Niagara Falls

~I recently visited Niagara Falls State Park in western New York.  I was  there in the evening, so most of the attractions were closed, but I was able to take some pictures and videos:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

^ This squadron of stunt planes was circling the area in formation, roaring overhead only a few hundred feet up.

 

^ American Falls, taken from an observation platform extending over the Niagara River gorge.

^ A video of American Falls, taken from the observation platorm.

 

^ Rainbow Bridge.  Canada is on the left, the United States is on the right.  The bridge is a major civil engineering achievement, and was constructed in 1941.

 

^ This picture was taken from the other side of American Falls.  The green tower/bridge on the left edge is the observation platform that the previous pictures and video were taken from.

^ A panoramic image taken from next to American Falls.  The buildings in the distance are all hotels and casinos in Canada, which must provide a spectacular view of the waterfalls.  

^ Mist from the waterfalls sprays into the air, shrouding the Canadian buildings in a perpetual fog when viewed from the American side of the falls.

 

^ Another panoramic image, this one of the river to the right of the previous picture, feeding into the waterfall.  This would be a great place for some whitewater kayaking...right before you plummet to a horrible death, of course.

 

^ Horseshoe Falls, another waterfall in the park, named for its curved shape.

^ Here's a map from the state park website, in case you'd like a visual aid to all of these locations.

 

^ It's a long way down to the Niagara River gorge from Horseshoe Falls. Huge rocks are piled around the base.  I wonder what it would be like to go scuba diving around (but not right under) the falls.

^ A video of Horseshoe Falls.

^ Here's something a little different: on Goat Island (between American Falls and Horseshoe Falls), there's a monument to Nikola Tesla, an inventor and scientist who, among other things, designed the first hydroelectric power plant at Niagara Falls.

 

Just for fun, I played around with some of the special effects on my phone camera:

^   The image above is in "Retro" mode.  Groovy, baby!

^ This is just a negative, but it looks like some sort of alien planet.  I call it "The Dark Falls".

^ "Dreamlike" mode.  Very mysterious and ephemeral.

 

I hope you've enjoyed these pictures and videos of Nigara Falls.  If you've never been there, consider visiting: it's one of the Earth's more spectacular natural wonders.

Paperhand 14th annual summer show kickstarter

The good people of Paperhand Puppet Intervention have launched their fundrasier via kickstarter for this summer's show.  Last year was the first year they raised funds with kickstarter, and it was a big success -- the show was fantastic.  This was the group that put on "Love and Robots" a few years back

They're looking for $8,000 and as of this writing they have raised almost $2,500, with two weeks left to go!   As is usual with kickstarter, you can get rewards depending on how much you pledge.  A $40 pledge gets you a ticket the the show, which was $20 last year if I remember correctly, so it's like contributing $20  to help support production, and preordering a ticket.

If you intend to see the show or are interested in attending, consider supporting Paperhand's summer show.

 

Share It Maybe

Much better than the original song (which a disturbingly large number of radio stations seem eternally tuned to):

^ "Please someone call the girl scout!"

Rascal, 1995-2013

Species: Felis catus

Color: Marmalade

Disctinctive features: a magnificent tail, "M" marking on forehead

Disposition: Mellow

Nicknames: El Senor don Gato, Macavity

 

Macavity's a Mystery Cat: he's called the Hidden Paw -

For he's the master criminal who can defy the Law.

He's the bafflement of Scotland Yard, the Flying Squad's despair:

For when they reach the scene of crime - Macavity's not there!

 

Macavity, Macavity, there's no one like Macavity,

He's broken every human law, he breaks the law of gravity.

His powers of levitation would make a fakir stare,

And when you reach the scene of crime - Macavity's not there!

You may seek him in the basement, you may look up in the air -

But I tell you once and once again, Macavity's not there!

Memories of Rascal:

 

• When we brought him home, he was small enough to fit in my shoe.
• He would follow us everywhere, even out to the school bus stop, and we worried he wouldn't be able to find his way back.
• My sister Amy was his special person, and when she lived at home he preferred to sleep on her bed.
• Once leaped on the back of a dog to "protect" my mother.  The dog was confused.
• In his youth, was a Mighty Hunter who brought back rabbits, birds, moles, dragons, etc. as gifts for us.
• Enjoyed getting stoned on catnip grown by dad in the front garden. He'd sit on top of it for hours and hours...
• Loved being picked up and held, and especially enjoyed being scratched under his chin.

I'll miss Rascal and his late brother, Smudge.  They were both loved very much.