Raindrop

 

Chagrin River near Look About Lodge

 

Two friends in a Victorian Gazing Ball on a Sunny Winter Day

 

Halt in the march to Spring

 

A Primrose On its Way

 

First Sign of Spring

Skunk cabbage poking up through the ice at Jackson Bog 

Fine filaments

(Click on image to enlarge... IE users click on lower right of resulting image for fully detailed image).

Winter color at Jackson Bog

Who said winter is drab? I hiked around Jackson Bog this afternoon and found color everywhere -- green skunk cabbages poking up through the ice, red rose hips, orange fungus, bright green cress in the flowing water, white poison sumac berries, blue buckthorn berries, as well as winter's usual rich brown seed heads and bright blue sky. 

Woodpecker hole at Sand Run Metropark

Hiked along the Dogwood Trail at Sand Run yesterday. Much evidence of woodpeckers around. The trail was a bit slippery, with a thin layer of snow on it, but it felt good to be out in the cold, fresh air. Afterwards...Chicken and Noodles at Bob Evans...Mmmmmm....

Snowfilled Woodpecker holes

I think these were made by a pileated woodpecker, which is as large as a crow.

Hazelnut Catkins in January

 

Red Vase

 

Stone Arch at Quail Hollow

Milkweed 

White gloves by candlelight 

Bumper to Bumper Traffic 

Wooly Sheep 

Got Carrots? 

Dusk 

Town Clock, Hudson, Ohio

Hickory Dickory Dock!

Today we went for lunch and a bit of last-minute Christmas shopping in Hudson, Ohio, in the heart of the Western Reserve. I bet you didn't know that this town is where "the mouse who ran up the clock" lives.

Sorry I haven't posted many photos this December -- getting sick right before Christmas is NOT a good idea! Some people have asked if I will be continuing my photoblog next year, and the answer is yes. What I plan to do is revisit some of the places I photographed this past year, and re-shoot some of the same subjects, trying to discover a new way of "seeing" them. Or in some cases, trying to improve on the composition, e.g., getting a better angle on the mouse, in this photo.

Part of the unforeseen joys of photoblogging has been discovering the quiet beauty of Ohio. But the greatest part of the joy has been in getting to know the people who visit my site, both through the comments you leave and the postings on your own blogs. Thanks for a wonderful year of sharing your lives, your talents, and your thoughts! Merry Christmas to you all, and best wishes for a happy and beautiful New Year!