FATHER'S DAY ... FIRST DAY OF SUMMER!

Father's Day

Father's Day

Father’s Day is a day for dads to take in a few moments and actually breathe. Spending the day with the kids or the whole family is traditional, with special days for the more adventurous. I found kids at the Murrysville Carnival and also on the back of Harleys going by. There were streams, rivers, and parks filled with revelers of all sorts and sizes. While not as big or as popular as Mother’s Day, it was a busy day here in Western Pennsylvania. The kites, footballs and baseballs taking flight this afternoon were evidentiary proof of such. Those who are a dad, Happy Father’s Day! To those with a dad, give the old guy and hug and a kiss…

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This is the first day of the, “100 Days Of Summer,” and it all starts now. Summer is more than just a set of dates, so much more. This transient place we call life is but a whisper amongst the sounds of time, a minuscule stop in the motion of all. Some go about blindly and miss it all, whilst others see, and these “Boys of Summer” bask in its 100 days of gifts; beaches and bikinis; roads and motorcycles; music and ears; romance and girls, and no school for the young.

It looks like Summer is going to be one to remember, as summer activities are cheap or free, at least the best ones are. This is the remedy the Doctor ordered for bad economic beaten hearts and minds. Dress code is sandals and shorts. This is summer, I hope you all keep your head down and return to enjoy all summer has to offer this year. I will keep you informed on what can, and what can not.

The annual Murrysville V.F.D. Carnival

The Fireworks Watchers

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Sports Update:

Penguin fever has not slowed at all so far! The four months between the Steelers Superbowl victory and now the Stanley Cup has the blood of tenacious Pittsburgh fans still pumping as if it were just yesterday!!!

The Pirates are still hanging in there with hope for better days.

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Keep your head down,

Henry Hill, Plum Pennsylvania

PENS WIN! PENS WIN! THE STANLEY CUP NOW LIVES IN PITTSBURGH!

A eulogy:

Good Afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are all gathered here today to pay our last respects to our fallen friends, the Detroit Red Wings. After a painful and protracted fight with Wild Penguins, they succumbed to their own inadequacies. To those of you who knew them well, you also had to suffer through their chronic complaints, whining, smelly under-protective garments, and the hockey-man overbite during television interviews. The sweat, the toil, and the underachieving were all for not.

But, fear not my friends, the few surviving members of this vanquished team has a new book in the works! “1001 excuses for not winning”

We, as did the whole Penguin team will toast the departed by drinking champagne out of Our Stanley Cup! Rest well old friends, and may you Rest in Peace…

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F4U Corsair shot today doing a flyby

"Glamorous Gal," my new favorite girl!
I shot this today at the Jimmy Steward Airport (yes, named after the hometown actor)

She is a beautiful P-51 Mustang!

(CLICK ON TO ENLARGE IMAGES)

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Sports Update:

Against all odds the Pittsburgh Penguins pulled off the big upset by vanquishing the Detroit Red Wings in game 7! This thriller to the end with the Penguins fighting like their life depended on it, ended with a 2 to 1 score… Yes, our Pens are now the Champs; the Stanley Cup lives in your town!

Tomorrow there will be a huge parade downtown with the Penguins accompanying the Stanley Cup through town. The route will be the same as the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl win parade!

Yea, our town has won its name back:

PITTSBURGH IS AGAIN “THE CITY OF CHAMPIONS!”

In 3 out of the last 4 years we have won a major sports Championship!


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In Indiana Pennsylvania at the Jimmy Steward Airport was their small-town air show, and how big it was! Three of my favorite World War Two aircraft were there; the British Spitfire; the P-51 Mustang; and the F4U Corsair!

The British Spitfire

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Keep your head down,

Henry Hill, Plum Pennsylvania

D-DAY

D-Day says it all. Words cannot start to tell the tale of its importance, so I will let my photo essay do the story on this day here.

I decided the best way to remember the over 400,000 men and women who paid so dearly for our freedom, was to go out and experience a little freedom in their honor, and yours.

When you over there come back home, look me up and we will ride it together.

Canal Days Market

Lovely day for exploring the countryside.

An artist doing a portrait at Canal Days in Saltsburg Pa.

A group of 105 canoeists paddled from Johnstown Pa to Saltsburg to celebrate 'Canal Days' commemorating the great waterways of Western Pennsylvania.

A local "Pretty Girl" was in the dunk tank to support the Saltsburg Pennsylvania PTA. The ball throwers ( 3 balls for a dollar ) kept missing the trigger plate, so I enlisted a young man to hit it by hand, whilst the Pretty Girl was screaming No, no, no...

Wet Pretty Girl!

( CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE )

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Keep your head down,

Henry Hill, Plum Pennsylvania

JUNE

June is the portal to summer, and as such brings forth the local festivals among other traditions for the Boys of Summer.

Today I went to a car show.

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VETTE

ROAD RUNNER

T-BIRD

GTO

SS

(CLICK ON THE IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM)

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The country is changing every moment these days, and I wish to bring you hope in these times of uncertainty. Your fellow Americans are by and large still as you left them, but, and there always is a but in life, some of our core structures have bent a little. We as a people have always been strong, flexible and resilient, and this nature will again bring us back to the front of setting an example for the world to see. You over there are a prime example of such, and may you continue to do so…

"Keep the faith baby!" by Kojak

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Sports Update:

Our Penguins have made it again to the Stanley Cup finals. The first two games have been back to back and we have lost both.

"It's not over until it's over!" Go Pens!!!

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Keep your head down,

Henry Hill, Plum Pennsylvania

MEMORIAL DAY

I shot this image at the World War Two Memorial at the mall in D.C.

(Click on the image to enlarge)

Time goes by and change becomes the only thing that one can count on. War has also changed, not only in scope, but also in cultural perspective. World War Two was so intertwined with the everyday citizen’s life, as everyone was related to, or knew someone who was in the war. Such closeness brought support and loyalty that has no peer in our history. It gave life to towns like North Platte Nebraska, where the citizens voluntarily organized a canteen at the railroad station to feed the troops on the way to war. They feed over six million troops out of pocket and without government assistance until the war ended. Troops were treated well upon their return, with the GI bill helping to build Suburban USA after the war.

Today, many citizens are not as personally connected and therefore not as well versed on the mission now or before. The political environment is also so different. History is not taught in such great detail with survey courses dominating the educational landscape. This is part of the reason that Memorial Day’s impact is waning with less participation and appreciation. The veterans of World War Two are leaving us at a fast pace; they were the standard by which to judge how to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Korean and Vietnam vets do an honorable job as well, with the huge Rolling Thunder rally in D.C. every year. Over 600,000 motorcycles show up for this event that starts in California and ends at the Vietnam Wall!

MEMORIAL DAY

The cliché is all about the flags and crediting all who sacrificed for every right and amendment in the constitution. The truth is less complicated; they fought for their country and died for their buddies, and the American Way, and as such are a personal perspective of each soldier who made such choices. Most of the time choice was not an option, it was instantaneous action or lack thereof; or just plain being in the wrong place, or the right place depending again on subjective perception—this is war! In any scenario they made the ultimate sacrifice and have earned the respect to be remembered and honored.

Today, some folks who have never sacrificed anything for anyone only think of this day as a day off of work. You over there still fight, even for such folks. This is what separates us from them … we fight and sometimes die for those so disrespectful to have the right to be so…

May you all have a great Day, and KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN…

Henry Hill, Plum Pennsylvania

HORSES, FISH, MOTORCYCLES AND BASEBALL...

The spring is still turning and churning its way towards summer. This weekend was fabulous! I rode for all of you that can’t at the moment, but will real soon! I was able to seek out the unusual and the fun in Western Pennsylvania, starting on Friday, which was a very warm day ... clear skies with visibility ten miles or the nearest pair of Daisy Dukes! After riding all day, I made it back in home in time for an invitation to take in a Pirates night game. We lost 3 to 1, after blowing a 9th inning lead. We won the next two though, which is good news. Today I helped with a Pleasure Ride Horse competition (104 Horses and riders), and it turned out to be quite the day. The fast paced ride in a horse drawn carriage or wagon is thrilling and fun! Doris’ carriage is the nicest that I have ever seen!

I hope all this good news and fun will motivate you to keep the faith and look forward to returning back home. They say, “You can never go home!” I have always been a rule breaking kind of guy, and not only did I return home, I stole home in baseball! Just as you can do!

The rest of this week’s column is going to be a photo essay. CLICK ON, TO ENLARGE THE IMAGES…

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My friend Doris driving her big boys around a curve!

Whilst out & about on Nomad my legendary Harley, I found this special ‘fishin’ spot’ called Blackleg Creek, north of Saltsburg. The fish were biting!

My bike took me to places unknown, where I met unknown folks this weekend. I meet an ex-Navy man who assembled this strange Harley! It is his “Shore Patrol” bike. This privilege of creating your own Harley awaits you…

A front view of the "Shore Patrol" Harley.

This young man who sat behind me was given a ball by one of the Colorado Rockies, and he also autographed it for him. This is how they make new fans for life! Well Done Rockies! They beat our Pirates on this night, but lost the next two games including today…

This is the losing pitch thrown by Matt Capps in the top of the 9th Inning, blowing a lead. This pitch ended up out of the ballpark at the deepest point--a two run homer, YIKES!
(THE WHITE STREAK UNDER THE 3RD BASEMEN, IS THE BALL)

Unfortunately, horses can be dangerous as are other things in life. The horse reacted wildly to an unknown source and threw her, and then rolled over her. She was transported by Life-flight to a medical facility.

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Keep your head down,

Henry Hill, Plum Pennsylvania

MOTHER'S DAY

I hope Mother’s Day finds you well. When a woman gives you life, she sacrifices a lot of hers. The best gift any child can give her or his mother is: Be the best person that you can be so as to not waste her sacrifice. I will not tarnish this holiday by any further Gilding of the Lilly...

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Henry Hill, Plum Pennsylvania.

KENNYWOOD IS OPEN!

There is nothing more Americana or a sign that Spring has sprung than opening day at Kennywood Park!

(CLICK ON TO ENLARGE PHOTOS!)

The romantic memories of Kennywood dominates the summer times past of so many Western Pennsylvanians. This magical place is where many life long relationships started and is also the place where dreams came true. The heat of summer melded with the heat of the moment as many lives were changed; some for the best, and unfortunately in some cases, for the worse. Summer is very loving, but it can be cruel for those who fell by the wayside of romance.

In either case, Kennywood is up and running for the year, place your romantic bets and take your chances!

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Sports Update:

The Penguins are in the second round of the playoffs. Game one was disappointing; we are down one game to none. Tomorrow is game two … GO PENS!

The Pittsburgh Marathon filled the city with runners from around the world today. This annual running event grows every year…

For results>> http://www.pittsburghmarathon.com/

The Pittsburgh Pirates are playing 500 ball right now. They have promise, and are ahead of last year so far. Well-done Bucks!

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I would like to suggest to many of you to resort to an older technology when communicating back home to your sweetie. Writing letters by hand! Woman love a piece of you, which a hand written letter is. It is so much more personal than email or texting. Try it, they will love it!

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Keep your head down,

Henry Hill, Plum Pennsylvania