Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘rhode island’

New England Photo Roundup

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on October 24, 2015| 6 Comments »

Time to share a few more pictures. The sunlit chestnut grows in Rhode Island. (I didn’t know chestnuts were around anymore.) The colorful dahlias are in John’s front yard.

The brick wall with shadows is in the Fort Point area of Boston. The decorated pillar is one of several opposite the Greenway. It’s called “Harbor Stripes” and is by Karen Korellis Reuther. The work on all the pillars was sponsored by the Design Museum, which, among other enterprises, promotes public art.

The colorful shield is at the Swedish consulate in Fort Point, where I went to pick up my granddaughter’s Swedish passport. She has dual citizenship. I had to show a letter from Erik and also his Swedish driver’s license. I collected a lot of brochures about Sweden and about upcoming Swedish  activities in the Boston area.

Wrapping up the photo presentation with more shadows.

101115-chestnut-New-Shoreham

101715-dahlias

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

101715-special-dahlias

 

 

 

 

102215-fort-point-brick-and-shadows

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

102315-Design-Museum-likes-public-art

102315-Reuther-Harbor-Stripes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

102215-visiting-Swedish-consulate

101715-thru-the-shade

Read Full Post »

Grow a Better Head of Lettuce, and the World Will …

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on October 21, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Tim Faulkner at ecoRI has been covering Rhode Island’s newest food initiatives. Recently he wrote about the unusually advanced greenhouse of Boston Greens. in Kingstown.

“Lewis Valenti, CEO and founder of the greenhouse and the Boston Greens line of leafy green vegetables and herbs it produces, spent five years studying how to start a business that grows produce indoors and year-round. …

“The result is what Valenti describes as the most technologically advanced greenhouse in New England. The 8,400-square-foot glass barn relies on advanced computer programs to manipulate light, feeding and humidity.

“All plants are fed a fertilizer-rich water that recirculates in a system of troughs at the base of the plants, a process known as hydroponic growing. The water alone goes through several filters and processes that strip it of minerals and all non-water elements. A nutrient mix is then reintroduced before it is fed through the hydroponic system.

“The benefits are an ability to control the nutrients in the plants and increase their overall health benefits. There are no pests and therefore no need for pesticides or herbicides, according to Valenti. The process conserves water, using 1,200 gallons a day compared to 28,000 gallons for a comparable outdoor field, according to Valenti. The yield is higher, too. The greenhouse will grow 250,000 heads of lettuce throughout the year, producing the equivalent of a 4-acre farm. …

“So far, the $1.3 million project has been privately funded, and it’s already generating revenue. All future harvests of lettuces and herbs have been pre-sold to a handful of restaurants and eight grocery stores in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

“Valenti, who went to college in Rhode Island and keeps a home in East Greenwich, said Rhode Island is a foodie state with top restaurants, culinary schools and a burgeoning agricultural movement. But with limited space for farmland, the new greenhouse is the best way to keep the local food movement sustainable while creating jobs, he said.

“ ‘I can’t think of a better place to grow food than Rhode Island,’ Valenti said.”

More here.

Photo: Tim Faulkner/ecoRI News photos
The new greenhouse is expected to grow 250,000 heads of lettuce annually.

Read Full Post »

Visible Only When Wet

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on October 12, 2015| 6 Comments »

As a child, were you ever into secret communication methods? A couple tin cans on a line between houses? Invisible ink? Goose language?

I was. Which is why this Cranston Library fundraiser appealed to me. You could embed a message in the library branches’ sidewalks. But it would only be visible when wet.

Gregory Smith
 wrote about WaterWalk for the Providence Journal: “Library officials are inviting the public to pay $25 for an opportunity to display an image and a pithy message in a now-you-see-it/now-you-don’t manner on walkways. …

“At work is a technique in which library staff members and volunteers will apply a stencil and a superhydrophobic (water-repellent) solution to display the image and message. On a sunny day, the image and message are invisible, but on a rainy day, they become visible.

“The images are expected to last six months to one year and have been demonstrated to last even in the Northeast, where a snow shovel is likely to scrape the surface, according to Katy Dorchies, community engagement manager for the libraries. ..

“The donor is allowed to select one of three images and to compose a personal message of up to 10 characters — a name or a phrase. …

“The three images reflect someone’s love of reading, interest in technology and support for libraries, respectively. …

“The images are scheduled to be in place at the beginning of October.” More here.

Photo: Frieda Squires/The Providence Journal files
Walkways at the Cranston’s central library, seen here, and two branch locations will feature in WaterWalk, a fundraiser.

Read Full Post »

Autumn by the Sea

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 10, 2015| 6 Comments »

A bouncy boat ride in heavy rain last night. A warm sunny morning. Here are a few photos from my last island weekend of 2015.

An especially nice autumnal theme for the Painted Rock. Whoever painted it was lucky to have their artwork survive nearly three days. That would be unheard of in the summer, when birthday messages get painted over by wedding felicitations several times a day.

Down the bluffs on a steep path. Waves breaking on the beach. Tide pools.

I was delighted to find a little urchin (I don’t think I ever had before) and a slipper shell with a smaller slipper shell hitching a ride.

101015-painted-rock-fall-colors

101015-painted-rock-fall

101015-steep-path-to-beach

101015-surf-at-bluffs

101015-tide-pools

101015-urchin-and-slipper-shell

Read Full Post »

Crazy Bargains on Luna & Stella Jewelry at the Flea

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on September 11, 2015| Leave a Comment »

If you are in Providence on Sunday, do stop by the flea market and see what Suzanne is selling. As she writes on the Luna & Stella website, bargains will be had.

“My husband gazing at a tray of rings I have prepared for our first sample sale, asks, what’s wrong with them?

“What’s wrong with them?  Well, nothing.  A slightly included emerald, a band that came in a millimeter to wide or too flat, a bale a tiny bit too large, a style we decided not to put in the assortment because we already had something similar.

“They’re beautiful, he says.

“We are having our first ever sample at the Providence Flea at 345 South Main Street in Providence this Sunday, September 13.  If you have never been to the Flea, it’s a outdoor juried market inspired by the wildly popular Brooklyn Flea. We love the vintage/modern mix of the Flea, and the idea a shopper could find a great vintage charm from one of the other sellers and mix it on a necklace or bracelet with one of our charms.

“In addition to our full price line … we’ll be selling our almost perfect samples for 50 – 80% off the original prices.  That ring of trays you see?  With genuine rubies, emeralds, aquamarine, etc set in sterling silver or dipped in 18K gold?  Most will be $30, nothing over $50.  These are prices you will never see on our website. ”

More at Luna & Stella, the contemporary birthstone-jewelry company for which I blog. (“Write whatever interests you, Mom.”)

Read Full Post »

More Island Photos

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 23, 2015| 4 Comments »

I spent my first couple decades vacationing on Fire Island, a barrier beach off New York’s Long Island. Once you get islands in your system, you never want to get them out.

Nowadays I frequent an island that is part of a state that calls itself an island, too: Rhode Island. Here are some pictures from my latest visit.

The photos are mostly self-explanatory, but I would like to draw your attention to the carrot. The young man in the photo pulled that carrot out of the ground for a neighbor, who gave it to him. His mother washed it, and he ate most of it in one sitting.

And he didn’t even feel like he had overdone the eating the way Peter Rabbit did. No need for a dose of chamomile tea.

2115-Galilee-for-fishing

082315-sheltered-harbor

082215-vase-on-deck

082315-one-big-carrot

2215-fuzzy-fruit

082215-blackberries

082315-about-sharks

082315-lobster-boat

082315-sold-to-pirates

082315-Southeast-Light

082215-sunset-RI

Read Full Post »

Listening to What the Community Wants

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 12, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Good things continue to happen in the West End of Providence, thanks in large part to the vision and community responsiveness of West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation (WEHDC) under the direction of Sharon Conard-Wells.

Tuesday, WEHDC held a reception to celebrate past accomplishments and the new mixed-income housing development they are about to build. The mayor came. Community members came. Many of Rhode Island’s movers and shakers came. I came.

It was impressive to see how WEHDC’s projects have flourished when you consider that 10 years ago, the nonprofit was tackling the cleanup of a nearby industrial site and hoping to turned the blighted Rau Fastener factory into beautiful mixed-income housing — keeping their fingers crossed that the market would respond.

The market sure did respond, and now WEHDC is starting the second phase. At the same time, it continues community work of many kinds. Antoine started out doing lead abatement and now works with young people in the neighborhood. Adeline works with the community farm and the Sankofa World Market. Rosa and Debra do housing counseling and lending. Rachel manages WEHDC’s many partnerships and is always looking for more.

The energy and optimism are tangible, and it was good to see the recognition the nonprofit is getting from people in a position to ensure that the good work keeps going. The current wish list includes new laptops and web design work (in case you know anyone interested in offering help that is sure to be used wisely). Check out WEHDC here.

Photo: Sankofa Initiative

Read Full Post »

August in New England

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 2, 2015| 4 Comments »

Here are new photos from Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The weather has been hot but beautiful, especially by the sea.

On the island, the blue flowers you see below are called Ragged Sailors, but elsewhere, the weed is called chicory.

The variation in plants’ common names is the reason a landscaper I know uses only Latin names (one name per plant). When we identify plants at John’s website MisterSmartyPlants, we use common names. That can get confusing, but it’s nice how common names tell something about the people that use local names.

Wikipedia says chicory is called by all these names: blue daisy, blue dandelion, blue sailor, blue weed, bunk (bunk?), coffeeweed, cornflower, hendibeh, horseweed, ragged sailor, succory, wild bachelor’s buttons, and wild endive. And those are only the English names.

072515-mini-park

072515-acorns

080115-roads-traveled-days-gone-by

080115-ragged-sailors

080115-black-eyed-susans

080115-seaside-Spring-House

080215-someone-made-sandcastle

080215-boogie-board

080115-above-us-only-sky

080115-sunset-new-shoreham

Read Full Post »

Summer in New England

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on July 25, 2015| 2 Comments »

There was a band at the July 25 sidewalk sale, and I tried to capture the exuberance of a young lady who knew exactly what to do. Then I passed by and bought lots of sidewalk sale cut-price goodies.

Next I’m posting three photos of the Fort Point section of Boston. I never tire of the old buildings. Do you like the iron railing and the way light is cast on one wall in the way we think of shadows being cast? Another building has a shadow of backwards words from a sign. If you look closely (and can read reverse images), you can almost see the word “industrial.” It’s a ghost. Very appropriate for Fort Point, where industry is now mostly a ghost among glass-box office buildings.

From there, we move on to Rhode Island on a gray day — a stone wall gate and a quiet harbor.

072515-band-at-sidewalk-sale

072515-sidewalk-sale

072315-fort-point-iron-railing

072315-light-cast-on-fort-point-bldg

072315-shadow-says-industrial

071915-gate-on-RI-dirt-road

071915-gray-day-old-harbor

Read Full Post »

July Photos

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on July 14, 2015| 2 Comments »

This group of photos starts with four from New Shoreham, including the Southeast Light and the posters on the food truck.

Next we have two sides of a utility box in Arlington, Mass. — the work of local artists. Many other utility boxes around town are painted, all charming.

The old, unused water works building always strikes me as a perfect setting for a mystery novel. The dog in the next photo is checking out the portable Uni library in the Greenway, an initiative of Sam and Leslie Davol.

The lushness of the hydrangeas this year makes me think of sheep. I start singing, “Sheep may safely graze and pasture/ In a watchful shepherd’s eye.”

And you know clouds.

070615-Mohegan-Bluffs

070615-southeast-lighthouse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

070615-food-truck-ad

070615-SE-Light-food-truck

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

071115-artists-paint-Arlington-utility-boxes

71115-Arlington-utility-box-with-bird

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

71015-old-concord-water-works

071415-sam-and-leslie-uni

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

071215-white-sheep-in-the-early-morning

071415-clouds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read Full Post »

Scenic Rhode Island

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , on July 5, 2015| 2 Comments »

The little state with the big heart. Showing an intriguing old house in Providence, and island scenes in early morning and late afternoon.

This is the peaceful side of things, contrasting with the stories we just heard from an exhausted policeman we know who spent the last five days trying to control unruly 4th of July crowds, working from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. “And we have only two cells to put them in,” he said in exasperation.

So hard to understand why, with all this beauty around them, people would do so much damage to themselves.

Providence-fixer-upper

stone-wall-morning

country-road-70515

fields-New_Shoreham

John-E-tughole

looking-down-the-bluffs

070515-beach-late-afternoon

Read Full Post »

Closing in on Summer

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , on June 1, 2015| 4 Comments »

On this cold and rainy day, I am remembering how Saturday in Rhode Island felt like summer. Here are a few pics: dawn, a flowering shrub, white iris, a beach fence, a cobwebby view of my younger grandson and me, the harbor, the boat’s wake in the sunset. (Erik gets credit for the jeweled-cobweb shot.)

new-shoreham-sunrise-53015

iris-in-sunlight

maybe-shad

snow-fence--Crescent-Beach

cobweb-view-of-Mormor-and-G

harbor-New-Shoreham-May-2015

making-a-wake

Read Full Post »

Profiled: Suzanne and Luna & Stella

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on May 27, 2015| 4 Comments »

I need to share a really lovely piece on Suzanne and Luna & Stella, the company for which I blog.

Of course, with my eclectic topics, you could be forgiven for forgetting the Luna & Stella connection. But Suzanne’s birthstone jewelry speaks to relationships, and like all good relationships, this blogging one lets me breathe. (Suzanne said, “Blog about anything that interests you, Mom.”)

At OurBackyardRI, photographer-journalist Connie Grosch writes, “Based in Providence, the family-run business was founded in 2009 with the goal of blending great jewelry design with thoughtful meaning. Her merchandising and product development roles at J.Crew, Bally, and Victoria’s Secret combined with her experience as the Vice President of Merchandising and Design at the online retailer RedEnvelope, gave Suzanne a solid entrepreneurial foundation. …

“Having lived and worked in Switzerland, San Francisco and New York City, she and her husband chose Providence as their home four years ago. Living in New York City, pregnant with their first child as she and her husband were both starting new businesses, the couple decided they wanted to have a house and a yard. ‘And it wasn’t going to happen in NYC.’ They started looking for a small city and ‘Providence just came up on the map. We took a leap.’ …

“Suzanne is totally optimistic about the future of the business. ‘Rhode Island is just right in terms of design, manufacturing and business resources – from casting and plating to design and marketing.’

“And she is tapping into Rhode Island’s jewelry manufacturing history. ‘I’m a bit of a history buff and I like the idea of bringing that history to the present.’ Someday, she would like to manufacture the line herself – have a workshop. ‘And when I do, I want it to be in the Jewelry District.’ ”

More here. Grosch’s photo collage, taken at Talulah Cooper in Providence, where Suzanne had a trunk show before Mother’s Day, is really creative and nice. The only thing missing is Erik and Suzanne’s son digging into the shop’s many penny candy jars that day. So I add that here.

extras-at-the-trunk-show

Read Full Post »

Outdoors in Spring

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , on May 19, 2015| 2 Comments »

It rained hard at noon, but the stalwarts opening booths for the first farmers market of the season hung on and before long the weather cleared, and it was sunny and warm.

Today I’m posting some recent outdoor photos from Massachusetts and Rhode Island and thinking particularly how seed pods, the smell of lilacs, and small landscapers make me happy.

twisted-tree

early-blooms

more-lilacs

rhododendren-and-lichen

tulips

steeple

more-pods

pods

landscaping-truck

Read Full Post »

Saving Narragansett Bay

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 12, 2015| Leave a Comment »

In March, ecoRI posted an article about a Rockefeller Foundation proposal for  protection of four sensitive coastal areas.

The website reports, “Leading climate scientists, engineers, designers and scholars recently collaborated to create comprehensive resiliency design proposals for vulnerable coasts along the North Atlantic, such as Rhode Island’s.

“Structures of Coastal Resilience (SCR), a Rockefeller Foundation-supported project dedicated to providing resilient design proposals for urban coastal environments, focuses on four vulnerable coasts: Narragansett Bay; Jamaica Bay in New York; Atlantic City in New Jersey; and Norfolk, Va.

“Each of the project locations feature ongoing projects by the Army Corps of Engineers, and each location is highly prone to flooding and socioeconomic vulnerability, according to project officials. The goal of SCR is provide actionable project recommendations for hurricane protection and climate adaptation. …

“As Rhode Island was spared the worst of the devastation associated with Hurricane Sandy [in 2012], it’s an ideal location for developing structures of coastal resilience that can be advanced gradually and through systematic evaluation and adaptation, according to project officials. …

“As increased urban runoff and higher saltwater levels merge on the coastal zone, some species are threatened while others adapt. Marsh and dunes recede while weedy forest cover creeps closer to the beachfront. Plants with high salt tolerance that are capable of rapid establishment have begun to colonize areas with accommodating soil. Designers can capitalize on this process, deploying plants to prevent erosion and build resilient coasts.” More here.

Folks, a woman involved with a movie about saving the oceans (Revolution) e-mailed to ask if I would review it, and I said sure. So watch this space.

Photo: CityData.com

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »