Shadow Shot Sunday - Shadowy Waters

The brilliance of autumn is often in its colors - the foliage is of sharp earth tone hues, the sky and clouds equally dramatic. So for Shadow Shot Sunday 2, I offer a view that Patti captured last week that showcases the season nicely. It is the nearby reservoir at Witek Park in Derby CT, a mere five minute drive from our home. Red, good and blue sit under the blue autumnal sky. I am not certain that all the foliage is still on the trees this week - so it is nice that Patti was there that day!

SOOC - Sunflower Farms

Autumn is a great season of color. So for SOOC - Straight out of the Camera, I am using photos taken today by the always lovely Patti. These were taken at Sunflower Farms, a mere 10 minutes away in often bucolic Orange CT. The temps are falling, the sky is an equally cold gray, so the bold and even fiery colors of Fall are much appreciated as the warm weather wanes until Spring...

SOOC - Memorial on the Green

Straight out of the Camera - SOOC takes us back a month to these pics taken for an article by Patti at a memorial service in Derby Connecticut for those firefighter and other emergency personnel killed in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001. The memorial has an actual piece of steel from the epicenter of the fallen tower, flanked by 'towers' that remind us of the two 110-story buildings felled that fateful day. The steel is a poignant reminder from a bad day...never forget.

Shadow Shot Sunday - Pasta Rustico

In the last post on this blog, I opined about the seeming debacle of the same day cancellation of the 2015 Ansonia Harvest Festival. As chair of the Ansonia Cultural Commission, this was my first event planned exclusively by myself...and with the rain, wing and flying vendor tents, the Mayor Cassetti made the call that it was to be cancelled - now! He is a real leader for sure, and we are refunding all vendors for the lack of a true cancellation or postponement policy.

What does all of the preceding have to do with Shadow Shot Sunday 2? Well, Patti, Allegra and myself decided that a meal of comfort food at the Original Antonios in downtown Ansonia would be a help. And a it was, the Pasta Rustico (cavatelli, sausage, roasted garlic, broccoli rabe, white beans and olive oil) along with a side order of shadows on the floor behind. The day was son forgotten...for 24 hours at least :)

My FB ruminations are here...

Wordless Wednesday - Seymour Pink 5K

It's good to be back to the blog, last week my time was consumed for my running of the Ansonia Harvest Festival only to have to cancel it the day of the event on Saturday and spend today on refunds, etc. On the same day, the always lovely Patti participated with her cancer support group 'Circle of Friends' in the Pounding the Pavement for Seymour Pink 5K...her pictures were better than mine so here they are...see WW

Ruby Tuesday Too - Cool can and candle craft

The always lovely Patti has created a craft that fits nicely for the meme Ruby Tuesday Too - simple and easy and here adds a nice ruby glow to any tabletop. 

Add one small tuna can, lots of spring  loaded clothes pins, a candleholder and a candle. It is not mandatory for the holder to be red - but why not?!

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...

Shadow Shot Sunday - Parade Promotion

I was part of the 2015 Ansonia Memorial Day Parade committee and was able to drive the parade route (at the end), and since the always lovely Patti and I are using our tiny LLC to set up a (paying) website for The Valley Voice, currently a stand-along blog. So our artist friend Rich DiCarlo created a sign for the van with a logo he designed - so we had free advertising for a non-existant publication...have to start somewhere :) How does all this fit for Shadow Shot Sunday2? Plenty of shadows from underneath, around and over the just washed van and the Main Street parade route. Happy shadows indeed!

A slideshow of the parade, from its beginning (herding the various parade marchers into a semblance of order is akin to herding cats) to its Main Street is shown below...full of shadows!

Shadow Shot Sunday - Interstate 91 in Shadow

Seeing as I utilize hand controls for driving (one on the control, one on the steering wheel), taking road pictures while driving my Dodge is never a good idea. So as per usual good practice, the always lovely passenger Patti, handles the photo gathering process. Thus, Shadow Shot Sunday 2 allows me to showcase prosaic and normal road pics as I safely traverse Interstate 91 North in Middletown Connecticut. These were captured in late April, and the shadows falling about inside and outside over the vehicle, road an even the driver. Spring shadows enhanced the day...

Whimsical Windows - Passenger Seat Perspective

When I am driving my Grand Caravan, I do not use my phone, let alone take pictures on a road trip. However, the always lovely Patti does. So for Whimsical Windows/Delirious Doors, I offer a panorama of downtown Hartford Connecticut on Interstate 91 North - from the passenger seat on an early Spring day. Nothing special, just a blue sky and equally blue Connecticut River alongside. It is a prosaic panorama that appears to have jumped into the frame...with lots of windows!

Shadow Shot Sunday - Happy ever after continues

Arriving at the First Baptist Church, Ansonia CT, 10 May 1986

The always lovely Patti

It appears every year around the tenth of May...the anniversary of the day Patti and I wed, May 10, 1986. In views seen and appreciated for decades, we offer these two scenes for Shadow Shot Sunday 2, the bride straight out of the limo about to enter the church. Naturally, I did not take these views being at the altar ready to meet the always lovely Patti. But the legendary photographer of the (now defunct) Evening Sentinel, Ed Cotter, did. Shadows and sentiments are on display here of a wonderful 29 years of bliss... 

Ruby Tuesday Too - Ruby cakes and crêpes

Ruby Tuesday Too allows us to find ruby red subjects anywhere we can. So we look to a story the always lovely Patti wrote last week about a business that is celebrating one year in business, Lighthouse Rum Cakes of Shelton CT. A red awning and the lighted LED OPEN sign (and delicious breakfast crêpe :) will do for today's RT treats!

Ruby Tuesday Too - Watercolor Class

It has been awhile, but I am happy to be back at Ruby Tuesday Too again. This week we showcase the always lovely Patti at a watercolor class taught by our wonderful artist Friend, Rich DiCarlo of the Valley Arts Council based in nearby Derby (CT). At the Derby Public Library, DiCarlo, these art classes are offered them free to young adult patrons. Patti is learning and enjoying the finer points of watercolor artistry...

Shadow Shot Sunday - Face Off

The shadowy world intrudes at many opportune times...can we spot and capture those opportunities? For Shadow Shot Sunday 2, the always lovely Patti captured this, researching for a story she wrote last week, two minor-league hockey players from the Bridgeport Sound Tigers visited a school in neighboring Seymour as a treat for successes in a book reading contest. A worthy reward...

This is a floor hockey faceoff between the players and students – and the sunburst seems to be the dropped 'puck' that the players wielding sticks are frantically competing for. A neat effect of sun, shadow, skill and luck in the gym :)

Whimsical Windows - Milestone

For the architectural meme Whimsical Windows/Delirious Doors, we look at portals and such of interest - in any season. This actually was taken in January of this year, looking unlike the snowy winter we are currently (and unhappily) enduring with snow and biting cold. Here could be a sunny Summer day. This was taken by the always lovely Patti as the Ansonia retailer Spector Furniture celebrating 125 years in business (despite what the website says :). Celebrations can (and should) always include windows and doors!

SOOC - Winter Moon over Derby

Winter is not a favorite season of mine as I am not a fan of the cold. Yet, there is an undeniable beauty of parts of it, such as a fresh white coating of snow and the cold but really blue winter sky. So for Straight out of the Camera - SOOC, I offer a recent pic that Patti took, a daytime moon over the (1889) Sterling Opera House in Neighboring town of Derby CT. Yes it is cold, but a look at space over a local landmark...

Shadow Shot Sunday - Tech overload

Unlike, say, four decades ago, electronic tech tends to overrule every thing else. So for Shadow Shot Sunday 2, a recent look at Patti's home office desk confirms that. At least shadows add a quaint old-fashioned bit of style to the electronic maze we travel these days...

Whimsical Windows - Lighthouse Love

Yes, we look about at portals and other architectural items of interest for Toby's meme Whimsical Windows/Delirious Doors. And often there may be a story (of sorts) behind these openings. Such as here, taken in July 1986, not too long after the marriage of myself and the always lovely Patti. 30 years in 2016, it has been wonderful all along. This is the portal to a lighthouse along the Mystic River in southeast Connecticut at the Mystic Seaport, a restored whaling ship village from the 1800s. The smiles back then are as genuine as they are today :)

Whimsical Windows - Milling about

For Toby's Whimsical Windows/Delirious Doors, we look at interesting portals and at other architectural details of note - perhaps including doors, windows and...blades? Here we do - there are windows on this Paris landmark captured by the always lovely Patti. The famous windmill at Moulin Rouge, shapely and colorful, with gold tinted windows upstairs. I was advised that this sits in the red light district, and it would be better to travel in a group should you go beyond the landmark - which I would not attempt, thank you :)

Wordless Wednesday - Crossing the Eras

A beautiful shot by the always lovely Patti - the Iconic Brooklyn Bridge (1883), taken by chance along the Brooklyn side of the East River - the modern skyline will never dwarf the most beautiful bridge ever...see WW and WW