{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. – Soulemama

{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. - Soulemama

“A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. “   Soulemama

Then you may decide that you need some country air today or perhaps a nice cool swim in one of the many natural streams, waterfalls, rivers, or lakes here. You NEED some nature. Well, within minutes you can be swimming under a gorgeous waterfall.

Or maybe you just want to explore the woods and wade in the crick (how we say creek in Ohio). That is only minutes away too.

I never get tired of exploring this lovely state and being amazed about how much there is to do in our extended backyard.

]]> http://naturemoms.com/blog/2010/07/21/why-i-love-ohio/feed/ 10 http://naturemoms.com/blog/2010/05/05/cinco-de-mayo-feast-photos/ http://naturemoms.com/blog/2010/05/05/cinco-de-mayo-feast-photos/#comments Thu, 06 May 2010 02:00:52 +0000 Tiffany http://www.naturemoms.com/blog/?p=4432

A Vegetarian Cinco de Mayo Feast

Who celebrates Earth Day by blasting confetti poppers near the creek??? Hmmph!

Wishing everyone a beautiful spring weekend!! My camera bag is packed and I am ready for adventure!

Check out my Squidoo lens on Taking Great Pictures of Your Children and my review of the Nikon D60.

I actually twisted my ankle that morning… ironically while I carted a big pumpkin out to the compost bin. It felt okay to walk on all during the festival but by the time I got home I could barely walk and spent the next two days in bed, LOL.

My mom got one of these and was peeved that my kids refused to help her eat it… not even a bite. She insists I have the most bizarre kids ever.

This is my first prime lens and it rocks.. can’t wait to break it in this weekend at the Apple Festival!

The little songs of summer are all gone today.
The little insect instruments are all packed away:
The bumblebee’s snare drum, the grasshopper’s guitar,
The katydid’s banjo, the cricket’s violin,
The dragonfly’s cello have ceased their merry din.
Oh, where is the orchestra?  From harpist down to drummer
They’ve all disappeared with the passing of the summer.

~ by Rowena Bennett

Hey how did THAT get in here?

Awhile back a reader commented that she loved all my posts about getting kids out into nature but she found it unrealistic for her own kids because she lives in the inner city. I understand her plight because despite all the nature photos you see on this blog we do not live in the country. We live on a city lot just 2-3 blocks from downtown. I have to spread out and plan ahead to make sure my kids are spending time in “nature” as opposed to just outdoors. There IS a huge difference.

But city kids can have adventures too and while we like to go to state parks, nearby creeks and waterways, go camping, and all that jazz… we also like living in the city and adventuring there too. In fact I LOVE cities in Ohio because of all the historic and gorgeous buildings. Cities can be beautiful too.

Kids can get exercise from walking up and down city streets… ditch the car for a good workout. And if your kids are anything like mine they will find plenty of places to climb… even when there are no trees.

We often window shop in the city and if I it is just my daughter and I, we will go into antique stores. I will ooh and ahh over all the old stuff just like my own mom did. I never understood her love of antiques… until one day I loved them too… funny how that happens.

And what city would be complete without little book stores with cozy little nooks and balconies where you can read and people watch. BOOKS… just as delicious as antiques. My kids are already trained… they know books stores are some of the most magical places there are. You walk in with a taste for adventure and later that day or evening you can have a date with fairies, pirates, knights, or if you are like me… vampires.

I also like to take photos in the city. I especially adore the architectural details and all the brick. I am very much in love with brick and it makes such a nice background for pictures.

There are lots of ways to find adventure and mystery in the city… you just have to get out and make the most of what you have. How do YOU make the most of city living?

All my posts this week were pre-scheduled. While my blog was on auto pilot I was actually out enjoying the last days of summer vacation with my kids. One day this week we sought out some covered bridges in central Ohio. I love photographing the bridges and my kids love the fact that there is always water under them. :) We sat, played in the water, enjoyed the breeze and the sun, and watched some kids fishing from the bridge. In my son’s hand below you will see a homemade crayfish catcher he made. Thank goodness he didn’t catch anything, cause I didn’t want to drive home with live crayfish.

And of course corn fields are in no short supply here… the older kids played around the bridge and my youngest played in the corn fields.

The next day we got in the car and drove to Mohican State Park. Actually I saw a brochure about the park while my kids were riding a carousel and we just got in the car and drove to it.. about 2.5 hours away from home. The drive was kind of scary with steep drop-offs. But the smell of the forest was amazing. We could have spent a week there. My son kept asking why we can’t just build some huts and live there forever. It was so beautiful… we hope to go camping there soon!

School starts tomorrow and we have had such a wonderful summer. I don’t want the fun to end! Oh well, off to start planning for hay rides, pumpkin festivals, trips to the apple orchard, and all that fun Fall stuff that is sure to come…

I have been thinking about this a lot lately. When we moved to our new place we were VERY slow to unpack and make it homey and I think that is a big part of why I haven’t been able to bond with it so much. While I don’t forsee staying here year very long I think that sense of feeling like you are “home” is very important.

This weekend my camera bag fell out of my car onto the sidewalk and when I took it out to make sure it was okay, I ran inside to snap a quick test picture. I don’t even think I cared what the photo was of.. I just did it to make sure the camera was working.

Afterwards when I looked at the photo I felt such a sense of peace and “home” all from looking at an unmade bed and the surroundings. ;) I added it to the Flickr pool for the Shutter Sister’s One Word Project which just happens to be “home”. I am so inspired by all the photos there…

Anyway my photo is above with this description:

What makes our home feel like home? All the little things… the bed my grandmother slept on with the same sheets she put on it for 30 plus years. The same bed I slept on when I spent summers with her as a child. Lots of fuffy pillows that make you feel like you are sleeping on a cloud. A  fan blowing cool air in on a warm summer night. Scratched and faded paint that tells us that this stuff is well used and well loved. The blanket my grandmother made that adorned her home for years before she left it to me in her will. The toys my children leave around showing that home is the place to laugh and play. The old game board that shows we are a family that likes to play together. The futon that invites children to come on inside and lay their heads with the rest of the family. All of it gives me a comfort like no other… HOME. There is no place like it… it has such a story to tell.

What about you? What makes you feel at “home”?

I felt really bad that I hadn’t had the time to take the kids for weekend away to the Hocking Hills area to see some of the great waterfalls there. When we left Arizona I thought we left behind all the best swimming holes and canyon waterfalls but I guess not. Who knew there was a very nice waterfall with full public access only a few minutes away??? My oldest son and husband were also elated to see that access to the river is easy there. They have a fishing trip planned already.

It all starts with a not-so very long hike through the low river bed or the very muddy trail. I have a feeling that in the spring this area would be almost impenetrable unless you want to swim. Well, actually it starts with going down a ton of steps that take you into the canyon and then you trek up river.

After a short walk we come to the soft roar of the beautiful falls. Unbelievably this gem is actually in the city.

 This was the last picture I took. Can you guess why?

Oh yes… we had an incident. Daddy climbed up pretty high and dear daughter thought she could go after him. Halfway up she decided against it and as the incline propelled her downward rather fast she decided to go with it and RUN down. She slid on her stomach and side for while and scraped herself up pretty bad. And whether her injury is a splinter or a severed limb I am pretty sure her screaming and theatrics would be the same. She screamed like no body’s business. Since I wasn’t about to wash her off in the bacteria laced river water we called it a day. I never dreamed we might need our day packs for such a teeny hike but next time I will know better. The kids can’t wait to go back.