Thanksgiving 2013

After an overnight snow fall that dumped about 6 inches across the ridges of Cambria County, Pennsylvania it turned out to be a beautiful day for shooting pictures in the snow.

Seven Charms Equestrian Center along Number Nine Road in Susquehanna Township.

One of our neighbors down over the hill has four of his steers in a pasture in front of his house.

Female Pileated Woodpecker picks up scraps of suet that had fallen on the ground.

Large tree standing in the sunshine down in Driscoll Hollow.

Abandoned apple trees sitting in a field near Plattsville, PA.

Why does a model always need to preen before their close-up?

Now I'm ready for my portrait to be taken.

A dreary sky over the playground at the Harmony Elementary School.

An old tree turned into a piece of artwork along Sylvis Road, Clearfield County, PA.

American Bald Eagle shortly after taking off from a field in our neck of the woods.

Sunrise over the wind farm in Elder Township near Patton, PA.

String instruments waiting to be played at a concert of folk music at Saint Francis University.

The duo Simple Gifts, Artists in Residence at Saint Francis University performing during the evening concert at the University JFK Student Center.

Harvest Time

We're in that time of the year when it's down to the wire and the crops need to be brought in from the fields. The leaves have changed, the animals are all getting fatter and the frost is on the pumpkin.

Getting ready to take off the soybean harvester and put on the corn picker.

Fields of soybeans.

Using his John Deere Sidehill 9560 combine this farmer is able to haul 330 bushels of corn before transferring it to a truck to haul it to storage.

The 20 foot tall combine is dwarfed by a 200 foot tall wind turbine.

Modern combines are mostly computer operated and can tell the farmer how much moisture is in an ear of corn and give him GPS coordinates so that he may harvest the field in the most economic way.

Back in the old days this was known as the Kittanning Trail, used by the Native Americans to transverse this section of the Pennsylvania mountains between what is now known as Altoona and Kittaning , PA.  The trail runs through our family property and is known to us as "The Road Home".

After the corn is picked this farmer uses a brush hog to cut the stalks down to the nubs. 

Unlike the farmer in the earlier photographs, this guy is harvesting whole ear corn just like the stuff that city folks buy at places like Walmart to feed their squirrels.

Larix laricina : aka American Larch or Tamarack

Horses in a pasture along Route 403 near Strongstown, PA.

A model

Make me a star.

A farm pond along the road near Harmony Grange.

Sheep on an Amish farm in Sylvis, PA

Case International 4894 tractor hitched to a Killbros 1400 grain cart.

A John Deere 9510 Maximizer with an 18 foot flex grain head for harvesting soybeans.  Take my word for it this the dirtiest and dustiest crop to bring in once it gets dry enough to pick.

A new addition to the neighborhood are these steers.

Tussock Moth Caterpillar crawling on some rocks on the deck.

Frost on the windshield.