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!!

Happy New Year!

Everyone who loves snow is happy today!  A very Happy and Healthy New Year to everyone!
(And thanks to Michele for this great photo!!)

November's first snow!

What a lovely surprise, the first snow of the season!  But I am getting ahead of myself....

We started the weekend at the Shaker Village in Canterbury.  Delightful setting, a wonderful gift shop, a very peaceful way of life. We got a bit of holiday shopping done, and it was nice to buy gifts that were hand made, by people who care about what they make, and have complete artistic control over what they sell.  Nice to not have to always accept mass production.

Then, after sitting in the car for a while, activity seemed to be the order of the day, so we went for the next mountain in the Belknap chain....this time, Gunstock.  ( I think there are seven more..?) So up we went.  Very different, seeing the mountain without snow.  But the views were just as beautiful.  And the girls enjoyed it, as always.

And then, this morning......

Welcome to winter.  The Farmer's Almanac says there is plenty more where this came from!! Hope you have your shovels and skis ready.

It's Halloween! It's Halloween!

And what better way to spend it than going through Morbid Mountain with a bunch a scaredy-cats.  And I speak of the other customers, not MY family.  You see, we come from a well established line of haunted house staff members.  So it takes a lot to scare us.
But is was cold.
And it was dark.
And there were a lot of creepy things in the woods.

Lots.

But we made it out, and will return next year.  Good job Gunstock Mountain!
BOO!

Take a look at these faces...wouldn't you feel safe walking with them in a haunted house?

Columbus Day goes out with a ...peel out?

It is not the size of the wheels, it is the technique and determination of the driver.  At least that is the story I will stick to when asked. 

A birthday outing for our friends turned into one of the best afternoons I have had so far in Winnipesaukee!  After a rideabout with the Motivator (who was relaxing this afternoon - it was, after all, a holiday), we were searching for a place to eat lunch.  After searching thru three towns, one Harley Davidson dealer, and a few stores along the way, we saw it....  The Broken Spoke!
Now, I have seen the Broken Spoke many times.  I thought it was a summer attraction, and it never entered my line of sight that it served food and beverages.  So, when our friends said, "The Broken Spoke looks like our kind of place", I thought that had given up the intent of eating. 
We entered the parking lot to be greeted by a handful of folks who told us that "you girls need an escort to enter today!"  Yeah, no.  In we went, unescorted.
What ensued was a fabulously fun afternoon of being entertained by a staff that knew they were closing up for the season, and a manager I can not wait to meet again! Professional in every way, and I just want to tell those owners, Keep that guy!!  He is good for your business!
Now comes time to leave.  Just before we exit, a Harley leaves in the way Harleys are wont to leave. Of course, everyone on the back porch (including our wannabe escort) is cheering and clapping the dust and rubber smoke.  We are walking out, and....yes, before I know it, my friends are telling me that a Hyundai can indeed burn rubber, and I am receiving instruction from a girl who really does own a Harley.  She has done this many times before, I can guess, but I am equally sure this will be a disappointment to her Harley sensibilities.  But I will give it a try. And I do.  In front of a lot of people I am grateful I will not see again until May.  Except the Motivator.  And my friends.  Who, I hear, had a fabulous birthday.  Come on back girls.
  Let's make Columbus Day weekend the "We are here to close down the Spoke" weekend!

Oh, and I built a firepit too.  Before the whole Spoke thing.

 And we went to the Barrel Tasting Weekend before that!  I love autumn!!

Signs of summer..holding on.

 

The summer is drawing to a close, but we cling to every little bit of sunshine and warmth, even as fall approaches.  Great weekend, with a little nip of fall in the air!  Everyone has their own way of getting in the last little bit of fun!

The "invigorating" hike....

Now, the guide book information tells you that Mt. Belknap is a relatively easy mountain to climb.  Somewhere it said it was a 700 ft. elevation.  I think they meant if you put a ruler on the ground through the middle of it..... AFTER you climbed half way from the parking lot! 

Lesson here:  Don't believe the guidebooks.

But it was a good day, starting with a ride to the top of the Gunstock Mountain to watch my 70+ aunt head off down the Zipline (her grandchildren did not believe she did it...Oh, but yes she did!).  Lest you think me a coward, I want to state that I took that same "Zip Trip" several weeks ago.  And it was a blast!

 The trip up Belknap wasn't so bad really.  It was a beautiful day, and the girls had a good time. 

How could you not love the view?! In just a short time, all this green will be replaced

with brilliant reds and vibrant golds.  Don't you want to be here too?

Labor Day fun in the (mostly) sun

What a lovely weekend it was to be on Lake Winnipesaukee!  I must say I was a bit nervous taking the NH Safe Boating test, but I managed to pass.  Good thing, or the Motivator would have been very unhappy!

 

The pontoon boat was great fun, and I have to say that Fay's Boat Yard was fabulous to us.  We spent the day tooling around the Lake, swimming, and watching out for the other boats.  Except for a few missed markers here and there (and one slightly hysterical homeowner trying to waive us off the rocks), it was a good day.  Perfect way to end the summer........


Mt Washington

 

Ah, summer......

 

That's it.....Just "Ah, summer......" 
Don't forget, IronMan Triathalon next weekend, so watch out for athletes!!  And August 23 -24 is Gilford Old Home Days, so come join us in an old-fashioned New England celebration!

It's a Leo kinda month...

So August approaches, and the newest Leo is the little Prince George...Luck boy to be a Leo!(and he will hopefully grow into his name!)  But there are lots of us, to be sure, and we are all fabulous. At least in August.
This month, there is lots going on in the Lakes Region, but for this post, I wanted to highlight the Ladies of the Lakes Quilt Show, happening this weekend on August 2 and 3 in Wolfeboro.  I love a good quilt show, and am looking forward to seeing what the Lakes Region ladies have to offer in the way of quilts - but I am sure they will all be just lovely!

You can get more info at: http://www.llqg.net/qshow.html.

This is the Ladies of the Lakes raffle quilt for 2013!
 And of course, if you are in the area, be sure to stop in to Keepsake Quilting!  Just a short ride away in Center Harbor, and make it a woo-hoo kind of day!

And now...the 4th of July!!

So, the next big holiday of the season, and we are high above the Lake and able to see all the fireworks....and there are a lot of them.  Everywhere.  We are not used to such illegal activity all around us, being from Massachusetts and all.  (HA!)  But it is a bit overwhelming (especially for one of the Motivator's favorite girls) to have so many explosions all around.  But it was beautiful, and a great way to celebrate our nation's birthday. A shout out to our friends in Tuftonboro, who provided us with fun, sun, laughter and song!! Thanks, and turn up the Queen!

But then, some of us didn't really feel that much like celebrating....  Good job with those wisdom teeth, buddy!  What a place to have to recuperate!

Memorial Day Rain Delay

Ah, it does happen sometimes, doesn't it?  The best of plans go awry....But a day off is still a day off, and several in a row is not a bad thing.  We found plenty to entertain ourselves, and photography is enjoyable, IF you can keep the camera dry.  And it finally stopped raining...

 

 Some of the
summer sights....
very different
from the
landscape
just a few
weeks ago!

Even got some work done!

Now you can find the North River!!        Well, not exactly.....  See you soon!



 

 

Thanks to Monkey Trunks!

This was the weekend when  the Scouts came to visit Monkey Trunks in Weirs Beach - what a great place that is!!!  We can not say enough good things about the facility and more important, the staff!! 
The boys and leaders had a fabulous time, as evidenced by the fact almost everyone was asleep by 10 pm!!  Always a good thing.... 

                           


And the tents looked great in the backyard too....How can you not love camping?

New look for dining room!

Well, it has been a very busy couple of weeks.

Working in the dining room has been very satisfying (even though the only reason it was totaly dismantled is because the Motivator didn't like the previous color....really?!)  So, off to find something I have heard characterized as "whimsical".  Now, I know that "whimsy" can be good - meaning you are artsy, creative, entertaining - OR, it can mean that you are off your rocker and WHAT were you thinking.  So here we are with the monkeys in the balloons.  Whimsical.

On another note, the Motivator has been learning to ski.  After an entire lifetime around snow, this is the moment she chooses to learn.  Doing very well, and then!!.....in comes the ice.  Combined with avoiding the snowboarders, and she is in the ER with torn ligaments.  Because of her shoulder strength, she has a minor tear, so should be back to lifting very heavy things very soon.  And will also return to Motivating, I am sure.

                                Let that be a lesson kids.  Learn to ski when you are young.

                                Enjoy the monkeys!