All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others

The Glory of scenery touched by our God.

Streams, lakes, mountains, forests, deserts, sunrises & sunsets: what wonderous things have you witnessed from the Hand of God?

0 members like this

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Ricprimus on January 24, 2012 at 4:21pm

This area of Ohio is just south of the terminal moraine (stopping point) of the glaciers of the last ice age, all the runoff water dug deep and carved into the red sandstone underlying the area; in a 30 mile area there are 5 lakes, 2 state parks and the Wayne National Forest - my woods has 3 acres on the border of the Hocking Hills State Park with deep ravines, caves and waterfalls.

Permalink Reply by Ricprimus on April 7, 2013 at 1:00pm

Here's a quick MS Paint version of the homestead as I enter the third year of my stewardship. When I bought the property in January 2010 it was pretty much tangled woods with a good deal of dead, dying and diseased old forest trees, 2 rotting mobile homes, and lots of trash. 2010 was preparing the area for building the cabin, redrilling the artesian well. Early part of 2011 was clearing out a lot of the rotten logs and brush, replanting seedlings from forestry service of diseased or dying trees, making lots of brush pile habitats; June and half of July was building the stream to and from pond area and rest of July and August was having the work done on the dam for the pond so it could fill and be stocked with fish September. July was getting the orchard planted. Early 2012 I got the border berry bushes, grape arbors going and late Spring built the greenhouse, and did massive amounts of sowing wildflower seeds along with getting the beehives going.

Permalink Reply by Ricprimus on April 3, 2012 at 1:46am

Aerial view of my woods, a bit to right of the rock cliff, starting 3/4 of the way down, a bit off the top and right of photo. (October 2010)

Permalink Reply by Ricprimus on April 3, 2012 at 1:51am

Gravel road into my woods (October 2010).

Permalink Reply by Ricprimus on April 3, 2012 at 1:56am

Looking East to West of the new pond, 2.25 acres (like 2 football fields side by side and 1 lengthwise across their ends), 13 foot maximum depth, clay and sandstone bottom; built June1st through July 30th from natural ravine near rear of property. It was only necessary to bulldoze and form lakebed a little, build slope/dam with spillway at east end (spillway drain pipe showing bottom right). Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Hocking Country Soil and Water District helped plan; dam build by Peabody Construction, McArthur, Ohio. Before dam completion and connecting in stream from cliff face to west end and draining stream from east end; added habitat brush and log piles piles. After dam was built and began to fill, at 1 foot level,added purchased submerged aquatic plant Coontail to bottom randomly; 2012, will add native lilies. After 2 month water stabilization, added (based on ODNR calculations), fingerling, 1-3" fish: 225 Largemouth Bass, 787 Bluegills, 337 Redear Sunfish and 225 Channel Catfish. 2012 will add Leopard and bullfrogs, painted turtles. Another work in progress (September 2011).

Permalink Reply by Ricprimus on April 3, 2012 at 2:00am

Trash filled pool at base of waterfall and beginning of old muck stream and rusted pipe drainage to off property; previous owners had 3 derelict mobile homes in the woods, one was near this area, 2 old rusted lawn chairs set up by this, their "nature watching" spot I guess. Right now new stream is straight to waterfall, 2012 I think I'll make a small 10, 20 foot wading pool from the rock wall before the stream begins. Next photo is about same spot after a very messy cleanup, a lot of sweat, briar scratches and bug bites along with a touch of "le artiste" (April 2010).

Permalink Reply by Ricprimus on April 7, 2013 at 1:05pm

Here's the small year round waterfall on the sandstone cliff that is my north property line: water flow is enough to keep the steam and pond at a constant level of cold artesian water.

Permalink Reply by Ricprimus on April 3, 2012 at 2:03am

The new stream from cliff wall to pond west end, 2 feet wide, 2-4 inches deep with occasional 6 inch pools; from small flow off cliff rocks (previous photo) and a small natural spring mid-property; previous owners just had them channeled through small ditch of mud and rusted pipe to property line drainage ditch. Bottom now (hand gathered) flat rocks and gravel along with larger border rocks. West section is 50 feet long to feed my new 2.25 acre pond built from a natural ravine near back propety; east section also about 50 feet from pond spillway to drainage pipe and ditch to off-property large creek. I went and found some nearby small creeks and with small minnow seine, and buckets in hand, collected minnows (50 of 4 species), live creek snails (30), crayfish (30) and a dozen salamanders of 2 species and relocated them to my creek. Relocated moss and ferns, mayapples, etc. from dead trees I was cutting out for seedling replants and also plants from the future pond location and lastly randomly seeded banks with seed from 3 native wildflower mixes. Creek flows through my morel mushroom patch area and next years grape arbor area. Creek, built June 2011; as of November seems to be stable and going naturally. Lot of technical help from Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Hocking County Soil and Water Conservation District. A work in progress. (September 2011).

Permalink Reply by Ricprimus on April 7, 2013 at 1:10pm

The other source of water for the streams and waterfall is a small ground artesian water seepage near mid-property which I surrounded with native stone to form a small pool that drains excess via an underground pvc pipe to the southernmost part of the pond. My good weather reading/sketching spot.