Central Ohio NatureA Thankful Reflection
The last day of 2017, what better time to stop for a moment and reflect back to the wonders of nature seen in central Ohio in the past year. . <<<>>> Looking at the landscape as we walked along the Scioto River yesterday it’s hard to believe it’s the same place. Very cold weather has made the river below the dam one of the…
Hiking Back In Time
A sunny warm late November day provided an excellent opportunity for a hike back in time. Our hiking destinations were Blackhand Gorge and Flint Ridge. Both are nature preserves located just east of Newark, Ohio in an area rich in Native American history. Given the limited daylight hours and the fact that we wanted to visit both places, the hikes just wet our appetite for future trips…
Looking For The “White-throated Sparrow”
In the back of our mind during outings over the past week has been the thought that we might see the season’s first White-throated Sparrow. For us, along with the arrival of the Dark-eyed Junco, this small bird marks the passing of the season and the certain coming of winter. During breeding, they are found further north in either coniferous or deciduous forests up…
Once In A Lifetime
A number of years ago, on a very still August day, we paddled the liquid glass of Clark Lake in the Sylvania Wilderness and Recreation Area. Located in Michigan’s upper peninsula, the lake’s water is so clear that on a quiet day one has the sensation that the canoe is levitating. Far below, a fascinating variety of aquatic plants can be seen as fish…
An Autumn Walk in Mohican State Park
It’s been several years since our last visit to Mohican State Park. The park is known for it’s heavily wooded rolling hills of white pine and hemlock which are not found in most parts of the state. With a good forecast for the day, followed by what appeared to be days of colder, wetter than normal weather, we decided to forgo our usual Saturday bike…
A Red-tailed Hawk Takes a Bath
The goal for the day was to catch a nice Smallmouth Bass at the north end of Griggs Reservoir. Before I left to house my wife reminded me, “You better take a camera because you never know what you might see!” Heeding her words I stuffed a small Panasonic ZS50 travel zoom into a pocket. Not exactly a serious wildlife camera but at least…
Autumn Contemplation
Most of the time it’s nice to have a central theme. However, for the most part, this post just meanders through early autumn and celebrates the time of year in some of our central Ohio parks. I continue to enjoy shooting a portion of my photos with a Sony A7, adapter, and legacy Canon FD lenses. It’s nice to have so much control over…
A Journey Into Autumn
I have to admit that autumn sometimes leaves me feeling a little beside myself. It’s truer this year because the weather has been beautiful, it’s been great to be outdoors as the landscape transforms, but the very dry conditions have made it a real challenge to capture beautiful images. Past experience tells me that trying too hard usually leads to failure. The picture needs…
An Early Autumn Paddle
Early autumn is one of our favorite times of the year. There are usually fewer people on the trails, rivers, and lakes as many have moved on to other things; football games, school, etc. September often has a period 0f sunny windless days making time spent in the canoe a pure joy. The landscape still mostly green is accented by the brilliant reds and…
