My guiding word for 2017

Today, I did my last gardening job for the year. My task for the morning was to plant bulbs. Usually, gardening work offers the opportunity for instant gratification. You dig weeds and prune shrubbery. Once you remove the refuse, you see results right away. There is no reason to wait.

With bulb planting, it is a different story. The gratification is delayed. The bulbs are planted in the spring and, then, you have to wait all winter to see results. Fortunately, for me, I tend to be easily distracted so I don't spend all winter wondering what color my crocuses might turn out to be or if any of the bulbs that I planted might turn out to be a delicacy for deer. And speaking of deer, I plant with them in mind. I don't plant any tulips. The deer love to eat tulip bulbs. If they don't polish off the bulbs, they get pretty excited about eating the flowers. I suppose that deer like tulips as much as humans love chocolate.

So, yes. Delayed gratification. Feeling hope all winter. Hope that the snows will come and hope that the snows will go. Hope that the lovely green shoots of late winter will poke through the hard ground and bring color back to a monochromatic world.

Hope never dies. For millennia, there has always been hope, even though it is shut up in a box and is, sometimes, hard to find. According to Greek mythology, the first woman on Earth was Pandora. She was actually created by Zeus as a punishment to humans. Zeus was angry because Prometheus stole fire to give to humans. Pandora was given the traits of deceitfulness, stubbornness, and curiosity. She was also given a box and was instructed never to open that box. Pandora really did try hard not to open the box. Eventually, her curiosity became too much. She peeked inside the box. When she opened that box, she accidentally let out all sorts of bad stuff: disease, poverty, war, death, sadness, and misery. Pandora, who thought that the box would be filled with fine cloths and exquisite jewelry, was horrified. She quickly shut the box but it was too late. All of the ills contained in the box had fluttered away to torment the world.

Before long, Pandora heard a little cry from within the box. She opened it and a beautiful creature emerged. It was hope. It touched the places and people that were attacked by the ills of the world and it healed everyone that it was able to touch.

Many years later, we are still beset by the ills of the world. Just when it seems as if we can't handle it any more, out flutters that little guy who got stuck in the box when Pandora hurriedly shut it. It is hope. Hope is always with us. Hope means not giving up, ever. Even when the odds seem impossibly long, hope is still there.

During the process of choosing a president in the United States, it felt as if all hope had fled. Listening to two candidates bash each other nearly nonstop for months was discouraging. Could things possibly get any worse? Some people claim that we will be all right, that everything will work out. But, no, I don't believe that. I do not believe that everything will work itself out. I believe that we are in for a rough ride.

I do, however, believe that all hope has actually not fled. As long as there is life, there is hope. People are doing great things to make this world a better place. They will continue to do so.

Like Pandora, we opened a box that we probably should not have opened. We are looking into the mirror and are not liking what we see. We don't see that little guy hiding behind us. The guy called hope. The guy who will dry our tears and will take us by the hand and help us to see beauty in a world that looks ugly. It's sort of like the gardens, but on a bigger scale. The crocuses and the snowdrops and other early flowers will grow through the snow. They will grow through the hard soil and they will be the living symbols of hope, of never giving up.

So, I choose, as my word for 2017, hope.

I hope for better things for everyone and for our beautiful, but such sad, world.

Standing with Standing Rock: a visit from Arvol Looking Horse

On Monday, November 28th, I went to Buffalo to hear about Standing Rock from Lakota spiritual leader Arvol Looking Horse. He is a 19th generation Keeper of the White Buffalo Calf Pipe, and has had that responsibility since he was twelve years old for the Lakota, Dakota, and North Dakota Nakota peoples. He is a spiritual leader, a chief, and a sun dance chief. He is fluent in both English and in Lakota. He was sent to a boarding school when he was young. At the boarding school, it was a violation of the rules to speak in indigenous languages. The theory behind the boarding schools was "kill the Indian and save the man." The goal of the boarding schools was to destroy indigenous languages and indigenous cultures. The boarding schools are closed but indigenous cultures are still under attack.

The situation at Standing Rock has gotten tense. People have been attacked with water cannons. They've been shot with bean bags and rubber bullets. Tear gas and mace have been used on unarmed people. One young woman, Sophia Wilansky, had her arm amputated after a direct strike by a concussion grenade.

The camp has received a notice of eviction, effective on December 5th. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has stated, however, that it will not forcibly remove people from the land. The current population of the camp is in excess of 15,000, which includes many nonindigenous people. Arvol Looking Horse described it as "big, like a city." Nevertheless, more support is on its way. Hundreds of military veterans are traveling to Standing Rock, to act in support of the camp. One of those veterans is Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), an Iraq War veteran and a major in the National Guard. The veterans intend to stay in Standing Rock from December 4th until the 7th. For anyone who is reading this who intends to go to Standing Rock, besides very warm clothing and arctic gear, you are also advised to bring ear plugs, especially if you will be on the front lines.

According to Stars and Stripes, the veterans have raised more than $495,000 to establish services at the camp. These services include medical and supply tents, secure lines of communications, and heating systems to help water protectors during the cold North Dakota winter.

Arvol Looking Horse said that he has asked to meet with President Obama, but has had no response. He said, "We want our treaties to be honored." At the talk, he discussed a number of issues:

Police brutality: "Elders have been maced and handcuffed. It is disrespectful to treat the elderly like that. They were put in dog kennels and jail cells... Police are shooting rubber bullets and bean bags at people. As soon as they drop a person, they high five... live ammunition has been shot."

The meaning of Standing Rock and the attitude of potential visitors: "This is a very sacred place. People should go there with a good mind, to be there and to pray. No foul language. Come with a good mind. Eat everything natural. Non natives bring vegetarian food, which is good, too."

Desecration of sacred spaces: "Bear Butte is a church to us, a sacred place. At the burial grounds, there were bulldozers and plows and dogs. The people stood with locked arms. They were mostly women and children. They plowed over burial grounds. They show no respect for the burial grounds. There are laws about 'cemeteries,' but not about 'burial grounds.'"

"We need to have our way of life protected. We are healing from all of the things done to our people, such as the massacre at Wounded Knee (1890)."

"I do ceremonies at the sacred grounds. We are trying to not have helicopters flying over us when we have ceremonies. On Turtle Island, the trees, creeks, and rivers are connected. We do ceremonies to preserve our way of life."

One ceremony that was mentioned was the welcoming mother ceremony, scheduled for March 21st, 2017 (the day after the vernal equinox).

Note to anyone planning to visit Standing Rock: Women are asked to wear dresses when attending ceremonies. If you are a woman and you are going to Standing Rock, make sure to include a heavy long skirt in your luggage. It could be a wrap-type skirt that you could wear over your pants, long underwear, and leggings. Make sure to wear layers. North Dakota in the winter is among the coldest places in the United States.

On supporters: "Thank you to people all over the world who are standing with us."

On water: "Water is life. The water protectors are trying to protect the water for 18 million people."

On the young people at Standing Rock: "I have worked with young people, who have been going to speak at the United Nations since 1990. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People... this protects our sacred sites and our way of life. The newspaper called the young people 'hostiles' and 'savages.' We have very well-educated young people."

On treaties and massacres and history and the world community: "The 1851 treaty was a peace treaty, and the 1868 treaty covered water and resources... The massacre at Wounded Knee occurred in 1890. In 1990, we prayed that there would be no more Wounded Knees in the world. We can unite spiritually in global communities as people. Every nation has respect for the earth."

"We are all under one creator. I feel very much at peace with all of you. Carry on our message. We are faced with a lot of bullying."

How to support Standing Rock water protectors from home: Arvol Looking Horse says to keep praying. "It's all about healing."

Donations: Money to keep the camp going through the winter. Also needed are warm clothes, blankets, and tents.

Phone calls: Call the White House. One time that was mentioned for phone calls is Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. Just keep calling in support of the water protectors at Standing Rock.

Book Talk: The Secret Wisdom of the Earth

Last week, the book club at the Grand Island Memorial Library discussed The Secret Wisdom of the Earth, by Christopher Scotten. This is a first novel by the author, who has, in the past, worked as a carpenter, bouncer, kite flyer, amusement park ride operator, and CEO of a few technology companies.

The main character is Kevin, age fourteen. His brother recently died in a terrible accident. He is struggling with his feelings, resulting from having witnessed the accident and with being blamed by his father for the accident. His mother has sunk into a deep depression. Kevin and his mother went to Kentucky to spend the summer with Kevin's maternal grandfather, a semi-retired veterinarian, called "Pops." The story centers around Kevin, his friend Buzzy, and Kevin's grandfather. The book is more than a character study, however. It is a very tightly written story about a clash of values, from the perspective of a fourteen year old boy. What is more important: energy or maintenance of a beautiful mountainous environment? Do companies have the right to get coal by any means necessary?

The issue that is dramatically presented is mountaintop removal. That is a coal mining practice that is very controversial. It has been called "strip mining on steroids." Mountaintop removal is a very literal term. It actually involves the removal of the tops of mountains to reveal coal deposits beneath the surface. The trees on top of the mountain may be clear cut or burned or bulldozed. Then explosives are placed and the mountaintops are blown off. This is a mining technique that has been used since the 1970s. The process produces a toxic soup, called slurry. The slurry might be sent into underground mines. Apparently, this has caused contamination of the water supply. People have reported brown liquid coming out of their taps.

The practice of mountaintop removal take place mainly in Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, and Tennessee. Here is a link to an article that describes the impacts to the environment of mountaintop removal: mountaintop removal article. Author Christopher Scotton said that he felt moved to write the book because, when he was in college, he fell in love with the music of Appalachia. He later went to visit Appalachia several times. On one of his visits, he witnessed mountaintop removal. He described the mine in the devastated mountain as that "horrific gray scar."

In the book, the conflict over mountaintop removal in the town of Medgar, Kentucky, leads to deadly violence.

That's where I will leave it. If you have a chance, read the book. It's well written and the characters come to life within the book's 431 pages.

My request of you: What books would you recommend for people to read? Please tell me about some of the books that you've enjoyed. I am hoping to post a Readers' Choice blog post before Christmas. Thank you!!!

Tattoo... me?????

I love tattoos. I don't have any tattoos, but I love them. Really. I think that a lot of people have the most gorgeous tattoos. I really admire the way that they use their bodies as canvases for creative works of art. Tattooing is nothing new. People have gotten tattoos since prehistoric times. It was done all over the world: in Europe, Alaska, the Andes, China, Sudan, Russia, Siberia, the Philippines, and many more places. In ancient China, however, tattooing was frowned upon as a barbaric practice. The Chinese weren't alone in thinking that tattooing was barbaric. Many years later, when Christian missionaries went to Samoa, they tried to stamp out a tradition of very elaborate tattoos (that were applied in five sessions over ten days) because that tradition was "barbaric." There is now a resurgence of interest in tattooing in Samoa.

So what about tattoos in more recent times? Well, about 50 years ago, tattoos were mostly for sailors and convicts. In fact, tattoos for sailors went back to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. For an American sailor, sporting a tattoo was both a means of self-expression and a way for that sailor to be identified in case he should be lost at sea or impressed by the British Navy. Those tattoos were fairly plain. I was first made aware of tattoos when I was a small child, watching cartoons. My favorite cartoon character, Popeye, the Sailor Man, had an anchor tattooed on his forearm.


These day, tattoos can be very elaborate works of art. They can be colorful pictures or words or the name of a loved one. There have been refinements in the quality of tattoo inks, and many tattoo artists now have a good deal of training in the fine arts. Attitudes about tattooing have changed. It is now considered an acceptable form of self-expression.

Although I love to see tattoos on other people, I myself am completely untattooed. I don't see myself having a tattoo. But, if I were to have a tattoo, I would think that it would be fun to have one of my own paintings tattooed on a part of my body that I could... um... admire. That cancels out my back and my rear end. It would be an unusual way for me to advertise my artwork but, well, who knows? Maybe tattoo ads would become popular. Just try not to tattoo an image of a business that is likely to go belly up. You'll soon find yourself saddled with the name of a dead business for ever and ever and ever. That could be annoying.

A dramatic flower, such as this orangey-brownish sunflower, would make a lovely tattoo. It is an enduring image, as opposed to a name of a business that could go bankrupt or the name of a significant other (you're not going to enjoy the name of the former true love being part of your body for ever and ever when the romance dies). Anyway, if you choose to get a tattoo, enjoy it and remember to follow the directions of your tattoo artist to avoid risk of infection at the site of the new tattoo.

For more information about the history of tattoos, check out the website within the parentheses: (history of tattoos)

Today's question: Do you have tattoos? What kinds of images do you have? If you don't have a tattoo, would you get one and what sort of tattoo would you choose?

Christmas trees and other cool stuff

Today is a celebration of small business, called "Small Business Saturday." People are encouraged to visit their local small businesses today. My friend Diane and I took a little adventure into the world of shopping, here in Grand Island, New York. First, we started with the smallest of all small businesses: the garage sale (the sporadic type of business). The person running the sale was selling various sports memorabilia: signed footballs, football and hockey jerseys, baseballs, and various other professional sports-related merchandise. As you can see from the above portrait of NFL Hall of Famer Andre Reed (wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills from 1985 to 1999 and with the Washington Redskins in 2000), the memorabilia comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.

These make great gifts for people who are fans of the teams. They will definitely treasure these items.

Our next stop was to Kelly's Country Store. This store was established in 1962. It is a landmark in Grand Island. It sells a variety of chocolates and that most delicious Buffalo treat: sponge candy. The family that owns Kelly's Country Store goes all out in their celebration of Christmas. The store is completely decorated. You can buy all sorts of Christmas decorations, ornaments, and more. There is actually a room that is called the "Christmas room."

When you go into the Christmas room, your jaw will drop because the room has been transformed into a Christmas wonderland.

It is very glittery and bright, just the sort of thing to make you happily forget that it's cold and damp outside and that the sun is setting earlier and earlier each day.

You can even get a glimpse of the toys of long ago.

There are miniature worlds of lovely, snowy Christmases.

... angels and manger scenes...

... a warm welcome for friends...

... and delightful little elves... and, with that, we took our leave of Kelly's Country Store. Our plan was to visit the holiday special edition of the Grand Island Farmers' Market next. It was, however, just 10:30 a.m., and the farmers' market was opening at eleven o'clock. So we headed down to the Village Inn, a lovely, locally owned restaurant in the southern part of Grand Island. The Village Inn is well-known for its soups and desserts.Today, I chose the tomato-basil bisque. It was creamy and delicious.

Portions of the farmers' market were outside and others were indoors. Here is a lovely handmade wreath.

Inside, there were goodies and taste tests and interesting things for sale.

This is Robin. She was selling her very scrumptious honey.

This is one of the more unusual of the offerings. Who ever thinks to put bacon in the jam. There are people who have suggested that everything tastes good but that bacon (in just about everything) can only improve the flavor of food. Bacon soup, bacon stew, bacon mashed potatoes, bacon tea????? Um. Well. OK.

Back outside, I noticed this display of wreaths on a wall.

It's getting to be time to select a Christmas tree.

There are so many choices, so many trees.

Diane and I paid one more visit to Kelly's Country Store. Santa Claus had arrived, and many children were on line, waiting for their turn to talk to Santa and to ask him for their heart's desire.

Today's question: If you were to visit Santa and ask him for your heart's desire, what would it be? What would you like to have Santa give to you? What gift would make you happy?

Bird Friday

This morning, I joined a bird watching expedition through Buckhorn Island State Park in Grand Island, New York. It was a cloudy, but not excessively cold, November day and was a good day for the bird watching experience. Since I'm not a big fan of battling crowds at the mall in the shopping frenzy called "Black Friday," I thought that I would enjoy "Bird Friday" instead.

The activity was led by naturalist Tom Kerr (pictured above) of the Audubon Society. Approximately ten bird watchers joined him. We ranged from total novice (me) to very experienced bird watchers. Tom Kerr used his phone to keep track of the species of birds that we saw. There is an app called ebird. It is available for both Android and iphones. It is connected to a website, called "ebird.org."

We walked six miles in the park and, during that time, spotted 36 different taxa (a taxonomic category, such as phylum, order, family, or species). The walk took 218 minutes (3.18 hours).

At this location (around the grassy island in the Niagara River), we saw a whole bunch of ducks in a group. We saw both mallards and greater scaup. The greater scaup is a mid-sized diving duck. We looked through our own binoculars and through a large binocular-type device that stood on a tripod. Tom brought that wonderful device. At about the same time, we saw a boat that was sitting very still near the group of ducks. And then... BANG!!! After hearing the shooting by the duck hunters, we observed that the group of ducks that we first observed never moved. Those ducks never moved because they were not real. They were decoys!

Apparently, the decoys were very realistic because all of the bird watchers, from the novices to the bird watching leader, were tricked. We all laughed about being tricked by the fake birds. We moved on and, before long, we saw some real ducks that swam and dove and did stuff that living ducks do. In addition to the mallards and the greater scaup, we saw bufflehead. These are small ducks with a dark head, a rounded bill, and a very striking black and white body. 

This is the marsh, where we actually did not see a large number of birds.

This is the bridge that connects Grand Island to Niagara Falls. There is no duck hunting permitted past this point. That is because, when people are driving over the bridge, the sound of guns going off at close proximity is a little bit too startling. At the bridge, we saw a red-tailed hawk and a peregrine falcon.

Tom pointed out a box that had been placed on the (nondriving portion) bridge. It is meant for peregrine falcons. They use the box for nesting. According to Tom, "If work is being done on the bridge during the times of year that the box is empty, the entire box can be removed." Once the work is done, the box is returned to its original spot so that the peregrine falcons find it upon their return. There was a time when peregrine falcons had become an endangered species. That was in the mid-20th century. They have come back and were removed from the endangered species list, when DDT was banned and the use of other chemical pesticides was limited. Other places that these raptors like to nest include tall buildings in busy cities.

We continued walking toward the peninsula that links the mainland with Buckhorn Island. We passed a patch of alders. One of the Bird Walkers, Patricia, told me that these trees are Siberian alders, which is an invasive species. It is a fast-growing tree that readily grows along the river.

We looked across the river at Navy Island, which is Canadian territory. Tom had set up the Super Binocular and we took turns looking at Navy Island through it. In one tree, we saw two bald eagles perched. We saw them clearly through this super binocular. It was a truly amazing sight. Bald eagles are now growing in population, but, in the mid-20th century, they were, like the peregrine falcon, an endangered species. Causes of their coming close to extinction included habitat destruction and degradation, illegal shooting, and contamination of its food source, largely as a result of DDT. Fortunately, DDT has been banned. The bald eagle has sometimes been considered the largest true raptor in North America.

Eventually, the wind kicked up and it started feeling more like November. Nevertheless, it was a good day to see birds. Here is the list of birds that we saw this morning at Buckhorn Island State Park, as reported by Tom Kerr on ebird:
Canada Goose, American Black Duck, Mallard,Northern Pintail, Bufflehead Common Goldeneye, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, American Coot , Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon), Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Peregrine Falcon, Blue Jay, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet -- With a mixed flock of Chickadee and Golden-crowned Kinglets. Red crown obvious on one of them, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, Yellow-rumped Warbler, American Tree Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, and American Goldfinch.

Saving Niagara River Gems

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Today, I am doing what soap operas do! This blog post is an "encore presentation." I first posted this story, about the tragedy of Strawberry and Motorboat Islands, on January 25th, 2015. Restoration work was started last year and is scheduled to be completed next year. The islands, once thought to be lost forever, have a future. Life has returned to the upper Niagara River: bald eagles, cormorants, egrets, and great blue herons fly overhead. In the water, there are many more fish than in the past: sturgeon and many others. There are animals, too: turtles, beavers, and mink. All of this was described in a Buffalo News article (November 14th), which compared this section of the Niagara River to Jurassic Park. 

Next year, I hope to see these islands for myself, as I plan on participating in an eco tour during Paddles Up! in July. Look for a blog post next July, with pictures of these emerging islands. Until then, please enjoy the story that I wrote in January 2015.

Note: The above picture was painted in August 2013 at Beaver Island State Park. It is a view of the river from the park.

Before I tell you the tragic story of Strawberry Island, I want to tell you about one of my most favorite of children's books: The Giving Tree, written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein (1930-1999). It is very poetic.  A boy and a tree loved each other, but the boy took far more than he gave. At first, when the boy was little, he was content simply to climb the tree and to play with the leaves and to sleep in her shade. After a number of years, the boy said that he was too old to play and that he wanted money more than he wanted to enjoy the companionship of the tree, whom he had once loved very much.
The tree loved the boy more than she loved herself and she offered everything that she had and everything that she was to the boy so that he would be happy.
Eventually, all that was left of the tree was a stump. She could no longer produce apples or provide shade. She still loved the boy and she gave him the only thing that was left: a place to sit and rest. That was enough for the boy because he had grown old and no longer had the strength to climb and his teeth were too weak for chewing apples.
This story of unconditional love makes me feel sad and joyous, both at the same time.
Yesterday evening, I went to the Buffalo Launch Club to eat delicious food and to hear a presentation about Strawberry Island and Motor Boat Island. They are small islands in the Niagara River, located between Tonawanda and the southern tip of Grand Island.
Strawberry Island is one of those small island in the Niagara River. So I will tell the story, a little bit differently than it was presented, which was factually. I will tell it as a story of an island that gave and gave and gave, until it had nothing left to give. 

Once, a long time ago, Strawberry Island was much larger than it is now.
The Neuter Nation, who were allied to the Eries, who were mound builders, loved the Niagara River. Their name for the river was Onguiaahra. People then went to Strawberry Island, and they foraged for food. Except for some food to nourish human bodies, the visitors did not take anything away from Strawberry Island.
The Neuter nation was gone by the 1700s. In the 1700s, fur traders wrote about Strawberry Island in their journals. Whether or not they visited the island, I don't really know.
The journals of British General James Wilkinson during the War of 1812 make reference to several islands in the Niagara River, including Strawberry Island and Frog Island. In fact, Strawberry Island was occupied by the Americans for a while. They were there to try to prevent the British from burning down Buffalo for a second time.
After the war, in about 1815, title to the land went to New York State. To obtain that title, New York State paid the Senecas a one-time amount of $1,000 and an annual amount of $500 in perpetuity. That $500 is still paid to the Senecas.
Surveyor General Simeon DeWitt had the island surveyed in 1824. It was determined that the island was 100 acres in size. It consisted of marsh and upland woods and was capable of producing hay. Strawberry Island and the other islands in the Niagara River were seen as valuable to hunters and fishermen, including President Grover Cleveland (the only president with two nonconsecutive terms) and President Theodore Roosevelt (who established the National Park system).
In the mid-nineteenth century, Strawberry Island was seen as a place for people to go for rest and relaxation. A hotel was built with verandas on the island. A canal was built through the south end of the island so that people could enjoy boating without having to endure the harsh undercurrents of the Niagara River. Visitors were happy to get away from Buffalo, which was dirty and smelly.
By 1892, the hotel was closed. People preferred going to the larger hotels in Grand Island, and Strawberry Island was seen as too small.
Strawberry Island would eventually become much smaller.
In 1923, a survey was done that indicated that Strawberry Island was 200 acres in size. At about that time, sand and gravel dredging began. When Buffalo Gravel purchased Strawberry Island in 1926, sand and gravel dredging was done faster and faster and faster.
The island was giving up her very existence.
She was being dismantled, piece by piece.
Without the sand and gravel, the soil eroded from the island. It did not take long before the island was 100 acres smaller than it had been when the survey was done in 1923.
There were consequences to this destructive mining. Because the land mass of Strawberry Island was being mined for gravel and sand, the lake levels began to drop. This made shippers and sportsmen angry. Dredging was temporarily halted. All sorts of legal action took place, including a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer. In 1948, the size of the island was 36 acres. That same year, dredging resumed.
The island continued to shrink. It had a lagoon and it was rapidly shrinking, as a result of dredging and other activities.
At that time, no one thought to take care of the island, to keep it from eroding further.
The island had given until it could give no more.
Only a small land mass was left.
There was very little left to dredge.
The island was like the giving tree at the end of the story. There was nothing left of the tree but a stump.
Yet the tree still loved the boy, who had grown old and only had enough strength to sit on the stump and rest.
When the New York State Department of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation purchased the island in 1989, it seemed as if it people would finally give something to the island. Garbage cans were installed to encourage people to dispose of their waste responsibly. The island, however, continued to shrink until is was not even 25 acres in size.
The island had given until it gave no more. It gave up its sand and it gave up its gravel because humans wanted those things for building and for industry.
Finally, a person came along who wanted to give to the island. His name is Frank Levin. In 1993, he raised the money needed to help stabilize the island, which had shrunk to just five acres.
Today, native vegetation is once again growing on the tiny island that was once a 200 acre piece of land that could support people's need for food.
You can go to Strawberry Island in canoes and kayaks, and that's about it. People are not encouraged to go there because of concern that the ecosystem of the fragile island could not withstand another human invasion.
Eco-tourism, however, is a new thing in the Niagara River, so it may be possible to see the tiny islands of the Niagara without damage to the ecosystem. If I get that opportunity, I'll share the photographs with you right here in this blog.
And I hope that is a gift that I can offer to an island that gave and gave and gave until she had nothing left to give.

Stella Niagara Preserve and Educational Park

Approximately ten years ago, I started going to painting class at Stella Niagara Educational Park, in Lewiston, New York. The class meets twice a month from September until June. The instructor, Virginia Kelley, is a volunteer who loves art and who loves the work and the mission of the Sisters of Saint Francis of Penance and Christian Charity, who run the Stella Niagara Educational Park, as well as the Center of Renewal. The Center of Renewal is a lovely facility that provides hospitality and offers various spiritual retreats. The Stella Niagara Education Park includes a Catholic elementary school for students from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade. In addition, Stella Niagara is a convent and a peace site. The mission of the Franciscan sisters who live there is to live humbly and conserve the land. They are also teachers, who work and teach in the local community, as well as overseas, in such places as Chiapas, Mexico, and Tanzania.

Stella Niagara is located at a very beautiful place in the Town of Lewiston, in Niagara County, New York. I have walked the grounds, and there is much to discover. Some of the grounds are on the shores of the Niagara River. On those grounds is a lovely, though no longer used, chapel.

Just a year ago, Stella Niagara sold 29 acres of waterfront property to the Western New York Land Conservancy after a more than three million dollar fundraising campaign. On the property, there is about a quarter of a mile of shoreline. It is a beautiful piece of undeveloped land. The Land Conservancy has hired landscape architect Darrel Morrison to restore the prairie grassland and a savannah landscape to much of the property.

At last week's meeting of the Grand Island Conservation Advisory Board, two people from the Western New York Land Conservancy come to do a presentation on their work. Our visitors were executive director Nancy Smith and Land Protection Director Patrick McGlew. They offered some description of the ongoing restoration work at Stella Niagara. It happened that they were at Stella Niagara at exactly the same time that I was.

Patrick said, in describing the history of the site: "The British landed there during the War of 1812. The Native Americans used it as a peace site. They had to get along or no one could navigate the river."

As for the current condition of the land: "There are a lot of species of vegetation there that does not belong. There was a lot of invasive species. Much work has been done to remove those. We are working with landscape architect Darrel Morrison. A flowing and sweeping trail system, with native species, is being put in. All of the plantings will be geared toward the soil, and they will all be native."

The day that Nancy and Patrick visited the Stella Niagara Preserve, work was being done to dig up roots of invasive species from around the statue of Saint Michael.

Patrick said that, when the work is completed, visiting the preserve will give people "an opportunity to see what a wonderful plan with native species can do."

Working on the whole project, starting with land acquisition, has been a good experience, Patrick said. "This was such a successful project for the sisters. It was a wonderful partnership. There was lots of trust."

This is the chapel on the grounds of the Stella Niagara Preserve.

When the grounds of the Preserve are finished, it will be a lovely place to hike. It will also be a lovely place to bring a chair and art supplies and do a plein air (outdoor) painting. I am looking forward to both hiking and painting. Last Thursday, however, my focus was totally on painting. Our theme was the plentiful gifts of the autumnal harvest. I went to Stella Niagara, having no idea of what I would paint. All I knew was that I wanted to incorporate a pumpkin into my painting. So I did just that, as you can see from the above painting. It is watercolor, done in warm autumnal colors.

Discussion question: Are there any parks or nature preserves in your community that you like to visit? What do you you enjoy most about them?

comments and conversation

Just a few days before Thanksgiving seems like a good time to share readers' comments. I am very grateful for everyone who reads my blog, and I love your comments, stories, and suggestions. Thank you so much. Here are some of the comments that you have shared with me.

Thanksgiving food, part two: terrific and tasty:


Molly: These are great ideas! I am a huge fan of Pumpkin Soup and always looking for new recipes, so I may try one of these.

Me, too, Molly. I have some pumpkins that are currently decorating the porch. I'm going to bake those and turn them into soup. The seeds can be toasted and eaten, as well. I haven't chosen my recipe yet, but am definitely looking forward to the experience of warm pumpkin soup, now that the weather is turning colder.

Cerebrations.biz: Sweet potatoes (never that white stuff) with dates, raisins, and honey... Cranberries are ok if you are having Turkey. (I'm having roast beef.) So, I'll make broccoli, with cranberries and peppers.
Sounds delicious, especially those sweet potatoes with dates, raisins, and honey. I love sweet potatoes and yams.

Christine: creamed onions and scalloped oysters are my favorite side dishes.
Those dishes sound delicious, Christine. I would love to use pearl onions for the creamed onions. They are nice and mild and would make a delightful treat.

Alana: Dare I say....green bean casserole? No, just kidding. Homemade cranberry sauce, and my husband's delicious stuffing. But, speaking of green bean casserole, there was a three year span where I craved that green bean casserole, canned crispy onions, cream of mushroom soup and al. Then I got it out of my system. It's not on the menu anymore.
Haha, I used to love that green bean casserole. OK, mostly, I loved the crunchy stuff on top. That was before I started reading food labels. Sometimes, being educated about food takes the fun out of eating. It does, however, lead to more creativity in the kitchen. How do you make fun stuff with nontoxic food? But, yes, cranberry sauce and stuffing. Quite yummy.

Thanksgiving dinner, part one: the bizarre and the inedible: I hope that you were amused by my description of really awful food selections that people have been subjected to. I got one comment about bad food at Thanksgiving.

Alana: For all the fond memories I have of my Aunt and Uncle in Brooklyn where my Dad and I ate Thanksgiving dinner during my teen aged years, one not-so-fond memory is the yams with marshmallows I endured. And, oh yes, the bitter roasted chestnuts. The rest of the meal, though, was delicious.

What a combination of excessive sweetness (yams with marshmallows) and unpleasant bitterness (bitter roasted chestnuts)! Yuck! I'm glad that the rest of the meal was delicious!

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Alana: I wanted to be "just like Lois Lane" when I was a girl. If not that, a writer. I became neither. In fact, what I did become was part of a profession that I did not know anything about growing up. Surprise, surprise, surprise!

And now, you are a writer, Alana! You maintain a great blog! Hey readers, check out Alana's blog. It's called "Ramblin with AM." In my links section (to the right), there is a link to it.

Jean: I always wanted to be a teacher from the time I was old enough to realize I had to grow up to be something. I was a teacher for 38 years, and am now retired. I was fortunate enough to spend my career as my first and only choice.

There is nothing better than doing work that you truly love. Teaching was more than just a job for you. People who love their careers, as you did, identify strongly with them. Recently, I interviewed a teacher, who told me, "Being a teacher is just who I am... the kids make every day like an adventure." 

Waiting at the Rainbow Bridge: What wonderful, heartfelt comments people posted both here and on Facebook. You expressed love for precious animals and sadness for animals that were lost. Here are your comments:

Caroline: I am sorry for your losses. I really love that poem you posted. It makes me think about when my mom passed away and I had inherited her dog, and then when he passed away. So hard!

I am glad that the poem spoke to your heart, just as it spoke to mine. I am so sorry that you lost your mom and your mom's dog. Hugs.

Alana: I am sorry for your losses. My best friend from childhood passed away after a long battle with cancer. One of her two cats had cancer. For a while it was in remission and that cat would cuddle with my friend when she felt so cold from her chemo treatments. But alas, the cat died, and about two years later, my friend did, too. It's a lovely poem but sometimes...I just don't know. I suppose until that day arrives for me.

What a wonderful, special cat to warm up your friend when she was freezing because of her cancer treatments. This is such a beautiful, sad story. Hugs.

Candy: It's so hard losing a pet. I'm sorry for your losses.

Thank you so much, Candy. 

Jane: It's not easy losing our fur babies. The one I have left has always been "mine". A ginger girl that I've had for 12.5 years. I miss those that I've lost a great deal. Sorry for the losses you've endured as well.

Thank you so much, Jane. All of the fur babies who have gone are missed. The love truly never dies.

Vivian: That was really beautiful Alice. So heartfelt and precious. Thx for sharing this. 

Thank you, Viv. I know how much you love the cats in our lives. Hugs.

Susan: My Tattoo kitty died in January. This was helpful.

I am so sorry for your loss, Susan, and I am glad that I could provide some help and, I hope, consolation. Hugs.

Meryl: Letting go of them when all hope is lost. We always wish we could do more for them. Their absence is heartbreaking, but we hold them in our hearts and minds as much as human beings.

This is so true. When the precious pet dies, it feels as if that empty spot in the heart will never be filled again. But you are right; they are still there in your heart, even though they are no longer occupying a space in the house. It's also so difficult to know when it is time to let go. You never want to believe that all hope has fled. Yet, there are times when the kindest thing to do is to let go. It becomes an act of love, even though it is so painful.

Lizette:  So sorry for your loss. Very touching blog post.

Thank you very much, Lizette.

Mary: Thanks for this, Alice. Our cat, Gwynneth (the gray one), was diagnosed with lymphoma this summer. We took her off all treatment at the beginning of August because they made her miserable and were not helping. We thought every day that she would die the next. She has made some comeback, though. Although still very thin, she has her good days and bad. She still loves to sit in our laps and be petted. We don't know what's in store, but we appreciate every day with her.

Mary, your Gwynneth is a treasure. You are a gift to her, as she is to you. One day at a time with a sick cat. You made hard choices that were best for the cat, and I am happy that you can still enjoy your precious Gwynneth.

Alyson: Such a sad yet uplifting story, one that I can easily relate to.

Thank you so much, Alyson. 

And now, a request: I am still looking for book recommendations. What are some of your favorite books? I am looking to put together a Readers' Choice book list before Christmas.

Happy Thanksgiving!