Tag Archives: outdoors

Coping With Summer

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Summer began yesterday but the heat arrived early and has been wailing on us for a while now here in southern Ohio. In case you’re new here, I’m not a fan of this season where I live. 

I like how green everything is and the act of discovery every day when I check the progress of my flowers is rewarding. I like not worrying so much about how the weather will impact my travels. My wardrobe of summer dresses makes me happy because they’re comfortable and cool. Baby animals, turtles and butterflies make life more interesting. There are lots of events and car shows throughout the season so there’s a lot of free entertainment at our fingertips.

This is all great. The rest of it kind of stinks. 

The heat and humidity here make it hard to go outside and enjoy any of those things I mentioned. Then there are the bugs and snakes. And poison ivy, allergies and the endlessly wasteful act of mowing. Plus, summer clothes are ugly and I really hate seeing everyone’s bare feet. The sight of toes in a flip flop makes me cringe. Did I mention that we spend most of our time running from one air conditioned place to the next just to survive?

It’s literally the worst season in Ohio. Next to orange season, of course. That’s when the Ohio Department of Transportation exhibits every orange barrel and cone they own along miles and miles of Ohio’s roads. This season runs approximately from mid-March through Christmas and is nearly pointless but does brighten the roadways, I suppose.

By the way, I never complain about winter so I have license to complain about summer.

I had Juneteenth off from work and a day free to do as I pleased. While I contemplated going out for a midweek adventure, my desire to beat the heat index and be cool won out. With temperatures in the mid nineties and a heat index over 100, I just couldn’t volunteer to leave the house for any reason. 

Instead, we stayed inside with the central air on and curtains drawn, watching movies and eating cold things. It was the most relaxing day I’ve had in ages. 

The summer solstice has come and gone and now we begin to see every day lose just a little light. While I despise the weather, I better get busy with some adventures. After all, if we wait for perfect conditions to do the things we enjoy, we may never get anything done. We have to make the best of our circumstances and try to enjoy life anyway!

A Hike Before The Heat Hits

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Summer doesn’t officially begin for a few days but we are expecting heat and humidity to hit southern Ohio today and settle in for at least a couple of weeks. Since it will soon be dangerously hot, I hated to enter summer hibernation without a really good hoke under my belt. I was grateful to make it out yesterday for close to six miles and for the unexpected joys this hike brought.

Looking up made me feel small. It usually does.

Looking down introduced us to a new friend. He seemed altogether unimpressed by us but we liked him.

And spots like this one offer a solid reminder that there’s nearly always a way through.

If you are fortunate enough to live in a place where there’s outdoor access and you are able to go out and enjoy it, do yourself a favor and go. The good nature will do for your body, mind and spirit is immeasurable.

What We See

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Looking back over pictures and stories I have written here, it seems that I write about a lot of things that impress me like places, artwork, scenery and sounds. These are often things that I describe as extraordinary and unique.

Despite my tendency to view the world through a lens that makes everything seem interesting, I am surrounded by people who are permanently unimpressed by basically everything. Their worldview is drastically different than my own.

That’s an observation, not a judgment. Everyone has a right to do their own thing.

I feel fortunate because my worldview gives me a special way of looking at small details that matter little to others. It occurs to me that the amount of extraordinary things you see depends entirely on what you choose to focus on, what you look at.

The above picture is a perfect example of how worldview can change everything. It’s a common dandelion, a little yellow flower that resembles a small ball of sunshine and that brightens lawns across America.

They are an early source of nectar for pollinators in the spring. When allowed to die and turn brown, they return to the earth and add nutrients to the soil.

They are packed with vitamins and minerals, delivering a nutritional wallop that can aid with digestive health, blood sugar and blood pressure. They can be eaten raw in salads, cooked up or even made into a syrup.

In short, the dandelion is a valuable part of our ecosystem.

Yet, Americans wage war on this pretty little flower with a vengeance that seems unnecessary and unprovoked. They mow them, dig them up and treat them with chemicals that not only kill the dandelions but also everything around them and any little creatures that eat or touch the poison.

I will never understand why but I do know that everyone else’s disdain for the dandelion won’t discourage me from liking them. I’ll keep focusing on the tremendous good done but this tiny flower and be grateful that it exists.

How you choose to view the world will change your attitude and the experience you have each day. Seeing flowers where others see weeds is a good start toward finding the extraordinary in the ordinary.

Try it, you’ll see!

Small

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Nature will always find a way to make you feel small and your problems insignificant. This place does exactly that for me.

Ash Cave, Hocking Hills State Park, 2024

Magic In Everyday Things

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“The world is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper”
W.B. Yeats

The world is filled with magic in everyday things. Turn off the tv and go look for it. Understandably, Monday is a harder day to feel like looking but it’s usually when we don’t feel like it that we need to the most.

This image was made possible by simply wanting to see something special on Saturday. It is from my own backyard.

So, yeah, you can go places and spend lots of money and chase things just beyond your reach. You can also just stand still and look around you.

There is magic in everyday things. Go find it.

At Ease In Your Own Shell

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Try to be like a turtle – at ease in your own shell.

Bill Copeland

This little guy was passing through my parents’ yard last night. He was not at all intimidated by humans so I was able to grab a few pictures. Being the strange person that I am, I talked to him and asked questions he couldn’t answer.

Where did you come from? Where are you headed, buddy? It was a hot day and you’re dusty and dry. Are you ok?

He kept me in his sights, blinking occasionally as though trying to tell me a big story.

I don’t like to move turtles unless they’re in harm’s way but he was in the middle of the yard with no shade or vegetation nearby. So dad carefully relocated him about twenty feet forward in the direction he was headed.

When I left, he was in the shade of a hosta and my mother was headed to the fridge for some lettuce to take to him. There was nothing between where he was located and where we put him so I think we did ok.

This little guy seemed extremely comfortable in his shell and was brave too. Note how even stuck his neck out.

That’s how you make progress in life: stay calm, accept help when necessary, stick your neck out for what’s important, and above all else, be comfortable in your own shell.