Tin Roof

Winsted, Connecticut

Right across from the Elks Lodge. While asphalt shingle is the most common roofing material around here, you sometimes see slate (especially near quarries) or wood shingle and every now and then metal roofing. My impression is that this turns up mostly on rural farmhouses and barns but now and then you see a bright, shiny tin roof right in the middle of town.

No Parking in Driveway

Winsted, Connecticut

An old Elks Lodge—or maybe Eagles?—undergoing renovation. I couldn't make out the shadow image of the lodge initials, further up on the building, even more faded than the no parking shadow letters. Hazy but strong sunlight gave this corner of a modest poured-concrete building nearly a monumental feeling. I'll be interested to see what emerges after transformation.

Advertising

Winsted, Connecticut

I already liked the combination of ads for sports drinks and cigarettes, then the moving figure brought it all together.

At the Tire Store

Watertown, Connecticut

Name brand tires at discount prices, and I always find something to shoot while they do the installation. What more could you ask for?

Watertown, Connecticut

Yellow Lawn Chair

Torrington, Connecticut

WP Supplemental: More Teabagging

Another demonstration under the "tea bag" banner, ten days after the tax day events. This one in Woodbury, CT, a small town at the zone where suburban development merges into rural countryside. A 'red' town in a 'blue' state. This protest was more formal than the demonstration in New Milford ten days ago, with scheduled speakers, an audio van, and a singer/songwriter who did a contemporary protest song. The town is an antiques center and Saturday is a big tourist/shopping day with a large flea market that draws a lot of traffic. About half of the two hour event was devoted to standing at the edge of Main Street, holding signs up for the passing cars, with some honking of horns and pumping of fists out windows in response. There was no sign of counter-demonstration at all, other than one passing driver who chanted "O-BA-MA, O-BA-MA" as he passed.

I arrived ahead of the scheduled start, though a few dozen people were already there. An older gentleman approached and asked, "are you with us?" I told him I was there as an independent citizen. "Not with the CIA?"—"If I were CIA, you wouldn't know I was here." He laughed, then got to the PA system and announced "There's a fellow here taking pictures. He says he's here as an ordinary citizen, not FBI or CIA." Several times over the next hour someone would ostentatiously pull out a P&S or cell phone camera and point it at me. So I pointed my camera back. I overheard someone in the crowd tell a companion, "they are taking all our pictures and sending them straight down to Washington, DC, over the internet." Other people complained that no crews from the regional TV stations had shown up. There were a couple photographers carrying hefty shooting outfits (who for some reason didn't get an announcement over the PA system) but I didn't recognize any shooters from the nearby cities' daily papers.

Advertising

Torrington, Connecticut

A strange advertising campaign for a small regional bank.

Torrington, Connecticut

TeeVee

Torrington, Connecticut

Yard Ornaments

Torrington, Connecticut

Lions guarding the walkway to a small brick ranch house.

Dashboard Ornaments

Thomaston, Connecticut

I can't remember the last time I saw a grass-skirted dashboard figure like this.

Chickens on Fire

Winsted, Connecticut

As always, you can click on the picture to view a larger version. Hit the back button in your browser to return.

Over at The WPII Blog, the series of posts from Connecticut St. Patrick's Day Parades draws to a close today.

Times Past

Winsted, Connecticut

This little figure must have lived on salesmans' desks at Ford dealerships...sometime a while back. I don't think the rabbit has any connection, but it was just before Easter.

Marshal Services

New Haven, Connecticut

Waiting for the light at routes 10 and 34. Something about pictures from vehicles keeps fascinating me. And how often do you see a large, windowless Federal Marshal's truck out on city streets?

Shop and Promenade

New London, Connecticut

The more I look at pictures from the little resort of Ocean Beach, the more I want to get back to it when everything is in full swing this summer.

New London, Connecticut

Bridge and Pier

Old Lyme, Connecticut

Drive Thru

Deep River, Connecticut

WP Supplemental: Teabaggers

"Astroturf" is a term being used to describe an imitation grassroots movement that's actually organized, directed, and financed by political and corporate interests and their lobbyists. There are a number of demonstrations around the country today going under the title of Tax Day Tea Party. I went to one in the small western Connecticut town of New Milford this morning.





This is an Astroturf movement at the national level, but I was interested to find that it had at least some genuine grassroots features on this New England Town Green. There were no "official" speakers with prepared texts. Anyone attending was welcome to climb the steps of the gazebo on the green and have their say. Some repeated talking points found at the Teabag websites, others repeated more common political memes like the false claim that the current administration proposes to cut defense spending, when in fact the budget proposal increases defense spending by a whopping 4%. This is the sort of thing that's repeated tirelessly on talk radio.




I heard a woman in the crowd tell a companion that she didn't trust the news media anymore (a good start) and that she wouldn't have any idea what was really happening in the world without listening to Glen Beck (oh well). My favorite speaker may have been the one who claimed that Bill Clinton never worked a day in his life at a real job, Barak Obama never worked a day in his life at a real job, but George W. Bush worked in the Texas oilfields and made his way up to be a successful businessman before entering politics. Facts were in short supply compared to myths, but there was quite a bit of passion. However, nearly all the signs and placards were handmade and I had the impression that just about everyone there believed themselves to be involved in a local, spontaneous, grassroots movement.





For more on the Teabag movement's self presentation, see this site.
For more on its Astroturf roots, see this site.

Nude with Label

Washington, Connecticut

Miniature Golf

New London, Connecticut

New London was "the whaling capitol" in times past, which explains the somewhat whale-like creature on the course.

New London, Connecticut

Over at The WPII Blog, St. Patrick's Day continues.

To End All Wars

Shelton, Connecticut

Chess and Basketball

Bristol, Connecticut

A small park on the south side of town.

Bristol, Connecticut

Waiting

Forestville, Connecticut

Plainville, Connecticut

Final Markdowns

Torrington, Connecticut

It's still St. Patrick's Day over at The WPII Blog.

But they do fade...

Deep River, Connecticut

Bumper sticker.

As always, pictures posted here can be viewed in a larger (800 pixel) size by clicking on the image. Use your browser Back Button to return.

Meanwhile, St. Patrick's Day festivities continue over at The WPII Blog.

Ocean Beach, 4/3/09

New London, Connecticut

New London, Connecticut

This place looks worth a visit on a hot and muggy summer day when the crowds are out. But I may still like it better this way, in the rain, with a fierce onshore wind.

In The Road

Torrington, Connecticut

Torrington, Connecticut

The reference, at least for the second picture, is of course that cut from the White Album.

Meanwhile:

A new series begins over at the WPII Blog today, photographs from scattered celebrations of St. Patrick's Day in the waspy, staid, and conservative Southern New England state of Connecticut. If you suspect that I'm not quite serious about the staid and conservative part, link on over to find out.