Unexpected Encounter

 A bit of mist was falling, not quite rain. The windshield wipers were only needed occasionally. The air smelled good, it had the certain smell that occurs when the rain hits warm pavement. Mixed with the fertile smell of the fallen leaves, even though it was fall, it reminded me of springtime.

    It was only a little past seven and already the night was dark. Headlights glared on the road, blinding the drivers in opposing lanes. Although there was the mist in the air, the window was open. There was still a bit of summer’s warmth hanging around.

     Heading south towards the store, I kept an eye on the near-by railroad tracks, as I always do. I wasn’t sure but I was betting that a train would be coming through soon.

    Glancing at the tracks between buildings, trying to see the crossing lights as I passed by, I was watching for a train and attempting to stay on the road. The traffic on my side of the road was sparse but on the opposite side of the road, both lanes were filled. At times their headlights robbed me of sight, reflecting off of the wet pavement.

    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw flashing lights, and then blue and red lights filled my mirror. My first thought was to check my speedometer. No problem there, so I slowed down and drifted towards the side of the road. The police car passed and then pulled in front of me, slowing down. I was wondering what I had done when it pulled into a parking lot where a couple cars sat with people standing around them. Breathing a sigh of relief, I sped up and continued on. My heartbeat slowly returned to normal. Even though I did nothing wrong, flashing lights have a way of affecting me!

    Coming around a bend a mile or two further down the road, I saw a bright white light. Its beam was lighting up the hillside beside the railroad tracks. There it was, the train! As quickly as possible, I found a spot to turn around and started my chase, my trip to the store forgotten.

    Luckily the traffic lights were all green and I was able to get ahead of the engine rather quickly. As I drove, I was debating where I should go to watch the train go past. There were multiple spots where I could stop. The night was too dark to get a photograph of it, all I would get would be a blurred shot.

    Then it hit me. I could still get a picture of the train. I’d set up the camera near the end of the tunnel and take the picture as the train first enters the bore. The lights would illuminate the walls of the tunnel and the tracks, but they wouldn’t be in the picture. I’d get a picture of the train with having the train even being in the shot!

    I had two more traffic lights to think about this. The tracks were once again beside the road and the engine wasn’t in sight yet. I had less than a mile to make up my mind.

    I made my decision and pulled into a parking lot and parked next to the crossing. Shutting off the car, I pulled my tripod out of the back, extended it and attached the camera. Then I hustled down alongside the tracks to where I would be able see the tunnel.

    The camera and the focus were both set in the manual setting. I focused on a light on a near-by building. I set the aperture to a rather small setting to allow for any miss-focusing and the exposure to a longer one to allow enough light through that small lens opening. The opening of the tunnel was hidden by the darkness.

    A test shot was taken and it came out “OK”. The tunnel was still hidden but I knew that would change when the train arrived. I could hear the train whistle as it approached the crossing before the tunnel, a mere ¼ mile away! I felt as if I needed a bit more light in the picture so I opened up the aperture another stop and took another test shot.

    This shot would end up being “the shot”. The train arrived as the lens was still open. The train lights lit up the walls of the tunnel and the opening became visible. I took off my hat to cover the lens in case the train appeared, but the exposure ended just before it came into view!

    The train roared out of the tunnel speeding towards me. The whistle blew for the next crossing as it passed me. I turned around and watched it speed past the flashing lights. It was loud and due to the darkness; it seemed to be traveling faster than normal as it passed my adrenaline filled body.

    Twenty or thirty cars, maybe even forty sped by and were gone in no time at all. The train had disappeared by the time I returned to the car. I disassembled my gear and took a quick glance at the picture I had taken. I thought I might have gotten lucky!

    Thank heavens I had my camera and tripod along with me. It was another exciting, successful train chase. It was rather short and unplanned; it was just another unexpected encounter!

Looking into the Past

“9/26/90- Fog, everywhere but up”

    I have been searching through my slides and pictures for shots taken at the Wagman Observatory and of our club. The Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh (AAAP) is rapidly closing in on its 100^th anniversary. Hopefully, the pictures I find can add to the club's history. Their observatories, the members, star parties and events they held are all included in my search.

    As I am doing this, I am also winnowing down my collection. Do I really need 10 shots of a partial lunar eclipse taken 15 years ago? Are the slides filled with dots of mold really worth saving? Let me tell you, the wastepaper basket has been getting a lot of use lately!

    While searching I have also come across a lot of pictures that I want to save. I have also come across many that cause me to wonder.

    I found some pictures of the desk in the Wagman Observatory, taken before the addition had been added. One was just the desk and the others were of me, writing in my journal. The colors were red and black. I attempted to enlarge the picture to see what I was writing or what was on the sky atlas open beside the notebook. The pictures weren’t sharp enough to see any details.

    I continued copying slides but my mind kept returning to those pictures.

It wasn’t until later in the evening that an idea hit me. The date was noted on the slides! I could look in my journals and see what I had written. This unfortunately would involve another trip up to the attic. This isn’t the easiest thing to do these days.

    A day or two later, I made the trip. I went through the cubbyhole in the closet and up a sketchy set of rungs into the space under the rafters. I knew exactly where they were kept, in the bottom drawer of a file cabinet. I pulled out the one I needed and then after a moment’s thought, grabbed the entire pile and brought them downstairs with me.

    Looking through them, I found the journal I was looking for and turned to the date in question. There it was! The page in the pictures! Reading the entry, I found out that the evening was foggy. The sky overhead was clear, but it was rapidly disappearing. I had taken some photos of Mars and the Andromeda Galaxy. I had also dropped my camera, breaking a filter and a shutter cable in the process. (8:21PM if you’re interested)

    After closing the roof because of the approaching fog, I took a couple pictures of the desk to check whether the camera was still working. This was a film camera, no digital stuff yet.

    This wasn’t the first time I ever dropped a camera, believe me. I get a chill just thinking about it. Hopefully this occurrence helped me become even more careful with my gear!

    I find it fascinating to leaf through these notebooks. There are times when I can remember the exact day and event listed in them; all it takes is a simple sentence. Of course, there are so many things written down that I have completely forgotten. (Such as the time my car battery died after a Christmas Party at Alleghany Observatory) I enjoy looking at the simple sketches I made and am sometimes amazed at the detail in some of them. The items stuck between the pages are another exciting thing to look at: pictures, newsletters, notes and lists.

    Looking at my journals, I see that the collection isn’t complete. There are more than a few missing. I guess I’ll have to make another trip up to the attic.

    Whether or not these journals will ever be anything other than a reminder of the past is yet to be seen. I definitely am glad that I kept them. They are filled with memories of not only stellar observations but memories of family, friends and good times I’ve had under the stars. They also remind me of some of the mistakes I’ve made, such as dropping cameras. Oh yeah, I need to remember those also, no matter how foolish they were.

Revisiting the Everett Railroad

 

We left early; it was still dark. A light rain followed us but we had high hopes that it wouldn’t last. Our wishes were not to be granted.

    Frank and I were heading east in the direction of the soon to be rising sun. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be for another 8 or 9 hours before we saw any sunshine.  Hollidaysburg was our final destination. There we would be photographing the Everett Railroad’s steam engine. On the way we would be searching for some geocaches (of course) and hopefully, some nice pictures. 

    Driving into the mountains we encountered fog, at times thick enough that we could barely see vehicles in the opposing lanes. The rain changed continuously, the wipers were never set at the same position. Occasionally we would get a glimpse of the autumn colors, oranges and browns when we came into a clear patch. In the valleys, the colors, highlighted by the moisture, spread out across the vistas.

    We stopped for a while at the Cassandra Railroad Overlook where we watched a freight train work its way up the slope. The train was moving slowly. Our first sight of it was just the headlights shining in the fog at the bottom of the hill. Finally, the engine arrived and passed under us pulling a long line of empty cars.

    While watching the gondolas going by, the Amtrak Pennsylvanian appeared in the distance. This engine, pulling only 7 passenger cars quickly climbed the hill and passed the other train. It was then that I bumped one of my cameras and the lens cap popped off. It bounced on my foot, and then the bridge, and then dropped down into one of the gondolas below. It was gone before I knew it, never to be seen again. This wasn't the first time a lens cap had been lost on one of our adventures!

    While we were there, we spent a little time talking with John, a rail fan from Chicago. He and his wife would be riding behind the steam engine that Frank and I had come to photograph. What a small world we live in!

    On our way down into Hollidaysburg, we did a cache at the site of where the Fountain Inn used to stand. This historic Inn was built in 1843. Its name came from a pond in front of it that had a fountain in its center. There were trout swimming in it that could be caught for visitor’s dinners. The inn was destroyed by fire in 1908 and road work has since eliminated any foundations or signs of the buildings. 

    We found a rough stone wall but we didn’t see any foundations. We did find the cache but to get to it, we had to work our way down a rather steep slope and cross over a few downed trees. We also took a short hike up the hill, only to figure out that the cache was at the bottom, below us. It’s all part of the game! While we were searching for the cache, I managed to pick up a tick to take home with me.

    Traveling further down into the valley we came into the town of Hollidaysburg, the county seat of Blair County. 

    The steam engine was sitting beside the station, with a cloud of steam hovering above it. People were crossing from the parking lot and boarding; many stopping to take pictures. The time was getting close to noon, the scheduled departure time.

    Shortly after twelve, the whistle sounded and steam shot out around it. The engine started moving and they were on their way.

    The engine pulling the train was built by Alco, the American Locomotive Company in 1920. It started out its working life in Rhode Island and ended up here, where it started working on the Everett Railroad in 2015. It looks mighty good for an engine that’s 106 years old!

    Frank and I had been here in May of 2016. We had ridden on the train and then later chased after it taking pictures. It was raining on that day also. This time, we decided to head back towards home rather than following it. We stopped at Dean’s Diner in Blairsville for lunch. Eggs, bacon, home fries and toast; breakfast is good no matter what time of day!

    The sunshine finally showed up on our ride home; we had left the rain and fog behind. Getting wet from the precipitation never hurt us before and it sure didn’t this time. We got what we went for and had fun doing it. No doubt about it, it was another great adventure!

Tackling the Steps

With a metallic squeal, the trap door pulls open. Something catches, probably one of the springs, it needs to be closed and then reopened. It works on the second try. Bits of dust and vermiculite fall down as the door is opened. It has been a while since I’ve been up in the attic; the dust has had plenty of time to accumulate.

    As the door creaks open the dark rectangle of the opening appears. The impression of rafters can be seen in the weak light filtering up from the hallway. One of the two springs that pull the door shut, hangs out of line. It no longer notches into the metal retainer as it should, it hangs out, closer to the steps. Right into the path needed to climb into the attic.

    Unfolding the steps, I unconsciously lean away from the spring. I don’t trust it. Well over 60 years ago, the hook on the end had broken off just as my father had started up the stairs. I wasn’t there but I remember the scar. The spring was replaced but it still worries me! Ever since that happened, I have always approached these stairs with apprehension.

    When the door opens and the springs stretch out, they sing. When they reach the point where the weight of the steps overcome the strength of the springs, there is still a twang heard.

    The spring on the right settles between two struts, holding it in position. The one on the left sits a bit off center, humming as it finds its position.

    These stairs are old and the individual steps creak as I put my weight on them. They appear solid, there are no visible cracks, yet each step produces another noise. I listen carefully for the sound of one of them breaking.

    They aren’t wide and I have to twist slightly to get past the one spring. My face comes close to it as I start and I look closely each time, trying to see if there are any new cracks or indications that it might fail. With every step, the spring sings a bit and the hook at its end tries to snag my clothing.

    My head rises up above the ceiling joists and the boards nailed to them. They are grey and dirty. The house is nearly 90 years old and no paint or finish has ever been put on these boards. There are knotholes in them and they aren’t all even. One side sits higher than the other. I can see boxes and old furniture in the shadows under the rafters.

    When I get high enough, I swing my hand around above me. Muscle memory from decades of coming up into the attic finds the string hanging from the peak of the roof. A quick pull and the attic lights up.

    At one time this area was packed full of items, leftovers from my parents and my lives. I have been working for years to clean it up. Like any project that requires time, it doesn’t always go in the direction you want it to. There are times when the recently cleared spaces under the eaves get refilled with more items, things that aren’t needed but can’t be thrown away. Being a collector, or a pack rat, makes it difficult!

    I’ve come up to do some more cleaning. I’ll be trying to find some things that have outlived their usefulness. I’ll be separating the nostalgic from the unnecessary. And then, deciding if they really are useless. It won’t be easy. It is often very tough to determine something’s need.

    The toughest part is past, that’s getting up the steps safely. Now, getting back down will be another thing!

Not Your Typical Morning!

 It was tough getting to sleep. The anticipation was heavy on my mind. After rolling around a bit, tossing and turning, I got up and got dressed. I loaded my telescope and gear into the car and headed up to the Wagman Observatory.

    Arriving on the hilltop at 1, I found two other club members (Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh) in the field with their equipment, taking pictures of the sky. I opened the building and pointed the 11” Brashear telescope at Saturn. I invited the men in to take a look. We introduced ourselves and BS’d a bit while we enjoyed looking at the ringed planet. As always, it looked great!

    I had come up to watch the occultation of Jupiter by the moon. These events only happen every 13 years, give or take. The conditions were looking good this morning, the sky was clear and crisp, and the moon/Jupiter pair would be in a good position to observe them. Unfortunately, the event would be hidden from the Brashear telescope by the building, so I closed up and went outside to set up my gear.

 The camera came first. I took some pictures of the moon rising behind some trees on the horizon. Jupiter followed close behind.

    Setting up my telescope came next. Another club member, John Holtz, showed up and started setting up his scope. I had imagined that more members would be here but I guess that since it was a Tuesday morning, work may have played a part in it.

    By eye we could see the bright planet getting closer and closer to the bright arc of the moon. The moon was only 20% illuminated and paired with Jupiter, they looked like a poster!

    Through my telescope I could see the entire moon. The majority of it was a dark semi-featureless disc against the sky. The lit portion beautifully showed craters and mountains. Moving in on it was Jupiter. The planet's cloud bands could be seen. In front of the planet, closest to the moon were three of the Jovian moons and behind the planet, another one. This all could be seen through the eyepiece. It was overwhelming!

    The first moon in line, Europa disappeared into the bright arc and about a half minute later, Callisto disappeared. I lost sight of Io, the third moon in line and never saw it touch the lunar disc. Then came Jupiter! It took a minute for it to completely disappear. (4:20:56am by my clock) Finally, bringing up the backend was Ganymede.

    John and I compared notes and shared our thoughts while we waited for what we imagined would be the best part of the show.

    Just over an hour after Europa disappeared, it came back into sight.

    In my eyepiece I was looking at the dark section of the moon. It showed up nicely compared to the sky beyond. The bright section was hidden from view. I had an idea of where the moon would reappear but wasn’t sure exactly. I scanned back and forth. Then, suddenly there it was. There was no mistaking it; it looked as if a light had been turned on!

    Spectacular!

    Two minutes later Callisto appeared and less than a minute later, Io joined the train, slowly drifting away from the moon.

    Then the real showstopper came, Jupiter. It took a minute and six seconds to fully appear. (5:23:05am) It looked unbelievable; the cloud bands crossing its surface looked great against the dark arc of the moon. About a minute and a half later, Ganymede joined the parade. 

    I just stood there and watched as the moon slowly distanced itself from the Jovian grouping.

    Then it was time to break things down. We watched as the Chinese space station, Tiangong crossed the sky overhead. We saw a bunch of satellites and a couple meteors as the morning progressed.

    The morning was more than I had hoped it to be. Seeing the advancing moon covering over these bright objects was wonderful, but the reappearances on the dark side were the best. Watching Jupiter and its moons come out from behind the darkened side of the moon was not only extremely easy to see, it was also extremely memorable. It was like a science fiction movie but it was real life! Motion in space! I will remember this for the rest of my life! (I hope)

    What a great morning. Science and astronomy rocks!

The Selfish Observer

 

Sharing my love of astronomy has been part of my life for decades. Pointing out things in the sky out to neighbors, setting up my telescope at Halloween for the kids to look through or helping out at star parties, I always enjoy doing something astronomical. It is just what I like to do.

    There is a certain kick I get when I hear someone’s exclamation after seeing Saturn through a telescope. It’s fun to explain how Jupiter’s moons move during the night or how the moon can cover a star. Seeing people lined up waiting to get a look through a telescope is exciting. I can’t help but hope that some of them will continue on and become astronomers themselves. Hopefully, I would be a part of that decision. After a star party or even a simple astronomical interaction, I always feel good and am happy with the world.

    The astronomy club (3AP.org) recently had a pair of star parties, one on Friday and the other on Saturday. The first was clouded out. Star parties work best when you can see the stars!

    The skies on Saturday were deep blue with hardly any clouds. The observatory was opened at 4 and club members and guests started arriving soon after. One of the scopes was pointed at the sun and guests were able to see a couple small sunspots on its surface. They were told to stick around until dark, that was when the real fun would start. The planet Saturn would be the high point of the evening, everyone loves to view Saturn! Before long, the observatory started getting crowded.

    I kept thinking about seeing Saturn through the big scope as the evening progressed. I also thought about going home and using my own scope to see it!

    As the sky darkened, both scopes in the building were open and lines had formed. The room between them was filled with people talking and looking at the displays. Kids were running around having a blast while their parents attempted to keep an eye on them. Outside, members were showing people the views through their own scopes.

    Having been there for over 4 hours, I was ready to head back home. I’m not as young as I used to be and standing for that long puts a strain on my legs. I said my good-byes and tried my best not to drive over anyone on the way out. The members’ telescopes had plenty of people around them!

    I never had a chance to view Saturn so I decided when I got home to set up my scope in the front yard. Surprisingly, there were very few lights lit in the neighborhood. Porch lights shining on me is one of the major problems with observing at home.

    Within a short time I had the scope set up in a corner of the yard. Unfortunately, Saturn was still hidden from me by a tree. It would appear soon and so I just spent the time browsing. I looked off towards the west and visited some old familiar sites such as M-57, the Ring Nebula and Epsilon Lyrae, the Double-Double star. I easily found the Coat Hanger Cluster with my binoculars and then spent some time just pushing the scope back and forth, seeing whatever popped into my view. The sky was extremely clear, a rarity in Glenshaw.

    A car pulled up to a neighbor’s house and, of course, the lights shown directly onto my scope. It was time to take a small break; I went into the house for a drink.

    Coming back outside, Saturn was now above the tree so I turned the scope towards it. The next ½ hour was spent fixated on the ringed planet. The telescope provided me one of the best views of the planet I’ve ever seen through it.

    One of the nice things about long observations is that even though the view may look great, it often improves for a few seconds. What looked absolutely fascinating can suddenly become mind blowing! On this evening, it looked 3-dimentenal, it looked like a photograph. At times it appeared like a fine pen and ink drawing, the lines looked so delicate and exact! I couldn’t remember ever seeing the planet look this good when viewed from Glenshaw or through this telescope. This was a night to remember!

While observing this wondrous sight, I was thinking about the star party. Should I have stayed? Was I selfish coming home to observe by myself?

    Even though I enjoy sharing my hobby with others, there are times that I just want to be by myself. It can be extremely relaxing to be out under the stars with no one else around. Listening to crickets chirping, coyote pups yipping at each other and maybe the quiet footsteps of deer walking past, oblivious to your presence, these are all things that I’ve experienced. Standing in an unbroken field of snow with the stars sparkling on the snow crystals and watching the moon rise over a hilltop can be almost a religious experience. I’ll never get tired of seeing these things, and being there by myself gives me a chance to look into my inner being a bit.

    When observing at a telescope, being alone allows me to take my time, to relax and enjoy the view. I can take notes, experiment with eyepieces and if I choose to do so, just push the scope around to see what pops into view. There are no distractions and no time table.

    I had put my time in at the party. There were others that could do what I was doing, in fact, they would do it better! So this personal bit of observing wasn’t greed or a desire to get away from everyone…I’d like to look at it as a small reward. I’d done my sharing for the evening, now it was time to relax and enjoy.

By all means, I’ll always share my love of astronomy with others but whenever I get the chance to do some solo observing, I’ll grab it! The peaceful quiet of the night is one of the things that has always grabbed me, I can’t give it up! No, it isn’t greed, it’s more like love…

On a Small Road near North Park

On the edge of North Park sits a road that cars can’t use. There are stories that have been shared about this road over the years. Often, these stories are told during the month of October, as Halloween nears. It’s name is Irwin Road but, it is often referred to as the Blue Mist Road.

    The road is about 2 ½ miles long but only about a ½ mile is drivable. The rest has been restricted for only hikers and bicyclists. When the road was built, it didn’t have any streetlights on it and the trees and vegetation grew close to its edges. There are two bridges on it and because of the cost of upkeep and the dangerous conditions of the road the majority of it was closed to traffic.

    At one time before this section was closed there were a few homesteads, a fruit market, an orphanage and a blacksmith shop. When the county started acquiring land for the park, between 1927 and 1931, these places were abandoned or torn down. The homes and businesses are gone now; this unnamed settlement is basically a ghost town, in a way, very appropriate for this road! Only a few foundations remain and they are rapidly being reclaimed by nature.

    Irwin Road has been called Blue Mist Road for as long as I can remember. There are stories about how a blue mist or fog settles over the road in the evenings and mornings. Having biked and hiked on this road for many years, I have never experienced this. It’s understandable why there might be mists, the road parallels a stream and it traverses a valley, perfect conditions for fog!

    People have told tales and written about glowing eyes, strange shapes and even ghosts being seen in this valley. Some of the structures, when they were still standing were supposedly used for séances and witchcraft rituals. The foundation of one of these structures was supposedly where a witch used to live.

    Rumors are told about how in the past, the KKK used to have meetings somewhere along this road and that lynchings might have taken place. For a long time, a tree grew near the road that was known as the “Hanging Tree”. It has since died and fallen down. Tales also say that when the road was open to traffic, since there were no lights along it, the shadows at night resembled bodies hanging from the trees, their limbs rubbing against the cars as they passed.

    A story has been told for decades about a man that lived on this road who murdered his wife and kids. He hid their bodies in the family’s septic tank. Looking on-line, there are no records, police or historical that mentions this crime. But it is a great story to tell while you are walking along this dark road at night!

    There is another story, this one an unfortunate tragedy. A young man and two friends took a late night hike on the “haunted” road. As they were leaving in their SUV, he sped up his vehicle to scare them and crashed into a tree. Two of the teenagers were killed. A wooden cross marks the spot where their lives ended. Sadly, this tale is true!

    The building ruins that remain are only the remnants of a small farming community. Whether or not a witch lived in one of them, I can’t say. The Klan did exist in our country and unfotunately they did lynch people, but as far as them committing any of these crimes along this road, there are no known records of it, there are only “the stories”. The story about the man killing his family is definitely not true. It never occurred; there is nothing to prove it. As far as the blue mists, ghosts, floating objects and glowing eyes, that is up to you whether to believe or not.

    The stories are told, year after year. They take on new story lines as the generations change. They are basically the same, yet certain things change with each telling. We as humans, tend to get a bit excited when we’re told about possible spiritual events, hauntings and evil criminal events that happened right where we are standing! There may be no proof that they are real, but we still love to hear them! “Could these things ever happen to me? Dare I stay?”

    I recently took a hike with Frank on this road to visit the “Witch House”. The ruins were overgrown with high grass and weeds, only a couple stone walls were standing. Old kitchen appliances sat rusting away in-between thick floor beams. A tree had grown up in the center of the remains. Care needed to be taken with every step because we couldn’t see what was beneath the weeds. It was interesting to explore but we didn’t see or feel anything while we were there. On the many times I’ve hiked and biked this road I’ve never seen anything out of the ordinary. Of course, all my visits have been in the mornings or afternoons. I’ve never been here at night; perhaps a night hike is in my future!

Sometimes, They Just Disappear

Rt.8 has been a pathway to the north seemingly forever. It roughly follows the Venango Trail, used by Native Americans. George Washington used it in 1753. It started out as a dirt path, then became a muddy wagon trail, in places a plank road and then eventually got paved starting in the early 1900’s.  Now it is often 4 lanes wide. 

    Especially near the bigger cities, it is lined with car dealers, shopping malls, small discount stores and gas stations! Further north, the road narrows and houses and farms start becoming the major scenery. The country views are great, pastures, barns, and row after row of corn.

    As I drive along this road, and the other roads of the state, one of the things I look for is the buildings that were left to simply decay. I look for houses with their doors ajar, windows broken and ivy attempting to hide the buildings from our view. The wooden buildings have their paint stripped from them by the sun, leaving only grey exteriors. There are cars, trucks and farm equipment rusting away in their yards and fields.

    These are the things I watch for and it is their absence that saddens me. An old fruit stand covered with greenery, with parts of its façade hanging down may not interest many, but to me it’s a landmark. Being a visual person, it’s a spot that shows me how far I’ve gone or have to go. I find it tough to see when a barn or old farmhouse has burnt down or was razed to make room for a new store or a housing plan filled with cookie cutter homes.

    Abandoned buildings often have a sort of raw beauty to them. Nature has a way of beautifying a broken building. Of course, this is only my opinion. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. To the neighbors or the owners, it could be considered an eyesore.

    I may drive past these places once or twice a year. They are only landmarks for my travels, yet I’ve come to know them, I look forward to seeing them. I feel hurt when they are gone. As I get older, I notice so many of these places are disappearing. Every trip we take, I see something else that is gone. BUT, I also see new things to watch for on future trips! It is inevitable, change is a constant!

    This Thursday, Ann Marie, Jim and I went for another ride, heading north on rt.8 to the town of Franklin, the county seat of Venango. We started at a farm market where we purchased a couple apples and some donut holes. 

    Ten or twenty miles later we stopped at a favorite coffee shop in Butler, for a caffeine refill. We visited a cemetery and a small park to look for geocaches; it was a typical day cruise.

    Nearing Franklin, we detoured a bit to see a covered bridge. It sits almost directly under rt.8 but to get to it requires some back road travel. When we arrived, I was shocked to see that the covered bridge was gone and in its place was a generic concrete bridge.

    Some research revealed that the original bridge was built in 1907; the covered portion was added in 1990. The bridge wasn’t in the best of shape. In 2023 it was closed, torn down and replaced with this “beautiful” concrete travesty.

    The old bridge was beautiful in its own way. There is nothing special about the new bridge. Now, there is no reason to make the drive into the valley, at least for me. I came across the bridge originally because there was a geocache hidden near-by. Now… the bridge has become just a memory.

    We ate our lunch in Franklin and walked around the town for a bit. We refilled out coffee cups at another favorite coffee shop before returning to the road.

    We headed west towards rt.19. On our way we passed what we guessed was an old brick schoolhouse. It sat in a field of weeds, with vines covering the front door. Boards protected the windows and prevented trespassing; it looked old. The porch was missing but the cut stone foundation looked solid. A broken water pump sat behind it. I wonder how many people might have drank from that pump. A metal roof had been put on it awhile ago, so there is someone that is caring for it, I hope!

    Nineteen miles away we came across another schoolhouse. It looked very similar to the building we just left. This was the London School, built on 1861. Besides being a school it also was a gift shop and an antique shop for awhile. It has been empty for quite a few years. It sits on property that is owned by Walmart. Hopefully this historic building will still be standing the next time we go by!

    Reaching rt.19, we turned south heading towards Zelienople and eventually home. We made a quick stop in Harlansburg to take some pictures of the RR cars that sit near the road. The Museum of Transportation had been housed here in a replica train station and the railroad cars, sadly it has closed. On a previous trip, Ann Marie and I had the pleasure of visiting it and talking with the owner. He had a tremendous collection and was a very interesting man to talk with. Both he and his museum will be missed. I can’t help but wonder how much longer these cars will remain here. They are definitely showing their age! There used to be four of them, now there are only three…

    We drove through Zelienople, Harmony, Evans City and Mars before returning home about 8 hours after we left. Thankfully, most of the landmarks I was watching for were still standing, for the time being. It was another great day to go out and explore Western Pennsylvania, but then again, every day is!

A Pre-Labor Day Drive

The Labor Day weekend was in front of us and since we had no pressing obligations we decided to take a ride. After a little thought we decided to revisit the area around Uniontown.

    Ann Marie and I have taken many trips down (south) to this area. We have hiked in the near-by hills, searched out old industry, found a lot of geocaches and even done some rock climbing. Well, it was mostly me doing that last activity.

    Some of the nicest things about living in Pennsylvania are all of the beautiful scenery and the hills and valleys. Most of the smaller roads going through the countryside rarely go straight, there is always some variety. You never know when you might come to a peak on a hill and be exposed to an unbelievable view. There are just so many things to see and do!

    Uniontown is the largest city and the county seat of Fayette County. It sits not far from the West Virginia state line. Like all of Pennsylvania, the countryside around here is filled with beautiful sights. It is hard not to enjoy yourself whenever you’re here, no matter what you’re doing!

    We took rt.79 down to Washington, the county seat of Washington County. Most of that part of the drive was uneventful. There isn’t much exciting on high-speed divided highways. So, the fun part of our journey started when we arrived in Washington, that is where we got onto rt.40, the National Road.

    The road headed southeast towards Scenery Hill and eventually, Uniontown. It follows the tops of the hills providing numerous views into the distance. We saw lots of farms, fields and meadows. I couldn’t help but wonder if the people who live along this road ever get “used” to the views.

    Our first stop was when we saw an old barn that had been put on steel beams, ready to be moved. A little research later, told us that it had been lifted last month. It was going to be moved about a half mile away, to replace another historical barn which had recently burnt down. Inclement weather had stalled the move, enabling us to see the barn before it’s gone. The barn dates back to around 1910.

    Of course, we had some geocaches to find on our journey. The first couple were hidden near to the cast iron mileage markers spaced out along the road, like the one in the first photo.

    Coming down off of one of the numerous hills, we came across an old camper with a grand view. It was a 1967 Corvair powered Ultravan, placed on top of an old silo. The view would be wonderful, but that first step…that’s a doozy.

    Just past Beallsville, we came to a Madonna of the Trail statue. This is one of 12 statues like this in the United States. It is the only one in Pennsylvania. They were placed along roads that travelers used to go west, to honor the women that made the journeys. This one was put up in 1928; it is nearing its 100^th anniversary.

    We crossed the Monongahela River and entered Brownsville, which used to be a riverboat building center and a major trading post. It is also the birthplace of John Brashear, a fact that is more important to me than the numerous other historic things in this town. John Brashear grew up to be an astronomer and a premier telescope and optic maker. He captured the hearts of Pittsburghers, often being called Uncle John instead of Mr. Brashear. His and his wife's ashes are interned under one of the telescopes at Alleghany Observatory. One of his telescopes sits at the AAAP’s Wagman Observatory in Deer Lakes Park. A telescope that I have had the pleasure and honor of using many times! Every time we come through Brownsville, I have to stop by his birthplace, just to pay my respects!

    A stop was made near an old house built in 1796 according to the cornerstone. It was the Peter Colley Tavern, serving the tradesmen and travelers on the road. It was a part of the Underground Railroad. The back section was added on to the building in 1842. There was a geocache near-by; this was another interesting spot that caching brought us to! I read that there are or were coke ovens near-by but the roads were gated so we didn’t attempt to see them.

    Another cache was found near the gravesites of the Searight family. A little under a half mile down the road, we came to the Searight Tollhouse. Unfortunately, we couldn’t visit it because of “bees”. At least that is what the sign said. Situated on a rise in the roadway, it had a good view in either direction. To continue one, you would have had to pay a toll.

    This is one of six toll houses on the Pennsylvania section of the National Road. The road originally went between Cumberland, Maryland and Wheeling, West Virginia. It was built between 1811 and 1818. The government gave the road to the states in 1839 when it became too expensive to maintain. The states then erected these tollhouses, and the road became the first interstate toll road.

    Nearing Uniontown and seeing it was closing in on noon; we started looking for a spot to stop and eat lunch. We find that it is often best to just leave it to chance when we pick a spot. We drove past the Titlow Tavern and Grille and it looked like “our” spot. We circled the block and pulled into their parking lot.

    We had just walked in the door and sat down when a storm hit, complete with thunder and lightning. We had timed it just right! We both had delicious fried fish sandwiches. By the time lunch was finished, so had the storm. Timing is everything!

    Leaving Uniontown behind, we climbed Chestnut Ridge, stopping at the observation pull off to check out the view of the city below. We continued on to make a quick stop at the Wharton Iron Furnace. This was built in 1839, finally shutting down in 1873. During that period, it went out of blast for a while due to the difficulty in shipping its products to its customers. The Civil War brought it back with the need for cannon balls and such.

    From the furnace we headed over to Jumonville to see the huge cross erected on Dunbar’s Knob. 2480 feet above sea level, it can be seen from three states. It is 60 feet high, and was erected in 1950. We had to do some walking to get there. (I did mention that it was on the top of a hill, right?) We aren’t as sprite as we used to be, I admit, we/I took a couple breaks on the way up. I noticed large black birds circling above and sitting in the trees…watching us maybe?

    It was a beautiful view from the base of the cross. We could easily see the road (rt.119) that we’d be traveling on in the near future. We took a nice curvy, scenic back road to the bottom of the ridge. We made one more caching stop, this one in a Polish Cemetery. It was an easy find in a nice, peaceful setting.

    After that, to top off our journey, we stopped for an ice cream cone and a banana malt milkshake at Tastyland. This wasn’t the first time we stopped at this spot, and it probably won’t be the last! We drove home happy and content. It is always fun revisiting places we’ve enjoyed before. It was a great way to start the coming Labor Day weekend!