From Skilled Hands

Fall in Northeast Ohio is a sensory experience; the crisp quality of the air, the colors when the leaves start to change, and then when they explode with color. The smell of the leaves as they fall on the ground, the sound of them as one walks through them. Apples and cider, their beautiful colors and wonderful aromas.

The Village of Peninsula, population 602, is a beautiful place to experience Fall. The Cuyahoga Valley abounds with life, from the trees and flowers, to the animals and insects, to the people who come to drink it all in.

On Saturday mornings, from the end of May to the beginning of October, the Cuyahoga Valley Countryside Conservancy sponsors a Farmers’ Market at Heritage Farms. Local vendors bring vegetables and fruit, eggs, flowers, coffee, cheeses and meats, breads and pastries, and a bit of craft. There is always something to taste, and music to enjoy.

The Market is one of the projects of the Cuyahoga Valley Countryside Conservancy. The Cuyahoga Valley Countryside Conservancy (CVCC) is a private, non-profit corporation, chartered in Ohio, and headquartered in the Cuyahoga Valley between Cleveland and Akron. CVCC is a small think-and-do tank working to re-envision and rebuild local-regional farming and food systems in Northeast Ohio – systems purposefully designed to reconnect food in the public’s mind to farming and land, to community and nature.

Take a look at last Saturday’s Market. We’ll be enjoying potatoes and onions, beans and beets, scones, foccacia, and roasted vegetable and cheese loaf over the next week or so. And if you’re in our neck of the woods, come on over. We’ll have a cup of coffee, stroll through the Village and relax. The Village of Peninsula, gently resisting change since 1832.

On the way to the Market. I didn’t see the tree until I posted the photo.

The red barn houses additional items for sale.

Mums and pumpkins are another sign of Fall in my town.

The Cuyahoga Valley Countryside Conservancy provides information about it’s many projects.

The beautiful farmhouse at Heritage Farms is over 100 years old.

The skilled hands of the chef make wonderful things to eat, including foccacia and scones.

Fresh picked corn and apples at the Market.

When I left the Farmers’ Market, I returned to our studio, just in time to see the steam engine roll into the Village. Perfect.

As always, My Town Monday is the product of the imagination of one of Amarillo, Texas’ own, Travis Erwin. Wander on over there and see what Travis and the other MTM clan have to say.

Freedom is an issue that is near and dear to me, one of which I am acutely aware in these times. Intellectual freedom, “… the right of every individual to both seek and and receive information from all points of view without restriction. It provides for free access to all expressions of ideas through which any and all sides of a question, cause, or movement may be explored. Intellectual freedom encompasses the freedom to hold, receive, and disseminate ideas” is critical in a free society.

The American Library Association says this about the week:

Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read is observed during the last week of September each year. Observed since 1982, this annual ALA event reminds Americans not to take this precious democratic freedom for granted. This year, 2008, marks BBW’s 27th anniversary (September 27 through October 4).
BBW celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where these two essential conditions are met.

The Banned Books Week website has a host of information. The Forbidden Library: Banned and Challenged Books, has more. Knowledge is power. Educate yourself. Read.

What is on your book shelf?

The Mayor? Anonymous? A guy with big ears? A member of the PPP? Travis?

Fellow My Town Monday Marauders Barbara, Mary, and Reb correctly identified the guy as Travis. The winner of the high tech drawing is Laura, from CenterDownHome. She joins the other members of the PPP, Terrie Farley Moran, Sam, Travis, Barrie, and Eryl.

The PPP grows, and has members all over this planet. Who knows, perhaps we will find the wayward reptile one of these days.

I pass this on to you without much comment. It is appropriate for me this day, as I am so grateful for what we share.

What are your thoughts?

This week we’ll revisit a couple of things in my town.The beauty of this late summer’s afternoon has been calling my name. The infinite azure sky that September brings to Northeast Ohio, warm temperatures and gentle breezes are welcome. We are still cleaning up from the storm that Ike brought us last week. Our beautiful old maple, as old as this old house, succumbed. More on that in another post.

The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railway is a wonderful way to explore this beautiful Valley. Join me as we take a ride:

I’ve talked about the special place that is my town, and the feeling that is unlike that in any other place I’ve been. It manifests in many ways, and the Peninsula Python Festival was one.

Post a guess who this PPP member is in the comment section and I’ll enter your name in a high tech drawing (where I draw a name from a hat). You could be the latest member of the PPP. You could win cool stuff and join the other intrepid Posse members, Terrie Farley Moran, Sam, Travis, Barrie, and Eryl.
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The versatile Travis Erwin, is the originator of My Town Monday. Wander on over to his site and see what others have to say about their towns this day.

The Village of Peninsula, population 602, is the venue for some pretty amazing things. The Peninsula Art Academy, a not-for-profit organization promoting the Arts in the Village of Peninsula and throughout Northeast Ohio, has artists’ studios, a gallery, and classes and workshops. The 4th Saturday of every month, the PAA holds Blues Nights, an informal open mike jam for all levels of musicians interested in playing and learning the blues.

On Saturday, September 13, the PAA hosted the incredible guitarist Ernie Hawkins. Ernie conducted a workshop for 22 guitar enthusiasts in the afternoon, and played a concert at Peninsula’s beautiful GAR Hal in the evening. We had the opportunity to join the other lucky folks who experienced Ernie’s performance.

Here is a taste of Ernie’s artistry:

For train enthusiasts, and there are lots of those who come to my town, the sounds of train whistles and the wheels of the train on the tracks are another kind of music. The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad will be celebrating steam engines from September 24-25, and 27-28th. There will be lots of opportunities to climb aboard!!!

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Travis Erwin is the conductor of the MTM train. You never know where My Town Monday will take you. Wander on over to Travis’ place and see what you find. You’ll have a good time and learn a lot. I promise. And in this election year, my promise is for real :-).

Over at Diary of a Self-Portrait, Jessie writes about her Be Brave Project. She quotes Eleanor Roosevelt:

“Do one thing every day that scares you.”

Interesting words.
To me, it includes:
being willing to stretch,
to expand our horizons and
to reach beyond our comfort zones;
to take chances;
to have faith in ourselves and in our processes.
It is
standing up for what, in our heart of hearts, we know as truth.
As artists, we grow as we explore our world, both inner and outer, through our work

What would you do each day?

Q: What’s worse than being awakened at 1:30 AM because the dog needs to go out?

A: Being awakened at 2:00 AM because the other dogs are freaking out during a
thunderstorm AND then again at 4:12 AM (gotta love digital clocks) by the telephone
ringing because the alarm has gone off at the Studio. And then finding out that there was
a power failure and alarms were going off all over the place.

The Village of Peninsula, Ohio, population 602, is a place where you can walk. There is a walking tour that shows you lots of interesting places in the Village. I’ve been walking through the side streets of my town, discovering things I’d not seen before, and seeing some things in a new way.

You may remember this corner from Python Day.

Canal Street runs near the Canal. I often wonder what is was like when the canal was in full operation.

Nixon is a 4 month old silver lab. He greeted me as lab puppies do,with a wet tongue and a
wagging tail.

There are houses and barns tucked away on the small, winding roads off Main Street.

No place is perfect, and the hazards of cell phone life are the same no matter where you hang your hat.

Amarillo’s own Travis Erwin is the Master Mind behind My Town Monday. Take a trip on over there and you can see the world through the hearts and minds of bloogers all over this fine planet.

The Village of Peninsula, Ohio, population 602, is nestled in the beautiful Cuyahoga Valley National Park. People often think of the Village as the Towpath, the train, and places to shop and to eat. There is a lot more to my town. Here are some views (mostly) off Main Street:

Folks are creative here. Art is everywhere. And old bikes as planters on Anna Gerrodette’s glass studio are an example.

Diane Seskes has art on an old pipe near her Log Cabin Gallery.

This is the Bronson Memorial Church, located on the corner of Church and Main Street.

Church Street is a peaceful place.

We’ll continue to walk through town on Monday, for my town’s contribution to Travis Erwin’s My Town Monday. Have a great weekend.