When I caught sight of this turtle trailing a skirt of algae, I was immediately reminded of the similar turtles that are often depicted in Asian art.
In China such a turtle is supposed be one of four sacred animals: the turtle, the tiger (or kirin or rhino), the dragon, and the phoenix. The Japanese adopted the mythos surrounding the sacred turtle whom they refer to as the minogame. Not every turtle gets to become a minogame, just the lucky ones who have been blessed with long Read more ➜ A lucky turtle
When I caught sight of this turtle trailing a skirt of algae, I was immediately reminded of the similar turtles that are often depicted in Asian art.
In China such a turtle is supposed be one of four sacred animals: the turtle, the tiger (or kirin or rhino), the dragon, and the phoenix. The Japanese adopted the mythos surrounding the sacred turtle whom they refer to as the minogame. Not every turtle gets to become a minogame, just the lucky ones who have been blessed with long Read more ➜ 
This is follow-up to my earlier post, I sold a photo!. I knew that one of my photos was going to be used as a background image on an interpretive sign. But I just learned from my contact person with Bluestone + Associates that the sign was installed this month at Klehm Arboretum and Botanic Garden.
Since the arboretum is in Illinois, it wasn't likely that I'd ever see it myself. What a happy surprise it was to receive photos of the sign once it had been installed. It was 
An esker is a special sort of hill. Eskers develop underneath a glacier, so in Ohio they formed during the last ice age. The sediment that eventually creates an esker starts its life as the sand, gravel and rock deposited on the bottom of a riverbed. However the unusual thing about the associated river is that it flows under great pressure beneath a massive glacier. Instead of having normal riverbanks made of earth, this kind of river flows through a crevasse or icy tunnel at the base of a glacier. 
We stopped by Wahkeena Nature Preserve this past weekend; unlike our previous trip, we didn't hike the trails there. Instead we focused on the marsh, pond, and streams. Water lilies were blooming in both the pond and marsh, and as you can see above, bees were busy pollinating them.
Here are some more scenes from this wetland area.
If you go to check out the marsh, we recommend using some DEET this time of year to keep flying pests away.
We once again stopped 
What's known as the "Mound City Group" is part of the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park in Ross County, Ohio. This land was used for funeral rituals by a Native American civilization that flourished between 200 B.C. and 500 A.D. Mound City is approximately 13 acres in size. A low earthen wall about 3 to 4 feet high (1 to 1.3 meters) lies around the perimeter; it's shape is that of a square with rounded corners. Perhaps the builders of the Mound City thought of the wall as a "sacred enclosure" 
The "Hopewell Culture" refers to a Native American civilization that was centered in Ohio. It flourished here between 200 B.C. and 500 A.D. They are renowned for having built elaborate, huge, earthen structures. However when these mounds were excavated, many artifacts of great artistry were discovered. I would like to share photos of a few of these artifacts, or in some case, replicas of these artifacts. All of them were uncovered at "Mound City" which is where the Hopewell Culture National Historical 
Since we were at Scioto Trail State Park mid-May, there were so many wildflowers along the trails that I thought they merited their own post. Here's a look at some of the flowers that we saw, plus some of the living creatures that were near them.
Wildflowers
Animal life
While looking for wildflowers, the following little creatures also caught my eye.
Additional information
Bob's post, Scioto Trail State 
The white flower above is known by several names: Indian pipe, Ghost plant and Corpse plant. Like squawroot, Indian pipe can't meet its own nutritional needs since it has no chlorophyll. It leads a parasitic life just as squawroot does.
While squawroot gets its nutrition by directly tapping into the roots of oak trees, Indian pipe gets its nutrition more indirectly. It's host organism is a fungus, a member of the Russulaceae family. This fungus gets its nutrition from tree roots. However 
The Emily Traphagen Preserve is part of Delaware County's Preservation Park system. There are two short trails in the park:
White Tail Loop (0.6 miles), and
Meadow Trail (0.5 miles)
Both trails are loops. As you might expect, Meadow Trail is a mown path. However the White Tail Loop is an improved dirt trail that passes through the woods and by a marsh area. From White Tail Loop there is a side trail to what's called the Pond Overlook. I spotted the red-shouldered hawk pictured 
While we were hiking at Caesar Creek Gorge State Nature Preserve, I happened across this frothy, little mess.
I had previously encountered this bubbly stuff on grass.
It turns out that this is the work of a spittlebug, and you are looking at his spittle.
Okay, it's not exactly spittle. The spittlebug youngsters (called nymphs) tap into plants and suck their sap. According to this Wikipedia article, while consuming sap the nymphs use the "excess, filtered fluids" to produce