THIS POST WILL BE BACK ON LINE SHORTLY...

(F-22 Raptor in a dive)

I am back in town. I am now putting together my plan to get this post restarted back to its original roots, of supporting you over there... It will be published on Sundays or Mondays. I will advise further shortly...

I am presently searching for the New monthly Pinup Girl!

Keep your head down,

Henry Hill, Plum Pennsylvania

SPRING IS HERE!

Click on images to enlarge

Spring has finally arrived with motorcycle riding temperatures all weekend. The Pittsburgh Pirates season starts at home on April 5Th, and I will be there capturing images for you over there! This time of year is slow around here, hence the lacking reports here.

The whole country is divided at the moment over the Health Insurance Bill, with Pennsylvania joining other state to sue over it's citizens being under a federal mandate to purchase health insurance. This issue is not over by a long shot!

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Sports Update:

Football Commish Goodell is looking to meet with Big Ben in regard to his repeat legal problems and charges of sexual misconduct. Perception is reality in the real world, and such imagery is hurting Big Ben's rep around the league. Last year he heard boos and other negative comments from the stands in enemy territory. I expect it to increase this year regardless of the legal outcome! This is unfair in our system, but this is how it works when you become a celeb!

The new hockey stadium is growing every week and is on time with the predicted completion schedule!

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Keep your head down,

Henry Hill, Plum Pennsylvania

WILL BE OUT OF TOWN... POST WILL BE LATER THIS WEEK!

This is a one man show, and I will be out of town unexpectedly today...

Last week for Boyce Ski area

The air of spring is upon as the Boyce Park Ski slopes will close this weekend on March 14. The 2010 season was the best skiing ever at the facility!

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Welcome home to the Army reservists of the Hempfield-based 1st Platoon, 14th Quartermaster Company who were deployed in Iraq! This second deployment was finally over with the happy meet and greet by family and friends.

Sports Update:

Sidney Crosby returned to the Civic Arena after winning Gold Medal for Team Canada in the Winter Olympics, to fans cheering louder for Ryan Miller who played goalie for Team USA! They also started cheering USA, USA, USA, over and over. Pittsburgh beat Buffalo nonetheless! We cannot blame Sidney for playing well for his homeland, eh?

Big Ben has again been accused of Sexual Assault. It appears not to be rape, but some sort of illegal sexual contact, or so it seems. There are not enough facts to comment on at this time.

The Steelers and free safety Ryan Clark agreed to a four-year, $14 million contract. Clark received an offer from the Dolphins, but decided he still wants to be a Pittsburgh Steeler ... good choice Ryan, well done! A welcome of sorts was the theme of the day for Antwaan Randle El, who signed a three-year deal with his old team. He was released by the Redskins. All of this good news combined the resigning of nose tackle Casey Hampton is a good sign of things to come!


Keep your head down,

Henry Hill, Plum Pennsylvania

March, winter keeps rolling!

(Click to enlarge images)

Last weekend brought another storm in, which dumped enough snow to make up for what melted just a day before! I have been shocked by the lack of kids in the streets taking advantage of the days off school, especially with the inspiration of the Winter Olympics.

It was 1962, and snow was busting out of the sky. I headed out with it in my hands. It was a battered and beat wooden Flexible Flyer, with rusty looking blades. The old man said be careful, but that was like not saying anything to us boys! Those were the days when snow was a friend, and mother nature was our playground. I will never forget that first day that the Old Man let me fly, and that is exactly what I did!

Sports Update:Our own Sidney Crosby scored the winning goal for Team Canada in the Olympics! I don't know whether to say "Go Sid the Kid" or "YOU SUCK!" It is very confusing, leaving me in conflict on this one!

The USA scored a new Winter Olympic record 37 medals overall!

Local Military News:

Thousands of active-duty military dependents were seriously shortchanged by the Defense department. They shut down the program, The Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts/or MyCAA, were suspended due to heavy participation! Apparently over 98,000 participants were signed up and in classes, with over 38,000 more signing up as well! It is something not expected for the Defense Department to do to the dependents of active duty military who are at risk to earn these privileges! I seriously hope they sort this out for the dependent's sake. The more education they have, the more they can do to support their families back here at home!

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This winter has been nasty, and I got in 3 rides during Febuary! These are one of such.

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Keep your head down,

Henry Hill, Plum, Pennsylvania

NEXT POST ON MARCH 1, 2010

Valentine's Day and more...

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Valentine's Day has come and gone. This is a most divisive day where the lover and the naysayer are in constant flux. You are either a romantic and love it or you are a naysayer and hate it. It seems to me that happiness within the seer determines on which side one stands.

This holiday can bring you together or get you dumped. I have experienced both. I still try valiantly to do it right each and every year. My success has been 50/50, but I am always working on my shortcomings; I trust that you over there are also a work in progress. In this endeavor, I wish you the best!

Western Pennsylvania has been hit by two major storms in a row, and as I type to you it is snowing again. As you can imagine the city is overwhelmed, the roads are clogged with excess snow and stuck vehicles. The good news is Seven Springs has exceptional ski conditions for an east-coast ski facility. The Surf is Up! Below you will find a few images of the local Boyce Park ski slopes!

There is a lot of movement in the military as new planning going on; hopefully I will have some news next week. Until then keep your spirits high, and your eyes open. It is most dangerous when distractions such as going home come to mind. Do not think about home until the wheels hit the runway back here in the good old USA!

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SPORTS UPDATE:

The Winter Olympics is currently open for business. At the time of this writing the USA has 8 medals, twice the number of any country so far.

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Keep your head down,

Henry Hill, Plum Pennsylvania

Snow Storm 2010

Last Friday a major snow storm, the 4Th biggest storm in the history of Pittsburgh, hit the area with a vengeance! Our area was not as bad as Washington DC, as they were buried, which is unusual for that area, and their response was very poor as a result.

This week the weather is story, and a photo essay for you over there who cannot see. As always, click on the images to enlarge them. Tomorrow another storm is bringing another 10 inches on top of this one. The city has in no way cleaned up or clear the majority of the streets yet. Many are out of work on a mandatory basis. This is one big mess!

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Sports update:

The Colts came under the ire of the Terrible Towel curse! When they laid down and let the Jets win to rest their starters, the Jets bumped the Steelers out of the playoffs. The season depends on fair games for the whole season, and letting up on a team is no less than Point shaving in this reporters mind. They got theirs when the Saints kicked their butts back to INDY on a platter! WHO DAT? RIDING BACK TO INDY, HEADS DOWN? DAT TEM COLTS, CRYING LIKE A SCHOOL GIRL, THAT WHO DAT!

SAINTS WIN THE SUPER BOWL!

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Keep your head down,

Henry Hill, Plum Pennsylvania

Groundhog Day! THE PROPOSAL OFFER...

(CLICK ON THE IMAGES TO SEE THE FULL SIZE IMAGE)

'THE PROPOSAL'
Find below my offer to those stationed overseas if YOU want to propose to your love next year!

The Pitt women take on UConn, more below.

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As unlikely as it sounds, Groundhog Day is here again! The event is early tomorrow morning, an all night affair that ends when Punxsutawney Phil is pulled out of his tree stump around 0720 hours, and looks for his shadow!

This year the actual day is beyond my posting day, so I am using a few photos from last year. The images below, and "The Proposal" above, you did not see last year, the opening Groundhog image you did. This is one of those of events that you should see in person at least once. It is iconic and one of the landmark visual memories most Americans have of Western Pennsylvania, especially so since the movie, "Groundhog Day", was released back in 1993! It was required viewing by my kids until they went off on their own.

When you are there you will see people from all over the world attending the event. One of the things that they do is bring out-of-county visitors up on stage to be formally introduced to the crowd; the crowd last year was 10,000 strong! Every year a few men propose marriage to their girlfriend right on stage in front of the crowd and media cameras! It was a long night though; it was on the same night our Steelers won the Super Bowl, then you had to leave for the all-nighter in Punxsutawney! The Super Bowl parties, all the food, and the excitement of the Super Bowl made it quite the challenge to make the 150 mile round trip drive, and stay up all night standing in the blistering, cold winter darkness!

Anyone stationed overseas that would like to propose to your Love at this event next year, please leave me a comment on this weeks page; see the bottom of this page for the comment box. If so, I will take you there and shoot the photos for you!

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Sports Update:

Last Weekend, the Pitt Panthers played UConn at the Petersen Event Center. It was Girl Scout night and the big girls put on a show on the floor! UConn is ranked #1, something Pitt lost earlier in the season. They are an awesome team!

The score you ask? I do not recall! :-)

ALL NET!

ALL NET, the shooter is still posing.

This young lady/Little Pitt Panther is putting on a show! Look for her in a few years, in a Pitt uniform!

Swish........

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Keep your head down,

Henry Hill, Plum Pennsylvania

WELCOME HOME

(Click on the images to enlarge them)

Troop movement is all about as you are aware. Some of you are close to completing your service, and others are just starting their tour. I would like to address the men and women who are close to coming home. Just the thought of such a day can be wonderful, but it can also be a distraction. I wish you the best, but be dutiful in your diligence so that day becomes a reality. We at home at are doing our best to keep it as you left it, but that requires a lot on our part. Most Americans are hard at work everyday, as are you. We are spoiled here at home though, and only by your dedication can we be as such. No matter how gloom the news looks from over on the other side of the planet, we still have it pretty damn good over here. We sleep in soft beds with springs, sleep with our loved ones, take hot baths, eat meat marbled with fat, drink water out of pipes without slimy things, and our girl friends smell good; no matter how your buddies love you, they do not always smell good--be honest!

Even in a crowd you can be alone. You can be lonely in a crowded mall, but to tell you the truth, moreover a perspective, there are just as many in that crowd who are opportunities to make a new friend! Remember that when you come home!

Welcome Home Ceremony, Fort Carson

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316th Expeditionary Sustainment Command awarded Meritorious Unit Citation!

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Keep your head down,

Henry Hill, Plum Pennsylvania

MLK Holiday, my brush with history...

(CLICK ON THE IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM)

I shot these images when they were setting up the dedication ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial a few years ago in 2003. The memorial is carved right into the marble, on the exact stair where Dr. King delivered his most famous speech, “I had a dream”. I was the first non-worker to see this memorial as it was covered by a blue cloth. Park Rangers were present to guard the memorial and to prevent anyone from seeing it before the ceremony. A divine wind somehow moved the cover exposing the carved-in-stone speech, by happenstance, I just happened to be standing there. I got the shot quickly, the first one by anyone, then just as suddenly, the cover fell back down before anyone else got the shot. I went back up the stairs to the President Lincoln sculpture, and again luck was on my side. Before I could clear the area per the orders of the Park Rangers, Coretta Scott King walked out of the elevator right past me, and I got the shot that you see here. It was a quick responsive shot with no time for any adjustments or setup.

After the dedication I went downstairs to the Lincoln Memorial Museum. I met a man there who I chatted with while we watched videos of history, and photos that were on exhibit. I do not know why, his knowledge, his insight, but I just turned and asked him, "did you know Dr. King?" He looked right at me and said, "yes I did. I marched with him, and I am the last man still living that gave a speech that day with Dr. King, right there on the steps of the memorial. I am Congressman John Lewis." This took me back a little, this new and very interesting meeting by happenstance again! I started to feel that I was supposed to shoot this dedication, whether I chose to or not. I only had my rangefinder film camera at the time. My brush with history was a memorable occasion!

Coretta Scott King

Congressman John Lewis

Deep Freeze...

This week has been a continuation of the last two weeks of well below average temperatures. The whole east coast corridor has been extremely cold, Florida crops are threatened with heavy losses from this deep freeze. The Midwest has been setting record cold temperatures.

The Steelers are not in the playoffs, so sports are also slow this week.

The news has been mainly about various bills now in progress, and both sides of the issues are engaging in a manner that is not worthy to report on this night.

A slow and cold week, and I will let it go for this week. I hope to get back to more news, and interesting events next Monday!

Keep your head down,

Henry Hill, Plum Pennsylvania

IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR PITTSBURGH STEELERS

(CLICK ON THE IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM)

The Pittsburgh Steelers, prominent football team of the NFL, died last night from complications of losing its “Eye of the Tiger”, and one game too many. The team was 77 years old. Soft spoken and obsessively focused, the Steelers never looked the part of a gridiron gentleman, but in the final game of its life, it revealed an unknown side of its psyche.

This hidden quasi-Gandhi persona surfaced during its yearlong pursuit of its old Eye of the Tiger. Sadly, their protracted search ended Sunday night, even with a victory in that game, in an embarrassingly and ugly failure! They fell short of the playoffs.

Yet, even in certain defeat, the courageous Pittsburgh Steelers secretly clung to their belief that football is not just a series of meaningless games won by accident, or by coincidence, oh no, but rather a canvas on which to paint an exquisite, and beautiful landscape. A landscape filled with the colors of victory, not for the victory of itself, but for the passion and the love of life.

Rest in peace my brothers, rest in peace…

PLEASE ENJOY THE MEMORIES THAT I HOPE MY IMAGES WILL PROVIDE OF OUR WARRIORS WHO HAVE PASSED ON TO THE LOCKER ROOM AND BEYOND!

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I Know you have seen this before, but it needs repeating!
2009 Super Bowl Champs, L to R: Matt Spaeth, Rashard Medenhall, Jered Retkofsky

Big Ben, Big entrance into the Pep Rally, a mere week before winning the
SUPER BOWL!

James Harrison, who High-Fived me, a week before making his
RECORD 100 YARD INTERCEPTION AND TOUCHDOWN RUN!

The Ambassador to Ireland, and owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers,
Mr. Art Rooney

Big Ben bending a few ears!

FROM THIS POINT ON, ARE IMAGES FROM THE SUPER BOWL PARADE!
"THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES" (By Bob Hope), PITTSBURGH STEELERS!

James Harrison amongst 250,000 Gentlemen-hooligans and passionate Steelers fans!

Pittsburgh Steelers fans enjoying it while it lasted.
Nothing lasts forever, but the memories will last a lifetime!

The off field, soft spoken Troy Polomalu shows his hidden quasi-Hulk persona when the games start.

The fans love Troy, because he always plays beyond his natural gifts, and one can never question his passion for the team, the game, and for his honor. He is one of the injury losses this year that truly showed his contributions to the team, as he is indispensable!

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A few more images of the 2010 Pittsburgh Polar Bear Club swim on 01-01-10

Walk on water

Elvis

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Keep your head down, Henry Hill, Plum Pennsylvania