A grand, angry lion on Silver Spring Road in Ridgefield.
A black metal horse head on a pier on High Ridge Avenue in Ridgefield.
And a concrete horse head looks out on Ridgefield's North Salem Road.
A bumble bee coated with pollen visits an echinacea (coneflower).
A bumble bee on the left and a honey bee on the right.
These signs have sprouted all over town. The website says "Fragile X syndrome is a genetic condition that causes intellectual disability, behavioral and learning challenges, and various physical characteristics." There must be a child in town suffering from this condition.
Bailey's Backyard is a casual restaurant with nice outdoor space, just one block off Main Street.
An IBM alum, Ken now recruits healthcare executives and professionals. He has two amazing adult sons, the best wife in the world and -- you guessed it! -- a refreshingly upbeat attitude. Ken often works at a table outside Starbucks while Carrie works her charms on passers-by. Ken drives the same red Tesla that I drive. In a future career, he could do Tesla commercials.
Ken and his wife are from southern California and intend to return when they retire. Meanwhile, he is a one-man Chamber of Commerce for the virtues of Ridgefield. (Are you detecting a theme?) They lived here for five years in the early 2000s and came back for their second stint four years ago.
A couple of years ago, some ugly graffiti was found around Ridgefield, including at the high school. The Ridgefield Youth Commission looked for a way to respond.
They hired local artists Joann and Bruce Hunter to design a mural for the side of the youth barn. In March 2018 hundreds of volunteers placed quarter-inch porcelain tiles on the barn. The message: kindness, inclusion, tolerance. An abstract design, no words. For each viewer to interpret.
Like the Keeler family in yesterday's post, the prolific Scott family occupied several houses in the northern part of Ridgefield in the 18th century, close to the line of march of the British soldiers.
This is the 1740 Hezekiah Scott house, significantly expanded and modernized 15 years ago. This Scott was a weaver, distiller and sawmill operator. This part of town is called Scotland, reflecting the presence of many Scotts. Across the street are the Barlow Mountain and Scotland elementary schools.
Keeler was one of the common names in 18th century Ridgefield. Last month I showed Keeler Tavern, a structure from 1713 that played a role in the American War for Independence as the British soldiers came down through Ridgefield from Danbury on their way to the Long Island Sound.
This is the 1765 Josiah Keeler house, a few miles further north. There were skirmishes here, too, as the outnumbered patriot militia engaged the British troops. In the early 20th century, the house served as the town's almshouse. These days it has been nicely renovated. It is for sale.
Why red? It was common in colonial days, a mixture of red ochre, milk products and perhaps linseed oil. It is still popular today, on a wide range of houses, from true antique colonials to newish houses.
I suspect this red house has an 18th century house underneath its later additions.
(Stormfield was listed for sale two weeks ago for nearly $5 million, but it is on a large property and down a long driveway, so I was not able to photograph it.)
Two months after Twain died, his daughter Clara donated Twain's personal library in Stormfield to the directors of a library to be built in Redding. In 1911 the Mark Twain Memorial Library was opened.
A year later Andrew Carnegie endowed it with a fund sufficient to support it.
Many Twain sayings are written high on the library's walls.
At the end of the reading room: "When in doubt, tell the truth."
"Now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates."
This area is heavily wooded. Major storms inevitably take down old trees. In turn they trees take down power lines. Many houses here have standby generators to protect against power outages.
A generator is not especially beautiful. One artistic homeowner built a stylish cage to give it some class.
Kurt Waldheim was Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1972 to 1981. He wanted a country getaway and found it in a house he rented down the street from my new Ridgefield home. After his term at the U.N., Waldheim returned to Austria and was elected President in 1986.
I like well-painted multi-colored Victorian-era houses.
This one is just steps away from Ridgefield's main street. Very, very convenient and walkable. And it became available for new buyers on Monday. I looked at the photos online. The interior has been nicely modernized and there is a lovely patio behind the house, with an outside kitchen. Love it.
