Old Fashioned Train Ride

An old train coming into the station on a cold rainy day............... Sepia vs -

-Black and White

The conductor preparing for another ride. Do see the pumpkins and the brick building reflections?
All aboard again. Last week I discovered and posted about the New Hope Railroad.
On Saturday Vicki and I drove to New Hope for the "Hourly Excursion" train ride. Which is a ride in an old coal powered train. A round trip lasts just under an hour, and the people who ran the train were dressed in early 20th century railroad uniforms. The leisurely ride was narrated by one of the conductors. It rained the whole time but that and the cold weather just added to the coziness. It's hard to get good pictures from a moving train, but I did get some ideas for a future photo trip.

My World Tuesday is a fun way to show what is going on in your world and it's one of my favorite memes.

Monochrome Weekly is another favorite and is a great way for an amateur like me to practice my monochrome pictures.

All Aboard

Thank you all very much for the wonderful comments! Vicki and I had a very nice day yesterday. I stumbled onto this really cool train the other day while a drive.

I hope we get around to taking a ride on this train soon. It looks like it would be fun and a great way to explore the area.
I would also like to thank those who took part in Weekend Reflections. It's great to see all of the cool, interesting and often very creative reflections.

Vicki wrote a Bucky update on her blog the other day if you are interested and haven't seen it click here. Thank you for all the prayers and well wishes for the tough little guy.

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Pumpkin Shopping and Scenic Driving

On Saturday Vicki and I took a nice scenic drive to Peddler's Village. On the way we stopped at a pumpkin patch so Vicki could by a pumpkin. It rained just a bit, then it turned into a beautiful day.

I really enjoyed seeing all of the Weekend Reflections too.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

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Hardship and Perseverance

This monument looks alot bigger in person (click the picture if needed for a better view or to read the inscription)

This is the North Outer Line, the British would have had to come up the hill into canon and musket fire.
The Continental Army was in this area during winter of 1777-78.
This is a very historic place, it's called Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. It's about a 40 minute drive from my house. It's beautiful and very peaceful now, but during the winter of 1777-78 it was bitter cold and covered with snow. It's the place where the tired, poorly supplied and poorly clothed Continental Army camped for the winter and held their ground against The British Army. By this time the Americans had already lost two key battles, as well as Philadelphia (which is 20 miles northwest) to the British. The Americans under General George Washington used their time wisely at Valley Forge, drilling, building cabins,forts, bridges, etc and maturing as a fighting unit.

The monument in the top photo was dedicated in 1917 and commmemorates the "Patience and fidelity" of the soldiers who wintered here in 1777-78

Valley Forge is a large and fascinating National Historical Park. I've been there twice, but I figure it will take several more trips to soak it all in. Yesterday's photo was also taken at Valley Forge Historical Park.

The hardships that were indured by the Continetal Army have become ledgend.

"To see the men without clothes to cover their nakedness, without blankets to lie upon, without shoes...without a house or hut to cover them until those could be built, and submitting without a murmur, is a proof of patience and obedience which, in my opinion, can scarcely be paralleled."
-George Washington at Valley Forge, April 21, 1778

My World Tuesday

A Pint or a Prayer at Princeton

I'm sure students at Princeton feel a lot of pressure, just look at the guy in the middle photo who is getting his head squeezed by the sculpture.

I took the the bottom two photos on the campus and the top one is a pub across the street.

My World Tuesday.

Thank you to Vogon Poet for translating the Latin.

To see the rest of my Princeton posts please click here.

Philadelphia People Watching

Here we have a philosophical argument going between two of the men, one guy is passed out drunk and is either being helped or mugged by another guy. Then there is the guy sitting above it all completely oblivious trying to light a cigarette

Could this be one of Al Capone's hitmen? His black violin case is in his right hand and is just barely sticking out near his knee. He tilted it down when he saw my camera.

This guy with the matching silver bag and shoes was all about taking ten steps forward then finger snap, then five steps moon walked back and then repeat.

I didn't stick around to watch, but this sleepwalking guy just might have walked right into that pole in front of him. It actually looks like he's about to bust a limbo move.

Today I took the train to Philadelphia. I love taking pictures of buildings and bridges and I did, but there are also lots of interesting people in this city. I was on the look out for people that I found interesting. Like the boy in the "cage" over at my Something Sighted blog, and the people in the pictures above.

I actually met a really interesting person his name is Ikru, and I plan to feature him in a post soon.

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Footloose in Philadelphia

I took the train to Philadelphia with no plans other than to walk around and take pictures of whatever caught my eye. This is just a small part of what I saw today. Maybe I should grow a beard like the guy in the bottom picture. :-)

I took some pictures that will be great for Skywatch Friday, I can't wait to post them.

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The Ruins of Bridgetown Mill (c1704)

A window to another time.
The Mill being reclaimed by nature.

Let's take a peek through the old shutters.

A tree took root on the side of the old mill many years ago.
This is the side that catches my eye every time I pass.

You may remember last month I posted half of an old millstone that I found on the side of this mill, or the window view that framed the sky. Today I would like to share more of the old Bridgetown Mill ruins that I see from the road when I pass by. One day last month I decided to stop and have a closer look. I found out that the ruins are part of The Bridgetown Mill House Inn. The Old Mill House (c1791) is nearby and I'll post some pictures at another time.

I was fortunate enough to be the only person on the property when I took these pictures.

The following is the history of the mill taken from its website:

"In 1777 Joseph Jenks purchased The Bridgetown Mill. Joseph Jenks was a prominent family of Quakers in Bucks County. They traced their decent from Thomas Jenks (1699-1797), who, born in England, traveled with his parents to Pennsylvania in 1700. In 1731 he married and in 1734 established his 818-acre homestead in Middletown Township.
In the early 1700's Thomas Jenks built and operated a fulling mill, one of the first in Bucks County, specializing in homespun goods. The mill was formerly located along Core Creek, approximately one and one half miles northeast of the (Preston) Bridgetown Mill. His son Thomas (1738-1799) played an important role in local and national politics, serving in the Colonial Assembly (1773), Constitutional Convention (1789-1790), and the State Senate (1790-1799).
His son Joseph (1743-1820), who first purchased the Bridgetown Mill built in 1704 by Jonas Preston, is reported to have been a major agriculturist in Bucks County. Not only did he operate the Bridgetown Mill, he also operated his father's fulling mill and among other land holdings, assembled a 51-acre tract immediately east of Bridgetown, known today as Edgemont.
Joseph's son William (1766-1818) not only operated the gristmill, but also farmed the 51-acre tract. In 1791 Joseph built a handsome mansion house on the same tract as the Bridgetown Mill and made a gift of his homestead and mills to William and his wife Mary. The house was referred to as The Bridgetown Mill House.
Before William's death he bequeathed the homestead and mill to his sons Joseph (1792-1869) and Charles (1798-1823). William's wife Mary was to receive at least one half of the mill house, two horses, two cows, sufficient firewood, and an allowance of $600 per year. Charles is credited with the construction of the Federal style dwelling known as Edgemont, shortly after he inherited the 51-acre farm in 1820. Joseph continued to operate the Jenks mills until the mid-1840's. He is said to have amassed considerable wealth as a merchant miller.
The Bridgetown Mill and Mill House were sold in 1847 to Samuel Comfort, who operated the mill. In 1876 the property was sold to Benjamin Woodman and remained in the Woodman family until 1953. The mill continued to operate until 1939. In 1995, the Da Costa's purchased the mill and mill house along with 8.2 acres. The last of the 818-acre original homestead. After over two and a half years of restoration, The Bridgetown Mill House opened for the first time as an Inn in June of 1998. In April of 2003, we also added a full service restaurant, making it a true Country Inn.
As for the gristmill (c1704) it is only a structural shell of what it once was, but a complete restoration is planned in the future. As you enter The Bridgetown Mill House you will experience the grandeur of the past. We welcome you to share in the splendor!"


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Please Touch Me?

This is Memorial Hall which is now home to the Please Touch Me Museum. I really like the look of the building, but have no interest in the museum.(It looks like a great place for kids though) It's located on the other side of the Schuylkill River ("SKOO-kull") from where I took the other Fairmont Park pictures. This is a really great park.

Last week my world was New York this week it's Philadelphia, it's nice being in the middle.

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Chrysler Building x3

On my Something Sighted blog I posted the three people in NYC who caught my attention most on Saturday. In keeping with NYC and three, here are three different perspectives of the Chrysler building. You might also recognize Grand Central Station in the middle picture.

Vicki and I are constantly asked why would we leave Orange County California and live in Newtown Pennsylvania.

Part of the reason is we really like being able to wake up on a nice day and in two hours or less be in either New York City,Philadelphia,Washington D.C.,Baltimore,Atlantic City,the mountains,beaches etc. Plus all of the wonderful and historic sites in here in Bucks County and New Jersey.

We really enjoy seeing other parts of this country as well as other parts of the world.

It seems that I've developed a joie de vivre in my 40's. :-)

For the time being this is My World, if you would like to see My World Tuesday posts from other bloggers please click here.

More Princeton

Here are some more pictures from my Princeton University visit. The other Princeton posts can be seen here and here. I was racing the parking meter so I don't have as many details as I would like.

In the top photo the tour guide is telling his guests about the Harvey S. Firestone Memorial Library building.

The second photo shows chalk messages on steps written by students.

The building in the bottom picture looks old and very interesting, but I don't know anything about it.

I think I'll go back and take more pictures in the fall.

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A step inside the Ritz

This is the inside of the Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia's rotunda building. It holds a lobby, a bar and a small restaurant. When we first walked in, I wasn't sure if I liked the clash between the modern decor and the classic architecture, but it soon grew on me. Notice the circular structure in the center of the room. This used to be a circular bank teller window. Now it's a fancy wine cabinet, and if you look into the center of its oculus, you will see the top of the ballroom chandelier of the floor below, which is aligned with this oculus and in the one in the ceiling above.

The mixture of natural and man-made lighting illuminated the granite in very interesting ways depending on what time of day or night it was.

You can find my other posts about this hotel here and here.

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Some History of the Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia

The Rotunda building was constructed between 1904 and 1908 at a cost of over 1.5 million dollars. 9000 tons of Georgia granite were used. When it opened as the Girard Trust in 1908, it was the largest dome in the western hemisphere, at over 100 feet in diameter. The oculas is 142 feet from the floor, the same as the Pantheon in Rome, which it was modeled after.

The first 8 floors of the tower were constructed in 1923. The remaining 22 stories were added in 1930 and 31. The tower has a steel skeleton and marble facade and stands over 375 feet tall.

The buildings became the Girard Corn Exchange in 1951, Girard Bank in 1970, Mellon Bank in 1984, and was painstakingly restored and converted into the Ritz-Carlton in 2000.

Last week, when I posted about our Philadelphia weekend, I promised to show more pictures of the inside and outside of the Philadelphia Ritz-Carlton. So today, I'm showing some pictures of the outside with some description and history, leaving the lobby photos for a future post.


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Polish Rainbows in Newtown?

So while I was walking one evening last week I saw a rainbow over a house upon further inspection I saw a very puzzling sign and flag. Is there really a Polish embassy in little Newtown? Either way it's a nice rainbow and a very interesting house. Also a mystery to be solved.

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Newtown Historic Houses Walking Tour

At 6:30pm on Friday I with camera in tote walked over to the historic Half -Moon Inn also known as the Court Inn (built in 1733) and gathered together with about thirty other people for a historic homes walking tour. The tour was led by members of the Newtown Historic Association. We walked around for about an hour as the guide gave a little history about Newtown and described the different styles of houses along the tour. The tour mainly focused on homes built in the 19th century. I didn't catch most of what he was saying because I was straying away and taking pictures but from what I heard there are lots of Victorian era and queen Anne styled homes also some of the homes have whats called French roofs. What I found interesting is the contrast of styles from pre and post railroad era. Pre-railroad the houses were built with a limited amount of mostly local material and post railroad opened things up as they could easily import material from far away. It makes sense but I'd never really thought about that before.

Anyway here are some of the homes that I saw on the walking tour.

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