My online journal where I share my interests in photography, nature, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, coffee life, spirituality and the mystery of it all.
The reason Canadian geese, and many other birds, will balance on one leg is not because of boredom. It seems the birds’ legs have an adaptation called “rete mirabile” that minimizes heat loss. The arteries that transport warm blood into the legs lie in contact with the veins that return colder blood to the bird’s heart. The arteries warm the veins. By standing on one leg, a bird reduces by half the amount of heat lost through unfeathered limbs. So when temperatures drop birds will stand on one leg to stay in balance with the natural world around them.
It can be rewarding to get outside the day of or the day after a snowfall, you never know what you might find. The day before this image was taken we had a nice snowfall and as sometimes happens today has turned out to be bright, sunny and warm, a great time to be outside. I drove to a park located near my condo and started to walk around. Near the kids playground, which was empty, there is a maze for the children, made of treated posts. The snow on the flat top is melting and creating a wonderful pattern just waiting for some guy with a camera to take a shot. That was me. It’s good to get out after a snowfall.
Marketing requires merchants to put on display some of their products as a way to entice a buyer. This image was taken through a store window and has some wonderful qualities that will catch peoples attention. It is simple yet presented very well and the lighting is wonderful. It does its job!
I am drawn to doors but in this image it the color red that calls out. I find doors with bright colors calling out my name and when they are tall and narrow, I stop to take some photos. However, the red of the doors, the red striped awning, the red sign in the window and the red lamps are what make this image have its power for me. I like the shadows across the sidewalk and the reflection in the window. When you add the customers in the window it all makes for a cool street scene.
As our winter days become colder and snow blankets everything around us, those places we spend outside in summer take on a solitary look. Instead of sitting on this gazebo, we find fireplaces to sit around or busy ourselves in our kitchens.
Downtown GranvillePatriotic Barn Along Raccoon Valley RoadHow about some chili?Village Coffee
One of my coworkers lives in the small New-England style Village of Granville, Ohio and suggested I visit the town sometime. Well today was the sometime. We had clear skies and cold temperatures so felt a drive over there was the order for the day. After having my car serviced I headed for Granville which is located about 15 miles from Columbus along Highway 161. The above image was taken on the main street of the older part of town. Just behind me is the intersection of Broadway and Main. Each corner of the intersection was a church. It reminded my of the fact this country was founded and settled with Christian roots.
I do not like to drive major highways so whenever I can, I choose the more scenic routes. My scenic route required a drive through a small town called Alexandria, blink twice and you’ll miss it. The map I used showed a covered bridge on State Route 37 near the town of Alexandria. I’ve only seen photos of covered bridges so off to Alexandria I went. I was disappointed with the bridge as it has been removed from the road and was sitting along side as an old relic. I turned onto Raccoon Valley Road (love that name) which is a narrow winding two lane road leading into Granville. I enjoyed this drive because the road curved along side the river for which it’s named after. Along the road were the barren woods and open farm land I expected to see when I first came out here. Old farm houses with large silos and horse corrals lined the road. One of the barns along the road had its roof painted with our countries flag, a patriotic barn.
I entered the Village of Granville from the west, coming in on West Broadway. I drove straight through to the east side of the small village then turned around and went back to explore the older part of Granville. I walked up and down the towns main street which is not more than 4 or 5 blocks long. I found several restaurants, a pub, some gift shops and of course the locally owned coffee shop. As I was taking a photo of main street, a woman stopped and waited for me to finish before stepping in front of me. I appreciated her thoughtfulness but told her I actually did not mind having her in the image, it would add more to the photo. This led to a short conversation where I discovered she had just moved back to this area two months ago from Berthoud, Colorado. We both laughed when I told her I grew up in Loveland which is less than 10 miles from Berthoud. She suggested I also visit the city of Newark, a larger community farther to the east. I love how things fall into place when we get out and about. This chef was outside one of the restaurants trying to peddle some of the goods he had cooked up for all the folks. Actually the chili sounded pretty good on such a cold a blustery day.
After 45 minutes of walking in the 25 degree temperatures and crisp breeze, I stepped into a small coffee shop called the Village Coffee. It was small with 8 tables, a couple of lounging chairs and a couch. They had a back door entrance for customers who parked their cars in the rear parking lot. Their menu was quite impressive, offering sandwiches, soups and salads, scones and muffins, bagels and of course a variety of hot and cold drinks. I ordered my usual test drink, a small decaf mocha with no whip. I keep it simple and consistent as a way to gage the quality of the shop, makes it more scientific. The clientele were a mix of students from Denison University, a liberal arts university, and the local folks. Some of the students had gathered around a table and were busy with group study sessions. A mother and daughter were in for soup and sandwich. A couple sat across from each other and were deep in conversation. The two young girls behind the counter were gracious and made great eye contact. It had a down home feel to it and passed with flying colors.
Over-all it was a good visit and I’m sure I’ll be back. May try the chili next time.
Don’t simply retire from something; have something to retire to.
Harry Emerson Fosdick
What will you do when you retire? Most of us will want to enjoy the latter years of our lives but will the days be spent loafing or will we keep active. If you do a google search on the question, “What will you do when you retire?”, you will get hits leading to links for money management/investments. That’s not what I’m asking here but asking what we will do with our time. It’s a valid question and one we all can look at.
