Note: This blog post is dedicated to the memory of MaryAnne Coyle, who died last night after suffering a burst anuerysm. She was an activist dedicated to the realization of hopes for a nuclear-free world. Thank you, MaryAnne, for the gift of you. You will be missed. The flowers have been beautiful this year, and […]

Yesterday, Jean and I went to eat Indian food at the Taj Grill. It is located in the City of Buffalo, at 2290 Delaware Avenue. It is a small strip mall that was recently developed.  This is north Buffalo. If you like to eat a variety of foods, this is the place to go. Not

The sun has risenFlower petals open up…a glorious day. Stretch to the blue skymaybe you’ll reach, maybe not,try with all your might. Clusters of daisies,little bright rays of sunshinegrow from the soft ground. lavender and greenprickly orange centers,lovely cone flowers. Paint-splattered centerof flower shaped like trumpets:horticulture’s song. Magical orangeof dramatic marigoldsarranged in baskets. Delicate purpleof

Summertime and all is green and bright.When bees and fish and mice are dancing and singing all night.  What do you do in summer?It’s for sure never a bummer.You could look for a catwearing a super tall hator you could play with a chicken.A chicken named Rickin.“Rickin?” you say. “But Rickin is a silly name

Eight years ago, I met a lady named April. She was 67 years old and not in good health. She had been sent to federal prison to serve a six-month sentence. April was a sweet lady. She had a ready smile. Some of us discovered that April was very ticklish. She even giggled in anticipation

Today, I went to Paddles Up! It is an event that celebrates the Niagara River with a noncompetitive paddle around the southern tip of Grand Island, followed by a lunch provided by the Grand Island Historical Society. The meal was offered at a tent outside of River Lea, a nineteenth century farmhouse located near the

Gardening is wonderful work. It can be very relaxing and even therapeutic. There are, however, times when it is more like a battle. It seems that way when you must battle the green nemesis. The worst green nemesis that I’ve discovered is Japanese knotweed. It is an invasive species. It was actually introduced as an

I know where I’ve been, but where I am going can be a complete mystery. Sometimes, I plan for where I’m going, but, other times, I just let events carry me along. When I was in journalism school, I planned my entire career in advance. I would start as a copy editor for a newspaper

The Riverside-Salem Environmental Chapel is located on undeveloped land, near the Niagara River. If you walk across the street, you can look across the river to Canada. Every week, the chapel offers programs on a wide variety of topics. People are welcome to attend and to bring food for a potluck dinner. People bring whatever

This morning, it rained, as it seems to do every Tuesday. I’ve started calling it a “Tuesday ritual.” By late morning, the sun was shining, and I decided to take a walk so that I could see the river surrounded by color and light.  The Rose of Sharon bushes are starting to flower. There used