Mr. Steve-O's Blackberry Blog

A bit to eat at ...

2012-02-12T18:04:00.000-05:00

Rafferty's Restaurant, West Chester, Ohio. No bread ... ahh well. Excellent broccoli! I still haven't figured out where plain old Chester is!

Profile

2012-02-12T17:58:00.000-05:00

Not much to say on this ...

Did ya ever wonder ...

2012-02-12T17:55:00.000-05:00

whose eyes are looking at you from the other side?

You figure it out

2012-01-17T13:14:00.000-05:00

This leaves me speechless.

Einstein might have ...

2012-01-17T13:10:00.000-05:00

Albert might have formulated his concept of "Polygonal Manipulation Induced by Causative Distortions in the Space-time Continuum" right here in this Skyline Chili restaurant near Edgewood, Kentucky.

Uhhh ....

2012-01-17T13:02:00.000-05:00

Houston ... we got trouble!

I'm glad

2012-01-07T20:20:00.000-05:00

Well, what can I say? I'm glad I'm in this lane going this direction.

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T00:14:00.001-05:00

(insert cheers and noise here)

Do you suppose?

2011-12-11T13:59:00.000-05:00

i went out this morning
to defrost the car
the patio table stopped me cold
fairies had visited
there, on the table,
in the frost,
they had drawn
vines and flowers

without leaving footprints!
how clever.

I tawt I taw ...

2011-11-04T12:22:00.004-04:00

I tawt I taw a puddy tat! I did! I did! I did taw a puddy tat!

v v v v v ... uuuuu ... etc. etc. etc.

2011-11-04T12:19:00.002-04:00

I-275 Northern Kentucky ... a November rain. The weatherman said it was around 2.26" of rain ... AFTER already southern Ohio already set an alltime annual precipitation record.

Beastly Goblin

2011-11-04T12:13:00.001-04:00

A sample of the horrors of Halloween

Cherry Grove, Ohio

2011-11-04T12:10:00.001-04:00

Triangular and rectangular UFO's swarming Cherry Grove shopping center's parking lot

Official Greeter

2011-10-21T20:45:00.002-04:00

Bob ain't feeling so well today as he greets people at his restraunt

Mowing the lawn

2011-10-15T20:41:00.003-04:00

Mowing the lawn. Well, it rained a lot this summer in the Cincinnati area and I got behind on mowing. So, I fired my old mid-80's vintage Simplicity 4211 and went to work. This area was particulary high and stubborn. Simplicity 4211 hydraulic drive - one heck of a mower. I did replace the motor a couple of years ago. Now it's about 13 HP.

Did you ever dream ...

2011-09-27T21:24:00.001-04:00

... that you went ...

Fleeting Wines?

2011-09-23T18:32:00.001-04:00

No ... leading lines ... warning ... do not look at this image more than a couple of seconds.

Had a bad day ...

2011-09-21T22:29:00.001-04:00

Made it better. Don Pablos, Rookwood Plaza, Norwood, Ohio. Ahhhhhh ....

Ha!

2011-09-20T14:59:00.003-04:00

... you figure this one out.

Today ...

2011-09-20T14:54:00.000-04:00

Today, while banking, I took the time ...

Something's Fishy

2011-09-16T21:07:00.000-04:00

Piece D'art in Northern Kentucky. Minor crop, conversion to B&W, and some brightness/contrast alterations.

What the dickens was that?

2011-06-03T22:28:00.001-04:00

Somebody was running by the window!

She's not sleeping ...

2011-05-30T11:54:00.000-04:00

She not sleeping ... she's looking for a particular card to open and read. Happy graduation!

Astral Photography!

2011-05-30T11:49:00.001-04:00

Spacy abstract ... finger in front of flash - cat on floor

Caught my eye ...

2011-05-26T16:14:00.003-04:00

Some photoshopping ...

I wuz up early that day ...

2011-05-16T15:57:00.002-04:00

Daybreak over Clermont County Ohio.

Game

2011-05-16T15:55:00.000-04:00

Some sort of game (what is was I don't recall at the moment) at a movie theater ... (and it probably don't matter anyway) ...

Shrouded?

2011-04-21T17:37:00.000-04:00

No ... crowded!

What's That Song?

2011-04-19T13:25:00.004-04:00

Melancholy baby! Taken at movie theater lobby.

Unusual

2011-04-19T13:24:00.000-04:00

Some unusual clouds t'other day ...

What's that sound?

2011-04-16T13:52:00.000-04:00

Silence. After more years than I can remember, this Simplicity dealer (and once Power King, Ford, and New Holland tractors) has finally closed up shop. So I salute all owners and employees over the years. My dad did not ever express one complaint about the services provided by this dealership. Nor have I. Dad has 2 simplicity lawn tractors, one from the 60's. I've kept a mid-80's running and often used it like a bush hog. I'm proud to say that my mower was one of the very last fixed by this dealership. Any part I ever needed was in stock at the time I needed it. How many businesses can we say that about these days?

Hungry?

2011-04-16T13:40:00.000-04:00

We were. A late lunch at Moyer Vineyard, Winery, & Restaurant near Manchester, Ohio. Gooood!!!

A Close Call

2011-03-15T11:52:00.002-04:00

March 11, 2011 at New Richmond, Ohio. The Ohio River's only a couple of feet from spilling onto Front Street. Luckily, the river has probably crested and New Richmond was, for the most part, spared this time around.

(... some days later ...)

About a Hundred Greenbacks

2011-02-20T12:43:00.000-05:00

Clean out those change jars people! Here's a hundred bucks or so that was hanging around, here and there, about the house! It's easier to carry it to the changearoo machine when carried inside old sox! Makes the coins smell funny tho ~~~

Chop, Chop,Flip,Flip .... whoosh!

2011-02-20T12:36:00.000-05:00

Creations and entertainment by the Chef at Miyako Hibachi & Sushi in Crescent Springs, Kentucky. There, I had the pleasure of sharing the evening celebrating the Saints Womens Basketball Team after winning their final game: "Top-Ranked Saints Finish Regular Season Undefeated With a 73-48 Win Over No. 14 Saint Vincent"

Exercise in Geometry

2011-02-08T13:32:00.002-05:00

Geometric shapes courtesy Panera's Bread, Clifton, Ohio. Unfortunately, I must have had the zoom activated which really only crops the image; thus, the larger image is smaller than a normal larger image. Ya know what I mean? Now I have to go back and check it before I do this some more. What? You don't understand? It's not worth thinking about at this point. Forgeddaboudit.

Driving I-275

2011-02-08T10:23:00.000-05:00

The Winter of 2011, I-275, Zoom Zoom! Actually, more or less, humm humm.

HIT THE BRAKES!!!!

2011-02-06T11:38:00.002-05:00

The Interstate was shut down. Screech!

chicken or the egg?

2011-02-06T11:23:00.000-05:00

which came first?

a) me photographing them photographing me photographing them?

b) them photographing me photographing them photographing me?

orrscic

2011-02-06T11:18:00.000-05:00

order, repetition, rythym, shape contrast, color contrast, individuality, compliance (this one, mild photoshopped saturation and brightness tweaks)

Half Off Day

2011-01-29T20:35:00.000-05:00

AN early morning chill is in the air while folks wait for the doors to open on Half Off Saturday! at Goodwill

lip smackin' good

2011-01-29T20:32:00.000-05:00

Cold Stone Creamery

plures spheres

2011-01-26T10:25:00.000-05:00

A Blackberry capture of a swarm of orbs passing near Beechmont Avenue, January 20, 2011

East Fork Park Walkabout

2011-01-16T17:46:00.004-05:00

A short winter's walk off Zagar Road, near Afton, Ohio inside Ohio's East Fork State Park. A Google Map of this excursion is here

Where animals danced on Slab Camp Run:

Water flowing on Slab Camp Run:

Overnight Backcountry Campsite - Number 4 on the other side of Slabcamp Run.

Detail of shelter:

As the French say ...

2011-01-09T00:28:00.000-05:00

L'arbre de l'amour. Then again, on the TV show Decoder, it might help to point the way to hidden confederate gold and silver! Hmmm ... maybe both. In any case, these old beech trees are always worth momentary study.

2 Points!

2011-01-08T22:53:00.000-05:00

Katie Kees, of the St. Thomas Moore Saints, drops one in, late in the game, against Washington & Jefferson College last Wednesday. Here's Channel 9's news clip.

Does I Gotta Splain It?

2011-01-08T22:31:00.001-05:00

(nuttin 2 say here - u figure it out)

Chilly Revisit of Pond @ 39.052095,-84.120083

2011-01-03T09:28:00.001-05:00

Starting the new year off, we decided to take a short walk back Zagar Road. Nearby is a pond previously addressed here. The fall images were looking towards the dam. Also, the autumn images were during the drought when the water level was very low.There was a man fishing there and I didn't want to disturb his solitude. For the images below, I am now standing in the center of the dam, looking approximately north east and the drought has been substantially relieved.

She's Up There!

2011-01-01T14:06:00.000-05:00

Katie Kees, of the St. Thomas More College Saints, kicks off the last game of 2010 by levitating and stretching a good foot higher than her opponent on the tip off! The Saints won.

One is the loneliest number ...

2010-12-22T17:59:00.002-05:00

A lonely Santa. Santa was in a common area of a distant mall we visited today. From there, we went next door for a walk through at Bass Pro Shops. Hark! There was a Santa in there! Numerous children were in line ... I guess it's as true of Santa as with real estate investing ... it's all about "location, location, location!"

"Sauce thee on my toe man?"

2010-12-20T19:05:00.000-05:00

No - I said "Frosty the Snow Man!" ... taken on a late-night jog. ... well, power walk anyway ...

Salem Hill

2010-12-13T13:59:00.000-05:00

A glimpse of Salem Hill:

That time of year ...

2010-12-13T13:57:00.000-05:00

A cold, snowy night in Hobart, Indiana:

Did you say a "There's a hog attack?"

2010-12-11T20:08:00.001-05:00

No - I said "There's a dog in my lap!" Get your ears checked! Behold my buddy Stitch:

Speechless?

2010-12-08T19:39:00.005-05:00

... sometimes, the photo speaks its own words ...

plate number smudged out with PSE

Bat on a Slug?

2010-12-07T14:41:00.000-05:00

A bat on a slug? .... Noooo ... a CAT on a RUG! Taken by my better half. A study in earth tones and diagonals.

In the bag!

2010-12-05T20:42:00.000-05:00

The ball's in the net. Niece bagged 2 in a row for this foul. St. Thomas Moore college's Saints won this one by a considerable margin.

Old Geezer?

2010-12-05T20:30:00.001-05:00

No ... not old geezer ... it's NEW GEYSER! Just a little bit of water main break drama. 5 mile and Ayers road, Forestville, Ohio

Revisit Pond_39.045391,-84.126631

2010-11-28T18:17:00.000-05:00

Today, I was going to explore 2 other ponds relatively near the Afton campground entrance's parking lot. Unfortunately, to my disappointment, it was CLOSED: the park's making some major improvements and have closed the campground for a few months. So, I decided to take a hike back the lane that leads to where, many years ago, one of my uncles used to live. (my GPS data on Google Maps.) I parked at the (usual) horsie parking lot (Afton entrance, Park Road), crossed the street, and walked back this lane ... well, it's now a trail:

At 1769 feet, the road forks. I took the fork less traveled - the one to the right. It slowly dropped down into a slight valley with a creek on the left. Soon, the creek crossed to the right, under the trail, and a hollowed fence post can be seen:

The dam (I'm sitting on in this image) is maybe 20 yards upstream behind the fence post.

Sitting on the dam, here's where the pond on Google's map would be seen if'n that gol darned dam weren't busted. The trail, which sits down from its surroundings, isn't visible from the dam and isn't marked on Google's map. I was so close to an easy hike out (below) compared to fighting through the woods. (But, in any case, it's fun exploring though!)

On the way back, i noticed this old fence post with some old woodpecker holes:

Frosty Pho-em

2010-11-28T11:07:00.000-05:00

i am a leaf
as cold as can be
one time I lived
high up in a tree
no longer there
apparently
my friend summer
has abandoned me

wind knocked me down
and i fluttered here
once friendly weather
has now gone severe
if there's a moral
to wrap up this fable
fly south with the birds
or become frosted to a table

Lust for Living?

2010-11-26T10:45:00.000-05:00

Close ... it's Thanksgiving!

A less than inspiring day to dip thru Kentucky to get back to Ohio.

Before:

During:

After:

Oops ... one of the desserts:

Art with feeling?

2010-11-23T20:58:00.000-05:00

Not quite - architecture of ceiling! Shopping mall.

Is it rocket science?

2010-11-22T21:45:00.000-05:00

No, it's not rocket science. Place the filet (or fillet, if one prefers) in the center of the bun, slap on a piece of cheese, squirt some tartar sauce on it, and replace the top bun. That's not hard is it? Noooooo ~~~~

This example of lopsided cuisine is courtesy McDonalds, Beechmont Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio. No matter how simple things are, somebody can screw it up. It is, perhaps, too much to expect for this sandwich to look like this!

Mommy, is that lipstick ... ?

2010-11-22T21:01:00.000-05:00

"Mommy, is that lipstick on a pig?" No Johnny, it's just paint.

Pond_at_39.045391,-84.126631

2010-11-21T21:17:00.002-05:00

From the pond in the post below, I continued on, not without some meandering caused by profuse thickets and spending more time looking down, to avoid tripping, than looking where i am going. (Map of how I got there - 1.9 miles) Eventually, I found the remnants of this pond. This pond looks kidney shaped on Google's map. In fact, it probably is/was. However, it's unlikely that this pond has more than a foot or so of water in the wet season. Consider that this is a drought year so, perhaps, with rainfall, this area might at least be damp.

There is a concrete dam that is broken and the breach is about the same height as the base of the pond.

The pond from a different vantage point.

... and from a 3rd vantage point.

On the way back, watching for animal signs - this is probably raccoon scat. The seeds are similar in shape to the red berries shown earlier:

Some droppings - probably rabbit, on the way back to the car.

Right in here, something caught my foot and down I went!

Droppings from heaven ...

... heaven! Must be something magical about this tree.

About a hundred or so yards from the road, i saw this group of bare areas where something (see info on next image) had brushed away the leaves.

This spot, in the bare areas, had claw marks. My compass is 4" long and the black ring is about 2 1/4 inches. Thus the claw marks are about 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 inches apart. I sent the image to the wldinfo folks at the ODNR Division of Wildlife and, again in life, learned something - these claw marks are probably made from a wild turkey!

Pond_at_39.045674,-84.122747

2010-11-21T18:22:00.000-05:00

East Fork State Park, near Afton, Ohio, my 1.9 mile excursion to a pond at GPS coordinates 39.045674,-84.122747. Going in from the main park road, Afton Entrance, was easy.

But then I began to see lots of deadfall.

There were a number of these low plants with small red, flat, boat-shaped berries.

Behold the pond in this rather pitiful stitched pano:

... and a not-stitched not-pitiful, not-pano:

The runoff erosion from the spillway contained abandoned treasure. Note the various stems of tough wild roses and honeysuckle that made walking through this area very difficult.

En route to its neighboring pond (above), I found some fence posts the residents had cut and stacked back in the early 1970's. There were also some others resting nearby.

What rhymes with election?

2010-11-16T16:10:00.000-05:00

Selection. Here's a selection. Be happy.

What rhymes with WHAM?

2010-11-16T16:07:00.000-05:00

JAM - as in traffic jam!

Looking west on Rt. 32:

Looking East towards Batavia:

Whaddizit?

2010-11-14T19:37:00.000-05:00

It's the north side of a southbound Big Boy at Frisch's Big Boy Restaurant on Victory Parkway near Hopple. We had a pleasant waitress who handled things in a professional manner in spite of the computer being down! I appreciated being forewarned before we ordered. Time was not critical, so we stayed and the food was OK and not much slower than usual.

Did you snore?

2010-11-14T19:30:00.000-05:00

No, Elsinore! A few days ago, the wife couldn't sleep and was up nearly all knight - I mean night - because? She couldn't sleep! Watching TV, she called in for a contest on TV and WON some movie tickets. She had to pick them up today at the TV station. WCPO, on Gilbert Avenue, is in a building that once housed the natural history museum. The entrance is/was heralded with a beautiful castle-like structure whose history I do not recall and probably never knew. To hazard a guess, maybe it was a gateway to an incline up to Elsinore Street in Mt. Adams. FWIW, the plaque in the center reads Elsinore, 1883. Turns out this was once the gateway entrance to Eden Park.

How's the food?

2010-11-14T19:18:00.000-05:00

Ahh - a break after the 2.4 mile hike through the woods finding the pond below. Stopped into Gold Star Chili in Afton, Ohio. The waitress was nice and the club sandwich served looked just like the one in the placemat photo. (Arbees should learn a lesson from that!) The sandwich tasted good too. Job well done!

Pond at 39.040991,-84.108971

2010-11-14T19:04:00.000-05:00

Here's a nice pond at 39.040991,-84.108971 (how I got there). However, it's a little further off the trail from the horseman's parking lot from the North entrance. It was a beauty, though. Unlike most others to date, this must have steep sides because it did not look at all damaged by the drought. Many of the other ponds had proportionally extensive dried mud flats leading up to the water. Here is how I got there from the horseman's parking lot on Afton-Elklick Road

Here's the first look I had that made a decent image:

A view of the edge:

A pitiful 3-image pano:

Mommy ... what's that?

2010-11-13T20:08:00.000-05:00

Well imagine that - it looks like a caboose! You know, once upon a time, not so many years ago, there was a caboose at the end of every train. Inside was a man we called the conductor. The conductor would often wave to people as the caboose passed by and the train rumbled and clacked off into the distance. A caboose, at the end of the train, provided a sense of closure. Ahhh. No more - now, it's just cold steel passing by. But maybe there's hope!?! This string of cars was parked, in a spur, in Sharonville, Ohio. I used to like caboosi ;) when they were painted red.

BTW: who is George Fry?

(The top image is an exercise in leading lines, rectangular shapes, mergence, and color contrasts against monochomaticity.)

pond @ 39.036071,-84.119842

2010-11-12T17:12:00.000-05:00

In East Fork Park, from Afton, Ohio, there is a small pond at coordinates 39.036071,-84.119842. Unfortunately, due to this summer/fall's drought, it's dry as a bone. Compared to the other ponds below, seen under identical conditions, even with spring's rains, this little pond is going to appeal to amphibians only.

What should you hold?

2010-11-12T16:56:00.000-05:00

What should you hold? Yer nose! In Ohio's East Fork Park, it is said that one shares the trails with horses. It's more like they share with hikers who must step carefully to avoid the ubiquitous horse mines.

Pond @ 39.052095,-84.120083

2010-11-07T18:05:00.000-05:00

Ohio's East Fork State Park - a pond @ coordinates 39.052095,-84.120083. The following image is a crude pano from spliced 2 images. For a size comparator, the red asterisk is next to a fisherman.

Wetland, East Fork State Park

2010-11-06T16:31:00.000-04:00

Ohio's East Fork State Park, an artificial wetland area near the Afton, Ohio entrance. It is accompanied by 3 satellite ponds, of various sizes, not shown on this post but clearly here: 39.0456,-84.118448

On this early November day, numerous tadpoles wiggled out from the shore proximity. They may or may not be visible in this closeup of the water's edge.

Hidden intersection, East Fork State Park

2010-11-06T16:28:00.000-04:00

Two paths diverge in this intersection from the old side roads - abandoned and neglected, visible only from foot traffic and blowing winds. This intersection is hidden from main park road coming in from the Afton entrance of Ohio's East Fork State Park. The road on which I'm standing for the photographs is probably a remnant of Zagar Road where it met Half Acre Road (this subject to future editing after I consult my wrinkled, aged county map). These photos were taken 180 degrees from each other at 39.046772, -84.118389. I stumbled across this navigational bifurcation by taking a pathless trek across tangled weeds "And that has made all the difference"

views @ 39.044639, -84.115321

2010-11-06T16:12:00.000-04:00

Ohio's East Fork Lake State Park. Views of pond found at coordinates 39.044639,-84.115321

(1) As approached through the trees:

(2) Remnants of wooden structure - possibly old pier?

(3) Obviously ... the pond

(4) Some animal tracks around edge (penny for size comparison)

What time is it?

2010-11-02T22:06:00.000-04:00

Time to vote!

how about a party?

2010-11-02T22:05:00.001-04:00

uhhh .... tea party? Noticed on leaving our voting location.

What's Scary?

2010-11-01T17:01:00.000-04:00

The kids are scary!!!

Fuddle?

2010-10-20T14:14:00.000-04:00

No ... cuddle. A rare event for these two - captured by my better half!

Beast Pork?

2010-10-20T14:02:00.000-04:00

No ... it's East Fork (of the Little Miami River) upstream from Batavia, Ohio, USA and downstream from Lake William Harsha's dam. (here) At this location, I was trying to find some pawpaws but the critters beat me to them.

The Eiffel Tower in Paris?

2010-10-20T13:50:00.000-04:00

Nope - it's the Gatlinburg Space Needle, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, USA

What's green and beefy?

2010-10-20T13:45:00.000-04:00

A delicious salad inside the Bullfish Grill, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, USA. Great waitress too! Well done.

What in tarnation?

2010-10-20T13:39:00.000-04:00

It's a formation! Welcome inside the Forbidden Caverns, Sevierville, Tennessee, USA, This was my first time inside a cavern. Very interesting and enjoyable!

You in the mood?

2010-10-20T13:34:00.000-04:00

For catfish, that is ... catfish with unlimited fixins! Huck Finn's Restaurant, if'n I remember correctly. Wayyy more than the doc said I should eat. Good food and good service. Scuse me whilst I lean back and scratch my belly .... ahh, that's better.

What rhymes with "fling cans home"?

2010-10-20T13:29:00.000-04:00

Clingman's Dome, of course!

What rhymes with "paid stove"

2010-10-20T13:21:00.000-04:00

Cades Cove! Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, USA.

Hear that?

2010-10-20T13:16:00.000-04:00

That's the sound of running water. Great Smoky National Mountains National Park.

Whazzat white thing over yonder?

2010-10-20T13:08:00.000-04:00

Well, that there is the White Bridge (covered) in Walcott, Kentucky, USA. (no through traffic). According to the sign, the original bridge was built in 1824 and was preserved by G. N. Murray.

Hungry?

2010-10-20T12:58:00.000-04:00

We stooped by to soothe the hunger pangs at the Augusta Pub. It wasn't smokey ... the haze was probably caused by a fingerprint on the lens. Decent eats, good waitress.

Where ya standin Mr. Steve-O?

2010-10-20T12:52:00.000-04:00

I'm standing up on this here hill, in an old cemetery, lookin down and across Augusta, Kentucky at Ohio over yonder across the Ohio River.

Where we going?

2010-10-20T12:45:00.000-04:00

We're going to Augusta, Kentucky, USA aboard the ferryboat Jenny Ann!

Downstream

2010-10-20T12:41:00.000-04:00

Looking downstream from a park in Moscow, Ohio, USA:

Pond, East Fork State Park

2010-09-12T19:32:00.000-04:00

Here's one of numerous farm ponds to be found in the East Fork State Park, Clermont County, Ohio. It is located here

What's smaller than a pond?

2010-09-12T19:27:00.000-04:00

What's smaller than a pond but bigger than a puddle? Whatever you would call it, this one is across the trail from the pond imaged immediately above. It was here, with a cabin or small trailer to the right of this image, where I (seem to) recall, as a boy of perhaps 8 years, my step grandfather, Pingree Binkley, taking me along as he needed to discus something with John Allen, the notable gold miner. This had to be some time around the middle 1950's. I, not realizing the significance of the event, remember looking at some frogs in this small pond (or other creatures) and do not recall seeing Mr. Allen. I recall that the visit was brief and believe that no one was home.

What's that?

2010-09-12T13:37:00.000-04:00

Look - up in the sky. Is it a Bird? Is it Superman? No its ... a stealth bomber flying around the east side of Cincinnati.

Are ya bored?

2010-09-12T13:34:00.000-04:00

If ya get bored, got transportation, and gas $$$, one place to window shop your boredom away is: