When the Plein Air is Cold and Gusty

 A couple of weeks ago when it seemed Spring might finally be on her way, I joined a number of Nashua Breakfast Club members to do some sketching and/or painting in New Castle, New Hampshire (just south of Portsmouth). Our meeting place was described as "near the Wentworth,.  The Wentworth location has had its ups and downs.  At present, it has been magnificently restored by Marriott and is listed as a spa location.

 

I wasn't lost, but I needed to wander a little,  which meant that at first, I landed at the wrong state park.

Fort Stark was apparently quite important and busy during WWII.  It won't be open for visitors until after Memorial day. People who wrote reviews either loved or hated the fact that the Fort had been benignly neglected. 

  I got a great view of a lighthouse, though.

 

When I looked to the Northwest, I realized that what I had thought was a big building was actually a ship!

  "The Carriage House" on Wild Rose Lane looked promising for an architectural rendering. I don't know if it is a B&B or what.  Couldn't find listings for anything with that named that matched what I found.  Besides,  I was still searching for "my people."

 I finally found actual destination was Great Island Common.  
The Common is a public park of about 30 acres.  There are picnic tables, benches, trees, decks, docks and bbq stands. The day WE were there, there was also a bone chilling wind.  So much for Spring!  I did one page of sketches and then said adios and returned to the shelter of my car.


We did take time to pose behind this artists' frame. 
Because of the time of day, lighting, and prevailing wind, the view below was the "best" I could find.  I actually had more fun sketching a painter. 

  Nearer the Wentworth Hotel was a minor street named Campbell's Lane.  There were several large homes on that private road.  They had views of tinny harbor inlets.

 I wish our house was in a location like this.  I'm sure we'd see family members and guests more often.
I did realize that I NEED a stool for sketching. Darling Hubby got me one for Mother's Day!  Yay.  I'm wanting to go back to New Castle and use it!  Might even see if there is a Coast Guard Station tour.

I don't do roofs....

When I left later in the day to meet my daughter, there was just enough ambient light and light from the garage to make it look like it could be cozy.  But remember it wasn't more than 20 degrees.  If I were 30 years younger, maybe I'd be climbing that ladder and pushing off snow... but surely it's ok to forego that now.   

I don't do roofs because I'm clumsy and not a mountain goat.
I did, however, pay A LOT to have a contractor do as much of our roof as we could afford.
I'm sure you've heard.  The snow here is DEEP.
This first picture isn't our house.  It's just an example of what looks normal in our town.
Sneaking out your bedroom window got a lot harder over the last two weeks.  This house is just down the road from us.  Doesn't look like they've shoveled anything but their driveway... except whoever's in the corner bedroom wanted to see out!

 This is the view of our house from half-way up our driveway.  You may be able to see that Tom (a contractor) has made a four foot deep dent in the snow on the main part of the house.

 And if you make a dent, it means there has to be a lump somewhere else, right?

What Tom moved from the roof is now piled up higher than the front porch rails.

I can no longer see what I considered "the garden." 

Did I say that these rocking chairs on the porch were no longer my "happy place"?

 Tom was well trained.  He did not leave the alleged pathways re-filled with snow.  This picture is of the snow being blown out of the path.  The path is deep enough and low enough that you cannot see Tom OR the snow blower. I'm pretty sure Tom is at least 6 feet tall.

 I don't know if this is the snow blower kicking snow UP, or if it is Tom pushing snow DOWN (off the roof).

I suppose I should be glad it isn't a ghost or a poltergeist.  It isn't something you see everyday.

 An art shot showing how glum, dark and dismal the view is from my desk.

In the dusky light with the porch lights, it almost looks cozy.  Yes, it's cozy inside, but it is still in the teens or lower outside. And I'm taking bets for when the snow is all melted....

Tom worked from the West end of the house toward the East.  You can see that he's cleared about 2/3.  He came back the next morning and did the East end and the "breezeway" (lower brick clad section to the left).  I am hoping that since the back of the house didn't have a less sloped roof over a porch area it will be OK "as is." Snow is remarkably heavy. You need a calculator to figure out if your roof is up to the task.

More snow is predicted for tomorrow... if the temperatures stay as low as they have been, it'll mean another foot of "light, dry" snow.  If it warms up we'll get heavy, wet snow, or what they call "wintry mix" --maybe "only" three inches.  And Sunday it is supposed to warm up to the 40's; we'll see how long it take to even notice if any of it is melting.

Hoping I don't have personal images like these to show you any time soon.

And of course if the temperatures fall after that... it'll all be ice.

Oh, Joy.

Newly Discovered Axiom of Proximity, Ice Dams, Roof Raking and MORE Snow

 It's a good thing I chatted up the postal worker last fall, because I think it has contributed to his willingness to drive through several inches of snow and slush to deliver our mail.  To the left is our 4 foot tall mail box with its snow hat (and blanket).  Our plow man pushes the snow away from the mail box, but the city plows tend to leave snow from the street all around the mail box. You can always tell who came first and who came second.

 And this is our "patio."  If I plan it right next year, perhaps we can have our own icy Taj Mahal and onion domes.  As it is, there are the stalwart bones of a table, chairs, bannisters and "newel" post at the top of the stairs from deck to so-called ground-level.

 Even though it's an alleged holiday, I have an appointment for a roof raker to come tomorrow and rake our roof and try to get rid of the developing ice dams.  Up until today we didn't have any icicles (or ice, so far as I know), but now we do.  And the frozen water can expand, then melt:  INTO YOUR HOUSE.

Note the depth of the snow:  up to the sliding screen door handles.Who knew that a flimsy screen could hold up all that snow.

 This is the north facing door opposite the one above.  I guess our wind was sending drifts northward.















My hero:  The man with the plow.  He told me that this Chevy needed a new transmission this year.  Considering the back and forth and up and down, I'm not surprised.  He really knows how to gun it and make the snow fly.  He even knew how to fix the snow blower when it sheared a pin on some ice.  Who knew they could be so delicate?

Here he's getting a running start up the hill.  Vrooom! Vroom.

 A friend in Australia thought my little bridge and island garden would disappear with all our snow.  I did, too.  But apparently, it is more of a Princess and the Pea kind of situation:  the layers of snow don't level themselves out over the lumps, they just obscure the edges.







And this is proof of the Axiom that the farther away the Snow is, the Prettier it is. 
This is the vista on my way home from doctor visits.  Too bad these fields are so far away from Boston.  There's plenty of room for "snow storage" here.
Above and below are views from Kimball Road between Merrimac and Newton. I'm hoping there will be at least a little green soon.

 
The shadow line indicates the distance between the top of the snow and the road bed.  At least 4 feet here.

Do you know the way to... um.... Montreal?!

My DH (darling husband) had long suggested a weekend trip to someplace as a means to celebrate the completion of radiation treatment.  When he suggested Montreal, I said "Yes!"  of course.  It is about a 4 1/2 hour drive from our corner of New Hampshire... and with a couple of stops, I think we made it in 6.

There was still considerable Fall Color, though perhaps past its prime.  One good thing about being on a major highway is that the vistas are bigger, grander; more sweeping.  I took a LOT of photographs from the car.

You'll probably see some of them in future paintings!

Add caption

This isn't the Woodstock from the 1960's... but it sure was picturesque.

The Highway narrows to a single lane through Franconia Notch and passes by what used to be the Old Man  of the Mountain... a rock formation that looked like a craggy old New Englander.  We saw it on an earlier visit (and it is still on every NH highway sign), but the rocks crashed down in 2003.

 We stopped at a "welcome to Vermont" center in order to walk and stretch a bit. There was such a gorgeous photograph of Newport, Vermont, that we decided to make a detour to see it for ourselves.

 I think roads through mountains make interesting paths for your eyes to follow.  Again:  thinking like a painter.

This is just about the best looking trailer park I've ever seen!  Perhaps I can channel Grandma Moses for a painting.

 And, it being Vermont, there is a syncopated alternation between forest and farmland, peopled and plain.

 I'm not sure we ever made it to "modern" Newport, but after the highway turn off, there was a "T" intersection at  Lake Memphremagog.   We turned left!

According to Wikipedia, Poulin Grain makes feed for farm animals 24/7.  Animals in upstate New York and New England eat slow food and local just like the foodies do.

 All the lakes in Texas (except one) are man made.  So where they are doesn't necessarily make sense.  But in New England, lakes are where there are mountains that hold the water in... I don't know how much water is from springs or rainwater trapped in glacier-formed kettles and gouges.  Regardless, I loved the view from the high ground toward the water.

 Newport apparently has about the same population as our new home town, but it has been plagued by high unemployment since the timber industry declined and since border issues have become more complex between Vermont and Canada. Publications claim it can be a 4-season resort and destination town again.   Down Town is waiting for a federally funded Renaissance project to begin construction.  In the meantime, I  enjoyed these kitties
I might have enjoyed Newport more if I'd have come in the 1940's.  Its International Club reputedly had the biggest dance floor in New England and ALL the big bands played there:   Louis Armstrong, Charlie Barnet, Les Brown, Cab Calloway, Rosemary Clooney, the Dorsey Brothers, Jimmy and Tommy; Stan Kenton, Kay Kyser, Gene Krupa, Glenn Miller, Tony Pastor, and Louis Prima.  Thinking of my Dad and Uncle and how much they loved that music makes me miss them, too.

The State Office Building (with the granite Salmon in Front) was part of a redevelopment project.  The Newport Renaissance group has more plans, grant writers and pretty good momentum.  There's interesting information about what Newport may become (again )here.

Photo featuring the good sport, DH.

Photo featuring the Big Salmon.  (There is also a fish on the weather vane).

   

 Along with being a Trailroad stop between Boston and Montreal, Newport was famous for its salmon runs in the Clyde River.  It seems like greed and wildlife mis-management doomed them.  I really hope somebody can figure out how to revive the river, the lake and the fishing.
 Andrea Wasserman, Elizabeth Billings, Jeffrey Sass, Eric Oberg, Carl Bielenberg, and Glen Gardner are given credit for the scupture

 We can vouch for the Sugar Mountain candy shop.  DH liked the peanut butter malt balls, I thought their mint fudge was heavenly.


There were informational signs around town explaining how it used to be, and how they hope it will be again.  I hope it is a big success. 

 

 

As one might expect, there's a BIG Catholic Church on the top of a hill.  Probably has the best view in town!  While wending our way there, we saw several interesting Victorian (?) houses, many advertising Bed and Breakfast

.


We could see that the sun was going to set, so we returned to the road and headed to "The City of Saints,""La ville au cent clochers" ("The City of a Hundred Steeples"),"Sin City" or MONTREAL, depending on who you ask, and when.