Cowan Lake: Sailboats

Around Ohio

On that gloomy Sunday afternoon, the lake was actually populated by a fleet of small sailboats, probably members of a local boating club. The boats circumnavigated an obstacle course marked out by orange buoys in the lake.

Sailboats

 

The sailboats seemed to racing at times. Such may be the activity the three boats below are preparing for.

Racing Sailboats

Cowan Lake 2

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At 700 acres, Cowan Lake provides plenty of space for boating. I decided to rent a small boat and explore the lake by water. A stiff breeze rippled the surface of the lake, making the ride a bit choppy at times.

Waves

An incessant cloud layer covered the sky for most of the day.

Cloud Cover

Cowan Lake

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Located in the southwestern part of Ohio, Cowan Lake State Park provides boaters and campers alike with beautiful scenery and plentiful fishing. Last fall I spent a few days in a cabin overlooking the lake. Even in gloomy weather, the lake has a beauty all its own.

Cowan Lake

The sun rose directly across the lake from my cabin, reflecting in the rippling water.

Morning Sun

Topiary Park: Ducks

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No pond would be complete without a flock of ducks to waddle around its perimeter. The majority of the ducks in this shot seem to be taking their midday nap. I also saw a few in the water, but their snoozing friends were too lazy to join them.

Napping Ducks 

This one duck, however, seemed quite alert when I approached. Maybe it was standing guard while the other ducks were resting.

The Guard

Topiary Park: Orange and Red

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Next to the petunias was a bed of bright orange marigolds. These flowers didn't seem to be suffering from the heat quite as much.

Marigolds

 

This next interesting clump of plants, about five feet tall, had unusual red-and-green-striped leaves with small red flowers at the top.

Stripes

Topiary Park: More Flowers

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The small pond near the middle of the park was a home for several shrub "boats," a small flock of ducks, and a much larger number of lily pads. This bright pink flower was one of the few blooming on the pond.

Water Lily

These petunias didn't look their best, as they seemed to be suffering from a lack of water. However, I thought the sunlight made an interesting pattern of shadows on the slightly wilted flowers.

Petunias

Topiary Park: Black-Eyed Susans

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Besides giant shrubs, the Topiary Park contains a wide variety of colorful flowers, most of which were in bloom at the time I visited. One particular patch of Black-Eyed Susans on a background of small red-leafed plants caught my eye.

Black-Eyed Susan

 

A recent lack of rain left some of the flowers slightly wilted, but most of them looked fresh. I found these near the small pond.

Green and Yellow

Topiary Park: Pond

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A small pond spotted with lily pads sat in the middle of the park, complete with a botanical boat and two people inside it. The water looked surprisingly clear, although I would have expected more algae.

Pond

On a patio near a small brick structure was this gardener tending his potted plant.

The Gardener

Topiary Park: Shrub Sculptures

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Among the shrub sculptures stood these two larger-than-life botanical figures. In their dress coats and top hats, they seem to be in formal Sunday attire.

Shrub Men

I found this monkey a bit unusual. It is visible in the original painting. But was it a pet, or a permanent resident of the park?

Monkey

Topiary Park

Around Ohio

Another interesting location near downtown Columbus is the Topiary Park. Besides a variety of flowers and trees, the park contains a number of shrubs meticulously conformed to shaped wire frames. The resulting shapes resemble a group of people enjoying a sunny day by a small pond.

The Topiary Park

The view of the park from this sign, as in the previous photo, resembles a painting by Georges Seurat, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. The engraving below is a copy of the painting.

Painting

Rhodes Tower: Rooftops

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Besides other buildings, the observation area of the Rhodes Tower provides interesting views of the network of roads in downtown Columbus. The picture below almost qualifies as an aerial view, showing just how tall the Rhodes Tower is.

Rooftops

 

This delivery truck, barely discernible in the last photo, made me smile when I saw it. Its unusual rooftop artwork would be visible from offices in a number of downtown buildings.

Delivery Truck

Rhodes Tower: LeVeque Tower

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West of the Rhodes Tower sits another tall building—the LeVeque Tower. Built in 1927, it was the tallest building in Columbus until the completion of the Rhodes Tower. The upper part of the terra-cotta-tiled building is visible in this photo, just in front of the river.

 LeVeque Tower

Another interesting building, actually still under construction, was this one. I am not quite sure what those enormous cement columns are for. Maybe elevator shafts?

Construction Site

Rhodes Tower: Columbus

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In addition to the Statehouse, the Rhodes Tower provides aerial views of many other buildings in Columbus. This photo show the buildings and scenery east of the Rhodes Tower. The long vertical road is Broad Street.

Columbus East

 

Very close to the Rhodes Tower is the Scioto river. The two truss bridges seen below spanning the river support railroad tracks.

Scioto River

Rhodes Tower: Statehouse

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Across the street from the Ohio Statehouse sits the tallest building in Columbus—the Rhodes Tower. Its observation area on the 40th floor gives an impressive view of the buildings and streets around it.

This first picture shows what the Statehouse looks like from the air—or as it were, a very tall building.

Ohio Statehouse 

The Ohio flag I posted earlier was accompanied by a botanical version of the American flag. Several sets of these flags lie around the Statehouse grounds.

Flower Flags

Ohio Statehouse: Senate

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The other half of Ohio's bicameral legislature is the senate. Its meeting room's layout and furnishings copy those of the House of Representatives quite closely. The only difference I notice is the blue curtain behind the speaking platform. In the House of Representatives, the curtain is red.

Senate

The Statehouse's elaborate architecture can be seen throughout the building, as evidenced by these marble archways and staircases. Most of the Statehouse is built of limestone that came from a local quarry. In some places, fossils can be seen in the bare rock.

Staircases 

This botanical representation of the Ohio flag was in full bloom during my visit to the Statehouse.

Flower Flag