October 19, 2014 – Look! There’s some blue sky!

October 19, 2014 – Look!  There’s some blue sky!

After yesterday’s exertions Connie deserves a day to sleep in!  I tried to do that, too, but I’m not very good at it!  Instead I have some time to clean out my inbox and catch up on Facebook.  Once we’re dressed we decide to check out the IHOP which appears to be just across the street, since we’ve missed breakfast here at the hotel.

Turns out that’s just the sign – the actual restaurant is all the way down by the Tower;  but we’re dressed for the weather and wanted to go that way anyway!  Our waitress is adorable!  She tells us she’s tired because she worked yesterday, then moved!  And she’s back at work today!  Mostly we love her because she lets us order from the kids’ menu! We keep forgetting how large the portions are and how much more expensive everything is in Canada!  The kids’ serving is just right and half the price!

Always something pretty to see!  These remind me of  fireworks!

After breakfast we go to the Nat Geo store for a little shopping and then into the Tower building to see what’s there.  I’m still looking for a charm for my necklace and a Christmas ornament that wasn’t made in China.  So far there have been no charms!  I did see one gold one of the Falls;  but it wasn’t really available!  There was one on display but it wasn’t “real” and there weren’t any in the safe.  Just as well when I saw the price!  I expected a tiny Maid of the Mist or something similar.  Nothing!

We continue check out the other little shops and discover a world-famous glass blower, Angelo Rossi!  His wife is totally personable and he is about do make a vase while we watch.  If we came back tomorrow we could watch him make a piece containing someone’s cremains!  Who knew!  He is best known for his cranberry glass and his proud wife rattles off a list of famous people who have purchased his work, like Carol Burnett!  She also tells us a story about a Buddhist lady who purchased a Virgin Mary because she always answers the lady’s prayers!

When she returns home she send Mrs. Rossi a tiny Buddha which she carries to the Casino.  She wins!  A lot!  Once it was four thousand dollars!  Not only that, but the tourist tells her friends and the next day three more Buddhist ladies come in and buy Virgin Marys, and his work is not cheap!

Maestro blowing a vase

Into the glory hole

His signature cranberry, made with 22 caret gold!

Happily he does have some little things.  I buy a gorgeous ball that is the colors of the Falls for my tree.  Actually it will probably live in my kitchen window most of the year. That takes care of my not-made-in-China ornament.  And there are tiny tubular beads.  That are actually made in Morano and sent over by Mrs. Rossi’s brother, but one is perfect in color to be reminiscent of the Falls and now I’ve got my charm!  And we get to watch the artist at work!  Perfect!

The sky is actually starting to be blue!  I really thought it was permanently gray here in the fall! 

Of course we have to walk along the river to see all the Falls with the blue backdrop!  

I guess that's why it's called the Rainbow Bridge!  I thought they were just being fanciful!

And at the other end is the Welcome Center where we had seen a few gifts that needed purchasing.  Connie is the one who remembered where they were!  Thank you, my dear!

Can you see the rainbow?  It goes way over the bridge!

 We take the Inclined Railway back up the hill, retrieve our car, and head to the American side for Niagara State Park and Goat Island.  Everyone seems to have had the same idea, or perhaps they are heading home.  At any rate, it takes most of an hour to clean Customs.  The park wants ten dollars to park;  but the lot across the street in only five!  Not a hard choice!

Look who is waiting in line in front of us!

 In the park we get to walk right along the edge of the river and see the amazing rush of water even before it gets to American and Bridal Veil Falls!  And we can go all the way to the Falls! Incredible!  There is a bridge to Goat Island where we can actually stand at the side of the Falls as the water plunges over the precipice.  Now this really is awesome!  And we can get to the other side of Bridal Veil on one side and one side of Horseshoe, too!  Of course the mist is so heavy that Connie, who is pretty cold but still willing to let me continue being a fool, just waits for me to go get soaked by myself!  What a trouper!

Look who is taking someone else's photo!

Check out the heavy mist and the water droplets on my lens!  If you wait five seconds after
wiping you've waited too long!

It's a memorial to Nikolai Tesla!  One of my favorites!

Pink!  What a treat after all the gorgeous yellow and oranges!

It’s getting late and we need FOOD!  

Giggle!

Buffalo Wings!!

There’s a Denny’s that we can spot from our parking lot and at this point even the Indian food truck sounds good, so we set off  and quite soon are warm and seated!  Connie has a pumpkin decaf and she shares a sip with me.  Now I need one of my own!  I opt for regular which I’ll regret come bedtime;  but it sure is delicious!

Our tummies are happy and we are now willing to sit in another line to get home.  This one is just as long!  But now we know how long to allow on Tuesday when we head for the airport and sitting in a warm car without growling stomachs is not a bad deal!

Across the bridge and down Stanley Avenue – and past our Comfort Inn!  We’re going to find Mount Carmel tonight so that we know where we’re going in the morning!  Google said it was a ten-minute walk and that would probably be about right.  Except we’ll see what the weather is like before we set off.  It’s easy to find and part of the campus has a Chapel of the Little Flower.  Connie is thrilled because the Little Flower is St. Theresa, for whom Joyce is named!  (You have to know that Joyce’s middle name is Theresa before that makes sense!)

Now we can head home and to bed nice and early, well, early for us!  Tomorrow is another day and, unhappily, our last one!  We’ll make the most of it!  Wait!  What's that noise?  Oh yes!  It's Sunday night and time for the fireworks!  And luckily enough we can see most of the show from our window without having to get dressed and play in the weather!  Yay!

Our view is only slightly obstructed!  And we're warm!