P is for place

There is something interesting to see in any place that you are…

Mostly, I’m going to be focusing on the cherry blossoms in Buffalo…. but I had to say something about this picture that I took on Grand Island of a group of turkeys, apparently out for their late morning run along the river.

In Buffalo, I saw the blossoming cherry trees. These trees are part of the Japanese Gardens, located behind the Buffalo History Museum. There are fascinating stories about both the Japanese Gardens and the Buffalo History Museum. Back in 1901, Buffalo was the host city of the Pan-American Exposition. The exposition, which was very similar to a World’s Fair, was originally planned for 1897 in Cayuga Island, which is in Niagara Falls, New York. But, because of the Spanish-American War, the event was postponed until 1901. The event was a celebration of electricity, and thousands of lights shone at night, which made spectators cry. To them, it was incredibly beautiful. Buffalo was one of the first cities to be electrified and people found electricity to be absolutely amazing and almost magical. The Buffalo History Museum is the only structure that was built for the Pan-American Exposition that was meant to be permanent.

The Japanese Gardens behind the Buffalo History Museum were a gift from Buffalo’s sister city, Kanazawa, Japan. This sister city relationship began in 1962. The Gardens were conceived in 1970 and were completed in 1974. Major renovations were made in 1996. These renovations included providing trees, shrubs, paths and the unique stone lanterns.

The Japanese Gardens near Mirror Lake (also known as Hoyt Lake) are a peaceful place to sit, photograph, journal, and draw. People have gotten married at these gardens because of the beautiful surroundings.

Another view of the Japanese Gardens behind the Buffalo History Museum.

Front door of the Buffalo History Museum. I didn’t go inside today, but I’ve visited before and it’s an amazing place with interesting exhibits and artifacts of Buffalo’s fascinating history.

I really love spring, and these daffodils are so beautiful. This is truly my favorite time of year.

What is your favorite season? Talk about it in the comment section!