Niagara Falls
This past weekend I attended a conference for work in Niagara Falls, Ontario. The conference, which was good, was on the International Baccalaureate Organization. But that's not what I'm going to blog about today.
Today, I'm going to blog about Niagara Falls. I grew up in the Buffalo, NY suburbs. I have been to Niagara Falls a gazillion times. (Yes, that is a literal term.) I often tell people who haven't been to Niagara Falls that I don't recommend going there unless you're passing through to somewhere else. I tell them that it's worth about a half-day ... that you stand there next to the Falls and say, "Wow! That's a lot of water!!" and that's about it. Okay. I may as well say, "Don't bother."
SOOOooo ... I'm going to change my tune. Niagara Falls is a gorgeous place. Yes, the volume of water is amazing. I wouldn't be able to describe it to you. In fact, you can't imagine the volume of water by looking at photos of the place. And, in fact, you can't even begin to imagine the amount of water by looking at the Falls from one of the nearby towers or hotel rooms. The only way you can begin to get a bit of a grasp on how MUCH WATER is going over those Falls SO very fast is to walk to one of the sidewalk viewing spots directly next to one of the two sections of Falls. You can stand immediately next to the edge of the Horseshoe Falls (the rounder one of the two) and simply FEEL the power. It's amazing.
Another wonderful thing that I had forgotten about were the colors. The water in the Niagara River seem to reflect the colors in the sky. The first two days that we were there, it was grey and cold. The colors in the water were boring. But the last two days we were there, the weather was clear, the sky was blue, and the water was a beautiful deep blue color.
We also had the opportunity to see the ice all the way across the river the first day that we were there, and later on the second day, the ice had broken through the middle of the river and only remained along the edges. When we went walking over the bridges, we were able to watch large chunks of ice float down the Niagara River.
So, please make note. I will change my recommendation. Please DO visit Niagara Falls. It is a beautiful and amazing example of God's awesome creation. If at all possible, foot the extra cash to stay in one of the hotels in Ontario that looks directly at the American Falls (pictured above, taken from the enormous picture window in my 17th floor room at the Sheraton on the Falls). They put flood lights on the Falls at night, and the lights change colors. The sound of the water is constant and powerful. You'll be very glad that you decided to go!
My Nephews!!
I spent this past weekend with my nephews (and my brother & sister-in-law, of course!) We played a lot of games (chutes & ladders Sesame Street version, Trouble, etc.) ... we roasted marshmallows over the campfire (in the fireplace) ... we sang our ABCD's about 83 times ... we went bumper bowling ... we watched Winnie the Pooh ... we laughed and ran around and had a great time in general!!! Here's a picture of the three boys all together. From left to right you have Will, Ian, and Aaron. Aren't they the cutest!!?? :-)
The Oscars are Tomorrow
The Oscars are tomorrow. Some years I'm really up on all the best and some of the worst movies. This year, I haven't seen as many as usual, so I don't have many opinions. But here is the one strong opinion that I DO have. There is an actress missing from the nominees list.I absolutely LOVED the movie Memoirs of a Geisha. LOVED. I went to the movie and loved it so much that I got the book on CD and am just about finished listening to it. I know that the movie didn't do the book justice, but the imagery presented in the movie is something that merely adds to the wonderfulness of the book. (Yes, I just made up a word!) Now I'm going to buy a hardcover copy of the book on Amazon.com and read it for myself. Yup - I love the story!
Anyway, there is a character in the story whose personality fills every ounce of the story whenever she's around. And the actress who played Hatsumomo did an exceptional job. Her name is Gong Li (or Li Gong ... I find it both ways online... we Westerners don't do justice to understanding Asian names, do we?) Anyway - she did a fabulous job in the role of the beautiful but evil Hatsumomo, and she should be nominated AND receive the Oscar for best supporting actress for that role.
And that, my friends, is Lou Ann's take on the Oscars!
