Traveling Rat Royce

	*Western New York State* I have arrived safely in western New York and will get to see some of the fall colors! This western region of the Empire State is bordered by the Niagara River and Lake Erie to the west, the Pennsylvania border to the south, Lake Ontario to the north, and the Finger Lakes to the east. Western New York includes the second and third largest cities in the State, Buffalo and Rochester. It is also the birthplace of Eastman Kodak and Xerox, the site of a presidential assassination and inauguration, and was a hotbed of 19th century religious revival. The area is home to one of the seven wonders of the world - Niagara Falls. While big on industry, a good deal of the area is still agricultural. You don't have to travel far to be amid apple orchards and vineyards. The climate and soil of western New York is perfect for growing grapes. Many vineyards and wineries exist out here and they produce wonderful wines. Here I am in the vineyard of Casa Larga. Don't these grapes look delicious?
	After touring the winery, we got to sample some of Casa Larga's excellent product. Wow, these grapes are delicious . . . especially after being turned into a nice red wine.
	My first day in New York ended with a traditional local specialty - pizza and wings. These spicy chicken wings were originally created at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo. Although restaurants throughout the world now offer "Buffalo wings," nothing can compare to the real thing.
	Niagara Reservation State Park, which surrounds mighty Niagara Falls, is the oldest state park in the United States. I'm standing in front of the rapids just upstream from the falls. The rush of water can make you dizzy!
	Niagara Falls is more than just one waterfall. It is three - the American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and Horseshoe Falls (also known as the Canadian Falls). In this picture, the American Falls are directly behind me, and the Horseshoe Falls are in the distance. Originally, over 5 billion gallons went over these falls every hour, but now nearly half that is diverted to power plants.
	My hostess took me on a ride on The Maid of the Mist. This company has been giving tours of the falls since 1846! The tour boat took us right to the base of the waterfalls. Passengers are kitted out with raincoats as they will get very wet from the spray. Too bad they didn't have a coat my size.
	Next to the American Falls I saw this rainbow. It reminds me that I am so lucky to be able to travel the world the way I do. I love it!
	Here I am in front of the Seneca Niagara Casino. Isn't it grand? The Seneca are a Native American nation and are part of the Iroquois Confederacy. The Seneca were given the western part of New York in the 1600s and are called Keepers of the Western Door.
	This picture is of what locals call the Power Vista. Energy is harnessed from Niagara Falls and the Niagara River, converted into electricity, and transmitted all over the northeast.
	Isn't this great? The New York Power Authority is using a rat to tell people about where their electricity comes from. OK, so maybe they think it's a mouse, but I know it's a rat. Rats are smart, smart enough to instruct everyone on how river power can end up making you toast for breakfast.
	Here I am on a bridge overlooking the Erie Canal. Isn't it lovely? This canal is largely responsible for the growth of western New York. It all started in 1817 when Dewitt Clinton became governor of New York and convinced the state legislature to finance the project. On July 4, 1817, crews began digging with picks and shovels at Rome, NY. Eight years later they ended up at Tonawanda Creek, near Buffalo. The canal was 363 miles long, 40 feet wide, and 4 feet deep. The Erie Canal opened on October 26, 1825 at a cost of $7 million! Initially dubbed "Clinton's folly," it immediately cut travel time in half and shipping costs dropped 94%. Although the canal isn't used for shipping goods anymore, pleasure boats can still travel from Albany to Buffalo. Small port towns prosper from tourists and other canal enthusiasts. There is a famous song about the Erie Canal, and I've got the tune stuck in my head. "I've got a mule, her name is Sal/Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal...."
	Did you know that Jell-O was invented in western New York? It all started in the late 1800's in the small town of LeRoy. In the United States, this lovely dessert is called Jell-O and comes in a powder, but back home we call it jelly and it comes in squares. This quaint museum is filled with all kinds of facts and memorabilia. What a fun place to visit!
	Today we took a nice drive into Pennsylvania. In the town of North East we paid a visit to Mazza Winery. This sign caught my attention, but unfortunately, I didn't see anyone stomping grapes!
	We followed the coast of Lake Erie on our way back to New York. I saw this old lighthouse. in Barcelona. It was built in 1829 and is believed to be the only lighthouse in the world that was once lighted by natural gas. Today this interesting building is a private residence
	Today I went to Forest Lawn Cemetery. What a beautiful place! This is the final resting place of many notable people including General Ely S. Parker, a full-blooded Seneca who was a member of General Ulysses S. Grant's staff. He wrote the final draft of Robert E. Lee's surrender terms at Appomattox. Also buried here are William Fargo, co-founder of the Wells Fargo Express; Sara Hinson, founder of Flag Day; and Mary Burnett Talbert, an early feminist and civil rights activist. This is the Blocher Monument. It is by far the most lavish of the Victorian memorials in the cemetery. Nearly life-sized marble statues portray a young Nelson Blocher lying dead while his parents stand nearby.
	This is the Red Jacket Memorial. Red Jacket (ca. 1756-1830) was a chief of the Wolf Tribe of the powerful Seneca Nation. He was given the name Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha (He Who Keeps Them Awake) after being elevated to the rank of chief. Americans called him Red Jacket because he was fond of wearing a richly embroidered red jacket given to him by a British officer.
	On the other side of the pond is the Blue Sky Mausoleum. In 1928, Darwin Martin commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to design it, but because Martin lost his fortune during the Depression, it was not built at that time. The plans were resurrected recently and the mausoleum finished this month. It was officially unveiled 21 October, just two days ago!
	This is me in front of the Buffalo Botanical Gardens. Once named the South Buffalo Conservatory, it is part of the Fredrick Law Olmstead park system. This building was completed in 1898. Some say the design was inspired by Prince Albert's Crystal Palace in London.
	Here I am with my hostess Kathy and her friend, Rudy. When I heard she rode horses, images of cowgirls filled my head. But she is a hunter/jumper and uses an English saddle. Last week I even got to watch her compete in a horse show.
	This beautiful home is the George Eastman House. If it weren't for George Eastman and his Kodak brownie camera I probably wouldn't be making this photographic journal. George Eastman is the father of popular photography and inventor of motion picture film. He brought photography to the masses. In addition to the house and gardens, the property also houses the world’s oldest photography museum and one of the world’s oldest film archives, as well as a cinema, cafe, and gift shop.
	Here is the grave of Frederick Douglass in Mount Hope Cemetery. Frederick Douglass was born a slave, but became a great orator and abolitionist of the 19th century. He was also a staunch supporter of womens' suffrage. When womens' rights activists held their first convention in Seneca Falls in 1848, Frederick Douglass signed his name to their Declaration of Sentiments. He described the participants as "few in numbers, moderate in resources, and very little known in the world. The most we had to connect us was a firm commitment that we were in the right and a firm faith that the right must ultimately prevail." Read Douglass' autobiography - I intend to! Mount Hope Cemetery itself was founded in 1837.
	Behind me are some of the grape arbors of the Widmer Winery. And behind that is some of the impressive fall colors that make the northeastern United States a popular travel destination for many people every autumn.
	The water is a bit choppy as I look out over Lake Erie toward Buffalo. This lake played a major role in the War of 1812 (back home that's known as the British-American War).
	Yummy! These delicious pies were made by some nice Amish ladies. They wouldn't let me have my picture taken with them, but they were happy to have their pies recorded for posterity. Hee hee, they thought I was cute! Too bad you can't capture the smell with a camera. You don't know what you're missing!
	I decided to try my hand at a rubber stamping class. There's no reason a rat can't enjoy arts & crafts!
	Canandaigua Lake is one of the Finger Lakes. These lakes are long and narrow and were carved by glaciers. It's hard to see the fall colors in this picture, but I can tell you that the colors were fantastic!
	The LeRoy House is a 19th century mansion which contains an extensive research library and archives that pertain to local history. They also have historic exhibits like these Victorian-era rat traps. Eeek!
	Some parts of the LeRoy house aren't as scary. I had a great ride on this old rocking horse! Isn't he great? And just my size (my friend Rudy was a bit big for me). This guy was made about 1860.
	Oh no! More scenes of rat eradication! This truly is a place of horrors . . . but since it is almost Halloween, I guess a scare or two is in keeping with American tradition. With Halloween in mind, I'll just let you know that Jell-O isn't all sweetness and light. The company has a dark side too -- they used to make rat poison. Oooh, shivers! Things promise to be less scary in my next destination - there will be beaches, mountains, lovely blue lakes . . . and penguins! I'd better get my rest now because I'll be back on the road shortly.