Olentangy Living In & Around Central Ohio

Well, what can I say, except at least he’s not texting while driving and his eyes are focused on the road. Sorry this photo is poor quality but I just couldn’t resist snapping it.

Photo taken with my Blackberry

Last night I attended a social function at the Columbus Zoo in Powell. As we were walking out at the end of the evening, the flamingos were the only animals that were still viewable in the sunset. Except for their raucous noise that tells one they are alive, they still look like the fun plastic yard ornaments.

Photo taken with my Blackberry

Wild Birds Unlimited is a fun store to browse in addition to shopping for bird feeding supplies. No matter what you want, the store has it. They even have items you didn’t know you wanted. In addition to all types of quality feeders designed to appeal to specific birds, they also carry nesting boxes, bat boxes, and items to both attract and repel squirrels. I’ve been buying my bird seed there for years because it is higher quality without the “junk seed” found at other stores. No sense paying for stuff that the birds won’t eat and only litters the ground, as birds knock it out of the feeder. If you want to attract specific birds, the knowledgeable staff will tell you how to do that with the type of feeder or the type of seed.  

There are two stores that I visit, depending on where I am when I realize I need seed.

5400 Riverside Dr, Columbus 43220. Located just north of the intersection of Riverside Dr & Hayden Run Rd.

399 S State St, Westerville 43081. Located in a small strip shopping center on the west side of State St.

Here is another view of The Creekside in Gahanna showing the Big Walnut Creek. Visitors can rent paddle boats to cruise down the creek. The city has revitalized the area to make it a “go-to” place for retail shops, business offices and restaurants with al fresco dining. Read more & see more photos. Gahanna is located east of I-270 off Rt 62.

The Creekside mixed use revitalization in downtown Gahanna includes restaurants, retail shops, businesses and newly opened, The Residences of Creekside, which are luxury condos. You can even rent a paddle boat for fun along the Big Walnut Creek. Read more & see more photos. Gahanna is located east of I-270 off Rt 62.

The blossoms on my ornamental cherry tree look like cotton candy against the background of the new Norway spruce I had planted this year. Whether the tree will make it through the year is still debatable. The winter of 2009 was hard on some trees which resulted in the bark splitting. An arborist told me the tree might not make it. The top branches have not produced blooms, but the lower ones seem to be OK. So, I’ll enjoy my cherry tree until like George Washington, I have to chop it down.

In the past few days, I’ve had tons of people end up on my ReesesPiecesOfRealEstate blog after Googling Havener Park. I assumed the brand new park must be about to open. Sure enough … last Sunday there were lots of Beckham-wannabees playing on the fields. Read more about the background of this new park in southern Delaware County. The park is located at the intersection of Liberty & Ford Roads, between Powell and Delaware.

This lovely pear tree is outside my bedroom window. It’s been a great year-round tree. In the fall, it’s a bright yellow ball of sun. It also produces tiny pears that the birds love to eat when they’re ripe. I planted it around 7 years ago so it has more than doubled its height. I believe it’s a Callery pear, but know for sure it’s not the limb-splitting Bradford pear. The yellow-green groundcover under the Norway spruces is creeping jenny which provides a nice contrast to the dark green spruces.

You may wonder why I’ve included this photo of homes being built in my photoblog. Well, we didn’t see a lot of this in 2009. This particular community was stagnant last year, so it’s encouraging to see buyers once again having homes built. Early in the decade, the upscale southern Delaware County was the fastest growing area in the state. These homes are in an area being built by Trueberry, Compass Homes and Fischer Homes. It’s really encouraging to see this.

The local garden centers are all ready for Spring customers. This pretty display is at Oakland Nurseries on the east side of Delaware (Rt 36/37). They had tray after tray of the happy-faced pansies which can be planted now until it is warm enough for annual plants.

The Pontifical College Josephinum is a landmark just north of Worthington off Rt 23 (High St). Its tall spire is easily visible from nearby I-270. According to its web site, its “mission is preparing men for the priesthood according to the mind of the Church as articulated by the Holy Father who himself draws upon the great Deposit of Faith“.

The entrance is off Campus View Bl, but be aware the grounds are private property. If you continued on Campus View Bl, you will be in a housing development called the Woods of Josephinum, which is a popular neighborhood of large homes with mature trees, ravines, and meandering streets.

I switched to the Real Living HER Powell office three months ago. This horse resides outside the front door. I finally asked about the significance of why there is a horse there. I was told it is a “Centennial” horse. For the Centennial Little Brown Jug, the painting of these horses was commissioned such that people could bid on them. Real Living successfully won one of the bids, receiving this horse. The Little Brown Jug is a horse race of pacers, held in Delaware (Ohio) during the county fair in September.

These are pretty but not good for a home … or your head!

Another interesting design created by Mother Nature.

I think it is so marvelous how Mother Nature is able to work her magic in decorating our barren shrubs to make them so beautiful. Of course, this is in my back yard. The snow in my driveway and on the roads … not so pretty.

We’re working on a rather major snow storm here today. I made sure the feeders were well stocked for the little feathered friends that visit outside my front window. In the winter, I mainly feed sunflower oilers because of the high-fat content.  

One of my favorite Realtor® photographers is Kristal Kraft, Denver. She takes fabulous photos. She recently put a photo on Facebook that she snapped of Denver western days. Her photo was of a slight woman holding back a team of Belgian horses attached to a wagon, much like the Budweiser Clydesdales.

The idea of this woman holding back thousands of pounds of horsepower, reminded me of this old family photo taken in 1908. The little girl on the right is my Mom when she was four. The adults are my grandparents. They lived and farmed in Knox County, north of Mt. Vernon, so the horses were used to work the fields. Kids actually were expected to WORK then.

Don’t you love their clothes! By today’s standards, my grandparents would be charged with child endangerment by allowing a 4-year old to hold the reins of such a large horse.

You can view Kristal’s Denver photo blog by clicking on the PhotoBlog list on the right side bar.

Imagine a summer evening. The warm sun is shining down toasting your toes. You have big, cold glasses of iced tea or lemonade sitting on the table to quench your thirst. The birds are chirping in the trees. Life is good!

OK, now back to reality to fix a cup of hot cocoa and wrap up in the Snuggie.

Last night we received yet more snow. I visited a listing late this afternoon and was intrigued by how artistic this luxury garden enclosure appeared. The enclosure is normally very attractive during the summer, but the 1″ of snow that coated the horizontal rails adds a whole new dimension to its design.

We’re having some pretty chilly weather right now, as is most of the country. Over the weekend, I did photography on a home. This is the cold view out one of the windows. Br-r-r-r-r. Fortunately these are high-quality, low-e windows. Is it almost time for Spring? I’ve enough of the cold already.