Autumn Afternoon

Porch Flag, Woodbury, Connecticut © Steven Willard

It’s that time of year when a walk down Main Street can immerse one in the soft afternoon glow of autumn. There might be a few people sitting on front porches watching the Sunday afternoon traffic go by, smug, just a little, in the knowledge that they live in a place people come to visit because of it’s small town charm.

Woodbury walks a tightrope between the overly picturesque town existing on a false image of the nostalgic, and a busy small town where people actually live and work at real businesses. It’s not Colonial Williamsburg in Connecticut. It isn’t always an easy mix to maintain. There is a constant push and shove between the small stores that want bigger signs and more parking, and those who want to protect their view of what Woodbury should look like in order to keep it’s New England small town feel. All in all, I think the town’s committees have done a pretty good job of keeping everybody feeling like they have given up just the right amount of what they want, and isn’t that a fair test of compromise?

Pentax K5IIs with 70mm lens.