Musings

We saw this sign when we were up north a few days back, and I just had to include it here. Danger lurks above in northern winters, ya’know.

Posted at 8:53 PM | Comments Off on Look up (v.78)

As I did several months ago, JCB recently received a juror summons. He was in group 3, so we thought he might have to appear, and was to call in last night to find out if he had to show up downtown today. No groups were called, he found out, and he got to sleep in.

I was gonna try something about “barking up the wrong tree,” but…pfft, I couldn’t make it sing, rock, or rumble in any pleasant way.

Posted at 8:18 PM | Comments Off on Unselected

I do enjoy some of the dramatic creations of the “Portrait / stage light” settings (although others are dreck).

Posted at 8:57 PM | Comments Off on Acer palmatum

I came back from being at Book Club, a short stroll well after dark set in, and…redolent. That’s the word. Our front steps were awash in the scent of gardenias. Here’s a night shot, which definitely needed white balancing to look correct.

Posted at 10:21 PM | Comments Off on Inhale (and imagine)

We saw the Looming Peach in SC, and definitely felt we were closing in on GA and home while miles were still ahead of us.

Coming into metro, we weathered a traffic jam, ho hum. We found our (OUR!) gardenias beginning to bloom, so: yay!

We missed an earthquake yesterday…hopefully, there aren’t more tremors coming. It’s 63°F and precipitating, so welcome home on the weather front, too.

Posted at 8:41 PM | Comments Off on Cool and rainy

We departed our VT sanctuary well fortified with coffee. This involved braving a steady rain. But not for too terribly long.

Soon, however, we basked in open skies, almost sunshine…and did (more or less) for the rest of the day. [If I had to name this photo, it’d be something about rest area (temporary) cones contrasting with everyday functions like picnic tables. I think.]

At a later rest area, irii (my plural of iris) exhibited in multiple colors. Here’s a medium purple one with yellow highlights, oh so lovely.

Posted at 9:28 PM | Comments Off on Leaving New England

We went to an art show opening on the main floor of this building, a former overall factory. This is upstairs where the studios, teaching spaces, etc. are. This is one of the latter. The floors are all wood, and creak with such vigor they seem to be expressing something.

Posted at 8:47 PM | Comments Off on New England through windows

The benefits of staying with a friend who’s a baker are obvious…and tasty: apple pie.

Trees at night…not yet leafed out. BTW, this far north, today the mowing guys did our friends’ yard for the first time this year. As is common, the mowing guys change out their equipment and clean the driveway through the winter.

Posted at 8:20 PM | Comments Off on We are sated

How do you make your state capitol building, here a state house, look more impressive when it has only two stories: put it part way up a hill with a cascade of steps below the main entrance.

Complex tiling patterns in the entry of the public library, Randolph.

Dam and falls in Bethel; mill buildings are to the right.

Exposed interior structure, Howe Covered Bridge.

Orange County Court House, Chelsea.

Oddly, Chelsea has two commons separated by a rushing creek. I spotted this chicken on the bridge connecting the two commons, which of course provoked the question: why did the chicken cross the road? Data based on this chicken is null as it did not cross while I was watching.

We visited several covered bridges along this section of the White River, and this one, Moxley, had an actively used ford just below the bridge, while none of the others did. I figure it’s used by farmers and so on with large equipment.

Cilley Covered Bridge: although the bridge dates to 1883, these boards are from perhaps the last few months.

I’ll spare you any more covered bridge photos; how ’bout some ornamental, um, apples? Guessing…that’s way too dense a flowering pattern not to be an ornamental variety, and I think it’s apple, but I’m no botanist.

Posted at 10:05 PM | Comments Off on VT architecture miscellany and other miscellany

We braved Boston traffic to visit the Big Dig. Here’s the tunnel entrance. The tunnel is named for Thomas P. “Tip” O’Neill, Jr.

Here’s the bridge after the tunnel, named for Leonard P. Zakim and crossing the Charles River. Both the bridge and tunnel opened in 2003, northbound in late March and southbound in late December.

We stopped at the Canterbury Rest Area in NH. This clearly must be functional.

This, however, is art. I don’t know what the wood/tree is, and neither did the attendant.

Several miles later, we went through Franconia notch. The clouds sat on the highway, and we had no cell service. I have no idea how I’d make a phone-booth call these day. The oddest thing about the notch highway: it was interstate but only one lane each way, not from construction—that’s how it’s made. Neither of us could remember being on one- not two-lane interstate anywhere.

After lunch up the street, we walked around part of St Johnsbury. Here’s the depot, now a welcome center.

They’ve kept the Boston & Maine seats.

We made a quick stop at John’s college radio station, now an independent entity as the college is…well, defunct. John says he’s slept in this room. On the left out of this frame, was a photograph of a friend of John’s who is recently deceased, with some kind words honoring him. John was quite excited because he took the photo and also printed it.

Our B&B is an old farmhouse, renovated, on top of a hill. We were welcomed by goats and the proprietress. This goat has a horn and a stub.

See our fabulous room-with-a-view. very comfy and I can hear the peepers even though the windows are closed. It’s all of 57°F out.

Posted at 10:15 PM | Comments Off on New England-ish