Autumn in the Alleghenies

Living out here in the mountains of Pennsylvania there is really no need to go anywhere other than here to witness the changing of the seasons and the brilliant colors that come with this time of the year.

As the leaves start turning, people start thinking about jack-o-lanterns and Halloween. So far this year the colors have been just outstanding.

It looks like the owner of this old farm is getting ready for the snow that is in the forecast for the next week.

One of the best places in the area to enjoy the fall season is at the local lake.

Fall colors along the shore of Glendale Lake, Prince Gallitzin State Park, near Patton, PA.

Killbuck Creek looking out towards the lake. I keep returning to this spot to record the changes that each year brings.

This is a great time of the year to be cruising the shorelines around Glendale.

No matter which way you look, the lake is just filled with color.

Fishermen work the shores of the lake looking for bass.

This shot and the next were taken from the Headache Hill overlook at the lake. This backwater area is part of the camping area for Prince Gallitzin State Park.

I never noticed it before but all of the bird houses at the lake seem to be facing south.

Causeway area of Glendale Lake.

Back in the day, this was one of my favorite places to sit and fish.

Another overview of the lake.
Like the first picture, it is composed of two separate frames that were stitched together.

Since fall is here, we have put the bird feeders back out and filled them up. Here are the first shots of our backyard visitors this season.

Cardinal.

Red-Bellied Woodpecker.


Blue Jay.

Mourning Dove.

Red-bellied on the fly.

Apple Cider Festival

It's that time of the year again. We spent last Sunday at our final show of the year at Prince Gallitzin State Park. Now we are going to sit back and see what the rest of the year brings.

I have no idea where I got this thing, but now it sits on top of my computer next to a kneeling baby Buddha. My daughter tells me its name is Allstar Seaworthy Snork and apparently it's a cartoon character from 1984.

Many moons ago we had the property lumbered and in the process had this opening in the trees created. Up until that time the only view of the sky we had was overhead. Now we can watch the sun rising in the east through this opening. At 63 years of age, I'd much rather watch the sun rise than the sun set.

Reflection of the late afternoon sky as seen in the rear window of my van.

Apple Cider Fest at Prince Gallitzin State Park

Students of the Greater Altoona Career and Technology Center squeeze apples to produce apple cider during the Annual Apple Cider Fest held at Prince Gallitzin State Park outside of Patton, PA.

I love a woman with a sense of humor!

Johnny Appleseed stops for a moment during his tour of the festival site.

And the ever present Rosie and the Jammers once again entertained.

Chainsaw carver Michael Long exhibited his skill during Apple Cider Fest.

A group of young ladies stopped by the Shaver's Creek Environmental Center booth at Prince Gallitzin State Park during the Apple CIder Fest to get up close to this screech owl.

While the ladies were talking with Elise, a staff member at Shavers Creek, I took the opportunity to shoot these next three pictures.

I know that I'll never be in the position to get this kind of photography of these birds in the wild, so I take every chance that I have to record them.

This screech owl was taken to Shavers Creek after it was involved in an accident with a car and lost the vision in it's left eye.

Dennis Miller, Prince Gallitzin State Park Manager, was interviewed by the local CBS station, WTAJ TV-10 from Altoona, PA.

Steeler Dog.

Kids got an opportunity to play around on the beach volleyball court while their parents visited the vendors.

This road runs through the state game lands outside of Patton, PA, near Prince Gallitzin State Park. Over the years I've ridden this road, mostly on my motorcycle, and I was surprised to find it in this good of a condition now.

This is the view that greets you after you exit the game lands and continue toward the lake. Most people never get to see this scenery because they tend to stay on the blacktop roads.

Although the old farm house is abandoned, the farm itself is still productive, which in itself is a good thing.

It won't be long until the boaters will have to have their boats off of the water of Lake Glendale.

It was so windy the day I took this the water was actually blowing back up stream on Kill Buck Run.