a life lived out windows [trip part five]

Earlier Ohio escapades can be found here, here, here, and here.

I love watching the world go by, capturing my surroundings as I pass. I have a love affair with the world around me and I spent much of the Ohio trip in my own world, just my camera and I. Or better yet, I went exploring with Doug and captured every moment for nights like tonight.






I spent much of my time obsessing over old barns. There's just something about decaying wood and snow and flaking paint that makes my heart sing.




I also have a weak spot for red brick churches.


I don't really have a lot of stories to tell about many of these photos. I spent a few days just shooting out windows and watching the world go by.

adventure is always worth writing home about [trip part three]

For those of you just tuning in, especially the visitors from I [heart] faces, this is part three of my trip to Ohio. The last two posts can be found here and here, respectively. I feel the need to remind you that these photos are being linked from Facebook and therefore may not be quite as awesome quality as the ones from flickr, but I really has no desire to host them twice. Moving on...

In the last post, I covered my introduction to snow. The day after the hike through the woods on the farm, I went exploring via van with Grandpa Butch and Mr. Andy. But first, we needed to pick out a Christmas tree.

Once Cassie picked out the perfect tree, we dropped off everyone else and went exploring.

Our first stop was a neighboring farm because they had sheep. In case my previous post with my plush sleep didn't give it away, I kind of like them. Of course, these sheep had to be all aloof and 'baaaah' at me from a distance.

Luckily, their guard donkey was slightly more friendly.


From there, we went to the cemetery for a history lesson. I love the old tombstones in the snow.




We just drove around, talking about history and letting me take pictures for an hour or so...



...until the cows decided to block the road.


Moo-ve it! (What, not punny?)

The next day, we drove into New Philadelphia for coffee and internet access at the Daily Grind. This is what Grandma Linda and Grandpa Butch do to relax, even when they don't have a house full of people. However, I was much more interested in exploring the street that the cafe was on.



The best part of adventuring in Ohio might just be the icicles.


I know this post doesn't really convey the storytelling and the history and the laughter associated with these photos, but it's difficult to explain to someone who was not there what it was like to have these experiences. But hey, you're getting pretty pictures, right?

my introduction to snow [trip part two]

read part one here first

We started driving up to Ohio around 5 in the morning on December 18th. The drive went on and on and on... The drive from Crestview into Alabama didn't take too long but once we were in Alabama, it seemed like we'd never get out. Part of the problem was that the highway was randomly closed with no detour signs so we sort of drove around for a while, attempting to make our way far enough that we felt we could get back on. Tennessee was pretty nice. But by the time we got to Kentucky, I was ready to be out of the car. The temperature was 35 and taunted me so. It started dropped further as we approached the Ohio state line and hit 32 as we officially crossed into the state. By the time we got to the gas station, it had started to flurry.
So, in typical Brenda fashion, I stood there in the middle of the gas station in my pajamas and a hoodie, taking pictures of the snowflakes twirling in the breeze.



The next morning, I pried myself out from under the covers and bundled up for my first day playing in the snow. My feet sunk right in.

Rather than building a snow man, Doug and Cassie decided to make a snow dinosaur.


Then, we headed out to Doug's grandparents' farm, where I became properly acquainted with the wonders of winter.



This is Dusty. He is warm and lovable and in charge of adventures.

That early morning hike through the woods was everything I expected this trip to be. It was cold and beautiful and slippery.

Grandma Linda took this photo of Doug and I. His sense of wonder and my dopey grin say it all.