George Washington connecton with Morrow County

There are many intersections between George Washington and Ohio history. Here is a particular link between Washington's Virginia plantations and Harmony Township, Morrow County, Ohio. While working on the George Family genealogy, I constructed the family history that encompasses Chester Township and Harmony Township in Morrow County, as well as Licking County. 

This article is about James A. Bloxham, Harmony Township, Morrow County. James A. Bloxham is the son of his father by the same name who came to America to work for George Washington at Mt. Vernon.

"James Bloxham was an English farmer hired by George Washington via his friend, George William Fairfax of Belvoir Plantation. Bloxham worked at Mount Vernon from April of 1786 through 1790. Also, Bloxham's family was brought over from England in 1787 to live at Mount Vernon. 

Before arriving in America, Bloxham had worked for William Peacey of North Leach, in Gloucestershire. Peacey was considered a leading gentleman farmer in Britain, and Bloxham was brought to Mount Vernon to impart the skills that he had assimilated in William Peacey's employment.1" 

http://www.mountvernon.org/digital-encyclopedia/article/james-bloxham/

James Bloxham Sr. was married to Catherine Dunnington and they had children: James A., Jane Eliza, John T, and Alfred. Except for James A. Bloxham, his siblings stayed in Virginia and continued to work in the agriculture industry in and around Alexandria, Virginia. Of course, Alexandria was the center of slave trade and commerce focused on the tobacco industry.

James Bloxham Sr. expressed his displeasure with slavery to George Washington that is a matter of record. In subsequently documented discussions, Bloxham explained that persons who were kept without freedom were hard to motivate. Washington agreed.

His son, James A. Bloxham lived in Snickersville, Virginia where he married Melinda Jury. The couple set out to pioneer a farm in Ohio.

James A. Bloxham
1802–1880
BIRTH 11 MAR 1802 • Virginia
DEATH 08 MAR 1880 • Harmony, Morrow County, Ohio, USA
3rd great-grandfather

Old maps of Harmony Township show the Bloxham farm that is located near George family farms. James and Melinda had children, one of which was Mary Elizabeth Bloxham.

Mary Elizabeth Bloxham
1832–1880
BIRTH 12 SEP 1832 • Virginia
DEATH 4 MAR 1880 • Morrow, Ohio, United States
2nd great-grandmother

Mary Elizabeth married Richard D. George.

Richard D George
1830–1877
BIRTH 14 FEB 1830 • Licking County, Ohio
DEATH 2 JULY 1877 • Ohio, USA
2nd great-grandfather

Richard and Mary had a farm in Harmony Township from which their son, James A. George would inherit some land for farming. James A. George and Addie Jane Clark had ten children of which one was my Grandfather, Oscar Taylor George and one was a Great Uncle, James A. George after whom I was named.

The "A" stands for Almond which purportedly is passed down from James A. Bloxham.

"On 31 May 1786, through George William’s efforts, Washington contracted with what he hoped was such a man: James Bloxham of Gloucestershire, England, who agreed to assist Washington in managing stock (to be maintained primarily as a source of manure) and to instruct farm laborers “to Plow, Sow; Mow, Reap; Thatch; Ditch; Hedge &ca in the best manner.” [6] By mid-summer Washington was a bit disappointed with Bloxham. 

“In a word,” he wrote to William Peacey he seems rather to have expected to have found well organized farms, than that the end and design of my employing him was to make them so. He makes no allowances for the ravages of a nine year’s war from which we are but just begining to emerge, nor does he consider that if our system of Husbandry had been as perfect as it may be found on your Farms, or in some of the best farming Counties in England, there would have been no occasion for his Services. [7]

For his part, Bloxham was apparently frustrated and disappointed by the utility of Washington’s slaves. To his former employer, Peacey, Bloxham wrote that “tese Black Peope I am Rather in Danger of being posind [poisoned].” He doubted whether Washington would be able to improve the farm, “for he have a Sett of About him which I nor you would Be trobled with But the General is goot them and he must Keep them But they are a verey Desagreable People.” [8] 

Bloxham’s disappointment with slave labor mirrored the sentiments of his new employer. By the spring of 1786 Washington seems to have become thoroughly discouraged with the prospect of running his plantation on the best principles using slave labor, and more generally frustrated with the institution of slavery itself. In April 1786, in a letter critical of the efforts of the Pennsylvania Society for the Abolition of Slavery to obtain freedom for a slave taken to Philadelphia by an Alexandria shopkeeper, Washington expressed the hope that some scheme for the abolition of slavery would be adopted. “I hope it will not be conceived from these observations,” he wrote to Robert Morris, that it is my wish to hold the unhappy people who are the subject of this letter, in slavery. I can only say that there is not a man living who wishes more sincerely than I do, to see a plan adopted for the abolition of it — but there is only one proper and effectual mode by which it can be accomplished, & that is by Legislative authority: and this, as far as my suffrage will go, shall never be wanting. [9]"

http://gwpapers.virginia.edu/editions/letterpress/confederation-series/volume-4-april-1786-january-1787/

Washington, George: Mount Vernon, 1757

George Washington at home in Mount Vernon, Virginia, on leave from the military, 1757.

Nathaniel Currier—The Bridgeman Art Library/Getty Images

Where are all of the birds?

I watch birds and photograph them when I can. The trouble is, most of them don't pose well. They are flying from branch to branch. They rarely rest when you can see them.

I went to the window this morning with my camera at the ready. It must be switched on for the electronics to work. That takes seconds.

A woodpecker was on the side of the tree directly in front of my vision. It had a large grub in its beak. I raised my camera, switched on, and by that time the bird was gone.

I tried to see if other woodpeckers were in the area. Nothing was in sight. A squirrel was scampering up the tree.

Squirrels are in automatic mode, storing nuts this time of year. Even with a birdfeeder filled with food, the squirrel knows not to bank on that. The same might be true for birds.

While human supplied seed and tallow are appreciated, birds must stay the course to take care of themselves.

I have thought about doing a painting in which I reverse the size of birds and trees. That would be one way to see the birds better. It might be like dinosaur days. I will try it.

https://www.google.com/search?q=birds+in+the+dinosaur+age&espv=2&biw=1421&bih=729&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjvhNOCzO7PAhUFMj4KHWTpCpkQ_AUIBigB#imgrc=ZAb98x2bxG1BAM%3A

Artist Compendium: Woodpeckers on a warm autumn day

Artist Compendium: Woodpeckers on a warm autumn day: Today was a fantastic day for watching woodpeckers from my living room window on the Sycamore Creek. A few chores and an ailment kept me fro...

Woodpeckers on a warm autumn day

Today was a fantastic day for watching woodpeckers from my living room window on the Sycamore Creek. A few chores and an ailment kept me from my usual walk. However, the view from the perch inside was good.

One woodpecker sat eye-ball-to-eyeball with me for a fleeting moment before I could position my camera for a great photograph. I stuck with the viewing.

As the day warmed up from the high 40 degrees and into the 70's, the insect population must have taken the cue to do what insects do on the last warm days before winter. I suspect that they burrow in and shut down. On a day like this one, they are in a state of active feeding.

The woodpeckers instinctively know this. Their keen sense of hearing and ability to feel vibrations set them into a feeding frenzy of their own.  Other birds, like chickadees and warblers, are drawn into the action.

My knowledgeable birder friends tell me that this will be over soon and that the woodpeckers and others will take wing to seek warmer weather. While the birds are still with us, I will watch with enthusiasm.

Flying from place to place

Roosting for a short moment

Pecking

Artist Compendium: Oh Brother

Artist Compendium: Oh Brother: I had a two-year head start on my brother, but when he arrived it was like starting all over and seeing in a rear view mirror what had just ...

Oh Brother

I had a two-year head start on my brother, but when he arrived it was like starting all over and seeing in a rear view mirror what had just happened. It didn't take too long before he caught up and we were hand-in-hand exploring the world together.

That description sums up our experience, mostly hiking, biking, fishing, and skateboarding the world together. I have told stories before about various calamities ranging from spilling milk at the dinner table to losing glasses on more than one occasion.

For one thing, he was the best fisherman. Dad and Tim laughed about that, as I was always getting tangled up while they were catching fish.

As boys, our life was simple as it was free-range. Mom opened the back door with instructions to stay within earshot, then off we went.

"Look out for your brother. Stay away from the creek. Come back at lunchtime!"

There were trees to climb, barns to explore, horses to feed and pet, and chickens from which to collect eggs. We could hang around the water tower and wonder how high we could climb.

Eventually, we went our individual ways, but our common interests centered on hiking, nature photography, and art. While I took up watercolors, Tim took up the Etch-a-Sketch and became one of the world's best Etch-a-Sketch artists.

Now, Tim had a stroke that wiped out half of his physical ability and had constrained his mind. He may not say my name, but he gave me a hug, a smile, and a greeting that could only be brother-to-brother. He still had an Etch-a-Sketch in the room to make him comfortable, but the trouble is that it takes two hands to operate it. Now, he has just one.

My Brother

My Brother and Dad

Timothy A. George

Blending in

Nature continues to amaze me with how birds and vegetation appear to blend into natural camouflage. My daughter and artist developed an entire theme about "camouflage" wich included a musical performance with her and band members wearing custom-designed camouflage attire.

Today, in my literal world, I am looking for camouflage examples.

First, while bird-watching out the living room window onto the bank of the Sycamore Creek, there appears to be a cardinal on a branch. That turned out to be Tomfoolery by the naked eye. Zooming in with my Nikon and it is just a leaf.

After having a sip from my coffee cup, out another part of the window, there appears to be a cardinal. This time, it is the real thing. In the fall, when leaves hang sparse on the limbs, they create silhouettes that could be birds.

Determining what the eye sees is part of the camouflage game.

That is a leaf

That is a cardinal

That is camouflage

That is real camouflage 

Artist, Mary George

Folk Mass

As one of the pioneers of folk masses in the United States, I have a funny recollection. The story images from the Columbus Dispatch describe the folk mass at St. Joseph's Cathedral. I was a member of a group that sang and played there every week.

One senior priest objected to "guitars in church." He was Father Muhaw. The thoughtful priest never wants to be too much trouble, and that is why he slept in his casket, so the story goes.

When it came to guitars, the elder priest leaped forward from the pew to register his objections before the band played on.

Visiting the spring house

My professor friend, Dr. James Rodger celebrated his birthday with a ride through the woods on an all-terrain vehicle to visit his spring house. I envy him for living on a farm in Pennsylvania where turkeys are common visitors, and sometimes bears make an appearance too.

I used to go to a spring house with my Great Uncle, Olver George who lived on a farm outside Chesterville, Ohio. The spring was located across a cornfield from the farmhouse.

A spring house is a covered shed or structure that keeps the water flowing from the spring clear of debris. It may also keep animals out to prevent contamination.

Uncle Oliver's structure was made of brick and stone that was covered with sod. It had a wooden door that opened into a small cave. Inside, he had constructed shelves to hold fruit and vegetables, primarily apples.

I don't know what Dr. Rodger keeps in his spring house, but I bet that since it is located a distance into the wooded shrubs that it would be inviting to animals, including bears that live in that area.

In the old days, a spring house was used as a refrigerator.

Dr. Rodger's spring house

Similar to Great Uncle Oliver's spring house

That's what I want to see

End of summer as not seen before

Living adjacent the Sycamore Creek, I have not experienced the change of seasons so closely before. As a child, I remember the falling leaves, but it seemed to me that the leaves didn't come down in earnest until the air was cold and crisp. Maybe, my memory had failed.

The fall equinox begins September 22nd, just a few days away. The leaves have been falling for a couple of weeks in the mostly dry environment. The nuts from trees are down too. Some berries remain on bushes, and many of them are poisonous. That is why they remain there uneaten by birds and animals.

Surely, there is still lots of green in the woods, but the leaves are turning. Some vines are already bright red.

The raking will begin over the weeks to come. The practice was to mulch or burn the leaves when I was young. Some leaves would be used to enrich the garden, while others would be burned with smoke rising from yards and fields all around.

A few leaf piles would serve as a fort for boys to play in.

Soon the air will cool sufficiently to repress the incessant insects. Then, I will enter the woods and walk the creek to do more exploring. Still, I will apply Deet to discourage the ever-present ticks that travel with the deer.

Artist Compendium: All at once

Artist Compendium: All at once: Stories for my grandsons at year 1 Aquilla and Eugene have been out in the world for one year now. I visited them with Gramrene shortly af...

All at once

Stories for my grandsons at year 1

Aquilla and Eugene have been out in the world for one year now. I visited them with Gramrene shortly after their arrival home with their Mom (Mary) and Mum (Vicki). We grandparents flew from Arlington, Virginia to London and taxied directly to see the boys.

At first, there was lots of concern about making sure that Mommy was healthy after delivering two boys into the world. Mum was in the delivery room watching to see what the babies would be, boys or girls. She was certain that there would be two, but uncertain about what.

When the doctor lifted out the first baby, it was a boy that would become Eugene. Then, the doctor delivered the next baby. Would it be a boy or girl? There was a brief moment of anticipation before the doctor announced that "It is another boy!"

Mum instantly broke into tears of joy, and nearly collapsed from exhaustion and excitement. Mary held the baby boys for the first time.

Over the next several weeks, midwife and nursing staff from the National Hospital Service would visit the babies to weigh them and to check their health. The health professionals were the parent's partners to ensure that the boys were eating properly and gaining weight.

When Eugene was riding inside Mommy, he was prone with lots of room to stretch. Aquilla was head down below and perpendicular. He was all balled-up. Therefore, it wasn't surprising that when Eugene was carried about that, he wanted to stretch the fullest extent, while Aquilla continued to be curled up.

Jimpa was there with Gramrene to help Mum and Mom who had planned quite well for the arrival of new babies. Until the actual moment when babies are of the household is the full extent of responsibility apparent.

The boys are here, all at once.

All at once

Soulful spirits

Contemplation.

A soul exists so long as body chemistry remains alive. A soul is described as the spiritual part of a human being that is believed to be immortal. Immortality is eternal life. How is a soul supposed to be eternal when the host body dies?

One might argue that an individual's soul is kept alive in the minds of those who knew and remembered them while they were alive. A person's soul might be recalled by the artifacts that they leave behind. Some of the artifacts might be physical while others might be ideas.

There is a notion that soulful energy may remain intact after death as it moves freely around the universe. Some might argue that power dies and is otherwise dispersed upon death. It simply goes away.

Could it be that human beings are so close to answering these questions that they cannot comprehend their presence?

Step back to create a context for human life and existence.

The universe as we know it is infinite in all directions, and we may not be aware of all of the possible dimensions. It is microscopic. It is macroscopic. It is also kaleidoscopic all at once.

All living things begin with seeds of life from which organisms have a birth and a lifecycle. Some propagate successfully to create offspring. Others do not. In both instances, human beings will be remembered by someone and more for who they are or were. In that sense, individual souls may be remembered on merit.

A spirit is said to be the nonphysical dimension of a person. Its contents are emotions and character at a minimum. Spirits are brought to life and kept alive when other living persons remember their individual embodiment, for better or for worse.

Artist Compendium: The age of infographics and interactive media

Artist Compendium: The age of infographics and interactive media: See the fire of London as never before. Obviously, to all who are on the web and engaged in social media, this is a time of much interacti...

The age of infographics and interactive media

See the fire of London as never before.

Obviously, to all who are on the web and engaged in social media, this is a time of much interaction with the stuff we read and the people who produce it. I have been trying to get an old fashioned book published, and while doing so, I became intensely aware of the shortcomings of a book.

The information is all there. However, the printed page and digital text are so flat feeling what with videos streaming on Facebook, while my tables lie rigidly on the page.

This morning while reading a report of the fabled London fire, you may "retrace Samuel Pepys' steps" whilst he runs from the approaching fire. Readers may advance along the map with textual descriptions that pop up from locations complete with images that accompany them.

"The detailed private diary that Pepys kept from 1660 until 1669 was first published in the 19th century and is one of the most important primary sources for the English Restoration period. It provides a combination of personal revelation and eyewitness accounts of great events, such as the Great Plague of London, the Second Dutch War, and the Great Fire of London." 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Pepys#/media/File:Samuel_Pepys.jpg

See the BBC presentation here.

http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20160902-retrace-samuel-pepys-steps-in-the-great-fire-of-london

Samuel Pepys

Map of London, BBC

Artist Compendium: Visiting old Morrow County schools -- following th...

Artist Compendium: Visiting old Morrow County schools -- following th...: Searching old Morrow County Schools an extensive list of 75 was discovered as shown below. The search was prompted by a topographical map th...

Visiting old Morrow County schools -- following the trail

Searching old Morrow County Schools an extensive list of 75 was discovered as shown below. The search was prompted by a topographical map that included old school locations. I wrote a story based on one school called "Bluejay," as that was where my grandmother once taught the first eight grades in one room.

That story elicited a response from David Shade, a former elementary school student that I knew from Mt. Gilead, Ohio. He called attention to another school called, "Liberty." He knew about this because he and his family lived in the old school that was converted to being a farm house.

With his help, I located the Liberty School on what was once called Shade Corners. Interestingly, his sister was born in the house and her name is "Liberty."

1.    Bailey School    Mount Gilead
2.    Baldwin School    Ashley
3.    Beech Grove School    Denmark
4.    Bethel School    Denmark
5.    Bethel School    Chesterville
6.    Blackbird School    Marengo
7.    Blackhawk School    Marengo
8.    Bluejay School    Mount Gilead
9.    Boundary School    Mount Gilead
10.    Center School    Ashley
11.    Center School    Blooming Grove
12.    Chester School    Chesterville
13.    Chestnut Grove School    Marengo
14.    Chestnut Ridge School    Blooming Grove
15.    Cohan School    Caledonia
16.    Craley School    Blooming Grove
17.    Davis School    Mount Gilead
18.    Dudley School    Marengo
19.    East Miller School    Shauck
20.    Fairfield School    Chesterville
21.    Fairview School    Chesterville
22.    Fairview School    Mount Gilead
23.    Flowers School    Galion
24.    Frozen Hill School    Mount Gilead
25.    Gardner School    Chesterville
26.    Goose Heaven School    Marengo
27.    Gordon School    Chesterville
28.    Greenwood School    Ashley
29.    Guiding Star School    Mount Gilead
30.    Half Acre School    Blooming Grove
31.    Harbison School    Blooming Grove
32.    Hardscrabble School    Denmark
33.    Hawkins School    Olive Green
34.    Hunters School    Galion
35.    Jackson School    Centerburg
36.    Jackson School    Chesterville
37.    Jugs School    Blooming Grove
38.    Krott School    Ashley
39.    Liberty School    Mount Gilead
40.    Lone Star School    Mount Gilead
41.    Long School    Denmark
42.    Maple Grove School    Mount Gilead
43.    Miller School    Shauck
44.    Miracle School    Shauck
45.    Morehouse School    Ashley
46.    Mount Pleasant School    Shauck
47.    Nelson School    Galion
48.    North Canaan School    Caledonia
49.    Oaklawn School    Marengo
50.    Oliveroot School    Marengo
51.    Peoples School    Shauck
52.    Phillips School    Marengo
53.    Pleasant Hill School    Blooming Grove
54.    Pleasant Valley School    Blooming Grove
55.    Pompey School    Ashley
56.    Railroad School    Marengo
57.    Red Hill School    Chesterville
58.    Salem School    Denmark
59.    School Number 1    Shauck
60.    School Number 1    Ashley
61.    School Number 2    Ashley
62.    School Number 4    Shauck
63.    School Number 5    Mount Gilead
64.    School Number 6    Mount Gilead
65.    School Number 6    Ashley
66.    School Number 7    Ashley
67.    Schorr School    Waldo
68.    Seifs School    Galion
69.    South Miller School    Shauck
70.    Stackhouse School    Shauck
71.    Stilers Corner School    Marengo
72.    Sunfish School    Mount Gilead
73.    Turney Center School    Marengo
74.    Vail School    Chesterville
75.    Walters School    Blooming Grove

Also read this related story: http://artistcompendium.blogspot.com/2016/08/morrow-countys-old-schools-disapeared.html

Liberty School

Tographical Map showing the Liberty School

Google Earth, locating Liberty School

Morrow County's old Schools disapeared

Having discovered an old topographical map of Mt. Gilead and surrounding Morrow County, it shows the location of schools that once populated this rural community. Why were there so many schools? Speculating about the possibilities:

• Children had to be able to get to and from schools that were walking distance from their homes.
• If they could not walk, they had to be ported by horse-drawn wagon, and both the condition of the road and distance were also factors.
• School buildings were small and accommodated multiple grade levels.

My Grandmother, Marguerite Showalter George taught the first eight grades at the BlueJay School, for instance. That was before she raised her two boys and two girls.

Another website reports pictures of some of the old schools that have been demolished. It is just a shame that we didn't have the foresight to preserve them.

Just look at all of these old schools.

Bailey School    Mount Gilead
Baldwin School    Ashley
Beech Grove School    Denmark
Bethel School    Denmark
Bethel School    Chesterville
Blackbird School    Marengo
Blackhawk School    Marengo
Bluejay School    Mount Gilead
Boundary School    Mount Gilead
Center School    Ashley
Center School    Blooming Grove
Chester School    Chesterville
Chestnut Grove School    Marengo
Chestnut Ridge School    Blooming Grove
Cohan School    Caledonia
Craley School    Blooming Grove
Davis School    Mount Gilead
Dudley School    Marengo
East Miller School    Shauck
Fairfield School    Chesterville
Fairview School    Chesterville
Fairview School    Mount Gilead
Flowers School    Galion
Frozen Hill School    Mount Gilead
Gardner School    Chesterville
Goose Heaven School    Marengo
Gordon School    Chesterville
Greenwood School    Ashley
Guiding Star School    Mount Gilead
Half Acre School    Blooming Grove
Harbison School    Blooming Grove
Hardscrabble School    Denmark
Hawkins School    Olive Green
Hunters School    Galion
Jackson School    Centerburg
Jackson School    Chesterville
Jugs School    Blooming Grove
Krott School    Ashley
Liberty School    Mount Gilead
Lone Star School    Mount Gilead
Long School    Denmark
Maple Grove School    Mount Gilead
Miller School    Shauck
Miracle School    Shauck
Morehouse School    Ashley
Mount Pleasant School    Shauck
Nelson School    Galion
North Canaan School    Caledonia
Oaklawn School    Marengo
Oliveroot School    Marengo
Peoples School    Shauck
Phillips School    Marengo
Pleasant Hill School    Blooming Grove
Pleasant Valley School    Blooming Grove
Pompey School    Ashley
Railroad School    Marengo
Red Hill School    Chesterville
Salem School    Denmark
School Number 1    Shauck
School Number 1    Ashley
School Number 2    Ashley
School Number 4    Shauck
School Number 5    Mount Gilead
School Number 6    Mount Gilead
School Number 6    Ashley
School Number 7    Ashley
Schorr School    Waldo
Seifs School    Galion
South Miller School    Shauck
Stackhouse School    Shauck
Stilers Corner School    Marengo
Sunfish School    Mount Gilead
Turney Center School    Marengo
Vail School    Chesterville
Walters School    Blooming Grove

Morrow County Historical Schools

Let's take a Google Maps tour to see where BlueJay School was once located.

Here is a link to some old pictures.

http://www.oldohioschools.com/morrow_county.htm

Marguerite Showalter George taught the first 8 grades at BlueJay School.

The location was on Russell Road in Harmony Township, Morrow County.

The topography is shown here.

Google Earth shows the lane to the demolished school location.

Artist Compendium: Fossils in the Sycamore Creek

Artist Compendium: Fossils in the Sycamore Creek: Limestone containing fossils lines the Sycamore Creek here in Montgomery. Unlike the Sugar Creek near Centerville, Ohio, the Sycamore doesn&...

Fossils in the Sycamore Creek

Limestone containing fossils lines the Sycamore Creek here in Montgomery. Unlike the Sugar Creek near Centerville, Ohio, the Sycamore doesn't appear to hold as many loose fossils. I won't know that until I get into the bed to explore.

I can begin right outside, but having already encountered a water snake, insects and poison ivy, I am more likely to venture there in the fall and winter months. Beyond the backyard, the Sycamore travels through Twin Lakes Woods where I think that it goes much lower in the Earth than where I live. There is a chance that I might discover more fossils at that level when I hike there in the fall.

Ticks are a reason that prevents my getting into that area now. Lymes disease is something I need to avoid.

I found this YouTube video describing rocks along the Little Miami River into which the Sycamore Creek runs on its way to the Ohio River.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57wk7iCrsT4

Fossiling in Ohio

Specimens already found

Artist Compendium: Turning leaves

Artist Compendium: Turning leaves: Having lived on the tenth floor of a high-rise for the past 14 years, I witnessed the Lacey Woods that grew on the steep rise adjacent to Ha...

Turning leaves

Having lived on the tenth floor of a high-rise for the past 14 years, I witnessed the Lacey Woods that grew on the steep rise adjacent to Hall's Hill in Arlington, Virginia. George Washington once surveyed the area and selected the location as where he might one day settle. Having inherited Mt. Vernon, he gave it up.

Lacey Woods hosted many tall trees including oaks and maples. From where I sat, I never experienced the falling leaves.

Now, situated along the Sycamore Creek in Montgomery, Ohio, I experience the seasons at ground zero. At the studio-patio level, I am 15 feet from the creek bed and literally in the honeysuckles. At the living room level, I am above the honeysuckle and can see the grapevines growing onto the sycamore, walnut, and maple trees.

Looking across the creek, I see red leaves that I first confused to be flowers. They are the turning leaves on five-leaf ivy.

The heat has taken its toll, and trees having been giving up their leaves. I don't know if this is early or normal, but I sweep them up every day.

Across the creek

Living room view

Birdwatching

Just before a hot drizzle outside today, I sat on the couch by the living room window and noticed an extraordinary amount of bird activity. I don't know much about birds, yet I now have an excellent perch from which to watch them. Situated 15 feet from Sycamore Creek, with the second floor overlooking the tops of Honeysuckle bushes with the Sycamore and Walnut trees towering above, many species visit and stay for the summer.

I have birdwatching friends who participate in the migration counting each season. They have heightened my awareness about the species living here.

When there are changes in the weather, such as a front moving through and such, birds, seem to react. Of course, birds also respond to the cycle of insects morphing from one state to another. Insects too probably respond to weather conditions, and birds exploit that behavior.

I called to my wife to witness the activity, and she too saw lots of birds while I snapped my camera to try to capture them. It is tough to take their pictures because they are fast moving and camouflaged in the undergrowth.

I snapped away, aiming in their direction, trying to get lucky. As usual, there are only glimpses hidden in the leaves. I have a witness that we saw much more than a camera could capture. There is only one thing left to do to create the experience more effectively, and that is to paint it.

Here is a representative view in which birds are active.

Here is one image that captures a bird from the rear view, blocked by a stem.

Here is a chickadee, out of focus because it is an enlargement.

The only way that you can see this bird is as a silhouette. 

The species is unrecognizable.