I am lacking anything positive to say this morning so I will keep it short and sweet. Today's photographs are space fillers from the beach, the last day there we take our leftover bread from the week along out to the beach with us to feed the birds. I took me a few tries with the D300 to figure out the focusing so it would react fast enough to get the birds in flight, I finally figured it out.
On Sunday July 27, 2008 Boy Scout Troop 90 held their final court of honor. Because of various circumstances including the troop being small and one boy turning 18 the troop has decided to disband. Tonight they will have their last function together before going their separate ways to other troops. 
This past Saturday Shane played in his final rugby game of the season. This was his third year playing the sport and he really enjoys playing it. Unlike in years past he missed a number of the practices and games because of prior commitments to Boy Scouts and vacations. Who knows if he will keep playing as he gets older there is more and more things to take up his time.
Yes I am home and that makes me sad. We had a great week enjoying the water, the sun and everything else that goes with the beach. It really makes me miss the times when we spent almost half the summers at Fenwick Island. 
All good things must come to an end and it is almost time to head home. I did finally get a chance to shoot a few photographs including surfer dude Shane, the tail end of an attic fire and the horses and other things at Assateague National Park. I don't know what to do about the horse photographs since I think Shane did a better job than me. For now I will leave you at the end week with Shane doing what he likes best, spending time in the ocean.
I have not taken many photographs while on vacation, my time at the beach is reserved for laying in the sun drinking beer and reading, and I have done just that. But with Shane along there is places I must go like the boardwalk. Before I got the D300 night time hand held without flash was not an option, but with this camera I love it and don't carry the flash at times I used to. Both of these shots were taken after 10:00 p.m. hand held at ISO 2500. Noise, what noise? Step aside Canon, Nikon is back in the lead. Dang I love this camera.
Don't worry, last day of "B" Platoons roof operations, I promise. The first photo shows our two new Probies wearing their orange front pieces. This is the first time probies had to wear an orange front, for the last several years they had a large blue P on the back of their helmets, by the way you decide what the P stood for. Both probies got some good roof work in on Monday getting the chance to cut a wood peaked roof and a metal deck built up roof. In the last photograph my other truck partner Wil (not the pirate) Turner helps the probie out. It's great to be on vacation, hope you guys are earning your money uptown this week.
Always trying to be cute, call my name and yell take our photograph just to turn around and show their smart side. What they didn't know was that I got a shot of them facing me also, now its time to put them out on Front Street. Left to right Eric "Harrisburg Flamer" Nowlin, DeShawn "Diabetic" Dennis, Grover "The Plumber" Cliatt, Eric "Gold Fish" Jenkins and Nick "The Instigator" Bixler. There you happy guys, you have been caught.
Last Monday B Platoon got the opportunity to train on roof operations at an old church in the uptown district. Four on duty companies took part in the training with our two new probies getting most of the work. In the last photograph Wagon 3 is 10-10 at 10. I hope these post and my SFD sites post work out okay they have been set up in advance for a scheduled posting. I have never done that before.
I was able to go the whole week avoiding posting photographs related to the fire service, but I just couldn't make that one more day. In the last week I shot fire related photographs at work, Hagerstown and the Pennsylvania Pump Primers. Sooner or later I just had to post a few. 
This will be very quick this morning I have an appointment to keep. Another from Wildwood Lake, this is what we always called a piney when I was growing up and still do today. Why I had to wait for my walk around Wildwood to shoot this chipmunk is beyond me when I have many of them living right here at my house. Maybe I will photograph some of my own soon as they eat all the bird seed from the feeders. For more information on this little critter check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chipmunk . Like yesterdays, the image is not as sharp as I would like it to be but it was shot in very low light, hand held, and I really didn't have time for anything else this morning.
The squirrels in today's photographs were taken at Wildwood Lake Sanctuary. They are not as sharp as I would have liked them to be, but sometimes the brain and the camera don't work together like they are supposed to. When I retire in 4 1/2 years I will have more time to concentrate on that and get things working. 
Today's photographs were taken last Thursday at Wildwood Lake Sanctuary and thrown together real quick this morning. They were not shot in the best light as it was a bright sunny day but they looked better before I posted them here also. A couple of weeks ago I got a new Photoshop CS3 book and there is a chapter dealing just with that. I have grumbled before when worked on an image was happy with it and then posted it and it didn't look the same. These fall into the same group. Now to take the time to read that chapter and hope I am smart enough to digest it and make it work.
I hope everyone had a great weekend, but then again what is it any of my business. Dang this is just a beautiful day isn't it. My last daylight until sometime in September. I am getting misty eyed just thinking about it. 
Last month a posted a few photographs from Dover International Speedway, I had a few others that I didn't post and kicked around the idea of weather I should or not. Weeellll with nothing else ready the decision has been made for me. Outside of the track everything is a big production now, I can take it or leave it. I am there to see a race and that is it but my son and wife really enjoyed, Shane maybe more. One of the things there was the ESPN area, they had numerous things to do and many women with long legs all wearing these outfits. We enter a trailer where you are to sit at the booth and do your own race coverage. It is recorded and then you can get your video online at a later date. The only one of us to do it was Shane. In the first photograph he is getting directions from the young lady operating the area. In the second photograph, lets just say I know nothing and as Forrest Gump once said, "That's all I have to say about that". Shane you da man.
Since things didn't go according to plan with photographs today's photos come from Harrisburg, Pa. These were taken late spring this year from way above the Capitol steps. The first photo is looking south on Third Street and the bottom is looking west on State Street from the Capitol. 
I know more cardinals, but when I find something I like I stick with it and I have always enjoyed watching cardinals, they are one of the prettiest birds around. And the reason for the extra photographs today was because I could not decide witch of the two to post between the second and third shots. If you want you can tell me witch one you like better.
Today we have Mr. Cardinal, he looks a little different than other male cardinals we have around our house. He is more of an orangish red than red and not as attractive as other males. He is very helpful with the three little ones. When we are out back he helps mother chirp trying to keep the nest safe. I have also watched him and and help feed the little ones.
This is mother cardinal, she along with her better half Mr. Cardinal and there three little ones live in our back yard. When I took her photograph last week they were still expecting the little ones to arrive, but while away at camp her and her significant other gave birth to three little ones. 
Today's photographs come from those taken at arm forces day in Carlisle at the Army Heritage Center a couple of months ago. I spoke enough about the event that there really isn't anything left to say. I had worked these up earlier but saved them for today. The top photo was taken by me and the bottom one by Shane.
I am short on time so today's post will be short. These three photographs come from steam day at the Maryland Fire Museum in Lutherville, Maryland on June 14, 2008. This was the steamer that pumped all day. As I said in another post from this event, I was disappointed in the event failing to remember that the last time I was there it was a special occasion. BUT, if you have never been to the museum the trip is worth it, the rigs are fantastic (if you like that kind of thing and I do). Also if you have never seen a steamer operating before the trip is worth it just for that.
"Licenced to kill gophers by the Government of the United Nations", remember when Bill Murray said that line in Caddy Shack years ago and made going after ground hogs famous? That same line was repeated by me a couple of weeks ago at my own house. 
