Things I Have Seen

  I had a nice visit with my cousins last weekend. They brought their newest dog Wee Geordie, a Cairn Terrier. Think of Toto in the Wizard of Oz. He was an affectionate and playful addition to the visit. I had a bin of stuffed animals that I wanted my cousins to take for their grandchildren and Wee Geordie decided he wanted to make a selection. This stuffed tiger is just what he wanted. Look what I have He was literally jumping for joy for the tiger but later abandoned the tiger for a plastic water bottle.

 Easter 2015 - New Ipswich, NH I've been posting photos from the New Ipswich Historical Society for several weeks. However instead of posting photos from the 1900s I chose some photos that I took at an Easter Egg hunt in 2015. It was organized by the late Deb Holmes who was the head of Recreation Department. Those of us who knew Deb knew how well suited she was to this position. Her enthusiasm was infectious. It was fun taking these photos because the kids were having so much fun. Because it was Easter in New Ipswich, there was still a huge pile of snow outside. Here are the photos. Deb has the rules Crafts More crafts More Crafts Bunny Bowling Yet more crafts Bunny Tattoo Egg Hunt (little kids) Egg Hunt (little guys) Spread Out Egg Hunt Egg  Hunt Outside Egg Hunt (Big Kids) Seeing what we got

 April 16, 2022 This Ibanez Performance acoustic guitar might be just the thing for a budding musician. It is missing the nut on the headpiece so I would recommend bringing it to a luthier for an appraisal. It might be worth the repair. I believe they cost just under $200 new. Look WHO I saw at the Green Center Boone always has a kind word to say. It is a joy to see him at the Green Center. Schedule The Green Center will be open April 30, 2022 Hours 9 - 12 Shopping Only 1 - 3 Donations Only The Green Center is open to residents of New Ipswich and Greenville

 Harder than it looks My sister gave this jigsaw puzzle to my wife as a birthday present. It was unlike any other jigsaw puzzle that I had ever seen. The pieces don't interlock and the slightest touch disrupts it. My wife was able to solve it but even she admitted that it was a hard one. My Type of Puzzle Life is puzzling enough, I'll stick with this puzzle for now. Wordle 301 5/6 🟩🟩⬜⬜⬜ 🟩🟩⬜⬜⬜ 🟩🟩⬜⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

 The Eagles have Landed It is really exciting to see Bald Eagles in New Ipswich. The last couple of years there were just a few sightings but now they seem to be present near every body of water. I watched at least six juveniles harassing ducks at Smithville Reservoir (Damsite 35).  Wildlife Photography I've yet to get a sharp photo of these birds. They are quite far away and I'm using a 400mm lens with a 1.4X multiplier. The sensor crop factor 2X in 35mm terms. I'm using a fast shutter speed which introduces a lot of luminance noise. I'll keep trying since they seem to have taken up permanent residence.

 Five Years Ago Burro Hall Lora DePlante loved her animals. She had a sense of whimsy about them as evident when she added the nameplate "Burro Hall". It makes me think of a group of politicians. There were plenty of Guinea hens milling about. Odd creatures that are almost spherical. Camera Woes My fancy Olympus OM-D Mark I developed a problem that the company never acknowledged. Ever so often the shutter would stick. It always seemed to happen at the wrong time. I started to see some notes online about the problem but the company never admitted it had a issue. However I loved the camera and upgraded to the Mark II release which has been working just fine. Winter Storm Stella On March 14th 2017 Winter Storm Stella reminded us that Spring was not here yet. I donned some snowshoes and walked by Smithville Reservoir.  The cold wind blows over the dam. It is a natural wind tunnel.

 IV Tubes in the Woods The conditions have to be just right. Below freezing at night and above freezing during the day.  Once the leaves bud it is all over. This is a photo taken behind Mad Moose sugarhouse on Smithville road in New Ipswich, NH Sap into Syrup Most of the sugarhouses push the sap through a reverse osmosis filter to remove water and concentrate the sugar level. Then the concentrated sap is boiled away in an evaporator.  Mad Moose Sugarhouse Open House (2017) It is always fun to visit the various sugarhouses to sample the syrup and even get some pancakes. As I did in March 2017 at the Somero Maple Farm. Somero Kids I make an annual pilgrimage to various sugarhouses. This photo was taken at the Somero Maple Farm five years ago when the family had a few new babies. They are probably a lot bigger by now. The Rustic Look The Sawyer sugarhouse on Route 124 has the "look" I expect from a sugarhouse. It even had plenty of mud, since sap season is also mud season. B...