Musings on horticultural therapy and the soothing effects of plants and nature
It was a perfect day to start a ride. The sky was clear, temperature moderate and both of us fueled by a wonderful breakfast to get going. Cincinnati is easy to traverse with a bicycle so with a quick check out, Ted and I headed for the Ohio River where the Ohio to Erie Trail […]
We are riding on a well-kept, tree-lined, paved path. The Miami River Scenic Trail is flawless with trees and vegetation on both sides. We glide in a tunnel of nature. Sycamores, maple, dogwood, sweet gum, hickory, oak, ash, mulberry, black cherry and other trees form a canopy of green. A herbaceous border of grasses and […]
On all of the trips that Ted and I have taken we have been lucky in not running into too much rain. Little drizzles here and there have been rare but nothing where we have been caught in a downpour where we get soaked to the bone. Given the weather of this Spring, I was […]
When Ted and I were having breakfast at the Travelodge in Cleveland a few days ago we struck up a conversation with a group of 10 bicyclists who were traveling south from Cleveland to just north of Cincinnati. They were at least a decade older than us but just as enthusiastic if not more. Like […]
Our drive yesterday was easy and smooth. The traffic was light and the weather dry and clear. Driving through Pennsylvania was familiar and uneventful, a drive I have made many times going to Pittsburgh to visit relatives or taking my daughter Kathryn to Penn State. But instead of turning off for my birthplace, Ted and […]
It is a beautiful morning to start a bike trip. The weather is clear, the humidity low and temperature moderate. After spending an uneventful evening at the Travelodge, Ted and I went for a short walk to stretch our legs and take in a view of Lake Erie. In the distance, two large freighters steamed […]
Charlotte says goodby to her grandfather and his biking buddy Ted It being Summer, it is time for me and Ted to flee our respective homes and head off for yet another excellent adventure on our bikes. This year we have decided to bike the Ohio to Erie Trail, a 326-mile trip extending from Cincinnati […]
A well-tended garden is a welcoming place. Just walking around, taking in the different smells of the flowers and textures of the plants can be a very calming experience. And in the 10 years that I have been working at Ann’s Place creating healing gardens, we have had many visitors. A common one has been […]
Juana and Charlotte are shocked by the size of their harvests The rain of the last few days has made harvesting difficult. Dreary skies spitting out inconsistent precipitation makes one want to stay inside. But it has been three days since we have been out to pick strawberries so with a break in the rain […]
Last week the strawberries came in: both domestic and wild. The domestic ones are familiar and tasty. Emerging from their straw bed last month, their pollinated flowers metaphorized into small whitish balls changing again into large, sweet red orbs. Charlotte, my granddaughter, can’t wait to visit us this time of year to survey and select […]