Spring offers an invitation to leave home in order to enjoy a walk at one of two nearby Metro Parks, which are located minutes from Canal Winchester, Ohio. Chestnut Ridge is well-known as the furthest west outcropping of the Appalachian range of mountains. Walnut Woods shares a wooded landscape, much of which used to be a commercial tree farm.
One of the precious locations at Walnut Woods Metro Park is the enormous American sycamore tree, which is located along the Monarch Trail. On the left, an early spring look at the developing canopy of leafy branches. On the right, the girth of the tree’s truck fills up the camera lens.
Chestnut Ridge Metro Park offers a moderate to difficult series of trails, but always be sure to bring a camera. The park is maintained in its natural state so fallen branches and trees are allowed to rest peacefully on the ground away from the trails. On the left, a growth of moss surrounds much of a hollowed out tree stump. On the right, a hilltop garden witnesses the early arrival of daffodils, which proves spring is well on its way.
Returning to Walnut Woods later in the spring, one can immediately witness the maturity displayed in the park. On the left, an opening in the green vegetation offers a camera view of Walnut Creek, which meanders through a portion of the park. On the right, a tranquil spot is found along the trail in the Tall Pines area of the park.
The final pair of photos come from Chestnut Ridge. On the left, the gentle hillside is framed by numerous trees with a delightful meadow below. On the right, a typical trail begins the ascent up the hillside. Notice the natural surface of trail, which found throughout the park.
Back in January, 2025, autumn and winter Ohio photos were shared. Readers are encouraged to access the gallery through this link: Buckeye Photo Gallery #1.
About a month ago, photos taken around my home in the state of Ohio were posted in the Buckeye Photo Gallery. Today’s gallery brings an invitation to visit Montana’s Big Sky Country, which is my native state.
This past summer (August, 2024), my camera enjoyed a journey filled with capturing the landscape around Madison County in southwestern Montana. On the left, the Madison River flows downstream from the river’s canyon exit. Its destination will be the headwaters of the Missouri River, located near the community of Three Forks. The photo on the right looks downstream on the river, as one moves away from the canyon. The weather conditions were very windy, and fortunately, the camera remained steady.
An hour’s drive from my hometown of Billings, takes one to Carbon County and the town of Red Lodge. Both photos capture scenes found on main street. The photo on the left features the Carbon County Courthouse. On the right, the corner building has been repurposed into a retail shop on the ground floor.
My wife and I always enjoy visiting the city of Bozeman, which is home to Montana State University. This community was home to me during my college years (1974-1978). While Main Street has changed a great deal from my time, the atmosphere remains welcoming with a vibrant commercial district. The Rockford Coffee Roasters welcomed us for mid-morning refreshments with our youngest Montana daughter and her two-year old son. Across the street sits the venerable Ellen Theater, which opened in 1919.
Enjoy the contrast of these two photos. Taken during the summer of 2023, the photo on the left captures a smoky sunrise above the Billings neighborhood where I grew up. The final photo was taken during the summer of 2021. A rest area outside of Billings, along Interstate 90, shares a bit of humor as well as functionality for its canine visitors.
It has been quite some time since some of my photography has been posted. Here are some camera captures from the past few months. Enjoy a Buckeye journey with filled with images from spring, autumn, and winter.
Sometime in April, 2024, these photos were taken at Walnut Woods Metro Park, which is a short drive from my home. On the left, Walnut Creek peacefully flows along a boundary of the park. On the right, an unidentified bird enjoys a quiet moment surveying the landscape below.
My camera accompanied me on a neighborhood walk in October, 2024. The tree-lined boulevard welcomes visitors with brilliant autumn colors. A pair of ravens perched rooftop captured my attention. They pretty much ignored my presence.
Recently, my wife and I were dog sitting for our oldest daughter and her family while they were traveling. The date was December 29, and we experienced very unusual weather for this time of the year. A thunderstorm arrived, followed by warming inspiration from the sun, and we captured this nearly full rainbow from the backyard patio.
New Year’s winter comeback as photographed from our home’s deck (January 3, 2025).
While putting this gallery together, it seemed appropriate to allow God’s Word to have the final thought. From Psalm 96:11-12:
“Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;let the sea roar and all that fills it; let the field exult and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy.”
Northeastern Montana’s Fort Peck Dam is viewed from the east side of the dam. The four towers in the middle of the photo are the emergency and main control shafts which run through the dam. These tunnels (over 24 feet wide and running approximately 6,000 feet) move water to the dam’s hydroelectricity generating plant.Nature never ceases in its work as evidenced by a beaver dam on the Big Run Creek, found at central Ohio’s Walnut Woods Metro Park. An amazing ecosystem lives as a result of this beaver’s ingenuity and engineering.In Montana, my youngest daughter and her husband enjoy hiking in places not far from their home in Bozeman. This scene was captured in the Spanish Creek area, with the majestic Spanish Peaks in the background.From Maryland’s Eastern Shore, a small work boat waits for the start of another day while moored along Cambridge Creek.One last look at central Ohio’s winter-filled February, 2021. This peaceful scene was photographed at Walnut Woods Metro Park, just before the big thaw.A classic, restored Ford Mustang decorates the street in a neighborhood in Billings, Montana. Is it calling you to ask for a ride in it?From Walnut Woods Metro Park in central Ohio, a recent beaver dam has been constructed on the creek known as Big Run. Farther upstream, a larger dam has created a water home for many creatures living in the park.A mid-summer view along the shore of southwestern Montana’s Hebgen Lake. The calm waters are leading back toward the source of the Madison River in Yellowstone National Park.Designed from large, round hay bales, a teddy bear welcomes one and all to the village of Mesopotamia, Ohio.An active chairlift operates at Big Sky Resort on a chilly winter morning in southwestern Montana. The lift is located just off a road which travels into a series of condominiums. A shaded and peaceful place is found atop the inner ridge at Chestnut Ridge Metro Park in central Ohio. This picture, taken in early summer, offers a glimpse back through the trees toward the land below.When visiting Montana back in the summer of 2018, my youngest daughter and I hiked up to the “M” at the entrance to Bridger Canyon. We reached our destination in about 45 minutes, taking the slower, more gradual trail. The 250-foot block, white “M” was built by Montana State University students in 1915.Early morning sunrise overlooks a tranquil pond at central Ohio’s Chestnut Ridge Metro Park. On an early morning walk along the Choptank River at Cambridge, Maryland, these playful ducks found a hideaway along the breakwater.Montana Hall anchors the center of the campus at Montana State University in Bozeman. Being part of the university since 1896, the building is the second oldest. Originally named Old Main, the building houses offices of the President, Registrar, and numerous other offices.Mid-summer’s flowers discovered at a hilltop garden site at Ohio’s Chestnut Ridge Metro Park.Before crossing the Chesapeake Bay on the way to Maryland’s Eastern Shore, one travels through Annapolis, Maryland’s capital city. Pictured here is the majestic Maryland State House. Built in 1772, it is the oldest continuously used state capitol building in the United States.A colorful peacock strikes a morning pose at the Montana Zoo in Billings, Montana. While the zoo is small compared with the major zoos of America, it provides a family-filled journey with some of nature’s most special creatures.Walking the trail at Chestnut Ridge Metro Park is one of my special places to be. The park is filled with moderate to difficult natural trails, and one never knows when a deer might cross your path (especially if you walk early in the morning).Damage from the 1959 earthquake is visible throughout the Hebgen Lake area in southwestern Montana. The former highway used to run along the lake, but now its remnants remind every visitor of the “night the mountain fell” on an August night.The historical district of Annapolis, Maryland is captured following a torrential downpour of rain. Maryland’s state capital is definitely worth a visit with the original State House, other significant buildings from colonial times, waterfront, and the U.S. Naval Academy all within a comfortable walk of each other.An early morning walk at central Ohio’s Walnut Woods Metro Park finds peace and tranquility along one of the two ponds on the Kestrel Trail.In Montana, my youngest daughter and her husband enjoy the great outdoors. Their camera captures this view as they kayak on the Yellowstone River between Columbus and Park City (west of Billings).A visitor to Cambridge, Maryland will find this colorful mural at the visitor’s center along the Choptank River. The image celebrates the way of life linked with the Eastern Shore’s waterfront.The wild spring blossoms in central Ohio arrive early and leave much too quickly. The historic Fort Peck Theater is located a short distance from the Fort Peck Dam in northeastern Montana. The theater was originally constructed to show films 24/7 to the dam construction workers as a pastime when they weren’t working. Today, the theater serves as the home of an exceptional summer theater program.Serenity is captured on an early summer morning among the tall white pines at central Ohio’s Walnut Woods Metro Park. The trees were originally planted as a nursery for transplanting in other locations. Thank goodness these gentle giants remain here for others to enjoy.Here is a study in contrast from the main street of Virginia City, Montana. Three modern motorcycles (most likely Harley’s) are parked in front of the Masonic Temple building (dated 1867). Virginia City served as the second territorial capital of the Montana Territory, and it now serves as the County Seat of Madison County in southwestern Montana.Along Long Wharf at Cambridge, Maryland, the Choptank River Lighthouse guards the shore.
Early spring foliage surrounds the tranquil setting of Walnut Creek in central Ohio.
Here is the massive spillway of the Fort Peck Dam in northeastern Montana. The dam was constructed in the 1930s as a Public Works Administration project to create jobs during the Great Depression. Life magazine’s first cover (November 23, 1936) displayed a photo of the spillway under construction along with an article about the boom towns which grew up around the dam site. (Click on this link to read more: Fort Peck Dam
An autumn walk discovers this “huge” hole in a tree trunk, perhaps created by a woodpecker and now providing a home for a nest. My camera enjoys making journeys to nearby nature parks such as Chestnut Ridge Metro Park.
My Bobcat Spirit lives on (Class of 1978). This collage of photos was taken inside of the Strand Union Building on the campus of Montana State University. The city of Bozeman and the MSU Bobcats will always be part of my memories.
Peeking through the shadows of the thick vegetation, bright sunlight captures a meadow filled with tall, lush grass. There are many scenes like this one to be found when walking the trails at Chestnut Ridge Metro Park near Columbus, Ohio.
Capturing the crashing surf along the beach at Ocean City, Maryland. This picture reminds us that God’s creation continues to thrive and bring us hope.
The village of Oxford offers a unique bed and breakfast experience on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The Oxford Inn combines warm hospitality, charming and simple rooms, and a delicious breakfast menu. A limited dinner menu is usually available on certain nights of the week.
A view up one of the peaks at Big Sky Resort in Montana. Big Sky offers impressive skiing conditions, and it rates as one of top skiing destinations in the U.S.
A restored car from yesteryear proudly shows off in the annual Labor Day Parade in Pickerington, Ohio.
Welcome to a Bozeman tradition, and one of Montana’s treasures. The small sandwich shop on the right is the Pickle Barrel, famous for its delicious sub sandwiches. This building used to be a barber shop before being renovated into a sandwich shop in 1974. The shop is located on West College Street across from Montana State University. If you visit, remember to retrieve a fresh pickle from the pickle barrel. Your sandwich will thank you.
An early morning sunrise awakens around a farm in central Ohio.
From an overlook along Interstate 68, one finds an impressive view of the Youghiogheny River, which creates a natural border between West Virginia and Maryland.
A picturesque Montana scene as the Yellowstone River flows eastward with a background of trees, hillsides, and mountains.
Near Westerville, the Hoover Dam provides the city of Columbus, Ohio and surrounding communities with much of their water supply. Completed in 1955, the Hoover Reservoir uses the water from Big Walnut Creek for a multitude of recreational opportunities as well.
The Madison River canyon is the site of a major earthquake which occurred in the Hebgen Lake area on a quiet summer evening in August, 1959. Pictured on the other side of the highway, one can still see the scar left on the mountainside when a quake-induced landslide tore away the face of the mountain.
Foggy conditions surround the giant sycamore tree at Walnut Woods Metro Park in central Ohio. This is one of my favorite places to walk, and adding fog to the mystery of the park is a welcome opportunity for my camera to capture.
A unique summer moment is captured with a praying mantis who is enjoying the sun while resting on the door of my automobile.
Long Wharf along the Choptank River at Cambridge, Maryland offers a fascinating bit of history. Pictured is the FDR Smokestack Memorial, and it is the honored resting place for one of the actual smokestacks from President Franklin Roosevelt’s Presidential yacht, the USS Potomac. The ship was equipped with two smokestacks, but one was covertly converted into a simple elevator to allow FDR (stricken with polio) to move his wheelchair between decks.
What do you think? Does this rebuilt cabin look ready for use? At least, there is a small pile of firewood and useful work table outside. The roof may need some work before the next rain. This scene was captured in Nevada City, Montana (located a “gold nuggets” throw away from its larger sister community of Virginia City in history-rich Madison County).
An early fall setting is captured at central Ohio’s Chestnut Ridge Metro Park. The landscape colors are beginning to change as images of the sky’s clouds reflect in the pond.
A peaceful and tranquil Hebgen Lake is captured in the late afternoon. The lake is created by a dam on the Madison River (dam is pictured in the background). Hebgen Lake is located in southwestern Montana, not far from Yellowstone National Park.
Walking along the beach at Ocean City, Maryland and finding an amazing and inspiring sand sculpture.
Chestnut Ridge Metro Park is one of gems in the park system surrounding Columbus, Ohio. The distinctive fall colors illustrate a dynamic presentation of God’s creative spirit.
Viewed from its western face, Sphinx Mountain is a well-known landmark in southwestern Montana’s Madison Range. With its elevation of 10,840 feet, the mountain brings an imposing presence above the valley below.
Autumn’s colorful scenery arrives at Walnut Woods Metro Park in central Ohio.
Southwestern Montana’s landscape offers the diversity of grassy valleys, wandering rivers, tree-lined foothills, and majestic mountains (still with a splash of snow in July).
An abandoned corn silo stands watch over a corn field which is ready for harvest in central Ohio, just minutes outside of Canal Winchester.
Following the highway between Ennis, Montana and Hebgen Lake, offers many venues for a photographer’s camera lens to capture. The entrance to the Mill Creek Ranch offers plenty of contrast with blooming sweet clover along the road along with the Madison Range of mountains in the background. Notice the snow still clinging to a few of the north-facing slopes (picture was taken in July).
The rising sun illuminates a small boat checking crab pots (traps) on the Choptank River near Cambridge, Maryland.
Late summer brings bright colors to the wooded areas of nearby parks in central Ohio.
A walk down the main street of Ennis, in southwestern Montana, offers views of some of the most unique storefronts anywhere. One can see and feel the passion of the community’s proud heritage and way of life.
A peaceful and tranquil garden is found late in the summer in the village of Lithopolis, which is located south of the Columbus, Ohio metro area.
A drive through the Hysham Hills along Montana’s I-94 offers contrast between the grasslands and ponderosa pines dotting the hillsides. The ponderosa pine is the state tree of Montana. This photo was taken about an hour’s drive east of Billings.
An April view of tranquil surroundings along Walnut Creek in central Ohio.
Pausing for a moment along Montana’s Madison River (between Ennis and Hebgen Lake), offers a scene of tranquility and beauty.
A massive American Sycamore tree is framed by surrounding trees at Walnut Woods Metro Park in central Ohio. The tree may be over a hundred years old, and it is a well-known landmark at the park.
Growing in Chestnut Ridge Metro Park in central Ohio, many hikers stop and admire this unusually shaped fruit growing above their heads. The pawpaw tree is a native tree to Ohio, and its fruit is a vital part of the food chain for many types of wildlife. The fruit offers a unique taste that is somewhere between a mango and a banana.
Just down the road from Ennis, Montana, visitors will find Virginia City as well as Nevada City. Both communities contain rich artifacts of history from the gold rush days of the 1860s and 1870s. This small cabin was probably moved into Nevada City, but it represents some of the housing found during the time period.
Blooming flowers announce the arrival of spring at Ohio’s Chestnut Ridge Metro Park.
In downtown Billings, the unique architecture of the Western Heritage Center stands as witness of the city’s rich and diverse history in the Big Sky Country. Built in 1901, the structure originally provided a home for the Parmly Billings Memorial Library.
Nature shows off her green splendor and sends peaceful vibes outward on an early June morning at central Ohio’s Walnut Woods Metro Park.
The Beartooth Mountains frame the background above a Montana valley. If one looks closely, snow is still hiding in the upper ridges of the peaks on a mid-summer afternoon.
The green, lush vegetation welcomes all to central Ohio’s Chestnut Ridge Metro Park where anyone feels in harmony with God’s creation.
Visiting a shop in Montana’s historic Virginia City, a person just might happen to find this fine gentleman offering greetings to all who drop in.
A foggy, misty morning outlines a beautiful framed image of a spider’s web between the posts on the Big Run bridge at central Ohio’s Walnut Woods Metro Park.
A roadside stop allows a moment to capture the scenic view along Interstate 15 in Montana between Great Falls and Helena. A highway bridge that was constructed in the 1930s is visible at the bottom of the narrow valley.
Arrival of flowers marks the return of spring to Ohio’s Chestnut Ridge Metro Park.
Montana’s Holter Lake offers many types of recreation for anyone with a boat. A small marina is shown (from the summer of 2018), and the lake is located near the small community of Wolf Creek.
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is well-known for its outstanding array of wildlife from around the world as well as its animal conservation efforts. The “Heart of Africa” exhibit displays the African savanna as one might find it . . . filled with village life, giraffes, zebras, and so much more.
A final look back at winter as shown near Lone Mountain in the Madison Range near Big Sky, Montana. As one looks at the far peaks in the background, think of the snowmelt that will soon fill the raging whitewater in the Gallatin River.
Summer shadows greet any walker at central Ohio’s Chestnut Ridge Metro Park. This photo was taken from a trail through the trees into a grassy meadow.
This summer garden comes from Billings, Montana at the Moss Mansion, which is an historic house now maintained as a museum.
With winter fading away in favor of the spring season, thoughts will soon be thinking of beautiful wild flowers and rich green fields. This photo was taken last summer at Chestnut Ridge Metro Park in central Ohio.
My youngest daughter and her husband completed a winter hike into Hyalite Canyon south of Bozeman, Montana. The popular recreation area is located between the Gallatin Canyon and the Paradise Valley.
The Polar vortex and repeated snowstorms in central Ohio have made the winter of January-February, 2019 one to remember.
The beauty of western Montana is captured at Holter Lake, near the small town of Wolf Creek. The lake is a popular summer recreation destination as seen in this photo from late July of 2018.
These Canadian geese seem immune to the polar vortex and snowfall in central Ohio.
A February snowstorm moves over the summit of Lone Mountain in southwestern Montana. The Big Sky Resort occupies the mountain, which is well known for its first-class skiing in the wintertime.
Ohio’s winter blankets the ground with a fresh coating of snow. The Canadian geese on the pond don’t seem to mind winter’s arrival.
Pioneer Falls in the Spanish Peaks of Montana’s Madison Range is expertly captured by my daughter and her husband on one of their wilderness hikes.
An early autumn sunset dazzles and amazes as night arrives in central Ohio.
Central Ohio’s Chestnut Ridge Metro Park in full summer foliage.
My youngest daughter and her husband are avid skiers. They took this picture of Blaze Mountain in the Spanish Peaks of the Madison Range of southwestern Montana. They have skied the backcountry ski line a few times during the summer. The beautiful and long snowfield fills a small gully that runs down the northwestern face of the mountain. Skiers have to hike to the snowfield, but for an avid skier, it is well worth the effort.
A view of downtown Billings, Montana from this past summer. Notice the smoked-filled sky in the background; the smoke came from fires far from Billings.
From Walnut Woods Metro Park, the landscape has changed from the bright colors of autumn to the gray and barrenness of the coming winter.
Summer’s clouds create shadows that cover part of the vast countryside near the Little Bighorn Battlefield in southeastern Montana.
A nesting pair of Canadian geese prepare to make a new home this past spring.
Autumn’s leaves have fallen, and winter is on the way at central Ohio’s Chestnut Ridge Metro Park.
Soon the mountains of the Big Sky Country will be filled with snow just as seen in this scene from last winter near Lone Mountain at Big Sky, Montana.
An autumn sunrise illuminates the beauty of Ohio’s Walnut Woods Metro Park.
Ohio’s Chestnut Ridge Metro Park during mid-summer.
A late July view of the Gallatin Valley, just outside of Bozeman, Montana.
The images and traditions prior to the start of an Ohio State University football game. This photo was taken by my daughter who attended the game with her husband.
Big Sky Buckeye 