Observation Deck

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Observation Deck

Slate run has some beautiful boardwalks. This observation deck off one of them has a peaceful view of a pond. Sit down and relax!

Queen Ann's Lace

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Queen Ann's Lace Field

We're just at the right time to see the Queen Ann's lace flowering.

Queen Ann's Lace Flower

Queen Ann's lace is also known as wild carrot because of its woody root. In fact, the carrots you eat were domesticated from Queen Ann's lace. Legend says that Queen Ann pricked her finger while trying to create a lace as beautiful as this flower. The red center represents a drop of her blood.

Slate Run Trail

Around Ohio

Slate Run Trail

This looks like a nice day for a walk at Slate Run Metro Park. With grasslands, wetlands, and forests, we are sure to be in for a treat. Let's get going!

Columbus Zoo

Columbus Zoo
 

Columbus Zoo
 

I've really enjoyed our trip to the zoo. I hope you have too. Here's a little scrapbook full of zoo memories.

Mountain Goat

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Mountain Goat

This is a pretty impressive goat. You probably won't find it on a farm because it is a mountain goat. There were two or three baby goats with it. Goats have two toes on each foot that they use to hold onto rocks they climb on. They also have very soft feet.

Tigers

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Tigers

Did you know that every tiger in the world has its own unique stripe pattern? The stripes help hide the tiger as it hunts in long grasses. There are six kinds of tigers found in Asia, India, and Russia. They have become endangered from the sale of tiger parts as a cure for all kinds of illnesses. Many countries have now passed laws against these sales. Maybe the zoo is the safest place for a tiger.

Elephant

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Elephant

The Blind Men and the Elephant (a Hindu fable)

It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant
(Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind.

The First approached the Elephant,
And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:
`God bless me! but the Elephant
Is very like a wall!'

The Second, feeling of the tusk,
Cried, `Ho! what have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me 'tis mighty clear
This wonder of an Elephant
Is very like a spear!'

The Third approached the animal,
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Thus boldly up and spake:
`I see,' quoth he, `the Elephant
Is very like a snake.'

The Fourth reached out his eager hand,
And felt about the knee.
`What most this wondrous beast is like
Is mighty plain,' quoth he;
`'Tis clear enough the Elephant
Is very like a tree!'

The Fifth who chanced to touch the ear,
Said: `E'en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most:
Deny the fact who can,
This marvel of an Elephant
Is very like a fan!'

The Sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope,
Than, seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope,
`I see,' quoth he, `the Elephant
Is very like a rope!'

And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!

Bat

Around Ohio

Bat

Bats are very interesting mammals. The largest have wing spans up  to six feet while the smallest are only six inches. They make high-pitched sounds which bounce off objects and return as echoes, allowing them to identify what is in front of them. Some species migrate for the winter, traveling up to 2,400 miles each year. I thought these bats were very interesting.

Side-necked Turtle

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Side-necked Turtle

Do you know why this is called a side-necked turtle? Instead of folding its neck like an "s" back into its shell, this turtle tucks its head and neck under the edge of its shell along the side. It has gained popularity in recent years. It can be tamed more easily than its larger reptile relatives. It is found in the Southern Hemisphere and is an important food source for people along the Amazon River.

Happy New Year

Mud Valley Memories

Happy New Year

Now we pause to welcome in the new year. Our neighbors down the road from our farmhouse always celebrated the Christmas holidays by lighting hundreds of candles in plastic milk jugs. I had a lot of fun playing around with timed exposures of the lights. This is one of the calmer shots I took.