Vintage Tractors at the Threshermen's Show | Federalsburg, Maryland

In August 2015 we visited the Eastern Shore Threshermen's Association show held annually in Federalsburg, Maryland. What was advertised on the flyer were steam engines, tractors and farm equipment of all kinds, but that certainly did not prepare us for the size and scale of this event. Hundreds of pieces of history, farming generations, vintage machinery, vehicles and displays stretched out in front of us for what seemed to be miles.



The show runs for several days and is truly an "experience", having been part of the community for over fifty years. On Friday and Saturday night they host live entertainment along with church services on Sunday morning and this would be a wonderful activity for the entire family to enjoy. Here are a few examples of what you may see while at the event....

---

This gentleman with the antique car you'll see in the next photos was such a treasure to meet. Not only had he been attending the show for almost five decades but he had a wonderful collection of items representing his years of being part of the show.

Dash plaques from the many years of attendance at the event, which also features a few cars and vintage vehicles.

Four Wheels and Space for a lot of Groceries | Meet the Shopper Chopper

Billed as "The World's only STREET-LEGAL shopping cart", it swivels heads and draws an obscene amount of attention everywhere it goes. These are some photos I took of the Shopper Chopper Giant Shopping Cart during it's visit to Ocean City, Maryland in 2015. Since I'm at sort of a loss to describe it I stole their FAQ from the website: "The Shopper Chopper is a nine-foot-tall small-block-Chevy-powered, STREET-LEGAL attention-grabbing giant shopping cart. From the rumble of the 350 cubic-inch engine to the 600+ LED lights, the Shopper Chopper attracts a crowd wherever it goes. Explore the site to learn more about the cart and how you can have it at your event."



"The Shopper Chopper can bring lots of attention to your brand". We would have to agree with that statement from their website.



A big cart needs big wheels.....



To drive around in a giant shopping cart you need a really cool stereo system. Find photos and videos here



Size comparison to a Ford Mustang. Remember...GIANT cart.



The view from above.....



What you see, often, when traveling in the Shopper Chopper; looks of disbelief and astonishment.



8' tall may not SOUND like a huge vehicle, but IT IS!



Passing a car show in town I think the cart upstaged the hot rods pretty quickly.



What fun to be able to look DOWN at everyone.



The view of normal, ordinary folks below, crammed into their ordinary cars, ha ha.

Hot rods at the Ocean City Convention Center (ground level of course).



It's not all fun and games, however......



.....there are questions.



And inquiries.



Fortunately, Cal, the owner of this creation is pretty used to that!



Read more about the signage and advertising for this exceptional artwork on wheels.



This shows various layout options for signage when the vehicle is used for publicity and events.



Check out the specs on the website at www.ShopperChopper.com

Follow the #shopperchopper on Facebook too!



And now on Instagram also










Altered Art is a different perspective......

Trucks of the Dagsboro Fire Department by Altered Art | Part III

The next vehicles from the Dagsboro Fire Department in this post include two smaller pieces of equipment and then a super-sized one. As is common with most fire departments I'd image, the level at which these vehicles are maintained seems to lead to them rarely showing their age. Thus I proceeded to take far more photos of the older one, which some folks may consider pretty low-level on the scale of importance. Sometimes certain pieces seem to just have more character and perhaps they just like having their picture taken once again. (smile)

The first one is this 1991 Chevrolet Brush Truck, used for covering all types of terrain. Seeing as how we have plenty of that nearby, I'm sure this vehicle makes it out on plenty of calls. As noted above, it's pretty good-looking for it's age.

The Dagsboro Volunteer Fire Company by Altered Art | Part II

Located in southern Sussex County, the Dagsboro Volunteer Fire Company was established in 1943. A real bonus on this photo shoot was learning that both of their previous locations were close by - and able to be photographed, giving me a look into the process of growth throughout their history. Check out the first blog post for the department here.

This post includes images of the interior and exterior of the fire station.

The Dagsboro Volunteer Fire Company by Altered Art | Part I

On Saturday I walked into a fire station in southern Delaware for the first time. Station 73 is beautifully new and modern and spacious, but part of me wanted to know where it all started. This blog post is an introduction to the fire company and the first few photos I took showing their history.

From their website here is some background:

"The Dagsboro Volunteer Fire Company was established in 1943, operating 2 engine companies out of a two bay/two story brick fire house located on Clayton Avenue, just west of Main Street. Prior to this, emergencies in the area were handled by the Frankford or Millsboro Vol. Fire Companies. The original fire house still stands but has been renovated for use by the Bethel United Methodist Church. A new station was built in 1963 on Waples Street as the calls for emergency services grew. We are still in that building and have grown to include the vehicles seen on our apparatus page. Our membership has also grown to include an Auxiliary side and EMS members and employees."

Note: in 2013 the new building was completed, following a four year planning process. It's breath-taking and I'm pretty sure I mentioned "Taj Mahal" several times while getting the tour. What I really loved about this visit was that both previous locations were close by so I was able to go and take pictures of them as well.

The original brick fire house located on Clayton Avenue

This building was used from the beginning of the department in 1943 until 1963

 

The second station was built in 1963, located on Waples Street (almost behind the Clayton Theatre)

These photos were taken outside of the current location on Clayton Street, which sits just a block from the first building where the fire department began in 1943. As Bryan Townsend who gave me the tour said, "We've almost come full circle from where we began".

 

 

View my complete album on Flickr here.
Visit their website and check out their Facebook page.

My pictures are available for purchase several ways. By email: a high-quality photo can be sent electronically which allows you to print it or take to a copy shop where they can create any size photo. Any image is also available as an 8" x 10": printed and sent to you via Priority Mail. Please feel free to visit my Facebook page and message with any questions, and thank you for your interest.

"Altered Art is a different perspective of color and contrast"