Betty's Blog

Hello World

2010-12-19T18:51:00.000-05:00

Is this thing still on?

Coming back here.

2009-09-25T12:18:00.003-04:00

I keep changing my mind about who what where when and why I want to blog. I think I've narrowed it down and I plan to start blogging here again. I may try keeping 2 blogs going and see how that goes.

My other blog will focus more on food stuff and Columbus stuff while this one will focus on me and Columbus stuff, so there will be some overlap. It may take a bit of time to get back into the groove so in the mean time beagles and trees!

New Blog Location

2009-03-20T15:47:00.001-04:00

My new blog!

I'm feeling the urge to blog again. A fresh start feels good. If anyone is still here, go there! I'm still working on getting it the way I want it, but it looks presentable.

"Wherever you go, there you are!"

It's time to move the blog

2009-03-19T10:58:00.000-04:00

I'm working on a new blog. I'll post a link here when it's ready.

Betty who?

2009-01-20T09:53:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure what it is about blogging but it just hasn't been happening. I think using Twitter and Facebook has something to do with it. Twitter has gone in a direction that isn't going to last, like mostly following people I don't know, so maybe when I break up with or revamp myTwitter I'll blog more.

But I had to share some of these pics. I'm trying Project 365 on Flickr (probably another contribution to lack of blogging, but maybe I can make it work for it instead).

Here are some pics of a couple of local water falls. Hayden Run Falls and Indian Run Falls. Indian Run Falls is very easily accessed, and Hayden Run Falls is a short walk after going down some steps.
Check them out before the weather gets warm!

Indian Run Falls

Hayden Run Falls

A few weeks ago, some friends and I hiked from Old Man's Cave to Ash Cave. We did this before the annual hike they sponsor with huge crowds, so it was just us and an occasional sighting of another person :) There was less snow and ice than there is now, but it was still gorgeous!

Grandma Gatewood Trail

So far, all of this outdoor activity (I've been going on some Metro Park hikes too) is postponing the winter blues. Yay!

The end of a season

2008-11-09T10:00:00.002-05:00

How I spent much of the last warm day before the real November arrived.

My view was pretty, but it made me sad.

I felt compelled to capture the blue sky. It will be rare in the coming months.

Then I let myself splurge at Jeni's. A sundae made with Creme Fraiche with Amarena Cherries ice cream and bitter chocolate sauce. There is always a motorcycle parked in front of Jeni's.

Hike and Knit

2008-10-27T10:31:00.002-04:00

Yesterday some fellow hiking knitters and I got together at Slate Run Metro Park. We are a fairly new group who meet two Sundays each month and take turns choosing where to go. If you are in the area and are interested in joining us, feel free to contact me about it. After hiking, we usually go someplace to knit and sip tasty goods and sometimes eat. It's always a lot of fun and quite relaxing! There are so many great parks around here and I love getting to see more of them.

Martha, Trish, and Molly.

A perfect way to spend a Sunday.

Hocking Hills - Oct 2008

2008-10-20T09:20:00.003-04:00

I lost my blogging mojo for a while. I thought my trip to the hills would bring it back, but I'm using a lousy monitor after mine died and the pictures just don't look as good as they could. In fact, I can't really tell if they are too dark, so if they are, I blame the monitor. I'm hoping Santa will want to help me out at xmas. That would give me enough time to truly appreciate a new one :)

This trip was long overdue. I go to Hocking Hills when I can to decompress. I was stuck and not getting anything accomplished but now I feel like getting things done!

On my way down, I stopped at Rockbridge State Nature Preserve.

I didn't notice the hiking sticks until I came out of the path.

There is quite a long path to get back to the woods and hills.

This is one of my favorite pictures from the trip. I just stopped to look at the view and then only after I came home did I realize I like it so much because it reminds me of Six Feet Under.

A view from under the bridge.

Another view.

I found this guy as I was coming back out of the woods. It looks like a pumpkin spider to me, but apparently they are quite common. It is an orange garden spider.

I hadn't eaten before going thinking that since it wasn't a long trail I would just eat after. I should know better. There were enough hills on the trail that I could have used some fuel. I was tired when I came out of there. There are a couple of new restaurants right off of 33 in Logan, one of which is
Millstone BBQ. I ate there and felt better. The other new one I saw is a Mexican place that I will try next time. Previously, I usually ate at the Dutch Kitchen, so I'm glad to see something new.

Lake Hope

My idea of roughing it - using tea bags instead of loose leaf tea.

I've wanted to hike the Grandma Gatewood trail for quite a while. Since I didn't think I was ready to hike the whole trail and the return trip to my car I went from Old Man's Cave to Cedar Falls and back.
It was absolutely stunning.

Could this be The Bat Cave? Look just left of the center :)

Cedar Falls.

I'm always fascinated by exposed tree roots.

Back at Old Man's Cave.

The Sphinx Head.

My view at the cabin.

Hanging out at the lake.

My mind is much clearer now than it was before I went. Now I'm ready to tackle the Bayerische Socks, which I discovered are fun after you get going. The first 2 rows are the most challenging, then it all falls into place. Eunny is a genius. In keeping with a fall theme, I'm knitting them in orange.

August

2008-08-31T14:23:00.002-04:00

A hat and dress I knit for Brookie, modeled by Snoopy.

The Prairie at Whetstone Park.

Kyle - almost smiling!

Hand knit footlets.

Perfect sky at Chestnut Ridge Metro Park.

Lucy

South Drive In - I don't know why I don't think to go there more often. It's a fun thing to do!

Dad on his birthday.

Mom on Dad's birthday.

Topiary Garden.

Ryan - almost smiling!

Blankenship Riverside Sanctuary - Miami County

A time capsule there.

The Winery at Versailles in Darke County

I plan to go back :)

In Other Sports News

2008-07-23T10:24:00.002-04:00

This is my Mother In Law, Gail.

Last week while golfing in Michigan, she got a hole in one!

Ray and water skiing.

2008-07-21T11:53:00.001-04:00

Ray belongs to SEAL, a local support group for amputees and their families. Ray had his leg amputated 10 years ago because of a blood clot. Several weeks ago he told me they had an outing planned at a lake and if I wanted to go I should mark it on my calendar. I asked what they were going to do and he said "water ski." My reaction was probably a simple "Huh?". The date was last Saturday.

There is a group in Alabama called Adaptive Aquatics.They go all over the country with lots of equipment to share their love of water sports with those who otherwise would not be able to participate.

There is also a local group of ski enthusiasts, The Columbus Aqua Ski Club, that provides assistance.

Another group, CAST Ministries, put this all together.

I could not possibly say enough good things about all of these groups and the results from their efforts. The local ABC/Fox news showed up and for some reason, the guy decided to focus on Ray for the story. I've looked online for a video clip, but I haven't found one. Before going there, I couldn't stop wondering how this was going to work. I used to water ski when I was younger and I know you use your legs a lot :)

They had the use of a private lake, the lake that the ski club uses, which was great because that meant they were the only boat on the lake. That takes away all of the need to watch out for other boats who would be unaware of the issues being dealt with.

Here is the news man Jason setting Ray up for his interview.

Ray read to get into the water.

There are different situations among the amputees. Some can keep their prosthetics on, some can't. Some have one prosthetic, some have two. There wasn't anyone there with two prosthetics who could not leave them on, but in that situation, they have what they call a sit ski. Ray has an electronic one, so he had to take his off and try to ski on one ski. The ski club has a person on each side and they basically lift them up. If the skier is able to get their balance, the ski club guys drift off and the skier skis solo. If they are unable to get their balance, the ski club guys stay with them. That would be hard work, but they were happy to do it, and they did it all day long to make sure everyone got a couple of turns.

Here is a link to a copyrighted picture of Ray taken by the photographer of the Adaptive Aquatics group.
Ray from the boat.

And a link to all of the pictures of the day.
Everyone.

After they all had their turn on the skis, then they took turns on the sit ski. It's not as easy as it sounds because it is still a ski, and you still have to balance yourself, but they all had fun with that after the exertion required for their first rounds.

One of the neatest things about the day was being in a group of people where prosthetics and missing limbs are the norm. Sure, family and friends are supportive of Ray and have adjusted to the difference, but here it wasn't different. That was a big deal for me so I can't imagine how it was for the amputees.

Yoga in Nature

2008-07-13T22:18:00.002-04:00

Today my favorite Metro Park, Battelle Darby Creek, had a session of yoga in the classroom area down by the creek. I haven't done yoga before other than attending a few sessions with a friend who wanted me to go with her several years ago. Lately, I've been interested in finding out if it's something I want to do. After today's session, I felt like I had worked out plus like I'd had a massage.

Being out in nature was a real bonus. The park would like for this to be an established program with the winter sessions being held in the lodge. The leader is an instructor at Yoga on High. If this is something you'd be interested in, the next session in Saturday, August 23rd at 10am. I plan to make it there.

Lucy likes Aroma's

2008-07-07T09:47:00.002-04:00

Aroma's web site is now up!

Lucy approves :)

Catching up - Inniswood in June

2008-07-01T22:27:00.001-04:00

I've been to Inniswood Metro Park several times, but this time with Susy I found a few things I had not seen before.

The Story Maze and the Grandfather tree. You follow the numbered squares and read the story as you walk through the maze.

At the end of the maze, you see this!

The treehouse looked vaguely familiar, but this time I got a close look.

Unfortunately, I can't remember what this was (it's been a few weeks since I was there), but it had lots of nifty surprises nestled around it.

Most of the blooms were a shade of purple while we were there. Can anyone tell me what this is?
I've seen them several different places, but haven't found out what they are.

Looking out at the herb garden from the gazebo.

This statue was kind of off of the path and somewhat hidden. I thought it was cool.

Finally, I really liked this tree. It seemed so vibrant to me.

Catching up - NYC

2008-07-01T16:37:00.002-04:00

I've neglected my blog and I regret not posting about things I want to remember. One of those things is my trip to NYC in May with Shauna. It was a lot of fun. It was her first time there and she was quite taken with big city life. She had the subway system figured out by the end of the first day.

A nice view from the plane.

Shauna on Liberty Island. It was colder than we expected, so we both had to buy sweatshirts while waiting in line. It completed the "We are tourists!" look. Although, considering how many times I was asked directions, I occasionally doubted that I looked like one. Husband said I just looked like one who had been there before :)

Beatles clothes in The Hard Rock Cafe. Seeing this was one of those moments that cause me to just stop for a minute.

St John the Divine. We stumbled across this in search of something else. I want to go back and spend some time there sometime.

There is a set of 4 small sculptures there. Here is one of them.

The Friends apartment building. It was fun walking around Greenwich Village to find this.

Our celebrity sighting - Leona Lewis. Very nice and beautiful.

We saw Hairspray!

The next day we went to see Curtains. We didn't know anything about it, other than it starred David Hyde Pierce. It was fun to see him.

We got to spend and evening with Tippy and Dave, who gave us a great sampling of life in The East Village.

The restaurant used for Seinfeld. This is what we were looking for when we discovered St. John the Divine. I had a decent burger and fries there.

Me at Strawberry Fields. We had to wait a while to be able to take this picture. There was a group of high school students there who annoyed me by acting goofy all over the memorial. I was highly offended. Yes, I know I'm showing my age, but it bothered me.

Lots of fun and lots of good food.

A pic of Rob

2008-07-01T16:32:00.002-04:00

He was happy to find out that he had two black eyes.

He is home in Montana now and he and Karen are happy to be there, among all of their friends. A full recovery is expected in 3 months.

He suggests that we call him Turtle Boy, referring to the back brace he must wear all of the time.

An update on Betty's Bro

2008-06-22T19:54:00.002-04:00

The news is good. Thanks to all of you for your thoughts and comments. They are very much appreciated.

Rob has a long list of injuries including a broken nose, stitches in his tongue, broken ribs, bruised lung, and his spine is broken from his ribcage down to his coccyx. He never lost sensation in his legs and never lost movement in them either. He was thrown 30 ft. from his bike.

Yesterday he was fitted for a back brace and was able to stand for an x-ray. Today he was able to sit in a chair for a few minutes. This means that he gets to avoid surgery to fuse the vertebrae. He will wear the brace for 3 months and then be evaluated again to see if the brace worked well enough. They are talking about releasing him from the hospital within the next few days. His attitude is amazing and he is determined to be able to do the backpacking trips next summer that he had planned for this summer.

He wants to get back to Montana as soon as possible and will do his therapy there. He will stay with the parents until he is able to tolerate sitting long enough to make the trip. My parents are hanging in there. I have yet to fully grasp the trauma and now they are talking about releasing him. It's all very surreal to me.

Cyclist struck by car near Xenia

2008-06-20T00:55:00.002-04:00

The cyclist is my brother.

The story from the local paper.

He has a long recovery time ahead of him and we are still waiting to find out the extent of the injuries. He is an avid biker and not a careless biker, and he thought he could see that there was no traffic on the road. He made a mistake and will be paying dearly for it.

My parents happened to be driving that road and noticed a car off to the side. They drove on and saw an ambulance headed that way. Dad turned around and went back to there, where they were eventually told that yes, it was their son. They got to see him awake and talking, which helped, I think. They both seem on the verge of collapse, both emotionally and physically.

His wife arrives tomorrow.

It has been a long day.

A picture meme

2008-06-04T11:42:00.003-04:00

Why? Because Lindsey asked me to. It was fun to do. It also showed that many people are so lame about their flickr tags. Grr.

1. Betty (Matte Hollywood), 2. coffee and chocolate mousse cake, 3. Xenia Tornado-Xenia High School, 4. When I'm sleeping, I slow down my breathing...Living in dreams, dreams that come true...thinking of the color blue... ZZZzzzzzz..., 5. Hugh Laurie naked, 6. tea, 7. underground tunnel, 8. 4 New Flavoured Ice Cream Plush Toys from Chocolate Log, 9. A perfect weekend watching Tom & Jerry on tv and laughing..., 10. Snowmen family in TX, 11. stealthy, 12. Just Between Us...01

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

The concept:

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd's mosaic maker).

The Questions:

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name.

That is a picture of the actual high school I attended. The tornado hit a year after I graduated. I just gave away my age. Oops :)

Kayaking

2008-06-01T23:02:00.005-04:00

I finally tried kayaking. It was a few weeks ago, but I was on some sort of blogging hiatus and today I finally remembered to ask permission to post a photo. That's me on the far right.

Thanks to Brian for the use of the photo and also for giving me instructions to get out of a very tricky place that another newbie pushed me into. Oh yeah, and thanks for helping me after I rolled over too. Even that part of it was fun, surprisingly.

The reason I hadn't tried it before this is because I avoided most water sports because I didn't know how to swim. A few years ago I started taking lessons at the Y. I already knew the mechanics, but I had a fear of deep water. That can happen when a child is always told that if they go into water over their head, they will drown. Oy. Anyway, I really liked it and hope to do more of it this summer.

Strawberries!

2008-05-31T10:42:00.002-04:00

It's strawberry time!

These were picked at Circle S Farms yesterday. Call before you go to make sure it is a picking day. They update the message daily. 614-878-9462

Aroma's Java and Gelato in Cincy

2008-05-27T10:55:00.004-04:00

I finally made it to Aroma's, Rick and Gretta's place in Cincy, and I'm finally blogging about it. If you're ever in that part of town, stop by and have a tasty treat. They are at 6407 Bridgetown Rd. Closed on Sundays.

Gretta patiently let me taste just about every flavor.

Here's Gretta taking a break to chat.

And here's my nephew Casey. He brings in the young female demographic.

Blogging for a year

2008-04-05T11:23:00.003-04:00

It's easy for me to remember when I started blogging, since my first post was on my birthday. I've been slacking at it lately and I blame March, which totally kicked my butt. There's nothing like a good birthday to turn things around! Yesterday was very low key, but a birthday I enjoyed very much. I really felt all of the well wishes I got - (ALL of them, Hesira - you're the best! :) ).

Husband gave me a new camera, which will in time improve the quality of my photos. We took it to dinner last night and we still need to learn a few things about using it. Dinner at Latitude 41 was awesome. I'm going to post a few of the pics, even though they are too dark.

This was the view from our corner table.

My dinner entree - scallops. It was beautifully presented.

Dessert - chocolate cake, fruit and Jeni's Forest Berry Merlot Sorbet. This is technically Susy's dessert, but I had the same thing :)

I would highly recommend the restaurant - the food, service, ambience - everything was great.

Lucy makes us laugh.

2008-03-11T12:49:00.000-04:00

A Very Bad Day

2008-03-08T11:38:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I had to put my beloved Katy down. I was not ready. I thought I knew the signs, but Katy didn't experience those signs. She was still eating, she was still agile, and she could still be happy, but she was in pain. The tumor was shutting off her bladder.

Today we are snowed in, wandering around the house that feels so empty. Lucy doesn't realize it yet and keeps looking for her as I keep making a conscious effort not to.

I voted. I hate local news. I don't like rain.

2008-03-04T21:14:00.000-05:00

I went to vote in the primary today. There was no line and I was back home in about 20 minutes. I thought I'd check the local news to see what they were saying about voter turnout. I was reminded why I hate local news and why I never watch it. First there was the "HORRIBLE WEATHER!!" part of the story. HORRIBLE WEATHER = it was raining. Then I kept hearing about the "LONG LINES" and in a much more subtle tone "this morning". Then it was the "RECORD TURNOUT", followed by a quiet "for a primary." Yes, I'm aware that some polling places may have had more people, but I bet if that were the case, the news team would have been there to film it. It will be a very long time before I choose to see any local news again.

You know what I prefer over all of this rain?

Hanging in there.

2008-02-25T11:49:00.002-05:00

I have to admit the winter weather was getting to me. Last week it seemed like I had to be out driving every day when conditions were at their worst, and the areas that were the worst. I started getting grouchy. What to do, what to do....go walk in a Metro Park!

This time it was Highbanks.

Winter doesn't seem so bad now. I was also cheered up by seeing that Barry Douglas (AKA The Hunky Pianist) is scheduled to perform with the Columbus Symphony in October. To keep myself cheered about that I have to avoid thinking about the odds of a symphony strike.

I also changed my desktop to this.

It was taken April 20 - that's less than two months away. Which is about the length of time I agreed to keep working my job. My boss says to hang in there. I think I can.

Blogging etiquette - using someone else's photos

2008-02-22T11:22:00.001-05:00

There are always newbies to blogging that may not be aware of the standards for using other people's pictures in their blogs. I found this link which sums it up better than I could.

Blogging photos from Flickr

The easiest way to follow protocol is to link back to the photo, and don't download it and then blog it as if it were your own.

Respect

2008-02-15T22:13:00.002-05:00

Lately it seems like most of the things annoying me about other people all boils down to a lack of respect and it seems to be rampant these days. Occasionally karma kicks in immediately, like last night.

Husband and I went out to dinner. The place we went is very popular on holidays so we always make a reservation those times. As we were walking toward the door to the restaurant, another couple and their child were also walking toward it. We had a head start and were walking at a normal pace. They were walking very fast and it was obvious they were doing so just to beat us to the door, which they did.
We walked in behind them and heard them say they did not have reservations. The guy then asked us if we did and started to lead us to our table. He looked at the fast walker and said "No. Not you, them. They had reservations."

It made my day.

Beagles Rule!

2008-02-13T11:58:00.002-05:00

Numero Uno

Thanks to Helen for the link.

Also, you can see his personality more here, from the CBS early show.

Hiking, Florida Style

2008-02-04T16:47:00.000-05:00

These were taken at The Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center at the Alligator Creek site in Punta Gorda, FL.

I didn't see any alligators, but I heard one growl at me on the other side of some brush. I didn't stop to try to get a pic.

Banana Leaf, Beagles and a Bunny

2008-02-03T17:36:00.000-05:00

Husband and I tried a new (to us) place for dinner last week. Banana Leaf on Bethel Rd in the strip center across from Microcenter. It was a nifty experience. It's pretty casual, but the owner goes all out for you. He asked if it was our first time and then he wanted us to try everything. He brought 7 different chaats to us, each one spicier than the previous. He wanted us to try both the mango lassi and the rose lassi and then had us choose which we wanted more of.
After all of those chaats, he told us everything that was in the buffet and we had huge thali plates to fill with as much as we wanted. After dinner, I had some chai, which he assured us was included in the price. We had some of the bread leftover so asked for a container saying we wanted to take it to our daughter. He then filled a to go container with lots of things from the buffet for her. We had no idea what to expect with the bill. Grand total before tip - $21 for both of us. We will definitely go back.

Before going on my trip, I stressed about leaving my dogs - Katy mostly, who has heart issues and bladder cancer. A trip to the vet reassured me and Husband worked from home and they did pretty well until I came home and then had to go to trainings the next 2 days. Katy acted confused and crazy Lucy became lethargic. Daughter started commenting about wanting her Crazy Lucy back.

Beagles are born to chase rabbits. A large rabbit found itself under our deck and the dogs went nuts. The rabbit was too big to easily escape through the fence. Lots of running and howling ensued. (No doubt the neighbors were thrilled). They kept going under the deck and running out.
Husband got a few pictures.

Here's Lucy doing her part, and having a blast.

Here's Lucy along with Katy, who I was so worried about. Although we make efforts to keep Katy from exercising much, Katy ran around like she was just a pup, and she was thrilled.

The good news is that Katy did not pass out from the exertion, and as far as we know, the bunny has escaped.

Where I've been

2008-01-29T20:06:00.001-05:00

sigh

Venice Beach, FL

Actually, I only got to spend one day at the beach, but I was in very nice weather for a week. Now I am home.

Money etiquette

2008-01-14T13:28:00.000-05:00

I meant to post this last week, but I didn't get around to it. Gretta was asked a question on Good Morning America. The guests were the author of Isn't it Their Turn to Pick up the Check?. The first question was asked on the streets of NYC and it was, what do you do when you go out to lunch and you eat light and the other person chows down? How do you go about splitting the check? That was easy and obvious. You pay for what you consume.

The next question was asked to a different audience member and it was, if your 2 year old child breaks something of value in someone else's home, what do you do? I disagreed with the person's answer and so did the "experts". What would you do?

Finally, the example given to Gretta was that you have borrowed someone's car. While you have it, something goes wrong with it and it's a pre-existing condition, say the muffler falls off. Are you responsible for fixing it? I agreed with Gretta, but the authors didn't. What would you do?

The Inertia Buster

2008-01-07T22:45:00.000-05:00

An open window!

Those of us who live here had all come down with a big case of Inertia. It takes enough of my energy to fight against my own, but when the others here come down with a case of it too, I can get overwhelmed. I used the nice weather and open windows to cure my case of it.

Sunday evening, Ray's brother Rick called saying he and his wife were at the Hyatt for the night to catch an early Skybus flight to NYC. We met them for dinner and ice cream. They own Aroma's Java and Gelato in Cincy so they were interested in going to Jeni's to compare and contrast.

My selection. Dark cocoa gelato, Torrone, and creme fraiche with amerena cherries. The cherries were amazing.

Gretta and Rick

I am recording Good Morning America tomorrow because they have tickets and were told to dress in bright colors because they may participate in an audience interview. When they wrote for tickets they said they were going to NYC to taste the gelato there for their business. It will be fun to see if that happens.

Gingerbread at the Conservatory

2008-01-02T23:19:00.000-05:00

This evening, I dashed into the Franklin Park Conservatory for a short while to see the Gingerbread display and the Poinsettia trees before they are gone. In case you're interested, admission is free after 5pm on the first Wednesday of the month. The tree pics didn't turn out but here are a few of the gingerbread units that I liked for one reason or another. It should be noted that these have been there for about a month and I overheard someone saying they started sagging and stuff when we had a big rain. Since I've never made one, I was still impressed.

Popcorn trees!

I liked the roof on this one.

The Little Mermaid - something I did not expect to see.

I liked the look of this one.

Snoopy!!

The conservatory means the obligatory Chihuly pic. The closeup.

New Year's Day 2008 - Hike at Clear Creek

2008-01-01T19:54:00.000-05:00

What may be the start of a new tradition, I went on a New Year's Day hike at Clear Creek Metro Park. It's the park that is farthest away, but I wish it was much closer. This was an organized, off trail hike.

About 30 people showed up. (I'm lousy at estimating)

A gorge that is in a usually off limits area. The off trail hikes are worth it just to go places you can't usually go.

Trees that are likely diseased.

The snow was an added bonus!

Me at the end of the hike.

A neat rock in the road out of the park.

Edited to add -
Husband went on a different trail - his pics are here.

Holidays 2007

2007-12-31T23:06:00.000-05:00

Husband, the photographer is noticeably absent from any picture.

Geofftech

2007-12-21T11:02:00.000-05:00

Geoff is a guy from the UK who married and moved to the US. His blog is quite entertaining. He does a yearly Year in Review and I'm listening to the 2007. It's UK based songs and news snippets. Songs are uncensored versions, so maybe NSFW. This is much more fun than anything cheesy on commercial radio or tv, and it goes quickly (only bits of songs).

Christmas Lights

2007-12-20T12:47:00.000-05:00

I love looking at xmas lights. If you do, you should check out the Picktown Lights located in a subdivision in Pickerington. There are 16 or 17 houses on the street with all of their lights set to music you listen to on your radio. Husband has a few pics at his blog but it's really better in person. If you go, make sure you wait to hear the Trans Siberian Orchestra song (Wizards in Winter). That one puts on the best show.

Walking in a winter wonderland

2007-12-07T09:35:00.000-05:00

I'm still trying to build up to hike the Grandma Gatewood Trail. I thought I was getting close until I strolled through the snow. Snow requires more strength and stamina. It sure is pretty though. These pictures were taken at Sharon Woods.

Hikes, hats, boat and toast.

2007-11-27T15:48:00.000-05:00

I'm making an effort to spend more time outside this winter. Maybe if I acclimate myself, I will learn to like it. Yesterday I found myself wishing for snow. I've gone on a few of the scheduled night hikes with the Metro Parks, which I found fun. The other day, I talked Ray into walking around the North Bank Park. It was kind of disappointing to see so much litter, but it definitely has potential.

The Santa Maria. Personally, I can't imagine spending money to see this, but it's kind of cool to just walk by.

We also went to see William Wegman: Funney/Strange at the Wexner The video of how to make Log Cabin Cinnamon Toast was well worth the price of admission :) Admission is free, btw, as was parking on Sunday.

The finished Koolhaas hat.

And a beagle hat.

Sparano's Pizza

2007-11-19T20:13:00.000-05:00

Pizza choices and preferences can get pretty personal, at least around here. This is what I get when I'm totally on my own and can get what I want. A rare occurrence.

Sparano's Pizza
1783 N Hague Ave
Columbus, OH 43204-1618
Phone: (614) 487-0087

Last splash of color.

2007-11-15T15:04:00.000-05:00

Hiking has slowed, but trees in my yard looked nice this week.

I even enjoyed doing some raking. I'm sure the thrill will be gone before all of the leaves fall.

The Chocolate Cafe

2007-11-14T10:45:00.000-05:00

As the daylight hours decrease, chocolate consumption increases. It's a law of nature - at least my nature. I can't believe I haven't been to this place sooner.

The Chocolate Cafe! It's located at 1855 Northwest Blvd, near the intersection of Northwest and North Star. You can get a light meal there and many many chocolate things. I had the 1/2 sandwich and soup combo, with a veggie and hummus sandwich and the lobster bisque soup. Both were excellent. I also had the dark chocolate mocha, which, even made with skim milk was very rich and creamy. The coffee drink came with a spoonful of chocolate on the side. Can you tell this is my kind of place??

Trails, Puppers, and Knitting

2007-11-01T14:20:00.000-04:00

Before you say "Another tree picture???", take a closer look, maybe even click on it to enlarge it and you will see something in addition to trees.

That was taken at Battelle Darby Creek on the Ancient Trail. I hiked the Terrace Trail (2 mile loop) which is part level and part hilly. One hill had me huffing and puffing. It's all gravel. From there, the Ancient Trail (1.9 mile loop) spurs off of it. It has a little gravel, but it's mostly grass and going through a meadow.

Just a few more pics...

Over the weekend, Husband looked at the calendar and then put the hammock away. I looked at the weather forecast and got it back out. Katy is happy that I did.

I actually finished a knitting project. The Daisy Sweater for Baby B - who was dressed in a Bee costume and looked totally adorable for Trick or Treat - Baby Bee! Sorry, I can't post pics of her.

Deer Creek State Park

2007-10-29T10:10:00.000-04:00

Husband read that yesterday was supposed to be the peak for colors at Deer Creek State Park, so that means even more tree pictures! The peak had passed and it won't be long until the trees are not so photogenic so there will be less tree pictures soon. We hiked the Ridge Trail and the Rich Van Horn Trail. We would have hiked another, but the restaurant was closed for the afternoon and I was hungry and weak. I had never been to Deer Creek before. It's more of a resort type park and I usually go for the basic type, but it was nice.

I kept staring at this tree seeing the fractals.

Ray on the Ridge Trail. There weren't any tall trees where we were.

This is me on the Ridge Trail.

Deer Creek Lake. Again, I could have spent all day staring at the water.

THE pretty tree.

My goal is to hike the Grandma Gatewood Trail in Hocking Hills. I think I need to hike each part separately before attempting it all at once. Grandma Gatewood sounds like a very cool lady.

More hiking, more fall colors.

2007-10-26T10:25:00.000-04:00

The Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park again, this time the Cobshell Trail and both ways on the Indian Trail, for a total of about 1.5 miles. This is not a level trail. I think it's one of the most scenic trails in the Metro Parks system. My daylight hours were limited, so I hustled enough to get some decent exercise. It's also one that has the least amount of traffic noise that I have been to so far. Enough leaves have fallen to make the path covered with them, which is part of the fun. The water was moving, due to the recent rains. I would have liked to have been able to sit and just watch the water for a while.

Dawes Arboretum

2007-10-22T11:42:00.000-04:00

Yes, more trees! In contrast to having a trail to myself at Battelle Darby Creek, Dawes was packed with people. I noticed there is a lot more that is still green at Dawes.

The Cypress Swamp. I had not seen it dry before. I'm fascinated by this for some reason.

The view from the observation tower, which swayed when someone walked up the stairs.

A picture of Ray taking a picture.

We stopped at Clarks for their famous chicken on the way home. The menu gives you the choice of chicken, ham, or steak. I didn't see anyone eating anything other than chicken.

Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park

2007-10-21T09:39:00.000-04:00

I usually go to Hocking Hills in September for a few days and then again in October for a few days. This year I have no plans to go because I don't want my dog left alone all day while I'm gone. To get my fall color nature fix, I'm taking advantage of what we have around here. Yesterday I went to Battelle Darby Creek for a stroll on the Dyer Mill/Ski Trail. This one is 3.2 miles and mostly level with one dip to get down by the creek.

The first part of the trail was pretty much all green and bare trees. Then I came across the maple section. Lots of yellow there.

A leaf not letting weather control what it does. This red was a rare sight,

until I came out of the woods and back to a prairie.

A few oak trees had both bright green and bright red.

My newest desktop.

The sky was perfect.

There's a place for ice skating in the winter I was not aware of.

This is a good place to go and enjoy nature without being bothered by people.

When Jupiter Aligns With Mars

2007-10-17T22:52:00.000-04:00

Yesterday and Circumstances

1) A tall building in Columbus was scheduled to have fire drill.
2) Because of #1, Husband was working from home.
3) He was watching early morning news while starting his workday.
4) He saw on the news that Skybus has opened a new flight to Punta Gorda.
5) He emailed me to tell me that. (Yes, we were in the same house. We communicate electronically unless we are in the same room)
6) I was awake and sitting at my computer - HIGHLY unusual, but I needed to pee.
7) My parents go to Punta Gorda for the winter and I am expected to visit.
8) I got The Deal. Round trip to Punta Gorda in January - $36.30.

Whoa. I never expected to get in on one of their deals because I know they sell out so quickly and go on sale so early in the day.

And yes, I know if I have to check a bag, I pay $5. If I want some water, I pay $2. That could make the grand total a whopping $50.30. Everyone feels compelled to point that out to me for some reason.

More Jeni's Ice Cream. I think I may have been served by Mr. Jeni. Whoever it was gave lots of samples!

1) Dark Cocoa Gelato with almonds
2) Saigon Cinnamon
3)Torrone - White chocolate and honey with coarsley ground toasted almonds

Those 3 flavors blended together VERY well.

Prairie Oaks

2007-10-13T20:39:00.000-04:00

Today Shauna and I went to Prairie Oaks for a walk on the Coneflower Trail. This is one I like a lot because you walk through prairie and woods, and I used to be able to walk along Big Darby Creek, but that part of the path was blocked off today. I don't know why but you can still go look at the creek at one point along the trail.

The prairie.

The woods.

Big Darby Creek.

I have a thing about exposed tree roots. I think they are so neat.

Seeing this helped me decide what pattern I'm going to use for the alpaca/merino yarn I bought at A Wool Gathering. Can you guess that it will have cables? :)

Shauna was tired.

diamond geezer

2007-10-11T15:47:00.000-04:00

My very favorite city is London. I found a London blogger that I just love to read. His posts are always interesting to me whether it's his unique perspective on the city, his puzzles, or his wit. Yesterday he posted a puzzle that I looked at for a few minutes and had absolutely no clue what it was. Today I looked at it and right away I knew which direction to go and had it all solved in 10 minutes. It's really nice to know that my brain is working while I'm sleeping, now I don't have to worry so much about it not working when I'm not sleeping :)

Anyway, here is the blog for diamond geezer.

October tomatoes

2007-10-09T22:21:00.000-04:00

I was not one of the people complaining about the recent heat wave. I was happy to have it and now I am ready for it to be October. One thing I had not yet made myself do was get rid of the tomato plants. They were filled with green tomatoes that had stopped ripening. Lo and behold, the heat wave and this is what we have.

The vet called today with Katy's test results. As feared, it looks like she has bladder cancer. He's going to call back tomorrow to talk more about it. She is feeling better after starting a new medicine so her tail is wagging more and that is a good thing.

A non-productive day.

2007-10-08T00:22:00.000-04:00

It was one of those days. By late afternoon, I still hadn't accomplished anything other than getting dressed. I'm stressed and worried about my beagle's health.

Here's my baby, Katy.

I needed to get out of the house so I treated myself to a Jeni's ice cream sundae.

Pear Riesling Sorbet
Spiced Apple Sorbet
Spiced Caramel Syrup

I thought a movie might help my mood.

As I sat people watching, it dawned on me that it's more than a little ironic I was going to see something called Death at a Funeral to get some stress relief. It was enjoyable except for the short bit that made me gag - which I have to admit was kind of funny.

I liked these shutters.

Good Gourd!

2007-10-05T00:10:00.000-04:00

The $100 pumpkin.

Today I stopped by Smith Farm Market on Winchester Pike. They had such a huge variety of pumpkins, gourds and squash, I had to take pictures. As usual, there are more pictures at Flickr.

There were the Goose Gourds.

There were Jug Gourds - and these things were pretty big.

A variety of big ones.

A variety of little ones.

Today's nature stroll was at the Slate Run Wetlands, one of the Metro Parks. This time, there was only one other person there - a guy sitting on a bench with binoculars. This trail was level grass and 1.5 miles.

There were lots of frogs here, but I wasn't fast enough to get any pics of them.

Dry wetlands.

Leatherlips, Sharon Woods, and whining - in reverse order.

2007-09-30T21:23:00.000-04:00

I'm now ready to accept that it's September. I've spent much of the month being bummed about the end of summer, but I'm ready to move on. I should really learn to enjoy September because it's really November and later that I don't like, until hot weather returns.

Have you ever been burned out at your job? I am and have been for a while. Husband came up with a Plan that would allow me to quit my job sometime after the first of next year. Yay! Surely I can get through a few more months, knowing there is an end in sight! It's not working out that way though. After the initial excitement of thinking about quitting, now when I work, it sucks the life right out of me. Today was a long work day so I did what I could to make it better.

I was at the light to the entrance of Sharon Woods. On the spur of the moment, I decided to turn in instead of driving straight to my next destination. A touch of nature was exactly what I needed.
I had never been to Sharon Woods before today, which seems odd because I'm a big fan of the Metro Parks and I've heard how nice it is there. It was as crowded as I have ever seen any of the parks. I usually go to the more secluded ones so I can commune with the trees.

Schrock Lake

On a trail.

A stroll through the woods. Personally, I can't call it hiking if it doesn't make me grunt at some point, or get muddy :)

Then I did some more work and on the way home took another break. This time it was to see Leatherlips. It was another one of those things I would remember I wanted to see about the time I passed it on the road. I thought it was built a long time ago, but I was wrong. The plaque said 1990. Again, the place was very crowded.

Some girls had fun when they saw me with a camera :)

Front view.

And the Scioto River.

A Wool Gathering

2007-09-17T09:51:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I went to Yellow Springs for A Wool Gathering. I walked through and looked at all of the yarn and then went back to the booth that was selling this.

It's 50% alpaca and 50% merino from Ohio Valley Natural Fibers. I think I have just gone another step closer to........liking wool. Gasp!! I was really drawn to this stuff and the natural colors of it. I usually go right for the very vivid bright jewel tones, but not this time. Oh, there were tons of gorgeous dyed stuff everywhere, but I have no desire to build up a huge stash of yarn. In fact, if I have much more than I do now, I will get uncomfortable with it. Anyway, I'm swatching the yarn to see what type of sweater it wants to be.

Here are a few cuties :)

Here is a red barn. This is actually the restaurant on the site.

A plaid car and Surly Girl decor

2007-09-16T11:09:00.000-04:00

I saw this parked on High St. yesterday. How cool is that?

I took Shauna to Surly Girlyesterday after checking out the Craftin' Outlaws, knowing she would like the vegetarian friendly menu. We had the Frito Pie and the Spicy Peanut Butter and Banana sandwich as we admired the decor.

The Labyrinth at OSU

2007-09-13T23:51:00.000-04:00

This is the Labyrinth at Chadwick Arboretum on the OSU campus. They say if you walk it in a meditative state, you will become centered etc. It's supposed to by symbolic of life. I was surprised to find out that after walking it, I did feel a little better. This evening when going through the quick twist and turns, I was reminded of a certain point in my life where I never knew what I was going to be dealing with next. As I walked the longest straight, calm part, I thought this is where I am now.

This is me on my journey.

This is the center. Once you reach the center, then you follow the path again to get back out.

Here is Ray getting all centered - he even has light shining on him! Ok, so he's less receptive to these things than I am, but he was a good sport about it.

A Koolickle and Rain

2007-09-08T21:31:00.000-04:00

I made another batch of Koolickles

This time they turned out more red with more of the sweet taste. Mom tried one and I should have mentioned it was a dill pickle and not a sweet pickle before she ate it :)

After a long day of driving for work, I was in the home stretch with only about 15 minutes more to go until I was home. Then there was this.

I had to pull over and wait it out.

Kyle and a Mastodon

2007-09-06T21:51:00.001-04:00

Ray and Kyle went golfing today. Here is a pic of Kyle.

They went to Burning Tree, the course where a mastodon was discovered a few years ago. Click on the link!

Equal Opportunity Ice Cream Consumer

2007-09-05T22:56:00.000-04:00

Everyone knows what a fan of Jeni's Ice Cream I am. Today I tried Denise's for the first time. I can't get to the web site so here's a link to a review page. I don't know why I haven't been there sooner. It was great ice cream too. This is the Chai Tea flavor.

I plan to go back to try some of the other flavors.

I have no pictures, but I also have to mention Mardi Gras ice cream on Hard Rd. They give generous portions and have lots of different flavors.

Clifton Mill

2007-08-31T00:51:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, Husband (RM, RMB, Ray, RayB) and I stopped at Clifton Mill, located in Greene county near Yellow Springs, on our way to Ryan and Jen's house. We made it from the car to the door just fine.

The neat wheel.

We had lunch in the restaurant. The bread and biscuits were very good.

Jeni's ice cream - again!

2007-08-27T21:20:00.000-04:00

I'm doing my part to sample as many flavors as possible.

Backyard Mint, Black Coffee, and Cucumber Sorbet. It's starting to melt because there was nowhere to sit so I went to my car. I was going to try the one on High St., but parking was a hassle and I wasn't wearing my walking shoes, so I went to Grandview.

I also tried Panzera's pizza for the first time tonight, after hearing good things about it. I concur with what I heard. I had the ice cream for dinner and pizza for dessert.

I should use my car as a background more often.

Steve and me.

2007-08-24T23:36:00.000-04:00

This is my friend/stylist/therapist Steve after taking care of me. Starting next week, he will do his magic out of Mac and Company on E. Gay St.

Cutting Boards

2007-08-24T00:40:00.001-04:00

I was excited to find these at Bed Bath and Beyond.

It's a set of four and they are each marked for their appropriate use! There is a vegetable, seafood, poultry and meat version. I've become a little paranoid about kitchen things since my bout with food poisoning and since others in the house aren't as paranoid as I am, I always wonder if they are paying attention. Now they can see exactly which one to use!

Edited to add link - http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=14115978&RN=108

Jeni's Ice Cream

2007-08-21T20:24:00.000-04:00

Sweet basil and honey, Ohio sweet corn with blackberries, and Strawberry buttermilk.

The Kelton House

2007-08-15T22:15:00.000-04:00

Today I went to The Kelton House on E. Town St. for one of their Victorian Teas. I plan to go back again sometime.

Here is a pic of the food we were served, all very tasty.

We got to look around the house after the tea. Here are a few shots.

Katy and Lucy

2007-08-13T23:23:00.000-04:00

They were able to be outside and get lots of fresh air today!

Bugs and more!

2007-08-04T23:05:00.001-04:00

Today I stopped by Inniswood Metro Park to see the Bug Sculptures. They seemed to be big hit with kids, young and old :) I've been there a few times and today I saw there are still new parts for me to explore sometime. It's a very nice place.

Praying Mantis

Damselfly

Grasshopper

Bee - kind of hard to see, but it's there.

Assassin Bug

Spider and web

Ladybug

Ant

Dragonfly

A colorful house called Granny's House.

Pretty

Knitting Group

2007-08-04T00:22:00.000-04:00

The knitting group is a lot of fun. Here is where we meet.

Many of them are knitting socks so I was inspired to start a pair. It's my first time using two circular needles instead of double pointed ones, and I'm using plain yarn I bought and then dyed with Kool-aid. Here's what I have so far.

Magnets

2007-07-24T18:16:00.000-04:00

If I come up with any nifty designs, I will put them here :)

Ready for Harry

2007-07-19T20:10:00.001-04:00

I wasn't using my hammock because it's fairly certain Lucy would chew the rope. I had a smack the forehead V8 type of moment the other day. What about a fabric hammock?? So I looked online for one on sale and found this. I ordered it and it was here in 2 days with standard shipping!.

Here you can see me finishing up #6 the way I want to read #7 :)

And this is my view when I take a break from reading.

I love summer.

Franklin Park Conservatory - Outside

2007-07-17T21:43:00.000-04:00

Today I stopped by the Franklin Park Conservatory and realized I didn't have my membership card with me, so I walked around outside. Then it dawned on me that I hadn't done that before. It is Daylily season, so most of my pics are of the different colors they have. They can be seen on Flickr. Here are a few that I like for whatever reason. Sculptured nature is better than no nature.

Decorating with parsley?

I'd like to have this as a jigsaw puzzle. I seem to say that a lot though.

Up, Up and Away

2007-07-16T22:00:00.000-04:00

This looks like fun. There were others nearby, but this one broke away and landed on the golf course nearby.

Tip Top to Ohio Theater

2007-07-13T23:59:00.000-04:00

Tonight was the first night of the Summer Movie Season at the Ohio Theater and it opened with North by Northwest, a Hitchcock film. After telling Shauna that Tip Top serves vegetarian French Onion soup, she insisted that we go, so go we did. Here are a few pics from dinner and the walk from Tip Top to the Ohio Theater.

The sweet potato fries. They use really good salt with these, and are quite addictive.

The Soup

The Dispatch building and a neat sky.

Flag flowers at the State House.

3rd and State

State House and sort of skyline.

Movies and Knitting

2007-07-11T15:08:00.000-04:00

This weekend is the beginning of the Summer Movie Series at the Ohio Theater. The first movie is Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest. The times are listed here. This can be a lot of fun. The entire series is listed here.

Last night a few knitters got together in Grandview so if crafting is your thing and you like to hang out in Grandview, no matter where you live, feel free to join us. A yahoo button to join the group is on the sidebar.

I will probably take some knitting to the theater to work on before the movie starts, totally embarrassing Shauna :)

Tip Top

2007-07-09T23:15:00.000-04:00

Last Friday I was getting my hair done by my guy Steve at Voda Hair Design on Parsons Ave. I love what he does with my hair and he always has great tips about movies, tv shows and places to eat. He raved about Tip Top on Gay St. Then this morning I was reading Columbus Is Okay and she was raving about it. So tonight I checked it out. I give it a rave review as well! Great atmosphere, great food, and great service. I didn't take my camera inside, but I took pics from where I parked.

Gay St.

Gay St. zoomed.

Aroma's opening weekend

2007-07-07T23:24:00.000-04:00

Edited to add a link

Rick and Gretta have opened up a nifty place called Aroma's Java and Gelato. I was unable to make it there today (it's in Cincinnati), but I was there in spirit. Here are pics from my guest photographer, RM.

Casey In Charge.

I really wish I could have gone.....

Conner the apprentice.

More reasons to go.

Big Yarn, Little Yarn

2007-07-05T22:39:00.000-04:00

I will get back into the groove of taking pics one of these days. In the mean time, here is some yarn.
The big yarn was bought to see about making placemats. The one I'm working on looks a little too yellow so far. The little yarn was bought because it was there. So much for my plan to use up my stash before buying more yarn.

New York City

2007-06-30T14:44:00.000-04:00

Day 1

The view from the hotel room.

Walking the streets around Times Square, near the hotel.

Lunch (New York style pizza) at Grimaldi's in Brooklyn.

Followed by ice cream from Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory.

Then the walk back to Manhattan over the Brooklyn Bridge.

From there, to the Word Trade Center site. The pictures don't show the scale of it all very well.

Dinner in the East Village at Buenos Aires

My friend Dave hiding behind the Sangrias.

Then we went to a bar where I had a Blueberry Collins for the first time and sat with a group of locals, courtesy of Dave who is now a local. Then I was placed into a cab and headed back to the hotel.

Day 2
Started out at Battery Park with a hazy view of The Statue of Liberty. Did I mention it was extremely hot while I was there? It was hot and hazy.

From there to Greenwich Village, where I was too busy looking around to take very many pictures.
Stonewall Pl.

Meskerem Ethiopian Cuisine for lunch.

Washington Square Park. I was still busy looking, but it would have been a great place for pics.

From there to stand in line to get tickets to see a show. After the show, dinner at Sardi's

Day 3
Starting out at The Empire State Building.

Lots of hazy views from the top can be seen at my Flickr pages.

From there to Central Park.

Lunch was at Isabella's on the Upper West Side. Then to see Strawberry Fields

The last stop before hitting the airport was Rockefeller Center. 30 Rock is tall.

Back to the hotel to get the bags, and an uneventful cab ride to the airport. Great trip!!

Oh wait, then there was the canceled flight with the next available one in TWO DAYS. The weighing of possible options, the mad rush to get back to Manhattan to the Port Authority bus terminal, along with many other unhappy passengers. The bus ride through the night to Pittsburgh. Wait 3 hours to get a bus to Columbus. Still waiting for my luggage.

Jeni's ice cream

2007-06-24T20:58:00.000-04:00

Pistachio, Bourbon Butter Pecan, and Creme de violet. Not so colorful but oh so flavorful!

I am trying to work my way through as many flavors as possible. They come and go so I have to be vigilant!

Whetstone Park of Roses

2007-06-23T21:49:00.000-04:00

This one is my new desktop.

Kyle and Ray

2007-06-22T22:48:00.000-04:00

They are touching the Stanley Cup which was at the NHL draft tonight.

Franklin Park Conservatory

2007-06-20T22:15:00.000-04:00

I went to check out the Bonsai display so here are a few of my favorite pics from my visit. The rest can be seen at Flickr.

Life comes at you fast.

2007-06-19T20:53:00.001-04:00

27 years ago.

Father's Day - in Xenia

2007-06-17T23:15:00.000-04:00

Dad

Dad "watching" golf. He's really asleep.

Mom.

Their back yard. Dad described it as "dry as a popcorn fart." I don't know what that means and I'm not going to dwell on it to figure it out :)

Mom's geraniums. I think my uncle gives them a secret recipe for fertilizer or something.

Katy and Lucy were excited to go on a car trip.

Too cute!

Not enough yarn.

2007-06-16T22:17:00.000-04:00

These are the sleeves, which are supposed to be six inches.

But I have an idea that I think will make it even cuter!

Indian Run Falls

2007-06-15T22:21:00.000-04:00

I tried for strawberries again today and no luck. So as to not feel like I wasted the trip, I was near Indian Run Falls so I decided to check it out. Ok, so I didn't consider that looking for a waterfall when the grass all around is brown is not the best idea. I didn't get to see a waterfall, but here is what I did see.

City hiking.

City hiking clothes.

I don't know what this is, or was.

The path came out at a cemetery.

And reminded me where I really was.

Urbana

2007-06-14T22:25:00.000-04:00

Today I found myself in Urbana on the way to Ryan and Jen's. I've stopped for lunch at this place a few times before. TeaBaggers Yep, that's what it's called!

I should have taken a closeup of the colorful bottles.

I got one of these.

House bloopers

2007-06-13T23:17:00.000-04:00

I worked too hard today so this is something for me :)

No more purple door.

2007-06-12T22:05:00.000-04:00

Before.

After.

Well, after the first coat. I didn't know I had to wait at least 4 hours before applying the second coat.

Jeni's Ice Cream

2007-06-11T00:23:00.000-04:00

Wild berries and Lavender, Savannah Butter Mint, and Pear Riesling. And a bike.

Painting at Ryan and Jen's house

2007-06-10T00:13:00.000-04:00

Our reduced garden

2007-06-08T22:46:00.000-04:00

The reason it moved to the other side of the fence :)

Inniswood

2007-06-08T11:19:00.001-04:00

Flickr was wonky last night so this is yesterday's post.

A hot day - Rita's mango Italian Ice

Inniswood Metro Park Rock Garden

Another oasis for me in the suburbs - this time Westerville.

The Frog Walk at Inniswood - for Jen, but I didn't see any frogs.

I wasn't tempted.

Lucy

2007-06-06T23:05:00.000-04:00

Katy

2007-06-05T22:31:00.001-04:00

Trying to quit

2007-06-04T22:48:00.000-04:00

But at least I have cut back to twice a year. Today was the start of the semi-annual sale at Bath and Body Works. I'm doing better, really I am.