Photograph of the Buffalo Small Boat Harbor shortly after a beautiful winter sunset. The air was chilly with temperatures at 20ºF and falling as the sun disappeared over the horizon. Clouds filled up the evening sky and provided a canvas for the sun to paint on. And all of that above Lake Erie, which was frozen solid. A perfect winter evening in Buffalo, New York.

Lake Erie is one of the Great Lakes and is named after a Native American tribe that lived on its southern shore. Most of the water flows into Lake Erie from the Detroit River. The outflow from the lake creates another wonder, the Niagara River. The western basin of Lake Erie is the home for about 26 islands, depending on current water levels. Lake Erie also provides for a regional phenomenon - lake effect snow that makes Buffalo, NY infamous for its winter storms.