It was a dark and stormy night...

Happy Halloween! It's time for a spooky creative writing exercise! Write nonstop for fifteen minutes, beginning with "It was a dark and stormy night..." Don't worry about grammar or spelling. Just write for fifteen minutes and have fun. That's what it's all about. Below is what I did in fifteen minutes.

Don't let this picture deceive you. It's just wishful thinking. I will start with the famous beginning to a story: It was a dark and stormy night.

It was a dark and stormy night when, all of a sudden, I heard a terrible thump. It sounded as if some rotten, evil bad guy had just dropped off his murder victim on my driveway, almost as if he were some guy in a truck making a delivery. Yuck. That's not the kind of delivery that I was hoping for.

Anyway, I decided to try to be brave and go outside and investigate the terrible, terrifying noise. I went to the driveway and, fortunately, there was no murder victim and there was no noise of a car screeching away into the darkness. There was, however, a very large cat. Huge, in fact. The cat looked as if it had been the product of a mating between an ordinary house cat and a great big giant and fierce lion. I opened up my mouth to scream but the cat jumped on me.

I was beyond scared at this point. I was also crushed by this enormous animal. My Halloween costume was flattened. I was, of course, a very cute kitty cat. The cat then licked me on the face and meowed with a pitiful voice. I wondered why the huge, enormous cat was kissing me and meowing with a little voice.

Then the cat stood up and, all of a sudden, the cat was a handsome man, instead of a cat. His ill-fitting costume fell off, revealing a guy who fit the movie star image of Tall, Dark, and Handsome. I'd like to say that I fell madly in love with the former giant cat but, no, I can't say that.

Just as I was getting ready to fall in love with this man, he opened his mouth, and I saw the truth about him. He had long fangs and he was ready to bite me. Then I saw his real costume, which, apparently, wasn't a costume. He was wearing a cape and everything was black. Well, except for the blood that seemed to stain his shirt and his fangs. Oh no. I didn't want to be the minion to this terrifying vampire, even if he was the most handsome vampire that I had ever seen.

But then, he started singing with the most incredible bass voice that I'd ever heard. I discovered that, once again, I had fallen deeply and helplessly in love. What would my mother say when she found out that I had eloped with a vampire? She would not be pleased. She would say that this was not a match made in heaven.

Speaking about heaven, the vampire started singing in that rich, deep bass voice about the marvels of living in the most beautiful place in the world. Transylvania. I have never been in Transylvania. Well. I've been in Pennsylvania. Does that count? No. I didn't think so. Time to go to Transylvania and marry the delectable vampire. 

Unfortunately, he was looking at me with desire because his real goal was to take a huge chomp out of my delicate and precious neck and suck up my most magnificent blood. Honestly, I'd rather keep my blood inside of me. So I ran away from that mesmerizing and musical vampire.

I ran and I ran and I ran. I was terrified that the vampire would follow me, jump on me, and sink his teeth into my neck. The moon vanished and the stars vanished and I could see nothing more. I was trapped in a world of darkness. How could that be? Where was the light? Did I actually exist if there was no light? I think that I exist; therefore, I exist. I tried to walk but I didn't know where I was. I heard another terrifying noise behind me. It was... I don't know. I couldn't see. I could only hear. And the only thing that I could hear were terrifying noises, the kind of noises that would wake the dead...

Wake the dead. Uh oh. All of a sudden, I realized that I was in a cemetery and there were ghosts emerging from the graves. Hundreds of ghosts. They looked horrific but they were a feast to the eyes. They were beautifully horrific. They all picked up musical instruments and began to play and they had become a ghostly orchestra. Were they a ghostly or a ghastly orchestra? Why did I have the feeling that they were trying to turn me into a Zombie? A Zombie??? No!!! I do not want to be a Zombie.

I do not want to be a Vampire.

I don't want to be any of the scary undead that seek the ruin of living humans everywhere.

But, alas, that is what I became.

Zombie or vampire. take your pick.

Hahahaha.I am coming. Watch your necks! Happy Halloween!Or is it happy?

restoring the shoreline

Note: On Monday, October 26th, I went to the groundbreaking at the Sandy Beach Park Club for the restoration of the club's shoreline. The Buffalo-Niagara Riverkeeper is doing the restoration, which entails removing the hardened shoreline and replacing it with a living shoreline. A hardened shoreline has a lot of concrete and rip rap. Rip rap is defined as loose stones used to form the foundation of a breakwater or other structures. A hard shoreline can actually increase soil erosion because the water crashes onto the concrete and goes over, carrying off good soil in the process. 

An organic shoreline consists of native plants: perennials, shrubs, and trees. Logs can be placed in the water and some rocks can be used. This is Woods Creek. At this point, its shoreline is covered in perennials, shrubs, and some trees. There are other places where the homeowners who own riparian rights (the shoreline is part of their property) have mowed to the water's edge. Like the hardened shoreline, the shoreline that has only grass on it is also at increased risk for erosion. That is because, unlike native plants, grass has shallow roots, making it easier to wash away, along with the soil.

This is what the hardened shoreline looks like. All of that concrete is going to be removed.

This is a natural shoreline at Buckhorn Island State Park. There are a lot of tall grasses bordering the marsh. Perennials, shrubs, and trees are good choices for planting alongside a creek or river. Grand Island, New York, is in the USDA zone 5a. It has heavy clay soil, and water does not absorb into the soil quickly. What you want are plants that can handle having wet roots, especially those plants on a shoreline. Some trees that do well with wet roots are swamp white oak, pin oak, and willow.

Erie County issued a proclamation, showing its support of Riverkeeper's project. 

Of course, in a groundbreaking, it's necessary to break the ground. This is purely ceremonial because, to break the stuff that needs to be removed (the concrete), each one of these folks would have to be equipped with a jackhammer, and the noise would be deafening. All birds would fly away, and the squirrels would race away at top speed. Even the fish would depart the premises rapidly. The humans would cover their ears and they, also, would probably run off (or rapidly drive away)...

... before eating their cake. After all, what groundbreaking for a living shoreline would be complete without a living shoreline cake?

And to wash it down, there was champagne. A groundbreaking is definitely sufficient reason to indulge in champagne before lunch.

As the project progresses, I will continue to document it with photographs and will keep you updated, right here at "Alice's Grand Adventures." 

An attitude of gratitude, part two

Yesterday, I finished my ten-day experiment in keeping a gratitude journal. I have to say that it was a fascinating experience. I tried to name five things each day for which I was grateful. My goal was to be grateful for different things each day.

On Sunday, I said:I am grateful for the sun, the moon, and the stars.
I am grateful for music.
I am grateful for friends who care and who understand and who refrain from judging and who encourage me to do the same.
I am grateful for delicious food.
I am grateful for storytellers.

On the topic of the sun, the moon, and the stars, yesterday was the full moon. It was pretty but there was a good deal of haze in front of the moon. I guess that I could be thankful for the haze and the clouds, which give an air of mystery to the moon.

Day two of my gratitude journal. I said that I was thankful for literacy, fresh apples, picked from the tree, shoelaces that stay tied, and the people who read my articles and blogs.

Literacy is the best. I somehow managed to teach myself to read at the age of four. Reading opens doors to other places, times, and worlds. I have found myself transported to very far and wildly wonderful places through the magic of books. The book that I am currently reading is The White Castle, by Orhan Pamuk. It is set in Istanbul, Turkey, in the seventeenth century. How else, except through a book, could I ever go to seventeenth century Turkey?

On the third day, I was grateful for hot showers, the cat's meows (she has her own language), knowing how to read music, a delicious grapefruit, and bone china teacups. It is fun to have a tea party and drink tea out of a teacup decorated with colorful flowers. 

On the fourth day, I said that I was grateful for a garden to tend in mid-October, rummy jack (a game with tiles that I play with my mother), honey from a local beekeeper, eggs from a local chicken farmer, and soft, warm pajamas on a cold night. Honey for the tea, eggs for eating and baking, warm pajamas to wear after spending several hours outside, digging up the last of the weeds.

On the fifth day of my ten-day gratitude journal experience, I said that I was grateful for large Halloween decorations, my painting class, rulers, pencils, and paint brushes, dark chocolate, crochet hooks and colorful yarn. I am thankful for all tools that encourage creativity.

On day six, I said that I was thankful for 18th century Viennese music, my digital walkman, cheese graters, the washer and dryer, and pots and pans. I had spent much of the day making applesauce and peach-pear sauce. The laundry was going while I worked in the kitchen. I was very happy that the machine did all of the work so that I was free to chop and cook fruit!

On day seven, my list of things to be thankful for included eyeglasses, my lovely journal, decorated with a sunflower (with a beaded center), white pumpkins, my singing voice, and storytelling and storytellers. I love to sing. It is another way to tell stories.

On the eighth day of this gratitude journey, I said that I was thankful for the quiet of early morning, my telephoto lens, comfortable shoes, my editor at the Island Dispatch, and oboes and bassoons. Wind instruments make such a wonderfully mellow sound. It is a pleasure to hear them.

On the penultimate day of the challenge (OK, I like the word "penultimate," which means "next to last"), I said that I was thankful for brightly colored leaves, the blueness of the sky and the river, wild grapes, squirrels and their antics, and curiosity. Having curiosity means that you will rarely be bored. You'll be fascinated by everything around you. It is a good trait. Sometimes I wonder if schools try to teach students to rein in their curiosity. But that's another topic for another day.

Yesterday, I said that I was thankful for my hairdresser, water bottles, wild grapes, herbal tea, and butterfly boys.

I feel as if the gratitude journal took me to a place where I could be thankful for everything around me... things as large as the sky and as small as a ladybug. It's been a good experience. I will do it again. 

What about you? For what are you grateful? Please use the comments section to tell about some of the things and/or people for which you are grateful.

Autumn in Buckhorn Island State Park

On August 1st, I began my 366-day photography project at Buckhorn Island State Park. It is a wildlife preserve and an important bird area. Many migratory birds come to Buckhorn in the spring and leave in the autumn. Buckhorn Island State Park is a spectacularly beautiful place. It has several types of wetlands, including swamps and marshes. It is located on the Niagara River and is a beautiful place to walk, bicycle, kayak, canoe, and to take your dog.

I enjoyed my walk in August so much that I decided to take pictures of Buckhorn Island State Park in each season. 

On Monday, October 26th, I returned to Buckhorn Island State Park to take autumn photographs. The trees had changed color and many of the leaves had fallen to the ground. There were so many leaves on the ground that walking on them felt like walking on a carpet of leaves. Some were colorful and soft, while others were brittle brown.

Some of the trees had already lost all of their leaves. 

The shapes of the branches are beautiful.

A large yellow leaf sits on a bed of brittle brown leaf material.

It's almost as if someone took a paintbrush and began coloring the leaves, one by one.

Autumn, however, is bittersweet. The colors are spectacular, but the days grow shorter and winter is coming.

On the other side of the river is Niagara Falls, New York. I believe that this is Cayuga Island, part of the LaSalle area.

Here is another view of Niagara Falls.

Buckhorn Island State Park has a very spectacular marsh. The tall grasses are now brown, but still lush.

There is a small bridge over the marsh. Frequently, people sit at the edge and fish from the bridge.

The marsh empties into the Niagara River.

On a clear day, it is possible to see the foam rising from Niagara Falls.

Small island in the Niagara River.

This is one of the two north Grand Island bridges. It connects Grand Island with Niagara Falls, New York. When the Grand Island bridges were first built, in the mid-1930s, there was one bridge to Niagara Falls and another bridge at the southern part of Grand Island to Tonawanda, New York. In the early 1960s, each bridge received a companion span.

This is a very long bridge.

The underneath view of the bridge.

There is a work crew near the bridge, but I'm not sure what they are doing.

They have all sorts of stuff.

Conference in progress.

Along the bike path in Buckhorn, you can see small bridges made of stone. The view of the wetlands with the bridge framing it is beautiful.

A bench, a fence, and a view.

Mmm, time for a snack.

This is the marsh, as seen from the road.

I hope that you've enjoyed your autumn tour of Buckhorn Island State Park. In a few months, I will share the winter journey with you.