Fall or autumn has officially arrived here in Ohio. I am not sure why anyone enjoys fall, I certainly don’t; it is even more dreary and gloomy than our usual weather. The sun is moving south making our days shorter, the birds are headed south too and the snowbirds are making arrangements to do the same.

It is a season to prepare for our cold snowy winters. It is a time to cover the patio furniture, put away the cheerful wind chimes and close the swimming pools.

It is also the end of our already short boating season, a time to bid our boating friends a good and hopefully short winter and to wish them a Merry Christmas.

Add all of that to the fact that fall also brings on seasonal allergies from falling leaves and dead plants. Allergies that bring us joyous days and nights of stuffy noses, itchy eyes, coughing and sneezing.

There are a few people that claim they enjoy fall saying “it is so pretty with the yellow, red and orange leaves.” But they all will turn dismal brown and besides spring and summer flowers are even more colorful and they don’t need to be raked!

So tell me again why people believe they “like” fall?

I spent the past weekend on a road trip to Buffalo New York visiting our friend Joe for his sixtieth birthday day. Then he went on to his beloved Bills game and we went on to nearby Niagara Falls, New York/Ontario. We crossed the Peace Bridge, traveled the QEW Highway and visited the Canadian side of the falls. This trip was the first time I had to use my passport to cross into Canada since the new federal regulations have gone into effect, gone are the days when you could cross back and forth between countries with no ID at all!

Niagara Falls, made of collectively the Bridal Veil, American and Canadian Horseshoe Falls, straddles the Canadian and United States border between Ontario and New York. It is truly one of the Wonders of the World, regardless of whether or not it is considered one of the seven natural wonders. They are definitely a Wonder of the Americas being the most powerful falls in North America, with about a million gallons of water falling EVERY SECOND!

I have visited this magnificent sight many times throughout my life including in 1969 when the falls were turned off and the water stopped flowing to allow for an inspection, but I never fail to be in awe of its greatness. Tens of millions of tourists from all around the world visit Niagara Falls each year; and it was obvious while I was there since it seemed like no one spoke English. We tried to get someone to take a picture of us and we had to find someone that understood English!

Being a tourist spot there a hundreds of fun activities for all ages to do on both the American and Canadian sides (no passport needed if you do not cross the border) including the most famous, the thrilling Maid of the Mist boat ride to the foot of the falls.  

We didn’t participate in any of the many exciting tourist attractions like Ripley’s Believe It or Not, IMAX Theater, Tussaud’s Wax Museum, Cave of the Winds Tour, the Aero Car just to name a few since we have visited so many times in the past.  We didn’t even stop at the new (since our last visit) Sky Wheel or Bird Kingdom. We did stop to try our luck at the Fallsview Casino though before making a quick stop at the Duty Free shop and crossing back into the United States via the closer Rainbow Bridge. 

It was a short trip but a great weekend get-away. If you have never visited Niagara Falls you are missing out on a “Must See Sight” so much to see and do; and visit often, its beauty changes with the seasons.

It has been ten years since THAT DAY, the day the world was forever changed…and even though you may not remember what you had for dinner last night, I am willing to bet the farm that if you are old enough you know where you were when you heard about the history changing attacks!

As we remember this day on its tenth anniversary let us continue to live the message “WE WILL NEVER FORGET” which was posted at the hallowed Ground Zero in New York City shortly after the towers fell.

I was working as a nurse on a psychiatric unit. I was told of the first plane striking the World Trade Center tower by an 81 year old lady named Violet who believed she was pregnant with twins by a male nurse with whom she was infatuated. She came running down the hallway flapping like a henhouse chicken being chased by a fox with the news of the unimaginable tragedy.

Believing it was another one of Violet’s delusions my response to her (and I can’t believe I said it was) “Oh Ok that is nice, why don’t you go watch some more TV and tell me about it!” Moments later when I walked down the hall with her into the dayroom I was just in time to see the second plane hit the next tower.

Then it was my turn to run hysterically down the hall yelling to the other staff members. Will I ever forget that day, those images … No, and I will never forget Violet.

For days like the rest of the country I sat glued to the TV in total disbelief, mourning not only those lost lives but the lost of the world as we knew it. Not since World War II and the Japanese was any group or country brave enough to so boldly attack the “Home of the Brave.” Our country could certainly not stand back and do nothing! Our country’s strength and bravery was shown on the day itself in Pennsylvania.

In the days that followed the skies had an eeriness to them…no airplanes, never in my life time had that been the case. Our world and the way we travel had forever changed, not just for the families of the victims but for everyone in every corner of life.

For me personally my daughter Stefanie, serving in the US Coast Guard was stuck in Florida, unable to fly home for her own baby shower. 

We all found a way to cope with our grief following the mind-boggling disaster. The loss of so many precious lives, the loss of their chance to pass on their life experiences and memories to future generations prompted my writing career; because of them I write and photograph just about everything.

Eight months after the shocking attacks I visited the sacred Ground Zero to pay my respects, so for that day and now I say to you…. “I WILL NEVER FORGET!!!”
 

Labor Day, originally created and dedicated to the social and economic achievements of the American worker is now the day America traditionally celebrates as the “end of summer” and …

Ooooh it is that time again…back to school for the kiddies, a time to rejoice for mom’s everywhere.  Aaah, not so fast, for some mom’s it means a time of restriction, a time when your travel plans need to be focused around the school schedule…Thanksgiving Break, Christmas Vacation, Spring Break or that long weekend due to a teachers meeting.

And kids … life is a big school itself, it is all about learning. I am a big believer in learning by experience as I think I said back in June when school got out. Where did our summer go?? I think the saying “Time flies when you’re having fun” must apply here.

Let see this summer what did I learn…

Boat engines are a fickle sort, one small plastic bag can lead to thousands of dollars of repairs.

Lake Erie Perch seem to be affected by their environment too; they didn’t get actively feeding until the spring rains stopped.

Duct tape can be used for just about anything! I attended the Duct Tape Festival in Avon Ohio…I never would have thought to get a wedding dress made out of duct tape!! (It might be an option for those of you budget conscience brides out there!)

“The minute that you're not learning I believe you're dead."                                         Jack Nicholson

  Drop us a line and let us know what you learned this summer.