Ice Orchard in Pale Blue

Mapleside Farms in Brunswick, Ohio has been a landmark for nearly a hundred years. For the past several, I've wondered what would become of this place with its apple orchard, reflecting pond, and wide open spaces. It was rumored that the land would be sold off to housing developers. In fact, some of it was.

This has always been my favorite spot to go for sunset photos. It's like stepping away from the overly-technological world for a few moments into a timeless realm filled with the quiet and beauty of nature.

The latest news is that Mapleside Farms has a new owner, who plans to both preserve it for people to enjoy as well as to open it up more for people to enjoy. I will simply hope that this place continues on as a superb haven for photography.

Paintbrush Dream

The above is my entry for this month’s Wilderness Art Challenge on a blog of the same name hosted by the esteemed painter Gary Keimig. Here’s a link to his blog:

http://wildernessartchallenge.blogspot.com/

While this challenge is mainly geared to painters, I enter fine art photos on occasion. I do my best to either make my photo entry look painterly, or at least very different from the original photo that Gary posts to inspire our creativity. In this case, “Paintbrush Dream” comes from a photo he posted of the Wyoming state flower known as Indian Paintbrush.

Participating in the Wilderness Art Challenge is fun. Anyone interested go check it out. I’m sure you’ll be welcome to join in!

Team Turkey or Team Deer?

Once upon a winter in the Hocking Hills of Ohio ...

Swooping on in, these turkeys are on a mission, fixing to look for some breakfast feed scattered around like hidden treasure. You've heard of turkey in the straw, this is turkey in the snow!

Not so fast, I’m a little bit bigger than you, even if I’m just a cute and oh-so-innocent fawn. Now skedaddle!

If looks could kill? No, actually I heard that this one poor turkey always has trouble flying in awkwardly and falling down when landing. Watch your step!

Throw Another Log on the Fire

It's c-c-cold out there! Why, it's cold in here, too! A mite drafty at that, ain't it? But you can't beat the scenery when it comes to providing crisp, clear, snow-covered, evergreen-adorned fine winter atmosphere.

Took this photo down in the Hocking Hills region of Southern Ohio while staying at Painted Valley Farm bed and breakfast in February 2007. This unfinished cabin was setting in part of the innkeepers' (or should I say farmkeepers'?) driveway. I looked through one of the windows (there was no glass in the window, just a square hole in the logs) with my camera to get this shot.

Rustic life is surely the life for me!

How about you?

Tie Dye Twilight and the Wide Open Abstract Realm of Possibility

A surreal white sun reflects into the waters of the Dreamkeeper Pond at evening twilight. The sky comes alive, glowing fantastically with the sheen of precious copper and gold metals enhanced by shades of electric turquoise blue stone.

There's so much possibility in landscapes like this!