I better post a picture of this before the deer eats it!

Cascade Mountain Winery

cascade, originally uploaded by jahansell.

Here's a lovely spot to visit - the Cascade Mountain WInery in Amenia. They no longer grow their own grapes, but they still bottle wine there, and have a tasting bar and restaurant, in a sweet an pretty spot tucked away in the hills.

Sharon Sprint Triathlon

swim start, originally uploaded by jahansell.

I competed in the second annual Sharon Sprint Triathlon on Saturday. I wasn't going to because my training hasn't exactly gone well this year - too many injuries. But how could i not participate in my own town's event. So I reassembled Team JKL (Jenny/Kate/Lynn) and we went for it - only Kate had to send her husband Rick at the last minute. Here we are, along with a few more shots of the day.

Project Troubador 2010

tango, originally uploaded by jahansell.

Last night's Project Troubador might have been my favorite ever. It got off to a slow start- it was raining lightly for the first few hours, and the audience didn't really start to fill up until halfway through. Too bad for the latecomers - they missed the always wonderful Joint Chiefs (but will have more chances this summer at the Millerton Farmers Market) and an Argentian singer names Sofia Tosello. But by the time the tango dancing started, the crowd was filling out, and at least 30 or 40 of us got a tango lesson too. Finally, Red Baraat, a "dhol 'n' brass" band melding Indian Bhangra with jazz and funk, was absolutely fantastic.

Misty June field

misty June field, originally uploaded by jahansell.

I don't get out early to take pictures the way I did a few years ago, but I did happen to be out and about around 7am and got this shot of mist rising over a green and golden field.... makes me so glad I live here!

Rocket ship

IMG_0149, originally uploaded by jahansell.

Apparently, this is a fuel tank for a NASA rocket on its way from Hartford to Nebraska (or some such.) Why it had to travel around the tightest intersection in the northeast (and get stuck there for about a half-hour) I'm not sure.

Looking at all the pictures of it together (see two more here) I"m reminded of a silly Sesame Street bit. It was called Howard's End, an episode of Monsterpiece Theatre narrated by Alaistair Cookie in a smoking jacket. In some fine English-looking garden, you see a worm (just part of it) and Cookie says, "This is Howard's beginning." Pan to another part of the worm. "This is Howard's middle." and you can guess the rest..."This is Howard's End."

White silo

white silo, originally uploaded by jahansell.

Most silos around here are blue - this one seems quite a bit older. White or blue, the silo is one of those iconic symbols of farming - I hope we never lose them around here.

Oakhurst Diner

oakhurst, originally uploaded by jahansell.

MIllerton's newest restaurant is the beautifully refurbished Oakhurst Diner, right in the center of the village. We had steak frites, pasta with eggplant, and a chicken cutlet with broccoli raab. They have a full breakfast and lunch menu, served all day and evening. I'll be going back!

Late sun

late sun, originally uploaded by jahansell.

Judy Albright, a wonderful artist who lives in Sharon, just posted a painting she made on Facebook of a similar scene - a brilliant sunset over emerald lawns.

Ramshackle

ramshackle, originally uploaded by jahansell.

I think I've posted a photo of this house before - it looks small from the front, but in the back, it just goes on and on. I suspect that this ramshackle, unkempt front is just that - a front. I'd bet that behind, it's got a grand entrance and perfectly manicured grounds. Owner, if you'd like to show off the secret side of your home in a photo essay on SharonCTDailyPhoto, I'll be glad to do the honors!

Nighttime walk

cows, originally uploaded by jahansell.

Tonight was the loveliest night of the year so far - so we started one of my favorite summer traditions, the sunset walk. My 8 year old daughter and I went up Low Road to where these cows live - mutual curiosity! Click on the picture to go to my Flickr site to see a few more cow photos.

Private Pond

Anyone know if this pond, on Sharon Station Road, has a name? It's a bit to the east of where the Rail Trail crosses.

Soapbox Derby coming soon

Soapbox Derby coming soon, originally uploaded by jahansell.

For a sleepy little town, Sharon has a lot of fun events all summer long. The Sharon Triathlon is coming up, as is the Adult Soapbox Derby, during which crazy grownups make crazy little cars and zoom down a hill to see who's fastest.

Red-eyed vireo

redeyedvireo, originally uploaded by jahansell.

Out in the back yard with the girls and suddenly something falls out of the sky, bounces off the roof and hits the grass. This bird was, at first, head down in the lawn, but when I touched it to see if it was dead, it looked up. Turns out it was a red-eyed vireo - you can't see the red so well at this angle, but here's another one where you can see it a bit better.

I hoped it was just stunned, but my DH (who knows birds!) thought it had a broken wing. We contemplated calling Audubon, but it was the holiday weekend and we figured nobody was around. So we left for a few hours and when we came back it was gone - either it recovered its equilibrium and flew away, or someone - cat? hawk? - got it. The circle of life!

A Very Rainy Day

rainy fence, originally uploaded by jahansell.

Yesterday rain was threatened all day, but luckily for the Millerton Farmer's Market, it mostly held off and we had a beautiful day. Today has been a different story - rain, sometimes very heavy, all day. Some thunder, all-day tornado watch, generally dreary. It was a perfect day to pop in a DVD ("Emma" with Gwyneth Paltrow , B- at best, can't hold a candle to the Romola Garai / Jonny Lee Miller version, nor even "Clueless") eat popcorn and stuff a few hundred envelopes for NECC!

A few more shots of rain here. By evening it had cleared up and we took a nice walk on the green - everything felt cool and fresh after a whole week of muggy heat.

Planter on the green

planter on the green, originally uploaded by jahansell.

Someone has been beautifying the town green - these pretty planters, some with decorative benches, are now dotting the green, providing color and peaceful places to sit. Is it the Women's Club? The Garden Club? The Lion's Club? (You'd be surprised how many clubs our small town has!)

Catamaran on Mudge Pond

sailboat2, originally uploaded by jahansell.

Not something you see every day. There was almost no wind, but somehow this family managed to make it back across the lake to whence they came.

Farmers Market Season

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The Millerton Farmers Market opened last week - just one of many around the area (and more starting every year.) I'm partial to this one because I run it! But if you're doing a Farmers Market tour in the area, check out Cornwall, Amenia, Pine Plains, Copake, Hillsdale, Great Barrington, Millbrook, Rhinebeck...  Ours (Millerton) is also on Facebook - come join our page!

Rowboat

boat bandw, originally uploaded by jahansell.

There's something timeless about a rowboat - appropriate for a black-and-white shot!

June Theme Day - Funny Signs

It's been a long time since I've participated in the global City Daily Photo theme day, but I miss being part of it, and I had a perfect contribution as it is indeed Turtle Season.  Click here, and here, and here, and especially here to see photos of snapping turtles, who cross the road, ver-r-r-r-y slowly, at this time of year. Last week, my daughter and I saw a very small one on the Rail Trail - no more than the diameter of a coffee cup, but just as fierce as the gigantic ones.

Usually well over 100 participants from all over the globe, from Paris to Kuala Lumpur, participate in the Monthly Theme Day.  Click here to view thumbnails for all participants