Shadow Shot Sunday - Melting Gnomes

Well, not exactly melting, but facing apart anyway. As the season of Winter is beginning its fading away this year (yay), the sun gets shorter as do the shadows. So for this week's edition of Shadow Shot Sunday 2, I am using a photo taken by the always lovely Patti a few years ago of her gnomes in Winter They seem to be cracking and breaking apart but are as winsome as ever, and their shadows in better shape...

Friday Hunt, 2016-09

It is time again for Teresa's fun meme Friday Hunt. In this week's edition, the three subjects this week are: Starts with 'I', Weeks's Favorite and Something Blue. I can happily comply :)

Starts with 'I'

In our small city of Ansonia, the mayor authorized the purchase of a portable ice rink that's placed on Nolan Field, the football home of the Ansonia H.S. Chargers - in football season that is. With no refrigeration, the cold weather would keep the ice ready - but not that much in this warm-ish winter, and Public Works has disassembled it for the season. However, it was open and we see a mom showing her little one the way to keep steady on skates, and two students who skate competitively, the 15 year old on our right already having won a championship at Lake Placid...

Week's Favorite

At the Ansonia Ice Skating Rink, an enterprising person thought that in our urban enclave, a place to solicit donations of ice skates for those who would like to try skating. A noble idea, and happily, there was a donation!

Something Blue

An morning sky over the 1889 Sterling Opera House in neighboring Derby. It is really something blue, a nice winter sky with the moon still peering at us. Winter often is cold but the seasonal skies are always very attractive. As always, thanks Teresa for this cool meme!

Ruby Tuesday Too - Plumb Memorial Library

It is time for a post to the colorful meme Ruby Tuesday Too. And for me, the Plumb Memorial Library in nearby Shelton, Ct. I love the hints of red in its brick facade and tile roof in this 1894 gem. 

Don't be fooled by the foliage, it is not Spring yet - this shot was taken last September on a beautiful day. Happy RT Too!

Shadow Shot Sunday - Happy Birthday, Michele

Baby Michele with Grandpa, Atlantic City, NJ

Omaha, Nebraska in 1964

St Paul Minnesota, 1959. Note Grandpa's personalized Ohio plates on 1955 Dodge

It is time for this week's version of Shadow Shot Sunday 2, and, coincidentally, the birthday of big sister Michele. So I am back to the archives for shadowy B&W pics of a great kid - and sibling too! Happy SSS2 too...

Friday Hunt, 2016-08

We are back to Teresa's fun photo meme Friday Hunt. For this week, the themes: Starts with 'H', Week's Favorite and Family

• Starts with H: How about Horse? These equines were seen in 2014 at Locket’s Meadow Farm in Bethany, Connecticut. This farm offers a refuge for formerly neglected and abused horses, and these were gentle giants. Yes, this one is happily taking a gift of turf grass from the little girl

• Week's Favorite: The always lovely Patti prepared a Valentine’s Day treat, homemade donuts! There is a difference in these pastries between the usual donut shop and these fabulous examples of fried dough, and what donut seller presents their holiday wares this nicely
  

• Family: I offer an oft used picture of our family on the first day of school 1996. Our daughter about to begin third grade, our son first grade, both at Mead School in Ansonia. We are at the bus stop, doting parents and our then cute (and now grown) kids…

Watery Songlines - Fresh Water in the Winter

Despite living in our four-season climate in Southern New England, I am not much of a fan of Winter - but merely for the cold. Much of the season, though, offered beauty, and not just snow. So for Watery Songlines, I take a look in January at the Lieutenant River in Old Lyme CT. The patchwork of blue on the sky reflects well on the surface. Yes it's cold - but beautiful...

Worded Wednesday - The elusive cardinal

Not all birds wing south for the Winter, especially this cardinal. Our daughter caught this fellow through a window with a simple point-and-shoot camera. Nice catch, beautiful bird...see NC Sue for more!

Friday Hunt 2016-7

I am back for Teresa's fun meme, Friday’s Hunt  For this week, the three themes are (1) Starts with G,  (2) Week's Favorite, and (3) In my kitchen. Here we go:

1. Starts with G: This is Grilling on our patio. Not in the season of Winter to be sure :) It is pork, marinated in lime juice, chilis and crushed red pepper. The limes for marinating and Portuguese bread completed this charcoal fueled meal...

2. Week's Favorite: This was taken on Tuesday at Witek Park in Derby Connecticut, a two mile jaunt from home. It is a pretty tranquil sight, but certainly as cold as it looks!

3. In my kitchen: From a few years ago, it is myself making Lemon Chicken, the browned chicken having been removed and the sauce beginning. One can only make this with fresh lemons - never reconstituted juice. Ever! These are all great hunt items, look forward to next week's list...

Wordless Wednesday - Snowy Sunset

Last Friday it snowed, but the snow ended and the sun arrived just before sunset. And the bold sunset added a remarkable set of shadows to the mulberry tree in our front yard. I am not a fan of winter but this is a stylish look at the season...See NC Sue for more WW

Independent Living vs The State of Connecticut

I have to advocate for the Centers for Independent Living (CILs) in CT. Gov. Malloy proposes cutting all funding for the 5 in the state. With mu disability, they have helped me to be a better advocate for myself which has allowed me the opportunity to start a business of my own.

I have been assisted immeasurably by the CIL I have been involved with, The Center for Disability Rights in pst Haven CT. Not just a member, but a one-time board member (President) and employee (MFP Transition Advocate, 2008-2012). 

The Democratic Party in the State of Connecticut has been so wasteful that already minimal state funding of the CIL's is to be cut in its entirety so that layoffs at each of the five centers. Anyone familiar with the normal wasteful spending of the usual 'social services' agencies in CT (DSS, BRS, etc), whose deliverables are much less per capita than the chronically underfunded and ignored non-crofts.

I agree that there is a spending problem in this state, but killing all funding here is not the answer - ending the such practices as allowing the padding of pensions by state employe union members with overtime prior to their retirements. Not that SEBAC and the party dominating the legislature in Hartford would ever consider that. CILs provided services FAR  are handled more FAR more efficiently than the usual state agencies (DSS, etc) ever did...

SOOC - Snowy Friday

This week's post for Straight Out of the Camera-SOOC was taken yesterday during the snowstorm yesterday. This burst of snow was taken mid-morning out the living room window by Patti; the snow total when it ended in the early afternoon was 9in / 23cm. Snow is pretty to look at if not to travel in...

Shadow Shot Sunday - Snowy Aftermath

It is Winter in the Southern New England, and snow is always a possibility. For Shadow Shot Sunday 2, I look at our latest snowfall the morning after, and of course the sunny aftermath leads to shadows. With my new droid phone, I took each, the one on the left on Jan. 23, the one on the right this morning. There are shadows, and perhaps you can see the difference in snow quality - two weeks ago it was a light and fluffy quality that left a smooth and unbroken carpet out the back door. Yesterday's was of a heavy snow with a high water content - it stuck to the branches and fell heavily onto the patio, having an crater-like look. Either way, the phone takes okay pice, there is a differing quality of snow and shadows abound. A trifecta for any SSS!

Friday Hunt 2016-6

I am back for Teresa's fun meme Friday Hunt. I like the eclectc themes, and today I am looking at archived and current pics to meet the theme. So here it is: 

Starts with F: For me, this goes to my second wheelchair driver vehicle, a 1998 Ford E-150 Club Wagon. I took delivery on May 28, 1998 and donated it to a non-profit in May 2010 with over 158,000 miles (and would have easily run another 100,000, but I needed an upgrade to a more manageable van). It was a beast and ate plenty of gasoline, but what price independence? I took many a pic of this over the years and present them today!

Week’s Favorite: Patti captured today on today’s snowy afternoon. As a wheelchair user, the cold of snow and winer keeps me indoor on days like this. Yet, the birds do offer a reminder that the warmth of Spring is not really all that far away so no more complaining is allowed! The structure in the back is not a barn - just a suburban storage shed with a gambrel roof…

Negative Space: Forgetting the snow, I don’t know if this shot of the moon basking in clouds over our home is a look into the abyss - but I’ll take it as a metaphor into the emptiness of space. Or something like that…it was an interesting shot taken on last November 25. Thanks again Teresa!

Wordless Wednesdays - Aglow

Just a basic and austere Congregational church dots many New England town greens. The Puritans preferred bland to colorful. This church in Shelton CT does allow for a bit of color as the sunset filters through stained glass upstairs. Thus we see a hint of warmth in this winter view...See more WW at NC Sue

Ruby Tuesday Too - Ruby Barn and Homestead

For this installment of Ruby Tuesday Too, our favorite color is on the object to our right periphery to find the classic barn. This is the home of the Shelton History Center (CT), the Brownson House built in 1822 and was moved to its present location in 1971. Our ruby is the Wilson Barn, built in 1860, the only building sitting where it was originally. What you don't see are the period artifacts inside the barn in a permanent exhibit inside. A nice mid-winter look at days past...