Life in Antrim

Flipped trucks and missing

Flipped trucks and missing gas stations...

I'm sitting on a bench at John Wayne Airport waiting for the Marriot shuttle. I just dropped of a rental car...and had a heck of a time finding my usual gas station. Lo-and-behold, it's been torn down. It took me a couple of passes to figure that out (thought I was going nuts), and the good people at Enterprise only charged me "pump rate."

On the drive over from Redlands last nigh traffic was backed up soon after I got on 215...due to a multi-car accident including a flipped truck (Ford Ranger sized). Other than that, smooth sailing on a Sunday night.

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Why are you bothering me?

I'm in Redlands, California this weekend, and yesterday I visited some friends in the hills, Shannon and Lisa. As any frequent reader of my blog would know, I'm a big fan of varmits and birds...so I was pretty excited to hear there was a barn owl I could look at in the pump house. The owl was quite patient with me, but I can imagine it was asking, "Why are you bothering me?" :-)

The second photo is just a quick shot of the general terrain near Shannon and Lisa. It was snapped right past the gate to the road for their community. I found it interesting that the bush could be so green considering how brown/tan/etc. the rest of the hillside is.

The last picture is of a set of rocks I liked. I took it standing beside the pump house the owl calls home.

If you click on any of the images you'll get a larger size.

The animals are out...

The phone rang while I was on my exercise bike (a couple minutes before I finished). I checked to see who it was afterward, and it was my beautiful wife...so I called her back.

Michelle works in Concord at the Sylvan Learning Center...and just before she got to work she saw a black bear. Not that that is totally unexpected, but Concord isn't a small town :-)

My morning was much more uneventful...the picture is of some sheep and a donkey (I believe) munching away on Elm Avenue. Why did I take it?

I'm reading a second book by Harvey Diamond (author of "Fit for Life"), and he notes that if we had to drink milk, consume meat, etc. for calcium, protien, etc., then where do the animals get it?

So, as I'm driving by the sheep it hits me...whenever I see them they are eating. Now, to the best of my knowledge, sheep don't get heart disease, lung cancer, etc., and they spend their whole day chewing on food. Hmmm...maybe I'm doing things wrong... :-)

(Lest it come off otherwise, Mr. Diamond's books make a lot of sense -- otherwise I wouldn't be reading a second one.)

The discoloration of the image is because it is two snapshots stiched together...if you click on it you'll get a larger version.

Graduation

Tonight was Mikey's graduation from fourth grade.

So, why the bird, eh?

Well, I stopped by home quickly on the way to the graduation (to drop off my luggage -- I had just driven back from a trip to Wallingford, Connecticut). Returning to my truck, I noticed I had a companion...and it was one that wasn't spooked enough to fly off. So, I grabbed the camera and snapped this (I kind of wish I put the zoom on...but I was late)...

I snapped a bunch of pictures...but I'm not sure the folks in them want their faces on the Internet :-)

If you touch the Robin, you'll get a slightly larger version...

Fourth graders and fairy tales...

Tonight the Antrim Town Hall was host to Antrim Elementary's fourth grade play, "Mixed-Up World." I'll have to try to get a shot of the Town Hall during the day...it's not the world's most beautiful, but it's a lot nicer than this shot implies...

Mikey was a munckin...his costume magically created by his mom (the Nikey symbol isn't obvious on the shorts). He was actually avoiding pictures...this turned out half decent because he wasn't thinking about dad and his camera :-)

I'd put more pictures up...but I suspect some parents might be a bit concerned about their kid's picture bing on the web. I even had a great one with a black bar across everyone's eyes...but...best to err on the side of caution, eh?

A bit of Adventist history...

I'm Seventh-day Adventist, and close to Antrim is a bit of Adventist history. As a road sign on Route 31 states, Washington, New Hampshire is home for the first Seventh-day Adventist Church (pictured directly to the right).

(I did take a picture directly from the front, but prefer the side angle.)

To the right of the church was a cemetery...quite picturesque in the late afternoon sunlight.

Since the church is quite remote and on a dirt road, it is not open during the winter (they meet instead in Hillsborough). The brass plaque I've included in this montage not only gives a good history of the church, but says quite a bit about how Seventh-day Adventism got its start.

If you are interested in a short "informative" walk, the Washington SDA Church created the "Sabbath Trail" which traces "the history of the Sabbath from creation to the new earth" (to quote the marble plaque pictured here). I didn't actually take the path...it was getting late and Jenn and I were being bug food as I took the various shots.

If you click on any of the photos you'll get a larger version...they were all taken yesterday on the way back from picking up Jenn in Lebanon...

Braving the waves...

Today we took our new canoe out for the first time. The picture to the left is of all the occupants (except, of course, the one snapping the photo)...it was taken on Gregg Lake in Antrim. The black bar is to protect the identity of my youngest daughter (no, she didn't ask for it) :-)

I didn't get any really good pictures from our trek, although the one on the right will give you a feeling of how it was to be close to shore (and in the shade). Mikey is still getting "sea legs" and I don't trust power boats (a couple were on the lake), so it was best to hug the water line.

We did seem pretty popular with the dragonflies...although it was almost impossible to get a good snapshot of one (with the wobbling canoe and the zipping nature of their flights). This one hung around quite a bit toward the end of our watery journey...not a great picture, but I did capture him/her!!! :-)

If you click on any of the images you'll get a larger version.

The attack of the killer moths...

On the way to breakfast this morning, I noted this moth resting on our shutters. When we got back it still was hanging out in the same place.

I realize it isn't as beautiful as a butterfly, but I still thought the white wings accentuated with pink edges was eye catching...

If you click on the picture you'll get to view a larger version...

Visiting the White Mountains (Part 1)

I'm a bit too tired to give a full report right now, but as I was looking at the pictures I took today, I figured I'd quickly share the one of the New Hampshire State Police chopper.

(We were at the base of Canon Mountain when I snapped it.)

My intent is to share a few of the prettier pictures...we'll see how the weekend goes.

If you click on the image you'll get a larger version.