Edward Steichen

 The noted photographer Edward Steichen lived on a 400 acre farm on Topstone Road in Redding from 1928 until his death in 1973.  Before he died, Steichen donated most of his farm to the town, reserving 12 acres on a pond for his Mid-Century Modern glass and stone home.  It is visible below, from the road.

Steichen's modern home on Steichen Pond passed into new hands in 2020.  

The donated land is now Redding's Topstone Park.

Lake View

A fine place from which to relax and view the lake.

Thank you to those who asked and those who expressed concern about my Naples house and Hurricane Ian.  I am still in Connecticut.  Friends in SWFL say that trees and branches are down in my community, the waters are high in the roads and lakes, and power is out, but so far I have not heard about water entering any houses in my community or injury to people or damage to houses.  It is still early.  Like everyone who is not in Florida now, I worry about the widespread devastation and I await specific information about my house.

Make Believe Farm

 Truth in farming.

A Little Fair in the Park

 While the giant pumpkin weigh-off took place at one end of Ballard Park, a nice little fair took place in the rest of the park.

Henny Penny Farm brought a half dozen sheep for kids to pet and feed hay.

Karate instructors waged sword fights with kids.

And had them break boards with blows from their hands.

A box of "donuts" was a clever entry in the pumpkin decorating contest.

Pumpkin man handed out candy.

Cheerleaders from Ridgefield High School staffed a booth.

And four Suzuki violin students demonstrated the skills they have learned. 

Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off

 The 10th annual giant pumpkin weigh-off took place yesterday at Ballard Park.

Local press did some interviews.

Val Jensen, the woman who leads the Prospector Theater in Ridgefield bought a farm in Wilton last year.

She and her "Prospects" have started growing giant pumpkins.  This is their first entry.

A farmer loaded his three entries onto a trailer after they were weighed and left the park. 

I also left before the results were announced.

More From The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze

The Statue of Liberty is 25 feet tall and is made from 114 carved pumpkins.

A couple sit on a bench and feed pigeons.

Two dinosaurs.

And a unicorn.

The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze

 I went to this wonderful event in Sleepy Hollow for the second year.  It is fun to see what can be created with carved and lighted pumpkins lashed together.

In the section celebrating famous artworks, we learn why Edvard Munch's character screamed.  

The headless horseman was in pursuit.

Frida Kahlo.  With that headless horseman chasing Ichabod Crane over her shoulder.

Jeff Koons' balloon dog was a natural for pumpkins, but where on earth did they find huge and perfectly formed pumpkins like this?

There is lots of local lore celebrated.  This is the Headless Horseman Bridge.

And a terrified Ichabod Crane racing to escape the headless horseman.

Horses

There are many horse farms in this part of Connecticut and across the line in New York state.

These two were in a small paddock in Ridgebury, the northern part of Ridgefield adjoining Danbury.

Gilbert and Bennett Company

Georgetown's Gilbert and Bennett Company began in the early 1800s, making sieves from horsehair.  In time they adapted to metal wire products, transitioning their sieves and sifters to wire.  They eventually put their wire-making skills to use in manufacturing window screens and fences.

But, like many industrial companies. they faced competition and decided in the 1970s to relocate their manufacturing, first to lower cost places like Georgia and eventually China.  But, the company folded around 1990 and their huge brick manufacturing facility in southwestern Connecticut was abandoned.

Georgetown School of the Arts

 Georgetown School of the Arts bills itself as an artist-driven educational space open to all. Their classes, workshops, camps and art parties are created by local artists and teachers who wish to share their knowledge with students interested in all forms of fine and craft arts. 

The school offers a wide range of classes for all those with a desire to begin or continue their art education. One-on-one attention is also available through private instruction. Fine arts include drawing, painting, watercolor, printmaking and sculpture. Crafts include weaving and woodworking.

R.I.P. Queen Elizabeth II

Someone in Wilton misses the Queen. 

Georgetown

Georgetown is a village at the southeast edge of Ridgefield.  Georgetown residents live in and pay taxes to Redding, Wilton or Weston.  The gentleman to the left with the white mop of hair is Samuel Clemens, a/k/a Mark Twain, whose final home was in nearby Redding.

Linked to Monday Mural.

Spider Man and Mamma Shark

 Happy surprises are benefits of driving down unknown roads.  Who knew that a log house was there?  Or a woman giving riding lessons to a young boy?  Or that the boy wore a Spider Man tee shirt? Or that his instructor wore a "Mamma Shark" shirt.  Or that a bold Ukrainian flag would grace the porch?

Heyfields

A nice cafe, florist and gift shop across the state line in North Salem, New York. 

Rustic Gates

 

I pulled over to admire, and then photograph, two rustic gates.

School Picnic

 The school mascot is the bobcat.   Bobby the Bobcat made an appearance at the school picnic.

Three popular tables were staffed by Mad Scientists.

At one table, a Mad Scientist showed children how to do things with magnets.  

(Granddaughter #1 built structures with magnetized pyramids.) 

 At a second table, children learned about air pressure.  At this third table, the Mad Scientist fascinated children with experiments based on dry ice.

Swans

A swan pair stood out against the dark water.