Thursday, May 29, 2008

Memorial Day 2008

After 17 days of rain, this Memorial Day Weekend will go down in history as a stand out. Even though the temperature was a little below normal for this time of year, the bright sunny sky made up for it.



2008 marks the 16th year that the Shuttys of Elder Township have thrown their Memorial Day picnic and, as always, we had a good time of it. I can walk around for hours and never run out of things to photograph.



While some folks may find formal gardens to be their cup of tea, I prefer a garden that invites me in to enjoy myself as this picture and the next one suggest.


Cat with red ball.


As you walk around the Shutty homestead you can change your view of things by more than 20 feet. For the next 2 shots I was standing on a covered porch/deck looking down on a patio.


When things are no longer useful on the job they can always be turned into backyard art, as is the case with this old pair of boots and a wheelbarrow.


Damn...Too old to play with the kids...Too young to hang with the adults.
Sometimes it's hard to be a kid.


Old Oil Cans.


Portrait of a young boy.


One of about 4-5 frogs that makes it's home in part of Sandy's water feature.


Male bonding at its finest.


A year ago this beast was just a pup sitting in its owner's lap.


I don't plan this stuff, I just shoot it.


Ditto.



I was up and out of the house at 0710 on Monday morning in order to cover the first of the day's events for the Star-Courier. The day dawned bright and sunny for the first trip to Northern Cambria and the service at St. Patrick's Cemetery.





Taps was played by Janet Krumenacker, a member of the Northern Cambria High School band.



After leaving St. Patrick's Cemetery, I headed over to Patton for their parade at 0900.


Veterans marching on Magee Avenue in downtown Patton, PA.


Patton VFW Rifle Squad.


Out of the more than 150 photographs I shot in Patton, this is my favorite one.


Cambria Heights High School band members playing the National Anthem.


Captain Bob Nagle was the keynote speaker in Patton.



Drummers for the Hastings VFW march down Beaver Street on their way to St. Bernard's Cemetery.


Cambria Heights High School Band played in Patton, then Hastings, before going on to the memorial in St. Benedict.


Hastings VFW Color Guard.


Members of the Hastings Area Youth Association and the Hastings Fire Department followed the vets to the cemetery. After the parade the kids headed over to the community park for the all-day ball games.


World War II Veteran.


Senior Vice Commander Barbara Moore of the Hastings VFW Post 1586 salutes after laying the wreath at the Boroughs' Veterans Memorial.


Bob Konior and William Rusnak hand salute during the rifle squad firing.


Bob Mortensen, flag bearer.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Rain Rain Go Away

I don't think we've had more than two days of sunshine in a row for the last three weeks and it's really starting to wear me down. Seems the rain only stops long enough to get the lawn mowed.



We start this week's blog off with a picture of Don Friday, the new head coach for men's basketball at Saint Francis University.



Along with a new coach, the basketball court is also getting a new look. In the last several weeks the old surface has been refinished and new graphics are being added.



One of the graphic artists is removing the edging tape prior to reapplying new tape so the letter can be filled in with a coat of white paint.



In all of the years that I had suet feeders out, I never saw a Blue Jay using one.



Silk flower on top of an old locust tree stump.



Stuffed toy owl sitting on a bookshelf in the Hastings Public Library. I was using the owl as an example of close-up photography in a class that I'm teaching at the Library on Thursday nights in May 2008.



Rae - Waitress at the Beaver Street Cafe, Hastings, PA.



Rotary Club President Donna Bobal and Secretary Joe Mangarella display the Rotary International Presidential Citation the club recently received.



Looking out across the Cambrian Hills Public Golf Course.




One of three flowering apple trees along Spruce Road.



Pieris japonica -- 'Mountain Fire' http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Plant.asp?code=C329

On Saturday night, the DCW gang invaded the Memorial Building in Hastings for a fund raiser to benefit the Lindsey Depto Memorial Fund.
View the original post about this local tragedy.



Lumberjack Leroux



G-Raver



Russian Destroyer



Kato with his DCW US Title Belt.



Bigtime Bill Collier



Bigtime Bill stretched out Kato while the ref keeps his eye on the action. Kato would go on to win the match.



Hummingbird



Robin



Trillium undulatum -- painted trillium
This one is growing about 10 yards from our house.
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=TRUN





Softball Fan.



Cass Kollar, pitcher for the Northern Cambria Lady Colts.




I was bored being stuck in the house again all day, so I shot this still life of a dish of candy with a set of salt and pepper shakers.