Thursday, August 21, 2014

Images of the Erie County Fair

Busy in the historical building
On the last day of the Erie County Fair, my friend Mary and I went to see the sights and to see the objects that we had entered into various contests. She had entered potted plants and vegetables, and I had entered paintings.

The last day of the fair is not a good day to look at the vegetable display. The vegetables are old, limp, and bordering on rotten. In fact, some of the vegetables look inedible. There has to be a better way to run that sort of contest. Maybe a daily contest? Enter the vegetables each day and prizes are awarded for the best vegetables of the day. And the prize? Your pick of vegetables to take home? You get to eat the vegetables on the spot? Oh. I don't know. Eat them on the spot sounds like a plan to me but, then again, I am extremely food oriented.

John Volpe of Batavia discusses the Native American relationship with the earth and all of her creatures, from humans and eagles to earthworms.

Here is a closer view of John Volpe's display.

Here is one of the exhibits in the historical building. Several of the local historical societies put together exhibits for the fair.


Mary works for Erie County so she had to staff a booth for several hours. I wandered around the fair and visited the historical building and the creative arts exhibit. The highlight of the visit to the creative arts exhibit was when I got to participate in a paint pouring project. People waited on line for the chance to choose a plastic cup filled with paint. Then they walked around a large curved canvas and poured the paint on the top or the side or where ever they chose to pour. On both sides of the large curved canvas was the number 175. The Erie County Fair has been going on for 175 years.

Reaching up and pouring purple paint.

This is what a completed project looks like, after the pouring is done.

Here is a closer view of the pouring project, in progress.

Here I am, pouring blue paint, here, there, and everywhere.

Alice continues to pour the paint.

Can I find more places to pour the paint?

On the number... yes!!!

Here is a closeup of the number 5. The paint is still dripping and the number comes alive with color.
I walked through the midway, which was crowded with people. They move slowly, sort of like the human version of glaciers! Walking behind slow people is sort of like my image of... um... never mind...

They are all upside down, after literally jumping through hoops!

That's one way to become tall!!!

Dinner plates (fortunately without food) in motion. (Do not try this at home)

An acrobatic dance performance.

It really was quite a sight. Gravity only seems to be a suggestion, not a law of physics.

On a chair and reaching for the stars.

Wow. I could hardly believe my eyes!!!
Anyway, later on, when Mary was finished at the booth, we took a closer look at the wilted vegetables. I saw Chinese acrobats perform and then we went to eat a delicious dinner. The trees were wrapped in strings of white lights. It was quite attractive. We left shortly before the fair ended for the year.
Here is a centerpiece on display at the creative arts building.

Here is a lovely place setting for what promises to be a delightful meal.

Here is another lovely centerpiece.

Saturday, August 16, 2014

My own beautiful little world... close to home

I've been staying close to home this summer. The weather has been conducive to gardening and I have been fortunate enough to get plenty of calls from people who need their gardens cleared of weeds and their overgrown shrubbery pruned. It is great work, and it keeps me outside for hours on end. Needless to say, this has been a happy, relaxing summer.

When I have the opportunity to take walks, I bring my camera and find interesting stuff... frogs, sculptures, pretty gardens with painted rocks, boats, etc. I see birds and rabbits and deer. I find colorful stones to add to my collection. I find ripe raspberries on bushes, waiting for me to taste test them. I meet people who are walking, jogging, riding on bicycles, working on their gardens, or doing various other tasks and activities that can only be done outside.

Here are some pictures of my beautiful little world.


This black eyed Susan is living in my garden. After a thunderstorm, which featured driving rain, thunder, lightning, and hail, the black eyed Susan lost a few petals, but it is still a lovely, vivid flower.

This is stuff that grows in the ditches by the side of the road. There's loads of invasive species in the ditches, as well as the cattails. Purple loosestrife, especially, has taken over. It is pretty but very invasive so it needs to be pulled out by the roots!

I was working in a garden at a local business when I saw this unusual caterpillar. It wanted to be photographed... or maybe not...


Colorful flowers that I saw while I was out walking.

Fly fisherman out in the Niagara River at Buckhorn Island State Park.

Sweet Susie Bear finds a nice seat at Buckhorn Island State Park.

It is good to be a happy pink bear with a soft pillow in your arms.

A family enjoys a day together on their boat in the Niagara River, near Buckhorn Island State Park.

A peaceful day, exploring the water.

Another fly fisherman trying his luck in the Niagara River.

I walked down a side trail at Buckhorn Island State Park and noticed that there were dozens of frogs jumping across the path. Some of them stopped so I could take their pictures. I know that's why they stopped jumping!!!


Here's another one of those jumping frogs.


Susie Bear continues to enjoy the outing.

A bee's busy life.

A few people explore the creek in their kayaks.






Work is great! I could watch it all of the time!!!

Black eyed susan in my garden before the huge storm.


Dedication of the mothers' garden at Riverside Salem environmental chapel on West River Road.


Roger Cook and Carol Alt, who planted the mothers' garden.

Close up view of the mothers' garden.


Small garden on East River Road, dedicated to Becky.

This is a beautiful way to remember Becky.

Beautiful stones, painted to tell a story.

One sunflower in a group of many.

On East River Road, I found this sculpture and fell in love with it at once. This qualifies as "found art." The gentleman who made the sculpture turned some old shovels into a man playing a flute. It reminded me of Orpheus, playing his instrument to awaken the sun every morning. The man playing the flute is looking at the Niagara River, which is to his east, and, thus, he is calling the sun to awaken each day.

There I am with the "Shovelman," the name that the sculptor (Tony) gave it. His wife, Jane, was kind enough to take the photograph.