Prospector Theater

 The Prospector is a wonderful theater with multiple movie screens.  It opened in 2014 when rescued from demolition by Valerie Jensen, who saw the theater as a way of providing paid employment for adults with disabilities.  It celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2024

At least 75 percent of the Prospector's employees self-identify as disabled.  They are called "Prospects."  Prospects are paid for working at the Prospector, and they "Sparkle." 

Happy anniversary!  Well done.

A Simple Mural

 Norwalk has many murals.  This is a simple one that I liked, on the side of a nondescript building.

It is by The Invazion.  Linked to Monday Murals.

St. Mary Roman Catholic Church

 

St Mary Roman Church in Norwalk was the city's first Catholic church, later spawning three other churches in the city.  The first mass was celebrated in 1833.  This Gothic Revival-style church building was completed in the 1870s.

Henry Selleck House c.1880

 I parked in Norwalk, Connecticut, and walked around a bit.  I came upon a Victorian house with very fine details and began to photograph it.  (The light was on the wrong side, but I thought the house was worth a try . . .  maybe I will return next summer in the afternoon to see if I can get better lighting.)

Then, two men came out.  One was a contractor whose wife bought the house in an auction a year ago, when it was badly run down.  He invited me inside to see the entry way, where he had restored every surface.

The contractor was especially proud of the floor, which he designed and laid himself.  The house is a two-family rental property.  

A century ago Norwalk was an upscale city, but it fell on hard times in the second half of the 20th century.    This property is a high level example of the work that is going on now to restore Norwalk places with "good bones" to their previous standards of quality.

Charcuterie Board

 The seven year old granddaughter likes to make charcuterie boards, so her mother found a book with ideas for different occasions in a "buy nothing" group in their town.

This is her design for appetizers before the Christmas dinner, and the book that inspired it. 

Clever girl.  Tasty food.  Didn't last long.

Lakeside

 

The daughter and her family live beside a lake.  It is pretty to see in all seasons. 

 Kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding and swimming are fun in the spring, summer and fall, but in winter new activities take place. 

Like tubing.

And exercising the (very old) dog.

And skating.

Other folks play hockey.   The daughter is thinking about getting brooms for a hockey variation.

They are so very lucky to live on a lake.

Christmas

Merry Christmas from this Hartford, Connecticut, house. 

Happy holidays and season's greetings to everyone.

Some More Places Decorated for Christmas

 West Lane Inn always looks good in the holiday season.

This house in South Ridgefield is another one that always looks terrific.

This house on a corner lot north of the downtown catches my eye in every season.

These side-by-side houses at the southern end of Main Street have simple but elegant decorations with wreaths and ribbons on every window on one and garlands with wreaths on the other.

I'm not sure this counts as a farmhouse.  Let's call it farmhouse-style.

This looks like a historic house with some big time additions over the years.  And wreaths.

Downtown

I went downtown to get something at Books on the Common, Ridgefield's wonderful independent bookstore, which recently celebrated its 40th year in business.

In December, Ridgefield has a "Light Fight," a contest in which local people vote for the best holiday lights and decorations.  Books in the Common won again this year in the commercial category, as it did last year.

  

Up North For the Holidays

 Back to Connecticut for the holidays.

I had a window seat on the plane flying out of Regional Southwest Airport in Fort Myers.

Very soon the plane passed over the house I owned in Fort Myers from 2007 to 2012.

Throughout Florida the clouds were in long lines.  You need someone else to explain that phenomenon.

By the time we got to Pennsylvania, we were over a big snow system headed to New England.  We were in a race to see if we would get to Connecticut before snow arrived.

Our plane beat the heavy snow.  The early snow went north and west of us.  

A few inches fell overnight in Ridgefield, Connecticut.

Farmers Market

 The Coconut Point Mall in Estero hosts a farmers market on Thursdays.

I stopped briefly last Thursday.  As did a group from a bicycle club, who were right in front of me no matter where I went.

Winnie

 

I was sitting and reading in Starbucks a few days ago.  Looking up, a face was familiar.  It was Winnie, a woman who I used to see at a different Starbucks quite a few years ago.  Winnie is from Mexico and makes some of the jewelry she wears, like the colorful necklace above.

This is Winnie from 2016.

And this is Winnie from 2015.

The photograph this week was a quick one done with my iPhone, while the earlier ones were done more carefully and with a DSLR camera.  Some iPhone portraits are quite good, but I like these old ones with a DSLR (and more time and care) better.

Palm Cottage

 

Looking through a gate and arbor toward Palm Cottage, Naples' oldest house, built in 1895.

The Guard

 An exhibition at the Baker Museum in Artis-Naples includes a big metal sphere with lights and music.

I went inside the sphere but wasn't overwhelmed.  But the view of the security guard was interesting.

I must return sometime and get a proper portrait.

Third Street South

 

It is Christmas on one of the two main shopping streets in Naples.

Just a Little Magic

Five young people operate a business in which they dress up like fantasy characters and perform at birthday parties.  They had a booth at a small holiday festival in Bonita Springs' Riverside Park.

Santa Paws

 Mr. and Mrs. Claus set up in front of a store on Third Avenue South to greet dogs and their owners.

Trees and Teas Festival.

 

Supporters decorated Christmas trees in Sugden Theater's lobby.