A Morning Respite

I woke up early this morning, well before 6. It's a bit earlier than my normal wake up time. Usually, I close my eyes and slip back into my dream world for another short trip into my imagination, but today I got dressed and took a walk around the block. The sun was less than an hour away from rising, so I had no problems seeing as I walked. Due to a slight haze, only a couple stars were visible in the sky. Traffic could be heard in the valley below me but after a couple minutes, the songs of the birds overtook it.

    The street was empty, no cars were “warming up” and no one was walking their dogs. It was only me and the birds. Returning to the house, I sat on a chair on the front porch and watched as Arcturus slipped between the limbs of a tree as it neared the western horizon. Lights on neighbors' houses turned on and off and the birds continued to chirp, heard but not seen. I sat and watched the sky as it brightened, and the last stars disappeared from view.

    I went into the house, back to where the radio was broadcasting noise about shootings, accidents and the weather to come. I brewed some coffee and went back outside to the quiet, the calm and the peacefulness. I sat down with a copy of The Sun magazine and read a story. While I read, robins chased each other around the yard. Woodpeckers rapped on tree trunks and dead limbs. The coffee smelled good and tasted even better. Two robins flew within inches of my leg as they played.

    Slowly the sun neared the edge of the hillside and colors returned to the edges. My morning respite was starting to turn into my Saturday. I took another sip of coffee and then headed back into the house, ready to continue with my day.

A Training Day

 It was 5 o'clock Tuesday morning and I didn’t think that I’d be going back to sleep soon. I got dressed and went out to see if I could find a picture or two worth taking. There was no specific plan, I was just going to take a ride and see if anything popped up.

  While driving along I am always watching the scenery, looking at the shadows, the people I pass, the buildings. I’m never sure what “it” might be but I’m always looking. It is amazing how many times I see something whenever I don’t have my camera with me! The chances of seeing something worth taking a picture of increases whenever I leave the camera behind! When I see something, I stop and take a picture. Sometimes they are good, other times, worthy only of deletion.

    I drove towards Pittsburgh going through Lawrenceville. Passing the “Doughboy Statue” and heading towards the railroad bridge, I saw my subject. I saw a line of hoppers slowly crossing the bridge. I turned the car around and started searching for the front of the train.

    It turned into a slow chase. We were both going in the same direction; the train was four or five blocks closer to the river than I was. I could see it as I passed side streets. While I had to deal with traffic and streetlights, the train just kept on going… As I gained on it I started to hear the whistle as it came to road crossings. I finally got ahead of it as we neared the 62^nd Street Bridge.

    While driving, I was mentally going over the various spots I could go to get a picture of it. I decided to go under the Highland Park Bridge for my attempt. Luckily, the train was moving slowly, and I had plenty of time to set up my tripod, frame my picture and take a couple test shots before the train came into sight.

    The headlights were what I saw first. I could feel the anticipation. The Carload Express engines passed followed by a long line of bouncing and rocking cars. Perhaps this was why the train was moving so slowly, the cars were swaying back and forth, the rails weren’t very straight or flat.

    After the train was gone, I returned home. I had gotten some pictures and I was happy. It was now time to get back to the regular day, time to tackle my chores.

    Later in the day after eating dinner, I was sitting at my desk when I heard it, another train whistle! It was still light outside, so I grabbed my camera and ran (?) out to the car.

    The train had just passed the crossing in Lower Glenshaw. Leaving the neighborhood, I heard the whistle as it came to the next crossing, just past the tunnel. As I drove, I started considering the places I could go, along with their advantages and their disadvantages. Some were far enough away that I could easily reach them long before the train did, but I wasn’t sure what the lighting would be like. Another spot was much closer, but the background would be a hillside of trees, in the shadows. The train might fade into the background there.

    I ended up going to my favorite spot, Bryant Road in Hampton Township. There weren’t many cars on the road and so I arrived rather quickly. I went down a dirt road towards the tracks where I could catch the train crossing the bridge over Pine Creek. I set up the tripod and framed my shot, took a couple test shots and then waited.

    A car pulled up and two guys got out. I was wondering if they were railfans or fishermen. They turned out to be the latter. We BS’d for a minute before they continued on to the stream, stopping briefly to touch the tracks to see if they could feel the coming train. The noise of the engines was getting louder.

    Just as they reached the bridge, the locomotive came around the bend. The lights of the engine came first, illuminating the curving rails. As the first engine passed, the engineer gave a couple short toots on the whistle to me as he went by. Of course, I waved back… it is what you do when a train goes by!

    The sounds of a train are always exciting to me; the noise of the engines, the squeals of the wheels on the rails, the knocking and bumping of the cars and especially the piercing blasts of the whistles. I have taken pictures of trains from above as they near a crossing, those whistles are LOUD!!! WOW, what a rush!

    I returned home happy and content. A train started my morning and then one ended my day. I've said it before; it doesn't take a lot to make my day! Some days you just get lucky and this was one of them!

The 70's

 Back in 1970 when I was only 14 years old, I never gave much thought to when, or if, I’d ever be 70. The 70’s were exciting times for me. I learned to drive; I graduated high school and got a job. I became old enough to vote and then, old enough to drink. I also lost my father, had bones broken, lost the tip of one of my fingers and found out I was a diabetic. It was a learning experience. I discovered it could sometimes be tough, but for the most part life was good and rewarding!

    During this decade I started exploring the world around me. I saw the beauty hidden in the mountains; I found the serenity of the deep woods. I discovered the peace obtainable while sitting beside a small stream. I found out how relaxing it can be to watch the moon or sun rise over a field or a hillside.

    Of course, it was more than just these things. Being on my own more, without the childhood parental constraints, I learned the importance of work, time and trust. Some experimenting with alcohol and various substances "may have" occurred. It was a decade of motorcycles, cave and cliff exploring, and camping. I didn’t spend a lot of time thinking about the future. 

    As the years piled on and the 70’s passed, I experienced the joys and the losses that we all do. My life calmed down some and there were the joys of raising a family and learning to be a dad. (Can that even be taught?) Family members got married and the family numbers increased, but sadly, at the same time, decreased. Death is just another part of our lives. That is another thing we learn about in life, how quick it can end.

    Lord knows I’ve made more than my share of bad decisions and mistakes and God willing, I’ve learnt from them. I’ve been offered so many chances to learn, I’m afraid to think how many I’ve let pass by. It seems as if life is one long continuous learning process.

    The 1970’s are long gone but here, I find that I’m starting them over again. Moving into my own 70’s, I can’t help but realize things have changed; I seem to be experiencing a bit more pain than I did in the first set. I’m not quite as fast or strong as I was, perhaps that is because of the extra pounds hung on my frame. There is also a lot less hair on my head! Re-starting my second set of 70’s, I can only hope they will be as much fun as the first set was. I seriously doubt if they’ll be quite as wild but I’m still looking forward to them!

    To bring back a bit of the slang of the 70’s, I’m looking forward to a “groovy”, “far out” decade. “Look out baby, here I come”!

Headin' East

 Another trip across the state had been planned and so, of course, I started making lists long before our departure date. I always enjoy the preparations made before a trip. It is something I’ve learned to do over the years. Arriving at a campsite as the sun is setting and finding that I forgot the flashlight at home, or even worse, the food, makes me think twice before leaving home. The paper lists helps but still, I always manage to forget something!

    I enjoy making lists. Whether it is for a trip to the store or preparing to develop a roll of film, I grab a piece of paper and a pen. Trips; even if it is just a ride out into the countryside and back, I usually make a list. A trip that might involve 4 or 5 days definitely requires one! They aren’t just for things to take; they include sights to see, stores, restaurants or coffee shops to try and the times they open or close. Yah…it sounds a bit anal but it usually pays off.

    On this trip, we left on Friday morning. We were going across the state to visit my daughter’s family. We would be taking our “usual” route, crossing the state via rt.22. I have never been a fan of limited access highways, especially when you have to pay to use them. We also enjoy being able to leave the main roads and exploring when we want to.

    There was a hard rain the night before but luckily it had passed by and as we started out, the roads were almost dry. A couple stops were made for food and beverages and then soon, the foothills of the Laurel Highlands could be seen ahead of us.

    We had a variety of geocaches to try and find on the way. One of the first was at the Cassandra Railroad Overlook. This is an old bridge that used to carry a road across the tracks. Built in 1936 it was closed to traffic the same year. It is now used by railfans to watch trains coming up and down the long hill. Looking downhill, to the west, you can see the trains coming about 2 miles away! We found the cache but unfortunately, we didn’t see any trains. After waiting a few minutes, we returned to the car and our journey.

    Coming into Duncansville, we stopped at Connie’s Collectables and Quilts.  I did a quick once through and then left Ann Marie in fabric heaven while I walked down the street to take some pictures of an old gas station. The owner had just pulled up and I asked if he minded if I took some pictures. He invited me in and showed me around telling me about the history of the building. Originally a blacksmith shop it later became an auto garage. The current owner lived beside it as a child. Inside were a variety of cars, trucks and motorcycles, some in various states of disassembly along with all sorts of old memorabilia, such as hubcaps, oil and gas signs, old v-belts and even a belt pulley system that used to run the machinery. It was fun looking around!

    Down the road a bit further, we came into the town of Hollidaysburg. We stopped at Boro Coffee to refill our empty cups. This coffee shop is located in two 18^th century houses where canal workers lived. Looking at the ceilings we could see the hand-hewn beams holding the floors above. The windows looked out onto the railroad yards across the street, where the canal used to be. Hollidaysburg had a large canal basin here. Good coffee, sour-dough bagels and a view of moving trains made this another favorite spot!

    Not far away, across from the Blair County Courthouse, we visited the Next Chapter Bookstore. We talked with Dani, the owner as we browsed. Talking with the owners of book shops is usually an experience of sharing similar thoughts and ideas. We discussed books, the store, schools and book bannings among other things. From there we returned to rt. 22. We only stopped for a couple geocaches, anxious to see the grandkids. The next couple days were spent with the family. 

    On Saturday we watched as Jamie built and launched an Estes rocket and then later, Ann Marie and I spent some time at the Harleysville No Kings Protest. It was a great example of people peaceably getting together and voicing their opinions. That is what America is about! People were smiling and laughing and enjoying the day and the camaraderie. We both found the event touching and emotional.

   Later the family drove to Phoenixville where we strolled the main drag. We went down and visited the iron works, a beautiful building that is now an event center. We petted dogs and visited some of the stores including the Reads and Company Bookstore. The store was actually crowded; they were doing a good business on a Saturday night! It did my heart good to see an independent bookstore so busy! 

    We ate dinner across the street from the Colonial Theater where an iconic scene from the 1958 movie The Blob was filmed. This movie was Steve McQueen’s first lead role.

    Sunday morning we went to Skippack for breakfast and then visited the Pages and Parchment Bookstore. Mallory, the owner is one of Chelsey’s friends. Chelsey was there earlier in the week participating in their Silent Book Club. People bring whatever they are reading and sit, silently reading their books. It was a very nice shop and we ended up bringing home a nice selection of books from there.

    Later in the day we went to the Indian Valley Library where Mateo and Nico showed us around their library. As the boys rummaged through the shelves I explored their very nice Pennsylvania Room. The boys selected some books to take home. We were very impressed with their library.

    On Monday morning, after saying good-bye to the boys before they left for school, Ann Marie and I started back. We made a stop in Lenhartsville to get some kielbasa and scrapple at Dietrich’s Meats. We usually stop here on our return trips. Walking in the door you are greeted by the smell of smoke. They have a large selection of meats and cheeses along with other Pennsylvania Dutch treats.

    Just down the road we stopped at an old furnace. Someone had cleaned up the weeds and bushes around it and we were able to see the walls on the hillside behind it. I have no idea what the purpose of this structure was, when it was built or what it was named. I have seen pictures of it on-line but the people who posted them didn’t know anything about it either.

    We stopped for another refreshment break north of Harrisburg. While we were there I took some pictures of an abandoned “Gentleman’s Club”. Closed in 2019 the place was looking pretty sad. It was overgrown with weeds and trash. There were some really odd pictures painted near the entrance. I would think these pictures would scare people away rather than luring them in!

    Taking a chance, we stopped at a restaurant in Lewistown and had a good lunch. We enjoy trying out places that we’ve come across. Most of the time, we find spots worthy of putting on our “return to” lists. Sometimes we strike out, but that’s all part of the fun of the trip. Thankfully, the good places far outnumber the bad.

    West of Lewistown, in McVeytown, we stopped for our last, and our most interesting cache of the trip. It was one that neither of us had seen before. It was a plastic pipe attached to the back of a roadside sign. We looked it over, felt around but couldn’t figure out where the cache was. After giving it some thought, we realized that we needed to put water into the pipe and after we did that, the cache, attached to a fishing bobber, floated up to where we could grab it. Very tricky! It is caches like this that make the game so much fun!

    Other than a quick stop for gas, the rest of the trip was straight through. I got home just before 5 with 752 miles added to the odometer. It was another great trip through Pennsylvania. We enjoyed the time with the family and we had fun visiting all the various places, but as I’ve said before, it REALLY felt good to fall asleep in my own bed!

    P.S. Even though I made a list, I still forgot some shirts at home but luckily, I didn’t need them.