Wordless Wednesday - Seagull at Rest

Seagulls in the suburban shopping enclaves we frequently see them, seem to be obnoxious. However, closer to their watery their natural environment by the sea, they seem more elegant and more refined. This one sits on a pier on the Clinton CT harbor and looks really disarming...see WW

Shadow Shot Sunday - Shadowy Route

It's Shadow Shot Sunday 2 time again. Last Sunday, we participated at the  CDR Wheel-a-Thon. This was a walk/roll benefit event for a cross-disability center for independent living. Held along Long Island Sound in West Haven CT, the day started cloudy, but in less than an hour, the southerly autumnal sun shone bright and warm (77°F / 25°C). Perfect day and route for shadows of course...taken by the always lovely Patti, one being Allegra walking past a spilled water bottle and goldenrod lining part of the route. Nice event, day and shadows. A nice trifecta :)

Wordless Wednesday - Wheel-a-Thon 2015

Yesterday was the Wheel-a-Thon to benefit the cross disability non-profit Center for Disability Rights in West Haven, CT. While it looks like I was leading, I was actually catching up to my team, Daughter Allegra poses and the Long Island Sound murk gave way to sunny skies...see WW

Shadow Shot Sunday - Shadowy Savin Rock

We aim to find shadowy art in our travels for Shadow Shot Sunday 2, ant any event or venue. So this is the room where dinner would be served at a recent event. The building is the attractive Savin Rock Conference Center, the shadows are filtering in nicely and on a nice day, Long Island Sound saltwater estuary looks as blue as ever. Thus the alliterative mix of Sound, sun, surf and shadow makes for a fun evening...  

Shadow Shot Sunday - Escape from Ansonia

Shadow Shot Sunday 2 takes me back to a recent function on Long Island Sound. Lovely Allegra was captured by personable photographer Patti who thought this scene similar to Dorothy telling Toto that we’re not in Kansas Ansonia anymore...

This is a great sentiment on a beautiful Summer evening on the salt water tidal estuary in Wast Haven. As well as shadows that are following my favorite ladies above the seawall. Blue sky, fluffy clouds and happy shadows are all here in our 20 minute escape from our home in the Ansonia Uplands...

Watery Songlines - Gazebo

This my first foray into the meme Watery Songlines. Being inland a mere 20 minutes from the nearest saltwater, that being Long Island Sound. This tidal estuary is 110 m/177 km long and stretches from New York City to Block Island, RI. It is generally quiet with small to no waves in the best weather. On a sunny day, it is as blues as it can be, and lovely. Here is the gazebo above a sea wall in West Haven, CT. A nice view, and meme, to be drawn to!

Wordless Wednesday - Seagull Scanning the Sound

The seagull sits on the roof, getting a commanding view his fellow gulls on the beach can only dream of...see WW and WW

Shadow Shot Sunday - Shadowy Shoreline, Slight and Strong

Shadow Shot Sunday 2 returns me to about four hours ago to an involving wheelchairs and walkers event on the shoreline of Long Island Sound in West Haven CT. Naturally any event under a faint soon-to-be autumn sun involves shadows. And a couple were captured, the top being slight (the fences above the seawall) and strong (under the canopy of trees). Seasonal shadowy effects should be captured without hesitation - I know the rules :)

Whimsical Windows - Saybrook Breakwater Light

It is again time for Toby's fun architectural meme Whimsical Windows/Delirious Doors, and perhaps our subjects may be of much grandeur. Or a little - which this is. It is Connecticut's Saybrook breakwater light, sitting at the confluence of the Connecticut River and Long Island Sound and was opened in 1866 and is privately held today. I think we often look at lighthouses as being bigger and mightier, such as the famous Chatham Lighthouse on Cape Cod. However, any beacon of light that keeps ships in the channel and off the rocks is mighty indeed...

Shadow Shot Sunday - Sound shadows for a cause

The wheelchairs await riders as the storm clouds over Long Island Sound dissipate. Photo by Patti

About 30 minutes later, Allegra and my sister Michele admiring the now beautiful morn. By Patti

Shadow Shot Sunday 2 is back, and shadowy last Sunday shots are featured today. Here is along the beach in West Haven CT at the Wheel-a-Thon for a disability rights non-profit, a non-competitive, awareness raising walk and/or wheelchair roll to raise college scholarships. Fun was had by all on all teams including ours in our team's pink shirts from last year's Griffin Hospital walk for Patti. Shadows were all over beautiful morning by Long Island Sound. Fun, awareness style and shadow work well together...

Shadow Shot Sunday - Shade tree awaiting

Shadow Shot Sunday 2 arrives in the Spring up north...although today was a raw and rainy Friday in Connecticut, it is sometimes nice in early april. Like here at the beachfront in nearby West Haven. The few trees near the waters of Long Island Sound seem absolutely ready for foliage to begin in earnest, and that should be soon. The forsythia in our yard is starting to open its yellow buds, so likewise, the few shore trees will be alive soon. As cool as it is now, a shade tree in the Summer heat will be seen as a treat to us non sun-worshiping types...

Shadow Shot Sunday - Pre Sandy Shoreline

Shadow Shot Sunday is back after the super storm Sandy wreaked its way onto the northeast earlier this week. 

As we live about 8 miles inland (13 km) from Long island Sound, we never lost electricity and damage in this area was minimal, although New Jersey, Long Island, New York City and much of the Connecticut shore are devastated - the thing about water is its beauty when calm yet ugly in its fury during a storm...





I chose early autumn pictures of the water in West Haven CT on a beautiful day - as a contrast to this week's destruction. The day was beautiful, the water calm and sky blue.

The first video shows erosion of the beach but not as much as other parts of the shore and at about 2:57 (at the 12:00 position), the gazebo may still be there as it sits above a sea wall. We cannot understate the force of this massive tidal surge - but can marvel at it on a nice day..

Shadow Shot Sunday - Safe Harbor

A breakwater and pier on the harbor in West Haven Connecticut 

Shadow Shot Sunday 2 is back for the week. Today is a view of two souls that explore the breakwater jetty on New Haven Harbor. The scene is as detailed as the value priced point-and-shoot can allow. However, the subtle and shadowy reflections of the pair are defined well from afar on this early morning time by the West Haven beach. Quiet in style with nary a wave and the morning mist lifting away from the surface - it is relaxing in both look and feel...see a world of shadowy style at SSS2!

Tina's Pic Story - From above

United Airlines 777 over the coastline between Groton and New London, Connecticut

Tina's Pic Story is always fun - we search for the weekly meme theme which she provides. This week it is 'from above'...it is another view from daughter Allegra who one day was arriving on a plane bound for JFK airport in New York City. Since that airport is very busy, often times the planes are in a holding pattern; this view is over Groton Connecticut and the Long Island Sound (about 80 miles/129 km east of JFK). The view from her 777 aircraft qualifies as being above it all (I think :)...see Tina's fun meme!