A Visit to Styer's

   I took a ride to Styer Orchards today, which is a fairly popular destination in my area, or at least it was at one time.  Often, relatives who came by to visit made sure to stop there, since they were nearby.  I had my camera on me and took a few pictures of the fields around the market.  As can be seen in these pictures, the fields immediately behind the market are mostly empty, with a few cornfields.  And a row of small pines that look like they might be Christmas trees.  The actual orchards they are famous for are farther off. 

  Their specialty is apples, with basketfuls of different kinds of apples, as well as apple cider and apple pies.  They would always have a box of complimentary small apples that anyone can pick from.  They also had a cider fountain that dispensed for about a dime a cup if I remember right.  Today, the free apples are no longer there, but the fountain is still around.  The cups of cider are now 75 cents, which still sounds cheap to me, since it is under a dollar.  At one time during the mid-90’s, I was told that cider was no longer produced on the premises, but I think their mill is back up and running today, since their own brand is back on the shelves.  It must be exclusive, since I don’t see it in any supermarkets in the area, and most people I have shared it with are not familiar with it.

     Over time, the area around Styer’s has changed.  Other than the orchards on their property, the surrounding farmland has long since been replaced by housing developments.   Across the railroad embankment and Woodbourne Road once sat Buehl Field, which was a popular air field where people could take rides in a single engine plane for 10 dollars.  Sometime in the 90’s, the field was razed to make way for the over 55 community that stands there now.  There also used to be a small turkey farm right along the tracks, across the road.  I remember seeing and hearing the turkeys from outside the store.  I don’t remember exactly what happened to the turkeys, but they too are long gone. 

  Regardless of what has changed, I’m glad the best things (to me, anyway) about Styer’s still remain.  The orchards and the market are still there, and the apples and by-products they’re known for are still being produced and sold.  Hopefully the old line “some things never change” will remain true here for the foreseeable future.

Geese Crossing

Something about this makes me think of the Partridge Family Theme Song

  As I was taking my usual walk around the lake at Falls Township Park, I came across a flock of geese crossing the path ahead of me.  Not really unusual, but this time, I had my camera and was able to get some pictures.  Sometimes they can stop traffic when they decide to cross a busy road, but here they are only a temporary distraction to the joggers and bike riders who like to use the path here.  Wherever there is a park like this, with a river or lake, there always seem to be plenty of Canada Geese hanging around.

  I did a quick Wikipedia check on Canada Geese.  As their name indicates, they are native mostly to Canada and the Northern United States.  In the northernmost parts of Canada, and the southernmost parts of the United States, they are migratory.  They will fly south for the winter months, and return when the weather gets warmer in Canada.  In southern Canada and the northern United States, they are stationary.  That is why in my area there are flocks of geese that stay around and flocks that can be seen above, making their way to warmer destinations.

  Presumably, most geese can be seen in parks like this one because it is their natural habitat.  And I assume that, like the deer, heavy land development flushed them out of most wooded and rural areas they once dwelled in, and forced them to concentrate in the parks.  Some parks around me hold deer counts and when it is determined that they are overpopulated with deer, a one-day hunt is scheduled.   I don’t think anything similar exists with geese, although it seems that parks are dealing with an overabundance of them as well.  I don’t think that geese are as valued by hunters as deer.  Whatever the reason, the geese are out in the open much more than deer, as this photo shows.

Crazy from the Heat and Looking Ahead

Our backyard, showing the effects of heat on the grass

                                

Today, I guess I’m like most people around here.  I have been spending most of the last week indoors, since it is around 100 degrees at the moment.  Even at 9 o’clock last night, the temperature was 86 degrees.  It still felt like a steam bath with the only advantage being the absence of the scorching sun.  It’s not going to get a whole lot better in the next week, except for Monday and Tuesday, when the temperatures will dip back down into the 80’s.  That is, unless there is a change in the forecast coming.  Right now, it’s still a good time to be staying in.

  I was over at my brother’s house earlier today, helping him and his family to get ready for their trip to Long Beach Island.  I actually didn’t really help with any of the packing for the trip.  My way of making myself useful is by keeping my toddler nephew occupied so they could focus on getting their packing and other details taken care of.  Now, he and the rest of my family are at the Jersey shore.  I’ll be joining them on Thursday, since two or three days at the shore is enough for me.  I love the ocean and the LBI area, but I just don’t get into the activities as much as they do.  For one thing, I stay off the beach most of the day.  I usually only go out there in the early morning, and late afternoon and evening, which is enough for me.  I just enjoy the shore itself and the area around it, as well as the ride there and back.

  One other thing about the shore that is really appealing to me at this time is the ocean breeze, and just the much needed cooling off that it brings.  Sometimes in the evening, when there is a strong wind blowing in from the ocean, it can actually feel almost like October.  I always bring a sweatshirt, because sometimes I’ll need it.  Everyone around here could sure use a wind like that, but right now, we’ll have to stick to our swimming pools, fans and air conditioners.

  I just noticed something yesterday, and that was that there are now some leaves falling.  That’s the first visual sign I got that fall is around the corner.  But the leaves may just be drying because of the heat and lack of rain.  It seems that every summer we get a dry spell, and watch our grass turn to hay.   Right now, however, the leaves have started to fall, and we’ll start to see more and more leaves on the ground. Other than that, I start looking forward to the fall once I return from the shore.  Our rental time has been the last week in July for the last 10 years.  When we come back, it’s always on or near August  1.  The official end of summer is around September 21, but to most people in America, it runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day.  So when I return, it means there is about a month left to go, and it is then that  I start thinking then about the football season, the fall foliage ,and all other things associated with that season. 

  In the meantime, I’ll still be experiencing more of this heat.  Until I head to LBI on Thursday, I’ll be watching my brothers’ homes and taking care of their pets.  That will require me to head outside into the heat, at least for brief times.  It won’t be pleasant going outside, but I don’t think I’ll have to be outside for long, just a few inconveniences.  But I can sit in the air conditioning in their houses and take care of business on their computers.  I’ll just be looking forward to joining them at the shore, and then after that start looking ahead to the fall while trying as much as I can to enjoy the rest of the summer. 

A River Runs to It (and past it)

Philadelphia skyline down the river

Beverly, NJ across the river from the park

Dirt path through the meadow

Another shot of the meadow

 

  Last week, I took a ride to Neshaminy State Park in Bensalem, to get some more pictures of Center City Philadelphia.  It was hot and humid, but sunny, so I thought this would be a good day to do it.  The skyscrapers are visible from the banks of the Delaware at the park, which is just outside the city limits.  I’m guessing the spot where I stood is about 10-15 miles up the river from Center City.  Aside from that, I also wanted to get some more shots of the interior of the park, and maybe of the mouth of the Neshaminy Creek.

    I got a better picture of Center City this time, but the buildings still appear fairly small.  The haze also affected the picture a little.  However, it is an improvement, and I think the best I can get with the zooming capabilities of my camera.  Next, I pointed the camera across the river to Beverly, New Jersey.  I usually only pass through Burlington County twice a year, going to and from Long Beach Island, and Beverly is out of the way.  However, I have been in that area a few times, having been to a friend’s house in nearby Willingboro, and I also rode the River Line from Burlington to Camden last year.  Although it is not visible from where I stood on the Pennsylvania side of the river, I did hear the horn from the River Line, which is basically a light rail train going between Trenton and Camden, and paralleling Route 130.

  Lastly, I took my walk alongside the macadam, and then I went a little off alongside a gravel trail.  It took me through the meadows, which I have pictured here.  It was hot, and I didn’t know exactly where the path would lead or how long it would take.  I didn’t pick up a little map pamphlet.  It took a little while, but I eventually found my way around, as the path went in a kind of semi-circle around the park, and back to the parking lots.  I did look around for a place to get some pictures of the Neshaminy as it flows into the Delaware, but I couldn’t find a clear path that could cut through the woods.  The creek wasn't visible from where I was at, except for a spot where I was faintly able to see the cattails which line the Neshaminy in the park.  Maybe I’ll try again in the fall.

Station to Station

Outbound train approaching Langhorne Station

Bellevue Avenue crossing the tracks, with the bus stop sign on the telephone pole.

An inbound train approaching Langhorne Station

The new station

 Today I decided to revisit the Langhorne train station to take these pictures.   The building here is new, about a year old, and definitely modernized.  The previous station was a small room with a wooden floor, and wooden benches along three of the walls.  The new building has a tile floor, restrooms, and an LED display of the next train to arrive.  I have ridden the West Trenton train thousands of times over the years, usually from Langhorne to Center City and back.  The commute was fairly normal, although I did occasionally see some bizarre things happen, usually later at night. 

  In the stretch of tracks that passes Langhorne, SEPTA trains share the line with CSX, the actual owner of the tracks where their freight trains run.  The SEPTA trains go north about ten more miles before terminating in West Trenton, New Jersey.  The freight trains continue past there and travel across the state to the terminal in Kearney, outside of Newark and Jersey City.  At one time, it was possible to change trains at West Trenton and ride a New Jersey Transit train from there to Newark and New York, but NJT discontinued service from the Manville Junction to West Trenton.  SEPTA passengers not familiar with the system will sometimes confuse the West Trenton line with the Trenton line, and expect to make a connection to New York at the last stop.  Then they find out they can’t go any further, although they can take a bus from West Trenton station to the Trenton Transportation Center, and go to New York from there.

  I seldom rode the train during my childhood, although I often saw them from our car while stopped at the crossing.  Later, while I was a student at Temple, I rode daily and became familiar with the line.  I continued that routine for about four years  while going to school and later working in Center City.  I rode the train at all times of day, with the well-dressed professionals going downtown in the morning, and when they returned in the early evening.   I rode with the reverse commuters who took the late afternoon and early evening trains into the city.  I rode late at night with students, and those who liked the city nightlife and different events, such as concerts and Phillies games.  Not to mention the rowdy Friday and Saturday night crowds coming from the nightclubs and parties downtown (and other stops along the line), and taking the celebration with them onto the train.

  I also spent a lot of time waiting for trains there at Langhorne and several other stations.  I have sat through the heat of summer, cold of winter, and in rain, sleet, and snow. Sometimes trains ran over an hour late, sometimes they were cancelled.  I spent a lot of layover time at different stations waiting to switch trains, mostly in Jenkintown, about 20 minutes down the line from Langhorne.  However, I was always glad that train and bus routes were accesible to me.  It is definitely quicker and more convenient to commute by car, but there is an advantage to not having a car if all my needs could be met without one.  And although it has gotten expensive, the train is still my preferred way to commute to Center City.

 

Open and Shut : The Burlington Bristol Bridge

The Bridge in normal position, obscured by the trees

Bridge opening

Bridge open

    I went to the Delaware River in Bristol in early April, and got some pictures of the Burlington Bristol Bridge.  Unlike the previous times I saw the bridge opening, I remembered to bring my camera and took pictures of the bridge in the open and closed positions.  At the time I took these pictures, it was just short of its 80^th anniversary.   It’s not my favorite bridge to drive over, but it was built in a different day and age, for different cars that drove on narrower roads. 

  I usually drive over it twice a year, coming to and from Long Beach Island.   It’s kind of a gateway to the Jersey Shore for me.  The road going to the bridge veers outside of the town of Bristol, and through a wooded area on property that is now owned by Dow Chemical.  From time to time, Dow will fill Bristol and the area around it with the smell of melting plastic.  Some of the area the road goes through may also be owned by Coyne Chemical.  I don’t know if the riverfront property right at the bridge is public or owned by one of the chemical companies it borders. 

  The bridge clears the way for passing ships by a vertical lift, rather than opening up in halves.  The main span moves up along the twin towers until it reaches the top, and then lowers back down.    I have never been driving on or near the bridge when a ship came, but there is a siren alerting approaching vehicles when the bridge is opening.  I can just faintly hear it from the riverside park in town.  Also, there is an old sign at the bridge entrance with neon letters “STOP: BRIDGE OPENING”, that is probably still lit up when the time comes.

  There have been proposals to replace the bridge with a wider highway span, similar to the nearby Turnpike Bridge.   Actually, the earliest goes back to the sixties.  However, those plans all involved condemning the historic districts of both towns to make way, which did not appeal.  As of right now, I don’t know of any serious plans to replace the bridge, but since it is old, I’m guessing that ideas are being discussed.

Pictures of Fallsington

Gazebo in the park

Legion Post

Looks like World War II era, probably replaced the cannon

Battleship Gun

I took a few pictures of Fallsington earlier this week.   Although Fallsington is surrounded bordered by Levittown and Fairless Hills, it remains a small village with about four streets of residential houses.  There is a tavern, a firehouse, and a legion.  There are also the Pennsbury School District offices, in what looks like it used to be a school building, with the schoolyard still there.  I don’t think I saw a traffic light in that small area. It is all sandwiched between Tyburn Road the Business Route 1 Bridge over the railroad tracks and the tracks theselves, which lead to the former U.S. Steel mill.

  I just remember this place because I drove near it a lot.  I knew where it was, but never actually went there until last October, when I visited their annual Historic Fallsington Day.  My brother’s wife grew up right near there, and it’s within walking distance.  Her parents live right across Tyburn Road from the village.  Although they live within walking distance, it’s not the safest walk.   Tyburn Road is a huge obstacle.  It is not pedestrian friendly, and is like a highway where they live. 

  I will try to get back to Fallsington and take some more pictures soon, to add to these.  I also want to get back there  in October for the Historic Fallsington Day.