Shippensburg In Bloom

Shippensburg has entered full Summer mode. Gardens are flourishing, the Roses around town are all in full bloom, porch planters are overflowing with color, and the hanging flower baskets are up on King St. I went for a walk around town this morning to take it all in.

Red, red Roses on King St.

A porch planter on King St.

A Rhododendron in the garden at the Widow Piper's Tavern

Petunias in one of the King St. hanging baskets

Begonias in one of the King St. hanging baskets

English Ivy climbing the King St. bridge over Branch Creek

© 2020 by A. Roy Hilbinger

Creek

Branch Creek/Middle Spring Creek from downtown Shippensburg to Bard Rd. out in the country. Followed by the perfect music for following creeks - "Spring Water at Jerry's Run" by Malcolm Dalglish.

Photos © 2020 by A. Roy Hilbinger

Wandering Aimlessly

"It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to." — Bilbo warning Frodo about taking walks, from The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

 

I had to go to CVS to pick up a prescription refill, and I decided to use it as a jumping-off point for a bit of a camera shoot/wander afterwards. I had no idea where I was going, I just decided at various points which way I would turn. So I ended up on a brief stretch of the Rail Trail and then a brief foray into farm country north of town. It was a cold walk (temps in the 40s with something between a breeze and a wind) but an enjoyable one, and I got some good shots along the way.

A chilly Mockingbird on the Shippensburg University campus

My favorite mother-daughter pair of Jerseys on a farm by the Rail Trail

Walking on the Rail Trail

An Old Order Mennonite buggy on Britton Rd.

A farm along Britton Rd.

A pair of cows on Mud Level Rd.

Burd Run and spring house at Newburg Rd.

© 2020 by A. Roy Hilbinger

A Spring Color Walk Through Town

I took a wander through Shippensburg today looking for Spring color, and I certainly found it. I started with North Prince St., arguably the prettiest street in the downtown area, then over to South Queen St. to get a shot of my favorite house and garden there, and then back home via Orange St., where I found a very scenic Ornamental Cherry. All in all it was a very colorful walk.

© 2020 by A. Roy Hilbinger

On the Rail Trail

Today I went on a leisurely stroll on the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail. It was another beautiful, almost Spring day, and while there were scenic landscape opportunities, you've already seen those views several times here over the years, so I concentrated on critters and one English Ivy-draped boulder. Come and see!

Mama Gaia seems to have festooned this boulder with English Ivy draperies

This Gray Squirrel was having his brunch on the balcony

A Bluejay peeking out from deep in the forest clutter

A Chipmunk keeping a wary eye on me as I pass by

A trio of Guineas on the Sensenig's farm at Duncan Rd.

An Appenzeller Hobenfitzer rooster on the Sensenig's farm. I suspect this Swiss species came over with the Amish and Mennonite immigrants to the area

One of three Nuthatches who were playing in a tree near where I ate my lunch

Another Bluebird, this time on the Rail Trail

© 2020 by A. Roy Hilbinger

Revisiting Burnt Mill Road

Today is the meteorological first day of Spring, and the second day of my vacation. I decided to revisit Burnt Mill Rd. because the trestle bridge over Conodoguinet Creek and the Burnt Mill Veterinary Center fascinate me, and there are lots of cows along the way (and I need cows!). On this hike I discovered a lot of things: the heronry off Earl St./Newburg Rd. is hopping with the start of Spring; a Turkey wandering around on Fish Hatchery Rd.; the cows I thought I remembered on Burnt Mill Rd. are long-horned, but not long-haired (I guess I got two herds confused); and the Eastern Bluebirds are back. Here are some scenes from today's hike.

The heronry is hopping!

A big ol' Tom Turkey on Fish Hatchery Rd.

Cows on Burnt Mill Rd.

My favorite springhouse, on Burnt Mill Rd.

The wood-deck trestle bridge over Conodoguinet Creek on Burnt Mill Rd.

Llamas! At the Burnt Mill Veterinary Center

More cows, this time on McClay's Mill Rd.

An Eastern Bluebird on Fish Hatchery Rd.

© 2020 by A. Roy Hilbinger

Wednesday Walkabout

I had an errand to run, to pick up a prescription refill at CVS, and decided to visit the Brookside Ave. wetland, which is right behind CVS, while I was in the area. Brookside is a secondary feeder for Burd Run, one of the major creeks in the area. I hang out there a lot in the Summer because there are usually two or more Green Herons there and a wide variety of butterflies and dragonflies; it's a nature photographer's heaven! It's never struck me as a particularly interesting place in Winter, though.

How wrong I was. With the usual lush Summer foliage gone, there are places and and perspectives invisible in the Summer months, and I got to see some of them today. Not to mention capturing a flying v of Canada Geese flying away as I approached the area, and getting a shot of another feral cat in an adjacent field on the way home. For a short visit while out on an errand this was a particularly productive shoot!

This small flock of Canada Geese flew off as I approached

Burd Run is looking healthy

A view of the collection pond in the wetland

One of the feeder streams in the wetland

A feral cat checking me out as I walk home

© 2020 by A. Roy Hilbinger

Around Town in Black & White

Today is overcast with a threat of rain, so I decided to wander around town and do an in-town black & whitephoto shoot, something I haven't done in a while. What got my attention this time was the Victorian/Gothic ornamentation on some of the older houses, so that was the theme of this shoot, although I did manage to get some non-architectural shots, too.

East King St. scene

Pennsylvania Gothic I

Pennsylvania Gothic II

Pennsylvania Gothic III

Graves on the site of the original Lutheran church on the corner of Orange and Queen

Gingerbread ornamentation on McLean House on King St.

© 2020 by A. Roy Hilbinger