Autosport

autosport, originally uploaded by jahansell.

One of our friendly neighborhood businesses - Todd, Eric and the other guys always do a wonderful job on my car!

School transformed

school, originally uploaded by jahansell.

For as long as I've lived in Sharon, the school in the center of town has had a forbidding-looking chain link fence and some dilapidated playground equipment out front. I recently noticed both were gone, and it looks much grander now.

Hooray leaves

hooray leaves, originally uploaded by jahansell.

This picture is obviously a few weeks old (it was WAY too cold this morning for sleeveless shirts!) but it was on the once-was-lost-but-now-I'm-found camera - so I'll be playing catchup for a few days!

blue chairs

bluechairs, originally uploaded by jahansell.

Every time I think about quitting this blog, I get some wonderful incentive to keep going. Tonight I'm not getting around to posting til 11:30 - I had a meeting after work, and an article to write (and laundry, and lunches to make...) But at the meeting, a wonderful artist I know encouraged me to keep going. She does a painting every day (way harder than a photo!) and sometimes when she feels like she can't do it, she visits my blog and sees that I've managed to carry on another day. So go visit her wonderful blog and tell her I sent you!

By the way I've finally downloaded and posted the photo of the blackbird from my posting of 10/25 - if you've been following the saga of the trapped bird and the lost camera, go check it out!

BnB to Be?

bnb to be, originally uploaded by jahansell.

This house, next door to mine, has been empty for several years. It was bought by a couple from a nearby town, who have systematically improved and beautified the grounds - everything looks pretty swanky now where it was, well, a bit decrepit when we moved in four years ago. They own four houses in our little plot - we live in the only one they don't own. They've said they're planning to open a bed and breakfast in the house, which is enormous - actually two houses attached together. One was here originally, and the other, which I think is somewhat older, was brought here from some other spot and added on. They moved in last weekend but we haven't run into them yet - I'm looking forward to hearing their plans, as a bed and breakfast might change the feeling of our little spot.

Twin Oaks, barren

twin oaks barren, originally uploaded by jahansell.

I'm sorry I haven't posted for half a week - I went away for Thanksgiving and neither brought a computer nor tried to find one. It was a nice break! I'm back, and I have a funny story to tell. Remember this story from a full month ago? I was certain that my 5-year-old took my camera without asking and left it at the town's soccer field. I asked her several times, and finally she remembered, and explained that she'd walked around, taking pictures, and then lay down on a bench, forgetting the camera there. When we went back, it was gone, and nobody reported finding it. A month went by, and then a few days ago, we all got into my car for a family trip for Thanskgiving. My husband opened the center console in the car, and there was the camera, exactly where I'd put it myself - my daughter hadn't touched it. She created the memory because I wanted her to - and I think she really believed it! What power a mother has over her daughter - it's truly sobering! (I'll download the photo that went with the original post tomorrow!) [Edited to say - the photo is there at last, just click the link above.]

Meanwhile, about this photo: it's the iconic "Twin Oaks Field" from afar - the trees have lost most of their leaves, but the field is still green.

First Snow of the year...

smile, originally uploaded by jahansell.

... and the kids at school were happy!

Another day, another stream

This sweet spot is next to the Rail Trail in Millerton.

Stream in salisbury

stream in salisbury, originally uploaded by jahansell.

One more shot from our little trip down the embankment... I will try to find the drawing my daughter did and post it tomorrow to conclude the series!

Under the bridge

under, originally uploaded by jahansell.

Few people see this angle - the stream my daughter was sketching in yesterday's picture meanders underneath the rail trail in Salisbury - most people stay up top, I'm sure!

Artist at work

artist, originally uploaded by jahansell.

On a walk on the rail trail in Salisbury, a scramble down the embankment to the stream for some sketching and shooting.

Fallen

fallen, originally uploaded by jahansell.

This photo was taken a week or two ago - it wouldn't look like this today - after some cold weather and some soggy rain, everything is turning brown, fast.

Swinging over the red carpet

swing over a carpet, originally uploaded by jahansell.

It's hard to read that this is a swing - but it seems magical, doesn't it?

Victoriana

victoriana, originally uploaded by jahansell.

Another great house on the Green - I think often these houses were small when first built, and then added onto many times over the years so they sprawl. I wonder if that porch was original to the house?

Upper Main Street

upper main, originally uploaded by jahansell.

I'm not sure if I've posted a picture of this house before. It's one of the grand old homes on Upper Main Street on the Sharon Green - they all date back about 150 years, I think.

Writer's Strike Got You Down?

surgery, originally uploaded by jahansell.

If your favorite medical show is going on hiatus because of the Hollywood Writer's Strike, come to Sharon. We have enough doctors in our tiny town to staff Seattle Grace, Princeton Plainsboro, Chicago County General and a half-dozen others. This office alone could probably provide several heart-warming and dramatic episodes - I'm sure there's a tale behind their mysteriously decrepit and neglected yard!

Why the Long Face?

welcome to grandview farm, originally uploaded by jahansell.

Or: Welcome to Grandview Farm. Was hanging out there just at the end of the day a few days ago... is there any nice place to live in all of Sharon?

Now what?

now what, originally uploaded by jahansell.

Obviously not Sharon - I went to NYC on Friday. I didn't do a lot of shooting, but this sign struck me as pretty much summing up how i feel most of the time! (I wish I'd gotten a shot of another sign I walked by, for the Gotham Book Mart and its little sign that says "Wise Men Fish Here" - it was run for decades by Frances Stelloff, who was a friend of my grandmother and who I met when she was in her 90's (and still doing yoga headstands every day.) Frances is gone, my grandma is gone, and the Gotham Book Mart is closed, the building for sale. Nothing lasts forever, nor should it, as Hawthorne said in much more elegant words!

And for those of you who have inquired - no, my camera did not turn up. I still have my very old Canon G3, which took this shot (and many of my best from the early days of this blog), and my newer Nikon D70 - but it was awfully nice having a pocket-sized one to carry around all the time!

Silo

Late afternoon sun at Grandfview Farm

reflected flight

reflected flight, originally uploaded by jahansell.

This is the pond at Grandview Farm. As I walked closer, I startled a Great Blue Heron. Can you spot it?

Away We Go

away we go, originally uploaded by jahansell.

And they're on their way...though not very far - mostly just to the local ponds.

Theme Day: The Color Blue

Until just two days ago, my morning glories were blooming furiously - I don't know if they ever lasted so late in the season. But we finally had a killing frost, so this is all I have left of them now!

120 blogs are participating in monthly theme day. Take a trip around the world to see all the varieties of the color blue! (Remember, due to differences in time zones, some posts may not be up yet when you start your trip!)

Boston (MA), USA - Cleveland (OH), USA - Philadelphia (PA), USA - Arlington (VA), USA - Cape Town, South Africa - Portland (OR), USA - Sequim (WA), USA - Selma (AL), USA - Arradon, France - Petaling Jaya (Selangor), Malaysia - Stockholm, Sweden - Singapore, Singapore - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Phoenix (AZ), USA - Seattle (WA), USA - Toulouse, France - The Hague, Netherlands - Moscow, Russia - Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Stayton (OR), USA - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Detroit (MI), USA - Crystal Lake (IL), USA - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Nelson, New Zealand - Bandung (West Java), Indonesia - Greenville (SC), USA - Hyde, UK - Radonvilliers, France - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Nashville (TN), USA - Manila, Philippines - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Saarbrücken, Germany - New Orleans (LA), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Hobart (Tasmania), Australia - Forks (WA), USA - Wichita (Ks), USA - Barton (VT), USA - St. Louis (MO), USA - Joplin (MO), USA - Chandler (AZ), USA - Quincy (MA), USA - Setúbal, Portugal - Inverness (IL), USA - Christchurch, New Zealand - Toruń, Poland - North Bay (ON), Canada - Le Guilvinec, France - Chateaubriant, France - London, England - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Naples (FL), USA - Norwich (Norfolk), UK - Sydney, Australia - Austin (TX), USA - Mumbai, India - Boston (MA), USA - Santa Fe (NM), USA - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Paderborn, Germany - Montréal (QC), Canada - Jackson (MS), USA - Stavanger, Norway - Orlando (FL), USA - Grenoble, France - Cheltenham, UK - Forks (WA), USA - Mexico City, Mexico - West Sacramento (CA), USA - Silver Spring (MD), USA - Weston (FL), USA - London, UK - Jefferson City (MO), USA - Ocean Township (NJ), USA - Belgrade, Serbia - Paris, France - Shanghai, China - Montego Bay, Jamaica - Montpellier, France - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Wailea (HI), USA - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Auckland, New Zealand - Evry, France - New York City (NY), USA - Nottingham, UK - Las Vegas (NV), USA - Oslo, Norway - Minneapolis (MN), USA - American Fork (UT), USA - Cypress (TX), USA - Haninge, Sweden - Trujillo, Peru - Trujillo, Peru - Melbourne (VIC), Australia - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Durban, South Africa - Brussels, Belgium - Anderson (SC), USA - Budapest, Hungary - Wellington, New Zealand - Prague, Czech Republic - Saigon, Vietnam - Ystad, Sweden - Miami (FL), USA - Seoul, South Korea - Hong Kong, China - Melbourne, Australia - Baziège, France - Greensboro (NC), USA