Last day of 2006

It's been a great year, I look forward to more photos and more new friendships in 2007.

No rundown of the best photos of the year of Sharon, CT can omit one of one of Sharon's great icons, the twin oaks.

My choice for best photo of the year will be posted late tonight, along with links to over 50 other Daily Photo sites around the world, posting THEIR best shots of the year. I can't wait!

Getting near the top

I almost saved this for number one (January 1, all the daily photo bloggers will be posting their best photo of 2006), but I have a few more in reserve. This was taken n another thunderstorming day, in October.

There's still time to share your opinion of what my top photo should be!

4th best photo of 2006?

This is getting harder - every time I pick a photo now, I know others have to be eliminated. A few of you have submitted your nominees for my best photo of the year - thank you for taking the time to go through my archives - very generous of you! Interestingly, nobody agrees - there is maybe one picture all year that has gotten more than one vote. But Ruth's choices (the Ruth from "thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com" not the Ruth from "ruth-boofie.blogspot.com" - both are great blogs!) are almost identical to mine! But I'm still counting down to Number 1 on January 1, when the whole Daily Photo Community has chosen the best photo of 2006 as our common theme. I'm getting tired of looking at my pictures - can't wait to see what everyone else picked!

Anyway, I originally called this one "Fields of Gold" and reprinted the lyrics from the Sting song with it. It's a field I pass daily (Sharon-Millerton Road) but can only glimpse from the roadside as it's behind a screen of trees. But this day in June, I was out on a "photo expedition" with my daughter and we both agreed to pull over and get out to take some pictures here.

Countdown continued

All this week I'm counting down a highly arbitrary selection of my top 8 photos of 2006, leading up to the Daily Photo theme day for January 1: the best photo of the year. You can still tell me your thoughts on your personal favorites from this year - sorry I haven't preselected my finalists for you!

This one is from late May and I liked it so much I used it as the header of the blog. We had one violent thunderstorm after another this spring - they'd pass over quickly and the sun would soon return.

All this week I'm counting down a highly arbitrary selection of my top 8 photos of 2006, leading up to the Daily Photo theme day for January 1: the best photo of the year. You can still tell me your thoughts on your personal favorites from this year (Gerald from Hyde is doing the same but was kind enough to pick his top ten to make it easier for you to vote - great idea, Gerald, and sorry I didn't do the same!) I’ll take all votes into account when I make my final selection for the Year’s Best Picture.

Today’s shot is from early April, shortly after I started the blog. I think it's sweet!

Countdown to New Year's - 7th best?

The Daily Photo family has chosen its theme for January 1: the best photo of the year. I’ve decided to make it a week-long celebration – starting yesterday I’m counting down my favorite shots (though I keep changing my mind!)

I haven’t chosen the number 1 shot yet: I encourage my regular visitors to nominate (via email or comment) their personal favorites from this year – I’ll take all votes into account when I make my final selection for the Year’s Best Picture.

Today’s shot is from mid-October, just as a violent thunderstorm was lifting.

Countdown to New Year's - the top photos of 2006

The Daily Photo family has chosen its theme for January 1: the best photo of the year. I’ve decided to make it a week-long celebration – starting today I’m counting down my favorite shots from March (when I started this blog) til now. I actually have 41 out of the 269 photos I’ve posted that I REALLY like, so winnowing it down to 8 is painful in the extreme, and highly arbitrary!
I haven’t chosen the number 1 shot yet: I encourage my regular visitors to nominate (via email or comment) their personal favorites from this year – I’ll take all votes into account when I make my final selection for the Year’s Best Picture.
Today’s shot is from early October, a misty early morning on Mudge Pond

Are they getting a new one for Christmas?

From this angle, this bike seems to have become a permanent part of the tree - if so, I hope Santa brings a nice new one tonight!

Everyone likes the sunset

Even the cows up on Low Road. Actually I don't think they noticed - they were too busy eating. That's probably true of most of us, most of the time - we're too busy with our daily business to notice the beauty around us. That's why I love doing this blog - it makes me open my eyes.

It was lighter today !

So what if it was dark by 4:30? That's 2 minutes later than yesterday!

Solstice

So many of our different traditional religious mid-winter holidays have one thing in common: the desire to light a candle to chase away the darkness. Tonight is the shortest night of the year. It's also the seventh night of Hanukah. All around Sharon, housesand trees are decorated with colorful strings of lights, along with Santas, reindeer, snowmen and more - fanciful or tacky, glorious or garish, take your pick, but they all have the same purpose: to celebrate, and to brighten. Our tradition is simple: we put our lit menorahs in the window to do our part to bring light to the dark of winter.

Evening Walk IV

Or V, or VI... not sure how many times I've taken a walk through Sharon near sunset. I'd never noticed these ponds before, though I'm sure I've passed them often. But the light was hitting them just right, and the leafless branches revealed what was perhaps hidden earlier in the year. (For the curious locals, this is on Rhynus Road, less than 200 yards from Gay Street.)

On the street where you live

My Fair Lady was on TV last night - I only caught a few minutes of it and didn't get to hear that lovely tune, but it reminded me that I had one more of my pavement studies to post!

I have often walked down this street before
But the pavement always stayed beneath my feet before
All at once am I
Several stories high
Knowing I'm on the street where you live!

Fallow

When I was a kid growing up in Detroit, we'd drive to Ohio a few times a year to visit our grandparents. They lived in the small town - no more than 15,000 people - where my father had grown up. As we left the city behind, my brother and I would say - "look, there are the corn field, we must be getting close!" We thought we were being funny - as city slickers we thought we were too sophisticated to have anything to do with farms. The town I live in now is far smaller than Salem, Ohio, and I no longer find anything to mock about farmland - I have nothing but respect and appreciation for farms on so many levels - for the hard work that goes into them, for how we depend on them to sustain us, for their beauty. It will be many months before this field is sown again, and many more before that brief golden moment in high summer when the sweet yellow ears are harvested and fresh corn arrives on our tables. It will be worth the wait. (Here's what this field looked like late last spring.

We only have one

And it's not even in the center of town - it's a mile or so past the shopping center, at the intersection of a very small side street - come to think of it I'm not sure why it's needed. Except I suppose every town needs one traffic light! If I were going to put one in, I'd put it where the school is, because the sight lines are poor there - it's hard to pull out into traffic on a busy morning.

Not what they seem?

When I first came upon this scene I found it strangely disturbing - it took me a moment to realize that these hooded figures were actually evergreens covered to protect them from snow and ice.

I've come back to this tree on several occasions. Now the pond is frozen so the reflection is hazy. But the evening light is as beautiful as ever.

Sometimes a photo just won't do

I went out the other night to hear a singer, Libby Johnson, perform at Manna Dew in Millerton. She appeared there because of this blog: the owner of her record label, Wrong Records, was looking for venues in Sharon and found me... I told him about Manna Dew (since Sharon has no venues for performing) and voila - here she is! She, and her sister Carrie, were both wonderful - they used to have a band in NYC called 22 Brides, and now each performs solo. Libby's record Annabella is lovely - you can listen at her website.

However, the light was not conducive to photography - way too dark and I didn't want to start firing a flash in her face. (You can see the one photo I took, plus another sketch, here.) So I went back to an earlier form of recording what I see - I never go anywhere without a sketchbook! Aside from the pleasure of drawing itself, sketching has always been a great way for a shy person to start conversations with strangers - I've met some very interesting people that way!

Doorways of the World

Marie McC of Alexandria, Va, has a blog celebrating doorways. This one is at 106 Main Street in Sharon. It provides entry into the Foundation for Community Health, which is transforming the health care system in our area with large and well-targeted grants (full disclosure: my organization has received several) and a well-respected doctor (full disclosure: I have never visited him but hear good things.) I think the building is beautiful - a few more shots of it here, as well as a closeup of the barely visible, but very interesting sticker on the lower right window.

Chains

..my baby's got me locked up in chains... (that's for Mile Stones in Portugal!) When we go by the house that has these cement posts out in front, we pretend we're unhooking our mighty steeds, before galloping off down the green. ("My horse is named Beauty" says one. "Mine's Felicity" the other chimes in. "Actually, mine's called Arabella," says the first. "Actually mine's called ...." Ten minutes later we finally get going!) We don't know what they were used for really, but it seems a likely explanation!

Bricks and history

This church, at the corner of Main and North Main, also has a large modern sign. I don't think I ever noticed this one until yesterday. The church predates the town, by the way, by six years. I wonder if it was in this actual building, or just on this spot? I'll inquire.

Shadows and shapes

A photographer I respect highly (hi mom!) sent me some of her recent photos - very different than her previous work. She was looking at pavement - cracks, paint, the occasional stray cigarrette butt - but mostly at texture, light and dark, shape. She inspired me, on my walk home from the monthly pancake breakfast, to look in new directions for visual ideas.

Winter in Sharon

Firelight Studios is right next door - I'm sure I've shown Ken and Ro's work before. Their statues are charming, especially when nature adds a little something extra.

What's the Best Thing About the Holiday Season?

Parties! In my " real" life I'm a member of the Tri-State Chamber of Commerce, and went to their holiday party this evening, at the White Hart Inn in Salisbury (two towns over from Sharon.) The amazingly talented Wanda Houston performed carols and jazz standards, backed by the equally amazingly talented Scott Heth and band. (He also led the brass band at th tree lighting on Saturday, and he also runs Sharon Audubon!) (See also here.)

Horizon Line

I never get tired of the sight of bare trees against an evening sky.

Snow at last!

No, it's not much - just a half-inch or so, but it was coming down hard for a few minutes this morning - cars were slipping and sliding around. We might get a little more tomorrow, but nothing big for at least a week or two! Come on snow, the skiiers are getting impatient!

Need rocks?

I did, so I went to the Rock Store. I bought a few to try out - I liked them so much I'm going back for more!

Locally grown

I don't know if the pettting zoo and hay bale maze are open this time of year, and the pumpkins are probably all gone...Daisi Hill is fun in every season!

The Holiday Season has officially begun

The Sharon Tree Lighting happens on the first Saturday of December. The Salisbury Marching Band and Hot Chocolate Society plays carols and Liz of the Historical Society leads everyone in singing, the creche is set up, and the tree, which must be 100 feet tall, is festooned in lights. Best of all, we see our friends and neighbors all together. 2 days ago it would have been a pleasant but untraditional event - temperatures were in the high 60's. But as you can see from everyone's clothing, it's winter now! Pictures of everything here.

"Farewell to a Fallen Brother"

When a volunteeer firefighter dies in the line of duty, it brings us all up short. We depend on these men and women, who are also teachers, road workers, clerks... in short, regular people who have chosen to do something truly extraordinary: risk their lives for the rest of us, for total strangers.

Hector "Sandy" McClune, originally from Scotland, and for many years of Millerton, NY was such an ordinary hero. His funeral, held yesterday, was attended by the fire companies and police of what seemed like every town for 50 miles around, as well as many of his neighbors who were reminded to be grateful for the gift he gave them for 46 years. More photos here.

Theme Day - Inspired by Bob of Barcelona

Many of us in the daily photo family admire the work of Bob, who until recently ran the Barcelona Daily Photo blog. He has a wonderful knack of capturing sharp dramatic light and brilliant color, as well as just the right shot that tells a human story. His blog is on hiatus (temporarily, I hope) but visit it anyway to learn about Barcelona. He had an interesting habit of getting down on the ground to shoot up, and many of us noticed how often we'd see people shown from the waist down. The Daily Photo family as a group decided to pay homage to him this month - we're all showing people from the waist down today.
52 City Daily Photo blogs are participating in this theme day, please use the links to below to visit them. Due to time zone differences and other factors, the theme photo may not be displayed until later if you are viewing early in the day.

Porto (Portugal) - Greenville (USA) - Evry (France) - Queens (USA) - Seattle, WA, (USA)[Kim] -Stayton , OR, (USA) - Albuquerque, NM (USA) - Joplin, MO (USA) - Singapore [Raymond] -Guadalajara, Mexico - Santiago, Chile - London (UK) - Jakarta (Indonesia) - Bandung (Indonesia) - Melbourne, Aust (John) - Phoenix, AZ (US) - Twin Cities, MN - Newcastle upon tyne (England) - St. Paul, MN (USA) Carol - Szentes (Hungary) - Tuzla (BiH) - St. Paul Kate - Dubai (U.A.E.) - Nelson (New Zealand) - Sharon, CT USA - Tenerife (Spain) - Auckland (New Zealand) - Budapest (Hungary) - Sydney, (Australia) [Sally] - Sequim, WA, (USA) - East Lansing, MI (USA) - Vantaa, (Finland) - Singapore [Zannnie] - Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) - Shanghai, (China) -Sydney (Australia) [Nathalie] - Hyde (UK) - Akita City, (Japan) - Tokyo (Japan) - Rotterdam (The Netherlands) - Manila (Philippines) - Seattle, WA ( USA) [Susan] - Stavanger (Norway) - Hong Kong - Chattanooga, TN, (USA) -Barcelona (Spain) - Trujillo (Peru) - Naples FL, (USA) - Delta, CO (USA) - Buenos Aires, (Argentina) -Bastia, (France (Corsica)).