Lavender Farm In Italy For Greentopia

Lavender Farm In Italy, 2017

acrylic on canvas 

24" x 48" (60.9 cm x 121.9 cm)

201707072

© copyright Mike Kraus

For more information, please visit: https://www.etsy.com/listing/186507940/custom-commission-original-art-by-mike

Last night, I was honored to participate in Greentopia's Dinner On the Bridge fundraising gala by donating my Lavender Farm In Italy painting (above) to the silent auction.  Over 275 friends, supporters, and leaders converge on the 100-foot high Pont-de-Rennes bridge in Rochester’s High Falls to participate in this truly unique event.  Greentopia is Rochester's premiere organization moving the city, its citizens and the region towards a more sustainable, resilient future. Greentopia's three primary projects include: The GardenAerial at High Falls – a capital project to build greenway infrastructure, trails and amenities around the rim of the gorge at High Falls; Green Visions: Growing Healthy Futures – a workforce development/phytoremediation flower-growing business in the JOSANA neighborhood of Rochester; and the High Falls EcoDistrict; the creation of New York State's FIRST EcoDistrict – a planning and organizational framework to achieve ambitious environmental goals in the neighborhoods surrounding the High Falls Gorge. 

The High Falls are one of three voluminous waterfalls on the Genesee River, that flow through the city of Rochester in New York. The High Falls are located about 2 miles upstream from the lower falls and act as their source. The High Falls area was the site of much of Rochester's early industrial development, where industry was powered by falling water. Browns race diverts water from above the falls and was used to feed various flour mills and industries, today the water is used to produce hydroelectric power.

The High Falls may be viewed from the Pont De Rennes bridge, a pedestrian bridge that spans the Genesee River a few hundred feet from the base of the falls.

The High Falls was the site of the final jump of "The Yankee Leaper" Sam Patch who died after jumping off of the High Falls in 1829 (from Wikipedia)

Tommy Brunett is a singer/songwriter and showman based out of Upstate NY. He's a craftsman and songsmith mixing old-school country, great story telling and rock and roll. He glides and stomps through his now legendary live performances with true sideshow-carny expertise and is known for his good ol' honest approach to everything he touches.

Tommy's television credits include: The Today Show and Conan O'Brien and he's warmed up the ol' floor boards for such acts as ZZ Top, Kellie Pickler, Charlie Daniels, The Lumineers, Marshall Tucker Band, Shooter Jennings, Courtyard Hounds, Old 97's, Ted Nugent, Cracker and more. Little known fact... he was also the touring guitar player for 80's hit slingers Modern English from the U.K. back in his hired gun days.

Oh yeah and he's got his own brand o' booze with some other fine folks called, Iron Smoke Whiskey. It's apple wood smoked and tasty as all get out!

If you like Johnny Cash, Tom Petty, Social Distortion or Evil Knievel, you'll be eating Brunett up with two giant spoons and his live shows with the Tommy Brunett Band are guaranteed to make your socks roll up and down.

http://www.tommybrunett.com/

For more information or custom order, please visit:

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Purple To Cure Pancreatic Cancer

Join me in supporting the

Pancreatic Cancer Association of Western New York

at the

Indoor 5K and Family Fun Day

Saturday November 21, 2015 at RIT Gordon Field House

12 noon - Registration Opens / 1:30-4:00 pm - Walk and Activities

Bring the whole family for an afternoon of fun while creating hope in the fight against pancreatic cancer.

SNEAK PEEK!

-Meet Scott Spezzano (98.9 The Buzz) and Nikki Rudd (News10NBC) - our Emcees for the event!

-University of Rochester's all male acapella group the Yellowjackets will perform

-Children's activities like a huge bounce house

-Character (princesses, batman, sports mascots)

-Food and Beverages

-Shop Purple where you can pick up some purple mementos and support our cause, which will include my original piece:

Lavender Field, 2015 

Acrylic on Canvas

8" x 10" (20.3 cm x 20.3 cm)

© copyright Mike Kraus 

To view, please visit: https://www.etsy.com/listing/255409253/field-of-lavender-original-digital

For more information and advanced registration, please visit:

http://www.pcawny.org/index.php/news-events/step-it-up-5k-walk

Don't Forget the Outrun the Sun Race Against Melanoma!

The Outrun the Sun Race Against Melanoma is the largest evening event of its kind in America benefiting skin cancer education and melanoma research. The evening start time helps keep participants out of the sun's harsh daytime rays! The event includes a melanoma heroes recognition program, live music, refreshments, educational information booths, a Kids' Zone and more. This event engages people of all ages to run or walk for an important cause.

Rochester, NY

August 2

Webster Park

REGISTER NOW AT: http://rmag2013.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1059521

New Digs

Here's "Call Me Maebe," a newborn horse at Lollypop Farm.  She was less than 24 hours old when this was taken.  What a great event to have around the office!


Speaking of events, here's the new wall that went up in the lobby to protect visitors, staff, and volunteers from the construction.


ATTENTION!  New cat sanctuary being built behind this wall!!!


It's been a long time since this office was this spotless.  Our old workspace will be a good space for others in the near future.


Goodbye old friend!


Hello new friend.  Here's my new workspace.  Still waiting for some new supplies to come in and complete the space.  But, it's shaping up and it's very exciting to see some of this renovation and expansion at Lollypop Farm come to completion!
That's all going on right now.  Been very, very busy lately with all kinds of projects.  So, it will be nice to watch some Modern Family (and possibly Lincoln) tonight.  Adios!

Lollypop Farm Telethon 2013 Today!

Join us as we celebrate our 17th year of Lollypop Farm’s Telethon, our largest fundraising event for homeless and abused animals in our community. This annual animal extravaganza will be broadcast live from Eastview Mall on 13 WHAM-TV, Rochester's CW, and 13wham.com from 3:00 to 9:00 p.m.. - See more at: http://www.lollypop.org/site/c.clKUI9OQIoJcH/b.8484615/k.352D/Telethon_2013.htm#sthash.RlryD2Lq.dpuf

The six-hour broadcast will showcase the diverse and meaningful work Lollypop Farm performs each and every day. Celebrate our far-reaching community programs, successful adoptions and hear stories of some of the special animals that have touched our lives.

Your support is critical! All funds raised help Lollypop Farm care for homeless and abused pets and continue to bring valuable services—including humane education, cruelty investigations, and much more—to the Rochester community.

Make a difference in the lives of homeless animals with your Telethon donation. Remember—every dollar raised stays in the Rochester community and helps change a pet's life for the better. See how your donation is put to work:

$25 = Spay/Neuter one animal
$50 = Purchases surgical instrument trays
$100 = Purchases animal capture gloves
$200 = Purchases a veterinary heating pad
$500 = Allows for surgical and rehabilitation of one animal cruelty victim

- See more at: http://www.lollypop.org/site/c.clKUI9OQIoJcH/b.8484615/k.352D/Telethon_2013.htm#sthash.RlryD2Lq.dpuf

Wii Love Birthdays!

THANKS TO MY WIFE it is 1988 again and I have the original Nintendo!  So, when she had to go to Ithaca for a conference that weekend, I had to perfect Mario Kart, Goldeneye, Sports, and MLB2011.  Megan must either really love me or really hate herself because she knows I get addicted to beating these games.



Then again, maybe it's her Mario Kart addiction I should be worried about...



Birthday dinner at Dinosaur BBQ!  THANKS TO ALL MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY FOR EVERYTHING!  YOU ARE AWESOME AND I'M LUCKY TO KNOW YOU!



Sarah (Lee) the cat.  You should adopt her because she's super easygoing






Petey's first bath.  You could hear him wimper a mile away.









Our friend Amanda volunteers with Junior League and they had their holiday sale at the Dome Arena in Henrietta.  I've never been to this place, but I want to know a lot more about it. There has to be a wikipedia page about it or something.  Maybe we should live here instead of getting some suburban single family home...



Not only was there a holiday sale, but an RV show!  Ok, if the owners of the Dome Arena won't sell to us, we'll get an RV instead.  


That's about it.  I'm hungry.  

A Night of the Unexpected!!!

Le B.A.R.C. (Bohemian Arts Revival Cabaret), Lollypop Farm, the Humane Society of Greater Rochester's fundraising gala.  It was amazing!  Sword swallowing, baudy women, contortionists and so much more.  


  
The entrance.  If only I had a pic of the guest as they walked in.  I think we really lived up to the motto of "a night of the unexpected."









before opening



So red!



I wish I had more time to fiddle with my camera to take better pictures of the evening.  Sorry...



Here I am with Joanna, who's all over the news today for our rescue of eleven more horses from Riga, New York



VIP cocktail event before Le BARC in the main lobby of the Memorial Art Gallery



Juggling.



All the lights in the chandelier.  Details in everything.  It was like going to the theater for a show and ending up on stage






Aerialist on those ribbon things on the boulevard






Contortionist! 



Escape artist with baudy woman!






People actually had to leave the room when he dislocated his shoulder to get out of the straight jacket.  



The whole time this was going on I was thinking "oh no, what is she going to do to our donor?"  It only got worse when the whip came out.



Making final adjustment to the rose before she whips the bud off



Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves.



I forget what was going on here.  I'm thinking magic.



Sword swallowing!






The live auction by Pam Sherman, the Suburban Outlaw.  



Norma and Andrea Holland.  Norma is a local news anchor and Andrea is a comedian/video producer.  They were hilarious and I guess they got their outfits from a theater in Chicago.  Norma and I also share a love of coffee. 


  
Here's where the real work gets done.  Checking out all the auction items and everything else at the end of the night.



This is what was happening outside the window during check-out.  At the end of the night, people were already asking "how are you going to top this?"  Good question...



All good things must come to an end and here are some of the guys lugging out the trees...


It was a great night.  Thanks to all of our guests, sponsors, volunteers, artists, staff, and anyone else that made this such a wonderful night.  



The Lilac Festival in Highland Park.  It has seriously rained in Rochester for about a month and a half straight.  It's rained so much that they had to cancel several days of the Lilac Festival, which is about 10 days long.  We finally made it out on the last day and it even rained then...



Megan and I went back to the scene of the crime for the first time.  This is the sunken garden at Warner Castle in Highland Park, which is maintained by the Rochester Civic Garden Center.  This is wear we took our wedding photos almost a year ago.



The art fair portion of the Lilac Festival



handsome carriage



Tomorrow afternoon, I will be saying "I knew her when..."  This is Minnie and she's going to be Lollypop Farm's "Pet of the Week," which means she'll be on TV tomorrow and on all sorts of things.  She's 15-24 lbs (depending on your source of information and easy going, friendly, loves dogs, and food.  And, I like her too much to keep her in our office any longer.  Hopefully, she'll get a forever home tomorrow!



Ok, Minnie is done with the photo op.  Whoever gets her will be very lucky!