Some Recent Photos From Around Middletown CT

First year hawk, most likely Red Tail, seen Coginchaug River vicinity

The Wetmore-Starr House (1752) Washington St

The Kid City Childrens Museum; Washington Street

Graveyard scene; Vine Street

College Row Panorama; High Street

Note: You may click on the photos for more information and image sizes; you will be redirected to my Flickr page.

The Arrigoni Bridge in Paint and Photo

The Charles J. Arrigoni Bridge crosses the Connecticut River connecting Middletown and Portland Connecticut.

Constructed from 1936 to 1938, when it opened in 1938 the Arrigoni Bridge was the most expensive bridge, costing $3.5 million. With two 600 feet (180 m) steel arches, the bridge is still the longest in the state. In 1938 it won the American Institute of Steel Construction’s first prize “Most Beautiful Steel Bridge” in the large bridge category.The bridge is somewhat of an icon and landmark in the area and is also a marker of where the water begins to freeze in the river (as south of this point the tides are able to bring enough salt water north to keep the water from freezing over.) It was named after the state legislator who promoted the project, Charles J. Arrigoni, and was designed by William G. Grove of the American Bridge Company and Leslie G. Sumner of the State Highway Department.

Source: Wikipedia

Bridge by Peter Waite (Acrylic on Panels-2006)

New Britain (CT) Museum of American Art
h/t Ed McKeon, Middletown Eye

Steadyjohn Photos

This is a postcard view of the Portland Passenger Bridge (1895) which was replaced by the Arrigoni Bridge.

Arrigoni Bridge from landfill summit Middletown CT-(Steadyjohn Photo)

See Connecticut’s Historic Steel Truss Bridges

See Connecticut Roads

The Great Corpse Flower Collapse

Every couple of years we see reports of the infamous Corpse Flower blooming. This plant blooms only every 3-4 years and is notable for its size and aroma. We most recently wrote about this botanical wonder in May 2007 over at Right of Middle. on the occasion of a blooming at UCONN (see below). The latest reported manifestation of the phenomenon is from the Milwaukee WI Public Museum where their specimen should bloom tomorrow or Tuesday.

(UPDATE) Oh oh; This just in:

MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Public Museum’s titan arum — known as the ‘corpse flower’ — is now unlikely to bloom after collapsing on its side Saturday. The museum’s curator of botany, Neil Luebke, says that he thinks they weren’t able to provide enough heat to allow the flower to bloom. The plant is supposed to give off a strong odor lasting about six hours during its infrequent blooms. But while the area around the flower was about 77 degrees, it wasn’t quite as hot and humid as the plant likes it in the mid-80s. Luebke says there’s still a chance the plant could open up, but he’s guessing it won’t. He says there’s not much else they can do, but “that’s nature.”

Corpse Flower

h/t FreeRepublic

The Corpse Flower blooms again at UCONN; the previous blooming of this particular plant at the school’s greenhouse was in 2004. Many visitors arrived to partake of the stench from this famously odiferous plant.

Once fully opened, the bright red bloom smells like three-day old road kill. It will even look like rotting meat, a perfect scenario for the insects that pollinate it _ flies and carrion beetles.

When the plant first bloomed at UConn in 2004, more than 20,000 people dropped by for a whiff.

School officials say it will be at its stinkiest in the first hour after it blooms tonight. After that, visitors will have about 72 hours, or until Sunday night, to take in the aroma.

Source: AP via WTIC

Oh, here’s a Corpse flower in full bloom…..

“Ted the Titan” in full bloom on June 10 (2003) at the University of California, Davis, Botanical Conservatory. A specimen of Amorphophallus titanum (titan arum), the brief blooming brought a flurry of experiments from UC Davis biologists eager to take advantage of the rare event. Ted was grown from a seed planted in 1995. This was its first flowering. The plants can live for several decades but are thought to flower only every few years.

Photograph courtesy University of California, Davis

Source: National Geographic News

And another…….

Reporting From Seattle….

I am visiting with my daughter in Seattle for a week or so; thought I’d post a few photographs. Seattle is a very interesting city. The climate here is quite temperate and the garden and plantings are lush. Every sidewalk and roadway is lined with vines, hedges, roses, and trees of all sorts.

Interesting sidewalk planting!

This 1906 church being converted to condos while preserving the exterior including stained glass dome.

Here is view of interior and dome.

A very young street musician!

Red sun, red hair, red wine!

A giant steps out at Seattle Art Museum!

The SAM giant

Lots of fish in Seattle!

Kiss a Fish!

Fish in your face!