Monthly Archives: July 2022

An Old Way To Find New Words

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Everyone else is going high tech and I’m over here kicking it old school with my new thesaurus.

It arrived this week, evoking feelings of joy that should normally be reserved for Christmas and for finding the perfect parking space at the mall.

The format will require an attitude adjustment. My old 1988 thesaurus is packed full of useful words accompanied by their synonyms and antonyms. The badly torn paperback cover illustrates the quality time this old friend and I have spent together but a constantly evolving language means there’s room for a new friend.

The new version includes simple definitions as well those synonyms and antonyms. However, some words refer you to other word entries to find what you need. This format is foreign after all those years with my other thesaurus but it gets the job done.

This blog is more of a quick daily writing exercise than a labor of perfection. That means I rarely search for words and just go with whatever flows.

However, writing for my job is a completely different process and one where I must stretch and search for the correct word or turn of phrase. Writing for work often means repeatedly finding new ways to say the same things within the confines of a certain tone and style.

Here’s hoping these 1,184 pages of words will prove inspiring.

Kinnikinnick Fen

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Most people seem to use their lunch break to eat but I am not most people. If opportunity presents itself, I prefer to spend my free time doing something interesting.

Work took me to Ashville, Ohio yesterday. On the way back, I was passing the turn to Kinnikinnick Fen, a wetland owned by the Ross County Parks District. I was in dress pants but had some walking shoes in the car so I swung in for a quick look around. The trail here is flat and wide, perfect for a quiet conversation with a friend or for walking solo on a workday afternoon.

It’s shaded in some wooded places and exposed in others where the trail winds through open meadow.

It’s vividly green here.

As a southern Ohio native, I often take for granted my lush surroundings while my Wyoming friend practically cries at the sight of all our grass and trees. Poor rainfall in her high plains region creates tough growing conditions.

Consequently, I sometimes force myself to stop and appreciate how beautiful everything is. The variation in greens never fails to surprise me.

This is officially one of my favorite trees.

This shaded spot was cooler and the bird chatter was spectacular yesterday. Somewhere nearby I made friends with a dragonfly that accompanied me for part of the way.

This color really pops in that sea of green.

And the water looked so inviting I badly wanted to go wading. Wouldn’t that have been a hoot? Me kicking off my shoes and rolling up my dress pants to cool off?

I did have to resume my workday as a serious grown up in a matter of minutes so I refrained. Adulthood is when you have to be your own buzzkill.

Of course, there was this as well – a reminder to be happy. I can’t help but wonder if whoever left that behind has ever had to resist the urge to dip their toes in water on a hot summer afternoon. For their sake, I hope not.

Finally, I saw lots of interesting things on the ground including this leaf, colorful and in the shape of a heart.

When you go out for a walk – whether it is a hike through nature or a stroll around the block, be sure to look around. Study the ground and the sky in search of wonder. It is there if you open your eyes and your heart to seeing it.

I wrote about my first visit to this place back in May. Have a read if you like.

Nutcracker Family Restaurant

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When I visited the Cranberry Bog at Buckeye Lake a few weeks ago, my pal directed me into Pataskala for an early dinner at the Nutcracker Family Restaurant. I have been a few times but find it such a delight that going again was a true pleasure.

This isn’t exactly the best place to find vegetarian or even healthy food but I do still eat some fish occasionally so I was happy to get the perch special. It was fried to perfection.

I didn’t take a ride!

As you can see in the picture at top, there’s lots of interesting stuff to study while you wait for your food.

I wrote about the Nutcracker Family Restaurant once before. You can read that story and find more pictures by clicking here.

Buck Moon Rising

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We saw another supermoon moon last night. The Old Farmers Almanac says that it is called a buck moon because the antlers of male deer, known as bucks, are in full growth mode right now.

It wasn’t as large as some of the supermoons we have seen in recent years but it was pretty nonetheless.

This is a quick iPhone picture to illustrate how the tree turns dramatic and lacey in the moonlight. It always fascinates me to see how lighting can alter subject matter, transforming scenes into something unrecognizable.

If you missed the moon last night, never fear! You’ll have another chance tonight through Friday morning!

Self Care At Its Finest

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Monday, 9:06 p.m.

My workday is complete, dinner dishes are washed and I’m lounging in a hammock on the screened porch. My parents gave me this hammock, a long ago Fathers Day gift that my dad never used.

It was in their way but it now holds a prominent position on my back porch. I just set it up over the Independence Day weekend and it has quickly become my new favorite hangout. From here, I can see trees and a slice of sky. From here, the birds and crickets, katydids and frogs are my only companions during many hours of the day.

After work tonight, I braved the heat to relax and read a magazine until I drifted off to sleep. It was hot but something about this hammock relaxes me and alleviates muscle pain. A short nap was exactly what I needed on this very long Monday.

That break was necessary and nice but not nearly as pleasant as this midsummer evening.

The air has cooled and the humidity has dissipated, almost like magic. A light breeze causes the treetops to sway and produces a gentle sound amongst the leaves. The shorts and tank top that were appropriate just minutes ago suddenly seem inadequate.

At 9:15 pm on July 11, it’s still light out but not light enough to continue reading my book. I do have white twinkle lights hung along the ceiling but getting up to turn them on would ruin the mood. Besides, the lightning bugs are just gearing up for their evening show and I hate to detract from their efforts.

I sit now in near darkness, except of course, for the light of my phone. An opossum just silently scurried past the porch. He paid me no mind but I wished him well. They eat ticks, small rodents and even prey on snakes. They are so ugly they’re cute and I welcome this night shift worker into my yard to help maintain my peaceful little habitat.

The birds are mostly quiet now, replaced by the gentle hum of locusts and occasional call of a distant Great Horned Owl. In the darkness, I can better appreciate the aromas of pine and soil and some kind of decaying wood.

Yes. This is my happy place and I am grateful for it.

As long as I’m expressing gratitude, I am grateful that these simple pleasures are even more luxurious to me than a day at the spa. This, my friends, is self care at its finest.

Giant Leopard Moth

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For the last couple of years, these Giant Leopard Moths have been hanging around my back porch door. I have actually been seeing several varieties but these are the most eye catching and are quickly becoming the most plentiful. I counted twelve one morning last week- including two that were enormous and a few not much bigger than a quarter.

Moths are not my area of expertise but I always stop to say hi and to admire them. They add character and interest to my day!