The Beauty Around Us

Eagles!

I am a member of the Shoot ‘n Share Chautauqua Facebook group. This group is a place where photographers can share their artwork from all throughout Chautauqua County, New York. Recently outstanding photographs of eagles from Hunt Road, not far from Asheville NY, have been shared. Today my husband and I went in search of this particular eagles nest. We found it!

All of a sudden a juvenile eagle popped its head up from the nest!

I glimpsed movement in the sky to the right of the nest.

A second adult eagle flew into the nest!

I didn’t have my camera settings ready to photograph an eagle in flight, so I missed photographing the eagle flying into the nest.

I believed it wouldn’t be long before the eagle who had been sitting in the nest would fly out of the nest. I changed my camera settings to afford me the opportunity to catch the eagle in flight.

What a very cool experience to observe the activity at the eagles nest!

Niagara Falls Two-Night Getaway: Prospect Point and Lewiston NY

The next day (Wednesday, May 10th) we got up at 6:00 am, showered and got dressed. At 7:00 am we went to breakfast. We enjoyed a complimentary hot breakfast in the lower level of our hotel, Comfort Inn The Pointe. Breakfast selections included scrambled eggs, sausage links, fried potatoes, waffles, pastries, tea, coffee, juices, and more.

After breakfast, we walked across Riverway to Niagara Falls State Park.

Niagara Falls State Park
We walked down to the Niagara River.

We went for a leisure walk along the Niagara River to Prospect Point, where we viewed the American Falls.

Niagara River Rapids

Niagara Falls State Park – Prospect Point

Leaving Niagara Falls State Park,
we admired the colorful tulips found at the entrance.

Later in the morning we drove to Lewiston NY, located about a 10-minute drive north of Niagara Falls.

Our first stop in Lewiston was at Earl W. Brydges Artpark State Park. The park, which is officially named after former New York State Senator Earl Brydges, is generally referred to as Artpark. The park overlooks the Niagara Gorge, a 6.8 mi long canyon carved by the Niagara River along the Canada-United States border. We parked in the Artpark lower parking lot and walked towards the hill overlooking Niagara River. We didn’t have to pay for parking; however, a parking fee may apply if there is an Artpark event/concert taking place.

As we pulled into the parking lot, a large blue structure caught our attention. A nearby sign indicated that the blue structure is called Murmuration.

We couldn’t resist sitting underneath the the 2,350-square-foot structure.

Murmuration wasn’t the only thing of interest on that hillside.

We saw Brock’s Monument (a war memorial) across the Niagara River.
Brock’s Monument is located in Queenston CA.

When traveling from Niagara Falls CA to Niagara-on-the-Lake, we usually stop in Queenston to visit Brock’s Monument. This is the first time that we saw the monument from the United States.

Continuing our walk along the hillside we came across Percussion Garden.

Chime Sprouts
by Vanessa Lee Jackson, 2018

Bob struck the gongs, at my urging that he do so.

The final art installation that we saw was Emerald Grove, by Jesse Walp. This interactive exhibit is geared towards children.

See the platform in the far back of the photograph? There are stairs leading down the hillside from that platform.

If you look closely, you will see Bob
on the platform at the bottom of the stairs.

Emerald Grove
There are three of these large pod-like huts in Emerald Grove.
I like these two huts because they are connected by a bridge.
The huts are 15 feet tall.

Leaving Artpark, while walking back to our car, we admired a flower garden.

Our second stop in Lewiston was at the Orange Cat Cafe.

We purchased a mid-morning snack at the Orange Cat Cafe.
Bob ordered a double espresso and a cookie.
I ordered a hot tea and a banana nut muffin.

Orange Cat Cafe
Our mid-morning snack was delicious!

Our third stop in Lewiston was at the Freedom Crossing Monument, located along the Niagara River.

The Freedom Crossing Monument honors the courage of fugitive slaves
who sought a new life of freedom in Canada, as well as
the local volunteers who protected and helped them
on their journey across the Niagara River.

On our way back to our hotel we stopped briefly at Devil’s Hole State Park, located along the Niagara Scenic Parkway. The park overlooks the Devil’s Hole Rapids. A stone staircase leads down to the base of the gorge and the Devil’s Hole Trail. We chose not to hike but to enjoy, instead, yet another view of the Niagara River.

Devil’s Hole State Park
Niagara River, looking upstream toward the New York Power Authority

We returned to our hotel, Comfort Inn The Pointe, around 12:30 pm, where we relaxed for about 2 1/2 hours.

Around 3:00 pm we walked to the Seneca Niagara Casino.

We passed by this sculpture, while walking on Old Falls Street. The sculpture, created by Jesse Walp, is 26 feet tall.
It is meant to mimic the flow of Niagara Falls.

We allowed ourselves $20.00 each to play the slots. I turned my $20.00 into $96.00 playing a $0.25 slot machine. Bob turned his $20.00 into $70.24 playing a $0.01 slot machine. It is good to know when to stop playing and cash out. Unfortunately we don’t always stop at the right time. Thankfully we do not frequent casinos!

From the casino we walked to the Rainforest Cafe, where we ate dinner. I had never eaten at a Rainforest Cafe. We ordered coconut shrimp dinners. The service and food was good.

Soon after being seated a couple tigers scared me.
The tigers were on the right, next to our table.

I really enjoyed the sights and sounds at the Rainforest Cafe.

After dinner we returned to our hotel, where we stayed for rest of the afternoon and evening.

We returned home mid-morning on Thursday, May 11th. It was nice to just pack up and go away for a couple nights. We miss our kitty, Wickett, very much. Honestly, we miss both our kitties – Patches and Wickett. However, we do like the freedom not having a pet affords us. This is the first time in 12 years that we have not had to make arrangements for a cat sitter, before going on vacation. We didn’t have to worry, either, that a beloved cat was lonely or sick.

Niagara Falls Two-Night Getaway: Goat Island, Luna Island and Three Sisters Islands

We decided on May 5th to go to Niagara Falls NY for a two-night getaway. We made a hotel reservation at Comfort Inn The Point for May 9-11.

We departed home the morning of Tuesday, May 9th, en route Goat Island. Goat Island is a small island in the Niagara River, in Niagara Falls between the Bridal Veil Falls and the Horseshoe Falls. Goat Island is part of Niagara Falls State Park.

Upon arriving on Goat Island, we presented an Empire Pass at the automated gate, drove through the raised gate and parked our car. Our first destination was Terrapin Point. Terrapin Point is where you go on the American side of Niagara Falls when you want to see Horseshoe Falls up close. It was a short walk from where we parked to Terrapin Point.

Horseshoe Falls, up close and personal

Luna Island, located between the Bridal Veil Falls and American Falls, can be walked to from Goat Island.

Looking Down on Luna Island from Goat Island
We crossed over the pedestrian bridge to reach Luna Island.

Bridal Veil Falls
with Cave of the Winds boardwalk below,
as viewed from Luna Island

Bob took this picture of me on Luna Island.

We returned to Goat Island, via the pedestrian bridge, and followed a trail alongside the Niagara River to Goat Island Road.

We crossed over Goat Island Road and walked to Three Sisters Islands. Three Sisters Islands lie off the south shoreline of Goat Island. According to Wikipedia the islands are named after Celinda, Angelina, and Asenath Whitney — daughters of General Parkhurst Whitney of Niagara Falls. General Whitney was one of the more prominent early settlers of Niagara Falls. General Whitney’s daughters are believed to be the first settlers to visit the three small islands. Three footbridges connect Goat Island to Three Sisters Islands.

The Canadian Niagara Falls skyline was visible from this footbridge.

We saw a Canada Goose nest in an interesting place, while walking across this footbridge.

Canada Goose Nest

On the opposite side of this footbridge, we watched the Niagara River making its way to its descent over the Horseshoe Falls.

the Niagara River

We tried to check in at Comfort Inn The Pointe at 3:00 pm, an hour early. The majority of hotels that we have stayed in have allowed early check-in. Our room was not ready. The hotel clerk, though, did give us a parking pass for the hotel parking lot prior to check-in.

The hotel is within walking distance of Niagara Falls State Park, restaurants and the Seneca Niagara Casino. We walked to Hard Rock Cafe and ate a late lunch / early dinner. Bob ordered a salmon entree; I ordered chicken tenders and seasoned fries. Everything about dinner was excellent…the service, the ambiance, the food. Bob finished his meal. I could eat only half of my meal, so I carried out a box of food.

After we had eaten, I checked a few times to see if our hotel room was available. The hotel clerk told us that they could not call us, when our room was available, but we could call as often as we wanted to check on availability. Our room did not become available until 5:00 pm. We reserved a king bed suite. Our room was spacious. In addition to a king bed we have two nightstands, a 3-seat sofa with coffee table, two TVs, an armchair with ottoman and end table, a desk with chair, a microwave, a refrigerator, a coffee maker and a very large bathroom. There are three windows. Two windows look down Prospect Street toward Hard Rock Cafe. The third window has a view of Niagara Falls State Park and Niagara River rapids. We settled into our room and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening there.

R.I.P. Wickett

Wickett was Bob’s daughter Stacey’s cat before she was our cat. Wickett came into Stacey’s life in August 2007, as a young kitten. Stacey rehomed Wickett with Bob and me on February 26, 2017. Stacey wouldn’t give Wickett to anyone, but knowing that we take such good care of our kitties and the fact that Wickett will be happier as an only kitty are what made rehomimg the best thing for her. Wickett was approximately 10 years old, when she became our kitty. Wickett readily became a member of our family and filled our hearts with joy and love.

A friend made Wickett a catnip pad.
She loved lying on that pad.

On the morning of November 28, 2022 Bob took Wickett to the veterinary hospital. Wickett’s dewclaw digit looked swollen. The swollen dewclaw digit doesn’t seem to be causing her any pain, but we thought it best to have it checked out. The veterinarian would like to biopsy the “tumor” on Wickett’s dewclaw digit to determine whether or not it is cancerous.

On the morning of December 22, 2022 Bob dropped off Wickett at the veterinary hospital, where the veterinarian biopsied the “tumor” on Wickett’s dewclaw digit to determine whether or not it was cancerous. We picked up Wickett at 4:30 pm that day. She had to wear a “cone of shame”, until Jan 3rd — her next appointment.

On January 3, 2023 we took Wickett to the veterinary hospital for a follow-up appointment. The biopsy results came back. Wickett has soft tissue sarcoma in her left paw. The cancer is low grade and will not metastasize through her body. However, the tumor on her paw will grow. We were given two options — amputation or allow her to live out the rest of her life as she is. We chose the second option, up until the cancer impacts Wickett’s day-to-day life. We returned home, after our veterinary visit. Wickett was very happy to be home and to no longer be wearing the collar.

I called the veterinary hospital the morning of May 1 and made an appointment for Wickett the morning of May 8th. We felt that Wickett would not be with us for much longer. She had begun to limp, and her soft tissue sarcoma bump was large. She was sleeping much more than she used to sleep. On the positive side Wickett still enjoyed us petting her and sleeping with us. She ate and drank well, and pees and poops okay.

Bob called the veterinary hospital early the morning of May 4, 2023. He left a message that it is time to euthanize Wickett. Wickett’s soft tissue sarcoma had progressed to the point, where the tumor was huge. There was an open wound that was seeping pus. Wickett was limping. We believed Wickett was experiencing discomfort and some pain. We hoped to get her into the office that day, as soon as possible. The veterinary hospital telephoned between 7:30 am and 8:00 am. An appointment was made for Wickett at 11:30 am. Wickett was euthanized between 11:30 am and noon. She passed peacefully over the rainbow bridge. We miss you so much. R.I.P. Wickett.

Siblings

Sunday, April 30th, was a very rainy day, but that didn’t stop me from conducting a photo session. My friend Sue asked me in early February, if I would be available to take pictures. Sue wrote that she was coming up from Florida and that her sister was coming up from Texas to visit their mother. Sue asked me if I would be able to take a picture of her sister, her brother (who lives locally) and herself. It had been years since they were home at the same time. I conducted the photo session on Sue’s mother’s front porch.

“To the outside world, we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were, we know each other’s hearts, we share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys.” – Clara Ortega

“Your siblings are the only people in the world
who know what it’s like to have been brought up the way you were.”
– Betsy Cohen

Sue, I hope you like my creativity :). I obtained the photo template from Adobe PS Express.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park: Indigo Lake and Brandywine Falls

We vacationed the week of April 20 through April 27 in Ohio. Late morning on Tuesday, April 25th, we drove to Cuyahoga Valley National Park. We made three stops in the park.

Our first stop was at the Beaver Marsh.

Our second stop was at Indigo Lake, which was a short drive from the Beaver Marsh. In all the years that we have been visiting Cuyahoga Valley National Park, this was our first time seeing this lake. We had seen the sign directing us there, but we never followed the signage. Originally the site of Gray’s Quarry, a gravel and sand pit, Indigo Lake came under the responsibilities of the National Park Service on December 27, 1974, with the creation of the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area. The pit was later filled with water by park service personnel to create what was subsequently called “Indigo Lake”, which remains in place sustained by a constant supply of water from several natural springs in the immediate area. The lake is a short walk from the parking lot.

Our third stop was at Brandywine Falls.

A boardwalk takes you to upper and lower observation platforms.

Boardwalk Leading Down to Lower Observation Platform
Brandywine Falls is visible at far left corner.

Brandywine Falls is 65 feet high.
It is one of Ohio’s highest waterfalls.

We climbed back up the stairs to the main boardwalk, turned left and walked to the upper falls observation platform. I didn’t take any picture there.

It was time for lunch, when we returned to our car from viewing Brandywine Falls. We ate lunch at Pat Dees Pub & Eatery in Northfield. Bob ordered a Reuben sandwich, and I ordered boneless chicken wings. Good service; good food.

After lunch we returned to our rental Hudson Airbnb.

We spent all day Wednesday, April 26th, at our Airbnb, with the exception of breakfast. We ate breakfast at Perkins Restaurant in Hudson. Bob ordered an omelet; I ordered a Belgian Waffle. Breakfast was delicious and quite filling.

We made our way back home from Hudson on Thursday, April 27th. We departed Hudson at 7:50 am. We ate breakfast at Bob Evans in Streetsboro. We returned home by 12:00 noon.

This blog post concludes our week-long vacation in Hudson OH.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park: Beaver Marsh

We vacationed the week of April 20 through April 27 in Ohio. Late morning on Tuesday, April 25th, we drove to Cuyahoga Valley National Park. We made three stops in the park.

Our first stop was at the Beaver Marsh. We parked at the Ira Trailhead and followed the short connecting path to the Towpath Trail and turned left. We headed north for 0.25 miles to reach the boardwalk. We saw Canada Geese, turtles, red-wing blackbirds, tree swallows and grackles. There was excitement at the marsh, owing to the fact that Canada Geese are territorial.