The snows fell fast and furious on February 5-6, 2010. Predictions were from 2-4 inches in our area; the Southeastern part of the country was predicted to receive 30 inches of snow and sleet.We received 10-12 inches of the white stuff—-heavy and wet snow covered the roads and everything else. Here’s a look.
Feel free to leave me a comment, or a stone, (o), to let me know you’ve been here.
Wander over to My Town Monday to see what other folks have to say about their towns.
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.
Signs of the python are all around: Larry has been getting his python ready for tomorrow’s parade; the Peninsula Art Academy’s artful python has emerged from it’s winter resting place. Our python has been enjoying being outside.
We are getting ready for the python scavenger hunt in the Gallery. If you can find them all, you win one! Lots of activities are planned in the Village tomorrow. Slither on over here to see.
While you’re in the Valley, wander on down the Towpath to Deep Lock Quarry. Hobo Days will be in full swing. It starts tonight with the Hobo Jungle Campfire, the official lighting of the hobo campfire. You can enjoy potlatch and hobohemia. Bring a can of soup for the hobo pot. Breakfast will be at 9:00a.m. tomorrow, and there will be activities all day. The election of the Deep Lock Quarry Hobo King and Queen will be at 3:00 p.m.. The campfire will be at 8:00p.m., and there will be more hobohemia Sunday, from 11:00a.m.-1:00pm. For more information, check out the MetroParks, serving Summit County website.
I talked toNaturalist Pat Rydquist (whose hobo name is Hummingbird) about Hobo Days. Thie is the 6th year of the event at Deep Lock Quarry. 30-40 hobos will camp in primitive campsites there. Hobos were really the first “leave no trace” campers. Number 8 of the Hobo Code of Ethics reads: “Always respect nature, do not leave garbage where you are jungling.“ For more information about the Code of Ethics, hobo terminology and hobo symbols, go here.
The Village of Peninsula, Ohio, population 601, will once again celebrate the saga of the Peninsula Python, the serpent whose escape, disappearance, and subsequent sightings terrified the people in the Valley during the summer of 1944.
Word War II was going on, and many of the young men from the Valley were deployed overseas. When the story of the Python was picked up by the wire services and Stars and Stripes, soldiers stationed overseas sent letters to the Village. Letters from places people had never heard of.
While the story of the python frightened people in the Valley, it was not nearly as scary as the horrors of war.
The mayor deputized a posse to try to capture the renegade reptile. Although they men of the posse followed up on every lead, they were unable to find the snake.
If you are in our neck of the woods on Saturday, July 18th, come on over to the Village. We’ll be celebrating the python with our Python Fest. There will be all kinds of things to do. Slither on over here to find out just what will be going on. Steve and I will have a plethora of pythons around the Gallery, at 1619 West Mill Street. If you can find them all, you will win a prize.
You can also wander down the trail to Deep Lock Quarry, part of the MetroParks, serving Summit County. Celebrate Hobo Days with food, stories and the crowning of the Hobo King and Queen.
My Town Monday is now hosted by Clair Dickson here. You will find links to other MTM posts all over this fine planet. Travis Erwin is the originator of MTM. Go visit him and say hello. He’s a very nice guy.
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.
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.
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.
If you ever want to know about the history of my town, the Village of Peninsula, population 601, or about the Cuyahoga Valley, go to the Peninsula Library and Historical Society. The library and historical society is dedicated to the preservation of the history of the Valley. They have an extensive collection of books, photographs, letters and other materials that chronicle the lives and times of those who settled the Valley. Committed to preserving and promoting the history of the Cuyahoga Valley, the PLHS provides a variety of historical programming. They share the stories of the people who carved out a life in this Village along the river called the Cuyahoga, and the canal called the Ohio and Erie.
The mural on the front of the Library is a beautiful work of art. It was created by the late Honore Gilbeau Cooke. The library website describes the mural:
Travis Erwin is the main fisherman on the My Town Monday boat. Cruise on over to his site, and check out the links he posts. You’ll discover lots of things you never knew exisited.
POST a comment this week and I’ll enter you in another one of my high tech drawings (where I, once again, draw a name from a hat). You’ll have a chance to win something cool from my Valley.
The winner of last week’s drawing for the book about the Cuyahoga Valley is Lana. Send me your street address and I’ll send you your book.
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 atTravis’ 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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While you’re in the 
The mayor deputized a posse to try to capture the renegade reptile. Although they men of the posse followed up on every lead, they were unable to find the snake.
If you ever want to know about the history of my town, the 
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.
