Winter on Wononskopomuc

Lake Wononskopomuc in the northwestern corner of Connecticut bustles with boaters and swimmers during the warmer months. When the temperature drops in the winter, the lake freezes to a skater’s paradise. On the particular day, as winter crept into New England, the lake wasn’t frozen but the snow was falling, and the bare trees and rocks at the Grove hold the promise of fun to come.

Winter on Wononskopomuc

Beach Cairn

I went down to the beach to try out my new Christmas present on this fine PNW morning. I’ll have to admit that I constructed the mini-cairn myself, but I thought the texture in the rocks and on the rock surface was cool so I decided to post it anyway. I might have to try to pose things and create shots more often.

Beach Cairn

Northam

Trinity College’s Long Walk (of which Northam Hall here is only a part) impresses with just a glance. Living in this Harry-Potter-esque tower delivered a college experience that was more literally epic than I ever expected. The wind blasted through the ancient windows and the walls were two feet thick and the path to actually get to my dorm room was labyrinthine.

Northam

Duchess Sunset

Sunset over New York’s Duchess County (as seen from the northwestern edge of Connecticut) glazed the land with an epic but bucolic light. The fields stretched out under a dusting of snow and Christmas lights glinted in the distant houses. The icing on the cake was the smell of woodsmoke on the evening air.
This is what New England is all about.

Duchess Sunset

Merry Christmas! Obergurgl

Another shot of Obergurgl, this time in the morning from the University Center where the conference was that I was attending. Obergurgl was just spectacular, though a little resort-y and this shot gives you an idea of what the bulk of the village looks like.

I hope everyone is having a happy holidays!

Alpine Village

Gold and Green

Wine country in the fall is a little slice of heaven. The rain had passed, the last of the fogs and cloud were rolling past the distant hills, and the golden vines are drifting into hibernation for the colder season. Perhaps vineyards are the best combination of the sophisticated and the bucolic. If nothing else, the slightly artificial reality of Napa contrasts starkly with the slightly artificial urbanity of Berkeley.

Gold and Green