toad

toad, originally uploaded by jahansell.

This guy lives in Lakeville, in the parking lot at Space. We found him there a few weeks ago but I just downloaded the photos. Where do they go during the winter, I wonder?

Misty mornings

IMG_1264, originally uploaded by jahansell.

I didn't know spider webs were made of diamonds, did you? (I just heard an interesting story on NPR about one of the winners of this year's MacArthur "genius" awards - she is studying spider silk. Apparently very little is known and understood about it!)

Contrast

IMG_1216, originally uploaded by jahansell.

A misty morning over Mudge Pond.

Fences

Fences, originally uploaded by jahansell.

Good fences make good neighbors, or good farms, as the case may be!

Weekend Soccer

So I'm a soccer mom now! The Sharon rec league U-10 girls played Cornwall on Saturday, and got beat, 5-1 or was it 6-1! My daughter (in white here) scored Sharon's only goal and was she ever proud! This is her first year playing on a team, and I think she's got a knack for it, if I do say so myself! (and I do, since I'm the mom!) The main thing is the team has great spirit, everyone has fun, and plays hard.

Shades of brown

Shades of brown, originally uploaded by jahansell.

I published an almost identical photo last fall - but I just love the subtle colors and textures in this field!

The ponds at Silo Ridge

The ponds at Silo Ridge, originally uploaded by jahansell.

Another view overlooking Silo Ridge. It's a golf course, but still lovely!

Near and Far

Near and Far, originally uploaded by jahansell.

Driving on Route 44, heading east into Amenia, there's a pulloff at the top of the hill. It's hard to get a photo that really shows the scope of the view, but I'll try over the next day or two!

Sun-touched

tall, originally uploaded by jahansell.

Last photo from the mysterious pond. I have a bunch of great new ones - just need to find a few moments to get them ready!

Remnants

water, originally uploaded by jahansell.

This stand of barren trees (in the same spot where the "snowy" scene is) hs been there for years. A fire? In a pond? or a disease? I don't know!

Berkshires

berkshires, originally uploaded by jahansell.

This is one of my favorite views -cresting the hill on Route 41 for the first time, you see the rolling Berkshires in the distance. I don't know which mountain is which - one is probably Mount Washington? Anyone?

Not winter

notwinter, originally uploaded by jahansell.

This is not an icy pond from last January - I took this photo a few days ago, at one of the series of ponds lining Route 41 on the way to Lakeville. (Technically, I think this IS Lakeville.) The pond is white with - what? Algae? and the trees are blackened and leafless. It's quite a strange sight, but one few see as the traffic is flowing by at 45 mph and the curves are steep in this spot.

Grand Countryside Manor

three, originally uploaded by jahansell.

Click on this for the large view, so you can really see the scenery behind the three trees - it looks straight of a Jane Austen movie!

Combine

combine, originally uploaded by jahansell.

Here's an up-close look at the combine - I wouldn't want to get in its way!

Threshing

threshing1, originally uploaded by jahansell.

After a bit of research, I learned that the machine on the right is a combine, and it's threshing the cornstalks - grinding them up and spewing them out that top spout into the truck next to it. You can't tell the size from this faraway shot - the truck is the size of an 18-wheeler! This field is huge - it was 6:30pm when I took this picture, and they had clearly been at it all day with far to go. Just another sign of the changing seasons.

Autumn mist

IMG_0802, originally uploaded by jahansell.

Isn't that a phrase from an old children's song - "he frolicked in the autumn mist..." I guess it's the warm days and cool nights - the valleys are filled with mist each morning.

Summer's end

summers end, originally uploaded by jahansell.

It's quiet at the beach these days! (Today it's been pouring all day - much needed! so likely even quieter than this.)

Pure joy

swinging, originally uploaded by jahansell.

I have a feeling I'll be spending a lot of time hanging around the Sharon soccer fields this fall with all the little siblings while their big sisters play in the U-10 rec league. This little one lives across the street from me - her sister is in my daughter's class and on her team. In between pushes on the swing I took a few pictures. The team, by the way, had its first game against neighboring Lakeville on Saturday, and won 2-0. Nobody seemed too upset though - no rabid crazy soccer parents around here!

Hay truck

truck, originally uploaded by jahansell.

From the field I showed yesterday, here's what's taking all the hay away. i am not quite sure where it's going, though - there's no barn or silo right in this spot.

Haying season

the hay, originally uploaded by jahansell.

One day I drove by and the hay was still standing. The next day the tractor was cutting it down. It lay in rows for about three days while I kept forgetting to bring my camera with me. Finally, the day I shot a few pictures, the truck was scooping it up - it's one of the only places I've seen rectangular bales instead of the giant round ones that stay out all winter long. Now the field is bare and brown and will stay that way til next May!

bug on cosmos

bug on cosmos, originally uploaded by jahansell.

It wouldn't be Sharon CT Daily Photo without the occasional picture of a big on a flower - in this case a bee (I think) on a Cosmos (I'm sure!)

Underwater

waterleaves, originally uploaded by jahansell.

I took a whole series of photos of the detritus floating around at the edge of the pond. I probably won't post too many here but you can always view them at my flickr site - I can never decide which of several I like best. Mudge is about the only wet place in Sharon these days - like most of the country, we're in the middle of a drought now. After a very wet spring and early summer, we've now not had rain for what feels like a month, at least, but finally we have some in the forecast.)

As summer draws to a close

pond, originally uploaded by jahansell.

Is it my imagination, or are the trees turning a little early this year? I was so surprised to see the whole north side (or is it east?) of Mudge Pond going red!

First Day!

firstday, originally uploaded by jahansell.

The first day of school for all our town's children, and for mine as well, who just started here after several years at a different school. There were a few tears (some of them mine, some of them from a quite distraught child who was clinging to his mother with all the strength he could muster!), a little confusion (about lunch money, bus routes, health forms and the like) lots of smiles and excitement. My elder daughter, going into third grade, was crazy nervous - she didn't fall asleep til 11:30 last night. she hadn't met her teacher or seen her room, she was desperate to know things like - would I have my own desk with a little space below? (yes!) are there computers in the classroom? (yes!) do I get one to myself? (no!) My little one, going into Kindergarten, was calm and confident. She knew how to get to her room, she knew where her cubby was - she was all set. They both gave their first day a reasonably enthusiastic thumbs up, and then collapsed in front of the TV (with snack, homework done.) We'll go out for ice cream to celebrate in a little while.

This post marks my return to daily photoblogging - fall is so beautiful around here I don't want to miss it! I will be working on some other projects - a book and a calendar of my pictures - stay tuned for details!

Just in time for Theme Day

I'm still not back to posting regularly, but I hate to miss theme day (I made it by about 20 minutes) - this is a rerun from a month or two ago, just to say I'm still here and paying attention!

Though by the time anyone views this post, most others will have moved on to September 2, you can still see the 108 other cities that have posted interesting street signs!

Seattle (WA), USA - Ocean Township (NJ), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Cleveland (OH), USA - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Singapore, Singapore - Boston (MA), USA - Mexico (DF), Mexico - Kajang (Selangor), Malaysia - Mainz, Germany - Evry, France - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Sequim (WA), USA - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Nottingham, UK - Toulouse, France - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Manila, Philippines - Mumbai, India - Montpellier, France - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Stayton (OR), USA - Moscow, Russia - Paris, France - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Austin (TX), USA - Lyon, France - Stockholm, Sweden - Hyde, UK - Hong Kong, China - Joplin (MO), USA - Seoul, South Korea - Chandler (AZ), USA - St. Louis (MO), USA - Arlington (VA), USA - Anderson (SC), USA - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Villigen, Switzerland - Sydney, Australia - Ampang (Selangor), Malaysia - Montego Bay, Jamaica - Norwich (Norfolk), UK - San Diego (CA), USA - Bandung (West Java), Indonesia - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Nelson, New Zealand - Quincy (MA), USA - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Bend (OR), USA - Wellington, New Zealand - New Orleans (LA), USA - Cypress (TX), USA - Nashville (TN), USA - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - Detroit (MI), USA - Saigon, Vietnam - Selma (AL), USA - Phoenix (AZ), USA - Miami (FL), USA - Arradon, France - Sheki, Azerbaijan - New York City (NY), USA - Inverness (IL), usa - North Bay (ON), Canada - Melbourne, Australia - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Tenerife, Spain - Auckland, New Zealand - Forks (WA), USA - Rotterdam, Netherlands - Chateaubriant, France - Madison (WI), USA - Wailea (HI), USA - Orlando (FL), USA - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Ajaccio, France - Baltimore (MD), USA - Crepy-en-Valois, France - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Budapest, Hungary - Lyon, France - Saarbrücken, Germany - Adelaide (SA), Australia - Le Guilvinec, France - River Falls (WI), USA - Stavanger, Norway - Naples (FL), USA - London, UK - La Antigua, Guatemala - Philadelphia (PA), USA - Montréal (QC), Canada - Paris, France - San Diego (CA), USA - Trujillo, Peru - Haninge, Sweden - Prague, Czech Republic - Oslo, Norway - Grenoble, France - Shanghai, China - Toronto (ON), Canada - Durban, South Africa - Zurich, Switzerland - Cape Town, South Africa - Singapore, Singapore - Torino, Italy - Flagstaff (AZ), USA