SUNSHINE ... NOT TODAY ... and smash mouth hockey.

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Due to problems with blogger today, I am having a lot of trouble posting. I will leave it this week with this photo essay. Earlier in the week when it wasn't actually raining all day, I caught some of our boys in action in Murrysville, playing Inline-hockey. Here is that story in photos.

I was hoping to have news for you on the troop request, but the White House has not decided either way so far.





SPORTS UPDATE:

The Pirates have lost 23 out of the last 25 games, enough said, as the season will end in a few days.
The Steelers play the Bengals later this afternoon, if I can, I will add the score later.

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Keep your head down,

Henry Hill, Plum Pennsylvania

LAST DAY OF SUMMER 2009: You have survived and/or flourished...

Denny's Beer Barrel Pub in Clearfield Pennsylvania supports you, the Troops!

The Pub is a favorite stop for bike riders. The lot is filled with a large number of bikes behind me here, as I shot this one of my bike and a friend's bike who rode with me. It is mainly visited by automobiles, this is not a rowdy biker bar by any means!

On the way back home I stopped to visit Gobbler's Know where Punxsutawney Phil does his World Famous weather prediction every year. These folks from the state of Utah I believe, parked near the stage where Phil performs his magic...

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The summer of 2009 has been a very good one, but also as unpredictable as a nor'easter. It has been a happy summer with playful moments in the sun. It has also been a cruel summer, with cold days sending the surfer babes back into warm clothes.

I have seen memorable things, places and people this summer. One of my summer projects was a very interesting photo project where I shot the whole summer on one roll of Kodachrome slide film: my last roll ever, as this venerable film has been discontinued by Kodak.

Today was the last day of summer and I found myself riding it to the very end without sparing a single moment, as I used up every last flicker of life out of it. I rode to one of my favorite eateries on this side of the state, Denny's Beer Barrel Pub, which is the maker of the World's Biggest Burgers, amongst other delightful specialties. The ride is a 250-mile round trip, which to some is a bit far for a burger. They miss the point, as they focus too closely on the destination and not the adventure and the ride. A point of fact: Denny's burgers are not just big, but delicious as well. Denny's is located in Clearfield Pennsylvania, right in the middle of some of the most beautiful country in the state.

This has been a long day so I will bow out now. I must say that when you get back home to Pennsylvania you may consider riding to this part of the state, it is wonderful. It is almost like going back in time to those wonderful memories of traditional Americana when you visit some of these quaint, Normal Rockwell style towns. When you do visit, Stop at Denny's Beer Barrel Pub or any of the other fine places to eat in Clearfield, Punxsutawney, DuBois, and other small towns along the way. We need to support these local hard working people that still work hard all day, everyday, and all week long. Our support is needed to maintain America's gem ... the small business ... and the American worker.

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Sports Update:

The Steelers played today.

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Keep your head down,

Henry Hill, Plum Pennsylvania

The "Boys of Summer" are still doing it at CCAC campus!

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200 members of Alpha Co. 1/112th Infantry returned home to a warm welcome at the guard armory in Butler Township yesterday. They rode a bus from Fort Dix to complete the long journey back.

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The CCAC campus is still playing ball!

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Sports Update:

The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Titans on Thursday by a score of 13-10. This was a knuckle dragging street fight! It was the NFL Kick Off Celebration right here in your hometown ... PITTSBURGH! Those with or without a ticket to the game were invited were treated to free festivities at Point State Park, which included a free concert by Tim McGraw and the Black Eyed Peas. This first official game of the season and the city festivities were the most watched sporting event since the Super Bowl ... which featured your hometown team, the World Champion Steelers ... had over 20 million viewers tuned in. The NFL Commissioner was so happy with how the game and the show, he wrote a letter to us, Pittsburgh AKA Sixburgh. Here is the letter from the Commissioner in its entirety:

On behalf of the National Football League, I want to thank the fans and the city of Pittsburgh for helping us kick off the 2009 NFL season in such a memorable fashion.

Nearly 20 million Americans viewed the concert and the game, which ironically was the most-watched sporting event since the Steelers won the Super Bowl last February. Fans around the country were treated to the tremendous passion of Steeler Nation and a taste of your great city.

We could not have showcased these events without your city's support and hospitality. I want to thank Mayor (Luke) Ravenstahl for his leadership and also the numerous city workers who helped stage the week-long activities.

Sincerely,

Roger Goodell

NFL Commissioner

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The Boyce Campus team doing what Boys of Summer do!

I passed by this farm and saw these old trucks (1948) just rusting away!

Keep your head down,

Henry Hill, Plum Pennsylvania

THE LAST STAND OF SUMMER!

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Labor Day has been a Bastian of support for labor since the late 1880's, but today it is not much more than a day off of work, and the 'Last Stand' of summer. With the ailing economy even that can be a problem for those millions that have lost work. That said I went to the annual Labor Day weekend fair at North Moreland Park. This quaint Pennsylvania blue-collar rendezvous’ is an almost perfect visual display of Norman Rockwell’s vision of nostalgic Americana! The structures and rides are right out of 1955! The only thing that was missing is Elvis.

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This Hybrid truck/train is a vehicle that belongs to the local VFW who was also celebrating Labor Day with their own Fair at their Wildlife Lodge right down the road from N. Moreland Park.

The Big Tent

The kid train

They said they would paint my face, but, they wouldn't let me ride the pony!

Nothing says Americana than a Camel ride (huh?)

This is where the lazy, triflin' adults hang for eating and meeting

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The summer is winding down with only 14 days left until fall. The football season begins in earnest this coming Thursday with a big concert at Point State Park. It is free to the citizens/fans! Tim McGraw and the Black eyed Peas are the performers that will start the NFL season off right, right here in your town ... Pittsburgh ... the 'City of Champions!'

Pittsburgh won last the last preseason game, and ended up 3 and 1. The Tennessee Titans are coming to town for the NFL opener. If you recall, they are the team that stomped on our 'Terrible Towel" and they will have to pay for such disrespect for a local symbol of hard work and dedicated fans.

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Remember that summer will return, and hopefully you will be here when it does. It seems that the draw down has begun, in theory at least. Keep your wits about you when you get close to being 'the one' to come back. We have covered the issues with distraction as you near the end of such engagements and how dangerous that can be! Until you see the enemy out of the back window of your transport plane, please stay focused until the very true end.

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Keep your head down,

Henry Hill, Plum Pennsylvania