The Lake Erie Bluffs Observation Tower Is Open

The new observation tower has finally opened at Lake Erie Bluffs, part of the Lake Metroparks system. The weather was comfortably cool,  there was a stiff breeze,  and it was sunny - perfect for viewing the surrounding area.  The tower steps are easy to navigate and the top of the tower has plenty of room.   The Fairport Harbor West lighthouse at Mentor Headlands was easily visible. The birds seemed to be hiding today,  but quite a few monarch butterflies were flying around the trails.  Here are a few photos.

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The Birth Of A Thunderstorm

There was a cold front that was expected to move over the area yesterday, and with the temperatures hot and the air very humid, thunderstorms were expected. As the clouds began to bubble up in the afternoon, we decided to drive to the nearby Mentor Headlands Beach to watch the storm roll in. We had to wait about an hour and a half for the front to come in, but it was well worth it. We were able to see the storm from its early stages of thickening clouds and crepuscular rays to a full blown, massive thunderstorm. As the storm moved in off Lake Erie, the wind picked up considerably, blowing sand which stung our skin. The clouds and winds dropped in at the eastern edge of the beach, over the Fairport Harbor West lighthouse, causing the gulls lounging there to quickly scatter. As we were on the western side of the beach, this was the perfect signal to run for cover. We easily made it to our car before the full force of the wind and rain hit.


Here are some photos and a very short video that I am sure cloud and storm lovers will enjoy! (Click on any image for a larger view.)

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A Hot, Humid Fly Fishing Trip

Almost two weeks ago my husband and I took a trip to Virginia so he could enjoy some fly fishing. The temperatures were in the low 90s and the humidity levels were high, and the fish were not biting. He managed to catch one nice rainbow trout and I managed to get some nice photos. Despite the uncomfortable weather, we had a wonderful time on a lovely trout stream located on a dairy farm. Here are a few photos.

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Tall Ships Visit Fairport Harbor & Mentor Headlands

 
Last week, the “Tall Ships” were visiting Fairport Harbor in Lake County, Ohio,  and we viewed part of the Parade of Sail from the Mentor Headlands State Park vantage point. The Headlands dunes trail leads to the break wall on the western side of Fairport Harbor -  a perfect place to view the event  It was hot and muggy but we found a spot where a few trees provided shade. We watched as the ships exited the harbor,  raising their sails as they entered Lake Erie.

Saturday evening we returned to Mentor Headlands, hoping to catch some of the ships sailing on the lake. Three ships did head out of port. It was extremely windy and a small storm was coming in from the east and the skies looked ominous. As a result, those few ships that ventured out were not out long. They quickly returned to Fairport Harbor and lowered their sails. Here are a few photos from both days that we visited. The ships featured are the El Galeon Andalucia, Draken Harald Harfagre, When And If, Appledore IV, and Appledore V.  I also included photos of the Fairport Harbor West lighthouse, Lake Erie, and the Mentor Headlands dunes.  (Click on any image for a larger view.)

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Cleveland’s “New” Public Square

Today, after many months of construction, Cleveland’s Public Square is being rededicated. We visited yesterday and we were impressed at the feel of the revamped space. One street has been completely removed from the site, giving the Square a more expansive feels. (One street space remains in the center but appears to be for temporary use, not for constant traffic.) Grassy hills have been added and the view of the surrounding buildings, (such as the Terminal Tower) from the tops of these hills has never been better. Some photos are below.

We also took a walk down the street to visit the now iconic LeBron James giant poster. I’ve added a photo of my husband at this location – for your amusement!


Here are a few photos!

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Red-Shouldered Hawk Family On the Hunt

This terrified fox squirrel was almost hawk food

This spring, a pair of red-shouldered hawks built a nest in a tree two houses away from us. At least one of the adults was hunting regularly in our front yard, appearing every morning around 7:00 AM. It would perch alternating between an electric pole, our mailbox, and the top of some of our shrubs. It seemed to find plenty of things to eat and we assumed that, with the increasing appearance of an adult, the pair had at least one hatchling to feed. We were surprised when two juvenile red-shouldered hawks began appearing in our skies, practicing their flying and calling out, along with the adults.

The two juveniles are now hunting and feeding regularly in our back yard, scanning for food while on a fence or in the trees. Nothing is safe! One hawk recently swooped at a baby fox squirrel (it missed) but we’ve seen it catch and/or eat birds, a frog, and small rodents like a field mouse or mole. One hawk sat on the edge of our gutter, eyeing up a another fox squirrel in our oak tree,  at the same time hanging its wing down over the gutter, sunning itself. When I went outside to get a photo, the bird took off, but the squirrel sat frozen in the tree for some time, allowing me to get very close to take its picture.

Yesterday afternoon, both juveniles were hunting in our back yard and I was able to sneak out of the house undetected for a photo.  Shortly afterwards, one of the adults came into the yard so at one point there were three red-shouldered hawks within a few feet of each other.

The juveniles are back again this morning and seem to be having great luck in catching food. I suspect that soon there will be far fewer moles, frogs, and song birds in our yard!

An adult hunts in our front yard on top of an electric pole

This adult takes off with a bird in its clutches

A pair of juveniles scan our back yard, looking for a snack

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Lake Metroparks: Blair Road & Paine Falls Parks

We visited two small parks in the Lake Metroparks today: The Blair Road Park (Perry, Ohio) and the Paine Falls Park (Leroy, Ohio). Both are small parks yet still enjoyable. The Blair Road park only has room for about 10 cars, and on a Sunday morning, the park was half full with cars, likely for people fishing the nearby Grand River. The trail to the river is short and there is plenty of room to walk along the banks of the Grand River. This walk is best done with hiking shoes/boots, as the area around the river can be muddy after a rain and the terrain can be uneven or rocky in spots. There weren’t many leaves on the trees at this time, but this park likely will be lush and green in a few weeks.

Just a short drive away is Paine Falls Park, which provides a nice view of the lovely falls. There is a stairway to the falls observation deck for easy access. Here are a few photos from today’s visit to both parks.

Shale cliffs along The Grand River

The Grand River

Paine Falls

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