Posts in Category: Favorites
Knox County Poorhouse
The Knox County Poorhouse was constructed between 1875-1877 and was used for 75-years to house the poor, many of whom lived and died on the grounds. The 90,000 square foot, four-story building featured 90 rooms. The Poorhouse closed in 1953 due to structural stability concerns, although it became home to the Mount Vernon Bible College, after repairs were made, in 1957 until 1987. In 1997, the building became home to the House of Nightmares, a haunted house, which operated until 2006 when a section of the interior collapsed. The building is located in Bangs, Ohio on Possum Road.
Morning on Chimney Rock
Chimney Rock State Park near Asheville, NC features a 315 foot granite monolith. The rock is accessible via elevator and provides stunning views of the nearby countryside. The park was privately owned until 2007, when the State of North Carolina purchased it from a family for $24 million. The park offers hiking trails for all skill levels, spectacular views, and a 404-foot waterfall, Hickory Nut Falls.
Ultrasound
The most important photograph I never took.
Emilia and I had our first visit with the baby doctor today. The doctor performed an ultrasound and we also were able to hear the baby’s heartbeat for the first time. So I present to you, Baby Mahoney. A very robust 3.39cm long at 10 weeks and 2 days old and the heartbeat at a very healthy 170 beats per minute. Is it too early to start spoiling him or her?
One year
Celebrating our first year together as husband and wife, we went camping at East Fork State Park near Cincinnati over Labor Day weekend.
Here we are at the lake enjoying the sunset together and contemplating the rest of our lives, which will become even more special. Baby number one is on the way, due in April.
Hummer H3
Emilia and I acquired a new item in the backyard this Summer.
The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird is 7-9 cm long with an 8-11 cm wingspan, and weighs 2-6 g. Adults are metallic green above and greyish white below, with near-black wings. Their bill is long, straight and very slender.
The adult male has an iridescent ruby red throat patch which may appear black in some lighting, and a dark forked tail. The female has a dark rounded tail with white tips and generally no throat patch, though she may sometimes have a light or whitish throat patch.
The male is smaller than the female, and has a slightly shorter beak. A molt of feathers occurs once per annum, and begins during the autumn migration.
Dragonfly
Dragonflies typically eat mosquitoes, and other small insects like flies, bees, and butterflies. Dragonflies are usually found around lakes, ponds, streams and wetlands because their larvae, known as “nymphs”, are aquatic. Adult dragonflies do not bite or sting humans, though nymphs are capable of delivering a painful (though otherwise harmless) bite.
Belvedere Gardens
One of Emilia’s photos from our trip to Vienna in 2007. The statues that surrounded the garden between the Upper and Lower Belvederes are very intricate and well kept.
Christopher Columbus Memorial Fountain
It was June 8, 1912, a day the New York Times called “second only to the inauguration of a President” because of the parade that included 15,000 troops, 2,000 motor cars, 50,000 Knights of Columbus, around 150,000 spectators, a 21 gun salute, and elaborate horse-drawn floats depicting noteworthy incidents in Columbus’ life.
At the unveiling ceremony, President Taft said, “It is most difficult for us by any effort of the imagination to take in the problem which Columbus solved.” Yet today Columbus is hardly thought of as a national hero to anyone beyond the third grade. Maybe the Columbus statue has simply been gradually overlooked as Washington, D.C. has continued to add more and more monuments.
The rear of the monument features a medallion in honor of Spanish financiers King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella and three flagpoles representing the three ships of Columbus’ envoy. Along with the inscription reading: “To the memory of Christopher Columbus, whose high faith and indomitable courage gave to mankind a new world.”
As you emerge from Union Station, the first thing you see is the rear of the Columbus fountain. Its marbled plaza is an alluring first sight, fitting as it is with the classicism of Union Station itself, and it’s open enough to provide a breath of fresh air and space after a cramped train ride.
Happy 4th of July, and thanks Christopher for discovering America, or re-discovering it!
Chicago River
Looking North down the Chicago River at night. We were waiting for out bus to arrive outside Union Station.
Big Run Park
It was a very beautiful day and Emilia and I went for a walk in Big Run Park. This park is not even 1 mile away from us, but we have never been there. It is about 242 acres and is designated as a nature preserve. We walked around for a bit and on the way back saw this moth clinging to a couple blades of grass. He barely moved as I laid on the ground to get a nice shot of him. Not sure what type he is but very pretty.