Kristen and I took a trip to the Conservatory at the LCMP’s Miller Nature Preserve in Avon. I had to find something with some color to shoot, because everything outside was wet, colorless and boring. Having been there before, and knowing what I’d find, I had to take a different approach. With the exception of very few shots, I took all my photos on the aperture setting. Pretty happy with the results.
What would you do if one day you were told that your otherwise perfectly normal, healthy, 6-year-old little girl had a terminal brain tumor that would take her life within a year? This is exactly what happened to Ed and Megan McNamara whose daughter, Maria, was diagnosed with a diffused intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) on April 1, 2006. This was no April fool’s joke.
It was close to a year ago that Kristen and I went to the Miller Nature Preserve, and checked out the orchid display at Lorain County’s first conservatory. Fantastic!! It was with that same enthusiasm that we headed back to see the Butterfly House that opened at the beginning of July, and will be closed after September 3. There is now an herb garden and a rose garden, too, just a few steps away from the conservatory.
Located on Route 83 in Avon, Miller Nature Preserve rests on 78 acres of wooded land in the heart of Avon. Much of the property was donated by longtime Avon resident, Buddy Miller in memory of his late wife Alice Fowles. A Visitor Center is nestled between trees and the winding French Creek and includes a café, a gift shop and a demonstration kitchen for cooking classes. The highlight of this preserve is the 5,000 square foot conservatory, the first in Lorain County.
Crown of Thorns
Lipstick Plant
White Pine (Bonsai)
Ageratum (Hawaii Blue)
Aechmea (Bromeliad)
The Bird of Paradise
…and LOTS of orchids (when they’re blooming)
Many different varieties of cacti
Different species of ferns
A small waterfall
One view inside the Conservatory
For only $2, you can tour the Conservatory, and for $10, you can have a pass for the year. Plans for outdoor gardens, trails, and a butterfly house are in the works. You owe it to yourself to visit, you will not be disappointed.
Since I first stepped into All-Pro Freight Stadium in January of 2009, it looked like it was going to be quite the destination. I went back a few more times, chronicling the development, and knew I’d have to get there. Little did I realize it would take me ’til now to make it. Thanks to an outing sponsored by St. Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church, I took my family and my extended family to a game Sunday night. Absolutely enjoyed ourselves! There were contests, and giveaways and contests, and then more contests in between the innings. The game was exciting, Cruisers vs the Crushers, and though the visitors won, the Crushers kept it close, losing only by a 6-5 score. Hope the video inspires you to make it out to a game!!
Ice carvings done by Steve Griffea and Dan Branhan of DeLuca’s Place in the Park
Timber, retired, one of six Siberian Huskies at the sled dog demo.
All-Pro Freight Stadium
Jared Miller pitches to Mike Teleha during one of the two F-League All-Star Games
Joe Geisel hurls one towards the plate
Jared Miller and Mike Teleha
(The National League team was short players and Jared and Scott Short graciously volunteered to help them out.)
Looking for a way to support your community? The Crushers Community Day program may be the perfect way to give back to the community while simultaneously advertising your business.
This is Opening Day for the Lake Erie Crushers as they take on the Windy City ThunderBolts at 7:05 pm!
Let’s take a peek inside the Stadium before everyone gets there. (Click on photos for a larger view.)
The field from the 3rd Base side of the park.
This is the view from one of the loges behind home plate. As you can see, there’s really not a bad seat in the park.
Here’s the complex as viewed from straight-away center field.
The park has 4-top seating called “Terrace Tables.” For $60, you get a table for 4 (tickets included), and a server to wait on you and your friends, so you can concentrate on the conversation and the game, without worrying about when the concession lines are short.
Let’s run into the Gift Shop real quick, known at All-Pro as the “Fan-Attic.”
They have assorted Crushers ballcaps with logos like these:
Souvenir bats,
in a variety of colors.
There’s LOTS of T-shirts,
mugs for those coffee-drinkin’ fans,
shot glasses,
and the ALWAYS popular foam finger.
A unique spin on the foam finger is the
foam bear claw, in honor of Stomper the mascot. All these and more in the Fan-Attic! So get ready, because it’s almost time for the ump to yell “Play Ball!” tonight at All-Pro Freight Stadium.
What do Art Vandelay, John Coctostan, and Billy Barou all have in common?
Besides being “characters” in a TV show and two movies (Can you name them? Answers at the bottom.), they are menu items at Moe’s Southwest Grill in Avon, at the French Creek Square.
I first found Moe’s back in October after a visit to Five Guys’, which is a really good burger place. (Possibly the subject of a future post!!) After leaving Five Guys’, we walked past Moe’s and I decided to walk in and check it out, and I picked up a copy of the menu. As I walked out and down the sidewalk, I about fell over laughing at the names of the menu items.
So, ever since then, I’ve been trying to get to the Grill for a meal. Saturday night, my daughter got invited to a sleepover at a friend’s, which is around the corner. So, after church, we headed to Moe’s for a bite. Kristen got a John Coctostan (a quesadilla) and Michael and I had a Joey Bag of Donuts and a Homewrecker, respectively.
Moe’s is to burritos and tacos and such, what Subway is to sub sandwiches. You place your order at the front, and then they ask you for a choice of meat for your item (if it gets meat), choice of beans, and then whatever you’d like for fresh fixin’s on your order: lettuce, jalapenos, cheese, guac and sour cream, and so on. When it’s got whatever you want, it gets rolled up, wrapped in aluminum foil, and placed in a basket with tortilla chips. You can get a soft drink or (get this!:) order a beer!!!! with your meal. There’s a salsa bar there if you’d like salsa with your chips.
So the kids and I sit down, hoping for something tasty. I’m a little worried, because Kristen and Mike are nowhere near as adventurous as I am when it comes to food. This is pretty tame compared to most, but still. I wait until they’ve had a taste, and reacted with big eyes and huge smiles, before I dig into my burrito. Excellent. A little bit of bite because I got both fresh and pickled jalapenos as I couldn’t decide between the two. The chips were crisp, and could’ve used a little more salt, but still good. We didn’t see the salsa bar until we were disposing of our trash, so we’ll just have to go back sometime.
The kids assured me that this is a definite do-again. There’s seating inside, with a few TV’s up on the wall, and there’s also seating out front. So, if you’re ever out and about in Avon, check it out. You’ll be glad you did.
(Answer to the menu items/TV show/movies quiz: “Seinfeld,” “Fletch,” and “Caddyshack”)
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