Ash Cave Abstract

by Karen Adams

Title

Ash Cave Abstract

Artist

Karen Adams

Medium

Photograph - Fine Art Digital Prints - Photography

Description

Ash Cave in the Hocking Hills of southern Ohio is magical and if you ever get the chance to go there; do it! It is an easy walk for most people and you can quickly get from your car to a magical waterfall in just a few minutes. If you want to hike further there are wonderful trails that change with each day, each new weather front that passes through.

This is a wall at Ash Cave. I imagine people of long ago writing on these walls, or huddling under them as protection from a passing storm. Today pigeons make nests in every cranny with their purple necks sparkling in the sun. Children play in the sand and climb on boulders. Laughter echoes under the overhanging cliff and memories fill my mind.

11/11 is a special number that has appeared to me in so many random ways since my dad died. I always think of him when I see those numbers and it didn't even dawn on me until we got home that 11 of us made the trip this day on 11/11/2018. I knew I felt my folks presence and MJ as well. It is indeed a special place..

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Our family has a deep history with the beautiful southern Ohio area known as the Hocking Hills. Every year we piled in cars and drove from Columbus to "The Hills" to drive the narrow winding roads past farms and many old homesteads. We would caravan with several groups of our family spread between three or four carloads. We would stop at cemeteries along our drive and clear off old markers of great grand parents and great greats. We would always stop at the same old restaurant for lunch ....and always end up with delicious cream pies! We would slow down as we drove by the old log cabin home where my husband's grandfather was born and grew up. His mother would always get a little misty as we drove on.

Soon we would all pile out of the vans and cars to stretch our legs and exercise the sins of those pies in several of the main attraction spots of the Hocking Hills. There is Old Man's Cave, Cantwell Cliffs, Cedar Falls, Ash Cave and our family favorite Conkle's Hollow.
Ash Cave is a spot though that we would always visit. Ash Cave is through a narrow gorge lined with stately hemlocks, massive beech trees and various other hardwoods. The valley floor offers brilliant displays of wildflowers in the all seasons including large flowered trillium, Dutchman's breeches, trout lily, Jack-in-the Pulpit and jewelweed. The narrow gorge is approximately one-fourth mile in length and with astonishing suddenness gives way to the tremendous overhanging ledge and cave shelter. It is not a difficult walk and there is sand and water and beautiful rock formations for the kids to play around and for us all to imagine folks from long ago playing in these same places. I have wonderful pictures of my mom and dad 64 years ago having a great day in the Hocking Hills as they dated and fell in love.

It is a magical place...full of wonder and history and a great sense that there is something greater around us.

Thank you so much for looking at my images. I appreciate that very much.

I am very concerned with our environment and have decided to donate any money I make from any sales of this image to the ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND.....because the Earth needs a good lawyer! We all need to speak up and support efforts to protect our environment. We will not get a second chance!


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Uploaded

November 14th, 2018

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