Category Archives: How to Stay Young

Wonders of Winton Woods

Posted on by

32

The Park of choice for last night’s hike was Winton Woods on the West side of Cincinnati.  I used to live in that area when I was a single mother 20 years ago.  I haven’t been to that Park in years and it brought back lots of memories!  We walked the loop around the small lake.  I’m not sure how far that is…probably about 2 miles and then walked part of it again and veered off onto another path.

There’s the lumberjack…

I haven’t gotten to swing in a while either.  I asked the lumberjack if he would take photos of me.

He was delighted after he took this photo, because the timing was great for capturing me jumping from the swing…

The colors weren’t as vibrant as at Sharon Woods, but there were some other interesting photo ops.  I purposely stood off-center for this shot under a bridge…thinking that would give it more appeal…

This photo makes me want to go sit on the bench.  But knowing me…it wouldn’t be for long!

Just like Sharon Woods, there is a Boathouse there for rental of paddle boats, pontoons and aluminum canoes.

After using the restrooms, the light streaming in caught my attention.  I couldn’t decide which photo I liked better…so I posted both!

More color!

I enjoyed the stripes in this shot…

I like the kayaks’ bright colors against the muted earth tones!

I hope you’re enjoying a tour of Cincinnati’s finest parks!!

Related articles

John Bryan State Park…Painted Yellow

Posted on by

15

John Bryan State Park is located outside of Yellow Springs, Ohio (which is about an hour North of Cincinnati).  One of the reasons I love to hike there is the variety of trails that are available.  John Bryan is sandwiched between Glen Helen Nature Preserve and Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve and together they offer over 38 miles of hiking trails.

The weather was perfect for hiking today…mid 60’s and sunny!

The Park was filled with yellow…

I took three different photos of the bridge.  Which one is your favorite?

A beaver’s been chewin’ on this tree…

Reflections are so cool…

I must have known to wear yellow so I could match!

P.S.  I’ve decided to buy a mini-van for my upcoming road trip!  I’ll post more details soon!

Related articles

Walking Mariemont, Ohio

Posted on by

24

If you’re ever in the Cincinnati area, I highly recommend taking a stroll through the Village of Mariemont.  Especially in Autumn!  It’s a small community…about 3,500 residents.  Yesterday, seeing that we had another glorious fall day, I parked in the town square, where a number of upscale restaurants are located and went exploring.  The hiking club I belong to have an urban hike scheduled there on Sunday.  I passed the Quarter Bistro Restaurant and thought their outside seating area looked quaint and a bit European…

As I meandered from street to street…I wasn’t prepared for the spectacular and riotous display of color.  Everywhere I looked there were varying shades of orange, red, yellow and green!  The houses were quaint and most were decorated for Halloween.

I passed by this little park…

If you need motivation to get out and exercise…a place like this will do it!

The lawns were landscaped beautifully…

This was another area with benches to sit and relax and if you stand at the stone wall, there’s a beautiful view of the countryside…

Just when I thought I had seen the most brilliant colors…I walked down this street and was blown away by the beauty!

Here are my two “artsy” photos…

I discovered through the hiking club I belong to that perhaps the world’s largest Serpent Mound is located in Mariemont.  This was reported in August of last year!  So…having just seen the Serpent Mound in Adams County over the weekend, I was excited to hear about this.  A blog called “Goddesschess” has a great post about it–if you’d like to learn more.

The Madisonville Site was–according to the Ohio Historical Society–the location of a large Ft. Ancient population.  I’m learning all kinds of things about Cincinnati!

At one point on my hike–being the explorer that I am–I saw a tunnel and decided to go through it to investigate.  There wasn’t much to see on the other side, but as I was going to return, I heard male voices coming through the tunnel, so I ran up the hill and found a little pathway back to the front of the tunnel.  Whew!  I was a little scared since there was no one else around.  They were probably harmless, but it’s best not to take unnecessary risks!

I had to take this photo of the birds perched on the telephone wire…

A girlfriend met me there after she got off of work and we hiked it again.  I’m glad I went early to get my photos…because she’s a fast walker!  After hiking we went to another restaurant in the square called The Dilly Cafe.  It’s owned by one of our friends Chuck Warinner.  We both had the Seared Ahi Tuna Sandwich with Sweet Potato Fries.  It was tasty!  They have wine tastings and outdoor seating.  Lots of fun!

Thanks for coming along and may you find time and motivation to explore your own hometown!!

 

Related articles

Ohio Riverfront Walk

Posted on by

37

Last week I walked along the Ohio Riverfront in Cincinnati with girlfriends.  It was a beautiful day!  I drove in my friend’s car to the river and forgot my camera in my car.  Although I missed some great shots…I knew it was for the best because it gave us more time to talk.  Normally, when I’m taking photos, I lag behind and then run to catch up…and miss out on the visiting part.  So…yesterday was another beautiful day and I decided to drive the 35 minutes to downtown and retrace our steps.

This was my first view of the waterfront…the Purple People Bridge.  It’s a pedestrian only bridge over to the Kentucky side.

The BB Riverboat hosts weddings in addition to sightseeing and dinner cruises.  It’s strange to me to think that you can take a boat from the Ohio River to the Mississippi River and then all of the way to the ocean!

There are quite a few bridges that span from Cincinnati to Kentucky…

Of course, I tried to get some artsy shots…

At first I thought this was a labyrinth but it’s a squiggly walking path…

The City has been working on sprucing up the area…putting in plants and statutes…

The views of downtown are lovely…

This is called the serpentine wall.  During the summer they have an event called “Party in the Park” that is held on Wednesday evenings and people will spill over from the main level above to this area…to sit and relax.

Here’s the Purple People Bridge on my way back…

Love the flag shots…

I just like the lines on this one…

The contrasting red in the tables-chairs is cool against nature’s vibrant colors…

One last shot of a bridge from a fresh perspective…

The sun was beginning to set and I’m glad I captured it next to the building…

Hope your week is wonderful!

Related articles

Serpent Mound

Posted on by

19

The Great Serpent Mound is a 1,348-foot-long, three-foot-high prehistoric effigy mound located on a plateau of the Serpent Mound crater along Ohio Brush Creek in Adams County, Ohio.

The “Lumberjack” and I visited there on Saturday.  It’s located about one and one-half hours east of northern Cincinnati.

The Ohio Historical Society owns and manages the property.  This is their office at the site…

There is an observation deck…

The observation deck is located at the back of the third hump, near the end of the tail if you’re looking at this drawing…

English: Drawing of the Serpent Mound

I’ve read that there is a special energy here…a spiritual energy that can be tapped into.  I didn’t sense anything, although I was hoping to.

A hiking trail was located on the grounds.  By the time we walked the paved walkway and I took photos…we didn’t have time to hike.

As you can see, Autumn is a wonderful time to visit.  The colors were spectacular!

The sun was beginning to set when we left and it was a beauty!!

Related articles

 

The Fling Barn in Hillsboro, Ohio

Posted on by

22

You’re probably wondering why someone would name their music venue/bar…The Fling Barn.  If your last name is “Fling”…it makes sense.  The owner Bill Fling was there and is very friendly.  My husband…who I’ll nickname “The Lumberjack”…because he is constantly cutting down trees and splitting fire wood…and I went there last night.  Located an hour from Northern Cincinnati, we decided to see Serpent Mound while we were in the area.  I’ll save that for my next post.

The Fling Barn has 10 acres set aside for camping, with port-o-lets and it’s free!  They also have a cabin for rent.

Anyway, here’s a photo of a barn along the way…

The Fling Barn is situated on a 200 acre working horse farm.  In addition to providing live music in a unique setting, they host weddings and other events.  We stopped by for some photos during daylight hours, on our way to Serpent Mound, and returned later around 7pm.  Here’s a side view…

I love this weather vane!

Here is a different perspective…

This barn is in view of The Fling Barn and I loved the linear look of the corn and the colors…

Here are some of the horses…

There was a stand outside selling BBQ…so I had a pulled pork sandwich with mac-n-cheese and baked beans.  The barn itself is two levels with a full bar.  This is the upstairs where the band and dance floor are.

The barn is filled with antiques and Americana items…

The Mark Mays Blues Band was the entertainment for the evening and they were great!  We danced quite a bit!  Bill Fling has a dog that dances with you on the dance floor.  It was fun to watch!  Two other couples met us there.  The music started at 8pm and every table was filled by 8:15pm.

This photo is during their sound check…

If you haven’t listened to live music lately…get out and just do it!!

Related articles

Photography while Hiking

Posted on by

20

Sometimes I wish I lived somewhere other than Cincinnati, Ohio…. somewhere closer to a beach or mountains…but when I look back through my blog posts and photos, I realize there are lots of things to do in this area, natural beauty abounds, and best of all…I have some wonderful family and friends!

I haven’t been jogging for the past few weeks because my neck and back were hurting.  Since I’ve quit, they’re getting better, so I’m trying to hike more.  We went to East Fork State Park last night and hiked a couple of miles.  It’s only 30 minutes from our house.  First, we stopped at the beach and let our maniac dog…Jake…out.  He took off chasing the geese and I started snapping photos!  That’s him in the center at the water’s edge…

I really enjoyed having the birds so close to me.  It’s magical when you hear their wings flapping as they circle around you!

I enjoy everything about photography.  I love looking at the photos afterwards… deciding which ones are my favorites.  It’s interesting to see how the colors change as you change the angle of your camera.  The sky is so blue in this one…

It was very difficult to take a photo of Jake because he never stopped moving and was quite unpredictable!  His enthusiasm is evident though…

We tried a new trail this time.  It’s a 31 mile perimeter trail…but we only went one mile in and then returned before dark.

We stopped at the dam on the way out to capture the sunset…

Randy thought this photo was “artsy”…

I’ve never tried taking photos while the vehicle was moving.  I like the effect…

Thanks for joining me.  I’ll see you soon!

Related articles

Family Fun

Posted on by

15

Friday night we went out with my son and his girlfriend (pictured below).  Originally we were going to go out to dinner and then to a haunted theme park, but it was raining, so we had dinner and then went bowling.  I haven’t bowled in a few years…it was fun!  We went to a place in Franklin, Ohio called J.D. Legends.  It was our first time there.  They also have outdoor sand volleyball, concerts, a bar and restaurant.  Sometimes it can be a challenge to find something to do (that everyone wants to do) with an adult child!

If he looks tall compared to her…he is.  He’s 6’9″ tall and I’m guessing she’s about 5’4″!

I tried to get a few “artsy” pics…

Don’t most bowling alleys have dusty disco balls?

Posing for the camera!  I’m such a ham.  At least I admit it!

I’ve never taken photos of people bowling, so it was fun to see everyone’s style (or lack of — on certain throws).  Randy looks like he’s going to fall here…

Justin has a long way to get down…

Ashley beat us the first game.  One of the cool things this facility has is the ability to display how fast you are throwing the ball.  I was the slowest…usually clocking in around 13 mph, then Justin and Ashley around 15-16 mph and Randy around 17 mph.  Randy’s fastest ball was over 20 mph.

Randy said I looked like “Tinkerbell” walking down the lane and releasing the ball.  But, I got the most strikes in a game!

Although we have a small family, all of our parents are deceased, and we rarely see our siblings, I’m grateful we have each other!

Related articles

Hiking in Autumn

Posted on by

27

My dog Jake lives to hike with us!  He knows when we put on our hiking or jogging shoes that soon he’ll be out running in the woods!  He races in and out of the doggie door, unable to contain his excitement.  If we take too long, he’ll stick his head through it to see what we’re doing…

I had to take a picture of some of the trees above the roof of the house before leaving for the woods…

And the front yard.  We live on 5 acres (of which 4 acres is wooded) at the end of a lane and love the seclusion.

This spot is located right around the corner from my house.  Definitely worth a stop!

We stopped along the way for a quick photo of a farm.  I love the texture and color of the drying soy bean crop…

These photos are a combination of two different hikes we’ve taken this week.  I am very grateful to have a park within five minutes of my home that is over 500 acres with hiking trails and that I usually have to myself!

The leaves are glittering like gold…

I couldn’t believe how beautiful the trees and reflection were when we arrived to the lake.  If you’re a photographer, you know that almost giddy feeling of enthusiasm when you see something beautiful.

I recently realized that my camera has enabled me to appreciate and observe more of the beauty that surrounds me in people, nature and things.

This is from a hike a couple of days ago as dusk was settling…

Fog had descended upon us as we finished the hike…just in time for Halloween!

Get out and enjoy the beautiful outdoors!  Some people aren’t able to!

Related articles

Scioto Audubon Metro Park in Columbus

Posted on by

14

My recent girls’ weekend to Columbus, Ohio included a short hike at the Scioto Audubon Metro Park.  We stopped there on Sunday before driving home.  The weather was glorious and the park surprised me with its proximity to downtown, one and one-half miles!
First, we had a buffet breakfast that was included with the room.  The hotel, “The Residence Inn by Marriott“, I found to be stylish, including the lobby and dining room.  The ceiling must have been 25 foot high..

We walked to the park, which boasts an outdoor climbing wall!

I’ve climbed one on a Mediterranean cruise and found it quite exhilarating!

The grounds were beautiful!  Autumn always fills me with an extra spark of energy!   Most likely it’s the cooler weather and dynamic colors!

We probably walked less than a mile, but the views were nice!

I hope you’re enjoying the outdoors this autumn!  That’s a wrap for the girls’ weekend.  We did and saw a lot in two days!!

Related articles

Ladies Night in Columbus

Posted on by

8

An evening of dinner and dancing with girlfriends is always a great time and this past weekend in Columbus, Ohio for my annual girls’ weekend, was no exception!  Part of the fun is listening to music while getting ready and taking fun photos!

I think we all looked Fabulous!  Lets embrace getting older and remember the most important thing is to have fun!  Too often, when we look in the mirror (especially those magnified mirrors), we have that inner voice saying negative things about the changes that naturally occur.  Of course, I’m not saying to let yourself go–always try to take care of yourself and find ways to feel and look your best!

Dinner was scrumptious at Martini Modern Italian.  My friend Sherry’s sister-in-law, Jane, who lives in Columbus, joined us for the evening.  She bought our first round of martinis and they were sinfully good!  A gentleman at the bar bought us a round of martinis.  Since we weren’t driving we could indulge!  Our waiter, pictured below, was very attentive!

Our next stop was the Park Street Tavern.  They had a live band and it was a younger crowd…mostly 20’s.  When you’re the only “older” people there, sometimes it can feel a little awkward.

No one was dancing, but that didn’t stop us.  We broke the ice, and soon were joined by lots of other party seekers!

It was a great time!!

Related articles

Walking Columbus

Posted on by

15

 

Columbus, Ohio is a beautiful City!  I visited there this past weekend for my annual girls’ weekend and loved it!  We stayed in the downtown area and walked almost everywhere.

After spending a couple of hours at the Columbus Museum of Art, we walked down to the riverfront…and as you can see…it was gorgeous!

Cindy’s having fun in the fountain!  We love to take advantage of photo ops!

There was a festival with live music and booths filled with art…

This artist obviously makes art from mirrors…

I took about four photos of this sculpture.  While reviewing them later, it was interesting to see how moving a couple of feet or changing the direction from which I took the photo, could so greatly impact the color and visual feel of the photo.

My friend Cindy just bought an Olympus camera (I also use an Olympus) and isn’t familiar with some of the settings yet.  She took this photo and wasn’t sure what she pushed to get the effect, but I definitely like it!

If you have girlfriends…let them know how much they mean to you and if you don’t…get some!!

Related articles

 

Meetup.com…Wine in Mt. Adams

Posted on by

19

Meetup.com is a great way to meet people.  I was divorced about five years ago and  wanted to meet more single people my age, so I joined a hiking meetup and enjoyed that so much, began to join a number of the meetups.   No matter what your interest, there is almost assuredly a meetup for that!

Last night I attended a wine meetup in Mt. Adams, Ohio.  The venue, “Mount Adams Pavilion” overlooks Downtown Cincinnati and has a really cool interior.  I took quite a few photographs and really enjoyed seeing friends!  Over 100 people had signed up…but usually about 60% show up.

This fountain is located around the corner from the bar and seemed to have a lot of life radiating from it…

The walls inside the bar were painted by artists and as you can see…there were a lot of sexy women portraits…

I really loved the vibe and creative energy in the rooms…

 

The lighting was perfect…a variety of colors and more subdued!

 

The deck in the back has a wonderful view of the Ohio River and a portion of downtown.  You’ll notice that most people have a name tag on.  It may seem silly, but it definitely helps you remember names!

As dusk arrived, the view was spectacular!

The lighting on the street reminded me of Christmas!  Definitely gives you a warm feeling…

Get out and meet people!

Related articles

Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park

Posted on by

23

Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park in Hamilton, Ohio is a beautiful place to visit.  Randy and I went there yesterday to get some exercise and for me to take photos.  He used to live in Hamilton and we affectionately call it “Hamiltucky” because many of the people from there have a Southern accent…similar to some “folks” from Kentucky!

The park is situated on 265 acres and they have golf carts to rent if you’re not able to or don’t want to walk to each of the 62 sculptures.  I’m guessing we walked about 2 or 3 miles and saw only half of the sculptures!

Citizen by Walter Driesbach

After picking my favorites to show, I have 12 of them for your viewing pleasure.  The sun would disappear behind the clouds occasionally and it was interesting to see how that affected the photo.  Sometimes it was better without sun/shadows.

Triumph by Michael Tearney

I found the names the artists picked out for each sculpture to be interesting and a reflection of their interpretation of the piece.  Roxanne has pretty hair…don’t you think?

Roxanne by George Sugarman

Still Life by Ed Benavente

Tory’s Comet by Harry Gordon

This is a historic stone house built by pioneers in the 1800’s.

The landscape was beautiful…

A girl’s gotta have fun.  At least I’m not lifting anyone this time!

Laocoon by Alexander Liberman

I used the pop art function on my camera for this shot.  It made the colors really pop!

Abracadabra by Alexander Liberman

J.S. Bach’s Fugue by Tony Rosenthal

This was one of my favorites, but it isn’t listed on their brochure…so I don’t know who the artist is.

The gardens were peaceful and lovely…

I love the way the sun’s rays are hitting these star crossed lovers!  And I can see my reflection.

Wherefore Art Thou by Sam McKinney

Adam’s First Breath by Sam McKinney

Melinda at the Beach by Bill Barrett

I was informed by a reliable source (Randy) that this is a manure spreader.

I’m gaining a greater appreciation of art as I age.  I wonder if that is normal.  Anyway, hope you enjoyed and if you’re able…check out some of the links listed below…especially the second one!

Related articles