Stairs

Today's picture comes late. For those of you in Germany, today's picture is coming tomorrow, which is now today, but its still yesterday's picture...Got that? What it means is...if you're checking this on Friday, then know this is Thursday's picture. Friday's picture will come a little later.

I got on my bike this morning and road to Oak Openings. Oak Openings is one of the things I miss about Toledo. It is a Metropark in the Toledo area. [http://www.metroparkstoledo.com/metroparks/oakopenings/] I love the Toledo Metro Parks. I think they are absolutely great. They are home. I realized that today. But then, I'm getting a little ahead of myself.

This morning, I wanted to take pictures of the rising sun. Though I arose myself at half past four, I left home at 7 for a forecasted sunrise of 730. Problem is, the exciting part, the breaking of the sun over the horizon, happens much earlier than 730. By the time I got to the park, the sun was still hidden behind the trees, but the sky was already blue.

I listened to a new album I got this week, the one by Blue October. It relaxed and inspired me to make photos. As I hinted before, I realized that I feel at home in the Toledo area Metroparks. I have been to the Harz Mountains and I have been to Turkey Run State Park. I have been in other forests in Dayton and in Germany, but somehow, they are not home. When I am in a forest in the Toledo area, it feels different to me. I can't tell you what exactly it is. Maybe its completely subconscious and only happens because I know I am in Toledo and the actual make-up of the forest has nothing to do with it, but I doubt that. The soils are different. The grasses are different. The kinds of trees are different. The topography is different. The forests are unquestionably different. And without ever realizing it before, I notice this.

Anyway, I hope you like the pictures I made of the outdoors at Oak Openings today because they will be the posted photos for the next few days.