Nice day for a ride

It was actually alittle cooler than I thought, but I did have a nice bike ride nonetheless. I replaced my summer tires, with a more aggressive tire before I headed out. I don't have studded tires, but they are available, or easy to make.

I took a snowmobile trail that is less popular. Those trails are best because the trail has hardened up. If a sled has gone by recently, the snow is churned up and soft, making the ride more difficult. I rode to one of my many favorite overlooks. The view from there is spectacular to the west. You can see over to Vermont, and many of the ski areas. I didn't hang around long though, my toes were starting to get cold. Next time I will be sure and put those disposable toe warmers in my bike shoes. I was happy to find that there wasn't much ice on the trail. Hitting ice on a bicycle is very unpleasant. Falling is swift, and painful. Being gravity-challenged, I will walk the bike along an icy trail, before I'lll try to ride it. After 40 yrs, ya don't take as many chances. I didn't escape this ride without a wipeout, but it was a none-issue.

I noticed that all the snowshoeing I've done has really helped my stamina for bike riding. I never had to stop for a breather, so I was psyched. I did however have to stop to get the ice out of my cleats. The ice made it impossible to "clip-in" to the pedals. I'm thinking about carrying a little can of de-icer on these rides.

I didn't see any snowmobiles until the very end of my ride. By then I was pedaling up County Rd. toward home. The two sleds I saw were on a private trail, and had just come up from Fay Falls. I wondered where all the snowmobilers were, it was certainly a great day for that as well.

Hanging out

Yesterday while working my new part time job at the animal shelter, I took Bella the German Shepherd out for her "constitutional". The door closed behind me, and guess what? Locked, and I haven't a key for that door. I had heard that everyone who works there has done this very same thing. The only resolution, climb the chainlink fence. It's about 8' tall. When I got to the top, something caught my pants. It actually tore my pants, and I was hanging upside down! Mind you it was very cold yesterday. I hoped no one would spot me there, dangling. Bella sat and watched me. Finally I was able to release myself from the fence, and get to the other side. I thought the situation would have made a good video clip for "World's Funniest Videos". I also decided I wouldn't bother travelling to Japan for a try at "Ninja Warrior".

Last night, I went for a beautiful but bitterly cold walk in the moonlight. The moon was full, and the landscape became a painting of contrasts in blue/black and shades of gray. The silence, the crispness of the air, made me wonder if this might be what it's like in the far north. I heard not a sound, save a dry leaf blowing in the wind.

Snow Bunting

Last night at about 7:30 p.m., I was out on my snowshoes. I was near the end of my sojourn, crossing the top of a hill/pasture. I was wearing a headlamp. Suddenly four birds flew up from the snow. I wondered why they were in the snow, out in the open, easy targets for predators.
With no clue, I fired off an email to my old Ornithology teacher, Meade Cadot. He told me the birds were likely Snow Buntings. I was excited to have seen them, having never seen them before! The birds are about the size of Robins, and are mostly white in winter. Meade told me there were Snow Bunting sightings during the annual Christmas bird count.

Crystal Spring

Check out this 200 hundred year old spring. In the summer months you can't even see this unique cistern because it's covered with plants. On the front is carved "Crystal Springs 1808".
I imagine people and animals used this spring on there way to/from the village of Walpole, NH.
To look inside the spring now, you are not inclined to sip. The spring is full of leaves and sediment, but one has to wonder how deep it is. I also wonder, if it were cleaned out, would it be potable?

This photo was taken during a perfect sunset last week. Sunsets in winter have such a painterly array of color.

Snow Bugs

After voting my choice for our next president, I decided to try the xc skiis out. Temperatures were into the fifties, with bright sun. Lovely spring-like conditions. I noticed many, many insects on the snow surface; spiders, a cricket, and this little creature. He measured no more that probably one centimeter long. What will become of these early risers?

I decided shortly into my adventure that I really don't like the skiis for exploring. My boots offer zero ankle support, and I had very little control of the skiis on the downhills. The snow was wet, and slushy in spots. I stuck to the snowmobile trails of the Hooper Hill Hopper snowmobile club. I'm afraid that the trails will be mostly mud after the next two days of forecasted rain. At times during my walk, I felt blasts of seemingly tropical warmth. I loved it.

The sunset this evening was a spectacular orangey/pink. The perfect ending to a perfect day.
If you haven't voted....you have ten minutes!!! Hurry

The Walpole Guide

Thursday I took my high school art teacher out for a snowshoe hike on one of my favorite trails.
The sun was pouring through the white pines, creating a fairy tale scene. We made our way to the cabin I've mentioned in an earlier blog. She had never been there. She commented that I looked like a Maine Guide standing by the cabin.

It surely looked like something you might find in the Whites. The weather that day was frigid, and a biting wind kept us moving right along.

Fay Falls

The other day on one of my more adventurous snowshoe hikes, I made my way along the ridge of "Sheep Hill". I traveled west to Fay Falls. There are some awesome falls that were created by huge glacial erradics. The large boulders also create some great caves.
I had hoped to find a hibernating bear, but no such luck. I did find a den which had been inhabited by a porcupine. There were quills and skat around. The falls themselves were covered by ice and snow. The video clip can't do this place justice.

Winter fog

This morning I grabbed my camera on my way out to run errands. You just never know when you'll get a good photo-opp. I was passing a beaver pond on my road, and noticed this serene winter scene. The sun was bright, and a fog had settled on the ice covered pond.
I'm not sure the photo really does it justice. Experiencing the spot made me take pause and thank God for putting me there at that moment.

The Day After

This picture is of my sister and me. You know the guy in the middle. I really didn't know what to make of him.
I'm guessing I was around four years old at the time.

Christmas dinner was at my house this year. We remembered my grandmother, Florence who passed in June of this year at the age of ninety-five. Christmas was one of her favorite times because she loved having her family all around. Though she wasn't there physically, I definitely knew she was with us.

I tried to get folks to sing carols with me, while I played my guitar. Trouble is I hadn't practiced, so the carol idea fell by the wayside :-) All in all, Christmas was a success. How could it be otherwise?

It's Just a Crush

Last Wednesday night, I had the misfortune of crashing my truck. I didn't think the roads were slippery, they hadn't been until I reached Surry. Surry, NH has a reputation for not maintaining the roads very well, and I shouldn't have guessed. Anyway, there was just enough greasy slush on the road to bring me in to a fishtailing skid. When I landed, I had slammed into some trees. I banged my head on the driver's side window, and bruised my legs on the steering wheel. I think perhaps I pulled a muscle in my lumbar region too as it has been achy ever since.

Who knows when the truck will be fixed, there was a problem with my auto insurance. Apparently when I bought the truck last February it was never processed. I have been paying for car insurance on a car I don't have anymore. The insurance company is investigating and will determine if they will be helping me repair the truck. Meanwhile, I'm driving my dad's plush Blazer. It's kind of a gas hog, but a nice ride nonetheless.

With all the rain we're due to get today, hopefully alot of the snow will melt. My roof is leaking despite raking the snow off, so I am definitely anxious for the rest of the snow to disappear.

On a more cheerful note, Christmas is nearly upon us. Merry Christmas one and all!

The Life of Merle

We've had a pretty good dump of snow the last couple of days. I ventured out on my snowshoes Saturday. It was sooooo cold, I stayed out there for two hours. Today it warmed up a bit, and I have about 9" of snow everywhere. Sleet came down on occasion. I stayed inside most of the day, running on my treadmill, watching TV, studying for my A & P final, and watching Merle basking in the firelight. She hadn't a care in the world, Oh the life of a cat.

The First Snow

The first real snowstorm hit Sunday night and into Monday. It has been a beautiful sight for sure. I decided to give up my wicked cool Christmas job at UPS. The thought of pushing a couple hundred pounds of packages through the snow using a two wheeled dolly wasn't worth $9.50/hr. I went hunting instead. For several hours I tracked four deer but never saw them. I suspect they could hear my heavy breathing! I was on snowshoes, and struggling. I was soaked with sweat but warm. I had prepared by wearing my "under armor" then a layer of wool. Works every time. I didn't see the deer, but I got a great workout, and found the biggest White Birch I've ever seen. I am going to estimate it to be at least 7' around. Two people would have a hard time stretching their arms around it. I may go back and take a picture of it, while my tracks are still there.

As I made my way out of the woods, I heard a shot ring out from the other side of the brook where I had been! Only one shot. I wondered if that hunter was successful, or whether he just had an itchy trigger finger.

This photo is of my neighbor's apple tree. There were deer tracks beneath it. The tree is only a few feet from the road. I imagined this deer could be that four pointer that has been eluding me! Just imagine what would happen if he got a hold of all these apple? He'd be so drunk! Then I might stand a chance of getting him. Perhaps I should shake the tree?

Winter Is Upon Us

This just in! I just got this photo from my Mt Monadnock connection, Jim Bacon. He lives just above the foot of Mt Monadnock, more like the ankle. Anyway, snow fell there from daybreak until 10:00 or so. I had some brief spits of snow in Walpole. I am betting on a white Thanksgiving, and absolutely a white Christmas.

Just more photos of "Tobacco Rd." to the Pinnacle

Trust me, when I saw these places I did NOT get out of the truck! I could just imagine all the booby traps. I think these folks don't like tourists come through their neighborhood to hike. The good news is, there is another trailhead south of here!
In case you can't read the sign, it says, "Vermont Chernobyl Evacuation Zone". These signs were all over the place.

Scary Road to a Nice Trail

Today I bought a book on Vermont trails. So I decided to "take a hike" in nearby Westminster West. It took me nearly an hour to find the road I needed to take to reach another road/trail to the trailhead. The journey took me along a dirt road, and then to a not so great logging road, where people were living in squalor! It was like driving somewhere through a scene in the movie, "Deliverence". There were weird stenciled signs warning of Chernobyl Vermont, and Evacuation Zone. The photo with the little piece of heaven you see, was littered with everything under the sun. There was even a scarecrow dressed up in gas mask, and radiation warning signs. I got the feeling that either the person who lives in "there" was really eccentric, or there was a psychopath in there. It was creepy. I passed travel trailers, that appear to be inhabited. Mind you, I didn't see any electrical wires overhead, no telephone poles. At the end of the road, there is a more normal looking house, also with no electricity! I quickly backed out of this guys' driveway and continued down the road a little further, bearing left. Ah, finally the trailhead to "The Pinnacle". By the time I found this place, it was too late to do any decent exploring/hiking, but at least I know how to get there. I did have the benefit of a beautiful sunset. The trailhead faces west, and is mostly upland, hardwood forest with lots and lots of ledgy granite. I walked down "Paul's Ledges" trail for about twenty minutes, then walked back because I didn't want to be out there in Deliverence.....alone, .....in the dark....no worries, I was armed as usual. I'll go back there another day, earlier.

Cabin in the Woods

This little cabin is well into the woods on Monadnock Conservancy land. Every time I've visited, I check to see that it's still in good order. It has never been vandalized or even chewed on by porcupines. In fact, there is only a screen door between in the inside and the outside. One day I closed the inner door, figuring I was being a help. A few days later I returned to find the inner door was now held open by a small piece of firewood. The owner apparently wants the door open. Surprisingly, the cabin is no worse for the wear. Inside, there is a big wood stove, two pair of snowshoes, two bunks, a small table with hours of melted wax piled up from candles long since burned out. There is a neat trail leading away from the cabin, through a fairytale forest of older White Pines. The landscape changes to ledgy granite hilltop, and hardwoods. A most interesting and inviting stand of young Sugar Maples. Always on the lookout for deer, I spotted a great scraping. I thought it ironic the buck should be on conservancy land, and not mine! Oh well, next Wednesday I will be out on my land. I've chosen a spot along a stone wall. I'll sit out there and make my silly sounds(bleats), that actually do bring deer in. It actually has worked for me, but no bucks. Maybe I'm bleating out of key?

Bald Mt, overlooking.....everything!!! OMG

Today I ventured over to Willard Pond, in Antrim(I always think of it as Hancock). This area is part of the dePierrefeu-Willard Pond Wildlife Sanctuary, (NH Audobon Society). I took the Tamposi Trail to the top. Very strenuous, and not for the weak of heart. I was huffing and puffing! There are some steep parts, but the view from the top is well worth the workout. Even at 3 in the afternoon, the sun was so warm on my face. I had this beautiful place all to myself. I took the Bald Mt trail down, then Tudor trail back to the parking lot. A word of caution, the trails are marked with yellow pieces of plastic on the Temposi Trail, and red plastic on the Bald Mt trail. The markers were not always easy to see(partly because of the foliage), but mostly because they were spread out. I had to do some searching around the top to locate the Bald Mt trail back.

The trail map recommends 2-2.5 hrs. for both trails, but I did not come close to that. I brought a walking stick, and found it very useful. There are plenty of large glacial eratics to crawl around and under. Large boulder fields cover the eastern slope toward the pond. There are awesome views of Crotched Mt., and Mt. Monadnock with Silver Lake below. I couldn't have asked for a better time, or place to be today.

It's Fall in New England

These Red Efts and Ladybugs are all over the place this time of year. Red Efts are the adult stage of Notpthalmus viridescens. They can remain in this stage up to seven years. After which they may or may not return to the water to undergo a second metamorphosis. In the winter, they go underground and emerge in the spring. In their larval stage, they are aquatic for nearly the whole summer, as those brownish salamanders you can see swimming around in ponds.

Ladybugs have converged on the side of my house, as well as inside. So my cats are entertained all the time. While riding my mountain bike I am continually aware of the orange salamanders on the trail. Sometimes I see them at the last second and have to try to avoid them without causing myself bodily harm. Needless to say, I've taken a couple of "headers". The balmy weather over the last several days suits me just fine, as does the sunshine. Today is gray and gloomy, but a good day to get household chores out of the way, and start an art project.
If you ever get to Keene, NH. check out the art gallery on Main St. next to Miller Bros. The art inside is extrordinary! Check out Kyle Stuckey. He's a teenager who is homeschooled, with no formal art training. This kid is an artistic genius in my book. His artwork is far more mature than his years. He IS going places. Very Monet-esque.

Whale watch

For some unknown reason, I can't get this picture rotated 90 degrees. But anyway, this is one of many of the "you might be fat if" series. This chubby girl is not looking for whales, she IS the whale. My oh my, that bathingsuit looks alot like mine.
I drew this while sitting on the beach in Maine this summer.

Grape Scott!!!

Today was a gray, dampish sort of day. I decided to go foraging for Chicken of the Woods, a lovely orange polypore I had seen yesterday. I couldn't find it again, so I went looking for the Concord grapes. I did find THEM! I collected a couple pounds worth and made this great grape pie! That's right grape pie, with struedel topping. Yum! It is a labor of love though. Fun to squish the pulp out of the skin. I felt like a kid getting all purpley....is that a word? I bet this pie is gonna be good with some Walpole Creamery sweet cream ice cream.