The river at night

It's Sunday, and, at church, Jason, our former intern who is now in seminary studying to become an Episcopal priest, presented a homily about prayer. He said that we have many reasons to pray. Often times, we make lots of requests of God and expect all of our wishes to be fulfilled. I will readily admit that I make lots of requests. Lately, I pray for rain at every opportunity that I get. We're now in a severe drought condition. While it is lovely to see bright sunshine, I (and the grass, the trees, the plants, and the farmers) would appreciate a good soaking rainfall.

Another reason to pray would be to say thank you. I do try to remember to say thank you for the sun, the moon, and the stars and for all of the gifts of nature. I try to remember to say thank you for friends, family, and a place to call home. I try to remember to say thank you for art, music, and dance. There is so much in life that brings joy.

I try also to say thank you to other people. Today, I am very grateful for everyone who reads my blog and who has left so many kind comments. They mean a lot to me. I am very grateful to everyone who has followed my 366-day photography project from the beginning. It has been a good experience. I started it on August 1st, 2015, at Buckhorn Island State Park, here in Grand Island. Because I missed a day when I had the flu (despite a flu shot), I am going to make up that day. I will finish on August 1st, 2016, at Buckhorn Island State Park. It will feel good to go back to the place where I began, to feel that I have traveled full circle.

One thing that I am very thankful for is living close to a river. Being able to watch the water is a wonderful thing. Usually, I watch the water during the day, but, lately, I've had the opportunity to watch the water at night. Below are a series of pictures that I took when the sun set and a short time after sunset. They were all taken in Grand Island, New York.

This is the view from a scenic overlook on the west side of the island. There are three scenic overlooks. There are two roads, a "parkway" and a "service road." If you walk, you have to walk on the "service road." It is so far from the river that you can't see water. The parkway, which is much closer to the river, is a high-speed road that is closed to pedestrians and bicycles. I'm not sure why it's there. How can you admire the river and your view of Canada while driving 50 miles per hour?

On the evening that I took these pictures, I traveled there in a friend's car. 

The rest of the pictures were taken on the east side of the island on Wednesday evening. It was the day after the full moon. Here, you can see the moon rising in the sky. It is radiant and it casts a bright shadow in the river.

It is starting to get darker, and the reflection in the water seems brighter and more dramatic.

Above the river, there is a sense of magic. I feel fortunate to have captured this image. It is with that sense of joy that I share all of these images of nighttime on the river.

Have a great day and check back with me tomorrow!