walking – New England's Narrow Road

Sharing Photos From My Trip to New Hampshire

It was a treat to visit my kids this Spring in New Hampshire. I was able to walk along some of the streets where I used to live and visit old landmarks. I had to make up for the two years since I’d traveled north.

In March when I arrived a bit of snow remained, but later in mid-April we had a snowstorm. One day the temp was near 80, but mostly is hovered around 50-60 degrees by late day.

The black flies were coming out by the time I left in May.

Spring Gardening

The weather was pretty nice, except for the day it snowed! So I bought some perennials for my daughter’s yard. I was able to find some old favorites which used to grow in my own New Hampshire yard.

The Lenton Rose (Hellebores) is an early bloomer and the plant we bought already had fading blooms. Forsythia were blooming everywhere with their tiny, bright yellow flowers, and daffodils were welcoming spring.

Forsythia in New England Spring — Daffodils

Columbine was always something I grew in my gardens and I had a huge monarda plant next to my house. The one I found at Tenney Farms was quite tiny, so I hope it lives to become a nice bush with bright pink blooms.

My daughter chose some Catnip to keep her little cat happy, and the cat rolled all around on top of this plant so much that I thought the stems would break!

Arrival, Snow and First Walk

This section should be first… but I am unable to move the section so…….

Out the window of the plane I got my first view of snow! It’s exciting when you live in Florida but love the north.

I did plenty of outside activities during my 7 week visit, including walking through woods and along roads, and hiking mountains.

New from the plane showing snow on the ground — From the plane

March New Hampshire with ground showing and some snow — From the plane

Day Trips to The Woodstock Inn and Brewery and Harrisville Designs

One day we took a trip to the Woodstock Inn and took a brewery tour and had lunch, with beer of course!

On another occasion my daughter and I visited Harrisville where the Harrisville Designs mill and shop are located. I’m a knitter, so I wanted to see where some of my favorite yarn is spun. Read more about Brooklyn Tweed and the HD mill here.

Woodstock Inn and Brewery New Hampshire — Woodstock Inn and Brewery

Canning Pig's Ear beer at Woodstock Brewery — Woodstock Inn and Brewery

The Great Outdoors – Sun, Water, Mountains, and Snow

I never tired of breathing the fresh air of the north. Most days were nice, cool and sunny. There were some cold and rainy days, and that day it snowed, but getting outdoors was a priority.

I arrived in March just as Maple Syrup season was ending. On a walk along the road I found some buckets still attached to the maples collecting sap.

granite seat next to Nubanusit Brook — Stone seat, brookside

Stone park in Peterborough New Hampshire — Stone seat, brookside

I enjoyed every day of my trip to New Hampshire and saw my kids as much as possible. I even met up with an old friend whom I had not seen in about 30 years! That was freaky and fun.

Begin The Day With Movement, End the Day With Calm

I’ve been following the Keto Diet plan since August 2020. (Read about my Keto experience here.) I’ve been walking regularly for a couple of months and I should have done that sooner. Begin the day with movement to get the juices flowing. End the day with calm and relaxing activities like knitting and watching television. These are my goals.

For most of my adult life I left the house to go to work. Most of my jobs meant standing or walking around for long periods of time. I was a bank teller, cashier, florist, teacher’s assistant, substitute teacher, and at-home babysitter when my own kids were little. Like most mothers, there was not much time for me.

Now I work from home, and have been doing so since 2007. It means long hours in front of the computer – sitting. My knitting hobby also keeps me sitting for long periods of time. Sitting is not great for us so it’s important to find something that keeps us going.

What’s Your Reason For Improving?

My number one reason to continue to eat well and get moving every day is the fact that both my mother and my sister have had, and currently have dementia. My mother died of Alzheimers and my younger sister is suffering with dementia. No relatives ever had these problems.

Long story short, after much searching for an answer, I am convinced that good health begins first with eating correctly. Second to that is getting daily exercise. I won’t be in good shape if I don’t move, and at my age, it will be lost quickly if it’s not used. Old age is tough. Our bodies are not cooperative. In fact, I think my body would love to be in a chair all day. We must fight ourselves to keep going!

Florida oak trees — Oak trees with Spanish moss in my Florida neighborhood

I don’t like where I live, and I would love a few hills to climb, but whenever I get out and take a walk, I try to enjoy the scenery. My neighborhood has some very big and beautiful oak trees. They are not like the New England oaks I knew, witch had huge leaves that dropped late in fall for me to rake. These oaks are filled with Spanish moss and have long, crazy limbs. Those are called “Live Oaks”. But Florida has many types of oak, and I am not familiar with them all.

New Hampshire roads are where I’d love to be walking. The photo below was taken on my trip and I had walked up this road past huge, beautiful farms and homes. Walking here is so much better. The air is clear and the views are sweet. But for now I deal with what I have. Moving is the most important thing, so I need to go take a walk.

View of mountains while taking a walk in New Hampshire — New Hampshire

Walking Here While I Remember There

Walking is something I began doing when I lived in New Hampshire. The scenery is really too lovely to ignore although the weather does not always cooperate. It makes those nice days call louder to draw me outdoors.

Now I am in Florida. I like to imagine that I am still walking those New Hampshire back roads when in fact I am stuck walking in a much drearier place. What I am actually doing, compared to what I am thinking, is what follows.

The Walk

I get dressed. Coolest, sleeveless top I own and capris. It will be hot, and worst of all muggy, before I take one step. Dress in layers because it will be cool, maybe even cold, when I start out, but I will work up a sweat on the hills.

Out the front door onto the level pavement of the long, straight, boring neighborhood road. I may go around the nearest block, but that is only 1/2 mile at best. It depends on the amount of heat I feel. Step outside and breathe in the beautiful, fresh air, as I head up the short driveway to begin my 2 mile walk. No doubts about the length because it’s my usual. I’ve measured it in my car. On a day like this, I could walk much further if my body would let me.

fall leaves — My old driveway – where my walks began

Heading down the road I pass house after house. This November morning is hot, but not oppressive at this hour. I spot lots of shade down the road ahead so I decide to take the longer route. Past my friends home and the trail where I sometimes see deer. I look back to make sure my cats are not trying to follow me. Down the hill I go, past familiar homes on my neighborhood loop. I know some of the people living in these houses. Coming back, that long hill is a killer climb, and I am often out of breath and sweaty as I reach my front yard. Today I won’t be coming back. My mind won’t get that far.

The stopwatch part of my iPhone is on so I can gauge time and help with distance. I know I used to walk 2 miles in 15-20 minutes on hilly roads. Now my walk is totally flat all the way. I should go faster but I am horribly out of shape because I hate walking here. My new way to cope is to think about New Hampshire. Where would I be at this point in my walk? I turn the corner and head to the next block. The homes in my little New Hampshire neighborhood each stand on an acre or more. Many of the homes in my neighborhood are quite large in comparison to my own. I am past the end of my loop and heading onto the main road where the walk gets really nice. Tall trees line both sides of the road with stone walls of course. When the leaves are off the trees I have a good view well into the woods. Soon I will see the white rock and the shortcut trail through the woods which connects this road to another.

Trying to ignore the boringness of driveway after driveway and the long straight road ahead (not to mention the suffocating humidity) I try to remember the cool, crisp air of Fall in New England. I discovered the big white rock in the stone wall on one of my first walks and it became ‘my rock’. Every time I drive or walk past this area I can spot it. Rocks usually stay put for years and years and that is comforting. The rock will surely be there long after I am gone for good. The path through the woods would take me to Union Street and I’ve used it before, when I’ve taken my longer walks, but it can be swampy in places. I see the young trees which are still bent over from last year’s snowstorms.

Not many people are out on this Thursday morning but I do spot a school bus farther down the road. I am thankful I no longer have to ‘do school’. Surely I’ve put in more than my fair share of time with it. I am in the home stretch. As I turn the corner back onto my street I am not sure how far I’ve walked but it really hasn’t been that far. Maybe a mile. I am sweating from the sun more than from exertion, which stinks. I’ve passed the MacDowell Colony big house on the corner. I always step off the side of the road in that area when I hear a car coming because they will not see me easily on that bend. Now the long driveway to the little red shed is on my right and another long sloping upward hill begins. I’m almost halfway through my 2-mile walk, which must end today at the halfway point in my mind.

My Florida house is up ahead. The top of the hill is up ahead.

Florida Live oak with Spanish moss — Live oak with Spanish moss – My Florida tree

I walk into my driveway and stand under the southern live oak and palm tree and close my eyes. I have made it to the halfway point – 1 mile. I stand in the shade of big trees at the top of the hill. Another MacDowell Colony house is just beyond the wall. It’s a good spot to drink some water and rest for a moment. I take this time to enjoy the beauty of the place where I live, and then I head back the way I came. I look forward to it.

With a sad heart I walk to the front door where Skittle the Cat comes out from under the bushes to greet me.

It’s not all bad.

In Closing, About the Colony

(I have photos of the MacDowell Colony area, and the road I always walked, but I’m not sure where to locate those photos. The Colony consists of many acres of land with main gathering areas and smaller houses scattered throughout the woods. I could see some of these buildings on my walk. It is a retreat for creative types. They are assured of peace and quiet during their stay and it is a lovely area for that.

It was not uncommon to see someone on the road carrying a picnic basket. The baskets are used to deliver food to the guests. I suspected it was a visiter of the Colony returning the basket. Also a lot of the bike riders I saw were perhaps writers, actors or artists staying in the area. At least that was what I imagined. One summer we heard that Johnny Depp was a guest at MacDowell Colony. I never saw him on my walks. 😉

Catching the Winter Sunrise

winter trees and sunrise — Winter Sunrise

Some of the most beautiful moments of my days happened when sitting at the bus stop early in the morning on winter days. To enjoy seeing the sun coming up, I’d have to leave the house where too many trees kept me from seeing anything except a glimpse of orange far off. But at the bus stop, near the wide open area of the lake, it was sometimes a spectacular view.

Sometimes I’d bring my camera and take a walk after my son got off to school. That is just one wonderful advantage of working at home. Having the ability to work my own hours means enjoying the best parts of the day if I choose. Yes, I am lucky.

Now I don’t live near the lake and I never see a sunrise – except the occasional bright color way off through the neighbor’s trees. I always think about how beautiful it must be to live on a hill. If you live on a hill, I hope you take time to enjoy that beauty.

The woods are something I can enjoy. Whenever I walk in the woods I always think of this part of Robert Frost’s poem. It’s the only part I can ever remember. Certainly the thickly wooded areas of woods in the northeast are lovely, dark and deep.

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
(Robert Frost)