Colorful Houses

I am back in Connecticut until the 30th.  Even without snow, and even when houses aren't decorated,

it feels a lot more Christmas-y up here.  And, more colorful.  The top house, 

in the West End of Hartford, has a "little free library" in front.

This house is on Prospect Avenue, on the West Hartford side of the Hartford-West Hartford line.

I tried to photograph it all summer long.  It is so much easier in the winter, without the leaves.

Notice the green grass in December?  Forecasters say it will be 70 degrees

(21 degrees Celsius) on Christmas day.

Out of the Jurisdiction: Church in Georgetown

While I was up on the North Shore of Massachusetts on Friday,

I drove around some of the little towns I knew when I was a kid.

The congregational church in Georgetown caught my eye.  It was a dull day with light rain, and the image of the church was already pretty drab.  So, I went all the way and made it black and white.

To my eye, this makes the architectural details stand out while masking the blah-ness of the weather.

Out of the Jurisdiction: Ipswich

Ipswich is a small town 35 miles north of Boston.  My mother grew up there.  I still have cousins up there.  One, Doug, died earlier this week.  Doug was a star athlete at Ipswich High School.  After college, he returned to Ipswich.  For the next four decades, Doug taught in Ipswich schools, he coached several Ipswich High School teams, and he became a community leader.

Whipple House, circa 1638, Ipswich Village Green 

To honor Doug, last week every player on the boys' and girls' basketball teams in each of the eight towns in the Cape Ann League wore warm-up shirts with his name on the backs.  The league renamed the coach-of-the-year award after Doug, and Ipswich High School announced that

the basketball court will be named after him.  

At the wake for Doug last night, hundreds of mourners filled the community hall, and more stood outside in the cold waiting for up to an hour to enter the hall and pay respects to Doug's family.

I liked Doug, but, of course, I should.  He was my cousin.  But, seeing the respect and love for

him throughout Ipswich was inspirational.  Well done, Doug.  Rest in peace.  

Broad Street Cottage

This 1935 "cottage" is at the end of Broad Street, overlooking Naples Beach.

The original part of the house is marked by the front porch and the white chimney.

The turret at the left side and the building to the rear are additions designed to blend in. 

This is the view from the dune edge of the beach.

It takes so little to amuse me . . .

This elephant brushes his teeth atop the car of a children's dentist.

A reindeer rides shotgun . . .



I have not yet figured out the connection between yoga and green monkeys.

People sure like to decorate for the holidays. 

Tommy Bahama

Though Tommy Bahama is mainly a clothing store, they also have an excellent restaurant

with a large and appealing patio.

John

This fine beard belongs to John, whom I met while he was working on a demolition crew in Bonita Springs.  John proudly informed me he was born in Bonita 57 years ago.  He has never lived anywhere else.  Same as his older brother and younger sister.

Bonita Springs is a bit schizophrenic.  It can't decide if it is (or wants to be) a winter playground for wealthy folks fleeing northern winters, or Old Florida, where people like John live their lifetimes.