Comments on: Sacred Ground

By: Schnarpsel

Schnarpsel — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 15:49:07 +0000

just now read this – some 5 years after your trip. I think my favorite part were the descriptions of the tar bubble poking, of meeting the owner of your childhood home and him still being the same your dad sold his house to, and the “conclusion” of it, standing at the barbeque grill… Very nice indeed. Apart from the 320 mile distance which made my butt hurt just imagining it…

By: Schnarpsel

Schnarpsel — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 15:47:25 +0000

This comment has been removed by the author.

By: ejcarr

ejcarr — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 13:43:00 +0000

steve,
great writing and photography. Loved the story and the flow. Really touching. so funny to see your scooter parked in the driveway where we played.

e

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 21:38:00 +0000

i too grew up on the island . still have a uncle that lives there. i rember the first time coming back after leaving, smelling that foul smell from neville chemical, foul but it smelled like home. your story could have been written by me. thank you for the same memories. i also have gone back on a motor cycle and it is a veiw of a different sort . thanks again scott

By: Prashanth M

Prashanth M — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 09:00:00 +0000

wonderful write-up & beautiful photos!!

By: Steve Williams

Steve Williams — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 13:55:00 +0000

jack: Glad you enjoyed the post. Recalling old memories can be a good thing sometimes. East McKeesport has changed a lot in 35 years. I guess we all have...

jeremey z: Stopping to take pictures is an acquired skill I think. It is easy to be in a hurry and focused on a destination where every stop seems like a distraction. I've learned to live for the stops and can make quite a few at times. Several in a mile. That really slows down progress but then again what is progress?

By: Jeremy Z

Jeremy Z — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 04:04:00 +0000

Nice blog. You have inspired me to update mine a couple of times. I have some photography talent, but have a hard time forcing myself to stop riding and set up and take the shots.

By: Jack

Jack — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 11:01:00 +0000

Steve, great post. Having a friend from East McKeesport and having made my first trip from the Midwest to Pittsburgh some thirty-five years ago your post floods me with memories of that trip. Great photos and glad you enjoyed the ride and thanks, as usual, for sharing your thoughts and pics.

By: Steve Williams

Steve Williams — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 10:18:00 +0000

P'taker: I agree that these kinds of trips trigger mixed feelings. It has been good for me to face them though and move on.

As far as the safety issues of shooting while riding.... hmmm. I suppose you are right, it is not the picture of safety because one hand is not on the bars. That said it was only for a 1/15th of a second! Seriously though I am quite careful about it. The first shot I was moving quite slow because of the visibilty issues---perhaps 25 mph.

The tunnel is a different story. I stopped about a mile from the tunnel to put the camera around my neck. I was going to turn on the intervalometer and just let it go but decided to turn the continous mode on and shoot manually. I waited until most of the traffic moved out ahead so I would have a big buffer in case something happened and then reached over with my left hand to trip the shutter. Scooter is quite stable in the tunnel because the road surface was very smooth. Another reason I actually tried it. Had it been uneven and wierd I would have let it go.

Anyways, a calculated risk.

sherry: The fellow said he didn't use it anymore. I'm surprised it wasn't torn down.

By: Sherry Cameron-Calder

Sherry Cameron-Calder — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 21:37:00 +0000

that was heart tugging, being from Nova Scotia it is great to see where others are from that I talk to via the computer. That picture of the bbq wouldn’t have been as sad if there wasn’t a weed growing in the middle. It is hard to realize and accept that the past IS past and we can’t get it back. Great great piece of writing. Thank you.