the bridge

This is what the bridge actually looks like!

one-point perspective

I chose to leave a little bit of color in this picture and to crop it a bit.
I am fascinated by perspective.
In this case, it's one point perspective... everything pointing toward one little point, way out there in the distance.
I don't suppose that I've ever touched that point, where everything seems to be pointed...
It's there... somewhere...

black and white view of the bridge

With the colors removed from the bridge, it becomes clear that there are cracks. The shapes of the cracks are interesting to see, especially since the bridge actually is structurally sound.

views of the Grand Island Bridge

I was walking under the Grand Island Bridge on Saturday, this time on the Grand Island side. I was headed to Beaver Island State Park, where I visited the water and the now-empty boat slips. The trees have all lost their leaves, and it is obvious that winter is coming. But it was one of those precious warm late November days, a good day to be out and about, near the water and with a camera!

south grand island bridge

This was near the end of my journey, a distance of some twelve miles or so. It was an interesting adventure to travel from downtown to this spot. The next time that I go on this adventure, I will start earlier in the day so that I can finish at the Gateway Park. This park is located on the Erie Canal and it represents the dividing line between Erie and Niagara counties.

erie canal

Interesting plaque... but the Erie Canal is no longer at that spot.

encroaching on their territory

Deer and development aren't a very good match. Deer-car crashes can be very devastating for both the animal and the people in the cars. Also, there is less and less space for the deer to find food.
This deer apparently likes cameras.

north of buffalo

By the time that I'd reached this colorful building, I had walked out of the City of Buffalo and had entered the Town of Tonawanda.

flowers in November

It is a big thrill to see that these flowers survived the "October Surprise" storm of 2006.

bridges

Here is one of a variety of bridges that I saw along my journey on the Riverwalk. I took a picture of it just because I liked the reflection in the water.

fishing

It looks like this gentleman is leaning against some sort of discharge pipeline for his fishing experience.
It seems like a very bizarre image.

Canada goose

I've been watching the Canada geese since early spring. I saw them swimming with little goslings back in the late spring. I've seen those little goslings grow feathers and learn to fly. They are now full-grown birds, ready to migrate to warmer climates with the others. Recently, I've been watching the geese fly in formations high in the sky. From a distance, I can hear them honking.
I wonder what they are saying to one another.
I wonder what it would be like to be able to fly.

work in progress

One can find the devastation of industry that failed economically and left nothing but shells of themselves on or near Buffalo's waterfront.
The picture is not entirely bleak. Much work and money has gone into reviving and revitalizing Buffalo's waterfront.
Buffalo, like anything or anyone else, is a work in progress.

storm damage

Here are some trees along the path that had been damaged in the October 12-13 "surprise storm."

more of Buffalo's waterfront

Here is some of the housing that was built on Buffalo's waterfront.

View of downtown Buffalo

Here is a view of downtown Buffalo from the marina. One of the buildings that can be seen in the background is City Hall.
City Hall was designed by architect John Wade, and construction began in 1929. The building officially opened for business in 1931. The design of the building is called "art deco." Many aspects of City Hall are very interesting architecturally, and are described in a good amount of detail at the website at http://www.ci.buffalo.ny.us/Home/Leadership/Mayor/CityHallHistory

Buffalo's lighthouse

Buffalo's lighthouse was built in 1833. It is the one of the oldest lighthouses on the Great Lakes.
You can find details about the lighthouse at http://freenet.buffalo.edu/bah/a/wat/light.htm
I am hoping to go inside of the lighthouse and take a tour! Maybe on another adventure???

The Buffalo Riverwalk

On Friday, November 10, I decided to take a walk down Buffalo's Riverwalk. It was a bright, clear day, a good day to be outside, experiencing nature and exploring the edges of the city.
I started my walk at the marina in downtown Buffalo. In the marina, there are retired battleships and monuments to servicemen and women from a long series of wars that the United States has fought. The monument that I photographed was for a conflict that technically never ended, even though hostilities were over in the early 1950s. The Korean war claimed hundreds of thousands of casualties... killed in action, wounded, missing in action, captured...
The United States never declared war. Instead, the conflict was termed a "police action."

Smokey the Bear

This is Smokey. Sometimes we call him Smokey the Bear. Sometimes, we call him Big Boy. My sister likes to call him Guy.
Smokey was a stray cat that my sister Diane fed. One day, he managed to sneak into her apartment. Her cat, Abby, was not too thrilled about seeing another cat in her space. When Smokey decided that Abby might make a good girlfriend, Abby had different ideas. His amorous attentions were answered with loud hisses and attempts at sharp bites. Abby had been spayed and she was not in the least bit interested in mating. Diane made the mistake of trying to separate the two cats. For her troubles, Abby rewarded her with a very sharp bite.
Smokey's stay at Diane's apartment was over at that point. Diane brought Smokey to our parents' house.
Smokey was thrilled with his new environment and, especially, with Zoe, the cat that had already taken up residence there. Fortunately, Abby's boisterous rejection of his amorous attentions did not scar him for life or even for the week. Smokey immediately turned his attention upon Zoe. But, like Abby, she had already been spayed. Zoe hissed at Smokey, too, but with much less force than had Abby.
When my dad realized that he was about to be the proud owner of not one, but two cats, he was not pleased. He said that one cat was quite enough and that this second cat had to go. He had seen a sign for a lost cat. He called the people who were looking for their pet and said that he might have their cat. He and my nephew Jamie put Smokey into a cat carrier and drove him over to the home of the lost cat.
Smokey was not their cat.
My dad kept on insisting that he did not want a second cat.
The cat had other ideas. He jumped on my dad's lap and kissed him and purred loudly.
My dad began petting Smokey.
The cat purred and kissed my mom, too.
She began kissing and petting Smokey.
All talk of finding a new home for Smokey ended. My parents took Smokey to the vet and had him neutered and declawed. Once he stopped chasing Zoe around the house, the two cats became the best of friends.
When Smokey came to us, he was a ten-month-old kitten who was more fur than cat. Since then, he has grown up and has filled out into the big boy that he is today.
Smokey is a friendly cat who enjoys people. He likes to climb on laps and give kisses. Sometimes, he does that in the middle of the night.
There is nothing like waking up in the middle of the night to find out that you have a fifteen-pound cat dancing on your back, purring loudly, and waiting for attention.
After all, cats are nocturnal animals, even when they live with humans who very clearly are not.
Smokey has now been a member of the family for several years. His campaign to find a home has been highly successful. Everyone, including my dad, has acknowledged that this is a two-cat household.... with Smokey as King.

Zoe and her Many Meows

This is Zoe. She is our modern art cat... black and white, sort of like "op art."
Zoe is a feline alarm clock. She meows loudly at my parents' bedroom door early in the morning. They usually don't answer until they are ready to. That doesn't stop her from making long, involved speeches. She has a variety of meows, which she uses to express different needs. There's the "get out of bed" meow, which I have previously mentioned. There is the "feed me" meow, which is then followed by the "maybe I want food, maybe I don't dance," which includes Zoe hiding under the dining room table while my mom calls her. She comes when she is ready and not before. Another type of meow is the "open the door" meow, for the patio and the basement. She looks at the doors and says exactly what she expects the human to do. Of course, the human (usually me), being well-trained, does exactly what the cat expects. Zoe's most interesting meow is the after-dinner meowing session at the top of the stairs. It's hard to tell what message she is trying to communicate, but she makes a long speech. It could be that she is reviewing the quality of the food and its presentation, but no one, except for the big Maine Coon cat, Smokey, speaks cat. So we don't have a clue.
Zoe and Smokey, of course, also speak to each other. There are friendly, conversational meows. Then there are the wrestling matches and chase games, which lead to somewhat furious meows and even a few hisses.
When Zoe isn't using her vast storehouse of verbal skills, she likes to play games. She has various toys, including stuffed mice and a few balls, that she likes to play with. She also likes twist ties and plastic bags, but the humans have to discourage the use of plastic bags as cat toys. Another fun activity for Zoe is to hide until the humans start wondering where Zoe is. When the humans have become frantic because they cannot find Zoe, she nonchalantly appears and gives the humans the "why are humans so stupid" look. It is a look that she has refined from constant usage. She also uses that expression after being offered food that she doesn't like. The humans take note and don't serve her the offending food any more.
I have become a great toy for Zoe. Ever since she was a kitten, she has enjoyed feet. Human feet, that is. She likes to sit on top of the bed in the middle of the night and bite feet through the blanket. She watches the feet move and then jumps at them and her mouth opens wide as she prepares for the bite. It is truly a happy moment for Zoe when she takes a great big bite, even though she gets nothing in her mouth but blanket.
Zoe, despite being a full-grown cat, is very kittenish in nature. She loves to chase her own tail. She runs around and around in circles. Sometimes, she catches her tail. Then she bites it. She must bite it fairly hard because she then meows and looks to see what or who bit her tail. She isn't quite aware that her tail is attached to her when she is in Bite Mode, and, when she is in Hunt for the Culprit Mode, she isn't quite aware that it was she who bit her own tail.
As soon as I can get a picture of Zoe's friend, Smokey, I'll tell you more about him.