northeastern ohio

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Our Day

Posted by Photonstopper on October 16, 2011
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Photo: A brooding sky over a rural autumn scene in Medina County, Ohio. Photo by James Guilford.

A field of soybeans and line of color-touched trees in Medina County, Ohio.

Today was “our” day. Whereas recently weekends have either been paid work or, more often, prep work for sale of Mom-In-Law’s house, today was ours. Of course it was cloudy, chilly, rainy, and breezy but sometimes that’s not such a bad thing. At any rate, that was the day we were dealt. We spent the morning shopping: I have had to discard several shirts lately so I picked up three replacements. The discarded shirts in question were fraying a bit at the collar and had even developed holes in the left elbows. I must prop up my head on my left hand way more than I know! Lunch at the mall and we headed out to Root Candles in Medina. If one were studying retail merchandising and display, Root Candles is a place to go for good examples. We enjoy the look and scent of the place; its welcoming and warm atmosphere always comfort. I looked around and soaked up the atmosphere; She Who Must be Obeyed bought a bunch of their high-quality candles, made in the very old factory attached to the store. I really would have liked to have set up a camera and shot gobs of photos of the way light plays on the beautiful candle holders and home decor items but, with a sigh and an eye toward budget preservation (She bought a bunch of candles), we left. Enjoying the drive through the moody countryside and watching the dramatic skies, I asked Her to pull over on a county road adjacent to a soybean field. The field, a line of trees in the distance, brooding clouds above, all came together to make a beautiful image. My trusty Canon PowerShot G11 in hand, I recorded the scene. A little reminder of Our Day.

Season’s end

Posted by Photonstopper on October 15, 2011
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Photo: Hinckley Lake on a blustery autumn day. Photo by James Guilford.

Hinckley Lake on a blustery autumn day.

It was a very blustery day. Any autumn leaf that was thinking about dropping to the ground had its decision made for it by 15- to 30-mile-per-hour winds. Early in the day it was dreary and overcast. Later, openings appeared between the clouds. We were on our way home from a bit of shopping –She needed new jeans– and decided to make a quick stop at Hinckley Lake. Spots of sun drifted over the color-dappled trees and whorls of ripples spread on the surface of the water as the wind drove through the valley. I had my little Canon PowerShot G11 with me and so made some photos. The stop was brief but beautiful. Robbing a bit from the joy of the moment was discovering the cozy little boat rental and outdoors shop, the Hinckley Lake Boathouse, was going out of business. Stepping inside we found the shop nearly empty and a lone employee idly minding the cash register. {I hope to learn more of the circumstances but it sounds like Cleveland Metroparks may have chosen to not renew the owner’s lease and will take over the property.}

Photo: Hinckley Lake Boathouse with store closing sign. Photo by James Guilford.

Hinckley Lake Boathouse with store closing sign.

Beautiful serendipity

Posted by Photonstopper on August 30, 2011
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Photograph: Morning light, water, and stone in a shallow stream. Photo by James Guilford.

Sometimes good things happen when you least expect them.

I hadn’t paid a visit to one of my favorite places in a long time so this morning, on the way to work, I stopped by David Fortier River Park in Olmsted Falls. It was quiet and dark under the clear, early-morning sky. I carried my little Canon G11 camera towards the rock-lined stream and river that converge in the valley park and gingerly stepped out upon the rocks. I photographed ancient, water-sculpted rock walls and flowing streams. I took images of the rich green colors and leafy trees, light and dark reflected in the water that led to the park’s stone bridge. It was beautiful and relaxing just being there for 10 minutes. Realizing it was time to resume my trip, I carefully stepped across the damp, slippery rocks, looking down to avoid water and a sure tumble into the shallow stream. Then, either at a glance or in the still-live LCD panel of the camera, a sight caught my eye: all of the elements I sought combined, in painterly fashion, in one image. I took one shot, made my way (still dry) to my car and headed off. Only tonight looking at the photographs did I see that, for all of those carefully-composed photographs, my favorite and the best of the morning was that “accidental” vision. Beautiful serendipity.

A quiet Fourth

Posted by Photonstopper on July 4, 2011
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Photo: Dragonfly Widow Skimmer (female?) by James Guilford.

Dragonfly "Widow Skimmer" (Libellula luctuosa) female pauses on a twig.

We sought out and found a couple of natural places, away from the day’s noisy festivities. We had quiet strolls in woods, fields, and around ponds and wetlands. We saw the denizens of those places: herons, white-tail deer, frogs, fish, and dragonflies. It’s turning out to be another “dragonfly summer” for me and I like that. One of the best photos of the day was a beautiful black and golden female Widow Skimmer spotted in a small township nature preserve.

Dragon-flight!

Posted by Photonstopper on June 27, 2011
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Photo: Dragonfly in Flight. Photo by James Guilford

A dragonfly captured in flight is not an easy catch!

After dropping our cat off for a brief hospital stay, I stopped by Hinckley Lake for a hike and another effort at dragonfly photography. I was quite disappointed with my efforts on Sunday, coming way from that session with only a couple of acceptable pictures. So I walked the entire circumference of the lake stopping now and again to shoot images as opportunities arose. It wasn’t until I’d nearly completed the walk –about three-quarters of the way around– that I began to see a few dragonflies. I photographed one that perched for a while on a leaf of grass. Others stayed out of reach — too small and too far away for me to image properly. I noticed a large, dark variety liked to fly in figure-eight patterns in set territories and it occurred to me to try and capture dragonflies in flight. What the heck, it’s digital so I’m not wasting film! So I tried and tried and deleted a good number of blank or blurred frames in the field. What I got back, however, was astonishing to me and of better quality than I managed shooting still-life insects Sunday!

Photo: Dragonfly in flight. Photo by James Guilford.

Dragonfly in flight over the waters of Hinckley Lake resembles an unusual aircraft over an ocean coastline.

Sunday at Schoepfle

Posted by Photonstopper on June 27, 2011
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Photo: Tiny Eastern Amberwing red dragonfly rests on a bright green leaf. Photo by James Guilford.

A tiny Eastern Amberwing dragonfly rests on a bright green leaf.

Don’t worry, I’m not sure how to pronounce it either! I believe it’s “Show-fel” but hesitate to say the name out loud. What I can say is that it’s one of the gems of Northeastern Ohio parks. Located in Lorain County and part of the parks system there, Schoepfle features large formal gardens, paved and earthen walking trails, ponds and a river, along with woodlands to explore. On a whim we took off Sunday morning and paid a return visit to the place spending an unusual and welcome time quietly watching and photographing the grounds and, in my case in particular, the dragonflies that flit around the ponds. I saw and photographed several varieties. We saw many thin and tiny blue-headed damselflies in the act of mating! Dragonfly copulation is an interesting hook-up (literally) and you can read about it elsewhere. At any rate I’m sorry to report that many of my photos did not live up to my expectations — and I wasn’t seeking dragonfly porn but beauty shots of the various gossamer-winged creatures. She Who Must Be Obeyed often bemoans her humble all-in-one pocketable digital camera but yesterday managed to out-do my digital SLR and its top-of-the-line close-focus telephoto. It’s a great little camera she’s got so I wasn’t too surprised. I’ll just have to learn from my mistakes and try again… maybe today!

Life and death, death and life

Posted by Photonstopper on June 21, 2011
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Photo: Great Blue Heron catches a fish. Photo by James Guilford.

A Great Blue Heron with a fish it has speared with its lower beak.

I’d taken the day off in order to deliver Tasha to animal hospital for iodine 131 treatment … a cure for hyperthyroidism. Yesterday I received a call from the hospital informing me of their need to postpone admission. It seems there is a shortage of iodine 131. Without the treatment, and because of her apparent sensitivity to methimazole, Tasha would remain untreated until the rescheduled date for the procedure; her thyroid levels might return to their formerly dangerous highs. So I decided to take advantage of my scheduled day off. I would pick up a prescription of methimazole gel for trans-dermal dosing (less trouble for Tasha) at the compounding pharmacy which has very limited mid-afternoon hours. My morning was open so I headed to Hinckley Lake for the first time this season or even this year. It was a comfortable but hazy morning with thin to moderate overcast as I began my little hike along the lake. On the walk “out” I saw no large wading birds at all –unusual, I think– but was content to look around at the quiet beauty of the area. Low rumbles of thunder began but seemed to be to the north and west of me. As the skies darkened I felt I’d better turn around and so began a somewhat faster walk back around the lake. As I approached one of my favorite spots for finding herons I did, indeed, spy one. It was wading slowly through the shallows, apparently looking to spook a fish and find a meal; that’s just what happened. The Great Blue Heron struck lightning-fast and hauled a writhing fish from the muddy waters. The big bird had speared the fish with its lower beak. It held its prey aloft for a bit, lowered it into the water briefly, and repositioned the fish so it was head-first in its mouth. Then it lifted its head high and in a few gulps swallowed the fish. In less than a minute it was all over. The fish was gone and the heron was again wading slowly through the muddy waters, seeking another meal. It’s the way of nature: life and death, death and life.

A very good day away

Posted by Photonstopper on June 19, 2011
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Photo: Halloween Pennant dragonfly. Photo by James Guilford.

Dragonfly Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina)

We got around early today and set off for what we hoped would be a “day to ourselves” — a relaxing time away from work and worry for the two of us. The journey was a good one. We visited the Carlisle Reservation of Lorain Metroparks and had a fine (if warm) hike along a meadow trail. I also got my first look at the John Nielsen Observatory there; it’s a place built in cooperation with amateur astronomers to serve their needs and those of Parks’ star party guests and looks to be in an excellent location. I’m still gathering observatory design ideas for possible future developments. It was getting on towards lunch time when we left Carlisle so we headed to nearby Oberlin. We were surprised and pleased by stunning new business developments there including a fresh new building that features condominiums up and businesses down. Looking at the new development, right off the town square, made us feel as if we were in some trendy section of a much larger city. After good lunch at the newish Aladdin’s Eatery, we began a loop towards home with a planned stop at the Caley Reservation nature preserve of Lorain Metroparks. Almost exactly two years ago we visited Caley and were delighted by the presence of large numbers and a wide variety of dragonflies. This year we saw not so many of the little beasties but I noticed two that were unfamiliar: one had black wings with blue tips and the other was decorated in brown and red-brown colors. The former escaped un-photographed. The latter posed nicely and several times for a number of shots. The heat, humidity, and blood-loving insects were setting in so we stayed not long. A thunderstorm to the south added dark drama to the sky. It was a very good day away.

Just what I needed

Posted by Photonstopper on June 16, 2011
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Photo: A fern grows from shallow soil in a rocky river bank. Photo by James Guilford.

A fern, illuminated from above, sprouts from shallow soil held by rocks along Chippewa Creek.

It continues to be a stressful and tiring time. Our mothers are facing health issues. Our cat, Tasha, has reached a health crisis of her own — hyperthyroidism. There’s too much to do, and too little rest. Still, it’s possible to find a respite in nature. Wednesday morning, before heading off to work, I took a brief, solo photo hike along a portion of Chippewa Creek. Calm now after the spring’s torrents of rain, the stream flows gently over age-smoothed stone in a gorge carved deep into bedrock. The stream is canopied by the branches and leaves of old trees. Mosses and ferns grow in tiny trays of moist soil formed in the rockface. Despite the location, near a busy street and business center of town, the scene is calm and soothing to the soul. Just what I needed.