1.) (above) Sketch that became a painting at Beaver Creek Bike Trail near Lorain, Ohio.  2.) Sketch of a willow that became a painting at the Finger Lakes, Canandaigua Lake, NY.  3.) View down a Pier from the Keuka State Park, Finger Lakes, NY.

1.) (above) Old family Cemetery in the forest at Lake Keuka, the founder of the nearby Esperanza Mansion, in 1797. 2.) Niagara Falls, just as I finished my painting, near  the close of an incredible sunset!  3.)Sharing the beauty and the peace as water falls.

1.) (above). At Silver Creek, NY. Site of the disaster of the Steamship Erie, which caught fire and sank, with upwards of 300 deaths!. I wanted it not to be forgotten. Photo and sketch.  2.)Painting of the willow on Lake Canandaigua, Finger Lakes, NY.  3.) Last, the Esperanza Mansion, Lake Keuka, NY.

Water has been abundant this part this part of the journey. It has taught us much. We have skirted Lake Erie's edge through Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York, and after mass quantities of falling agua at Niagara Falls, we continued along Lake Ontario, and the Finger Lakes (Canandaigua and Keuka, to date). Although we find ourselves quite enamored with the deserts of the Southwest, all this water is such a blessing. The Marblehead Lighthouse near Port Clinton was a gem in a heavy downpour, the longest continually in use such structure on all the Great Lakes. That rich blue green of the lake became my favorite paint color, and encouraged us east through Lorain to Geneva-on-the-Lake. At Conneaut, we learned the GE had dumped light bulb slag glass in Lake Erie, in the 60's, and it washes up continually as special purple stones. We learned that rising water levels are creating huge shore erosion problems. Hook's restaurant in Erie, Pa. offered an awesome lunch of perch and walleye. Wineries abound and concord grapes are turned to jelly at Westfield, NY. At Silver Creek, east of Dunkirk, NY, the steamship Erie caught fire and and sunk in 1841 off the coast. Most of the 300+ victims were immigrants headed to Cleveland and Akron. Niagara Falls was so fun to paint, but my bike sustained some injuries that day that will take a few weeks to make right. Thank God I had a back up bike!  Mitch at Rick Cycle shop in Buffalo was so helpful! Lake Ontario has its own beauty, and is about 600 ft deeper than Erie. You can see Toronto from Lakeside St. Park and the Finger Lakes have a more intimate beauty than their bigger brethren. Finally, the Square Knot Brewery makes fantastic beer in Canandaigua, and Abbot's Frozen Custard in NY is possibly the best in the world. Mostly, we learned water is life!!