Buffalo Harbor Cruise on 'Miss Buffalo II' - Part II

Buffalo Harbor Cruise on 'Miss Buffalo' - Part II

As we travelled along the water the tour guide pointed out many of the birds that were nestled along the water's edge

A mother duck with her chicks

We actually sighted kingfishers and great blue herons, white egrets, osprey and other beautiful birds that were nesting along the water's edge. Their colors blended into the rock formations and it was difficult to take photos of them. They can be sighted between April and August when they fly southward.

There is a nesting colony on nearby Motor and Strawberry Islands.

Photographer of this bird unknown

To those who live in Buffalo have you ever wondered what this building is? It is the Emerald Channel Water Intake Building - with the Peace Bridge in the background

The 1907 building takes in 125 million gallons of drinking water for Buffalo every day. Because the intake operates by gravity, the building is rarely visited.

Water rushes into the round brick and concrete building through grates and collects in a circular pool. The water drops 60 feet to a 12-foot diameter, mile-long concrete tunnel burrowed under the river bed. It ends up at the Col. Ward Pumping Station at the foot of Porter Avenue, where it is treated at the filtration plant and sent throughout the city.

Atop the red roof is a guard light for passing ships. Around the exterior wall is a balcony embroidered by curving wrought iron.

1856 Horseshoe Reef Light

with over 1,000 cormorant nests settled on every part of the reef

Between Buffalo and Fort Erie, the International Railroad Bridge was completed in 1873; that bridge was replaced by the present one in 1900.

The Black Rock Rail Yard handled both passenger service and commercial transport of goods into and out of Canada. The railroad bridge remains in heavy usage and is one of the most important rail crossings between the United States and Canada.

The Black Rock Lock located in Buffalo is 650 feet (200 m) in length and 70 feet (21 m) in wide. There is only one chamber and the total weight of the gate is 480 tons.

The lock has been a part of Black Rock since the state of New York built the

Erie Canal in 1833.

Today Black Rock is home to Rich's Research Center and Rich Products, one of Buffalo' largest private employers

Ferry Street Lift Bridge

Because of its strategic position across the Niagara River from Canada, Black Rock was an important crossing place for African-Americans escaping slavery via the Underground Railroad. This heritage is celebrated with an annual Underground Railroad Re-Enactment at Broderick Park on Squaw Island at Niagara and Ferry Streets, the site of a ferry crossing prior to the construction of passenger bridges.

The Frank Lloyd Wright Boathouse was built more recently in 2008

As we travelled past the boathouses we could see the graffiti that was created by the West Side Rowing Club high schoolers - it seems it is the tradition that each year's winner of the rowing events record their victory on the side walls of the river.

On most days river boating, fishing, and the picturesque recreational activities of the West Side Rowing Club still continue.

Sunday morning outing

We travelled under the Peace Bridge which is an international bridge between Canada and the United States at the east end of Lake Erie at the source of the Niagara River. It connects the City of Buffalo, New York in the United States to the Town of Fort Erie, Ontario in Canada.

There are five arched spans over the Niagara The total length is 5,800 feet (1,768 m). On June 1, 1927 the bridge was opened to the public.

The Peace Bridge was named to commemorate 100 years of peace between the United States and Canada.

The bridge remains one of North America's important commercial ports - four thousand trucks cross it daily and it is still possible to walk to Canada over the bridge. However, more recently it is important to have your passport with you due to the increased security screening.

*****

It was raining during the three hour boat ride and you will notice that most of the photos have a grey aura to them.

While on the boat I learned that port side means left and and starboard means right and that

New York offers free fishing on June 26 -27th when one can fish without a licence.

If you find yourself in Buffalo I encourage you to take a cruise around the harbor. The boat's narrator has a good knowledge of the area's flora and fauna and so many snippets of interesting information - I have recorded just a small portion of the journey here.

peacesojourner

photos by peacesojourner

Buffalo Harbor Cruise on 'Miss Buffalo II' - Part I

Nature and Buffalo Lighthouse Cruise - Part I

This past Sunday I ventured out on a local cruise of the Buffalo Harbor. Here are some things that I learned about Buffalo.

Buffalo was incorporated as a city on April 20, 1832. At that time it was 4 .5 square miles, with a population of 10,000. The northern border was North Street.

Buffalo’s first mayor, Dr. Ebenezer Johnson, was elected for a one-year term. (Salary $250 per year.) Before the election, Johnson was one of Buffalo's wealthiest citizens. Johnson Park is named after him.

That June, a cholera epidemic broke out and over 120 died from the epidemic. All traffic - lake and canal boats, stages and coaches - was stopped immediately.

Buffalo Lighthouse

Located on the Coast Guard base across from the Erie Basin Marina, the lighthouse is a conspicuous symbol of Buffalo's past and present. Built in 1833, it is the oldest building on Buffalo's waterfront and one of the oldest lighthouses on the Great Lakes. It is the second of four lighthouses to serve as Buffalo's light.

The light stands near the end of a long stone pier, which can be called the foundation of Buffalo, originally having been laid down by Samuel Wilkeson in 1820. It created a sheltered harbor along the previously untamed shore.

The lighthouse is constructed of Onondaga limestone and bluestone, and is one year younger than Buffalo itself (chartered as a city in 1832). The tower is 68 feet tall and tapers from a 20-foot diameter at the base, where the walls are four feet thick, to a 12-foot diameter at the top, where the walls are two feet thick. It is maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard.

The Milk Bottle Light

In 1914 the lens was taken from the lighthouse tower to one built just behind the outer harbor breakwater. The breakwater light then became the principal, or third, Buffalo light. A fourth light, a 71-foot white tower on the breakwater itself, has been the main light since 1963.

Restoration in the late 1980's resulted in floodlighting of the tower's shaft and illumination of the cupola.

From the top of the Marina's Observation Tower one can see the outline of Buffalo’s Erie Basin Marina which was constructed in the shape of a Bison,

The Marina is a combination of a waterfront path, private marina, public park, and is a stunning location where the Buffalo River and Lake Erie meet. In the warmer months one can see boaters, kayaks, runners, families and people watchers enjoying the natural beauty of the water and fantastic city views.

Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park

In 1975, the City of Buffalo established a naval and servicemen's park and museum on a six-acre waterfront site on the Buffalo River at its juncture with Lake Erie to honor the men and women who served in the Armed Forces during World War II and the post WW II period of the Cold War.

In 1976 the USS Little Rock (CG-4) was to be decommissioned later that fall. The 31 year old Little Rock had grown too old to operate effectively. The Navy formally agreed to donate the ship to Buffalo for display in the naval park.

Two sea-going tugs and 15 volunteer crewmen began their journey of 2,180 nautical miles, towing the 610 foot, 10,700 ton Little Rock from Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, up the Atlantic coast, through the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Welland Canal to Buffalo. The Little Rock entered the Buffalo harbor channel on Friday 15 July 1977

A few of the many private yachts moored in the Buffalo harbor

The Spirit of Buffalo

Boating and fishing are two of the pastimes spent by many on the lake.

Lake Erie is the smallest and the most shallow of the Great Lakes.

I live downtown near the waterfront and, in the mornings, when I open the door to pick up my newspaper I can smell the pleasant odor of cereal.

General Mills is located at the waters edge and is a private company that produces flour and cereal. They have an annual revenue of $10 million and employ 500 local workers.

There is a fun t-shirt that some people wear in Buffalo - it says "My city smells of Cheerios"

This view of the Vietnam War Memorial is taken from a boat on the Buffalo Canal. Located near the Buffalo Naval and Serviceman's Park, this large polished granite monument features two quarter-circular walls that rise from the ground to approximately 12 feet in height. The walls are engraved with several quotes and other inscriptions, as well as the names of Western New York veterans killed during the Vietnam War. In the center of the semi-circular walls is a granite column with "Western New York Vietnam Veterans" and an image of a soldier and helicopter engraved on its top surface.

The monument's sculptor was Sirianni and the architect was Lawrence K. Moss.

Placed 07/07/1984

photos by peacesojourner

Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu..................

Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu

I recently had the opportunity to see and hear Archbishop Desmond Tutu who was visiting the American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts.

I had very fond memories of meeting him in London and I was delighted to see him again.

For me, it is difficult to think of Bishop Tutu without being reminded of Nelson Mandela. Their lives have been intertwined for many years. When Mandela was imprisoned for twenty-seven years Bishop Tutu never stopped his personal crusade to free Mandela and end apartheid in South Africa.

In London, during the 1980’s thousands of people marched against the Apartheid regime of South Africa and demanded the immediate release of Nelson Mandela who had been imprisoned since 1964. The African National Congress (ANC) and the Anti-Apartheid Movement organized the demonstrations. We would regularly gather in Trafalgar Square and camp out overnight on the steps of the South Africa Embassy.

In the late ‘80’s I had the opportunity to meet Bishop Tutu at a gathering in Hyde Park. My friend, Beverly, invited me to attend an ‘invitation only’ tea where we spent the afternoon with Bishop Tutu, his wife, and other visiting dignitaries. The first thing that one notices about him is the pleasant smile that seldom leaves his face. He made several jokes but when it was time to be serious his words were exact and to the point.

He had received the Nobel Peace Prize, in 1984, in recognition of "the courage and heroism shown by black South Africans in their use of peaceful methods in the struggle against apartheid.”

At that time the chairman of the Nobel Committee said, "Some time ago television enabled us to see this year's laureate in a suburb of Johannesburg. A massacre of the black population had just taken place - the camera showed ruined houses, mutilated human beings and crushed children's toys. Innocent people had been murdered. Women and children mortally wounded. But, after the police vehicles had driven away with their prisoners, Desmond Tutu stood and spoke to a frightened and bitter congregation: 'Do not hate', he said, 'let us choose the peaceful way to freedom'.”

And here we were in London in 1988, still demonstrating, demanding the release of Nelson Mandela who had been sentenced to life imprisonment in 1964 and sent to notorious Robben Island Prison, a former leper colony off the coast from Cape Town.

As I write about Archbishop Desmond Tutu I am finding it very difficult to condense the many acts of personal peace and reconciliation that have molded his lifestyle.

Bishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu, now 78, was born in 1931 in Klerksdorp, Transvaal. Where he first trained as a teacher but at 26 he became dissatisfied with the teaching profession and decided to become a priest. He later claimed he was not motivated by high ideals. "It just occurred to me that, if the Church would have me, the profession of priest could be a good way of serving my people."

In 1986 he was elected the first black archbishop of Cape Town, becoming the head of the Anglican Church in South Africa and leader of South Africa's 1.6 million Anglicans. While serving in this position he intensified his criticism of the apartheid system which he described as "evil and unchristian" and called for "a democratic and just society without racial divisions" where there are equal civil rights for all. He advocated the use of nonviolent resistance by black South Africans and encouraged the world community to apply economic sanctions against the regime. The apartheid government responded by cancelling his passport.

After many years of speaking out, Nelson Mandela was finally released from prison on Sunday 11 February 1990.

In 1994 a national election was held and the ANC won the country's first all-race elections. Over four days beginning on 26 April more than 22 million South Africans, or about 91% of registered voters, went to the polls. On 9 May the National Assembly unanimously elected Nelson Mandela president. He stressed the need for reconciliation and reaffirmed his determination to create a peaceful, nonracial society.

President Mandela signed a law creating the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate human rights violations committed from March 1960 to May 1994. The commission was chaired by Archbishop Desmond Tutu who stated "I hope that the work of the commission, by opening wounds to cleanse them, will thereby stop them from festering," The public hearings started in April 1996, and completed most of its fact-finding work by late July 1998 after hearing more than 20,000 testimonials and 4,000 requests for amnesty.

Bishop Tutu continues to speak out against conditions in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Burma, Zimbabwe regarding inhumane treatment in those and other countries.

In 2007 he is presented with the International Gandhi Peace Prize that is awarded by the Government of India, and is considered to be India's highest international honor.

One of the enduring memories of the struggle to end apartheid is Bishop Tutu's high-pitched yet melodious voice admonishing the regime and the world to end the discrimination. .

And here he is in 2010 in Massachusetts with the same melodious voice still mentioning the many crimes against humanity in the world. Just as we were wondering where is he going with this critique he pulls it all together and points out that there is still good in the world as he talks about the important humanitarian programs that the college takes part in.

He remains a humble man with an infectious laugh who seems unable to rest until the world is at peace. I believe that is why he continues to have so much energy and as Nelson Mandela has said, "Sometimes strident, often tender, never afraid and seldom without humor, Desmond Tutu's voice will always be the voice of the voiceless."

I urge you to go to http://www.moreorless.au.com/heroes/tutu.html to read more about South Africa and Bishop Tutu’s historical role in his beloved country.

Once again, I feel so fortunate to have been in his presence. I will never forget it.

peacesojourner

Jane Goodall in Buffalo.................

One of the benefits of living in Buffalo is that there are so many colleges in this area, and several offer free lectures to the public. I attend as many as I can and I was thrilled to learn that Jane Goodall was coming to Canisius College.

I have always been in awe of Jane’s lifestyle and personal journey in life. When I was very young I was filled with admiration of her life in Africa, and her study of chimpanzees, and how she soon became their leading crusader. Her research work expanded to include numerous conservation efforts in Africa and worldwide.

Jane was born very near to my place of birth in London. Stories of her work in Tanzania came to us via Geographical magazines and in later years from the British Broadcasting Company. (BBC) She has lived for many years on the southern coast of England in Bournemouth, a town where several members of my family now live.

I had always felt some sort of kinship with Jane even though our paths had never actually crossed – and now here she was – coming to Buffalo to talk about her travels and work in Africa.

I hurried along to the college and did not realize that so many people would also be there waiting to hear her speak. We queued in line for an hour and a half and many people were turned away. The wait was worth it for the more than 3,000 people who did get to hear her. Her audience ranged from kindergarteners to very elderly senior citizens.

She has a soft voice, and the crowd listened in total silence as she gently recalled her personal story of travelling to East Africa as a young woman. As I listened to her I realized that she is 76 years of age - she looks much younger – maybe the many years in isolation with only primates to interact with had reduced the stress from her life.

In the summer of 1960, 26-year-old Jane Goodall arrived on the shore of Lake Tanganyika in East Africa to study the area's chimpanzee population. Although it was unheard of for a woman to venture into the wilds of the African forest, the trip meant the fulfillment of her childhood dream and her work in Tanzania would prove more successful than anyone had imagined. At first, the Gombe chimps fled whenever they saw Jane. But she persisted, watching from a distance with binoculars, and gradually the chimps allowed her closer.

She stated that she gives talks for 300 days every year. This means that she travels in many different countries to spread her message and she encourages the advancement of individuals to take informed and compassionate action to improve the environment for all living things.

She is a Wildlife Researcher, Educator, and Conservationist. Her research work has expanded to include numerous conservation efforts in Africa and worldwide. Her global nonprofit Institute empowers people to make a difference for all living things, by creating healthy ecosystems, promoting sustainable livelihoods and nurturing new generations of committed, active citizens.

In 1965, Jane earned her Ph.D in Ethology from Cambridge University. Soon thereafter, she returned to Tanzania to continue research and to establish the Gombe Stream Research Centre.

Today, the Jane Goodall Institute (founded in 1977) is a leader in the effort to protect chimpanzees and their habitats and is widely recognized for establishing innovative community-centered conservation and development programs in Africa and the Roots & Shoots education program in nearly 100 countries.

Jane Goodall spends much of her time lecturing, sharing her message of hope for the future and encouraging young people to make a difference in their world.

I encourage you to read one of the many books that she has written and check out the following sites: www.janegoodall.org and www.rootsandshoots.org

At the end of her lecture she opened the floor to questions and did not hesitate to answer all of them.

A wonderful evening in the presence of an outstanding person.

Tomorrow I will tell you about the third person that I was so fortunate to see and hear.

peacesojourner

Michael McDonald in Concert.............

Recently I was able to see and hear three people who I have been a fan of for many years and all within a one-week period. They are from completely different walks of life but I admire them all.

If you have read my list of favorite musicians you will know that Michael McDonald is listed there. I have been a fan for many years. Those who have been a passenger in my car know that I play his music all the time.

He plays the guitar, piano and the keyboard and I saw him in concert in Niagara Falls. He is a songwriter and a singer, and was born on 12th February 1952 . He is known for pop, rock, and soul. I love his Motown numbers the best.

While playing for a group “Steely Dan,” Michael McDonald received attention, as he was the back-up vocalist for the album “Katy Lied”. Later he was taken up by another group the “Doobie Brothers”. The original main singer of the “Doobie Brothers” was unwell during a tour and they signed Michael up. He was really impressive while performing in the band that they decided to give him a permanent place in the group.

Later he went solo and put together some of the previous songs that were not produced on CDs. He is the co writer of the song, ‘I’ll Wait.’ His album in 1990 was known as, “Take it to Heart”.

One thing that really surprised me was that so many men model themselves after him and there were many 'Michael McDonald' look alikes in the audience. Men with white hair with the hairstyle, beard and mustache styled just the same way. I had seen something similar when I was in Key West, Florida where they had an Ernest Hemingway look alike contest, but Michael McDonald lookalikes – who knew?

It was a great evening – he sang without a break for 90 minutes and then came back for an encore. He sang some of Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin’ best hits. He has a great group that travel with him and he announced that most of them had been playing together for more than thirty years.

The audience was singing along with the group and we all had an enjoyable time.

Tomorrow I will tell you who else I was lucky enough to see that week.

peacesojourner

Shaftesbury, North Dorset, England - 2009

Shaftesbury is a small Market Town with history that goes back to medieval times.

Located in North Dorset, England 20 miles west of Salisbury. The town is built 750 feet above sea level on the side of a chalk and greensand hill.

It is one of the oldest towns in Britain. Population of 6,665 with 3,112 dwellings.

Earlier this year, when I was visiting my family in England, my sisters and I travelled to our cousin's house in Shaftesbury. This photo shows Sue's back garden which is typical in English homes. Most have plenty of flowers along with some tomato plants and runner beans.

This is a typical view of the English countryside which looks out across the Blackmore Vale and you can see the fields are broken by hedgerows in a scene that evokes the best of traditional English charm. In England we love our hedges which is the main method of indicating property lines which are designed for privacy.

When I visit this area I like to sit on the benches which are on the top of the hill. This view can throw a person into thoughtful reflections while viewing the limitless landscape. I try to imagine what life was like more than a thousand years ago in this little village.

Shaftesbury's recorded history dates from Anglo-Saxon times. Alfred the Great founded a Burgh (fortified settlement) here in 880 as a defense in the struggle with the Danish invaders. Alfred and his daughter Ethelgiva founded Shaftesbury Abbey in 888 and later the abbey became the wealthiest Benedictine nunnery in England.

Shaftesbury became a major site of pilgrimage for miracles of healing.

Tourism is one of the main industries in the town and people come from far and wide to

view Gold Hill, a steep cobbled street lined with uniquely individual thatched and tiled cottages. If this looks familiar to you this particular scene has appeared in several movies and has also appeared on the cover of countless books about Dorset and rural England.

The houses are built on a very steep hill and people still live in them. On a wet day walking on the cobblestones can be slippery.

At the top of this street is the 14th century St Peter's church, one of the few pre-18th century buildings remaining in Shaftesbury. This ancient cobbled street, running beside the walls of King Alfred's abbey, also features on countless chocolate boxes and calendars. In the Middle Ages the Abbey was the central focus of the town.

This is Sue's cottage. She and her family love living here and there is plenty of nostalgia that goes with living in a building that was designed and built so long ago. We had lunch and talked for hours, as we always do, when we get together. Catching up on family events and reminiscing about our childhood days.

*****

Another happy day sharing time with family in a spectacular English village

with amazing scenery. It doesn't get better than that.

The History of Some of England's Traditional Icons

I thought I would write a little about the history of a few of the traditional icons of the U.K.

When I was visiting earlier this year I was filled with nostalgia and found myself taking photos of many things that were familiar to me when I was growing up.

For several years I lived and worked just around the corner from Harley Street, near Regent's Park, London. This street is known world over for its large cluster of private dentists,

surgeons, and doctors, mostly where the rich and famous seek health care.

Since the 19th century, the number of doctors, hospitals, and medical organizations in and around Harley Street has greatly increased. Records show that there were around 20 doctors in 1860. When the National Health Service was established in 1948, there were about 1,500. Today, thousands of people are employed in the Harley Street area, in clinics, medical practices, and hospitals such as The London Clinic.

When I was in the London Waterloo Train Station I was fascinated with this example of modern health care. Medicentres are walk-in private medical centres based in London. No appointment is necessary and you will normally be seen within 20 minutes. A great idea for travelers passing through or people who work in the city who can drop in on their lunch break.

* If a person becomes ill while visiting Britain, they are eligible for free, out patient, emergency treatment in the Accident and Emergency departments of National Health Service hospitals.

The London Bus is one of London's principal icons, the red rear-entrance double-deck Routemaster is recognized worldwide. Although it has now been largely phased out of service, with only two heritage routes still using the vehicles,

the majority of buses in London are still red.

Buses have been used on the streets of London since 1829, when George Shillibeer started operating his horse drawn omnibus service from Paddington to the city. The London General Omnibus Company (LGOC) began using motor omnibuses in 1902, and manufactured them itself from 1909. The last horse-drawn bus ran on 25 October 1911, although independent operators used them until 1914. The company is now known as London Transport.

This particular bus had been rented out to transport a wedding party to the church and reception - quite a novel idea :-)

A mailbox in the United Kingdom is called a pillar box where mail is deposited to be collected by the Royal Mail. Pillar boxes have been in use since 1852, just 12 years after the introduction of the first adhesive postage stamps and uniform penny post. Royal Mail estimates there are over 100,000 post boxes in the United Kingdom.

Most traditional British pillar-boxes produced after 1905 are made of cast iron. Each post box has its own set of keys and postal workers have to carry large bunches with them when clearing the boxes.

And last but not least, the red telephone box, a public telephone kiosk designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, is a familiar sight on the streets of the United Kingdom . The first standard public telephone kiosk introduced by the U. K. Post Office was produced in concrete. The red telephone box was the result of a competition in 1924 to design a kiosk that would be acceptable to the London Metropolitan. The Post Office chose to make Scott's winning design in cast iron and to paint it red to make it easily visible.

In 1935 it was designed to commemorate the silver jubilee of King George V. It was the first red telephone kiosk to be used extensively outside of London and many thousands were deployed in virtually every town and city. It has become a British icon.

Upon the privatization of Post Office Telephone's successor, British Telecom (BT) issued a more utilitarian design, and began to replace most of the existing boxes.

photos by peacesojourner

Sunday Reflection - Sunset Over The Buffalo Marina, New York

As often as possible I take an evening walk along Buffalo's lakefront Marina. One evening this week was especially special. The things that filled my vision and ears were exceptional.

God is painting the sky with a sunset at the end of this day.

Psalm 65:8 the whole world stands in awe of the great things that you have done. Your deeds bring shouts of joy from one end of the earth to the other.

As I stood at the railing I watched the slow moving boats as they returned to the harbor. Most of the passengers waved to me and called out greetings. It was obvious that they were returning after a relaxing day on Lake Erie.

A local drumming group, Daughters of Creative Sound, practice at the waterside every Wednesday evening. I sat in my lawn chair listening to their wonderful

music and watching the sun set.

1 Chronicles 13:8 - All the people danced with all their might to honor God. They sang and played musical instruments – harps, drums, cymbals and trumpets.

Psalm 100:1 - Make a joyful noise unto the LORD.

Nothing seems closer to heaven

Than a beautiful sweet sunset

The touch of God’s sturdy hand

Seems as close as you can get

A pallet of subtle colors

Sometimes streak across the sky

Or brilliant vibrant shades

As you kiss the day goodbye

I think God is looking down

Smiling at what he’s created

And you know that He is proud

As His splendor is clearly stated

And the reflection in the water

Is like a look into our hearts

Are we peaceful and serene

Or would we like another start

So at the end of a busy day

Enjoy the priceless sunset

Because the evening brings us

As close to heaven as we can get!

Marilyn Lott

*****

I find that even when I may have a heavy heart it is impossible not to find gratitude in the daily events of life. This particular evening was filled with so many amazing sights and sounds. People stopped talking and gathered around to listen to the music, children (and some adults) were dancing quietly and the sun slowly set on this sweet scene away from the hustle and bustle of a large city. I went home filled with gratitude and happy to be living here.

photos by peacesojourner