Posh

 

A white Rolls Royce convertible was parked in front of a posh restaurant and hotel on Naples' poshest street.

Back in Florida

 

I saw great blue herons recently in Burgundy.  Then I saw them when I got back to Connecticut.  It is comforting to know that they are still down here in Naples, Florida, too.

America 250

 On July 4, 2026, our nation will commemorate and celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Ridgefield, Connecticut, has a committee that is promoting yearlong discussions, lectures and other activities in support of America 250.  I saw these mailboxes wrapped with America 250 signage at the home of Ridgefield's First Selectman (the equivalent of a mayor in this town's government).

Back to Naples, Florida.  I hope I have a Florida image by tomorrow.

Scarecrows

 

Ridgefield loves celebrations.  This month, scarecrows are decorating lamp posts along Main Street.

Some businesses like a hair and nail salon, a jeweler and a restaurant have scarecrows in front.

Some public schools sponsor scarecrows.  This one is by Branchville Elementary School.

Some families join the fun and put up their own scarecrows.

Community organizations like the Lion Club, the library, Ridgefield Playhouse and an animal rescue organization have scarecrows.

And, a civic-spirited orthodontist who supports just about every activity in town put up a scarecrow with the message "Wear your retainer!"

Stained Glass

Ridgefield Library does a good job of showcasing local artists' work.

Stained glass works by Cris Nichols are currently displayed in a reading room. 

Some are abstract.

Some are realistic.  I'm glad local artists have a way to have their art seen in town.

Getting in the Mood for Halloween

 Many homeowners have already decorated their homes and yards for Halloween.

This little display is down the street from me.

A family at the corner of King Lane and High Ridge places skeletons on their stone wall every October.  These are just a few.

A house on Main Street has winged gremlins with lighted eyes on either side of an angry pumpkin arch.

An animated figure in white makes frightening noises and tortured grimaces.

Every year the owners of this house at the corner of Main Street and West Lane add more and more skeletons and frightening figures to their Halloween display.

Back in Connecticut

 After two wonderful weeks on France, one in Paris and the second on a barge in Burgundy, I am back in Connecticut.  My stay will be brief before moving on to Southwest Florida.

Connecticut has undergone a serious drought.  Some trees have started to change leaf colors, but it feels more like a reaction to stress than the normal rhythms of seasons.

Beaune

 Each day on the Burgundy Canal has a half-day excursion.  One was to the city of Beaune.

Beaune is best known for the Hospices of Beaune.  It was established in 1443 by the chancellor of Burgundy as a hospital for the poor.  The chancellor and his wife wanted to improve their odds of going to heaven, so they funded the construction and operation of this distinctive building.

The elaborate polychrome roof is the element that has drawn tourists to Beaune over the centuries.

There are rows of beds, offering a simple but clean place for nuns to attend to the poor.  The Hospice remained a hospital until 1971, when patients were dispersed to conventional hospitals.

Along the Canal - II

 More about the experience along the Burgundy Canal.

At every lock there is a small cottage, marked with the lock number and the location.  This cottage is #51, one of the first of the 41 locks we encountered.

The Burgundy countryside is beautiful.

Friends get off and on the barge to walk the tow path, sometimes in groups and sometimes alone.

Cows, horses and sheep contentedly feed in fields along the canal.  

Some look up as our barge approaches.  More just ignore us.

Farmers toil in other fields.

Herons and mallard ducks are the most common birds.  A pair of swans visited on the last day.

Some of the trees are beginning to show autumn colors.

Another lock is usually fifteen to 30 minutes away

Sometimes we pass a single house.  Other times a small village.

Most bicycle riders we encounter are solo or in pairs.  One afternoon a big group showed up.

A local French woman walks along the tow path, collecting fallen walnuts.