Saint Francis University Basketball

Saturday night was Faculty Appreciation night at the Saint Francis University basketball games. This is one of the few nights during the year that I get to visit the university with my wife, a member of the general faculty, for a free meal and good time. The evening also honored, Maureen Malloy for her dedication to the student athletes.

The Lady Red Flash stand for the National Anthem prior to the start of the Saint Francis vs. Sacred Heart basketball game on Saturday night, 20Jan07.

In her fourth year as head coach of Saint Francis Women's basketball, Coach Jill Poe leads the Red Flash against Sacred Heart University.

#20 Lindsay Stuckey passes the ball around her counterpart, Sacred Heart's #20 Jasmine Walker.

With a hand in her face, #4 Shawna Scott shoots the ball over #24 Sacred Heart Khalia Cain.

#24 Khalia Cain goes for two against the Saint Francis defense.

#34 Emily Bollinger shoots one and one from the foul line.

Whitney Robinson #40 goes for two against Sacred Heart's forward Jasmine Walker.




Student sport medicine trainers for the Saint Francis Lady Flash basketball team.

Saint Francis cheerleaders entertain between the ladies and the men's game.


One half of the Saint Francis Red Flash pep band.

Dave Shannon. Dave's been the in-house announcer for Red Flash sporting events since 1978.

Local radio personality Joe Vesnesky is in his twenty-eighth year of doing radio broadcasts of Saint Francis sports on WWGE am 1400.

Honored at Saturday night's basketball game was Maureen "Mo" Malloy. "Mo" as she is known, is an assistant manager for the University's food services. Using a 35 mm SLR camera, Mo has taken over 62,000 photos of student athletes over thirty years. Also shown, left to right, are Saint Francis Athletic Director Robert Krimmel, President Gabriel Zeis, Maureen and V.P. for Student and Community Development Dennis Riegelnegg.

Coach Bobby Jones has been with Saint Francis University for eight years. He is shown here with two of his assistant coaches.

#11, Marcus Ford goes for a deflection while #5, Chris Berry, blocks the basket from Sacred Heart's #50, Drew Shubik. Drew is somewhat of a local boy having played for North Star High School in Stoystown, PA.

Flying like an enraged bird on the wing, Jarid Frye, of Queens, New York, flies through the air toward the basket.

Like leaping stallions, Cale Nelson of Saint Francis, goes one on one against Chauncey Hardy of Sacred Heart.

I'm just going to call this one "Pickle in the Middle".

Chris Berry releases the ball before #44, Bryce Brooks can get in his way.

Forward Jelani Lawrence, a 6 foot 6 senior, looks to pass off the ball.

Washington DC's Devin Sweetney bullies his way for a basket.

Lost in a Snow Daze

This is the J. Irving Wholley Memorial Chapel on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown (PA). I was going to shoot several pictures around the campus but it was snowing to beat the band. I'll go back when it gets nicer.

First erected as a Vietnam Vets Memorial, this stands in the East Hills section of Richland Township. Today it bears the names of all service personnel from the township who lost their lives serving their country since Vietnam. The memorial is the work of the East Hills Kiwanis Club.

Probably the oldest gas station in Ebensburg and the last of its style in the area.

Looking west into Ebensburg, PA. The large building in the picture is the back of the Court House and County offices.

Lake Rowena, a community park and lake on the east side of Ebensburg. Right now there are few if any fish in the lake. It was recently drained to get rid of grasses that were taking over, and is now filling up again.

Now called Sacred Heart Cottage, this is one of 3 gate houses on the former Charles Schwab Estate in Loretto, PA.

The monastery of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns in Loretto, PA. This building was erected by Charles Schwab in 1930 to honor his sister who was a member of the order.

Just a barn along the road outside of Loretto Borough.

Note to self: Never again pull off to the side of a farm road to take a picture in the snow. Under the snow is mud...Idiot!

Shown in the next two photographs is a male Pileated Woodpecker. At 16 to 19 inches long it is the largest of Pennsylvania's woodpeckers, in fact it is one of the largest in North America. You can tell the male from the female by the red in the male's mustache stripe at the back of his bill. Shot at f 5.6, 1/400, ISO 300, at 300 mm.

The Pileated Woodpecker has a wing span of 26 to 30 inches. This is the first time I've ever shot a Pileated Woodpecker flying. These are very wary birds and very hard to see. I only have these pictures because I was shooting from my work room window. f 5/6, 1/1250, ISO200, at 300 mm.

Another first this week is a shot of the flying Red-Bellied Woodpecker. It only visits this feeder and the suet feeder. F 2.8, 1/1250, ISO800, at 130 mm.

The Thirsty Dawg Taverne, Patton, PA. A night shot. f 14, 1 sec ISO200, at 28 mm.

It's All About Numbers

This week's blog is all about numbers--from the 87 year old roof on Saint Bernard's Church, to the 1/3200 shutter speed of the bird picture, to the 2500 families serviced by the Hastings Post Office.

Goldfinches flock to a thistle feeder in a blowing snow. From time to time, people ask me how I get the pictures like this one. So, when I can remember, I'll add a little technical data with the pictures. This picture was shot at f2.8 with a shutter speed of 1/3200. The ISO or film speed was 800 and the focal length was 200 mm.

Mourning dove passing in front of a bird feeder. This picture was shot at f5.6 at 1/1250. The ISO was 1600 and the focal length was 130 mm.

Hastings Post Office 16646.
The post office serves 2500 families in Hastings, Susquehanna Township and Elder Township.

After sorting the mail, this rural route driver delivers the mail to 550 families in the Hastings service area.

Pictured here is a 1960s AMF 6 lane bowling alley. "The Lanes" is located on the second floor above the Hastings Moose Lodge. The equipment is so old that the owner has to remake his own parts to keep the machinery running.

A strike in the making.

One of the members of the Wednesday mornings ladies bowling league.

Close up of a ball return.

Alma D. of Patton, PA, 80 years old and still going strong with a 135 bowling average.

This is just a small part of some bee hives in Susquehanna Township. Take notice of the stakes and wires surrounding the hives. This is called "bear proofing".

This is my friend Ed's place. I wish he'd adopt me. The problem is he's younger than I am.

Red-bellied Woodpecker out looking for food in the blowing snow. This picture was shot at f7.1 at 1/320. ISO 400 and focal length of 300 mm.

Under a new roof - for the first time since 1923 Saint Bernard's Church in Hastings shows a new look to it's roof. During a recent re-roofing of the church four new dormers were added to help provide ventilation.

Trash fire.