OUT THERE!

VALLEY FORGE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK

TODAY, the 4th of July and the Birthday of our great Nation, it was such a beautiful day I decided to take a trip "OUT THERE"  to the Valley Forge Historical Park.  This Historic Area is but a half hour drive from our home.  I've been here a few times in the past, but not with the Camera that I have now.  Thought that I'd go look around and see if there have been any changes to the Park.  I found that there have been a few, to make the Park more accessible for the general public.

AS MOST OF YOU already know, this is the place where the 1st Continental Army of our Nation, spent the Winter of 1777, under the leadership of Gen. George Washington.

  WHILE IN THE PARK you can take your own driving Tour, or ride a bus that will take you to all the places in the Park that have a Historic story to tell.  I decided to take my own Tour and just see the places that I already know.  The Image above is some of the "Shelters" that were built by the Continental Army during the Winter.  These are not the original Shelters, but the National Park Service has built them to look exactly like they did during that nasty, cold Winter of 1777.  Don't forget to "click" on the Image to get a better view.

A TYPICAL log shelter that was built.  Would you believe that this little thing housed 12 soldiers during that encampment?  They are not very big inside and do not look very comfortable.  The bed racks they slept on were made of wood and straw.  They had very few blankets, since supplies were at a bare minimum.

  THE LARGE green mounds you see in this Image were used to fortify the Cannon that Gen. Washington had placed around the encampment.

THIS IS WHERE most of the Officers called home.  As you can see it is much better than what the typical enlisted man had.  The part of the building on the left is the original part of the structure.  The rest has been added on over a period of time.  The original part was much smaller than what you see now.

THIS IS AN IMAGE of where the Continental Army Guard lived while guarding Gen. Washington.  Guarding the General was important, since the British were not too far away.

  THIS IS WHERE General George Washington had his headquarters.  A pretty nice place to stay, don't you think?  The building is usually open to the public, but I got here to late and it was all closed up.  In fact, I ran into the Park Ranger that stays here and she told me that they are digging in the back of the House, and finding all kinds of different things left over from when the troops were here.  Belt buckles, buttons, shoe buckles, and other stuff have been found here by the Archeologists.

I COULD SAY AND POST a whole lot more Images that I shot, but I might not have the room for it.  I don't know just how much you can Post on your Site.  Anyway, if you want to see more of the Images I took just go to  .  .  .  . http://Picasaweb.google.com/Corker2.  You will find more of my Images, plus a whole lot more!

Until the next time  .  .  .  .  Thanks for reading and commenting.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA!

4TH OF JULY FIRWORKS OVER PHILADELPHIA

LET LIBERTY PROCLAIM THRUOUT THE LAND!

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

Tomorrow, as all of you know, is the Birthday of our Nation. Philadelphia is having one heck of a big party for everyone to come and enjoy. There will be a huge fireworks display, music, dancing, lots to eat, and the Independence Mall is open to all visitors. Good ole Ben Franklin will be walking around to greet all he can, I'm sure, and most of the others who signed the Declaration of Independence.

I sorta wish that I could go see this huge celebration, since it's only about an hours drive from my Home. However, this place will have so many, many people there that it will be very crowded and parking space's will be at a bare minimum. It will truly get nuts down there, so I'm not going to brave all those people. Traffic will be horrific, I know it. I've been to Independence Park 2 times, and it was rather full then. Can you image what it will be like this time?

BEN FRANKLINS "GHOST OUTLINE" OF HIS HOME

Since I've already been to the Independence Park, I thought that I'd Post a picture of what ole' Ben Franklins Home used to be like. The "Ghost Outline" is placed where his ole' Home used to be. The Park Service found that the original home was in such bad condition that it was not worth repairing. So, they made this "outline" of how his home looked. I shot this picture in HDR to give it more effect. Behind his home is the original archway that he walked thru to go to his Printing Office that still remains today. The original cobblestone street is also still there, preserved by the Park Service.

So, I hope that all of you have a great, safe, and happy 4th of July!

ON PARADE

 SINCE THE MINITURE GOLF COURSE, that is located behind the place that we work, has 3 different waterfalls and ponds for players to enjoy, Mother Duck has decided to take up living around the area.  She and her Mate have been seen on a regular basis swimming in one of the ponds and sometimes begging for food.  He and her have been very friendly, but only come to us when we have some stale bread for them to eat.  They don't come too close, but close enough to eat some bread, because they know who we are and where there is food.  Here Momma Duck walks in the parking lot watching over her little ones.

 

There for awhile we didn't see her around and wondered where she and her Mate have gone.  One day we saw her again, and this time she had 8 little ducklings trailing behind her.  Then we didn't see her again till a few day's later.  Here, I shot a picture of her and her ducklings.  They are still quite small, and can not fly yet.  There is just one thing here.  Now, she has only 5.  What happened to the other 3, I'm not sure.  Maybe they just didn't make it.  Also, look at the one in the very front.  This poor thing was not doing well at all.  He didn't walk too good, and I was kinda wondering if he would make it.

 

 HERE SHE IS AGAIN.  This time she still has 5 ducklings left.  If you look closely, she is keeping an eye on me while still watching her ducklings.  The Male, as usual, is never around.  He just does his thing and moves on!  I did just see her again, this week, and sadly enough she had only 3 left.  Did not have my camera handy, so there is no Image of how big the ducklings have grown.  I think that of the 3 that are left, all will make it thru Life, cause they have gotten allot bigger.  We still feed them, and the ducklings are just as friendly as what Momma Duck is.  They follow her lead.  At one time, I did see her again, but this time it was raining.  All of her 3 ducklings tried to hide under her wings, but it didn't work.  Momma Duck didn't want them there, so she chased them out from under her.  Guess she wanted to teach them what the rain is.

 

Until Next Time  .  .  .  .  Thanks for reading and commenting

OUR NEW(Old) PATIO

LAST WEEK, I got this idea in my head to change our Patio back to what it should be.

For the past number of years I had this area crammed with Woodworking Machinery. This is where I went to build a number of different projects for the house. I started thinking about getting this expensive area back to what it was intended for from the beginning. When the boy's were living here, it was used as a weight lifting room. Now they are gone and on their own. Then it was used for a storage area, and then a Woodworking Shop.


So, with all that in mind, I decided to do this and get our covered Patio back to a place where we could sit, read, have a drink, or entertain guests. It took me more than 3 day's to get all the Machinery out of the area, clean the windows, the floor, and the walls to what you see now. I had to clean the windows 2 times to get them clear. The table in the center did not have any support, so I had to use some old legs that were laying around, and sorta build something that the glass table could stand on. The curtains need to be washed, and we are going to get more chairs for around the table. A few odds and ends will be placed out here to make it look more attractive.


I placed the Machinery back and out of the picture. I will try and move it totally out of here and into the Shed that is out back for storage. This way there will be even more room! There are just two problems with the Patio. One is that there is no heat during the Winter, and during the Summer there is no Air-Conditioning. However, when the weather is nice, and it's not to hot, this place will get some use in the future. It does now! Not bad, hugh?


Until next time . . . . thanks for reading and commenting.

A CUTE LITTLE BUNNY

 WHILE GOING OUT to start mowing the lawn yesterday, I happen to notice this little bunny all hunched up in the corner of our outside Patio.  I stood there in dis-belief for a few seconds not believing what I see.  Sure enough, it was a very young rabbit that had gotten away from Momma and was just sitting there.  He or she could not have been more than a month old.  Just a little thing. I went and got my Camera.

 

At first, I thought that he or she was dead.  He didn't move at all.  No movement, no nose twitching, no ears moving.  Nothing.  Just sat there.  I had to take a closer look.  I thought that he'd run away, but he didn't.  Just sat there, probably frozen in fear from this big fella coming closer.  He was still alive, cause I could see him breathing.  Thank goodness for that.  I even went and got him a piece of celery.  Maybe he was hungry.  I assumed that he was waiting for Momma Rabbit to come and get him.  I left him alone.  It's better to leave Mother Nature alone and see what happens.

 

I checked on him from time to time and sure enough about 3 hrs. later he was gone.  Now, weather Momma Rabbit came and got him or he just hopped away on his own, I don't know.  I always enjoy viewing Mother Nature.

 

Until Next time  .  .  .  .  Thanks for reading and commenting.

RIDING A 1986 GOLDWING ASPENCADE

SINCE THERE IS NOT really that much going on right now and I don't have anything current to Post about, I thought that I'd give you something about what I used to enjoy doing a few years back.

Back in the early 80's, I was a single fella, and could go and do most anything I wanted to. A friend of mine had a Honda 650 bike and he took me for a ride on it. I liked it right away. After that I was hooked. Decided to go and purchase a small Honda 400 to start out with. It was not a fancy bike and did not have allot of power. Just something to get started with and learn how to ride. While having this 400cc Honda, I learned allot of how to ride by doing and talking with others that rode. There are a number of things that you have to keep in mind at all times while riding 2 wheels. You must know that you are not on 4 wheels and do not have the protection around you like in a car. Your out in the open, on the highways and 2 lane roads. You must be always alert to traffic and your driving. Riding 2 wheels lets you see the open air and what's around you in a whole different manner.

I kept this Red Honda 400 for about a year, learning more and more as I rode. One thing that taught me a lesson is not to ride in the center of the road! This is where the oil from other cars is, and just lays there. It's very slippery as I found out the hard way. Comming around a corner one day, the bike just slid out from under me and I was down on the road in an instant! I banged up my right arm a bit, and got a bunch of "gravel rash" on my hip, but other than that I was ok. It scared the hell out of me! The bike was ok, but I was sore and learned a lesson that I never forgot.

AS I GOT MORE EXPERIENCE I decided to trade in the 400 for something bigger and faster. I then bought a Kawaski 750cc. This bike had a much bigger engine and was allot heavier than the other one. I kept this bike for a few years. I joined a Motorcycle Club and rode quite allot with them. Found out what a "poker run" is, and did them many times until they started to get boring. I put some new equipment on it. Saddle Bags, a Windshield, and a Tour Box completed what I wanted for awhile. I rode this 750 as far as Virginia with the Club, going to different Tours that are around the country. This bike had no radio, no tape deck, and no CB radio. I started to yearn for something bigger, that had a CB Radio, Tape Deck, and AM-FM Stereo. So with that in mind, I traded in the 750 on a Goldwing 1100cc. This was a big bike! Much bigger, faster, and allot heavier than any of the others.

THIS "TOURING BIKE" lasted me for a number of years. I kept it in a rented garage and put all kinds of extra Chrome, Lights, and other accessories that you can buy. Rode up to Glen Falls, NY for the annual Americade Show. A small town in NY where over 10,000 bikes come in from all around the country. It is truly a site to see with all these Touring bikes comming together from all over the country just for the fun of it and making new friends. I toured the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia and rode the back country roads in West Virginia. Took a trip to Myrtle Beach and down into Charleston, SC. Was up into Vermont and Niagara Falls, staying in a hotel on the Canadian side.

I PURCHASED THIS TRAILER to pull along behind me. The Goldwing could pull this 18 cubic foot Trailer very easy. However, you must always remember that you have a "tail" behind you. Most of the time you never know it's there, until you come to a stop or turn a sharp corner. This Trailer could hold up to 500 lbs. in weight, but I never did load it that heavy. It came in real handy when your "On Tour" for a week at a time. I could Tour the Highway's and Byways of the USA without loading down my "Saddlebags and Tourbox."

FOR MORE THAN 20 YRS. I enjoyed going everywhere on this bike and the others that I've had in the past. I've rode in all kinds of weather from heavy rain, sleet, wind, freezing cold, and heat! However, after time, I started to get tired of the crazy traffic, keeping up the insurance, always keeping the Chrome and bike in good condition, and just loosing interest in it. It takes time to keep the bike in excellent condition. Also, with the price of insurance getting higher, I decided to get out of the Touring and sell the bike, Trailer, helmet, and rain suits. Some fella just loved the bike and Trailer and bought everthing at the price I asked.

THE ABOVE PICTURE was taken just outside of Burlingtown, Vermont on a cool windy day. We had stopped for something to eat, and I shot the picture. I've had allot of enjoyment from doing this riding. I have so many stories to tell that it's most impossible to tell all. I miss riding a Goldwing, on ocassion. Going out for a "supper or ice cream ride" on a nice warm sunny evening is something I will always remember. Cruising the "big flat-slabs", and riding the back country roads of different States was always fun, despite the traffic. Touring the country side in the Fall and being a "leaf peeper" was something else that was enjoyable. You see and smell the country in a whole different prespective.

Until the next time . . . . thanks for reading and commenting.

READING AIR SHOW

 ONCE A YEAR the Reading Area Air Show takes place over at the Reading Airport.  The Theme for the show is WWII Week-end, and always draws allot of people to see all the vintage aircraft used during that time.  I've been trying to see this Show for more than 2 yrs., but never have gotten to see it until this past week-end.  Since this past week-end was the Anniversary of D-Day, the show always has a very nice selection of WWII aircraft on display for everyone to look over.  The above picture is the Navy Corsair.  A carrier based aircraft used during many sea battles against the Japanese.  All the aircraft on display are ready to fly and have pilots to man them.

 

THE WEATHER for this years show could not have been better.  It was sunny and quite warm, but that didn't stop the hundreds of people coming to see all the the aircraft on display.  This picture is of the P-41 Mustang.  A very fast and quite awesome plane to see fly.  When I saw this place fly the pilot knew quite allot about how to use it.  Loops, strafing runs, dives, and low pass-overs were very impressive.  It made a "screaming" sound as it dove out of the sky.  I can only imagine what this plane was like coming at you shooting it's (6) .50cal. machine guns located on the wings of the aircraft.

  THERE WERE a whole lot of German re-enactors that wore the uniform of Germany.  Each German uniform that was worn is an authentic uniform.  There is nothing that they wear that is fake.  From the weapons, hats, boots, knives, and everything they used is real.  I took this shot of a German Soldier on guard at his assigned post.

SOME OF THE LADIES that were walking around with the Soldiers were dressed for the 1940's era.  They looked pretty good.  I have no idea who they were.  I just took there picture.

ANOTHER PICTURE of German soldiers that were just walking around for the show.  After I took their picture, I asked if the uniform was hot to wear.  The answer was "Hell Yes.!"  The German uniform, as well as the American, was made of wool back in those day's.  Since it was getting quite warm as the day went on, they always had a place to go and cool off.

BEING CLOSE TO the runway area, I got this chance to see this B-25 Mitchell just starting it's engines to take off for a demo flight.  An impressive Bomber to see fly.  It was very loud.  Don't think they paid much attention to noise reductions back then.  Who would care! A JAP ENLISTED MAN that was another re-enactor just walking around at his camp.  He, also, is dressed in the uniform of their day during the War.  The weapon and the Sword are the real thing.  ALSO AT THE SHOW were a number of the WWII Veterans that actually were in some of the Battles of WWII.  However, this one I'm not too sure of.  They had 4 or 5 Army Veterans of the Band Of Brothers there and you could get their autograph and meet these people that actually fought during the War.  There were so many people around and it was hard to shoot a picture of any one of them, but I got a quick shot in.  I think that this is Major Dick Winters.  The Officer that commanded the Band of Brothers over in Belgium after the Normandy Invasion.  I'm sure that you have heard or read the book Band of Brothers.  I have the book.  Wish that I knew they were going to be here, and I could have had them sign it.  Sometimes I'm not too smart. A LINE OF vintage aircraft lined up, ready to fly.  USAF, Army, Navy, and Marine planes were all there.  There was also a B-29 Bomber there that you could take a 20 minute ride on.  I would have just loved to go aboard this famous plane and take a ride, but not for the price it cost.  Would you believe $450.00 for a 20 minute flight?  Didn't have that much money with me.

 

I enjoyed walking around the airport and viewing all the different types of aircraft, equipment, guns, tents, and much more that I didn't take pictures of.  Even though the weather was getting quite warm, it was enjoyable for me to see this from something that happened before I was born.  While watching the aircraft fly over me, I was impressed on just how good the pilots knew their planes and how to fly them.  I could only begin to imagine how it was back then while fighting during the War.  Although all these weapons of War could never compete with what we have today, they were impressive for their time.

 

Until Next Time  .  .  .  .  Thanks for viewing and commenting.