CONNECTICUT ANTIQUE MACHINERY ASSOCIATION MUSEUM

Saturday, we came across this museum on Route 7.  The museum was closed until May but we saw a man on the grounds and asked if we could take some pictures.  He gave us permission to take pictures and to go into any of the buildings that were opened.  The old equipment inside was definitely a "photographer's" dream...

KENT, CT

Saturday, we decided to drive up Route 7 through CT looking for old barns and structures to photograph. We came across this one just past town.  We met a nice women who lives next door; she said that she couldn't even guess how many times this barn was photographed.

BRACE MOUNTAIN - 18 MARCH 2012

Recently I saw an article in the local newspaper about hiking trails at Brace Mountain. Brace Mountain sits atop the Taconic Plateau in NY right next to the borders of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York. My sister and I are always looking for new places to hike so we decided to give it a try.  The sign at the bottom of the trail showed that the first 0.2 miles was "strenuous".  In reality, it felt more like the first 2 miles!  I think billy goats would find the first part of the trail strenuous.  We were however rewarded when we got to the top - what a view!  We also discovered that the top is a launching area for paragliding.   There was a group of about 2 dozen who were waiting for the fog to clear.  I was surprised to learn that although there's no motor,   paraglider flights can last many hours.  Unfortunately this day, the conditions were not great and the flights didn't last very long -- many made it to the bottom before we did. Our hike down took about 2 hours.

JOHNSON-IORIO PARK - 17 MARCH 2012

Today we went back to Johnson-Iorio Park.  We arrived early in the morning, just in time to catch the fog on the water.  You can almost stand under the bridge which makes for an interesting view not usually seen.  The park also has nice views of the "Walkway Over the Hudson".

PEPSICO - 04 FEB 2012 

PepsicCo world headquarters is located in Purchase, NY.  On the grounds is a 168 acre park open to the public which includes the Donald M. Kendall Sculpture Gardens. The park is home to a collection of 45 pieces of outdoor sculptures.  It was early February when we visited but it was a beautiful, warm day.  We spent nearly 2 hours walking the grounds where the sculptures were blended into the landscape expertly. This will be a great place to re-visit in the summer!

KENSICO DAM - WESTCHESTER, NY   04 FEB 2012

This winter has been extremely mild.  There's been virtually no snow and many warm days.  In mid-February, we visited Kensico Dam in Westchester County.  After the events of September 11, 2001, the road running across the top of the Kensico Dam was closed indefinitely for fear of an attempt to destroy the dam so we were no able to walk to the top.  In 2005, a 9/11 memorial titled "The Rising" was completed and dedicated in the dam plaza.  The memorial is dedicated to the 109 Westchester County residents that died in the attack.  The memorial is very moving...

EDITH G. READ WILDLIFE SANCTUARY - 04 Feb 2012

This winter has been so mild, we actually went to the beach in Rye, NY in February to take some pictures.  It was such a beautiful day.  While there, we visited the Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary which is a 179-acre nature preserve located just off the Long Island Sound. There are trails along the shoreline as well as trails and pathways through the woods.  We saw several deer on our walk and just as we were approaching the end of the trail, a deer walked across the path in front of us.  It appeared to stop so that we could take some pictures, then it slowly walked off into the woods.

RETURN TO FRANNY REESE PARK- 11 Mar 2012

Today, we went back to Franny Reese Preserve to hike the trails and take more pictures of the ruins of the Cedar Glen Estates.  I enjoyed it so much the first time, I asked my sister to go along so she, my brother-in-law and nephews accompanied us on the 3 mile hike.  What a beautiful day!  It was 53 degrees and definitely felt like spring even though on the calendar, it is a week and a half away. Can you spot the morning dove?

FISH CREEK PONDS - Summer 2011

Every year for the past 15 years or so, my family has gone to Fish Creek Ponds Campgrounds, a NY state park located in the Adirondacks.  This is a camping area with 300+ campsites with each site having water access.  Every year we have fun kayaking, canoeing, fishing, hiking, and bicycling. Another of my favorite activities there is chasing the loons around the lake trying to get that one, perfect picture -- this is as close as I have come.

HARTFORD, CT St. Patrick's Day Parade - 10 Mar 2012
Today was the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Hartford, CT.  We went with friends to take photos of the people and the activities involved in the setup and line-up prior to the commencement of the parade.  The spirit was very celebratory and you couldn't help but feel happy.  There were clowns everywhere who wanted nothing more than to have their picture taken -- over and over again.   It was the first time I went on a photo shoot to take pictures of strangers and I found it a lot of fun!  To cap the day off, the weather was beautiful.

9/11 MEMORIAL - 5 Feb 2012
I went hiking with my sister and brother-in-law on some new trails we discovered close to home.  We didn't even realize the trails had been there for years and they are only a walking distance from my sister's house in Pawling, NY!  We were surprised to come across this moving 9/11/01 Memorial at the top of the mountain.  It was a tough climb but very much worth it once we got to the top.  In the container are actual ashes from the South Tower. Very moving...

BEEHIVES - 18 Feb 2012
These "beehives" as they are nicknamed were part of the Gridley Iron Works in Wassaic, NY.  By the mid-19th century, the iron industry in Wassaic was thriving.  In 1844, Noah Gridley and his son, William purchased the small iron works.  By 1843, ten furnaces in and around Amenia were producing 10,000 tons of iron.  I have passed by these "beehives" a thousand times and never noticed these located in the woods just off Route 22.   There are 2 furnaces remaining.  

HOTCHKISS SCHOOL - 18 Feb 2012
On a warm Saturday in mid-February, we went to a photo show at The Hotchkiss School which is an independent boarding school located in Lakeville, Connecticut. It was founded in 1891; the school has nearly 600 students in grades 9 through 12.  This was only the 2nd photo show I have gone to and I enjoyed it very much. The weather was great so afterwards, we roamed the campus and took some photos. I particularly like the ones of the bicycles because it reminds me of Spring!