JRJ's Photo Journey - Scenic Landscapes and Living History

235th Anniversity of Washington Crossing the Delaware

2011-12-25T14:32:00.000-05:00

235 years ago on December 25th, 1776, George Washington and his troops launched a daring raid on Trenton, NJ. The Friends of Washington Crossing host an annual reenactment of the event. A few photos from the day.

NMIH - Bethlehem Steel Blast Furnaces

2011-11-15T17:12:00.001-05:00

After the NMIH visit, the group ventured down to the blast furnaces for a few additional photographs. There a lights which illuminate the blast furnaces. On this night, they are blue.

National Museum of Industrial History - Beth Steel Visit

2011-11-13T11:51:00.001-05:00

The National Museum of Industrial History sponsored a photo shoot in conjunction with the Lehigh Valley Photography Month. A small group gathered in one of the NMIH buildings which will eventually be their museum. The building used to be the electrical shop of Bethlehem Steel.

Pouring the mold.

Working a pour into the molds.


Two workers move a fly wheel.

The open hearth illuminates a fly wheel.

A foggy morning on the Delaware

2011-11-12T10:37:00.001-05:00

Patterns in the October Ice

2011-10-31T14:28:00.000-04:00

East Broad Top Railroad in the Snow - October 2011

2011-10-30T10:27:00.000-04:00

A rare early season snow was all the reason to head West to visit the East Broad Top Railroad. It was well worth the driving hazards. Enjoy.


A view toward the roundhouse


Heating the rails leading from the turntable.

Oil cans in the cab.

Crossing the bridge.

Colors of Fall

2011-10-25T08:30:00.000-04:00

Red Mushroom

2011-09-16T12:54:00.000-04:00

With all the rain lately, all kind of strange things growing in the yard. I have never seen a red mushroom before this one popped up. Kinda cool.

More Water....Delaware River Flooding

2011-09-08T16:03:00.000-04:00

So around 2:30am I am awoken by thunder. It is raining hard again. I check the basement and all is well. 45 minutes later, water is coming in the basement window and up through the slab. _uck. The back yard is a swimming pool with water 6-8 inches deep. I get the yard fixed in about 2 hrs.

Enough of my problems because other people have it worse. Here are a few pictures on the Delaware River at Washington Crossing. River will still come up another couple of feet but it should not reach a level where it will be a problem for us.

Why can't it just follow directions.

A visit by a B-17

2011-09-07T16:20:00.000-04:00

On the day of the great East Coast Earthquake, Trenton airport had a visitor, a WWII B-17G bomber. This fine aircraft is owned by Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. More details can be found at www.b17.org.

A sleek view of the wing

The mechanic looks one of the 4 engines over

The Front end with the nose art.


The power for this beast.

A view from the flight deck.

One of the Boys of Fall

2011-09-06T12:45:00.000-04:00

Daniel had his first real football game on Sunday. A few photos from the day.

No Crossing for George today

2011-03-08T09:15:00.000-05:00

With all the rain and snow melt over the past two weeks, the Delaware River is running high. This morning it crested about 15', which is still 4' below flood stage. It's a good thing that George Washington did not have to cross the river or he would have ended up south of Philadelphia. A few photos from this morning.

The boats are still in the river.

A tree which is normally on dry ground.

The river is really rolling.

Sun on the bow.

From below the Washington Crossing bridge.

It should be interesting as we are supposed to get another 2 inches of rain on Thursday. Enjoy.

2011 Western Maryland Railroad Photo Freight Special

2011-02-02T20:00:00.000-05:00

I was able to get enough done with the house and move in order to head to snow covered Cumberland, MD to participate in the 2011 Western Maryland Railroad Photo Freight Special. A few pictures from Saturday.

The train pulling into the Cumberland station at high speed.

Preparing to leave the station


Rounding the curve at Helmstetter' Farm.

Entering Brush Tunnel.

The last of the day, resting at lunch, just below Frostburg.

What the F___!!!

2010-11-05T07:24:00.000-04:00

Is it just because it is Friday, Frosty or just another F'uped day. What ever the reason, enjoy the day and the weekend.

Blue and Yellow

2010-10-30T09:16:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I posted anything. Looking back a few years, I came across this photo of old mining equipment in Virginia City, NV. I think the colors look cool. Enjoy.

Glen Eagles

2010-07-19T15:42:00.000-04:00

Friday we were at Glen Eagles Golf Club somewhere in the middle of Scotland. A magnificent place. You can fly in on your helicopter (or take one to St Andrews to watch the Open) or take a falconry lesson. No birds on Friday and unfortunately none on the golf course either. : (

A few photos from the course.

A strange look rock that looked like a face.

It was very windy all day as evidenced by the flag on 18.

Carnoustie Scotland

2010-07-17T13:22:00.000-04:00

A few photos from the golf course at Carnoustie Scotland.

Daniel's Birthday Party

2010-07-06T20:11:00.000-04:00

Below are a few pictures from Daniel's birthday party at the Trenton Thunder baseball game. Although the weather was hot, the kids had a good time.

Thanks to all the parents who helped. I hope you had a good time.

2010 Cass Railfan Weekend - Day 3

2010-05-28T15:41:00.001-04:00

Last day in metropolitan Cass, WV. I decided to not ride the train up the mountain again based on questionable weather, similar photo locations and most importantly, a 7.5 hr car ride. I did manage to get a few good photos as the trains were departing.

The first setup of the day was a three rail line up with 3 engines. I was at a bad angle to get all three without including a few people who decided to jump the photo lines. Assholes.

Here are the two #6's.

An interesting reflection of the headlight in the exhaust.

The working gears of WM Shay #6.

A busy scene around the water tower with a freight passing. Each engine carries approximately 5,000 gallons of water.

In addition to water and coal, these engines require significant grease and lubrication to keep working. The engineer topping off WM Shay #6 prior to moving up the mountain.

All in all it was a good weekend, weather aside. Hope you enjoyed the photos.

2010 Cass Railfan Weekend - Day 2 Night Shots

2010-05-28T13:13:00.001-04:00

After the rain during the day on Saturday, the skies cleared for the evening photo shoot. A few from the evening.

2010 Cass Railfan Weekend - Day 2

2010-05-28T11:22:00.002-04:00

Day 2 of the 2010 Cass Railfan started with a little rain and got worse from there. The weather could have been the worst weather I have ever taken photographs in and that includes a night in Yellowstone where it was -20. Enough gripping about something I could not control.

Three engines went up the mountain on Saturday. Shay # 11 and # 6 pulling the passenger coaches and Shay #5 working the logging train. After a long climb, we need to stop for water. Shay #11 and #6 are being filled with a gravity feed tank located next to the track.

Once filled, the train moved on and out of the fog streamed #5 will the logs.

It's hard to tell whether it is the steam/smoke or fog and the train moves past.

On top of the mountain, visibility was about 50 feet as had moved into the clouds. Almost a ghostly image.

One more from the top.

Two more stops during the afternoon. At the last location, we finally started to get a few breaks in the clouds.

And last but not least, scenic downtown Cass, WV.

2010 Cass Railfan Weekend - Day 1

2010-05-28T08:24:00.000-04:00

I participated in the 2010 Cass Railfan weekend. Cass, WV is located in the middle of NOWHERE. Great scenery, but it is in the middle of NOWHERE. The Cass Railroad is an old logging railroad which is now operated by the State of West Virginia. They have done an outstanding job of maintaining and preserving the railroad. Here are pictures from Day 1 of the weekend.

Heisler #6 is steamed up and ready to go. #6 was pulling the passenger coaches up the mountain.

#6 making a pass at a remote crossing halfway up the mountain and then working up the 5% grade.

The Cass speeder followed us up the mountain to Whittaker. Good thing as we had a small derailment.

#6 works its way into Whittaker.

Back down the mountain, we returned to the shop for a tour and dinner. Not just the steam engines are old here.

The running gear on Western Maryland Shay #6.

The end of Day 1 brought a night photo shoot on a small trestle just outside of Cass.

Hope you enjoyed the photos. - Ross

Parking Lot Clouds

2010-05-09T20:13:00.000-04:00

Saturday was an interesting weather day in the PA/NJ area. Very windy. As the sun was headed down for the evening, it made for some interesting light on a few clouds. These are shot from a parking lot in Princeton, NJ. Enjoy.

Baby Red Fox

2010-05-02T09:12:00.001-04:00

We've located a red fox den in Bucks County. I was able to get shots of the kits for the first time last night. These were the only two which were decent enough to post. As you can see, they are still very young. There are at least three but this one was the most adventurous. Enjoy.

A Moonlight Night

2010-03-12T08:14:00.000-05:00

A frozen Bucks County, PA pond on a moonlight night.

Breakfast Treat for the Cardinal

2010-03-02T20:32:00.000-05:00

The Grand Canyon on a Cold Morning

2010-02-26T08:21:00.000-05:00

Found this picture from the March 2005 trip to CA and AZ. This was taken before dawn on a very cold morning. The sunlight was reflecting of a layer of fog and was illuminating the canyon. Enjoy.

Is this a cloud or a UFO?

2010-02-22T21:08:00.000-05:00

A strange cloud formation moving over the mountains in YNP.

P-51 Fighter over Reading PA

2010-02-20T09:11:00.000-05:00

A P-51 Mustang fighter patrols the sky over Reading PA.

Shadows in the Sunrise

2010-02-12T19:49:00.000-05:00

The sun begins it day over southern York County, PA farm.

The Aftermath of the Snow

2010-02-07T18:38:00.000-05:00

The weather was too good to pass up today after the 24+ inches of snow. Two photos in a forest near the Delaware River. Static trees can be boring, so I tried a different technique. Hope you enjoy.

Sunflowers in the wind for a snowy day

2010-02-05T10:08:00.000-05:00

Something to look forward to while waiting on the snow.

Spring House Bottle

2010-02-03T19:08:00.001-05:00

Death Valley Morning

2010-02-01T09:28:00.000-05:00

February 2009 - Death Valley, NV.

Early morning in the dunes. Enjoy.

2009 Chama Steam Classic

2010-01-30T13:50:00.000-05:00

2009 Chama NM Steam Classic

2009 Antietam Illumination

2009-12-06T19:13:00.000-05:00

I attended the 2009 Antietam Illumination on December 5, 2009. This is an annual event to commemorate the approximately 23,000 soldiers killed, wounded or missing in action during the September 17, 1862 battle. This was the deadliest one day battle of the Civil War. On the first weekend of December, volunteers place 23,000 candles on the battlefield.

This year the weather did not cooperate as it has in the past. The luminaries were difficult to keep burning as there was heavy, wet snow most of the day. A few pictures from the event and the following morning.

This is a marker near the Sharpsburg (Antietam) train station.

Photos from the event.

Dunker Church. This was used as a hospital during the battle. Are the ghosts from the past?

A row of cannons and one of the memorials on the battlefield.

Burnside Bridge the next morning.

Split rail fence in the snow.

Enjoy and thanks for looking - Ross

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-06T15:04:00.001-05:00

Daniel and I headed south to Myrtle Beach for the Thanksgiving holiday to see mom and dad. A good trip was had by all. The weather held up and we were able to slip out and see some of the sights.

A single decent photo from Huntington Beach State Park.

Instead of shopping on Friday, we headed south toward Georgetown and went to Battery White. This is a Civil War cannon battery which protected the entrance to Georgetown.

Daniel posing on one of the cannon.

The sun through the Spanish moss.

And finally, a cold walk though downtown Georgetown. The church tower and it's very cool windvane.
Enjoy.

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Part II of the Great Pumpkin Search

2009-10-04T20:02:00.004-04:00

From part I - You have to be properly armed to go pumpkin hunting.

Not much drama here. Finally a winner!

Riding off into the sunset on our trusty steads

A real iron horse steams by returning to Strasburg.

The Annual October Search for the Perfect Pumpkin

2009-10-04T19:46:00.009-04:00

The weather forecast was poor but I had a little six year old who does not quite understand how the weather is unpredictable. So, it was are we going, are we going......and on and on and on. Off to Lancaster County for a train ride at the Strasburg Railroad and then off to the Cherry Crest Farm for an afternoon of fun.

A few from the train.

Strasburg engine 475 roars along the track.

Off to the farm. This is a great attraction especially for kids who are not exposed to farm life. A few of the activities. They also have a pretty decent petting zoo of farm animals.

The search continues on part two... I need to learn to downsize photos in Lightroom 2.

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September Weather

2009-09-22T20:26:00.003-04:00

We had to take advantage of the great September weather and head out for a few pictures on the NS Railroad. It was requested by Daniel. I am not going to bore you with pictures of trains, but a few from the day.

The newly renovated Valley Forge station. This is the former Reading Railroad station. It will be rededicated to the public on 9/23/2009. Daniel posing as a coal train rumbles by.

Trying to be a bit artistic.

Enjoy and have a great week.

1st Grade - Here we come

2009-09-09T08:11:00.004-04:00

Today is the first day of First Grade for Daniel. Not too much drama getting him ready. A few pictures.

A new level of enthusiasm for school.

Colors of Yellowstone

2009-08-10T10:42:00.005-04:00

A few photos taken in May 2009 from various thermals located in Yellowstone National Park. The color is determined by the temperature of the water. Enjoy.

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Lenape Pow Wow

2009-07-26T19:56:00.006-04:00

Another weekend, another trip/history lesson. This weeks adventure was to the Lenape Powwow held at Core Creek Park near Langhorne, PA. This annual event is sponsored by the Churchville Nature Center. A few photos from the day.

Let's begin with the task of creating fire the traditional way, bow and spindle.

Daniel is modeling one of the Lenape headpieces. I'm not sure PETA would approve.

A most impressive dance piece of the Lenape tribe.

Onto some body art. The person from the Nature Center was great and took a great deal of care and interest in each of the paintings. Daniel added a new food to his limited diet - Bison Hot Dogs. Of course, I did not tell him until he ate it in about 10 seconds.

All this history is tiring. Enjoy.

East Broad Top Railroad

2009-07-26T18:11:00.013-04:00

Part two of our history weekend takes Daniel and I to the East Broad Top Railroad. This is a narrow gauge railroad built between Orbisonia, PA and Mount Union, PA to move coal. The railroad has been well preserved since the early 1960's between a local benefactor and a preservation foundation. More information on the railroad can be found at www.ebtrr.com. I would strongly recommend a visit to this great treasure.

Some one is getting the holiday coal out of the picture early this year as well as my budding assistant photographer.

Our transportation for the day. The railroad has several steam engines in storage but at this time, #15 is the only one operational.

Our view from the caboose.

Daniel in the top of the caboose.

In addition to the hour long train ride, they have work car rides as well as the PA Trolley Museum. A view of the yard from the work car.

Again, this a great day trip that may not be along for much longer. It was a very inexpensive day and a great place to visit. Go before it is too late.

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First Visit to Hallowed Ground

2009-07-26T17:42:00.006-04:00

After turning 6, I felt it was time to introduce Daniel to the fantastic history of our county, as I was by my father. So we packed up the car on the weekend of July 11th and headed west into central PA.

What is arguably some of the most hallowed and historic grounds in US history, we arrived in Gettysburg. I needed to keep this simple for a 6 year old. We started with a climb up Big Round Top which cemented the Union Left for two of the three days of the battle.

Next time you see or meet Daniel, ask him the name of the Union General to headed the 20th Maine at Big Round Top.

After making the hike, we headed up the road to Little Round Top. A few photos from the NY tower and the surrounding rocks, which are amazingly still in the same arrangement as the day of the battle.

We then headed down the hill into what is know as Devil's Den. A little lunch and some climbing on the rock formations in the valley.

We left the den and headed over to the area around Spangler's Spring and then out to Confederate Avenue. This is the area in which Pickett launched the infamous attack on Day 3 which ultimately was the end of the Battle of Gettysburg.

One for Mom and Dad in South Carolina.

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Daniel's 6th Birthday

2009-06-28T19:01:00.007-04:00

A big day at the Jordan household, Daniel's 6th birthday. We have moved on to two hands to show his age. A few pictures from the day. A little breakfast to start the day. He has developed a taste for the Wawa Breakfast Sandwiches.

Let's take a look at the booty for the day and fine cake.

A new steam engine and a few intermodal cars for the layout.

A new flat ball and a surprise.

Six years, time flies.......

Yellowstone - Day 1

2009-05-16T23:43:00.006-04:00

Finally made it back. Day 1 in Yellowstone. Weather is outstanding with high clouds and temps in the 70's. Looks like it will be a good week. A quick trip into the park around 430p. Made it as far as Tower Falls. A few highlights -

A good looking bison resting in the sun.

This is a cinnamon black bear near Tower Falls. There were are few other bears in the area. An injured grizzly and a small black. I caught a brief glimpse of the griz.

A picture of Tower Falls.

And finally, a good looking bull elk in velvet.

Off early tomorrow AM to see what else I can find.

Neshaminy 2009 - Civil War Reenactment

2009-04-19T19:42:00.019-04:00

The 20th Annual Civil War reenactment was held April 18-19, 2009 at Neshaminy State Park. These pictures were shot on Saturday the 18th. The battle was a reenactment of the Battle of the Monocracy, which is also know as the battle which saved Washington DC. Fought in 1864. More information can be found here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Monocacy

I experimented with some color changes to get more accurate feel of the battle. Let me know your thoughts.

Union camp and a little lunch.

Union cavalry begin to scout the battlefield with the artillery being moved into position.
One tough way to move a cannon.

A tough looking Confederate solider.

The opening shots of the battle.

The colors move onto the battlefield.

The end result...

Confederate artillery responds and more troops move forward.

The battle rages on.

The aftermath of a bloody day.

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Bucks County Spring House

2009-04-19T17:32:00.011-04:00

I had the pleasure of exploring an old spring house on a Bucks County, PA estate. I estimate the spring house was build around the same time as the estate which was approximately 1780. Very cool and still a great flow of water from the spring. Enjoy.

An old muddy bottle.

Daniel's First Tee Ball Game

2009-04-19T17:06:00.008-04:00

Daniel's first tee ball game was held Thursday night. Finally some good weather. An amazing thing happened in which his team actually threw out 3 of the first 4 batters on the other team. Enjoy.

His first two hits and beating out the single.

Another successful out and checking the runner at third.

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B&O Railroad Musuem visit

2009-04-11T18:09:00.001-04:00

Edited 4/13/2009 - Please review the comment from the B&O Museum. They have clarified their photography position. Thanks to Mr. Shackelford for this clarification of their policy. Time to add it back on the visit list.

___________

Spent part of the weekend in Baltimore with Daniel. Caught an Orioles game but the highlight of weekend was to be the B&O Railroad Museum. Usually, I will post pictures from the visit, but the museum has a strict no photograph policy if you want to post on your personal or commercial website.

From their website - "Photographs are permitted for personal use only and are not to be published anywhere (including personal web sites) without the expressed written consent of the Museum. Professional photography is strictly prohibited without the written permission of the Chief or Senior Curators."

Now, I can understand the professional photography reason, but to prohibit posting of photos on a personal, non-commercial website is ridiculous. Where is the harm in sharing a few photographs from your visit with your family via the web? Maybe someone will find the pictures and think, this is pretty cool. Let's go visit.

Looking at peer museums, the Railroad Museum of PA, National Railroad Museum located in Green Bay or the CA State Railroad Museum have no restrictions on the posting of photographs on a personal website. The Railroad Museum of PA website tell you to bring your camera. Inside and out.

I guess you can set any policy you want but I feel that this does nothing to enhance or promote future or return visitors to the museum, which is want they need to survive. While the B&O Railroad Museum has some nice equipment on display, in my opinion it is not worth becoming a return visitor.

Hopefully, someone at the museum with do a google search and this will come up. Something to think about as I will not be spending another $25 in admission, $9 in food and $15 in the gift shop.

A warm March weekend

2009-03-08T18:57:00.004-04:00

We could not pass up an early March warm up. Saturday was spent washing the truck and riding the scooter. But Sunday was for chasing trains. Well it was actually sitting in a parking lot and waiting for the trains. and waiting .....

A few from the morning just West of Reading, PA.

In between the trains, I was trying to be creative.

And finally, Daniel intently watches the NS 21M, the mail train go by. Enjoy.

A Saturday in the Valley of Death....Death Valley that is.

2009-03-02T19:53:00.011-05:00

In between my week in the CA office, a trip to San Francisco and meetings on the following Monday and Tuesday, I decided to head out to Death Valley. (Note - this was 9 days on the West Coast...not for a long time is this going to happen again).

To say that Death Valley was a disappointment, it would be an understatement. It may have been due to the fact that the boy infected me with some horrible, viral cold. Thanks Daniel.

I spent a few hours there from before sun the rose until mid day and then headed back to Southern CA. At least it was not hot.... Enjoy

Visit to Valley Forge NP

2009-02-08T18:46:00.007-05:00

Nice weather on Sunday necessitated a reason to get out of the house and enjoy the early February warmth. Needing to go somewhere different, we headed out to Valley Forge National Park. For those not from the area, this is a very large open North of Philadelphia where G. Washington spend a winter during the Revolutionary War. More details on Valley Forge NP can be found at http://www.nps.gov/vafo/

A few shots of Daniel and surrounding scene.

Between the joggers, dogs and walkers, a few horses could be found.

Lunch time fun. Nice manners.....

A finally, the five star accommodations for our early soldiers.

Game Day

2009-02-08T09:30:00.007-05:00

Each Saturday during the winter brings game day at the YMCA. Instructional soccer at its best....

At least the kids seem to have a good time. Tally for the effort - 2 bruised knees and 1 assist. Not a bad afternoon. Enjoy.

Guarding the goal -

A few action shots from the indoor pitch.

Snow Day

2009-02-05T15:42:00.006-05:00

Finally, a real snow arrived to the Bucks County area (not that the forecasters got this right) A few shots from later in the day. I could not get out in the AM when it would have been better.

Maybe the next snow-in a few years....

A Snowy Night in Bucks County

2009-01-18T17:03:00.005-05:00

I had the pleasure of missing the early season snows (I love CA in the wintertime!) This time I was looking forward to heading out and photographing Bucks County in the snow. A few problems though.... The 3-5 inches turned out to be less than an inch and the two specific photos I wanted, were not illuminated on this evening. Oh well, I found a few worth keeping. Enjoy.

An old school house located somewhere along River Road north of New Hope.

A favorite stone barn along River Road, again north of New Hope.

And finally, a pretty cool looking tree.

Susquehanna River Eagles

2009-01-18T16:09:00.007-05:00

I picked up a new Nikon D300 over the holidays and figured it was time to give it a workout. We headed to the Conowingo Dam on the lower Susquehanna River, just north of the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. This is a well know wintering spot for bald eagles. In the late fall, there have been reports of 70-100 bald eagles on any give day.

There were no where near that many eagles on this cold, sunny Sunday, but we did manage to see a few over two hours. Enjoy.

There was an immature bald in the area.

Halloween 2008

2008-11-03T19:29:00.006-05:00

Spongbob made an appearance for Halloween 2008.

145th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg

2008-07-11T20:25:00.003-04:00

I attended the 145th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg over the weekend of July 4th. There were 3 days of battle reenactments with 12,000 reenactors, 450 calvary solders and 100 cannon. It was an amazing three days.

I am not going to post pictures on the blog since I shot so many, but the link to my website will take you to a large selection of the 1000 pictures taken.

If you have never been to a civil war reenactment, it is an eye opening experience. Enjoy

UPDATE 8/3/2008 - Additional photos have been uploaded.

The link to my site:

jrj-photos.com

Battle of Monmouth, NJ

2008-06-23T19:43:00.014-04:00

Several groups participated in the reenactment of the Battle of Monmouth, NJ on June 20th.

The British are planning their defense and the battle.

The Continental army are waiting to attack.

The British return fire.

Not all the reenactors are adults. A few young ones from the day.

Graduation Day!

2008-06-22T19:39:00.007-04:00

Two years of grueling preschool finally comes to an end.

And the awaited moment.....

Off to summer camp and kindergarten.

A proud father and his son.

A right of passage for a young boy

2008-04-18T16:26:00.005-04:00

A right of passage for a young boy is his first fishing trip. Daniel made his first trip to the local trout pond this week. He was decked out with the latest in kids fishing gear. A new rod and tackle box which could double as a lunch box.

Concentration is the key to land the big fish...

After landing one rainbow (of which dad was not fast enough with the camera), time to ham it up.

Gettysburg National Park

2008-04-10T20:32:00.010-04:00

I headed to Gettysburg on the weekend of March 28-30th. It was a little early in the season but the weather was OK and the crowds were minimal. Early on the morning of the 29th, a lone soldier and General Meade guard the Union line along Cemetery Ridge, the sight of Picket's Charge on July 3, 1863.

As the sun began to rise, the light and shadows made for some interesting photos. In addition, I was using a Cokin IR filter to bring out the details and keep the sun from over powering the scene.

A little black and white conversion.

An old split log fence divides the battlefield.

A final view the sunrise.

If you care a lick about American History, you must visit Gettysburg.

Udvar Hazy Center @ Dulles Airport - WW II Planes

2008-02-19T20:05:00.008-05:00

I made my first trip to the Udvar Hazy Center located at Dulles Airport. It is part of the Smithsonian Collection and it houses many of the planes which are too large for the Air and Space Museum on the mall in Washington DC. This first post is from their WWII collection of aircraft.

Arguably, one of the most famous or infamous (depending on your view) is the Enola Gay. Two photos of the Enola Gay, the nose and the tail. Coverage from front to back.

Lighting is difficult at best in the museum and tripods are not permitted.

One of the most feared fighters of the German Air Force was the FW 190.

And from the Allied side of the battle, the workhorse P-47.

And finally, from the Pacific side of the war. The plane the Japanese called the "forked devil". This is one of the most interesting planes of the war. Only a few exist today.

The last of the planes from the Pacific - The P40 in its Tiger War paint and the Corsair.

More to follow in later posts.

The Loram Railgrinder and NS 39G

2008-02-10T20:13:00.001-05:00

It has been a while since Daniel and I have been out to photograph trains. Thanks to a heads up, we headed out to catch the Loram Railgrinder working it's way between Abrams and Falls. Here it is just south of Swedeland. It sure does make an impressive sight.

Here it is moving through Bridgeport.

A thank you for the heads up on 39G. It is being lead by NS2574. A rare SD70 still in Conrail Blue.

Barns of 2007

2008-01-25T08:19:00.000-05:00

During my journeys, I will always stop and take pictures of interesting barns. Here are a few from my 2007 travels.

A Mail Pouch tobacco barn in Bedford County Pa. You do not see many of these barns today.

One of my trip this summer was to Iowa. The weather was turning bad with a several cold front moving through. If the sky looks like it could spawn a tornado, you are correct. I spent 30 minutes in a hail storm (the rental car looked great!!) and missed several tornadoes by a few miles.

This is an old stone barn located in central Bucks County. A well preserved example of 1800's farming.

The final barn for the year is part of the Jordan farm located in Stewartstown, Pa.

Antietam Battlefield Illumination

2008-01-23T13:39:00.001-05:00

December 1, 2007

Held on the first Saturday of December, the National Park Service and many volunteers hold an annual illumination on the Antietam Battlefield. Antietam was the bloodiest one day battle of the Civil War with 23,110 soldiers killed, wounded or missing. Approximately 1,400 volunteers place the 23,000 luminaries over the battlefield. It is truly an amazing sight which every person should experience. A few photos from the evening.

Dunker Church

On the battlefield and along Old Hagerstown Pike

Yellowstone Day 4

2008-01-16T19:30:00.000-05:00

Final day in the park began looking for Agates in the area from Saturday. No luck and we headed east. It was a very quiet morning in the park. There was not much moving. The park service takes the speed limits very seriously. This is the latest enforcement method.

I spent the previous three days attempting to photograph these ducks and skimmers. Every time I got close, they took off. Finally, I was rewarded with them staying in place long enough to snap a few photos.

While the Agates remained elusive, I did locate the Druids who had made a kill earlier in the morning. They took down a large bull elk about 1/2 mile from the road. This is about the best of the batch of pictures as the kill site was not easy to photograph.

This ended the trip on a successful note. As I was headed to relax at Chico Hot Springs, there was a road kill with several bald and golden eagles. Another car scared them off the roadkill but this guy few close enough to get a few photos.

I hope you have enjoyed the photos.

Yellowstone Day 3

2008-01-16T19:13:00.000-05:00

Day 3 started looking for the wolves which we were told to be located around the Yellowstone Picnic area. Once located around mid morning, they were on an opposite ridge line approximately 3/4 of a mile away. In an instant, they took off after a herd of elk. It was too distant to photograph, it was very cool to the 16 wolves of the Agate pack chasing down the elk herd. They were not successful and disappeared down the valley. We moved on to search out other opportunities.

I found several good landscape opportunities since the sun was not poking through.

Later in the day, the Agate pack was again sighted and the youngsters spend a few hours chasing these 3 elks. Look to the right of the rock and you will see a large grey wolf.

The evening ended with some good light on the snow covered hills.

Yellowstone Day 2

2008-01-11T22:29:00.000-05:00

Another good day in Yellowstone. The day started with cold and breaks in the clouds. Made the long drive out into Lamar and found this big fella lying in the road. He was in no hurry to go anywhere.

After making our way around him, headed into the east end of Lamar. Just short of Pebble Creek, the wolf watchers saw 3 blacks and a gray. A short time later they were sighted to the west and we headed that way. They were in the area of a previous kill. Most were on the far side of the valley and difficult to photograph. This grey was in the middle of the valley.

The remainder of the day was spent checking out the valley and photographing various wildlife. Hope you enjoy.

Yellowstone Day 1

2008-01-10T22:25:00.000-05:00

The winter trip to Yellowstone started Wednesday with me forgetting to bring my winter jacket. However, they sell winter jackets in Bozeman. Great way to spend $130. : )

Day 1 of the trip started cold with light snow. Headed out around 7AM and found nothing of note. The wolves which have been active for the past few weeks were no where to be seen. Past evidence of the wolves is this elk carcass located in the middle of Soda Butte Creek. All you can see remaining is the antler. This coyote is hoping to pick up a scrap or two from the elk.

Driving around I found a few decent winter landscapes. The snow made it difficult to shoot.

Many of the elk and buffalo are bedded down to conserve energy during the winter. This big guy was hiding with a few friends in the shelter of the tree line.

Later in the day I was able to scare up a few ducks on the Lamar River and coyote who was good enough to pose on a rock.

Last set of photos of the day was a large drift with the only sun of the day.

More to follow tomorrow. Hopefully the wolves will appear.

Picture review

2007-12-16T14:45:00.001-05:00

A review of a few pictures the pictures we discussed.

A York County Morning

2007-11-07T19:49:00.000-05:00

October 31, 2007

I took a trip back home and was able to get a few shots of a cold, frosty morning. Enjoy an York County PA sunrise.

Early October Weekend

2007-10-08T19:16:00.000-04:00

It was the annual October weekend in which Daniel and I go to Strasburg Railroad to ride the train and go to the Cherry Crest Farm. The day started with a glider ride which was a Christmas gift. It was too foggy to fly the glider so Daniel and I took a tour of the airplanes.

The ride started at 3000' and lasted 30 minutes. It was pretty cool to fly the glider but it was very touchy.

We headed to Strasburg to ride the train. Here is Daniel waiting for the next train.

After the train, Daniel spent several hours climbing in the hay and on the jumping bean. Hard to believe that you can make more money on a fall fest than on farming.

After a long day, the last train and light of the evening.

A New Start....

2007-09-24T19:24:00.000-04:00

This is my blog to the internet world. My goal is to post updates and pictures of my travels during my pursuit of getting the perfect picture.

An late evening sunset in Eastern PA. This was taken with a .6 ND filter to add contrast to the deep orange sunset.