Alan Mays' photos with the keyword: weather

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of cold, freezing, or frozen . Handwritten caption: "Gladys & the Ice Burg, Moffat, Colo." This is a real photo postcard addressed on the other side to Miss Grace Roger, Rich Mountain, Ark., and postmarked Moffat, Colo., March 1, 1911. Message: "Moffat, Colo., March 1, 1911. Hello Girlie,You bet I recd your letter and answered it & am anxious for an answer. Want to hear the rest of that news you have for me. Does this look like spring. This is some of my own work. This is a water tank where the railroad engines get a drink. Say but I would enjoy a sweet breath from those fruit tree blossoms. There isn't such a thing in this desert. We are fine & dandy. Write soon you naughty girl. As ever, M." For a similar photo, see Frozen Water Tower .

See also the full version of this real photo postcard:

A disaster (fires, earthquakes, floods) photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Caption: "Trucks Aiding Marooned People at Main St., Johnstown Flood, 3-18-36." The Johnstown Flood of 1889 decimated the city of Johnstown, Pennsylvania , killed over 2,200 people, and--like the Chicago Fire and the San Francisco Earthquake--was sensationalized and documented in numerous books, songs, photos, and other media (see the Johnstown Flood Museum's article on <a href=" Remembering the Johnstown Flood " target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Remembering the Johnstown Flood for a brief discussion of the flood's impact on popular culture). While the failure of a dam was the culprit in the 1889 flood, heavy rains caused more flooding in Johnstown in 1936 and 1977 (about two dozen died in 1936 and eighty-five in 1977). This real photo postcard shows rescue efforts on March 18, 1936, the day after the flood began that year. Men and women stand awkwardly in the bed of a truck as it sloshes through the floodwaters on Main Street in Johnstown (mouse over the image above to see an enlarged view of the truck and its passengers ). Other details worth noting: the "Rothert's 'Furniture That Keeps Faith'" billboard down the street, the neon "Bus Depot" sign just behind and to the right of the rescue truck, and the "Arrow Furniture" van ("America's Finest Furniture") parked below the "Cambria Theatre" sign.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of disaster . The handwritten caption on the other side of this unused real photo postcard identifies it as the "Fred Duenow Barn." The Azo stamp box (with four corner triangles pointing up) on the back suggests a date that may be as early as 1904 to 1918. I haven't had any success in uncovering any information about Fred Duenow, the location of his barn, or what windstorm or tornado might have destroyed it. I also can't figure out why more than 50 men, women, and children are sitting and standing in front and on top of the remains of the barn to pose for a photo. Some of the men standing on the barn are dressed in overalls, so perhaps they're getting ready to start work on taking apart what's left of the barn. The other men and women, however, are wearing suits and dresses more appropriate for a picnic than a work crew. For better views of the group, see cropped versions of the left side and right side of the photo.

A cars and trucks photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. This is a real photo postcard addressed on the other side to Mr. Sam Ekey, Warren, Pa., R.D. #4, and postmarked in Warren, Pa., on March 31, 1913. Handwritten message: "Warren, Pa., 3/30, 1913. Dear Brother, Wm. Kopf would like to have his posts Saturday. If you need the money take it, 12½¢ each. Frank needs about 10 7 fts. Maybe we can give Henderson his and give Frank Henderson's from last year [meaning, as far as I can understand, that "Henderson" is going to get the fence posts originally intended for "Frank," and Frank is going to receive his ten seven-foot fence posts from among the ones that they prepared for Henderson last year]. Everything OK. Norman has the mumps. He is at home on the farm. E.E." It's likely that "E.E." was Emil Ekey (1886-1976), who was writing to older brother, Sam Ekey (1881-1965). "Frank" may have been Frank A. Ekey (1868-1959), another brother. A quick search didn't yield any information regarding the other individuals--William Kopf, Henderson, and Norman--that Emil mentions. The flooded street was the result of the Great Flood of 1913 , which "occurred between March 23 and March 26, after major rivers in the central and eastern United States flooded from runoff and several days of heavy rain." I assume that the photo shows a street in Warren , which is located in northeastern Pennsylvania at the confluence of the Allegheny River and Conewango Creek. The license plate on the car in the photo is no. "23801, Penna., 1913," and the man in the driver's seat is looking back at the photographer. Beyond the automobile there are three people--one of them only visible through the vehicle's windshield--wading through the floodwaters. To the left of the threesome is a mailbox stranded by the water, and to its left are two individuals standing in the doorway of a building. A mailman wearing waders and holding a mailbag is standing in the water on the right-hand side of the photo. Perhaps he was headed over to the mailbox to collect the mail. Emil didn't mention the flood in the note he wrote to his brother. I wonder if either of them knew any of the people in the photo. It would also be interesting to know who the photographer was.

I spotted this store display of Punxsutawney Phil groundhogs rendered in solid milk chocolate at a Gardners Candies store in State College, Pennsylvania, last year. I'm pleased to report today on Groundhog Day , February 2, 2019, that the esteemed rodent has predicted an early spring this year. Despite CNN's cynicism—see Groundhog predicts an early spring. Don't get too excited, he's usually wrong —I'm optimistic that the long national nightmare of last week's polar vortex is finally over.

The Colerain Township, Pa. Web site describes the Slumbering Groundhog Lodge of Quarryville, Pennsylvania, as a club whose members "throw away worries, cares, and woes and have a good laugh at themselves." This is obvious when you take a look at the back the lodge's 1963 program (above), where comical job titles--like Director of Groundhog Dietetics and Impresario of Groundhog Music--are listed for each member. See below for the entire list of "Lodge Titles and Assignments." For additional information about the Slumbering Groundhog Lodge, see an enlargement of the groundhog illustration on the front cover of the 1963 program , the full front cover of the program , and the lodge's 1921 Groundhog Day menu . Lodge Titles and Assignments Prefect of Progeny Surgeon-General and Secretary of Internal Affairs Ear and Radar Technician Potentate Exalted Consultant for Whistle Pigs and Whistle Stops Sunsighter Lecturing Patriarch Defender of the Right of Eminent Domain Prefect of Slumber Watchman by Night Able Sleuth and Locator of Holes Pedagogical Prophet Director of Groundhog Diatetics Assistant Eye Rubber Senior Official Greeter Duke of the Ducats Chief of Secret Service Ambassador Plenipotentiary Director-General of Communications Topographical Engineer Patriarch of Enlightenment Impresario of Groundhog Music Agricultural Representative with Rank of Prophet Clipper de Pate-De Luxe Chief Oiler and Lubricator Specialist in Chronometer Synchronization Doctor of Pow But Not Wow Enlightener DeLuxe Peer of Penumbra Nabob of the Basket Thrice Venerable Patriarch Coordinator of Shadows Maestro of Melodious Music Inspector of Incisors and Bicuspids Director of Groundhog Migration Reguis Professor of Arctomancy Grand Inquisitor Director of Gastronomic and Nutritional Research Patriarch of Degrees Operator Operandi Watchman by Day Junior Official Greeter Inspirational Patriarch Patriarch DeLuxe Ambassador without Stipulated Designation Consultant for Hole Improvements Chief Eye Rubber Councilor for Insurance and Assurance Bailiff of the Bailiwick Lord Chief Justice of Groundhog Jurisdiction Venerable Patriarch Greeter of Distinguished and Extinguished Guests Maestro Strummer of Strings Guardian of the Clover Ambassadorial Patriarch Junior Patriarch Welder of Fraternalism Grand Shillalah and Shamrock Commodore of Seafarers and Safaris Grand Actuary of Action and Reaction Chief Surveyor of Holes Grand Scribe of Scribble and Script Lord High Executioner

The top section of the front cover of this Groundhog Day program from 1963 grandly announces, "The Fifty-Fifth Annual Observance of Groundhog Day, Saturday, February 2, 1963, in the 187th year of the Independence of the United States of America, by the Slumbering Groundhog Lodge of Quarryville in Lancaster County, the Garden Spot of America, likewise in the State of Pennsylvania and the United States of America." The middle section of the cover contains a list of past members of the lodge, while the bottom part advises current members to await the pronouncement of Octoraro Orphie, their Weather Prophet: "Let us sit by the side of the Groundhog hole and wait for the Prophet who knows, who can tell when the winter is over and gone and done with its ice and its snows. Why should we hark to the siren call of those of a spurious clan! Let us sit by the side of a Groundhog hole and wait for the Prophet who can." For additional information about the Slumbering Groundhog Lodge, see an enlargement of the groundhog illustration on the front cover of this 1963 program , the back cover of the program , and the lodge's 1921 Groundhog Day menu .

"The Fifty-Fifth Annual Observance of Groundhog Day, Saturday, February 2, 1963, in the 187th year of the Independence of the United States of America, by the Slumbering Groundhog Lodge of Quarryville in Lancaster County, the Garden Spot of America, likewise in the State of Pennsylvania and the United States of America." This is an enlargement of the groundhog illustration on the front cover of the Slumbering Groundhog Lodge's program for its 1963 celebration. The lodge members call upon their own groundhog, Octoraro Orphie, to forecast the weather in Quarryille , Pennsylvania, each year on Groundhog Day , which occurs on February 2. (Farther west in Pennsylvania, another group, the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, relies upon a different groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil , to predict the weather in Punxsutawney , Pennsylvania.) The Colerain Township, Pa. Web site (viewed in 2015 but no longer available in 2017) describes the Slumbering Groundhog Lodge this way: "The Slumbering Groundhog Lodge of Quarryville, Pennsylvania was founded on Groundhog Day, February 2, 1908, by George W. Hensel, Jr. The big boss is a fuzzy buck-toothed creature named 'Orphie' and he has the unique ability to forecast an early or late spring with the help of his shadow. Honorary members of the lodge include Sir Winston Churchill, Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and J. Edgar Hoover. The purpose of the club is for members to throw away worries, cares, and woes and have a good laugh at themselves." For more information, see the full front cover of this 1963 program , the back cover , and the lodge's 1921 Groundhog Day menu .

This "Mule Barometer" joke (sometimes also called a "Burrometer") has a long history and has appeared in many different printed versions (often with a more dramatic condition like "If tail is gone--Tornado" as the punchline). Although it's frequently published as a postcard, this example is actually an advertising card printed for the Central Brass Manufacturing Company, which has been in existence since 1895 and still continues to manufacture brass faucets and fixtures. Today, the Mule Barometer gag regularly reappears as a " weather rock ," which is--as Wikipedia interprets it--"a humor display that pokes fun at the intricate technology used in modern weather forecasts, as well as the fact that their accuracy is less than perfect. A rock is typically hung from a tripod and accompanied by a sign indicating how to read it." -------- Mule Barometer Directions: Hang outside. If tail is dry--Fair. If tail is wet--Rain If tail is swinging--Windy. If tail is wet and swinging--Stormy. If tail is frozen--Cold. Further information upon request. There is no kick coming to those who use the highest grade brass goods for plumbing and water works made by the Central Brass Mfg. Co.

A real photo postcard, possibly from York, Pa. Date unknown.

A real photo postcard. Date and location unknown.

A weather photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park . Handwritten on the back of this real photo postcard: "This picture was taken right after it stopped hailing on Sunday, May 2nd, 1920. Some hail believe me." Although there's no postmark or notation to identify where this photo was taken, it seems likely that the hail pictured here was the result of the same weather system that produced the tornado that devastated the small town of Peggs, Oklahoma , on May 2, 1920. The twister hit Peggs around 8:30 p.m., destroyed most of the town's buildings, killed 71 people, and injured about a hundred more. The National Weather Service still ranks the tornado as the third deadliest in Oklahoma since 1882 .

Menu from page 3 of the program for the "Fourteenth Annual Watch and Wait of the Slumbering Ground Hog Lodge of Quarryville, in Pennsylvania," February 2, 1921 (see below for a transcription of the text). For additional information about the Slumbering Groundhog Lodge, see an enlargement of the groundhog illustration on the front cover of the program for the lodge's 1963 celebration, the full front cover of the program , and the back cover of the program . Ground Hog Day, Nineteen Twenty-One Ground Hog Feast Hotel Weber, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in the Garden Spot of America. To sleep or not to sleep? That is the question. Whether 'tis weather-wise thus to suffer The stings and arrows of a Borean Winter, Or, by retreating to a cozy corner, burrow, and end them, To sleep, to hibernate and by a six-week nap To say we end the backache and the rheumatism And the hundred ills woodchucks are heir to, To hibernate! To sleep! Perchance to dream-- Aye, there's the rub! For in that death-like sleep What dreams may come, eke make me suck my paws, For who would prophesy and shake and shiver In an advancing cold wave and storm When he at once might rest and comfort take By getting in out of the wet. Menu Celery, Olives, Oysters on the Half Shelf, Vegetable Soup Stuffed Turkey, grown in Colerain Township Turkey Giblet Sauce Mashed Potatoes, raised in East Drumore Candied Sweet Potatoes, product of Beggar Row Cranberry Sauce, as sassy as can be made Quarryville Peas Salads, a la Eden Township Ice Cream, frozen in Lancaster Cakes Coffee, direct from Brazil, grown especially for ground hogs

"Punxsutawny Beef and Provision Company, Punxsutawny, Penna., packers-manufacturers, beef, pork, veal, lambs, and provisions. H. A. Philliber, general manager. John F. Philliber, business manager. Groundhog Brand hams, bacon, and lard. Weather for today. Date: 11/4/29. Forwarded by: Truck." Punxsutawney , Pennsylvania, is home to Punxsutawney Phil , the famous rodent who predicts the weather each year on Groundhog Day , which is celebrated on February 2. The Punxsutawney Beef and Provision Company used an illustration of its hometown groundhog--complete with an umbrella and "Weather for Today" newspaper report--as the logo on this 1929 billhead. For an example of the company's logo on a matchbook cover, see Groundhog Brand Pure Kettle-Rendered Lard .

Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, is home to Punxsutawney Phil , the famous rodent who predicts the weather on Groundhog Day , which is celebrated each year on February 2. It's not surprising, then, that the Punxsutawney Beef and Provision Company used a Groundhog Day-themed logo. Notice that the groundhog on the matchbook cover is holding an umbrella and a newspaper with a "Weather For Today" headline. -------- "Pure kettle-rendered lard, Punxsutaweny Beef and Provision Company, Punxsutawney, Pa. Weather For Today. Close cover before striking." "Groundhog Brand ham, bacon, lard, and sausages. Punxsutawney, Pa. Punxsutawney Beef and Provision Company, packers-manufacturers, beef, pork, veal, lambs, provisions. Lion Match, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa."

Notice! On account of bad weather and roads the New Year's Party at Hotel Curtis, Barnes Corners, N.Y., was postponed until Friday evening, Jan. 10th, 1896. All are cordially invited to attend. G. S. Curtis, prop'r.