Here at Hangman Hill

Last weekend we were in the White Mountains for a short visit. We enjoyed a short hike to Hall's Ledge near to the town of Jackson. As you can see from the photo above, the weather and the views were spectacular. The hike was on trails that are used by cross-country skiers in the winter, so we will likely return next ski season.

As a celebration of Sheri's birthday we traveled to the left side of the state to Infinity Hall to see Josh Ritter. It was a beautiful drive and arrived in the foothills of the Berkshires in time for a cocktail and dinner at Infinity Bistro. Dining on the porch of the restored concert hall was a treat, and the theater has been restored and is splendid.

The performance was excellent! Josh Ritter is an accomplished song-writer and performer and the acoustics at Infinity Hall are ideal for an acoustic performnace. His energy and love of his art are contagious. Josh played some old favorites and also treated us to some new material that is yet to be recorded. Thanks to Bruno for making the arrangements, it was the best birthday gift ever!

Last weekend we were in New Hampshire and were lucky enough to have a sunny and warm weekend.  On Saturday we ventured out for a hike up a nearby summit named Kearsage North.  It was a steep hike through mature woods until the last few miles.  Gradually the trees disappeared and were replaced by rock ledges with smaller bushes and alpine shrubs.  In amongst these were lots of interesting spring wild-flowers.

At the very top is a fire tower, a 360-degree view, the best outdoor toilet we have ever seen, and more than a few blackflies.  The fire tower was good for taking in the views and for escaping from the blackflies!

Kokee had great day, and she even found a lacrosse ball about 50-feet off the trail halfway up the trail.  However, she lost it in a muddy pool and had to try ‘bobbing’ for it.  Sadly for Kokee it disappeared in the mud and was never seen again!

On a recent trip to New Hampshire we took a short walk down the road to find out what there was in the way of local trails.  We happened to find an excellent swimming spot which we will remember for later in the year.  Kokee enjoyed a dip in the water, but it was still a bit too cold for us!

Last weekend we travelled to our chalet in New Hampshire for the long Memorial Day weekend.  The forecast was for cool wet conditions, and it didn’t disappoint us!  We managed to fit in a few short walks with Kokee between the rain showers and we tackled several home renovation projects.   The major project was installing a laminate cork floor in the upstairs bedroom, and this took most of our time.  It was harder physical work than we recalled from the last time we did this, and by Monday evening we were well and truly exhausted!

Dear Kokee

We made room for you. Come in over.

Dear Kokee,

We've kidnapped your bed, and you're not getting it back!

Chatzy & Hary

It looks like a good berry season at Hangman Hill. The gooseberries have formed and should be ready in a few weeks! Send recipes.

We spent Saturday evening at the Goodspeed Opera House with Gene and Kathy. Damn Yankees, a musical tale of the long rivalry between the Red Sox and the Yankees, was a lively show. Some of the inside jokes were lost on us, the big baseball fans that we are! Still it was a fun evening and always nice to spend time with Gene and Kathy. Also, we always manage to enjoy fine weather when we go to the Goodspeed. The lovely setting on the the Connecticut River alone is a treat.

We traveled to Raleigh,NC this weekend to visit DiAnn, Sheri's mom, and Mike. We celebrated DiAnn's birthday and Mother's Day. Between the festivities we enjoyed some long walks, a trip to the Farmers' market and a stroll in downtown Raleigh. We hope to bring some warm weather and green trees back to New England!