More Kough's Quarry...

As Dale pointed out yesterday in the comments, this quarry is located along Route 641 as you are leaving Newville, enroute to Newburg. He is the only one that had anything to say, maybe I need to put out an all call like Kevin did to see who if anyone is out there. I have a good idea who is looking at the fire history site but only know a few of you looking at the photography site.

This was a great place to stop and shoot, it gave me a chance to play with my wide angle lens. If you look close the sign in the center says no trespassing, but I didn't have my glasses on and I didn't think they meant me. I don't know how these look on your monitors but I do them on my laptop and the colors look much more vibrant and the black and whites look more alive not as flat. Maybe it is just my home monitor, or I need new glasses.

Kough's Quarry...

Today's photograph was taken this past Friday on a road trip. Linda had places she wanted me to take her and I figured it was a good time to take the camera and look for things to shoot. When I stopped at this location I managed to get about 20 shots off before a truck pulled in and informed me I was trespassing and had to leave. I understood why he wanted me to leave and appreciate the fact that he was civil with me but I didn't understand his question of why are you taking pictures. For one thing my camera does not take pictures, it records images.

I know there are people looking at my site that know the location of this place, so I let you post that. The rest of the week will be photographs from this place.

You Just Know It's A KME...

It was Friday, everything pointed to a good day, last daylight, good training scheduled a good crew. Then it hit us, we were working on a KME and everything else was worn out and should have been crushed years ago.

Coming in Captain 4 passed along that the truck was leaking transmission fluid before he departed for home and that someone would be in to take a look at it. In the mean time the Wagon is told to strip the rig and put the reserve squad in service that there wagon had to go to Guardian. In comes Bill to check our truck, the next thing I know he says come take a look at this. You know when you find the leaf springs hanging it is going to be a bad day. With the pin gone the springs dropped and rubbed a transmission line causing a leak. So off the truck goes to Stanley Springs, yeah you guessed it they don't have the pin in stock so it is down for the weekend only to come back who knows when.

We load up all our equipment on a 1975 CF Mack engine that should have been removed from service 20 years ago. Now we are the rope rescue company, we also carry water rescue equipment along with the truck company tools and everything else that needs transferred. With the use of big hammers we were able to pound everything into the compartments and jump seats. Good thing we were only a two man rig. While this is going on the Wagon puts a 1987 Sutphen in service. The uptown should have felt very safe, the two rigs had a combined age of 54 years. To make matters worse they were the two busiest rigs the city had seen, catching more fire than I can even imagine.

Now it comes time to check the rig after being informed that the Mack didn't want to start in the morning. Wow is a gauge supposed to read that much discharge. Off to training, so far so good, until it comes time to leave and the rig won't start, some playing around and I get it to fire. But then the runs start, lights on siren whaling, get out of the way cars I am coming through. I didn't know the needle could go that far into discharge when hitting a siren. Once on the scene park out of the way, turn everything off and crank the hand throttle out until it reaches the charging area. With each run things got worse, now the siren is starting to sound like you are standing on a cows udders and the radio is making funny noises when the button is stepped on.

I get the rig to 1500 hours when they decide to bring Tower 3 up to replace it and transfer the engine to station 6. I figure lets move it out of the way so the truck can go into my bay. No luck it finally died. Luckily the Wagon was going to pick up their rig or we would be out of rigs and have to put a company out of service. We finally figure out how to hook up the jumper cables to the multiple batteries and jump the rig.

Thank God it was Friday and time to go home to a drink or two or three or, well you get the point. Surprisingly it was a fun day, I guess it pays to have the mentality of a twelve year old.

MDA Fill The Boot...

Today's photographs come from Washington D.C. also and were taken close to the Verizon Center. DCFD Engine 2 was working a street corner for Jerry's kids. Every year union firefighters work to raise money for MDA, one of their most visible projects is fill the boot. If you are ever out anyplace and see a firefighter holding a boot with an MDA sticker on it please take the time to drop a few bucks in it. All the money we collect goes to MDA. In the near future these events will be starting up in Harrisburg and firefighters will be working the busy corners along with Memorial day events at city island.

Nothing Again...

Just like yesterday's post this photograph was taken in Washington, DC and just like yesterday's I don't know what to say about it. Maybe I can get some feed back on them, they are post processed differently than I normally do. I was trying to be artistic and opened minded but that doesn't come easy for me. If you care to let me know if you like them, don't be afraid to say they suck either, you won't hurt my feeling, I don't have any.

On another note the Hershey Bears won last night to force a game five back in Wilkes-Barre on Friday. I those of you that follow sports thought today would be HB photographs. Well I only shot about four gig last night so I will save them for next week and occasionally during the summer.

Speechless...

Speechless would best describe this photograph. Not because it is so good but because I just don't know what to say. This is another one taken in Washington D.C. and altered in Photoshop. It is the kind of place I would like to take a Flyers fan and the terrible referees and have a good time with them if you know what I mean.

On a sad not the Caps lost last night in overtime ending our season. Game four is tonight at the Giant Center with the Pens leading 3-0, my guess is that season will end tonight also. On a bright note, I will be taking my camera tonight, so maybe you will get to see some more Hershey Bears photographs.

Please remember to click the photo it will get much larger, hee, hee, hee, I can't believe I just said that.

No Lunch Today...

Today's photograph was taken through the plate glass windows of a vacant restaurant a couple of blocks from the Verizon Center. While walking past I noticed the place was empty and was able to pre-visualize a final image. Yeah and if you buy that bull I have plenty more to feed you. I was really just looking for anything remotely interesting to shoot to give me something to post and this place looked interesting. As with yesterday's photo the post processing changes the image quite a bit, and I was happy with the final product.

While on Washington, the Caps kicked the Flyers all over the ice last night. That was the Capitals we have grown to love. Tonight is game seven of the series and if we play anything like last night it will be an easy victory. GO CAPS!

I Can't Find A Paper...

I told you no hockey shots this week, bet you didn't believe me. This week will be shots from the a few block area around the Verizon Center in Washington. Before the game we took a short walk and I snapped a few as we went. Most of the images I got that day were taken from the hip or shoulder without looking through the viewfinder. All photos from DC were taken with the Nikon D70. Most of the photos from this week have a different post processing than I usually use. I don't know if that is good or bad, I hope you like them.

I told you know hockey shots, but I did not say anything about mentioning it. The Caps won on Saturday to put the series at 3-2 Flyers, they play again tonight in Philadelphia. The Bears, lets just say I am about to save ticket and gas money on them. The lost the last two in Wilkes-Barre bad, they got their butts kicked. I can't see them ever digging themselves out of the hole they are in. I have always liked Coach Woods and got angry when reading the comments about him in the paper, but after last nights interview with him I think he needs to go. I want a coach that says the team sucked we looked like crap and played even worse. They will be doing drills until the sun comes up. But he would rather make excuses. Next game Wednesday at the Giant Center, then we say goodbye to a number of the guys that will never be back.

Hershey's Goalies...

Last day of hockey photographs, I promise, really no kidding this time. Besides the Caps will more than likely be eliminated on Saturday and I really don't think the Bears will be to far behind. That will end my hockey season leaving me the long summer to watch my Orioles lose over and over again until football season arrives. Then I get to root for the Irish and Dolphins, anyone that likes sports knows what that means. On a high note Dale Jr. is third in the points.

Today's two images are of the Bears goalies Frederic Cassivi and Daren Machesney. Freddie has been the number one goalie for years and Daren led the team this year being named their rookie of the year. BUT with the young Russians in our system that the Caps drafted in the last couple of years I expect to see them both gone. I see Freddie staying in the area with his family and maybe taking on a different job with the Bears and Daren moving someplace else so he can beat us over and over again.

Hershy Bears Continued...

Yes I know you thought after yesterday's photograph that the Hershey Bears and hockey photos were finished and that I would move on to something else today. In the words of an old Harrisburg wagon driver, WROOOOOONG!!

I had a few more photos ready, and well nothing else ready, with no time to prepare any, so here they are. I really kind of liked the way the top photo came out also and wanted to share it. We set in row four so we have pretty good seats. If Hershey would just clean the glass one a decade it would be nice. I guess only charging $20,00 a seat, $6.00 to park, inflated souvenir prices and your first born for food (I won't even discuss the price of beer), they can't afford to pay anyone to clean the glass.

The Bears Are In The Playoffs...

I guess the game has to end sometime and it did, it just took a little longer with all the fights. The Bears won 5-2 after falling behind 2-0. The win clinched a spot in the playoffs. The playoffs start tonight in Hershey against the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins, we should be able to finish them off in six. As for the Capitals, after their game 1 win last Friday they lost Sunday and again last night to the Flyers. Game four is Thursday night and game five back in Washington on Saturday. If I was a betting man I would bet on the series to be over Saturday with the Flyers advancing to the next round. The way we played the last two games we don't deserve to move on.

I hate to keep reminding everyone, but if you click on the photograph they get larger. And in cases like this one much larger.

It Was An All Out Brawl...

Saturday's game between Hershey and Philly was entertaining to say the least. When I get in the mood I have been in I always love a good fight, I don't even mind if I am in it. Well with the poor officiating the AHL has you could see these fights coming. The on ice officials had no control over the game and allowed things to get out of hand.

In the top photograph Ryan Flinn pounds Matt Clackson 3:23 into the third period. This really wasn't much of a fight, it took place right in front of us and Clackson just kept ramming his face into Flinn's fist. He was smart enough to keep his head down and his eyes closed the whole time. I think it hurts the same weather you see it coming or not. Then at the 7:46 mark all heck broke loose. Daren (The Destroyer) Machesney stopped a puck just outside the crease as Jesse Boulerice (Phantoms) began to skate back Daren slashed him from behind. That started a fight that involved all 12 men on the ice and at least one that was on the bench. By the time the fight was over six players were ejected and 126 penalty minutes were racked up. It looked to me that Shawn Collymore of the Bears got the worst beating on the ice. This fight happened in our corner but with everyone standing it was hard to shoot, I held the camera above my head and just fired away blindly, a couple turned out okay.

There was also a fight in the first period and when the game ended the two teams had combined for 172 penalty minutes. And one Hershey Bear getting suspended.

Bears Are In The Playoffs...

Okay I know I said no more hockey, and that I would be using the Washington D.C. photographs this week, but these are not Capitals photos, they are Bears photos. And I promise they won't be all week. Just through Wednesday or Thursday, and then into something else, I hope.

On Friday the Bears beat the Phantoms in Philly to reduce their magic number to one, on Saturday the Phantoms visited Hershey and we beat them 5-2 to clinch a playoff spot. The game was very entertaining with Philly playing the way you would expect and the Bears not taking it.

The top photograph is of "Cheese the Destroyer" in the crease in the first period. In the third period he had to leave the crease for a little heavy weight action, more on that later in the week. The second photograph is of Ryan Flinn being congratulated after scoring a second period goal. Ryan only score three goals this season and two of those came Saturday and Sunday night. Later Ryan introduced his fist to a Phantom, who obviously wanted no part of it as his head stayed down and his eyes closed.

The Bears were at home again on Sunday playing the Binghamton Senators, we also won that meaningless game 6-5 in overtime. The next season begins Wednesday night at the Giant Center against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. GO BEARS!!

CAPS WIN GAME 1...

Okay I know I said I was done with the photographs of the Washington Capitals, I also said I lie sometimes. Those that look everyday, or most days know that the weekends I do not post, but this is a special occasion, practically a holiday.

Everyone knows the Caps opened the playoffs last night at home, if you don't you read none of my post in the past week. We jumped off to an early one goal lead then held a lead of 2-1 before the Flyers scored three goals in the second period to take a 4-2 lead into the final period. The Flyers were 30-1-1 during the regular season when leading after two periods. But now they are playing the Caps. Two goals by Mike Green a former Hershey Bear and the game winner by Alexander the Great and the Caps win game one by a score of 5-4.

Today's photograph was taken last Saturday but the end result is still the same CAPS WIN! Tonight the Bears are at home against the Flyers little sister. If we win we clinch a playoff berth. GO BEARS!

Caps Win, Caps Win!

Here you go folks, the last installment of the Capitals game last Saturday, unless they win tonight. Just kidding, maybe. As you can see by the scoreboard in the last photograph the Caps won the game 3-1 to win the division and advance to the Stanley Cup playoffs. Game 1 is tonight at 7:00 p.m., we better be quiet at work.

The first photograph show the crowd beginning their standing ovation with about 13 seconds left to play. In the second photos the team celebrates on the ice following the horn, former Bears Tomas Fleischmann (43) and Eric Fehr (14) jion the celebration along with Ollie the Goalie (37). The last photograph shows head coach Bruce Boudreau being interviewed following the game.

Bruce coached the Bears to a Calder Cup win two years ago and to game six of the Calder Cup finals last year before losing to Carey Price. Could we see rematch this year of Carey Price and about 10 former Bears players in the playoffs, time will tell.

As a Bears fan also, the Caps making the playoff takes on a whole new meaning. Just last November, right before Bruce took over the Caps on Thanksgiving day I had the chance to stand in twin ponds east and talk to him about the Hershey Bears for some time as our sons played hockey their. Now he is coaching the greatest NHL team to a potential Cup raising.

The Game Continues...

Don't worry tomorrow will end the Caps game and we will get into something new next week. The top photograph is of Christobol Huet, his last name is pronounced U-ey. He was picked up at the trade deadline and has been nothing short of spectacular ever since. You feel as if he will win every time out. Numerous times through out the night the chants Hip-Hip-Huet could be heard. In the second photo the Panthers have control of the puck in our defensive zone with a delayed penalty, they scored their lone goal on this power play. And the final shot of the day is the Caps celebrating their second third and final goal of the game score by Alexander Semin.

Three more pictures on Friday from the game and it is fitting it should end then as we open our first round of the playoffs in the evening at home against the Flyers.

The Game...

It's finally game time and the crowd is wild and red. Everything in this game was done with a more dramatic flare. Player introductions were different, but the fact that our young former Bears and Russians skate faster than the camera can record and the eye can see is an everyday occurrence. The people from Philadelphia will get to experience that real soon as we make short work of the Flyer's in hopes of sending the Pens home crying.

In the second photograph even if you do not like hockey you have probable heard of Alexander Ovechkin. Alex has already won two league trophies this year and the MVP can't be to far behind. He is an electrifying players to watch and is worshiped that much in my house we named a cat after him.

The playoffs begin tonight with the Pens losing to the Sens, the Caps will open theirs Friday night at home 7:00 p.m. on verses.

It's Almost Game Time...

Don't get bored with me here folks the Caps game will continue the rest of the week. If it makes you feel any better there will be no playoff photographs for next week, Linda tried over and over yesterday to get tickets and they are sold out for both home games. That's what happens when you work in the child care field, oops I mean fireman and can't get off anytime you want. We needed to make sure when the games were and that someone would cover my shift.

A couple things I failed to mention when I started these post is that they were all shot with the Nikon D70, it is a much smaller and lighter camera than the D2x plus I have body armour for it since I take it along to work that I just felt more comfortable carrying it around the District. Also we were with our hockey and card playing friends the Holtzman's from York County.

There is not much I can say about today's photographs the top one is the beginning of introductions, the center photo is of pre-game warm ups. When we go to Washington we like to sit in a corner where the Caps shoot twice. And the bottom photo is of Alexander the Great. Alex has already won two trophies this year for scoring the most goals, and leading the league in points. He should get a third the MVP and with any luck will be kissing the cup in June.

That's all for now, its off to work, I got detailed this week to teach a new class of drivers pump operations. Yeah who would think a truckman teaching pumps. Maybe I am just a wagon girl trapped in a truckmans body.

C-A-P-S, CAPS, CAPS, CAPS!!!

Yesterday I made a rare Sunday post saying that we had spent the day in Washington D.C. watching our Washington Capitals. The last game of the season has become a tradition for us, doing it now the last several years. This years last game was somewhat different. The last couple of years the Capitals were firmly in last place in all of hockey, not drawing any fans and really not even playing for pride. As a matter of fact last year was torture as there were more Sabres fans in attendance than Caps fans, they booed us and treated us like the visitors.

This years last game was different, if we loose we go home for the summer, BUT if we win we win the division, are third seated in the playoffs and have home ice advantage for the opening round. All this while being the hottest team in hockey. The game was sold out, the fans were pumped. Two hours before game time the line was long outside and growing, the chants of lets go CAPS were heard over and over. WHAT A DAY!.

More to follow on our fantastic day this week including of course the game itself. There had to be a winner you know.

Rare Sunday Post...

Today I am making a rare Sunday post, who knows maybe no one will see it but then again who cares. Today's post is to kick off Washington and the Caps week (or weeks). Yesterday we traveled to Washington, again, to see our beloved Washington Capitals play their final game of the season.

This was not like the other regular season finals we have been to the last few years, this game meant something. If we win we win the division and are ranked third with home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs and if we loose we go home until next year.

This shot was taken right after getting off the subway, the building on the right is the Verizon center, home of the Capitals.

More to follow this week on the events leading up to the game, the game itself and finally followed by our walk around this area of the District. This trip I did something a little different, I left the camera hang from my should and just shot from there. I only took a few photos while looking into the view finder.

I needed this trip it will give me enough to work with for the next week or two until I can find something else to post. If you don't like hockey you may not enjoy the next few days, if you lust like to look at the photographs, then I hope you enjoy seeing them as much as I enjoyed living them.

Heading Home For a Big Meal...

Today's is the third and final installment of the Amish shots I took last Sunday. I need to get to town or Lancaster county and do it again sometime. It would be nice to catch them out working in their fields or doing general work around their house.

Church has left out for the day and it's time to head home. For some of these people the ride is very long, there is only so many churches around and when traveling by horse and buggy it can take some time to make the trip. Now I may be wrong in what I say next and if I am then someone please correct me. This is just what I had always been told growing up in Shippensburg. After church the Amish head home to prepare a large meal, families are visited by others for the dinner with the women preparing food for a large number of people. Imagine if rest of the world took care of there own the way the Amish do. Instead we would rather kill each other and just be nasty.

I can only assume from what I was always told in the past that this is a married couple in the buggy since it is closed in. I was always told that when they are courting the buggy is uncovered and after marriage they can ride in a covered buggy together. Like the meal, if I am wrong someone out there please educate us.

Sunday Services...

I know today is not Sunday but I don't post on the weekends so you will have to have Sunday services on a Thursday. This is the same Amish church on Duncan Road that the parking garage came from for yesterdays post. The large building in the center of the photo is the church, the two smaller buildings to the left of the church would be the his and hers bathroom. For you city slickers out there we call them outhouses. This church actually has two separate parking garages, the one on the left that was yesterday's image and another one on the far side of the church.

Please remember to click on the photo to make it larger.

Amish Parking Garage...

Today's photographs were shot this past Sunday on my way to Shippensburg. This is something I have been talking about doing for a year and finally got the chance, my timing was off but maybe I learned something for the next time. These were taken around 11:00 a.m. and church had just left out, not wanting to be disrespectful to them they were shot from a distance hand held with my big lens. I guess I should try 10:00 a.m. next time.

This church is located on the Duncan Road in Southampton Township, Cumberland County. Yes this is the same church that was on the news last week a some ignorant individuals vandalized the building and shot it with paint balls. It would be great it they allowed an open season on people like that, although I may get busted by the game commission for bagging more than my legal limit.

I have never been in this church but it must be larger than it appears from the outside. I did not count the amount of buggy's sitting around it but there had to be over a hundred, not to mention the bicycles and probably a few on foot.

The rest of this weeks post will be from the same location. Maybe I can now get myself up and do project that I have been thinking about for sometime and that is photograph the country side and Americana in Cumberland and Franklin counties. Don't forget the photographs get larger when you click on them, especially the long narrow ones like today.

Tools Of The Trade...

Today's photograph comes from the Washington, DC fire muster a couple of years ago. I am lucky enough to grow up with these tools of the trade and not the present I am safe I am scared please don't make me go into that burning building, we burnt down 10 blocks and killed 50 family pets but at the end we can say everyone went home safe. THAT'S BULLSHIT!! And you can read that kind of crap everyday on Central Pa.'a Wackerfest website. If that is the way they feel then quit trying to do a man's job and join the auxiliary I would love to have a cup of coffee and some cookies on the fire ground. When did women quit having buys that grew up to be men and babies that grew up to stay crying babies?

I never wore a high eagle leather but I did start out on open cabs with booster reels, long boots and duct coat. Check the statistics we put out as much fire then and didn't hurt or kill any more men. And what is up with taking off the booster reels, they have there place in the fire service. Make sense of this one for me we removed a 25 to 30 gallon per minute line and replaced it with a metal can that holds 2 1/2 gallons of water.

You old guys know what I am talking about, you young'ins will never get it. I guess I should stop know before I say something that will get me in trouble.