Welcome to Canada!

 

I did not actually enter Canada today, but my phone carrier thought I was there! If you look across the water, the city in the distance is Toronto, Canada. We were at Fort Niagara, 30 miles away.

We decided to take a short afternoon walk at the Fort. It's about a half hour away, but nice to visit this time of year before they start charging to enter. Right now, it is free during the week. Lake Ontario is huge -- the picture here shows a big laker (ship) in the distance. It will travel through the Welland Canal (to bypass Niagara Falls), then go on to the next lake (Lake Erie). It was a beautiful day to be on the shore -- and it was easily 20 degrees cooler on the lake than it was at home.

We did not walk along the actual defense section of the fort, along with the canons and other battle relics. Having Frankie meant we couldn't get in to take pictures. But I do love a lighthouse, so it was fine by me to get these shots.

I do love cemeteries too. It is always moving to see a tomb for an unknown soldier, and this small graveyard has one. There was also a monument to soldiers aboard the steamer USS Oneida, which sank in 1871. Many of the other graves and small markers were soldiers lost in the War of 1812. The cemetery holds the graves of servicemen from 1812 into the 1930's. There is no way to know how many are buried there. 

 

I do hope that someday there will be funds to restore this big old house. This is one of three historic structures that are in need of restoration. There had been some discussion of re-using some of the old structures (barracks, etc.) for luxury lodging. I'd rather see an historical restoration.

We didn't take a really long walk as Tommy had already walked Frankie a few miles in the morning, put in 20 miles on his bike, then worked in the garden. On the way home, I requested a detour to pick up some FlashFood items. We were on Grand Island, and you have to pay a toll to get there, so I rarely place orders at that store. The pecans were the real buy.  But I plan to use the mushrooms in our next stir-fry.

Dinner was jambalaya. The stock was made fresh today from this week's chicken carcass. There's a little bit of meat left that we might have tomorrow -- or it will go to Frankie. After a whole week of chicken, we will probably not eat a lot of poultry over the next week. That bird gave it's all!

Tomorrow will be a protest day for me. Is anyone else going to be out taking a stand against that stupid military event in D.C.? I paid my patriotic respects today. I hope it rains down there and that there are a lot of empty seats!