Cool photos

We have a volunteer fire department here in Westlock, as do a lot of small communities in the area. They work hard and deserve credit for giving up their free time to help out when needed.

For a news photographer the thing about volunteer firefighters is they don't get to the fire as quick. Which means sometimes I hear the fire call on my scanner and get there first. Our fire chief got to this one first, but he goes in a pick-up truck and arrives on scene to decide exactly what is needed. (How many trucks etc.)It makes for the opportunity for better photos.
In this case the building was an abandoned storage shed and nobody was hurt.

Where did I go? Oh there I am!

Ok,

I know I disappeared for a while, but to make up for it . . . Adorable photo. We ran this as cover a few weeks back and I have received more comments, calls and questions about it than anything I have done since I got here.



Okay this is the other thing I have ben meaning to show you all. Every town in the prairies has something to set itself apart. Westlock up until a little why ago was home to the world record harvest. Essentially, they got a couple dozen combines and speed-harvested a field. The whole thing raised awareness for the Canadian Foodgrains bank that sends grain to Africa.
Then Winkler, Manitoba decided to get smart. This summer they broke Westlock's record, but in fairness they did it for a good reason as well and the people of Westlock took it in stride.

Officially plans were well underway long before Winkler decided to break the record, but I think there was a plan to give Westlock a new claim to fame.

And so, the Canadian Tractor Museum, which is also here in town decided to build this. It is a antique tractor mounted on a 60-70 foot pole with all the trimmings of a weathervane, or, as I like to call it "The World's Largest Tractor-Shaped Weathervane." (I am trying to get the town to recognize it and by that I mean badgering my co-workers with the idea of starting a campaign in the paper, so far to little success.)

Here is the crazy thing, it works. The slightest wind blows and it moves and changes direction. It is actually really impressive. They got some kind of a bearing and people who know things about machining things and they did it.