: epic sunrise

wow! what a sunrise today. it looked like a tidal wave of pink taking over the blue sky!

sunrise photos: click here

: covering ground

we hiked down into the meadow today and along the ct river. we discovered some random granite slabs and an old foundation...along with some other cool sites along the way.

saturday hike photos" click here

: pb & j

a late christmas present arrived for t today, this amazing painting of a pb&j sandwich stack by duane keiser. this makes 3 pieces of his work now hanging at gallery 122 and this one is yummy!

also, check this out: click here

: i'll jump if you do

the billboard below which is aside 95 in bridgeport has been the center of media attention here in ct. apparently motorists are under the impression the maniquin atop the billboard is real and they're calling 911 reporting a potential "jumper". personally, i think a man in pajamas with his teddy bear and a message promoting overnight test drives go hand in hand and there is no reason for alarm! i also think all those people calling 911 deserve $100 tickets for operating a cell phone while driving. i have to give props to the designer behind the billboard! such a simple design and message making a significant impact on the marketplace and bringing huge exposure to the dealership...well done!

: can't stop the camera

i've been taking a lot of photos of the cats since we got them 3 weeks ago, and i think sonja finally said enough is enough. last night she decided to make my camera bag her new bed, so i had no access to my dslr...little did she know i had my point-and-shoot camera stashed in my work bag :)

: very old school

i had the opportunity to conduct a make shift studio shoot today and photograph some antiques. check out some of these books from the late 17 and early 1800's...now that's old school!

: chomp, chomp

staple monster tees - click here

: thaw

the past 2 days have been in the high 40s/low 50s and sunny...sure hasn't felt like january! this weekend was a drastic change from the 14 degree hikes we've been taking. i took advantage of the melting snow and puddling to capture a few cools shots. saturday i spotted a hawk perched in a tree, but sadly the longest zoom lens i had was a 50-135. i'm hoping to get a clean shot of a hawk in the near future that t is going to use as research for a new painting.

thaw photos: click here

: design of the week

i was recently asked why i've been posting tons of photos over the past few years but very little design work. the bulk of my design work is related to pharmaceuticals...my 9-5 job. there are strict guidelines preventing me from sharing artwork because despite me designing it...it is the property of the pharma companies. i'm planning to start posting more freelance design work and personal artwork in the coming weeks and a aveccadesign.com website redesign is in the works.

: brisk 2 hour hike

brrr! yesterday t and i hiked for 2 hours through hurd and higganum meadow and it was cold! we we're layered up really well and our core's were cozy, but that wind chill on the face was pretty brutal...especially along the connecticut river. despite the chill we had a great time enjoying nature and the tranquility it provides. i've said it time and time again...nothing beats that crisp winter air and the silence in the woods!

brisk hike photos: click here

: fly boy

i went flying with barry b. today in the cessna he and bill from pedal power own. damn it was cold on the ground, but it was pretty cozy in the plane. part of that warmth may have come from me sweating a bit! barry flew at 2000 feet so i could take photos and it was pretty bumpy at times, not appealing to my weak stomach. no chunks were flown, so it was a great flight ;) we flew over 122, middletown, my folks house, and made our way out to uconn. i'm really fortunate to know folks that fly...thanks barry!

flight photos: click here

: "humane" society

passed on from a friend...

if you donate to the connecticut "humane" society, please read and forward this link. for years i've heard about them carelessly euthanizing more animals than they adopt out. finally, employees are taking a stand against that and other shady activities. know where your money goes!

click here

: snowy friday

woo hoo, more snow...gonna be a fun weekend hiking! but my commute today was a bit slick!

: 90 years!

my grandmother celebrated her 90th birthday on new year's eve...we had a big family party last weekend to celebrate a little early. mind blowing...90 years! my grandmother raised 9 kids and now has 11 grandchildren...

: take a hike

i put in some solid snowy, winter hiking this weekend at hurd and higganum meadow. t joined me today in the 14 degree, snowy, windy weather. gotta love that crisp winter air!

: new years zzzz's

t and i rung in the new year in style...on the couches in my living room...asleep! yup, we were both out cold before midnight. we don't party hard any more, we play hard during the day and go to bed early ;)