Posts Tagged cold

I.M. Pei’s pavilion

Mar 15

Posted by Roxie in American history, architecture, boston, clouds, history, ocean, photos, Presidents, rain, scenery, skyline, slide shows, travel, weather, wind | No Comments

I had a list of the top four places I wanted to visit in Boston:

1) John F. Kennedy Library and Museum

2) Adams National Historic Park

3) Freedom Trail

4) Isabelle Stewart Gardner Museum

The Adams’ houses are closed during the winter, so I crossed that attraction off my list. Seeing only the visitors center left me cold. If the houses had been open, I would have seen Presidential sites for the first six Presidents. But this was not to be.

On our first day in Massachusetts, I headed for JFK’s Library. Since the library has free parking, I drove there, then hopped the transit system, or “T”, to Boston Common, where I picked up my Go Boston card at the welcome center. It was good at every attraction I desired to visit. Instead of standing in line to pay, I showed attraction staff my card and went right in. I hopped back on the T and returned to the library, which is now the furthest east I’ve ever been.

JFK Library and Museum building from its pier

When Jackie Kennedy was choosing a design for her late husband’s library, she chose I.M. Pei, then an unknown, as the architect. The tour starts with a showing of a film about JFK’s life, after which visitors are supposed to go downstairs to the museum exhibits, then end in the memorial pavilion. Somehow, I often don’t do things like other people do.

tour group in the pavilion

I must have exited a different door than the one leading to the exhibits because I ended up in the pavilion. Its only furnishings are some low benches. At 115 feet high, it dwarfs all humans entering. If the pavilion is intended to make visitors feel the weight of history and the brevity of life, it succeeds.

pavilion flag and ceiling

The flag, the room’s only decoration, is 45 feet by 26 feet. The space defines stark.

view of Atlantic Ocean from JFK Library's pavilion

The ocean only a few feet away saves the pavilion from unrelieved severity.

Boston skyline from JFK Library pavilion

JFK’s love of the ocean and of sailing was well known. Among other reasons, he said he loved it because of its changeability. The day I was there, the ocean and sky were nearly the same leaden color. The next day, the ocean was brilliant blue, although the skies continued to be overcast.

I could get addicted to seaside views.

For information on visiting JFK’s Library, go here.

This is my slide show from JFK Library:

Click on the link in the gallery or go directly to gallery here.

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Tags: American history, architect, architecture, atlantic, atlantic ocean, attraction, boston, boston common, cold, columbia point, flag, free parking, freedom trail, go boston card, history, i.m. pei, isabelle stewart gardner museum, jackie kennedy, jacqueline kennedy, jfk, john adams, john f. kennedy, john f. kennedy library and museum, john quincy adams, library, massachusetts, mbta, memorial, museum, ocean, onassis, pavilion, peninsula, pier, president, presidential, public transit, rain, sailing, seaside, seawall, slide show, storm, subway, the t, tour group, tour guide, tourist, travel, weather, welcome center, winter

Fallin’, American Falls is free fallin’

Mar 11

Posted by Roxie in new york, niagara falls, photos, scenery, snow and ice, travel, video, waterfalls | No Comments

Seneca Casino (left) and Comfort Inn The Pointe (right)

Comfort Inn The Pointe in Niagara Falls, N.Y., advertises that it’s “ideally located at the entrance of Niagara Falls State Park.” This is no exaggeration. In the image above, I am standing in the gate to Niagara Reservation, the state park in which Niagara Falls lies. I arose early enough that the streetlights were still lit.

From the gate, it’s a short walk to the Falls.

Niagara River rapids

First you see the turbulent Niagara River. Its rapids are probably Class IV: Very difficult. “Demands expert boatman and excellent boat and good quality equipment.” In reality, they may as well be Class VI: Unrunnable; i.e., “You will die here.” Anyone trying to run those rapids will almost certainly go over the Falls. The Falls are most definitely unrunnable. Daredevils or would-be suicides face a $10,000 fine, plus rescue costs.

Seven-year-old Roger Woodward was swept over the Falls when his neighbor’s boat capsized and lived, but his miraculous escape is not an example to be followed.

footbridge to Goat Island

This footbridge crosses to Little Green Island, then to Goat Island. For some reason I cannot understand, I didn’t cross that bridge when I came to it. I stood on it, but didn’t cross to the other side. As a consequence, I missed out on Bridal Veil Falls and the view of Horseshoe Falls from the American side.

Disgusting, but life goes on. I guess that gives me something to look forward to should I ever visit Niagara Falls again.

in front of the Falls

Soon the skyline across the river comes into view. And, yes, Virginia, I did visit Niagara Falls!

The river disappears

Of course, I knew perfectly well that the Niagara River would vanish, but the actual sight was disconcerting. I thought of Enoch in the Bible:

And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. (Genesis 5:24, King James Version)

This river WAS NOT.

Niagara Falls

Then, finally, the main attraction: The awesome spectacle of one of God’s wondrous works. Because of the early hour, no one was present when I first began shooting. I had that glorious sight all to myself and I reveled in the solitude amid the roar of Niagara.

Solitude didn’t last long.

tourists at American Falls railing

No one was using these viewing machines, but cameras and video cameras were everywhere.

tourist taking pictures with camera phone

I cannot imagine using only a camera phone for such glorious scenery. If that’s all you’ve got, I guess you have to live with it, but I’d croak if that’s all I had.

Dad at the railing

Dad (third from left) joined me after awhile. I was amazed how many tourists had appeared. What must this scene be like in the summer?

Maid of the Mist boats in drydock

Fewer attractions are open in the winter. The Maid of the Mist boats are unable to navigate the river because they are iced in. Yet still the Falls draw people.

American Falls and Niagara Falls, Ontario

Dad was getting anxious to leave. Boston was still many miles away. So I very reluctantly said good-bye to Niagara. We ate an excellent breakfast at the hotel and were on the road again.

I shot some video of Niagara River and Niagara Falls:

Here’s my slide show of Niagara Falls, New York:

Click on the link in the slide show to order any of them or go to the gallery on my website.

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Tags: american falls, bible, bridal veil falls, canada, class iv, class vi, cold, comfort inn, dad, enoch, falls, footbridge, frozen, goat island, horseshoe falls, ice, little green island, miracle, new york, niagara, niagara falls, niagara river, ontario, pedestrian bridge, prospect point, rapids, roger woodward, scenery, seneca casino, snow, travel, waterfall, winter

Canadian ice and lights

Mar 9

Posted by Roxie in architecture, canada, niagara falls, photography, scenery, skyline, travel | No Comments

Table Rock Ice Castle

Behind Horseshoe Falls are other beautiful photographic opportunities. Table Rock Complex, located across Niagara River Parkway from Horseshoe Falls in Queen Victoria Park is continually sprayed with mist. It looked like something out of a fantasy — an ice castle.

frozen handrail

Anyone who would brave this slanted skating rink is crazy. It was a solid sheet of ice, stairs, handrail, posts and all.

Don't tread on me

The sign states the obvious: “Walkway is not maintained during the winter season.” If I’d been carrying a measuring tape, I would have loved to know how thick this ice was — both on the walk and the tree. The reflection of the lights above was beautiful and acted as a DANGER! sign.

Minolta Tower and Marriott Hotel

Fallsview Boulevard above Queen Victoria Falls is full of hotels and towers and Casino Niagara, all beautifully lit. Konica Minolta Tower started as the Seagram Tower, but has changed names six times. Supposedly Seagram built it to resemble one of their whiskey bottles.

Tower stands 525 feet above the falls and is said to offer spectacular views. The night was late, so we passed on a visit to the tower. Maybe someday…

After I’d shot about as much as my freezing fingers could stand, we turned toward the Rainbow Bridge and New York.

Crossing into Canada had been easy. The customs officer had only asked us whether we had firearms, which we didn’t.

Returning to the United States: Not so easy.

The Niagara Falls bridges together are the second-busiest crossings between the US and Canada. Thankfully, winter traffic is much less than during the rest of the year.

Homeland Security now requires a passport for travel between the US and countries in North America and the Caribbean.

Dad has a passport.

I don’t.

The prices for expedited passport services were outrageous, far more than I could afford. (Too bad I didn’t know a person can do that herself with the State Department — without extra fees.)

After much online research, I discovered that Niagara Falls seemed to have a loophole. A birth certificate and driver’s license would get me back into the USA. I obtained my birth certificate, then held my breath as we approached the Border Patrol station.

We received quite a grilling: Where were we from? How were we related? Why were we traveling? How long had we been in Canada? Yada, yada, yada.

The Border Patrol officer did not seem to be convinced by any of our answers.

Then he asked, “Were there any really cool things you saw on your way here?”

I went blank for a horrible moment.

Then inspiration came.

“There was this really cool rest area in Iowa…”

Suddenly the officer smiled and started giving us travel tips. Then he let us through. Whew!

Here’s my slide show from Niagara Falls, Canada:

To order, click on the gallery link in the slide show or go here.

GHTime Code(s): 14779 e13cc 0ec18 nc nc 9eee6

Tags: border, bridge, canada, cold, customs, expedite, fallsview, fallsview boulevard, homeland security, ice, iowa, minolta tower, new york, niagara, niagara falls, niagara river, niagara river parkway, north america, ontario, passport, queen victoria park, rainbow bridge, rest area, slide show, state department, table rock, table rock complex, tower, travel, victoria park, winter

Freezing at Niagara Falls, Canada

Mar 8

Posted by Roxie in canada, ice, niagara falls, photography, photos, scenery, snow and ice, travel, waterfalls, weather | No Comments

Speed limit 25 mph

You know you are in Canada when you have to read the interior numbers on the speedometer. 40 kph seems like crawling, especially when 40 on our signs means 40 mph. 40 kph is just under 25 mph.

During the height of summer, I doubt that cars even reach that speed limit. When we were there, hardly anyone else was on the road. Parking lots were empty. What a deal!

Dad next to an ice-encrusted monument

Niagara Falls does a wonderful job of keeping the roads and walks clear. They spread ice melt frequently and every bit of it is necessary. At the time I snapped this picture, we could hardly stand upright. I felt as if I were learning to walk again. We had to cruise from one handhold to another instead of walking unaided.

I wish I knew what this monument commemorated. I thought I’d be able to discern that from the photo, but I can’t read it. Usually, I can find anything on Google, but this answer eludes me. If anyone can tell me, I’d appreciate it.

Just after I snapped the above picture, someone drove by and spread ice melt.

The walk shortly became passable and we were free to enjoy.

our first view of Horseshoe Falls

This is the first view we had of the Falls. It was more beautiful than I had remembered. I had visited in November 1985, but those memories had faded.

Niagara Parks trains spotlights on the Falls at night. Every so often, they change colors.

purple falls

Here the Falls are in purple.

green spotlight

They changed the lights to green. Skywheel is toward the left of picture. Rainbow Bridge that connects Niagara Falls, N.Y., to Niagara Falls, Ontario, is toward the right.

Niagara Falls in green spotlight

Here are the Falls with that green spotlight.

And now in white.

I like the simplicity of the white best, but the colors are fun too.

Niagara Falls with rainbow section

The mist covers everything and light shining on it produces wonderful prismatic effects like this one. I wasn’t lucky enough to see a full rainbow.

I feel blessed to have gotten these pictures. I have rarely — if ever — shot in such adverse conditions. Dad was carrying my tripod and we got separated somehow. I had to shoot all these low-light pictures with my elbows on the fence. Amazingly, that steadied my hands enough for clear pictures. Because of the constant rain of mist, I wrapped my camera in gallon storage bags held on by rubber bands. Only the lens was exposed. I wore my down parka, Gore-Tex Thinsulate pants and hiking boots with several layers underneath. That was comfortable. My fingers were anything but. I was wearing Thinsulate convertible gloves, but I had to expose my fingers to shoot.

Brrrrr! This was worse than night football in the rain, but, oh, was it FUN! I’d do it again tomorrow. Can we go? Can we? Huh? Huh?

Here’s my slide show from Niagara Falls, Canada:

To order, click on the gallery link in the slide show or go here.

GHTime Code(s): 35ad8 nc nc nc

Tags: american falls, bridal veil falls, canada, cold, dad, dark, gloves, horseshoe falls, ice, illumination, mittens, new york, niagara falls, night, ontario, rainbow bridge, skylon tower, spotlight, travel, waterfall, winter

Clifton Hill, Niagara Falls, Canada

Mar 5

Posted by Roxie in canada, niagara falls, photos, scenery, travel | No Comments

Yogi Berra was famous for his redundant statements, including “This is deja vu all over again.”

I could sympathize with Berra when we arrived at Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. Once we got through Canadian customs, I felt as if I’d gone back to Branson, Mo. The same tourist trap chains that populated Branson populated Clifton Hill, Niagara Falls’ entertainment district.

Dinosaur Rampage

I laughed out loud at the Dinosaur Rampage Theater. The toothy predator’s head was too funny, especially with the cheesy growling noises emanating from the theater.

passer-by poses for a picture

I’ve never been to Las Vegas, but I imagine this was a pale imitation of the Nevada city. I considered it preparation for the greatest light show of all, the one in Times Square. I set up tripod in an out-of-the-way corner and shot some pictures. Dad stood by to ensure no one came up behind me and knocked over my camera. A group came by, saw what I was doing, and one struck up a pose. He didn’t think I’d actually shoot, but I caught him. Too bad I don’t know who he is.

Note all the attractions behind him.

Skywheel and Rock N Bowl

The Skywheel was interesting.

Dad in front of Skywheel entrance

Skywheel spans 175 feet, high enough for a wonderful view of the Falls.

Skywheel gondolas

The gondolas are enclosed and completely climate-controlled, which was a good thing. Temperatures at that time were in the 20s. Gondolas seat up to six. The car’s motion prevented me from shooting pictures of the beautiful view. I cannot understand now why I didn’t video instead. Perhaps the dirty windows put me off? If I ever return, I’ll definitely video the ride. Even so, the ride was definitely worth taking, if only to orient ourselves.

view from Clifton Hill

This is the view from the exit side of the Skywheel. Unfortunately, the Falls are not visible from this angle; the trees obscure them.

Some of the attractions are deja vu, but the main attraction at Niagara Falls, are — naturally — the Falls themselves. After riding the Skywheel, I could hardly wait for the main event.

If you have more time to spend at the Falls than we did, the advice at USATourist.com and BootsnAll.com are worth reading.

Here’s my slide show from Niagara Falls, Canada:

To order, click on the gallery link in the slide show or go here.

GHTime Code(s): b0c2a 42308 41a62 df239 nc nc

Tags: attraction, bowl, bowling, canada, carnival, cold, dad, dinosaur rampage, evening, falls, ferris wheel, fun, lights, neon, niagara falls, night, ontario, pin, resort, skywheel, street scene, theater, tourism, tourist, travel, trip, vacation, water, waterfall, winter

Euclid Beach and the Cradle of Presidents

Mar 4

Posted by Roxie in American history, history, lakes, photography, photos, Presidents, scenery, slide shows, snow and ice, travel | No Comments

Combined Sewer Overflow sign

After many miles of driving on our trip’s second day, Dad and I needed a little time out of the car. We decided to look at Lake Erie while we were passing through Cleveland, Ohio. The day was fairly pleasant and the overcast sky made for lovely photography weather.

We took Lakeshore Drive and couldn’t find any sign pointing to Lake Erie, although we passed many “No Outlet” signs. Eventually, the light dawned. “No Outlet” meant the street ended at the lake.

We turned off Lakeshore Drive onto the next street marked with a “No Outlet” sign and, sure enough, it ended at the lake shore. When we got out, I burst into laughter. A big sign read “Caution: Combined Sewer Outlet”. Only in Cleveland.

Well, maybe not.

Apparently, the cities along Lake Erie have antiquated sewers that combine sewage with storm drainage. In storm seasons, that results in overflow, straight into Lake Erie.

This situation is reminiscent of the tagline from Jaws 2 : “Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water…”. But, of course, the water was frozen, so we weren’t going anywhere near it.

lawn, lake and Cleveland skyline

The best views of the lake were probably from this yard, but it had a large “No Trespassing” sign at the entrance. Instead, I shot from the end of the street before turning east along a sidewalk running more or less parallel to the lake.

sad-faced gargoyle

This gargoyle sitting on the yard’s gate post seems sad that he must keep me out. He reminds me of a “See no evil, think no evil, speak no evil, have no fun” figurine that I once had on my desk. He’s the “have no fun” gargoyle.

streetlights on walkway to Euclid Beach

We came to this lovely walkway down to the beach. A few other folks were walking also, but none approached the beach.

Dad in front of lifeguard stand at Euclid Beach

We were fascinated by the height of these drifts. Were they made over time or did one storm cause the heavy accumulation?

horizon at Lake Erie, Euclid Beach, Euclid, Ohio

The haze made it seem as if the lake continued forever, fading into the sky. I didn’t expect to see the Canadian shore about 50 miles away, but I haven’t seen a “shoreless” body of water since 2008.

The lake with an invisible shore could be a metaphor for how much longer we had to drive that day. Niagara Falls, where Lake Erie joins Lake Ontario, was our destination. “Oh, so far away from me!”

After we left the lake, we ate lunch in Mentor, Ohio, home of James A. Garfield, 20th President of the United States. A sign to his home was right outside the restaurant. I would have enjoyed visiting Garfield’s home, Lawnfield, but the Falls were calling.

Garfield was the fourth of eight Presidents who lived at some time in Ohio: William Henry Harrison, Ulysses Grant, Rutherford Hayes, Benjamin Harrison, Garfield, William McKinley, William Taft, and Warren Harding. Sadly, half of them died in office. W.H. Harrison died of pneumonia, Garfield and William McKinley were assassinated and Warren Harding apparently had a heart attack, dying instantaneously.

W.H. Harrison, who rode into office on the strength of his victory at Tippecanoe, has two dubious distinctions among American presidents: He gave the longest inaugural address in history and had the shortest administration. Weakened by exposure to a snowstorm during his two-hour, 8,445-word address, he contracted pneumonia and died April 4, 1841, less than a month into his term.

Virginia also claims eight Presidents, including four of the first five: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe. Virginia also lays claim to W.H. Harrison, who was born there; John Tyler, Harrison’s vice president; Zachary Taylor and Woodrow Wilson.

This is a slide show of Lake Erie:

To order, click on the gallery link in the slide show or go here.

GHTime Code(s): a84eb nc 6045c 685be nc nc 6c553 nc nc nc nc

Tags: American history, assassination, beach, bench, benjamin harrison, blue, cleveland, cold, cradle of presidents, dad, euclid, euclid beach, frozen, gargoyle, george washington, great lakes, inagural address, james garfield, james madison, james monroe, john tyler, lake erie, lawnfield, lifeguard stand, mentor, mother of presidents, ohio, overflow, Presidents, promenade, sewage, sewer, shore, sidewalk, skyline, streetlight, streetlights, thomas jefferson, tippecanoe, travel, virginia, warren harding, white, william harrison, william henry harrison, william mckinley, william taft

Encased in ice

Mar 2

Posted by Roxie in damage, ice, iowa, photos, plants, scenery, travel, trees, weather | No Comments

Recently, Dad and I drove to Massachusetts. He needed to have some medical tests run at the University of Massachusetts in Worcester. He asked whether I’d like to ride along. I accepted his invitation. I had intended to blog about the trip while we were on it, but I was too exhausted to write. By the time I got home, trip odometer read 4,396.5 miles.

Dad had to be at UMass 7 a.m. EST Monday and we wanted to visit Niagara Falls on our way. Because of that, our first day out was a brutal one, around 800 miles. The trip seemed never to end.

We hardly stopped. Other than endless miles, only one place stands out from that day, the eastbound rest area at Adair, Iowa.

I had been fretting overnight Thursday that perhaps we should have driven awhile that night.

Staying at Dad’s was the right decision.

When we got up Friday morning, the ice on the driveway was very treacherous. Dad had to sprinkle ice melt behind the van so we could load. Otherwise, we were unable to stand up.

We drove in freezing fog several hours, crawling down the Interstate. We took our time over breakfast in hopes that highway crews’ work would make travel safer. That long breakfast was a very good idea.

bushes covered in ice

Adair, Iowa, would normally be around 5 hours into a trip, but getting that far took longer than 5 hours. I was glad to get out of the car. We stepped into into a fairy-tale world. Everywhere that hadn’t been covered with ice melt was covered with ice. We could hear tree branches cracking underneath the weight. That noise was punctuated by ice chunks crashing to the ground.

Ice peeling away from a branch

I stayed on the cleared walks because standing was impossible otherwise. I still had to dodge falling ice chunks and nearly was hit by one. I’m grateful that motion attracts attention.

Frozen US, Iowa and POW/MIA flags

The flags made noise, too, but not the noise usually associated with flags. Instead of a snapping sound, they emitted something akin to a thump. Most of the time, the wind was insufficient to move their weight, and they sagged from the flagpole.

IA Meet People News sign

The usual crop of newsstands stood on the sidewalk in front of the building, including this one. I found the scene hugely ironic. Does this scene encourage you to move to Iowa and meet people?

leaf in ice

I could not resist the beautiful scenes before me. Ice is deadly, yes, but it’s also gorgeous. The light was perfect, too, slightly overcast for even lighting. Fall raking missed this leaf. I love the contrast of brown on white, fall vs. winter. Winter’s winning.

Leaves on a bush encased in ice

Winter is winning here, too, but eventually spring will take hold. The ice will melt and these leftover fall leaves will be pushed off by new growth.

Icicles dangling from garbage can

Even the garbage can was beautiful with its necklace of icicles.

Praise God for ice melt, highway maintenance crews and the beauty of His creation — even when it’s dangerous.

Pictures from the eastbound Adair rest area:

To see pictures full screen or to purchase them, click on the “visit gallery” link here or in the slideshow.

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Tags: adair, automobile, cold, dad, fall, flag, flags, frozen, ice, interstate, iowa, leaf, newspaper, newsstand, rest area, sculpture, travel, trip, winter

Open season on snowmen

Jan 7

Posted by Roxie in crafts, decor, flower arranging, interior, recycle, Repurpose | No Comments

Since we change decorations nearly monthly, we have a lot of boxes filled with decorations. I was arranging some for better fit when the shelf holding our

We had this sled and plastic tub, both of which were gifts from our friend Patty. I’d never quite known what to do with the tub. It’s a bit shallow for flower arranging. I’d tried to stand the sled on an easel, but that didn’t work well. Necessity is the mother of invention, and in this case, the proverb proved to be correct. I took a round piece of floral foam and cut it to size. I pushed the bottom of the sled blades into that foam, then covered it with cotton balls. Voila! a nearly instant decoration.

This arrangement took a bit longer. When I checked Walmart’s Christmas aisles after the holiday, I found these painted pine cones and the white and gold poinsettias, all deeply discounted. I got a long rectangle of floral foam and a tall cylindrical blue glass vase. (At $3, it’s definitely a vase, not a “vahz”.) I already had the ivy and the blue candle ring at the bottom. After about 15 minutes’ work, I had a new arrangement.

framed snowman card

I wanted something else to hang on the wall. (Yes, we change what hangs on the wall, too.) I had saved a snowman Christmas card from last year. I recycled a frame I’d bought in a thrift store and used a piece of scrap mat for a very inexpensive decoration.

Happy New Year card

Last year, I found a “Happy New Year” postcard Hubby had received from an aunt when he was little. I didn’t have a mat cutter then, so I simply taped it onto a piece of red paper cut to size. Now I own a mat cutter, so I cut a double mat for it, using that piece of red paper for the inner mat. Our house was built in 1929, so this 1928 calendar is pretty close to one the original owners here would have displayed in that first year.

Coca-Cola: COLD Refreshment

Hubby asked what to hang on the wall above the antique secretary in our entry way. I had received this little Coke puzzle for Christmas 1985 and had glued it together then. Placing it on an easel didn’t work well. This year, I cut a mat for it and framed it. This frame is in its third usage.

Recycling and repurposing are great fun!

GHTime Code(s): 37fa8

Tags: blue, cold, cotton balls, craft, crafts, decor, decoration, decorations, flower, flower arrangement, flower arranging, foam, gold, january, pine, pine cone, poinsettia, recycle, Repurpose, sled, snow, snowballs, snowflake, snowmen, trash to treasure, white, winter

Winter transformation

Jan 6

Posted by Roxie in flowers, garden, photography, photos, plants, scenery, trees | No Comments

After I photographed the statue outside the library, I shot pictures in my “backyard studio”. I leave up the dead vegetation as a snow trap. It doesn’t look all that great. But the frost wrought a wonderful transformation.