The Wilds, Cumberland Ohio
Mark and Erika called Saturday night and suggested we meet up at The Wilds. Cumberland Ohio. I took the New Concord Exit on I-70.
I said, sure I’ll meet you there! I was excited cause it was unexpected. And who knew this place was so interesting?
It was about 130 miles for me to drive there and they drove about 90. We took a 2 1/2 hour bus ride tour throughout the 10,000 acres and saw lots of wonderful animals. Most are endangered in the wild and this conservation facility(non-profit) gives them the protected place to reproduce. It was a beautiful day.
Bactrian Camels- Mother and Child (Yes, this was photographed in Ohio)
Przewalksi Wild Horse- a female
Sichuan Takin
Zebras- Buck and bray a bit while the one looks on
Bison running away from our bus
25 cents in a machine and you can get food for the catfish. They act like they have never eaten before or will they ever eat again. I know these were Jack’s favorite.
The catfish are not particularly attractive to me.
Rhinoceros family time. Our guide says there skin is really soft. A group of rhino is called a CRASH.
All photos taken with a Canon 70-200 mm L series lens on a Canon 5D
Our knowledgeable guide Rob.
And an ordinary rabbit. Not endangered.
And if you want to travel with us on the bus, Anna captured a two minute segment of the tour! Thanks Anna for the videoing,
Google Pittsburgh
When we first lived in Pittsburgh and Matthew played baseball in Mellon Park across the street from Bakery Square we could smell the aroma of baking. Crackers, cookies, it was the NABISCO Factory built in 1918. Bakery Square has been “repurposed” as they say. And GOOGLED.
There’s a Coffee Tree that opens at 5:30 AM. for the early birds.
And a close-up crop of the Google flag.
Buildings Demolished- A Sign Discovered
Converted to black and white to accompany this discovery.
A bit of research on the web and I found the photograph of the Fiore Family in their Larimer Meat Market.
I drove by just before sunset and was surprised to find some buildings missing. The ground covered with hay. And then I spied this wonderful sign. What a gift. Larimer used to be densely populated with Italian immigrants but this area is fairly desolate now. Vacant lots were restaurants and shops used to be. There are still homes in the area but lots of spaces in-between of what used to be there. About a mile from my house.
Only the automobiles in the photo give it a date. TODAY.
I hope some of their descendants find this post and write a comment.
copied and pasted from a Google Search.
Bedford, PA- Home of the National Museum of the American Coverlet
Laszlo Zongor explains the system of Jacquard Loom(see below) and the punched holed cards, each card a single line of weaving.
A two hour drive from Pittsburgh. My book club had a fun and memorable getaway weekend trip. We stayed at the Historic Bedford Resort.
Sunday, Joan and I went to see the National Museum of the American Coverlet- housed in a beautiful Historic Common School. A coverlet is a woven bed cover, although there were some floor coverings, too. The coverlets display changes every four months. We learned a lot about the history of the coverlets with our knowledgeable guide explaining the differences. The last photos are of the gift shop where you can purchase reproductions of the antique designs and fabric for quilters.
from the National Museum of the American Coverlet
The Museum and Museum Shop are open daily, year round.
Hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.
Admission is $6 ($5 for age 60 and over). Kids under 12 are free. Group rates available.
Laszlo Zongor explains the punch cards used in the Jacquard loom.
If you have a coverlet, you can bring it to Melinda and Laszlo Zongor and they can help date it and identify the weaving method.
The Jacquard Loom
There are looms and spinning wheels on exhibit.
Tug, Barges and Carrie Furnace on the Monongahela River- Autumn Afternoon
After school I drove down the slopes to the flats and headed to Homestead to buy a special cable for an external hard drive so I could retrieve a summer photo for Erika.
I turned onto Waterfront Road towards Best Buy and saw the late afternoon light reflected and warm the rusting metal across the Mon. Pulled over and stood on top of a guard rail to capture the sinking light on the Carrie Furnace, remnants of Homestead Steel Works and then I heard the tug and saw it pushing the barges up the river. It was a mighty scene on the river and the limitations of photography or my ability to capture it thoroughly, the seeing and feeling it, became clear once again.
The Rivers of Steel Heritage Corporation sponsors tours but the last one was October 15th so will have to wait until 2012.
If you want to get a real feel for the Blast Furnaces and the incredible history, interviews with employees and historical photographs I recommend watching at least video # 1 at this website. I especially liked the man reading the last names of the workers he found in some type of log at the site. He spoke of reading obituaries of workers who gave 30-40 years of hard work for the Homestead Steel Works What a compilation of footage of Carrie Furnace. Closed in 1986.
Feller’s Garage Castle Shannon PA
Not sure of the fate of this structure. I did find a nice photo that someone took a year ago. This is just mine as I waited at the red light, taken with the iPhone.
Wanna Buy a Brewery? Here’s Your Chance!
It’s for sale! And it is BIG. You don’t have to make beer in it. I drove by it the other day. Stopped and took a few shots. The enormous For Sale Sign gave me a jolt. Pittsburgh Brewing Company is on the National Historic Registry. A Landmark. That status might impact some of your remodeling plans if you turned this place into condos but you know it’s a solid structure. It was established in 1861. They’ve knocked a lot of it down in the back but not sure why. A big pile of rubble would need to be cleared. The Iron City brand has moved out of the city to Latrobe. I’ve actually been to an Ocktoberfest in this place years ago. Empty buildings that once held purpose seem sad to me. Especially all the churches around the city but even the brewery evokes feeling for the architecture, the magnificent details, the history, the immigrants who came to Pittsburgh and worked there, built it- the once busy place no longer being useful. Feels more than sad, it feels depressing. The abandonment. This place needs to be purchased and rehabed and made to come alive again. Someone with some $ (okay, some $$$) and creative ideas for the space. I have no idea the pricetag. A great location, minutes from downtown. There’s a wonderful view of Polish Hill, too. I could see the domes of Immaculate Heart of Mary, where Mark and Erika were married in 2002. This is the kind of structure you see in Preservation Magazine, needing someone to come and save it. Hope the right person comes along soon. Wanna buy a brewery> Here’s your chance! Even if you hadn’t thought of buying a brewery before you read this post, maybe you’ll consider it now! If you are interested you have to call for the details on the price.
Pittsburgh Filmmakers Harris Theater Downtown
Refurbished and renamed in 1995.
Saturday night and the neon lights glow. We’re waiting for Steve to get the car in the parking garage. No tripod but a slim tree trunk, the cable remote. Evokes another era. I realize I’ve photographed at least 3 other vintage movie theaters. Pittsburgh Filmmakers screens the Film Festival here and at Regent Square and Melwood. Another restored theater in Wisconsin(click to see)
No More Beer Here!
Lawrenceville’s Historic (1861) Iron City Brewing now closed (click underlined name for links) According to the article the plan is shops, condos, a garage in the former stables. Beer production has moved to Latrobe. Stopped at a red light and a line of cars. Textures from the cobblestones & metal bridge, black paint peeling. Stone wall and a sign. Framed by the car window. Traffic behind me in the mirror. Afternoon light on metal and stone.
Cobblestone, stone wall, rusting metal trestle-textures everywhere.
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