Summer Dreams

Favorite Pastimes

Summer Dreams

That seems like a funny title for this picture, doesn’t it? But all the gardeners among my dear readers probably understood it instantly.  This is last year’s squash and pumpkin crop. Isn’t it beautiful? It is my inspiration this year as I watch my tiny plants begin to grow. I spent quite a while arranging my squash for this picture. For those who love numbers, how many of each kind of squash, pumpkin and corn are there? (And I'll make it even harder – include all partially showing veggies as well!)

First Flight

Favorite Pastimes

First Flight

You probably didn't know I was there when man first took flight. Did I fool you? I made this model of the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk when I was thirteen years old. Then I had fun setting up a rather realistic shot. I have actually flown a Wright simulator at some of the museums around Dayton, home of the Wright Brothers. Each hand operates a lever to control speed and direction. A big screen in front shows you how soon you're going to crash. What a thrill!



Spring Valley Bird Club

Pictures From Spring Valley

Spring Valley Bird Club

How many birds do you see in this picture? It is a bit of an odd angle. At first glance, it looks like the tree is growing along the ground. But common sense tells us it's a fallen branch. In fact, this is a large tree branch that broke off the tree in the first picture I posted. We had a long, slow drizzle of freezing rain last winter that turned into ice on this branch. Right before our eyes, the branch sank lower and lower under the weight of the ice, and finally crashed to the ground. The birds thought it made a great playground and I was able to take some unusually close-up pictures. (I counted nine birds; how about you?)

Dawn in the Valley

Pictures From Spring Valley

Dawn in the Valley

Like snowflakes, no two sunrises are alike. And like snowflakes, they are easier to catch in the winter when the days are shorter.  From my house in the middle of flat Ohio farmland, I can see the sun peek over the horizon in the morning and then drop below it in the evening. In this picture, the sky seems to shout, "Good morning!"

Tiger in Window

Mud Valley Memories

Tiger in Window

We lived on a farm with lots of cats in Mud Valley. (Mud Valley is a little area around Walnut Creek in Walnut Creek Township. It is also known as Goose Bottom. The Walnut Creek ran along the bottom of Mud Valley.) The cats lived in the barn and seemed to multiply every summer. I liked chasing the cats. Sometimes I got a good shot at them, as you can see in this picture.

Iris in Bloom

Around Ohio

Iris in Bloom

Where do you think I found this beautiful iris? How about in a historic garden in the middle of Dayton, Ohio. The gardens belong to a house constructed by Colonel Robert Patterson after the Revolutionary War. His grandson, John Patterson, became famous (and wealthy) by inventing the cash register. We enjoyed exploring the house and gardens left as a memorial to this interesting family.

Daisy

Around Ohio

Daisy

I've spent many hours walking at Prairie Oaks Metro Park over the past five years. Praire Oaks was converted from farmland and lies just north of West Jefferson, Ohio. It has several beautiful lakes which used to be gravel quarries. You can walk across a big wooden footbridge over Darby Creek on your way to catch Bluegills in the lakes. In the spring you can see beautiful wildflowers like this daisy.

Holmes County Autumn

Mud Valley Memories

Holmes County Autumn

Do you love walking through brightly colored leaves in the fall? Hearing them crunch under your feet, smelling the good earthy scents of fall. This picture always brings back those sounds and smells for me. I took it about six years ago when my family was living in northeastern Ohio. We took a walk past this lane almost every day. Sometimes we saw goats by the lane. Other times we had to dodge buggies coming down the road, as this is Amish Country.

Squash Vine

Favorite Pastimes

Squash Vine

Squash seeds are sprouting in the garden and will soon be reaching for the sky on wooden trellises. I spent a lot of time building these wooden teepes for my squash plants and then coaxing the vines to climb them. I was so happy to see those little green tendrils that I felt a picture was called for. I wanted the sky behind it so that meant getting my camera down on the ground. I am pretty pleased with the shot I got.

Chamomile Flowers

Pictures From Spring Valley

Chamomile Flowers

These chamomile flowers are growing by our sidewalk. They survived all winter in a plastic row cover I covered them with. I made the row cover myself by constructing a 4'x4' frame and covering it with plastic. But I did not actually plant the chamomile. I found them growing there and decided they were a gift from my sister's herb patch since chamomile seeds will disperse and grow in unexpected places. My mother uses it for tea, so she was happy with my crop. I like the repeating flower pattern in the photograph.

Black-Eyed Susan

Pictures From Spring Valley

Black-Eyed Susan

My sisters love growing wildflowers. Did you know that George Washington Carver said, "A weed is a flower growing in the wrong place"? I usually notice my sisters' flowers when I go out to check my squash patch in the garden. This Black-Eyed Susan seemed to be smiling at me so I took its picture.

Sunset In Spring Valley

Pictures From Spring Valley

Sunset In Spring Valley

I took this picture on January 16, 2011 from our living room window. I like how the tree stands out in front of the bright sunset. I went through a couple months when I loved taking sunset pictures. There are so many different kinds of sunsets. Some are blazing red and yellow, others are baby pink and blue. On a cloudless evening, the sun is just a big red ball sliding down the horizon. Sunsets are truly a photographer's dream.