Larry A. Smail's Blog

Late March Snow Hike

March 25, 2013 by larrysmailart

The official first day of spring has come and gone yet six inches of a wet and heavy snow blanketed everything this morning.Earlier this day the winter wonderland beauty was to be enjoyed as the tree limbs bent under the snow’s extra weight.

I remembered in the movie, “Jeremiah Johnson” as the two mountain men enjoyed a char-broiled rabbit when the older fellow who always was hunting “griz” told the questioning Jeremiah something to the effect of, “March is a green and muddy month, some folks like it.”I chuckled.

Some woods time was required of me this day. I hesitated since I have had some knee pain for almost a week. I elected to go and see some beauty and critters.

I gathered up one of the remaining deer rib cages from my property.(I know most think of this as weird! Don’t care!) Over winter red-tailed hawks; crows and many numerous small birds enjoyed the calories during the colder weather. Last week four turkey vultures had a feast too. This deer part would be taken to the woods to return to nature.

Water droplets from melting snow

The snow made for some quiet walking as I trekked up and over the hills. I saw two different woodcocks. The little birds are questioning their early arrival to western Pennsylvania. I enjoy hearing their whistling wing feathers as they take flight.

Wetland Woodcock. One of my recent paintings in the game bird series.

I hiked through an older growth spruce site to see a great-horned owl leave a limb and circle directly over me. I hurried to try to get the camera ready. I failed to get any shots. A few minutes later the crows could be heard harassing the bird of prey.

I saw four deer laying along a bottom area. One was busy chewing its cud before the other three became nervous and took off in a flash. Later, i bumped two other deer from a thicket. Shortly, I discovered four sets of tracks heading towards a crabapple thicket. Soon, I was blessed to see them sneaking through. I saw ten different deer!

A few hundred yards from my vehicle my knee area began to hurt terribly. I wonder what the knee will be like when I get old….oh wait…I am already old! I forgot!

Posted in Hikes | 2 Comments »

Brookville Open Carry Event (March 17)

March 17, 2013 by larrysmailart

I had no feelings of apprehension while being alongside the group of around 250 like-minded individuals. Should I have been afraid? Those on one side of the political “spectrum” would be adamantly opposed to such an action and blindly scream fearful remarks to work on the emotions of the uninformed or political ideals….anti-gun people! The Americans present at this event did so as a public awareness walk.

The sidewalks and street crossings of Brookville, Pennsylvania witnessed the group of pro second amendment individuals.Those present ranged from young children; women; mothers; elderly and all ages in between.

Besides the need to proclaim the right to bear arms of the people all of these people were carrying firearms. I saw revolvers; semi-auto pistols; rifles; shotguns; flintlock rifles; antique firearms and many of those dreaded AR-15 rifles….and yes they were loaded!

The Second Amendment was an important aspect for the founding of America through the FOUNDING FATHERS. Historically, these men were living under the auspices of King george lll of England. The thirteen colonies were under English rule.

Irish Second Amendment supporter

The French & Indian War, fought in the colonies, had used up much of British revenue. England added many taxes and tariffs to the colonies to replenish their lost funds. Their acts caused much resentment. Life here was becoming more burdensome as the problems continually escalated towards war.

British troops began to thwart all anti-British discussions and gun confiscation was beginning to cause anger. The founders had seen tyrannical government ebbing its way one step at a time into colonial life. Liberty and freedom were desired! They understood the need for men to occasionally do what is necessary to keep and preserve freedom. In short order this War for Independence would be reality.

Headin’ towards the rally

Individuals and/or groups opposed to the second amendment apparently have little concern with the constant “chipping away” of the right. They are in a tunnel vision thinking our own government would never be able to go into tyranny over the citizenry. Many people’s of other nations heard the lie. The realization of the loss of firearms came to their feeble brain waves too late to stop the anti advance. If this right goes how much faster will the next one fall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jefferson County Courthouse (detail)

In the Pennsylvania Constitution Declaration of Rights; Article 1; Section 21 states: THE RIGHT OF THE CITIZENS TO BEAR ARMS IN DEFENSE OF THEMSELVES AND THE STATE SHALL NOT BE QUESTIONED.

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Clarion Bluegrass Festival

March 16, 2013 by larrysmailart

Going over songs: (l-r) Bob Sink; Butch Rupp; Me chewing gum; and Mike Elias

Last evening, I spent time playing music with some good friends and making some new friends. The event was a bluegrass music festival held at the Clarion Holiday Inn on Route 68 just north of Interstate 80. The place was packed! Musicians were to be found all over and in special gathering rooms. Also, bands played all evening on stage.

I do not have many opportunities to play bluegrass so I was happy to have been asked by my friend, Bob Sink of Corsica, Pennsylvania. Bob is an excellent, old-fashioned style fiddler and mandolin player. He usually can be identified with his Confederate style kepie hat! Bob has had some serious heart-related issues over the last month. I was elated to see him out and about again!

Bob Sink

Another old friend, Butch Rupp was present and he played dobro and guitar too. He played with the gospel band I am currently involved with for a time. We can always have some laughs when we are together.

Mike Elias

Another musician, I met earlier in the evening was Mike Elias from Ohio. He played the 5-string banjo. A nice fellow and good musician!

The last musician I played with was Peg Seroko, also, from Ohio. She sang and played the upright bass.

I was apprehensive to go and play with all of these people because of not knowing what to expect and meeting them for the first time around 7:30. At this time we began going over some songs and hit the stage at 9:00! Like I said I don’t get to play bluegrass very often and I was met with a list of songs with only three having heard before. I would just have to fake it!

Peg Serotko (rt)

I enjoyed myself, Laurie enjoyed herself and we met some great people.

I have one issue with playing bluegrass music. I am not a loud guitar player. My acoustic Guild, although having two mics at the sound hole proved to be difficult for me to hear through the monitors. This seems to be an issue everywhere I play in such a way. This causes me to pick the strings harder and that action, in turn, causes my playing to be less smooth. The public loved it, however. They could hear it well through the main speakers. I even was blessed with applause! Like I said they are great people!

The photos included here are from: Greg Knox of Shippenville, Pennsylvania. More photos can be seen at:www.facebook.com/learningandphotography. His web site is: wwwBrightIdeas-LC.com

Posted in Music | 1 Comment »

Keystone Lake Time

March 10, 2013 by larrysmailart

Keystone Lake

Yes, I managed to spend some time walking the borders and along the slopes of some of the waters of Keystone Lake. (Armstrong County, Pennsylvania) The day included much time of reflection on my part. Freda Yount, my aunt, had passed away and I had attended the funeral. Aunt Freda always had a smile for me. She was kind to me, but we weren’t as close as we could have been. Many years ago, she and my uncle were divorced. I was somewhere in my early teens when this happened. Divorces tear families apart. Regardless she was my aunt and I had much appreciation for her.

I stopped by the funeral home in Elderton, Pennsylvania to show my respects and visit with my cousins and friends. Always great to see them. I find it sad our lives are so busy in this day that we seldom see each other unless it be a funeral or wedding.

Canada geese

As per my plans, I carried extra clothing and shoes with me because I decided with such a springlike day of near 70 degrees a walk should be part of my agenda. These walks of mine often become times of reflection and deep thoughts.

Some of the lake still was covered with ice, but I did see an ice fishermen on the ice. Not me! I headed first to the mouth of the lake where Plum Creek entered into the big waters. I knew waterfowl would be at this area since plenty of vegetation is present . Here I saw geese and a coot. I walked about before relocating further south on the lake. At this site, I exited down a steep slope. This was an area I often fished over earlier years of my life. I had many hours of enjoyable times fishing here alone or with my dad. We used to catch some big bass in this lake. I remember bass of eighteen inches being caught. We caught some big bluegills and walleye too.

Interesting Ice Formation

As I approached through the hemlock laden slope of the lake I could here and see Canada Geese. (Located one nesting pair.) I, also, saw several Common mergansers; a flock of swans and many gulls off across the lake. I couldn’t make any positive identification on exact species at such distances. Much of the waters here were open.

I sat down behind some hemlocks to watch the waterfowl and write down some thoughts until I felt something tickling my arm…a TICK! I removed and eliminated four ticks at that time. I decided I best get p and continue walking. I later removed three more from my pants. I HATE TICKS!

Red-Tailed Hawk (one of two)

I walked along the shore for sometime before angling up and over towards my car. I saw two deer and a squirrel on the wooded flats.

My walk wasn’t all that long. I estimated about two miles total, but I enjoyed being outside on such a beautiful day. I stopped to check on my mother’s progress while traveling home. She is doing very well with her new knee.

Hemlock Cone

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Where Have I been?

March 4, 2013 by larrysmailart

I haven’t written anything on my site for a few weeks. There has been a number of issues going on as of late. My mother had her second knee replaced on February 12th. This surgery, of course, utilized many hours of hospital time and being at my old homestead. She is doing very well and hopefully by mid-April she will be walking without a walker or cane. She is determined and that is always a good thing!!!

My mother returned home on Saturday, February 23rd. My sister received an operation on February 26th on her knee. She had injured it on a tree root. She is doing very well too. On February 28th, I received a MRI to my head searching for any brain material. The Vertigo issues, as well as, other head and sinus related problems caused a required search to rule any negative things out. So far, I have not received any word.

So these important family related concerns were a big part of my time. I, also, have been working on some recordings for a friend, Bob Sink. Thus far, I have put two to three tracks on eleven out of thirteen songs for him. Bob is a great fiddle and mandolin player. Unfortunately, we have yet to have put any of his tracks done. Bob has been hospitalized twice in three weeks over heart-related problems. On February 23rd, the band I play guitar with, GOOD NEWS COUNTRY played at the Victory Praise and Worship Center near Corsica. All six band members were present to play! Bob, and his wife Elaine, were present to listen. They live several miles away from the center. Bob, at that time, said he was feeling very well, but, a few days later he was back in the hospital. Get well friend!

Detail of the muskie and the saw blade. Laurie told everybody I had painted a guppy!

I have plenty of hours working on some paintings including a saw blade of a muskie for Mr. Muskie, Frank Maus. He loved it!

Saturday evening, March 2, Laurie and I attended an event and meal at the Whitesburg United Methodist Church. Great food and friends! We later stopped and visited my mother and step-father, Bob.

Laurie, my mother-in-law Anne Craft and myself went to the Greensburg garden & Civic center to see the musical, GODSPELL. The original musical began in 1971. Neither Laurie or I were overly impressed with the event. While traveling I saw a lot of deer, a flock of turkeys and a gaggle of geese.

This morning I went for a winter walk to see what I could see. I saw several deer, mink and coyote tracks and a small flock of bluebirds.

I saw my first groundhog of the season this last week. Also, I am noticing the goldfinches at my feeder beginning to brighten up with the yellows of sping and summer.

Posted in My Art, My Family | 2 Comments »

Limestone Run Jaunt

February 5, 2013 by larrysmailart

The day was perfect for a winter day. the temperatures were in the upper twenties and into the low thirties later on. The wind was very subtle. Thermal wind drifts were all that could be sensed at times. I needed some woods time so I elected to jaunt into the area of Limestone Run.

Ice on the water

Limestone Run is a tributary to the Allegheny River here in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. The waters are usually fairly fast-moving and clear as can be!

Porcupine damage

I dressed in my white “camies” and carried along my 870 shotgun. (Wish I had an AR-15.) I possessed a few predator calls and thought I might try calling in a coyote. As usually, as is the case with me, I soon discovered I rather walk and take photos than pursue the ‘yote…which I happily did.

Limestone Run

To be honest I did set up and call a couple of times but crows and blue jays were the only critters that came in to my calling.

I saw lots of tracks around the hike. I saw deer (I later saw two deer.) and a ton of Canada Geese. These are, probably, the flocks of geese that I see quite regularly flying over my home at tree-top level. Other tracks observed were fox; ‘coon, porcupine; rabbit; squirrel and, possibly, a young coyote .

I didn’t see any turkey sign which very much surprised me. I had seen a couple of flocks in recent weeks with some strutting toms, but there were none to be found in this area today. I traveled for amost five hours and covered an estimated 5 miles distance.

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Winter In Pennsylvania

January 31, 2013 by larrysmailart

Red-Tailed Hawk

Recently we experienced spring-like temperatures in Pennsylvania. The temperatures reached into sixties! A week earlier we were in the single digit numbers making for some cold times.

I found some time to go and do a short hike on Wednesday the 30th. I placed some deer ribs into a woods to help some little wild birds make it through the remaining winter season. Later on I went a short distance to State Game Lands 247 for a hike. The mild weather forced me to roll up my flannel shirt sleeves. I saw two deer.

Prior to leaving, I carried the feed sack that I had hauled the deer parts out and gathered a bag-full of glass from the woods of the game lands. Why people insist on carrying their garbage out to the woods is beyond my thinking! I will take the glass to the recycling site later. The walk and outdoor excursion was short-lived for by 10:00 A.M. the rains began followed by some high winds. Today, we had high winds, snow and temperatures in the twenty degree range. Tonight the temps are to reach the teens. Like I said in the title: Winter in Pennsylvania!

A rare visitor to my feeder. A yellow-bellied Sapsucker

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Stooges On Hunt

January 10, 2013 by larrysmailart

My, rather new, Muck boots had been patched after a large rip from the day’s hunt before. Why do I have such lousy luck when it comes to hunting shoes or boots? Today would be a good day I hoped.

I circled around to do a repeat of yesterday’s dogging experience. Donnie and Bob were on watch. I spotted three deer in their beds as I pretended to not see them. It worked they remained in place. maybe later we could use these three on a push. I see two more deer as I begin the drive, but both exited the opposite direction from where the two stooges were.

I reached the tw hunters and gave a report as did they. I went up and over the hill to work the back side first. I would, upon completion of this, circle around and come through the opposite side of the hunters. Yesterday this worked like a charm as the old sayin’ goes.

I completed the back slope and upon entering the woods spotted several deer fleeing low in the woods. I backtracked a bit and went to their level and began moving again and moving diagonally when a shot was heard ahead of me. Bob had shot! Bob had missed! Donnie couldn’t get his flintlock into position fast enough!

We followed out the tracks for quite a long way to be sure a miss occurred and it did. I tried to locate the three bedded deer after this and the trio had moved away, no doubt, desiring to feed some with the rising sun and warming temps.

We all went to ma’s for some backed ‘sketti before returning to hunt. the second push pushed deer around. Bob saw a couple and Donnie saw nine. The deer spotted him and as he tried to get his gun into position. Shortly some bolted and a few remained around offering Donnie a shot in thick brush. The shot failed to connect.

We had to quit hunting around 3:00 since Donnie had a committment for 5:00.

Clear cut area

Overall. I had 14 deer sightings; a squirrel and a grouse. I, also, saw two stooges off and on all day. By the way, the third stooge was me!

‘possum tracks

Posted in Flintlock Hunting, My Family | Leave a Comment »

A Morning of Hunting

January 9, 2013 by larrysmailart

The skies were various hues of orange and red as Bob and I approached the pre-determined meeting place with cousin Donnie. I had seen two deer while in transit and Donnie watched three enter the strip of woods we were planning on hunting.

I, as the dog, had the job of walking about chasing deer. I’ll soon be barking and lifting my leg on hydrants!

the first drive was actually was a two-pronged drive. I was to circle around and come towards Donnie Boone and Bob Crockett from one direction. Upon reaching them, the plan was for me to go up and over the hill to a field before circling and coming towards the boys from the opposite direction. The drive works. They saw two deer going in one direction, but not offering any shots.

The second part of the drive pushed around 8 deer past Donnie and a red fox! Donnie raised and fired and a deer dropped only to get up and take off. He, of course, felt bad about the shot. he said he hastily shot before he was ready. I saw the deer down in the snow ahead of Donnie as it raised for the take off! I am not kidding when I say “take off.”

After we realized the deer wasn’t down ahead of us the painful tracking began. I say “painful” for the deer wouldn’t stop and attempting to unravel many deer tracks was to be a chore at times. The deer continued to circle the hillside until it finally broke and went straight up over the hill right past Donnie, but on his right side. (Donnie shoots left-handed, so the deer wasn’t in place for him to get turned around for a shot.) the deer entered the field and made a complete 360 degree circle running past Bob at full speed. (Donnie, however, did see the hit on the deer. It was in a non-vital area below the back bone and above the vitals. This made us happy as the rains began.)

The search for the deer included several hours of trailing and well over a mile in chase. We were getting soaked and concluded the deer was seemed to be doing very well since it had apparently went down the hill and crossed the road.

We decided to head home and both decided to shoot the flintlocks off since the rains had become very moderate. Both firearms failed to go off initially until fresh powder was placed into the pans.

I had seen several squirrels and 4 deer and one grouse during my jaunt.

Posted in Flintlock Hunting, My Family, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

A Hike With Friends

January 8, 2013 by larrysmailart

Frank (l) & Slim

Past fellow workers, Frank Maus and Robert “Slim” Bowser and I headed for McConnell’s Mill State Park for some adventures in hiking. The park is located in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. Ninty percent of the conversation dealt with laughter found from our place of employment for many years. We laughed so much I had a dry and raspy throat!

Dam at the Mill

After a nice breakfast, we quickly began our walking about the park. We first visited a waterfall known as Alpha Pass following a packed and icy trail down over a hill. The extra walking sticks were a plus in maneuvering the slippery areas.

Ice ring on water

Covered Bridge

Later, we stopped at the McConnell’s Mill site to view the beautiful and treacherous Slippery Rock Creek gorge area. Here an early mill is located built in 1868 after the first mill (1852) was burned in a fire. Also, on site is a covered bridge built in 1874.

Hell’s Hollow Falls

We hiked along the Hell’s Hollow Trail to see a three tier waterfall. Also, along the fall is a remnant of an old kiln known as Lime Kiln.

Alpha Pass Falls

Hell Run

The hiking was beautiful with the snow cover and the clear stream known as Hell Run. Large rocks loaded with long-hanging ice could be seen throughout. Hemlocks contrasted the deciduous trees and snow making for great views to witness.

We saw a couple of squirrels; turkeys and a pileated woodpecker.

More hikes are going to be in our future.

Posted in Hikes | Leave a Comment »

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Larry A. Smail's Blog

Art, Music, Biblical, Wildlife and Nature

Late March Snow Hike

Brookville Open Carry Event (March 17)

Clarion Bluegrass Festival

Keystone Lake Time

Where Have I been?

Limestone Run Jaunt

Winter In Pennsylvania

Stooges On Hunt

A Morning of Hunting

A Hike With Friends

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