Connecticut's Thimble Islands

Technically, "New England" includes all of Connecticut.  From my perspective, however, the southernmost part of New England in Connecticut is the Thimble Islands.  This collection of islands off of Branford, Connecticut (adjacent to Stony Creek) is worth experiencing both for its unique geography and its unique structures and culture.

And for me, it was fun to be back.  I spent a lot of time in my youth sailing with and visiting various friends who had houses on the Thimbles.

When we arrived yesterday morning it was particulary foggy. 

As we came in through the fog, some small craft followed us to make use of our radar.

We went ashore to get some breakfast at the Stony Creek Market. 

As the name suggests, Stony Creek is the home of significant granite production.  Stony Creek Quarry supplied the pink/orange Stony Creek granite for the Brooklyn Bridge, Grand Central Station, and Columbia University.

Stony Creek Granite is everywhere, from the parks.... 

...to the harbors and seawalls.  Stony Creek had also been from where "the Daddy Boat" launched. In the past, "the Daddy Boat" delivered the fathers to the islands at the end of the day. The Friday night run would deliver the fathers who had spent the weekdays working in the city and would come out each weekend.

As the fog lifted, we headed back out. 

Exactly how many islands there are depends not only on your defintion of island, but also if it is high or low tide. Nonetheless, many have distinctive feels.

• On Money Island, for example, there is almost a “dorm room” feel with some of the houses so close together that everyone just walks in and out of each others houses, and the close relationships have even resulted in inter/intra-island marriages.
• Bear Island which has exported its stone to such constructions as the Lincoln Memorial, Grant's Tomb, and the base of the Statue of Liberty.
• Horse Island, the largest island at 17 acres  is owned by neighboring Yale University and is used for ecological research by Yale's Peabody Museum of Natural History.
• Outer Island is used by Southern Connecticut State University and used for their studies.
• Despite their not inconsiderable price tags, they rarely go up for sale.  About thirty of the islands are inhabited.

 

Many of the islands look like coastal Maine except for the color of the bedrock.

There are electrical wires and water pipes for some of the houses.  Others rely on generators, wells and as shown here, solar panels.

The channels can go quickly from very deep...

...to shallow.  This is also why it is preferable to travel when the tide is high.

There is a good variety of shorebirds including this Black-backed Gull...

...and this Cormorant.

Waterside Courts

It may be inevitable that some of the garrishness from today's Greenwich and Westport infiltrates the area. (See the original house here)

It is easy to see why Captain Kidd is rumored to have hidden some of his treasure here.

All types of objects are transported back and forth.

At least one of the crew had a clever way of getting out of the sun.

While my approach was more conventional. 

A Sign of the Quarry Industry

Transport vehicles run day and night, to the occasional chagrin of some new neighbors. 

Reader Question: Where to Get a Navy Blazer?

For Men, The Most Essential Item.  Here are some of our examples.

Dear Muffy,

I have to go to a wedding in August on Martha’s Vineyard and wanted your thoughts on what I should wear.   I see in your post  Would it Work for a Summer Wedding or Gathering? that a blazer is a good choice.  I do have an older navy blazer, but it doesn't seem formal enough.  Should I get a new one, or just wear a suit?  If I get a new blazer, where should I get it?  What do you think?

If your navy blazer is well made and classically styled (and still in good condition), it sounds perfect.  Blazers fit in to so many summer celebrations seamlessly.

They work for the young.  Here are our groomsmen the morning of our wedding.

They work for the old.  Here is my father on the left and my Uncle Bill on the right.

And it was fun to see Ralph Lauren wear one to his daughter’s graduation

One can pair them with cuffed khakis and bucks or even brightly colored and/or embroidered pants. Bow ties and regular ties work equally well.

If you want it to be more personalized, such as for the wedding party itself, you can optionally add a few extra details. 

My husband had Ralph from J. Press’ New Haven store sew his school buttons on one of his blazers.

If you do not believe your blazer is up to snuff, I would suggest getting a new one from J. Press, Brooks Brothers, or O'Connell's.  It will be an item that you will have all of your life.

After you have a blazer or two (or five), you may want to add other items to your summer festivities wardrobe.  

Consider a khaki suit:

Or a pincord jacket:

Good luck, and have a great time.

The Vermont Country Store

Plenty to respect, plenty to want, plenty to amuse.

The most “Old Yankee” store/catalog of all might just be The Vermont Country Store.  Not only did my parents and grandparents buy from there, but so did my great grandparents. They specialize in hard-to-find classic and functional New England items. 

Those people more influenced by New York Housewives and Jersey Shore than Jud Hale may dismiss it.  But don’t let the folksiness fool you (although they are all genuinely very friendly). It was started over in Weston, Vermont in 1946 by Harvard educated, Vrest Orton, a 13th Generation Orton, and now run by his son Lyman and his three sons.

The store comes directly from the origins of prep: New England prep schools and colleges; frugality; ingenuity; and continuity.  It is an instituion that deliberately strives to meet the Orton Family Foundation’s Mission of “helping small cities and towns describe, apply and uphold their heart and soul so that they can adapt to change while maintaining or enhancing the things they value most.”

At The Vermont Country Store one can get things like:

• Fuller Brushes
• Pure-Bristle Shaving Brushes
• Pine Bros. Throat Drops
• Lanz of Salzburg sleepwear (a long-time preppy female essential, although now sadly made in China.)
• Leon Levin shirts (another staple for the slightly older preppy female, once everywhere)
• B&M Slice-and-Serve Brown Bread in a Can (Of course, B&M products are made in Portland, ME)
• Teaberry Gum
• Their vast assortment of old fashioned candy
• Stainless Steel Stove-Top Percolator (We made ours this way long after most had switched to automatic brewers. People used to request my mother’s great coffee in “that old tin pot.")
• Non-motorized lawn mower
• Jewel-Tone Aluminum Tumblers (My great grandmother always server her homemade iced tea is these at family picnics.)
• My favorite – Director’s Chair Covers in Navy Cotton Canvas
• Rocking Chair Pads in plain Navy Corduroy
• Cereal and Grain Mill
• Large Hen on Basket

While some of their products are squarely aimed at the older set (and they do have some highly amusing products), it is nonetheless worth noting that the best stores do think instinctively of multi-generations.

Marion, Massachusetts and the Marion Bermuda Race

Marion, on the South Coast of Massachusetts, is a sublime, small, coastal New England town.   Known for Tabor Academy and the exquisite Sippican Harbor brimming with sailboats,  the village has a scale that is spot on, rejecting the oversized houses and over sized vehicles too common today.

Getting Some Supplies

 

The best villages keep their very large trees.

..

Marion is also the home of the venerable Beverly Yacht Club.

For over three decades, in odd numbered years, the Beverly Yacht Club has hosted the Marion Bermuda Race.

Yesterday, we headed out to watch the start of the race.

Our Captain  - United Stated Coast Guard 50 Ton Master, My Husband's College Roommate, and A Veteran of This Race

We passed Tabor Academy's floating classroom.

We went out in Buzzards Bay about five miles.

Bringing out the Marks

Beverly Yacht Club's Gracious Hosts

I brought my RHADC hat from the last race.

The weather was not what I would call lovely. It was overcast and rainy, with two foot waves.

The conditions meant layers were in order.

At the starting line, the usual jockeying for position occured.

Helpful Directions to Bermuda from the Committee Boat

The Committee Boat

Lining Up Before Heading Off

We then retuned to shore.

A Water View of Marion

We went in for a late, enjoyable, and dry lunch.