Friday, May 28, 2010

Clear Creek Metro Park

 

A hike last week in parts of the large Clear Creek
Metro Park and Nature Preserve with my daughter
had some very pretty scenery and plants to offer.

ClearCreek

Fishing is allowed along Clear Creek which runs through
the park and many were their trying their luck that warm day.

 ClearCreek2

 

CCMP_WrittenRock

Written Rock which got its name from Native
American hieroglyphics found written upon the rock.
Of course now they are gone and ugly graffiti has
replaced them. People cause terrible destruction
to the natural beauty of our parks everyday.
Even the threat of arrest and fines does not
deter them. 

Deep budget cuts to  Ohio’s
Department of Natural Resources has caused
layoffs of Park Rangers and staff which leaves
the parks under funded, manned and policed.
Our Governor Strickland has cut funding to the
biggest tourist attractions in Ohio which is allowing
some of the parks to slowly get in run down condition.
Not enough staff leaves fallen trees blocking paths,
garbage, vandals and room for deviates to operate.
Is posting signs declaring the parks nature preserves
an  excuse to just let them go unmanned
instead of the true reason of lack of state funding?
We could afford new stone signing to put the governors
name on but not enough to keep employees.
I will speak further on this in future postings
because it is an election year and I want to see 
funding returned to the parks and the Ohio Historical
Center which has had drastic and detrimental effects.
The states parks are now free but will they be forced
to start asking an admission fees?
If we lose our tourist dollars due to deterioration it
will be the legacy of our present governor Ted Strickland.

But on with Clear Creek Metro Park….

 

CCMP_MathaisHouse2_SM 
The Mathias Cabin

CCMPark

Along the Hemlock Trail

CCMP_HemlockVarnishShelf 
Hemlock Varnish Mushrooms are numerous on old
fallen trees in the Nature Preserve.

CCMP_Red BlackBeetle2 - Nicrophorus sayi 
The Red & Black Beetles Nicrophorus sayi
were busy feasting on them.

CCMP_HVShelfLog


CCMP_OrangeMushrooms

Orange topped mushrooms

CCMP_WildIris_QueenoftheSwamp

Wild Irises Queen of the Swamp grow there in sections.

 

CCMP_BlueUnknown

Fields of beautiful wild flowers were blooming
everywhere in the park.

 

CCMP_BlueUnknownField

 

wildflowers3

CCMP_FieldPhlox


CCMP_Phlox3

 

CCMP_Phlox2

Dames Rockets wild phlox in lavender
and white.

CCMP_WhitePhlox

CCMP_ScarletCatchfly2

Scarlet Cardinal Flower

CCMP_YellowFlowers

 

CCMP_Fern

The  Fern Trail was less traveled.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Millipedes

 

Millipedes found on the Hocking Hill’s and Cedar Falls trail.

CF_Millipede - Apheloria virginiensis

Millipede  Apheloria virginiensis

 

CF_Millipede - Orthoporus texicolens

Millipede Orthoporus texicolens

Friday, May 21, 2010

Cedar Falls Lower Trail

My daughter and myself have been doing a
lot of hiking around the parks lately and so
today I want to share just a little of the beauty
along the lower trail from Cedar Falls to
Old Mans Cave.

CedarFalls_Outcropping

 CedarFalls_Trail

 

CF_LowerCreek2_May14

 

CedarFalls_Creek_Sp2010

 

CedarFalls_Hollow

 

CF_FallsThruTrees_May14

 

CF_90ft_FallsBasin_May14

 

CedarFalls_Cliffs

 

CedarFalls_Pathway

 

CedarFalls_Steps

 

CF_LowerTrail_Steps_May14

 

CF_90Ft_FallsTop_May14

 

CF_RockWalls_May14

 

CedarFalls_Basin

Friday, May 14, 2010

Six Spotted Green Tiger Beetle


EmeralsBeetle3

Cicindela sexguttata the Six-spotted Green Tiger Beetle.
Thank you JWLW

EmeraldBeetle2

EmeraldBeetle

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Swans & One Mixed Up Duck

  The swans have had their eggs hatch at Lake Logan
and I spotted six new babies. When we visited she was
keeping them on the far side of the inlet and in the shade
away from the many photographers yesterday.
Everyone was wanting to get pictures of the newly born
swans.

 

LAkeL_SwanBabies_May10

Back at the swans nest two eggs lay that were
not going to hatch.
These ducks had decided it was a fine nest.

 

LakeL_Mallards3_May10

This female was trying to turn the eggs and set
on them. It was a funny sight because the eggs
were a little too big for her to get on.

LakeL_Mallards5_May10

She finally gave  up and decided to just rest in the
nest and catch some sun….

 

LakeL_FDuck_May10

while he got some shut eye.

LakeL_Duck_May10

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Old Man’s Cave

 Bilbo_OldMansCave2  The Hocking Hill’s area parks have been going through
a beautiful transformation in the last few years.
Beautiful stone buildings, bridges and signs now grace
the area and look more natural in the woodland areas
of the parks.
 OMC_WelcomeCenter

This is the Welcome  center to Old Man’s Cave in the
beautiful Hocking Hills.
It sets at the entrance to the access road that goes to
camping grounds.

Also added across the road from the welcome center
is an archery range.

OMC_WelcomeCenter3

This is the upper creek and falls that flows through
Old Man’s  Cave. It was flowing heavily after the hard
rains we had.
Camper use to have to drive across this creek above
the falls to get to the camping  area of the park
but now there is a new bridge that crosses it at the
welcome center.

 

OMC_UpperFalls6

 

OMC_UpperFalls3

 

OMC_UpperFalls

A second falls runs under a bridge that crosses the top of
on the pathway to the Gorge Overlook, Rose Lake and on
to Cedar Falls if you are into hiking.

OMC3

The rush of water going over the  little falls was  running fast
and foaming after the rains.

OMC_FallsBubbles
This creek also flows into the ‘Devils Bath tub’.
We were always told it was bottomless but in
actuality  there really is a bottom.

 OMCave_Creek

Old Man’s Cave is littered with giant boulders and
cliffs.OMCave

 OldMansCave2