Sunday, June 28, 2009

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT FENCES? (GO AHEAD COMMENT)

Just outside of Lancaster,Ohio on ROUTE 188  I came across this fence.

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I know the picture is a little dark. after all it is 6:00 am and I’m on my way to the golf course near Ashville,Ohio. Fences make me think. First, I think about Robert Frost's poem Mending Wall. He only says, "Good fences make good neighbors." Do you think that is true?

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In my time I have climbed over a lot of fences, usually to get somewhere I wasn’t suppose to be. Sometimes; hunting, fishing, retrieving that golf ball, or to get into an event for free.For some people the fence is to keep them in. Or as Rev. Rebecca Guile Hudson, USA  says in her poem;

He feels his life
is missing
from the world
outside those fences --
He's very afraid
of what lies beyond them, feels
very safe,
having such a perimeter
contain his life – Sometimes I feel like that most times I don’t. Maybe,as Sally Broomfield thinks,One day, I swear,
I’ll take myself
Out to a place
Where nothing lines the world.

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Have you ever noticed as you drive down the (freeway) that it is fenced in. If it is a free way why does it need to be fenced? Then there is the old rusted line fence ( I kina like this fence)

100_1594 This next fence is to keep people out because they were dying to get in: (I know that is bad)

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 100_1119Check out HAUNTED ZALESKI  on YouTube

Thousands of men died between these two fences:

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Antietam Battle Field The Bloodiest One Day Battle in American History23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or missing after twelve hours of savage combat on September 17, 1862. This area shows Sunken bloody lane claimed about 5500 casualties. It was spooky walking down that lane.

My next door neighbor put up a new fence a couple years ago to keep their dog in their yard.(and the groundhog out)

100_2118 This fence is doing what it is suppose to do and Larry and I are good neighbors. Sometimes you can have a fence made up of almost anything.

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My yard is on the left and Cheryl’s house is on the right. (the corn is mine). Looking from the opposite direction

100_2120 Looking from the back of the yard to the front.

The very last time I went deer hunting (probably about 1985) I owned a 150 acre farm near Mansfield,Ohio. I know the exact spot I want  to be when it starts to get daylight . It is pitch black out but I know exactly where I am going the intersection of two fences. I arrive early. There is still about 1/2 hour of darkness. I hear voices in the far distance. As time passes the voices are getting closer and closer. The next thing I know there are two other deer hunters no more than 2 feet away from me. I can’t see them and they can’t see me. They don’t even know I am there. I wait a couple minutes and then say “ I think there are to many hunters for this one spot . I will move on.” Now it is as silent as it is dark. That was the last time I ever went hunting.

THE OLD FENCE LEANED WITH NO DIRECTION IN MIND

Carl’s Fence:

A Fence :Now the stone house on the lake front is finished and the
workmen are beginning the fence.
The palings are made of iron bars with steel points that
can stab the life out of any man who falls on them.
As a fence, it is a masterpiece, and will shut off the rabble
and all vagabonds and hungry men and all wandering
children looking for a place to play.
Passing through the bars and over the steel points will go
nothing except Death and the Rain and To-morrow.
Carl Sandburg

Friday, June 26, 2009

DAILY WALK IN LANCASTER,OHIO THE FAIRGROUNDS,RISING PARK AND MT. PLEASANT IN THE SUMMER TIME

About a week ago the gym Linda and I went to (metro fitness) in Lancaster closed. We will miss seeing Tracy and joking with her. Anyway, for the past week we have been going on daily walks . Today’s walk actually lasted a couple hours with a couple breaks thrown in. 100_2072

About half an hour into the walk we come to Rising Park and Mt. Pleasant. If you would like to see what the park looks like in the winter check out this YouTube video.

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The pond: Ice skate in the winter,fish in the summer. Spent a lot of hours there as a kid. Several of my home made boats are at the bottom of that pond.

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Tennis camp (not my sport) I would rather pitch horse shoes

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No one ever seems to be doing that

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Maybe a little lunch at the shelter house or watch the GRAND CHILDREN play at the playground

100_2068 How about a hike to the top of Mt. Pleasant

DSCN0344 A view from the top looking over the Fairgrounds which is next part of the walk

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THANK YOU MR. RISING

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I grew up on Wilson Ave. in Lancaster and the back of our house bordered the fairgrounds. Hence, I we (the neighborhood kids) spent a lot of time there ( baseball,football,digging holes,setting off fireworks,club house in a horse stall, and the old Civil Air Patrol building.

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100_2078 When I was growing up these horse stalls were really only used during the fair and were vacant the rest of the year. We had a back entrance from the wooded area (a tunnel dug under the wall) . This is where the “lab” was set up for making all our rockets.  If you have ever seen the movie OCTOBER SKY that was us.(made it to the state science fair with one of those rockets)

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This building is where the Civil Air Patrol met. Once again an unlocked window from the wooded side of the building gave easy access. We would get inside this building do some marching around and sit at the big desk. The idea was to leave everything exactly as we found it so there would be no trouble. Next ,to our FIELD OF DREAMS:

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Those houses in the background face Wilson Ave and the back of the houses face this field. Baseball,football, and rocket launching area. We never did pay to get into the fair just climbed the fence. During fair time they put straw down and line the cows up along that fence.  

100_2085 The house on the right is where I lived. The white picket fence wasn’t there and we had a large apple tree in the back yard. Of course there was a mandatory tree house in the top of the tree. Heading home now

100_2088That is Mt.Pleasant in background. 

100_2096 A couple months back the building shown below was the mystery photo in an Ohio country magazine.

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100_2092 When I got a little older I spent some time in this next building

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Some might say a little to much time. Well the walk is almost over but on the way back we stop to smell the flowers

100_2098  On at street

100_2101 that should be called a circle.

100_2100 Timing is just right. We get home just in time to go  golfing in Granville at the Granville Golf Course

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My wife Linda had a hard time saying good bye to Bambi:

100_2111 Thanks for stopping by Joe Todd

Thursday, June 25, 2009

SKYWATCH FRIDAY

Went golfing today; Sunshine,Heat,and Sweat  so let us cool off:

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With a little snow and ice. For more great pictures from around the world check out SKYWATCH FRIDAY

Thanks for stopping by Joe Todd

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

DAILY WALK IN LANCASTER,OHIO USING THE Lancaster City Bike Trail

This walk starts at my house in Lancaster,Ohio and takes in the area by Lancaster High School, Ohio University Lancaster (O.U.L.)  and the amphitheater area for the LANCASTER FESTIVAL.

GARDEN CORN

At least the groundhog isn’t eating the corn. I was originally in this picture but it wasn’t pretty so I did a little editing.

The bike trail follows  Fetters Run, Baldwin Run and the Hocking River. We recently had a little rain and some of these (runs) overflowed their banks.

100_1996 There are several fitness stops on the trail

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Lancaster's Thomas Ewing Junior High School in the background

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100_2025 A little standing water left.

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Looking back at Lancaster High School GOLDEN GALES Gales football stadium

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As a “kid” I spent a lot of time in and around these “runs”.

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The trail goes right past the entrance to Lancaster High School. and the baseball field.

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Look closely at the debris along the edges of this bridge.

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Yesterday there was a backhoe at this spot clearing all the debris that had backed up at this bridge. Today some ducks are here instead of the backhoe.

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Now a few pictures of the  LANCASTER FESTIVAL concert area:

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Leaving the bridge behind and heading to the end of the trail.

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She is following me again. Great place to stop at the end of the trail. Time to turn around and head home. Total time for this walk about one hour.