From Skilled Hands » Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Not Quite Wordless Wednesday

fromskilledhands — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 13:45:03 +0000

Autumn in my Valley is glorious. The colors of the leaves, sometimes brilliant, sometimes subtle, contrast with the textures of the trees and layers of earth. We hiked the Tree Farm Trail at Horseshoe Pond last week. It was beautifully silent, the only sounds, our feet in the leaves, the birds, and the wind.

As always, feel free to leave me a comment, or a stone (o), to let me know that you’ve stopped by. Come by tomorrow to see who won Monday’s drawing.

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My Town Monday– Late Edition: A Different Kind of Post

fromskilledhands — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:43:40 +0000

Jodi, over at the Women’s Colony/Sanctuary, has challenged bloggers to post photos that show the color orange. I looked around my town, the Village of Peninsula, in the beautiful Cuyahoga Valley, and saw the color all over the place. Here is a snippet:

Check back on Wednesday. My Wordless Wednesday post will be sponsored by the color orange.

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My Town Monday’s current host is Clair Dickson. Wander over to the MTM site for links to the posts of other MTM Marauders.

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My Town Monday: A Bit of This and That

fromskilledhands — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:31:08 +0000

It has been quite a while since I have shared the MTM experience. Life has presented our family with multiple challenges including 3 deaths and the hospitalization of a child. I have learned a lot about community, and have had my feeling that we all live in the same town reinforced over and over.

Fall has come to My Town, the Village of Peninsula, population 601. The leaves are beginning to change as daylight hours grow shorter. The Village is nestled in the beautiful Cuyahoga Valley, home of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The Valley is an amazing and diverse place with so much to see and do. Here are some photos I took during a summer hike on the Tree Farm Trail. Take a look, and if you are in our neck of the woods, stop and visit. Feel free to leave me a comment, or a stone (o) to let me know you’ve stopped by.

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Visit the My Town Monday website, for a look at other places on this fine planet.

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COMING SOON: Cups of Kindness

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Along the Crooked River: Plein Air Comes to Peninsula

fromskilledhands — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:00:44 +0000

The crooked river called Cuyahoga is an integral part of the Cuyahoga Valley and the Village of Peninsula. Artists have tried to capture it’s beauty in a multitude of media. Painters, photographers and artists with sketch pads are regular sights in this Valley.

On Saturday, June 20, 2009, 25 regional artists will converge on the Village, canvases, easels and paints in hand. They will be participants in the first Plein Aire competition that the Peninsula Area Chamber of Commerce has hosted. En plein air is a French expression meaning “in the open air.” It is used to describe the act of painting outdoors. Plein air painting has it’s roots in 19th century Europe. The invention of tubes that contained pigments made painting portable, and the introduction of the steam engine gave painters a way to travel for their art.

If you’re in our neck of the woods or are in the mood for a beautiful drive, come on over and see us. You can watch the painters, take a hike in the amazing Cuyahoga Valley National Park (did you know that it is the 6th most visited National Park in the country?), take a ride on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, and explore the Village of Peninsula. Stop in and see Steve and me at our Elements Gallery on Mill Street. We’re looking forward to meeting you.

For more information on the Plein Aire competition, visit here.

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Wordless Wednesday: Reflections

fromskilledhands — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 04:02:20 +0000

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Stroll into Spring: A My Town Monday Post.

fromskilledhands — Mon, 25 May 2009 02:33:02 +0000

It was a busy weekend in the Village of Peninsula, nestled in the beautiful Cuyahoga Valley. It was a time for discovery and adventure as the yearly Spring Stroll welcomed the new season to the Valley.

The population soared as families came to the Village to share in the magical adventures of the season. The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railway brought Thomas the Tank Engine to the Valley again this year.

Fairy houses and gardens were all over the Village. Ronda from the Downtown Emporium created a map, and fairy lovers of all ages looked to see if they could answer all the questions: how many fairies live here? can you find the octopus? what is the name of the fairy house?

Imagine yourself discovering some of these magical dwellings. Look carefully; you might just see a sprite.

Come back on Wednesday and you’ll see more photos of the fairy dwellings behind our studio and gallery.

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Take a moment to realize that in the United States, Memorial Day is more than a 3 day weekend. To read more, hop on over to Travis Erwin’s. He is the guy who is the MTM chief cook and bottle washer. He always has something interesting to say, and also posts links to other bloggers who write about their towns.

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My Town Monday: Musings on a Spring Morning

fromskilledhands — Mon, 04 May 2009 13:43:46 +0000

It is spring in my town, the Village of Peninsula, population 601. The beauty of spring is attended by the things that have waited all winter long.

Gardens need preparation and planting; trees that fell victim to winter and early spring’s storms and high winds have to be cleaned up. Lawns need to be mowed. Dandelions and violets dot the yard and field, their bright yellow and purple blossoms bring sunshine on this cloudy morning. The chickens will be happy; dandelions and other weeds from the gardens go into a bucket to be taken to the chicken yard.

The Village is busting with energy. People emerging from the cocoons of their houses, glad to be out. Spring Stroll will be May 23, with activities and exhibits throughout the Village. Many folks are featuring fairy houses this year. I have a collection of materials ready to create these tiny magical environments. Check back for photos.

What’s new in your neck of the woods? Post a comment on one of this week’s posts, and I will enter your name into another high tech drawing (where I draw names from a hat). You will have a chance to win a wonderful book that has amazing pictures of the Cuyahoga Valley.

As always, My Town Monday is brought to you by the chief cook, bottle washer and fisherman, Travis Erwin. Travis has, literally, gone fishing this week. The talented Erica Orloff is guest blogging at Travis’ place this week. Check out the links. You’ll travel all over this fine blue planet we call home.

I am sitting in a coffee shop, waiting while Winston (the wonder dog) is at the vet having surgery for a mass on his gum. The vet said that he didn’t feel good about this. If you are so inclined, send good thoughts our way. DOGGIE UPDATE: Winston is fine! He had a cyst or a tumor that the vet think got infected. So it has been removed, his teeth cleaned, and he should have sweet doggie breath.

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Build It And They Will Come: A My Town Monday Post

fromskilledhands — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 02:29:47 +0000

The weather in my town has been just this side of heavenly—or maybe right smack in the middle of it. So the choice is: work in the garden, enjoy the sunshine, relax or write an in-depth MTM post. The former won, and, once again, You Tube came to my rescue. Actually, I did go to one of the rookeries and I did take pictures, but it was a gray and rainy day. I think that you will enjoy the 2 videos I have posted below.

It’s nesting and courting seasons for Great Blue herons in the Cuyahoga Valley. There are a couple of rookeries where you can see them up close. It is an amazing site: dozens of nests, with the males bringing sticks to the females. Here’s a look:

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Wander on over to Travis Erwin’s site to find links to blogs all over this fine planet.

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Share Your Story: A My Town Monday Post

fromskilledhands — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 02:15:46 +0000

There’s a lot of history in my Valley. And history is just that: stories. One of the local PBS stations, Western Reserve PBS is preparing a documentary about the beautiful Cuyahoga Valley National Park. They have been taking oral histories from people who experienced the area in days past. They are also looking for photos, home movies and other memorabilia from the Valley. Western Reserve PBS staff members will be at 2 open houses at CVNP’s Happy Days Lodge on Sundays, April 26, and May 17, from 11 a.m. to 5 pm.

Here is a 1951 home movie of families swimming at Virginia Kendall Lake.

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Hop on over to My Town Monday visionary Travis Erwin’s place. You’ll learn a bit about his neck of the woods and find links to other folk’s thoughts about their towns.

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Wordless Wednesday: On the Towpath Trail

fromskilledhands — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 04:01:39 +0000

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