End of August Flowers and ...

At the end of August, I had photographed some of the flowers around my home church building - Deep Run East Mennonite Church in Bedminster Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania located half way between Pipersville and Dublin. The last picture is not a flower but I thought them an interesting growth underneath some evergreen trees.

Deep Run East Mennonite Community Festival 2006

In 2004, my home church Deep Run East Mennonite started to hold community festivals in September each year. It's a time for us and the community to get to know each other in a social setting. And it's free to all who come. Below are pictures of some of the many activities. Our highschool youth group organizes it with the help of the associate pastor and recruits many of us adults to help staff the various play activities. It's a time to enjoy one another and have fun.


This is of course the dunking booth. Our pastor, associate pastor, junior youth leader, and one other person were in the dunking booth for one hour each. This year for the first hour I assisted with collecting the softballs that were repeatedly thrown. Last year, I was in the dunking booth for an hour.


Some activities for young children


Face painting


Soda ring toss


Beanbag toss


Bouncing fun


Car demolition activity


Each year we provide costumes for kids to dress up in and then provide them one photograph of their costume within minutes.


These two tables are almost all cookies and cupcakes provided by members of our church for the festival. We also provide free hotdogs and sloppy joes for all who come out.

Sunday Evening Birthday Celebration for My Second Oldest Niece

This evening a number of our family and friends got together to celebrate my second oldest niece's birthday. Below are a few pictures from the evening.


The photo above and the one immediately below shows us just as we were gathering at the supper table for a light meal.



Here is my niece and her birthday cake. Four different varieties of ice cream were served with the birthday cake.


Here are some of nephews and nieces playing and conversing.

Univest Grand Prix 2006 Bike Race in Souderton and Surrounding Area

Today after work I went to watch the finishing thirteen loops of the Univest Grand Prix International Bike Race in Souderton. The race was a total of 107 miles with the last 39 miles consisting of the thirteen three mile Souderton loops. The previous 68 miles goes throughout the countryside of parts of Montgomery and Bucks County, Pennsylvania beginning and ending in Souderton. I took my pictures from along Main Street, Souderton near the Univest Banking Corporation Center. It was a good afternoon.

This race had 55 finishing participants coming from the following countries: United States, Mexico, Australia, Colombia, Canada, Poland, Germany, Serbia and Montenegro, Argentina, Italy, and Uruguay.


From the first of the thirteen ending loops


The motorcyclist rider has a video camera. The race was being broadcast live on TV and the Internet. The video signals were being transmitted to a helicopter and from there to the TV station.


Near the end


A close-up


Above you can see the signs of some of the local sponsors of the bike race as well as a part of the crowd watching the race.


Approaching the end


Two contenders


The first place winner was Shawn Milne from the United States of the Navigators Insurance Cycling Team. He is the middle person in the picture. His average speed was 25.119 mph (40.425 km/h) completing the 107 mile race in 4 hours, 15 minutes, and 17 seconds. The second place winner was Fausto Marcelino Esparza from Mexico of the TECOS team. He completed the race one second behind the first place winner. He is to the left of the first place winner in the picture. The third place winner was Sean Sullivan from Australia of the Toyota United Pro Cycling Team. He completed the race eleven seconds behind the first place winner. He is to the right of the first place winner in the picture.

Shawn Milne was given the yellow jersey to wear at the beginning of the Univest Grand Prix in Doylestown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania tomorrow. I will not be able to make that race.

Green Lane Nature Hike, No. 1, part 2, Meadow & Wood's Edge

This is a continuation of my hike on Labor Day at Green Lane Reservoir Park near Green Lane, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The first part was mostly in the forest along or near the reservoir; this part was more in the meadows and wood's edge. I think my favorite photo here is the close-up of the clover flower. But all the pictures are needed to begin to sense the full feel of this section of the park - a place to wander at will and marvel at God's creation.

In the last picture, do you see the two eyes looking out of the woods towards the flower or me? ;)