A slow walk through Art Park

hut by Herb Parker

Summertime is a great time to wander through the bird sanctuary up at Art Park.  I've seen everything from Blue herons to eagles and hummingbirds.  Too bad I am not a better photographer!  I am much too busy looking to get a picture.   This year when you check out the birds you will also run across lots of interesting art work on the grounds of the state park.  Art Park is celebrating their 40th anniversary and many of the artists from those first years have come back to create art for this year's celebration.  The big open house is this Thursday, the 25th of July, but the art work will be there to see for some time to come.  Several of the artists stayed with us here at Sunny's Roost and so we had a sneak preview of their work.  Herb built the hut from scratch, you really need to walk through it to see all the time and work that went into this.  Miho's flags are an adaptation of a Buddhist ceremony.  I do not know who built the little (what I call) onion dome village, but it will bring a laugh when you see it.   There are so many more to see, and more are going up this week.  My current guest is building an Eiffel Tower near the ticket office!

Man on Flagpole Project by Miho Sawada

Another of those wonderful sites on a road less traveled

        I just happened to catch this anniversary date and knew it was something a bit out of the ordinary and worth a second look.  Located at 180 Thompson Street North Tonawanda NY,  the Hershel Carrousel Factory Museum is celebrating it's 30th anniversary on  July 14, 2013.  Summer hours are 10:00-4:00 Monday through Saturday and 12:00 to 4:00 on Sunday.  There is a nominal admission to help with the upkeep of the factory, HOWEVER, in honor of the anniversary, this fee has been waved!

        This is not a dull and boring museum of pictures and artifacts in glass cases.  There are stations of restoration works in progress to be seen, with all the steps explained by a restoration specialist. You will see some of the more unusual carrousel animals that have been made, beautiful pieces, and there is a working carrousel on the property for all to ride. This is Allen Hershel Company factory, founded in 1915.  I don't have a picture to include with this copy of Chicken Scratch.  I thought I had some, but I seem to have lost them,  however, if you will check their web site http://www.carrouselmuseum.org you can see pictures, read the history and check out the store.  And if you take some great pictures you don't mind sharing, I seem to be in need of a few.