Dan Antion

The Ride Home – #ThursdayDoors

The details and the garage.

Almost four years ago, when I first joined the Thursday Doors crowd, I made the comment: “There aren’t many interesting doors on my daily commute.” It appears I was mistaken. In my defense, the circumstances were different. First, in 2015, about 90% of my commute was on an Interstate highway. That still holds for my morning commute, but my evening commute only has me on the highway about 5% of the time. Second, I started in April, after the snow had melted and the temperature had climbed above 25°f (-4°c), which has been the highs we’ve been living with lately.

As I’m sure is the case with most Thursday Doors regulars, I notice where there are interesting doors. Unfortunately, they aren’t often accessible. Norm is on record as not being willing to pay bail, so I’m guessing he’s not interested in paying traffic or parking fines. I keep saying things like, “I’ll swing by here in the summer, park over there and walk around,” but it’s not summer. I’ve also been saying that I’ll take one of the planned doorscursions I have queued up, but, again, not until the white stuff melts.

One interesting thing that I’ve noticed this winter, is that a lot of doors are visible in the winter that won’t be visible in a few months (once the trees have leaves again). So, these might not be the best door photos, but in some cases, they’re the only ones I’m likely to get of these doors.

If you’re interested in participating in this fun weekly blogfest, Norm has made it very easy. You follow this link to get to his door page. Near the bottom of that, under his beautiful doors, you’ll see a link (maybe a frog, maybe not) to a list. You can go there and look at other pages like this, and/or you can sign-up and create a link to your collection of doors. So join us!

The doors in my gallery are in East Hartford and Windsor, Connecticut. As far as I know, there’s nothing special, other than some of them have been standing a long time and have been well cared for (or not). I hope you enjoy them.

I love this barn!
I tried to include the side door and the very nice porch.
This house is across from the off-ramp where I exit the highway, Built in 1822, it’s been for sale a few times in the past four years. Did I mention right off the highway?
Another wrap-around porch. This was built in 1834.
I like the entrance, the color and the way it looks in winter.
I think this is a garage.
There is a door behind that tree.
The brickwork in the chimney caught my eye.
This house sits next to the blue-banded Victorian I shared a few weeks ago.
The details and the garage.
This house was built in 1675. Look at that chimney!
I love Mission doors. This house goes with the perfect shed.
Is that the perfect “shed” or what?
OK, this could use some TLC.
Nice door, and another wrap-around porch – I guess they were popular in the 1800’s
I like the porch. I would have wanted to be about 30 feet farther up the road, but I was stopped behind a school bus.

74 comments

    • Thanks Judy. This has been a tough winter. On one hand, it’s actually been fairly mild, but, on the other hand, the snow we have just won’t go away. Getting in and out of places is difficult, finding a parking place on the street is hard and the space is probably dangerous to leave your car for very long. Even the park I visit has lost parking spaces and they have closed off whole sections due to the refreezing every morning.

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    • Thanks GP. I’m happy to be able to share these. It’s funny, I got a few while waiting behind a school bus and I got two yesterday because the police had stopped traffic for some emergency. The older homes are mixed in these newer neighborhoods. They are a real prize to find.

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  4. Hi Dan – yes the barn and the yellow house … but then it’s good to see the others as you mention that greening life comes around after the white stuff has gone. Also it’s nice to see the ambience of your area … different styles etc … cheers Hilary

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  6. I love that first barn picture too! But my mind goes to what it could be. I love shows that take old barns, and other odd buildings, and make them into beautiful homes.

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  7. What a great collection of doors and grand old homes. What’s not to like about the yellow house? And that beauty of a barn? The home built in 1675, with the icicles hanging down and the really wide chimney, looks like a Hallmark Christmas card!! The building you think is a garage has a unique chimney…..or at least I think it’s a chimney!
    Boy, you can’t beat these old homes. As the saying goes, “They don’t build them like that anymore.” That’s our loss.

    Glad you were stopped by a school bus and the police!! Lol. 😜😜
    🐾Ginger 🐾

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    • Thanks Ginger. I did notice the chimney on that (what I think is a) garage. Maybe it was a smokehouse or perhaps even the kitchen. Some of these houses have been through entire eras in terms of lifestyle.

      I love it when I get stopped and there’s a house I haven’t seen before. This road is so busy, but there are frequent stops as well.

      The house with the icicles is interesting. It’s just outside of the center of town, and easy walk to the green. I’m just gla that various people have invested the time and money to keep these homes in good condition. I don’t imagine it’s an easy task.

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  8. My favorite is the old barn, the first shot on the left. But of course I enjoyed the others as well. I agree with you that in winter there are things you can see much better than when everything is blooming. Birds’ nests come to mind as well as doors. I still find it interesting that the architecture where you live is so different from that of the Midwest. Keeps life interesting, doesn’t it. Over Easter I’ll be in Philadelphia again after a long hiatus, so more of those sorts of doors. Have to stock up when I get the chance. :-)

    janet

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    • Thanks Janet. I understand having not seen these places before, or at least not noticing them for Thursday Doors. Many of them are tucked into more modern neighborhoods, and most will soon be invisible from the road. I’m getting bolder about taking pictures of residences, but I’m not quite up to knocking on the door and asking for permission to walk around. Although, that barn…maybe.

      I look forward to the Philly stockpile. It doesn’t look like I’ll get back there for work. I guess I’ll have to plan a trip on the train at some point.

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  10. Oh, many things I like in this post. Let’s see:
    – The first barn – such a great photo!
    – The door in the one where you say Look at the chimney but all I can see are icicles.
    – The perfect shed.

    But I love all the photos. Great going, winter and all!

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  12. The yellow house is so unusual, I love it Dan. I have the same problem with trying to get close to interesting doors. Traffic is either in the way or there’s no parking, those doors are strictly for good weather when I don’t mind the walk.

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  14. There is a rule somewhere way at the back of the book that old structures often have lots of character and patina and are in desperate need of TLC. I like the eye catcher disguised as a chimbly. And the gray building with the nice door and fenceries instead of shruberies. Obviously the domain of the knights who say yeah instead of the knights who say nay. You may not pass.

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  16. I love to admire and photograph my favorite architecture usually from a moving car. I’ve only had one person approach when I was parked to ask why I was photographing their home.Yikes! “Because it’s so beautiful,” I said. I hope you can get back sometime to visit that first barn. I’d love to see inside.

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  17. Waaaa that yellow house is an award winner. Lot’s of beauties in this post Dan but my eye keeps coming back to the yellow one. The brickwork in the chimney, the garage, the roof, it’s all just so pretty.
    I have a now’s-not-a-good-time-I’ll-have-to-come-back-here-later list too, but somehow not much ever seems to get knocked off of that list. I may need to work on my circling back skills :-)

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  18. Somehow the snow makes buildings more regal looking. Love that big barn – but is it? Look at that huge chimney! Wonder why they need such a big one…a rhetorical question. Of course the yellow house takes the prize away, but there are other I very much like too, like the little barn (on the right with the snow on the roof) and the yellow-ish house on the bottom:) Wow, 4 years, that’s something to celebrate!

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    • Thanks! I do think the snow makes the houses stand out, especially the brightly colored ones. I think this was a good group. I’m glad you found some to enjoy.

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  25. I know we aren’t supposed to covet what belongs to others, but I covet that yellow house with the magnificent chimney … and turret! The only thing missing is a wraparound porch and it would be perfect.

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  29. Love that barn! So, do you understand the structure that looks like a chimney on top? And speaking of chimneys, the brick detail on the yellow house chimney is amazing. The 1675 house is stunning. And I always love a farmer’s porch. Terrific doors post, Dan. Thank you!

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    • Thanks Jennie. The structure on the barn is a cupola. They are normally built to provide ventilation for the loft area to help keep the hay dry. This one is odd, in that the sides appear to have tin panels applied where there would normally be louvers. Maybe the barn isn’t being used for hay any longer. The chimney on the yellow house is stunning. That’s what first attracted me to the house. I wish I had room to build such a porch.

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      • It was so tall that I never considered it was a cupola. And tin panels on the sides, no louvers for ventilation. Wow. I have often thought that farmers porches were built for practicality first. The farm house was often at the high point of the land, and the farmer could see everything that was happening on his land – in a beautiful way. Best to you, Dan.

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  30. 1675. Look at those windows! Oh, that house is a winner for me! That shed is rather perfect. Also, even the shed that needs TLC has a window, which my nicer shed does not, making dilapidated shed something enviable.
    I need to lightly trespass across the street, to get the red doors that are invisible when the trees are green and full. I have not yet. The house is empty off and on, but it seems they always rent it out before winter comes.
    There are definitely lots of doors on your commute :)

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    • Thanks! I like the doors I’ve found on my “back way” home. The TLC shed is rather interesting. I can see why they aren’t replacing it with a pre-fab job. I think I’ll continue snapping pics on this commute. This might be my last shot. The leaves won’t fall again while I’m still working here.

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  34. Your first statement is very much the same I believe. At one point I wanted to join Thursday Doors but then I thought may be I might not be able to write consistently. By now you already know I’m the most ‘Inconsistent Blogger’ out on the Internet. Well, I’m not self-torturing here. I know I have my reasons and priorities but I have always kept this possibility open that someday I might become a part of Thursday Doors.

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  35. I look forward to that day. It doesn’t have to be a continuous thing. You can drift in and out if you like. I just think that you much pass by a lot of amazing doors. In any case, thanks for stopping here.

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