Western New York Winter Storm (Yet Again)

Since we have returned from Michigan four months ago, there has been a "winter storm" seemingly every week! 

The cracked slabs of thick river ice

A few more nights of frozen nights and you'll be able to walk
on the river to the Falls, and beyond to Canada!

The car is covered with snow....   wait a day and the snow removed naturally by the heat of day. Wait another few day's and it's covered with snow again!

The news has been going overboard with scenes of the last huge snowstorm of 1977, when the area was hit with massive snowfalls, even burying cars, with another 10-20 feet of the white stuff on top of the vehicles!!! WoW!

It's been snowing for a few hours, then the huge flakes began to dance its way from the sky. So gorgeous to see, but such a pain to drive in! But in more simple times it would be great, but not in this modern age!

There's a RIVER somewhere in this image!

Across the Niagara and blowing snow, 

is Grand Island

We shoveled our way out of the house then took a little walk. Everything is white, and everything is just gorgeously covered with the snowflakes. We wanted to take our cameras but I didn't want to sizzle the electronics neither! I was snapping with my smartphone, and it was being covered with a bit of snow, and the screen and controls were going crazy! 

My phone is a "waterproof" S5 smartphone, but am guessing it didn't like the snow since it was zooming all by itself plus snapping a picture every half of a second for about a total of ten snaps!! Fortunately the device did capture some pixs correctly, though I am sure this will be my last samsung device since I found out a few months ago my S5 will not have its androidOS updated any longer. 

Since that was discovered, I get so many android error messages daily, plus screens that flash, bluetooth that doesn't stay on, galleries that don't want to display its images, and images snapped that have disappeared into thin virtual air, among many other annoying problems. If I knew this would happen, I would have NEVER purchased a samsung anything!! 

What do you say to that samsung??? I used to toot your smartphone and tablet's abilities all over my social media, then I dropped that a few months ago due to lack of time and still trying to "live". I am almost sorry I built up my amazing sharp samsung imagery (like those here) and everytime a iphone user hears my ability to snap a smartfone pix simply by saying "shoot", and being able to snap a sunset and having it look completely golden without any need to touch any button for special apps or effects. Well, I won't be doing that anymore! One of my daily chores is to clear the S5 cache, and of course even that action does nothing now  :(

These trees are gorgeous in their frozen state

While we were out it was snowing and by time we made our second walk, probably just under an mile, our foot steps were already almost covered by the newly falling snow. It just takes a measly 12 minutes if we're walking slowly, but we rarely walk slowly!

Even frozen the Niagara looks marVeLous!

Tomorrow the weather will be more extreme and lower temps, almost all day in single-digit temperatures (all below 4°f) with windchill temps of -18°  at sunrise with 18mph winds, and a nice temperature of 0° and a windchill of -25° , dropping throughout the afternoon until it levels out at sunset (set sets here at 5:25pm) of almost -16° , dropping even more through the evening till just before midnight, it'll be a windchill of almost -30°f!!!

As I was typing this, I looked out the windows for a second to observe complete white-out conditions!!!

Please be CAREFUL while driving in icy conditions

Stay safe, careful and if you are in an area with some of this white weather we are and have been "enjoying", then be sure your headlights are on, and drive slow. You don't want to be a sliding steel carriage in those slick wet and snowy roads!

Simple Pleasures of Life (Don't Forget to Look UP)

Still rereading pieces of my past as I continue cleaning out my virtual mailboxes.

This is extracted from an email dated November 2014 shared with a friend, and it was snapped with a Samsung SSG S4 I had then.

Isn't it amazing, but Nature has all these gorgeous sights for us to enjoy, if only we would look UP.

Just a reminder (for me too) to look at your surroundings, and to enjoy the simple pleasures of Life

"Almost straight from my Samsung Galaxy S4 is this wondrous colorful image I snapped by some side of the road while lost somewhere in Sonoma County, as I stopped each and everytime I saw autumn colors. I am always amazed by what my S4 sees and captures so well"

Freezing temperatures BUT wonderful winter scenes

The weather was dreadfully cold, very gusty windy and snowing all the while, but WE got out and about yesterday! Traffic was very light as everyone was encouraged to stay home, and especially on a weekend when windchill temperatures drop to 10°f/-25°c!!

When the temps are this low, the Niagara River freezes in various parts of its course through the area. These are snapshots of the lovely textures created by the waters of the Niagara, and how the ice also covers bushes and plant-life near the water also! 

Just love seeing these in the Niagara

Even twigs and branches take on another soul and appearance

This bush by the water was transformed into a huge ice monster

No need for ice cubes or swords here!

Yesterday we spent a good half hour shoveling the snow which was about a foot deep, with accumulations reaching two feet and higher. I love these sights though, and how Nature will blow and sculpt a little mountain out of sand at a beach, or in this case, out of snow around a dwelling!

A view near Goat Island. It was a very grey day, then the sun smiled!

We went hoping to see frosty trees at the Falls as in previous winters, but instead it was just the usual naked trees with light snow on the top of branches. We were disappointed but still, it's quite lovely how Nature paints a snowy winter landscape for our eyes and minds to enjoy for those brave enough to wander out.

I was delighted to see visitors at the Falls too. The weather can change and who knows what can happen between the time when travel arrangements are made, and what is really there upon arrival and while wandering around? I think those who visit from faraway lands, actually luck out because many see the Falls in summer or Autumn, but to see it in Winter is really a special treat!

After our little chilly outdoor jaunt, we return home to another "joy" of winter. The outside screen door was frozen shut and couldn't be opened! We also have discovered in previous winters that same screen door freezes during the night and we can't get out!

Now Monday, the temps are really low at 3° with a wind chill of -17°, BUT the clouds are few and a lot of blue sky can be seen, but the wind is blowing in excess of 16mph. But the best part of it is the bright warming sunlight everywhere! Yesterday while we were out the gusty winds bit through our outer wear and chilled us a lot, but we have been out in more extreme temperatures and conditions.

​Yesterday's scene at the Falls as the sky broke through. You can't see the snow
falling but it was wonderful! Snapped with my SSG S5 in pano mode ~ really!

Sunday night brought reminders from many near and from far, to not forget to look for the Wolf Eclipse! I kept thinking "see what?" since it was forecast to snow practically all day.....  but before the day ended, I put on my shoes for the last time to go out and shoot that Wolf Moon just before 11pm! I knew there was something wrong with the moon since it was due to be a full moon, and all I could see a little more than a half of the moon! It was frigid cold but I got the shot.

Not bloody red nor blue, but I saw the Wolf Moon!

It didn't turn red, but I couldn't stay
outside to see; it was freezing cold!

Remember you can click any image in any post of my blog to see it larger and beautifully displayed to enjoy!

Wildlife and Keeping it WiLD

Sheila and I are so excited! We have discovered what appears to be an adult female Snowy Owl that has its territory just a few miles from where we live! To us it's the same as seeing a big white cat with black specks on her "fur", but this bird has perhaps continued coming to the area as others have seen us in our quest with eyes up, and mentioned they think this is the same snowy of years past. It's strange that since I have been here, in the field where we first sighted this lovely visitor, we have looked each winter, and hadn't seen anything ever but hawks!

Great picture, eh? Snapped with a Nikon P900.
These two images were captured where the possibly closest
owls (above) were 500ft, while others were more likely farther,
with the tops being at the Buffalo harbor looking to the
breakwater 2200ft away!!

Slightly better with my usual monster lens
on a EOS 70D with a possible distance of about 200ft

Of course it's only here when the climate turns frigid and it's just a tad difficult in trying to see it, but still, after seeing it once in a field (or anywhere else for that matter), it'll help for future sightings!

This above pix snapped in very low light so the
colors are off, but these two pixs are still much better
than ALL of our previous snowy pictures!

There have been times my eagle-eyed Sheila while driving around, and my eyes are busy looking over the passing landscape. I'll hear her say there's something over there, BUT it's probably nothing. Once I get my eyes on it to verify, it's usually something, and a Snowy Owl or an eagle/hawk! It's happened to me too, when I sight something that could be, but I think probably not, and Sheila confirms it is one of our feathered friends!

These snowys can be seen anywhere:
on top of signs, telephone posts, atop buildings and homes,
and in fields of every and any type!

I think that all creatures are basically critters of habit, and if they find a place for a few months, we can hopefully count on seeing this beauty again next winter in that one spot. 

Please remember if you do SEE a Snowy Owl:

Don't go too near. If you flush the bird (making it fly before it needs to), you could be unknowingly harming the bird. It has been said that many snowys found dead were probably flushed. In its hurry to get away, it probably flew right in front of a passing vehicle. Other causes of flushing could cause it to use up valuable energy to fly away from a human, rather than using that same energy to find prey.

Don't spend too much time "chasing" the snowy. If it spends more time looking at YOU instead of patiently waiting and looking for prey, then you have been standing either too close, or for too long. 

These birds are very patience and can sit for hours. Ask me how I know!

After you get those great images, be sure to share your fabulous snowy pictures online or with your friends! Though you may not think you have one of those winning top wildlife pictures, there are still many who have NOT seen a snowy at all!! I never even heard of these owls till I began living in WNY!!

You'll never know what their next move may be!!!

So, this is the New Year (not impressed)

Well, not the New Year's I thought we might have, but we are still alive at least (for now). We thought Michigan was grey, windy and full of dread..... Leading up to the final day of 2018, it was quite cold and grey also in western New York (WNY), but we survived. We were able to catch a few "sunsets" but color was lacking, as known by those residing in upper attitudes during the winter. 

It's snowed a few times already, and even today/tonight it's snowed, though it seems to be little ice pellets, probably due to the high winds. Tonight the winds from the south could reach even up to 55 mph!! 

Street under the car turned white with the tiny ice pellets.
Any higher winds and we'd have golf balls instead!

Detailed snap of those ice pellets. A very nice crunchy
surface but just as slippery

We had decided to catch the double fireworks show on the final night of the old year, but cloudiness, combined with a late hour, together with a rainy chilling day in general dashed those plans. We can hear the fireworks going off even though we are just over six miles from the Falls (as the mad Hatter flies), and though it did go off on time, the midnight edition was MUCH shorter than it should have been, and I wondered if rain had a factor in making it so short-lived?

These past few days I have been going through my archives as I do every year-end, ready to close out the current main temporary storage before moving on to a new 2019 temporary spot for future image files. Considering the fireworks, I thought: what happens if we can't go to both (as happened) on the final day of the year? So, for an hour, I searched through almost all my fireworks image files for about the last two years, and made a "few" selected favorites, then readied my laptop to display on the much-bigger television flat-screen screen. As a result, we watched for about 20 minutes as my fireworks exploded upon the screen in various locations like San Francisco and various locations in WNY. 

We were both smiling, happy, warm and dry, and we didn't have to worry about the weather or the chilling temperatures outside. Plus, it was a fabulous fireworks show!!! 

Don't believe me? Look for yourself!
Click here to see First Friday 2019 fireworks over the Falls

Actually, the image link points to a picture that was taken a few days later. The winds had finally died down enough, plus no sign of rain. Actually, we were quite happy with the cool temps (in the low 20s) and lack of wind kept the cold from freezing our old bones. Here's a quick snapshot of some of the other images from that day of fire over the Falls. You can easily see the holiday decorations and trees. The tower is the Skylon Tower, which offers a fabulous view if we could ever save enough to get up into the tower for a few pictures of the view!

Click on this pix to see the image in its entirety 

Sheila and I also had a chance to see a Snowy Owl that is very close to where we live. Talking with others, it may even be one of the snowys that has been returning to the Falls area for some years now. We had the most amazing moments with this snowy, and got the most incredible images also (finally!).

These lovely birds have the most amazing eyes!

I wasn't ready for its jump, but seconds after this snap,
it flew about 15 feet right over me!!

You can view Sheila's fabulous snap of the same snowy at her foto website:
http://fineartamerica.com/featured/what-was-that-sheila-lee.html


So, how was your year-end holidays?

Now, if only there were an available flight to Spain!! As of 12 January, there are none