Well, it turns out the family’s lived in Moxham for nigh on a hundred years now, and in this particular house for almost 80, so that should qualify the garden for a Johnstown story.

Grandma’s Rose: This is probaly older than I am. I’ve got a picture around here somwhere of Grandpa and me standing next to the bush close to 60 years back. And it’s still going strong.

Grandma’s Peonies: Mom tells me that Aunt Lucy brought these over the mountain when she and Uncle John and the kids were living in Blairsville. That would also date them to around 60 years or so.

Mom’s Staten Island Rose: If I heard Mom right, Aunt Kaddy brought this plant with her when she moved back from NYC in the 80′s, but I’ll have to confirm. She may have gifted the plant earlier than that.

The rose bush next to the garage, also as old as me, just started budding this week. Photos to come. We’ve still got a couple of Grandma’s daffodils sprouting each year. Those probably date all the way back to when she went to school with Ben Franklin. The lupins, also from over the mountain with Aunt Lucy, took a hit this year. They may yet bloom, but we’re confident they’ll make a full comeback next year. Grandma’s iris under the living room window looked beautiful this year, and there may be some daylillies to come in that bed. Mom cut back Grandma’s forsythia last fall, so we didn’t get blooms this year, but next year should be real good. You can’t hurt those things. Almost forgot, Grandma’s lilac tree up by the alley is still going strong.

Yes, sir, it’s been a banner year for Grandma’s garden.

Drove the length of the city and then some last February on a snow squall day and grabbed some photos up and down the valley. Let’s see. We covered Moxham, Hornerstown, Morrelville, Cambrial City, Prosser Hollow, Coopersdale and the Conemaugh Gap. We’ve got trains, trees, tracks, bridges, steel mills, rivers, hills, a coupla crows, snow, squalls and ice. Trying to clean up the backlog, so here are the photos for you. Johnstown PA shore can be purty at times.

The laurelight Winter’s Day Album is here, and the regular stuff is below. Click on any picture to enlarge.

Headed out to get some photos of Johnstown PA’s Valley Pike and the Stonycreek, but had a hard time getting out of Moxham. Once I saw the leftover Christmas snowman, I had a tough time putting the camera down. Village Street to Park Avenue to Ohio Street; across Central Avenue and the Stonycreek and past the High School: some very nice opportunities. Valley Pike will come later. For now, I hope you enjoy these shots of my neighborhood.

(Click to enlarge)

the Balko Finds the Best Seat in the House for Johnstown, PA’s 4th of July

I’ve seen some fireworks in my time. There’ve been bi-, tri, and sesqui-centennial celbrations; First Nights and New Year’s Eves, Tall Ships and Millenia, big cities and small towns. We did Boston’s Esplanade 4th one time, along with 300,000 others: couldn’t see the band, no alcohol, couldn’t get to the bathroom, couldn’t get IN the bathroom, couldn’t get out of the park at the end of the night, and getting onto the T was murder. But sitting directly behind those howitzers was a BLAST! Man, dig that crazy sound: BOOM! BOOM! Like much of my Boston experience, though, once was enough. Coolest show I ever saw was Ocean City’s 2000 NYE from the door of my tent on Assateague Island across the bay. But that entire night was special. Last night in Johnstown was pretty special, too.

A Plethora of Pyrotechnique

After shooting last year’s unlooked for 4th of July at Highland and Wheat from the shelter of Larry’s porch, I determined to take advantage of a higher vantage. So, with the cooperation of Albert’s weather, I humped my lard ass and 20 pounds of photo kit up to the top of Wheat Street. I had no idea! I got to witness dozens of fireworks displays in a 180 degree arc, from small, personal shows to the official programs from Westmont and Johnstown; some at my feet, some directly in front of me, to all the way down the length of the valley. What a show! There were at least several sources from each neighborhood and municipality I could see: Ferndale, Lorain, Yoder, Hornerstown, Kernville, Oakland, Daisytown, behind Yoder Hill from Brownstown and/or Cambria City; and even flashes from the West End; and ALL OVER Moxham. No, it wasn’t a BETTER show than the Boston Pops, it was just different, and at least as satisfying and far more comfortable. Next year I’ll have to load up some Tchaikovsky on the iPod before I head out, or, better yet, Exile on Main Street. Now THERE’s some fireworks music.

Related Links:
The laurelight 2nd Sunday gallery
Satori Gallery

Moxham and culture: two words you would have never used together in a sentence back when I was waiting behind Diamond Drugs for the Old Man to come striding through the US Steel gate at the end of his shift: “Take me to the Stonycreek.” Moxham was Moxham and culture was the occasional Country and Western show tearing up Cochran’s auditorium on a tear through the nation’s third class cities.

Everything changes. Diamond Drugs, US Steel and Cochran Junior High School (what you young’uns call “Middle School”) are all gone, but Moxham continues to grow as a cultural center in Johnstown (yes, that’s what I said) when, this coming Sunday, June 14, Satori Gallery presents A Satori in Johnstown, an all day celebration of music and art taking place around the neighborhood’s Village Street Shops. Dave DiStefano, Satori’s proprietor, says it better than I can, so here’s the gist of his latest email:

“Satori Gallery on Village St. will be presenting “A Satori in Johnstown” an art & music street festival on Sunday, June 14. It will be taking place in front of the Village Street Shoppes in Moxham and will last from noon – dusk.

This is a free festival composed of all local talent showing and performing their own original works. ALL are welcome and encouraged to attend in hopes of raising awareness of our local art scene here in Johnstown.

The music lineup includes: The Wheels, Dave DiStefano w/Grand Hadron, Endless Mike & the Beagle Club, The Jeff Perigo Opus, Inside Out, The Sunflower Spectacle, Emmett and Mary, Dallas Zimmerman, Justin Garman, AM Radio, & Glenn Henry.

Johnstown’s Songwriting group “Songworks” will be performing as well as hosting an open mic all day. All artists of the area are invited to show their work. Registration with the gallery required. There will be an open drum circle at sundown, and refreshments by Village St. Cafe. Schedule updates and artist details are provided at www.myspace.com/satorigallery. Thank you all for supporting local art & music!!!!”

and theatre, too…

And, as long as we’re talking Moxham, culture and awareness, check out the Satori site (linked above) for details on this week’s presentation of When the World was Green, Sam Shepard and Joseph Chaiken’s “elegiac” and “stately” exploration of exhaustion and…sensual pleasures that exist only in recollection.” (Ben Brantley, New York Times). Performances are Thursday & Friday @ 8. Admission is $10. Proceeds benefit the Keystone Chapter of the American Red Cross. Reservations are strongly recommended. Reserve your seats by emailing unapologeticproductions@gmail.com or by calling (814) 244-3135.

Of course, I’ve got no photo’s from this week’s party (yet), so, to get you warmed up, here are some shots from August 08′s Second Sunday featuring, I think, Jazz in Your Face.

Rolled out early early last Saturday looking for some mood pictures in the morning fog. I was hoping for one of those pre-dawn shots where the sky is just starting to lighten and the fog doesn’t quite reach the hilltops?

Problem with the Highlands and Johnstown, though: it’s tough to find a vantage point high enough and the fog low enough to get the photo right.

First, I headed up the MoxhamVu overlook on Belmont Hill. Nothing but a sea of white. So I dropped down a bit and grabbed a few shots of under the fog from the top of Wheat Street in Moxham. From there, a change of tactics, and I headed up to Grandview to try and capture a mood instead of an atmosphere.

They’ve got a saying in New England: “Don’t like the weather? Wait a minute.” Well, Johnstown weather doesn’t change that quickly, but the sky and the light certainly do. I barely got a handful of shots around the cemetery entrance when the fog appeared to lift. Before packing up, I took a quick run over to the Incline Plane to see what was up there. Pleanty of fog in the valley and a brief glimpse of Cover Hill across the way. Then, a minute after I snapped the shot of the Yoder Hill, the entire hilltop socked in.

And that’s when I realized I was trespassing. I had no idea they could pop me for trespassing for taking pictures from the observation platform. Welcome to the Friendly City. Anyway, short story longer, it being after my normal 8am starting time, I packed up and headed for a beer. I’ve been in a fog ever since. Enjoy the photos.

This is Buttermilk Falls in Moxham, not to be confused with the falls in Indiana County or the town just below Idlewild Park. Either up from the bottom or down from the top, the climb is pretty much verticle, and don’t think it’s easy scrambling up or down while humping 30 pounds of photo equipment on your back (soon to become a recurring theme on LL). I’m planning to get back, though, when there’s more water running or snow falling. It’s worth the effort, especially if you enjoy the photos.