NOT Made in the USA

It's not everyday, but we go to stores here and there, a few times a week. It's nice to get out and look around, to see new products on the shelves, and see others out and about too. But I am seeing some things that I am not enjoying at all.

Shirts, blouses and other clothing made in Vietnam, India and many other countries, including China.

Tools and machinery made in overseas factories.

An increasing amount of items displaying a label or description of their product, to the effect that it was "designed in the USA but assembled" elsewhere.....

It's a growing trend that is increasing every week, much to my disappointment.

You probably think "Why?" would this bother me....  YOU too should just take a minute or longer to think about it, and you too would be troubled.

Each day, the population of the United States grows. It decreases also, due to deaths, but in general it increases. More births add to this, along with others legally migrating to this grand new world. Remember, most world countries had developed and grown while the USA as we know it, has only been around for a few centuries. Other civilizations have been already housing their people, been adequately clothed, and had weapons, long before the Americas were conquered and populated by other Nations.

As our population expands with the new, more people are still growing and living longer years. What does this mean? Many new Americans will be born, grow, be hopefully educated, even more hopefully will find work, grow to a ripe age when you will hopefully retire, or as is being seen in these current times, still continue to work beyond your 70s simply because the retirement fund - whether it's Social Security or your own retirement nest-egg, or a combination of both or all - is just not adequate due to inflation.

What does this mean?

With this growing population, there will not be enough jobs for everyone. Some positions in critical fields will always hire qualified experienced people in areas of nursing, emergency services, to name some. Other fields which are not high-paying or critical, will always be available in the always-open service fields, and general construction, BUT what happens when someone does not want to work in a occupation that they feel is not suited for their mind and talents?

Here's the other tickler that many are not thinking about....  Many big companies have moved their factories overseas. We are seeing less things being proudly designed, built and sold in the USA and overseas. To you as a citizen of this great country, and hopefully currently working, if you want to move into another occupation, that may or not be possible due to many factors, such as age and experience, area and season, and even the occupation itself. One thing that is apparent: LESS products are being made in the USA, and if this trend continues, you will see less need for such occupations that make these once made in the USA but now being made overseas, as companies continue to move its building facilities overseas, which is taking JOBs away from Americans and supporting employment in other countries instead.  

More people are seeing their jobs disappear to overseas strangers that do not live in their community here, shop in their downtown here, or even play and picnic in the local America city and town parks.

As a result, there are more American unemployment, there are more foreclosure of American homes, there is more families that are moving - if they are that lucky at all - into smaller homes, or simply moving onto the streets of American that were once busy with people and business, but now dirty, unkept and abandoned.

Should you and I be concerned about this? I seriously think so! Should you and your neighbors and friends be concerned about this? 

WHO do you want to have your old job? It'd be best if you still had that job, or at the very least have it go to another American, but instead, it went to an unknown individual somewhere in this huge world, and while they are being paid a lower wage, thanks to many American companies, they are at least working!

If this trend continues, more companies will move overseas and
those moves will put more Americans into the unemployment lines.


What does that mean? 

Less taxes being paid to local and federal governments. Less working Americans which mean less community and more broken families. Less workers in this country means more abandonment of buildings, downtown areas, and communities. What this all means is more homelessness in America while the same companies that moved their business overseas, is still selling YOU their products, and could care less if anyone in this country is employed.

What can we do to make our resentment of these companies known?

QUIT buying their products. If YOU see your toaster, clothes, shoes, toys or anything else you may buy, was made in a foreign country, do NOT BUY it. If that product does not display the words that it was PROUDLY made entirely in the United States of America, then you should look for a similar product that was made in the USA, or take your business to another shop that DOES sell American-made products!

But you live day-to-day or month-to-month on a tight budget. You don't have enough money to spend on another similar item because it's priced too high for your wallet/purse. 

We need to support American-made products just as much as you/we supported those companies which moved out of the USA, and could care less if other Americans are employed or not.

Post your product pictures and share your mind/wallet with words on your social media, to let your friends and family know how upset you are with the LACK of American-made products and how good/bad those things being produced in foreign countries are! 

Boycott stores and products that are not made of good quality and are made overseas. Demand your stores and malls continue to support Americans and America by only selling American-made products; they will not know how you feel unless you tell them. You can call them, you can email them, and you can walk into their stores and demand your spoken feelings be passed to a
supervisor/manager that will convey customers' opinions to their management. You can email or write letters to company presidents or CEOs to tell them you want quality products made again in the USA, and you will NOT buy their products that are made outside the USA.

YOU need to voice your concern by letting everyone who will listen, and ensure your voice, and our voices is heard and impacts their future as it has impacted the lives and careers of many Americans. 

If WE do NOT buy American and support American products made by companies IN the USA, then we cannot blame anyone but ourselves for how the unemployment has risen, and how homelessness of families increases. 

Also, quit buying in shopping MALLs, which take business away from small local downtown and area city/town businesses, and results in your/our downtown areas being abandoned and ugly. An abandoned downtown or any area is not safe, is not pretty, and promotes NO growth or business of that area. An area abandoned by businesses and its people, will be abandoned by its local government and can even impact your local taxes.

I personally want to enter ANY store, and quit saying out loud (as I currently do) that nothing is made in the USA anymore, and if China is making everything we have in America?

Is anything you see in a single day NOT made in China? It's time to change that to Made in the USA!

Niagara Falls Fireworks over the Falls Begins 2019 Season

Living in western New York (WNY) does have its perks. Being photographers, Sheila and I are blessed to have fabulous wildlife areas nearby, not to mention the many city parks. Of course the mighty Falls are nearby, and that is a treat in itself! 

Long-Tailed Ducks cruising the Niagara

Did you know that all along the Niagara River, all sorts of wildlife can be seen? Osprey make their home along the river, along with hawks and even Bald Eagles. Even at the Falls, if you are patient and are there at the right time, you can spot Black-crowned Night Herons flying over the Falls just before sunset, along with Double-Crested Cormorants all day long, along with the every-present gulls. Other smaller birds can be seen too depending on the season: Northern Cardinals are busy almost all year round, while others like the Buffleheads and Common Goldeneye are more visible during the colder months. 

If you want to see the Falls in its uniqueness, then be sure to plan your visit in Winter. Dress warmly and step carefully. Also be prepared for many viewing areas to be closed, but in Winter you'll see the Falls as few do in summer!

Snow-covered Prospect Point Observation Point in Winter

Looking north from Goat Island/Three Sisters Islands

But what I enjoy most of this area are the fireworks over the Falls! 

I must confess I've been lousy at photographing fireworks during most of my life behind the camera. Sure, I've posted the typical snaps of fireworks exploding in the dark night like everyone else, but the majority of those had been captured without a tripod. I couldn't record a decent scene using a tripod at night for almost anything, including fireworks! Really!!

In those early years, I would shoot any fireworks handheld, but at a higher ISO. With patience and a little help from my kid brother Ed, I began using a tripod enough to get better images during the darker hours, and to finally use that tripod to finally get some "decent" results. 

Really!

The problem with fireworks photography, is that the events are not so often as to have a simple way to get some practical experience that one will remember a months later! Well, in this area of WNY, in the summer and even a month or so in winter, fireworks are a very integral part of the Niagara Falls area! So, in the few years I've been here, we have been very lucky to attend a few of the many nightly fireworks at the Falls. Along with that attendance, my experience in capturing fireworks have improved greatly, and the images are better with each passing year!

The Prospect Point Observation Tower backlit by fireworks

Whatever your reason for coming to WNY, you do need to see the Falls with fireworks blasting the sky above! Seeing Fireworks over the Falls, is really something to be seen and experienced! You'll also get a chance to see something else other than the daylight version of the Falls. It's Nature at its mightiest, and do you really want to see the Falls just as millions of others have seen it?

See it during the day and at night. Go early as crowds gather, some for hours, holding what they hope will be a good spot.

In recent years, they have been shooting off a single rocket 15 to 10 minutes before the hour, as a test for wind direction and strength. The only sure method of knowing IF the fireworks will go off as scheduled, is to ask park personnel or by calling toll-free 1(800)563-2557 for a prerecorded message, or even checking online on their social media accounts of niagarafallstourism.com.

Share your great pictures with friends, family or your pet while at the Falls, by tagging Niagara Falls Tourism when posting those special moments with your world!

https://www.facebook.com/NiagaraFallsTourismCanada

https://twitter.com/NFallsTourism

https://www.instagram.com/niagarafallstourismcanada

https://www.youtube.com/user/NiagaraFallsTourism

On the American-side, you'll want to share your pictures and moments with these social media sites!

https://www.facebook.com/NiagaraFallsStateParkUSA

https://www.instagram.com/niagarafalls_statepark

So now you are probably wondering where the fireworks will launch from, and if I will share that information if I know at all?

Of course I do and will!

From Prospect Point on the American-side, look almost directly across the Niagara gorge to the Canadian-side and look to the pier and buildings where the Canadian tour boats dock. To the left of that, you'll see a tiny cove, and to the left of that cove, you will see a tiny point of land. You can expect to see the launch from approximately that area. If you are at Prospect Point, the bursts will be near or in front of the Skylon Tower. On the Canadian-side, an area of about three city blocks of the walkway close to that launch site will be cleared for obvious safety reasons. Niagara Park security will clear the area about an hour beforehand. Keep this in mind IF you decide to see the fireworks on the other side!

Cannot attend but still want to SEE the fireworks? Tune in online at https://www.marriottonthefalls.com/niagara-falls-cam and be sure to have your clock set to NY state East Coast time. Don't forget the time is one hour earlier in summer for Daylight Saving Time (DST). It is NOT a live webcam but you should see most of the bright bursts and smoke.

If you plan to cross the bridge to Niagara Falls, Ontario Canada, do NOT forget to carry your passports with you! Also, you'll need four quarters per person for the customs building turnstile to return to the American-side! Really!


Here's one last snap of the fireworks at the Falls, and hoping you will have an enjoyable time at the Falls! Hoping to see you there! Remember all pictures can be clicked to see them in a larger size!

 Fireworks as seen from the Prospect Point Observation Tower

Enjoying Michigan's Upper Peninsular

So we have been back in Michigan again, and even took a few days off from our babysitting duties to visit the desolate area of Michigan's Upper Peninsular, also simply known as the UP (pronounced as U - P).

It's about a four-hour drive from Grand Rapids to the north of the  lower portion of the state, and due to its shape, is called the "Mitten". Well, we were at the mitten for a few days and enjoyed it. Then we continued our travels to the UP by crossing the long Mackinac Bridge, then heading north. We met people while visiting Whitefish Point, and discovered we were there during a big birding event. We have never been to a birding meet before, but if there's a way to ID birds easily while snapping away, then why not?

The Mighty Mackinac Bridge connects the U P with the southern areas of Michigan

We had arrived on a Thursday, and while we were seeing a few early bird arrivals, it was still quite early for what was predicted as a big event with bigger amounts of birds due to recent wind storms. While we were there Thursday and Friday, we saw over 15 hawks and over 50 Sandhill Cranes! To make it even sweeter, there were at least five Bald Eagles in the air too!

To be honest, since we arrived at "The Mitten" and crossed the bridge to the UP, we'd seen already an eagle each day, and sometimes even more, and it's always an awesome sight!

One thing we did notice about the UP is that we both had NO cell or data coverage! Almost a week later, we asked a local about  this problem, and were told that only one phone provider services the UP right now. We are both under a different company other than this company, which explains WHY we had NO service! Even after returning to the southern area of Michigan across the bridge, we still had NO service! We actually had NO cell service till after three hours on the road heading south toward Grand Rapids.

Otherwise, we really enjoyed the area! The vistas are fabulous, the people are friendly, and amazingly, the roads are fairly better than in most of Michigan, and MUCH better than the roadways in western New York (WNY)!

While in southern Michigan (south of the Mackinac Bridge) we already have already visited the International Dark Sky Park, and seen some of their area lighthouses. Did you know that Michigan is the one state of the Union with the most lighthouses? I never knew that!

Poor Sheila had to drive through a surprise snow storm that turned to white-out conditions at times while we were in the UP! We got through okay and stopped at a rest area to sit it out, as it continued to snow for a few more hours into the night! Smaller amounts of snow fell during the same week!

As a wrap-up to our UP portion of this trip, we stayed in a lakeside rustic cabin in the southern areas of the UP. For those not knowing the meaning of a "rustic" cabin, that means no TV or phone, wifi or water, no stove, no shower nor sink, and NO indoor toilets. The cabin DID have a tiny refrigerator and a smaller microwave. BUT We had the time of our lives then, and hoping to return once again when most of the hotels, campgrounds, and attractions and landmarks are open; we were told to forget visiting the Pictured Rocks area of the UP, since there may still be NO access to the area due to snow.

Within 3 days of arriving in Michigan, it snowed. Within minutes, this scene was completely white!

As of 29 April, we have now seen the lakes of Michigan, Superior and Huron within a two-day period (they all look alike - very watery). We have seen about five lighthouses during our trip thus far. We have (typically) walked in rain/snow and high winds yet again, though in a new different location, and we have spun yet another few numbers of the first three digits in the odometer of our spiffy minivan camper!

What's the highlight thus far of our yet-to-be-completed travels?

While camping at the UP area near the Tahquamenon Falls, we saw the Northern Lights!!! Even before starting our trip, we knew about a possible sun storm that would give us a great night lightshow during the early days of our UP trip. Though it was cloudy/overcast when we drove up, the overcast sky continued when we drove up to Whitefish Point, but took a detour to camp out under the stars. That night, I woke and looked straight up out the back window of the van. I started to see what I thought looked to be colorless swirling waves in the sky, and Sheila saw the same thing. I would also see what I thought to be a star, then that "star" would begin to bounce all over like a ping-pong ball, all the while the black sky growing lighter with those sky-waves splashing around and around over and over in the sky. After a bit of sleep, I woke again to see the same thing, but this time painted in a bright flaming red color BUT sunrise wasn't for a few more hours. It was so intense that it lit up the leaves of the trees over our van, and again, Sheila saw this too, though it lasted a few minutes only!

No pixs of the aurora BUT I was able to catch a meteor while in the U P

It was all just so amazing! My first probable Aurora sighting!! No pictures unfortunately and it was freeeeeezing and windy!!

Last leg of our trip, the clouds were gorgeous!

While camping, I built a fire then noticed the awesome sparks. This was snapped with my S5 handheld in auto-mode

More awesome clouds along the drive

This has become a familiar sight in our drives West to Michigan

Dramatic skies were not lacking during the drives

A look backwards to the sunset through the rear window

One of the sunsets viewed while at a rest stop

Reminders of Days and Years Long Gone

I've been to a lot of places. I have even called "home" in even more spots. Let's see if I remember those locations:

   ~ California
   ~ Italy
   ~ Virginia
   ~ Germany
   ~ Two different places in Spain on different
      coasts       
   ~ Nebraska
   ~ Oregon

What makes me think of those past residences are the many reminders everywhere. Perhaps a billboard or exit sign on some highway or interstate. It could even be images seen in magazines or newspapers. Maybe even a glimpse of my past from the internet, which sadly happens way too often.

What made me remember now is when I went shopping while temporarily (again) in Michigan....

Worthwhile Documentary about the Ozone Layer

This was aired last week 10 April 2019 on PBS, and tells of recent (past) efforts to stop the growing depletion of the ozone layer, which keeps us from burning up, and the Earth from heating up also. I watched this in its entirety, and while it states the ozone layer is recovering, it is our duty to ensure that chemical companies and other related industries do not create anything else in the future that would harm this precious layer that protects us from the Sun's deadly UV rays. 

I strongly recommend that anyone concerned about their future, and the future of the Earth, watch this documentary. It is a wonder how modern Man has continuously caused so much health and environmental problems in the past (and continues to do so in the present), could possibly be the cause of more deadly acts in the future, all to the worship of the mighty dollar. It is shameful that companies care not of the welfare of their fellow Man, nor of the only place that Man calls home due to their greed.

The least WE can do is to watch this documentary, be and stay educated about these issues that affect the earth and Mankind. Then, it is our duty to educate others of what has happened, and what can still happen in the future if the public allows it to repeat itself again.

Here is the writeup about the documentary
Ozone Hole: How We Saved the Planet

This is link of the actual broadcast documentary 
Ozone Hole: How We Saved the Planet

Here's another video about the ozone layer
Climate 101: Ozone Depletion | National Geographic

Please help to spread the word. The Earth deserves more than what she has received over these past few centuries, from the careless and greedy Humans of the planet.