All The Way From Wisconsin

Middletown is a hot tourist destination! These two people came all the way from Wisconsin to see it.


Well, there is a little more to the story than that. Linda and Harold do live in Wisconsin. They are friends of mine visiting the DC area and they came up to Middletown to spend the afternoon with my wife and me. They have seen the pictures on this web site and wanted to see the town in person.

We walked around a little, did some shopping at Snallygaster, took in some of the history of the area and had a very nice late lunch at the Main Cup.

Stained Glass 2

Here is one of the three windows in yesterday's post.



Here is another view of one of the windows, taken from the inside of the church during daylight a few months ago.

Stained Glass 1

I was talking about this web site with the owner of Snallygaster on Saturday and she made a great suggestion ... photograph the stained glass windows on one of the big churches near the center of town, at night. Why didn't I think of that?

So here is a shot of the three windows on the front of Mt. Zion Church.



I'll post another one or two shots of these windows tomorrow and one day soon I'll take pictures of the windows on the Christ Reformed Church.

Inside The Snallygaster

I have taken many exterior pictures of the Snallygaster shop, but yesterday was the first time I shot photos from the inside. Actually, that was the first time I have gone inside. What a great shop! Jewelry, pottery, gifts, art, photographs and local interest items. Here are two interior photos:

A Few More Lights

Christmas decorations will be up on many houses for a few more days, so here is one more picture of them.

Skywatch Friday: Winter!

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Merry Christmas from Middletown

Christmas Eve

The religious side of the season:

More Holiday LIghts

Still Low

Gasoline prices are still the lowest they've been in years. This was photographed yesterday.

Holidays On The Sidewalk

Our Very Patient Dog

We like dressing our dogs for the holidays. We're not sure they like it, however.

Skywatch Friday: Full Moon and Branches

I took this photograph last weekend, when the moon was full. The lines are branches of a tree in my driveway.



Visit my other photo site for a few full moon shots taken from my work place in Rockville.

CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL THE SKYWATCH FRIDAY PHOTOGRAPHS.

Oh Christmas Tree

This tree is on the lawn in front of Middletown Florists.

More Holiday Lights

This house is on Main Street, just west of Safeway.



The houses in the Holiday Lights 1 and 2 posts are on the same block. It's a very festive block.

Snallygaster Holiday Window

Her Christmas Display

If you have been following this web site for awhile or if you live near Middletown, you've probably seen this seasonally changing display on 17 just north of the intersection with Main St.



It's the nice little garden next to the Valley Tax Services sign.



Here is another view from the summer.


And here is the creative force behind the garden.



I met her the day Janet (DC Confidential) and her friends visited back in October, but I'm sorry I don't remember her name. We asked her about the garden and she says she does it as a hobby. By the way, she doesn't work for the tax service or the other businesses in that building; she owns the building.

Holiday Lights 2

Holiday Lights 1

If you are anywhere near Middletown, you should drive around and look at some of the spectaculer holiday decorations. Here is the first of a series of festive homes on Main Street.

Skywatch Friday: UFO Cloud

I have never seen a cloud formation like this before. It looks like an unidentifired flying object from a science-fiction movie.




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Peaks in the Valley

Rusty Roof and Changing Landscape

It is fascinating to watch the changes in this field just north of Green Street at the edge of town. I have photographed it looking north, northeast (with the ubiquitous water tower in the distance), with newly planted corn and growing cornstalks, dryed yellow cornstalks, all while standing in approximately the same spot. This view is northwest, taken two weeks ago.

The various views and stages of corn follow the pattern of farm life and seasonal changes. I believe part of this field is at the heart of a local debate regarding annexation into the Middletown town limits. It seems that part of this land is destined to grow houses.

Shutters and Lines

Three Seconds

The dog behind this fence is quite intimidating. I wouldn't want to challenge the accuracy of this sign.

Yellow and Gray

Even a yellow house looks gray at this time of year.

Abandoned Shed

The leafless trees and leaves on the tin roof of this abandoned shed add to the gloominess of fall.

Skywatch Friday: Clouds and Power Lines

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Main Street Late Fall

The holiday decorations will be up any day now. Check back soon for a more festive view.

Red Trim, Gray Sky

If you've been visiting this site for awhile, you might recall that most of my pictures featured blue skies. It is not always sunny in Middletown, but I usually shoot on days with good weather and it does seem that we have more sunshine in the summer and early fall.


But now the leaves are gone, the days are shorter and the skies seem to be cloudier. Winter is only eighteen days away.

Cold and Getting Colder

Did I ever mention that I grew up in the South? Louisiana, to be specific. Although I've lived in northern climates for most of the past thirty years, temperatures below forty are still a jolt to my system.



I love the four seasons here, but I really wish we could have them without the cold.



The coldest it got in New Orleans during my youth was 15 (Fahrenheit, -9 Celcius). The normal low during most winters was in the 30s. The hottest it got was 98F (37C) but the humidity number was also 98 quite often. Here in Maryland I've seen lows below 0F (-18C) and highs above 100F (38C). I've experienced colder winters living in Wisconsin and hotter summers in Texas.

I shouldn't complain about 38 (3C) last week when I took this picture.

Theme Day: Circles/Spheres

When I first learned that this month's theme would be circles and spheres I wasn't sure I'd participate. I couldn't really think of anything other than the clock on the Mt. Zion Church steeple, a circular object that I've photographed way too many times. So I searched through older photos I had not posted yet and ran across a few shots of playground equipment in Middletown Park. Wow! Circles!

I went back to the park last week and shot this one for theme day. Visit my other photo site for a few more.

And here is something I didn't notice about this photograph till I was about to post it: there are more than just the four obvious circles on this object. There are circles (holes) on the platform, the support tubes are circular, the mounting brackets are circular and the screws are circular.

One more thing: as I look at this piece of playground equipment I'm smiling like I'm still a kid playing on it. The circle of life?

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Flock of Tourists

I don't know if these geese are here for the winter or are just passing through. Someone should tell them that it gets cold here in January and February, probably cold enough to turn this lake into ice.

Holiday Weekend

I bet the teachers enjoy time off as much as the kids.

Skywatch Friday: Cloud Reflection

This is the sky reflected in Middletown Lake.


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Have A Warm Thanksgiving

We have plenty of trees on our property in Middletown Valley. We paid to have two large trees cut down earlier this year and we chain sawed a few limbs on our own. All of that adds up to lots of free firewood stacked and ready for the cold weather that blew in this week.

This is our fireplace a few nights ago:



Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Down Some More

Three weeks ago gasoline prices were down to $2.39 at this station. Today: $1.87. Woohoo! Another thing to be thankful for on Thanksgiving.

Laying Fall To Rest

Fall On The Ground

Most of the leaves are no longer on the trees but many leaves are on the ground.

Main Street Late Fall

It always surprises me how different things look after the leaves have fallen.

Fall Impressionist Ripple

The fall color is nearly gone in Middletown but I have a few more fall photographs to share.

Skywatch Friday: Storm At Sunset

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Brick Arch

The Church Squirrel

You've heard of the church mouse. This must be the church squirrel. He was hanging out on the sidewalk in front of the United Church of Christ a few weeks ago.

Let's Have A Picnic