First Week of Winter 2007

At this time of year I’m happy with anything green that I can see. Hopefully, these leaves will survive the wrath of winter.

I’m stumped, how about you?

Even though it’s now officially winter, it’s still not cold enough to freeze this small pond.

Rolls of hay, being stored in a barn.

Blue Sky, Big Tree.

The last four pictures were all shot at the same place along Route 36 near Chest Springs. I have no excuse for this advertisement. Apparently the painter needed glasses.

Last week I bought a new Canon XTi camera body. This is one of the first photographs I shot with it. The wall of ice seen here is behind a row of stores at the Logan Towne Center just outside of Altoona, PA.

More ice

The R. J. Corman Railroad Group http://www.rjcorman.com/ of Nicolasville, KY own the two pieces of MOW (Maintenance of Way) machines seen in these two photographs shot in Patton, PA. The Corman Company owns and operates a number of short lines in Pennsylvania and this particular one takes coal to Cresson to meet up with the Norfolk Southern line to move the coal around the country.

The first picture is a tamping machine which packs the ballast (rocks) after it is spread between the railroad tracks.

This is a ballast spreader that drops the rocks between the railroad tracks.

I’m sure everyone that looks at our blog owns/or knows someone who owns a baseball cap with some kind of logo on it. This is the machine that is used to embroider the logo on your hats. http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/Dees.Designs.814-948-5870

Mr. S. Claus waves to passing traffic along Crawford Avenue in Northern Cambria borough.

Five Points Substation. No, I’m not on drugs. I just enjoy playing with PhotoShop.

Just up the road from the Five Points Substation is this old barn located on Route 36 in Clearfield County, PA.

I found this old Ford pickup truck sitting in the woods along the railroad tracks in Mahaffey, PA.

Ford Tuff.

I believe this is one of the earliest buildings along Route 219 just outside the town of Burnside, PA.

Inside wall of the old shack.

This was the Pine Grove Schoolhouse.

A Slate-colored Junco -- Junco hyemalis

After flying into a window this Black-Capped Chickadee made a complete recovery while sitting on my hand before flying away.

Seasons Greetings

Well, campers, we still have four days to shop before Christmas. Have fun! I'm doing all of mine tomorrow, the 21st of December.

The nativity scene shown here sits in front of the front gate of the Schwab Estate in Loretto, PA.



For the first time since we've lived in the woods and have had bird feeders out, we've been visited by Common Grackles. They were here twice and I have approximately 25 pictures of their visits.

Common Grackle -- Quiscalus quiscula
This is a rare bird for our area.

Bluejay landing on sunflower seeder.




Loretto, PA, home of Saint Francis University, has the only traffic circle in Cambria County or this part of the state for that matter, as far as I know.

On our way to a Christmas party I spotted three horses in a pasture, but after we got turned around and went back to get a shot, this was the only one remaining and it was on it's way into the barn.

Glendale area barn.

Glendale Lake in winter.

This small covered bridge is in what is known as the Children's Play Area of Prince Gallitzin State Park outside of Patton, PA. This particular area is a pond just off the main lake that is for children to fish in.

When asked why I was taking this particular photograph, all I could come up with in response was the quote from Sir Edmund Hillary when asked about climbing Mount Everest, he said ..."Because it's there."

This chandelier was hanging from the ceiling at a Christmas party. I laid on the floor to get this shot because I liked the form this view provided.

The same chandelier, this time at light speed.

On the Inside, Looking Out.

Log hauler.
"This display has been reconstructed by Glendale Yearound on the original wheels and axles used by the Rhody Family during the 1920s and 30s."
For years this log hauler was used by the Rhody Family of Patton, PA as part of the saw mill that was operated on the land which now encompasses Glendale Yearound, a gated community near Prince Gallitzin State Park.

Exiting Glendale Yearound.

Snow Bound.
With its engine cowling covered by a protective blanket, rotor blades held in place by 5 gallon buckets of sand, the Conemaugh Hospital's MedStar 2 helicopter sits out the winter storm on its pad at Miner's Hospital in Hastings, PA.

As a way of showing the velocity of the wind in the previous photograph I shot this picture of the wind sock standing out horizontally in the face of the wind.

Abandoned Dog house.
As you can see from all the weeds growing around the dog house, we haven't had a dog for a number of years.

Dove on a rock in Black and White.
I did this before I had my first cup of coffee on a Sunday morning.

White-Breasted Nuthatch landing on the sunflower feeder.

I know I've said it before, but in the winter time I stand in front of the window with a cable release in hand hoping just to capture this kind of image.

I really hope that you folks don't get tired of seeing pictures of birds. This is a Mourning Dove sitting on a log outside of our family room windows.




Merry Christmas to all, from Gregg, Barbara, Zachary and Penelope!