I managed to cover quite a bit of ground today & didn’t get settled in behind the computer until 10pm.  Since I only had a two hour nap last night, I’m more that zonked right now.  The weather was grey & rainy pretty much all the way through PA & the first few hours of OH.  But then, there were some pretty white clouds which made for some nice photos.  The day ended with lots of rain.  This has to be the rainiest summer ever on the East Coast & Midwest. 

The dogs got a lots exercise in big green fields today.  I contemplated some swimming in the Susquehanna River for Nik & Grem but the water looked so brown (I guess from all the rain & turbulence?).  Also, I wasn’t sure how strong the current would be — better not to risk it.  Tomorrow, I have a legal doggie lakefront beach on the list.  And maybe another dog park or two.  Lots of motorcycle barking today — hot & a Saturday — so no surprise.

Despite spending at least half the day on the interstate, I got loads of photos for the blog & Flickr today.  We’ll be in Ohio for about a week with tons of stuff to shoot every day. Time for the photos — I have GOT to get to bed.

How could I resist this photo op:

Sparkle was the name of this grocery store in Youngstown, OH.  And for those of you new to this blog, Sparkle is my van’s name (that’s Fixie at the wheel).  I chose that name for based on my previous years and years of beat-up vehicles.  Although she came to me with 108,000 miles, she looked brand new inside & out.  I have never owned a white vehicle before either so this made her extra squeaky clean looking.  At this point, Sparkle has 211,000 miles and running absolutely perfectly (uh, oh, did I just jinx myself?).

The Zeiser Vault Company is located in Nescopeck, PA.  Loved this building with glazed brick, terra cotta details & brick glass.

There are a number of May’s Drive-ins in central PA — each with this style cone in varying states of upkeep:

This drive-in went by another name but certainly this is the distinctive May’s cone:

The Tenny Town Motel is in Bloomsburg, PA.  I assume there was a diferent name originally that made reference to  this giant candle.

Another couple nice signs and an art deco bank from Bloomsburg, PA:

This one looks even better at night:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jschumacher/3683491510/

The Point Drive-in is located in Danville, PA.  I love the screen’s wooden supporting:

Love the handpainted sign at Stuck Brothers Appliances in Northumberland, PA:

I’m always relieved to see this Dutch Pantry restaurant in Du Bois, PA is still open.  More about the chain here:
http://www.highwayhost.org/DutchPantry/dutchpantry1.htm

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pear tree before.  Or if so, it was a small specimen.  This tree in Somewhere, Ohio was one of many that just seemed to be growing wild — no house or orchard nearby.

And so I’ll leave you for the night with this hello and goodbye from New Philadelphia, OH.  The bulbs in the rooftop sign were just starting to glow when I was passing through.  I love how the sign tilts slightly to the right.  I bet this one has been here for a hundred years.

Doggie photos tomorrow I promise!  Maybe even some food.  Today’s caloric intake was mostly coffee laden with French Vanilla creamers, some cheese, and some Sun Chips.  Not the kind of thing that you want to see photos of.  But I will get that pie for you Gale — I’m on a mission! 

I hope this post isn’t too laden with grammatical errors.  No energy to proof tonight.  See ya’ll tomorrow.