Things I Have Seen

  Forwarding Address I used Blogger as my first foray into the world of online writing in December 2006. Over the years I created several other blogs and a few websites. I finally settled down a bit and decided to put my energy into a self-hosted Wordpress site named My Strange Life . The Orphans What was to become of these sites after I stopped adding content? Nothing at all. Everything on the internet seems to last forever, or at least in the span of a lifetime. There are multiple orphans and WebCrawlers dutifully work their way through the internet finding links and keywords. I won't delete this blog but want want to freshen it up a bit with new information. My Strange Life Below is a RSS "ticker tape" of my latest postings on my website My Strange Life. This are recent postings.

Historian Adam Hochschild says Woodrow Wilson used the first World War as an excuse to spy on Americans, censor the press and plan for the mass deportation of immigrants. His new book is  American Midnight.

  Cooperage Trail I took a short walk in Fremont, NH while waiting for a car repair at Carr Garage .  Cooperage Trail was listed on Google Maps, but it had no reviews or photos. I can understand why. It is a bit underwhelming. I appreciate anytime that land is made accessible to hikers and it is great that the trail head is located in the middle of a housing development at the end of Spaulding Road. I did get the chance to get in 8000 steps by walking from the garage. Parking Parking space is available for two cars at the end of Spaulding Road. The Trail This is the trail, it does not vary in appearance from the beginning to end. It appears to be an old access road. Mostly new growth trees. Further down the trail, same general appearance. A Small Pond (A Feature) There was one notable and welcome exception on the trail. I spotted a small pond near the trail. It looks like it might be an interesting place to investigate in the Spring. A Witch Hazel shrub was blossoming nearby, ...

  My Strange Life Improves with Age New Ipswich Historical Society

 Throwback Thursday Six years ago on this day we celebrated Thanksgiving at my son's house. I like it when the days in the current year line up with a previous year.  It makes it possible to recycle an older calendar. Puzzled My sister worked on a maddeningly difficult puzzle. I didn't even bother. Oyster Shells? Imagine that someone thought it was good idea to use oyster shells in the brewing process. Maybe they had so many of them they needed to find a purpose. A gimmick always helps for these micro-breweries. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade The Macy's Parade big balloons used to be a standard when I was a kid and there were only three television channels. We watched it for  about ten minutes before becoming comatose with  the advertising. It seems that Christmas is just around the corner. Our "go-to" movie for Thanksgiving now is "The Godfather" because it is all about eating.

 On this day - November 23, 2018 I learned that "squirrel proof" only referred to the Gray Squirrel variety. The smaller Red Squirrel had no problem climbing through the barrier.

 I signed up for Twitter 14 years ago. It used to fun to read "Pearls from Myrna" and some of the funny responses to the tweets from TFG.  But now it is frankly a hellscape and not worth the effort, Before I deactivated my account, I downloaded an archive of my earlier interactions. Reading through those made me realize that this used to be fun. Not anymore. I'm not sure what Musk intends to do with it, but spouting conspiracy theories is probably not a winning strategy. My time in Twitter - Nov 13, 2018 to Nov 1, 2022  

 On this day - November 1, 2018 I care for two Night-blooming Cereus cactus plants. They produce large blossoms in September which are something to see. This cactus spends the summer outside on the deck, but it cannot survive the winter. One chore I dread is bringing it inside. It is heavy and it is armed with sharp spines. Over the years, I worked out a strategy. I wrap it with several blankets and wear a heavy coat as I lift it onto a dolly to roll into the dining room.  However there is an issue. Each year it gets bigger, heavier and top-heavy. On November 1st, 2018, it lurched toward me a stabbed me in the forehead. A spine was embedded. When I pulled it out, this was the result. The last four years have been relatively safe. I did get attacked this summer which led to a case of cellulitis on my hand, but no more stabbings. I've removed the top of the cactus so it will be less top-heavy. I can root the cuttings to make additional plants. I'll be glad to give them away,

 Halloween Nor'easter 2011 It was an unwelcome surprise to have so much snowfall on October 29 2011. I spent the day clearing the driveway.  Thankfully, it is still too warm in October for snowfall to linger. It was gone before Winter officially started. Almost 16 inches of snowfall from this storm. Adding insult to injury, we lost power. Hurricane Sandy - October 29-20, 2012 In 2012 New England was ravaged by an intense Hurricane. For us in New Ipswich, it was a major rain event. Today - Oct 30, 2022 No storms, beautiful weather predicted. Going to spend the afternoon playing music with friends. Happy Halloween to all.

 Smithville Reservoir Someone constructed a "Loghenge" at Flood Control Dam 35 in New Ipswich, NH. I went to visit on a foggy October morning. \ The fog made it rather spooky

 It Lasted Almost Two Years I've owned a flip phone and two Motorola mobile phones. The flip phone had no issues. The first Motorola (G7) worked fine for some time until my son noticed it was swollen. Knowing that the battery presented some danger, I stopped using it. Foolishly I ordered another Motorola phone, a Stylus 5G. The warranty on these items is one year, with the option to extend another year for a fee. I feel electronic devices should last more than a year, especially if they are expensive. Just shy of the two year birthday, my Stylus popped out of the case in a spectacular manner. Refractory Tiles Right now I'm keeping the phone on refractory tiles so if it burst into flames, it  won't burn down the house. The phone has split along the seam.  Photos below. Improper Charging? I've ordered a new phone from a different vendor. I'm not sure if it was such a good idea to leave it on the charger when not in use. More research is needed. However I would not rec...

 Godzilla has retired to Rockland Maine. He is too old and tired to raze cities. After his morning coffee he gazes out at Lermond Cove reflecting on his life as a movie star.

 I had a nice visit to Rockland, Maine. One thing I noted was a Cannabis Dispensary on almost every corner. I have to wonder why New Hampshire is the outlier among the New England states. As Governor, Maggie Hassan did allow the use of medicinal Cannabis. Isn't New Hampshire the "Live Free" State? Maine, not New Hampshire 4:20 how subtle

 The annual Common Ground Country Fair in Unity, Maine is a major event. It features all aspects of country life including the arts. I made a short video of a demonstration of Contra-Dancing which is quite common in New England. It is not as hard as it seems. The Band The Dancers

 It happened again. In the middle of September I saw some flower buds appear on my Columnar Night-blooming Cereus. The bloom is spectacular but has no scent. It lasts just a single night. I assume in the wild this would be pollinated by moths and bats. 11:05:15 AM 6:05:28 PM 7:21:01 PM 7:25:18 PM 8:54:42 PM Fully open for a single night. I'll look for its return in 2023.

#411 is Nasty Wordle presented a challenge this morning but I was able to solve it in four tries. Using the number "4"as an index  I did a search through my photos looking for a photo I took four years ago but I found nothing taken on that date. However I have something from August 3rd and August 5th of 2018. Tree on Witt Road - August 3, 2018 This is a photo I took with a camera converted to take infrared photos. It was a summer day with developing rain showers. This is my favorite tree on Witt Road in Jaffrey. located on the Sawyer Farm. Photo was taken with a 720nm infrared filter.. August 4, 2018 - Nothing August 5, 2018 - Jaffrey Music Jam Fred Fowler, Rich Hamilton, Richard Horonjeff and Jerry Wiles play Down Yonder at the MMMJ Fireworks Jam in Jaffrey, NH

 A Look Back  - August 3, 2016 I've been one of the annoying people who has been posting my daily Wordle game score on social media. This may be of minor interest to other players, but mostly these posts are met with a yawn and a "Who cares" attitude. I've noticed that my cousin has dressed up her scores by posting a number graphic, or in one case a  video of a number from Sesame Street. I decided on a different tactic to dress up my results. I would use my score as an index back into the photo archives. I solved game #410 in six tries so I scanned back to see if I had any photos taken six years ago on August 3rd. I found a few, things that I've seen in the past. Queen Anne's Lace What is interesting about Queen Anne's Lace  is a lone dark central purple floret. You need to look carefully to find it. This plant is considered a weed, but I like seeing it. This flower is a good example of an umbel inflorescence.

 Temple Qi Gong & T'ai Chi Practice Times: M-F on Temple Town Common (Town Hall if inclement weather) 7:30-8:15 am and  9:30-10:15 am Kick off your day with a morning energy/breath workout—Qi Gong. Performing sitting, standing, and moving activities with focus, intention and mindful breathing, rebalances and strengthens our body.  These low impact, slow exercises reduce stress and help to improve our ability to move with grace, confidence, and balance. If you ever wanted to try Qi Gong or T’ai  Chi, but found 7:30 am too early, the new class is at 9:30 am. No experience is necessary. Contact David Rosen dlrozzin@outlook.com  for more information. Phone: 603-878-3968 Mobile: 617-225-7418 Temple Recreation Commission Sponsored

New Boston, NH - July 4, 2022 Oldest and Youngest Citizen Betty Poltrack, at 101, the oldest citizen of New Boston Betty with daughter Susan Carr Followed by the youngest citizen in New Boston (born in June, not visible in this photo) Bring in the Clowns The New Boston Artillery Company Freedom of Speech (to protest loss of a freedom) Shriner's Mini-Monster Trucks One of these tipped over during the parade but no one was seriously hurt Respect Not everyone wanted to be squirted at the parade, so signs were posted along the route. One jeep needed a serious washing. Wash Me Dick Moody - Horseman New Boston Fire Department Music No marching bands, but there was music on some of the floats May the Space Force be with you Members of the New Boston Space Force were in attendance