National

My Florida barber has a beautiful cash register.  It is purely decorative in a shop 

that is otherwise pretty simple and unadorned.

The Holiday Season Begins in the Neighborhood

Christmas lights are starting to be lit in my West Hartford neighborhood.

But, I arrived back in Naples yesterday.  It is festive here, in different ways.  

I'm sure I can find some holiday scenes in Southwest Florida, too.

Aetna Insurance Company

Aetna's headquarters are in Hartford, where it was founded in the early 1800s.Its future in Hartford has been uncertain for several years.  A proposed 2015 merger with Humana would have moved the headquarters to Louisville, but the merger ran into legal problems and was terminated.  Then, in early 2017 Aetna announced it would move its headquarters to New York City.

But, before that move could occur, CVS -- the big pharmacy company -- agreed to buy Aetna.  The last year has been spent pursuing regulatory approvals.  They have all been received and the merger should happen any day now.  This is good for Hartford.  CVS has agreed to keep the Connecticut workforce intact and the headquarters for Aetna's part of the business in Hartford for ten years. 

Sleepy Season In Elizabeth Park

The plants in the perennial garden are sleeping in place.

Ornate grasses line the shade garden.  The skeleton of the big tree at the end of 

the stone wall separating the perennial and shade gardens stands out.

And the annual plants have been removed and the tulip bulbs planted in the annual garden.

Remembering John in Elizabeth Park

John went for daily walks in Elizabeth Park, passing through a neglected entrance from our neighborhood.  He left us in June 2017 after a six week struggle to recover from a diabetic incident.

To honor John and improve the park, my family, friends and neighbors funded a

new park entrance that was completed just before Thanksgiving. 

Let There Be Light

Ridgefield always has a fun evening celebrating the arrival of Santa Claus

 and the lighting of the trees on Main Street for the holiday season.

Humphrey and Sheik

Humphrey (the llama) and Sheik (the camel) are rescues that live down the street

from my daughter's house in Ridgefield, Connecticut.

Cleaning

When I was little, I am sure I didn't have my own cleaning supplies.

And, I am sure my parents wouldn't have trusted me with them anyway.

Happy Thanksgiving

If you are celebrating Thanksgiving today, I hope you are with family and friends in 

a comfortable home with delicious food and an appreciation for your good fortune.

Ridgefield Historical Society, Ridgefield, Connecticut

Witch Hazel, Hydrangea, Fallen Leaves

Back in Connecticut for a week.  It snowed last weekend and is still on the ground in some places.

The coldest Thanksgiving in history in these parts is scheduled for tomorrow.

Witch hazel blooms in the winter, usually in January, but this year we have a fine November display.

Limelight hydrangea undergoes monthly color changes from July through winter.

I like having the brown blooms on the bushes while most other plants have given up.

Maple leaves carpet the ground.  They fell late.  I hope the guys who care for my lawn

can take them away before heavy winter snow storms come and make it impossible.

Wood Stork

He looks so professorial.

"They Told Me I Couldn't. That's Why I Did"

"What did they say you couldn't do?" I asked.  Patty said she came to the USA from Ecuador 23 years ago.  Her husband told her she couldn't speak English well enough, she was too nice, people would walk all over her, and she should go back to Ecuador.

Patty left that husband.  She now has a great second husband, two kids and a job she loves.  Last year she was named to the Delta Chairman's Club, one of only 100 out of 80,000 Delta Airlines employees.  The award is for receiving customer praise, a recommendation
from supervisors, and volunteering for community work.

Roseate Spoonbill

It was good of this guy to hang around for a while in a sunny spot.

Karen

Karen is a very fit fitness instructor.  She leads early morning indoor exercise classes and 

mid-morning outdoor water exercise classes.  I go to the water classes.

Coconut Point Mall

You have to get out of the car and walk to the sidewalk along US Route 41 on a pretty day to appreciate how beautiful the entrance to Coconut Point Mall in Estero, Florida, is.

Weekend Reflections.

Three Ibises

They flew into a tree as I approached.  Then they lined up nicely.

Ibises are the last to flee as a hurricane approaches, signaling that danger is near, and they
are the first to come out afterward, signaling that the coast is clear.

Dinosaurs

When I look at single-story storefronts along Naples' Fifth Avenue South, I see dinosaurs.

Though 5th Avenue Coffee & 6th Street Diner is a popular place, similar low buildings are being torn down and replaced with taller (and more expensive) buildings like the yellow one next door.

Same thing here.

And here.

It is not that the new buildings are especially big.  They are only three floors high.  But, parking is tough in this congested area, and the rents of new buildings price out the small local businesses.

This new building a block away, has just been completed, but all the ground level windows
have "For Lease" signs.  The businesses that were removed to
build this building can't afford to be there.

Rebecca and Three60 Market

Rebecca owns and operates Three60 Market, a thriving breakfast and lunch spot on Haldeman Creek off Bayshore Boulevard in East Naples.  She is also building a place across the creek, 

Celebration Park, that will host food trucks, a pavilion and a tiki bar.

People on a Morning in Naples

While checking out a Naples beach, I came across Johnny.  He is a contractor who was working on a nearby house and took a break to cool off in the water.  Johnny has lived in Naples

his entire life and goes to the beach whenever he can.

Lisa's long gray braid and her brightly colored top caught my eye.

She was flustered at first when I asked to photograph her, but she came around.

Jose was dressed impeccably on a Naples morning when most people were dressed casually.

I asked if he had a meeting.  No, he just likes to dress well.

His "little brother" Tim also dresses nicely, though not as formally.

I lost this photographer's card so I can't name him.  He was showing lovely monochrome photographs.  This photo of cypress trees and their knees was by far my favorite.

He said it was a thirty second exposure.

A Century since the Armistice

One hundred years ago -- at 11:11 a.m. on 11/11, or November 11, 1918 -- the Allies signed an armistice agreement with Germany, calling for the cessation of hostilities, the withdrawal of German forces to behind the Rhine, Allied occupation of the Rhineland and bridgeheads further east, the preservation of infrastructure, the surrender of aircraft, warships, and military materiel,
the release of Allied prisoners of war and interned civilians, and eventual reparations.

Freedom Park, Golden Gate Parkway, Naples, Florida

Gari

Evelyn & Arthur is a clothing store for "mature" women who still feel attractive and young.  

They know their clientele well.

Gari was walking around with an Evelyn & Arthur sign and discount cards, while wearing

clothing and jewelry from Evelyn and Arthur.  

I admire the store's hiring of a beautiful model with gentle miles on her equivalent to

 those traveled by the store's patrons. 

Floating

This low-rise condo complex on Venetian Bay has always looked to me like it is floating.

If I wanted to live in a condo, I would look at these.

Autoberfest: People

Richard has been growing his mustache for nine years.  It was four inches longer before he cut it.

              Me:             Can I take your picture?
              Rosemary:  Why?
              Me:             I like to photograph interesting people.

              Rosemary:  Oh, am I interesting?

              Me:             Sure.  Red hair, pretty, fit . . .

              Rosemary:  That's enough.  Sure, go ahead.

Zack has a detailed tattoo of a sailing ship all over his arm.  

Joanna coordinated her cat ears with her shirt.

People sitting on hay bales listened to the band.

Autoberfest: Cars

Autoberfest is one of many car shows in Naples.

Austin-Healey

This tricked-up Jeep Wrangler is used by a guy who performs as a super hero at parties.

This Cobra got a lot of attention.

Alfa Romeo

Ferrari

Jaguar

Morgan