Wordless Wednesday - Hints of Spring

Well, Spring is here in fact...but it was chilly yesterday, so it didn't feel like Spring. However, the sunny yellow buds on the forsythia give us the hope of sunny and/or warm days...see NC Sue for more!

SOOC - The Way of the Cross

Straight out of the Camera - SOOC is here during the Easter weekend. Yesterday, Patti took part in the Way of the Cross, a yearly tradition in our small city of Ansonia. There were seven stations along the way that culminated in a prayerful end in front of the Ansonia Armory. The day was gray that matched the mood of the marchers on this somber day...

Shadow Shot Sunday - Easter 1947

It is the day before easter 2016 for this week's edition of Shadow Shot Sunday 2. I am reverting back seven decades to pics I have used before, but am fond of these due to their shadowy views on Easter Sunday 1947. Everybody got dressed up for the holiday, so my father looks resplendent in his suit as he leans against Grandpa's Dodge and stands in the driveway. The leafless shadows along Oregon Avenue look as sharp as dapper Dad...

Friday Hunt, 2016-13

It is time again for Friday Hunt, and Teresa has given us this week’s clues. I went back to the past for two of the three clues, and happily I captured the memories.

Starts with ‘M'. I went back into my photo archives, and I found two…This is a profile of Mount Monadnock in Jaffrey New Hampshire. It was in my walking days, although I was not able to reach the rocky summit at 3165 ft / 965 M. It was autumn so no snow yet…another ‘M’ is my old friend Michael who did make it to the top of the summit in an earlier climb in 1979. More than a few of this week’s letter :)

Week’s Favorite. Just an early spring sunset with bold colors as the sun tried to peek through at the end of a cloudy day…

Wings. This is also an old scanned print from 1984, this being the starboard wing of a United Airlines DC-10, in what was the best flight of my life. Between Los Angeles and Chicago, it was a smooth above the weather. With only 100 or so passengers on this two-aisle plane, there were no bathroom lines and the bar cart was behind bulkhead two (‘Exact change, please’). A wing in flight. Thanks again Teresa!

Watery Songlines - Waiting for Spring

I am back this week for Watery Songlines, in the season of Spring (technically) and although last nights 2 cm snow has melted, it is chilly now, but Wednesday's 65°F / 18°C gives one hope. Here are the brown for winter grasses in the pond at Osbornedale State Park in neighboring Derby. I am imagining green aquatic grasses on the shoreline and green leaves on the trees on a warm day. I can imagine...but the calendar tells me that Spring is about to spring!

Wordless Wednesday - Take Four

Let's just say the written word is mostly wordless here. But not the sung word! This is Take Four, an a cappella singing group in that performed at the recent Irish flag raising in Ansonia (CT). And later, at a restaurant that a corned beef lunch provided by the city. Lots of green and cool tunes on a beautiful day! See NC Sue for more...

Above: Take Four, Ansonia City Hall, March 2016

Below: At Copper City Cafe, March 2016

Shadow Shot Sunday - Raising o' the flag

The Irish flag that is. Shadow Shot Sunday 2 reappears after St. Patrick's Day and the raising of the Irish Flag in Ansonia last week. Here is the Irish Mayor for the Day, 'Doc' Ennis along with Maror Cassetti raising the Irish flag in front of City Hall. Looking on is Father Sullivan (of Irish descent of course:) looking on. Plenty of shadows that appeared under a brilliant blue March sky. A blessed day for all!

May the sun always shine on your windowpane 

          May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain

May the hand of a friend always be near you

           May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you! 

Friday Hunt, 2016-12

Ah, it is Friday at 7:00 PM CDT and it is time again for Teresa's fun meme, Friday Hunt. We are given our hints, and we like to comply. Although the last one took some creativity and looking through many an archive and found something that works. I think :)

Starts with 'L'. I chose this view from New Haven's Lighthouse Point Park, situated on New Haven Harbor which itself flows into Long Island Sound. I trust the letter 'L' is well represented here!

Week's Favorite. This is a male cardinal that was captured through a window as he sits next to the forsythia on our side yard. Perhaps he is looking or seeds or mate as he bounces over the ground. Spring awaits!

Lace. This one was the harder thing to find, however I may have found one that works. Although the tablecloth may be made of faux lace. Since I am not an artist or designer, I say it looks like lace. This was then in early 1989 when our daughter was born and the congrats congregated in our dining room..

SOOC - Irish Dance

I am back this week for the great photo meme Straight out of the Camera - SOOC, and the pictures were taken today. Our small city of Ansonia Connecticut had the raising of he Irish flag. It is held the Saturday before St. Patrick's Day, and the sun was shining as as said in a famous Irish Blessing. One of the treats is the dancers from the Mulkerin School of Irish Dance. The style , grace and precision of the students is wonderful to behold, so I am using two pics of their performance SOOC with nary a crop - the kelly green outfits and their smiles allow for a great entrance to Spring in New England!

I was even able to capture a short video (0:24) with my point and shoot!

Shadow Shot Sunday - Bangles Bathed in Shadow

This is a different sort of post by myself for Shadow Shot Sunday 2, featuring jewelry instead of anything else. While given to little in the way of adornment for myself aside from a wedding band and watch, I appreciate the working the designing and making of jewelry. So Patti wrote a newsletter article featuring Derby jewelry maker Nancy Dreishpoon of their downtown business Sam and Nan. These two photos represent the artistry of Nan and the idea of making jewelry to suit any taste. And shadows emerged too! Style and shadow go hand in hand (or ring finger, or neck or...)

Friday Hunt, 2016-11

I am happily back at Teresa's fun meme, Friday Hunt. This week, the themes are Starts with 'K', Week's Favorite and Flower. These were different, thus I had to think about it somewhat - and after perusing my photo archives, I can play!

Starts with 'K'. What else can that be but Kitty Cat. Our furry feline family member Linus McDonald will do here. He sits, unassumingly, at the front window (L) and back. I assume he is not posing although he does offer his demure kitty cat look in each pic...

Flower. This is where I looked in the archives from the Spring of 1991 and our then two-year old daughter Allegra has watched her mom in action and thought she'd like to try it herself. It is an old print with all its flaws - but the cute kid still tugs at hearts :)

Week's Favorite. This afternoon, the lovely Patti captured this warm-day-in March view looking up at the Ansonia Greenway (located upon the flood control levee alongside the Naugatuck River) where Spring is definitely in the air!

Shadow Shot Sunday - Perspective

It is time for this week's Shadow Shot Sunday 2, and I am using a photo taken by Patti at an event last. A lifelong city resident and WW II veteran, Pasquale Battaglia, was posthumously recognized by U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Ansonia Mayor Dave Cassetti.

The ceremony honored Battaglia, who died in 2015 last year at 99, was in the aldermanic chambers at City Hall. In this photo that jumped at me upon first viewing it, I see a few shadows by the flags up front. For me, though, the gentleman being honored may have been of the past, today the past comes alive and is at the forefront - and the present at this moment is as far away as the distant past is normally.

(Or something like that...) 

Friday Hunt, 2016-10

Every Friday at 19:00 hours CST, we are treated to Teresa's very fun photo meme, Friday Hunt. Here, we are given our subjects to find where we can. I think I have found a unique set of subjects, and I found representatives for each. So, for the week of March 4th we have...

Starts with J

7 January 2011

12 January 2011

27 January 2011. Our driveway from wheelchair height...

Well, January starts with ‘J’, and I am choosing views from January, 2011. With snow, and more of the same. The winter of 2010-2011 began with more than 12 in/30 cm of snow on four occasions: December 26, 2012, January 7 , 12 and 27, 2011. And to make the snowy saga even more interesting, a big-ish ice storm was to occur on Feb. 3, so we spent $275 to have two guys shovel the roof so that the ice would help to collapse the roof. That’s my ‘J’ story :)

Week's Favorite

Pasquale Battaglia remembered, Ansonia City Hall

Connecticut US Senator Blumenthal was at an event in Ansonia last week to preset awards the survivors of WWII veteran Pasquale Battaglia, who died last year at the age of 99.

The life-long Ansonia resident was honored during a ceremony in aldermanic chambers at City Hall. The photo is a beautiful montage of war era photos of Battaglia, a patriot and great guy…there more pics on Page 2 of our new Valley-Voice CT newsletter...

A cuppa…

Well, there are a few cups on this restaurant table. The place is the now closed The Original Antonios in downtown Ansonia. The owners have relocated to anew space about 15 miles away, but here is the obligatory desert view from October, the tiramisu and the bag of donuts - fresh fried dough with cups of caramel, chocolate and raspberry to dip the still warm donuts in. With a cuppa of cappuccino in the background - a perfect cappuccino with only steamed milk and a hint of cinnamon. No whipped cream for me here!