VACATION ... NO POST THIS WEEK...

THE RENDEZVOUS AND THE PIG ROAST!

This week has been one where the fall season has hit like a freight train! The temperatures have fallen, as well as the rain. Summer is the past, and Mother Nature has been making that an explanation point!

The President and staff have been working on a decision of whether to send additional troops to Afghanistan, and according to the opposition party are taking too long. This battle continues, and will be as such for weeks apparently. Senator John McCain leads the battle to speed up the decision, while the side against it differs. As it has been forever, the folks with the power to decide the fate of those in danger, do not have the urgency that you over there under the gun would like. Hold and hope for the best whichever decision comes down the pipe!

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Sports Update:

Steelers 28, Detroit 20!

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On Saturday, the annual Burton Farm Pig-roast here in Plum was the event to attend! Close to 100 hundred friends, family, and visitors came to celebrate together. The theme as always, was shared humanity and friendship, with food, drink, and engaging conversations facilitating the connection. Over festivals took place around the area, to include the Fort Ligonier Days. I usually attend this festival and have posted it here the last two years, but not this year.


The big holiday season is right around the corner, so I hope you took my prior advice to send your love letters, and your gifts and packages early! This is for you citizens back home, and you over there. I cannot say enough how much a hand written, pen to paper love letter means to someone in a war zone, or other duty stations so far from their loved one(s).

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Photo essay of the pig-roast, click on the images to enlarge them.

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We hope to see you over there soon, back here to participate in these and similar celebrations that are the flying colors of freedom at the root of our country, and our American lifestyle. None of which would exist without the sacrifice of 'you over there' past and present! These little examples of personal freedom are so unappreciated by those who have it, whether they know it or not, is due to you. You know it. Your have loved ones are appreciating it, so your worthy efforts are absolutely needed to continue the American way of life ... the best there has ever been on the planet.

Remember, only America has the problem of illegals Breaking into our country, the rest have a problem of folks escaping and leaving theirs. What does that say, regardless of what someone with an agenda is saying.

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Keep your head down,

Henry Hill, Plum Pennsylvania

ANGRY LEOPARDS AND APPLE DUMPLINGS!

This Leopard was part of a wild life show & tell at the Delmont Apple Festival. When I got up close and personal to shoot, he went crazy! The cage is only a temporary one as a transport and show device.

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THE OLD CIDER PRESS AT WORK!
This very old last centure machine still turns out the best apple cider your lips will ever have the pleasure to indulge in!

The Cider Press work area

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The Delmont Apple 'N' Art Festival was held on October 3rd and 4th in Delmont Pennsylvania. This marks the second anniversary of this weekly column!

This year the festival was still running full steam; the slow down in the economy was not much of a factor. People still love to enjoy the basics in life, and small town USA is still going strong in Western Pennsylvania! There are still a lot of fall activities to go, and the landscape is becoming a palette of fall colors already.

The serious sides of things are still there, such as the request for more troops. The final decision has not been made, but everyone is putting his or her four-cents in (inflation). I hope they error to the side of sending them when needed for the safety of the troops already there, than the other way around. You guys and girls get my priority vote! It would be nice to finish the job and bring everyone home safely! I am sure that this is the feelings that most of the folks at home have ... you guys are priority #1!

Remember that the holiday season starts soon. So those civilians who follow this column please remember to ship gifts early, and often! The love letters need plenty of time to arrive as well. There is nothing as valued by someone so far from home, than the classic, handwritten pen on parchment paper love letter! Trust me on this one! Again, mail early, and Often!

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You can see the Gold Star for sharing on this lover's hat!

The Apple Dumplings are legendary!

The young fans had a great time, as well as the old folk!

This 105 year-old Apple machine turns out all the delicious Apple Cider for sale at the festival! The Apple Cider makers Support Our Troops!

The Boy Scouts at the festival Support Our Troops!

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SPORTS UPDATE:

The Pittsburgh Steelers put it to the San Diego Chargers, 38-28. The game was a bigger victory than the score indicates due to strange happenings. The Steelers look strong, and San Diego under the conditions did an excellent job of coming back.

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Colored Sand for on site art projects

Colored sand art in a bottle!

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Keep your head down,

Henry Hill, Plum Pennsylvania

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

THE WRITING IS ON THE WALL.

The writing is on the wall according to a just released news report. The largest movement of manpower and equipment in military history is starting to leave Iraq; Brig. Gen. Heidi Brown is in charge of the withdrawal. They are packing tanks to radios out in what will the first step to move 60% of the equipment out of Iraq by the end of next March.

This is time to reinforce due diligence in combat readiness and awareness. You over there cannot be distracted from your normal mindset during these times. Do not become a last day of the war statistic!

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Things back home are still summer based, as bike riders get in their summer trips and rides. Sport venues are busy, and the new casino next to Heinz Stadium is doing just fine separating hard earned money from those who earned it. The Steelers are two and one in the preseason; they beat the Bills on Saturday. The news media is filled with chaos as Washington debates the Health Care issues. There are many summer movies that are well worth a viewing when you get back. Today, I went to see “(500) Days of Summer.” It is a wonderful film, along with other summer releases like “The Ugly Truth” that is grown up romantic comedy. I am confident you will find a film that suits your taste this summer or fall.

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Regardless of what your interests are, there are still a lot of wonderful things to do here in South Western Pennsylvania upon your return. We are home to two World Championship teams, Super Bowl Champs, and Stanley Cup Champs. The bad news is the Pirates. who are taking a beating this season—there is always the cliché, wait until next year! The football season looks promising, as well as the Hockey season … more reason to look forward to coming back home. Again, with due diligence! There is no room for distraction over there!

I leave you with a few images from a bike ride we did near Indiana Pennsylvania

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Keep your head down,

Henry Hill, Plum Pennsylvania