The Sun Does Shine

We finally got a few days of warm, sunny weather, and tried to make the best of it. The first picture in this week's blog was the only one I shot on a 200 mile ride I took on my motorcycle on a warm Friday afternoon. With the exception of the African violet picture, which I shot on our front deck, and the two pictures at the Cambria County Courthouse on Saturday evening, the rest of the pictures were shot during a road trip to Camp Hill, PA for a photography trade show. Glad we got out of the house and off the ridge when we did because we haven't seen the sun since Monday morning.

An old barn along Route 22 at Yellow Springs, PA

African Violet

Ceiling in the rotunda of the Cambria County Court House, Ebensburg, PA. Here I am in action taking the photo as caught by a fellow photographer.

A jazz trio featuring Matt Weber on drums, Fremont McHendrick on keyboard and Mike Kokus on saxophone provided music for the 9th Annual Art in Bloom Ebensburg Spring Art Show.

Self-explanatory. This was shot along Route 22 just east of Huntington, PA.

These old bikes are standing against a wall of a barn where a flea market is held along Routes 11/15 near Perdix, PA.


Cement and Glass.

Reflections of Harrisburg as seen in a window.

Pennsylvania State Headquarters for the American Legion located in Wormleysburg, along Routes 11/15.

Vietnam War Statue in front of the Pennsylvania American Legion HQ building.

Crest of the Pennsylvania Department of the American Legion.

Up against the wall....again

Pennsylvania State Capital building, Harrisburg, PA as seen from Camp Hill on the west side of the Susquehanna River.

Skyline of Harrisburg, PA.

Main branch, Susquehanna River, Harrisburg, PA. These guys told their wives they were working.

Taking its life in its own webbed feet, this goose was dumb enough to walk in front of our car. You can tell it's a city goose by its attitude.

Sunday afternoon in the switchin' yard, Enola, PA.

Engine yard, Enola, PA.

Going down hill, two miles from "The Narrows" heading west on Route 22.

This engine belonging to the West Granville Fire Department, was manufactured by the E-One Company in 1993. It holds 1,000 gallons of water and can pump 1,500 gallons per minute, its 8 man crew can lay 1,500 feet of 5 inch line and 600 feet of 3 inch line. The volunteer fire company, located in Strodes Mills, Mifflin County, was founded in January 1954.
Almost home. Twenty-five miles to go. Heading down 17th Street in the big city of Altoona, PA.

Still Looking for Spring

Here it is the 19th of April, and Mother Nature is still toying with my mind. I wish she'd get her act together 'cause I'm really getting tired of spending so much time in the cabin. Temperatures for the most part have ranged 20 degrees + below normal and you can still see remnants of the snow that hit us two days ago.

The cast of the play Spoon River. This was the third time I attended the play this week. The first two were business, this, one of two dinner theater performances, was for pleasure.

Randy Ott, of Windber, plays for the Johnstown Riverhawks of the AIFA. This was my first chance to shoot an arena football game.

The Riverhawks meet mid field for a group hug just before the start of the game against the Demolition of Danville, IL.

When you go out of bounds in this game, you wind up on someones lap in the first row.

In Johnstown the game is played at the War Memorial, the same venue that's used by Johnstown hockey team. As you can see, the quarters are tight. The three guys in green, up against the wall, are the chain gang. The guy in the black shirt on the top half of the field is the coach for the Danville team.

First day of trout and once again the weather is cold and wet. The water in Chest Creek was high and fast.

Standing on a ledge just before a drop off this guy tries his luck.

Proof once again that fish don't care what you're wearing when you go out to play in the water.

Coordinators of the Relay for Life event on the campus of Saint Francis University.

Team captains make the first lap of the 24 hour long Relay for Life.

This team built most of their costumes after taking a hint from the movie "Cars".

The "Got Pink?" team

"Pogo"
With the Jaffa Shrine Circus coming to town this week, three of the Shriner's clowns greeted kids and tied balloon animals for them Sunday at the Logan Valley Mall in Altoona.

"Lumpy"

"Bubbles"

This picture is just an old run down building in Altoona, one of the many.

Snow covers the arm of an outside couch.

Ruffed Grouse - Bonasa umbellus

The Week that Was

The last week has been both exciting and demoralizing. The exciting part is my birthday, Easter, shooting pictures at a hockey game just for the heck of it and spending three days on the campus of Saint Francis University shooting a whole lot of pictures. The demoralizing aspects are due to the lousy inclement weather that we've had for the last week. Snow, rain, high winds, you name it, we've had it. We are beginning to think that we will see spring sometime around July this year. All in all I think I could have waited at least a week before I put new tires on my motorcycle because I sure don't have a chance to ride it right now.

First and last picture of myself on my 61st birthday, long live the king. This picture was shot as a reflection using the side window of my van.

Of course it always seems to snow on my birthday and this shot just goes to prove it is true once again. This is an iris sticking up through about 3 inches of snow.

Geoff Waugh, defenseman for the Johnstown Chiefs, making his way onto the ice during introductions at the Friday night game against the Reading Royals.

The goalie for Friday night's game, was #29, Morgan Cey. It was not a good outing for Mr. Cey.

Reading scores early in the first period. As I said it was not a very good evening for Mr. Cey.

Maxime Boisclair gets the puck in front of the Royal's net.

Score! Johnstown. It's now 1-1.

A Johnstown hockey fan.

Pine Warbler - Dendroica pinus. Another of the first time visitors to this area of Pennsylvania. The Pine Warbler usually spends the winter in the southern states. I suspect that this one was just passing through as we haven't seen it since we took the picture.
The next five pictures show cast members in Edgar Lee Masters Spoon River, An American Folk Musical, presented by STAR Productions on the campus of Saint Francis University. We were the official photographer for the play.

The reflections of these mounds of grass are in a shallow pond on the grounds of the Carrolltown Rod and Gun Club.

Canadian Goose a'swimming.

In celebration of Saint Francis University's 160th anniversary, the Arts Department invited a former student, Scott Miller, of Westmont, PA to photograph everyone who cared to show up between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. Scott has made a name for himself on the west coast as a photographer to the Hollywood celebrities, shakers and movers. I was glad to have the opportunity to spend some time working with Scott and shooting the event for the Marketing Department of Saint Francis University.

I found this plastic statue sitting on someone's art stand in a lull during the 160 shoot.

This is actually a stage area about 15 feet above the main floor. It looks big enough to hold three or four musicians.

Student artist working on a class project.