Harlow

Just replaced my venerable Saturn commuter with this 1998 Tracker.  It's in great condition--spent most of its life being towed behind an RV, so the miles accumulated in places where snow and ice and salt are not an issue.

I liked the Saturn, but the Tracker actually has more room in the front seats, it's easier to get in (and out) of, and it's much more fun to drive.  Nice fiberglass tops, and also has canvas tops so it can become a convertible in the summer.  Plus, it's four years younger, has 30,000 fewer miles, and has a passenger air bag rather than just the driver air bag in the Saturn.

Harlow?  Yes, that's the name.  Purchased it from Henry Harlow Richardson (the person who, years ago, started the business that has become Harlow's in downtown Peterborough).  Figured the car deserved a name and Harlow fit.

Happy Halloween

Another season of cavities is upon us and Max certainly made the most of it! He went as Iron Man who he is quick to tell you is really Tony Stark. So whenever Max wasn't wearing his mask, that's who he told people he was. Pretty excellent. Daphne was a dalmatian puppy, she was cute but made it perfectly clear that she was not happy with the velcro on her costume. But she is also teething, so it could have been her incisors pushing through.

We went out with some of Max's friends from school through the neighborhood north of our apartment. We went door to door doing some "traditional" trick or treating, and when it got to be too cold and windy we returned to our building and went floor to floor. Needless to say we have a treasure trove of candy. We will all be enjoying Halloween for the next few weeks.

Columbus Day Weekend

As Lauren said, no visit to NH would be complete without a ride on Deeda's tractor--Daphne is obviously enjoying that ride.  And Max had a chance to try "real golf" using his special kid-size putter.

An absolutely beautiful weekend!

Max is a kindergartner!

Here are a few panoramic pictures I've taken of Max's school and classroom. He is having a really good time in school and who wouldn't with a classroom like this?

What is it?

I was splitting wood on Saturday and found this interesting track when I opened a log. It's obviously caused by some sort of insect, but very precise and symmetrical. Looks "burned" on the side tracks, but not on the main tunnel. Reminds us of a bottle brush. Wonder what it is?

Update - December 18, 2010
A fellow baritone in the Peterborough Chamber Choir saw this posting and sent the picture to his son who knows about these things.  Here is the response:

Very cool!  That's a "gallery" likely produced by cerambicid beetles - aka wood borers.  Looks like a very successful mama with each of those cavities having housed a baby beetle that began as an egg, then a larva which carved out its own bedroom, finally pupating and exited the wood through the same hole that mama came in on.  The fact that all the pupal chambers are right next to where the eggs were laid means that they didn't eat much wood in the larval stage and instead probably relied on fungal mass that grew after mama inoculated the area with spores.

Sunset - Sunrise

We never cease to be awed by the beautiful sunsets we can enjoy at the cabin--the picture above is a good example. However, as evidenced in the picture below, sunrise can often be just as spectacular.

Garage Doors

In the scope of things, I guess getting new garage doors is not such an exciting event. However, the old ones were original with the house (22 years in October), plus they were very heavy and had really gotten out of alignment over the years due to several interactions with cars/trucks.

The new doors are MUCH lighter (almost 40 pounds per door) and, best of all, the are insulated (R-12). A welcome change!

Hiking

Sue spent a long weekend at the cabin--worked MANY hours on David and Amanda's quilt. But she did take time out for a hike with several neighbors. They hiked part of the Forest Legacy trail, one of the trails established and maintained by the Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust. That group has done a remarkable job of preserving land and resources in the area.

Above: Sue and Susan Corkran (Windswept)

Below: Nancy and Jerry Fee (The Loft)

Cabin Door

When we bought the cabin (hard to believe it was 24 years ago!), the original door had been removed and was leaning up against one of the outside walls. Very weathered and deteriorating quickly. We tried to think of ways we could use it, but nothing made sense. So, 7-8 years ago, we donated it to the Rangeley Historical Society.

They have a very small building and museum in Rangeley, but had plans to build a new facility in Oquossoc dedicated to the Region's fishing and hunting heritage. It took several years, but the Rangeley Outdoor Sporting Heritage Museum had its dedication and grand opening on August 14--it's a beautiful facility. Here is the link for the museum's web site: www.rangeleyoutdoormuseum.org

One of the main attractions in the museum is a simulated log cabin (the size and layout are amazingly close to our little cabin). And, there is "our" door, the very first thing you see as you enter the museum. We are thrilled that the door has been preserved in such a fitting way!

Lapsed Time

I made this using an app that i downloaded to my phone. I can't quite believe that I just did this with my phone!