To view this site you need Adobe Flash Player and your browser must allow javaScripts. Go here to get the latest Flash Player. At the end of the day, we know where our houses are As a proud resident of Western New York, I sleep easier knowing the very worst Mother Nature can dish out can easily be shoveled and will eventually melt away. Some of our region’s best selling points are the things we don’t have. Compared to dust storms, tsunamis, hurricanes, tornados, major earthquakes, mudslides, and volcanos, snow is, at worst, a temporary inconvenience. After shoveling, swearing at the plow driver, and shoveling again, our version of a weather extreme can be both a thing of beauty and provide hours of enjoyment. After a cup or two of hot chocolate and a few minutes in front of the fireplace, we’ve totally shaken it off and are ready to play. With a snow storm, we often get the day off from work or school, and can go sledding and skiing that same day. And our houses can be found precisely where we left them. Left: The Barton House, part of the Darwin Martin House Complex designed by Frank Lloyd Wright page 23