Back home in Connecticut

It's amazing what happens in the garden when you go away for a week!

Sunday Celebration!

A blueberry gin-and-tonic.  What else can we do with our glut of blueberries?  Any suggestions welcome....

4th of July in New Hampshire

We spent the last week in New Hampshire working on renovations at the chalet. We tackled a variety of jobs, for example:
- fixing a leaky shower in a cavity wall (see picture below)
- assembling an Ikea bed
- installing an invisible dog fence for Kokee
- re-hanging four doors to stop them sticking
- installing three towel rails and some hooks in the upstairs bathroom
- cleaning out the junk/storage room so we could find our hiking gear
- hanging four closet doors
- building the casing for a custom bathroom cabinet
- installing a dehumidifier
- cleaning the stained tiles around the woodstove
- shopping for table lamps and ceiling lights, and installing them
- measuring for mirrors and window screens

We also explored several local restaurants including the Shovel Handle pub and a very nice Mexican eatery. Later in the week we rode our our first hurricane (Arthur) and found all of the places that water can come in during a storm!

Yesterday (July 5th) was a splendid day, so after a big breakfast (of bacon and eggs) we hiked to the top of Iron Mountain. The views were great (see pictures below) and we had a picnic at the viewpoint (including a thermos of tea). Kokee found lots of muddy puddles too, so everyone was happy.

In the evening we attended the Independence Day firework show in nearby Jackson. It was a great show and we were smart enough to take the back-roads so that we could avoid the traffic jams.

This week we are back to real work and we will be enjoying life at Hangman Hill Road.

Happy Independence Day

We are celebrating the independence day holiday dodging the rain showers associated with Hurricane Arthur.  We started the day with a pancake breakfast at home, followed by a yoga class, a trip to the hardware store, and a visit to the transfer station to de-clutter things at home.  It doesn't get any better that that on a rainy day in New England! We hope you are celebrating in style too.

Happy Canada Day!

It's the first day of July, so "Happy Canada Day" to all of our readers.

We are thinking of our many Canadian friends and relatives, and hoping that you are outside somewhere enjoying yourselves in the fresh air and sunshine.

Hall's Ledge hike

Last weekend we were in the White Mountains for a short visit. We enjoyed a short hike to Hall's Ledge near to the town of Jackson. As you can see from the photo above, the weather and the views were spectacular. The hike was on trails that are used by cross-country skiers in the winter, so we will likely return next ski season.

Celebrating Sheri's birthday with Josh Ritter

As a celebration of Sheri's birthday we traveled to the left side of the state to Infinity Hall to see Josh Ritter. It was a beautiful drive and arrived in the foothills of the Berkshires in time for a cocktail and dinner at Infinity Bistro. Dining on the porch of the restored concert hall was a treat, and the theater has been restored and is splendid.

The performance was excellent! Josh Ritter is an accomplished song-writer and performer and the acoustics at Infinity Hall are ideal for an acoustic performnace. His energy and love of his art are contagious. Josh played some old favorites and also treated us to some new material that is yet to be recorded. Thanks to Bruno for making the arrangements, it was the best birthday gift ever!