Here's one of the things I love about photography -- it gets me interested in things I might not otherwise notice. 

Case in point, a few days ago, I was wandering around the Olympic Peninsula here in Washington State, when I came across this gorgeous old red truck that positively glowed in the afternoon light.

I normally couldn't give a flying fig about any kind of truck or car -- VW Beetles excepted! -- but after I took these pics, I wanted to learn a bit more.  

Turns out it's an International Harvester -- check out the interlocked I and H logo -- that dates back to the early and mid-50s.

It's part of the R series -- whatever that means -- but it was actually a fire truck used by the US Navy before being sold, most likely to a small rural town for fire protection.

None of which I ever would have learned if not for my interest in photography!