Alice Gerard

  Yesterday, my friend Amy and I went to explore Allegany State Park, located in Salamanca, in New York State’s southern tier. The 65,000 acre park is described as Western New York’s “natural playground,” It includes acres of mature old growth forest. There is a lake, which is great for kayaking and swimming. There are […]

  Autumn is truly a great season for delicious foods. The farmers markets feature numerous types of apples, as well as concord grapes. You can get such vegetables as brussels sprouts, cauliflower, peppers, and romanesco (also known as broccoflower). In addition to all of those wonderful vegetables, there are so many different types of winter

When I was walking yesterday, along the Empire State Trail, I found that I was truly enjoying the beauty of autumn. To me, autumn has always seemed like a sad season, a preparation for the cold iciness of winter. The days grow shorter and the nights lengthen, as do the shadows. But this year, I

 Today was a sunny autumn day, and I had painting class in the afternoon. I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to be outside on a sunny day. So I took a bus across the Grand Island bridge. I got off the bus on River Road, and got on the Riverwalk, which, at some

The apples are ripe and I’ve been making applesauce galore. It is definitely the time of the year for that project. I’ve eaten some of it, given away some of it, and the rest has been put in the freezer. I have been getting apples from my Becker Farms CSA (community supported agriculture) share, Thompson

  Today’s blogging prompt is to write about a place that I would like to visit. Where would I like to travel? Well, back in the April Ultimate Blogging Challenge, I had responded to a similar blogging prompt by beginning an imaginary trip around the world. I traveled west, through Canada, and then crossed the

 Today’s blogging challenge is to offer some historical tidbits, both personal and worldwide, and to talk about the changes between then and now.  Tidbit number one: In 1871, the Chicago fire started. It wasn’t just any fire. It was the Great Chicago fire. It started in a barn after a very dry summer. Early autumn

Today’s blogging challenge is to talk about weekends. Do I like to write or blog during the weekend or do I prefer to take the time off? Well, I don’t know. Maybe a mix of both. It depends on what’s happening on any particular weekend. I don’t like to plan my life far in advance

  I’ve been having fun taking pictures of pumpkins. They used to all be round and orange. Bright orange. So very orange. Now, they can be a variety of colors. And not necessarily smooth. Some pumpkins look like they got into the poison ivy. For real. Well, maybe not for real. Who knows? Can a

  Today’s blogging prompt is about autumn. What do I do in autumn that’s unique to the season? Well, now that it’s October, I start getting excited about my favorite holiday, namely Halloween. It’s all about candy, dark shadows, a good fright, and costumes. But it’s still weeks away.  In the meantime, there are plenty