I loved the towns we stayed in during those holiday and wedding visits: they were such a far cry from the tiny little town we lived in, with sprawling main streets full of ancient brick buildings and beautiful architecture. Sadly, time and tide have taken away a lot of those buildings, or changed them from their former splendor, but they remain in my memory, and I have chosen to preserve them by lifting them up and placing them in a town that I've nestled in between them, right on the banks of the Housatonic River.
There are other favorite places that have found a home in Aviario, too: the town where I spent many an afternoon visiting my Gram had a similar charm, on a smaller scale, and its library, in particular, stole my heart. Back in May, I was lucky enough to finally be able to live there, myself: close enough to my childhood yen to live in Connecticut with my family without having to grapple with the high cost of living.
I've been taking my camera around and slowly collecting pictures of places, so that I can take you all on a virtual tour. But that's something that will come later. For now, I just wanted to give you a taste of the town's origins.
As for the name, Aviario (say "AY-vee-uh-REE-oh")... well. Originally, things were a lot different. Let's just say that many, many birds were involved, and I had this M.O. in the bag long before E.L James. Wink wink.