Dancing in the Park

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Put your dancin’ shoes on and come to the park…Ault Park in Cincinnati!  Thursday evening was the perfect night for it and after having an appetizer and drink with my girlfriend Cindy, we headed over to have more fun.  Ault Park has a series of outdoor dances during the summer with live music.  I stood the entire evening…with new shoes on…talking with friends, sipping wine and taking photographs.  My favorite is this one of a lady dancing.  As I watched the dancers, I noticed the sunlight dancing with their feet.

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There were lots of hula hoops for people to have fun with.  I walked up a series of stairs to have a view of the crowd and noticed this little girl…

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Cemeteries aren’t just for Dead People!

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I know some people think cemeteries are a bit creepy and perhaps they are on a foggy night at 3am, but Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio is the most beautiful cemetery I’ve ever visited!  My fellow travel and photography friend…Simone and I met there yesterday morning to take some photographs.  I’ve only been there a few times, so it was a treat to walk around the lakes and discover lush, peaceful and absolutely gorgeous landscapes and capture reflections of the miscellaneous buildings, mausoleums and monuments.

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I bought the same camera that Simone has…a Nikon D5100 with an 18-200mm lenses, so I’m looking forward to comparing our perspectives of the same place!

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Kissin’ Cousins

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On Father’s Day this year, I visited my cousin and saw her new farmhouse in Batavia, Ohio (near Cincinnati).  She’s so much fun, is very upbeat and family is important to her!  She’s kissing her new kitten…Beau!  After discovering some mice, Ursula decided to make Beau a new part of the family.

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This cutey pie is another cousin…Domenic!  He’s part Italian and going to be a senior in High School this year.

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Spend a day at Caesar Creek

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Caesar Creek State Park in Waynesville, Ohio has it all…boating, camping, hiking and fishing!  I’ve been visiting Caesar Creek for over 20 years now and took advantage of the beautiful day on Saturday to take our boat out for a few hours with my husband, son and his girlfriend…Ashley.

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My son confiscated my sunglasses!  I think they look artsy on him!  Ignore his tattoo…he got it when he was 18 years old and doesn’t like it now.  He’s thinking of getting something put around it to change the look of it.

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Happy Birthday from Hollywood Casino

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Birthdays are meant to be celebrated…especially the older you become…because not everyone is fortunate enough to become old!  For my birthday on Friday, I was treated by Hollywood Casino to an overnight stay with dinner and dancing at their beautiful venue in Lawrenceburg, Indiana.  If you’ve been following along, you’ll remember my post here explaining how I received all of this as a complimentary gesture!

My husband and I arrived to our room about 5:00pm and were pleasantly surprised with their simple, but elegant decor!  They recently renovated…

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Here’s the view from our room…

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Gettin’ Down with The Soul Pocket Band

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I’ve been a fan of the Soul Pocket Band for years now…groovin’ to their Mojo songs and had another opportunity last night at Newport on the Levee, a complex of shops, restaurants, free events and more, located on the Ohio River in Newport, Kentucky!  I went my friend Teresa and had my new camera with me…a Nikon D5100 with an 18-200mm lenses.  It’s a bit bulky compared to my last camera…especially when dancing, but I have a feeling it’s going to be a frequent companion!

You can make it out a bit here in Teresa’s sunglasses…

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Here are some of the performers…Victoria

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Crackin’ my Whip

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I kept a secret from all of you!  Last year during my 40 day African adventure through six countries, I purchased a leather bullwhip from our Tour Guide for $100.00.  I know…you’re probably thinking, “Why would she have done that?”.  Well…it’s fun, it’s a challenge (to not hurt yourself), and it’s somewhat meditative.

Anyway, yesterday a friend came over for lunch and to pick up a camera he purchased from me for a backpacking trip to Colorado and I showed the whip to him.  It didn’t take much prodding to get him to try it.  After a couple of minutes he got the hang of it and was crackin’ the whip!  We videotaped each other, so I thought you might like to see mine.  I played around with the iMovie settings to make it go fast, slow and backwards, in addition to normal.

What do you think?  Next time I think I’ll wear high heels and a skirt!

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Fun with Bubbles

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Blowing bubbles is not a children only activity!  After my fun afternoon at the Harmony Hill Vineyard, I went to my friend Kathy’s sister’s house that was only a few miles away.  It was a family gathering and they were celebrating the birthday of one of their children.

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Harmony Hill Vineyards

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Harmony Hill Vineyards  in Bethel, Ohio is the perfect way to spend an afternoon and/or evening!  I met my Meetup.com hiking club there yesterday and took a short hike…probably a mile…around the vineyards.  The history of the farm is really interesting.  The owners named the farm Harmony Hills after witnessing all of the wildlife existing in perfect harmony.  They grow hay and medicinal herbs in addition to the grapes on their 70 acres of sustainable farmland.  In 2006 they were certified as a National Wildlife Federation Remote Wildlife Habitat!

Here’s the entrance…

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And some of the beautiful vineyards…

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Life is Good

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Life is good!  I have so many wonderful things to be grateful for!  I was contacted by the PR for Hollywood Casino in Lawrenceburg, Indiana after I marketed a blog post of my visit to their casino onto their Facebook page.  They would like me to be their guest for dinner, dancing and overnight…for both a date night and with girlfriends (up to 10)!  Woo hoo!  So, I’m in the planning stages of that…checking with friends to see when they’re available.  Seems to make you quite popular on Facebook!

And…I’m buying a real DSLR camera in the next few days…a Nikon D-5100 with a 18-200mm lenses!  I’ve been using an Olympus PEN for the last year or two and can’t wait to have a “big girl” camera!

Here are some photos from the last week in my life.  Driving on country roads on my way to the Dirty Girl Mud Run in Clarksville, Ohio at sunrise…

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Across the street from that beautiful barn…some cool landscape…

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I went to lunch with a girlfriend that I haven’t socialized with in almost 5 years at the Dilly Cafe in Mariemont, Ohio and encountered this very unique individual at the restaurant.  He was conversing with a couple of men and I kindly interrupted and requested permission to take his photograph because of his uniqueness.  Notice the “Pull & Pray” behind him.  He obliged…

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Lovin’ Loveland Bike Trail

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Last night was perfect for a 12 mile bicycle ride on the Loveland Bike Trail which is located only 10 minutes from my home!  The 70 mile paved trail follows an old railroad line and the Little Miami River.  As I was taking a photo of the Loveland office, where I began, this gentleman called out wanting me to take his photo…so I had to quickly snap.

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A bit farther up the trail this guy and his beautiful dog were willing subjects.  Look at the blue eyes of the doggie…gorgeous!  I’ll bet that’s a great way to meet women!

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What do you think of my beach cruiser bicycle…purchased on Craigslist for $60 and it looks brand new!  I love the little basket!

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Four Seasons Marina

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After attending Summerfair 2013 at Coney Island, my friend Kelley and I headed over to the Four Seasons Marina to have a late lunch at their restaurant…Pirates Cove.  I couldn’t help but notice how pretty the clouds reflected in the water.  They were probably noticing their own reflection…

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Summerfair 2013

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I had another great day yesterday at Summerfair 2013, which is an annual event held at Coney Island Amusement Park in Cincinnati.  I finally met a friend, Kelley, who has been a Facebook friend for a couple of years, for the first time at this event!  I only have a handful of people on my Facebook that I’ve never met…usually a friend of a friend.  Anyway, we arranged a meeting time and we really clicked!  She’s intelligent, warm, and as you can see beautiful!

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We had a great time walking around Summerfair, which is a fine arts and crafts fair, with over 300 artists from around the Country.  The event also has performers, and play areas for kids!  This is their 46th year and more than 20,000 people attend to view and purchase the art!  Artists apply to exhibit their art at the fair in ten categories including photography, painting, wood, ceramics, fibers, leather, jewelry and 2D/3D mixed media.

Summerfair raises money for a variety of arts opportunities, to include awards, scholarships and exhibitions to artists and small arts organizations in the Tri-State area.

We stopped to talk with some of the artists and I requested permission to photograph their art and sometimes them.

Kelley and I both enjoyed the energy and vibe of this artist…Tracy McKay.  He paints with his hands…

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Bonnybrook Farms

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Bonnybrook Farms in Clarksville, Ohio is a great place to bring your family for their Chuck Wagon Dinner Ride, Giant Slingshots, Petting Animals, Birthday Parties and Clodhopper Golf!  During the fall there are a variety of activities to include…Adventure Hayrides, “Pick Your Own” Pumpkin Patch, and Crazed Corn Maze.  They also host School field trips and corporate events.  They even have a trail through the property that was used by the Underground Railroad System!   They hosted the Dirty Girl Mud Run yesterday, and if you didn’t get a chance to see the photos…look here!

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This rusty old truck is so cool!

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Dirty Girl Mud Run

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Today I worked a one day assignment checking attendees in at a Dirty Girl Mud Run near my home in Ohio.  I found the Brand Ambassador position with Go Dirty Girls on Craigslist and basically sat at a booth along with a few others, each equipped with a pink I-Pad to check the ladies in and issue them their running number for the 5k breast cancer fund-raising challenge.  Approximately 90% of the 1,200 women/girls over the age of 14 years old checked in.

It was actually quite fun and of course I brought my camera to capture some of their smiles and enthusiasm!

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