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Battle of Lake Erie
Two hundred ten years ago today (September 10, 1813), the Battle of Lake Erie was fought near the southern shore of the lake, not far from where I live. This returned control of the lake from the British Navy to the US Navy. It’s crazy to think of British forces controlling waters near Ohio, but so it was. Commodore Oliver Perry used a white on blue battle flag bearing the words “Don’t Give Up The Ship” which is now ubiquitous in US naval circles and hangs in front of many homes in the Cleveland area (including ours). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Lake_Erie
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New Old Canoe
Maiden voyage (for me) of our old Grumman 17′ aluminum canoe. What a nice way to spend time on the water. Also I’m told the day’s wordle was “canoe” so that’s fitting. This is the Rocky River near Cleveland Ohio, just upstream of the Emerald Necklace marina. It’s a really nice area and very accessible from our home. Miles and miles of connected river valley and multipurpose trail right through the city. It’s surrounded by inner-ring suburb neighborhoods but it’s easy to forget when you’re down in there in the valley. Some disappointing brown paint was added by a previous owner. According to the registration it was made in 1982…
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The Lakewood Ohio King Cake Situation
This is what I know about obtaining and enjoying a king cake in the Lakewood Ohio (Cleveland) area as of January 2023. Corrections and additions are welcome. The king cake tradition was brought to America by Spanish and French settlers, but I mainly associate it with New Orleans and Mardi Gras. It’s colorful and delicious and being generally available from early January through Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent, making it the perfect accomplice for breaking your new year’s resolutions. These are the bakeries in my area, and some notes about king cake availability. Bakery Has King Cake Tried It Notes Wild Flour Bakery YES 2022, 2023 Purchased two…
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Canal Road Warehouse
I love this building on Canal Road, below the Carnegie bridge and the Guardians of Transportation. Four floors of gently curved industrial brick facing the tracks. A long-disused loading dock hints at a bustle of warehouse activity and freight logistics. The building is just steps from Tower City, Progressive Field, and Collision Bend on the Cuyahoga River, but hardly a car to be seen and no foot traffic at all. (Cleveland, OH, USA – December 2020)
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Settling In
COVID took my writing here in a weird direction. I wrote a series of methodical-yet-irregular diary posts about the details of what I was feeling and what was happening in our lives, but after a couple of months the importance of that writing fell away. I think I was using it as a tool to process my feelings about the world, and eventually moved to other approaches. So, an update. Everyone’s healthy and fine. Our girls have started the school year from home, and we’re having beautiful late-summer / early-fall weather in Cleveland. We’re all settling in to a schedule and a new set of expectations. Susan and I are…
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Hiking Near Cleveland
This is my working list of hiking trails near Cleveland. I’ve tried the hiking areas in the following table. The table below contains a list of hiking areas I have heard about, but I haven’t tried them (yet). Resources Northeast Ohio Hikes and Bikes
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Flying Drones in Cleveland Metroparks
Cleveland Metroparks has drone regulations which specify what, where, and when you can fly a drone in their regional parks. I created this page to provide some additional information about those sites, and distill their regulations page into a table that’s easy to understand and use. The least restrictive sites are listed toward the top of the table. There are three sites specified for year-round flying, plus six golf course fairways listed as available for drone use in the winter (November 1 to March 15). Except for those sites, it is against Metroparks’ rules to fly drones anywhere in the parks. All drones must weigh less than 4.4 lbs (2…
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Cleveland Area Local Drone Laws
This is my working list of drone regulations in the Cleveland Ohio area. It is checked periodically to ensure it is current, but rules change frequently so it’s possible something is missing or out of date. Do your homework when you fly. Where local and state laws don’t restrict drone use, you must still always adhere to federal (FAA) regulations.
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Good Videos Featuring Cleveland
People are constantly referencing those Hastily Made Cleveland Tourism Videos. Here are some videos about Cleveland that capture the feeling of the city for me. They’re the ones I show people when I hear “why Cleveland?”
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Supporting Myles Garrett
I donated to The Waterboys this morning, in honor of Myles Garrett. Most of my non-Midwest pals probably aren’t tracking this, so I’ll add a little explanation as to why I suddenly have something to say about football. Myles is an exemplary player and human, not just among Browns players, but across the whole NFL. He writes poetry. He listens to jazz. He invites people from the community to hang out with his puppy at the dog park (“no autographs, please”). He’s friendly in public and universally liked by the people of Cleveland. Have a look at the Emmy-winning series “Building the Browns” for more of his backstory. Most people…
