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.

Fall in the Laurel Highlands

Gazania

Gazania

Autum in the Laurel Highlands on Farmer Westrick's Farm outside of Hastings, PA.

Touring Ebensburg, PA at night on my way home from a shoot.

At the railroad junkyard in Sankertown

Our first snow of the season.  It wasn't much to look at but it was snow none the less.  Thankfully this was not a heavy snow because of all the leaves still on the trees it would have surely knocked out the electricity.

Are you looking at me?  Sheep in a field near Harmony, PA.  They say Harmony isn't a town but it is on the map, so to me it is a town.

Harvesting corn in Susquehanna Township, Cambria County, PA.

John Deere corn harvester.  This machine can pick and shell at the same time.

Close-up - an apple tree grows in Plattsville, PA.

John Deere Model 6620 Titan II.  This 1987 harvester can hold 166 bushels of shelled corn before it needs to be unloaded.

Yearling steer in a field about 1/2 mile down the road from our house.

You can't really see it from this angle but the black yearling is feeding on a little mother's milk.

The Altoona Women's Club house in Altoona, PA.  At one time this building was part of the Baker Estate and dates back to around 1811.

Flower bouquet on the wrought iron gate in front of the Altoona Woman's Club.

This haunted house is along Cambria Slope Road also known as Old Route 22 near Ebensburg, PA.

These last three photographs are a tribute to The Mexican Day of the Dead Celebration.