It doesn't matter how many times I visit
Niagara Falls, I am
always reminded why it is included as one of the
Seven Wonders of the
World. It is simply spellbinding to stand by the edge of the falls,
witnessing the continuous flow of water over the cliff at the rate of 680,000 gallons every SECOND, all day, every day, year after year,
decade after decade, century after century.
No one is expecting the falls to be frozen when the winter temps go well below freezing, but I was surprised to learn that
Niagara Falls was only frozen over once in the past 175 years! According to historical records:
The only time Niagara Falls has technically frozen solid was on March 29 1848,
when Lake Erie froze and created an ice dam that prevented water from reaching the falls, according to World Atlas.
When my niece and nephew agreed to go with me to the
Falls, I
asked whether it was possible to visit my Mom's sister Rita who now lives in that
area. I'm so glad we were able to connect with her. Like they say,
"grab the opportunities while you can!"
Our time together ended up being a wonderful trip down memory lane as we learned from her, our 'primary source', about the sisters in the early years before marriage. I didn't realize my aunt and I shared similar experiences -- I guess I should have expected it, being the youngest in our families having older siblings on the dating scene.
While my aunt told us about the time she kept my Mom and Dad
company in the living room when they were on a date, I couldn't help thinking of the numerous times I
conveniently walked by my sister and future brother-in-law in the front hall as they tried to say goodbye at the end of the evening =) Ah yes, the job of the youngest sibling.
As if those memories were not enough, we drove past the former location of
Eden Christian College where
I attended high school for a short while in the
Niagara region.
Only now the property where the school once stood is an apartment complex and
the dorm, that once held about 50 kids (including me) from all over southern Ontario while attending school, is now being renovated as an historic building from 1782.
Apparently, this building is part of "the oldest estate in Ontario”. We knew the dorm house was old at the time, but not
that old!
