Shadow Shot Sunday - Guest Post by Patti!

Hi Shadow Shot Sunday 2 Folks,

Patti here guest-posting on my husband Ralph’s blog.

I lost my personal blog, Late Bloomer Boomer, and have not re-started it. I do have The Valley Voice, which I update daily with a variety of items, and I would love for you to check it out.

I took this photo at the Christmas tree lighting in downtown Ansonia, Ct. and thought it would go well for Shadow Shot Sunday - the reason for the season!

Happy shadow seeking and all good wishes for a Merry Christmas!

Wordless Wednesday - All I want for Christmas...

Would a smallish Maine Coon do? Our late feline Sir Humphrey of Upland was indeed a gift from heaven! See WW and WW

Whimsical Windows - Welcome for the Holidays

Toby most graciously hosts the architectural meme Whimsical Windows/Delirious Doors, and in this season of holidays, I showcase such a holiday venue, a relative's home in Connecticut.

This nice house belongs to a relative where had last year's  family Christmas Eve Yankee Swap, a place where my siblings and their generational offspring meet every year.

It is a nice house, understated in decoration. The entrance is what we notice, but what is it? Check the ramps leading up to the front door - my wheelchair is equally welcome here, a 5-ft ramp to the porch, a 3-ft ramp over the threshold. A grand entrance for me is the welcome from a great extended family!

Shadow Shot Sunday - Presents and presence

Shadow Shot Sunday 2 and holidays go together well. And for the upcoming Christmas, I am reprising these re-edited views of 1994 on Christmas Day, with a shadow or two, of our (then little) children. With presents opened and unopened, the magic of the day for both is apparent :)

Wordless Wednesday - Merry...

Christmas is so often for the children - we are happy at their joy at receiving,  and even happier by our giving. This is from Christmas morning 1993, kids then aged 3 and 5. Joyful we all were, and in this season - still are...see WW and WW

Whimsical Windows - Upward perspectives

I aim skyward for Toby's meme Whimsical Windows/Delirious Doors, and the subject is a wheelchair height is the ubiquitous congregational in the center of a New England town, this being in urban East Hartford CT on a warmer (than now) day. Under a splash of sun, it appears almost as a skyscraper. I know it isn't, but being seated so low, things appear to climb on and up. Unusal perspectives combined with an active immagination can be a fun thing, at least if you are me :)

Shadow Shot Sunday - Thankful, on more than one day

Shadow Shot Sunday 2 occurs two days after the US Thanksgiving Day holiday, where we are  thankful for all our blessings. Thanks are given all year, of course, for a great family...and shadows too :)

Wordless Wednesday - Thankful for their growing...

Always thankful for our kids - (L) first day of school, kindergarten and second grade; (R), the high schoolers reprising their classic steps nine years earlier...see WW and WW

First day of school, 30 August 1995

Nine years later...much bigger!

Whimsical Windows - Cute Cousins

We are all fans of windows, doors and cute kids. So, for this installment of Toby's Whimsical Windows/Delirious Doors,  I revert all the way back to 1995/96 and peripheral views of suburban window styles behind cute smiling cousins. Thus the smiles are the gateway to non-descript windows on houses and garage doors. Perhaps this stretches the definition of windows...but not whimsical :)

Shadow Shot Sunday - Shadowy Summer 1999

As Shadow Shot Sunday 2 arrives at a change of season to folder days, I offer a shadowy look back to a family vacation in the Summer of 1999 to touristy venues in Groton Connecticut. These memories were from at the USS Nautilus Museum at the US Navy Sub Base. Our daughter (then age 10) and son (age 8) are standing alongside the prop/screw of the first nuclear submarine, the decommissioned USS Nautilus on a nice day...

Wordless Wednesday - Remembering

Last Tuesday was Veterans Day (US) and Remembrance Day. In our small town of Ansonia CT,  it was commenerated with speech, essay and song. Afterwards, the wreath silenced the mighty monuments as we reflect on service and loss...see WW and WW

Shadow Shot Sunday - Vineyard Views

For Shadow Shot Sunday 2, I look wistfully at autumnal views of sun and at least warm looking days as Winter approaches. Not that is has been as cold as it is in the US Midwest, but I just know it will be cold and snowy at some point, so memories (and fleece) will have to do! This is on the driveway to the Savino Vineyards, a mere two miles from our home in Woodbridge. Stone walls, vines about to shed their leaves, foliage and shadows offer a bucolic view of a lovely place on a beautiful day... 

Wordless Wednesday - Friendly feline neighbor

The sunny day starts with a visit of neighbor cat Libby, a fluffy and friendly feline who accedes to having her picture taken. She got her name for when she was rescued her head was stuck in a Libby's can (green beans or peaches?). Given a nice home now, she looks content...see WW and WW

Whimsical Windows - Retro Gallery

For Toby's meme Whimsical Windows/Delirious Doors I am traveling back a couple of days to a reception at a new gallery in a cool old factory in a nearby town.

Owner and artist (in so many disciplines :) opened Studio E.Y.E. (Express Yourself Endlessly).

This old facility has the requisite windows to let lots of natural light in to this stylish gallery, workshop and classroom to those in the pursuit and learning of making metallic art...not to mention paint parties. A very cool place!

Shadow Shot Sunday - Mechanical

Shadow Shot Sunday 2 is back, and shadows can be art by themselves. And the mechanics of making art can make shadows too. Yesterday, we attended a reception for a new gallery in a cool old factory in nearby Beacon Falls CT.

Known as Studio E.Y.E. (Express Yourself Endlessly), there were more than a few shadows emanating from the metalworking tools of the trade of artist and owner Robert Dancik  He works all sorts of metals into jewelry and offers art classes as he describes "to learn, play and express your creativity"

Most wouldn't look at presses, shears, grinders, hammers and anvils as stylish, nor this old factory studio. I do, and this workspace is full of shadows too. The creativity of artists can never be underestimated :)

Ruby Tuesday Too - Canyon Crossing

For this installment of Ruby Tuesday Too, I go back to a recent visit to see our software developer son who lives in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, and it was a nice visit it was. 

On the way home, always lovely passenger Patti captured this ruby view with her phone - we were traversing north on the I-278 BQE, and I thing the setting sun to our left added to the red, the church and building above complete the ruby trifecta today...

Whimsical Windows - Gotham skyline

I have two more pictures from our foray to visit our son last week in Brooklyn NY for Toby's meme Whimsical Windows/Delirious Doors. 'Here' is heading south on the I-278 Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) before entering Kings County. It looks like a dilapidated industrial area as we peer over or through the cast iron guardrails. Looking toward Manhattan, on top we see old and modern buildings and a view of the famous 59th Street/Quensboro/Ed Koch Bridge (bridge name changes happen a lot in NYC), the bottom pic a look at the older styles of the city, old industrial and financial, Again, thanks to Patti for capturing this mere essence of a great city...

Shadow Shot Sunday - Suspension Shadows

Last week we visited our software developer son in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, and as we traversed the crowded expressways and crossings of our travels. So for this week's Shadow Shot Sunday 2, I requested that the lovely passenger Patti take pics of a subject I really like, the majestic and massive Bronx-Whitestone Bridge, crossing the East River to Queens. Opened in 1939, the towers rise to a height of 377 ft (115 M) above the water, which gives it a soaring appearance. Subtle shadows abound, primarily along the barrier to the right, the light stanchions and from the vehicles of many aggressive NYC drivers. That's why Patti takes the pictures as I navigate the byways :)

Wordless Wednesday - Hovering

A gull appears to float on the thermal currents. This is a photo that was taken in March, 1986, and the print has held up well over the decades. It seems that no effort at all is being made by the bird floats over New Haven (CT) Harbor. Not too much action from the other four either...see WW and WW

Whimsical Windows - Spectacular Skyline along the BQE

Toby most graciously hosts the architectural meme Whimsical Windows/Delirious Doors. We visited our son in New York's Kings County yesterday, and the software developer scion really likes urban living in the borough of Brooklyn. After lunch, we headed back to CT, and passenger Patti used her phone to capture this view of Manhattan and the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, This was taken from a northbound lane of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. The soft pastel sunset falls gracefully over the skyline of the city, a soft look that mutes the mighty city...

Wordless Wednesday - Family 5K

We are at last Saturday’s 6th Annual 5K Walk/Run to for the Center for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital. Survivor spouse Patti’s team included an adorable family ready for walk to begin...see WW and WW

Ruby Tuesday Too - Weedy autumnal foliage

Red is one of the predominately Fall colors that indicate that colder days are soon to be upon us with leafless trees to look upon. So for Ruby Tuesday Too, we look at our side yard and see fiery red leaves - not on a grand maple or oak tree, but some weedy tree providing seriously ruby red leaves. Generally, I would like these weeds cleared out, but will be happy to wait until Spring...

Whimsical Windows - Seymour goes pink

The color pink is in the air in Seymour Connecticut, and their downtown windows contain plenty of that pastel and make a fine subject for Toby's meme Whimsical Windows/Delirious Doors. The color was showcased on Wednesday as small town Seymour celebrated the annual Pink Day. Seymour Pink was founded in 2009 as a fundraising effort in fighting against breast cancer. And on a personal note, the organization has been a tremendous help to Patti during and after she was dealing with it herself in 2011. Pink is a great color, the windows not so much delirious as delightful!

Shadow Shot Sunday - Trestle

For Shadow Shot Sunday 2 we are looking at an old train trestle that spans the Housatonic River between the old downtowns of Derby and Shelton CCT. The lovely Patti (who is taller than me :) captured this iron bridge on an August day from the footbridge along the Derby Greenway. The trains rarely cross these days, so its usefulness is better as classical industrial design that allows for shadowy art... 

Alcam Writing & Admin LLC - now live

Our Alcam LLC finally has a website, and the 'home' page looks like this screen shot

It's not we expect a windfall from the mere presence a web site that needs to be promoted, but really a concession that should we want business, we have to do the promoting of our Alcam LLC ourselves.

Side jobs for writing, editing/layout, administrative and photo scanning (and not limited to just those) are appreciated, and like any business - we are repeatedly one customer short. All the time...

The site looks fine says I, with an obvious bias. So - please take a look and let us know what you think!

http://www.alcamwritingllc.com/