Month: January 2016

PHILADELPHIA FREEDOM

Les

 

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This is going to be a Post for a WordPress friend of mine named “Milfordstreet’ who enjoys Historical places of our Country as much as I do.  He had Posted a Image that he shot in Boston that I enjoyed seeing.  I had commented on his Image telling him that not but a hours drive for me is this place called Independence Park where freedom in our Country was born.  In this area a a number of buildings that were there when the Declaration of Independence was signed more than 300 yrs. ago.

Above is a Image that I took of the famous Independence Hall where the Declaration was signed on July 4th, 1776.  It looks just like you see above and where a number of movies were made or used as a backdrop.  This Historic building is open to the general public for Tours, but you have to pay to see the inside.  In here is the room where all of our Founding Fathers gathered together on that day in July to sign the final paper.  People like Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, and many of the others all were here.  The famous room looks just like it did so long ago.  I tried to take a tour here, but it was filled up as were the other Tours at different times.  Decided to do it some other day/time.

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This is Carpenters Hall were many of the Delagates met before the signing.  It is kept in repair by the National Park Service.  Entrance to this building is free for all to see.

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Walking the “Freedom Trail” you will be able to see the famous Betsy Ross House where the 1st American Flag was made by her and given to George Washington.  You can also Tour this house, but for a fee.  It’s interesting to see how people lived back then, compared to today.

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This is a view of the famous Infarams Alley.  It’s the oldest street in Philly that is still used and lived in to this day.  Imagine trying to buy one of these old Homes?  I think they would be rather pricy!

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Here is the famous original “Liberty Bell” that rang Freedom in the land.  The crack in the bell was repaired, but never rang again.  There is allot more History to this Bell that I don’t know much about.  I’m sure if you are really interested, it will be found.  I apologize for the interference.  It is almost impossible to get a clear shot with the thousands of people that come here to see this famous bell.

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This is the original Desk of Ben Franklin, who was one of the signers in the Declaration.  His Home is no longer here, but can be seen by a “Ghost Outline” of where it used to stand.

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Built on the outside wall of the Visitor Center are these words.  WE THE PEOPLE, the beginning of the Declaration of Independence.

In the future, I will be making another trip down to Philadelphia to see more of what is here.  Philadelphia, like Boston, is so full of History that you can’t see everything in one visit.

Thanks for stopping by.

Les

FRESH PAINT

Les

 

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When I bought this Laptop a program came with my purchase called Fresh Paint.  I really did not know that much about it, so it sat without being used for a number of months until I decided to take a look at this program to see how it works and what it can do.

It’s a pretty nice drawing & painting program.  It comes with all kinds of different colors, brushes, drawing pencils, paint mixers, paper, & lot’s more than what I thought.  I had to play with it for awhile to get the feel of using it and once I got that I decided to give it a real try on painting this Great Horned Owl.

I used a Template and had to color in the outline with what I thought a Owl looked like.  It took me just about 2 weeks to do this painting one color, switching to another, and trying to stay within the lines of the Template I worked with.  It is not quite as easy as I had thought, but I kept on doing it until I got the finished product shown above.

In working with this program, I found that there is not a lot of Help for using it.  There was only 4 different Help topics for such a complicated program like this.  I’m not too happy about this.  Finially what I had to do is down-load a book for my iPad that gives me more instructions on what it can do.  I had to learn as I went along which is normal for me.

I am not a painter or a Artist, by any means.  I just do what I think is right and if it does not look good, I wipe it out and try again.  For those of you that want this program, it can be down-loaded in the Windows Store for Win 8.1.  It will keep you busy for quite awhile.

Thanks for stopping by.

Les

COLORING

Les

 

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Over the past few weeks, I have learned that there is a new “Fad” going around that has started.  It’s Coloring.  It’s just like coloring in a coloring book that you used to do as a kid, but this time your using colored pencils, crayons, & water color.  There seems to be a whole lot of people out there doing this now, because it has taken the Country by storm.  It is being said that this thing is supposed to be relaxing, calming, and a exercise for your brain.  What you do is go out and buy a coloring book that has all kinds of different patterns to work with. They are all lined in the features of many different things for you to choose from.  The above Image shows you a coloring pencil kit that can be purchased, among many other types out on the market these day’s.

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Here is just one of the many, many types of “figures” you can use that come in a book.  The book that I chose to work with is called “Jungle Flora”.  It has all kinds of different jungle patterns that you have to color in.  I chose the Great Horned Owl for a starter, because I enjoy seeing Owls and think that they are interesting.  There are so many different types.  I just started doing this a day or so ago, so I’m not all that far with it.  It takes a bit of patience to do this.  Choosing the right color and stay within the lines is as it used to be.  After I’m done, my Owl should look like what is below.  I hope!  Oh yes, there is one more thing.  Your not given a number to correspond with a color.  You have to use your imagination!

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This is what I want to get as close to as possible.  The Great Horned Owl.  Is He not pretty or what?  So many colors.  Those eyes seem to look right thru you, don’t they?

Thanks for stopping by.

Les

OF WHAT USED TO BE

Les

 

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Since I don’t really have much to Post about at this time, I figured you might want to see a before & after at the old Bethlehem Steel Plant.  I’ve not been able to get “out there” and take some Images of places I go, because of the darn cold weather.  I’m not much of a cold weather person.  The cold seems to go right thru me, no matter what I have on.  Especially my hands and feet.  However, I’m ok with that so far.  At least we don’t have any snow as of yet!

Most of everything you see above has been re-modified to look more modern for visitors to walk around in.  The street is now a cobblestone walk.  Only a few of the original street lights remain.  All of those buildings on the right have been torn down, except for one that is the main Visitor Center.  The supporting buildings on the left close to the Blast Furnaces are gone, except one.  There has been a “Steel Walkway” built up around the Furnaces that I’ve showed you before.  The place that once was teaming with noise, heat, and steel workers of the past is now having a more modern look.

 

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This is what it looks like now.  The steel walkway is to the left of the Image, where you can walk the whole length of the Blast Furnace’s.  The “new” road is on the right at the bottom.  All the weeds and over-growth are gone, too.  The “over-hang” in the center is now a stage where bands can play on certain times of the year.  This whole place lights up at night, with vivid color placed up on the Blast Furnaces to give it a more “active look.”  Reds, Yellows, and other colors brought on by lights give the place sort of a “spooky” look. 

I have not been able to get up here during the night hours to see it lit up, but I will.  Driving in and around this area can be nut’s!

Thanks for stopping by.

Les

BIG WHEEL

Les

 

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HELLO TO MY FOLLOWERS & WELCOME TO THE NEW YEAR

The weather here has not been very good, so far.  It’s been cloudy, windy, and cold.  Not really great for getting out there and “snooping around” with my Nikon.  So, with that in mind I more or less have to Post something so my followers don’t forget about me.  With this New Year, I’m looking forward to getting “out there” as much as I can for something new.

The above Image is of the Main Generating Wheel at Bethlehem Steel that now no longer works.  This thing is huge!  What it did, at one time, is supply the steel plant with air that could be used in different applications.  To give you an idea on just how big it is, that fence you see around it is 6 feet tall.  It only cover’s about half the size of it.  The round wheel must be more than 12 feet around or bigger.  In the foreground, covered up, is a shaft that pushed a ram back and forth driving a large piston that forced air into huge pipes that are no longer there.  The huge tanks on the upper left of the Image is where the air was stored.  Most of the time, this wheel was turning 24 hrs. a day, 7 day’s a week.  Can you just imagine the wind this thing made?  Needless to say, the was not much safety back then.  Get caught in that thing and you are gone!

Now, it sit’s never to be used again.  It stands in testimony to the structures that helped supply our County with Steel to build so very much.

 

Thanks for following and stopping by.

Les