Academy Sign is Up

The sign for Wethersfield Academy for the Arts has found its permanent location.

One may think it a simple matter to make a sign.  But there is much more to it than meets the eye, and many hands took part.  Betty Standish of Standish Associates created the pattern and rooster facsimile.  Andrew Chasse cut the sign from heavy Western Red Cedar and carved and painted the letters with special paint to last many years.  Doug crafted the post from cedar 2 x 4's, glued and clamped back to back.  A metal square brace is hidden in the center for strength.  Betty and Doug put the post in the ground and trued it up, and Nick Frasco helped to attach the sign.  Of course, none of this could happen in this town without approval from the Wethersfield Historic District Commission.

We are happy to be able to live in Wethersfield's Historic District and to make this nice addition to the community.

     We got four Rhode Island Red biddies from a local farmer two days ago.  They are already laying large brown eggs and seem to be adapting nicely to their new home.  They will eat organically grown feed plus some vegetable scraps and have a nice new chicken run to frolic in.

     Here is a picture of the chicken run, with four blokes celebrating its completion.  You know the saying: "Young man gathers sticks to build a bridge to the moon.  Old man gathers sticks to build a chicken run."

     And here are the chicks:

     And this is their house behind Virginia and her garden: 

     Five years ago we bought six baby chicks.  Three turned out to be roosters and, of the three hens, two survived.  So, we saved one rooster, and pretty soon had five more baby chicks, three being hens.  The rooster was unkind so we turned him into soup.  Doug forgot to lock the door to the chicken house one night and a fox ate most of the chickens.  An eagle ate the remaining one. Eagles have a nest in the Wethersfield Cove preserve down across Hartford Avenue.

     The new chicken run is screened in all 'round, including the top, with wire running down into the ground on all sides.  We trust it is secure and will keep out all creeping and flying critters except the two legged ones that have keys.

What's in a Name?

Folly Brook Farm is the name penned for the Buck farm in Thomas Tryon's epic novel, The Wings of the Morning.  We chose this name for the farm because Virginia already uses Old Buck Farm for her art and book business (website: http://www.fanseafultales.com/ ), and needed something different for our property and related enterprise.  A description of some similarities between Tryon's Follybrook Farm and our version is found on the Historical Background page.

Arts and Heritage

      Wethersfield Academy for the Arts is pursuing an arts and heritage project with local homeowners.  Ten artists will paint the ancient homes of ten residents for display in a small booklet.  The paintings will be combined with a description of the structures and some history about them, along with interesting tales.
      The picture below was taken at a preliminary meeting where artists met homeowners.

WAA Open House

Wethersfield Academy for the Arts held an open house April 19 and 20, 2011.  Neighbors, artists, friends and future students came to see their new home.

Student instruction and workshops by exceptional artists and teachers will become availablein the weeks and months ahead.  Among them are:

      
    Bob Norieka

         
   
Doug Gillette

Liz Auxier Namee

     Sandra Wakeen

Stairs

   These stairs were crafted out of white oak and poplar by master carpenter, Peter Zambryzcki.  They will take the earnest student of fine art to the second floor of the barn where students will apprentice with professional artists and learn how to paint like the old masters.

Wired

    Here is the utility shed.  There are telephone wires, computer wires and many electric cables.  There are wires from the breaker box to heat pump compressors, and wires from the compressors to the room units.  There are wires to parking lot lights and wires to wall lanterns.  There are even grounding wires for water and gas pipes.

    The big pipe in the middle is our fire hydrant main.  It's not hooked up yet, but will tie in to the smaller shiney pipe down on the left.  The smaller copper pipes are water pipes.  The eight orange tubes, also not hooked up, are for radiant heating.  
    On the left is a condensing boiler.  It will provide warm water for heat as well as hot water to the sinks.  It is called a condensing boiler because it can operate at low temperatures and gets extra heat by condensing the water vapor produced by combustion. 
    The coils, hanging up on the right, are for air conditioning.  They run to and from the room units and will be attached to the compressors outside.  As soon as these are connected and the town inspector approves the wiring, we can finish insulating and putting up some wall board.

    Here is a picture from the other end of the shed.  On the right are time clocks for turning the lights on and off.  They are hooked up to light sensors on the outside so that, even though the clocks activate the lights, they won't go on until it gets dark.