There is beauty within us and all around us; our studio and gallery are in the middle of the Village of Peninsula, nestled in the beautiful Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Take a moment to see one of my favorite trails in the Park, the Tree Farm Trail. And, if you are so inclined, say a prayer for those of us who are facing challenges that we cannot fathom.
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The Water Runs High: A My Town Monday Post
The waters of the river called Cuyahoga were anything but gentle this past week. Heavy rains on top of mounds of melting snow created a torrent of water. Here’s what the Cuyahoga River and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park’s Lock 29 parking lot looked like. It’s opposite our studio.
As if that weren’t enough, we had several more days of heavy rains. Our already drenched land couldn’t absorb the volume of water, so we had more flooding. Here’s what the river looked like last Saturday.
After the rains abated, we were treated to ice and snow; today, however, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the dogs are loving the mud.
As always, please feel free to leave me a comment, or a stone, (o), to let me know you’ve stopped by. Take a look at My Town Monday to see what other folks have to say about the places they call home.
January in the Cuyahoga Valley
This is the time of year when I get a wee bit tired of the gray and cold and snow. Nature seems to sense that we could use a respite. The quality of light has changed since the Solstice, and the birds are singing songs that remind us of the promise of changing seasons. And this, my friends, is welcome, as we continue our march to Spring.
Not Quite Wordless Wednesday
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.
A Closer Look: A My Town Monday Post
I’ve been exploring the art of nature and the nature of art in and around Elements Gallery, located in the Village of Peninsula, and surrounded by the beautiful Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Take a look. And, as always, feel free to leave me a comment, or a stone (o), to let me know you’ve stopped by.
A Closer Look from From Skilled Hands on Vimeo.
A look at art and nature in and around Elements Gallery, Peninsula, OH.
Wander on over to My Town Monday, where other you’ll find links to what other folks have to say on this fine September day.
A My Town Monday Post: Can You Dig It?
The Ohio and Erie Canal played a critical part in the development of the Cuyahoga Valley. The workers toiled long hours for 30 cents a day and whiskey at night.
Most of the employees of the Peninsula boat yards were locals; like the builders of the Canal, most of the laborers remain anonymous. Some not only built canal boats, but also they also erected buildings and bridges. Many of the boatyard workers also worked on the boats, making them “canalers.”
Canal boats were 79-81 feet long, and about 14 feet wide. Their width was limited by the size of the locks through which they traveled. New vessels needed about 3 1/2 feet of water in which to float; older vessels required a bit more depth since they accumulated “seepage water.” Once the stomping grounds of canal mules, the towpath is now used as a trail, of which over 70 miles is complete. I’ll explore the trail in a future post.
The cool thing is that many of the buildings still stand, and vestiges of the canal are still visible. Some of the locks are still there, and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park has a working lock at the Canal Visitor Center. In other places, old foundations are visible. The stories of the people who carved this Village are alive and well. It is the people who give us a sense of place, a place that is home. The Village of Peninsula, population 602, celebrates its history as it embraces its future. An interesting place to be.
As always feel free to leave me a comment, or a stone (o), to let me know you’ve been by. If you choose to leave a comment, I’ll enter your name in a drawing for a beautiful book about the Cuyahoga Valley.
****Thanks to Amanda, of the Peninsula Library and Historical Society, for her assistance and generosity in sharing resources, knowledge and time.
Take a look at what my fellow MTM Marauders have to say at My Town Monday.
The Nature of Things
We live and work in an incredibly beautiful place. This valley called Cuyahoga is amazingly diverse—a symphony of the senses. I have walked many of the trails in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The Tree Farm Trail is one of my favorite places, and I wrote about it here. I am always in awe when I complete the trail and come upon Horseshoe Pond.
I worked on a piece that’s my interpretation of this place. Here is a photo of the piece in process:
And here is the finished piece:
These are some of the things that keep me grounded: connections to the beauty of the natural world, and the ability to manifest my connections in clay.
Raising a Cup of Kindness in 2009
photos courtesy Ron Wayton, photographer
Last year 76 artists and authors, and assorted web designers, sign makers, muffin bakers, photographers and patrons raised a Cup of Kindness as they donated over 150 pieces of work and countless other services to benefit friends and neighbors in need. Through the generosity of these fine folks and people all over the country, we have raised enough money for the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank to provide around 28,000 meals. That is an astounding figure: twenty-eight thousand meals. That is enough to feed each of the 601 people in the Village of Peninsula 46.6 times.
Artwork is coming in and is being cataloged and packed to go to be photographed for this year’s show, which will open on Saturday, December 5th, from 10:00am-2:00pm, at our Elements Gallery and at the Peninsula Art Academy across the street, and will continue through January 10, 2010. Check back for more details about online purchases and other ways to help.
We the people have demonstrated the Power of One. And one more. And one more. This is how we make a difference in the world. One. Cup. At. A. Time.
Mostly Wordless Wednesday: Blue Skies
For more looks at the color blue, please visit Jodi’s weekly color challenge at the Women’s Colony.
Wordless Wednesday: Brought to You By the Color Orange
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