Photo Potpourri . . .

Been pretty 'burned out' when it comes to the computer lately.  Just been doin eBay labels, payin bills, etc.  However, I've still been 'clickin' the camera regularly.  

Took this one morning last week.  These were the first young geese I seen this spring.  They are all over the place now.  

While on the subject of geese . . . I took this yesterday in the fog.  Not bad for not being able to see what I was shootin.  Viewfinder cameras are preferred in bright, sunny conditions.

Then there was this guy.  He was walkin around a bunker on the far side of the fairway while I was mowin the other side.  When I got to his side, he was still there.  I started wonderin if there was a nest in the bunker.  He finally flew away.  I don't see single geese very often.  

During the storm Monday morning, lightning hit this Honey Locust tree.  Now we are wonderin if it is goin to survive.  We have enough dead Ash trees on the course.  Blew some fuses that control the irrigation system too.

Here is a live tree that I wish they would cut down.  It is what is left of three trunks.  It has a sizeable crack at its base.  It really does lean that much. 

My cat, Simon, has decided that he likes to hang out in boxes.  This one used to be closed.

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This is his favorite box.  Probably because he can see out the window and in the afternoon, he can do a bit of sunbathing.  

Saw this interesting cirrus cloud one mornin last week.  Ya hafta look close to see the 'wrinkles' that caught my eye.

Then yesterday afternoon, I saw Mother Nature sayin that she is still No. 1. 

Today's Photo -- Bryan's Hexagon Barn

One of the 'landmarks' around the Bryan area is the 6 sided barn. It is a mile or so south of Bryan on St. Rt. 15. That is all I know about it. I don't think I've ever seen any other 6 sided barns. The owners are obviously serious about keeping it in good condition. They have installed metal siding and the shingled roof is recent.

Check out the brick foundation.

Today's Photos--You Decide . . .

About a half mile south of the course are a couple busy railroad tracks. Every so often I see a train of something other that coal cars, grain cars or containers. Today I saw a train of John Deere combines. I have no idea how many cars made up the train, there seemed to be enough combines for everyone. I thought the train would make an interesting photo. So here it is.

A bit later I saw this fungus or whatever it is, growing out the side of this tree. If it was there last week, it wasn't near a large. Here are a couple pics of it. Anyone have any idea what it is?

After work, I had dinner with the lovely Melissa, one of my neices. We met at a very nice restaurant in Grand Rapids, which is approximately midway tween Bryan and Toledo. They have a patio in back of the building with a great view of the rapids in the Maumee River. Of course, I didn't have a camera with me for a great photo. It would have been Today's Photo by a landslide.

I better not forget about my other very lovely niece, Jessica. Her and her husband visited me last Saturday afternoon. He likes my backyard. It is nice, but the river in Grand Rapids is a lot better.

Today's Photos -- An Explanation

Since I've been underwhelmed with questions about the 'Today's Photos' series, I think it is time I explained what it is all about. If my post is labeled 'Today's Photos,', it means that I took the photo the same day it is posted. I'm gonna try to take an interesting (to me, if not to anyone else) photo and post it for 30 straight days.

Today's Photos -- Wild Flowers At Orchard Hills

Today's Photo is an experiment at the golf course that is turning out pretty nice. Last spring we had major problems with the irrigation pump which is located in the building beside the pond. Ended up draining the pond, bringing in heavy equipment to replace the pump's intake. While the backhoe was there we had it clean out some of the muck. The boss thought it would be nice to plant some wild flowers in the 'muck pile.' The muck was full of stones and we weren't sure if we could grow anything in it. Once in a while he would send some of the 'kids' out to pick out the stones. Certain golfers could not walk by, including a couple of the local doctors, without stopping to pick out a bunch of stones. The flowers were planted this spring and are doing very well. My photo doesn't do the area justice. This year golfers are pulling weeds as they go by. Plans for next year are to plant the mounds behind the green on #6. They will be visible from the road.

Today's Photos -- Hydro Electric in NW Ohio

Not many people may be aware that there is a hydro generation plant in NW Ohio. The Auglaize hydroelectric plant is located on the Auglaize River, just south of Defiance, Ohio. The original dam was built in 1912 by the Auglaize Power Company at a cost of $500,000. It was shut down in 1962 and the generating equipment was relocated. The Auglaize plant sat vacant until the 1980s when Power Dam Corporation bought it. In 1994, Power Dam approached the city of Bryan about purchasing the plant and in 1996, after extensive investigation and negotiation, Bryan purchased the plant for $1.12 million.

This was taken from the downstream (north)side of the plant. Can't really get very close anymore because it is fenced off.

This was taken from the upstream (south) side of the plant.

Today's Photos -- Rose of Sharon

My Rose of Sharon bush was one of the very few flowering plants in the yard when I moved here back in 'o4. It has several trunks coming out of the ground. I'm pretty sure I have two trees intertwined because I get two different color blossoms each year. I think of Rose of Sharon as a August blooming plant, but I have been getting blooms for a couple weeks already.

The white one.



This is the lavender or light blue one.