The 366-day photography project: week 49

The sun was shining brightly on Sunday morning, which was a good sign because I was planning on attending a baseball game that evening with three friends: Amy, Bev, and Jo. I was looking forward to the baseball game. I've always enjoyed baseball. When I was a kid, my dad took me to minor league baseball games in my native city of Syracuse, New York. He explained the finer points of baseball and I enjoyed watching the game. I wanted to play the game, too. Unfortunately, I discovered that I did not have the eye-hand coordination to play softball. The ball came and I always thought that the ball was closer than it actually was, so I simply got out of the way, fast. I never got hit by any flying balls of any sort. So... I'm an audience.

This is a gerbera daisy, on the patio area in front of Bev's home.

After a wild adventure of traveling in a car and getting lost, we made it to Coca Cola Field. We had wonderful seats, right behind home plate.

When we arrived, the game was already in the second or third innings, with the score tied 1-1. The Buffalo Bisons were playing the Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Both teams are minor league teams (AAA, which is one step below major league). Both teams are part of the North Division of the International League. The RailRiders are associated with the New York Yankees and the Bisons are associated with the Toronto Blue Jays. Since I am a fan of the Toronto Blue Jays, I am happy with the arrangement.

When I took this picture, I couldn't actually see the ball flying but, in the picture, the ball is quite visible.

In addition to watching the game, I also enjoy a little people watching.

Buffalo Bison at bat.

Score board... downtown Buffalo.

She is focused on selling various goodies to people in the stands.

It is the famous Conehead.

Buster Bison is a popular character at all Bisons games. 

It was an exciting game.

The audience yelled, cheered, and did the wave.

But, alas, the Bisons lost by the score of 3 to 2.

The game was over and the post game festivities were just getting started.

The audience was enthusiastic about the rest of the evening at Coca Cola Field. These two young men showed their enthusiasm with a dance.

As the celebration of Independence Day started, the pictures of some well-known people who passed way during the previous year were shown on the scoreboard.

We remember and celebrate their talent. Actors, athletes, musicians, and so many others. They are no longer with us but they are not forgotten.

We remember all of the people whose names and faces were shown on the scoreboard and we remember people whose names were not shown on the scoreboard. Not well-known but still well-loved.

The evening's activities included a salute to the military.

It was fun to watch the fireworks.

They were very dramatic.

The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus offered musical selections. It was a good evening of baseball, music, and fireworks.

Back at Bev's home, Amy enjoyed the company of one of the two dogs that Bev is pet sitting. They are Chihuahuas, and their names are Cha Cha and Lola.

Bev shares quality time with a dog.

Monday was Independence Day. I went to Grand Island Boulevard to watch the parade. Actually, I went to Grand Island Boulevard to chase and photograph the parade.

This young man hands out candy. Nearly every group participating in the parade handed out candy or gum to the children. The kids had a great time collecting the goodies. For them, the parade was as good as Halloween in terms of collecting treats.

Tom Thompson on a float, with his pitchfork. He is part of the Grand Island Farms Cooperative.

Trish Birtz enjoys riding on the second farm cooperative float.

This is the team of cowboys from Fantasy Island, an amusement park in Grand Island. Every now and then, they stopped to having a gunfight in the street, just like in the wild west. It made a good deal of noise as the four of them gleefully fired blanks.

This horse-drawn carriage is part of the wild west show at Fantasy Island.

This is a group of dancers from the Grand Island Dance Center.

Kayla, who is a dance teacher at the Grand Island Dance Center, leads the dancers in their outdoor performance.

School Board President Lisa Pyc walks with the new superintendent of the Grand Island School system, Dr. Brian Graham.

Knight of Columbus (with sword)

It's the Teenaged Mutant Ninja turtles!!! 

Liz Wilbert (on the right) with her daughter enjoy the parade.

On Tuesday, I was back in a garden. Here is an eggplant blossom.

This is a plant in my garden that has become tall and radiant.

Healthy, happy plants. It was a warm Wednesday, and I worked in a shady garden.

On Wednesday evening, I went to Riverside-Salem Environmental Chapel on West River Road. There are a variety of raised beds, where vegetables are being grown.

They look healthy and, in a month or so, there will be plenty of good things to harvest, cook, and eat.

Very tiny cosmo.

cone flower.

I think that this is a whorled tickseed. It attracts birds and butterflies.

On Thursday, I was thinking about storytelling, so I took some photographs of my collection of stones. When I take walks, I pick up interesting looking stones to remind me of my adventures. I've been collecting these stones for almost ten years. Looking at these stones reminds me of the places that I've been.

I've collecting stones from riverbanks and from lakes, from forests and from pathways. 

On Friday, I went to visit a garden. It rained a little bit. Next week, I will start to rehabilitate this overgrown garden. I found this black-eyed susan vine plant in that garden.

Delicate flower.

Painted jars.

painted rock.

This is a cactus flower.

On Saturday, I went to the chicken barbecue at Saint Martin in the Fields Episcopal Church. It also included a basket raffle and silent auction. Here is a Nativity set that Father Earle donated. He bought it in Bethlehem, and it is made of the wood of olive trees.

Creative and cute insect.

Mike wears the sombrero, decorated with lottery scratchoff tickets. People could bid on the tickets. They did not get the sombrero. It is a tradition now for Mike to wear it, every year at the chicken barbecue.

Elizabeth enjoys the weather. It was sunny and windy. People were chasing their napkins.

Large scale chicken cooking.

Ken stands at the side of the road and encourages people to come to the chicken barbecue.

face painting.

Larry Austin, editor of the Island Dispatch, is ready to enjoy a chicken dinner.

William Franklin, Episcopal bishop in Western New York, and two friends.

People enjoy their food.
About an hour after I returned home, it began raining hard. Unfortunately, that rainfall was brief. The ground is still too dry and even a bit dusty. I water my flower garden every day to make up for the lack of rainfall.

Next week: Garden walk in Grand Island and much more.