Today, I am sharing some of the pictures that I’ve taken of the Niagara River. Some of them depict lots of activity, some show human-made construction (bridges, houses, factories, etc.), and some just show the water and trees and plant life. It is relaxing to look at water. It feels good to see the movement […]

My friend Amy asked me to paint an image that represented the words “Friends become our chosen family.” She wanted the words on the painting, as well. I thought about it for some time. What image would represent those words? I didn’t have a clue. One day, when Amy was visiting, she looked through one

Sometimes, people ask me why I am so fascinated by bees. They see that I take pictures of bees and that I actively seek out bees. Usually, my bee portraits are of bumblebees, because they actually stick around to be photographed. Here are some interesting facts about honeybees. Bees are social insects and bee society

On Sunday, July 10th, my friend Amy and I went to explore Grand Island’s gardens. Grand Island’s three garden clubs (Bridgeview, Cinderella Isle, and East Park) organized the garden walk. Maps were given out near Town Hall, and people could visit the gardens that were listed as being open to the public. The gardeners were

The sun was shining brightly on Sunday morning, which was a good sign because I was planning on attending a baseball game that evening with three friends: Amy, Bev, and Jo. I was looking forward to the baseball game. I’ve always enjoyed baseball. When I was a kid, my dad took me to minor league

Today, the annual chicken barbecue was held at Saint Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church in Grand Island, New York. It featured a meal, a silent auction, and a basket raffle. There was a bounce house for the kids and people, both kids and adults, could get their faces painted. It was a FUNraiser, as well as a

I enjoy sharing ways to reuse things in interesting and unusual ways. Above are two bottles that I painted with glass paint. The green bottle had been filled with sweet and sour sauce. The small bottle was a spice jar. When the sweet and sour sauce and the spices are gone, you’re left with empty

This is Marty Biniasz. At the June meeting of the Grand Island Historical Society, he kept everyone entertained with his recounting the history of the Erie County (New York) Fair. This August, the Erie County Agricultural Society will present the 171st county fair. The fair has definitely changed since it first began in 1820, when

The frog photographs have inspired me to write a fractured fairy tale. A fractured fairy tale is a fairy tale that has been rewritten with different characters, settings, or outcomes. Generally, it is best to use a well-known fairy tale and then “fracture” it. I chose the story of the frog prince for two reasons.

Today, I’m going to share a way to avoid writer’s block and have a good time doing so. Writer’s block is that evil thing that keeps you from translating the stories in your head into words on the page. It occurs at the most inconvenient time and it is an annoying plague for most writers.