northeastern ohio

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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.

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.

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!

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.

Snow day!

Posted by Photonstopper on February 25, 2011
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Photo: Fallen snow blankets the neighborhood. Photo by James Guilford.

The view from the dining room doesn't include a trace of the driveway that runs past. If my car was in the picture you wouldn't see much of that, either!

A much-heralded winter storm struck in the hours before dawn this morning. Most all schools were closed for the day as was my workplace. The employer of She Who Must Be Obeyed was open for business but She wisely chose to work from home. So I spent the day on the Web Edition of the annual Calendar project whilst She participated in a conference call, did office work via the ‘net, and Tasha supervised. Around midday I shot a few photos of the snow (from the comfort of the dining room) and was happy I didn’t even feel the slightest bit of guilt over not going to work… they were closed, after all! It’s not snowing much now and the winds have died down. At around 4:00 I ventured outside and dug my car out of the drifts. I’d guess we got about 8 to 10 inches of snow but, since it blew around a lot, it was hard to be sure. As I finished excavation the clouds began to part, blue sky showed, and sunshine broke through! Maybe a little self-centered on my part but it wasn’t a bad Friday for me at all. A guilt-free say at home, personal projects done at my own pace, and a bit of pretty weather at the end. It’s a snow day!

Photo: Tasha the cat. Photo by James Guilford.

Tasha watches the snowy world from the comfort of a place mat on the dining room table. Photo by James Guilford.

Stop and look around

Posted by Photonstopper on February 13, 2011
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Photo: Sunset February 13, 2011, Northeast Ohio. By James Guilford

Even in Ohio we sometimes enjoy sunsets worthy of photographs.

A day of changeable weather in Northeastern Ohio ended with a spectacularly colorful sunset illuminating rippled clouds. We used to believe we had to travel to the Arizona desert to enjoy such color when really, all we need to do is stop and look around.