The Rivers of Childhood

I was making my rounds of the blogs I enjoy and dropped by Pappy's place in Texas. I truly enjoy his writing and his poetry but today he talked about the rivers of his childhood. I told him how the rivers of my childhood haunted me. I would like to share the six main rivers that I have touched on in my blogs from my childhood in PA.

1. Shenango River - This was a steel mill river that Sharon Steel used to cool it's steel plant. I look back and think this was never the cleanest river although it has been restored. There was a chemical plant just below where we used the river. Oh my, what a scary picture I'm painting of the river. A river that still haunts my thoughts.

Like many things in life the many rivers that you had contact with changed through time. The first river I remember using is the Shenango River. We would use the Shenango River for so many things. It was a river we could walk to and so my friends and I use to go there quite often in the summer. We would go there and swim, fish, camp, wade and to just skip rocks. We had an area just above a rapids that there was a hole dug out that was excellent for entertainment. There was a stone flat beach that we used as our entry point into the river. We had a large tree that we had attached a rope to a branch. There was a loop at the end of the rope for your foot. Your friends would push you out over the river and you would jump off. There is nothing like hitting cool water as you jumped. What a wonderful experience we had with the Shenango. We could spend a complete afternoon having fun at the river. We only caught catfish when fishing but what more does a boy need then a tug on the line. We had level wide reels and a steel pole with heavy line. You could bring in a turtle with that equipment. We would also seine for soft shell crawdads that we used to catch fish in others rivers.

2. Deer Creek - A small clean creek that you had to be driven to reach.

A ways upstream from our swimming spot Deer Creek ran into the Shenango River. The PA Game Commission would stock Rainbow Trout for the annual put and take fishing experience. You would make sure you were at your favorite little hole for opening day (April 15TH) for a fum filled fishing experience. I only catch trout at the lake I fish after they learn to eat minnows. They are great fighters and I give them away to unlucky fisherman.

3. Big Neshannock Creek - A clean fast moving river that also joins the Shenango River.

Big Neshannock is a river that we again had to drive to because of the distance. We used to catch Great Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Large and Small-mouth Bass and numerous other species. We used to seine helgramites from this stream just above a place we called the cinders because of the large rocks that looked like very large cinders from a coal furnace. It was also a swimming spot for some people. We used the helgramites for fishing elsewhere and also at the cinders just after we seined. That was always a fun experience. We also used this river as a place to swim and it had a nice swimming hole upstream at a bridge.

4. Little Neshannock Creek - A smaller clean water stream.

It flowed through farm fields and joined the Big Neshannock Creek. The joining of the two rivers was one of my favorite fishing holes which I used until I left PA. The Little Neshannock was good for stocked trout, suckers and at certain times of year Great Northern Pike. It was a fun river to fish.

5. Slippery Rock Creek - A clean deep river that flowed to the east of our home area.

Slippery Rock was another Rainbow Trout and Large-mouth Bass stream that we fished. There was one place we used to go that had a very large rock to fish from. The rock was 30 foot by 15 foot and 10 foot out of the water. The fish used the rock as a hiding place. We used the hole formed by the rock as a fish catching place. We also would wade the creek. The Y-camp I attended was on the Slippery Rock so we also used this river to swim and canoe.

6. Allegheny River - A large river which joins with the Monongahela at Pittsburgh to form the Ohio River.

The experiences on this river are too many to mention. This was always a long trip and a fun experience no matter if it was by boat or from shore. The river was larger and the fish were bigger.

There are many other rivers I used in my childhood but these are the main larger ones.

Sky Watch Friday 6-6

It's Sky Watch Friday and it's your chance to post your Sky pictures and go to Wiggers World to join.

This is my Into the Sky series. I have been getting these shots over the last month and thought I would share them this week.

A common sight today with all the cell phones, the cell tower into the blue Sky.

How could I skip this great tree into a beautiful cloudy Sky.
This is a bridge repair in Stow, OH with the crane into the blue clear Sky.
A morning shot at Meander Reservoir with the crane into the threatening Sky. This was an unusual morning sunrise.
And as my final shot, the US flag in a whipping wind with the pole going into the puffy Sky.
I wish you all a wonderful SWF and enjoy your skies what ever they show.

When Canadian Geese Get Protective

This flock Canadian Geese were in a field near the plant I work at in PA. They were just walking through the field feeding when another flock came in honking from above.
This completely changed their posture.
They honked back a warning to stay away or fight.
They really meant business and the other flock left the area.
I really enjoy how demonstrative these Canadian Geese can be.

Julianne Hough CD Review

We have a new singer in the Country music market. Her name is Julianne Hough (pronounced Huff) and you may know her for winning two times on 'Dancing With the Stars' TV programs. Her album debut at number one mainly because she was already known. I bought it the day it came out for $7.99 at Best Buy. Here is a cute picture form the album.
The Album consists of 11 songs and has a great country sound. They are playing the debut song now. Julianne Hough exudes talent in dancing, singing and presence.

1. 'That Song In My Head' - What a great start for a career.

2. 'You You You' - This is a cute perky song.

3. 'Hide Your Matches' - Sultry ballad with a great story.

4. 'My Hallelujah Song' - Everyone should have a there own hallelujah song.

5. 'Jimmy Ray McGee' - A song with a message of choice. Think before acting and going the wrong way.

6. 'Dreaming Underneath the Same Moon' - Duet with her brother Derek (from DWTS), what a great duet. Derek is a really good singer and could also do well in the country market.

7. 'About Life' - Perky song.

8. 'Hello' - I love it (Hello are you listening to me?).

9. 'Help Me, Help You' - A sad song of dependence.

10. ' Love Yourself' - This is an okay song.

11. 'I'd Just Be With You' - This is one great ballad.

Certainly a great album to add to your country collection. Julianne should go far in the country singers circuit.

The Hostas Wrap-up

I'm wrapping up the post on the Giant Blue Hostas to show you the size of the leaves and the amount of space it takes up in it's corner. You can see the original post here.
BTW: I had to move my Frog Planter because it lost the sun, can you see it in the right hand bottom corner? I have five types of Hostas this being the Green Variegated with Yellow Edges. It has the second biggest leaves.
This is the Green Variegated with a White Edge.
This is the White Variegated with a Green Edge. I got these as a gift from Jackie at Dons Bait Shop near Lake Hodgson.
This is my solid Green Hostas. I got these from a place I worked. I took small plants and transplanted to home. They are all along this side of the house. It is very shaded.
This is a second year transplant of the white and green.
This is a first year transplant of a solid green.

I now show you a plant with a warning. It is called a Corn Flower or Bachelors Button. It is the most aggressive plant you can put in the ground. This started from one plant and I aggressive attacked it last year. I will have to do the same this year. It spreads through the root system and by spreading seeds from the flower. There is a Hostas in the center of the Corn Flowers that they are trying to overtake. Beauty at a cost and don't be afraid to pull it out.
It does have a pretty flower and the honey bees like them.

Flower Display

What a weekend, I had high winds on the lake on Saturday and Truck problems on Sunday that have just gotten worse. It will have to return to the repair shop for the second time this year.

I had a few pictures of my Tulips to share that I hadn't gotten to before. This grouping of whites was just starting out. They continued to grow and show off.
I think they have an outstanding structure. The Hostas has taken over the area.
This dark purple Tulip is always special.
Look at the pollen it wants to share with the bees.
The neighborhood is ablaze with Azaleas in full bloom. These people have a nice grouping.
The Rhododendron are also showing off.
Check out this orange colored one.
The Magnolia Tree is also in full bloom.