We Love Nature

Yesterday was beautiful and warm. We wanted to go to the park to enjoy the day. Packed up ourselves and headed out… The first one we wanted to go to was actually right next to a school but we thought that was the park {which had the nice play area}; it wasn’t. The second one we went to was closed for some reason {it has an awesome play area} so we went to the one close to our house. It was squishy and by this time, driving around, it had turned somewhat chilly and I had to go to work.

Our day outside was foiled. {Oh, yes, I know, we could have hung out in our backyard}

Today is cold. It’s overcast and somewhat drizzly {or is that snow?}. But we decided to head out again in an attempt to do some nature study. We stopped by McDonald’s for some hot cocoa, grabbed our journals {I also grabbed my colored pencils and water color crayons, just in case}, and set a course for one of the Metroparks.

 

Euclid Creek Reservation, one of the Cleveland Metroparks, isn’t that far from our house and we often pass by it on our way home.

This is one of our favorite places now! The kids were too busy having fun near, around and in the creek to worry or think about their journals. I sat by the creek and tried to sketch out the view. It was so cold. My fingers stopped cooperating, though, so I had to continue after we got home. The kids attempted to make a ‘bridge’ {it was more a path than bridge} to the other side of the creek. In the process they got their feet all wet and their hands were pretty much frozen.

I tore them away {they didn’t want to go although they were obviously uncomfortable from the wet and cold} from their project and we headed home. I took a chunk of rock that we thought was possibly the same as what made up the creek bed. As soon as we got here, we all made an entry in our journals. We talked about what we saw and what we liked most about the area.

It is a place that we will go again, that is for sure! There is another place we like but it is more than 30 minutes away. I’m sure we will go to both of these and more as the weather gets warm.

 

What I Did Last Week :)

Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and finally Wyoming. Those are the states I sped drove through on my way ‘home’ yesterday. Well, Wyoming I only drive about 7 miles into but you get the idea My week went entirely too fast and yet, I’m glad I was patient and willing to enjoy all of it.

On Friday last week I picked up a rental car (cause my hubby loves me bunches! and didn’t want me to have any problems on the drive) from Hertz. The ladies were amazing. They looked for and got a discount for me that added up to over $70.

The kids and I were all packed and ready to go Friday afternoon- we were all antsy- but we left at 5:30 am (or so) on Saturday. We drove through the little bit of Wyoming to get to Nebraska. I think that Nebraska is one of *ahem, pardon me here* ugliest states ever. It was fun though, to point out the signs that directed to places that we have been to. Like the Archway Monument or Pioneer Village (both in NE) [this photo was actually taken last summer on our way to Wisconsin]

We’d never been any where in Iowa, Illinois or Indiana as a family. But we did go through some of the states, I believe, when we went to Oshkosh, WI, last summer for Airventure. Maybe.

Once you are out of Nebraska though, the scenery changes. Drastically.

Besides the feeling of being overwhelmed by the extreme traffic in the Cleveland, OH, area, it is green. So green. And there are …. trees. If you have those on a regular basis where you are then perhaps you will not understand. In Wyoming (and a lot of Nebraska) the trees are stunted. Sure there are large ones here and there but they are generally twisted and short. Like they have to fight for the sun- or rather the water to remain alive. In Ohio…it’s not like that. I remembered it was humid but I forgot about the green!

We went to the Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation in the Cleveland Metroparks and it was spectacular. At least to us. My hubby has already purchased himself a bike and has gone on the trails some. Here is just a smidgen of what it is like there. Check out the camouflage tree  

While we were in OH, down where my sister lives, we visited the towns (and even tried to pick out the houses) I lived in when I was younger. I lived in Dayton, Middletown, and Xenia. It was amazing how I could recall some details- such as the buildings on the corner- but not others- like if the house had two windows or one in the front.

In Dayton, we visited the Woodland Cemetery and my niece was wonderfully observant and directed us to the Wright Brothers burial site. And just in case anyone one is a writer out there, cemeteries are great places for inspiration- really!

There was also a section for the Civil War. Some of the tombstones, throughout the cemetery, were so faded, so old, that they could no longer be read.

Here is one that the tree is growing around and over.

And dd, Lee, got her hair dyed. Thanks to her cousin and free hair dye I don’t know if I should put a photo here… perhaps I will ask what she thinks lol. It’s the wash-out dye. Not permanent. Here is a photo of Lee, Fox, and their cousin, poking her head out (before the dye). I didn’t get any other photos of all the family because silly me, I left my camera (with fresh batteries) at home. In a drawer. Yes, I know…

And here is one of me and my sister  

So, now I am ‘home’ and waiting for a new home I think we are going to love Ohio. I had forgotten that it was a great place (well, from my young perspective and not including many factors lol). It was wonderful to see my sis and her family, too.

And that is what I’ve been up to the last week Now I have to get back to ‘work’… lol.