USA 2018 (4) A day with Nicole

Tags

Bedford NH, Dunkin' Donut, Durham NH, Hampton Beach, Isle of Shoals, Jackson Hole CO, Lincoln NH, Manchester NH, Natural Habitat, New Hampshire, Portsmouth NH, River House Portsmouth NH, University of New Hampshire

USA 2018 (4) A day with Nicole, and then moving on. Thursday and Friday 15th/16th February. Fewer photo opps, but no less enjoyable.  Well, the Thursday anyway.

Nicole first took me to the New Hampshire coast.  The state’s coastline is only 19 miles long, but it has some historic connections.  We started at Hampton Beach, and drove northwards to Portsmouth, where we had coffee (not nearly as good as Geoff’s!) in a Dunkin’ Donut, before moving on to Durham to pick up their older daughter, Claire, who is in her first year at the University of New Hampshire, reading maths and really enjoying the chance to be with others who love the subject.

Back to Portsmouth, where we had a delicious lunch at a seafood place there. I had lobster roll, and clam chowder, which I would never have know to choose from the extensive menu without my relatives’ help.  Lots of natter, a wander around the port,

Um, a merganser?

back to Durham to deposit Claire,

A historic submarine on display

Rivers were freezing

Hall of residence – called ‘dorm’ there.

and back to Bedford.

I know. Bedford, Manchester (a former cotton town), Lincoln, Portsmouth (a port), Durham, all within not much more than an hour or so of each other! And all inside (New) Hampshire!

I didn’t stay up too long, as I was to have another very early start and stretched day on the Friday.

Geoff drove me to Manchester Airport to catch a 6 a.m. plane to Newark, there to change for Denver, Colorado, where I was to catch a flight after a four-hour wait to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, two time zones further westwards across the States from NH.

I think this was at Denver, but perhaps it was at Newark.  Anyway, delighted as I was to see this, I was glad not to be flying in it! (Though in other circumstances…)

The first two flights went fine, but there was an hour’s delay before the third took off. The reason? Just a broken seat.  But as the flight was 100% full, it had to be repaired before take-off.  As a result, and there was also of a slight muddle – no-one’s fault – over where the taxi meeting me was to take me to. So instead of arriving with an hour or so to spare before meeting all my companions for the next 6 days, I was technically 30 minutes late. The briefing over dinner had started – though I missed little I was told, and the meal hadn’t actually begun.

Once at the hotel, the Lexington, where I was to sleep, I was able to examine the cold-weather gear the company – Natural Habitat – was lending me for the week, including these absolutely excellent boots!

Only 21 hours  between rising and getting to bed this time.

USA 2018 (3) A day with my cousin

Tags

Black-capped chickadee, covered bridge, Erratics, Flume Gorge, Franconia Notch, House finch, Ice Castles, Lincoln NH, Manchester NH, Mount Lafayette NH, Mourning dove, New Hampshire, Pemigewasset, White-breasted nuthatch

USA 2018 (3) A day with my cousin. Wednesday 14th February.  Geoff had kindly taken time off work to be with me from midday on. Again rising later than the rest of the family, I had an enjoyable morning watching antics at the bird feeder.

Black-capped chickadee

Mr and Mrs House finch

Mr and Mrs Mourning dove (rather smaller than UK doves)

White-breasted nuthatch

But it was not only birds. The following sequence is a compilation of many attempts by the same squirrel.

Shall I try jumping? (It’s a long way down!)

I’ll have a scratch and a think

OK, perhaps not.

(But as this photo shows, the following day…)It was of course a great pleasure to get to know the affectionate Coco and Bam, sister littermates.

After an early lunch, Geoff and I set off on some local errands, including visits to a bank in Manchester for me and to their younger daughter’s school for her, and then headed northwards, while not leaving the state of New Hampshire.

Geoff had offered me the chance to see a covered bridge, once frequent but now sometimes preserved as historic features.

The bridge went over the Pemigewasset River

We were due to visit an attraction, the Ice Castles at Lincoln, later on, and swung by them now, in full sunlight. Other attractions there included a collection of trains.

Geoff then took me to the Flume Gorge at Franconia Notch State Park, where we took a short walk. I was not really shoed for more, but was very grateful to be wearing Nicole’s parka. Lovely to walk amongst such thick snow. 

Erratics abound (and to be clear, an erratic is a geological term for a boulder where it shouldn’t be, moved there by glaciers!)

Another covered bridge, a serendipitous find, to which we did descend

Then on briefly to see Mount Lafayette, from a distance, where we rang Geoff’s mother in the UK from the car, lost the signal, and picked it up shortly afterwards. As one not quite as familiar with technology as the next generation, I found this easy and clear contact all very weird – and it was free!

After taking coffee and dessert back in Lincoln, we kept our appointment with the Ice Castles. 

The adult slide

which I did enter

but which was much, much steeper than I expected, and from which my exit was not nearly as elegant as this. I wished I had taken a video – but not enough to choose to do the slide again!

I did wonder about elf ‘n’safety – what if one of those icicles fell on one’s head?

Nightfall is the most popular time to visit.

Thanks, Geoff, for a great day out!

 

USA 2018 (2). Bedford, NH.

Tags

Bedford NH, Icicles, Manchester NH, Red-tailed hawk, Squirrel, Wild turkey

USA 2018 (2), Bedford NH. Tuesday 13th February. A quiet day on my own.

My body clock ensured that I got 5 hours’ sleep maximum, and I found myself exchanging Facebook messages with Geoff’s sister in the UK at our respective 3 am/8am. I stayed in bed reading (online newspapers and e-novel), dozing, and Facebooking until all but one resident had departed for work/school, and breakfasted at 8 pm. I spotted this from my bedroom window as I got up. (I realised later that therewas a bird feeder immediately above.)

Later, having strolled around the garden, while being very wary of solid ice patches,  I went out for a lovely two-hour, 3 1/2 mile gentle there-and-back stroll in the neighbourhood.

The nearby city of Manchester in the distance

The sun was melting frozen ice, and this particular bank had me mesmerised on the way out. It was a soundscape as much as a visual pleasure, as icicles came crashing down.

 

 

Wild turkeys in someone’s garden.  I was told they come out of the forest to peck for seeds as the snow melts.

Red-tailed hawk…

… flying…

… to, presumably, its mate.

No idea.

The ice bank once more held me in thrall on the way back, and the droplets falling in this three-second video made me think of tadpoles.

 

Family members started arriving home at 4 pm, and the catching-up chat that hadn’t been possible the day before took place, followed by a not-quite-so-early retirement to bed.