Crescent Ridge

Our recent trips to New Hampshire have been focused on hiking and enjoying the fine summer weather.  Rennovation activities will resume as soon as it starts raining!

A few weeks ago we hiked the Crescent Circle ridge in the Randolph range.  It was a moderate hike, so Kokee came along with us,  We enjoyed a few good views and a very picturesque trail.  We even saw a moose in the distance.

 

Artistic Endeavors

A recent sunny Sunday afternoon found us seeking shade under a big maple tree.  Our activity;  painting some of the large bottle gourds that we grew a few years ago to make birdhouses for next year.  We still have some finish work to do, but we had fun thinking of creative ways to decorate these future avian condominiums.

 

Still beach-going weather

We have been fortunate to have had a sustained spell of warm sunny weather over the last month.  On Wednesday temperatures were in the 90's, so we headed back to Watch Hill after work to cool off.  After a refreshing dip in the sea with Kokee (see 2nd photo below) we walked to the Olympia Tea Room for a tasty cocktail and some dinner.

 

 

Bioluminescent Paddle

A few weeks ago we signed up for a paddle on a local salt pond after work.  The goal was to look for bioluminescent jellyfish that glow when they are disturbed by the canoeists paddle.  We didnt see any jellyfish but we did have a good time paddling in the warm water as the sun set on a perfect summer's day.

Summer Vacation

Our summer vacation this year was spent with Bruno's parents (Pam & Nick).  We had two weeks of fair weather and split our time between New Hampshire and Connecticut.

 

To begin we spent a fne day in Portsmouth NH, and looked around the Strawberry Banke Museum where a whole city block of houses fromthe 1800's have been restored to their original condition.

 

We finished the day in Portsmouth with a harbor cruise which was a treat for everyone (including Kokee).

Of course, we had to take the steam train to the top of Mount Washington and the views from the top were perfect.  We even managed to fit in a short tour of the world-famous weather observatory at the summit.

Sheri was in her element amongst the trees on the top of Black Cap mountain in North Conway.  We also visited Freiburg (Maine) and several waterfalls on this sunny day.

 

There were many fun-guys to hang out with on the trail.

Once back in Connecticut we made several trips to the beach, and sampled a few local restaurants.  Dessert at the Weekapaug Inn was fantastic, as was the gelato at our local coffeee shop (Junk & Java).  We also visisted the Babcok-Smith house in Westerly to learn about life in our closest town when it was first being developed by the granite industry.  

  

Of course no trip would be complete without a dinner at the Olympia Tea Room in Watch Hill.

Final good-byes at the Westerly train station at the end of a very enjoyable visit.

Black Cat Appreciation Day 2015

Today is "black cat appreciation day", so we are spending the evening with our feline friends Hary and Chatra.  It is for real....see https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/black-cat-appreciation-day/

Vacation in the White Mountains: A sunny day on Mt Washington

Bruno's parents, Nick and Pam spend a week with us at the Chalet in New Hampshire. One of the highlights was a ride on the cog railway to the summit of Mt Washington.  After several days of unsettled weather we were very happy to wake up to sunny skies on the day of our scheduled trip.  The ride on the train was relaxed and enjoyable. Once at the top we took a tour of the Mt. Washington Observatory (MWO).  We learned about the history of recording the weather on the top of Mt Washington and sources of the extreme weather.  We were surprised to learn that the highest recorded temperature on the summit of Mt Washington is 72F.  We didn't get to meet Marty the cat who lives at the summit.  However, we did see the living quarters where Marty, a full time staff, several interns and a couple of volunteers stay while working at the MWO.

Bruno on the train to the top

Cog railway to Mt  Washington

Sheri, Bruno, Pam and Nick waiting to catch the train

View from the top of Mt Washington