Its a beautiful day in the neighborhood
but I need to stay at home this afternoon; theyre allegedly coming sometime soon to finally fix my washing machine. The warranty company doesnt have anyone in the area that they deal with directly so Im supposed to pay for the repairs and then submit the bill for reimbursement. Anyone want to bet on the chances of that going smoothly? At least I wont have to drive to the Laundromat any more.
It looks like summer is almost over, even though it seems like we never really had one. Its been getting pretty cold at night lately and some of the leaves are actually starting to turn already. I hope we have a dry and colorful autumn.
I drove around a bit yesterday and took a few photos at some interesting places nearby. At least I think theyre interesting
The first stop was about about nine miles (14.5 km) north. These kilns are all that remain of a large 19th century iron works. They were used to make the charcoal to fuel local blast furnaces. Iron mining was a major industry around here.
The two structures are located just a bit off of a major state road but the vast majority of people in this area dont even know that they are here. Thats why theyre still in such great condition and you dont see bottles, cans and garbage strewn all over the place.
I drove right by them myself for several years. I never noticed them and I look for (and love) stuff like this.
This dam is around 4 miles (6.4 km) away in a tiny part of town called Dover Furnace. It and a water wheel were originally built in 1835 to power the bellows for one of four iron smelting blast furnaces which once stood nearby.
The wheel was converted in 1941 to run a small electric generating plant but now its all nothing but rusting ruins.
There are trout in the Swamp River just a couple miles (about 3 km) north on my road. Too bad I dont fish. Theres nothing much to see here but I did stop to look around and snap some wildflower pictures.
The river I live on gets a bit too warm for trout but there are many absolutely huge carp that live in it, along with all the other beasties I've mentioned.
This covered bridge crosses the Housatonic River at one if the nearby places I go to when I hike on the Appalachian Trail. Its a bit over three miles (about 5 km) away - just over the border in Kent, Connecticut. There is some disagreement about the precise date but the first bridge at this site was built by the Bulls, a local family that owned and operated an iron mine, sometime around 1740.
This bridge was constructed in the mid 1800s but (as you can see in the photos) it has had new piers and much structural steel added to strenghten it over the years. For quite some time it was a quaint historic tourist attraction but, as the local population increased, it once again became an important river crossing. Hundreds of vehicles use the bridge every day.
Theres a small bridge on private property that crosses the Tenmile River about a 10 minute walk south of here. There are abandoned stone quarries on the other side. Gravel is still mined in this area but Dover was once renowned for its beautiful limestone and marble. The famous Washington Square Arch in New York Citys Washington Square Park is constructed of marble mined just down the street back in 1892.
This final picture is of the Tenmile River taken from the west bank
in the yard where I live.
I hope that you're having a great week. Best wishes, as always...
*edit* Critter update - 2:00 pm: I'm sitting outside (still) waiting for the repair person and a bald eagle just cruised by a few feet above the river about 30 feet away(!)
update #2 - 5:20 pm: The washing machine is still not fixed, but parts are on order. It looks like I'll soon either be making another trip to the Laundromat or using a flat rock in the river out back.
but I need to stay at home this afternoon; theyre allegedly coming sometime soon to finally fix my washing machine. The warranty company doesnt have anyone in the area that they deal with directly so Im supposed to pay for the repairs and then submit the bill for reimbursement. Anyone want to bet on the chances of that going smoothly? At least I wont have to drive to the Laundromat any more.
It looks like summer is almost over, even though it seems like we never really had one. Its been getting pretty cold at night lately and some of the leaves are actually starting to turn already. I hope we have a dry and colorful autumn.
I drove around a bit yesterday and took a few photos at some interesting places nearby. At least I think theyre interesting
The first stop was about about nine miles (14.5 km) north. These kilns are all that remain of a large 19th century iron works. They were used to make the charcoal to fuel local blast furnaces. Iron mining was a major industry around here.
The two structures are located just a bit off of a major state road but the vast majority of people in this area dont even know that they are here. Thats why theyre still in such great condition and you dont see bottles, cans and garbage strewn all over the place.
I drove right by them myself for several years. I never noticed them and I look for (and love) stuff like this.
This dam is around 4 miles (6.4 km) away in a tiny part of town called Dover Furnace. It and a water wheel were originally built in 1835 to power the bellows for one of four iron smelting blast furnaces which once stood nearby.
The wheel was converted in 1941 to run a small electric generating plant but now its all nothing but rusting ruins.
There are trout in the Swamp River just a couple miles (about 3 km) north on my road. Too bad I dont fish. Theres nothing much to see here but I did stop to look around and snap some wildflower pictures.
The river I live on gets a bit too warm for trout but there are many absolutely huge carp that live in it, along with all the other beasties I've mentioned.
This covered bridge crosses the Housatonic River at one if the nearby places I go to when I hike on the Appalachian Trail. Its a bit over three miles (about 5 km) away - just over the border in Kent, Connecticut. There is some disagreement about the precise date but the first bridge at this site was built by the Bulls, a local family that owned and operated an iron mine, sometime around 1740.
This bridge was constructed in the mid 1800s but (as you can see in the photos) it has had new piers and much structural steel added to strenghten it over the years. For quite some time it was a quaint historic tourist attraction but, as the local population increased, it once again became an important river crossing. Hundreds of vehicles use the bridge every day.
Theres a small bridge on private property that crosses the Tenmile River about a 10 minute walk south of here. There are abandoned stone quarries on the other side. Gravel is still mined in this area but Dover was once renowned for its beautiful limestone and marble. The famous Washington Square Arch in New York Citys Washington Square Park is constructed of marble mined just down the street back in 1892.
This final picture is of the Tenmile River taken from the west bank
in the yard where I live.
I hope that you're having a great week. Best wishes, as always...
*edit* Critter update - 2:00 pm: I'm sitting outside (still) waiting for the repair person and a bald eagle just cruised by a few feet above the river about 30 feet away(!)
update #2 - 5:20 pm: The washing machine is still not fixed, but parts are on order. It looks like I'll soon either be making another trip to the Laundromat or using a flat rock in the river out back.
VIEW 22 of 22 COMMENTS
The weather was not too condusive for a good garden.
The maize came in but small ears. I leave it in the husk and
put on the top rack of the grill. Give it 15 min or so, then while
beast finishes grilling, shuck the corn and place back on top
rack until beast finishes. Good sans butter, but better with.
The beans never showed up. The pumpkin vines had lots of flowers
had 1 good batch of 'squash flower' fritters. Only 1 pumpkin @ 7".
At the end of the asperegres bed the butternut squash have several
getting to good size squash. Peas and zuchini failed. Onions app.
size of a large walnut. Tomato's hardly worth the effort.