Weekly Photo Challenge

 

This weeks Challenge suggested by:
Gitarezan

“Seeing Sights”
Display photos of what somebody else would want to see
if visiting the area you live in.

 

 

Anything you enjoy doing is found somewhere in the United States.  If you narrow the geographic area, selecting a state to visit, you limit your options, and tying yourself to a town means less is available.  A small town like Loveland is nearly rural.  That is not to say there is nothing worth seeing or doing in Loveland.  Loveland has valleys, hills, ponds and creeks and a river runs through it.  You can discover parks, farms, and small business areas.  There are no oceans or mountains but many beautiful sunsets have shown their face and when the weather is right, seasonal changes can be breath taking.  Within a radius of a 100 miles, anything you may want to do can be discovered .  There are shops for any pocketbook, air shows, amusement parks, arboretums, archery, aquariums, fine dining, golf, gun range; movies, museums, skeet, zoos and even ski slopes. The only exclusion I can think of, might be deep sea diving.

 

For some history, see:  Loveland, Ohio – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For some of my views see:  Weekly Photo Challenge, “Where I Live, Loveland, Ohio USA”  For my photos for this challenge, keep on scrolling and reading.

 

Loveland does have a history.  I know this because,

 

 

we have a Loveland Historical Museum.  I also know Loveland was a bustling little town, as there is

 

a station where trains were caught, for a daily commute.  I have lived here for 40 years, and I have never known anyone to catch a train here.  I do hear the train morning and evening making its way to its business destination.

 

 

 

The train would wind its way across this trestle, headed South towards Cincinnati.

 

 

 

The tracks at the left travel past the Hamilton County Park we frequent and think you would enjoy visiting. John is picking up so you don’t have to see the mess left by someone who cares a little less than we do.  They left their glass beer container in the grass so we could slash our tires with broken glass, after running over it, and no, it’s not our bottle.  We don’t have a taste for brews, only cola’s, and glass containers in a park is a NO-NO.

 

 

 

After passing the park, the train would have made its way; rain, sleet or snow, thru villages further south,  passing the long gone Crosley Field, a now much less busy Cincinnati Enquirer and finally into the Cincinnati terminal, which is now a Natural History Museum.  Times have changed drastically in the larger city of Cincinnati so it is to be expected the little town of Loveland has suffered its own losses.  The theatre was closed long ago finally to be taken over by the Loveland Stage Company, an excellent trade, but the building was gutted in a fire only a few weeks ago.  We have no fine restaurants nor any of the better expensive shops.  What we do have is schools, churches, parks and playfields and necessity shops such as grocery and car repair and stations to fill-er-up and a United Dairy Farmer where you can get a good ice cream soda AND Castle Skateland, roller skating rink.  This is AN ADD IN:  I forgot to say, we have a summer stage for concerts in the park.

 

 

 

We have a terrific bicycle trail ,AND it winds its way for quite a few miles.  The trail can be seen from this, a CASTLE, unique for this country (Wikipedia lists 53 known total in the U.S.).  It’s small but as it was built by one man with the help of his boy scout troop, I would call it a fete, and it’s fun to visit to take pictures.  We also have some beautiful sunsets though I have to go to the top of the hill above our house, to see them.  I’ll mention I get bird’s eye views of the moon.  So,

 

 

 

 

I continue to come home to Loveland and it may be because it is the quiet, less than bustling town that it is.  Considering its disposition, you might enjoy a visit.

 

 

Have a super week and thanks always for your comments.

 

Weekly Photo Challenge

the subject from, WakeUpLaughing is:

“Shadows”

I should concentrate on seeing shadow more than I do.  I think the big problem is I haven’t seen a lot of them worthy of notice for photos.  Going through my files, I did find some, interesting enough to post.

My Photos 

1- This Sycamore tree is a big part of my history.  It grows in the small park (four houses away) down the hill from the house I grew up in.  A small swimming pool was this side of the tree with a house to the right side of it.  The house and the pool are gone but I can picture myself at play, at the picnic tables, under the tree.  I spent many growing up days, in the summer, at this little park in the shade/”Shadows” of this tree.  SO, HOW BIG IS IT? CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT.

 

2- These long shadows are in another park in Ashland, Kentucky, October of 2005.  John and our good Xanga friend Wordwarrior39 are discussing our coarse of action for the day, where to go and what to see.  Between the history of the town, the Ohio River views, the barges, floodwalls and paintings and the nearness to a really nice state park, Jim kept us busy viewing “shadows” and more.

 

3- This bridge is the crossing from Ohio to Kentucky, in Ashland.  We had good weather for our visit.  I was happy about that, then and NOW.  Without the sunshine providing some good bridge ”Shadows”, I could barely have managed any variety for this challenge.  Ashland has an interesting history, READ IT HERE.

 

4- My husband took this photo.  The image is the main street of Delaware, a small Ohio Wesleyan University town, Ohio, USA.  The town dates back to 1808 and is picturesque with turn of the century, and older, homes lining the streets.  I picked this photo because the direction of the sun and the height of the buildings, “shadows” one whole side of the street.  Though, I find the shadow to be interesting, a case for good light for photos can be made with the contrast seen in this one photo.  See more images and read the town’s history, HERE.

 

5- I have a love affair with pumpkins I can’t explain.  I love the color and the fun shapes, and carving them.  Pumpkin Pies! Goodness, a really good pumpkin pie, made with real cream, the thought alone, makes my mouth water.  These pumpkins, with their falling ”shadows” are displayed for pumpkin lovers at Kleather’s Pumpkin Patch in Springboro, Ohio.  I took the photo in the fall of 2004 so I know the pumpkins are long past doing their pumpkin duties and have gone where good pumpkins go.  My photo is a monument to them and how beautiful I thought they were, at the time I wandered the rows.   

 

6- Where do “Shadows” end and reflections begin?  I think they are relatives, one to the other and though I have few photos of shadows, I have many of, reflections.  This image is toward the end of a beautiful day at Spring Grove Cemetery, the “shadows” / reflections falling across the water are making a gift, of the moment.  Spring Grove is one of Ohio’s truly beautiful spots.  It is a favorite spot of ours and provides constant photo opportunities from dawn to dusk, rain or shine, sunshine or “shadows”.   

Have a great week, thanks always for your comments.

Weekly Photo Challenge

the subject from, me, PhotoGraphics is:

“Your Favorite Challenge”
from the list of past challenges

I have more than a single favorite but I really like taking photos of,

 … “ Fences ” …

The original challenge for fences was posted 9/28/2007
 by OK123Letsgo who has since changed her name to WakeUpLaughing. 

My entry for her original challenge can be found HERE. 

Anything, which can be used as a barrier, to keep things in or out, could be called fence.  Fence is used for windbreakers, child and pet safety, as retainer for falling rock from mountain sides (very unsightly this use), retaining corn in the silo and chickens in pens, marking boundaries for property, decorative uses and??  Fence is made of live evergreen tree plantings for windbreaks and of thorny Hedge Apple to keep lifestock in the field.  There are fence of logs, split rail, wire (thick, thin, some electric or barbed), wroght decorative metals, plastic tubing, rock wall, and some African tribes use thorny Acacia thickets to keep cattle in and lions out, at night.  There is even a musical fence, purported to be the longest fence in the world, READ HERE as it’s interesting.  If you would like a DVD of the music played on the fences, GET IT HERE, amazing!

 

My Photos for this week

This highway image shows fence used as a barrier hoping it will help keep people on the road.  It has reflectors on it for night driving.  After some thinking about it I would say there is a ton of fencing put up in this world and though it may not rival money spent on computers, I would bet someone is very rich from the miles and miles of fencing used for homes, business, highways and ??

 

The idea, to fence things in, is probably as old as man who would have used protective barriers from intruders.  This wire barrier image is a view from an older farm in Indiana.  The photo includes four different fences which made it interesting, to me.  The corncrib behind the small outbuilding is vertically rail fenced and the neighbor has some decorative painted fence plus the log rail fence and iron fence and gate, in the foreground.

 

This chain link fence is a barrier for the railroad tracks and the agricultural silos and conveyer beside it.  Similar is situated near most farming communities, here in the United States.

 

This galvanized fence/handrail crosses a small bridge over a local waterway.  This image was taken after a Winter thaw and the rail and water are darn cold.

 

This older home is just off the bike trail that runs from Loveland to Milford, Ohio.  Its a beautiful old home and its surrounded with its rail fence.

 

Some fences serve the useful purpose of giving plants something to lean on or be tied to.  Chain link works great for this and plants are always appreciative of the support.

Have a great week,

 

 

 

Weekly Photo Challenge

the subject from, Czolya is:

 … “ Crunch Time ” …

I lived through a frustration this evening, learning once again, from the experience.  The moral of my story, there is more than a single way to skin a cat.  The Xanga uploader will not load animations, in working order.  I tried maybe 5 times until, rethinking the problem, I loaded the animation from inside the editor, and it’s working.  If I can remember what I have learned, for the next time around, I’ll be very pleased with myself. 

So, I salvaged my entry which I thought was SHOT DOWN, by the Xanga Gods.

It’s that time of year, heading into the discovery of new Recipes to crunch/munch into and lots of family gatherings.

 

It’s Crunch Time

Now, that’s scary!
MAKE SOME JACK-O-LANTERNS:  CLICK HERE

 

Tomato, Cranberry, Orange soup and Hot tea or apple cider make a fun meal for Halloween.  It’s Yummy. 

2 cans of tomato soup (I use Campbell’s)
2 cans of water
1 can of whole cranberry sauce or cranraspberry sauce, sort of smoothed out with a fork before adding.  Don’t break the berries up.
1 can of mandarin oranges including the juice, same size can as the cranberries
OPTIONAL:  ChiChi salsa and I use about a 1/6 of the tomato soup can for each can of soup
OPTIONAL:  Splenda or sugar to equal the packets used, 2 packets per can of soup
OPTIONAL:  I like to add into the ladled bowls of soup, a tablespoon or two of real cream.  Cooking it will curdle the cream if it gets too hot.
GARNISH:  Ground Cinnamon and fresh grated nutmeg is nice, too. 

DIRECTIONS:  Mix soups with the water till smooth.  Heat till good and hot, don’t burn.  Add all other ingredients mixing well then reheat to a nice eating temperature. Ladle into bowls, add cream now if you plan to use it, dust with cinnamon and/or nutmeg and serve.  Gingersnaps are good with this or your choice of saltines.

Have a great week, Xanga.  Keep your kids safe over Halloween by attending a supervised party instead of trusting in unknown neighbors who may be the bogeyman disguised as Mr. Nice.

 

 

Weekly Photo Challenge

the subject from, me, PhotoGraphics is:

 … “Hillbilly Heaven / Haven” …

 

Most of us have encountered spots on our part of the map befitting the concept of wild, free, and sometimes rundown, but often with a look of enchanting solitude and privacy.  These are the spots which call to my camera’s eye, and when the shot is missed, I remember the spot, in hopes of the encounter, again. 

 

To better define what I think of as  Hillbilly Heaven/Haven, here are a few of my photo definitions: 

1. City-Up-Setting (dirt, crowds, traffic, tenements) 
2. Urban Yuppie Prim and Proper (fancy homes, manicured lawns)
3. Hillbilly Heaven/Haven (no display of material wealth as much as a display of the total surroundings with a natural charm)
4. God’s Country (appearing as if never touched by the hand of man including field, mountain and wooded area and skyscapes of clouds and sunsets etc)
5. Techno – Photo (the world of technology is the main interest, from highway construction to trucks on the move to cellphone towers to bridge to ??)
6. Creature Comforts includes all life, other than ourselves, surrounding us, in the home or otherwise.

Some of my Photos

 

 

All of the images on this page were taken from a moving car so some of them aren’t as clear as I would like.  This one of the Mailpouch barn, with its rolling hills behind, is one I have posted before.  It was taken on a trip to Ashland, Kentucky.

 

 

I spend a lot of time with my camera on driving trips, John drives, I take photos.  I love the fields and barns but a lot of them fly by so quick I can barely get them.  This one was a distant shot I saw coming up.  I love the old tin roof and the weathered, forgotten look.  People living in areas like this would be called flatlanders.

 

 

 

This is another Ashland, Kentucky photo.  Ashland sits right on the river where there are always train sidings as the barges carry coal to be picked up.  The river cuts a path between very steep hills where hide homes, back in the hills and hollows/hollers.  It’s a beautiful place that fights for its survival as hill communities don’t have big incomes.  There are always the rich areas, people in upper class situations, but the greater numbers bring home less in a paycheck.

 

 

 

Another steep and wooded hill and this image is from one of our Rockford trips but on the way back home.  The hills and hideaways would please any self respecting hillbilly.  The areas are filled with deer and raccoon, possum, fox and a sparse population of hill and mountain loving people.

 

 

 

Farmland between Columbus and Cincinnati, Ohio.  There is always a pile of something lying around on farms.  Waste not, want not used to be a saying we all adhered to.

 

 

 

This was taken on the outskirts of Rockford, Illinois while just driving around.  Somewhere in the lay of the land resides a DaisyMae with a hillbilly heart.

 

 

 

This is taken off the beaten track in Virginia.  There are wonderful little burgs hidden away in these hills, lots of small homes dot the area and cows walk the hillsides.

 

 

 

This photo was taken on the drive from Cincinnati, Ohio to Rockford, Illinois.  There is a lot of farmland on the drive.  I have high hopes of getting closer, taking the little back roads, to get photos.  I grew up in surroundings like these, not on a farm but surrounded by them and all the good things they offered.  It made for a lovely childhood.

 

There are beautiful spots in the surroundings of any of our drives/trips.  Most of the farms have a look of being not kept up as much as the owner would probably like.  For me, it makes them all the more appealing for photos and it gives them the look of the downhome “Havens” hills where people still know what hard work is,  existing on less and appreciating more.   Not one of my photos tells the real story.  They only give a hint of it.

 

 

 

Have a super week and thanks always for your comments.

 

 

Weekly Photo Challenge

the subject from, StixAndStonz is: 

 … “Hats” …

My Photos

There are men’s hats, women’s hats and hats designed specifically for children.  They have been fashioned from skins with and without fur, cloth, straw, metals and ??  Like jewelry, head adornment has taken on the colors of the rainbow.  Hats have been known to be adorned with jewels, flowers, beads, feathers, ribbons, sequins, shells, and bits and pieces of berries, nuts, teeth and claws and even fruit.  A wonderful Internet site for Hats is:  http://www.baronhats.com/

 

Hats or head cover has been worn for centuries as adornment (fancy hats), an indication of status (crowns and tiara) or job situation (military) and as a protection from the elements, heat and cold (hoods and fur caps).  Hats or head cover, in some form or other, has been worn in every country by every nation of people.  Indication of this is found in ancient drawings and historical documents and we take advantage of what we know by use in decoration of some of our most well known toys, dolls.

 

Hats are fun and have found a place in nearly every facet of our lives from hats worn on the banks of rivers while fishing to the caps we wear to cheer on our favorite baseball team.

  

I find a lot of pleasure in the purchase of hats for my husband who is subject to some bad sunburn without them.  Because of this one particular fact, I have my own, personal,

 

Indiana Jones.

So sorry I was late with my entry, again. 

Thanks always for your visits and comments. 
Have a super week,

    

Weekly Photo Challenge

the subject from, SouthernLass is: 

  “Changes”

One of our favorite spots, close to home, is Lake Isabella.  It’s close enough to grab some fast food for a quick outdoor lunch before John has to go to work.  We don’t do the lunch often but we do manage a trip every week or so and John likes to go there, to do his walking.  It’s a fairly small park but it has pleasant aspects, one of which is constant Change because of the days, hours, weather and time of year.

Some of My Photos
Click the image for a larger view

#1  March, 2008, the direction in this image and in fact all of the views in my photos, are the same.  I am looking East, towards the expressway (the white overpass in the distance), I 275 running North and South.  At the far end is a parking area and the bank below it is popular for fishing.  There are places for grilling out and on “fish all night evenings”, people put up their tents.  

 

#2  March 21, 2008 and the lake is flooded with water higher than it had been seen for many a year.  I can’t recall details but the water just missed going into the door of the building which had been built in a height away from the water, felt to be a safe zone.  All electric had to be cut off as lightpoles were under water and fishermen wanted to fish.  Fried fish not fried fishermen is the rule and as it turned out, the fisherment continued to fish in spite of the flood and they liked fishing from the parking lot on the other side of the building, standing in the water on the parking pavement.   All of this is behind me as I stand, farther up the drive in a dry spot, taking this photo.

 

#3  April 20, 2008 and the picnic table sitting in the water of the lake is proof positive the flood waters are still high.  Fishermen never stopped coming to the lake.  The water level “change” appeared not to bother them at all.

 

#4  May 30, 2005 was a beautiful day with the water looking as blue as the sky.  The lake reflects all weather changes from rain to snow to extreme heat and each “change” creates a different look in the water of the lake.  I really like it when the skies are blue and there are a lot of white fluffies showing up.

 

#5  May of 2007 and there are days the water looks this blue.  I don’t know what creates the “change” in the color but when the water looks like this, fishermen are eager to throw in their lines.

 

#6  October 2006 and Fall has fell but the ducks don’t mind at all.  It is another really blue water day and the trees are “changing” from their Summer dress into the gown of Fall.

 

#7  August 30, 2008 and its early evening with a really pink sky in the West reflecting the “Change” of day into night in the lake.  It was beautiful.

#8  October 12, 2008, 5:27 P.M. (yesterday) to be exact. The trees are turning but the time of day and the reflections turned out more gold than the trees actually looked to me.  It was a fantastic site for ending this entry on “Changes” and appears to be heralding in Autumn in our part of the world.

 

Have a super week and keep on taking your photos,

 

Weekly Photo Challenge

the subject from, verybasic is: 

  “Sports / Action”

I love sports but don’t profess myself as an expert on any of them, just a fan of good plays and sportsmanship and healthy activities or exercise.  Bonebreaking/dirty dealing sports like a lot of ice hockey is doesn’t turn me on but I really like a good game of football.  I truly enjoy movies about sports and keep building my collection watching many of them over and over.  We watched “Remember the Titans” again just this past week.

Anyway, I don’t get out to see professional games as they are much too expensive but a high school football game can make me want to get out in the cold, wrapped up in blankets with some hot chocolate and a megaphone in hand.

I didn’t want to post images you have seen before so we went out yesterday, Saturday for some new ones.

My Photos
CLICK PHOTOS TO SEE LARGER
all but one, the younger set of aspiring sports stars

1- basketball:  We found this little guy at the park with his mom.  He is little more than 3 feet tall but has the heart of an athlete.  We saw him shoot from great distance compared to his size, making a lot of baskets. 

 

2- basketball:  This shot actually went in and after the fact, he collected the ball and began over again running the court back and forth.

 

3- basketball:  I managed not to get a shot into the hoop but did get this one that hit the rim.  No matter, he grabbed it and started over.  He has a great future in sports even if only for his own enjoyment and isn’t that what it’s really all about?

 

4- tennis:  This couple was playing in a private court, visible from the street.  I managed to catch the ball in the air, always what I’d like to do.

 

5- football:  There are a lot of sports activities in Loveland.  Lovelanders love sports so you can find little league and youth teams all year round doing something at the practice fields.  These images were taken at our high school.  Willing coaches and willing team members on the field doing what they do, practice, practice, practice. 

 

6- football:  On the field things get serious as the young players go thru the motions of what they have learned, agressive running, passing, tackling, huddling, throwing, catching just like the pros.

 

7- football:  You can better believe they know what to do though they may not have it down 100%.  These kids amaze with their catching and throwing skills.

 

8- football:  And then, they end up like THIS!  As I said, Just like the pros.

 

Hoping everyone has a super week,

 

 

Weekly Photo Challenge

the subject from me, PhotoGraphics is: 

  “Photo Story a Single Subject”

Having something new around to photograph is always nice.  Our newest subject matter is a cat who wandered into our lives.  It, (a male we discovered finally) has proved to be a willing subject for the camera.  So,

My Photo Story,

“The Cat”

 

“the CAT” showed up at the end of our drive when my sisters were visiting in June.  It sat for hours watching us work, fixing a garden spot.  It left for short periods but always came back to give us “the look”.

 

 

My pre-potted tomatoes had small fruit on them and the cat licked its lips attempting a show of vegetarianism but we knew different and finally gave in and purchased cat food which it turned its nose up/down at.  I’m not sure if it was disdain at the dog bowl it was being fed in or the food.

 

 

“The CAT” finally became more comfortable with its surroundings, ate the food offered and after eating its meals it did some fastidious cleaning of itself.  When tired, our birdbath became the resting place of choice.

 

 

In its sparkling white and black coat it began moving about much more confident of a meal on our doorstep and as our reward, it began posing in its strong, catlike poses to impress us.

 

 

As we were duly impressed with its deliberate cuteness it noticed and proceeded to take over the outdoors knowing it had us hooked with its sly picturesque peeks.

 

 

And then, in cat-like fashion, it got pushy and brought friends.  I believe there may be close to a dozen strays plus a Racoon or two eating the leftover tidbits from its bowl.  I’m keeping records, taking photos and wondering, “just who, me or it, will make the next move”.

 

Have a fun week and keep on taking those photos,
 

Weekly Photo Challenge

the subject from Southernlass is: 

  “What a Mess!”
Around the house messes

My house has its share of messes and in fact, may have more than its share but I’ve seen some of those internet shows out of the UK and can tell you my house has never looked like some of those.  That said, my house has gone downhill in the messy department for various reasons.  I have reached a point, for various reasons, whereby I use a simplified perspective to survive any and all messes.  I call it the Rose Colored Glasses perspective/concept.  It’s the best one I know of, it doesn’t cost the advice of anyone, doesn’t involve medicines of any kind and it works.

Definition of Rose Colored Glasses:  Seeing something as more pleasant or beautiful than it really is. 

Listen to John Conley singing Rose Colored Glasses, one of my favorite songs, CLICK HERE.

 

My What a Mess Photos
with Rose Colored Counterparts

I own a lot of movies and they are always in a mess.  This stack is being organized to go back where they belong.

 

This Rose Colored Counterpart reminds me of the movie Dick Tracy because of its fun colors.

 

Hurricane Ike traveled upwards into Ohio and left a lof of debris and upset.  We had minor damage, and a lot of mess.  We feel very lucky we had only a day and a half without electricity.  As of Sept. 19, five days after the storm, 96,000 homes are still without electricity in the Cincinnati area.

 

Even the messiest mess can turn out interesting when you are wearing your Rose Colored Glasses.

 

We have so many leaves and branches down it lookes like Autumn.  The day was very hot, no rain but the high winds lasted for hours and gusts were from 50 to 80 miles per hour.  It was an experience I haven’t witnessed before.

 

Divide your messes into smaller portions with Rose Colored Glasses and they are easier to manage and they make interesting graphics.

 

We have had a few storms this year that took out most of our larger branches from our trees around the house.  I look at it as a blessing now even though they landed on the roof at the time.  If they hadn’t come out earlier in the year, they would all have fallen during our Ohio Hurricane and probably with a lot more force than they did.  A hurricane here is a pretty strange thought as we are 1189 miles from Galveston, Texas where the Hurricane came in.  There were deaths in our area, a lot of damage, electric knocked out.  I can’t even imagine what it must be like for those people on the Texas coast.  Cuba, had two killer hurricanes in a single week.  There are a lot of people in this world of ours needing prayer and a lot of monitory help.  Be sure to visit your online Red Cross to make helpful donations.

 

I have a lot of photos taken during the storm.  It’s too bad I don’t have a video camera.  If I did, it would be one video I would load up but my stills will have to do.

Have a great week and thanks always for your comments.

Keep on taking those photos.