Volunteers in Action

This week we go from emergencies to visual relaxation. There is nothing like the rush of answering the fire whistle to the calming effect of boats floating on a lake. Just another good week in paradise.

This is a portrait of an oven bird. Seiuras anrocapillas a member of the wood warblers, this one knocked itself silly after flying into our kitchen window. I shot this close up from about 6 inches away before the bird recovered and flew away.

Related to the squirrels, the chipmunks are the the only ones of the family to build it's nest underground.

Because the blue jays look so much alike, I don't know if this one is male or female. This nest is built deep inside of a rhododendrun.

A job fair was held during the week at the Contres-Greer Social Hall in Spangler. More than 50 local companies were in attendance.

It was around 3 p.m. Thursday afternoon when a woman rounding a curve on Municipal Road in Susquehanna Township lost control of her pickup and rolled it into the tree line. Two men witnesessing the accident pulled the driver from the truck as it burst into flame.

Once on scene foam from the Hastings Volunteer Fire Department truck, 55-2, was applied and the fire was quickly extinguished.

Foaming the truck once again to make sure everything was under control.

About three hours after being called out for the truck fire, the Hastings Fire Department was on the road again. This time it was for a brush fire about 3/4 of a mile up the road from our house.

Hosing down the brush.

Using a backpack brush tank this fireman takes care of smoldering embers.

Using a brush rake a fireman looks for smoking embers and hot spots on the forest floor.

While one tractor tills the earth another gets busy planting potatoes. Most of the potatoes grown around this part of Cambria County are turned into potato chips.

Male Baltimore Oriole

Female Baltimore Oriole

Prince Gallitzin State Park goes green with the installation of this new wind generator.

The new wind generator which sits high atop it's 120 foot tower cost over $68,000 to install and is at present one of only 6 generators of it's type throughout Pennsylvania's 117 state park system. The generator, with it's 23 foot diameter blades, can generate up to 10 kw of power. According to Barry Wolfe, Park Manager of Prince Gallitzin State Park, approximate savings will be up to $200 per month. [Added Sunday, 20May2007]

Probably the most out of place boat at the Glendale Lake Marina is this 22' Nimble Vagabond called the Helena Jean. The 1992 troller sleeps 2, has the helm inside the pilot house and only draws a foot of water. Originally built in Florida it was bought several years ago by the present owners in Wisconsin and moved to its berth at the lake in Cambria County.

Sailboats on Glendale Lake, Mother's Day 2007.

This shot was actually taken at 3 a.m. Station 55's assistant chief emerges from the woods after setting up lights that will allow fire and emergency personnnel to extract a victim from his wrecked car early Sunday morning.

It is very seldom that I use this kind of shot on the blog. However, I think that it's important from time to time to show the EMS crews in action as well as the local fire companies. Whenever the fire departments are sent out on a call, EMS is also there.

With the patient safely loaded on board, the STAT MedEvac helicopter out of the Altoona Regional Hospital, prepares to take off from the temporary landing site along Carpinella Road in Susquehanna Township.

Although the water features are still silent and the grass is a little long the former Charles Schawb Estate in Loretto, PA still looks impressive in the late morning sun. The estate is now the home of the Franciscan T.O.R. friars who operate Saint Francis University.

Dionysus, greek god of party animals, is one of two secular granite statues still on display in the fomal gardens of the Schwab estate. The statues are the work of Paul Manship, 1886-1966.

Cataloged as the greek god Hermes, messenger to the gods, this statue, also by Paul Manship, is definitely of the female persuasion. Hopefully, in a few days I will have more information on this particular statue. I've have been in contact with the art reference folks at the Smithsonian Institute and have forwarded this picture to them in an effort to properly identify this statue. Hermes is also known as Mercury, the winged messenger.