Saturday, August 10, 2013

A walk across the river

I've mentioned the flower boxes on the bridge across the river. I decided today would be excellent to take pictures of them. Laura said sure, she'd like to come along.



We parked above North Canal street and started down to the bridge. There is a Canal Street because Peninsula was a canal town. On my list of things to do, talk to Skip and get the history of Canal Street. The vacation of Canal Street is a great story.

The white building was the first store in town. The next building with the tile roof was the bank, until the Great Depression.


This is for Laura, who frequently finds eyes in trees.





On the way. The steps of the house on the corner of Main Street and North Canal. They use the back door.

Steps and the stone marker at the white store. There is so much stone in this town...




Going past the bank building. The steps go down to a studio apartment, rented in the last few weeks.  They inherited some landscaping in front of and behind the guard rail that protects the public from the towpath and the river below.

Some folks know who planted some of the plants, some know who planted others; no one knows who planted most. A perfect sort of community garden. Pardon the shadow; someone had to take the picture.


We're almost to the bridge, where the garden club ladies rule. I looked down and saw one secret to their success.


First box on the north side of the bridge.



A few steps further, the towpath is visible below. A beautiful morning to be out on the towpath.



The next flower box.


Laura, waiting to show something to me. That's Evelyn, one of the garden club ladies. It's her Saturday to water and prune.


Laura wanted me to see the spider web and take a picture of the four captured prey in it. The best I could do without an eye piece. If Laura gets much more inquisitive about pictures, I will have to show her how to use the camera.



Another spider web attempt that is a nice picture of a happy river. Nothing like the day after the floods and we stopped to watch the river roar.







The next to the last box; with a black and yellow bumble bee. My camera, which I've said for days needed recharging, quit.  

My plan had been a leisurely stroll back up the hill, taking pictures of the flower boxes on the other side. That plan dashed, I trudged back up. Laura may have skipped.

When I take pictures of the rest of the boxes I will see how to be higher and include the river. The sidewalk is fairly narrow on this side and I had to be concerned about stepping off the curb.

I'm sure you recall the garden club women blocked the great State of Ohio from installing standard issue Ohio Department of Transportation railings on this bridge when it was last repaired. They got 1930's style railings, with flower box holders and flag holders.

And, they just got a grant to have the railings sanded and repainted in the fall. These women don't wait around for ODOT. 

18 comments:

  1. Hari Om
    What an attractive walk this looks Joanne - those flower boxes are superb!! Camera dropped out so that you have the excuse to return a.s.a.p.!!! Happy weekend. YAM xx

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  2. That tree is definitely "Watching."

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  3. Laura has a good eye for eyes. Love those window boxes - gorgeous.

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  4. That is a great walking history lesson, Yes you are not only gonna have to teach her the camera---I am thinking you may have to get her a camera. If she has an eye it cannot be denied.

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  5. Love the tree with the eye ball....one of these days I'll post a photo of the tree bird that lives on my yard and the tree frog across the road from us, the shrieking pig next door and the tree spirit.

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  6. Each flower box has an individual arrangement.I LOVE that...no regimented municipal designs there!
    Jane x

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  7. What a gorgeous walk. Megathanks. And I too love the eye of the tree.

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  8. Some beautiful photos here. I love the flowers and eye in the tree ;-)

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  9. Thats a lovely morning walk the flower boxes look wonderful so crammed with flowers.
    Merle.......

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  10. How lovely, Joanne. I love walks by the water.

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  11. What a beautiful place, including the window boxes.

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  12. Thank you for sharing all those flowers, Joanne. Those are really beautiful flower boxes and each one is so unique.

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  13. The flower boxes are lovely! I see coleus in the first one, that brings back memories. When I lived in Victoria, about an hour north of Melbourne, I had a whole garden bed of coleus.
    The last box looks so sunny. The whole town is pretty.

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  14. I like how that tree is keeping an eye on things.

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  15. Laura has a good eye so using the camera is a must ! Stunning flower boxes and all credit to those marvelous women.

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  16. I love all the colors.... while lots of streets have all the same colors, same flowers.... your Canal St has a riot of colors and styles. Beautiful!

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  17. Beautiful!

    When I read this yesterday, I saw the big rock with 1663 on it and then got involved figuring out when my town was founded (mid 1700's) and never got back. But you inspired me to do it :)

    I'm one more who loves the eye in that tree. Maybe Laura could use your camera to do a series, and then you have yourself a guest post ...

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