October 26, 2008 - Trunk or Treat

Jason, one of Spencer's

daddies, took this shot

of Spencer and me

at church today just

prior to our annual

Trunk or Treat celebration.

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We dragons stick together!

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October 18, 2008 - Pumpkins & a Cave

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Bob Dudics and I decided we would

attend the Circleville Pumpkin Festival.

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Commissioned for the 100th anniversary

of the Pumpkin Festival, this painting

on the side of an old building is amazing!

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I've seen pictures of the one in

Bucyrus (byou-SIE-rus), OH,

but I had never witnessed one

in person. The 3-D quality cannot

be fully appreciated in a two-

dimensional medium.

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Most of the arts and crafts were as

one would expect--chessy and a bit

mundane. This exhibit, however,

took my breath away!

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The artist grew up in Circleville. After

high school, he attended Columbus

College of Art and Design, where he

learned the art of glass-blowing.

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After moving to Seattle, WA, he

decided to put his past and present

lives together in these fantastic

one-of-a kind creations.

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I didn't meet Gus, but I certainly

appreciate his art as well.

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It's hard to capture just how big

this pumpkin is or the fact that

it's REAL! Notice the detail of

the carving as well as the painting.

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I asked permission of a lady to
take this shot of her dog.
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Ah, pumpkins!
So this is why they call it the
Pumpkin Festival!
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Hundreds and hundreds
of varieties!
I thought this warty one
was cool for Halloween.
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And the winner of this year's
heavy-weight division, coming
in at a whopping 1375 1/2 pounds!
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Sights around town...
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Okay, so I decided I had to

sample some kind of food!

What would be your choice?

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Bob tried the pumpkin coffee

and liked it very much.

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And my choice...pumpkin

cream elephant ear!

Scrumptious!

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Bob and I had some extra time

on our hands after the festival

and decided to go to Hocking

Hills for a hike. Little did we know

that the entire state's population

had come up with the same idea!

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Usually, my outdoor photos turn

out well, but I deleted half of these.

Perhaps I was trying to take the

shots too quickly to avoid the crowds.

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Although the roots are almost

completely out of the ground,

the tree is still remarkably alive!

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Our destination...Old Man's Cave!

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Creekside with Laura - October 4, 2008

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Wesley Williams and I went to Gahanna

last Saturday morning for the

Herb Society Festival. We even

ventured into the nearby area called

Creekside Park, which was stunning.

Although we had a wonderful time,

I had forgotten my camera.

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Later that day I met my friend

Laura Dachenbach in Downtown

Gahanna for supper.

This time I remembered my camera...

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Gahanna is blessed to have two bodies of

water that flow through its quaint city--

the Big Walnut and Rocky Fork creeks.

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The creek that meanders through

Creekside Park is the Big Walnut.

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It's certainly hard to imagine that

interstates 270 and 670 are only a

mile or so from this pristine area.

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A few years ago Gahanna decided to

take advantage of the Big Walnut's

traveling through its downtown.

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Creekside Park was the vision.

Having seen a similar marrying of

urban with rural in a large Texas

municipality, Gahanna's leaders

saw an opportunity to capitalize

in the same manner.

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Although it became too dark for me

to take pictures illustrating the design,

a "ditch" was carved on the downtown

side of Big Walnut. At the end of this

ditch, a beautiful waterfall was created.

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A pump was then installed underground,

connecting the Big Walnut to this

alternate path. The creek reconnects

at the waterfall.

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Above is a shot of Laura--

a church friend, a lovely

soprano, and a fellow teacher.

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Perhaps from the shot below,

you can see the storefronts

that flank the waterway here.

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A special thanks to Laura for sending

me some of her photos of the day, too!

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Okay, I don't mean to be sacreligious,

but doesn't that look like a dove

lighting on my head?!?

"This is my beloved son,

in whom I am well pleased."

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The creek path winds up here in the

urban plaza. We ate at Buck Mulligan's.

If you get a chance to see this little

project, don't miss the opportunity!

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