Southern Ohio

I graduated from Ohio University, and I loved Athens so much that my husband and I try to go down there every year for the Athens International Film Festival. We didn't make it this spring, so we went down for 2 days this week. We brought our dog, Kimse, and stayed in a cabin on Lake Hope. It was beautiful! We packed our food, and grilled every night. I enjoyed a Burrito Buggy burrito for lunch. Yum! Athens is such a fun town, and it's always interesting to drive the back roads and wonder about the people who live in Southern Ohio. Here are a few pictures of our trip.

On Friday, we took Kimse and rented a rowboat to paddle around Lake Hope. Kimse, of course, had to fall in. She's no fan of water, but she composed herself quite well after the experience.

I wanted to show you what poison ivy looks like. It can look different from time to time, so be careful. We saw some that had leaves bigger than your fist, and some with small leaves too. I've also read that poison ivy is heartier and more potent recently, possibly due to global warming (co2 is an excellent fertilizer for poison ivy), and clearing land for homes and shopping centers. Poison ivy normally grows on forest edges - where the trees end and grass begins. It also climbs trees, so check the ground around trees for signs of ivy. Leaves of three, let it be! It also has a little red where the leaves meet. Virginia Creeper has the red center, but it has 5 leaves.

What a wonderful trip. We relaxed and listened to the bugs, did a little sightseeing, and spent a lot of time in nature. It was very peaceful.