It was easy enough to get into Canada. We forgot our passports, which was crazy. But at the border, the Canadians (dressed in bullet proof vests) seemed almost disinterested in what we were going to do in their country. We had to stand behind the black line at customs, answer all the questions, and I’m sure have our photos taken. Yes, most of us were born in America, and all we wanted to do was to see Niagara Falls. They smiled and probably thought, “tourists.” But as we got back in the car and continued on, I had a sinking feeling inside and knew that while we were “in the country” getting out would be a different story. Boy, was I ever right.

Everything was ice covered on the American and the Canadian sides.

I actually saw people climb on the stone and iron work behind me to pose for photos. You can barely see the ice, but trust me it was over an inch thick in places.

Here’s a “throw back” photo of the Canadian falls. It reminded me of something from the 40′s. The area below and on the right is one of the observation decks, which was closed due to the ice. Even though it was cold, there were lots of people visiting  Niagara Falls. When we drove away, we agreed that we were glad we had made the trip. Then we went down the hill to the Rainbow Bridge where we faced the American Border patrol. We had to explain why we did not have our passports, what we were doing in Canada, and why one of us was born in Japan. I felt really bad about all of this until I talked with friends a day later and heard their experience was just as rough, and they had their passports with them!

BTW: according to one guide book, one of the most frequently asked questions is: “Do they turn the falls off at night?” With that thought, I’ll just say, “Happy New Year” and “good night.”

Even when they are abandoned, Amish homes are peaceful and beautiful. The families do not allow photographs to be taken of their homes and families. We were able to get out and walk around this farm because the family had moved and according to Denny—our trusted guide again this year—this is not normal. We all wondered what happened to this little family because Amish farms are usually passed down through generations.

This is a photo of an Amish school house. The children were out in a nearby field playing and had left their sleighs standing beside the doorway. We quickly stopped to take this photo and noticed that other tourists did the same behind us!

Here’s a typical snapshot of the American falls at Niagara taken from the Canadian side. In this photo, Bridal Veil Falls is on the far right. The observation deck over it is blueish in color because it is covered with thick ice. Even though it was a raw day and ice was hitting us in the face, we had a great time. And there were lots of people at the falls with us. I had forgotten it gets dark up here around 4:30. So low light quickly became an issue. Still, I got a couple of good photos. I confess I didn’t take the larger camera with me on this trip. I used the Nikon D 40, which worked great—as usual. The American side was completely closed due to ice and snow. We were glad we went over the Peace Bridge. It was a easy crossing. Canadian officials were nice, but on the way back the American folks were tough, tough, tough.

The old Mercer County courthouse near where we are staying provided the perfect backdrop for a snowy day. I love the ceiling on the courthouse porch, but I wonder what the color blue means in this part of the country. And the sign on the steps is telling everyone that it is closed. Below is an Amish hitching post. In fact, several of these line the street outside the courthouse.

I wanted to leave you with something this morning—something quiet and peaceful. We’re on our way further north today and will have more photos to post but this is one of my favorites—this one and the one I’ll post later this evening.