A Hoover Meadows evening

Springtime in Ohio brings peepers by the thousands. Listening to these tiny frogs in the evening of a sunny April day is a real pleasure. At Hoover Meadows there are several ponds where the peepers are abundant. I've not yet seen an actual frog, but their presence is obvious as soon as you enter the reserve. Wear waterproof boots if you visit - the trails are pretty muddy and have standing water in many places. Also, be aware that tick season has begun...

Sunset and peepers

Last Saturday Steve and I visited Hoover Meadows at dusk. The peeper choruses were wonderful in their frenzy of mate seeking. I'm amazed that such a huge sound can come from such a tiny frog. Amplify that by hundreds and it's an experience to remember.

Early morning serenity in monochrome

Hoover Reservoir this past Sunday morning. The beginning of a lovely spring day. Usually I like to post color photos, but the geometry of this image was very suitable for black and white processing. I use Adobe Lightroom with Silver Efex Pro 2 for my monochrome processing.

Sunrise at Pickerington Ponds

Sunrise at Pickerington Ponds, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

Winter sunrises are always beautiful, but a bit challenging to record. This photo was made on December 7, 2013 - the morning after one of the first snowfalls of the season. Along the shoreline of this pond, the ice was starting to skim over the surface. There were geese and ducks on the water, a lone heron wading along the shore, and the occasional chickadee scolding us from among the shrubs.

Puget Sound

Puget Sound, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

Last weekend, Steve and I took a very quick trip out to Seattle, Washington, and Eugene, Oregon to visit our parents. They're all octogenarians, and we've not had a chance to visit for a couple of years.

We flew in and out of Seattle, but took Amtrak to Portland. From there we rented a car to drive to Eugene. We'll never drive the I-5 between Seattle and Portland, ever again. This was our second train trip on that route, and it is comfortable, convenient, and very scenic.

I really wish there were more Amtrak routes in this country - especially in the midwest. Why can't there be a route from Cleveland to Cincinnati, or from Pittsburgh to Indianapolis? We could learn a lot from the Europeans and Asians with regards to train travel for public transport.

Autumn gold

Autumn gold, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

Another spectacular view of Chestnut Ridge Metro Park in its autumn splendor. We visited the park just a day or so after I returned from China. The refreshing and clear air was such a welcome respite from the persistent smog I experienced during my trip. It makes me ever so thankful for the Clean Air Act that was passed in the 1970's in the USA. China could learn a thing or two about government regulation for environmental pollution control....

Autumn at Chestnut Ridge

Autumn at Chestnut Ridge, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

Central Ohio has many lovely metro parks - areas set aside for preserving some of Ohio's biodiversity, and for giving city dwellers a chance to get out and experience nature.

This photo is from Chestnut Ridge Metro Park - about an hour's drive from Columbus, but with a view of the distant skyline. We had not visited the park before this excursion, and we were pleasantly surprised by the the beech forest here. The maples and beeches were a nice combination for an autumn landscape.

Kokerboom

Kokerboom, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

The landscape of the Richtersveld in South Africa is stunning in its stark beauty. The kokerbooms are endemic to this region of southern Africa, and it's amazing to see them in this arid landscape.

The two days spent at Kokerboomkloof were important for me - not in the sense that the Hyobanche hunt was successful (it certainly wasn't in this part of the country), but for the participation in such a remote landscape. The night sky here was so beautiful. Seeing the Milky Way and all of the Messier objects by naked eye was quite humbling on the one hand, but very spiritual on the other.

The kokerbooms are sentinels for the safety of such places in the world. I draw comfort from the fact that they exist and thrive in such a harsh environment.

River reflection landscape

River reflection landscape, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

Last month, while in New York, we visited B&H photo. I wanted to get a new point-and-shoot camera to replace the Canon S90 I lost a few years back while traveling. I bought a Sony RX100, which has all sorts of cool features built in, including a panorama setting. You move the camera while holding down the shutter button and it takes a continuous stream of photos and stitches them together. You have to hold the camera at the same level while moving - a bit of a challenge to do without a tripod.

This scene is a river reflection of the trees on the far bank with the blue sky and clouds. It looks very impressionistic to me - all from the ripples in the "mirror" of the river.