Only a Picture Stops Time

Autumnal Equinox - September 22, 2016 10:21 EDT  Good morning ,welcome to the fall season the best time of the year. When we were kids we use to rake leaves just to have a big pile to jump into. I intend to do that this year. I still rake them the old fashioned way. Raking Leaves at Fourth Street in Stamford, CT - 1948 Back in the "old days" we disposed of the leaves by burning them. I intentionally made the fire as smokey as possible because I liked the way it looked. Wet leaves helped with this strategy. This photo was taken of my cousins burning leaves in their mother's garden, which help to recycle nutrients to the soil.  Worries about air quality have banned this practice but I still remember the distinctive smell. My dad once tried to help the process along by using some gasoline. Thankfully that only resulted in some singed eyebrows. Janis family - New Canaan, CT - 1951 I have photos available for sale

It has been fifteen years and I  still remember standing in the cafeteria with my co-workers on that beautiful September morning watching in horror and disbelief as the second plane hit the tower. My cousin Chris at Bell Island in Norwalk Connecticut. From this location the smoke was visible from the burning towers in New York City. This photo was taken in June of 2008. His brothers were in the city on that day. A much earlier undated photo of my cousin Chris  taken in New York City with the Towers visible in the background Private Memorial Garden erected in North Truro in Cape Cod at a rental property where my cousins were staying. North Truro Memorial - The owner of the property had a connection with the crew members of Flight 1l. John A. Ogonowski  (February 24, 1951 – September 11, 2001) was an American  pilot  and an agricultural activist. A resident of  Dracut, Massachusetts , Ogonowski was a leading  advocate on behalf of...

Happy Labor Day, as a tribute to the unofficial end of summer, I have gathered some photos of summer camping. My Aunt Adeline strikes a pose for the camera. The Poltrack women attended some type of summer camp in the 1930s, I believe this is my Aunt Helen at the same camp. Thie physical photo was captioned "Ah Shucks". Why is she holding a banana and a copy of "Black Jack"? Emily at Nickerson State Park (area 6 of course). A wonderful camp ground on Cape Cod. We always manged to have at least one torrential downpour during the week. Ginny cooks up some bacon and eggs which for some reason taste better when you are outdoors. Camping on Dillon Beach in California. We simply set up a tent and moved in for the night. At Nickerson, Jesse would arrive just as the bacon was cooked. Check out the hair and denim, what was I thinking?I think I still have that shirt. My Aunt Marjorie camping in Truro on Cape Cod. This is one of my favor...

I've been taking a morning walk with my friends John and Angelika Weber and their son Parker by the Smithville Reservoir for over 10 years. We've seen it flood and we've seen it drained. These photos were taken in September of 2006. I'm not sure why they drained it, but I'll guess the fish and otters were not happy about it. The flood control dams were constructed in the 1960s as a response to occurrences of repetitive flooding. The worst flooding occurred in 1936 and the hurricane of 1938. Dam Site 35 is 30 feet high and 1,209 feet long. Smithville Reservoir (Dam Site 35) holds 1,787 acre-feet of water. The Souhegan River's headwaters are located in New Ipswich, the flood control dams hold back the water during heavy rains, They are earthern structures that slow the release of the water but don't stop it completely. New Ipswich has 4 of the 12 sites on the Souhegan River. John and Butch check out the Smithville Reservor as Bud the dog looks o...

Good Morning, Each photo has a story but I confess I have no idea about this one. Perhaps after church my grandfather might have suggested that the whole family take a drive down to the local dam for a group photo. I assume the photo was taken by my uncle Henry. Missing is my uncle Fran, there were eight children. Standing on the dam is my aunt Mary and grandmother Emilia. Seated from left to right are my uncle Ed, Aunt Lillian, my grandfather Anthony and my dad Tony. Below are my aunt Helen and aunt Adeline. I would guess this was taken in the mid 1920s, probably in Stamford, CT. The Poltrack family on the dam I have photos available for sale

5 Years Ago Russ Gebhart is a violin maker who lives in New Ipswich. The finish of his violins is set by exposure to ultraviolet light. It's an interesting "fruit" to observe when I took this photo in 2011. I have photos available for sale