Weekend Ride

The weekend started out at 7 a.m. Saturday as I left for Bugtown with all the camera gear stowed on the front seat of the car. It ended Sunday afternoon around 3 p.m. after having put 225 miles on my motorcyle.

There is something about Bugtown that just keeps drawing me back for more pictures.

After leaving Bugtown I had all good intentions of heading to Lake Glendale but obviously I never made it. St. Bernard's Cemetery in the foreground, Slickport (an old mining town) in the background.

This is beautiful downtown Hastings nestled amongst the ridges of the Allegheny Mountains in the northern part of Cambria County.

Need a fire engine? This one is for sale. Contact Hastings Fire Department, Hastings PA.

This is a shot of St. Bernard's Cemetery shot just after the passing of a thunderstorm.

The flower of a May Apple. Learn more about the May Apple at
http://biotech.icmb.utexas.edu/botany/mayhist.html.

Sunday morning I decided to take a short, quick putt to Shankesville and the Flight 93 Crash site commemorating 9/11. That short ride turned out to take 5 hours and covered 225 miles. This barn commemorates the heritage of Route 30, the Lincoln Highway.
http://www.lhhc.org
This barn was painted by Wayne Fettro, Elizabethtown, PA.

A close-up detail on the Yaste Greenhouse Barn.

This picture depicts the small visitors' area at the Flight 93 Memorial in Shakesville, PA., just off of Route 30. The benches face the actual crash site about 1/4 mile to the front.

A turkey buzzard spreads it's wings to sun near the outlook of the former Ship Motel along the Route 30 corridor.

Piped Piper stands outside of the former Storybook Land at Schellburg, PA.

The Burkholder Bridge, built in 1870, sits just a few hundred feet off Route 219 north of Garret, PA.

Llamas lounging in a field at the Huckelberry Inn along Route 160. I was headed home.

Buildings and Birds

House of George Atchinson who is reported to have been part of the underground railroad. The house is in Patchinville, between Burnside and Cherry Tree.
To learn more, visit the Aldrich History website.


Storefront next to the Atchinson House.


Another view of the American Hover Fly. This one is on a peony leaf.


Sparrow


Chipmunk on a log in our garden. Notice the violets in the foreground.


Fleeing chipmunk!


Dandelion gone to seed.


White-throated Sparrow.


Cat Bird.


Barn in Bugtown. I shot this at 6:45 in the morning as my son and I were on our way to vote.

Tragedy in a Small Town

Tragedy struck Hastings in the early hours Saturday morning, May 14th, 2005.

A burning candle ignited a couch and the insuing fire took four lives, a 3 year old boy, his grandmother and two teenage girls. Two other individuals were injured, a 15 year old girl and a 59 year old male.

Needless to say, this has hit the entire community and the surrounding area rather hard. The girls attended school in the Cambria Heights School District. The local fire department, police department, Miner's Hospital staff, family and friends are having a difficult time dealing with the aftermath.

Hastings, Patton and Hope (Northern Cambria) Fire Departments responded to the scene. Spangler and Nicktown were on standby. Ambulances from Hastings, Patton and Veterans (Northern Cambria) were also at the scene.

This is the worse loss of life due to fire in the 116 year history of Hastings.

In Memory
Jordan English - age 3
Alisha McConnell - age 15
Lindsey Depto - age 15
Dolores Holland - age 49

It is rather apropos that this picture of a Mourning Dove also appeared on the
front page of this week's paper.

May 11, 2005

Bridge re-named and dedicated in memory of
Army Private First Class Brad Kritzer
first Clearfield County soldier killed in Iraq
Parents Sharon and Roger Kritzer after the dedication ceremony
on Saturday, May 7, 2005

Northern Cambria High School Girl's Track and Field Team
2005 Heritage Conference Champs

Barn along Route 53, Cambria County.
Just an example of old time advertising.

1960 Chevy Impala
Louvered hood, lakers, fender skirts, continental kit
Ain't she sweet?

Pittsburgh, PA from the river cruise

Pittsburgh, PA

One example of local wildlife
Rufous-side Towhee

Another form of local wildlife
Steel dinosaur fabricated by local metal artist Roland Paronish
http://www.rolandmetalart.com

Seldom Seen Tourist Mine
Local tourist trap along Route 36, Elder Township

Flags at Saint Francis University
State, US with POW/MIA and University

Sunset over Susquehanna Township

From the Farm to the Big City

A big John Deere 7810 works on turning the earth for spring planting.

A sure sign of spring ... a bed of flowers along Old Route 36.

Although it looks like a honey bee, it is an American hoverfly on a dandelion.

Immature Great Horned Owl.

Bullfrog.

German shepherd.

Hockey player at Hastings Park Rink ... notice that everything is in the air.

Another action shot from Sunday afternoon hockey in Hastings.

The Brubaker Run just before it crosses under Route 36.

I don't spend all my time in the country.
This shot was taken on the Monongahela River while acting as a chaperon
for my daughter's high school foreign travel club trip.