9 January 2024 First Flight to Monterrey

Leaving the house at 4 in the morning to travel to Mexico or Washington state has become a part of my life. Sometimes the first light of day can be awesome.

8 January 2024 Female Cardinal

Soemtimes one beautiful bird can brighten a day.

7 January 2024 Blue January

Sometimes a quiet walk keeps the world in perspective

30 December 2023 Visiting Welton Gorge

Welton Gorge is one of Geauga Park District's newest parks to open for visitors. The trail winds along the top of the gorge and gives beautiful views of the water flowing through the formation.

28 December 2023 Visiting Mentor Lagoons

We were out on a grey day looking for birds at Mentor Lagoons

Besides the lagoons, the preserve offers an opportunity to visit the Lake Erie shore. A quiet walk through the woods brought us to the shore of Lake Erie.

The near shore are was filled with birds.

It was a sea of birds.

Goldeneyes

Mergansers

27 December 2023 A Quiet Day During the Holidays

We attended a geocaching event. After the event we made a quiet journey to a pond at the park. It was a serene walk.

The fog came in as the evening move forward. While out with a dog walk, I captured this quiet, foggy scene along the edge of our property.

23 December 2023 Visiting Canalway

Once a nasty eyesore and wildlife wasteland, the Canalway and Cuyahoga River areas have made a great comeback as homes to wildlife and gathering places for locals to enjoy the outdoors.

A majestic heron standing in water that once held few live creatures. The presence of herons and ducks is a testimony of the Cuyahoga River's recoovery.

21 December 2023 A Stroll at Sunnybrook on the Shortest Day

We decided to visit Sunnybrook for a snowy walk on the shortest day of the year. The stream was open water, but the vernal pool had a thickening layer of ice. It was a peaceful walk on the day that signaled daytime would be getting longer soon.

14 December 2023 It's All About the Water

Icicles were hanging from theledges across from my viewing point. I was out for a longish walk on a cold day of short daylight and hoping to reach the falls ahead.

A view from the top of the falls with great flow passing over.

I came back around at ground level to enjoy a walk along the river.

I finally reached a viewing point to see the falls up close with the water roaring.

9 December 2023 A Grey Afternoon at Sunnybrook

December is a gloomy month. The sun struggles to greet the day while the cold chills me to the bone even in these days of climate change. Walking in a park gives solice on these days and consumes a tiny bit of time remaining until spring arrives.

28 November 2023 Spooky Sky

23 November 2023 Sunny Thanksgiving

Few Thanksgivings look this bright and sunny. It was a perfect afternoon for a walk in the park.

18 November 2023 Birding in a Different Light

The marsh seemed surreal in the late fall afternoon with a deep orange glow.

The marsh was filled with great blue herons.

11 November 2023 Whitesburg Nature Park

Whitesburg Nature Park is the location of a former Chase Bag Company paper mill. The mill closed down years ago with the town eventually acquiring the land. It is a strong birding area and a santuary for herons along the river.

10 November 2023 Observatory Park

Zinnias are wonderful summertime flowers with staying power to often keep them blooming until Thanksgiving.

I don't visit this park often. It is unique as one of the few dark sky parks in the country. On our visit on this fall day, it was a blue sky park. The weather was perfect for using the park's sun dial to find the time.

Grackles circle above under the blue sky.

Who knows if wooly bears can predict the winter. A local weatherman started the Wooley Bear Festival in a small town in Western Ohio decades ago. Today, it remains the state's largest festival. I enjoy spotting them slowly making their way through the world.

The sun drops low on the horizon as we make our way back on the trail.

Time to go home