Happy Thanksgiving 2008

We caught this doe passing through last Saturday, late in the afternoon. If it wasn't for the snow, we would have never seen her.

Old mailbox used as a yard ornament.

Personally, I like this picture, just because it looks a little strange. But then again, my wife and my daughter aren't so sure about it, because it's a little different. Art is in the eye of the beholder.

A Downy Woodpecker on one of the feeders in the back yard.

With all the below average weather we've had around here in the last couple of weeks, we figured it's about time that we got the water heater out so that the birds would at least have fresh water when they need it.

I hate it when the subjects keep their eye on me.

A male hairy woodpecker flying away from the camera.


Common Raven -- Corvus corax
The ravens started to show up in the area about 5 years ago. They very seldom ever get this close to the house.

Even though the elections have been over for about three weeks now, these two candidates haven't seen the need to take down their signs, even though they are obligated to do so by law.

This is a piece of folk art that I bought my wife months ago. We used a picture of it a few months ago on the blog. I'm sure this is only the first of several pictures I'll take of it over the winter.

One of the sculptural birds sitting out in the snow.

What started out as a picture of a tan oak leaf laying on top of snow, is now transformed into this image with the help of PhotoShop. I never have this kind of picture planned ahead. But, when I find a shot that I like, but I don't like the way the original looks, I just experiment to see what I can come up with. In this case, I took the positive of the image, turned it into the negative, and made adjustments from there until I found something that I liked.

Third Week in October 2008

Veterans Day 2008, Hastings, PA. All, but the bugler, are veterans.

This is the leading edge of a cold front on Saturday, 15 November 2008, that was to bring us snow on and off over the next two-three days.
I shot the next two pictures on an ugly, cold, snowy, Sunday morning. For more information on these two engines, please see the Everett Railroad Company website.

The next series of photographs were shot at the scene of an accident on Route 36 coming out of Altoona going toward our home in Hastings, PA at approximately 3:15 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, 16 November 2008. These are 11 of 58 photos shot over a period of eight minutes. Four vehicles were initially involved, three cars and a pick-up. Two cars apparently bounced off the guard rail and continued on their way. One car and the pick-up truck came to rest along side the road. The truck caught fire. The Logan Township Police Department, Newburg Volunteer Fire Department and the local EMS responded to the accident. Only one person required medical assistance. For those of you who know the area, yes, this was near the Buckhorn.

I find it fascinating to stand in the window and watch the birds go thru their antics every day. I really hope that this year will be as good as last year was for seeing different species stopping at our feeders. With this early snow fall, the winter bird watching season has started, I've already seen a Carolina Wren, but I haven't been able to get a picture of it, yet.

Nuthatch

Male Hairy Woodpecker

Male Downy

Female Downy

Susquehanna Township, Cambria County

The blog this week was shot completely in Susquehanna Township, Cambria County, Pennsylvania (one of four townships named Susquehanna in the 67 Pennsylvania Counties) over a three day period. The majority of the photographs were shot in and around the villages of Emeigh and Garmantown.

I found these two blue chairs sitting in a back street next to an abandoned house. They were set there by a neighbor who was hoping that someone would claim them so he didn't have to send them off to the land fill.


At one time I believe this building was a bar and it's just recently been dismantled. What caught my eye here was the steel beams that were set upon columns made out of bricks that held up the second and third floor.






I think is probably one of the prettiest fall pictures that I've taken this year and views like this are the main reason that we prefer to live out in the boondocks.


Located along Double Dam Road, this old homestead provided me with the next 6 photographs.


Farmall Tractor.


Shed Doors.


This cat followed me around trying to figure out what I was up to.


Another Farmall tractor. This one is being salvaged to provide parts for the one in the above picture.


Outhouse.


It almost looks like this panel truck was parked in front of the garage and abandoned.


My van parked in our woods while I was out shooting.


The family that owns this horse also has several steers that they are raising just a half mile up the road from our place.


One of the neighbors.



I caught this chipmunk as it was preparing to launch itself onto the silk flower that I'd stuck into this fence post early in the spring.


Sometimes the sunflower feeder gets just a little busy.

Garmantown Veterans' Memorial

On Sunday, 9 November 2008, the hard work of 6 veterans from the Garmantown, Pennsylvania area saw their efforts and devotions come to fruition when the town dedicated this memorial to the area's veterans. There are 66 names on the memorial. To put this into perspective, there are only 50 family homes in the town.