The sunflower is an amazing plant. Its botanical name is helianthus annus. It’s a very tall plant, with an average height of 9.8 feet (three meters). The tallest sunflower plant on record was an astonishing 30.1 feet (9.17 meters). It has large flower heads, and the flowers could be a variety of colors, including yellow,

The topic for week 31 of the 52-week photography project is “frame within a frame.” It’s a picture within a picture. The Dogwood photography studio describes it as “a classic compositional tool to frame the subject within the frame of the image.”  I originally learned about framing the shot as a compositional tool when I

On Sunday, September 3rd, I had the opportunity to experience a slice of Grand Island’s past. I traveled by ferry from the River Oaks Marina in Grand Island to the Long Homestead in the City of Tonawanda. The ferry service, operated by Niagara River Cruises, is the first such service in approximately eighty years.  To

from left, Andrew Rabb of the City of Buffalo,Lt. Col. Adam Czekanski, U.S. Army Corpsof Engineers Buffalo Division Commander,and Brian Higgins, U.S. Member of theHouse of Representatives (26th NewYork district) On Thursday, I went to Unity Park, in Buffalo, to observe a ribbon cutting to celebrate the completion of the ecosystem restoration work performed at

The topic for week 30 of the 52-week photography project is “patterns.” The suggestion from Dogwood Photography, which created the project, is to “get inspired by the rhythm that patterns bring to your images.” Everywhere I look, I see patterns. I see patterns in man-made objects, and I see patterns in nature. I see patterns

Note: Today’s post represents a visual journal of my week. Life is a great adventure, which is why I named my blog “Alice’s Grand Adventures.” I would challenge you to do the same. Take a few pictures each day and, at the end of the week, post your pictures where ever you feel comfortable sharing.

On Friday, August 24th, I traveled with my friend Giselle to Lackawanna for the gala at Lucarelli’s Banquet Center. It featured a variety of speakers, an awards program, the Buffalo Jazz & Swing Band, and loads of food. Lackawanna is a city just south of Buffalo. Its population, as of the 2010 Census, is 18,141.

On Tuesday morning, I was invited to hear Governor Andrew Cuomo make a big announcement. The event was held near a fishing dock near the south Grand Island Bridges, called Fisherman’s Landing. It was a warm, windy day. I brought a “fat book” and a camera so that I could document the events of the

On Wednesday, August 16th, Tara Cornelisse, an assistant professor at Canisius College in Buffalo, was invited by Grand Island’s Citizens Coalition for Wildlife and the Environment to speak about insects. Here is some information about bees and butterflies. Note: Take a look at part one here. The bee story: honeybees are not a native species. They