BMX - Racers on the fast track to fun

     Racers nervously wait at the starting line. Get set. The gate drops and riders pedal furiously, hit the first hill and grab some air time making their way around the track. I'm covering the BMX national race held at Memorial Park in Pottstown. Photographs are a dime a dozen as the young kids whip around corners and jockey for the lead.
     These are enjoyable assignments, with me smiling as I watch the youngsters put their bikes through the paces. Kids take it seriously when they race, but most are still having fun interacting with their buddies. Many turn this into a family tradition. Mom, dad and the kids hop into an RV or pickup truck pulling a trailer and cruise to tracks around the United States.
      I think it would have been fun to have the opportunity to run a track like that as a kid, but the best we could do was ride on a bumpy field with a small hill to jump. Our bikes weren't sturdy enough to take the punishment either. But the one thing we had back when I was a little shaver was the chance to ride my bike on roads, sidewalks and open ground across the area.
     The land wasn't as built up and traffic was much less intense. My friends and I would make plans to ride to a destination with at least one long hill to coast down at break neck speed. And I'm serious about the break neck! Some days I would head back home with road rash on knees and elbows after a spill.
     The objective of our riding would lead us to Mauger's Mill Rd. which was one of the longest and highest hills we could pedal.  Once there, we would line up and look down from the N. Hanover St. intersection to make sure there wasn't a car in site. Then it was Ready, Set, Go! We would speed all the way with our eyes watering to see who would get to the bottom first. I don't think kids today can do this type of riding as cars seem to be everywhere on roads these days.
     There are some guys my age in their 50s riding the BMX bikes, but I have limited my riding to a steady pace aboard a mountain bike on area trails these days.
      Photographing these young girls, boys, teens and adults zipping by is a good way to spend an afternoon. Kids like to get airborne, some having a natural knack and are fearless on the way to the finish line.
      Others end up with cuts, bruises and band aids from a fall on the course. Most get up, brush themselves off and pedal to the end of the track and head back in line for another race.
      So even if kids may not have the freedom to travel the wide open spaces that hardly exist anymore, they can make up for it on the BMX fast track to fun.

Travel - Wine camp on Long Island, N.Y.

      Going off to camp wasn't an option for my wife Deb or me as kids. A normal summer day would include riding my bike all over town, a day at the pool and playing baseball.

A variety of wines.

     So as adults, Deb scouted a vacation on the internet that looked interesting to her. We were headed to summer camp. This wasn't a roll out the sleeping bags and pop up the tents trip complete with gnats and mosquitoes. Our destination was the North Fork of Long Island, New York for a five day adventure at Wine Camp.

     Our stay was at the Ellis House Bed and Breakfast and we were shuttled around to wineries by limousine for a relaxed learning experience on the fine art of growing grapes and wine making.



Limosines shuttled us across the North Fork.



     On arrival we were greeted by Ellis House owner Connie Ellis and she briefed us on our afternoon activities. Her husband Scott was always busy behind the scenes helping prepare breakfasts, one which included Creme Brulee French Toast and raspberry sauce. Tasty. There were a total of thirteen campers with some in the group staying at the Harvest Inn B & B.

     We met up at the Paumanok Winery where owner Charles Massoud gave an overview of the Long Island wine industry. He talked about his first life as an executive with IBM and now how he, his wife Ursula and family manage their vineyard. It was a very casual setting as we sat among the growing vines. After our chat we headed inside for our first wine tasting and got to know the other campers.

Our morning menu.

     Every camper came from a different background but our common interest was gaining some new insight on wine and having fun while learning. It wasn't a dry teaching and listening experience. We were involved in various aspects of the vineyards. There were novices in the group just beginning to branch out enjoying wines to experts including consultants from Yellow Tail Wines of Australia who were on a winery touring vacation across the United States.

Anthony Nappa at the Winemaker Studio.

     DISCLAIMER: I am not a wine expert nor do I pretend to be. Deb and I enjoy traveling and participating in different experiences on the road. That said, I am a wine consumer. At home in Pennsylvania, we drive around the Berks County and Lehigh Valley Wine Trails sampling various bottles of whites and reds. And we buy from the local wineries including the Manatawny Winery which is in our back yard in Amity township.

     There isn't a need to travel far for a taste of grapes, but we've also traveled to the California wine country. One of the highlights of the trip was a ride on The Napa Valley Wine Train for wine tasting and dinner on board. We also stopped at Nicholson Ranch in Sonoma where we toured the winery and again sampled wines while enjoying a gourmet lunch outdoors surrounded by vine covered hillsides.

A catered lunch under a canopy of wine leaves.

     Back in Long Island wine country we learned that the first vineyard was planted only 39 years ago as the agricultural industry of growing potatoes, cauliflower and other vegetables fell on hard times. Farmers were selling out as second and third generations of families lost interest in the strenuous work for little profit.

     Back then, the ground was moderately priced. Newcomers who were tired of working in the big city or finishing up first careers bought up the acreage and began a new way of life on Long Island's North Fork. Early on in the '70s was a learning experience for the founding owners on what grapes worked during a growing season with land surrounded by water and how vines should be planted. They found that planting rows east to west didn't allow for enough sun exposure on the vines. So now the majority of vines are running north to south. As the sun rises over the vineyards it sweeps over the leaves evenly from morning until dusk. I get an A for remembering that history and wine science. Can you say photosynthesis.

Eric Fry talks on wine blending at Lenz Winery.

     At Sherwood House Vineyards we learned how to taste wines and figuring out the flavors. What we liked, what we didn't and that everyone has different opinions on wines. We had a science class on the chemistry of winemaking with Anthony Nappa. Then we traveled to Lenz Winery which was founded in 1978. We learned the art of blending wine with winemaker Eric Fry trying to figure out what we wanted in a red wine blend.      

    We paired with several campers and four teams competed to see who could make the best wine. The blending was made with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Our group liked our finished product and toasted each other clinking glasses thinking we had a winner. Needless to say we lost and my wife Deb's team won using equal parts of the three wines. I have yet to live down her victory as she teasingly reminds me at times when we are sipping a glassful at home.

Strick's Pics blending wine.

     We also learned the fine art of tasting wines that were still aging in barrels and spitting out the juice into a bucket. My accuracy was lacking and much ended up a maroon spot on the concrete floor. I love camp! Fry was an expert and could hit that bucket from across the room like an NBA player swishing a jump shot. But joking aside he is a master winemaker with degrees in microbiology and scientific knowledge helping to keep his vineyard healthy and to craft great wines.

Deb works at the Old Fields Vineyard.

     The next day of travel included talks about sustainable vineyard management at Jamesport Vineyard where we met Ron Goerler Jr. and his father Ron Sr. who started up one of the first vineyards on the island. We sampled more wine seated at a large table, surrounded by barrels in a smartly built cellar tasting room.

     Afterward, we were transported to The Old Field Vineyards where owner Roz Baiz put us to work in the fields. Her husband Chris stopped his tractor long enough to say hello then was back in the field trimming row after row of grapevines. At this point of the growing season, it was time for the campers to help at Old Field and raise the wires attached on the posts to their top position. The vines were growing fast and are trained between these wires. The grapes were the size of a firm pea and the clusters were just starting to grow. Deb and I worked as a team and started slowly making sure not to damage the vines. But we rookies got the system down and completed our work on a long row. Our reward was another wine tasting under the shade of oak trees on the property.

Ron Goerling Jr. and Sr. at Jamesport Winery.

     During one of our catered lunches we met author Jane Taylor Starwood who wrote an interesting book entitled "Long Island Wine Country" on the North Fork wineries. I had her autograph our copy. The people we met on the trip were very friendly. Not like some of the tense folks that are rushing around in New York City. Maybe it's the lifestyle, maybe it's the wine but we felt as if we became a part of their culture that week.

    Our final evening dining event was a food pairing and wine dinner with Marco and Ann Marie Bourgese. Mr. Borgese is an Italian prince whose heritage can be traced back nine centuries. He had an easy going manner and smile and an intelligent wine maker while his wife was a charming and knowledgable co-owner. She talked about their acquiring Long Island's first vineyard in 1998 from the original owners Louisa and Alex Hargrove who planted the first vines in 1973. Castello di Borghese Vineyard & Winery grows a variety of grapes from Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Pinot Noir and others.
     We received a case of wine as a complimentary part of our tour including bottles from each winery we visited. And we bought others that we really enjoyed during our tasting events that week.

Young grape cluster on the vine.

    On completing wine camp our camp counselors Connie, Darolyn and Christopher presented us with certificates. Each couple was also bestowed a special honor. Deb and I were told that we are destined to be the next couple to own a vineyard on the North Fork determined by our work at Old Field Vineyard. We thanked them for the honor but I politely declined laughingly knowing how weeding the flower gardens at our home isn't for me.

     We'll travel back to the North Fork as there are more wineries on the island we'd like to visit and to stop and say hello to the friends we made on our trip. And next time we will take the time to sit along the Long Island Sound and watch the sailboats and enjoy the sunshine on a breezy summer afternoon.

    

Celebrating Independence Day

     Celebrating Independence Day for me normally involves covering 4th of July festivities for The Mercury. This year I photographed the first of the two day celebration in Pottstown shooting pictures of a group of hot air balloonists lifting off over Memorial Park, a country rock band and the big draw of the evening, THE BABY CONTEST.
     The events at the park make for numerous photo possibilities for the paper and website. The weather this year was ideal, no rain, not too warm. Just a perfect evening for activities. But don't think for a minute I wasn't sweating the baby contest.
      All the babies are winners in my book. The little girls and boys are smartly dressed for the occasion. But the mom's holding their children make me nervous. I'm kidding of course but it's hard to take a picture of each child and put them in the paper. But the looks I get at times seem to be asking me, "What about taking my baby's picture?" This year I had a father ask me laughingly, " How much money to take a picture for the paper?" I think he was serious.

      I work quickly scanning the crowd for a child that would make a good front page photo. A child learning to walk for the first time. Another waving a flag. All the girls are pretty as a picture and the boys are snappy looking. I can't go wrong by whomever I photograph.

     I keep my head down and try not to make eye contact with the moms. They look at me and then at their babies and then back at me. I'm intimidated. I have covered some of the toughest events for the paper for years but that baby contest has me back pedaling. So on this blog I'm including a number of the photos that may not have gotten covered in print but will make it onto the digital world for all to see.

     It's not hard to get a really good photo from the event, but I wish I were invisible. And to be a judge is a thankless job. I was asked to judge a contest years ago at a Berks County event and gladly participated. Little did I know what I was in for. Everyone wants their baby crowned as the winner. I felt like a baseball umpire making a bad call during a game. When it was over I made a hasty retreat to my car.
     But in the end, the parents do enjoy the day and maybe next year I will take pictures of their baby.

Flying the Red, White and Blue

   The Star Spangled Banner represents one of the most important symbols of the United States.  Marking the Flag Day holiday this year, I had the opportunity to shoot some photos of Elwood Taylor's flag collection which was featured in The Mercury and on line. Taylor oldest flag dates back to 1818.

Elwood Taylor

    There wasn't any conformity or rules in those days when sewing a flag. The field, star and stripes were patterned in many varied designs. My favorite was the Theodore Roosevelt flag that was used when traveling to Africa after completing his term as president. The former president's name is visible onto the white fabric edging. Taylor started researching and was able to verify the flag through correspondence with various people, the National Archives in Washington, D.C. and searching on the internet. Taylor has a copy of a photograph of Roosevelt and his team with the flag that was taken in Africa. The uniqueness of the stars on the field is one of the ways that the flag was identified. Taylor says part of the enjoyment of collecting is in the search for answers on the flags that he owns.
     The stars and stripes are one of my favorite subjects to photograph. I have countless pictures, many in black and white. Even in the absence of color, the symbol stands out in a stark contrast of gray tones.

    The  photograph I admire most was taken by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal. It shows the raising of the flag on Mt. Suribachi by U.S. Marines and Navy Corpsmen while fighting the Japanese at Iwo Jima during World War II.
      My most noteworthy shot was taken in 1992 when I flew in a helicopter to photograph the world's largest flag sewn by Humphrys Flag Company in Pottstown.  It weighs more than a ton and measured 255 by 505 feet, the size of three football fields. The banner used 5.5 miles of fabric and 6,000 miles of thread.
     There are many snapshots I've clicked of people holding flags at parades and military ceremonies. Others show kids learning about patriotism and the Pledge of Allegiance, hands placed over their hearts during morning flag raising ceremonies.
     It's odd when I look up at a flag pole and see a different nation's banner when I'm traveling outside of the United States. I wasn't expecting it to have an effect wanting to see the red, white and blue waving in the breeze.

    I have always flown a U.S. flag on our home. They last about one year before the stripes begin to fade and fray. I don't keep my old flags but have them honorably disposed at a flag retirement ceremony held at Memorial Park. The flags are reduced to ashes and then buried following proper protocol.
Following that custom is my way to show respect for Old Glory even when her days of flying are over.

    

The Week Begins with a Multi-Alarm Fire

Pottstown firemen rescue man from building fire.

     The week began on a nasty note with a multi-alarm building fire in Pottstown early Monday morning. I hit the ground running hearing a call confirming one person trapped inside the Third Street home. Racing to the scene only minutes from my house, thick smoke billowed from the structure.
     I  ran the block and a half from where I parked my pickup truck. One person had already been taken off the roof by neighbors assisting with a ladder but there was still someone unaccounted for inside the building.
     The Pottstown Fire Department was on the scene and surrounding companies were called to assist. Flames rip from the upper floor windows as firemen sprayed water to knock down the fire while a team searched for the missing home owner.
     I made my way around the front of the house as rescuers carried the injured 89-year-old man from a first floor bedroom. They rush him to a waiting ambulance and he was airlifted to a Philadelphia hospital in critical condition.

Flames rip from window.

     The fire intensified on the home and flames raged up the side of the structure. The Sanatoga ladder holding several firemen had to be swung away from the blaze just beneath them. A fireman fighting inside the home was injured with minor burns to his ears and head.
     I ate some smoke while shooting photos as the wind swirled during a morning drizzle. I stayed back moving around as the breeze changed directions to keep from inhaling to much of it. Firemen continued to keep fire hoses fixed on the flames finally putting it out.

Suspect arrested by Pottstown P.D.

     The busy news week continued on Tuesday and I was out again by 8 a.m. Pottstown police began a sweep across town rounding up alleged drug dealers and others wanted for various crimes committed in the borough. During the day they arrested twenty-two people. I photographed a number of these arrests and photos appeared on the front page of The Mercury and on the web site. This was scheduled to be my week to work the late shift, but with the early news my day changes quickly.
     Wednesday was calmer and the start of graduation week coverage for me. The rain showers predicted held off and Pottstown's graduating class of 2012 proudly walked onto the Grigg Memorial Stadium field for their commencement. There were lots of smiles and cheers as the seniors came into view of their families.

Pottstown High School graduation.

     Pottstown holds a classy graduation ceremony, one that I always enjoy covering. Every day holds a different challenge. WOW! I checked Friday's schedule and we have six graduations to cover. Let's hope for a quiet news day.

Travel - Yosemite National Park - Another Day in Wonderland



     Our day ahead was one we looked forward to for a long time. Deb and I were leaving Lake Tahoe and headed south and westward toward Yosemite National Park. Yosemite was an anticipated stop during a week-long group tour throughout central California. We drove several hours to our first point of interest stopping at Mono Lake.



Mono Lake



     Mono is a saline lake sitting below a mountainside. The quiet of the surroundings was immediately noticeable and appreciated. We walked along a pathway and could hear birds chirping in the distance. I enjoyed the silence and the solitude.

     Mark Twain quoted the lake in his book titled Roughing It. Twain stated, "Mono Lake lies in a lifeless, treeless, hideous desert, eight thousand feet above the level of the sea, and is guarded by mountains two thousand feet higher, whose summits are always clothed in clouds. This solemn, silent, sail-less sea - his lonely tenant of the loneliest spot on earth - is little graced with the picturesque...

    It may be lonely, but I've seen some spectacular photos of the lake with swirling clouds and skies painted in violet and pink. I don't know how long I would have enjoyed the silence before the need to hear the noise of the busy east. I make a simple photograph with a bright blue sky reflecting part of the mountain in the lake. Nothing dramatic, all the same it is mine to keep. It was a brief stop before our tour bus headed for the Tioga Pass on Route 120 crossing the Sierra Nevada mountains. The pass is a winding roadway with the highest elevation measuring 9,943 feet. The views are spectacular and I was glad not to be driving. Looking down over the cliffs with 2,000 ft. drops would have made for white knuckle driving. There are tradeoffs when taking motor coach tours. I do appreciate having a skillful driver. But at times, I'd like to stop at a lookout or a spot interesting to hike and explore.

Sign at the eastern gate of Yosemite.

     But when covering the area for the first time it was nice to sit and have a knowledgeable tour guide pointing out all the interesting sites along the way into Yosemite.

     The Tioga Pass and eastern entrance to the park are closed from the first snow in November until the roadway can be cleared of deep snow and surface damage repaired in late spring. This was the highway I wanted to take winding up and around switchbacks and down the other side until we saw the wooden sign for Yosemite National Park. The park derserves a larger marquee announcing the arrival to such a grand spot but I understand the idea of keeping it simple and understated. They let nature speak for herself.

Half Dome



     Passing the gate, I laugh to myself thinking, "Move over Ansel, Johnny's taking pictures in the park today!" But with such a short time, the photos I click were only snapshots nothing classically Adams worthy. But, within the park, I'm finally in the company of one of the gems of the United States.

     I travel light when headed out on these adventures leaving my heavy professional cameras and long lens at home preferring to carry a high end snapshot camera. There are limitations when wrestling with the lightweight model trying to get a more wide angle view than the camera allows.

     But, I'm not on a snapshot gathering expedition. I'm there to participate not just record everything I see. I dip my hands in the cold Merced to get a sense of the melting snow pack that feeds the river. My eyes are opened to the Sequoia and Redwood trees that dwarf me, touching the thick craggy bark that protects them from fires. I pick my spots for photographs. My need is to experience Yosemite knowing that I'm treading on the same ground as naturalist John Muir.

     Muir said it best when quoted on Yosemite. "It is by far the grandest of all the special temples of Nature I was ever permitted to enter."



View of Yosemite Valley from the overlook at Tunnel View.



     We drove down into the Yosemite Valley and got my first view of Half Dome before exiting the bus. We have an hour to get settled in with our surroundings before boarding an open air wagon pulled by a giant tractor. The park ranger driving the vehicle fills in all the details passing by the granite monoliths. We wound our way to a location called Tunnel View. Peering down into the valley, you can see how endless time carved out Yosemite Valley and nature rebuilt it in a carpet of pine and fir trees.

     From the panoramic overlook the cliffs of El Capitan, Half Dome, Bridalveil Falls and Sentinel Rock are visible. I shoot my favorite photo of the trip from this spot.

Yosemite Falls

     Our time is limited and we make the most of it by hiking over to Yosemite Falls. Due to the heavy snowstorms from the previous winter the water pours over the cliff face. It's the middle of July and are told how lucky we are that normally the falls are running at a trickle this time of the year.We sit on a downed tree looking at boulders left behind by glaciers. There were many people at this spot but we never felt crowded. It was a relaxing location as polite vacationers and outdoorsmen come and go without spoiling the moment.

     As we were leaving the park Deb finally got to see what she was looking for the entire trip. By the side of the road was a young Black Bear and the mother keeping a watchful eye on her growing cub. Her trip is now complete and could have ended right there. They were the first bears she has seen in the wild. There was more to do in the coming days as we drove out of Yosemite on our way to Monterey and a ride along the Pacific Coast Highway at Big Sur.

    Another great day in Nature's wonderland.









A Handshake for Roy

     Every Memorial Day in Pottstown usually begins with my early morning visit to the monument built by members of the Vietnam Veterans of America 565 in Memorial Park.

David Borzick places wreath.

     The memorial was built for all service personnel with names of the veterans etched into bricks that were cemented into a walkway. Special areas were laid out in tribute to local Vietnam vets who died in combat.

The military statue at Memorial Park.

     I approach the kneeling statue of a GI and reach to shake his outstretched hand. I clasp the cool bronzed fingers and say my hello to Roy. That is my father's name and one I feel fitting when paying my respects on the day to remember those who have served their country. It's also the spot I've chosen to also remember my mother Virginia on Memorial Day, as my parents are buried in a small country town in Ohio. I haven't been at their graves in over a year.
      I still get that lump in my throat and my eyes glisten in the morning sunshine. I owe them that. The feelings pass and I walk along the tree lines path looking down at all the names.
      From here it's off to the parade to begin another holiday working for The Mercury. I drive to the starting location and greet some of the veterans I've gotten to know over the years. U.S. Marine veteran Cal Books continues to line up the men and he walks along with the color guard. I congratulate Jack McQuaid for being the awarded 2012 Veteran of the Year.
    At 10 a.m. veterans and active duty military begin marching through Pottstown with colorful flags. U.S. Marine Corporal Bryan Walter of Phoenixville, still on active duty, had the honor of carrying the stars and stripes. Bands play and fire trucks and classic cars roll along High Street.

Holocaust survivor Severin Fayerman.

     Then it's back to Memorial Park for speeches and tributes during a solemn service with many people attending this year.
     An especially stirring talk came from Severin Fayerman who spoke on his survival as a prisoner of the Germans held in concentration camps during World War II at Auschwitz, Buchenwald and Sachsenhausen. The Polish immigrant spoke kindly about about the United States and how the military saved his life. He mentioned how lucky Americans are to live in a free country.
    Wreaths were placed for veterans of all wars, then a prayer followed by a 21-gun salute. The sound of 'Taps' could be heard throughout the park played by Boy Scout bugler Nate Fuerman.
     Back at the office I picked photos for the web and the next day's paper. I finish up my shift and drove home thinking of Fayerman. It is a blessing to live in this country despite the turmoil and uncertainty of a weakened economy. As he said we all have won the lottery just being born in this country. I'm going to try to remember his important words.