Here at Hangman Hill

We have been listening to Donavon Frankenreiter for several years and always keep an eye on his touring schedule.  Since he lives in Kauai, Hawaii, it is rare for him to play on the East coast.  To our delight he performed at an outdoor concert at Jonathan Edwards winery right here in our own backyard.  We packed a  picnic and walked up the hill to the vineyard.  

Donovan and band were gracious performers, and provide a fun and relaxing performance.  We had a preview of the next generation of Frankenreiter performers when his son Hendrix (Age 7) played drums on one tune, and his other son, Ozzy (Age 5), provided a little percussion on another. Yes his sons are named Hendrix and Ozzy, another reason to like Donavon.  We enjoyed a bottle of Chardonnay with a toast to staying local.

To see a  video clip of a the song “Free” click here.

it has been a while since we shared a favorite tune, but this one seems to be a popular ditty at HHR right now. it is by one of our favorite singer/songwriters and is from quite a few years ago. We hope that this tune gets stuck in your head much as it has with us! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_vTY67Wd9I&feature=youtube_gdata_player

In celebration of Canada Day and in advance of the July 4th holiday we took a long weekend to go to New Hampshire to spend time in the White Mountains.  We camped at Crawford Notch in the Dry River Campground and hiked some local peaks.   The campsite was nicely appointed and we tested our new tent purchased along the way when we decided it was time to upgrade a 20 year old tent for a bit more space.  The tent held up in the rain and we appreciated the space to read and relax on the first morning when we awoke to a light rain.  No need to check in at the Mount Washington Hotel just down the road.  The rain soon stopped and we enjoyed mostly dry weather the rest of the weekend.

On Friday we hiked to the tops of Avalon and Field on the West side of the notch.   The hike was mostly below tree line, but we had a few nice views to the top of Mount Washington.  On Saturday we did a nice loop to Mts Webster and Jackson and back via the Mitzpah hut.  To Bruno’s delight the Mitzpah hut was serving afternoon tea.  We had one rest day and explored other areas for future camping trips and hikes that would take us above tree line.

On Monday we did a great ridge hike to the peak of Mt Jefferson.  The hike started in lovely boreal forest and quickly opened to a rocky ridge that afforded views and some rock hopping.  Kokee had a great time scrambling; we continue to be amazed what she can climb.  We had some patchy weather with a short downpour just at the peak of Jefferson that lasted long enough to pull out the rain gear.  The sun soon returned and we had a quick lunch on a rocky spur before heading home to Connecticut.

Find more photos of our weekend in the White Mountains here

It was great to have Bruno back home and much of the weekend was spent getting back into a routine, and enjoying very summer-like weather.  On Sunday morning we strolled around Wilcox Park in Westerly, just a short distance from Spruce Street, to take in the Virtu Art Fair.  We have made this an annual tradition ever since we first attended the fair several years ago as a break from the renovations on the house on Spruce Street.  We have been to many similar events, but the Virtue Art Fair really stands out, mostly because it is always so peaceful.  Also, many of the artists are very local, or at least from New England which makes the experience all the more appealing.  We enjoyed meeting Mark Kuzio and talking with him about his Patio Flame pieces.   We couldn’t resist buying one, and on Sunday evening after a really nice dinner we cooked on the grill, we relaxed over after dinner drinks with the Patio Flame on our deck.

Earlier in the year we noted that our normal plentiful supply of solar heated hot water appeared to be lacking.  After searching around we found a local repairman (Nick) and he came to take a look at our system.  After careful testing he found a leak in one of the panels (“collectors”), and the panel was determined to need replacing.  The leak can be seen as a stain in the top right corner of the picture below:

Last week Bruno’s work took him to Uppsala in Sweden.  He was acting as an external examiner for a doctoral candidate in the School of Pharmacy at the University of Uppsala.  Spring was in full swing when he got there, and to get over the jet lag he spent a very enjoyable time walking around the town exploring its historic sites.  These include an impressive castle, extensive botanical gardens, and a large brick cathedral.  The swedes were very friendly, and the town had lots of interesting sites explore.  It is definitely a place to return to in the future if the opportunity arises!

Bobota…..yum!

This month we joined the Terra Firma Farm as a member of their Community Support Agriculture (CSA) program.  Since we have a garden of our own that supplies us with fresh food for most of the summer and even part of the winter, we opted to try the meat share.  We eat a diet that is mostly vegetable-based, in part for health reasons, and in part because we really like vegetables!  Reservations about commercial agricultural practices and the impact on the environment and the health and well-being of the livestock is also a consideration.  At Terra Firma Farm, which is literally 5 miles down the road, the cows, pigs, and chickens are raised in an idyllic setting by Farmer Ethan and Farmer Brie, and many volunteer workers from the community.   It seemed like a great time to support Terra Firma and to add a little meat into our diet.  You can see a photo of the May share below and one that shows what we are currently enjoying from our own garden.

On Friday night we met friends at the Knickerbocker Cafe in Westerly to hear Eilen Jewel and her band perform songs from the 60’s, covers of songs by Loretta Lynn and some from their own records too.  We first saw Eilen Jewel and her band several years ago, and have become big fans.  The talent of individual band members is amazing and together they bring a lot of energy.  Eilen is a great songwriter, and she has a talent for putting a new twist on songs from a different era.  We tapped our toes, and danced too and enjoyed hanging out with friends we don’t get to see nearly enough.