Charleston Falls...January 22, 2024

Charleston Falls...January 29, 2024

Charleston Falls...February 2, 2024

A Walk to Cedar Pond, November 2, 2021

We voted on Tuesday. The polling place was halfway between home and Charleston Falls so I decided to walk on the trails..  

I stopped to take photos at the entrance.  Cinda and the park staff dedicated a brick to Tom and me, and  one to our friend, Pat, who was also a naturalist trail guide for the parks.  Hercules and Azalea were Cinda's dogs who took special training so they could come with her to the park for programs.  I don't know Molly.

A woman out for a walk also stopped and took a photo of me behind the two bricks. I was pleased.

People call these "Brown-eyed Susans".  They are part of a memorial to John Wannamaker who was a longtime trustee on the park district board. They were blooming beside the entrance to the trails.

I met a group of young students who were spending the day learning about the park. 

Just beyond them was a path to the left.  That path led to my destination, Cedar Pond.  I supposed that the Red-winged blackbirds would have headed south by now.  I was right.  It was quiet at the pond.

This Red Cedar was covered with berries.  There will be food for the birds this winter.

                              

Red Cedar Berries.  The berries are blue.

                                              Cattails

                                          Bottle Gentian

Across from the pond is a prairie.

The sunshine lit up the grasses.

And it lit up other plants as well.

I saw this leaf in the middle of the trail.  I laid it in the unmowed grass.  I hope whatever is spending the winter inside will live till spring.

As I walked along I spied a limb and its shadow...J for Joy...exactly what this day was.

Finally, a Walk to the Falls...Tuesday, October 26, 2021

My goal was to reach the falls.  I have been building up muscles most of the summer.  Physical therapists have been a big help and so has my Primary Care Physician and also an Orthopedist.

 The day was a little cool (50degrees Fahrenheit) but the sun was shining, and there was a pleasant breeze.  I could hear the leaves talking to one another.

 

I had to park in the auxiliary parking lot because the primary parking lot was full.  Since the beginning of the Pandemic the park has been heavily used.  It was closed for a short time because people were overcrowding it and not following the Pandemic rules.  Since then the park staff has learned to adjust to the new numbers.  

On this day, the primary parking lot was crowded because four busloads of students were here from schools in the county.  Most of the students were at the entrance eating lunch so I knew the trails would not be crowded.

 

At the entrance to the park, I stopped to look at the leaves of the Sassafras.  It amuses me that this small tree has leaves that come in three shapes.  There was a time when people made tea from its bark and roots.  Root Beer was originally made from the bark and roots also.  I read on the Internet that commercial root beer is now made from other ingredients.  

So many things change.  I remember when I was a child my mother made root beer for the family.  She always made it on hot, humid days. She bought a bottle of root beer extract from the grocery store.  The other ingredients included yeast and sugar and lots of water.  She mixed it up in the roasting pan that she used to roast the turkey on Thanksgiving. She set the mixture on the counter and let it "work".  It smelled wonderful.  We asked over and over, "When will it be ready?" 

There were leaves on the Sassafras but many leaves have fallen.

Yet there were many more on the trees.

As I approached the falls, I saw one of the school groups.  Off to the left, I saw materials from their encounter with nature.

Then I knew what the subject for the day was.  Back when I was working for the parks I taught it.  They are studying the history of the falls, the formations of the rocks in the area and how they were formed.  They probably have been down to the cave, too. The brown tarp was for the children to lie on and look up toward the sky.  As the naturalist talked about rain falling and gradually washing away bits of rock, he or she used the sprayers to sprinkle "rain" on the students.  You can see the light green, blue and medium green nozzles hanging on the edge of the box.

On the way back I saw a second group.  This one was learning about the "erratics", the large rocks scattered about that were brought to this area when the glaciers went through. I recognized the staff members.  It is always good to see the people I have worked with.

A wonderful walk.  It is good to be able to walk again in the woods.

An October Family Gathering, Oct. 2, 2021

 Ray did the grilling.  Gretchen played most of the roles I usually do.  But she didn't play my Grandma role.  Ray and Gretchen brought the meat and buns with them.  When the others came they brought food offerings also.  I opened a quart jar of Amish Spiced Peaches which I knew Steve would enjoy.  It turned out some of the others liked the peaches, too. Since I bought them at the local turkey farm, market, all the effort it took me was the trip to the farm market and opening the jar.

Victor and Samantha brought their "boys", Henry, Thomas and Gizmo.  Henry is the old boy.  Thomas and Gizmo are young.  The dogs know Sean (John to people who didn't know him when he was a little boy.)

                                                    A better photo of Sean.

                                            A better photo of Victor and a glimpse of Sonja.  

Due to shenanigans, I had to take two photos to get one of Samantha's face.

Ted and Ashley drove over from Columbus.

So did James and Reagan.

Bianca and James came all the way from California.  We hadn't see James since Christmas of 2019.  It has been even longer since we have seen Bianca.

James had something special to show me.  He had this tattoo inked.  The tattoo artist used a black-throated green warbler that Tom photographed and I used as the basis for a painting.

Ray and his four boys together for the first time in a very long time.

Steve was clearly pleased with having all his brothers at the party.

Looks like Sonja and the others are taking a break from eating before looking for dessert.

Ray and Gretchen brought a lovely bouquet of flowers.  I stuffed them in a vase to keep them alive and then after everyone left I found a vase that matched the flowers colors.  I have the flowers to remind me of this day now that everyone has headed for home.

Fool's Spring...February 26, 2021

 When I saw the Winter Aconite blooming in my neighbor's yard, I immediately thought of another sign of spring...the red-winged blackbird.  I decided to hike out to Cedar Pond where I usually see them.

The main trail was completely snow and ice-free.

At the turnoff for Cedar Pond I saw the first ice on the trail.

I started down the trail.

It wasn't as clear as the main trail but it wasn't bad.  All I had to do was walk in the tracks of the "Gator"  that the staff uses to monitor the park.

However the tracks disappeared.  By then I was so far along on the trail I decided to keep going.  I had my pointed end walking stick with me.

Beside the boot track I spied a deer track...

And looking up I saw a deer trail.

I made it to Cedar Pond with only a few slips and no falls.

Still frozen...and no sights of a red-winged blackbird.  Maybe the next time I walk here...

As I returned to the parking lot, I saw park staff pulling in.

And before I left they were busy loading up sand to spread on the trails.  Hurrah for the park staff.

Maybe the Winter Aconite was an enticement to get me out on this walk.  It worked but I did decide that I was fooled by Ohio's Fool's Spring.  I would do the walk again.  I would hate to miss Ohio's Real Spring.