Niagara Parks FLORAL CLOCK – NIAGARA FALLS (+ Photo Gallery)

It is said to be the most photographed attraction - next to the famous Falls…

It wasn’t the greatest of days in terms of weather when we arrived at the Floral Clock. It was an overcast day, but we were nevertheless excited to be there. Upon arrival, they were maintaining the grounds. The gardeners were busy looking after the rows of tulips that greeted you on your way to the clock and the lawns were being mowed. A bus had just departed, loaded with tourists and another would eventually arrive 30 mins later- something that has been probably going on for over 60+ years.

We were thrilled to finally get a view of this much talked about attraction and were even more excited when we discovered what was behind the clock itself.

The Floral Clock, a free attraction, was built in 1950 and is one of the largest floral clock in the world at 12.2 metres (40 feet) in diameter.

The hands of the clock are stainless steel tubing: the hour hand is 14.5 ft, the minute hand 17.5 ft and the second hand 21 ft long. Their combined weight is 1,250 pounds. An ivy-clad, louvered stone tower stands 24 feet tall and contains speakers that every quarter hour broadcast Westminster chimes. Under the clock, accessed by a door at the rear of the tower, the concrete foundation includes three small rooms – one for the clock mechanism and its driving motor, one contains switches to supply the electrical power, and one stores the tools required for maintaining the floral face. The clock mechanism runs in a bath of oil. The mechanical workings are driven by a 5 HP DC motor supplied from a DC drive. A tachometer is mounted on the motor shaft and provides feedback to the drive to control its accuracy. 

The Westminster chimes are controlled by a programmable logic controller. The sounds are simulated and are broadcast through 2-25 watt co-axial speakers mounted in the bell tower.

WIRT: GREASE is the Word - Your Toilet is NOT a Trash Can...

What I Read Today in a local newspaper, was not a news article or story but rather a PSA ad about dumping grease in toilets. I’m sure many of you are guilty of this - I am. With me it’s not in the toilet, but rather down the drain.

I actually feel quite guilty as I write this post and honestly didn’t think  I was doing any harm.

I like to make my own french fries which involves peeling a lot of potatoes and a great deal of deep frying. After awhile, when the oil is no longer needed, I would dump it, while it was still hot, down the drain. I figured it was still warm.  But now that I think about it, it wasn’t the smartest thing to do.

I no longer dump grease down the drain and now I’m asking you to do the same.

Did You Know…

DID YOU KNOW?... There Are Canadian Two-dollar Bills Worth 20 Grand?

** Update**

Rare $2 bill may NOT be worth $20,000

Well, this is awkward.

Last night we told you about a rare $2 bill that was expected to sell for $20,000 at an auction. But we now offer a mea culpa. We were mistaken.

The first problem? The story was from 2012 – a speculative piece about a bill potentially worth $20,000 because the wrong officials signed it. The second issue? A noteworthy serial number. The 1986 bills with the serial numbers prefixes AUG, AUH and AUJ should have contained the signatures of Bank of Canada governor Gerald Bouey and deputy governor John Crow, but a few of them are signed by deputy governor Gordon Thiessen instead. We only told you about AUH.

Finally, we speculated the bill could be worth $20,000. As it happens, the bill did actually sell at auction – but for only $10,000.

HAPPY ROLPH’S BIRD SANCTUARY, (Early Spring) – ST. CATHARINES

Although it was a bit too early to view and pet the animals, our visit to Happy Rolph’s Bird Sanctuary & Petting Farm was still a delightful one. Seeing  the park this early in spring was just as enjoyable and only made you more eager to return when the summer season approached.

There were no animals to be found other than those noisy yet beautiful waterfowls swimming around in that famous pond – one of the many wonderful things this park is known for. The ducks and geese were hollering at the top of their birdie lungs when visitors would toss them some bread.

There were also kois discovered in the pond. They weren’t moving, (probably still in a state of hibernation since the visible ice floating on parts of the pond meant the water was still very cold), but they were there – alive and well!  There were many ancient trees throughout the park one of which we took a photo of that was over 160 years old!

Shortly after visiting the pond, something really blue down yonder caught our eyes. It was Lake Ontario! Probably the bluest you’ll ever see it, this time of the year.

Some facts…

• Happy Rolph’s Bird Sanctuary is a 15.06-acre municipal park on the shores of Lake Ontario which boasts one of Canadas most exotic collections of flowering rhododendrons.
• Harold “Happy” Rolph was a fruit farmer who founded a bird sanctuary on his property — now the public nature park on Lake Ontario. He needed water to irrigate the orchards and around 1950 built several natural looking ponds in a valley on the property. Several pairs of mallard ducks were purchased to attract other birds to the area. He and wife Jean built feeding stations for the birds over the next two decades, spending $1,500 a year on bird feed.
• In October 1974, the property was named the Happy Rolph Bird Sanctuary in Rolph’s honour. Later, a children’s petting zoo was added to the attraction.
• The petting farm, when it is open in season, includes chickens, pigs, horses, rabbits, sheep, goats, llamas, as well as a donkey named ‘Hoti’ — ‘Don Quixote’.  The pond’s inlet, sheltered by evergreens and bordered by grassy banks and willow trees, offers food and shelter for the resident waterfowl and migratory birds.
  
• There are pathways to the lake, bird feeders, and a barn.   It is an ideal location for families or school groups to spend a day picnicking and visiting the animals. 
• There are washrooms, a snack bar and a pavilion with plenty of picnic tables.  Happy Rolph's is also available for annual festivals and weddings.

The “Living Memorials” and The 9/11 Memorial Walkway

Another interesting thing we discovered throughout the park were the many “living memorials” plaques tied to trees. They are from the Hulse & English Memorial Forest Fund which is a non-profit tree planting charity. It provides private individuals the opportunity to contribute towards the greening of St. Catharines in the memory of loved ones. A tree symbolizes strength, durability, shelter and beauty.

We weren’t able to visit the entire park on this day but we later learnt, there was a trail that ran throughout the park which led to a peaceful waterfront memorial dedicated to Canadian victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The 9/11 MEMORIAL WALKWAY recognizes 27 Canadians who passed away at the World Trade Centre in 2001. Those that died are memorialized by twenty seven varieties of deciduous trees that line the trail. The wheelchair accessible walkway has benches with beautiful vistas on the shores of Lake Ontario. Another visit soon is definitely in order!

Gallery 1:

Gallery 2:

Happy Rolphing!...

WIRT: “IT’S A LONG SHOT”

Today I read an article, “It’s a Long Shot”, in our local newspaper, The Standard, which was quite interesting and entertaining about lottery tickets for the younger demographic, which was worthy of some sharing.

Apparently, lottery ticket sales to the younger generation, (ages 18-34), aka the “millennials”, aren’t as good as they’d hope it to be. It’s so low in fact, that the provincial lottery corporations are hiring a consultant to come up with new games and strategies, the paper states.

I’m surprise they are even encouraging this! However, if they must do so, instead of hiring a consultant to come up with new gimmicks or tactics, why not just consult the targeted group itself by getting them to fill out a survey of some kind… or better yet – just ask them!