Corner View:Exotic

This week's corner view's theme is exotic.

About 45 minutes from us is an animal preserve called The Wilds.

It is run in conjunction with Jack Hanna and the Columbus Zoo.

We took the grandchildren there last summer.

Here are some photos of the zebras,  animals which I consider 'exotic'. 

You can take an excursion where they drive you out into the fields for one on one experience

with the animals.

We took the open-air vehicle as we had four grandkids ranging in age from 4 to 12.

We have a membership, so I hope we can take the two oldest on the more interactive one.

I forget what this fellow is, but he is coexisting well with the Zebras.

Of course there has to be a gift shop and restaurant.

Actually the food was decent, the view magnificent, and the merchandise good.

I'll leave you with these two guys checking you out.

BTW I live about 40 minutes

 from the exotic animal farm that made world-wide news recently.

Very sad that the animals had to be shot. 

But one was found on a near-by college  branch campus.

The man had a variety of animals that he let loose before he committed suicide,

however 18 of them were Bengal tigers.

Nightfall was approaching and some of the animals had breached the boundaries,

so tranquilizing was not an option.

But having a person, especially a child out playing in his/her yard,

being eaten or malled was also not an option.

The animals don't necessarily drop right there in front of you

when tranquilized.

They can wander off and hide in the woods.

In fact one tiger went berserk on a vet

and had to be shot at close range

as it charged her after being shot with a tranquilizer.

A deputy had to shoot it with his side-arm.

.

The Wilds is only about 30 minutes from the farm,

so had he left them in their cages,

 the folks from the Wilds and the Columbus Zoo could have rescued them.

Not all had to be killed, thankfully.

The local deputies were shook up and sickened by this particular duty.

Check out more exotic ideas on Francesca's Fuoriborgo.

Thanks Elsa for the theme this week.

Next week's is dream from Tzivia.

Barn Charm #15

I imagine many of you can relate to this photo!

This is the third post I've managed to get from that Sunday drive

with my husband several weeks ago.

A quick glimpse is all you get because that's all we were able to get.

But you also get to see some of the beauty of southeastern Ohio hill country

during the early stages of autumn,

and hopefully that's pleasing to you!

This is looking back at part of the farm from another curve in the road.

For more lovely barns join Tricia and others at Barn Charm.



Beauty found in my drive to and from school

"Never lose an opportunity of seeing

anything that is beautiful;

for beauty is God's handwriting --

a wayside sacrament.

Welcome it in every fair face,

in every fair sky, in every fair flower,

and thank God for it as

a cup of blessing."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

There are several sections of Seneca Lake

that have been isolated by roads and bridges

built to grant access to beautiful land that would otherwise

only be reached by boat.

Seneca Lake is a man-made lake

that despite good planning

left parts of original farms inaccessible.

So now with the bridges, there are areas of the lake

that big boats can't reach.

However, I doubt that the folks living in those areas mind.

Below is an area I pass every day to and from work.

I enjoy observing the seasonal changes of this particular spot

with its abundance of lily pads.

I zoomed in for the next shot.

I apologize for the haziness of parts of these photos;

I'm still learning with this camera.

"The question is not what man can scorn,

or disparage,

or find fault with,

but what he can love,

and value,

and appreciate."

John Ruskin

Corner View: Whatever Strikes My Fancy

Ninja supplied the theme this week.

Whatever strikes my fancy: Hmmmm.

I decided to exhibit some of my note cards.

I am always on the look-out for pretty, colorful, and different note cards.

I keep a basket full on a dresser in the dining room

and a folder full in a desk drawer at school.

I use them to jot a  note form of a letter

or

a short "thinking of you" encouragement.

They are one of my trademarks at school.

The O is the initial of my last name and I got through Thirty One,

which I sell.

At Half-price Book stores, I pick up tins of flowered note cards with info about them.

This is from "Queen of Hearts" --a blogger who sells her work on line.
She's the one from whom I bought the stones with words of encouragement on them.

 This one is from my dear blogger friend S. Etole.  This picture doesn't do it justice, but I included it anyway.
She sent two of her beautiful note cards to me along with an incredible copy of a photo that I loved.

I bought these at a country store in the Hocking Hill area of Ohio

on vacation two years ago.

This is from the artist foundation in a near-by town. 

I love the vibrant colors and abstract design.

Some of the note cards I have a hard time parting with.

But I do eventually.

For more on "Whatever . . ." check out Francesca's Fuoriborgo.

Barn Charm #14

This series was taken two weeks ago on that lovely Sunday drive

my husband and I took.

This barn belongs to the family of barns around here

that set back up on a hill.

I particularly like these because they show off the lovely countryside

of the rolling southeastern Ohio hills.

Look in the upper left-hand corner at the view behind this barn.

This area is full to the brim of such views.

Imagine walking this hill several times a day!

I was able to catch a quick shot of the silo.

As I said in last week's post, the roads were busy that day,

so I was unable to get out of the car which would have helped me discover this

other than at the last moment as we headed away from this barn setting.

It was a "Wait! Stop! I have to get a shot of the silo!" moment.

My husband patiently hit the break, I snapped the pic,

and off we went.

Click below to visit Tricia's blog to view photos of more lovely barns.

A disagreement among three seasons

There is confusion among the seasons

in my part of Ohio.

They appear to be disagreeing over which one should have the 'stage' now.

The thyme is still thriving quite well--- a summer staple,

although it does usually last in 'scraggles' until first snow fall.

Some summer flowers are enjoying the fall coolness at night, and thus blooming brighter

in the heat of the daytime.

This particular batch is showing the wear and tear of a long, hot summer
in the leaves and stems,
but the blooms are stubbornly
colorful with new blooms thrusting forth into the light each day.

The morning glories open up in beauty ignoring the raggedy leaves as well as the dead ones

.

Nearby the catnip flaunts its four-season hardiness---It's one of the first perennials to show its face in

the spring and one of the last to hide it. A lengthy and harsh cold spell must occur

before it will burrow under for the winter.

The other flowers are scraggly, and they long ago lost their yellow blooms.

However, their fall rustiness still calls to me, so I haven't taken the cutters to them yet.

The cherry tomatoes are still chanting, "I think I can, I think I can."

But they are "slipping backwards down the hill."

                                                 The mums' assignments                                                   

 for the Pumpkin Festival are complete,

so their colors are quickly fading.

They are willingly conceding to winter's advent.

 

Meanwhile high up the hill

in the neighbor's yard, the trees are arguing.

Some are persistent in their green,

while a few are showing orange,

and several have faded to a dull brown

ready to drop in a heap on the ground.

Apparently the temperatures and thus the plants

have forgotten their Sunday School verses,

especially Ecclesiastes 3:1:

"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven."

(Many folks are hearing this scripture and companion verses this weekend

and will continue to as long as the updated version of Footloose

is shown in movie theaters and then released on DVD.

I love watching Julianne Hough dance,

so will most likely see the movie at some point.

Though I like some of Blake Shelton's songs,

I don't think his version of the title song

has the oomph of Kenny Loggins' original.

But the scripture holds true no matter which actor recites it!)

Blessings to you all as you begin the new week!

Corner View: October

My little town of Barnesville, Ohio

has an annual Pumpkin Festival.

It has been going on since the 1960s

and is a celebration of fall and harvest.

It is actually the last full weekend of September,

but to me and many in our town,

it has more of an October feel to it.

The stores compete in a storefront decoration contest

as do residences. 

This Victorian village is a cornucopia of front porches and front yards

ideal for huge displays of scarecrows, hay stacks, pumpkins, and the absolute 'must':

mums.

There are many activities throughout the four-day celebration,

such as hog calling, tobacco spitting, pie-eating, best fudge, pumpkin pie, other delights,

best pet costume, all kinds of bands, and a big parade on Saturday afternoon.

Here are some high lights:

Scenes from the Pumpkin Festival Parade:

Part of my front porch.

The other side of my front porch.

A display I walk past to and front the festival.  It's just one block from my home.

I don't know these kids; I just needed a photo of King Pumpkin and its runner-up,

so I ended up having them in the shot.

King Pumpkin was small this year. 

Two years ago, it hit almost 1500 lbs.

I didn't get the picture taken until they were dismounting the display,

so the third biggest has already been loaded up and taken away.

The seeds of King Pumpkin are auctioned off each year.

Our local grocery store usually buys the pumpkin.

Here are photos from last year.

I'm late posting this week,

but you can still check out others' corner views

on Francesca's host site.

Barn Charm #13 Southeast Ohio

This past Sunday was a beautiful end of summer, beginning of fall day.

The temp was in the high 70s,

 but there was the undefinable something that lurks here in Ohio

this time of year,

that makes you put a light jacket or long sleeved shirt in the car.

Many people were out for drives, so it was more of a point and shoot day.

The road we were on, where we saw this barn,

was narrow with few spots to pull over and let other cars go by.

I didn't feel comfortable getting out of the car for exploration.

Also, folks were out and about their barns and on this particular road

the barns were right beside the road

so I couldn't hide behind long camera shots!

This barn is typical of many around here---it has the slope leading up to the main entrance.

On the sides are entrances into the 'basement' floor.

However, the bottom section is wood

instead of a stone foundation--somewhat unusual here.

There is a stone support under the grass slope though.

They're using it, but yet it needs some care.

Coming up on this character.

Closer . . .

Smack dab in front!

It's packed to the brim with hay.

Past it!

The blue storage trailer spoils the 'set' somewhat, but such is life!

It was a wonderful Sunday drive with my husband on the back roads around this small town

I call home.

10-9-11

Click to  further enlarge any of them.

Check out more barns on Tricia's Bluff Area Daily.