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!

A Good Start

 

It seemed like a good day to stop alongside the stream. I had just picked up some books at the library and while the weather forecasters were warning about high temperatures and the need to stay indoors, I chose the stream.

    Really, it wasn't a tough decision to make, stay at the air-conditioned library or sit beside the quiet stream. In the end…it was a rather easy choice to make. I pulled up and parked in the shade of a small sapling. On a day like this, even though it was still morning, every little bit of shade was appreciated.

    It was quiet; the stream was low and wasn’t making any sounds as it slipped between the rocks. The wind wasn’t blowing and so, the weeds sat still, no rustling noises came from them. The birds were quiet; there was no chirping. Even in it’s quiet, the spot was a comforting place to be.

    Picking up one of my books I started reading, seeing if it would be any good. The book was written by Harry Harrison back in 1966. Its name is Make Room! Make Room! It was later made into a movie that many of us probably remember, Soylent Green. Chances are you still remember the famous catch phrase of the movie!

    Before I knew it, I was 20 pages into the book and pretty sure I was going to like it!

    Setting the book down for a minute, I glanced out the windshield of the car just as a heron flew over. It was low and looked huge! I had an idea of what it was but since it was flying away from me in a straight line, I wasn’t sure. It arced to the left, circling back around and I saw its legs hanging behind it. It flew over the stream and towards a tree flying around it rather than landing. It flew lower to the water, following its course and then disappeared behind the weeds and trees.

    What a great thing to see! The Egyptians viewed herons as symbols of resurrection. The Greeks thought of them as divine messengers as did ancient Irish folklore. The Native Americans viewed herons as a symbol of patience and good luck. I myself also think of them as good luck; I always consider myself lucky to see them!

    I just had a dream last night where my brother Ralph and my Mother came to visit me. Hmmm… perhaps there's a message here that I should be aware of!

    The day is off to a good start, visits from two people I miss and love and a close sighting of a heron. Plus…I also got some new (?) books to read! Oh yeah, it’s off to a good start!

Early Morning Treasures

 Waking up at 2 in the morning is something usually done out of necessity rather than desire. As you get older, the truth in this statement becomes more and more obvious.

    On this morning, when the alarm sounded I was out of bed in a flash. I put on my glasses and without turning any lights on, went out to the front porch. It was bright outside, the cloud cover was reflecting the lights of the neighborhood and the near-by businesses back to the ground. This was disappointing in more ways than one!

    Going back inside, I turned on the computer and checked a couple weather sites and looked at some satellite views. I then made the decision to get dressed and take a drive up to the Wagman Observatory. I’d take a chance!

    There were two things that prompted me. One was to watch the dual passes of the two space stations orbiting the earth and the other was to view through the telescope, the planet Saturn.

    The first, the passes of the space stations; they are normally seen nightly crossing our skies and rarely at the same time. On this morning, they would appear, from my location, to head towards each other and cross paths only seconds apart!

    The second, Saturn has been hiding behind the sun and only recently reappeared in the morning sky. The Brashear refractor is placed in the observatory in a way that doesn’t allow a low eastern view and so to observe the planet, it has to rise high enough to clear the building. This means either wait a month or two longer, or come up early in the morning and catch it as it nears the meridian.

    Arriving at the hilltop at 3:15, the clouds were still thick but there were a couple dark spots in them. I pulled a chair from inside the building and sat down and relaxed. The sounds of the crickets were the loudest things I could hear. There were no cars going by at this time of the morning. It was extremely pleasant. The howl or cry of a coyote broke in occasionally. I watched the clouds drift by, sometimes lifting my binoculars to check out what looked like a hole. As the clock neared 4 I finally saw some stars, then it was as if the sky just gave up. Looking towards the northwest, I saw clear skies!

    I opened up the roof and prepared the Brashear 11” scope for some observing. My target was in sight, the brightest object in the southern sky, Saturn. It was just past the meridian, the imaginary north-south line that divides the sky. A perfect spot for observing!

    I used a 17mm eyepiece, a favorite of mine. It provides a 243 power view. As always, the view was spectacular. The planet often has a three-dimensional look to it. There were cloud bands visible on the surface of the planet and in the rings; a couple bands could be seen. There was shading on the edge which added to the three-dimensional aspect. On one side of the rings, the shadow of the planet cut through them, showing where the sun sat in relation to the planet. I pulled over a chair and just sat and looked.

    When observing by eye, the longer you look the more you will see. There are times when the view increases in sharpness, times when the air above settles and allows an extremely crisp view. It is these times that make the wait worthwhile. It was quiet… peaceful… and fulfilling.

    A little before 5, I went outside and set up my camera and tripod. According to Heavens-Above.com, the space station passes were due to appear at 5:08. Their paths would intersect around 5:12. The sky was beautiful! The winter constellations were sitting above the eastern horizon. Orion was lying on its side towards the south, Auriga and Gemini were a bit further north. The Pleiades looked wonderful further up in the sky. A couple shots were taken with the camera to determine speed and focus and then I put my hat over the camera to protect the lens from getting any dew on the optics.

    Tiangong was seen first coming out of the west at 5:09, heading almost directly overhead. Looking to the south, I saw the ISS moving towards Orion. Both were bright and easily seen. I went back and forth between them, watching their paths, watching as they neared each other. Looking at the ISS I saw a meteor flash near-by. The pair moved to a point where both were equal distances from the Pleiades. Tiangong entered Auriga and the ISS passed over top of Bellatrix, the shoulder of Orion, getting closer. 

    At 5:12, the ISS passed underneath the approaching Tiangong, the pair missing each other, from my viewpoint, by only a couple seconds. As I watched the pair starting to fade away, another meteor shot through the sky, almost like an exclamation point to what I had just seen!

    It was a great show! I couldn’t help but wonder if the crews on either spacecraft could see the other and exactly, how far apart were they?

    I put the camera gear away and went back into the observatory. I had put a doubler on the scope earlier which brought the power up to 486. I was able to see a couple more moons but there was a loss of sharpness with the increase of power. I removed the doubler and once again, just sat and looked. I find it hard to tire of looking at this planet. I attempted to draw a couple sketches of what I was seeing but my artistic abilities are severely lacking.

    I decided that I should take a look at the Orion Nebula before I left. It has been quite a while since I had looked at that. I loosened the locks on the scope and went to spin it around and I realized that it was useless, the sky had brightened enough that Orion had disappeared! The morning sun was nearing.

    I put things away, docked the scope and then closed the building. By 6, I was on my way back home. It was nice driving home from the observatory in the daylight as compared to the darkness of middle night. It was a great morning session, I felt invigorated and refreshed and ready for the day. What a wonderful way to start a day!

Adventure is Where You Find it!

The day was done. I had spent a fair amount of it working in the yard and as far as I was concerned, it was time to relax.

    Sitting down, I picked up the current book I was reading. Turning to where I had left off I read a chapter or two before dinner.  Afterwards I cleaned the dishes in the sink and went back into the living room to read some more. After a few pages, I started thinking of other things. Reading wasn’t in the game plan for this evening. The TV didn’t interest me. Having spent the day cutting grass and trimming hedges, I wasn’t in the mood for anything strenuous.

    With a trip planned for the next morning, I figured I could go and top off the gas tank. While I was at it, I could take the camera along just in case I saw a train. While tying my shoes, the idea slipped from “just in case” to “I should look for the train!” I slung my camera around my neck and as an afterthought, grabbed the film camera bag as I ran out the door.

    An adventure! Chasing a train is always fun and will get me outside for a while. I usually have a good idea of where the train will be, and I also have a pretty good idea of where it will be stopping. The Carload Express train often stops in Etna to pick-up or drop off cars before continuing north towards Mars and Evans City.

    I am never exactly sure when the train might be coming through my community. It is almost always in the evenings. During this time of year, the summertime, the sun is often still up as it goes by. As the year slips into the winter months and darkness starts coming earlier, the opportunities to catch it lessen.

    I’ll sit beside the tracks in Etna and read a book while waiting for the train. Rt.28 is right above the tracks and the sounds of the trucks, motorcycles and cars pretty much drowns out any other sounds. The road noise is a white noise, after a while it disappears.

    On this evening, I sat for 10 or 20 minutes before the greatest photographer’s skill, patience, left me. I started the car and went to look for the train.

    I joined the traffic on Rt.28 and drove towards the city.  Crossing the river into the far end of the Strip District, I pulled onto a street that parallels the tracks. A signal tower sits alongside the rails and I was happy to see, the light on it was green. The train would be coming soon!

    I parked the car and found a good spot for a photo. Using the film camera, I checked the lighting, set my aperture, focused and composed my shot. Then I waited.

    It didn’t take long, within a few minutes I heard the rumble of the engines, a deep noise you might not notice unless you were listening for it. Then the headlights of the front engine came into view.

    The adrenaline started pumping into my system. I waited until the train was in the proper spot and carefully depressed the shutter button. Quickly winding the film and refocusing, I managed to get another picture before the train was past me.

The train was on tracks that were above me. The locomotives and cars behind them could be seen, along with the Bloomfield Bridge which sat off in the distance. 

    I got into the car and went to another spot, a place I had considered on my way over. At this location, the train is starting onto a curved bridge leading to the span that crosses the river. Because of the curve and the bridge ahead, the train goes slowly, enabling me to get into position and to get a fairly sharp picture with the film camera. The setting sun was shining on the train allowing me to use a smaller f-stop and get a little more depth of field. I took two more photos. 

    I drove through Lawrenceville and then re-crossed the river into Etna. I returned to where I was earlier in the evening. It was now past 8 and the sun had slipped below the hills in the west.

    Using the digital camera I was able to increase the ISO to allow a deeper depth of field and a shorter exposure time, not to mention the pictures could be in color! Taking pictures here would be no problem.

    Walking down the line a bit to a spot I hadn’t been to before, I lined up my shot. Then I searched for that all important photographic skill that had left me an hour before, patience. 

    I heard the whistle first and then saw the lights of the engine shining on the rails. The train was slowing, there was no doubt that it would be stopping to exchange some cars this evening. I was positioned just past the siding that they would be using. The engines passed me and came to a stop. After the switchman had disconnected the engines from the rest of the train, it pulled up past the switch and the switchman unlocked and flipped it. Then the engines backed into the siding to collect their cars.

    Watching the train back into the siding, I decided that I had enough of trains for this evening. It was time to head home. This adventure was over. Back at the house I loaded the digital pictures onto my computer. While appraising my pictures I heard the train passing the crossing below my house as it continued north. The rumble of the cars could be heard for a while and then silence returned.

    I was ready for bed now, pretty sure that a good night’s sleep awaited me. There was a road trip scheduled for the next day. We would be visiting bookstores, searching for books rather than trains.

    Remember, adventures are all around us, they are everywhere, all we have to do is recognize them. Who knows where or when the next one will be?  

Rain on the Roof

 A heavy rain was falling during the drive to Church this morning. Thankfully there was an umbrella in the back of the car. It would definitely be needed!

    Inside the Church, I listened to the sounds created by the pounding storm. It was a noise that filled the nave. While it was loud and intense, it was also relaxing, comforting and soothing. I felt safe and secure, even as the thunder rumbled around us.

    The rain blended in nicely with the organ music and the opening hymn and then tapered off as the Mass began. It increased every so often, almost as if to accentuate the importance of the various parts of the Mass.

    I will never forget a Mass I attended at St. Bonaventure Church. A thunderstorm was beating against the walls and roof of the Church. The sky outside was dark, lightning bolts lighting it up, showing the parishioners inside how strong the storm was. At the consecration, as the Priest lifted up the Host, a lightning bolt flashed and immediately afterwards, thunder shook the Church. It felt as if God Himself was showing us the importance of this portion of the Mass! It sent shivers through me as I’m sure it did to others in the congregation.

    At Mass during another thunderstorm, the power went out plunging the Church into darkness. The Mass continued, the Priest's voice no longer amplified but yet still discernible. Lightning illuminating the stained glass behind the altar and rolling thunder added to the beauty of the Mass. We sang without any accompaniment. It became another Mass that has stuck in my memory.

    While not an experience of thunder and lightning, I remember a Mass when a bird kept flying in front of the stained glass. While it wasn’t a dove, I couldn’t help but think of the Holy Spirit as the shadows glided back and forth across the windows above the altar. Another time I was attending an outside Mass being held in a parishioner’s yard. As the Mass was being celebrated, a couple rabbits hopped over and sat nibbling at the grass behind the altar, almost as if they were there for the Mass also. Little things such as these stick in my mind, perhaps they happen for a purpose!

    Sitting in the car after Mass, the rain still pounding on its roof, I sat and just listened. Soon my car was the only one left in the lot. It didn’t bother me; I was in a happy place.

    I always find going Mass comforting, a visit with my Maker, our Creator. There is friendship at Church; there is family along with spiritual fulfillment. Every so often, nature adds to it, making it an even better experience!

The Soundtracks of Our Lives

 

I was driving down the road listening to the radio when a song started playing. I knew what it was as soon as I heard the first four notes, and I was instantly transported. It was Seals and Croft’s “Summer Breeze”. Suddenly I was back in a noisy, dirty machine shop in Sharpsburg. I was working part time in the evenings of my junior year of High School.

    The song reached #6 on the charts and it seemed as if it was being played every 15 or 20 minutes. Every time I hear it now, I can picture in my head the cars speeding past on Rt.28, all that could be seen through the high windows at the back end of the shop. As darkness fell, it was reduced to only the headlights and taillights. The radio was always on in the shop; it helped the time pass. During those early days of my machinist career, I looked out of the windows plenty of times, wishing I was out there, instead of inside a hot smoky machine shop.

    There are plenty of songs like this that do the same thing, bring us to places in our past. Usually, they were heard during an important event or time in our lives. My own memory was caused by hearing this song, in the same place, over and over. This memory isn’t just aural; it’s also visual, I can picture the cars going by outside the windows. The memories; the song, the smells and the visuals all go hand in hand.

    Another song that brings back memories to me, complete with visuals is the song “Radar Love”, by Golden Earring. The first notes will always take me back into the 70’s. It’s a love song about two people that have a special connection and how one of them is racing back to see the other. It involves driving in its lyrics and to me, that’s all it is. I hear the song and I imagine myself in the back seat of my friends Z-28. I am hanging onto the two bucket seats as we race down a steep, twisty road at well over twice the limit. The tires were squealing as we rounded the corners and the engine was roaring as he used it to speed up and slow down, shifting up and down through the gears. My life was in his hands! The higher powers were looking down on us that night, if someone had been coming up the road, I wouldn’t be here to tell about it! That song, playing loudly on the radio during that ride, takes me back every time I hear it!

    Just about any song on the Pink Floyd album, “Dark Side of the Moon” will take me back to my house and bring back thoughts of my friends. It’s a record that I first heard in an English class in my junior year. I only wish I knew who it was that brought it into class to listen to, so I could thank her. I seriously don’t think I have ever listened to any album more than “Dark Side of the Moon”! The songs don’t remind me of any particular day or memory, they tend to put me into a state of mind, they soothe me, the songs bring back the unrushed, relaxed lives we lived in those days. The memories are all good!

    Bread’s song, “Make it with You” will always take me back into my memory banks. So will The Moody Blues’ “Nights in White Satin”, “Without You” by Harry Neilson or “A Whiter Shade of Pale” by Procol Harum. We all have an internal hits list, each song bringing back memories from our past. It’s next to impossible to pick a favorite.

    Music has been with us from the beginning of our lives. Nursery songs, the Jack in the Box tune, The Wheels on the Bus and The Alphabet Song are just a couple. The list increased as we grew. The songs listed above are just a few of those from my late teens, they don’t include any of the songs stuck in my grey matter from my 20’s, 30’s and on. Where would we be without all these musical accompaniments to or lives?

    Driving down the road, I find myself tapping my foot, my fingers keeping time with the song on the steering wheel, soon to be humming along with the song, if not singing out loud. My own playlist seems endless, some of them powerful enough to bring a tears to my eyes. Thank heaven for them; they put me in a good place. These songs are the soundtracks to our lives!

The Pittsburgh Book Crawl 2026

 The past week was miserable. Not only were the temperatures in the high 80’s and above, on Thursday we were attacked with the smoke from the fires in Canada and Minnesota.

    We had a Code Purple (some said maroon) Air Quality Warning. The air outside smelled like smoke. Some of the older folks said that it reminded them of the Pittsburgh of the early 40’s! The forecast for Saturday called for rain, and believe me, everyone was looking forward to it!

    I heard birds chirping when I awoke. That was something I hadn’t heard in the past week! The air was cooler and instead of seeing just the yellow sky. I actually saw glimpses of blue peeking between the clouds.

    Saturday was the beginning of the week long Pittsburgh Book Crawl. Thirty bookstores were participating scattered over six counties in Western Pennsylvania. This is a great way to visit some of the booksellers in our community and Ann Marie and I were looking forward to it. Our good friend Jim was coming along with us on our journey.

    Passports were given out at the participating stores. At each store you visit, you can get your passport stamped. After getting six stamps you can get a scoop of ice cream and by visiting fifteen stores, it enables you to enter a drawing for other prizes. Armed with our passports and a list of stores to visit we took off!

    Starting in Lawrenceville, we first browsed through The Shelf Love Society. Their specialty is romance books. Opened recently, the store has a nice collection of books for those in search of love in their reading materials. I noticed a couple books I had already read on their shelves. We saw some people leaving clutching their passports and purchases in their hands, with smiles on their faces. Showing them my passport, I laughed and told them I’d be looking for them in the stores I’d be going to later.

    The next stop, Passionate Pages, was six or seven blocks closer to Pittsburgh, both stores are on Butler Street. This shop specializes in romance also. Lots of customers were crowding the store. I love to visit crowded bookshops! This was the norm as our journey continued.

    A mere mile away, on Liberty Avenue in Bloomfield, the White Whale Bookstore was also filled with people. I perused the children’s books and picked up a birthday gift that I think will be appreciated. While we were in the neighborhood, I dropped into Paddy Cake Bakery for some chocolate chip cookies; I know from experience how good they are! (I feel as if you can properly judge a bakery by tasting their chocolate chip cookies and their donuts. I have high standards, mostly related to my childhood!)

    The next store on our list, The Book Deli, was celebrating its grand opening! Located on E. Warrington Avenue in Allentown, the store was packed with customers, authors, publishers and artists. While we browsed and talked with the people in the store, I looked out the window and saw twenty-five or thirty more people arrive, en masse. It was as if a bus had just dropped them off. I feel as if I might have already said this but, what a good feeling it was to see this many people in a bookstore! I bought a book of bike stories; sadly, the author wasn’t there to sign it.

    From Allentown we drove over to E. Main Street in Carnegie. Here we visited Woolly Bear Books. Another nice, comfortable book shop, filled with a wide variety of books that I needed! After roaming through their stock, and finding another birthday book, we walked down the street to Dagney’s Eatery where we got a tasty lunch.

    Back on the road again, we next headed over to Bellevue where we stopped in Vintage Max Books. This store is located at the corner of Lincoln and N. Balph Avenues. Just as we arrived, a heavy downpour started. I ran to the shop and once again, found it filled with people, many clutching their Book Crawl Passports. 

    Selling both new and used books, I gravitated towards the used shelves where I found two railroad books, both in great shape! One still had the map with it that was included when it was published. I can remember reading this book shortly after it was published, thanks to my local library. As we left the store, the rain stopped long enough for us to get to the car, and then started up again.

    Our last stop was at our favorite bookshop, City Books, located on Galveston Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Northside. Once again, there were lots of people in the shop. We passed a small group who had just left it as we arrived, smiling and laughing as they headed off to their next book stop. Having been in the store a few days before, I knew what was on the shelves. So, I didn’t search the shelves…much. Ann Marie and I both bought a t-shirt to document our day.

    If you get a chance, look up the Pittsburgh Book Crawl on the net. If the crawl is still continuing, (July 18-26) get a passport and start your own journey. If not, use the map on the site to visit some of the stores. I’m sure you'll be glad you did! They will also!

    We brought some books, a few bookmarks, gifts, a couple t-shirts and a lot of memories home with us. We will be visiting some of the other stores listed in the passports, most probably on Wednesday. There are a couple that we haven’t been to yet, and we are looking forward to seeing what they are like. Being retired means that we have time to visit these new places!

    We always find it exciting to walk into a store, filled with countless lives and stories. There are journeys to different lands, different worlds, love affairs, mysteries and information that can last a lifetime, just sitting on their shelves waiting for us. Who knows what treasures we might find when we step into our next bookshop!