A look inside the Athens Lunatic Asylum May 19, 2018

The Athens Lunatic Asylum, now called The Ridges, was a mental hospital in Athens, Ohio that operated from 1874 to 1993. Patients were still there when I was a student at Ohio University in the mid to late 1980’s. Since that time, Ohio University has purchased the property and has begun renovations on some of the buildings and grounds. However,  much remains the same as when it was abandoned, and ghost stories abound. The most famous one is about the outline of a patient who died there. (The stain is a true story:Body Stain in the Athens Insane Asylum)

While my friends and I didn’t get to see the stain, we were allowed in to see parts of the asylum that have been touched only by time in the past 30 years.

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Scenes from bike rides on West Virginia Country Roads May 2018

For me, riding my bike isn’t just about exercising. It’s about being in my favorite place: outside… and taking time to enjoy the changing seasons in my own backyard. For years, I’ve taken photos of almost anything that catches my fancy while I’m out on my bike. Here are highlights from bike rides in May 2018,

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Trees growing in train tracks

After a large Easter dinner, my daughter suggested we take a walk. While our intention was to walk the C&O Canal Tow Path, we also spent some time along the actual abandoned railroad tracks in Williamsport, Maryland.

We were both struck how Mother Nature quickly reclaims what man has tried to own.

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