Minor Miners

Ruggle's Mine in NH.  Everything you see glitters as if a zillion tiny mirrors are set in the walls and ground.  When the sun comes out, it's almost blinding, and your skin sparkles wherever the dust settles.  They give you pick-axes and buckets, then turn you loose to chip out mica, feldspar, tourmaline, garnets, quartz crystals, etc.  We sang the Seven Drawf's song several times as we dug away.  A very cool, beautiful, old-school attraction and we highly recommend it!

Island Time

Grab Bag Day

We started out running a few errands in the Upper Valley, then moseyed on over to Potter's Place for a caboose picnic, next explored the nearby back roads until we found the swimming hole I remembered from my teen summers, complete with natural slides carved from rock and mini-waterfalls just right for little boys to play in.  Eli was terrifically excited by every new bend in the stream and grinned non-stop as he paddled in the clear pools.  After that, it was on to Lake Sunapee for a lake-themed historical museum and home-made gelato on the marina docks.  Next stop, a river-side farm where we picked a flat of perfect strawberries as the sun set and finally finished up our day with what Ira considered a highlight, an exploding bottle of local, orange cream soda that fell from our grocery cart and broke in the parking lot with a big smash, resulting in several workers rushing over to help clean it up.  Ira talked about it the rest of the way home, or at least until he fell asleep, and we carried him in to bed, berry-stains and all.  

Wilson Castle

Wilson Castle in Proctor. At the end of a washed-out driveway littered with old signs, logs and a decrepit motorboat rotting in the bushes, the castle was empty of other guests. We wandered around the 32 rooms for several hours, fascinated. Half outrageous opulence, half crumbling ruin, some areas were perfect, some seemed as if you, and the turret you were in, would plummet to the ground at any moment, so broken and moldy. The kids were both delighted and spooked.

Weekend

Today will be a long hay day, but luckily, I have the weekend off for once so we got plenty of fun in too.  A couple of lovely days with the family.  Kids all slept out in the tent last night, under our open bedroom window, giggling and whispering until the wee hours, but of course were bright eyed and perky again at 6AM.  

                                     

Don't Move!

A friend of mine, who teaches amazing art classes out of her home studio, hired me to sit for her last portrait session.  I wasn't sure I'd be able to handle not moving (at all, including my eyes staying focused on the same point even!) for several hours, but I gave it my best shot.  With the six women's lively conversation and good music, time passed pretty quickly.  And I was allowed a couple of breaks after they taped my outline on the chair I was sitting in, so I could more easily get back into position.  It was really intriguing to see how different people who don't know me, but all accomplished artists, perceive me.  I had a range of personalities in each piece, from scared, to demure, to sassy, to proud, as in this one.  Although somewhat strange and initially uncomfortable to have a circle of people staring at you and picking apart your facial features to better capture your likeness, I understand more and more lately, what's on the inside shows up on the outside and the actual physical make-up of your face should be the least of your cares.    

Joseph William

I woke to the phone ringing early yesterday morning, "It's time!" So I rushed to the hospital to watch my sister give birth to my newest nephew, Joseph.  A big, beautiful, healthy boy!  Mom & Dad now have seven grandchildren, six boys and Princess Avry still reigns supreme!