Go Wild — Seacoast Scene — 08/03/23

HAVEAGREATSUMMER

Since 1899!

august 3 - 9, 2023

vol 48 No 11

Advertising Staff

Charlene Nichols seacoast scene advertising sales Manager (603) 625-1855, ext.126 Charlene@seacoastscene.net

Roxanne Macaig seacoast scene account executive (603) 625-1855 ext. 127 rmacaig@hippopress.com

Enjoy the freshest lobster, fish, and fine food at a summer sit down meal! Or grab a burger, hot dog, ice cream, or slush to get back to the action! Don’t forget those sweet treats to take home either!

GREAT FUN!

Enjoy the arcade action with skee-ball, target practice, & other great games that won’t fit in a phone! Or try your luck with some actual casino action! For those seeking fun in the sun, try one of the rental rides outside!

GREAT SHOPPING!

Pick up those summer fashions from our sidewalk sales, or get new beach gear to make a summer day on the Seacoast even better! From sunscreen to smokes, boogieboards to shades, we have it all!

GREAT SCOTT!

Don’t forget there’s plenty of prime parking next to all this awesome Food, Fun, and Shopping you will find at the heart of Hampton Beach, where music rocks the Seacoast, and summertime is extra special!

cover story

4 Camping people & places

Editorial Staff Editor Angie Sykeny editor@seacoastscene.net

Editorial Design Brooke Fraser

Intern Maya Puma

Contributors

curt Mackail, Lily Hartman, Betty gagne, Mya Blanchard, amy Diaz, Jennifer graham, John Fladd, Ray Magliozzi

Production

Brooke Fraser, Jennifer Gingras

Circulation Manager Doug Ladd, 625-1855, ext. 135 dladd@hippopress.com

Have an event or a story idea for the seacoast scene? Let us know at: editor@seacoastscene.net

unsolicited submissions are not accepted and will not be returned or acknowledged. unsolicited submissions will be destroyed.

Lady is a 4-year-old boxer mix. This girl came to the NHSPCA when her previous owner could no longer care for her. She knows all of her basic commands such as “sit,” “paw,” “wait” and “come.” Not only does she know her commands, but she knows them in Spanish! When she needs to go to the bathroom, she will almost always tell you by sitting by the door and waiting patiently. She also loves going on long walks in the woods and other adventures. She is very playful with her people and loves to munch on all the treats! Even though she loves her treats, she will need a little help achieving that summer body. In the past, she has done well with other dogs at the dog park, but a slow introduction to any resident dogs is still recommended.

11 Film adaptation of Robert Frost poem food

14 Vernon Family Farm pop culture

17 Film and book reviews

Nite life

21 Live music, comedy and more beach bum fuN

25 Puzzles, horoscopes and crazy news

She has successfully lived with children in her previous home. She has not lived with cats, so she will need a slow introduction to any feline housemates. Do you think lady is the PAWfect new addition for your family? Visit the NHSPCA Adoption Center (104 Portsmouth Ave., Stratham), open every day except Wednesday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., or email info@nhspca.org.

Courtesy photo.

Courtesy photo.

Go Wild

Discover Seacoast campgrounds for the ultimate outdoor getaway

By Lily Hartman

One of the best ways to relax in the summertime is camping. What beats the feeling of sitting around a cozy campfire, conversing with family and friends, and eating gooey s’mores? This might not be the first activity you think of when it comes to summer on the Seacoast. You might like to surf at the beach, fish on the bay or eat dinner and shop downtown. You might have not even known that there are several campgrounds near these areas where you can wind down after a long day of adventuring. Many of these hidden gems have their own activities that friends and family can participate in as well, such as cornhole and pool parties. You may be a solo camper with a tent or family of four in an RV. Either way, there’s a campground in the area where you can enjoy outdoor adventures and relaxation.

Cole’s Mine RV Resort & Campground

6 Brook Lane, Lebanon, Maine

Sitting just over the border from New Hampshire, this family-run, family-friendly campground includes 111 full-hookup sites that spread across

40 acres of land, with additional land for walking and exploring trails. With a coal mine theme that’s inspired by the owners’ son Cole, this campground includes a tractor ride that looks like mine carts, a lagoon-shaped pool, and several activities, such as cornhole tournaments and live music. Campers can travel outside the campground to explore places like Mousam Lake, Wells Beach and Skydive New England.

The campground focuses on creating a friendly environment. Co-owner Sonya Nevison says their testimonials from people often say how welcoming everybody is.

“We just love seeing people come in, meeting new people, and, having what we call our friends now come back and join us,” she says.

Hours: On-season runs from the weekend of Memorial Day to Columbus Day.

Cost: $60 per weekday and $70 per weekend and holidays for backin sites; $65 per weekday and $75 per weekend and holidays for premier sites; $75 per weekday and $85 per weekend and holidays for pull-thru sites; those with an extended stay

get discounts.

More info: Call 207-457-6050, email camping@colesminervresort. com, or visit colesminervresort.com. Pets are permitted for campers, but not guests.

Pines Camping Area

28 Sand Hill Road, Salisbury, Mass.

You may be surprised to hear that there’s a secluded, wooded area with

over 160 campsites that’s only 1.5 miles west of Salisbury Beach.

“We’re more rustic than most campgrounds [in the area],” says one of the reservationists. “I think people really come here to go camping.”

After embracing a day of decompressing in the sun, you can relax around a fire and under trees. On the weekends, campers can enjoy activities like bingo and Halloween in August. Campers can take advantage

Campers riding the mine carts at Cole’s Mine RV Resort & Campground. Courtesy photo.

of outdoor activities, such as kayaking at Plum Island Beach in Newburyport, Mass or hiking Mount Major in Alton, New Hampshire.

Hours: On-season runs from April 28 to Columbus Day.

Cost: $45 daily and $315 weekly for tent sites; $50 daily, $350 weekly, and $1,400 monthly for water and electric sites; $55 daily, $385 weekly, and $1,540 for water, electric and sewer sites.

More info: Call 978-465-0013, email pinescampingarea@comcast.net, or visit pinescampingarea. net. Pets are permitted but must be leashed.

York Beach Camper Park

11 Cappy’s Lane, York Beach, Maine

It isn’t often that you can camp in a peaceful, private and spacious area while still being just a few minutes from beaches, arcades and downtown areas. This family campground is “quiet and within walking distance of everything,” says owner Diane Spear. Campers can walk Short Sands beach before heading to a local restaurant for Maine lobster, or easily drive into downtown Portsmouth or Ogunquit. Spear says she loves her campers and aims to help them understand that there’s so much to explore in the local area. She has a sign on the door that says, “Enter as strangers, leave as friends.”

“A lot of times they come for one night, and because we go through the map with them, they’ll stay three or four,” Spear says.

Hours: On-season runs from midMay to mid-October.

Cost: $39 daily for a tent site and $49 daily for an RV site, for two people. More info: Call 207-363-1343 or visit yorkbeachcamperpark.com. Pets are permitted but must be leashed.

Pawtuckaway State Park

128 Mountain Road, Nottingham, New Hampshire

In southeast New Hampshire, this state park with more than 5,000 acres is a paradise for kayakers, hikers, bikers and of course campers. Bring or rent a canoe or kayak and take a ride along Pawtuckaway Lake, which sits right near the wooded campsites. Hikers and bikers can enjoy 32 miles of hiking trails, such as Lookout Tower Trail to South Mountain, where hikers can climb to the top of an observation deck for a better view. To see a field of large boulders that have been in the park since the end of the last Ice Age, take a trek with your family down Boulder Trail. On any given day, visitors may spot wildlife, such as beavers and great blue herons, in this peaceful, rocky forest that’s full of life.

Hours: On-season runs from May 1 to Oct. 31; no pets allowed from May 1 to Sept. 30. Reservations can be booked 11 months prior for campsites and pavilions. If they’re made prior to April 1 or on holidays, campers are susceptible to a three-night minimum.

Cost: $25 for Big Island inland and $30 for all other sites; cabins are $65 per night and $360 per week.

More info: Call 877-647-2757 or visit nhstateparks.org. Leashed pets are welcome on hiking trails but not in the campground or beach areas during the summer.

The layout of Cole’s Mine RV Resort Campground. Courtesy photo.

Greenfield State Park

973 Forest Road, Greenfield, New Hampshire

This state park with 400 acres of land and 256 campsites is proof that you don’t need to head north to experience the solitude of nature in New Hampshire. From peaceful ponds to the outdoor-sport-friendly Otter Lake, this is a great camping spot for friends, families and dogs. Here you can easily find an entire day’s worth of activities to fill your day before winding down at your campsite in the evening. You can pedal your bike around the park, paddleboard on the lake, or check out some nearby trails, such as the 5.9-mile Ted’s Trail-to-Carolyn’s Trail Loop, which features little cascades and streams after a rainy day.

Hours: On-season runs from May 5 to Oct. 8; reservations can be made up to 11 months in advance and walk-in spaces

may be available.

Cost: $25 for a site.

More info: Call 603-547-3497 or visit nhstateparks.org/find-parks-trails/ greenfield-state-park. Pets are allowed on leashes but are prohibited from beach areas.

Black Bear Campground

54 Main St., Salisbury, Mass.

For the beach bum who wants to spend some time outdoors this summer, this camping spot in Salisbury is close to all the best beaches, such as Hampton Beach and Salisbury Beach. You can enjoy a day of surfing and a night dining at a restaurant in Newburyport, and then end it around a cozy campfire. The campground includes 200 campsites, a basketball court and playground, and fun events for your family nearby, such as Monday Night Movies and fireworks at Hampton Beach.

Hours: On-season runs from May 15 to Sept. 30.

Cost: $1,000 for 30-amp electric trailers and $1,200 for 50-amp electric trailers monthly; there are currently no seasonal campsites available for 2023. For two people, tent sites are $48 and RVs range from $58 to $63 per day.

More info: Call 978-462-3183, email reservations@blackbearcamping.com, or visit blackbearcamping.com. Pets up to 40 pounds are allowed on site, except for in bath houses, the pool area and the playground.

t idewater Campground

160 Lafayette Road, Hampton, New Hampshire

According to the campground’s website, “Tidewater is the closest campground to Hampton Beach.” Campers can pitch a tent or park an RV at their campsite before heading to the strip for dinner and live music at places

A tent site at York Beach Camper Park. Courtesy photo.

Vehicles at York Beach Camper Park. Courtesy photo.

like Bernie’s Beach Bar or The Goat, or late night fun at Hampton Beach Casino. The Wall at North Beach is just a short drive up Route 1A, where surf enthusiasts can rent a board and take a lesson at Cinnamon Rainbows or check out the 18-hole Captain’s Cove Adventure Golf area, which is great for families. At the campground, campers have access to fireplaces and picnic tables, Wi-Fi, ice cream, horseshoes pits, a playground for kids and a swimming pool.

Hours: On-season runs from mid-May to mid-October; advance reservations require a three-night minimum stay.

Cost: $50 daily and $295 weekly without electric; $55 daily and $325 weekly with electric; $58 daily, $345 weekly, and $1,250 monthly with 30-amp electric/water/sewer; $61 daily, $366 weekly, and $1,335 monthly with 50-amp electric/water/sewer.

More info: Call 603-926-5474, email camp@tidewatercampgroundnh. com, or visit tidewatercampgroundnh. com. Dogs are not allowed.

o ld Stage Campground

46 Old Stage Road, Madbury, New Hampshire

With several acres of land, this campground includes tranquil walking trails and wildlife sightings, hay rides and playgrounds, and a large pool and lake, making it a great spot for everyone. It offers tent and RV sites, as well as cabins for the “glamper” at heart. Nearby, campers can explore places like Prescott Park in Portsmouth, which includes grass areas and more than

500 flower varieties to explore, York’s Wild Kingdom family zoo and amusement park, or downtown Portsmouth for shopping and dinner. Campers can even enjoy various activities on the campground, such as a cornhole tournament on the weekend of Aug. 4 and a flea/craft market on Labor Day weekend. This campground is just 10 miles from the Atlantic Ocean and is great for families and friends.

Hours: On-season runs from May 12 to Oct. 9.

Cost: $50 daily and $320 weekly for a tent site; $60 daily, $385 weekly, and $1,500 monthly for a tent-trailer and trailer site; $160 daily and $1,000 weekly for a log cabin rental; $3,400 per season.

More info: Call 603-742-4050, email info@oldstagecampground.com, or visit oldstagecampground.com. Pets are not permitted.

Kids biking at Cole’s Mine RV Resort & Campground. Courtesy photo.

Campers riding the mine carts at Cole’s Mine RV Resort & Campground. Courtesy photo.

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Where’s the farthest place you’ve ever traveled to?

“ California. I went three times to train military troops at Fort Irwin in Barstow, California, in the Mojave Desert.”

— Jose of s out HB ridge, Mass.

Have you ever been on TV?

Yes. I’m on the Seacoast Sports Forum on the local cable channel, and soon I will be broadcasting the Exeter Bluehawks football games on that channel. I really have a face for radio, though.”

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

“ Night owl. I’ve been retired for five years. I get up early and watch the news with my two cats. I catch up at night.”

Are you a cat person or a dog person?

“ I’m a dog person. I love all dogs, and if I could choose one I’d pick a golden retriever. They are my favorite.”

Camping or a fancy hotel room?

It depends on location and amenities. We have a tent that fits on to the bed of our truck and walking distance to restaurants and attractions is important. I wouldn’t say no to a fancy hotel, though.”

Did you ever keep a diary or a journal? Do you still have it?

“I kept a journal during high school. It helped me to face future anxieties. I no longer have it; I lost track of it through moving.”

AND SHOPPING VENUES.

Compiled by Betty Gagne at Hampton Beach.

— Jess of HaMpton BeacH

— auBrey of soutHBridge, Mass.

— Wanda of Ware H a M , Mass.

— pa M of Ha M pton

— tay L es of e xeter

Poem to film

Local filmmaker brings a Frost poem to the screen

Local playwright and filmmaker Donald Tongue recently wrapped up filming his adaptation of Robert Frost’s poem “Home Burial” at Canterbury Shaker Village. Tongue discussed what drew him to Frost’s poetry and his approach to interpreting the poem on screen. Follow facebook.com/tonguemtproductions for updates on the film and how to view it.

What inspired you to adapt Robert Frost’s poem ‘Home Burial’ into a film?

A number of years ago, I wrote a play about Robert Frost titled My Neighbor, the Poet that was commissioned by Theater Kapow. I also staged ‘Home Burial’ a number of years ago at Southern New Hampshire University. … I did a lot of research and read a lot of his poetry and was very much taken with the sort of cinematic quality of his poetry; it has very clear actions that he’s describing … and he definitely seems to focus on characters. … Then, he has a lot of dialogue within his poetry between the characters, or, if there’s one character, there’s some sort of internal dialogue going on. I think, in many ways, he just kind of had this [ability to take] these scenes that he was living out himself and convey them through poetry.

You’ve written a number of pieces for the stage; had you ever written for film before this? How are the processes different for you?

I did a 13-part web series called Candid Candidate , which was sort of a mockumentary about two presidential primary candidates, so I had dabbled

in [film] a little bit, but this is my first venture into a real full-length feature film. Film is definitely a totally different process. There are certainly things that are the same: You have to work out the acting, the character motivations, things like that, and we rehearse sort of similarly, [as far as] the line delivery and what’s behind it. But for stage, you’re creating something that is to be performed, and it’s going to be the same for each performance, [whereas] in film, you’ve got to think about the different camera angles and how you’re capturing the story through the lens. I had to do a lot of learning about the different types of shots that filmmakers use and what those convey.

How literal is your interpretation of the poem?

I’ve seen other [adaptations] that just use [the poem] as source material; my approach, though, was to use the poem verbatim. There is nothing in the film that’s not in the poem. In the moments where there’s dialogue [in the poem], there’s dialogue [in the film]. When [the poem has] description, [the film has] a voiceover, and the actors perform the descriptive verse [during] the voice-

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over. I feel that it works really well. … It’s just such a great, wonderfully written poem; I didn’t want to mess with it.

How did you interpret the poem’s more abstract themes and visuals on film?

A lot of the action is clear in the poem. It starts out, ‘He saw her from the bottom of the stairs.’ We had to find a staircase with a window at the top to be able to capture that visual from the poem. … The shot starts from the bottom of the staircase and moves up to her at the window. In some ways, it feels like you’re coming out of the grave, like you’re kind of unearthing this moment in time between these two characters; that was one vision I had as far as capturing the feel and emotion of the poem.

What was it like shooting at Canterbury Shaker Village, and why did you

theater

• LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, this year’s Prescott Park Arts Festival’s annual outdoor production at Prescott Park in Portsmouth, runs through Sunday, Aug. 13, with shows most Thursdays through Sundays at 7 p.m. See prescottpark.org for information on reserving a blanket or table for a performance.

• HAIR is being performed at Seacoast Rep (125 Bow St., Portsmouth, seacoastrep.org) through Sunday, Aug. 27. The theater will have performances Thursday through Sunday, with

choose that location?

There was a schoolhouse building at Canterbury Shaker Village that had what we were looking for: the staircase in a rustic setting with a window at the top of the stairs. It worked well because, being a schoolhouse, the staircase is a little wider than [those in] some of the older-period farmhouses, where the staircases are kind of narrow. That certainly helped to both create the proper setting and accommodate the film crew in the space. … Canterbury Shaker Village was extremely accommodating for our film shoot; they gave us access to areas in the administrative building for our breaks, loaned us some set pieces and even moved the cows to another pasture and made sure the electric fence was turned off for our outdoor scenes.

— Angie Sykeny

curtain times at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $35.

trivia

Monday

• Red’s (530 Lafayette Road, Seabrook, 760-0030, redskitchenandtavern.com), signup at 8:30 p.m., from 9 to 11 p.m. Hosted by DJ Zati. Wednesday

• Community Oven (845 Lafayette Road, Hampton, 601-6311, thecommunityoven.com) at 6 p.m.

• Smuttynose (105 Towle Farm Road, Hampton, 436-4026, smuttynose.com) at 6 p.m.

• Revolution Taproom and Grill (61 N. Main St., Rochester, 244-3042, revolution-

taproomandgrill.com/upcoming-events) at 6:30 p.m.

• The Thirsty Moose (21 Congress St., Portsmouth, 4278645, thirstymoosetaphouse. com) at 7 p.m.

Thursday

• Mitchell BBQ (50 N. Main St., Rochester, 332-2537, mitchellhillbbq.com) at 6 p.m.

Friday

• Gibb’s Garage Bar (3612 Lafayette Road, Portsmouth, gibbsgaragebar.com) from 8 to 10 p.m.

Still from Home Burial. Courtesy photo.

Production of Hair. Photo courtesy of seacoastrep.org

Photo courtesy of prescottpark.org

Bird Brained with curt Mackail

Climate change puts birds in hot water

Birds are especially vulnerable to climate change, according to virtually all ornithological authorities.

“The future of birds is at risk with alarming losses of biodiversity occurring worldwide,” said the Audubon Society in its most recent climatology assessment, “Survival by Degrees: 389 Bird Species on the Brink.” Audubon says two-thirds of North American birds are at increased risk of extinction because of global temperature rise.

In its report “Effects of Climate Change on Terrestrial Birds of North America,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture said, “There have been dramatic changes in global climate before; however, the current challenge to species and ecosystems from climate is not only the degree of change but the rate. Rapid changes in environmental conditions are likely to exceed the ability of many bird species to adapt via natural selection.”

Rising temperatures imperil Seacoast birds

You’ve probably already heard that last month was the hottest June on record worldwide. That’s confirmed by a multitude of scientific analyses, including NASA’s latest climate study.

In the Seacoast area, Hampton Beach’s daily high temperatures during June increased by an average of more than eight degrees — from prior Junes’ daily normal of 69°F to this

June’s 78°F — according to weatherspark. com. Minneapolis-based Weather Spark collects data and issues detailed reports of weather statistics for 145,000 locations.

Increasing temperatures, heavy precipitation, wildfires and severe storms are major weather offenders that impact bird populations, Audubon says. The Society points out the difficulties affect seabirds, boreal birds and songbirds by altering their migration times, territories and reproductive success.

The threat affecting both the greatest area and the greatest number of species in the Seacoast and for much of New England is extreme spring heat, Audubon says.

In the Seacoast, species that are mainly threatened include some of the most popular with backyard and roadside birders. Familiar imperiled species include the Tree Swallow, American Robin, Baltimore Oriole, Boreal Chickadee, Wood Thrush, Red Headed Woodpecker, Evening Grosbeak, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Eastern Towhee, Dark Eyed Junco and Scarlet Tanager. (That list is only a small portion of the species Audubon identified at high risk.) Virtually all migratory shorebirds also find their way onto the endangered list.

how birds are changing

In response to rising temperatures and global warming, it appears that some birds’ body sizes are shrinking and their wings are getting longer. A 2019 study published in the journal Ecology Letters found that more

than 50 North American migratory bird species’ bodies shrank consistently over the past three decades. During the same period, the birds’ wingspans also grew in length. The research, led by scientists at the University of Michigan, collected more than 100,000 bird specimens between 1978 and today. (The specimens were gathered from spring and fall migrants that flew into windows and died.)

According to the American Bird Conservancy, one likely explanation for longer wings and smaller bodies is that birds are shifting to higher elevations to cope with heat. At higher elevations, longer wings and lighter bodies are physically beneficial for birds’ flight, reports abcbirds.org.

A recent UCLA study also confirms that migratory birds across North America are becoming smaller. The researchers attribute this with a high degree of certainty to the rapidly warming climate. The UCLA data shows that over the past three decades the body mass of 105 bird species in the analysis declined by an average of 0.6 percent. Alarmingly, some species lost significantly more than the average. Tree swallows, for example, are 2.8 percent smaller. American robins’ size declined by 1.2 percent. And Downy Woodpeckers dropped by 2.2 percent. Those figures might not sound alarming at first. But in evolutionary terms these are dramatic changes over a very short time, the team of UCLA scientists said.

Many birds’ reproduction cycles are also deteriorating in response to the rapidly changing climate. Climatologists agree that soaring global temperatures push the arrival of spring earlier and earlier. A study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that birds generally are producing fewer chicks because they start breeding too early or too late in spring. “As climate change results in earlier springlike weather, birds have been unable to adapt their reproductive readiness,” the study reported.

What we can do

Regrettably, there isn’t much an individual birder can do that will directly alleviate the plight of threatened bird species. We can, of course, advocate reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, but what can we do in our own Seacoast backyard or neighborhood?

It boils down to a few simple but effective actions.

One, keep cats inside. Cats are the major killer of songbirds, accounting for some 2.4 billion bird deaths yearly across the country, according to a Nature Communications journal article “The Impact of Free-ranging Domestic Cats on Wildlife of the United States.” It’s estimated that a single outdoor cat will kill some 35 birds yearly.

Two, put out a birdbath. A shallow tray with fresh water every day helps birds who may have trouble finding water to drink and bathe during droughty weather. Any simple flat container no deeper than 2 inches will do. (I set a galvanized trash can cover on the ground near a stand of evergreen shrubs where birds can hide out.) Or you can explore birdbath options at your bird supply store.

Number three, reduce or eliminate application of pesticides and other toxic substances around your home.

Lastly, guard against window collisions. Each year about a billion birds die from striking windows, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Birds have trouble recognizing the solid glass barrier because of reflected sky or landscape. Regular window screens work very well to eliminate reflections. Screens also provide a cushion for errant birds. You may also put decals on the glass. Simple black circles work, but you may not like the look. I prefer the decals that are invisible to humans but reflect ultraviolet sunlight. Birds see ultraviolet decals glowing brightly, deterring them from a potential crash course.

Over the past 30 years, American Robins have gotten 1.2 percent smaller. That’s a dramatic change over such a short period of time, say avian researchers at UCLA. Photo courtesy of UCLA.

A study conducted by David Willard, an ornithologist at Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History, looked at some 100,000 birds that had flown into a window and died over the past three decades. Analysis of the large data set revealed significant lessening of body size. Photo courtesy of the Field Museum of Natural History.

friends and family on the farm

Vernon Family Farm hosts agritourism events

By Mya Blanchard mblanchard@hippopress.com

For the past nine years, Vernon Family Farm, a livestock farm in Newfields, has been supplying the community with fresh meat, farm-to-table meals and agritourism events like live music and outdoor classes hosted by other organizations. Their next event will be on Friday, Aug. 4, from 4 to 8 p.m. with dinner and live music by New Hampshire Grateful Dead tribute band Not Fade Away.

Having grown up in New London in a family that raised and processed animals for consumption, Jeremiah Vernon developed a love for the farming lifestyle. This interest was reinforced while attending college in Maine.

“There was a big dairy farm near the school and the dairy farm had a restaurant … and I just became enamored with the whole farm scene they had going on over there,” he said. “That was sort of my start of production farming and basically I’d been farming for other people for about 10

years and then in 2014 we bought our own property and started our one farm.”

What started out as Jeremiah’s passion has turned into a family affair, his wife Nicole Vernon, a Spanish teacher at Exeter High School, co-owning the farm with him.

“It’s what I wanted to do having worked on farms for so long. This is who I am and what I want to do,” he said. “Nicole at the time [was] on the outside looking in as far as her farming experience, but now 10 years in she’s as deep in it as I am. … Now it’s definitely a shared passion and shared career.”

The farm has come a long way since growing 1,200 broiler chickens on leased land in 2012. They now annually produce about 15,000 to 20,000 chickens as well as other livestock, like pigs and sheep and a small amount of vegetables, such as cherry tomatoes and sugar snap peas, on their 33-acre property. They have a farm store open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., host dinners on Thursdays and Saturdays from 4

to 8 p.m. and Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and have even created a second business, Vernon Kitchen. While the catering company used to be a part of Vernon Family Farm, it made more sense to have it be its own entity that the Vernons could hire to cater events.

“[It] means that we can do more events more often and we also have more resources available to us,” Jeremiah said. “It is also the highest-profit market aspect of our business, so having a customer buy a ticket and sit down for a fried chicken dinner, that’s the most profitable way we can get that chicken to you.”

On average, about 50 to 100 people attend these events, with upward of 300 on nights when there is live music. Tickets can be purchased on their website ahead of time or upon arrival for music events. For non-music events, a $5 cover is charged that is donated to various nonprofits.

local farmers markets

• Dover Farmers Market is Wednesdays, from 2:30 to 6 p.m., at Guppey Park (110 Portland Ave., Dover), through Oct. 4. Visit seacoasteatlocal.org.

• Durham Farmers Market is Mondays, from 2:30 to 6 p.m., at Durham’s downtown mini park (66 Main St.), through Oct. 2. Visit seacoasteatlocal.org.

• Exeter Farmers Market is Thursdays, from 2:30 to 6 p.m., at Swasey Parkway in downtown Exeter, through Oct. 26. Visit seacoasteatlocal.org.

• Hampton Falls Farmers Market is Wednesdays, from 2 to 6 p.m., at the Hampton Falls Common (1 Lincoln Ave.), through October. Visit hampton-

In addition to dinners, entertainment and tours, the farm also functions as a space for other businesses to use for classes on yoga and meditation, cooking and art.

“Our farm is very beautiful, like many in New Hampshire,” Jeremiah said. “We have a big wildflower meadow, nice seating, there’s animals everywhere [and] ample parking. It’s a nice … creative space to occupy.”

upcoming events at Vernon family farm

Kids Art Classes: Treehouse Construction

When: Friday, Aug. 4, 10 a.m. to noon

Live music by Not Fade Away

When: Friday, Aug. 4, 4 to 8 p.m.

Where: 301 Piscassic Road, Newfields More info: Visit vernonfamilyfarm.com.

fallsmarketinfo.weebly.com.

• Portsmouth Farmers Market is Saturdays, from 8 a.m. to noon, in the upper parking lot of the Portsmouth Municipal Complex (1 Junkins Ave., Portsmouth), through Nov. 4. Visit seacoasteatlocal.org.

• Salem Farmers Market is Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at The Mall at Rockingham Park (77 Rockingham Park Blvd., Salem) between Dick’s Sporting Goods and the Cinemark movie theater. Visit salemnhfarmersmarket.org

Executive Chef Matt Jones. Photo courtesy of Vernon Family Farms.

Portsmouth Farmers Market. Photo courtesy of seacoasteatlocal.org

Photo courtesy of Vernon Family Farms.

Photo courtesy of Vernon Family Farms.

Photo courtesy of Vernon Family Farms.

We had just come home from a long trip, and I’ll admit that I was a little out of it. Jet lag and a week of over-indulgence had definitely taken a toll on me. And yet I made a surprisingly good decision — there was still time to go to my usual exercise class at the gym and try to clear some of the fog from my brain.

A less good decision was eating two bowls of coleslaw before I left the house.

An hour later found me tripping over my feet and frustrating one of my workout friends.“You are really out of it tonight,” he said, not unkindly. “What’s the problem?”

“Six time zones and a bellyful of coleslaw,” I told him, which stopped us both in our tracks, because that is probably the best title for a blues album ever: Six Time Zones and a Belly Full of Coleslaw

Our theme this week is the blues.

Blueberry syrup

1¾ cups (250 grams) frozen wild blueberries, the kind you have in your freezer to use for smoothies.

1¾ cups (250 grams) sugar

Juice of half a lemon

In a small saucepan, heat the blueberries and sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a boil. Let it boil for a few seconds, to make sure that the sugar has thoroughly dissolved. Because the blueberries started out frozen — Well, they didn’t start out that way. They were young once, and had hope and joy in their hearts, napping in the dappled sunshine, listening to birdsong. — At any rate, because the wild blueberries started today frozen, their cell walls have been pierced by large ice crystals, and they will give up a surprising amount of juice. During this syrup-making process, if you wanted to help things along with a potato masher, who could blame you?

Remove the blueberry pot from the heat, and place a fine-meshed strainer on top of it. Squeeze half a lemon into the mixture. You could use a hand-held, nut-cracker-looking juicer, or one of those reamers that look like a primitive medical device, or even the ends of some kitchen tongs to get all the juice out of the lemon. Because you remembered to put a strainer on top of the pot, you don’t have to worry about getting seeds or pulp into your blueberry mixture. Stir the lemon juice into the blueberry sauce.

Use your strainer to separate the cooked

berries from the syrup. Squash the pile of berries with the back of a spoon — a little, a lot — it’s up to you. (Don’t throw them out, though. You have just made very nice blueberry compote to have on toast or stirred into yogurt.) After 15 minutes or so, transfer the syrup to a bottle. It will keep in your refrigerator for several weeks.

Blueberry margarita

2 ounces blanco tequila – I’ve become very fond of Siete Miserios, lately.

1 ounce blueberry syrup – see above

¾ ounce fresh squeezed lime juice

Combine all three ingredients over ice in a cocktail shaker, then shake until very cold. At this time of year, it will be ready when a thin layer of frost forms on the shaker.

Strain into a cocktail or margarita glass. If you wanted even more ice, the Margarita Police would not stop you.

Sip, sitting in your garden or on your deck (or surreptitiously on a bench in the park), listening to Carlos Santana, who, unlike Life, never disappoints.

Unless you’re a purist, this is everything you want in a margarita at this time of year. It is sweet and sour and slightly smoky and utterly refreshing. Blueberries play extremely well with sour citrus fruit. We tend to pair them with lemons, but they are more than happy to dance with limes. Tequila too, has an affinity for citrus. Even the concept of this drink is refreshing.

Salud.

John Fladd is a veteran Hippo writer, a father, writer and cocktail enthusiast, living in New Hampshire.

Blueberry margarita. Photo by John Fladd.

Barbie (PG-13)

The blond, permanently tip-toed Stereotypical Barbie visits the decidedly un-pink human Real World of Los Angeles in Barbie, another win for director and co-writer Greta Gerwig.

In Barbieland, pink — particularly that very specific Barbie hot-pink — abounds, with a pink wardrobe ready for Barbie (Margot Robbie) in her Dream House closet at the start of every day, perfect to wear while driving around in her pink car, waving to her other friends named Barbie, a bunch of Kens and the occasional one-off, like Ken’s skittish friend Allan (Michael Cera) or the discontinued pregnant Midge (Emerald Fennell). Except for our heroine, the Barbies of Barbieland have empowering jobs — President Barbie (Issa Rae), Scientist Barbie (Emma Mackey), Writer Barbie (Alexandra Shipp), Lawyer Barbie (Sharon Rooney), a whole slate of Barbie Supreme Court justices, a mermaid (Dua Lipa) — which, as the narrator (Helen Mirren, who is just chef’s kiss with every line delivery) informs us has helped the girls and women of the Real World reach their full feminist potential and solved all the problems of sexism forever. The Kens of Barbieland are all just sorta Ken — Ken’s job is “Beach” and there seem to be opposing Ken cliques, of which Ken (Ryan Gosling), who is in love with Barbie (Robbie), and Ken (Simu Liu), seem to be the leaders. Gosling’s Ken is particularly desperate for Barbie’s affection and notice. Whereas Barbie finds Ken to be a kind of unnecessary accessory.

All the Barbie empowerment doesn’t apparently come with a lot of introspection, because when Barbie suddenly has thoughts of death, she doesn’t know what to do with them. The thoughts of death seem to quickly metastasize into other problems, like morning breath, cellulite and, most horrifying of all, flat feet. Barbie goes to see Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon), a Barbie permanently in the splits with a “kid just learning to use scissors” hair cut, to get advice on what to do.

Weird Barbie tells Barbie that the answer is to find the girl who is playing with her and whose sadness must be leaking to Barbie’s subconscious. With the help of this girl and Mattel, Barbie will be able to fix the ruptured membrane between Real World and Barbieland. To accomplish this, Barbie will have to go to the Real World, a trip that involves several wardrobe and Barbie vehicle changes. Because he doesn’t seem sure he can exist without her, Ken tags along.

Most of this plot is revealed in the trailer and it’s fun to go in not knowing a whole lot more. I’ll give these extra notes: In the Real World, Barbie meets Gloria (America Ferrera) and her sullen middle-school-ish daughter Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt) and Ken discovers

the Patriarchy, which may or may not have something to do with horses and Sylvester Stallone in fur coats.

I came into this movie a hardcore Greta Gerwig fan; I think her Lady Bird and Little Women are basically perfect movies. But I’d argue as much as this predisposed me to like this movie, I was also worried that this wouldn’t be up to that Gerwig standard.

Well, it is and I loved it — loved it so much I seriously considered watching it again immediately. Loved it so much I looked up the price of the official Gloria doll (it’s $50, which would be worth it if I could figure out how to send it back in time to my 9-year-old self). Loved it in a way that is both un-ironic and deeply appreciative of how wall-to-wall weird this movie is. Barbie is deliciously weird, even in its genuine emotional moments, right up until its very last second. And I loved, like those other Gerwig movies, that this movie tells a story of a mother-daughter relationship, this time going surprisingly deep in a short amount of screentime on the mother’s perspective.

If I can start making some Oscar picks now: Of course I choose Gerwig to get a director nod and a screenplay nod along with her partner (in this screenplay and in life) Noah Baumbach. I also put forth Ferrera, for a good all-around performance plus maybe two scenes that had me worrying I was about to cry in a packed movie theater. (I also did a fair amount of big out-loud guffaw laughing.)

And for Best Actor let me suggest Gosling, who is just absolutely going for it with his needy, addled, emotional Ken. He is so thoroughly game for anything in this role and absolutely appears to be having a ball.

Robbie by comparison can at times seem flatter than her supporting characters — but I think this is intentional and it ultimately pays off with what the movie is trying to do with her character. She’s able to bring genuine emotion and humanity to her character while still having a doll-like rigidity (both physically and in her thinking), at least for a while.

In smaller roles, Mirren is note perfect,

Rhea Perlman has a great part that is surprisingly touching and Will Ferrell as the head of Mattel takes his The Lego Movie character Lord Business and pushes it to an even weirder place.

The movie also looks amazing, both in its set design and in the way the characters move through Barbie Land. Similar to how the Lego movies use the visuals of the Lego toys, their movements and their accessories to give layers to the jokes and the way the world is built, this movie uses Barbie’s physicality, the elements of her dream houses and fashions and fun little notes about how kids play Barbies both for humor and to build its characters. It’s fun but also smart and it makes you appreciate the work that went in to this movie while still making it look seamless. A+

Rated PG-13 for suggestive references and brief language, according to the MPA at filmratings.com. Directed by Greta Gerwig with a screenplay by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, Barbie is an hour and 54 minutes long and distributed in theaters by Warner Bros.

Oppenheimer (R)

Cillian Murphy is the titular physicist who becomes the “father of the atomic bomb” in Oppenheimer, a three-hour biopic and meditation on nuclear weapons from Christopher Nolan.

The movie loops around, primarily in three time frames: J. Robert Oppenheimer (Murphy) as he builds his career as a noted physicist, pushing the field into new realms of theoretical physics, and becomes the head of the U.S. efforts to build an atomic bomb; Oppenheimer in the early 1950s facing a hearing to keep his Atomic Energy Commission security clearance, and Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr.), a professional opponent of Oppenheimer’s in the post-war years, facing his own U.S. Senate confirmation hearing.

In the security hearing, Oppenheimer faces

criticisms for some of his pre-war connections to communist party groups, including his affair with Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh), a party member he dated before and during his marriage to Kitty (Emily Blunt), who was herself married to someone else when their relationship started. In those 1930s scenes, we also see Oppenheimer and other scientists follow the news about German scientists and their experiments with nuclear fission. When the U.S. enters World War II and decides to build its own atomic weapons program, Lt. General Leslie Groves (Matt Damon) charges Oppenheimer with running the overall program and setting up the Los Alamos, New Mexico, middle-of-nowhere lab/makeshift town where all of the country’s efforts to build the weapon will converge and where, out in the desert, the weapon can eventually be tested. Scientists will need to be in New Mexico for the duration, and the existence of a town allows them to bring their children and wives, many of whom also have scientific backgrounds.

For all that the scientists are sort of dazzled by the puzzle of building an atomic bomb, it’s really the “we have to make one before the Nazis do” motivation that gets many of the scientists past their unease with the weapons. Oppenheimer is driven by both the science and the Nazi-beating but beyond that his feelings about the weapons he’s building seem more complicated.

In the Strauss hearing scenes, we see how Strauss’ attempts to torpedo Oppenheimer’s influence in the scientific community and the U.S. nuclear weapons program (where Oppenheimer seems to want to go slower than the ever-one-upping of the arms race) after the war lead to his own political problems. Downey gives a solid performance here but I’m not entirely sure why this layer was added. In addition to a needless padding of the runtime, it adds an element of earnestness and naiveté about politics that feels sorta goofy in this movie that already has a fair amount of “oh no, is our horrible invention going to be horrible for humanity?” silliness. On the one hand, the movie paints a fairly complex picture of a time (the 1930s) when pro-labor efforts, the fight against fascism in Spain, domestic social issues and the American communist party slosh around together, and when women play this sort of one-stepforward three-steps-back role, with highly educated women chafing against the homemaker role marriage seems to shove them in. And we see bits of scientists wrestling with the idea that developing the atomic bomb is an existential necessity (especially the scientists who are refugees of Nazi aggression) but also an existential threat.

But then we get elements that feel more

Barbie.

black-and-white (sometimes literally going to black-and-white footage) and take us to, like, West Wing: Mid-Century and seem to suggest that these people who have been through a depression, international political upheaval, war and into the McCarthy era are unaware that cynicism, pettiness or moral compromise exist in politics.

All that said, Murphy gives a wonderfully agonized performance as an Oppenheimer

Book ReVieW

The Last Ranger, by Peter Heller (Knopf, 304 pages)

Yellowstone National Park is having a moment. An hour, really.

The first national park in the U.S., it was established in 1872 and straddles Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. It is one of the nation’s most popular tourist destinations and a plot device in the popular Paramount TV series. Its popularity derives not just from its natural beauty, but also from its wildlife, which includes bison, bears and wolves — the latter of which were reintroduced into the park nearly 20 years after they’d disappeared from the region a century earlier.

Human interference in the lives of wolves was the topic of Erica Berry’s memoir Wolfish (Flatiron), published earlier this year. Now Peter Heller addresses the topic in The Last Ranger, the latest in his growing compendium of novels that involve the outdoors, an interest he developed while growing up in Vermont and matriculating at Dartmouth.

Ren Hopper is a National Park Service ranger stationed at Yellowstone. It is a career best suited for solitary sorts, as much of the human interaction is observation, save encounters with the dumb or malevolent tourists, of which Ren seems to encounter more than his share. The dumb ones endanger themselves; the malevolent ones endanger the animals, by poaching. (Grizzly bears most often make the news when they kill someone, but more often it seems that

film

• Movie Night Mondays on Hampton Beach Held next to the playground, starting at dusk. The films run weekly through Aug. 28, and admission is free. Bringing chairs or blankets is welcome. The lineup of family-friendly films is available at hamptonbeach. org. Rain dates are on Tuesdays for all films.

• Princess Mononoke (PG13, 1997) will screen as part of Studio Ghibli Fest 2023 at

who is self-aware and yet also self-deluding. He does a good job of showing us a man who is permanently shaken by what he’s done.

And the movie looks great — the explosions it makes so much of in the trailers are actually not as impressive as the vastness of the New Mexico desert and the way it shows us Los Alamos popping up from nothing. That part of the story — the pre-war scientific and political landscape through the Trinity test — is really well-drawn, with lots of tex-

humans try to kill them; their parts, especially the gallbladder, are components in traditional Chinese medicine.)

The story of how Ren, a fan of Russian fiction and specialty coffee drinks, came to live in a rangers’ cabin deep in the woods unfolds slowly. He learned to fish and love the outdoors under the tutelage of his mother, who drank to excess and left the family suddenly for murky reasons. He was married once, to a woman he deeply loved, but she died; why and how is initially unclear.

Ren’s best friend, besides trout, is a biologist named Hilly who studies wolves. She also lives in Yellowstone, where she is so entrenched with the packs that they know her scent and pay her little attention, as they live out their lives.

One of the more fascinating revelations of The Last Ranger is how keenly aware animals are of a human presence — some can smell us from nearly 2 miles away, and the more intelligent seem to sometimes leave their young within sight of wildlife-seeking tourists, knowing that they will be safe from predators for a short time. It’s like they’re getting some “me-time” with human babysitters, Heller writes. The novel is deeply researched, and some passages stumble into the realm of nonfiction when it comes to describing Yellowstone and its denizens. But every good story needs a villain, and wolves are not it. The first antagonist is a surly local named Les Ingraham, whom Ren

Regal Fox Run (45 Gosling Road, Newington, regmovies. com) Saturday, Aug. 5, through Wednesday, Aug. 9. Screenings are at 3 p.m. on Aug. 5; 4 and 7 p.m on Aug. 6; and at 7 p.m. Aug. 7 through Aug. 9. See fathomevents.com.

• Porco Rosso (PG, 1992) will screen as part of Studio Ghibli Fest 2023 at Regal Fox Run (45 Gosling Road, Newington, regmovies.com) Sunday, Aug. 20, at 4 p.m. (dubbed) and Tuesday, Aug. 22, at 7 p.m. (subtitled). See fathomevents.

ture and details you want to dig in to (like the women who get a chance to work in Los Alamos because they already have security clearances via their husbands, or the small professional world of the pre-war physicist community and their various alignments to the U.S./U.K., the Nazis or the Soviets).

Oppenheimer could have benefited from a cleaner, more streamlined approach to its story but it is nevertheless packed with good performances and standout bits of story. B+

meets while fishing on his day off. To Ren, Ingraham is clearly breaking the law by pursuing a young bear with a dog. But he can’t do anything about it; he is out of uniform, and Ingraham, who is smart, has a story: his dog had been on leash but got away from him, and he was simply trying to reclaim his wayward dog.

Ren doesn’t believe him; Ingraham, like many locals, appears resentful that Yellowstone even exists and that the federal government enforces protection to animals and to the land. In particular, he seems to nurse a grudge for Hilly. And so when Hilly later gets caught in a leg trap near one of her observation points and nearly dies, Ingraham is a natural suspect, especially since he was arrested for assault 17 years earlier.

But as Ren researches Ingraham’s past, he learns that this seemingly malevolent poacher was a high school and college football star celebrated for an act of selfless heroism before he broke his back during a game. Rather than being a black-and-white suspect, Ingraham is now a puzzle to be figured out. At the same time, he learns about the existence of a group of wealthy ranchers called the Pathfinders, who had sued the federal government for stripping them of what they claim were historical rights to hunting and allowing their animals to graze on what was now park land.

Are the Pathfinders also more complicated than they seem, like Ingraham, or were they responsible for not only the trap that nearly killed Hilly and other seemingly taunting traps set around the park?

From the start, Heller’s sympathies clear-

Rated R for some sexuality, nudity and language, according to the MPA on filmratings. com. Directed by Christopher Nolan with a screenplay by Christopher Nolan (based on the book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin), Oppenheimer is three hours long and is distributed in theaters by Universal Studios.

com.

• The Wind Rises - 10th Anniversary (PG, 1992) will screen as part of Studio Ghibli Fest 2023 at Regal Fox Run (45 Gosling Road, Newington, regmovies.com) Monday, Aug. 21, at 7 p.m. (dubbed) and Wednesday, Aug. 23, at 7 p.m. (subtitled). See fathomevents. com.

literature

Author events

• RICHARD RUSSO will

discuss his novel Somebody’s Fool at The Music Hall Lounge (131 Congress St., Portsmouth; 436-2400, themusichall.org) on Tuesday, Aug. 8, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $46 and include a signed book.

• DEBORAH and RALPH BLUMENTHAL will discuss their illustrated book UFOhs!: Mysteries in the Sky at Water Street Bookstore (125 Water St., Exeter, 778-9731, waterstreetbooks.com) on Saturday, Sept. 2, at 2 p.m., during the 2023 Exeter UFO Festival.

ly favor animals over people; like Hilly, who once made a vow to defend creatures who have no voice in the human world, he sees the worst things humans do as more reprehensible than the worst things animals do.

As Hilly says at one point, “If the earth were a meritocracy and we were graded on how much each species contributed to the well-being of the whole, we’d be [expletive]. God will blow the whistle at all the people and yell, Everybody out of the pool! It’s why Paul Watson, the Sea Shepherd captain, once said that the life of a worm is worth more than the life of a man. Sounds nuts, but it’s something to think about.”

As a writer, Heller has copious gifts of description. At one point, he describes the sounds of a wolf like this: “Two barks testing the night. Almost like a tuning, the confirming plucks of a string. And then a rising resonant howl that froze the stars in place, and dropped and hollowed like a woodwind, and then crescendoed again.”

He gives a character the habit of pinching the brim of his baseball cap as if to ward off bad luck. “It was like a rosary he wore on his head,” he writes.

But Heller’s novels are reliably gripping because they thrum quietly with tension, while slowly revealing the essence of characters who will stay with you for years. The Last Ranger, while not as good as Heller’s 2012 debut novel The Dog Stars — it’s a bit more predictable in places — is an excellent companion for the dog days of summer, especially for anyone who is more comfortable outside than in. A —

Jennifer Graham

Poetry

• MARK DECARTERET

will present poetry at Rye Public Library (581 Washington Road, Rye, ryepubliclibrary.org)

Wednesday, Aug. 16, at 2 p.m.

Writer events and opportunities

• TIME TO WRITE writing workshop held on the first Monday of every month from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at The Word Barn (66 Newfields Road, Exeter; thewordbarn.com). Writers of all genres welcome; registration

required.

• UNDER THE MADNESS Magazine designed and managed by an editorial board of teens under the mentorship of New Hampshire State Poet Laureate Alexandria Peary. features creative writing by teens ages 13 to 19 from all over the world, including poetry and short fiction and creative nonfiction. Published monthly. Submissions must be written in or translated into English and must be previously unpublished. Visit underthemadnessmagazine.com.

Margaret Porter, author of The Myrtle Wand

Published in October 2022, the historical fiction novel is Porter’s latest release.

What is The Myrtle Wand about?

The Myrtle Wand is a retelling and a reimagining of the classical ballet Giselle and it was inspired by seeing a production a few years ago. … Taking in information about the way the ballet had been originally written, [I decided to explore characters.] I’d also wanted to set a book in 17th-century France so I decided to transfer this version of the background and history and future of the characters from the ballet to 17th-century France, to the period of Louis XIV at an early part of his reign. It was a mashup of ballet lore and French history and it includes some real historical characters and then the characters who were fictional from the ballet.

What inspired you to write a retelling?

There’s been a lot of retellings in novel form … and it was a form that I’ve never tried before. … You’re using an established storyline to some extent but there’s a lot of freedom to interpret it the way you want and to develop the characters in a way that’s based on imagination. … I was able to rely on imagination a great deal and just sprinkled in the history where it served my story.

What is Giselle about?

Giselle is … in love with the stranger who has arrived in the village. What she doesn’t know is that he is a duke in disguise who’s … already engaged to a princess. … When she discovers this, her grief is so great that she goes mad and … then she abruptly dies. The second act … takes place in the forest … where the ghosts of girls who’ve been betrayed by their lovers rise from their

graves … and hunt down men and make them dance until they die. Giselle, having just died, is raised up from the dead by the queen of these girls’ spirits. The duke comes into the woods … and Giselle’s ghost has to figure out a way to save him from certain death.

Why did you decide to move back the time period of the setting?

What interests you in the time period and the setting?

I have an interest in King Louis XIV of France but particularly his earlier years when he was a young king. [The] novel’s main character is the princess, [who] I decided to make … a friend of his. The whole aspect of arranged marriages for the nobility and the royalty of that time is very much explored in the story.

How did the research and writing process look for this novel?

I wrote this novel I think faster than any other novel I’ve written, and I think partly because there wasn’t quite as much research required. I did a lot of research into Louis XIV … and then I did research into convent life … and agricultural life. The daily life aspect was very heavily researched.

What about this story do you think will resonate with readers today?

It shows how women of today have so many more choices, agency and control of their lives. It gives a view of women of the past; what they couldn’t do but what they managed to do and how they could be successful. It’s also the glamorization of the past.

What do you hope readers take away from this story?

To hold on to hope. That when things seem at their worst … there’s always a brighter day ahead, and that companionship and friendship are crucial.

- Mya Blanchard

SUNDAY

Grilled Twin Pork Chops - $11.99

Served with Mashed Potatoes & Veg

MONDAY

Burger Night - $9 Hamburger or Cheeseburger includes lettuce & tomato, additional toppings extra

TUESDAY

Taco Tuesday & Ladies Night

$3 Tacos All Day - 8pm-Close 1/2 Price Drinks for the Gals

WEDNESDAY

Spaghetti & Meatballs - $10.99

Served with Garlic Bread

THURSDAY

Wing Night$11.99

For a Dozen Wings

FRIDAY

Fish n Chips - $15.99

12oz Prime Rib - $26.99

SATURDAY

12oz Prime Rib - $26.99

Roasted Half Chicken - $15.99 with mashed potatoes & vegetable

*Not available 5-8pm daily

Margaret Porter. Courtesy photo.

thursday, Aug. 3

Exeter

Swasey Parkway: High Range, 6 p.m.

Hampton

Bernie’s: Adam Luffkin, 7 p.m.

Bogie’s: Michael Troy, 7 p.m.

CR’s: Dog Fathers, 6 p.m.

The Goat: Taylor Hughes, 8 p.m.

L Street: Chris Powers, 4:30 p.m.

Sea Ketch: Clint Lapointe, 3 p.m.; Lewis Goodwin, 8:30 p.m.

Sea Shell: Nashville Line Dance, 6 p.m.; Derek Lersch, 7 p.m.

Smuttynose: 21st & 1st, 6:30 p.m.

Wally’s: Russ Six, 3 p.m.; NightTrain (Guns N’ Roses tribute), 7 p.m.

Whym: music bingo, 6 p.m.

Portsmouth

Gas Light: Chris Powers, 2 p.m.; Dave Ayotte Duo, 7 p.m.

The Goat: Isaiah Bennett, 9 p.m.

Venues

Seabrook

Backyard Burgers: Jennifer Mitchell, 6 p.m.

friday, Aug. 4

Exeter

Sea Dog: live music, 5 p.m.

Shooters: Leo and the Olives, 6 p.m.

Hampton

Bernie’s: Luffkid, 8 p.m.

Bogie’s: live music, 7 p.m.

CR’s: Dog Fathers, 6 p.m.

The Goat: Alex Anthony, 8 p.m.

L Street: live music, 8 p.m.

Sea Ketch: Paul Lussier, 1

p.m.; Ray Zerkle, 8:30 p.m.

Sea Shell: Hijacked, 7 p.m.

Smuttynose: The Crab Shack

Band, 6 p.m.

Wally’s: Chris Toler, 3 p.m.

Whym: Jamie Martin, 6:30 p.m.

Portsmouth

Cisco: Wellfleet, 4 p.m.

Gas Light: Dave Clark, 2

p.m.; Whatsername Band, 7

p.m.; Patrick Synan, 9:30 p.m.

The Goat: Chris Toler, 9 p.m.

Mojo’s: live music, 7 p.m.

Concerts

3S Artspace 319 Vaughan St., Portsmouth, 766-3330, 3sarts.org

Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom 169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 929-4100, casinoballroom.com

Jimmy’s Jazz and Blues Club 135 Congress St., Portsmouth, 888-603-JAZZ, jimmysoncon-

gress.com

The Music Hall 28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, themusichall.org

The Music Hall Lounge 131 Congress St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, themusichall.org

Press Room 77 Daniel St., Portsmouth, 431-5186, pressroomnh.com

The Strand 20 Third St., Dover, 343-1899,

Saturday, Aug. 5

Exeter

Shooters: Jonas Grumby, 6 p.m.

Hampton

Bernie’s: MB Padfield, 1 p.m.; Pulse, 8 p.m.

Bogie’s: live music, 7 p.m.

L Street: live music, 3:30 p.m.; Chris Powers, 8 p.m.

Sea Ketch: Ryan Williamson, 1 p.m.; Sam Hammerman, 8:30 p.m.

Sea Shell: The Reminisants, 7 p.m.

Smuttynose: Tim Threiault, 1 p.m.

Whym: Joe Winslow, 6:30 p.m.

Portsmouth

Cisco: Free Ballin’, 4 p.m.

Gas Light: Paul Warnick, 2 p.m.; Jamsterdam, 7 p.m.; Andrew Kavanagh, 9:30 p.m.

The Goat: Mike Forgette, 9 p.m.

Salisbury

Black Bear: Rebecca Turmel, 2 p.m.

thestranddover.com

The Word Barn 66 Newfields Road, Exeter, 244-0202, thewordbarn.com

Shows

• Darlingside Thursday, Aug. 3, 5 & 8 p.m., Word Barn

• Walk That Walk Thursday, Aug. 3, 8 p.m., Press Room

• Lucy Kaplansky Friday, Aug. 4, 7 p.m., Word Barn

• Kimayo Friday, Aug. 4, 7 p.m., 3S Artspace

• Marc McElroy/Seth War-

Gibb’s

Seabrook

Sunday, Aug. 6

Hampton

Bernie’s: Don Severance, 5 p.m.

Bogie’s: Steppin Stones, 4 p.m.

The Goat: Justin Jordan, 1 p.m.

L Street: live music, 7 p.m.

Sea Ketch: Ray Zerkle, 1 p.m.; Doug Mitchell, 8:30 p.m.

Sea Shell: Tru Diamond (Neil Diamond tribute), 7 p.m.

Wally’s: MB Padfield, 2 p.m.

Portsmouth Gas Light: Doug Thompson, 2 p.m.; Dapper Gents Trio, 6 p.m.

The Goat: Rob Pagnano, 9 p.m.

Seabrook Beach Deck: Joey Canzano, 4 p.m.

Monday, Aug. 7

Hampton

Bernie’s: Pat Dowling, 7 p.m.

The Goat: Caylin Costello, 9 p.m.

ner & the Seldom Playwrights Present Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere Friday, Aug. 4, 7 p.m., Press Room

• Blues Beatles Friday, Aug. 4, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Erick Baker Friday, Aug. 4, 8 p.m., Music Hall Lounge

• Catherine Russell Saturday, Aug. 5, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Todd Hearon & Old Hat Stringband Saturday, Aug. 5, 8 p.m., Music Hall Lounge

• Joe Russo’s Almost Dead

1500 Lafayette Road 431-5882

The

L Street: Chris Powers, 4 p.m.

Sea Ketch: Ralph Allen, 8:30

p.m.

Sea Shell: All Summer Long (Beach Boys tribute), 7 p.m.

Wally’s: Brooks Hubbard, 2 p.m.; TJ Swan, 2 p.m.

Portsmouth Gas Light: Casey Roop, 2 p.m.; Peter Peterson, 7:30 p.m.

The Goat: Good Thomas’s musical bingo, 7 p.m.; Alex Anthony, 9 p.m.

Seabrook

Red’s: music bingo, 7 p.m.

tuesday, Aug. 8

Hampton

Bernie’s: Adam Luffkin, 7 p.m.

The Goat: Mike Forgette, 9 p.m.

L Street: live music, 4 p.m.

Sea Ketch: Lewis Goodwin, 1 p.m.

Sea Shell: Avco Unplugged, 7 p.m.

Shane’s: music bingo, 7 p.m

Wally’s: Mike Forgette, 3 p.m.; musical bingo, 7 p.m.

Portsmouth Gas Light: Ralph Allen, 2 p.m.; Mitch Alden, 7:30 p.m.

The Goat: Isaiah Bennett, 9 p.m.

Seabrook

Backyard Burgers: music bingo with Jennifer Mitchell, 7 p.m.

Red’s: country night, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 9

Hampton

Bernie’s: Luffkid Trio, 7 p.m.

Bogie’s: open mic, 7 p.m.

The Goat: Justin Jordan

L Street: live music, 4:30 p.m.

Sea Ketch: Dave Clark, 8:30 p.m.

Sea Shell: Mark 209, 7 p.m.

Portsmouth

Gas Light: Krystian Beal, 2 p.m.; Johnny Angel, 7:30 p.m

Press Room: open mic, 5:30 p.m.

Seabrook

Chop Shop: DJ Manny awesome DJ event, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 5, 8 p.m., Casino Ballroom

• The Huntertones Sunday, Aug. 6, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Scotty McCreery Sunday, Aug. 6, 8 p.m., Casino Ballroom

• Margo Price Monday, Aug. 7, 7:30 p.m., Music Hall

• Ryan Adams & The Cardinals Tuesday, Aug. 8, and Wednesday, Aug. 9, 8 p.m., Music Hall

• Marcus King Tuesday, Aug. 8, 8 p.m., Casino Ballroom

• Melissa Etheridge Wednesday, Aug. 9, 8 p.m., Casino Ballroom

• Disq/Graham Hunt Wednesday, Aug. 9, 8 p.m., Press Room

• Legion of Skanks Thursday, Aug. 10, 7:30 p.m., Casino Ballroom

• Cindy Blackman Santana Thursday, Aug. 10, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Joan Osborne Friday, Aug. 11, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Cormac McCarthy Friday,

Aug. 11, 7 p.m., 3S Artspace

• Styx Friday, Aug, 11, 8 p.m., Casino Ballroom

• The Ammonium Maze Friday, Aug. 11, 8 p.m., Word Barn

• Brown-Eyed Women (Grateful Dead tribute) Friday, Aug. 11, 8 p.m., Stone Church

• Paul Hodes & the Blue Buddha Band Friday, Aug. 11, 8 p.m., Music Hall Lounge

• Morgan James Saturday, Aug. 12, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Sharon Jones Saturday, Aug. 12, 8 p.m., Music Hall Lounge

• KC & the Sunshine Band

Sunday, Aug. 13, 8 p.m., Casino Ballroom

• Steve Turre Sextet Sunday, Aug. 13, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• The Reverend Payton’s Big Damn Band Aug. 15, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Nikki Hill Band Wednesday, Aug. 16, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Blanco Wednesday, Aug. 16, 8 p.m., Music Hall

• Elvin Bishop Thursday, Aug. 17, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Illiterate Light Thursday, Aug. 17, 8 p.m., Music Hall

• Joe Pug Thursday, Aug. 17, 7 p.m., Word Barn

• Sam Robbins & Jesse Terry

Thursday, Aug. 17, 8 p.m., Music Hall Lounge

• Marjorie Senet & the Broken Home Boys Friday, Aug.

18, 7 p.m., 3S Artspace

• Kat Wright Quartet Friday, Aug. 18, 8 p.m., Stone Church

• George Coleman Quartet

Saturday, Aug. 19, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Calexico Saturday, Aug. 19, 8 p.m., 3S Artspace

• Messer Chups/Los Tiki

Phantoms Saturday, Aug. 19, 8 p.m., Stone Church

• Pablo Cruise Sunday, Aug. 20, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Tommy Castro & the Pain-

killers Tuesday, Aug. 22, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Chrissi Poland Band

Wednesday, Aug. 23, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• William Tyler & The Impossible Truth/Garcia Peoples

Wednesday, Aug. 23, 8 p.m., Press Room

• Ann Wilson & Tripsitter

Wednesday, Aug. 23, 8 p.m., Casino Ballroom

• Ace Frehley Thursday, Aug. 24, 7:30 p.m., Music Hall

• Tyler Hubbard Thursday, Aug. 24, 8 p.m., Casino Ballroom

• The Joshua Tree One (U2 tribute) Thursday, Aug. 24, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• JP Soars & the Red Hots

Friday, Aug. 25, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Rose Alley: A Celebration of the Music of Jerry Garcia

Friday, Aug. 25, 8 p.m., 9 p.m., Stone Church

• Gabby Barrett Friday, Aug. 25, 8 p.m., Casino Ballroom

• Josh Ritter Saturday, Aug. 26, 8 p.m., 3S Artspace

• Get the Led Out Saturday, Aug. 26, 8 p.m., Casino Ballroom

• WASP Sunday, Aug. 27, 8 p.m., Casino Ballroom

• ZZ Top Tuesday, Aug. 29, 8 p.m., Casino Ballroom

• Cecile McLoran Salvant & Sullivan Fortner Tuesday, Aug. 29, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Dumpstaphunk Wednesday, Aug. 30, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow Aug. 31, 7 p.m., Word Barn

• Seth Glier Thursday, Aug. 31, 8 p.m., Music Hall Lounge

• Joss Stone Thursday, Aug. 31, 8 p.m., Casino Ballroom

• Robert Cray Band Friday, Sept. 1, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• One Night of Queen Friday, Sept. 1, 8 p.m., Casino Ballroom

• Kassi Valazza Saturday, Sept. 2, 7 p.m., Word Barn

• Sway Wild Sunday, Sept. 3, 7 p.m., Word Barn

• Joe Louis Walker Wednesday, Sept. 6, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Ruthie Foster Thursday, Sept. 7, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Damien Jurado Thursday, Sept. 7, 8 p.m., Press Room

• George Thorogood and the Destroyers Thursday, Sept. 7, 8 p.m., Casino Ballroom

• The Soul Rebels Friday, Sept. 8, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Damien Jurado w/Lilly Miller Friday, Sept. 8, 7 p.m., Word Barn

• Guy Davis Friday, Sept. 8, 8 p.m., Music Hall Lounge

• Larry Carlton: Greatest Hits & Steely Dan Saturday, Sept. 9, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Son of a Gun (Guns N’ Roses tribute) Saturday, Sept. 9, 8 p.m., Rochester Opera House

• Lucy Kaplansky Saturday, Sept. 9, 8 p.m., Music Hall Lounge

• Southern Avenue Sunday, Sept. 10, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Nolan Taylor Sunday, Sept. 10, 7 p.m., Music Hall Lounge

• Los Lobos Wednesday, Sept. 13, 7 p.m., Music Hall

• Kimaya Diggs Wednesday, Sept. 13, 7 p.m., Press Room

• The Samples Thursday, Sept. 14, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• PROGJECT: The Ultimate Prog Rock Musical Experience Thursday, Sept. 14, 8 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Mindi Abair Friday, Sept. 15, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• LoveSexy (Prince tribute)

Friday, Sept. 15, 8 p.m., Stone Church

• Niko Moon Friday, Sept. 15, 8 p.m., Casino Ballroom

• Jerron Paxton & Dennis

Lichtman Saturday, Sept. 16, 7 p.m., Stone Church

• Queens (female pop singer

tribute) Saturday, Sept. 16, 8 p.m., Stone Church

• Amy Speace Saturday, Sept.

16, 8 p.m., Music Hall Lounge

• Killer Queen Tuesday, Sept.

19, 7 p.m., Music Hall

• Bonerama Wednesday, Sept.

20, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Yo-Yo Ma Wednesday, Sept.

20, 7:30 p.m., Music Hall

• Black Veil Brides & VV

Wednesday, Sept. 20, 8 p.m., Casino Ballroom

Comedy Venues

Casino Ballroom

169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 929-4100, casinoballroom.com

The Community Oven 845 Lafayette Road, Hampton, 601-6311, thecommunityoven. com

The Music Hall Lounge 131 Congress St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, themusichall.org

Press Room

77 Daniel St., Portsmouth, 431-5186, pressroomnh.com

Rochester Opera House

31 Wakefield St., Rochester, 335-1992, rochesteroperahouse.com

Stone Church

5 Granite St., Newmarket, 6597700, stonechurchrocks.com

Events

• Tom Papa Casino Ballroom, Friday, Aug. 4, 7:30 p.m.

• Cindy Foster Press Room, Saturday, Aug. 5, 7 p.m.

• Hampton Beach Comedy Festival from Scamps Comedy Production McGuirk’s, Wednesday, Aug. 16, through Sunday, Aug. 20, 8 p.m.

• Jen Kober Music Hall Lounge, Sunday, Aug. 26, 8 p.m.

• Pinky Patel Music Hall, Thursday, Sept. 21, 7:30 p.m.

• Bassem Youssef Music Hall Lounge Friday, Sept. 29, 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., and Saturday, Sept. 30, 6 p.m., and 9 p.m.

• Michael Carbonaro Music Hall Lounge, Friday, Oct. 6, 7 p.m.

• Howie Mandel Music Hall, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 7:30 p.m.

Chill out while installing freeze plugs

Dear Car Talk: Twenty-two years ago, I bought a completely disassembled 1953 MG TD. The same car your late brother used to own, and wax poetic about (ad nauseum, as you’d say) on your radio show.

By the way, I’m assuming he’s 93 years old, and answers to “Nigel.”

If they blew out that quickly, my guess is that the holes are too big. That can happen if someone was overzealous in trying to install them sometime (or several times) over the past 70 years.

paws on the passenger armrest while I’m driving, opening the window when it’s 100plus degrees or when it’s raining.

Do none of the Dodge engineers have a dog that likes to stick its head out the window? Is there any way to change the controls?

it before you put everything back together.

If it works, you’re all set -- you needed a new switch. If it still doesn’t work, then you have a wiring problem and you’ll have to track it down.

By Ray Magliozzi

Recently, I finally finished reassembling the car and took it on the road. In 75 total miles of driving, I have blown two freeze plugs. I chalked it up to poor installation until I talked with a professional MG mechanic, who admitted to having the same problem.

Did your late brother have this problem with his MG TD? And if so, what did he do to solve the issue? — Larry

Wow, you set a new record, Larry. My brother never got more than 60 miles between major repairs.

It certainly could be installation error on your part. But since you’ve managed to track down one of the last professional MG mechanics still roaming the earth, I’d ask him to install the next set of freeze plugs for you.

Freeze plugs are driven into pre-existing holes in the engine block. And if they’re forced in too violently, or if the holes are aggressively sanded out, the holes can become too big. And if that happens, obviously, the plugs can get blown out under pressure.

Nigel can probably figure out if that’s your problem. And if the holes have gotten too big, he can get you some rubber expanding freeze plugs -- designed to address just such a problem. And then, if you’re lucky, you’ll get 90 miles before you need to replace them again. Good luck, Larry.

Dear Car Talk:

Around 2015, the power-window controls on my Dodge Durango stopped letting me control the front passenger window. I can move the other windows up and down, but not that one.

The problem is my dog likes to rest her

This is a safety issue also, because I’m reaching to pull her out of the window so I can close it while driving around a curve.

— Greg

OK, so your dog is able to open the passenger window, because it involved pushing the switch down. But because she hasn’t developed opposable thumbs yet, she can’t reach under the switch to pull it up to close the window. Have you considered a pet monkey instead, Greg?

Actually, I’ll give you two solutions. I believe the problem is in the master window switch, which is on the driver’s armrest.

There’s obviously power getting to it, since it works the other windows. But that one switch -- for the front passenger window -- has failed. Probably when you spilled a quart of Kombucha on it. It could be a broken wire to the passenger window, too, but that’s easy to test: You disconnect the old window switch, plug in the new one and try

If that’s too expensive for you (and since you’ve been living with this since the Obama Administration, that might be the case) I’ll give you the solution my late brother, Tom, an inveterate cheapskate, would have suggested.

Find a small, sturdy box that fits over the passenger window switch. Maybe the bottom of an Altoids box or something. Then, use the box to cover up the window switch and secure it with a piece of duct tape. They make duct tape in black, so you can match the car’s interior, which I’m sure is very important to you. That’ll block the dog from stepping on the switch and opening the window.

You can even open the window a few inches when you get in the car, and then cover up the switch so it’ll stay the way you set it. Your dog won’t be happy, Greg. But, hey, you’re the one buying the kibble in this family, right? Visit

Suspicions confirmed

Zookeepers at the Columbus Zoo in Ohio were taken aback on July 20 when Sully, an 8-year-old western lowland gorilla whom they had assumed to be male, gave birth. Sully has lived at the zoo since 2019, United Press International reported. “It’s hard to tell the sex of younger gorillas,” the zoo said in a statement. “They don’t have prominent sex organs.” They said Sully had been healthy and did not need any procedures or medical care that would have clued them in to her gender. “Sully is taking good care of (the baby),” zookeepers said, adding that eventually they’ll do a DNA test to find out which of three males is the father.

t he passing parade

Barbie mania has taken the world by storm -- including in Brazil, where Burger King is selling a sandwich with a bright pink sauce that looks like “chewed bubblegum” and has a “smoky” flavor, according to Burger King. CNBC reported on July 13 that the BK Barbie Combo comes with a cheeseburger, a pink vanilla-flavored milkshake, a doughnut sprinkled with

pink frosting and an order of Ken’s potatoes (also known as fries). The combo is not expected to be offered in the United States.

Bright idea

Hong Kong’s health minister, professor Lo Chung-mau, is urging public shaming as a remedy to unlawful tobacco use, Sky News reported. “Cigarettes can harm the health of all of us,” Lo told a meeting of the Legislative Council’s health service panel on July 14. “When members of the public see people smoking in nonsmoking areas ... we can stare at the smokers. Everyone on the premises can stare at that person.” He believes this behavior would help create a nonsmoking culture in the city. He also said authorities would use surveillance footage to crack down on smokers flouting the rules.

News you can use

Trader Joe’s announced on July 21 that it is recalling two types of cookies that may have rocks in them, National Public Radio reported. The Almond Windmill Cookies and Dark Chocolate Chunk and Almond cookies have been

removed from the grocery chain’s stores and destroyed, the company said, but those who had previously bought them can return them for a refund. “Please do not eat them,” they urged customers. The company didn’t specify how the rocks came to be in the cookies.

Suspicions Confirmed

Zookeepers at the Columbus Zoo in Ohio were taken aback on July 20 when Sully, an 8-year-old western lowland gorilla whom they had assumed to be male, gave birth. Sully has lived at the zoo since 2019, United Press International reported. “It’s hard to tell the sex of younger gorillas,” the zoo said in a statement. “They don’t have prominent sex organs.” They said Sully had been healthy and did not need any procedures or medical care that would have clued them in to her gender. “Sully is taking good care of (the baby),” zookeepers said, adding that eventually they’ll do a DNA test to find out which of three males is the father.

Nope

You might not have it on your calendar, but Aug. 5 is National Mustard Day!

Rather than celebrating with a hot dog or a burger smothered in the yellow condiment, the French’s company wants you to try Mustard Skittles, NBC New York reported on July 25. “Skittles is always looking to inspire moments of everyday happiness and deliver unexpected ways for fans to experience the brand,” said Ro Cheng, marketing director at Mars. The new flavor “combines their tangy mustard flavor with our iconic chewy texture to deliver this unique summer treat.” Adventurous mustard-lovers can try to win a bag of the candy through an online sweepstakes.

Nature gone wild

A bird rarely seen in the Northern Hemisphere dropped into Pebble Beach, California, on July 21, KSBW-TV reported. The Nazca Booby, which at this time of year is usually living and breeding in the Galapagos Islands, was delivered to the SPCA of Monterey County; officials there said it was emaciated, cold and injured. Beth Brookhouser said the bird had to be kept in an incubator and fed through a tube while it recovered. It had wounds on its back that appeared to be from fishing hooks. Once the bird has healed, the SPCA hopes to reintroduce it to the wild.

BeACh BUM fUN HOROSCOPES

All quotes are from Home Comforts , by Cheryl Mendelson, born Aug. 6, 1946.

Leo (July 23 – Aug. 22) Watch out for glossy, expensive cookbooks with lots of colored photographs and few recipes. They take up room on the shelf, and you will not use them very often. But they’re so pretty!

Virgo (Aug. 23 – Sept. 22) If your apartment or house is small and you must use each room for several functions, you can still make distinctions. When playtime is over, put the Legos away.

Libra (Sept. 23 – Oct. 22) Home is the place where children today get acquainted with the great movie classics, and every family enjoys this part of their education. Make a plan and make popcorn.

Scorpio (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21) Vacuum mattresses and pillows too. If you do this, your pillows will smell like vacuum cleaner.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 21) Most people have never worn wellmade, well-fitting clothes, made to taste, in their lives. It is a heady experience. Make sure your flip-flops fit.

Wine Outlets

Taconic Barrel Strength

Bourbon Item 4934

Rated 92.5 in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible - Taconic Distillery’s Barrel Strength

Straight Bourbon has a beautiful bouquet of spice and honey with gentle notes of vanilla coming out to provide for a smooth finish. Aged a minimum of 5 years at 115 proof.

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Swear Jar Maple Whiskey

Item 7771

Capricorn (Dec. 22 – Jan. 19) Sewing itself is more fun, more satisfying, and more challenging than many people would believe without trying it. If you do not know how, there are classes every where, and friends are almost always willing to help. a friend with their sewing.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18)

sponsible merchandising seems to have bred a generation of people who expend time and money on

sheets that are much more trouble than they need to be.

Avoid troublesome sheets.

Pisces (Feb.

19 – March

When arranging a home start by about its layout and lighting. You will need enough desk space to lay out all the papers you need for your

work…. Try a Google image search for inspiration.

Aries (March 21 – April 19) In the age of the automatic dishwasher it is just as easy to have an attractive table as a spartan one. The extra dishes take no longer to wash afterward when the machine does it for you. They do, however, take longer to put away.

Taurus (April 20 – May 20) You can launder more efficiently and effectively if you understand what goes on under the lid of your automatic washing machine when you close it. Don’t overload.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20) No one should buy everyday bedding that must be dry-cleaned. Well, at least we agree on that.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22) Many families benefit from establishing a holding station for children’s letters from school, artwork, graded homework, announcements, and so forth. … Every temporary holding station has to go along with a day of reckoning, a time when you actually do sort the mail or the school papers, shelve the books, wash the laundry, and recycle the old newspapers. Give your holding station a break.

NEW INDEPENDENT & LOCAL CRAFT SPIRITS

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Walrus Blood Rye Whiskey Item 2697

Great whiskey enjoyed with great friends is the best recipe for connection. By giving our Straight Rye Whiskey a second dose of new, charred, oak barrel, we allow for a genuine connection between cask and whiskey—and between you and your crew.

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Distilled and bottled in Columbia, Tennessee. Finished in New American Oak barrels for a minimum of 4 years using a No. 4 Char inside the barrels. Mash Bill 80% of locally grown No 2 Dent Corn, 10% Rye, 10% Malted Barley.

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This exceptionally smooth whiskey has wonderful notes of vanilla, oak and honey, creating a crisp yet sweet nose. Sweet and crisp floral fragrances with notes of vanilla and oak. Hint of honey, warm vanilla and spicy oak with an exceptionally 100% single malt smooth finish.

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Walrus Blood is an American Rye Whiskey uniquely bottled with a pair of Hungarian oak cubes which have been charred and then soaked in port wine for six months. In the bottle, the charcoal and wine from the cubes imparts flavor, darkening, and complexity to the whiskey.

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Unaged and clean with intense aromas of fresh agave. Vibrant with lemon peel, black pepper, and minerals. Smooth as silk, with a slight sweet kick on a lengthy finish, which is so easy it’s criminal.

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A tequila with character and tradition which reminds us of its origin, capturing a robust flavor of slightly toasted oak and fresh agave.

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123 Organic Blanco Tequila Item 3628

1921 Reposado Tequila Item 3928

Yellow Bird Tennessee Whiskey Item 1561

Cask&Crew Double Oaked Rye Whiskey Item 4319

3 Great Shops in One Seacoast NH Destination!

3 Great Shops in One Seacoast NH Destination!

Route 1 Antiques

Route 1 Antiques

Route

Route

Falls, NH 03844 ∙ (603) 601 2554 www.route1antiques.com

The

fUN JONESIN’ CROSSWORDS BY MATT JONES

“Must Be”— i know it’s early.

Across

1. Garden crawlers

6. Slangy pet name

9. Big girder

14. Eyelashes, scientifically

15. “Blue Rondo ___ Turk” (Dave Brubeck song)

16. Auli’i Cravalho role of 2016

17. Time away from work, for short

18. She inspired a boycott

20. “SNL” alum who starred in the recently canceled “American Auto”

22. Muscle below a delt

23. Madrid money, before the euro

24. Presley’s middle name

26. Copier powder

29. Go too far with

33. Pro at CPR

36. Board

38. Barnyard noises

39. Her Modernist sculptures include “Contrapuntal Forms” and “Rock Form (Porthcurno)”

43. Cheese with Buffalo wings

44. Comedian Silverman

45. One in favor

46. Vacillate

49. Behavioral boo-boos

51. Eagerly repetitive greeting

53. Give

57. Word after meal or sewing

60. Big name in 1990s tennis

63. Tag on some holiday presents--or where the beginnings of each theme entry derive?

65. Lucky Charms charm

66. Chick who was once keyboardist for Miles Davis

67. Thoughtful ability?

68. Online mag, outdatedly

69. Stifled laugh

70. Hearty bread

71. Heavy, like bread

Down

1. Old metal

2. Former “Weekend Edition” host Hansen

3. Bones in forearms

4. Sally Field TV title character

5. Upstate N.Y. battle site of 1777

6. S.F. area transit system

7. Plant for balms

8. Breezy class

9. Acting on the spot

10. Fabulous neckwear

11. Sandwich rank

12. Lyricist for Sinatra’s “My Way”

13. Schooner part

19. Prefix with dynamic

21. Comparatively sound

25. Verne’s captain

27. Delayed flight stats

28. Kingdom in Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings”

30. Actor Kinnear

31. Lavish attention (on)

32. Labor Dept. div.

33. Points of decline

34. “The ___ gaze” (early card in the Cards Against Humanity starter pack)

35. Sloth’s hangout

37. Late pianist Peter

40. #43

41. Tibetan mammal

42. Rushed (by)

47. Sets as a goal

48. “Hold on there!” (this is the correct spelling, and I will be taking no further questions)

50. Hay fever symptom

52. Sanctum or circle preceder

54. Four-time Formula One champ ___ Prost

55. Beach birds

56. Lauder with an empire

57. Some red-and-white fast food outlets

58. Multivitamin additive

59. Symbol in el zodiaco

61. “The ___ Bitsy Spider”

62. Superhero accessory

64. “La ___” (Debussy opus)

© 2023 Matt Jones

Puzzle A from 7/27

Puzzle B from 7/27

Puzzle B

Hand Crafted European Breads & Pastries

Open Thursday, Friday & Saturday 7am-4pm

978-499-8839

175 Elm St. Rt.110, Salisbury MA Annarosas.com instagram.com/annarosasbakery

h ere it is

Across

1. Brutal “dance” at punk shows

5. ‘King Of Rock’ Run-__

8. ‘03 311 video ‘Creatures (__ While)’

12. “You don’t have __ home but

42. Jared Leto band 30 __

45. Lav, to English rocker

46. A Fire Inside band (abbr)

47. Neil Diamond’s classic ‘Sweet’ girl

We’re Beachy

Come see all our items to give your home or cottage that summer, beachy feel!

you can’t stay here”

13. ‘90 Slaughter album ‘Stick

14. ‘Calm Like __’ Rage Against The Machine

16. Paul Stanley musical ‘__ The Opera’

18. Madonna said ‘She’s __’ to the subpar wax figure

19. Dionne Warwick “Before I put on my makeup __ little prayer for you”

20. Glenn Frey ‘84 Beverly Hills Cop hit ‘The __’

22. “Enhances” psychedelic shows

24. Musical notes

25. Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr ‘You Don’t __’

32. The Damned are ‘__ Miss’

33. Motown’s Berry

34. Teenage Fanclub live on a ‘Cul De __’

36. Peter Koppes song for a chapel ‘Take __’

37. 70s Chapin

38. Kenny Chesney ‘Ten With __’

70 High St. Hampton, NH • 603-793-2620 (across from Shane’s BBQ) CC, VENMO.

villagevintageshop@gmail.com

39. Iconic ‘Popular Problems’ sing/songer Cohen (abbr)

40. Joe ‘I __ Know’

41. Ronan Keating ‘When You Say Nothing

7. Eagles have lunch in a ‘Sad’ one

8. Kinks ‘A Rock ‘N Roll __’

9. Double-reed player

10. Cheap acoustic’s wood goes bad or does this

11. Great producer for album?

13. Neko Case ‘A Widow’s __’

15. 1/3 ‘Brick’ band, w/ Folds Five

17. ‘It’s A Heartache’ Bonnie

21. “If you got __ and you want her gone but you ain’t got the guts”

23. Marcy Playground saw a ‘__ His Master’ at the park

25. ‘Tick Tick Boom’

Swedes

26. A quality of sound

27. Debut Garbage song

28. ‘Electric Love’ guy

29. ‘Nightlife’ band Erase

30. Bon Jovi “Everyone’s a hero, everyone’s __”

31. ‘Love Is a Hurtin’

Thing’ Lou

32. Wrecking Crew drum legend Blaine

35. __ Bruce Hampton & The Aquarium Rescue Unit

37. Finnish ‘Twelve Shots

On The Rocks’ glamsters __ Rocks

38. ‘70 Joan Baez album ‘One Day __ Time’

40. Musician and Love Connection host Chuck

41. STP “I am, I __, __, I said I wanna get next to you”

43. Look-alike tribute band members

44. Neil Young “No one wins, it’s a war __’

47. Parking lot bluecoat

48. Damien Rice ‘Woman Like __’

49. He wasn’t too ‘Suave’

50. Yardbirds ‘The __ Are Blue’

51. Sedgwick Etienne Daho sang of

53. ‘Popular’ band __ Surf

54. ‘I’ve Been Loving You Too Long’ Redding

55. ‘Hot Child In The City’ Gilder

58. Isley that sang w/Rod on ‘This Old Heart Of Mine’

59. Jackass theme is played by this band

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52. Kristian Matsson or The Tallest __ Earth

56. Guns N’ Roses ‘Sweet Child __’

57. ‘11 Dream Theater album ‘__ Turn Of Events’

60. Amps ‘95 album

61. ‘13 Hillsong United album about Utah Nat’l Park?

62. ‘Misirlou’ Dale on Pulp Fiction soundtrack

63. Like gossip-hungry fans

64. “Everything __, I don’t think so” Bush

65. Coldplay ‘__ Full Of Stars’

Down

1. ‘Wicked Garden’ rockers (abbr)

2. Black Keys ‘19 hit for lower and higher

3. T Rex ‘Life’s __’

4. Seal digs the ‘__ Lisa’ painting

5. Beach Boys add a space w/’Radio King __’

6. David Gray sings ‘__ My’ at Yellowstone, perhaps

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