If you grew up in a coal town you probably had a red dog road nearby or even a driveway made from the leftover waste of a nearby coal mine. The material, left over from the waste coal piles, (known in this area as bony piles) made an excellent road material. This photo was taken on Aultman's Run Road, one of the best red dog roads remaining in Indiana County.
The Ghost Town Trail has many interesting rock formations over its route. Sometimes the changes to the rock strata take many years, but in other cases the changes can be swift, as in this rock slide that recently occurred. Freezing and thawing temperatures caused this large sandstone slab to break away from the hillside.
A flock of birds receives a holiday treat of crushed peanut kernels. The chickadees, tufted titmice and nuthatches at Blue Spruce Park will readily accept offers of bird seed. This year's contingent consists of about 15 birds in the flock. We know from observations that some of the birds have been in the flock for the past two years.
