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A few more pictures for the viewer by selecting the image on the left to open the gallery.

The tree artists are beginning to dabble in colors in this section of the country. Select the image to see some additional photos of the advent of fall in Ohio for 2011.

Vacation…the first full week of doing nothing but roaming and relaxing in a long, long time. And relaxing it was! The trip to Maine was a challenge on the heels of Hurricane Irene. I am not quite as apt to put in a full 15-16 hours of driving as was once the rule of thumb, so opted to break the trip into more palatable chunks…or so was the thought. Day one we departed SE Ohio with no real goal in mind other than cover roughly 1/3 of the distance. The further east we went, the more utility trucks we saw in caravans of 4-6 vehicles. We began looking for lodging the first night just east of Allentown. No dice. FEMA and the utility/tree trimming crews had booked every place we tried (I am not much of one to plan ahead, you see). Finally, in Bethel, CT, a room was located and sleep was achieved.

Next day, we continued through CT, MA, NH, and into Maine. We hopped off the turnpike and headed to Bath, ME. There was time to cruise down to the Atlantic to take in the view before retiring for the night. Day three left about 120 miles of the coastal highway (1A) to cruise. We went through such places as Camden and Rockport. We arrived at Bar Harbor around 2:30pm, checked into the Inn, and hit the road to Acadia. Two days of sights and sounds to fall head over heels in love with! Mountains (of sorts), lakes, ponds, a lighthouse or two, and of course the surf against the rocky coastline. We think (think being a key word here) we caught sight of a whale as dusk settled in. Simply an outstanding trip!!

The trip home was again broken into a couple of days. I renamed my iPhone Navigon app “The Nagigator”. She led me well…mostly…but failed, in spite of including traffic alerts, to note that TS Lee had dumped humongous amounts of water in the New England/Mid-Atlantic region causing mass amounts of flooding and therefore closed roads. A few side tracks later, we spent a night in Danbury, CT, and the next in York, PA. We crossed the Delaware (albeit not in the bow of a boat) and Susquehanna Rivers. Both were quite swollen from the deluge of rain (15″ in some areas). In York, PA we did a one hour tour of the H-D York Assembly Plant to see where my FLHTCU was born. Pretty neat!

Home again, home again…and back to work on Monday. Click on the image on the upper-left to view pictures of The Maine Event.

It was a toasty August evening; still in the upper 80′s at dusk. At the local airport, 10 hot air balloons were unpacked, unfurled, inflated, and periodically illuminated as dusk fell. It was enlightening…but also a lot of hot air. Click on the little image to the right to see the gallery.

Lightning is one of the most beautiful phenomena seen by the human eye. It can be dangerous and frightening, and it can be refreshing, cleansing, and awesome. Tonight, as the first of many storms rolled through SE Ohio, I took the pup out for her evening constitutional, and could not believe what I was seeing in the sky. The cloud-to-cloud light show was quite unlike any I had witnessed in my years…of which there are many. I rushed to grab my camera and tripod, but the show was nearly done. I trust you will enjoy one of the few decent shots I captured. Click it to enlarge!

While in Mansfield, it seemed only fitting to venture where 155,000 inmates, those in the chasm ‘tween youthful offenders and hardcore felons, resided. The cornerstone was laid in 1886; the first prisoners took roost in 1896. The doors closed in 1990. It is under the care of the Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society nowadays. Their objective, at least for now, is not to fix…but to keep from further deterioration, this massive complex of steel and stone. And massive it is. A self-guided tour led the wanderer through a glimpse of history. The wings of cells just went on and on; the guard and warden quarters were mammoth. One could only imagine the life of the prisoner…and those guarding the prisoners.

Films have been shot in the complex, probably the most noteworthy being “Shawshank Redemption” and “Air Force One”. And it is said that some of the employees, past and current, have had encounters with paranormal activity. I don’t buy into that stuff, but maybe…just maybe…the images say differently. Have a peek…if you dare!

Early May…and a “field trip” to Mansfield, OH. Carousel Works is having an open house. It is, under one roof, the worlds largest manufacturer of wooden carousels. That’s right…wooden. Not plastic, or plaster…wood. It was very, very cool to watch the artists working at their craft. We spoke with many of the employees who had been with the company for a few years up to many years. Each loved what they do. The creativity is unbelievable…the product none less than awesome. If you get a chance…go to an open house. You will be amazed! Images are here.