nature

Hiking Near Cincinnati — Go on Hike, Any Hike will Do

November 17, 2015 by admin

Finding time to hike is hard.

Hiking Near Cincinnati

I know sometimes life comes at you from a thousand different directions and finding time for hiking near Cincinnati or any hiking is difficult.

We all have family and employment responsibilities that add to our stress but if you can slip away just for a few moments…

—

Maybe you can do something just for yourself for a change.

You are the glue for your family and friends.

You need to be strong, clear headed, and happy.

I encourage you to go for a hike for yourself — there are plenty of hiking places near Cincinnati.

Even if it is just a wee-little hike

Take a moment for yourself when you are running errands or taking your break.

When I worked for the state, the building I worked in had lovely ponds behind it. The ponds were the remnants of an old fish hatchery and filled with scores of small fish.

I would slip away several times during the day, to stroll around the ponds to clear my head.

On my breaks, I did yoga while watching green and great blue herons stalk little fish.

In the fall, scores of migrating cedar waxwings would curl into the protected oasis of these ponds. The flock would fly in great right-handed swirling patterns, scooping low over the surface of the water stirring up the insects, and then the cedar waxwings would take turns diving through the cloud of insects much like various species of whales hunt.

You can capture time like this too.

Maybe wake a little earlier — this only works if you promise and keep your promise to yourself that this time is for you! Not so you can get done more stuff. Stuff to do will always accumulate.

Or, what if you actually took your lunch break?

Take a side trip on the way home and let the traffic clear while you go hiking.

Recently, we were returning from a trip to Indiana and since I don’t commute anymore, I forgot all about rush hour traffic. I was on 275 between Mosteller and 42 going no where fast when I realized, we don’t have to sit in this traffic we could be hiking in Hamilton County Park’s Sharon Woods or hiking at Trammel Fossil Park.

I took the Sharonville exit and we went fossil hunting at Trammel Fossil Park for almost two hours or hiking and exploring Cincinnati’s rich history!

We got a little carried away but I was watching the traffic from our vantage point and peeking at Google maps.

We wouldn’t have been home any sooner than we eventually got home because there had been a couple of accidents on all the roads we could have taken. Instead of sitting in a car with two bored children, we collected tiny brachiopods, corals, and hiked the rocky bots of Cincinnati’s ancient sea floor!

The kids still talk about it!

A hike through the woods sure beats sitting in rush hour traffic that isn’t going anywhere.

The holiday season is bearing down. Family is coming into visit. Your traveling to visit family. Ads are screaming for you to spend, spend, spend.

I’m begging you to spend time on yourself!

Here is my poem to help you remember to go hiking around Cincinnati or where ever you are:

Go on a hike

Any hike will do

Just go on a hike

A hike just for you.

HIKE OFTEN. LIVE MORE.

Bird Banding and Watching

January 24, 2013 by admin

As I mentioned in the last post, the biologists collected data from the birds that were captured.

This little downy woodpecker was not happy with being handled and spent a fair amount of his time letting the room know. At one point he also latched onto the fragile bit of skin on the inside of the biologist’s finger.

Give birding a whirl, there are several good guides for identifying birds such as the Peterson Filed Guides and Audubon Guide to North American Birds.

One of my other favorite id books is The Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of North America (Stokes Field Guides). It is perfect for gaining a better understanding of the bird’s behavior which gives a little be of insight on what and why the birds do what they do.

On a side note:

I am always so happy when I meet people who are so enthralled with nature. They are such joyful souls and talking to them about nature and the great outdoors is like taking a ride on a roller-coaster–fun, exciting, and adventuresome.

The biologists at Germantown were so excited to share their love of ornithology. They happily answered the audiences questions and gave mini-dossiers on each species of bird that was captured.

Hike in Winter

January 3, 2013 by admin

Sugarcreek MetroPark — Tracking animals in the snow

It is true! You can go hiking in the winter. It is one of the best times to go. The snow dampens any noise you make and you are more likely to see a variety of critters. On New Year’s day we went for hike at Sugarcreek MetroPark in Dayton, Ohio.

The kids had a great time “tracking” animals via the prints left in the snow.

Plus, since it is cold and snowy the trails are typically less used. Although, I was happy to see there were a lot of people either hiking, cross country skiing, or jogging.

Here is a sweet video of a female and male mallard chillin’ out in the creek.

Spiders in Winter

January 2, 2013 by admin

Okay, are you sitting down?

Because, you are going to need to be sitting down. Especially,

If you are

Afraid Of Spiders

I’m not afraid of spiders. In fact, I am the official spider killer for our home. I am summoned by shrill voices of odd hours of the day to come “Get it! Get It! Get it! Get It! Get it! Get It!”

I’ve never really been freaked out by spiders. Unless, you count that one time when I was driving on the highway and I thought I saw something way off in the distance. Then I realized that I was not looking at something in the far distance that indeed there was an enormous wolf spider walking across the edge of the visor–just mere inches from my nose. Let’s just say, thank God for breakdown lanes.

To start the New Year off right our family went for a hike at Sugarcreek MetroPark. To put this in perspective Wudnerground.com said the temperature was 30°F with a windchill factor of 23°F. Earlier in the week the area got about five to six inches of snow which was now hard packed along the trails. It was so cold out that taking a deep breath resulted in coughing.

Thus you can imagine my surprise when I spotted something peculiar along the trail. This discovery has significantly changed my point of view on spiders because… well just watch for yourself.

I’ll say it for you. Ahhhhhhhhhhh!

When Snakes Attack

July 13, 2012 by admin

When my daughter was about three years old and her sister was one, we went to the park to play in the morning and then, before it got too hot, we drove over to the Cincinnati Museum Center to play inside in the Children’s Museum.

As we were turning into the parking lot my oldest started screaming from the backseat, “Momma! Momma! A snake! A SNAKE! A SNAKE! It’s gonna get me!” This, of course, was shocking and I immediately pulled over, hopped out of the car, and tore open her door.

“Where! Where is it!” I said looking frantically around the floor and her seat.

She was pushing herself up in her seat which is hard to do in a five-point harness child seat. Her eyes were fixed on the point where the five points meet. “RIGHT THERE!” she wailed, tears running down her cheeks. “RIGHT THERE!”

Finally, my brain caught up with my eyes and I was able to focus on the tiniest little inch worm. No one was harmed in the removal of this ferocious beast.

NOTE: The inch worm went on to live a safe and satisfying life in the crabapple tree. He writes often. That must be the only word he knows.

Hummingbirds!

July 12, 2012 by admin

Look for hummingbirds feeding on trumpet creeper and honeysuckle vines. Beware of planting this in your yard, since trumpet creeper will grow and grow and grow and…well, you get the idea.

Other red or reddish tube shaped plants to entice hummingbirds are columbine, lilac, jewelweed, bee balm, and salvia.

You are most likely to see this little beauty. The ruby throated humming bird has the distinction of beign the only hummingbird that breeds east of the Mississippi River.

The ruby throated hummingbird which is about 3 to 3 3/4 inches long, with a wingspan of 4 to 4 3/4 inches. The beautiful iridescent red throat of the ruby red hummingbirds are only on the males and is not a color but the way the light hits and is reflected off the feathers.

The males also have a slightly forked tail.

The females have a white throat and white tipped outer tail feathers.

The nests are usually built where there is one branch that forks into two or three other branches forming a cup like shape.

At a little distance the hummingbird nest looks like bark. The female will lay two white eggs just about the same size and shape as Jelly Belly jelly beans.

The nest of the ruby throated hummingbird is usually built using spider webs to weave it together, plant fluff to keep it soft, and lichens to hide it from the world.

Wanna hear what one sounds like then go here: http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/species_a_to_z/SpeciesGuideIndex/rubythroatedhummingbird/tabid/6746/Default.aspx

You can also place hummingbird feeders in your yard to attract ruby throated hummingbirds. Spend a little extra and get a glass feeder that is easier to clean and looks like a work of art.