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Ruby Tuesday - Patti+ The ever lovely Patti has successfully had her surgery today, and is sleeping off the anesthesia right now. We tend to be private about some things. Here, though, she had a mastectomy on her left side (and has has been posting at her site). With the wonderful surgeon, also the head of the Breast Wellness Center at Griffin Hospital in Derby CT, we are very confident of the future...

Ruby Tuesday is a fun meme, we look for rubies in many places. Patti is mom extradinore of our two charges. Each view is mom (with ruby attire) holding on to them when the kiddies seem to prefer to be anywhere else. So the happy past is also the prologue to a happy future. See happy rubies all about at Mary’s meme! Posted by Ralph at 12:00 17 comments: Labels: Patti, Ruby Tuesday, surgery


Shadow Shot Sunday - Watering the Spring Flowers Shadow Shot Sunday, hosted by Brisbane artist Tracy, arrives in the midst of the shift to Spring in the northern climes. We look for more warmth, sun and the feeling that the gardens will soon need tending.

Of course, on the night of 25 March, the temperatures were to fall to 22°F (-5°C). That is not a springtime temperature!

Okay, our imaginations alone will have to compensate. Perhaps we can go back in time, perhaps 20 years ago to (later) Spring 1991 on our patio in the Ansonia Uplands. Two-year old Allegra is tending to the potted flowering plant, water a large part of its care and feeding, No doubt the daughter learned about tending flora from Mom, and the lessons were well learned.

The scanned old print has not aged well, the colors fading and amiss. Yet, although the photo has degraded in quality, our memories have not! See shadowy captures and memories at the always fun Hey Harriet! Posted by Ralph at 09:00 24 comments: Labels: 1991, Allegra, Ansonia, Shadow shot Sunday


Ruby Tuesday - Winter ruby reminder Posted by Ralph at 12:45 13 comments: 


Shadow Shot Sunday - Nearly Spring Tides and Such Shadow Shot Sunday, by artist Tracy in still warm Brisbane, arrives as the northerly Spring season is about to land. Of course up here, we have complained about the cold and snow in blog, picture and prose. Patti and I were out and about to capture a warmer day shadow or two.

Today, the temperatures near Long Island Sound was nearly 70°F (21°C), and short sleeves and sandals seemed to predominate. Ah, the lure of warmth after the winter season seem to prompt people to dress irrationally - on a day like this in a four-season climate, we are ready!

However, the leaves on the trees trees are yet to occur. At the nearest beach (25 minute drive), it looks exceptional. But the bare trees let us know that the season we await is very near... At the beach in nearby West Haven, the nearly Spring views are stark, despite the nice blue sky.

On top, the ebb tide looks the same in all seasons as far as the briny water goes, if not the lack of foliage.

Both views though offer the sun induced shadows. If not that warm, the shadows show the solar influence - it at least looks warm. The earlier the warm, the loopier we become, though Saturday's high temperature will only be 50°F (10° C). Time to put the sandals away...

All seasons provide shadowy artistry, so be sure to see them all at Hey Harriet! Labels: Long Island Sound, Shadow shot Sunday, West Haven


Sepia Scenes - Airborne Sepia Scenes arrives, and as the warmer seasonal sun starts to move in, we gaze upwards. Perhaps to the classic sound of a piston engine airplane with its propeller pulling the craft through the sky.

Off we go into the wild sepia yonder (to paraphrase the US Air Force song), the aerobatic aircraft performing that fast vertical climbs up or quick descents down. These light and powerful devices move with speed and the daring pilots seem to pull up out of trouble at the last possible second (!) to the gasps of the spectators below who applaud their daring moves.

The sepia sky tones down the sky scene and allows us to better admire the aerodynamically styled aluminum 'birds' during their performance. See Mary's fun meme for more sepia, be it still or in motion... Posted by Ralph at 08:00 10 comments: Labels: Air Show, Sepia Scenes


Shadow Shot Sunday - Warm Ansonia Welcome Shadow Shot Sunday, by Tracy in warm (and hopefully dry) Brisbane, reappears on this end-of-winter, change-the-clock time. The daylight savings time adds a psychological lift to our spirits, as the days of longer light will look and perhaps even feel warmer.

However, the scene today is not in the present tense, my imagination is not that active. This was taken a few summers ago, the scene the town line on the island at the junction of Marshall Lane and Schumaker Drive in Ansonia. (Sharp eyed viewers might notice my late behemoth Ford van in the background...)

The town decided that a proper warm welcome should be provided to those drivers entering our small city. And on a warm day in August, the green grass and shade has the look and feel of comfort, a calm sultry day. See the shadowy world at the most excellent Hey Harriet! Posted by Ralph at 08:00 23 comments: 


Ruby Tuesday - Equine rubies Ruby Tuesday arrives, and allows for rubies from mighty to minimalist.

Today it is the latter, the quantity of red being not so significant. The place is the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, the events equestrian, the venue the beautiful Santa Anita Park.

Rubies include the red flags that line the course and the barrier to be jumped over in the back. If one imagines, the magnificent and beautiful jumping horse whose chestnut color seems to pick up a hint of dark red under the smog laden foothill sun.

Whatever fashion of rubies you may fancy, from a lot to a little, see lots of them at Mary’s fun meme! Posted by Ralph at 16:21 17 comments: Labels: 1984, Olympics, Ruby Tuesday


Shadow Shot Sunday - The British arrived Shadow Shot Sunday, by Tracy in Brisbane, arrives on a cool March day. The 'redcoats' are amassing on the Milford (CT) green. However, it is not the invasion that occurred on the western shore of New Haven Harbor in 1779 as the sea of red jackets seems to Except we are compelled to suspend belief in that theory:

1) These 'troops' lack the age, precision and discipline of the 18th century British army.
2) Those are sticks instead of flintlock muskets.

Obviously, it is a modern re-enactment on the center green of the town created by local historical society. The look of the past was maintained by editing out the modern landscape of cars, trucks and utility wires. The house in the background is from the era, so except for the age and weaponry, this might have been a day in 1779 along Broad Street. The past becomes part of the present - as if I arrived from the future and invaded the scene as well.

The 1770s didn't have such things as a 24-volt DC electric motors, tires made of nylon nor wheelchairs with computer controls either.

The contrast between then and now is really apparent as I speak with Christine of the Derby Historical Society, looking as if she arrived from the eighteenth century. Then and now, now and then - whichever we choose, shadows ought to reign supreme...

See shadows from any era at Hey Harriet! Posted by Ralph at 09:00 34 comments: Labels: Derby Historical Society, Milford, Redcoats, Shadow shot Sunday


Sepia Scenes - Bayside Communion Sepia Scenes, by Mary in the Whitestone section of NYC, offers us a subtle monochrome medley - to enhance any subject.

Regular readers have seen my look at the past before. Happily, I have a nice B&W print from long ago that accepts a sepia edit.

The subject is firstborn big sister Michele. The year is 1962, the occasion is her First Communion at St. Kevin's church on 195th Street in Flushing. The setting here is in front of our apartment building at 203 -11 42nd Avenue in Bayside.

This road is tree lined with a center island up from Francis Lewis Boulevard. As urban landscapes go, it was as I remember at age 7, a bucolic and relaxed place to play and grow.

I guess this to be a nice day in May of that year. Michele is resplendent in her white Communion dress, and her smile is as bright as the mood on this fine day. The light antique seems perfect, a day to celebrate a milestone... Posted by Ralph at 08:00 7 comments: Labels: 1962, Bayside, Michele, Sepia Scenes

Ralph Villers - Ansonia CT 1975, in a sea of plaid... Ours: Alcam Writing and Admin LLC Always lovely Little no more Linus McDonald My Wheels Views since 2007 Ansonia CT USA (GMT - 4:00)