Weather around these parts has been really strange this year. A few cold spells, two snowfalls that were light enough (1-2" max) to sweep with a broom, and unusually warm temperatures. Since I'll be incapacitated after next Tuesday, I though I'd better take advantage of this gift and get a few last rides in. Fired up the little Soozuk for some back roads. I've passed this old traction engine many times, looks like it's been a while since it last ran
I'll bet this old stone house was a lot of work to build. No one has lived here as long as I remember, but someone took the trouble to put a fairly new metal roof on it. Maybe attempting to preserve it as much as possible till they have the money to restore it? I hope so.
Up through Catoctin Mnt. Park. Most everything is closed up this time of the year but, if this barricade is up in the busy season, it usually means somebody important is at Camp David.
Ready to drop down back to civilization just west of Emmitsburg. Really strange to see everything looking like the middle of winter and 69 degrees on the bike's thermometer.
And, of course, a quick trip through Gettysburg battlefield park. The unusually warm temps haven't started anything blooming here yet, but in a month and a half, there will be redbud starting all over the place. This is one of the most visited spots - the grove of trees (on the left) and the angle in the stone wall (by the lone tree on the far right) that was the objective of the famous charge on the third day of the battle. One of my most vivid memories of long ago was standing on this road watching a long line of Union reenactors crouching behind the stone wall between the grove and the angle firing on Confederate reenactors reenacting the Pickett, Longstreet, Pedigrew charge. That was July, 1963, the last reenactment that the Park Service allowed on Park property.
Great day for a ride. Don't know what's going on with this weather - been some big snows to the north of us and some torrential rains to the south, but this is in line to be one of the driest, warmest winters in these parts in my memory. 'Course, we could still get hit hard in March, but I'll enjoy this while I can.
I'll bet this old stone house was a lot of work to build. No one has lived here as long as I remember, but someone took the trouble to put a fairly new metal roof on it. Maybe attempting to preserve it as much as possible till they have the money to restore it? I hope so.
Up through Catoctin Mnt. Park. Most everything is closed up this time of the year but, if this barricade is up in the busy season, it usually means somebody important is at Camp David.
Ready to drop down back to civilization just west of Emmitsburg. Really strange to see everything looking like the middle of winter and 69 degrees on the bike's thermometer.
And, of course, a quick trip through Gettysburg battlefield park. The unusually warm temps haven't started anything blooming here yet, but in a month and a half, there will be redbud starting all over the place. This is one of the most visited spots - the grove of trees (on the left) and the angle in the stone wall (by the lone tree on the far right) that was the objective of the famous charge on the third day of the battle. One of my most vivid memories of long ago was standing on this road watching a long line of Union reenactors crouching behind the stone wall between the grove and the angle firing on Confederate reenactors reenacting the Pickett, Longstreet, Pedigrew charge. That was July, 1963, the last reenactment that the Park Service allowed on Park property.
Great day for a ride. Don't know what's going on with this weather - been some big snows to the north of us and some torrential rains to the south, but this is in line to be one of the driest, warmest winters in these parts in my memory. 'Course, we could still get hit hard in March, but I'll enjoy this while I can.
