Here at Hangman Hill

We frequently cross-country ski at Bear Notch Ski Center in Bartlett, NH due to the close proximity to our chalet, lovely views from many of the trails, friendly people who run the center and that they welcome dogs on all of their trails.

One trail that has been elusive is “Trail 43”, a black diamond “loop” trail at the perimeter of the network of trails. Typically, the wet conditions, rocky outcrops and multiple stream crossings makes this trails difficult to navigate. However, given the amount of snow that has fallen this winter, we thought the timing was right to complete the entire trail from beginning to end.

On a frigid, but sunny, afternoon we set-off from the ski center with on our backcountry skis with our packs loaded with flasks, snacks, skins and headlamps. It took about 45 minutes to reach the start of Trail 43. After a quick snack we applied climbing skins to the skis and set-off on the trail.

We started with a gentle climb which became steeper as we reached a river-bed buried well beneath the snow. At this point the trail became very steep as we approached set of falls, also buried beneath the snow. At the base of the falls the trail took a hairpin turn heading back to where we started. We made a gentle descent through a lovely birch forest back to the trailhead. We quickly removed our skis and skied back to the car just as the sun was setting. It was a good adventure and will return with skis to make the most of our tracks and hopefully in the summer so we can see the falls.

Post by Sheri

A year ago I spent the weekend with our dear friend Joey learning to throw pots and trim. Recently, I returned to Canaan, CT to spend time with Joey and learn the glazing process.

After a quick lunch with Joey and Bernie, Joey showed me how to clean up the pots that had been fired in her kiln while I was on my one-year “break”. Using sandpaper we removed any burs or rough spots and wiped them clean to remove dust. I chose four different glazes and determined which one to apply to each of my eight pieces. Joey worked along with me and glazed some of her own pieces. This allowed her to demonstrate the process and I could then apply the glaze myself. What I love about Joey is that she is an artist first and scientist second. She is also a gifted teacher. She explained the composition of the glazes, which she mixes herself, in a way that was satisfying to a curious chemist. She very patiently answered “yes, iron in this one” and “more copper in that one” in response to my many questions.

A couple of bowls before glazing

My pieces after the glaze has been applied

Joey’s beautiful studio space with her signature mugs (these are salamander) in the foreground

Glazing complete

My pieces after the final firing (this happened after I left)

After glazing we took the lovely Luna for a walk. Then, the second round of fun began! We made homemade Torteloni using the method Joey had recently learned about while traveling in Bologna, Italy. This was just as much fun as the time we made homemade mozarella for eggplant parmesan, and… even more, messy. We made the dough, then rolled it, cut it into squares and filled them with a mixture of ricotta and parmesan cheese. We folded them into a triangle shape and formed little “hats”. We served them with a sage-brown-butter sauce. Soooo, easy and so good!

Luna after a walk…

Rolling pasta dough. We had to finish the bottle first….

Pasta dough

Joey cooking the Torteloni

Torteloni!/

It was great to be with Joey, and I loved the glazing process! The pasta lesson was a treat too! I look forward to meeting up with Joey again soon for a hike and so I can see my pots in person!

Tonight we joined the other members of the full moon club to celebrate again. It was a beautiful clear evening after a day of rain and snow. We were accompanied by Rebecca, Suzie, Mike, Denise and Mesa for a hike at Avery Woods in Groton. Afterwards we enjoyed a dip in the hot tub and a potluck dinner around the wood stove. We never did figure out which member of the party was hiking without their boots….

At the end of January Bruno had a chance to spend a weekend in LondonUK with his parents (before a visit to the Pfizer site in Sandwich).

Highlights included a wonderful Sardinia restaurant, a visit to the Natural History Museum, lunch on the 35th floor of a skyscraper, a trip to St Paul’s Cathedral and a visit to the Tate Modern gallery. All-in-all a wonderful weekend in the city!

The snow has continued in New Hampshire, with another 12″ or more falling in the past week. This made for a wonderful weekend of cross-country skiing with our friends Anne and Don. As usual Zealand had a great time playing in the snow too!

We spent this weekend in New Hampshire, and received over 12-inches of new snow on Sunday. We went skiing and snowshoeing with Mike, Denise and Mesa. On Monday the temperatures dropped to below 0-F and it was very challenging being outside.

The forecast for the weekend is looking good for fresh powder. We had a good warm-up on our snowboards at Bretton Woods in NH so the legs area ready to ride through powder. We are trying to temper our enthusiasm, as the weather in New England can be fickle. We have seen it before….15-24″ is predicted, we get excited, wax and sharpen, pack the night before… then… ugh, 15-24″ turns to 3-5″ or worse… rain. Yes, the weather in New England can be hard on those who love to play in snow. Still we can report the boards and gear are lined up and ready. And, we are doing the dance….

It has become a tradition in our family to blog about our favorite Christmas cards. Usually we select them as we take down our decorations and wind down from the holidays. This year’s selection is shown below and includes Zealand’s favorite card at the end.

The days are getting a little longer so we took advantage of a beautiful afternoon to explore the Tilcon property recently acquired but the Town of Groton with our friends Mike, Denise and Mesa. There were rocky outcrops, streams, pitch pines and rambling paths. Zealand and Mesa had a great time on the trail. At 4:34pm the sun was hanging on the horizon and there was a early one-half moon. We finished by headman but soon we will leave work in the daylight!

It almost feels like spring today in North Stonington! However it is forecast that winter will be on its way very soon…