Tag Archives: Ohio

Meetup.com…Wine in Mt. Adams

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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!

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Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park

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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!

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End of Summer

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This weekend has been wonderful!  Saturday we started the day with our usual three-mile trail jog at the nature center.  There were beautiful wildflowers weeds everywhere, so I picked some to bring home.  Breakfast was a yummy smoothie with strawberries, banana, Greek yogurt, coconut milk, oatmeal flakes, honey, 1 cup of ice, and some Chia Seeds.  I discovered the Chia Seeds at Trader Joe’s and was impressed by the amount of fiber, Omega 3, and Protein in 1 tablespoon!

That afternoon we rode the Harley to the Milford Street Festival.  We stopped along the way because Randy wanted a photo with this tank…

We stayed at the festival for about an hour and stopped by the booth of one of Randy’s friends…Steve Black…who makes cool jewelry out of spoons and forks.  A lot of the pieces are Harley and breast cancer (ribbon) related.

There were a variety of booths including face painting…

This parrot was cool…

We stopped in a gun shop and I thought this would make an artsy photo…

And this wall looked cool.  The three different colors and textures really popped!

We rushed home, changed clothes and left for our next adventure…Bob’s Pig Roast.  It was in honor of his deceased wife who had died from cancer.  Everyone donated $10 to the American Cancer Society…so $2700 was collected!

This is Bob…

I took about 150 photos, but picked out just a few to post.  This is my friend Shari.  I took 7 photos of her with my flash on and she blinked every single time.  So I turned the flash off and…voila…

This was the beginning of the party…before most of the group arrived.  The port-o-lets were for the guys and the inside restrooms were for the ladies.

Randy, Frank and I were toasting with three different beverages in a wine glass.  Wine for me, beer for Randy and water for Frank!

It was a busy and FUN day!  I’m grateful we have so many nice friends!  We’ve had beautiful weather, but it is cooling off this week.  Hope your weekend was great and wishing you a wonderful week!!

xoxoxo

Country Roads Take Me Home

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Randy and I took a beautiful motorcycle ride last night.  He drives and I ride on the back…didn’t want to mislead you into thinking we have two!  Although it was hot during the day, because of the low humidity, the evening was chilly.

I told him I’d like to ride around and take some photos…so we rode for about two hours on country roads.  I wasn’t able to get him to stop for some of the photo ops…it was tricky on the roads…also having to turn around too much.

Something I find interesting is that when other people are driving, I get a little nervous and am quite the back seat driver, but when we’re on the motorcycle I feel really comfortable.  I feel a sense of freedom…and I tend to live more in the moment…experiencing the sights, sounds and sensations.

First we rode to a covered bridge that is shut down for repairs.  I would’ve taken a photo of the front, but there was a big ugly sign on it stating that…so here’s a photo of the inside…

This barn caught my attention…love the blue!

I like old barns…

This was a cute homestead…

It was starting to get dark…

I thought you might enjoy this photo I captured the other morning of an owl in the backyard…

Anyway, we ended up riding to a bar called “Plain Folks” that’s located in Pleasant Plain, Ohio, and met our neighbor there.  I didn’t take my camera in…but it’s a really cool place.  It used to be a school house and last night was “open mic night”.  Some really talented people sang and played guitars.  Everything from “On the Cover of the Rolling Stones” to “Take a Load Off Fanny”.  For being out in the middle of no-where, the clientele aren’t your typical “redneck” country folk.

We’re trying to get out and enjoy the weather before the rain starts Saturday!

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Urban Hike…Downtown Cincinnati

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Yesterday, I went on a two-hour “urban” hike through the streets of downtown Cincinnati with my hiking club.  Like many people, I’ve taken my own City for granted and am excited to be doing more things around my hometown.  We started our hike at Fountain Square…

In the winter there is a temporary ice skating rink set up…

As you can see, I like to display my photos as a collage now-a-days, because it doesn’t take up too much space that way…so I can display more photos.

We stopped in a few hotel lobbies to view their holiday decorations and to warm up briefly from the chilly weather (30’s) outside.

I discovered many new sites while walking…this statue of Abraham Lincoln is cool…didn’t even know it was here.

The two big buildings on the right are the Procter & Gamble headquarters.

Some of my photo collages are just for art’s sake…combining a variety of photographs that have interesting textures, colors and/or shapes.

A major grocery store in town is the Kroger chain.  It was started in 1883 by Bernard Kroger, who invested his life’s savings-$372 (roughly equal to $8,739.34 today) to open a grocery store in the Mount Airy neighborhood of Cincinnati.  Kroger was the son of a merchant, and his slogan was simple: “Be particular. Never sell anything you would not want yourself.”  In the 1970s, Kroger became the first grocer in America to test an electronic scanner.  It is the second-largest grocery retailer–behind Wal-Mart–with over 3,600 stores located mainly in the midwestern and southern states.

Our newspaper is The Enquirer and Macy’s is a popular department store.

The Cincinnatian Hotel is one of the upscale hotels located downtown…

There were gingerbread creations on display…

We stopped at Cadillac Ranch…a restaurant/bar…for a late lunch.  They have a mechanical bull to ride.  I haven’t tried it yet.

The photos below are of Garfield Place.  In 1882, after the assignation of James A. Garfield (1831-1881), the short-lived Ohio President, the two block “park avenue” was memorialized as Garfield Place in 1882.

As we walked through the Netherland Hotel, I was surprised to discover that it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1994.

There was a lovely water feature in the hotel…

The two photos on the right are large “graffiti” paintings on buildings and the photo on the left is in front of the library.  It’s a sculpture of books!

This is one of my favorite shots…

An Urban Hike is a great way to learn about your own City…so don’t let the cold keep you from getting outside!

Cincinnati Art Museum and The Way

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I had an artsy day today.  Enjoyed spending a couple of hours at the Cincinnati Art Museum.  One painting stood out to me.  The Road Under Trees, by Claude Schuffenecker..1888.

 

Next I went to the Esquire Theater in Clifton to see the movie, “The Way”.  I really enjoyed it.

Martin Sheen plays Tom, an American, who travels to France to recover the remains of his son, who died in a storm hiking the pilgrimage route known as the Camino de Santiago.  Tom decides to hike it with his son’s ashes, to honor him, meets some interesting people and develops a deep bond with them.  The movie was very inspirational!

THE WAY, written and directed by Emilio Estevez, was filmed entirely in Spain and France along the actual Camino de Santiago.

I first became aware of this 800 km pilgrimage a few years ago and it’s on my bucket list.  What’s interesting is just in the past few days, it has come to my attention through two sources, another blogger, Anita Mac at TravelDestinationBucket and a facebook friend who just saw the movie.

Also…the painting I was drawn to at the Museum appears to be someone hiking on a trail. I believe I’m destined to traverse it!

According to Wikipedia…

The Way may refer to a spiritual path:

  • The Way or “Tao” of Taoism
  • An early term for early Christianity (see also The Two Ways)
  • The Way of the Cross, a Catholic devotion to the Passion of Christ.
  • The Way (church) (Japanese: 道会, michikai), a Japanese movement founded by Matsumura Kaiseki in 1907
  • The Way International, a Biblical research, teaching and fellowship ministry founded by Victor Paul Wierwille in 1942.
  • The Way of Madonna Della Strada
  • The Way, or Dō, of any number of spiritual and martial disciplines stemming from Japanese culture.
  • The Way of the Buddha Dharma, or Buddhism
  • The Way of Shinto
  • A term used for the Two by Twos church, commonly known as The Way, Meetings, Workers and Friends, Cooneyites or The Truth

Balluminaria

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Last night I went to an event in Cincinnati at Mirror Lake in Eden Park…called Balluminaria.  It was beautiful!  There was one balloon in with the crowd…

Across the small man-made “Mirror Lake” were the other balloons.  In preparation for nightfall…

It was a bit breezy, so you couldn’t see the balloon reflections very well, but it was still really lovely!

I forgot to take my tripod…but they turned out pretty well anyway…I think!

 

O’Bryonville Christmas Walk

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On my quest to explore more of Cincinnati, my friend Dee and I went to the O’Bryonville Christmas walk last night.  It was fun…all of the shops had free wine and snacks!  This is another area of Cincinnati that I don’t usually frequent, but who could pass up free wine!

Some of the arts and crafts were very interesting and “crafty”!  These are quite whimsical!

The “hair like” photo below is actually a lampshade!  And…the last photo that looks like a flower is a chandelier with cloth draped on the ceiling!

The materials that some of these things are made out of are unique!

I know it’s a little early for Christmas decorations…but here are some that were displayed.  I know it’s kinda wierd…but I already put my Christmas tree up.  I usually wait until after Thanksgiving, but I had the time!

We stopped into the Phyllis Weston Art Gallery and saw some works by Mark Patsfall.  The lady in the photo is the owner.

Here I’m snapping a photo of us in a mirror above us at a restaurant we stopped in!

Events like these are nice because you get some exercise, meet new people, eat, drink and be merry!

Exploring Cincinnati

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Yesterday, my friend Dee and I went exploring in Clifton, an area of Cincinnati next to the University of Cincinnati.  I haven’t been there in five years and enjoyed walking around, taking photos, and having a bite to eat!

Here’s some of the architecture…

We stopped in a wonderful wine shop called “Ludlow Wines” and here’s a photo of Mike — the extremely hospitable owner!  He loves his business and is expanding into a larger building down the street.  We had a tasting of four wines for $5.00.

Next, we went through some of the shops that lined Ludlow Avenue.  I have so much fun just looking at things with an eye for photography.  It keeps me busy and an added plus…I don’t spend money!

This is an African shop owner and some of his wares…I remember going in here and buying a ring back in 2006.

We went for a short walk through Burnett Woods.  Dee was going to go for a hike with the Tri-State Hiking Club through Meetup.com, but she knew I needed some company, so she came with me.  I’m thankful I have good friends like Dee!

We filled our tummies at Sitwells.  I had a Gouda and Guacamole Sandwich.  Our waitress was cool…she had red-eye shadow on and a few piercings.  I love when people feel free to express themselves through fashion/makeup/body art.  She was very pleasant and sweet also!

This picture was in Sitwells…when you look at the lady from one angle, she looks like this…

and from another angle like this….

No matter where we live, there is beauty and interesting people…so let’s get out and explore our own backyards!

My Half Marathon in Clayton, Ohio

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After some ibuprofen, a hot shower, and a nap, I’m beginning to feel better since jogging my half marathon today!  Normally, I don’t get sore after a long jog (the longest before this was 10 miles last weekend), but since it was only 35 degrees this morning, I’m assuming that is why it affected me differently… anyways…it was an experience and I’m glad I did it.

It’s kind of like childbirth, I remember I was wishing it was over a number of times, but looking back, it seemed to go rather quickly.  I finished in 2 hrs. 15 minutes, which is the time I predicted, since I normally jog 10 minute miles.

For breakfast, I had whole grain cereal with banana and almond milk, and water.  We drove an hour and 10 minutes from a suburb of Cincinnati to Clayton for the race.  There was one in town last weekend, but I was out-of-town and there is one this coming weekend, but I’ll be out-of-town again.

This is me pre-race…

My husband took photos of me and although he has many talents/strengths, photography is not one of them.  These are the best of the many he took…most of them are blurry.  But, I’m not complaining, I was thankful he came to cheer me on!  I’m fourth from the left in the photo below.  I think there were about 200 people total.  I’ll get the results sometime in the next couple of days.

We started about a minute later.

The terrain was beautiful, rolling roads through rural Ohio with pretty trees and farms along the way.  When I would get caught up in my head thinking… analyzing…etc., I would look around and be in the moment, thinking I love the feel of the sun warming me (a bit) and thankful that I am able to run (so many people can’t because of being out of shape, past injuries, or worse)!   I bought some goo to eat once (at mile 10) for energy.  It tastes like chocolate icing.  Some people don’t like to take it because of the texture, but it did seem to give me a boost.

The girl next to me in the photo below was beside me for the last 1/2 mile and I told her we could help each other go faster.  Anyway, she started to pass me right before the finish line, so I amped it up…that’s why we’re laughing!

Right afterward, I could barely breathe or walk.  I’m glad I didn’t stop running the entire time, except for 30 seconds to eat the goo, or I might not have been able to start again!

After stretching some, below is my celebratory photo!  Tonight, we’re going to a Halloween party, so a few drinks should loosen me up a bit more!  Happy Halloween to everyone and to all a GOOD NIGHT!!

Hiking in Hocking Hills State Park

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Since returning from my whirlwind trips through Washington, British Columbia, Colorado and New Mexico, I’ve been thinking more about finding beauty in your own backyard.  Many people from Cincinnati usually feel that there are much better places to live than here, but because of work or family, continue to reside in this area.  I’m beginning to embrace living here and realize there are wonderful places for enjoying the “great outdoors”.  I have been a member of Meetup.com for four years and joined a hiking club at that time.  My friend Dee, my husband Randy and I decided to take a day trip to Hocking Hills State Park, which is located 2 1/2 hours from Cincinnati in Logan Ohio, to hike 5-6 miles with the club.  These are photos from the day…

This is a “Hickory Horned Devil” and then it becomes a “Royal Walnut Moth” or “Regal Moth”.  Later that day when I showed my friend Dee a photo of it, she thought it was a fake photo because it looks like it has sunglasses on.  It was about 4 inches long by 1 inch wide.

Since I was taking quite a few photos…I was usually lagging behind and had to run to catch up…but sometimes it’s better to be by yourself.  It’s quieter, no people in your photos and the timing was good for getting this photo.  I was told that this guy just dropped out of a tree a minute earlier.

 

I love the “gnarled” look of these roots…

 

Everything seemed to have a green hue…lots of moss-covered rocks and even trees.

 

Since today was a record 100 degrees…I had to take a dip in the ice-cold water!

 

This is Dee…

 

I usually try to turn around frequently when I’m taking photos so that I can see things from a different vantage point or observe when the light changes or is really nice…like this photo!

Hope you’re finding beauty in your day!

 

To be In The Moment…Zipline!

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Another fun day with my son…Ziplining at Camp Kern, just north of Cincinnati.  We’ve been one other time in Mexico about 7 years ago.  I’m admitting it…I was scared…but one of my big beliefs is to “face your fears”!  I took Justin skydiving a few years ago and for some reason this makes me a little more nervous.  The only injury of the day was before we even got outside…Justin hit his head hard on this doorway of the Ozone Zipline building.  The autumn colors were stunning and the other five participants were fun.  We went on seven lines…each one getting longer, faster and higher…up to 175 ft. high and 45 mph.  Because I was one of the lightest in weight, I had to do the “cannonball” to ensure I went fast enough on the longest lines to reach the end.  I can’t say I was ever totally relaxed…but I was in the moment. It’s nice to feel proud of yourself for doing something that pushes you…I guess that’s called empowerment!

 

 

 

 

 

Justin always went in circles…unintentionally…and one of the guides asked if he came out of the womb backwards!

 

 

 

Color coordinated gear…

 

 

 

This is the cannonball!

 

 

 

 

Sending peace, love and joy!

~Sherry~

 

p.s.  I have a phone interview with a travel company…so send good thoughts!

 

 

It’s Alive!

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I can scratch off another experience from my bucket list…a Segway tour!  It was fun…a bit dangerous…and we had a beautiful day for it.  I took my son, whom I infrequently do anything with and he loved it.  There were six people on the tour of Eden Park in Cincinnati.  After a 20 minute lesson…we were off.  Up and down hills…along skinny sidewalks with steep drop offs…and even off-road.

I had to laugh watching the tour guide give Justin his lesson…she was about 5’4″ and in comparison to his 6’9″ frame…it was quite comical!

Unfortunately, a couple in their late 50’s or early 60’s fell off of their Segway a number of times.  Luckily only their pride was injured.  They are quite tricky – when you step on or off…they sense your presence and react by moving.

The mighty “Ohio River” was sparkling in the sunlight!

“Twin Lakes” were very tranquil.  I haven’t been to Eden Park in many years.

 

 

 

We sat outside in Mt. Adams for a late lunch afterwards and went shopping afterwards.  It was a great day.  I’m blessed to have a wonderful son to spend time with!

Hope your day was great too!!