Spring Arrives!

The long, cold, snowy winter is finally behind us. 
The skiers loved it.
The plow drivers loved it.
Those guys who shoveled off all the roof snow and broke up the ice dams....
We know they loved it.
But now the snow is gone, and the green is returning to the mountain. And as much as I enjoy the finer points of snow season, I am wildly happy to see grass again.
Truly.
So get out your boats, paddle boards, kayaks, and swim bubbles, and embrace summer at the Lake!
See you soon.....you know where.....

Happy Snow-Giving!

The weather in the mountains can change on a dime - one day, you are raking leaves in your shirtsleeves, and then the next....BAM!!  You are shoveling your way up the driveway.
The season of thankfulness and giving is upon us. The first snows of the season fell before the pumpkin pie was even out of the oven!  But it was a beautiful sight, and we were all together (with power, thankfully).
Such is life in New Hampshire, and much of New England.  That's why we love it. 
But the family made it safely, and we had a great weekend, eating and enjoying each other's company.

Oh, and then there were the Scrabble games....but we will not speak of that......

Happy Holidays to you and yours!!

Barrel Tasting Weekend

The Barrel Tasting Weekend was this past weekend, the second we have attended, and we finally figured out just how to plan our route (way better then last year, when we kept getting lost!) 
Saturday was a dreary day, pouring rain, but our destinations made us all smile.

There were six wineries on the list - we made it to five - and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to support local business and who wants to find a new wine.  They each offered a different twist on old favorites, new classics, and some things I had never tried (Jalapeno wine?!  My friends each bought a bottle).
We started at Coffin Cellars in Webster; they had several varieties for tasting, but none of their wine is made with grapes - every other fruit you can think of, Lime, Blackberry, Blueberry, Jalapeno (OK, maybe not a fruit, but you get the idea).  They were gracious and clearly excited about their products. I loved the Blackberry wine, but I think my group bought one of each available.
Onward to Haunting Whisper in Danbury - one we did make it to last year - and a personal favorite of my mother.  I am a big fan of their Carmenere and their sweet Marechal Foch...yum.  Next, to Newfound Lake Vineyards in Bristol.  The owner was greeting visitors and explaining her wines last year as well, and was fascinating to everyone! Personal favorite - Wicked Good Red!!
Final stop of the day was Hermit Woods, now in Meredith Center.  Last year, this was our first stop, and we spent an hour going the wrong way on many, many different roads, so being in the middle of Meredith now is great for our GPS! Their new home is spacious and allows for visitors to shop, taste, and learn in comfort.  My favorites are the Petite Blueberry and the Carmenere. 

Sunday was a completely different day - sunshine and fabulous foliage everywhere you looked!  Our only stop of the day was to be Gilmanton Winery, home of Peyton Place and Alpacas! Check out their site....

 

I loved the visit here, with the grapes being picked as you walked up the drive, and the Alpacas up the hill, not to mention the owner, Marshall.  He is clearly so proud of his product, as are all the owners we met this weekend, and it is good to see local success!

 

Sometimes, the best things happen when you aren't paying attention..  On our way in to Gilmanton, we had noticed a sign on our right that said "Lindon Garlic Farm".  Garlic? we said.  Yum! We said.  So on the way back, we turned left and found Don, The Garlic Guy. Lindon Garlic Farm was just lovely, and Don and his wife were warm, welcoming, and ohhhhhh, the smell of garlic was amazing!! It is well worth the journey!!

Don the Garlic Guy, and Janet, working Dirty Deeds fundraising

 

 

When we got home, we took stock of our holiday purchases, personal stock and raffle basket purchases.... Did we have fun?    Well, you decide!!

The labels.

 

 

Our apologies to Sap House Meadery  We are going to make it a priority to make it to Ossipee before the holidays!  Thanks to the organizers of the Barrel Tasting Weekend!

Oh please, do it again next year!!

 

 

 

 

Bike Week Arrives!

Well, Bike Week did not really disappoint me.  I thought there would be tons of motorcycles and motorcyclists.  There were.  And it was noisy.  Rock and roll, motors, people, motors....  And that was just the noise!

But the bikes were amazing, and our friend's bikes finally behaved, so it was a great weekend to be in Gilford!

Some of us loved it more than others!!  Born to be wild, baby!!

Memorial Day is here!

It was a good time, as always, at the Gilford Mountain House!  A bit of hiking, a bit of relaxing...

 

And lots of looking forward to BIKE WEEK!!

Finally....the snow has melted!!

And it is about time....For the past few weeks, I have been thinking, "We will never see the grass again!"  And then, lo and behold, we have grass! And flowers, and new growth on the trees....
Can summer be far behind?!

The BogMen Cometh....

The 5th Annual Pond Hockey Classic was held this past weekend on frozen Meredith Bay in Lake Winnepesaukee.  Our friends participated in the "Legends" class (otherwise known as 50+...but I think we all agree that Legends is preferred) and had a blast.  It was quite a sight, and one I recommend everyone does at least once.  Or maybe, every year.  Great food, great friends - old and new - and of course, pond hockey!  Great skills were on display, and great players were all around.  I can't wait to cheer them on again next winter.

The BogMen will return!!