Friday, March 19, 2010

Mountain Glen Sugarbush

This beautiful old stone sugarbush was built in 1904 and has been in continuous operation ever since. It has been updated with new reverse-osmosis equipment that removes up to 75% of the water from the sap before it goes to the boiler.
I was lucky enough to witness the old method of wood-fired boilers and sap collection using horse teams as a young child, but the new ways are far more efficient.t

Claridon Sugarbush


I passed up painting a new timber-framed sugarbush across the road from this great old one that has character the other one lacks. Fading paint and lots of junk makes for a better painting.
I was awarded 2nd place for this painting at the RRCAA in Madison in May.

Richard's Sugarbush

This sugarbush is located at Richard's Maple products in Chardon , Ohio

I took a break from painting and went into the store to buy some maple sugar candy to send to a nephew in Iraq. I bought some for myself and had a huge sugar buzz while finishing the painting.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Sidelined

These engines were parked on a siding in North Lima, Ohio last weekend.

Maple sugar time

The area I live in is second in the nation in maple sugar production, with Vermont as the highest. This sugarbush is in Swine creek Park in Geauga County.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Chippewa Lake- closed for the season


Chippewa Lake , near Cleveland, was an amusement park that operated for well over a hundred years, closing in 1979. It is a ghost town of old rides and deteriorating buildings. The ferris wheel has a tree growing all the way up through the iron structure; the teacup ride in the foreground still has it's cars in position since it was shut down 31 years ago. The roller coaster framework is in remarkably good condition, being made from cedar.

Indian Point ghosts

This is the west end of the remains of an Indian fortification that sits high on a point of land overlooking the Grand River. The Erie tribe once lived around here, but were wiped out by the fierce Iroquois just prior to European contact. I paint here often, and I usually feel like I'm not alone; I
check over my shoulder constantly. Spooky!