The first I’d ever heard of doing a corn maze in autumn was when I lived in New Hampshire. For a short time I lived near Concord, and often visited Beech Hill Farm. I think this was the first corn maze I ever did.
By googling the “history of corn mazes” I have discovered that it is a fairly new endeavor. In the early 1990’s the first maze appeared in Pennsylvania.
So what is the purpose of a corn maze? To aggravate the heck out of you! Haha.. really, they are fun, until you can’t find your way out. This has not happened to me, but I’ve heard stories of people actually calling for rescue from the maze!
Now, with nearly everyone having access to some sort of GPS on their smartphone, getting lost is unlikely. Traveling the maze means finding some unique and fun “gifts” along the way. Some mazes are like a scavenger hunt. Often maps will be provided so adults can help kids find the fun spots.
For more fun facts about corn mazes, read this insightful article at Cornbelly’s site.
Reminiscing about all my moves while in New Hampshire
One of the reasons I have kept this blog even though I no longer live in New England is that I have shared some of my favorite photos here. Now I use this blog to share my knitting adventures and dream that one day I will be able to write again from a New Hampshire location.
All photography on this page is my own and is copyright protected.
When I moved from Florida to New Hampshire I had a nice house where I expected to stay for a very long time – maybe forever. I have to laugh at that. Silly me.
It didn’t turn out that way. I moved, and moved, and moved some more. I rented at four different places and lived in one house of my own before high expenses and lack of income forced me to head back to Florida.
Life by the lake, my son skating in the cold
My first, third and fourth homes in New Hampshire were near Gregg Lake in Antrim. I loved this area. The lake is small enough that it never gets crowded and it’s very quiet when the summer people have gone. New Hampshire doesn’t change very quickly, and I love that. After living in Florida where there are really no small towns, being part of one was a welcome change.
Light at the end of the tunnel?
My first rental house was in Hopkinton and I snapped this photo of the sun rising just at the top of the hill. I lived here for a year but rent was too expensive so I moved (almost) into a condo.
The condo flooded before I could get in, so I temporarily lived in a little “camp” near Gregg Lake. It was August and we were right on the water which was nice for the kids, but it was only temporary. The condo was taking a long time to renovate and I was desperate to find a permanent rental that was decent. I lucked out when I found the duplex (photo below), where I stayed for three years.
This area is so beautiful. The only thing that would have made it better was if I had really belonged by having my own place. But walking was beautiful and I enjoyed the views of woods, hills and the lake. My landlady had a black lab and I would take her for walks with me.
I’ve always loved taking photos and I used my digital camera for all of these. I never had a nice cell phone until just before I left the state. With the change of seasons, there is always something amazing to photograph in this area. Fall and winter were favorite times to get photos. I loved to go out after a snowstorm and get photos before the wind ruined things.
Winter Trees
Because I was feeling more like a normal person – having a home helps – my kids talked me into getting two cats. Richie and Fontana loved to sit in the front window and watch the birds.
Richie was killed by a fisher cat after I moved into my own home, but Fontana is still with me. She is about 14 years old now.
Richie and Fontana
Yay, My Own Place
The house I bought (below) needed a lot of renovating. You can read about that here. I was having siding, windows and new shutters put on when we got a freak October snowstorm which brought the work to a halt for days.
October Snowfall 2011
Now I am back in Florida where I deal with heat, humidity, crowds, tourists, and hurricanes. I no longer walk in the woods and take photos of the change of seasons. I blog about seashell identification and our boating trips where we attempt to catch fish large enough to eat. I write about Florida landscaping and gardening and life in general on my Hydrangeas Blue blog.
I miss New Hampshire, but I am a nomad, and my goal is to move again… back to the Northeast.
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.
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 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!
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.
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?
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)
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.
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
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.
I would drag the hose up out of the basement once freezing weather had passed.
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.”
Reality… Spring in Florida means heat and that’s about it.
New England's Narrow Road 