Bob's New Life in Columbus

May 30, 2009 - Part 1: Pickerington Ponds

2011-04-11T20:18:00.076-04:00

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GOSH! Who knew it would be

20 months from my last post until

this one--and almost two years

since I made these photos?!?

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I suppose it's time to give

Pickerington Ponds Metro Park

a fair shake.

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If you know me very well,

you know I'm am not a fan

of sitting water. Ponds,

lakes, dams, mud puddles...BORING!

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Having said that, this

trip had a few nice

surprises and one

wretched surprise!

The white butterfies (moths?)

at the beginning of my hike

were one of the highlights.

In my memory

there were hundreds;

in reality, there

were likely dozens. :)

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I did capture some shots

of barns, like the one above.

I'm not a huge barn fan,

but my buddy Rufus is.

This hike is dedicated to you, my friend.

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I do like all of the little

features that make each

of our metro parks unique.

Even though this water

appears not to be running

(see my first comments above),

the bridge is cool.

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This white-flowered wild bush

was stunning. I'm not sure

what it actually is.

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I looked above me as I was

walking and saw what I thought

might be a beehive.

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It was a buzzard!

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Can you find the dragonfly

in the shot below?

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These blue herons are nesting in the dead

trees in the midst of the ponds.

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I think this grass was my

happiest moment all day.

The photo doesn't capture

the graceful shimmer and

flow of the seed heads

in the wind. It was so beautiful...

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Here lies...I dunno.

Obviously, this is an old

family grave plot.

A fence protects

its borders.

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See the swan?

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This cardinal darted playfully.

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It's at this point in the trip

that I have my worst moments.

I was attacked incessantly

by deer flies. These pests

are larger versions of house

flies but bite like horse flies!

This trip taught me to pack

AND USE insect repellent

when I hike this late in the year.

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Did you notice the blimp

in the shot above?

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Running water saves the

trip from the deer-fly

situation!

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I wish I had been smart enough

to provide a frame of reference

for this "dandelion" blossom.

It was literally

the size of a baseball!

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Wild orchids!

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A WHITE heron seems to own

this spot in the pond.

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These murals were created

by local school children.

They decorate the exterior

of the public restrooms.

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These kids are now adults, of course.

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May 30, 2009 - Part 2: Chestnut Ridge

2009-08-23T20:20:00.040-04:00

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As I was driving from Pickerington Ponds

to Chestnut Ridge Metro Park,

I discovered this house and yard at the

corner of Wright Road/West Columbus

Street and Diley Road in Pickerington.

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I determined that I would have to cross

Diley to get a better look!

(All of these photos were taken from my car.)

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It was as I had suspected:

there were THOUSANDS of dianthus flowers!

My grandmother used to grow these,

and each spring around Memorial Day,

we would take Ball jars and make tiny

bouquets of dianthus for the

gravestones of members of her

family who had passed away.

(We purchased sprays for her mother,

father and step-mother, but we couldn't

afford to supply bought flowers for

everyone that she wanted to

pay respects so we made

dianthus bouquets for them.)

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The traffic was quite heavy so I knew

why the city was having to improve the

streets with widening, but I was

saddened that whoever lives here

must have sacrificed hundreds of

plants to Pickerington's right-of-way.

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As I grew closer to my destination,

there were some lovely country homes

nestled in the first hills below

Chesnut Ridge.

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Chestnut Ridge...

This ridge is the first hill in Southeastern

Ohio's Appalachian Range.

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I was already high on the ridge when
I heard a rat-a-tat-tatting just to my right.
This tree, the roots of which are much
lower down the hill, had a visitor
trying to give himself a headache.
Can you find the woodpecker?
(You may have to click on the image
for a larger view of the photo.)
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I was disappointed that it wasn't a clear day;
nonetheless, there is the city of Columbus
in the distance. If I'm not mistaken,
the skyscaper on the extreme left of the
skyline is within a half-mile of where I live.
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This quotation is from a book called
Idle Weeds. (Read the subsequent
image's information for an explanation.)
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These are the maples he was referencing.
I hope to see them again this autumn...
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It's just a weed of some sort, but look
at the leaves on that thing!
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Isn't this pastoral?
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The city is reintroducing native wildflowers
to the landscape. Warnings of dire consequences
should someone pick these greet guests.
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The shot above shows a small stand of the
wildflowers. Below is a single bloom up close.
(Well, there is a second bloom in the background.)
The next photo after this one shows the
wildflowers in their natural setting.
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A pretty weed...

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A little creeks winds through the park.

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FINALLY!

Last year I discovered trees at another

metropark that had thorns all over

the trunks and branches.

I had no clue until now what they were.

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Another little creek...

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Nice blossoms...

(I have no clue what plant species this is.)

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Another view into the foothills...

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This is another wildflower that is being

reintroduced to the park--yarrow.

Some people call it achillea. It is a

medicinal herb.

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Facing southeast, we can see the valley below.

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A family lived up here for some time.

It is my understanding that they deeded

the property to the city for this park.

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Here is part of the home's foundation.

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The family introduced these trees to the ridge.

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The family loved to garden,

and remants of their landscaping

efforts still remain.

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As I head back to the car,

I spy a stand of yarrow.

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The lake near the car is nothing to write

home about. (...so why am I doing so?)

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But you know how anal retentive I am:

I don't want to miss anything!

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Sort of swampy...yuck...

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Well, other than the confounded

deer flies at Pickerington Ponds,

today was very nice. It was good to

end the journey here on

the ridge...

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Mammoth Cave Trip - May 22-25, 2009

2009-08-21T20:06:00.090-04:00

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My friend Johnny from Tupelo, MS, met

me in Mammoth Cave, KY, on

Memorial Day Weekend.

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One of the places that we felt we had to

experience was the Wigwam Motel #2.

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I will henceforth call it our "hellhole away

from home"! What a horrible place to

stay--mold, mildew, roaches...

What were we thinking! This was by far

the worst part of the trip!

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Johnny actually took photos of the

inside of our wigwam: I want my

memories to die rather than relive them.

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After finally sleeping a little bit,

we headed to the national park

on Saturday morning. I was

SOOOOOOOOOOO

happy to be out of the wigwam!

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I made a ton of photos inside the caves,
but the lighting was so poor that
I only escaped with the two that follow
even though we experienced the
Mammoth Passage Tour,
the Snowball Tour and the New Entrance Tour.
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The caves were, of course, spectacular!
Quite unlike any other cave I've ever
experienced and much more expansive!
The photos above and below show
what's left of the gypsum within the caves.
Early explorers removed vast quantities.
The gypsum that wasn't raped by
hand was tainted by the coal-oil
lanterns used by tour guides to
provide illumination for their tourists.
This gypsum should be snow white.
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At the end of the day, we had this sunset.
Too bad I have to go from here into
that terrible teepee...
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On Sunday morning, Mother Nature
decided to send us some rain.
Johnny decided to sleep in,
but all I could think about were the
million other places I'd rather be
than that wigwam. I decided
to take an early morning hike
at the park and meet up with
Johnny later in the day.
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The deer above and the tulip tree blossom
below were two of the things that
greeted me when I arrived at the park.
(Now isn't this better than sharing a
bed with cockroaches?!?)
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Because of the drizzly weather,
several of my photos didn't turn out.
(The photos are not as crisp in low lighting.)
Even some of the shots below are
not great photographs, but they are good
ways to rekindle memories.
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I loved seeing this mountain laurel.
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I don't know what these weeds are,
but they provided some stark white
to the greens and browns.
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This snail was one of the best parts
of my trip. I almost stepped on him
as he was crossing the path.
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I determined to take this trail near
the visitor's center.
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I have dubbed this photo "Sacrifice."
One tree fell into another.
As a result, the second tree died,
but the one who lost his footing
survived. Reminds me of
me and Jesus...
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This was my first view of the
Green River, the body of water
responsible for Mammoth Cave.
I love the way the mist gathered
around the knobs.
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This tree is unusual. It looks perched
on this boulder, but its roots
actually run laterally back into
the hillside.
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I spied this faint pink wild rose
growing off the trail.
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Finally, I met back up with Johnny,

and we had breakfast at this

little diner in Cave City.

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He and I went back to the park

and set out on another excursion.

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These ferns are incredible!

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This trail took us to the banks

of the Green River.

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Some of the photos below show

spots where the water escapes from

the cave system through springs.

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I don't know what this is, but

the yellow was such a stark contrast

to the deep green.

I love this photo.

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Another spotting of deer...

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Our best viewing was a little later

in the day when we saw a doe and

two of her fawn skip across the trail,

but I didn't have my camera ready

for that shot...

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Johnny spied this bird in the bushes,

a very rare indigo bunting.

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The hills in this part of Kentucky are

called knobs while, due to the

incalculable number of caves underground,

this hole is called a sink.

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Another spring from the cave

system feeding the Green River...

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We came to Green River ferry crossing

and turned back toward park headquarters.

We will cross this later today.

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Back on the trail, these

cool boulders show off

their mossy haircuts.

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This tiny plant is about

the size of my hand.

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It grows to about 5 1/2 feet in height...

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....and then blooms!

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Don't ask me: I don't know.

But isn't it beautiful!?!

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I think this photo is a great

example of overcoming huge

obstacles in our path.

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Johnny heads up to explore

this opening...

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Another sink...

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A view back down into the valley

of the Green River...

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Back in my car,

we're heading deeper into

the park and around it.

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Utilizing the ferry...

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We decided that, since many of the trails

in the park system (other than the ones

near the park headquarters) were horse

trails that we would check out some

places that didn't require us to

watch our step for manure.

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This is the Nolan River Dam area.

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I must admit that, while I can

appreciate man's ingenuity,

I don't like its distraction

from God's creation.

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Wow! A may-apple!

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Johnny and I had a great Sunday buffet

in a little town called Brownsville.

Just as country as Mississippi!

As you can imagine, the food

was fattening and delicious!

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We made one final stop at

Sloan's Crossing Pond Walk.

With a little shower of rain,

the scenery was breathtaking!

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Slipping out of the park proper,

we found this weird ruins

in Park City, I think...

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There were many other

wonderful adventures that weren't

captured on film.

I suppose I'll just have to use

my memory to enjoy them...

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May 17, 2009 - Three Creeks with Laura

2009-07-22T19:38:00.048-04:00

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One of the Columbus metroparks

that I had yet to hike was

Three Creeks. It's an area of the

city where three streams flow

together at the same exact spot.

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We began our hike on the Bluebell

Trail, walking just south of

Blacklick Creek.

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Just ahead, the Blacklick joins
Alum and Big Walnut creeks.
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A couple of fisherman try their
luck at the spot where the
bodies of waters meet.
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I'm not sure I was fortunate enough
to photograph the intersection.
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This is another view of the fishermen.
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At this point, the Big Walnut
swallows the smaller creeks.
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Our next endeavor, the Alum Creek

Greenway Trail has a bridge that

crosses the Big Walnut.

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The smell of honeysuckle was

deliciously pungent!

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Looking southwest from the bridge,

the C & O Railroad bridge can

be seen in the distance.

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Glancing northwest,

the confluence merges

in the distance.

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Now this is my best photo ever!

I captured this hot man taking

photographs just like me!

Wait! It is me!!!

(Thanks, Laura...)

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The convergence may be a bit more

visible in this shot:

Alum Creek is the closest

body of water; the Big Walnut

is the middle stream;

the Blacklick wanders

in from the northeast.

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For the remainder of the day,

we will be following Alum Creek.
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The water is shallow and clear.

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The two trunks of this tree

seem to be trying to find their

way back to each other.

In reality, their attempt

fails by a few inches.

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What's this I spy!?!

Cottonwood dander!

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The water is so pretty.

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This grove of sycamores boasts

remarkable trees!

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Ahead is the

Interstate 270 overpass.

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For anyone native to this area,

click on the photo to see where this

photo was taken in relation

to the interstate's exit.

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Laura poses under the overpass.

(Yeah, she's short...sorry, Laura...)

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More evidence that the

cottonwood trees are in

seed dispersal mode.

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This is my final shot of Alum Creek.

If Laura and I had known that the trail--

though it continues for MILES--

never provides another view of this

creek, we would have stopped here.

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I spied a turtle sunning itself

on the banks of Heron Pond.

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This wetland was on the way back to the

car on the Alum Creek Greenway Trail.

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These caterpillars were EVERYWHERE!

I wonder what this one became later

in the summer...

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Thanks, Laura, for a lovely walk

and good fellowship...

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NE OH Spring Waterfall Tour - May 9, 2009 - Stops 1 & 2

2009-07-12T21:33:00.030-04:00

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This is a multi-part blog entry that

documents my trip to the Cleveland

area in early May, 2009.
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This is the first stop of my

spring waterfall tour.

Supposedly, there are two

falls down here:

Blue Hen and Buttermilk.

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What a fantastic day for a hike!

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These waterfalls are within

Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

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Just a wildflower...

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This is Blue Hen Falls.

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I think I like this landscape

shot better...

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Hmmmm...Where

is Buttermilk?

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The trail seemed to vanish into

the stream, and there's no path

leading away on the other side.

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I came back to Blue Hen

to grab a map from a bunch

of hikers and instead made

some friends!

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Members of the Church of the Good

Shepherd Hiking Group asked me

to join their search for Buttermilk.

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It's a good thing I agreed!

I never would have found

the waterfall without them!

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Yes, that's the trail between

the roots of that tree and

the drop into the creek!

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This is still the same creek.

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Ah, finally! The top
of Buttermilk!
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A side view...
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It's quite a little walk to the
base of the ravine.
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Wildflowers smile as we pass.
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It's much bigger than this
photo reveals. I'm guessing
it's at least 25 feet in height.
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Which do you prefer? The landscape
shot above or this vertical one?
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The church group asked if
I would help them get back
to their vehicles at Brandywine.
I had not planned to go to
Brandywine today, but I
was thrilled to help out and
to see Brandywine with more
water than when I had
seen it in the autumn of 2007.
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Such a majestic waterfall!
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Yes, there is much more water in the
headwaters than a year and a half ago.
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It's hard to believe, looking at it
from this side, that this little bit of
water can create anything of
significance.
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But...

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What do you think?

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I could stay here for hours,

but the day is wearing on,

and I still have two more

waterfalls to see today...

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NE OH Spring Waterfall Tour - May 9, 2009 - Stop 3

2009-07-12T16:10:00.039-04:00

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This is a multi-part blog entry that
documents my trip to the Cleveland
area in early May, 2009.

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This was another of those

hard-to-find treasures.

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The city didn't have clear

directions to the park,

but I prevailed!

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This waterfall is called

Great Falls. I'm excited!

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The sound of pounding water

fills the air.

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I saw this little flower on the

side of the trail and couldn't resist.

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A valley dogwood...

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I hope that's not it!

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This tunnel was created to filter

the stream under the railroad.

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This is a better shot of the railroad

tracks. Actually, the tracks

were closer to the water, but

it became "necessary" to build

more tracks. All of the dirt

under the railroad bridge

is BACKFILL!

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The water isn't as clean as

I had expected.

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Yikes! Lots of graffiti!

I refuse to give the artists

the satisfaction of appearing

on my blog!

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This is a closer view of the tunnel

created before the backfill was

added to created the above tracks.

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Pretty stream...

I hope the city begins to

take better care of this

natural resource.

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I love this tree's roots!

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The stream flows into

a tiny but deep channel.

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Nicely bloomed bush...
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We're getting closer to the falls!
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This is only half of the falls!
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Wow! It's hard to capture the
entire fall in this one photo!
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From above...
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I had to capture this tiny
waterfall dripping into the
creek just ahead of the
massive falls. He's not
ashamed of his size!
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This is the left side of the falls.
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And, of course, this is the
right side. (I'm too close to
capture both sides at once.)
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When the stream was diverted for a
mill years ago, this was the channel
that held the water going to the mill.
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This tunnel took the diversion
back to the creek.
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This is the opposite side
from above.
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This is even a closer shot
of the left falls.
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How's this for a shot of both?
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This is just above the falls.

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Doesn't it look tranquil?

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The bend before the plunge!

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The stream banks are lovely.

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Almost time to head to the hotel...

but I think I'll take a trip to

Bridal Veil while I'm close...

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NE OH Spring Waterfall Tour - May 9, 2009 - Stop 4

2009-07-12T15:25:00.021-04:00

-----
This is a multi-part blog entry that

documents my trip to the Cleveland

area in early May, 2009.
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This waterfall was not on my

list of must-sees when I started

my trip, but I was so near after

visiting Great Falls that I

couldn't help but make a stop!

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This little creek claims two

homes: the Greater Cuyahoga

Valley National Park and

Cleveland Metro parks.

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Although it was busier

than the first time I visited

in the fall of 2007,

I have to admit that that

spring beauty was

wonderful!

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It's been a long time since

dogwoods were blooming

in the South, but up here--

this close to the Snow Belt--

it's still blossom time!

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Be certain to click on the photos

for a clearer and closer view

of the environment.

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I'm nearing Bridal Veil Falls.

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Just over that hill...

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The cascades begin the first
part of Bridal Veil Falls.
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And...Voila!
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Having made its gentle dance
down the wet hill,
the stream winds its way
toward the Cuyahoga River.
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It's starting to get cloudy.

Looks like rain...I think I'll head
to the hotel in Mentor, OH.
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Awww...another dogwood...
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Gotta love 'em!
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Time to leave the serenity of this
setting for the chaos of the
interstate...Serenity begins
anew tomorrow morning...
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NE OH Spring Waterfall Tour - May 10, 2009 - Stops 5- 7

2009-07-12T13:45:00.025-04:00

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This is a multi-part blog entry that

documents my trip to the Cleveland

area in early May, 2009.

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I spent the night at a cheap and

somewhat scary hotel in Mentor, OH,

before starting the second leg of

my waterfall tour.

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I determined that I could not get this

close to Lake Erie (about 5 miles away)

without seeing the Great Lake.

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So as this COLD (38-degree) morning

began, I drove due north to

Overlook Beach Park.

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I can't say that I was highly impressed.

It looked like a lake.

What was I thinking it would look like?

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Well, the next spot on my list of

destinations did not disappoint!

I wanted to see Paine Falls in

Painesville, OH.

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There's not much to the park,

but the scenery was dynamite!

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I crossed the bridge in the background

to get to the park and to leave it.

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It was still windy and cold. I had

not planned well: I was wearing a

tee-shirt and shorts!

But the beauty of the falls

warmed my heart. Awww...

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The next spot on my tour was difficult

to discover. I almost gave up,

but I'm glad I didn't.

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http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=104628175802653014120.00046e85f7b7606fe4abf&ll=41.677399,-81.202526&spn=0.068594,0.109863&z=13

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On the Internet, it was called

Cascade Falls. What I didn't

realize was that the falls were a

series of cascades along a road

known as Cascade Road.

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If you live near enough to drive the short

route, it's definitely worth it during

the spring rain season.

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I took all of these photos from my car.

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You can find the drive by taking either

Exit 200 or Exit 205 from I-90

and traveling south.

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The drive was so quite and peaceful.

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Two creeks--the Big and the East--

make their trip along this valley.
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The creeks flow into the Grand River

before it empties into Lake Erie.

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Perhaps the following photos

display the waterfalls

I discovered comments about

on the Internet.

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Simply beautiful...

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NE OH Spring Waterfall Tour - May 10, 2009 - Stop 8a

2009-05-31T18:17:00.057-04:00

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This is a multi-part blog entry that
documents my trip to the Cleveland
area in early May, 2009.

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Since the morning's activities

took less time than I expected,

I determined I could drive to

the Holden Arboretum for a visit.

(This is my only non-waterfall

stop on the itinerary.)

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This place is a photographer's

and flower lover's paradise!

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In the gardens surrounding the

welcome center were several

nice specimens. Below is

fothergilla, I think...

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This columbine is something

I never saw growing in the South.

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Solomon's Seal
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I don't know what this purple

flower is, but I like it.
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Another beautiful columbine!
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I thought this next plant
was coreopsis,
but now I'm not so sure.
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This quince was full of
red flowers.
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This section of the arboretum

highlighted their viburnum

and lilac collections.

If you've ever wandered what

heaven smells like,

put these two scents together

in an area with blossom

upon blossom upon blossom...

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These peonies (pronounced

pee-OWN-ees in the South--HA!)

were still working their way

toward full bloom.

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The lilac blooms on this specimen

were massive!

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Daphne

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This flower had already bloomed,

but it's seed pod was so interesting

I had to get a shot.

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Lady's Mantel doesn't have

showy flowers, but it is

elegant in its own way.

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White and purple lilacs...

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Peony bloom...

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LOOK AT THIS LILAC

CLUSTER-BLOOM!

One cutting would perfume

an entire house!

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This flower looks so "springy."

Keep in mind that it's still

in the low 50s even though

the sun is shining brightly.

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I don't know what this is,

but I love it!

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Notice the clouds in the background, too!

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I took this photo of a plaque on

a park bench to show my friend

Ione Katz, who is an avid birder.

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Can you imagine a dogwood

being in full bloom in MAY!?!

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Another beautiful peony...

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This lilac bush was enormous!

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A tulip tree or a type of magnolia?

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Viburnum...

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The lotuses that bloom here

a little later in the year are

supposedly red, orange, and yellow.

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Not sure of this one either,

but click on the photo to

see the delicate cascade better...

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Aww! A gosling!

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WOW! GOSLINGS!

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Isn't this tree great!

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NE OH Spring Waterfall Tour - May 10, 2009 - Stop 8b

2009-05-29T18:20:00.068-04:00

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This is a multi-part blog entry that

documents my trip to the Cleveland

area in early May, 2009.

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I may have seen my last

viburnum and lilac of

this season. As I turned

to go to the Rhododendron

Garden, I spy a buckeye tree.

-----

Before heading south, I decide

to visit the Rockery.

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Some of these plants may look

rather normal for a garden,

but most are very rare species.

The one below is only found

twice in the entire state of Ohio.

-----

Yay! I found a may-apple blossom!

-----

These tiny irises only stood

a few inches from the ground.

-----

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Finally, I'm on my way to
the rhododendron collection.
But what did I just hear in the leaves?
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Click on the photo to see the
woodland creature I discovered
on this blustery day.
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I wish I had taken a shot of the
enormous gates that keep the
deer from eating the prized
rhododendrons. I thought I
had lost my way...like Dorothy
at the door of the
Wizard of Oz!
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Once inside, however, the
beauty unfolded.
-----
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I've seen primrose in little pots
at Kroger, but I've never seen
them growing in the wild.
-----
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I don't know what this is,
but the purple tops were lovely.
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AH! My first shot of a
rhododendron (of MANY!)...
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-----
Azaleas grow well in the South,
but rhododendrons (in the same
family, of course) do not grow
in the humidity of my home state.
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The above shot is one of my favorites.
-----

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I love this combination of
yellows, pinks and oranges.
(I think of a peach when I
see the colors together.)
-----
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Heath Pond
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Here is a different set of gates
to keep the deer out.
-----
-----
See the color on the hill
across the pond?
-----

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I've seen these scurrying around
all day. I didn't think I would
ever get a shot!
-----
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I never fail to look at this pink
specimen without thinking
of my grandmother Lorette
Reynolds. She would have been
so happy: pink was her favorite color.
-----
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At first, this movement in the
pond was a bit unnerving.
Later, I realized the fish
were feeding on the algae.
-----

-----

I bet my friends down South

haven't seen these in bloom

for a few months!

-----

I think this one is an azalea.

-----

More primroses...

-----

I'm disappointed that I didn't

focus this shot well.

The deep purple petals and the

hot pink filaments, anthers,

stigmas and styles

were stunning!

-----

Love this color of pink!

Robust!

-----

A partial view of Hourglass Pond...

-----

The plant itself looks a

little worse for wear...

-----

....but look at the blooms! WOW!

-----

See the chipmunk?

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NE OH Spring Waterfall Tour - May 10, 2009 - Stop 8c

2009-05-21T19:26:00.058-04:00

-----
This is a multi-part blog entry that
documents my trip to the Cleveland
area in early May, 2009.
-----

Still in the rhododendron garden

of Holden Arboretum,

this little body of water is

called Oak Pond.

-----

I spy another goose family.

-----

See the goslings?

-----

This plant in the foreground is

called piersis.

-----

This tree fell in 2007.

The aboretum had a gentleman

make it into a work of art.

-----

This is my favorite color.

-----

I think of peaches when I see

the blossoms.

-----

This is Hour-Glass Pond.

-----

I've come back upon the goose clan.

-----

Although many of the

rhododendrons were blooming

(as you can see!),

this entire hillside is full

of rhododendron bushes.

I wonder what it looks

like in full bloom!

-----

Gotta come back here, too!

I only covered three miles of

the arboretum's more than

16 miles of trails!

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NE OH Spring Waterfall Tour - May 10, 2009 - Stops 9 and 10

2009-05-21T17:52:00.027-04:00

-----

This is a multi-part blog entry that

documents my trip to the Cleveland

area in early May, 2009.

-----

The eighth waterfall in this

two-day trip was Cataract Falls.

-----

Like the falls in Columbus,

this inner-city fall in Cleveland

shows signs of abuse.

As always, I have attempted

to celebrate nature and

not man's selfishness.

-----

Near the railroad tracks that were

above the falls were these signs.

-----

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This was such a large fall that I

failed to capture its full magni-

ficence this near to its rush.

-----

A little farther away,

the waterfall is breathtaking!

-----

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I thought this must be some
New Age saying or Native
American quote, but I
was wrong: the inscription
comes from Revelation 7:3.

(It was part of an outdoor

learning center.
-----

-----
Another view...
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This is the same view,
but I used my zoom feature
on the camera.
-----

-----
Atypical of me (and probably
because I was tired),
I failed to capture the signage
for this next waterfall,
which is located near
Cleveland International
Airport at Rocky
River Reservation.
-----

-----
The name of the waterfall,
my ninth and last of this trip,
is Berea Falls.
The shot below shows
the surge as the water flows
away from the falls.
-----

-----
As with Cataract Falls,
the railroad is a part of this
natural landscape nowadays.
-----

-----
The falls were not big, but
they were powerful.
(Actually, a young lady was sitting
on the ledge just to the left of
my shot so I could not capture
the whole waterfall.)
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-----
Even though it was time to go home,
I was intrigued by this Rocky River
Reservation, (The Cleveland Metro-
parks are amazing.) so I started
following the river toward Lake Erie.
-----

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These high stone walls were
fantastic. I must return...
-----

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After traveling 12 miles out of my
way (ONE WAY!), I headed back
to my home in Columbus...
Nine waterfalls in two days...
not a bad weekend's play...
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Glen Helen Nature Preserve (April 27, 2009): Part 1

2009-05-16T21:09:00.083-04:00

-----

On Monday, April 27, 2009,

I took a mental health day from work.

Heading west on Interstate 70,

I wanted to see John Bryan

State Park, Yellow Springs,

and Glen Helen Nature Preserve.

-----

As you can see, I started

on the Antioch College

campus at Glen Helen.

-----

This place doesn't look so big.

I should be able to hike John

Bryan later this afternoon.
-----

-----

After leaving the gift shop and

park headquarters, I headed north.

-----

Ah...a nice jack-in-the-pulpit...

-----

I have to admit: as I made my way

north, I was not very impressed

with the scenery on the whole.

Several rock formations had

graffiti and trash littered

the grounds.

-----

My shots attempt, as much as

possible, to avoid vandalism.

-----

A natural spring

traipsing down the hill

to the creek...

-----

A sudden noise startles me!

-----

Although the deer ran up the hill,

she stopped and watched me

as I photographed her once more.

-----

Look at this big tree whose

roots are embedded in the rock.

-----

My first close-up shots of

Yellow Springs Creek...

-----

Another creature enjoys the sun.

-----

This is something in the

rocks of this area that makes

the area around where water

flows turn yellow (orange).

-----

This is one of my favorite shots.

I love the fern growing from

the massive stone wall.

-----

Strangely, the brilliant sun

made taking photos today a bit

challenging. Notice how

washed out the left side of

the photo (where the tree

is standing) looks.

-----

Another favorite shot...

-----

I wonder how I can get to the

waterfall on the other side of

the underside of Highway 68.

-----

Another jack-in-the-pulpit...

-----

This is THE Yellow Spring!

-----

A pink trillium...I wonder if it's

pink because of the iron content

of the soil...

-----

Click on this photo to read

the inscription.

-----

----

The boulder on which the plaque

is affixed is about three or four

feet in height. Notice the

size of the tree Helen

once daydreamed under.

-----

WOW! These cascades on

Birch Creek (which meets

Yellow Springs Creek a

little farther west) are

FANTASTIC!

-----

Violets...
-----

-----

This is a huge stand of trillium.

-----

This is taking longer to hike

than I had expected.

I should have brought

some water along!

-----

Glen Helen Nature Preserve (April 27, 2009): Part 2

2009-05-15T20:21:00.092-04:00

-----

There are several routes to go

from here, but I think I'll take

the stepping stones across the

creek and head to the right.

-----

I read about these fish in a piece

of literature, but I can't remember

where now. They are very finicky:

the water must be very clean for

them to survive and thrive.

-----

A Sessile trillium...

-----

A spring empties into the creek.

-----

I followed the spring to its

point of origin. Do you see

what's all around the mouth

of the spring? (Yep, snunk cabbage!)

-----

This may-apple is about to bloom,

but the leaves are showing heat

distress from the lack of rain.

-----

This plant reminds me of Daddy.

He found this type on one of

his hundreds of fishing trips,

brought it home, and planted it

in a log he had hewn out.

It grew beautifully!

-----

This path leaves the creek, but I

want to try to find a spring.

-----

----

According to the trail map,

this is called Barren Creek

(or something like that).

-----

Common violet (pansy)...

-----

Ah, the spring!

-----

I think I've wandered farther

than the trail map shows.

-----

Yep, this bridge is not on

the trail map.

-----

These are white violets.

(Is that an oxymoron?)

-----

Multiple springs on this side

of the creek (yes, I crossed over

at the bridge before heading back)

feed into the larger body of water.

-----

Do you see what I see?

-----

An entire bed of Sessile trilliums...

-----

I wonder if this is dirty water...

-----

I wonder what this is.

-----

Seems like it's about to bloom...

-----

Wow! There quite a stand

behind the fallen tree...

-----

Another jack-in-the pulpit...

(I know, I need to stop

photographing these.)

-----

OKAY! This is my last one!

I just loved the burgundy

hue on the inside of the bloom.

-----

I had been reluctant all day to

photograph this weed...

but everything is special

in its own way...

-----

This pink turned out

better than I expected

on film.

-----

Hmmm...a little wetland.

-----

I must be back on the

Glen Helen Preserve now.

The rock formations have

started revealing themselves again.

-----

COOL! Look where

this flower blooms!

-----

This is NOT trick photography:

the boulder really is

top-heavy and leaning

at about a 70-degree angle!

----

I love how these stones have

separated themselves during

erosion to look like a brick wall.

-----

Another great formation!

A boulder had collapsed

into the area between

two other boulders.

-----

A natural arch was created

through erosion.

-----

I like how this boulder

is sitting straight up

out of the ground.

-----

Four hours later

I've returned to the parking lot!

-----

I'll have to do John Bryan State Park

another day...

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