WILD CHIVES

Southwick MA - Here is a photo of Wild Chives outside Blossoming Acres farm stand.  

CURTIS HOUSE – CONNECTICUT’S OLDEST INN

Woodbury, CT - This is the Curtis House, said to be Connecticut's oldest Inn, started 1754. I have been to the Curtis House many times. The food is standard Yankee fare, Pot Roast, Chicken Pot Pie, Roast Turkey; for dessert they even have Indian pudding as one of the choices. Indian pudding is a mixture of corn meal and molasses among other things, it really quite good. The clientele is mostly seniors for some reason, my wife and I are usually one of the youngest people there and we are in our mid to late forties.
 

MOUNTAIN LAUREL

It's Mountain Laurel time. Here is a close-up of the flowers. 

Here is the bush. The woods around my house are filled with these. 

SOUTHFORD FALLS COVERED BRIDGE

Southford, CT - This is the covered bridge at the Southford Falls Park. It is called the Burr Arch Covered Bridge, built in 1972 from an 1804 original design by Theodore Burr. It is used as a foot bridge so people can cross the river below the falls.
 

THE GOLDEN AGE OF TRUCKING MUSEUM

Middlebury, CT - This museum is right off I-84. They were closed when I went there so I only got a photo of the outside. I got a brochure to get information. Their mission statement explains the museum the best, "To educate the public, and to preserve and exhibit the history of American Truck Transportation, with a special emphasis on the 1950's, Golden Age of Trucking".

You can drive in a "Big Rig" for $5.00.

Tractor Trailer Parking Available.
 

TOPSMEAD STATE FOREST

Topsmead Crest
 

Litchfield, CT - Topsmead is the former summer estate of Miss Edith Morton Chase, daughter of Henry Sabin Chase. Henry Chase was the first President of Chase Brass and Copper Company in Waterbury when Waterbury was the Brass Capital of the World. In 1917 Miss Chase received 16 acres on Jefferson Hill in Litchfield. She built a rustic cabin on the land and in 1923 she decided to replace it with an English Style Tudor house. The house was completed in 1925.

Miss Chase built up her financial inheritance and in 1927 bought the Buell Farm which was renamed "Topsmead" to reflect its location, "On top of the meadow".

Upon her death in 1972 she left her beloved estate to the people of Connecticut.

Info from: Topsmead State Forest Posting.
 

THE WEBB HOUSE – COLONIAL REVIVAL GARDEN

Wethersfield, CT - This garden was designed by Amy Cogswell in 1921 and it was reinstalled in 1999 - 2000 by The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Connecticut. It is located in back of the Webb House in Old Wethersfield.
 

Another view of the garden.
 

WHITE’S WOODS MEMORIAL

Litchfield, CT - This stone is a memorial to Alain and May White who set aside 4000 acres as a nature preserve and wild area. It is full of hiking, cross country skiing, and off-road biking trails.
 

WESTFIELD WHIP MFG. CO

Westfield, MA - Westfield, MA has the nickname "Whip City". In the late 19th Century most of the population of the town was employed in whip making and they produced tens of thousands of whips a day, dominating the US market for riding and buggy whips. There is only one whip manufacturer left there, the Westfield Whip Manufacturing Company. They have the only remaining working 19th century whip braiding machine

Info: www.bullwhip.org
 

HOT BEEF

Oxford, CT - Here is a herd of cows just chilling out trying to stay cool on a hot day. The bull to the left is watching to see what I am up to.
 

FIRST EPISCOPAL CHURCH – OXFORD, CT

Oxford, CT - This is a photo of the First Episcopal Church I took one sunny day.
 

FUNGUS COLLECTION

Mushroon Fungus 

Shrek Ear Fungus 

Fungus in Tree with Moss 

Slime Fungus 

THE NATIONAL IWO JIMA MEMORIAL MONUMENT

Newington, CT - On February 23, 1995, the 50th anniversary of the historic flag raising on Mt. Suribachi, this monument was unveiled.
Some facts about the Battle for Iwo Jima:
6,821 Americans gave their lives
The battle went from February 19 to March 16, 1945
Approximately one third of all Marines killed in action were killed in Iwo Jima
Twenty-seven Medals of Honor were awarded
The U.S. government returned the island of Iwo Jima to the Japanese in 1968

Info from: National Iwo Jima Memorial Monument pamphlet
 

About the monument itself:
From the top of the flagpole to the bottom of the base is nearly 40 feet.
A 48 star American flag from the top of the flagpole making it historically correct
The sculptor is Joseph Petrovics of Sculpture House Castings NYC
Rocks from Mt. Suribachi have been placed at the feet of the flag raisers
Sand from the invasion beach has been incorporated into the concrete base of the monument.

Info: National Iwo Jima Memorial Monument pamphlet
 

Monument to combat Medical Corps personnel and Chaplains at the Iwo Jima Memorial.
Incase you can't read the monuments here are some facts:
738 medical corpsmen were killed
23 doctors were killed or wounded
4 Medals of Honor were awarded to the Medical Corp
3 Chaplains were wounded
6 were awarded the Bronze Star
 

On November 11, 1995, Veteran's Day, the Iwo Jima Survivors Association lit an eternal flame which is adjacent to the Iwo Jima monument. It is dedicated in tribute to and in memory of all of the Americans that fought and died in World War II.

Info: National Iwo Jima Memorial Monument Pamphlet
 

Memorial Bricks that have been placed around the Eternal Flame.
 

SUNLIT FOREST

I went on a walk in the woods yesterday while it was drizzling. I noticed where the sun was shining through in to the woods,how it lit up the dark forest. 

AAHHHH - RELIEF FROM THE HEAT

When I opened the front door today and saw my breath, I knew it was going to be a good day. The heat has been oppressive for the last 11 or 12 days. For someone who really doesn't like the heat at all, to quote the song, New Lee Highway Blues, "It's been a stinkin' summer trip through southern hell". The temperature dropped 35 degrees from yesterday and the dew point went from 76 to 58. Aahhhh, I'm enjoying it while I can.

It is hard to see but there is steam rising from the water, this is at 10:45am.