Icy Niagara

 A quick, socially distanced, porch visit, to Mum and Dad and delivery of half a Key Lime Pie (I ate the other half) included a trip to Niagara Falls. Spooky, Clifton Hill was absolutely deserted, not a car, not a person, all the businesses, of course, shuttered. We drove past the falls and the same thing, nobody. So we parked the car (not where the sign still said $10 for 30 minutes) and walked along the river and falls.

We had parked at the top of the hill and walked down behind the Hydro station which was undergoing repairs. Checking it on the internet, it is going to be opened for tours next summer.

Close to the outlet for the generating station we watched a female Hooded Merganser, fishing.

Freezing temperatures and mist from the Falls results in ice on everything downwind.

Trees

and man made

structures

alike.

The ice buildup was beautiful

and I wish we had had a sunny day for the photos.

We walked down to just opposite the American Falls

where you will be able to buy tickets for the zipline into the gorge when the restrictions lift (you couldn't pay me enough to do that)

The whole time we were walking we saw fewer than a dozen people

about half of them were masked even though they were walking outside.

Usually you can't get close to this section, right at the edge of the Falls, but we were able to lean on the, entirely ice encrusted, wrought iron railing and peer down at the green water pouring over the rim.

This would have been a glistening mass in sunshine!

We drove back up beside the Niagara River

Stopping every now and then to take pictures of the masses of ducks.

At one point a line of Canvas Backs and Redheads

stretched for about a 1/4 of a mile, gently paddling up stream.

Now its back to our "same old" walks:

Coots Paradise, skaters and an ice sailboat, taken by Rick with his phone.

Touch of Spring. When I planted my huge box of Daffodils, in the fall, I potted some up and put them in the garage. I am bringing in one pot a month, these are the ones I bought in in January (the December ones haven't flowered yet ???)