This location was the subject of a painting titled "Blue Hole, Little Miami River". Created by Robert Duncanson in 1851, the painting can be seen at the Cincinnati Art Museum. If you don't live in the neighborhood, you can see an image of the painting by following this link:
What do you know? You just experienced a little culture. Didn't hurt as much as you thought it might, did it? I know, I am often shocked my self.
Have a great day folks.
I didn't know that we had cormorants in Ohio. When I got up early and captured these birds on the pond, I thought they were loons. I was set straight by a photo friend on flikr that recognized them right away.
Now I know. Don't you like learning something you didn't know before? So, there you go. Double breasted cormorants on a pond in Ohio. Go figure. I wonder if we have penguins? They might have wandered in with the hard frost we got last weekend.
A common sight this time of the year, but I never get tired of seeing the pretty leaves floating in the streams and ponds. This one was captured on the pod at Huffman metro park, near Dayton.
Yesterday morning, we drove down to Clifton, OH to hike in the gorge. The weather was spectacular and we all know that we don't have many more of these nice weekends left. The trail was deep in fallen leaves and they crunched under our feet as we walked. Sunny day, chill air, pretty leaves, babbling water, and fall smell in the air. Yeah, it was that nice… really nice.
Yesterday morning, we had our first frost of the season. Probably not a reason to celebrate for most people. For me personally, and for a photographer, it is an opportunity that I didn't want to pass up.
The dawn makes me feel alive. The silent, still air, the brilliant color and the mist in the chill air combine to fill my senses. The dawn is truly awesome.
No funny stories or pithy captions today. Just a simple and colorful photo of the fall foliage reflected on a local pond.
Monday morning, I met with my boss in Cincinnati. He lives in Lexington, KY and I live in Springfield, OH. Cincinnati is half way between us and provides the opportunity for us to meet without driving all day.
We planned to meet at 9:30 but I woke up at my normal time around 5:00AM and decided to just get up and go see the sunrise from Eden Park on Mt. Adams.
When I arrived, there were already two other photographers sitting on benches huddling, in the cold, behind their tripods. We all acknowledged each other and then returned to silence. Dawn is not an occasion to speak, it is a time to sit in wonder and awe. Talking and chatting can come later.
I arrived in time to experience the last of the twilight before the sun peaked it's orange face above the horizon. While I was there, I watched a river barge silently navigate around the bend. I'll bet that it was loaded with coal and headed for one of the power plants down river. I wondered if they experienced the dawn every day and did they really see it or was it just another morning to them?
Every weekday morning, I drive east into Columbus for work. Along the way, I make a point of anticipating and watching the sunrise in front of me. Every morning I think of how lucky that I have a great job and that it allows me to witness the spectacle that is dawn.
Nobody knows what it is. Could be a seed pod. Could be that, aliens were hatched from it and are running around eating humans all over west central Ohio. Probably a seed pod. I doubt that there are aliens huning in Ohio. But… you never know and I will be sure to lock the door tonight when I go to bed. You can never be sure about aliens. Or ghosts. You can't be very sure about ghosts either. At least a locked door keeps the aliens out.
Across the road fro our home are two trees that bear fruit this time of year. Shown above, you might recognize a black walnut. The green outer casing rots way, revealing the walnut inside. I like walnuts, but even with a source near by, I prefer to buy them. The rotted casing stains your hands and is difficult to wash away.
You are forgiven if you don't recognize this one. Say hello to a hedgeapple. In my home, we call them brain fruit. They are also called osage oranges (go figure, they are all green). In Arkansas or Texas, they are also called horse apples though, to be honest I think of horse apples as something else entirely.
As far as I know, hedgeapples have no real purpose other than as an insect repellent. They are not poisonous or toxic, but are said to taste terrible. If I ever come a cross a recipe for hedgeapple pie, I'll be sure to share it with you.
tim mcmurdo 