03/13/2026
It’s been a very long time since I’ve taken the time to share any artwork. I’ve been in a bad place. Those of you who know me know that these past few years have been the darkest times in my life. I found creativity and inspiration within myself in this darkness and some very strange and familiar places and I’ll be sharing some stuff from time to time again here. Most of my nature images evoke the paranormal or the strange and eclectic, but this one is so bizarre. Being in one of my favorite places in the Metroparks to think and shoot photos, this area taken my blood, sweat, and tears literally and I had a severe panic attack here a few years ago, so this images kinda haunts me, for those interested. This is Mars’ Quarry in Bedford Reservation on the south side of Tinker’s Creek Gorge. The place is named after the same dude that Mars Avenue and Wagar Avenue in Lakewood, Ohio is named after; Mars Wagar. Not too much is known about the quarry during its days in production but much has been dug up or passed down about Mars’ Quarries final days when, it’s said, the company ran out of money to pay the quarrymen, so they ran off with all of the equipment and equipment and even some quarried stone blocks on their way out of the gorge. One thing is for certain, the Native American history of this area is immense and goes back thousands of years. Anywhere in Northern Ohio where stone outcrops on high land (ledges), archaeology has determined to be areas for smoke and fire signals as well as markets or gathering areas for peaceful tribes to trade items and even arrange marriages between tribes. I am drawn here as others have been before me for millennia and something about that makes me feel innately human and connected to the history of the land. Well, that’s my background for this image. Pardon me if I went too long. I’m excited to share, it’s been a long time. Hope you’re all doing well! Image: Mars’ Quarry, Walton Hills, Ohio, 2.2026
