Heat Wave

Just wanted to let y'all know that I won't be posting for a few days . . . when it gets over 90, my body rebels.  Since it's supposed to be over 90 for the next 5 days or so, I won't be going out to take pictures.  I might take some in the backyard either early morning or later in the evening . . . all depends on the temps and humidity and how bad the headaches are . . .

Gems

Yesterday it was dams, the Great Miami River, and turkey vultures.  Today it was a visit to Charleston Falls, although there wasn't a whole lot of water actually falling.  It's been pretty dry (not Colorado dry, but dry enough that we are on alert for fires), so the falls were limited to one small area . . . I did find a few other things that caught my eye, though.

When I first saw this, I wondered why somebody had put an omelet on the tree trunk.  Duh.  Some kind of fungus I assume.

I loved how the light made some of the leaves almost translucent, while others were opaque.

I'm not sure I would have spotted this female cardinal if she hadn't put on her lipstick this morning!  Sure looks like it to me . . .

Just one of the many examples of a beautiful patch of sunlight in the midst of darkness or shade.  I won't bore you by waxing poetic . . .

Here are the falls . . . see the water falling?  Nope?  You're not missing anything.  Normally there is at least a small waterfall going, but not today.  Keep looking though . . .

I don't know why these vines appeal to me, but they do.

A couple of shots of the very small trickle of water falling . . . loved the individual droplets above, plus the splash below!

My favorite shot of the day - for the shadow . . . I spent quite a bit of time at this spot.

Love the detail in the wings on this one; so intricate and delicate.

There was water, but it wasn't moving . . . I did like the reflection in this shot.

More interesting shadows . . .

The imagination must have been in overdrive . . . this stick in the water reminded me of an alligator or crocodile!  It would have fit well in my Crafty Nature post . . .

This was a first for me - taking a picture of the shadows on the water . . . I like it.

Growing up here in the Dayton area, I always thought of us as pretty much landlocked, with not much in the way of lakes, rivers, etc.  I knew about the Great Miami and a few others, but didn't realize just how much water is around us (and I don't ever remember learning about the 1913 Dayton Flood in school).  I don't know if I'm more open to learning about Dayton and its history, but I am appreciating those who made sure we have such wonderful parks and reserves to visit.  I might just end up admitting I'm loving what Dayton has to offer and embracing its nickname of The Gem City.

Miami-Erie Canal? In Dayton?

It's Monday, and I was in quite a funk today.  I think part of it is looking forward to next Sunday when Mom will get on a plane to fly to Albuquerque, then Dallas before returning home.  She'll be gone 10 days.  I will not have to worry about anybody but me.  That sounds wonderful, especially since Mom was complaining because the reservations weren't made yet, and now that they are, she doesn't know what to pack.  Patience has never been my strong suit!

After visiting with Mom today, I decided to stop at Taylorsville MetroPark for photos.  I'd never been down to the riverbank at this park before, so that was where I decided to head.  The dam is one of the 5 dams built after the 1913 Flood (this one was built in 1922 . . . looks pretty dam good for 90!).

Trying to capture the enormity of the bridge was difficult.  There are a lot of rocks and trees around, but they are huge as well.  There also weren't a lot of cars going by.  Let's just say that when driving over the bridge, I do not like looking over the side.  I look straight ahead and try not to freak out.  It's not as high above the Great Miami as the New River Gorge Bridge stands over the New River, but it's more than a couple of feet!  This shot is with the lens at the least zoom possible.

Vertical perspective to give an idea of how far back from the bridge I was . . .

And with the zoom lens as close as I could get it.

Standing on the riverbank, looking up toward Route 40.  There are several of these swings throughout the park, and one day I'm gonna sit and enjoy the view for a while.  The surroundings hadn't quite de-funkified me.

Looking down the Great Miami (away from Rte. 40).  All I could do was look at the water, the trees, and all of the open and VERY blue sky and be in awe.

This tree had the marker to indicate the depth of the water.  It was just a few yards up the trail from the riverbank . . .

If you've been reading my posts, you know I'm fascinated by birds.  When I looked up today and saw this bird flying over the river, I decided to try to take some pics of it flying.  I haven't done too much of that before.  I love the way birds are so graceful in the air and how smooth their movements are (kind of like a ballet in the sky).

  

These last two shots are my favorites of the bird, not because they're spectacular shots, but because you can see more of the wingspan, and how some of the feathers work in different ways, depending upon what the bird is trying to do.

I'd love to impress you all and tell you this was a hawk or an eagle (there are a few in the Dayton area), but I'm pretty sure it's a relatively common turkey vulture.  I really don't care!  Look at those feathers and the way they appear to stretch out . . . I wonder if this is how Orville and Wilbur Wright spent some of their summer days when inventing . . .

Once I got home, I looked up Taylorsville MetroPark and found out some of the history.  I'll have to go back and check out some of the different hiking paths to see if I can spot some of the remnants of Tadmor and imagine where the Miami-Erie Canal used to run.  Nothing like getting my imagination off and running to get me out of a funk!

W W W Wegerzyn (I may have to rename it Againerzyn)

Really wanted to go out to Germantown MetroPark today, but when I got there, it was deserted.  So I decided to head over to Wegerzyn, again.  It was HOT, and I'm glad I made it a short trip!  I went to a different section, so hopefully I'm not duplicating shots.

No real commentary to the pics today; too hot to think about what my brain might have been stuck on for today's pics.  Just enjoy the nature shots in the comfort of your air conditioned domicile.

The Cash & Pop Tabs??

It's been quite a while since I've walked around Riverscape in Downtown Dayton.  Almost three years.  Yikes!  I decided it was time to check it out again, this time with camera in hand (it IS one of the MetroParks that I can cross of the list of needing to visit).

It was an absolutely gorgeous day (more beautiful blue skies with cottony clouds, but I'll spare you those pictures), a bit on the hot side, but with a nice breeze.  I spent about 35-45 minutes walking around, and that was enough.

I was lucky to get a pretty good parking spot (at a meter, which is free on the weekends) close to an intersection and just across the street from Riverscape.

I'd never seen plumeria growing before - it smells heavenly!!

Kayaking on the Great Miami is becoming more and more popular . . . I kind of want to learn, but am a little leery of having to learn how to flip the kayak.

The water fountains for the kiddies to play in; I've seen it when it's been timed to music, which the kids really enjoyed.  There were quite a few kids, but I timed it to NOT get them in the picture . . . don't want to be mistaken for anything other than a photographer!

A little bit of Dayton history, especially since I've previously written about the 1913 flood.  Amazing that a log cabin managed to deal with the flood waters better than the more modern buildings.

This pavilion is where the entertainment is held - concerts, etc. during the summer.  I'm also assuming it's where the ice rink is in the winter (can't think of another area large enough to accommodate one).

I took this photo for the "weather vane."  Love the idea of one of the Wright brothers hanging on so the wind won't blow him away.

I liked this photo for a couple of reasons:  1)  Some of the older architecture that has managed to survive; and 2) you can see where the river is and how high it had to rise just to barely flood the immediately surrounding streets.  Add another 7-8 feet (at a minimum; the pictures of the flood at its peak have the water almost to the top of the lampposts) to get an idea of how severe the flooding was.

I liked how the Queen Anne's Lace was growing out of the retaining wall.

Kayaks available to rent . . . not today for me, but possibly at some point . . .

There were several poems by Paul Laurence Dunbar inscribed on the sidewalk.  This one is entitled  "To The Miami" (click on the underlined link to be able to read the poem).  Dayton has long been known as the birthplace of aviation, but there are many authors, poets, and inventors from the city, including Paul Laurence Dunbar.

This display is in recognition of the computer search engine and Lexis Nexis, both originating out of Dayton, Ohio.

I think this is my favorite view of this sculpture - it appears that one of the Wright brothers is flying the plane right out of the tree.

  
Any of us who have enjoyed a beverage in a can with a pop top have Ermal Fraze to thank.  While not a native of Dayton, he had moved to Dayton and started Dayton Reliable Tool & Manufacturing Company before obtaining patents on the original ring pull can and the currently used push-in, fold back tab.  We salute you, Mr. Fraze!!

The grounds at Riverscape have beautiful landscaping.  This view shows a nicely shaded area that's almost a retreat from the busy-ness of the street and businesses close by.

Beautiful roses . . .

This is the bottom of one of the towers for the fountains.  It shows how high the water reached in 1913 (figure the door show is probably around 6-7 feet tall).

This sculpture isn't part of Riverscape proper, but is so close I had to include it.  This is titled "The Incorruptable Cashier" in recognition of NCR (National Cash Register, or to many Daytonians, The Cash), which until recently was a proud Dayton business.  It has since moved out of the state.  Sigh.  The keys at the front indicate the amounts to press from $0.01 at the far right all the way to a whopping $20.00 at the far left!

I liked the shadow on the pavilion - it resembles the wings of the Wright Flyer, which I'd almost bet was intentional.

A Dayton history lesson of sorts, revisiting the 1913 flood and some of the amazing inventors from Dayton, plus pictures of older architecture, sculptures, flowers, cooling waters, and kayaks.  What more could you ask for on a Saturday toward the end of June?  A nice cold beer in a can, complete with sincere gratitude to Ermal Fraze!  I'll have to settle for a Diet Dr. Pepper in a can to salute Mr. Fraze, but it might be followed by an ice cold bottle of beer . . . or vice versa!