It's about that time again in Ohio. It seems to be every Ohioans favorite time of year anymore. With summers being so oppressive and winters being so grueling, Autumn seems to be a brief respite for us all. We're strutting our stuff, as a state, and don't have to do a bit of work for the glory. The Jack-o-Lantern is in the window, the scarecrow is on the door, the gourds have made their way from the back yard garden up to the front of the house for their display, the Mum's are showing off again; as they do so well each year in their attempt to one-up the lovely maple trees.
Until recently I took Ohio for granted. Looked for every excuse why we should leave in favor of a coastal or mountainous location. One less boring, less typical. Then it was pointed out to me, by a visitor from out of state, how lucky we are to have access to so much natural diversity.
We have the Great Lakes to the north, "You're almost to Canada for heavens sake!"said my surprised friend. Go towards the southern end and you start feeling yourself speaking with a bit of a drawl, you cannot help it, it just happens. Kentucky and Tennessee just kind of creep up on you and before you know it, you're a southerner in your own state of Ohio. Cutting east, through the Amish Country we all adore, and winding through the Ohio Appalachian Counties, (mountain regions in Ohio?) you end up close enough to the New England states to claim to be one of theirs as well. Going west.....it gets a little flatter and you are truly a mid-westerner, that Ohio claims to be a part of, but we're more like an afterthought in their tight knit territory at times.
This acre...........my acre (well, actually more like 1.5 acre............and more like the mortgage company's 1.5 acre for several more years) is just about in the middle of it. Our state is hosting an exhibit right now. All of the public is invited. Bring your kids and the camera.......................it's our annual event! We crave it every year.
