The Tree Progress Project

Travelling westward to the Capitol City via I-393, I make a descent from The Heights to the lower-lying valley formed by the Merrimack River. In the distance, spread out before me, is a lovely vista of cityscape with the gold dome of the State House and numerous church spires.

There's a stand of trees on the lefthand/north side of the motorway, and the Chap and I follow the progress of springtime as they change. When one or the other of us has business in Concord, we enthuse about the state of these trees. "You should've seen the trees today!" is a regular refrain from April into May.

This year I used my camera to document the change. I assure you that I was extremely safety conscious when doing so, endangering neither myself nor other motorists despite taking photographs one-handed at 55 mph.

I'm quite pleased with the results.



APRIL 9


APRIL 23


APRIL 28


MAY 6


MAY 12


The final shot doesn't meet my exacting standards for focus, but I had to include it. Not sure when I'll be headed to town again on a bright, blue-sky day. Today is overcast and besides, my travels will take me to East Concord instead of downtown, meaning I leave the motorway at the exit just before the trees.

A Calming Day

The House is not in session today and I've no other meetings (unlike Monday, yesterday, tomorrow.)

I was outside in my garden before breakfast, re-planting oregano divisions close to the deck steps (and the kitchen, because I'm all the time getting lazier), mixing my own custom blend of container soil, potting up my newest fig tree. Then the blackflies woke up and spotted me and thought I looked tasty.

So I (reluctantly) came inside. Read the newspaper and listened to radio programmes and watched birds--for a couple of hours. Very therapeutic.

On Monday a newspaper reporter attended our cookbook committee meeting. There's going to be a big pre-publication feature in the Food section within the next couple of weeks. This is a different take on cookbooks.

Yesterday--Busy. In the morning presented testimony before the House Finance Committee on a bill I'm co-sponsoring. It's very complicated but it's related to the flooding and re-flooding along our river, and would enable a FEMA buyout of dwellings that have been destroyed 2 and 3 years in a row. It passed the Senate unanimously. Based on the questioning yesterday, I have no such hopes for the House. The hearing lasted 2 hours.

I bopped over to Diocesan House to review evaluation forms from Saturday's event (which involved 2 years of planning....) Then I had a mandolin lesson that was suprisingly good considering how little practice time I've carved out of my overly full schedule.

Early in the week the Chap, as usual, did our grocery shopping and came home with delicacies associated with the South and the North.

Monday night we had fried okra (ladyfingers, in Brit-speak), an approximation of a family recipe:



Last night we had fiddleheads, sauteed in olive oil and garlic:



And both nights, the girls were perplexed by our excitement at dining on odd-looking plant material!



Coming home yesterday, I discovered that the ducks on our lake have already reproduced.



I'm bound for the Big Lake in the near future. Although I've got lots of writing to do up there, I expect my surroundings to have the same soothing effect as this wonderful Wednesday.

Music Monday: Frente!

Yes, I know, "Bizarre Love Triangle" is a New Order song. I'm crazy about the original version.

And yet--there's something hypnotic about this stripped-down rendition by the Australian group Frente!, fronted by Angie Hart.

Sunday Stroll: Birding

Yesterday the Chap and I participated in an all-day Diocesan event. It fired me up in ways I didn't expect.

A couple of minutes after we returned home, the rose-breasted grosbeak landed on one of our feeders. He's as handsome as ever.

I was glad to see him again this morning.



My Sunday Stroll took me no farther than my kitchen and dining room windows. It was a terrific morning for birdwatching.

The orioles are frequent visitors.



I spotted two males, and at one point they were both chasing a female.

Sometimes this guy drinks from the hummingbird feeder.



Other times he knows he should be using this one.



The hummingbirds use both feeders, too. But they were too fast for my camera this morning.

Here's the head-banging robin. I took this shot immediately after he stopped attacking the window glass.



A red-breasted nuthatch. They love the suet. He's eyeing it hungrily.



The woodpeckers are all over the suet. This is a downy, but the hairy eats it, too. Often.



Our state bird, the purple finch. (Camera shy.)



This mourning dove was gathering straw for nesting materials.



Possibly the nest might be in this location. The birds keep flying over there, together and separately.



But I've been wrong about nest sites before.

The phoebes are nesting somewhere now, and not where I hoped. The cardinals have been scarce lately, I suspect they're starting a family, too. There's a huge robin's nest beside high eave of our garage, and the parents fly in and out of it to gather food in the front yard.

In other nature news...while the Chap and I were having a drink on the porch last evening--watching the rainstorm approach--Ruth was stalking a critter in the backyard. Jewel wasn't at all interested, so I knew it wasn't a rodent. I suspected it was a snake, Ruth's body language was a clue. So I went into the yard and found a good-sized garter snake. There was a big, big bulge in its middle, evidence that it had recently consumed a frog. Which, if you've not seen it, is a most fascinating operation. I picked up a stick and scooted him between the pickets of the fence, so he could digest his supper in peace, without any interference from my inquisitive little dog.

Usually I attend the NH Sheep & Wool Festival this weekend. Life has been so packed with activities, with more to come, that I stayed home. If I don't think about it too much, I won't regret not going.

Thanks for stopping by. To keep strolling, head over to Aisling's site.

Oh, and Happy Mother's Day to all mothers. And their children.

Fifteen Years

Today marks the 15th anniversary of our ownership of the Lodge. In 1994, after a decade as seasonal residents of NH, we moved to this state on May 5th. Three days later we closed on the house we'd fallen in love with the previous summer. After 3 years of unproductive house-hunting, we never imagined finding a residence so perfect for us, so ideally situated.

The day after the closing I began gardening here, even though we wouldn't actually take possession of the house until mid-June. The peepers were peeping. The blackflies were hovering but not yet biting. The phoebes were darting from tree to tree.

Until that day, God had been the only gardener on this property. His plantings still exist...here are a few of them.

Wood violet.



Painted trillium.



Unfolding ferns.



This vernal pool is located on an adjacent lot.



At the time of the purchase, the Lodge included approximately 11 acres. A few years later we acquired the adjoining 10-acre parcel, which had been subdivided into a separate lot. In that transaction we gained many more trees as well as a lovely stream that descends from the mountain, and several vernal pools.

Over the past decade and a half I've planted many gardens, now filled with perennials and flowering shrubs and over 70 rosebushes. We've added a screened porch sunroom to the house. Renovated the master bath. Installed walls of bookcases. Upgraded and updated various necessary items (furnace, water filtration system, satellite dishes, kitchen appliances.)

Four of my 11 published novels were written in this house. Many more have been started, abandoned, resurrected.

There have been 6 canine residents. Killian, Daisy, Shadow, Lola, and now Ruth and Jewel. And assorted temporary indoor residents from the wild--orphaned chipmunks, injured birds, a vole, baby turtles.

The first time I saw the little lake, 30 acres of mirror-like water, spring-fed, I felt I'd found my proper habitat.



The instant I walked inside the house, instinctively I knew that this is where we belonged.

Time has proved the truth of it.

Our Official State Dog

The House was in session this afternoon. We passed several Senate bills on either a voice or a division or a roll call vote. We voted concurrence on House bills amended by the Senate, we non-concurred and voted for committees of conference. We heard an outstanding a capella rendition of the National Anthem.

A highlight of the day for this dog lover was the passage of the bill designating the Chinook the state dog of New Hampshire. A class of 7th graders from the town of Bedford persuaded their representatives to file the legislation. It sailed through the Senate and, today, passed in the House. The class was in the gallery to witness the vote.

Why the Chinook? Easy. This storied breed was developed here in New Hampshire.

As at the public hearings in committee, real live Chinook dogs were present. (I'd hoped they'd be admitted into Representatives Hall, but the Sergeant at Arms nixed it.) Before the start of the session, I had a chance to get up close and personal with a Chinook.

Meet GraniteMountain Abnaki, aka "Abbie."



She is lovely and dignified and her coat is oh, so silky!



She's also expecting a litter.

The dog bill was our first vote of the day. As you can see, I voted green for Yes!



When I got home--at 6:45 after a long afternoon of legislating--Ruth and Jewel sniffed me. They couldn't figure out why I smelled so "doggy" after a day in the House.

View from the Big White Boat: A Three Hour Tour

This year I took a guest--a fellow legislator--with me on the shakedown cruise of the Motor Ship Mount Washington. We left town at 8 a.m. and by 9:15 mine was among the vehicles being expertly parked at Centre Harbor's dock, where they pack in the cars like sardines! We were early enough to be among the first sardines (car-dines?) in the can.

Boarding the boat, we found the usual array of hot coffee, tea, and baked goods. Settled down at a table in the middle deck. My friend had brought her knitting.

Setting out.



Among the many other dignitaries, the Governor was on board. While being interviewed by this reporter, he notices me taking his picture!



I assured him that the school children from my town enjoyed their meeting with him last Friday. Later, I was called into service as "unofficial" photog when a passenger wanted her picture taken with him. He explained that a lot of his time is currently spent monitoring statewide developments in the H1N1 virus.

Only 3 Committees of the House of Representatives are invited to the shakedown, and I'm lucky enough to serve on one of them. Several members of my committee availed themselves of the opportunity. I saw at least one State Senator. And 3 of the 5 Executive Councilors.

Up in the wheelhouse, the Captain performs his duty. (Last year they let me "drive." Very briefly.)



While on board, the Governor commissioned a new captain, who took over command for part of the journey.

She's too young to vote, Governor. (But her parents and grandparents can!)



My first loon of the season, swimming out of the town docks at The Weirs as we were coming in.



They were ready for us.



Our Governor disembarked and we took on the State Fire Marshal. We continued our tour. Out in The Broads we made a big circle. There was soon an announcement that the Fire Marshal had handed over the necessary paperwork, certifying the big white tub for another season of operation.

The surrounding blueness. How many shades? Cerulean, azure, baby blue, powder blue, sky blue....



Did I have fun? Absolutely!



Much to my relief, we encountered no pirates. And no monsters. (Rumour reports the existence of a cryptid called "Winnie" roaming the depths of Lake Winnipesaukee.)

When cast back onto shore at Centre Harbor, there was a bit of a wait for the unpacking of the sardine can. Once released we hit the road and headed far south and slightly east to the cottage. We stayed only a brief while so my guest could check the place out. She liked it. A lot. She's an artist, wants to come back and paint pictures. It's a good place for that. And for writing, which I hope to be doing there later this week.

Musical Monday: A Boat Song

I'm spending most of Monday aboard a boat.



I won't be on an ocean. I'll be on the Big Lake.

Even though the boat is big enough for ponies, I don't expect to encounter any. Just people.

And politicians.

Sunday Stroll: Abundance

Before the stroll commences, a thorough update. On Friday the 4th graders from the local school had their State House tour. Three of the 4 district reps and our State Senator met them in the Hall of Flags and participated in their educational morning. It concluded in the Executive Council chamber, where the Governor joined us. We learned that in addition to his 5 cats (one is called Harry Potter) he now--at his wife's instigation--has a yellow lab puppy called Katie. The media have not yet picked up this news flash. I thought you should be among the first to know!

In the afternoon I had a cookbook meeting, in the evening the Chap and I attended the Historical Association's program on the early settlement of our town, from 1727 till just before the Revolution. Later in the year comes "the rest of the story." Incredibly well attended by people of all ages, including many we'd never even seen before!

Yesterday was an outing day. I shopped for garden statuary--didn't buy. We "kicked some tires" at a couple of auto dealers (I might be in the market for another car, even though we've already got more cars than drivers. The next one will be AWD. The choices: some version of a Subaru or a Mercedes 4-Matic. Provided I can be convinced to give up my beloved Saab, which would be no easy thing....)

We then visited the Currier Museum for the mind-blowing David Macaulay exhibition. Then to our favourite Mexican restaurant. Scrummy!

On the way home we did a few other shopping errands.

We also instigated Phase 1 of the future Town House project. We have a Country House (the Lodge) and a Lake House (the Cottage.) Being mindful that someday fulltime country living might not be our best or only option, we've started scoping out desirable Capitol City neighbourhoods. If the right property became available, theoretically we might purchase and rent it out until we needed it for ourselves.... There's a lot of inventory right now and prices are low. However, we're in no hurry to commit to anything. This is merely our exploratory phase.

Not far from our favourite area (so far) we found this comfortingly rural scene: a huge and very private secret beaver pond. You wouldn't believe how near it is to civilisation! I certainly couldn't.



On the way back to the Lodge, we stopped at our neighbour's antiques barn. I was looking for a smallish table or desk for the cottage, to go in front of the window where the desktop computer system is now located. I nearly always use my laptop now, at the dining room table, and the Chap uses his, too. We decided to recycle the desktop components and unload the character-less, period-inappropriate computer table.

I found the perfect piece. There was a sale on, so I got it for only $35. It cleaned up beautifully. Can't wait to install it!



Now for the stroll, which I did before church.

The jasmine cutting I took from my mother's plant a few years ago is now a monster.



The flowers smell so wonderful that I bring the plant into our bedroom every night.



My amaryllis, a gift from our previous bishop, has a bud!



The bergenia in the deck garden looks prettier every day.



My delphinium and columbine aren't waiting for me to clear the leaves away. They're fully leafed out now.



Forsythia.




Very big day tomorrow, involving the Big Lake. Can't wait!

Thanks for stopping by. To keep strolling, follow this link!

Happy May!

The Duchess wishes you a Happy and Flowery May Day



And so do I!

Goose v. Duck

This wildlife encounter occurred on Monday morning. My activities since then haven't been primarily legislative or related to constituent service.

I was in the cottage sitting room writing up a storm, the girls napping all round me, when I heard a strange barking sound. It seemed to be located near our neighbour's property, down by the water. Went onto the porch to see what it was and saw a ginormous Canada goose, sitting in the water not too far from shore, honking like a maniac.



I've never seen a goose in our waters. I was taking his picture, and sensed that he was talking to someone. A minute later, another goose flew in and landed hear him. At which point he stopped honking.



He started swimming towards the little cove to the north of our property, and she followed.



But--unbeknownst to them, or to me, a mallard couple was already in the cove! They were foraging near the spot where the brook empties into the lake.

The male mallard--you can see him on the other side of the neighbour's dock--swam forward to meet the male goose.



The mallard moved in and stared him down.



The goose--many times the larger--backed away. He returned to his mate. After an affronted honk or two, the Canada geese flew away across the Bay.

Having successfully driven them off, the mallard and his mate also flew away.

It was a brief but entertaining episode. I assume the Canada geese were just passing through...perhaps on their way back to Canada? It was nice to see them but we don't want them hanging around.

Haven't yet spotted our loon/s. Wonder who'd win in a Goose v. Loon matchup? Probably the loon. From what I observed, gooses aren't that brave.

In birding news from the Lodge, our orioles are back and feeding at their feeder. No sign yet of the hummingbirds--any minute now. The crazy head-bashing robin wakes us--and the dogs--every single morning. Loud barking ensues.

I will spend part of the afternoon discussing beavers and beaver dams. A topic with which I have considerable interest and not a little experience.

Floral Views

My purple snake's head fritillary has opened. Here's one of my "inside the bell" shots. I love the way it turned out.



I don't love the way this one turned out but here's the flower head:



It's quite similar in colour and shape to this hellebore.



The bergenia is also blooming.



Before leaving the Big Lake yesterday I had an interesting (at least to me) wildlife encounter with an unexpected outcome. I've got photos and even video, but no time to post them now.

It's another trying week, packed with responsibilites on so many fronts. I'll be spending lots of time in my car and in meetings and so on. My attitude about it all isn't terribly good, I confess. Re-entry from my lakeside life to Lodge life (not that I'm spending my life at the Lodge) is harder than it should be. But a little tour of my flower gardens earlier, with the camera, put me in a better frame of mind.