.

1930 Ford Woody.


Tom Scott's Dragster.
Bringing in the Dragster

1955 Chevy.

Tom Scott.

1957 Chevy.

1949 Lincoln.

Patton Volunteer Fire Company 62-7.

1955 Olds.

1964 Triumph.

Jaquar Kit Kar.

Imports welcome.

Car Show Crowd.

Lookers.

1935 Chevy.

Red Ford.
Red Ford Video

Philadelphia Street
Northern Cambria, PA

Between the Rain Drops

A female Downy Woodpecker continues to feed her young chicks even after they've left the nest. The young birds look like a female but have a hint of red near the front of their head. And, has become the custom, here is a little
video of the event.

Is this seat taken?

I've been a fan of scooters for a long time. In fact the first motor powered two-wheeler I road was a Vesper back in the early 60s. This is the first scooter trike I've ever seen.

Looking at the trike from this angle you can see that it has a reverse gear lever down by the floor board.

Vendor's prop, Thunder in the Valley 2009.

Carver, custom hat maker, Dave Triplett from Florida. Using a dremel tool he works a piece of deer antler into the shape of a bear at the ABATE encampment at the Cambria County Fair Grounds during Thunder in the Valley.

Once the deer skulls are properly weathered, they are ready to become pipes and pieces of jewelry and other trinkets.

Not street legal, this custom one lunger can get you around the camp ground in style.

For the last year or so I've been looking at selling my bike and downsizing to a scooter. My scooter of choice is this QLink 250 cc Commuter. Should it stop raining for a day or so, my Virago will be sitting out in front of the house with a For Sale sign on it.



With a population of only 1,299 the borough of Hastings has one of the nicest community parks in the area. The town's recreation committee does a good job of providing the kids in the area with a cornucopia of activities.

McKenzie J holds her nose as she flies off the end of the sliding board and into the drink.

Another of the slides at the pool is just the right size for the younger swimmers.

Lakin P entertains herself while her mother checks the pH levels at the pool.

Styling.

Guard dog.

Tree stand. Every hunter should be so lucky.

About the only way to get this shot is to use a tripod and a cable release, plus take the time to just stand waiting for the bird to pass in front of you. The space from side to side in this frame is about 6 inches.

Where do you turn when you need a lens repaired in a hurry? Try your local jeweler. My friend, Dave Wojcik is the man. A 3/16 inch screw on my 70-200 lens got loose and jammed the turning ring. Dave was able to repair the lens within a few minutes which saved me a whole lot of frustration.