Saturday, October 31, 2015

Dolphins


Yesterday I saw two dolphins cavorting in Venetian Bay, in the channel next to
the shops of The Village on Venetian Bay.


Friday, October 30, 2015

Natalie


Natalie Guess is a talented batik artist.  The Guess-Fisher Gallery in Crayton Cove shows her batik works -- like this palm tree -- beside paintings by her husband, Phil Fisher.  
Two weeks ago, the Naples Daily News published a nice profile about
Natalie, discussing her batik techniques and how she ended up an artist.
There is also a three minute video showing her create a work.

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Osprey


This osprey has chosen a low tree for roosting, giving me a better view of him than I usually get.


Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Beach Access

Wherever you decide to cross the dunes to go to the beach, 
the first views of the beach and the gulf are usually pretty.


Olde Naples


Barefoot Beach


Little Hickory Island

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

The Snowbirds are Back! The Snowbirds are Back!


When automobile transporters begin swarming the streets of southwest Florida,
northerners will soon follow.

Monday, October 26, 2015

Circle K



A dozen young men and women carried trash bags and walked the beach.  They were picking up 
trash on Barefoot Beach as part of a project sponsored by Circle K International, a college-based 
service and fellowship organization affiliated with Kiwanis. 

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Stone Crab Festival


One of the earliest and newest festivals of the Naples season is the Stone Crab Festival,
at Tin City on the waterfront.




Saturday, October 24, 2015

They Are DOGS!


I am probably already in trouble with half of my viewers, so I will shut up.

Friday, October 23, 2015

Tuning


The musicians were tuning up before last night's concert at the
Naples-Concert-Hall-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named-Because-Photography-is-Prohibited.
(I agree with the prohibition during a performance, but an unobtrusive iPhone photo
during tuning seems pretty innocent to me.)

The first piece was Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathustra.  After intermission, Emanuel Ax was 
the soloist for Brahms' Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in B-Flat Major. 

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Remembering Birdman

Cemeteries in Naples are much different from New England.  Up there, we have somber gravestones. Down here, the cemeteries seem to have urns with colorful flowers, real and plastic.
This is the Naples Memorial Garden.


And, today I am remembering Mark L. Norton, a fellow City Daily Photo blogger, who passed away suddenly earlier this week.  Birdman started his pORTcITYdAILYpHOTO blog on January 1, 2009, and posted one photo per day every day afterward.  Birdman regaled his loyal followers with memories of growing up in Portland, Maine, and witty observations about current life.

Birdman wrote lovingly of his art teacher wife, Elenka, and his son, Justin.  He was only in his first year of retirement from teaching English for 41-1/2 years.  Birdman, you will be missed.
His obituary is here.  His family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to
Animal Rescue League of Portland, P.O.Box 336, Westbrook ME 04098.

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Mort



Mort and his wife visited Naples from their home in Boca Raton.
He is president of his camera club, following a fifty year career as a professional photographer.
Mort headed the photography department at Brookhaven National Laboratory. 

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Weegee

There is a wonderful exhibition of photographs by acclaimed photographer Weegee at the
Naples-museum-that-cannot-be-named-because-photography-is-not-permitted.
(I figure that a wide angle view that doesn't focus on specific works is OK . . . shhhh!)


Weeegee photographed gritty reality in the 1930s and 40s:  crime scenes, fires, accidents,
poverty, homelessness, nightlife, crowd scenes, loneliness.



"To make pictures, you have to mingle . . . with presidents, queens, and gangsters . . . with everybody.  You can't just be polite.  You have to go around sticking your nose into other people's business."

Monday, October 19, 2015

Fit and Fuel


Fit and Fuel Bicycle Cafe is next to (and owned by) Naples Cyclery.  The front room has vintage Art Deco bicycle posters on the brick walls, under old bikes.  Here, Kelly serves healthy, organic choices including locally-roasted coffee.  That is the "fuel."  In the back is the room where fitting experts from Naples Cyclery fit riders to bicycles appropriate to their riding needs.  That is the "fit."

Sunday, October 18, 2015

Oktoberfest


Yesterday afternoon, Naples Cyclery sponsored Oktoberfest in big tents next to the store.






Saturday, October 17, 2015

First Sunset


These are the first Florida sunset photographs of the season on my blog.  There will be more.


This was taken before the sky color became saturated.  It is probably a better composition.

Friday, October 16, 2015

Back in Southwest Florida!

I arrived back in Naples with one hour of sunlight remaining, so I ran to check out
(and photograph) the golf course renovations before unpacking my car.


After a summer of sun and afternoon rains, the grass is dense and vivid green, the new trees
are healthy, and the water hazard (i.e., pond to non-golfers) is full.  Fore!


Another hole that underwent less intense renovations also looks good.

See more photographs with reflections on James' blog, Weekend Reflections.

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Savannah Again

Savannah is a good place to stay on the first night northbound or the second night southbound.


Ballastone Inn had a nice fall display.


Johnny Mercer was one of Savannah's favorite sons.  He was a successful and prolific songwriter ("Moon River"), winner of four Oscars for best song, and a co-founder of Capitol Records.
Susie Chisholm is the sculptor.


The Savannah Cotton Exchange was completed in 1887 when the city ranked first on the Atlantic coast as a cotton port and second in the world.  Today the building serves
as the headquarters of the Savannah Chamber of Commerce.


The Savannah riverfront is far below the city, accessible by some steep old steps.


And, yesterday was Trellis' (blue) birthday, so Meghan (green) and Christina (ivory) took her 
out to dinner at The Pink House, one of Savannah's best known restaurants.
Trellis and Meghan teach art at a Savannah high school.  Christina is a dancer.

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Transitions


Most of the foliage in greater Hartford is still green, but last weekend some fall color appeared.


This pretty barn in Weatogue (eastern Simsbury) backs up to Avon Mountain.


This is Prospect Avenue, the border between Hartford and West Hartford.


Speaking of transitions . . . yesterday I began the drive south to Florida.
I reached the mountains of western Virginia last night. 

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Avon Cider Mill

For years, Avon Cider Mill was the place to go in autumn for pumpkins, apples, chrysanthemums, cider and pies.  But, a couple of years ago, the property was sold to a developer.  



Good news!  Avon Cider Mill is now sharing space on Nod Road with 
The Pickin' Patch (a pick-it-yourself vegetable farm) and the crowds are bigger than ever.

Monday, October 12, 2015

The Pinchot Sycamore


Simsbury's Pinchot Sycamore is Connecticut's biggest tree, 200 to 300 years old, almost 28 feet in circumference and 104 feet tall.  It is named for Gifford Pinchot, a Simsbury resident who was the 
first head of the United States Forestry Service and founder of the Yale School of Forestry.  
Pinchot is considered the father of conservation in the United States.

Sunday, October 11, 2015

Benches


This year the Elizabeth Park Conservancy renovated the 600 benches in the park.
A vendor scraped and repainted the metal supports and replaced all of the wooden slats.  
The project was supported by generous donations.

Saturday, October 10, 2015

Silly Me

Lady walking dog:   The dog and I both gained weight last winter.  We need this long walk.
Silly me:                   I wear this Fitbit to encourage me to get out and walk.  It counts my steps.  I aim  
                                   for at least 10,000 steps (five miles) a day.
Lady walking dog:   That is great.  I am running the Hartford Marathon this weekend.  It will be my
                                   40th marathon since 2002.
Silly me:                   Oh.

Friday, October 9, 2015

Avery Court

Most of the people at the Wadsworth Atheneum were visiting the recently renovated and re-opened
galleries, featuring paintings from the museum's European collection.


But, while there, I visited Avery Court, which shows modern paintings like Dali and Kirchner.
Other than moving some paintings around, Avery Court is little changed.

Please visit James' website Weekend Reflections for more photographs with reflections