Fun at the Farm — Seacoast Scene — 08/24/23

august 24 - 30, 2023

Advertising Staff

Charlene Nichols

seacoast scene advertising sales Manager (603) 625-1855, ext.126

vol 48 No 14 cover story

Charlene@seacoastscene.net

Roxanne Macaig

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

Editorial Staff Editor Angie Sykeny editor@seacoastscene.net

Editorial Design

Brooke Fraser

Contributors

Matt Ingersoll, Betty gagne, curt Mackail, Mya Blanchard, 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.

Agnes was transferred to the NHSPCA from an overcrowded shelter in Louisiana. Agnes was a stray down South, and prior to her transfer she was lucky enough to spend time in a foster home. Agnes’ foster mama reports that Agnes is a somewhat shy girl who shines when she comes out of her shell. It does not take her long to get comfortable with humans, and once she knows you and considers you a friend she will seek you out for attention. Agnes lived with kids in her foster home and did well with them. She is picky about other cats — some she will ignore but others she will swat at, depending on her mood. Her history with dogs is unknown, so if you have a resident canine, Agnes will need a very slow introduction and will likely take a while to get used to living with a dog. Agnes is a true gem; it is a real treat

4 Fun on the farm people & places

11 Nathan Graziano talks new book of poetry food

13 Eateries and ideas for foodies pop culture

17 Books reviews and more Nite life

20 Live music, comedy and more beach bum fuN

26 Puzzles, horoscopes and crazy news

to see the loving looks and sweet meows she gives to her people once she’s feeling comfortable. If Agnes sounds like the right match for you, stop by 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.

*Agnes has two medical waivers.

fun

Kick off fall with harvest adventures

By Curt Mackail

It’s farm festival season in the Seacoast, when a day trip to a farm becomes a family affair for the estimated tens of thousands who’ll turn out to pick or purchase seasonal produce and enjoy special events. Hay rides, corn mazes, live music, petting zoos, barbecues and kids’ activities abound at the Seacoast’s considerable aggregation of local growers.

The largest, best-known farms present some of the most elaborate festivals. Others off the beaten track also offer unique or unusual attractions beginning in September.

Cider hill farm

Cider Hill Farm, 45 Fern Ave. (off Route 150), Amesbury, 978-388-5525, ciderhill.com

One of the Seacoast’s largest and best-attended growers, Cider Hill Farm in Amesbury, launches its harvest celebration on Labor Day weekend, Saturday, Sept. 2, through Monday, Sept. 4, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. In addition to apple and pumpkin picking, flower cutting, hard cider tastings and fair food, special activities include live music, line dancing, hay rides, a corn maze, old-fashioned games and plenty of activities for kids.

Family-owned Cider Hill Farm gained the readers’ choice 2023 Best Tourist Attraction award from North Shore Mag-

azine. In 2021 Yelp named the farm the No. 1 apple picking spot in the U.S.

“What we do at Cider Hill is cultivate, nurture, and grow relationships. Growing good food is simply a byproduct of this mission and the calling of our dedicated farm family,” said second-generation owners Karen and Glenn Cook.

Environmental stewardship is also central to the farm’s operations.

“This is 40-plus years in the works, but we’re approaching 90 percent self-generated electricity for the farm and its five homes. In addition to our wind turbines, we create our own power from a 840-panel voltaic solar system,” the Cooks say on the farm website.

About half of Cider Hill’s 145-acre farm offers pick-your-own crops. More than 10,000 fruit trees spread across five orchards give pickers space to spread out. Picking schedules change depending on what produce is in season.

The farm store carries farm-grown veggies, local meat and dairy products, groceries, and scratch-made bakery products from their in-house ovens. Cider doughnuts are a popular favorite along with farm-pressed cider. On weekends

Cider Hill’s food truck parks near the farm store, serving up ice cream blended with farm fruit (check out the cider doughnut ice cream), fresh-squeezed lemonade and lunch fare.

Cider Hill’s farm animals entertain

all ages. A sizable flock of free-strutting chickens housed in an open-air poultry house look forward to your feeding them with kibble vended from coin machines. Genial goats in their adjacent pen add to the fun. Tire swings, a giant sandbox and Farmer Glenn’s Trike Yard are geared for kids. Trike riders pedal around large hay bales, and sandbox toys are provided for kids who want to dig in. Professional face painters for young and old are also popular.

“We really do have a little something for everyone. The crisp air, a brimming farm store, the aroma of hot doughnuts, and apples being pressed are easily our favorite things about autumn on the farm. We expect to see between 3,000 and 5,000

people each weekend day. There is plenty of space, limited lines, and once you’re out picking you may have an entire row to yourself,” said farm spokesperson Valerie Rosenberg. “While guests are out in the orchards this fall, they may see our field crew planting 2,000 new apple and cherry trees in our newest orchard. They’re preparing for the opening of pick-your own cherries in 2026 as well as replacing older apple trees,” she said.

On Fridays through Oct. 20, from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., live music, apple picking and an outdoor hard cider bar are featured. Labor Day weekend’s Country Fair at the farm kicks off festival season, when, on Saturdays and Sundays through late October, live music, hay

The pumpkins are plentiful during Amesbury’s Cider Hill Farm fall festival. Courtesy photo.

rides, food trucks and other special events are added to pick-your-own forays for apples, pumpkins, gourds, and mums. The farm’s annual Sweet Halloween happens Oct. 21 and Oct. 22 when a kids’ not-so-spooky trick-ortreat experience brims with sweet treats and prizes for costumes.

If you can’t make it to the the weekend festivities, the farm store and pick-your-own fields open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Pick-your-own tickets may be purchased in advance on the farm website or at the farm store from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

If you want to walk in without advance tickets, it’s a good idea to check ahead before you arrive to see what is available for picking. Picking info is available daily by calling 978-388-5525. Pets are not allowed at the farm. You may bring your own food and non-alcoholic beverages, but outside alcoholic beverages are prohibited.

Parking is free onsite, but you may have a walk of several blocks during fall weekends depending on the crowd size when you arrive. Handicap parking is provided.

Applecrest farm o rchards

Applecrest Farm Orchards,133

Exeter Road (Route 88), Hampton Falls. Call or visit the website for up-to-date event details, weather notices, and picking conditions, 603926-3721, applecrest.com.

Another of the largest harvest festivals happens at Applecrest Farm in Hampton Falls. Applecrest is a 200acre fruit and vegetable grower with a specialty grocery store, homemade ice cream stand, and scratch-made bakery in-house.

The colonial-era farm offers pick-your-own blueberries, apples, raspberries, peaches, pumpkins and flowers in season. (Generally, berry season is over by fall.) Other field produce is sold in the Applecrest farm store. Apples are the star during fall, though, with some 20,000 trees providing more than 40 varieties.

Applecrest festival season begins the first weekend in September, continuing on Saturdays and Sundays through the end of October, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Live bluegrass and country-style bands perform beginning at 1 p.m. (See the schedule line-up in the sidebar.)

Tractor rides, a corn maze, a sunflower trail, barnyard animals, cornhole and pumpkin carving also liven the weekend festivities. And a traditional New England corn roast serves up grilled sausages, hot dogs, hamburgers, clam chowder and fresh apple cider along with roasted sweet corn on the cob.

Admission and parking are free. Dogs are allowed on most of Applecrest property including the apple orchards, but are prohibited in other picking areas.

Vernon family farm

Vernon Family Farm, 301 Piscassic Road, Newfields, 603-340-4321, vernonfamilyfarm.com

Vernon Family Farm, in Newfields, is a self-described agritourism destination that complements its products from the pastures with entertainment, outdoor dining, kids classes and camps, and special events. Live music, walks through the 33 acres of meadows and fields on the Piscassic River, getting up close and personal with the farm animals, and shopping

The Vernon Family Farm, in Newfields, describes itself as an agritourism destination. Live music and outdoor dining from the Vernon Kitchen, the farm store one-stop-shop for fresh local produce and seafood, educational workshops for kids, and getting up close and personal with the farm animals are all part of the experience. Courtesy photo.

the rustic farm store are all part of the appeal. The farm store (housed in an historic blacksmith forge) is a one-stop shop for local food, boasting more than 30 Seacoast growers and fresh seafood providers in addition to the Vernons’ own products.

Husband and wife owners Jeremiah and Nicole Vernon founded their farm in 2014. Jeremiah is a 10th-generation New Hampshire-ite who grew up on his family’s farm in New London, New Hampshire. The couple met when Jeremiah attended the University of Maine and Nicole taught Spanish at the nearby Hyde School, a private secondary academy in Bath, Maine.

“Our crew and family members play an important role in making Vernon Family Farm what it is today. We couldn’t do it without their energy, teamwork, and brainpower,” the couple said on their website. Three Vernon daughters and a dozen or so employees and volunteers comprise the farm family.

Although Vernon Family Farm does not promote a fall festival as such, its regularly scheduled events are plenty to warrant a visit this autumn. Live music on the outdoor pavilion stage continues through the end of October on most Fridays and some Saturdays and Sundays. Check the website for details.

Pre-registration through the website is required for agri-tourist visits to the farm grounds, for outdoor dining events and for live music. Music tickets range up to $45 for a seat near a fire pit to $20 for picnic table or field seating. Children 12 and under are admitted free.

The farm and Vernon Kitchen are open for dining outdoors Thursdays, Fridays, and the second Saturday of each month from 4 to 8 p.m. and select Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for brunch. Farm store is open daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., year-round. Pre-registration and tickets are required for dining and live music. Dogs are not permitted on the farm.

Demeritt h ill farm

Demeritt Hill Farm, 20 Orchard Way (off state Route 155), Lee, 603868-2111, demeritthillfarm.com

Demeritt Hill Farm, in Lee, is another choice destination for a fun day at a working farm. The pick-your-own experience for families is a centerpiece during fall, with apples, cider and other tree fruit as the stars. Pumpkins from mini to humongous and gourds of many shapes and sizes also abound.

Established more than 200 years ago, the original farm produced dairy products, meat, vegetables and wool. Today, of the 120 acres of farmland, more than 20 acres of orchard produce 25 different apple varieties. Heirloom varieties and modern hybrids like the popular Honeycrisp are favorites. (The farm also harvests peaches, nectarines, plums, corn and tomatoes in season.)

Adding to the good-time fall atmosphere are hay rides and walks along several miles of forested trails, pondside picnic tables, fresh-baked goods daily, and the farm’s personable goats, chickens, turkeys and miniature horses that you can meet face to face. (There is a modest fee for hay rides.)

The Demeritt Hill farm store is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. five days weekly. It carries all the farm’s produce, fresh apple cider, and New Hampshire crafts from local artisans. Split, seasoned apple wood is also for sale.

The Farm is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Family Weekend is Sept. 17 and 18, Harvest Weekend on Sept. 24 and 35, and Pumpkin Fest, Oct. 1 and 2. Leashed dogs are welcome. Free onsite parking.

h aunted o verload

Demeritt Hill Farm also hosts one of the Seacoast’s most popular Halloween attractions, Haunted Overload, running Oct. 6 through Oct. 31. Haunted Overload has twice been voted one of the top 20 haunted attractions in the country, winning ABC’s Great Halloween Fright Fight in 2014. Exeter resident Eric Lowther founded and is the creative director for the wicked spooky installation that includes huge monsters looming over the crowd, movie-quality sets and hundreds of lighted pumpkins. (The nighttime haunt, with costumed frightening actors, is quite scary, so parental

discretion is advised for young or sensitive children. Daylight hours with no actors allow you to enjoy the stunning detail of the haunt at your own pace.) Visit hauntedoverload.com for schedules and ticket information.

Coppal h ouse farm

Coppal House Farm, 118 N. River Road (Route 155), Lee. (The farm says Google Maps and Mapquest pinpoints may be inaccurate but GPS should be reliable.) 603-659-3572, nhcornmaze. com.

Coppal House Farm in Lee is primarily a livestock farm — home to a flock of 75 breeding ewes, 500 heritage breed chickens for eggs and meat, and 25 hogs. Three big Belgian draft horses are also farm residents, used to work the 78 acres of land and provide locomotion for hay and sleigh rides.

But Coppal Farm is perhaps bestknown to the public for two festival events. In August the sunflower festival draws crowds to the farm’s 10 acres of yellow blooms before they are harvested to make culinary oil. Even more well-attended is Coppal Farm’s elaborate corn maze staged in the fall.

The first Coppal House Farm corn maze was constructed by owners John and Nancy Hutton in 2005. They say it’s New Hampshire’s oldest of its type.

This fall the themed Brown Bat Maze makes its debut, covering 5 acres, constructed with a draft horse and teamster John Hutton.

The amazing maze is open beginning Saturday, Sept. 2, through Sunday, Oct. 29. Hours are Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

Maze admission is $8 for children 5 to 12 years, adult tickets $10, 4 years and under admitted free. Seniors, military and college students get in for $8. Advance tickets are not required.

The maze opens for nighttime

explorers on three Saturdays — Sept. 23, Oct. 7, and Oct. 21, 6:30 to 9 p.m. Admission is $15 for ages 5 and over. Night maze tickets must be reserved online in advance at nhcornmaze.com.

In addition to the corn maze, fall festival events include horse-drawn wagon rides, Saturday and Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., through Oct. 15. Saturday, Sept. 16, features fairy house building. Saturday, Sept. 23, is draft horse photo day. Touch-a tractor day is Sept. 24. A craft fair is scheduled for Oct. 14 and Oct. 15.

tendercrop farm

Tendercrop Farm at the Red Barn, 123 Dover Point Road. Open daily 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., 603-740-4920, tendercropfarm.com

Tendercrop Farm at the Red Barn in Dover is 135 lush acres of farmland and a 10,000-square-foot farm store that was once part of the historic Tuttle Farm red barn. Fresh produce from its fields (and others) crams the store’s shelves. Tendercrop’s own pasture-raised poultry, beef and pork fill the 25-foot butcher counter. Prepared foods from its commissary kitchen, bakery goods made on site, artisan dairy products, fresh eggs, meals and sandwiches to go, cut flowers, a host of other grocery items and an outdoor enclosed patio nursery make this a veritable mega-store among Seacoast farm markets. The Dover Tendercrop location is one of three operated by the family-owned company — the other two being in Wenham and Newbury, Mass.

The Tendercrop Farm sunflower festival — incorporating a pick-your-own tour, a corn maze and a craft show — is scheduled for Sept. 9 and Sept. 10, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets are $10, children 12 and under free. Admission includes a covered wagon ride through blooming fields of sunflowers — a picture-taking opportunity for sure. After you’re dropped off in the fields, you cut your own sunflower blooms for $1 apiece before returning in the farm wagon. (Bring your own cutting tool.)

Also included in the festival ticket price are adult and child corn mazes, music from Counterfeit Cash (a Johnny Cash tribute band), a craft fair and a food truck pop-up event. A beer shed, brick-oven pizza, corn on the cob, Asian food, lobster and crabmeat rolls, ice cream and loads of other fair food will be available.

Activities for kids include pony rides, a cupcake walk, face painting and a new bouncy pad that you walk onto in

Applecrest Farm Orchard in North Hampton covers some 200 acres and harvests fruit from 20,000 trees. With more than 40 apple varieties, Applecrest was named the second best place for apple picking in the country by Travel and Lesisure magazine. Courtesy photo.

stocking feet and bounce to your heart’s content. The bounce pad accommodates the whole family, so adults up to 225 pounds may enjoy it too.

The corn mazes remain open for nighttime wanderers on Saturday nights in October through Nov. 4. Admission to the flashlight corn maze is $10, children 12 and under free. The beer shed and brick oven pizzeria are open on maze nights. Contact the farm for flashlight maze hours.

Bedrock Gardens

Bedrock Gardens, 19 High Road, Lee, 603-659-2993, bedrockgardens.

org

Calling itself an oasis of art, horticulture and inspiration, Bedrock Gardens in Lee is not a farm per se. Instead you’ll find an expansive public garden that combines unusual botanical specimens and unique sculpture into a quiet, rolling landscape. The 30-acre site was called

“one of the most beautiful and intriguing landscapes in New Hampshire” by the Boston Globe.

This former dairy farm was converted over the past 30 years with a diverse plant collection, varied landscape design, hardscaping, and the extensive sculpture collection.

Ninety-minute tours led by a garden docent happen at 10:15 a.m. Self-guided tours with a property map and unlimited time are also available. Reservations are not required. A self-guided 3/4-mile walk and several miles of trails provide for passive recreation. Suggested donation is $15, children 12 and under free.

A special fall event, the annual Fairy and Hobbit House Festival, springs up Oct. 7 through Oct. 9 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The fairy festival consists of

a designer row of fairy homes lining Main Street in the Fairy Forest. Featured designers’ fabrications compete for prizes based on the public’s votes. In addition, Gnome Depot is set up with natural building materials so kids can construct their own fairy house along the trail. And the Fairy Dust Workshop helps you create a personal fairy dust organza bag, something to put under your pillow, said to stimulate wonderful dreams.

Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday plus the first and third weekends of the month, through Oct. 9. No food provided on site but you may bring your own. Smoking prohibited on the property. Service animals are welcome, but pets and emotional support animals are prohibited.

Applecrest Farm Festival music schedule

Performances begin at 1 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 2, Cold Spring Trio

Sunday, Sept. 3, Bow Junction

Monday, Sept. 4, Cold Spring Trio

Saturday, Sept. 9, RockSpring

Sunday, Sept. 10, Unsung Heroes

Saturday, Sept.r 16, RockSpring

Sunday, Sept. 17, Unsung Heroes

Saturday, Sept. 23, Green Heron Bluegrass Band

Sunday, Sept. 24, Unsung Heroes

Saturday, Sept. 30, Unsung Heroes

Sunday, Oct. 1, Unsung Heroes

Saturday, Oct. 7, Green Heron Bluegrass Band

Bedrock Gardens in Lee presents its annual Fairy and Hobbit House Festival, October 7 through 9. Featured designers display their creative mythical constructions on Main Street in the Fairy Forest. Visitors can build their own fairy houses with materials supplied at the site, listen to stories told by the Fairy Godmother, learn about bees fro the Queen Beekeeper, and participate in a Fairy Dust Workshop. Courtesy photo.

How do you celebrate your birthday?

“Sometimes I have a party with my friends. I usually go to my Nana’s and have cake with all my cousins and my family. My birthday is tomorrow!”

— tiMMy oF north CheLMsFord, MAss.

Would you rather live in a high-rise apartment or a cabin in the woods?

“ I’d definitely prefer a cabin in the woods and that is my plan once all my girls have left home.”

— JA de o F s o M ersworth

What’s the first thing you’d buy if you won the lottery?

“ After hiring a good lawyer and a financial adviser, I’d take a long vacation to somewhere warm. Most likely to the Caribbean.”

— t i M o F n orth

Che LM s Ford, M A ss.

Which holiday do you enjoy the most?

“ I love Christmas because I always get to see my family, and people seem to be in a more loving mood. It also feels good to celebrate the birth of Jesus.”

— C A ro L o F ro C hester

Describe your perfect sandwich.

“ My favorite sandwich is one made with tomato, sliced cucumbers, mayonnaise and American cheese. ”

— Len A o F n orth Che LM s Ford, M A ss.

Would you rather swim in a lake, the ocean or a pool?

“ I think a pool. The ocean is uneven and the bottom of a lake is dirty and disgusting. A pool is much cleaner.”

— oL ive o F s o M ersworth

Compiled by Betty Gagne at Hampton Beach.

Plain-spoken poems

Nathan Graziano talks about his latest project

Manchester author Nathan Graziano discusses his new collection of poetry, Born on Good Friday

Tell us about Born on Good Friday . I was actually born at exactly three o’clock on Good Friday in 1975, and in the Bible three o’clock was supposedly the time that Christ died. I was raised in a fairly strict Catholic household. My mother is a very devout Catholic. Because of that, I’ve always had a number of issues with guilt and anxiety and all those good things that come with being brought up a good Catholic boy. So part of the collection is actually dealing with a lot of the hang-ups that I experienced from growing up with Catholicism. Then it sort of moves into a second section which really deals with confronting guilt, confronting sin, and then the third part of it is my midlife crises, my whole dancing-in-the-dark moment. It really moves throughout my life. I don’t know if I should say it’s autobiographical, but it’s autobiographical.

This is the first book of poetry you’ve published in almost a decade. What made you return to it after such a long hiatus?

It’s been a long time coming for me. Earlier in my writing career, I published more poetry than I do now. … Poetry is a labor of love for me. I don’t just sit down and think, ‘I’m going to write some poetry.’ It’s one of those things that compels you, that calls you, when everything bottles up; it’s an emotional catharsis for me.

How did you capture some of these emotions and memories into the written verse?

These emotions, these memories, are indelible; they’ve been with me my entire life, so it really wasn’t all that difficult to recall those. For me, a poem hinges and moves on emotions. So even if it’s something that I experienced or felt when I was 14 years old, you still experience it, feel those same things as an adult; you just see it through a different lens.

While reflecting on your childhood through an adult lens, did you uncover any surprising revelations or insights?

That’s the real joy in writing; it always surpris es you. Sometimes what’s there is every bit as shock ing to you as it is to the reader.

How would you describe your poetry style?

My poetry is not … lyr ical. It’s very much plain spoken. … I think poetry [has been taken] from lay man readers and made into something so arcane and difficult to understand that most people start reading a poem and end up banging their head against the wall, like, ‘Why don’t you just say what you mean?!’ My aesthetic is the type of poem that you don’t need an advanced degree in literature to understand.

What would you like readers to take away from this collection of poetry?

I’m very well aware that poetry is a hard sell. You can’t write a poem or a book of poems thinking it’s going to make you famous. … But I’m really hoping that with the plain spoken approach and the humor, that maybe people who wouldn’t generally consider looking at a poetry book might take a swing at this one. … In my definition of it, a poem makes you feel something; it probes at a type of emotional truth that you can expand on however you like. … My goal with any book has always been to just make the reader feel a little less alone in the world … and to see themselves and their own experiences through what I’m writing. With this one, I hope they laugh. I do not take myself overly seriously. There’s a lot of humor in the book. Some of it is certainly on the darker side. Ultimately, I just want the reader to enjoy the experience of reading it, to make connections and to laugh.

— Angie Sykeny

Printing for Small Businesses

outdoor marketing

Hand Crafted European Breads & Pastries

Open Thursday, Friday & Saturday 7am-4pm

3 Great Shops in One Seacoast NH Destination!

Come visit our historic properties filled with a wide variety of antiques, art and collectibles. Our eclectic shops feature over 100 dealers offering buyers a true shopping destination.

Dealers welcome • Tax Free NH

978-499-8839 175 Elm St. Rt.110, Salisbury MA Annarosas.com instagram.com/annarosasbakery

3 Great Shops in One Seacoast

Route 1 Antiques

3 Great Shops in One Seacoast NH Destination!

Come visit our historic properties filled art and collectibles. Our eclectic shops offering buyers a true shopping Dealers welcome

Come visit our historic properties filled with a

3 Great Shops in One Seacoast NH Destination!

140752

Come visit our historic properties filled with a wide variety of antiques, art, and collectibles. Our eclectic shops feature over 100 dealers offering buyers a true shopping destination. Dealers welcome • Tax Free NH

Route

The

Route 1 Antiques

Route 1 Antiques

- Since 1975106 Lafayette Road Hampton Falls, NH 03844 • (603) 601-2554 www.route1antiques.com

Route 1 Antiques - Since 1975106 Lafayette Road Hampton Falls, NH 03844 • (603) 601-2554 www.route1antiques.com

Open Wed-Mon 10am-5pm Closed Tuesdays

The Collector’s Eye

Open Wed-Mon 10am-5pm Closed Tuesdays

The Collector’s Eye - Since 1973 -

The

Hampton

The Collector’s

Stratham, NH • (603) 772-6205 www.collectorseye.com

Open Wed-Mon 10am-5pm

The Brickhouse

The Brickhouse

The Brickhouse - Opening April 202376 Lafayette Road Hampton Falls, NH 03844 603-926-0366

Open Fri & Sat 11am-4pm

Drinks with John FlaDD

Mango daiquiri

Days like this call for something cold, boozy and tropical, something with a lot of crushed ice.

Mango rum

Unsweetened dry mango

White or silver rum

With a heavy knife, chop the dried mango into a small dice — very small pieces. Add the chopped mango to a large, wide-mouthed jar, one with a lid. It’s best to look around and find a lid to fit the jar you are using before you get up to your elbows in mangoes.

Add white rum to the same jar — three times (by weight) as much as the mango you just chopped. Could you use vodka, or even blanco tequila, instead of rum? You could, but you would be heading off on a different adventure than the one we are on today.

Seal the jar with a tight-fitting lid, shake it well, then store it someplace cool and dark — maybe in that cabinet above the refrigerator that you always forget about — and shake it once or twice per day, for a week.

Strain with a fine-mesh strainer. Bottle and label it. You will be surprised at how much rum has been absorbed by the dried fruit, but also how much color and flavor the rum has taken on. This rum should keep indefinitely.

Guava syrup

Fresh guava (Available in international markets, and at Walmart, guava is one of those fruits that you are probably pretty sure you’ve never had before, but you probably have. It’s one of the perfumy background flavors in “tropical” juice mixes.)

White sugar

Juice of half a lemon

Chop fresh guavas into medium-sized pieces, then freeze them for several hours. This is to let the ice crystals poke holes in all the fruit’s cell walls and make it oozier when it’s time to cook with it.

Cook the frozen guava over medium heat in a small saucepan, with an equal amount — by weight — of white sugar. Stir occasionally. As it thaws, the frozen guava will give off a surprising amount of liquid. If you wanted to help it along

its way, you could encourage it with a potato masher.

Bring the mixture to a boil. Swirl it around the saucepan to make sure that all the sugar has been dissolved into the syrup.

Remove the mixture from heat, stir in the lemon juice, then strain the syrup with the same fine-mesh strainer that you used for the mango rum (see above). This syrup will keep for several weeks in your refrigerator.

Mango daiquiri

3 ounces mango rum

½ ounce guava syrup

1 ounce fresh squeezed lime juice, which isn’t discussed above but you can probably figure out

Lots of crushed ice

Wrap several handfuls of ice cubes in a kitchen towel, and beat viciously with a rolling pin or some sort of martial arts weapon that you find lying around, until well-crushed. I like to leave a mixture of different sizes of ice. Fill a large rocks glass with the crushed ice.

Add the mango rum, guava syrup and lime juice to a cocktail shaker, and shake it over ice, until it is very cold. Feel free to shake it longer than you normally would; this is a strong, sweet drink that will benefit from the cold and the melted ice.

Strain the shaken daiquiri over the crushed ice. Call up footage of a beach view of Bora Bora on your laptop. Watch it through half-closed eyes as you drink this daiquiri. If small children try to disturb you while you do this, tell them that you are listening for secret messages that you have to be very, very quiet to hear.

It’s no secret that rum plays well with sweet fruit, which in turn plays well with acidic citrus like lime juice. The first sip of this daiquiri will be sweet, then a little sour, which will make your mouth water, which prepares you perfectly for another sip.

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

Mango daiquiri. Photo by John Fladd.

Golf &

Home ofthe $9.99 Lo b ster Roll Weekly Spec i a l s

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

John FlaDD cooks

1922 Watermelon pickles

I could tell that it was an old journal or a scrapbook. It was about 8” by 10”, though it was hard to tell through all the plastic.

“Do you mind if I unwrap it?”

“Knock yourself out.”

It turned out to be a falling-apart scrapbook with more than 150 pages of yellowed newspaper clippings of recipes, most of which seemed extremely old.

“How much were you thinking?”

“Five dollars?”

“Will you take three?”

“Yeah, OK.”

Some online investigation helped identify that the clippings all came from the Boston Globe in the 1920s. Some of these were written by a Globe staff member, but most seem to have been sent in from readers. As a result, the recipes are a little more specific than the “Take a lump of butter the size of a hen’s egg” instructions in really old recipes you find at flea markets sometimes, but being from a time before refrigerators and reliable stoves that you could set to a particular temperature, many of the instructions have a certain amount of vagueness.

For instance, this recipe for watermelon pickles from the Boston Globe, Tuesday, 28 June, 1927.

One of the things I’ve discovered as I’ve tried cooking some of these hundred-yearold recipes is that many of them make a staggeringly large amount of food. Beth’s Mum writes that she has a small family, so she only uses half a watermelon. Assuming that she’s talking about standard, 15-pound watermelons, that’s still something like 5 pounds of pickles, so I’ve cut this recipe in half, again.

1 baby watermelon – 4 pounds or so

1 Tablespoon baking soda

2 cups cider vinegar

¾ lb. (12 ounces) white sugar

Half of a 3-ounce jar of pickling spice

Two state of the art golf simulators with 18+ different courses from around the country to choose from.

Daily from 10am-8pm

Make your Tee Time online: 12oceangrill.com

Cut the melon into slices, then slice the flesh off the rind. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the dark outer skin of the melon. Clean off your kitchen counter, which is now soaked with watermelon juice.

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the baking soda in water. Soak the watermelon rinds in the alkaline water for two hours, then rinse well.

Transfer the rinds to a large pot of water, and simmer them for about half an hour. This is not as long as Mrs. Mum suggests,

but in order to prevent the final pickles from becoming too soft, I’ve reduced the simmering time.

Strain away the water, then add the cider vinegar, sugar and pickling spice to the pot. As Mrs. M suggested, I use a small muslin bag to keep the spices from going all over the place. Boil everything for another half hour, until the rinds are barely crisp. (You’re going to want to turn your exhaust fan to “high” for the next 45 minutes; the smell of hot vinegar can be — after consulting a thesaurus for a more accurate term than “aggressive,” I’ve decided to go with “bare-knuckled.”)

Remove the pot from heat, fish out your spice bag, if you used one, then after everything has cooled, transfer the pickles to a large glass jar. These should keep for a week or so in the refrigerator.

These pickles have a robust sweet/ sour flavor with a spicy finish. The texture ranges from extremely soft to slightly crunchy. They go really well with sandwiches.

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

Watermelon pickles. Photo by John Fladd.

Original recipe. Photo by John Fladd.

oUt For a BitE

W ith MAtt in G ersoll

At north oF noLA restAurAnt & BAyou BAr

Bringing authentic flavors of New Orleans to Hampton Beach, North of NOLA Restaurant & Bayou Bar (3 D St., Hampton, 601-8612, find them on Facebook) features the culinary prowess of owner and chef Sonny Vasquez, himself born and raised in the Big Easy. Just off the intersection of D Street and Ocean Boulevard, the eatery is open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner, boasting a menu of items like shrimp and grits, gumbo, jambalaya, po’ boys, burgers, scrambles and more. Vasquez, whose wife Cassy has owned and operated Ginger & Clove with her sister Angelica on Lafayette Road in Hampton since 2021, said creating North of NOLA’s concept was simple — a community space centered around delicious, homecooked food. “I opened these doors because I believe in feeding people and giving them an experience that they deserve,” he said. “They work hard for their money and they deserve a great meal. That’s a passion that’s been instilled in me since I was a baby.” Following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Vasquez said, his family moved to Washington State for a time before ultimately returning to the Seacoast, where Cassy is from. North of NOLA is his first restaurant as owner. The Scene recently caught up with Vasquez to talk about how his first few months are going and some additional plans he has in store for the space.

How long has North of NOLA Restaurant & Bayou Bar been around?

[We opened on] July 5.

What makes North of NOLA Restaurant & Bayou Bar unique?

We’re unique because there’s nothing like us around. It’s not just Cajun food or Creole food — it can be spicy if you want it to be spicy, but it’s not. It’s just flavorful and savory and delicious. … I’m not reinventing the wheel here. I’m cooking plates that I grew up knowing how to cook and that I love. Jambalaya, etouffee [and] gumbo [are] all the staples of New Orleans that you’re going to find here. … By next year, we’re going to be full-on New Orleans. I’m going to have it all — bread pudding, beignets, and I’m going to have alligator on the menu. We’re going to do all kinds of crazy stuff.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

My shrimp and grits. I’ve done it in so many different styles. … I don’t even know how I thought of it, [but] I’ve taken the grits and I’ve completely rearranged the style and turned it into a cake, then I do a marchand de vin sauce and, oh, my God, I didn’t even know I could cook this good. … Man, it was good, but the problem is that it’s a nap on a plate. You eat my shrimp and grits, you’re going to sleep after!

What is something that everyone should try?

It’s definitely the shrimp and grits, but if you’re in the mood for a burger, I make that same marchand de vin sauce over the burger. … People are going crazy over this burger. It’s this delicious patty with shrimp

and I make this little UFO fried cheese ring … that just gives it another level of complexity. It’s messy, it’s delicious, and it’s N’awlins.

What celebrity would you like to see eating at North of NOLA Restaurant & Bayou Bar?

I’d love to see [former New Orleans Saints quarterback] Drew Brees here — my captain, No. 9. I’d love to have him in here and to feed him and his beautiful family. I’d blow their minds — they’d probably move here to Hampton just to have this food every day!

What is an essential skill to running a restaurant?

Showing up, clocking in, being there [and] believing in something that’s bigger

than you. … I believe hard work is a gift, and every day that I wake up, I thank God for giving me this breath of life, and I clock in. But that’s not just at work, that’s anywhere. I see you in need, I help. … That’s what I’m put on this Earth for, to help people. [Hurricane] Katrina taught me that.

What is your favorite thing about being on the Seacoast?

The community. The community reminds me of home and where I grew up — everybody pulling for each other and doing good by each other. … I’ve really appreciated the support since we’ve landed here in Hampton. We’ve had nothing but support, from people rooting us on and helping us out, even just to get these doors open. It’s been amazing, and it’s been a blessing.

Photos courtesy of North of NOLA Restaurant & Bayou Bar.

Ultra-Processed People , by Chris van Tulleken (W.W. Norton & Co., 313 pages)

Is there anyone on the planet who doesn’t know processed food is bad for you? Probably not, but as it turns out, there’s something even worse — ultra -processed food, which Chris van Tulleken eviscerates, along with its makers, in the aptly named Ultra-Processed People .

Ultra-processed food, according to van Tulleken, is not food, but “foodlike substances that we’ve never encountered in our evolutionary history” but which we are now consuming in large quantities with little thought to its effect on our bodies.

Van Tulleken is a British physician who specializes in infectious diseases; his research is on how corporations affect human health, and so yes, there’s a villain in Ultra-Processed People , and it isn’t the consumer. And in van Tulleken’s telling, it’s unclear (and possibly unlikely) that the good guys will win, so ensnared as we are in the villain’s grasp. He describes consumers as prey in the industry of ultra-processed food production, with their products the bait.

Although these pseudo-food products weren’t even available 200 years ago, they now comprise about 60 percent of the diet of people in the U.S. and U.K., van Tulleken writes. And they’re making us unhealthy and obese, he argues, saying that people don’t overeat when they are presented with fresh, healthy meats and vegetables; they are driven to overeat when their diet lacks the fresh food and nutrients the body craves.

The idea that people are overweight or obese because they don’t exercise enough and lack willpower, he says, “doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.”

“For example, since 1960, the U.S. National Health Surveys have recorded an accurate picture of the nation’s weight. They show that in white, Black and Hispanic men and women of all ages, there was a dramatic increase in obesity beginning in the 1970s. The idea that there has been a simultaneous collapse of responsibility in both men and women across age and ethnic groups is not plausible. If you’re living with obesity, it isn’t due to a lack of willpower; it isn’t your fault,” he writes.

So what is ultra-processed food, exactly? Van Tulleken describes it as anything wrapped in plastic that has

at least one ingredient that you usually wouldn’t find in a typical home kitchen. That definition, taken literally, is problematic, because if 60 percent of what’s in your pantry is UPF, there’s probably some overlap in the ingredient list. So maybe he should have said what you wouldn’t find in a typical home kitchen in the 1940s, or ingredients we can’t pronounce or don’t recognize, but we get the point, which frankly isn’t new. Some years ago, I read a diet book by a chemist who stopped eating processed food when she realized that her angel food cake contained an ingredient she’d used that day in a lab.

And scientists have increasingly been sounding the alarm about artificial sweeteners that we’ve been using for decades; van Tulleken retells the story of how saccharin was discovered in 1879 by a Johns Hopkins chemist trying to make medical compounds from coal tar. When he accidentally got some on a piece of bread at dinner, the chemist later wrote, “I had discovered or made some coal tar substance that out-sugared-sugar.”

Eating should be simple, van Tulleken argues; the human body has an internal system that tells us what and how much we need, but we have thrown it out of whack by feeding it things the body is not meant to eat. And that doesn’t mean we’ve thrown it out of whack by eating sugar and carbs — when they are real food, not ultra-processed, they’re not the problem. So to demonstrate the problem, van Tulleken commits to eating no ultra-processed food for a month, and then 80 percent ultra-processed foods for the next month, all the while being medically monitored. (He also encourages readers to do the same — to “give in — allow yourself to experience UPF’s full horror” — while reading the book. Full disclosure: I did not.)

Some of what he ate is similar to products marketed as healthy in our supermarkets — for example, cere-

al fortified with vitamins, or high-protein granola bars. But while eating a chocolate-chip caramel bar one morning, feeling that it was certainly more healthy than a candy bar, van Tulleken investigates the ingredients and discovers that, in addition to multiple additives, one ingredient was “hydrolysed beef gelatin — cow tendons. It wasn’t enjoyable after that.” As one researcher told him, “Most UPF is not food. It’s an industrially produced edible substance.” Also, he argues, it’s designed to be addictive.

So, how do we stop? Van Tulleken’s brother, who struggled with his weight, decided that UPF was an addiction no different from alcohol or drugs, so he stopped eating it altogether. So did

l iterature

Author events

• DEBORAH and RALPH

BLUMENTHAL will discuss their illustrated book UFOhs!: Mysteries in the Sky at Water Street Bookstore (125 Water St., Exeter, 7789731, waterstreetbooks. com) on Saturday, Sept. 2, at 2 p.m., during the 2023 Exeter UFO Festival.

• NICK FULLER GOOGINS will discuss his novel The Great Transition at Water Street Bookstore (125 Water St., Exeter, 7789731, waterstreetbooks. com) on Sunday, Sept. 10, at 3 p.m.

• TORI ANNE MARTIN

launches her new romcom This Spells Disaster at Water Street Bookstore (125 Water St., Exeter, 7789731, waterstreetbooks. com) on Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m.

• CLIF TRAVERS will discuss his short story collection The Stones of

the author. Others may be fine eating UPF occasionally, even with the full knowledge of what it is. But knowing what you’re eating is the first step in stopping.

But surprisingly, while van Tulleken backs some government policies to improve labeling and marketing to children, he comes down on the side of freedom and says, “I sincerely don’t have a moral opinion about eating UPF. … I don’t care how you feed yourself or your child. The goal should be that you live in a world where you have real choices and the freedom to make them.”

Well, yes, but he just spent 300 pages telling us that UPF is killing us, so it seems a strange conclusion to draw.

While van Tulleken’s credentials are impressive, along with his willingness to offer himself up as a guinea pig of sorts, Ultra-Processed People is a little bit of a mess, structurally, and in its conclusions.

The best eating advice ever, it seems was, given succinctly by Michael Pollan when he wrote “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” That’s mostly what van Tulleken is saying, just more awkwardly. C — Jennifer Graham

Riverton: Stories from a Cemetery at Water Street Bookstore (125 Water St., Exeter, 778-9731, waterstreetbooks.com) on Wednesday, Sept. 20, at 7 p.m.

• JEN ELLIS will discuss her book Bernie’s Mitten Maker at Water Street Bookstore (125 Water St., Exeter, 7789731, waterstreetbooks. com) on Wednesday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m.

• KIM COLEMAN

FOOTE will discuss her new book Coleman Hill at Water Street Book store (125 Water St., Exeter, 7789731, waterstreetbooks.com) on Wednesday, Sept. 20, at 7 p.m.

Writer events and opportunities

• TIME TO WRITE writing workshop is 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 are welcome; registration is required and space is limited.

• UNDER THE MADNESS Magazine designed and managed by an editorial board of New Hampshire 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 for full submission guidelines.

the light in dark places

NH native Marielle Thompson presents her debut gothic novel

By Mya Blanchard listings@hippopress.com

When Marielle Thompson was diagnosed with a dissociative disorder in 2021, she instantly wanted to find literature that she could see herself in. When she wasn’t able to find any that felt true to her own experience, she decided to write some of her own. Two years later, that story is complete. Thompson, who currently lives in Switzerland, discussed her debut gothic novel, Where Ivy Dares to Grow.

Ever since her childhood in Exeter, Thompson knew she wanted to be a writer.

“I was just constantly bombarding my family with outrageous stories,” she said. An avid reader, she spent lots of her time at the Exeter Public Library. She went on to study in Scotland, earning two master’s degrees, first in Romantic and Victorian literature and then in creative writing.

“My first master’s degree in Romantic and Victoran literature [was in] 17th-, 18th- and 19th-century literature, but I really focused in on the 19th century,” Thompson said. “I love those classic gothic tales and I really wanted to focus my degree on the private letters and the journaling a lot of those authors did. … I think that gothic literature generally is sort of like a peek into [the] psyche of the characters and I’ve always found that really fascinating.”

Thompson said that her studies in creative writing and 19th-century literature, citing the Bronte sisters and Mary Shelley as particular influences, gave her a foundation from which to draw inspiration for her novel. Historical events also inspire her writing, like the Mober-

ly-Jourdain incident that happened in France in 1901, when two women who were walking on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles claimed to have slipped back centuries in time before returning back to the present hours later. The story is also infused with her own personal experiences, which Thompson says coincide with the gothic genre.

“The story is very much about mental health and specifically about [the] dissociative disorder that I and [the] main character have,” she said. “I’ve sort of explained it to people by saying it feels like being in a gothic novel, [as if] the ghosts are in your own mind and your body feels like this haunted house you’re trapped in. When I knew I wanted to write a story that was about mental health, and with my degrees, [it] felt like the perfect fit to go for gothic.”

Where Ivy Dares to Grow follows protagonist Saoirse Read who is spending the winter with her fiance and his less-than-accepting parents at their isolated, haunted familial home. One day while walking in the garden, Saoirse slips back in time to 1818 and meets one her fiance’s ancestors, with whom she forms a relationship. Readers embark on this journey with Saoirse, as she slips back and forth from 1818 to the present, navigating the complicated relationships in her life while trying to cope with her mental health.

While categorized as gothic, the novel is a mashup of genres, with elements of

S B R O W N

historical fiction, romance and psychological mystery with some magical flair. Above all, it was important to Thompson the mental health aspect of the story not be overshadowed.

“There’s tons of heavy topics but it really is a story of hope and … self-love and self-acceptance so I hope that that is something that readers can see in this story and take away from it,” Thompson said. “Espe-

Art Events

• ART ’ROUND TOWN GAL-

LERY WALK The Portsmouth downtown area hosts the Art ’Round Town gallery walk on the first Friday of every month from 5 to 8 p.m. (14 Market Square). Explore the art scene in this creative historical community by visiting different art galleries downtown. Visit artroundtown. org.

Exhibits

• “CREME DE LA CREME”

The Art Center and NH Art Association present their “Creme de la Creme” members exhibition at The Art Center (Suite 1177, 1 Washington St. in Dover; theartcenterdover.com) through the end of August.

• BIG INK WEEKEND at the gallery at 3S Artspace (319 Vaughan St. in Portsmouth; 3sarts.org, 766-3330) will feature “the Big Tuna” — a giant mobile printmaking press — that local artists will use to create large-scale relief prints. The printing, which the public can watch, will run

cially those that have struggled with mental health … [I hope they] feel like the book is a little bit of a friend and can help give a positive outlook that it’s not always so dark.”

At Gibson’s Bookstore, Thompson will talk about her book as well as engage in a Q&A session and book signing.

“I’m so excited!” Thompson said about returning to the Granite State for this event. “It feels very full circle, as so much of my original love of reading in childhood is connected to memories of New Hampshire, so it feels right to celebrate my debut there.”

Saturday, Aug. 26, and Sunday, Aug. 27, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Artists printing at 3S Artspace include Michelle Stevens, Leslie Evans, Poppy Lord, Denise Manseau, Lisa Schwarz, Le Huong Huynh, Heather Hughes, Sarah Robbitts-Terry, Jennifer Benn, Lauren Audet, Christie Norton, Emily Noelle Lambert, Ronald Pacacha, Mary Mead, Jessica McKeon, Eric MacDonald, Alison Freidlin, Ashley Doke and William Wright.

• “OBSERVATIONS: A PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION” is showcasing the work of the photographers Ron St. Jean, Manuel Ricardo Perez and Guy Freeman in the Jim Reagan Gallery, at the Art Center (1 Washington St., Suite 1177, in Dover; theartcenterdover.com). The center is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and by appointment.

• “OSHIBANA — THE BOTANICAL COLLECTION

The Art Center (Suite 1177, 1 Washington St. in Dover; theartcenterdover.com) features the

exhibit “Oshibana — The Botanical Collection” featuring the artwork of Roberta Garrison in the Jim Reagan Gallery through Aug. 31. Oshibana is an art form originating in 16th-century Japan involving “arranging pressed flowers and botanical elements into stunning works of art,” the release said. Garrison’s work focuses on the beauty of local birds.

• “BIENNIAL ONE” will be on display at the New Hampshire Art Association’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery (136 State St., Portsmouth) from Aug. 31 through Oct. 1. The exhibit invites artists to showcase their best work that takes creative risks and explores abstract expression, contemporary environmental and social justice issues and new media, with no specific theme. The gallery is open Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.

Booker report: Big rooms are back (mostly)

Beginning with booking a 1989 Lenny Clarke show in the back room of a Nashua gym, Jim Roach has been a force in New England’s comedy scene. His involvement began earlier; Roach worked a Henny Youngman show in 1984. He’s had a hand in appearances including George Carlin, Jay Leno, Sam Kinison, Denis Leary and an early ’90s Jerry Seinfeld/Adam Sandler double bill in Lowell, Mass.

His “all-time best” night was comedy legend Don Rickles’ show at Manchester’s Palace Theatre in 2006, when Rickles, his musical director and his road manager — who had a similar job with Frank Sinatra — took him to dinner. The evening produced some great stories.

Roach still books comedy at the Palace, along with a long list of opera houses and showcase rooms in New Hampshire. He’s got upcoming shows at Nashua’s new Center for the Arts, the Capitol Center in Concord, the Lebanon Opera House and both Colonial Theatres, in Keene and Laconia.

So Jim Roach is a good person to take the pulse of professional comedy. A recent phone interview began at a familiar point, the transition from socially distanced events to something approaching normal: “Two summers ago, when the Colonial in Laconia opened up with Bob Marley, we did seven shows and we sold them all out. That was when we felt like, OK, we’re on the right side of this.”

Demand was met with an onslaught that included some subpar efforts.

“Everybody was doing comedy shows, little bars and little places,” Roach said. “Not all of it was great … people that weren’t ready to do even those small rooms were doing it, but it gave them stage time and that’s the most important thing for any comedian.”

Overall, Roach remains cautiously optimistic.

“It really has jumped up quite a bit,” he said. “I don’t know if we’re exactly back where we were before the pandemic where everybody’s feeling like coming out, but we’re very close and I think it’s going to continue to grow over the next couple of years.”

Time-worn patterns with his client comics Bob Marley, Juston McKinney and Jimmy Dunn haven’t fully

returned. “I like to be on a calendar circuit; every November Marley is at the Capitol Center, every spring he’s at the Palace. Then we’ll usually do the spring in Keene and the fall in Lebanon,” Roach said. “We’re not back in the routine yet.”

On the other hand, he said, “There’s also a lot of rooms that took time to do work on the venues, like the Lebanon Opera House is in their second phase.”

Keene added its Showroom, to complement midsize spots like Manchester’s Rex Theatre and Bank of New Hampshire Stage in Concord; Lebanon Opera House is reportedly working on a second room.

“It really does help; when you’re booking big national artists, agents love it when you can book their smaller acts,” Roach said. “I love working with a lot of young comics, and I’ve worked with a bunch of young kids recently.”

He names Kathy Ferris, Emily Ruskowski, Carolyn Cook and Kristy Kielbasinski as some of his recent favorites. The latter is a working mother of three who published her first children’s book in 2022.

“Nick Hoff is a national comedian, he was at the Rex for me, what a great kid. He’s on the road with his family, his wife and three kids. They’re touring the country trying to do as many states as possible this summer. What a cool thing — they’re experiencing America, he’s getting to work and they’re doing it together.”

Justin Hoff is another up and comer, a mid-30s comic Roach booked to open for Marley’s recent run of shows at Blue Ocean Music Hall in Salisbury Beach, Mass.

“There’s a lot of good stuff coming out and there are so many tools now for comics to get their message out there,” he said.

Roach is also pleased with the response to the all-female, all-headliner Mother of a Comedy Show. “I love the Mothers, getting and putting that together with them and working with them closely on it,” he said. “However, I will tell you than when I go to the show, I can’t get a word in edgewise, because they’re all brilliant and extremely funny, and all they want to do is torture me.”

On balance, “I think comedy is in a good place right now,” Roach said, add -

ing that a plethora of venues may be a double-edged sword, but it’s good that aspirants have time and space to experiment and learn.

“They need to figure out who they are on stage, what their particular brand of comedy is,” he said. “Listen, we’re all messed up … when you go on stage,

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, 659-7700, stonechurchrocks. com

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

Events

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

• Josh Day/Kathe Farris

you’re able to talk about stuff that’s real in your life. Maybe exaggerate it, build it up a little bit, but if you’re coming from a place of love in your heart and the craziness that’s in your life, people in the audience are going to get it, they’re going to understand it — because we’re all messed up.”

Word Barn, Thursday, Sept. 7, 7 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.

• David Koechner Music Hall Lounge, Saturday, Nov. 4, 6 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.

• Ben Bailey Music Hall Lounge, Thursday, Nov. 9, 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

t heater

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

trivia

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

• Smuttynose (105 Towle Farm Road, Hampton, 4364026, smuttynose.com) at 6 p.m.

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

f

ilm

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

• 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.

Lenny Clarke. Courtesy photo.

t hursday, Aug.

Hampton

24

Bogie’s: live music, 7 p.m.

CR’s: Greg DeCoteau, 6 p.m.

The Goat: Taylor Hughes, 8 p.m.

L Street: Chris Powers, 2:30 p.m.; Keith Crocker, 7 p.m.

Sea Ketch: Clint Lapointe, 1 p.m.; Lewis Goodwin, 8:30 p.m.

Sea Shell: Nashville Line Dance, 6 p.m.; Angela West and Showdown, 7 p.m.

Smuttynose: D-Comp, 6:30 p.m.

Wally’s: Russ Six, 3 p.m.

Whym: music bingo, 6 p.m.

Portsmouth

Gas Light: Peter Pappas, 2 p.m.; Erika Van Pelt Duo, 7 p.m.

The Goat: Isaiah Bennett, 9 p.m.

Seabrook

Backyard Burgers: Jennifer Mitchell, 6 p.m.

Red’s: Relative Soul, 8 p.m.

f riday, Aug. 25

Exeter

Sea Dog: live music, 5 p.m.

Shooters: Feverslip, 6 p.m.

Hampton

Bogie’s: live music, 7 p.m.

CR’s: Steve Sibulkin, 6 p.m.

The Goat: Alex Anthony, 8 p.m.

L Street: Justin Federico, 2:30 p.m.; Craig Lagrassa, 8 p.m.

Sea Ketch: Dave Clark, 1 p.m.; Ray Zerkle, 8:30 p.m.

Sea Shell: Hampton Beach vocal talent competition juniors, 7 p.m.

Smuttynose: Small Town

Stranded, 6:30 p.m.

Wally’s: Chris Toler, 3 p.m.

Whym: live music, 6:30 p.m.

Portsmouth

Gas Light: Paul Warnick, 2 p.m.; Max Sullivan Group, 7 p.m.; Matt Langley, 7:30 p.m.

The Goat: Chris Toler, 9 p.m.

Mojo’s: live music, 7 p.m

Seabrook

Chop Shop: live music, 6:30 p.m.

Red’s: DNA Acoustic, 9 p.m.

Somersworth Earth Eagle: live music, 6 p.m.

saturday, Aug. 26

Exeter

Shooters: The Groove Cats, 6 p.m.

Hampton Bernie’s: MB Padfield, 1 p.m.

Bogie’s: live music, 7 p.m.

L Street: Jake Bartolin, 3:30

p.m.; Chris Powers, 8 p.m.

Sea Ketch: Jodee Frawlee, 1

p.m.; Ralph Allen, 8:30 p.m.

Sea Shell: Hampton Beach vocal talent competition, 7 p.m.

Wally’s: Russ Six, 3 p.m.

Whym: Chris Cavanaugh, 6:30 p.m.

Portsmouth Gas Light Pub: Freddie Catalfo, 2 p.m.; Mica’s

Groove Train, 7 p.m.; Jeff Mrozek, 7:30 p.m.; Jeff Mrozek, 9:30 p.m.

The Goat: Mike Forgette, 9 p.m.

Seabrook

Chop Shop: live music, 9 p.m.

Red’s: Jumpstreet, 9 p.m.

s unday, Aug. 27

Hampton

Bernie’s: Fear Nuttin Band, 7 p.m.

Bogie’s: live music, 7 p.m.

The Goat: Justin Jordan, 1 p.m.

L Street: Keith Crocker, 3:30 p.m.; Johnny Angel, 8 p.m.

Sea Ketch: Paul Lussier, 1 p.m.; Matt Luneau, 8:30 p.m.

Sea Shell: Hampton Beach vocal talent competition, 7 p.m.

Smuttynose: Jordan & Clint, 1 p.m.

Wally’s: MB Padfield, 2 p.m.

Portsmouth

Cisco: Troll Tribe, noon

Gas Light: Jonny Friday, 2 p.m.; Radio Daze, 6 p.m.

The Goat: Rob Pagnano, 9 p.m.

Seabrook

Beach Deck: Jennifer Mitchell, 4 p.m.

Red’s: Lauren Mahoney, 8 p.m.

Monday, Aug. 28

Hampton

The Goat: Caylin Costello, 9 p.m.

L Street: Carl Chloros, 2:30 p.m.; Dave Clark, 7 p.m.

Sea Shell: Rico Barr Band, 7 p.m.

Gibb’s

Wally’s: Brooks Hubbard, 2 p.m.

Portsmouth

Gas Light: Mitch Alden, 2 p.m.; Tim Theriault, 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. 29

Hampton

Bernie’s: Chris Toler, 7 p.m.

The Goat: Mike Forgette, 9 p.m.

L Street: Chris Michaels, 2:30 p.m.; Chris Powers, 7 p.m.

Sea Shell: 12/OC, 7 p.m.

Shane’s: music bingo, 7 p.m

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

Concerts

Venues

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, jimmysoncongress.com

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

The

Portsmouth Earth Eagle: open mic, 6 p.m.

Gas Light: Lewis Goodwin, 2 p.m.; Paul Warnick, 7:30 p.m.

The Goat: Isaiah Bennett, 8 p.m.

Seabrook

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

Red’s: Code 2, 8 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 30

Hampton

Bogie’s: open mic, 7 p.m.

The Goat: Justin Jordan

L Street: Dave Clark, 2:30 p.m.; Carl Chloros, 7 p.m.

Sea Shell: Redemption, 7 p.m.

Wally’s: Jonny Friday Duo, 3 p.m.; live band karaoke, 8 p.m.

Portsmouth Gas Light: Halley Neal, 2 p.m.; Clint Lapointe, 7:30 p.m.

The Goat: Alex Anthony, 9 p.m.

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

Rochester Porter’s: live music, 6:30 p.m.

Seabrook

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

Red’s: Lee Biddle, 8 p.m.

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, 3431899, thestranddover.com

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

Shows

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

Hall

• Brooke Annibale Thursday, Aug. 24, 7 p.m., Word Barn

• 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

• Diaspora Radio: Masterpiece (Big Thief tribute) Thursday, Aug. 24, 9 p.m., Press Room

• 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

• Adrienne Mack-Davis Friday, Aug. 25, 7 p.m., 3S Artspace

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

Artspace

• Lucy Wainwright

Roche Saturday, Aug. 26, 6:30 p.m., Word

Barn

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

• Dirtwire Saturday, Aug. 26, 8 p.m., Stone

Church

• WASP Sunday, Aug. 27, 8 p.m., Casino Ball-

room

• JigJam Sunday, Aug. 27, 7 p.m., Word Barn

• Slaid Cleaves Sunday, Aug. 27, 8 p.m., 3S

Artspace

• Sammy Rae & The Friends Sunday, Aug. 27, 7:30 p.m., Music

Hall

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

• Cecile McLoran Salvant & Sullivan Fort-

urday, Sept. 2, 7 p.m., Word Barn

• Gimme Gimme Disco

Saturday, Sept. 2, 8 p.m., Hampton Beach

Casino Ballroom

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

Barn

• The Righteous Babes

Sunday, Sept. 3, 8 p.m., The Music Hall

• Joe Louis Walker

Wednesday, Sept. 6, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Lucy Wainwright

Roche & Suzzy Roche

Wednesday, Sept. 6, and Thursday, Sept. 7, 7 p.m., The Music Hall

Lounge

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

Sunday, Sept. 10, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

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

• Godspeed You! Black

Emperor Monday, Sept. 11, 7:30 p.m., The Music Hall

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

• Kimaya Diggs

Wednesday, Sept. 13, 7 p.m., Press Room

• Jake Manzi Wednesday, Sept. 13, 7 p.m., Press Room

• High Pulp Tuesday, Sept. 13, 8 p.m., Press Room

Hall Lounge

• Ween Saturday, Sept. 16, 8 p.m., Casino Ballroom

• David Wilcox Sunday, Sept. 17, 7 p.m., Word Barn

• Dave McMurray

Sunday, Sept. 17, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• 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

tet Saturday, Sept. 23, 6 p.m., Press Room

• Oteil & Friends Sunday, Sept. 24, 8 p.m., Music Hall

• May Erlewine Monday, Sept. 25, 7 p.m., Music Hall Lounge

• Hot Tuna Electric

Monday, Sept. 25, 7 p.m., Music Hall

• Ben Folds Wednesday, Sept. 27, 7:30 p.m., Music Hall

• John Primer Wednesday, Sept. 27, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

day, Oct. 2, 8 p.m.,

Press Room

• Oz Noy/Dennis

Chambers/Jimmy

Haslip Wednesday, Oct. 4, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Amythyst Kiah

Wednesday, Oct. 4, 8:30 p.m., Music Hall

Lounge

• Ben Harper Wednesday, Oct. 4, 8 p.m., Casino Ballroom

• Gretchen Parlato & Lionel Loueke

Thursday, Oct. 5, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

ner Tuesday, Aug. 29, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• The Highwomen

Tuesday, Aug. 29, 7 p.m., Casino Ballroom

• Dumpstaphunk

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

• Dawes Wednesday, Aug. 30, 7:30 p.m., Music Hall

• JD McPherson

Wednesday, Aug. 30, 8 p.m., Press Room

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

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

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

• Jill Sobule Thursday, Sept. 14, 7 p.m., The Music Hall Lounge

• Chatham Rabbits

Thursday, Sept. 14, 7 p.m., The Word Barn

• 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

• Black Veil Brides & VV Wednesday, Sept. 20, 8 p.m., Casino Ballroom

• The Wolff Sisters

Thursday, Sept. 21, 7 p.m., Word Barn

• Vanessa Collier

Thursday, Sept. 21, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Pam Tillis Friday, Sept. 22, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Skerryvore Friday, Sept. 22, 8 p.m., Rochester Opera House

• Angelina Jordan Friday, Sept. 22, 8 p.m.,

Music Hall

• Ana Popovic Thursday, Sept. 28, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Mick Flannery/Jeffrey Martin Thursday, Sept. 28, 7 p.m., Word

Barn

• Beth Hart Thursday, Sept. 28, 8 p.m., Casino Ballroom

• Stayin Alive: One Night with the Bee

Gees Friday, Sept. 29, 8 p.m., Rochester Opera House

• The Last Revel Friday, Sept. 29, 7 p.m., Word Barn

• Harper and Midwest

Kind Friday, Oct. 6, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Lilli Lewis Saturday, Oct. 7, 7 p.m., Music Hall Lounge

• Dancing Dream (ABBA tribute) Saturday, Oct. 7, 8 p.m., Rochester Opera House

• Mandy Patinkin Saturday, Oct. 7, 8 p.m., Music Hall

• Yacht Rock Schooner

Sunday, Oct. 8, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Acoustic Alchemy

Wednesday, Oct. 18, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• North Mississippi

• Seth Glier

Thursday, Aug. 31, 8 p.m., Music Hall Lounge

• Eels Thursday, Aug. 31, 8 p.m., Stone Church

• Cowboy Junkies

Thursday, Aug. 31, 8 p.m., 3S Artspace

• 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.,

• 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

• Mike Campbell & the Dirty Knobs Saturday, Sept. 23, 8 p.m.,

Music Hall

• WailOn (Waylon Jennings/Highwaymen

tribute) Saturday, Sept. 23, 8 p.m., Rochester

Opera House

• Englebert Humperdinck Saturday, Sept. 30, 8 p.m., Casino Ballroom

• Rod Stewart Tribute

Saturday, Sept. 30, 8 p.m., Strand

• Dirty Deeds: The ACDC Experience Saturday, Sept. 30, 8 p.m., Rochester Opera House

All-Stars

Thursday, Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Antje Duvekot Thursday, Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m., Music Hall Lounge

• The Weight Band (The Band tribute) Friday, Oct. 20, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• 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 Sat-

Rochester Opera House

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

• Radio Flashback (classic rock tribute)

Saturday, Sept. 9, 7 p.m., The Strand

• Southern Avenue

• Queens (female pop singer tribute) Saturday, Sept. 16, 8 p.m., Stone Church

• The Yellowhouse Blues Band Saturday, Sept. 16, 7 p.m., Press Room

• Amy Speace Saturday, Sept. 16, 8 p.m., Music

• Blue October Saturday, Sept. 23, 8 p.m.,

Casino Ballroom

• Bearly Dead (Grateful Dead tribute) Saturday, Sept. 23, 8 p.m., 3S

Artspace

• Stanley Jordan Sunday, Sept. 24, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Nick Goumas Quar-

• Drew Holcolmb & the Neighbors Saturday, Sept. 30, 8 p.m., Music Hall

• Jonatha Brooke Sunday, Oct. 1, 5:30 p.m. & 8 p.m., Music Hall

Lounge

• Walter Trout Sunday, Oct. 1, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Will Oldham Mon-

• Nicole Zuraitis Friday, Oct. 26, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• The Brubeck Brothers Saturday, Oct. 27, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Natalie McMaster & Donnell Leahy Friday, Nov. 3, 8 p.m., Music Hall

STORAGE ON REQUEST

HAMPTON RIVER MARINA OFFERS QUICK ACCESS TO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN AND THE AREA’S RICHEST FISHING GROUNDS. CONVENIENTLY LOCATED NEAR HAMPTON BEACH, RESTAURANTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND SHOPPING VENUES. VISIT US AT HAMPTONRIVERMARINA.COM

Brooke Annibale. Courtesy photo.

Why your sUV may require more visits to the car wash

Dear Car Talk: Your column is always mandatory reading for me, and I look for it first thing.

I own a 2016 Nissan Murano with 69,000 miles on it. It is serving my family well. My question is: What is up with its aerodynamics? I live in Phoenix, and it’s very dusty in the desert here.

If you put a billboard for Juicy Fruit gum on your roof, the air would crash into it and make it harder for the car to move forward, lowering your fuel economy. The same is true for smaller items. The rake of the windshield, the shape of the side mirrors and the arrangement of parts underneath the car can all affect aerodynamics.

By Ray Magliozzi

The rear window and lift gate get dusty after driving just a few miles down the road. Does that happen with other, similarly shaped cars? — JR

Yup. Believe it or not, there are physicists who spend their entire careers studying stuff like the flow of water and dirt onto car surfaces, JR. Who knew the car wash industry had so much influence over our nation’s research agenda?

Anyway, the answer is: yes. “SUVshaped” vehicles are prone to having dirty tailgates and rear windows. Here’s why: The primary goal of aerodynamics on passenger vehicles is to let them slip through the air, rather than fight it.

That all makes sense, right? Well, because of the shape of SUVs, the air flowing quickly over and under the car creates a vortex when it comes out the back. And that vortex, in effect, sucks up the dust and dirt being kicked up from the road and distributes it all over the back of your freshly washed SUV.

A sedan, with a more bullet-shaped profile, creates a much smaller vortex behind it. It also has less flat surface area (and no nearby window) back there for that vortex to deposit dirt on.

The solution? A rear wiper. Or, if that’s not acceptable, you can fashion a giant rocket-cone that fits on the back of your Murano to make it more bullet-shaped. Then you’ll be all set for the next Burning Man, too, JR.

Dear Car Talk:

We have a 2021 Subaru Forester that we bought new, and the local dealer keeps rec-

ommending all kinds of services that aren’t on the maintenance schedule.

At the second oil change, they recommended an induction fuel service. Then at 30,000 they also recommended a brake flush, front and rear differential flush, and wheel balancing. I figured that if the wheels were out of balance, that should be addressed, but declined the others.

Should I have them done? They sent me a message with the list:

Brake flush: $189.95

Fuel induction service: $176.95

Differential flush — rear: $159.95

Differential flush — front: $159.95

Thanks. — Chris

The wheel balancing may have been the thing you needed the least, Chris.

If you hit a big pothole, knocked off a wheel weight, and had a tire out of balance, you’d have noticed that. You would feel shimmying or shaking, especially at higher speeds. If that was the case, then you did need a wheel balancing. If not, well, at least you earned some points on your credit card.

For maintenance — as opposed to repairs — I’d let the owner’s manual be your guide. The engineers who designed your car have made their best, very educated calculations,

as to what services the car needs.

Looking at a public version of the Subaru 2021 model year maintenance schedule, they recommend “inspecting” both front and rear differential fluids every 30,000 miles. So, did they find something wrong with yours? Was it badly degraded? Do you do a lot of hot weather or off-road driving? Did the fluid smell like my late brother’s living room after he took a grande-burrito-induced afternoon nap?

While it certainly can’t hurt to change the differential fluid, it may not be necessary, and you’ll want to know why they’re recommending it now. Subaru does recommend that you change the brake fluid every 30,000 miles. Many manufacturers let it go longer than that, but Subaru may have their reasons. So, I’d go ahead and do that.

Finally, the “induction service” is complete hogwash — and especially unnecessary after two oil changes. Your fuel system shouldn’t need any kind of cleaning for many more miles — if ever. That’s like pro-actively replacing a hip on a 9-year-old kid.

Visit Cartalk.com.

BeACh BUM fUn HOROSCOPES

All quotes are from The Joy and Light Bus Company, by Alexander McCall Smith, born Aug. 24, 1948.

Virgo (Aug. 23 – Sept. 22) She was not planning to do yoga herself, of course, as there were limits to what she could fit into her life. Some things had to be forgone, and imagined rather than experienced.

Libra (Sept. 23 – Oct. 22) She loved her van…. A new van might be bright and shiny; it might have more buttons and switches, it might even have something called climate control, but did any of these things make it better in any real sense? What was this climate control anyway?

Scorpio (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21) How could everyone set up a bus company? Who would travel on the buses if everyone had their own bus company?

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 21) This was exactly the sort of occasion when tea was required. In fact, it was hard to think of any situation in which tea was not helpful in the way that only tea could be.

Capricorn (Dec. 22 – Jan. 19) ‘There is nothing wrong with this bus,’ he said. ‘Or there won’t be, once we have fixed all the things that …’ He floundered, before continuing, ‘ … all the things that are wrong with it.’

Aquarius (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18) Perhaps they had so many possessions that all those rooms would be needed for cupboards in which to store all the things they owned.

Pisces (Feb. 19 – March 20) There might be more modern men who would enjoy the variety that Food Adventures of the World

promised, but she was not married to one of them.

Aries (March 21 – April 19) It was one of those decisions you make when you are driving, when … you suddenly decide that you will go in another direction altogether in order to do something you had not planned to do but that now seems the right thing to do.

Taurus (April 20 – May 20) This was … not quite bush but not yet urban. Studded with acacia trees, it was criss-crossed with paths of the sort that seem to go nowhere, but that must be used by somebody to get from one place to another.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20) If two heads were better than one, then three heads would be even better in throwing light on what might be a rather difficult path ahead.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22) If her father had ever written a book, it would have been called The Great Cattle of the World, or Great Cattle I Have Known — something like that. And there would have been no shortage of people who would love to read just such a book, because people loved their cattle and knew that cattle had their life stories, just as we did.

Leo (July 23 – Aug. 22) These were rocks on which people would sit and talk, protected from the sun by the branches of the tree above … without being in any danger of being overheard. These rocks, for all their simplicity, were an essential part of the conversation by which people kept in touch with each other and shared their thoughts about the issues of the day. These were not rocks to be taken lightly.

Americans abroad

Sigh. Security guards at the Eiffel Tower in Paris discovered two American tourists sleeping near the top of the structure on Aug. 14 as they prepared to open to visitors, Yahoo! News reported. Paris prosecutors said the two dodged security the night before and “appear to have got stuck because of how drunk they were.” Firefighters were dispatched to collect the men, who were questioned by police; Eiffel Tower management company Sete said it would file a criminal complaint, although the pair didn’t “pose any apparent threat.”

Police report

In more news from Paris, an “experienced climber” got to the top of the Eiffel Tower early on Aug. 17 and parachuted off before guards could stop him, The Guardian reported. The unnamed man landed safely after the leap from about 1,100 feet and was promptly arrested for endangering the lives of others. “This kind of irresponsible action puts people working at or near the tower in danger,” scolded Sete, the tower’s management company.

least competent criminal

Sure, Mountain Dew has been compared to battery acid, but one suspect thought a can of the stuff could save her from being fingered as a killer. Fox35-TV reported that

sUD ok U

on Aug. 5, Nichole Maks, 35, was charged with first-degree murder in the death of her 79-year-old roommate, Michael Cerasoli. Cerasoli was discovered beaten and stabbed in the home they shared in Daytona Beach, Florida, on July 1. Officers tracked down Maks around 3:30 the next morning at a Krystal’s restaurant, where she had blood on the side of her leg and part of her shirt had been torn or cut away. As they approached, she dropped a knife and hammer she’d been carrying; she told officers she often carried such items. Police said that as they questioned her about her roommate, she became “agitated” and asked for a drink; they gave her a can of Diet Mountain Dew, which she poured over her body and hair, hoping to eliminate any evidence on her person. Unsurprisingly, that stunt didn’t work, and her DNA was found on the knife used to kill Cerasoli. She currently resides at the Volusia County Jail.

the weirdo-American community

TikTokker Michaela Witter was on Day 20 of a series she was posting about “100 solo dates” -- activities like reading in the park or buying herself flowers. On Aug. 7, as she browsed in Barnes & Noble in Burbank, California, Witter inadvertently captured a stalker on video as he followed her, kneeled behind her and sniffed her (and another

woman) repeatedly. Fox News reported that Witter’s post unleashed a torrent of similar experiences -- even with the same stalker. “Bro that same man was crouching behind me and following me thru Marshalls today,” one commenter posted. “The same thing happened to me at Ralph’s in Burbank,” another said. One TikTokker had the same experience in the same bookstore. Glendale police arrested Calese Carron Crowder, 37, on Aug. 11, but a judge placed him on probation and released him on Aug. 15. Los Angeles County Jail records show Crowder has been booked there 41 times.

Ummmmmm

Street performer Lino Tomasen, 32, of Havana, Cuba, retired from boxing after a blow delivered to his opponent fractured the man’s skull and killed him instantly, he told Reuters. Tomasen gave all his fight winnings to that man’s family and took to the streets, where the “Ironman” now beats on himself and collects tips. He uses a sledgehammer to slam his wrists, elbows and forearms for horrified onlookers, but seems to be unharmed by the abuse. “It’s all real, nothing fabricated,” said Edward Carbonell, who watched Tomasen’s “show.” “I want to be remembered as someone who pushed the limits of what was possible,” Tomasen said.

At a sunset “furmeet” on Aug. 12 in Huntington Beach, California, one furry took

offense when a man in street clothes started filming the spectacle on his phone, the Toronto Sun reported. Someone in a black wolf costume asked the filmer to stop, then amplified his message with a megaphone: “Leave or we will make you leave.” When the filmer didn’t budge, the wolf hit him over the head with the megaphone. Others jumped into the brawl, which was finally broken up by California State Parks officers.

the tech revolution

The California Public Utilities Commission voted in early August to allow Cruise and Waymo to offer paid driverless rides to customers during the day, The New York Times reported. On Aug. 15, as Paul Harvey, 74, looked on, a Cruise vehicle in San Francisco drove into a city paving project and became stuck in wet concrete. “I thought it was funny,” Harvey said. “It illustrated how creepy and weird the whole thing is to me.” Rachel Gordon with the San Francisco Department of Public Works noted that no one was hurt, but added, “That portion of the road has to be repaved at Cruise’s expense.” Paul Leonardi, a professor of technology management at the University of California, Santa Barbara, chalked up the experience to a teaching moment: “It needs to experience a diverse set of use cases so it can learn, and driving into wet concrete is one of those use cases.”

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. Answers will appear in next week’s paper.

Puzzle A from 8/17

Puzzle B from 8/17

Puzzle B

Puzzle A

By MATT JONES

“twisting Apart”— yes, i accept

Beastie

15. Lessen

17. Picnic invader

18. Brilliant feat

20. 2023 Ali Wong show

22. Dish from a crockpot

23. Pretend

24. Riff’s partner?

27. Pine (for)

29. Part of mph

30. Breakfast cereal

33. Workers on sets, ships, or construction sites

35. Place to see animals in southern Australia

37. Food fight noise

38. “Ode ___ Nightingale”

39. Bond backed by the govt.

43. Golden Globe winner for “Lady Bird”

46. User of recycled material?

49. Qatar, for one

50. Stayed in first

51. Squeaked (out)

53. Makes the decision

54. Tough task

56. General ___ chicken

58. :// preceder

61. “No way!”

65. Outrage

66. Clean out, as a river channel

67. Automated prefix

68. Pool room tool

69. “August: ___ County” (2013 film)

70. Hit the water

71. Any of about 8 characters in the

“Barbie” movie

Down

1. Utah city named for a Biblical kingdom

2. Sugar source

3. Nevertheless

4. Space bar neighbor

5. ___ Grande

6. Flightless birds

7. In a sense

8. “Well, golly!”

9. U.K. fliers

10. Beginning on

11. Blanketlike shawl

12. React to citrus fruit, maybe

16. Jury members

19. Wane

21. Enthusiastic group

25. Filmed material

26. Reason to get a shot

28. Heady activity?

30. MLB execs

31. Workout unit

32. Pretension

34. Head toward a pole, maybe

36. Usually partnered conjunction

40. Like corn dogs

41. Ink

42. Ethyl ending

44. Acorn source

45. Like some broody teens

46. Reason for sandbags

47. Brad of “Sleepers”

48. Elicits

52. Action takers

55. Airline freebie

57. Winter blanket?

59. “Right you are!”

60. Ball-___ hammer

62. Australian boot brand

63. “Madama Butterfly” sash

64. Cruise of the “Mission: Impossible” series

© 2023 Matt Jones

BeACh BUM

ROCK

subterranean homesick puzzles

Across

1. A long way off, as seats

5. Garth Brooks ‘Two __ Coladas’

9. Shudder ‘__ To Arms’

14. Welfare a starving artist might need (w/”the”)

15. R&Ber Benet

16. Kiss “I’m the lord of the wastelands, a modern day __ steel”

17. Dead Milkmen go to sea on ‘Fillet Of __’

18. Scorpions original guitarist Uli Jon

19. Beginning of song

20. Joe Walsh “I have a mansion, forget the price” hit

23. Usher/Alicia Keys sang ‘My __’ for their love

24. Marie Osmond’s bro

25. Jack White/Brendan Benson band

30. Fall Out Boy’s ‘She’s My __’ for actress Ryder

31. British singer Winehouse

32. Will Smith’s wife

36. Doors ‘Love Her __’

37. Dylan “I ll sell it to ya __ reduced price”

38. Dylan song for a Louisiana sandwich

39. Sarah McLachlan “We are born innocent” song

40. Foo Fighter song that didn’t make it to the ER?

41. Edit

42. ‘03 Josh Kelley album ‘__ Home’

44. Royalty distribution company

47. Adam/Jack/Ryan Met acronymous band

48. George Thorogood’s band

54. Billy Paul ‘__ Mrs Jones’

55. CCR classic about California town

56. Country singer Chelsea

58. Cars ‘Why __ Have You?’

59. Like Dave and Ray Davies

60. Country artist Tracy

61. Dressing room rule: “Don’t make __!”

62. Backstage room?

63. Kansas “Here I am, I’m sure to __ sign”

Down

1. Marketing write-ups

2. John Cougar hit ‘82 album ‘American __’

3. __ Have To Do Is Dream

4. ‘Consideration’ UK band

5. Onstage image

6. ‘77 Isaac Asimov-inspired Alan Parsons album

7. Strokes misspell ‘Last __’ due to hangover, perhaps

8. Rosanne Cash ‘Seven Year __’

9. The Ramones ‘Adios __!’

10. Imitative vocal overlapping

11. Actor/guitarist Yelchin

12. Buddy Moss ‘Oh __ Mama’

13. ‘Summer Girls’ popsters

21. Goes with Wonder/McCartney

‘Ivory’

22. ‘81 Def Leppard album ‘High __’

25. Guns N’ Roses ‘__ N’ The Bedouins’

26. Medina ‘You __’

27. Dylan “Oh, to be back in the land of Coca-__”

28. ‘00 Everlast album ‘__ Whitey’s’

29. Actress Thurman Fall Out Boy

likes

30. A proprietary audio container format of Microsoft (abbr)

32. ‘Born To Be My Baby’ Bon __

33. Placed on Ebay for rare axe

34. Replacements took two tablets or this ‘Of Thunder’

35. Word of support on band decision

37. FM radio format (abbr)

38. ‘Teenage Dream’ Katy

40. Kind of Marilyn Manson ‘Show’

41. Joins band again

42. Jazz trumpeter Jon

43. Original ‘Reason To Believe’ guy Tim

44. Ed Sheeran’s “They say she’s in the class __”

45. Embury of Napalm Death

46. Radiohead ‘Dollars & __’

49. Kind of dance at hardcore punk show

50. Tesla got mellow w/’__ About It’1

51. Falls back, as song on charts

52. ‘Big Mouth’ Martha

53. Ramones 70s label

54. One-time Krokus label

57. Non-disclosure agreement (abbr)

© 2023 Todd Santos

Todd’s new book Rock and Roll Crosswords Vol. 1 is available now on Amazon.

fUn

AND ROLL CROSSWORDS By TODD SANTOS