Sugar River Trail - Claremont to Newport

Today I wanted to do a mountain bike ride for my workout, so I grabbed my Trail Book of rides for NH, VT, and ME. I headed up to Claremont, to the Sugar River Trail, a.k.a. Rte 5 snowmobile trail, home of the Shugah Valley snowmobile club. The trail is super flat and fast for most of the time. However, if you're scared of beach sand you may want to avoid this trail. There are some spots where the sand is fairly deep. Fat tires are a must. If you have a single speed beach bike, perfect! The trail runs along the Sugar River, and is nearly all in the woods, with no houses! I came across a little camp which could be seen across the river. It might be the "Cathole Warmup hut", but I'm not sure. There are two huge, as in tall, covered bridges which had trains running through them at one time. The trail crosses the river many, times. There is one crossing, just as you enter Newport, where people swim. It looked perfect! I opted to stick my feet in further into my ride, after my "wipeout".

I brought my GPS along, just for kicks. I was holding on to it, and the handlebar with my left hand. The GPS started to slip from my hand, and the next thing I knew I was flat on the ground. Let me just say that railroad beds are as hard as pavement. I wasn't lucky enough to fall in deep sand. I was lucky enough not to break anything, on my bike or me. After pausing to assess the pain in my right hip, I got back up and peddled to a shady spot under a bridge. I decided I was at that moment, Rumplestiltskin, guarding my bridge. I took off the shoes and socks, and sat down with my feet in the warm, really warm, water. I tried to catch a Crayfish, but no luck. The river was low, as most seem to be this time of year. I saw a couple dead Crayfish, but live ones too. After I was sufficiently collected, I got back on the bike and finished the ride. According to my GPS, not quite 10 miles to Newport from Claremont. The ride back was decidely faster, averaging about 13 mph. but I wasn't trying to go fast. I made several stops to check things out; the bridges, rode through Newport, checked out a bunch of old cars dug up by road construction near the river.

Agimenti-who-ticus?

Agimenticus! Mt. Agimenticus that is. I have been going to Maine for eons, and I never heard of this mountain before. It's just outside of Kennebunk, Wells area. You can drive to the top, or hike, or even ride a mountain bike up. From the top, you get a 360 degree view of everywhere. You see the Atlantic, and I'm told, the Boston skyline, but I'm not too sure I believe that. You can see the White Mtns. though not that day. A small group of mountain bikers had been resting in the shade of a small oak, when we arrived. Me, my mom, and Al. Not another soul. After the bikes left, not a sound, but the occasional cedar waxwing, or white throated sparrow. I read the epitaph of David Hilton, a past forest fire warden who used to watch the distant woods from the fire tower. He died at the age of 40, in 2003, no reason given. He had written a book on all the fire towers in Maine, and he was an accomplished fireman. I imagine he loved being atop Mt. Agimenticus, just as I loved being there even for the short visit.

I spent three days in Maine, with the folks. It was good to get away, smell the ocean once again. We spent time at the beach, and getting lost on backroads. Al always enjoys finding the "shortcuts" home. We stayed at "The Garrison House", motel and cottages. Very nice, and I would recommend it to anyone. From our room, we could see the ocean in the distance. There was a lush salt marsh, complete with Purple Loosestrife, Cattails, and Marsh Rose. All floating a beautiful sea of green. The weather was perfect, and I could have stayed in the moment forever.

The BEST Lobster Roll

I had occasion to drive up to Maine on Monday. I took a leisurely route along Rte 202 all the way to Augusta. Then I came back down via Portland, and Rte 1, with the requisite stop at L.L. Bean. I got the tag end of their sale, which has been going on for two months. I'm not into shopping, so I hit the fishing section and the sale tables, then outta there. I picked up a pair of low-quarter hiking shoes for $39.00 before the ME tax. so I was happy. I stopped for ice cream in Old Orchard Beach, then drove right down the main thoroughfare where the crowds are. I remembered why Old Orchard is NOT my favorite place in Maine to be. I much prefer the less visited places, more out of the way, like Pemaquid Point. I heard alot of Francais! I mean ALOT! The place was thick with Quebecoise. After I made it past Old Orchard, I continued on and found "Day's Take-out". Here you will find the best lobster roll around. No lettuce, not too much mayo, just a lot of big chunks of lobster meat. Just the way I like it!
I sat at a picnic table overlooking the salt marsh out back. The sun was still quite high, with barely a breeze. I sucked the marrow out of that moment for sure. I just love the salt air, the smells, the sounds, everything....except too many people. Luckily there were not many people at Day's.

Herrick's Cove

Last night, I decided to take my kayak over to the river. The Connecticut River is basically in my back yard, so I drove over to Herrick's Cove from the Vermont side. I put my kayak in and poked around for about an hour. It was already 7:00, so it would be getting dusky in an hour. There appeared to be some weather to the north. I wasn't worried about it, because weather here usually goes west to east. The most amazing thing I saw was a small group of four Mute Swans flying over! I have never seen them flying before. HUGE! When I got home I looked them up in my bird book. They aren't even really known to be this far inland, or in NH. Mostly on the coast, from Mass. southward.

The next thing was kinda creepy. I like to paddle near the shore to look for treasures. I got more than a bargained for when I found bones! The photo is of a spine. No, not human. I beached my boat and walked around in the mud. The silty mud was really oozy and black. I could see ribs and vertebrae scattered downstream. I looked for the head but couldn't find one. Then....I found a black garbage bag. YUCK! The rest of the animal someone had tossed into the river. I stuck my hand into the water, without being able to see because it was all stirred up. I felt around for what might be a skull. I found hooves! I picked one up and recognized it as a deer. I pawed around the other bones, all brown from the water. I found a couple that appeared to have been sawed. The only reason someone would throw a deer carcass in a plastic bag, and then into the river, would be bceause they poached it.

The unfortunate part of all of this discovery? The smell. My hands stunk. I must have washed my hands a million times before I lost that nasty smell.

Herrick's Cove is a great spot to picnic, or launch a canoe/kayak. The current this time of year isn't hard to deal with either.
You can get to this place via Rte 5, north of Bellows Falls, VT. A truly peaceful, and painterly place loaded with rich wildlife to watch.

Some Beach

In stark contrast to today, yesterday was a spectacular day for the beach. I rode my motorcycle over to Hampton. Though not my first choice of beaches, it was the first beach I arrived at. I would prefer Ogunquit, Me. or Caladesi Island, FL. Those are my favorites so far. Hampton Beach was a flurry of activity as it usually is during the summer. I happened upon a sand sculpture contest. I was amazed at the detail in the sculptures.

I rolled out my grass mat, amidst a sea of people....another reason I don't usually go to Hampton. I walked down to the water, and was pleasantly surprised that the temperature wasn't numbing. Very close, however. There were people swimming, but most were waist deep. I spent about an hour and a half soaking up the sun, then I decided it was time to head back. To the west, the cumulonimbus clouds were building and I feared that I'd run into rain. I road Rte 27 all the way back to Concord, then Rte 9 into Keene, and home. I did hit rain intermittently, and I was wishing I'd worn my full face helmet instead of the little "brain bucket" I had on. As the rain hit my sunburned face, it felt like I was getting sandblasted. I wondered if my face would show the weathering? Hopefully not, but my nose was beat red! All in all, a great day to be riding and beaching.

Bike Week- Laconia

Yesterday was the perfect day to ride up to Laconia for a taste of the biker lifestyle, and mentality. Sunny, and in the 80's. For just a few hours, you can be whoever you want to be, with no inhibitions. I thought I had seen it all, but every time I go up there, I see something new. I rolled into Tilton, and up to a traffic light. There were several bikes ahead of me. I rolled up next to the last bike. It was my neighbor, Scott! Yikes! What are the chances? So he invited me to ride the rest of the way with his friends. We parked for free at his aunt's house, which is a short walk from the Weirs! Perfect. We all stuck together for a while, to the Roadhouse. Had a couple beers, and listened to a great band. I did some serious people watching. Man! There were cop biker clubs, the "....pigs", the "Road Dawgs", the Red Knights(fireguys). You name it, they were there, even the Hells Angels had a booth set up.
There was a woman(in the photo) serving beer, and making a living, wearing a full body fishnet stocking! I'll tell you what, she had guys ogling all over her. They were putting dollar bills in her "net". It was comical to watch these men. There were women selling "opportunities" to be photographed. Yes sir, have your picture taken with "a girl" for $10. People were paying! I was astounded. How can guys be so primitive? It was a non-stop laugh riot being up there. Paintbrushed flying skulls, crosses, naughty, no raunchy t-shirts, patches to sew on your new leather vest. I even saw a chopper made to look like a naked woman, with a man riding her....I mean "it", from behind. I did a double-take on that one. I heard someone say, "did you get a picture of that Honey?". Another LOL moment.

So after I'd had enough people watching, ice cream eating, my two beers, and being a biker for a day, I rode happily along.
In total, 212 miles on my little beemer. I didn't see another bike like mine. Many, many Harleys, rice rockets, and a few English bikes, but no F 650 CS. After going up there and back, I have a feeling of accomplishment at having dared to ride into the mix as a woman, alone. Just goes to show that you CAN, if you think you can.

I was home by 8:30 p.m. A lovely day.

This Ever Happen to You?

In another life, when I was enforcing the traffic laws of NH, I used to get a kick out of those folks that would blatantly go through a red light right in front of me. The "alleged" offender would of course tell me the light was green, bla, bla, bla. They may or may not get a ticket from me. What they definitely would get, was a piece of advice, "Before you go through a red, orange, almost red light, look in the rearview mirror". You never know when the fuzz is right behind you.

Americade/Lake George NY

Another first for me. I rode my motorcycle to Lake George, NY for Americade. I had heard about what a great event Americade is, so I was curious. I rode up with seven tall guys, not one under six feet! I felt like a midget. I'm proud to say that I had quite a few compliments on my unusual BMW, a 2002 F650CS. After this year, no more will be built! I love mine, just enough pep and ginger to give the adrenaline rush. I stop just short of getting myself into trouble. How we all escaped speeding tickets yesterday I'll never know. I estimate that we did over 260 miles round trip. My ride was very comfortable, not something I could have done on my old 2000 Harley 883 Hugger.

I'm quite certain that to really appreciate Americade, one should go up for 2-3 days and get involved with the daily rides, sightseeing, and evening festivities. We barely scratched the surface walking through the vendor areas, and spending money we didn't have. I was amused watching "the boys" buying, and buying, each one seemed to need to try and outbuy the other. I didn't escape the buying frenzy. For me practicality ruled my purchase, not testosterone. A bought a great, Nolan helmet. My melon never felt more secure than in that brain bucket. The others bought boots, jackets, helmets, cargo nets, and even hard bags for their bikes. The hard bags were installed right there! I saw some lights I really liked but they didn't have the package available for installation right there. My headlight is very dim, and small so I want to install additional running lights for better visibility.

The photo is Ticonderoga Ferry, crossing Lake Champlain to Vermont. We had the little ferry boat all to ourselves.

FYI Still no sign of Izzy. I received a call from the local PD while I was in NY. They had found a black and tan dog with a green collar. Unfortunately the dog was a male. I fear the worst has become of Iz.

Scottish Games anyone?

Yesterday, I went off to Jaffrey, NH with my sister and her two kids, Nathan and Jenny to see what the heck Scottish Games are.
Most of the men, and some women who participate in these unusual antics wear "Kilts". Each kilt bears the colors of their ancestral clan. There was even a New Hampshire tartan(the words for "the clan colors"), which is purple and black. Among the games, men tossed heavy objects to see how far they could toss. These guys, some very big burly guys in skirts, tried their best to even toss a taber. The taber is a long pole, which appears to weigh quite a bit as a few guys lifted it up only to have it fall backwards behind them. At that moment, the toss is over. Next tosser please!

There were delicacies such as Haggis, and Bridies. I passed on both, and opted for the shortbread cookies. Cookies are always a safe bet. We watched an "in period dress" clan village live as they would have pre-1800 in Scotland. A woman was cooking up a fine porridge of smoked haddock! She was sure to tell us when they said, "peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old", they meant it. The porridge stays in the pot, over a fire for as long as there is food in it. Stuff is added every day depending on what is around, like venison? quail? rabbit? and wild onions.

I could have stayed all day. The music and festivities were very entertaining. Never a shortage of things and people to watch.
I look forward to the Highland Games up in the White Mountains, I understand THEY are even better.

On a more somber note....I have still not found my dog. :-(

I lost my dog...and I had her for a little over a month

I lost my dog today. She decided to walk with a man who was walking along the road. I called, and called to her but she just kept running. The man, who tf knows who HE is, wouldn't even stop walking five minutes to let me catch her. So this guy keep doing his "power walk" workout, as Izzy runs her little brains out. I keep calling to her, but she doesn't come. So I head out to the road. The man, the dog up the road. Far ahead of me. I keep calling~ nothing. I keep walking. Pretty soon I figure 3/4 mile. I see the man way up ahead rounding the turn. No Izzy in sight. I turn around, walk home for my truck. I take the truck up the road. No man, though I have seen him a gazillion times before walking. No dog. I search side roads~nothing, so I turn around. As I come back down the road, I see a man a woman poking around by the side of the road. So I ask um, "Have you guys seen a brown dog?" They say, "ya, it got hit by a truck, and now it's gone". They told me a truck hit her. She was laying by the side of the road. The truck keeps right on going. The man who finds her goes back to his house to tell his wife. They come back out to find Izzy gone. They told me her mouth was bloody. Izzy has Humane Society Tags on. She also has a microchip, and a rabies tag from Indiana. I think I wrote my phone number on the yellow tag, along with her name. I'm thinking the worst, because that's what I do. If anyone finds her, give me an email quick like: loraxII@hotmail.com
Thanks in advance.

Rowe Camp

This past Memorial Day weekend, I had the pleasure of driving all up, over and through the Berkshires. Partly because I forgot to make a left turn, and partly because I enjoy taking the long way. My destination; Rowe Camp for a workshop called; "Awakening from Grief". The workshop could've been called anything else because it really didn't relate all that much to grief, or suffering. Rowe Camp is in the tiny town of Rowe, Massachusetts. The photo is my little piece of heaven, with the conference center and apple trees in the background.

I enjoyed the trip up there as much as the workshop, maybe more. Because I forgot a turn, I got to drive through the Williams College campus, in North Adams. Beautiful views of Mt. Greylock, and the Berkshires. I went through Florida, and called my mom, in the State of Florida to let her know, then I promptly lost cell service for the rest of the weekend. Thank God!

I met some great people, shared in good conversation, vegetarian food, and song with no television, no phones, and no news. Perfect. I was told that I'm an inspiration, amazing, and beautiful. I am grateful to have made such an impression. I hoped to leave my mark, and speak for myself, as much as for the spirit within me. I haven't been able to get used to sleeping on the ground. I never had a problem with it in my twenties, but now that I'm in my forties, the ground is so much harder. The weather was perfect. The black flies were horrendous, but I managed to ignore them for the most part.

If you ever get the chance to spend time at Rowe Camp and Conference Center, I urge you to do so. They have programs all the time, on a variety of different subjects.

Rowe

May 24th/ Thursday's Walk

This morning, Izzy and I hiked up back to Rapids Rd. via old cornfields, and woodlands. I decided to bring my digital camera because I'm always wishing I could share what I see with others. Though I'd rather bring people with me, it's not always practical or easy to organize. So I began snapping pictures. The picture of the day was the Wood Frog. I definitely think this one is suitable for framing. I also got closeups of an adult toad, and a baby toad.

She's off to Headquarters

My reconstruction is finally headed back to NH State Police forensic lab. Her original case has been re-opened and re-assigned in hopes of finally cracking this 30+ year old case.

For the moment, I have no reconstructions to do. So I can of course enjoy the spring birding season, and painting my favorites. This is a Cedar Waxwing.

Jane Doe

Ok...this really is the final photo. I wanted to add some color to her face, so I put makeup on. Now she is off to the NHSP Major Crimes Unit where her case will be re-opened after 30+ years. Hopefully she will at last be identified.

Done

.....Better, but still not there

Almost there

Jane is nearly done. Of course there are some molding issues, addition of ears, and other details. If you figure out who she is......by all means let me know!

Jane Doe.....the beginning

Here she is. This is how I got her. No mandible! Yikes! I had to create one from clay. Then I've added depth tissue markers according to standard skin depths for white females.

Coming SOON!!! New Face in the crowd

I will soon receive a new unidentified skull! As I begin my new project, I will occasionally post the process of reconstructing the face. Who knows? Maybe someone will recognize this person. He/She died a long time ago.