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Tuesday, April 13, 2010

A walk with my father-in-law

Visiting my in-laws in southern Ohio (also where I grew up) is always relaxing and their home in the country sits on top of of one of the longest unbroken ridges in the United States. It has the unappealing name of Greasy Ridge, but it is really lovely in Spring. They own twenty-two acres, fourteen of which was my father-in-law Carl's homestead. A few years ago they acquired the eight acres bordering their property when their friends who owned it had both passed away. The rickety old house where his mother lived until a few years before she died was torn down and replaced with a rustic farm house when they retired and moved back home about 15 years ago.

Dad keeps his own hiking trails mowed, so it's like having your very own state park...without all the crowds. I love walking there. Enjoy it with me.


My mother-in-law, Phyllis, has a very green thumb. Her bleeding heart is huge and gorgeous.


The redbud trees were in full bloom and were so beautiful lining the roadsides. The hills are so pretty this time of year when redbuds are alongside the dogwood trees.


There isn't much left of this one, but it's putting on a wonderful show.


The bridal wreath frames an outhouse on their neighbor's property.


The petals are so delicate and they shine in the sun.


This one is on the property that they added to their place. Someday we may build a home there. It has lots of fruit trees, crape myrtles, a gorgeous mimosa tree...it's a lovely setting.



One of the many apple trees there.





The plum trees are blooming as well.


One of my favorite spring bulbs is the paper-white narcissus. I have them in my garden, too.


Fungi on a downed log in the woods.


A log bridge that Dad built with my nephew Alexander.



A yellow violet (oxymoron?) near the end of our trail.


Back in the yard again and the lilacs in full bloom against the brilliant blue sky.


I hope you enjoyed our walk.

27 comments:

Judy said...

Since I didn't get up in time for a walk around my neighborhood this morning... I really did enjoy taking a walk here with you. Beautiful spring!! Thanks!

Cora said...

Thanks for the beautiful walk. It was breathtaking with all the beauty. It's so nice to be able to keep old home places in the family. I hope you get to build there one day!

Char said...

what a gorgeous walk - just beautiful

Sandy Nawrot said...

Thank you for sharing that with us! There is absolutely nothing quite as beautiful as spring in the midwest!

Cindy said...

Ahhh... that was a very refreshing walk. Thank you! My walk was canceled out by driving across town (through rain and traffic) to pick up our taxes this morning, so I really enjoyed this virtual walk in the country. I can almost smell those lilacs and the fresh air. Beautiful!

Anonymous said...

I MUST plant a couple of lilac bushes!

Di
The Blue Ridge Gal

Susan said...

Judy, I'm so glad you enjoyed the virtual walk in the warm Spring sunshine!

Cora, we're so lucky to have this place to use as a home base when we're home visiting family. It's a little isolated, but that's part of its charm.

Char, so glad you liked it!

Sandy, you keep trying to pretend that you're from Florida, but I know where you heart truly lies!

Cindy, so happy to give you this little pick-me-up, especially after anything to do with taxes! I can't wait until my own lilacs bloom. Ours are about two weeks later.

Di, thanks for visiting me and my in-laws! Lilacs would grow well in the Blue Ridge Mountains...one of my very favorite places in the country!

ds said...

Thank you for the beautiful walk! I loved all of it, but especially the lilac at the end. I keep hope hope hoping that one I planted will bloom, but it never happens. So I'll just have to visit yours. Such a pleasure--and relaxing.

alaine@éclectique said...

It's a beautiful place, that's for sure and you must be excited in the hope that one day you may build there!

Very pretty post, Susan. xa

California Girl said...

Spec TAC ular...what a gorgeous set of photos on this gorgeous farm. I so miss the redbuds in Ky. I'd never seen one til we moved there. We are planning a trip to KY/Cincy in May but it will obviously be too late for the Spring flowers and trees this year. Damn!

GailO said...

What a lovely piece of property your inlaws have!...and thank you for taking us along for the walk...it was beautiful...your photos are stunning...I especially loved the fungi photo:) Your blossoms are a bit ahead of ours in RI...will be quite a while before I see lilacs here...

Susan said...

ds, I had to take the picture of the lilac only of the top third because the deer eat all the lower buds off. It aggravates my MIL to no end, but she loves watching the deer from the dining room window, so I guess it's a trade-off!

Alaine, thank you! We go back and forth about living there someday. It's very appealing in the warm months, but in winter it can be very isolated. My in-laws are getting older, so it won't be long before we have to make a decision to either live there or have them move near us.

Cali Girl, that's a shame that you'll miss the redbuds and dogwood blooming! There's nothing prettier than that drive down I-75 and I-71 with them lining the rocky sides of the highway! The flowering trees seem to be outdoing themselves this year, maybe because of the awful winter we had. Hey, if you're coming through Columbus look me up!

Oliag, my in-laws' place is actually about 3 hours south of where we live, so my lilacs are a couple of weeks out. They're not even in full leaf yet. Thank you, I love fungi, too!

Deborah said...

Lovely photos and a glimpse of spring in a different part of the word, all of which I enjoyed. But what struck me the most is the obviously-close relationship you have with your parents-in-law. I know you haven't got your own parents any more, and so it's doubly wonderful that you feel so right with your husband's. Says much about you, Susan, and those choices you made. ;)

Susan said...

Deborah, how wise of you to pick up on that! Yes, I'm very close to them and we love each other very much. They kind of took over after my own mother passed away. We've always had a good relationship, but that bonded us even closer. My FIL says that I spoil them! ;)

Yes, it's all about the choices. :)

Ruth said...

We don't live that far apart for you to be so far ahead of us, but you really are. Your FIL's property is a private sanctuary that I hope you can live on some day.

He has a "tractor seat" fungus, like we do!

M said...

This spring has been utterly beautiful here which would be wonderful payback for the miserable winter if only the pollen count were below 5000!!! I'm happy to do the virtual tour because I'm guessing I would have sneezed the whole way! Just gorgeous country---I hope you do get to build a home there.

Mary
Flat Rock Creek Notebook

Dutchbaby said...

As a Californian living on a lot the size of a postage stamp, I was already salivating before I took the first step alongside you. Twenty-two acres - holy moly! What a luxury to have all that private space!

I have tried so many times to grow bleeding heart but our snails have a different agenda.

I cracked up when I read Ruth's comment. "Tractor seat" fungus - so aptly named!

Thanks for taking me along!

Anonymous said...

That was absolutely lovely. I want to move there. What a treasure to have such a place to live or visit. Beautiful.

The Bumbles said...

Nature is loveliest in Spring. We have a small lilac bush planted next to our back porch and I look forward to seeing and smelling it as it grows from year to year. And someday I hope to plant a redbud tree too. For now we just have forsythia to look at. My narcissus have sprouted but not bloomed - at least I suppose that is what they are called - they look just like those in your photo. Thanks for taking me site-seeing.

Susan said...

Ruthie, my in-laws are about seven hours south of you and Don, so that's quite a difference. We're about 3 1/2 hours south of you, so we're about 2 1/2 weeks ahead? My lilacs are still in tight bud and the trees are just now starting to leaf out.

I had forgotten the name of that fungus! Thanks for reminding me!

Mary, I know what you mean...I think Mother Nature is being extra kind to us with beauty this year. We had an awful winter as well. I've only developed allergies in the last few years, and they're definitely worse this year. I haven't felt like doing anything. I hope we get some rain soon to wash away some of the pollen.

dutchbaby, I enjoyed your company very much! Yes, it is quite a luxury to own such a large and beautiful piece of property. It's only drawback is that it isn't convenient to go anywhere. The closest store is 4 miles away and has a very limited selection and prices that reflect its location.

I love bleeding hearts too, but I have no luck with them. My MIL can stick something in the ground that I would swear is dead, and the next thing you know it looks that BH. She is amazing! And she is 83 years old and still bowls in a weekly league and cans and freezes vegetables from a huge garden every summer!

Bella, thank you! I didn't even show you half of the stuff there. I took a bunch of photos last summer of their place and thought I did a post about it, but I can't find it. I might just have it on Facebook. Sounds like another post, eh?

Molly, as I was driving through town today I was just in awe of the gorgeous flowering trees! I wanted to stop and take a picture of a crabapple that was just beginning to pop out...you know the ones that flower before the leaves come out and the whole branch just looks like a pink and white popsicle? I just love those! Spring is my favorite time of year, even with the allergies!

Ruth said...

Oh, well that explains the difference in spring forwardness then.

Ha! about the tractorus seatus fungus.

Delwyn said...

Hi Susan

thank you for this spring walk in rural Ohio...I miss the spring blossomness of spring living as I do in the subtropics so it is a treat to view all the fruit trees in blossom and see that amazing dogwood - I found it in NZ last spring and someone from the US identified it for me...huges plattered flowers...just lovely

Happy days

Susan said...

Hello Delwyn! It's always fun seeing the different kinds of flowering trees and plants in such different parts of the world. You have many there that I love, too.

steviewren said...

Simply gorgeous blooms!

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous! What a beautiful place to build a house someday.

VioletSky said...

What a great place to live. Must be a joy to wander and explore, especially in spring with all those new blossoms!

Susan said...

Thank you, Stevie!

Stacy, I love those craggy hills of southern Ohio!

Sanna, it really is a great place if you love hiking, and we do. There are also neighboring properties to explore as well. I usually get a good workout when I'm there, if I have time from all the family visits I have to make.