New Hampshire – Page 25 – New England's Narrow Road

Happy New Year, We Are Snowless

On January first the temp reached into the mid-forties the sunshine drew me outside to pick up fallen branches that were scattered over the front yard. There is no snow here in southern New Hampshire.

I think that is a first for me since I moved back to the northeast. We have had a white Christmas for the past 6 years and don’t see the ground until Spring. This year was different. We had 23 inches of snow in October and have had very little since.

Pictures of Past Snowfalls

high snow — Basement slider- I won’t be using this door any time soon

Black lab in deep snow — My neighbor’s black lab walking in deep snow

The photo here is one I took last year on January 12th during a snowstorm that dumped a bunch of snow on top of the bunch of snow we already had.

This was the year when my landlady had decided she didn’t need the driveway plowed by the guy she had been using. Because she was waiting for the new, busy plow guy, our driveway was way down his list and we had to wait! I didn’t have to get out in my car, but I didn’t like the idea that we were snowed in. Good thing I work from home!

Christmas Last Year

Christmas day last year, 2010, was spent in my rental house. In fact we did Christmas a week late since my daughter was sick Christmas day. We spent the day with my daughter and her boyfriend and his daughter and my son. There was plenty of snow and we went outside to try out the new sleds and snowshoes once the presents were unwrapped.

At the time, I was not sure if I’d be living in that duplex for another five years or what would happen. As it turned out I was able to get into a home of my own where we will spend the holidays this year. It’s a good feeling to have my own place again. My kitchen is big so I can make cookies and have room to spread my mess out all over the place!

Snow is coming tonight, so maybe we will have a white Christmas after all.

Yes! I Have Cardinals!!

In the three years I lived in my rental house just north of where I live now, I saw a red Cardinal bird one time. I had previously lived just down the road and used to feed many cardinals, but for some reason, the rental had none. No matter what I did I couldn’t get a Cardinal to visit, but now I have them again. I don’t know why this makes me so happy, but it does. Continue reading “Yes! I Have Cardinals!!”

When It Comes to Ticks, We Can Be Quite Vicious

Name one thing that everyone hates. Ticks! What good are they? What purpose do they serve? They are nasty, blood-sucking things that leave itchy welts when they bite and cause concern over Lyme disease for all of us who live where deer ticks are found.

What I know is that having animals that go outside means they will bring ticks into the house and then they will end up on you. I used to comb my cat Richie when he came in from hunting all day in the woods and fields, and sometimes I would find 11 ticks on him at a time. It used to be that we got a break from the ticks after Spring, but this year Fall is bringing them back. I recently pulled a couple off my other cat.

In Florida I always sprinkled Borax around to keep the flea population down and it kills other things too, so I did a Borax experiment with a tick. I closed in a jar with borax in the bottom and waited to see if he would die. I waited for days and he didn’t die. So I flushed him like I usually do.

My landlady used to burn them with her lighter, and my neighbors loved the fact that their chickens ate them.

It is snowing now, so I hope this means the end of ticks until Spring.