New Hampshire – Page 3 – New England's Narrow Road

Photos From New England, My One Good Day

Recently (October 2018) I spent a week in my old hangout around Peterborough, New Hampshire. Foliage season was winding down, but there were lots of yellow and gold colors left on the trees, with some red around the lakes. My vacation was a good one, but the weather turned cold and rainy after this one good day. I spent it outdoors at my favorite lake.

Fall foliage roadside in New Hampshire — Red and orange leaves by the lake

The day I arrived in New Hampshire the weather was beautiful with temps in the seventies. Unfortunately I had been up since three in the morning dealing with airports so I was a bit tired to enjoy it.

My first full day of vacation brought another beautiful, sunny day and it was the last one in the forecast for the week! I had to take advantage of it. There were clouds, but it was beautiful weather for walking and photography. Some of my photos are dark because the sun did not come out when it should have!

Geese on the lake — Geese family on Gregg Lake

A sweet friend, who lives on a lake, had invited me to go kayaking that afternoon. I was determined not to waste the morning hours so I headed to Gregg Lake for a walk. Her lake was not far away, so I tried to plan it so I could walk and then kayak. Yikes, I was horribly out of shape, and I did pay for all that exercise the following day with some sore muscles, but it was well worth the hours spent breathing in gorgeous New England air!

bright red leaves — Some bright leaves remain

Revisiting The Bridge

Most of my old, favorite Fall photographs are from the Gregg Lake area because I lived close by at one time. I’m a bit of a nomad and have lived in many spots, but my time near the lake was special.

I walked this area in all types of weather including after snowstorms, to get my photos. Blueberry picking is good around the lake in summer and I traveled back here to do just that when I lived in Peterborough. But my favorite season was always autumn. The summer people and beach goers were gone and peace and quiet returned. Each day I watched the color change on the trees and could pick the best days to get my pictures.

bridge by the lake in fall — A favorite view of the little bridge

The picture above is one of my favorite views for photography. The lake is to the left and the water in this photo is more of a shallow pond. Kayaks can go under the road bridge, which is to my left and out of view here, and travel around this small area. The bridge in the distance connects this pond area with another shallow area of water. The road is a dirt one and is good for walking, except that it was hunting season so I did not venture into the woods, or down that road.

Quite a few years ago I made my photo of this bridge into a postcard to sell in my Zazzle store. You can see it below. That photo was taken many years ago. If I had made my journey to New England a week earlier I may have seen these bright colors. Beginning of October is when the color was usually best around the lake and I visited in mid-October. A bit late, but it couldn’t be helped.

The wooden bridge in Fall (above)- This is an old photo taken in 2008 maybe?

Gregg Lake foliage and water — Another favorite spot to photograph

I have taken many photos from the spot shown in the photo above. If you catch it right, the foliage, lake and wooden fence make a beautiful image.

The old wooden fence adds interest to the scene where the road stretches around the lake to show the beach area and a few houses beyond. A red tree grows from a small island near the shore with some yellows left on the trees roadside. This area of water is where the geese hang out and when I used this road daily, it was not unusual to have to stop my car to let the babies follow mom across the road here.

I made another postcard of this view which was taken earlier in the season. Leaves were just beginning to change, so probably early to mid-September. (See image below)

lake photography — End of summer lake photo

The hours I spent walking this road were some of the most peaceful in my tumultuous life. This area will always be special to me and any time I travel back “home”, I will make a point to take in the views around Gregg Lake. I suppose next time the view will include wind turbines. I’ll be writing about that.

Empty road around Gregg Lake — Road at the lake

Love New Hampshire For All These Reasons

After waiting a year, I am finally back home visiting all my favorite places in New Hampshire. I’ve run into old acquaintances and taken photos at my old favorite spots.

Tenney Farms produce — My Visit to Tenney Farm

I love New Hampshire for many reasons, and one is the farm stands. This late in the season (mid-October) Tenney Farms in Antrim is open fewer hours. The products are Autumn related, like pumpkins, Hubbard squash, and apple cider. Of course they have bags of apples from local orchards and I had to get some Macs.

apple, macintosh, fruit — New England Mac – delicious

The apples were quite big and extremely yummy. Macs have always been my favorite apple to pick in Fall. They are crisp and juicy when they are fresh. Usually they are not this big! If I lived here I would make a pie, but this time it will be applesauce for my daughter. I don’t have a kitchen in my rental, so have to use hers and she wants applesauce.

The wonderful cool air and pretty foliage is another thing to love about New Hampshire. Every drive is a scenic one, even if they are working on roads to get ready for winter.

Winding back roads with little traffic is also something I’ve missed. And the gorgeous homes people build up here are simply stunning in their size and landscaping.

The foliage is a bit gone by but still enjoyable. I couldn’t book my rental for the previous week, so I came a week later than I’d expected. As I walked around Gregg Lake in Antrim, I got some leaf photos and learned that the wind turbines would be coming soon! I’m wondering how the locals feel about that. (I’ll be writing more about this topic.)

And as I surveyed my surroundings at the rental I discovered a Magnolia tree and Pinky Winky hydrangea! I had one in my yard when I lived here and it was a favorite. The flowers begin white but by late fall the flowers are dark pink.

Health and well-being is on the minds of New Hampshire residents and it shows in the markets, restaurants, and health food stores. Local eateries (The Bantam Grill) use meat and produce from local farms. Organic food is easy to find, although it is not cheap.

Everyone is on the move, from joggers and hikers to neighborhood walkers. The air is cool and when the sun shines, people want to get outdoors. They know that winter is coming. But even in winter, skiing and snowboarding are popular sports. My daughter and her boyfriend just bought 4-wheelers to take advantage of the many woodland and mountain trails in the area.

The small town feel of the area is the last thing I will mention. Quaint and peaceful is the norm here. What could be better? I will be sorry to leave, but will return!

fall foliage lake bridge — Fall at the lake

What Springtime Meant and Means to Me

Springtime in Florida is barely noticed. Possibly it means the return of heat more than anything. Spring breakers and bikers (Bike Week) have gone, and so have the Easter visitors, but I’m sure there are some tourists somewhere, or should I say….everywhere.

Springtime in New Hampshire was impossible NOT to notice. Everything became suddenly GREEN!

Before the snow was gone, or the temps rose much, people would be running and walking wearing t-shirts and shorts. It was surprising to me how much people liked to pretend it was Spring, even when the temperatures were still in the 40’s!

Tulips and other bulbs would brighten the drab landscape and oh, the forsythia! I wonder how tall my forsythia has grown. I’m searching for photos, but can only find tulips. This one was especially pretty.

yellow frilly tulip — Yellow frilly tulip

At my house in New Hampshire the garden hoses would be brought up and re-attached to the house ready to water the flower beds and vegetable gardens. Freezing weather was gone… these were exciting times.

May meant planting season was coming and seedlings could be purchased at Tenney Farms and elsewhere. I would haul out my little greenhouse (which I sold for next to nothing when I moved) and set it up on the porch where my little plants could stay warm until the end of May.

The cats would love going outdoors again – Skittle likes it warm

The cats would begin to spend some real time outdoors. There was grass to chew and things to chase, but mostly there were warm sunny spots.

Haul the lawn chairs outside – so Fontana will have a spot to sleep!

My plastic “Adirondack” chairs would be brought up from the basement and placed in the front yard. I so enjoyed sitting beneath the big oak and beech trees that lined the front yard. It’s one of my favorite memories of the home I lived in for five years.

And oh yes, the hummingbirds! I kept a feeder hanging for them and replaced the “food” every other day or so. That was fun.

May means feeding hummingbirds! I’d almost forgotten….

The house I bought had a bunch of cement blocks lying around so I dragged them out to my front yard (that is where the sun was) and made an ugly raised bed. This thing was kinda small, but I did manage to grow eggplant and other things there.

While searching for photos of Spring for this post, I realized that I didn’t take all that many pictures of Spring in New England. Maybe I was too busy, or maybe it was mostly work, with little beauty to share. My photos are mostly of the months to come when the gardens were thriving and the flowers were blooming.

Maybe it was because of the Black Flies, which used to give me big welts when they bit. May weather was so lovely, and those bugs could ruin it! I was glad to see them go in June.

Think about planting in my makeshift raised bed

The people who bought my house removed this eyesore (can’t say I blame them) – but it worked for me.

Spring at my New Hampshire home meant no more shoveling snow, lugging wood, or dealing with the snowblower (ugh – a man’s job which I hated). It was almost time to shovel dirt – my favorite thing (sort of).

Ahhhh… the memories.

Now I live in Florida. Here is my backyard at the end of April (photo below). The weather is very warm, and hot in the sun. I have summer squash, green peppers and tomatoes already growing, and some are ready to eat. Imagine that… in the North the gardens won’t be supplying fresh vegetables for months yet.

Still, I like gardening in the North much better. My Florida garden gives me something to do, but it doesn’t compare to having a yard full of wonderful flowers and vegetables. My photo shows my entire garden area.

Dig in the dirt in New Hampshire and you have worms and good stuff for growing. Here I have to “build” my own dirt.

Ah well… no sense in complaining. I will simply take trips down memory lane to be reminded of what I had. With all the photos I’ve taken over the years I still have many to share.

There is a saying I like to remember which goes, “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”

Screen Shot 2018-04-30 at 2.44.35 PM — Reality… Spring in Florida means heat and that’s about it.

Keeping in Touch With New England

I have to keep reminding myself that in many areas of the country summer is almost over. September brings fall colors to my old home town and the New England area, but I am not there. I find myself missing all the things I knew I would miss. I miss the fresh air, cool breezes, cool anything. I sit in front of a fan, in an air-conditioned house to find my cool air these days.

I miss the quietness of my front yard. I’d sit under the big oak out front and just drink in the peace. I knew that not everywhere was that nice, and I sooooo appreciated every minute of the five years I had it to enjoy.

I miss my gardens and wonder how my hydrangeas are doing. They would be blooming by now, and in fact my elderly neighbor in the north has told me how lovely the white flowers by the front door look. Those would be the Limelight variety. They always grow long branches with big heavy flowers. The Pinky Winky hydrangea was one of my favorites and I hope the buyers of my home are appreciating their loveliness.

I miss sleeping with the window open, and snuggling up under my blankets. I used to sleep so well. I miss my big kitchen and my little back deck. I miss all that storage space in my basement! No more basements. Florida homes don’t have them. That’s a whole floor full of space that is just gone! So I’ve had to downsize. Nothing wrong with that. I have way too much stuff anyway.

Fall is coming and I won’t be there to see the colors. I won’t crunch in the fallen leaves or see the tour busses pull into the shopping center so flatlanders can get their photos. I won’t be pulling on a jacket any time soon, and I certainly won’t be raking leaves. That part of my old life I won’t miss. I loved my trees, but boy did I have some autumn raking to do.

But what I really miss is something I’ve never had at all. A peaceful, normal life where I am not constantly moving or thinking about moving. A life where I can think about living and doing things that normal people do. I will be moving out of this rental and into a new place soon. There are no vegetable gardens there, so I will start from scratch once again. It seems that life will always be difficult and full of strife, but I never count on anything. I have no idea what lies ahead.

I’ll always miss fall in New England, but I knew I would.