Dolphins

Yesterday I saw two dolphins cavorting in Venetian Bay, in the channel next to

the shops of The Village on Venetian Bay.

Natalie

Natalie Guess is a talented batik artist.  The Guess-Fisher Gallery in Crayton Cove shows her batik works -- like this palm tree -- beside paintings by her husband, Phil Fisher.  

Two weeks ago, the Naples Daily News published a nice profile about

Natalie, discussing her batik techniques and how she ended up an artist.
There is also a three minute video showing her create a work.

Osprey

This osprey has chosen a low tree for roosting, giving me a better view of him than I usually get.

Beach Access

Wherever you decide to cross the dunes to go to the beach, 

the first views of the beach and the gulf are usually pretty.

Olde Naples

Barefoot Beach

Little Hickory Island

The Snowbirds are Back! The Snowbirds are Back!

When automobile transporters begin swarming the streets of southwest Florida,

northerners will soon follow.

Circle K

A dozen young men and women carried trash bags and walked the beach.  They were picking up 

trash on Barefoot Beach as part of a project sponsored by Circle K International, a college-based 

service and fellowship organization affiliated with Kiwanis. 

Stone Crab Festival

One of the earliest and newest festivals of the Naples season is the Stone Crab Festival,

at Tin City on the waterfront.

They Are DOGS!

I am probably already in trouble with half of my viewers, so I will shut up.

Tuning

The musicians were tuning up before last night's concert at the

Naples-Concert-Hall-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named-Because-Photography-is-Prohibited.

(I agree with the prohibition during a performance, but an unobtrusive iPhone photo
during tuning seems pretty innocent to me.)

The first piece was Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathustra.  After intermission, Emanuel Ax was 

the soloist for Brahms' Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in B-Flat Major. 

Remembering Birdman

Cemeteries in Naples are much different from New England.  Up there, we have somber gravestones. Down here, the cemeteries seem to have urns with colorful flowers, real and plastic.
This is the Naples Memorial Garden.

And, today I am remembering Mark L. Norton, a fellow City Daily Photo blogger, who passed away suddenly earlier this week.  Birdman started his pORTcITYdAILYpHOTO blog on January 1, 2009, and posted one photo per day every day afterward.  Birdman regaled his loyal followers with memories of growing up in Portland, Maine, and witty observations about current life.

Birdman wrote lovingly of his art teacher wife, Elenka, and his son, Justin.  He was only in his first year of retirement from teaching English for 41-1/2 years.  Birdman, you will be missed.
His obituary is here.  His family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to
Animal Rescue League of Portland, P.O.Box 336, Westbrook ME 04098.

Mort

Mort and his wife visited Naples from their home in Boca Raton.

He is president of his camera club, following a fifty year career as a professional photographer.

Mort headed the photography department at Brookhaven National Laboratory. 

Weegee

There is a wonderful exhibition of photographs by acclaimed photographer Weegee at the

Naples-museum-that-cannot-be-named-because-photography-is-not-permitted.

(I figure that a wide angle view that doesn't focus on specific works is OK . . . shhhh!)

Weeegee photographed gritty reality in the 1930s and 40s:  crime scenes, fires, accidents,

poverty, homelessness, nightlife, crowd scenes, loneliness.

"To make pictures, you have to mingle . . . with presidents, queens, and gangsters . . . with everybody.  You can't just be polite.  You have to go around sticking your nose into other people's business."

Fit and Fuel

Fit and Fuel Bicycle Cafe is next to (and owned by) Naples Cyclery.  The front room has vintage Art Deco bicycle posters on the brick walls, under old bikes.  Here, Kelly serves healthy, organic choices including locally-roasted coffee.  That is the "fuel."  In the back is the room where fitting experts from Naples Cyclery fit riders to bicycles appropriate to their riding needs.  That is the "fit."

Oktoberfest

Yesterday afternoon, Naples Cyclery sponsored Oktoberfest in big tents next to the store.

First Sunset

These are the first Florida sunset photographs of the season on my blog.  There will be more.

This was taken before the sky color became saturated.  It is probably a better composition.

Back in Southwest Florida!

I arrived back in Naples with one hour of sunlight remaining, so I ran to check out
(and photograph) the golf course renovations before unpacking my car.

After a summer of sun and afternoon rains, the grass is dense and vivid green, the new trees
are healthy, and the water hazard (i.e., pond to non-golfers) is full.  Fore!

Another hole that underwent less intense renovations also looks good.

See more photographs with reflections on James' blog, Weekend Reflections.

Savannah Again

Savannah is a good place to stay on the first night northbound or the second night southbound.

Ballastone Inn had a nice fall display.

Johnny Mercer was one of Savannah's favorite sons.  He was a successful and prolific songwriter ("Moon River"), winner of four Oscars for best song, and a co-founder of Capitol Records.
Susie Chisholm is the sculptor.

The Savannah Cotton Exchange was completed in 1887 when the city ranked first on the Atlantic coast as a cotton port and second in the world.  Today the building serves

as the headquarters of the Savannah Chamber of Commerce.

The Savannah riverfront is far below the city, accessible by some steep old steps.

And, yesterday was Trellis' (blue) birthday, so Meghan (green) and Christina (ivory) took her 

out to dinner at The Pink House, one of Savannah's best known restaurants.

Trellis and Meghan teach art at a Savannah high school.  Christina is a dancer.

Transitions

Most of the foliage in greater Hartford is still green, but last weekend some fall color appeared.

This pretty barn in Weatogue (eastern Simsbury) backs up to Avon Mountain.

This is Prospect Avenue, the border between Hartford and West Hartford.

Speaking of transitions . . . yesterday I began the drive south to Florida.
I reached the mountains of western Virginia last night. 

Avon Cider Mill

For years, Avon Cider Mill was the place to go in autumn for pumpkins, apples, chrysanthemums, cider and pies.  But, a couple of years ago, the property was sold to a developer.  

Good news!  Avon Cider Mill is now sharing space on Nod Road with 

The Pickin' Patch (a pick-it-yourself vegetable farm) and the crowds are bigger than ever.

The Pinchot Sycamore

Simsbury's Pinchot Sycamore is Connecticut's biggest tree, 200 to 300 years old, almost 28 feet in circumference and 104 feet tall.  It is named for Gifford Pinchot, a Simsbury resident who was the 

first head of the United States Forestry Service and founder of the Yale School of Forestry.  

Pinchot is considered the father of conservation in the United States.

Benches

This year the Elizabeth Park Conservancy renovated the 600 benches in the park.
A vendor scraped and repainted the metal supports and replaced all of the wooden slats.  

The project was supported by generous donations.

Silly Me

Lady walking dog:   The dog and I both gained weight last winter.  We need this long walk.
Silly me:                   I wear this Fitbit to encourage me to get out and walk.  It counts my steps.  I aim  
                                   for at least 10,000 steps (five miles) a day.
Lady walking dog:   That is great.  I am running the Hartford Marathon this weekend.  It will be my
                                   40th marathon since 2002.
Silly me:                   Oh.

Avery Court

Most of the people at the Wadsworth Atheneum were visiting the recently renovated and re-opened

galleries, featuring paintings from the museum's European collection.

But, while there, I visited Avery Court, which shows modern paintings like Dali and Kirchner.

Other than moving some paintings around, Avery Court is little changed.

Please visit James' website Weekend Reflections for more photographs with reflections