A Summer Day, Washington Depot, Connecticut, USA

Clouds build and enhance a pastoral farm scene in Washington Depot. Located 80 miles north of New York City, it is a popular escape for the city folk with too much money and a yearning for the gentleman/gentlewoman farmer life (on weekends anyway).



The little red shed - it gets more weathered and dilapidated every year. It must be disguising a portal to a parallel universe or the owners would surely have torn it down otherwise.



A running dog.



A walking dog.



No dog at all.

One of thousands of stone walls that dot the landscape of Litchfield County.



A riot of Bee Balm - and no hummingbirds around to enjoy it.



"Weeds" by the side of the road.



A white fence.



A faintly pink sky at sunset.



Glowing sunflower sculpture meets black-eyed-susan. It's a beautiful life in the Depot, I look forward to visiting again.

A Wander Through the Village, Washington Depot, Connecticut, USA

After our hike through the Hidden Valley Preserve (at this link), we wandered a bit in the Depot's "downtown" area.  I am not much of a car guy but, I think this antique Ford Thunderbird  is from the early 1960's. (1961 perhaps?) Not quite as old as I but, it appeared to be better preserved.



Cars from that era had a lot of glass and not so much frame structure, a gear shift on the steering column, and an AM radio to listen to the Beach Boys, Everly Brothers, Chubby Checker, and Elvis!



The best scarecrow ever!



The purple thistle was popular with the bumblebees. It seemed like he was sprawled flat-bellied onto the thistle spikes - like relaxing on a bed of nails.



The gold dome of town hall glowed brightly on this warm summer day.



My empty water glass at lunch turned into a lens pointed at the deck railings. (I am easily entertained - and a cheap date since I usually just drink water).



The clouds started building into what became a brief but intense late afternoon thunderstorm......



.......and the resulting downpour glistened on these black-eyed-susan flower petals. The Depot is a beautiful small village in the heart of Connecticut's Litchfield Hills area. I have blogged from here in the past and for a look at one of those posts, here's a trip down memory lane, at this link from a few years ago.

A Walk in the Woods, Hidden Valley Preserve, Washington Depot, Connecticut, USA

Hidden Valley Preserve is a 650-acre park just outside the village of Washington Depot, Connecticut. The land was donated in 1963 to the Steep Rock Association to manage. Trails beside and foot bridges across the Shepaug River make for a great quiet place to enjoy nature.



Thoreau said it best as this laser cut metal sign next to a footbridge attests.



The water level was low today......



.....allowing these rock towers to stand a bit longer - until high water rushes through and topples them.



I don't need water to topple me, I can do it myself just by trying to balance on one leg on a rock in a river - note to self - do not try this again - it seemed easier when I was in my twenties. (Photo: Amy Davies Photography).



100-foot pines paved the path with their soft, spongy needles.



There's something about a walk in the woods that calms the spirit.



And a picture of a picture in a picture can be fun, too.



This wider trail is the maintenance access road. It's a good place for a dog to take his human for a run.



One of two footbridges across the river.



An inquisitive and friendly critter on a leash.....and the dog was friendly, too.......



... and one not on a leash.  He was just wandering the forest floor out for a walk in the woods just like me. Of course, I wasn't worried about predators like he should have been.  Nature can be harsh but, almost always a source of great beauty.

Random Sights, Washington Depot, Connecticut, USA

The Gunn Memorial Library is a non-profit corporation providing free public library services to Washington Depot and the surrounding communities. It is dedicated to the promotion of literacy, education, and preservation of the Town's history and culture, via the Gunn Historical Museum. (Note: regular readers will observe once again that I am drawn to a convex mirror like a moth to a flame).

The adjacent Gunn Museum offers exhibits that are free and open to the public. During our visit,  an exhibition of the "Photography of Nell Dorr" was on display. This is not my camera - it's too big to fit in my pocket.

Ceiling detail inside the library building.

The children's area of the library features the coolest couch - this "cowch" is for the kids to lounge on as they read.

One doesn't normally think of growing peaches in Connecticut but, here you are.

And always, everywhere in New England - flowers explode during the summer months. It's a powerfully beautiful world we live in as New England demonstrates regularly.

Horse Farm, Washington Depot, Connecticut, USA

All the beautiful rolling hills of this area make wonderful locations for keeping horses.  When I pulled off the road by this farm, this fellow perked up and started directly towards the fence line.

I think he was expecting a treat. Or a soft human touch on his muzzle. The mask on his face protects his eyes from the annoying flies buzzing around.

In the adjacent paddock, word spread fast (neighs spread fast?) that humans were at the fence so others wandered over perhaps hoping for a treat or at least a scratch.

 No treats were offered but, a nice rub on the muzzle seemed to be appreciated.

Conferring about their respective human interactions?

And as we left, this one stared longingly after our friendly touch and gentle voices. Who says animals don't have complex feelings?

Rolling Green Hills, Washington Depot, Connecticut, USA

The rolling countryside around the Washington Depot area is impossibly beautiful.

It is no wonder that many of these properties have been bought up by folks from the New York City area wanting a quiet country home and an escape from the busy city about two hours south of here. 

 A working farm in the valley.

Did you know that Connecticut is home to the first hamburger (1895), Polaroid camera (1934), helicopter (1939), and color television (1948). And, in colonial New Haven, cut pumpkins were used as guides for haircuts to ensure a round uniform style. Because of this fashion, these New Englanders were nicknamed "pumpkin-heads." Now you know.  (Source: 50states.com).

Averill Farm Apple Orchard, Washington Depot, Connecticut, USA

The 250-acre Averill Farm in Washington Depot is a family farm that has been operated by the Averill family for nine generations since acquiring the land in 1746 from Chief Waramaug. I visited for some good old fashioned apple pickin'. The image above, for some strange reason, makes the apples look like they are defying gravity and floating upwards in mid-air - must have been one of those low-gravity days.

The reality is the opposite - the boughs are bending to touch the ground with their heavy loads of fresh ripe apples, still damp with morning dew.

Big clumps ready to be picked, weighed, sold, and eaten.

I don't know what variety these are - they look more like tomatoes than apples.

Here's the size comparison to a "regular" sized apple.

I didn't see any bird residents in this house.  Seems like a busy area to attract a bird family.

These two lovely young women apple pickers were happy to be out wandering the rows and enjoying a beautiful fall day in New England.

Time to head home and make apple pies! Can anything in life be more wholesome than picking and eating apples on a beautiful fall day?