Thursday, October 20, 2022

Fall 2022

 Fall is here and with that, preparations for Halloween and fall festivals. Here is a round-up of some of our activities.

Pumpkin patch at the fall festival. One of several we like to go to. 

It can get hot in the fall here in Florida and it was hot in this picture. 

Lots of cute little pumpkins. 

Scarecrow dressing too. 

We added to our collection of Halloween inflatable decorations. We placed some in the back yard. Not only do we enjoy them more in the back yard where we spend much of our time, but the people walking through the park behind the house can see and enjoy them too each night. 

Another new addition to liven up our front door. 

Homemade decorations. Some from construction paper and some from the dollar store craft packs. 

The bats guard the doorway. Ethan likes to make them too. 


Boo! Trips to the Halloween stores are fun...or scary depending on your point of view.

Creepy bride with long nails. 

Who is scared of this guy?

Hello Forky. 

Masks at the Halloween store. Who are they?

Halloween cookie decorating kits were fun. 






Niagara Falls - Summer 2022

 In July, I travelled to Buffalo, NY for work. Of course, the most popular attraction in that part of the country is Niagara Falls. Naturally I took time to see the falls. I actually went up twice to visit and enjoyed walking around the many paths of the public parks on the U.S. side. Due to the amount of free time, I only visited the U.S. side. Perhaps next time I can see the Canadian side and enjoy that part of the falls.

Niagara Falls State Park. 

The weather was beautiful both days I was able to go to the park. 

Me in front of the big falls (sorry, I forgot the names of each part).

There were lots of walking paths and pedestrian bridges all around the parks. These were nice and often shaded. Also I got great views of the rapids leading to the falls. 

Another nice observation area of a shallow stream which fed the falls. 

Even in the distance, I could see the mist created from the falling water. Sometimes it was enough to obscure the view to Canada. 

The cloud of mist was strong, sometimes it felt like a light rain if I was close enough. It was so thick here, I could hardly see past to the other side of the river. 

From far enough away, I had a great view of Canada and the gap between the two sides where the water flowed. Plenty of tourists were everywhere but it was not overcrowded. 

It wasn't just the falls, but the green trees and clear skies were enjoyable and I used the occasions to have a nice evening walk. 

Most of the park away from the falls was spacious and green with lots of room for picnics or just to relax. 

Even the mini-falls were nice to see. 

So good I went twice. This allowed me to really enjoy the different parts of the parks without going straight to the falls and then leaving. 

Natural seats in shaded observation areas and trails were nice. 

Another angle on another day. Still fascinating. 

So many great areas to see and just watch the water go by. 

The history of the falls is interesting. Also the history of General Lafayette is quite considerable. He was a celebrity in America, personal friend of George Washington, hero of the American Revolution, hero of the French Revolution, and revered for many reasons. It's no wonder he was still treated so well decades after the American Revolution and escorted around this area on a private tour. There is a reason why a park in Washington, DC is named after him, a park where many of America's most significant  protests take place. 

Last shot is of the falls with the Rainbow Bridge which connects the U.S. and Canada. 

Sorry, no pictures of the evening lights and fireworks. I had early work days and was too tired to wait for dark and the light show with fireworks, though I would have certainly enjoyed it.