A pleasant time in nature’s realm

Posted by Photonstopper on June 1, 2011
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Photo: Iris blooming in a boggy wetland area. Photo by James Guilford.

Irises bloom in a boggy wetland area at Summit Metroparks' Nature Realm.

On the morning of Veteran’s Day we decided we could not stay indoors all day, effectively “wasting” a day off. The day promised to be steamy-hot and we were unprepared for that. So we took a little drive to Summit Metroparks’ Nature Realm preserve in Akron. One of our favorite places, the park features natural areas with marked earthen trails and formal gardens with paved walkways. Plants and animals are all around and offer many photo opportunities! This day I made 100 exposures and, though threw away some promising but ultimately disappointing shots, got some really good pictures. An iris blooming in a boggy wetland spot is my favorite of the bunch. After some time, and as the muggy air began to take its toll, we headed out to lunch and ultimately home. A pleasant time in nature’s realm.

One of many stories

Posted by Photonstopper on May 25, 2011
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Photo: Flooded parking lot maroons two cars. Photo by James Guilford.

Heavy rains and blocked storm drains maroon two cars: mine in the background! The photo makes it look brighter than it actually was! Exposure info: 1/40 sec., f/4.5, ISO 1600.

Heavy storms again swept (and are sweeping again right now) the area. I was at work when the first wave of the evening hit. The wind roared, the rain poured, hail rattled, and tree leaves were torn and scattered … and therein was the problem. In our parking lot the storm drains became blocked by fresh, green, shredded leaves and the torrential rains backed up. The parking lot I had chosen earlier in the day flooded for the first time ever. I was lucky for I’d chosen high ground. Had I parked in my first choice of spots, I might be telling a less fortunate story. Someone else parked in the spot I might have taken and water lapped to within about two inches of their car doors’ lower edges! Due to a staffer’s heroic effort the storm drain was cleared and the waters subsided. Still, flooding, not wind damage, was the story around the area. I’m sure there will be many stories around the office tomorrow!

Scary storm!

Posted by Photonstopper on May 23, 2011
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Photo: Severe weather approaches. Photo by James Guilford.

The view to the west as severe weather approached.

We received a scare tonight when the National Weather Service and local TV stations issued tornado warnings for our town! A little after 7:00 PM the skies grew very dark and the clouds turned bumpy and ragged and moved about in chaos. Wind and rain built, nickel-sized hail fell. She Who Must Be Obeyed grabbed her purse and the cat and headed for the basement. I stood by a partly-open window to monitor the weather’s sounds and actions, ready to flee myself if conditions warranted. Fortunately we escaped the worst weather though areas north of us did not. There were many reports of trees down, buildings and utility poles suffered wind damage, and there was local flooding. Local media misidentified several amateur images of cloud formations as tornado funnels though one possibly was the “real deal.” I am waiting to hear from Observatory neighbors to learn whether Hiram escaped serious damage — weather radar showed the worst of the storm passing directly over the village!  We expect no more excitement tonight but this was enough, thank you!

Photo: Dramatic storm clouds. Photo by James Guilford.

Deep dark clouds to the distance and lighter, whirling clouds closer in make a dramatic sight after the storm passed.

Respite at Magee Marsh

Posted by Photonstopper on May 22, 2011
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Photo: Perching Barn Swallow by James Guilford.

This Barn Swallow needed a rest from its constant work... not unlike us!

It’s been tiring and stressful lately, let’s leave it at that. Today was a fine day to take a few minutes and begin to explore the Magee Marsh Wildlife Area on Lake Erie, not far east of Oregon, Ohio. Visiting the Bird Center was delightful. We were surrounded by swooping and diving Barn Swallows, singing and chattering Purple Martins, and the sounds of many other birds singing all around us. We saw a Baltimore Oriole, a Great Egret, a Great Blue Heron, and other birds, all in the space of an hour or less. It would have been easy to put out a lawn chair and lounge for hours in the shade –it was a hot day, around 84F– just relaxing, taking in the scene; I hope we do that some day. We had, however, someplace to go and loved ones to see, so departed all too soon.

Tough time for our little cat

Posted by Photonstopper on May 21, 2011
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Photo: Tasha curls up tight and happy on a warm afternoon. Photo by James Guilford.

All comfy, Tasha curls up tight on a warm afternoon after a stressful couple of weeks.

It’s been a tough time for our little cat. Tasha was due for a visit to the vet –annual exam, booster shots, etc.– and we’ve been worried about some other things. She has been scary thin since her skin problems and weight loss of last year but at the beginning of this month other things started happening. The skinny cat begged for food all of the time, had very stinky litter box visits (you know what we mean), and a noisy gut… and gas! A cat with gas is not a pleasant companion! The doctor visit was more stressful than usual but completed successfully with a blood draw for organ function. Twenty-four hours later Dr. G. called with the news… “It’s not just hyperthyroidism, it’s hyper-hyperthyroidism!” No humor intended: apparently the thyroid hormone levels were astonishingly high. We quickly filled her prescription for methimazole at the local Rite Aid and started dosing to control the situation. Though full control takes weeks, Tasha’s symptoms began to resolve within the first couple of days. Dr. G. recommended suspending Tasha’s low-level doses of prednisolone, intended to control stomach or bowel inflammation and vomiting. All was good and improving until Tuesday, a little better than a week after the vet visit… Tasha started vomiting. I gave her a big dose of her prednisolone and called the vet the next day; the regular course was resumed. So Tasha has been gaining weight, eating and keeping her food down, and no more gas! Though the cat may have been uncomfortable, I believe I may have suffered more with worry than she did with her tummy troubles. We know old Tasha (about 12+) doesn’t have a long life ahead but we hope it’s a happy one. For now, she’s improving and even indulges in the occasional nighttime crazies, or what we call “runnin’ and roarin'”, and we’re glad for it.

Light at the end of the day

Posted by Photonstopper on May 4, 2011
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Photo: Late sun illuminates a spring-blooming tree. Photo by James Guilford.

The late-day sun illuminates a spring-blooming tree appreciated all the more due to recent weeks of foul weather.

It seems we’ve had very few sunny days of late. In fact, it has been overcast and raining an a near-daily basis for weeks. This afternoon the clouds disappeared revealing a blue sky the likes of which we haven’t seen in, well, I don’t know when. As the sun set, its last golden rays illuminated trees in full bloom outside my office window. I grabbed my little Canon G11 and dashed out the door. Tomorrow is expected to be another pleasant day. The rains return tomorrow night.

A breath of fresh air

Posted by Photonstopper on April 20, 2011
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Photograph: Wooded and mossy ledge area in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Photo by James Guilford.
One of the lower levels of the Ledges Area of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Earthen trails skirt walls of mossy rocks and enter natural hilly woodland areas.

It’s been a challenging spring. There’s been a lot of stress and work dealing with the needs of our aging mothers, lousy weather, big projects running less than smooth, astronomy prevented by thick clouds and heavy rains. Once in a while we get a break. One such respite was a visit to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park’s Ledges Area near Peninsula, Ohio. The soft light and mossy rocks were quite restful and, while we really didn’t hike, we did explore for a few minutes. It was literally a breath of fresh air!

Somewhat larger than average, a bit like the Moon!

Posted by Photonstopper on March 20, 2011
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Much was made by the media of the so-called “super moon” which was a rare combination of a full Moon phase with Earth’s one satellite reaching the perigee, or low point, of its orbit; in this case reaching a distance of 221,567 miles.

One attention-seeking astrologer went to far as to suggest the coming lunar event possibly caused the terrible earthquake and tsunami that devastated areas of Japan on March 11. Of course that disaster occurred a full week before the “super moon” happened and the Moon was well within its normal distance range from its parent Earth. The good that did come from the attention was that people were interested in seeing our friendly Moon at its best and brightest.

The observatory had already scheduled a season-opening Public Night for March 19 –the night of the so-called super moon– which worked out well. The evening sky was clearer than it has been in quite some time and visitors began arriving early (well before Luna had risen above our local horizon). Though they enjoyed excellent tales and views of stars Sirius and Betelgeuse, and decent looks at the constellation Orion and the Great Orion Nebula, they really wanted that Moon! As soon as it cleared neighboring trees, we trained the old 9-inch refractor on Luna’s orange face. I was astonished at the detail I was seeing in the crater ejecta and other markings on the lunar surface; I don’t believe I’ve ever seen those details so pronounced in any previous viewing. I regret not being able to capture that view as a photograph. Other eyes, however, eagerly awaited their turn at the telescope.

As the evening progressed and the Moon rose, the details faded and we were left with more typical but still very good views (for so low to the horizon) of Earth’s nearest neighbor in its Full phase. Visitors climbed the ladder one-by-one and most were astonished by what they saw. The grand old telescope and its 110-year-old optics continue to excite! By the time I closed the door, we had hosted 48 visitors which, while not a world record, was somewhat larger than our average night … a bit like the Moon itself!

Not a peaceful scene

Posted by Photonstopper on March 10, 2011
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Photo: Flood waters rush through a rocky ravine. Photo by James Guilford.

A full day of steady rain floods a normally-quiet stream as it rushes to join the roaring West Branch of the Rocky River. Photo by James Guilford.

I stopped in Olmsted Falls on my way to work this morning. Last week I had marveled at the scene I’d witnessed crossing a bridge there during historic flooding. I hadn’t stopped to photograph the view and regretted it ever since. I vowed not to repeat that mistake. Since yesterday, 24 hours of rain combined with snow melt and saturated ground made for new flooding. A tiny, rock-lined tributary in Olmsted Falls, Ohio, dangerously rushed with muddy water to join the roaring West Branch of the Rocky River. Most of the time one can (being careful not to slip on the moss) safely walk on the exposed stony stream bed. The River normally falls gently over exposed rock, shallow and quiet enough to have played host to a wading heron I photographed last year.  Not today. It was not a peaceful scene.

Photo: Rushing waters join a stream and river. Photo by James Guilford.

Turbulance abouds as flood waters rush over a rocky streambed and join the flowing chaos of the West Branch of the Rocky River in Olmsted Falls, Ohio. Photo by James Guilford.