Four Legged Creatures

In May 2012 we took a trip west to Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada and also British Columbia.

Here are some of the four legged creatures that posed for my camera.

Joining Through My Lens

Steeples Obscured

There's an expression -

"can't see the forest for the trees";

well in this case -

"can't see the steeple for the trees" is apt.

Did it once in Appomattox, Va and then again in Pa.

I need to be more deliberate in taking my photos in the future.

Joining Inspired Sunday.

Johnstown Flood Museum

Johnstown, Pa experienced a catastrophic flood in 1889.
You can read more about it here on Wikipedia

We visited the Museum which is housed in the library donated by Andrew Carnegie since the first one was destroyed by the flood. 

 It's interesting to note that Carnegie was a member of the club that vacationed at the lake resort, yet no member of that resort was ever held liable for the flood even though they owned and maintained the dam.


The third floor of the library was used as a gym and even had a track for walking around the perimeter near the ceiling.



From the windows of the museum you can see the bridge (replaced after the flood) where all the debris washed down and caught up.  Eventually this burst into flames killing people who may have otherwise been saved.

The second floor has a theatre where you can view a documentary about the flood and view photos from that time period.

Here are photos of the flood damage featured on the first floor of the museum.

There is a recreation of the debris that piled up at the bridge.

And then some of the articles of clothing and household wares that survived the flood.  Some of the owners of these were identified.

The diorama helps you picture the distance the flood waters traveled and how they gained such speed and depth roaring through the twists and turns of the valleys.  Johnstown sits in a flood plain there in the foreground.

 It's quite a moving exhibit.  Worth the visit if you are ever in that part of Pennsylvania.

The Project One Week Later

If you are a regular reader you know that last week I tackled painting and organizing the space we refer to the pantry/mudroom/laundry.

Good news!  The pantry is organized in much better condition than before.

Work continues of the other parts.

Though this photo doesn't show it, the area under the cabinets was painted yesterday afternoon.  Excuse the mess on the counter and appliances.  It's one of the painting staging areas.

Today I hope to get up the stairs and start preparing that loft to be painted.  The stairs will be the last item on the list, hopefully before the weekend is over.  Notice the door color?

I did get the first coat on there.  I had to purchase another paint, same color that would go on metal.

I did hang some things over the roll top desk.  In looking at this I think I need to lower the two items in the middle.  My mother painted the three items on the outside and I made the scherenschnitte in the middle.  It says:

A house is built of walls and beams,

A home is made of love and dreams.

I know its a funny place for a roll top desk.  This was my working desk in our old house where I graded many papers. I have a built in desk now in my study but I hated to give this up when we moved here. It serves as our mail gathering point plus the file drawer has all the information about all our various equipment in the house.  Its rarely closed as shown here.

See more before photos here and here.