Looking over

Yesterday after picking up my nephew, we headed to the Overlook Trail in Cascade Valley. Gregory was resistant to the idea at first, but he quickly warmed up to it once we arrived at the park. There was a long discussion on the things my son does not like about summer. Bugs and the heat. He did decide that summer was good because you get to see a bigger variety of animals and butterflies. He even made the observation that it was not officially summer yet.

Instead of sticking to the easy 1/2 mile trail, we opted to hike down to the river. Oh, the steps! We went down the steps and then back up the steps to get back to the Overlook. There was a bee buzzing around so we didn't enjoy that view very long. We met a nice older couple and hiked the rest of the way back with them.

It was the first time in a long time that I hiked without taking my camera. This made the hike go faster since I wasn't stopping every few feet to take a picture. I'm looking forward to more hiking this summer!

Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark

In my search for things to do in Dayton, I stumbled across a garden to visit. This time of year found many, many tulips blooming. The hostas are just starting to grow and not near flowering yet. There is a great children's garden. This is a plus since kids can often get bored looking at planted flowers. Also, a wonderful swamp. That was the place to see the mallards as we saw at least three groups of three or four each.

Glen Helen

Today, we got to go on a wonderful hike at a Nature Preserve managed by Antioch University. The Nature Shop was open, so we had to look around it. Gregory picked out a book on bats and I picked a book on Ohio Wildflowers. It has helped me identify a flower already.

I thought this flower looked like a cross between a trillium and a mayapple. It turns out, it is a drooping trillium. I don't think I've ever seen one before.

There is also a Raptor Center there. You can walk around and see the permanent residents (injured birds that can't be released back into the wild).


A quick stop at Young's Jersey Dairy provided us with a much needed ice cream break. Then we tried our hand at mini-golf and discovered none of us are all that good at it. But it was fun and that's what counts.


The hotel is wonderful. We spent time swimming in the pool and relaxing in the spa. We discovered Jay is the champion of air hockey and that the game room is a good way to throw away some quarters. (I so had that stuffed toy and the claw dropped it!)

And the fun is just beginning.

Speaking of Amphibians

The newt is a salamander. It's just the only that can't seem to make it up its mind. It lives in water, then lives on land, then suddenly changes its mind and heads back to the water. It's just one of the little tidbits of information I picked up at the Amphibian For Kids program.

If I keep up this learning, I'll be smarter than a 5th grader in no time.

Here comes the rain...

Tonight it rained! We got see a few more frogs and salamanders tonight. Unfortunately, they probably won't be out of the ponds in big numbers until after midnight. But the frogs were singing and there were some spotted salamanders that crossed the road. They were moving much more quickly tonight.

Here's a quick little video I took:

Where is the rain when you want it?

(This is also up on the Hiking Summit County Blog)

The salamanders are reluctant to cross the road when it is not raining. Tonight there was suppose to be rain. My son and I headed out to Sand Run to hopefully watch some amphibians go from one pond to another. No rain, no huge crossing. Still, it was interesting to find the salamanders and spring peepers active in the pond. There were a few stray salamanders bravely crossing the road and a few more spring peepers. We even saw one or two wood frogs.

I even got to snap a couple of pictures with my cell phone.





Fingers crossed for a night with the perfect combination of mild temperature and rain.

The place: Silver Creek Metro Park
The time: A sunny Sunday afternoon
The event: A hike guided by a naturalist
The topic: Plants Are Good For You

This first picture is goldenrod.

This is not to be confused with ragweed.
Jewelweed is useful to counteract the itching of poison ivy or the burning of stinging nettles. It is also called touch-me-not because the seeds will 'jump' from the plant when touched.

Those trees that bare their branches first are ash trees. Ash is the wood used to make baseball bats.

And the mystery plant that my friends and I were wondering about is pokeweed. The poke berries are not edible for humans. The birds love the poke berries.

Wildflower Hike

I've been meaning to blog this for a while, but it has taken me a bit to actually get the pictures done up. I went on a wildflower hike and wanted to post some of the pictures with the names of the flowers. These are common names, so you might know them by some other name. I was hoping this would help me remember some of the wildflowers.

Wildlife webcams I've been keeping an eye on

I've been watching the Ohio's Peregrine Falcons webcam. It looks like the eggs might not hatch. How disappointing! Read the Columbus Peregrine Falcon Update for more details.

On a very bright note, there are archives now at the Africam. I particularly like the owls. I saw some Impalas late last night. It is about a six hour time difference, so it was morning there.

Oh, and the eagles should take flight soon.

Back from vacation

We are back from Ravenwood. It is a wonderful little bed & breakfast in SE Ohio. It sits up on top of a hill and surrounded by trees. Last year when we went, we spent a lot of time just hiking the woods surrounding the castle, but this year we mostly went to nearby locations to hike including Ash Cave, Old Man's Cave, Cedar Falls, a couple trails near Lake Hope, and Rockbridge.

We did a bit of shopping at a couple thrift store, antique stores, and a pottery store. Gregory found some videos at the thrift stores. We stopped at a playground in Logan and also an ice cream shop! This reminds me, I really need to invest in some wet naps. They would make my life so much easier.

I sent some text messages to Livejournal whenever I was a bit more north and could get a signal on my phone. Just a few short updates on my trip.

Gregory enjoyed the chocolate chip cookies on the first afternoon, but really didn't get into the cookies they served the rest of the week. His favorite thing by far was the jacuzzi, although a close second might have been looking for the cats. He got utterly bored with birdwatching, but enjoyed climbing around the rocks on the hiking trails. He got a bit tired out...

Snakes....

Saturday, I went to the Nature Realm for a program about snakes. There was a slide presentation about the different kinds of snakes that are found in the area. I had no idea there were so many different kinds. It was fascinating. Then they brought out a couple of snakes for people to touch. This was no big deal for me as my ex owned quite a few snakes in the time we were together including a rather large boa that made my grandma nervous every time she thought about it. Most all the kids there seemed to love touching the snakes. My son kept getting a bit confused and said he liked the poisonous snakes. I quickly corrected that statement for him.

Now, you might be wondering what the Tom S. Cooperrider Kent Bog State Nature Preserve has to do with any of this. I was reminded of a hike my family took there last year. If you've never been there, I highly recommend going. It was a nice, short hike and there was plenty to see if you are a nature lover. One of the things we spotted was a group of snakes hanging out in a tree. I was lucky enough to snap some pictures.

Snakes are very wonderful and beneficial animals. Even if you are afraid of them, just remember they eat things like rodents and insects that you might not want around. The best thing to do is let the snake go about its business.

Not Only The Chickadee

If you are ever in Akron, OH, take a trip to the Nature Realm and you just might see not only the chickadees but also a brave little nuthatch eating out of someone's hand. This cute little bird will 'hop' down the trunk of a tree to check out what you have for it to eat.

While you are there, stop by the Visitors Center. There are displays, a window to sit by and watch the birds, and even an inside view of a bee hive. It is all quite fascinating. Outside there are trails to hike, gardens to see, and an arboretum.

As you can tell, my favorite part of a visit to the Nature Realm is feeding the birds.

Feeding the Chickadees

One of my obsessions lately has been hiking the trails of the Metro Parks, Serving Summit County. It was here that I had my first experience feeding the chickadees. There was a couple hiking in the opposite direction who stopped to talk with me and my family. They asked if we had ever fed the chickadees. No, we had not. They gave me a handful of seeds, and we went our separate ways.

Now, it takes a lot of faith to believe that these birds will come to your hand when you have never seen it or even heard of it being done. I stood for what seemed an enternity, hearing the whispers of the disbelievers passing by. Then suddenly, magic. A bird lands on my hand just as someone says that it cannot be done. What perfect timing, right?

Since then, I have been fortunate enough to meet the author of a wonderful book all about chickadees. Ann McClain Roher shares her knowledge of chickadees in her New Brighton book, Mr. Picky and Me: Lessons from a Master Chickadee. I got tips from her on how to hand feed the birds with the least amount of stress. Stand near a bush or tree. This gives the birds who might pick up any dropped seeds a chance to escape from predators. If more than one person wants to feed the birds, take turns or make sure you stand far enough apart. If you stand too close the birds will start fighting because they will percieve you as one "birdfeeder" to be defended.

Not everyone has the patience it takes to wait for the birds, and not all the birds are brave enough to come close to a human bird feeder. I count myself lucky to live near an area where I can enjoy this activity without spending hours trying to win the birds over. My advice is, don't expect the birds to trust you right away, just enjoy the sounds and sights you would miss if you weren't standing still.

For more information on the Metro Parks, Serving Summit County: http://www.summitmetroparks.org