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.