Around Concord, Fall 2018

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FALL 2018 VOLUME 11, NO. 3 $4.95

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community• culture• lifestyle

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CONTENTS

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FALL 2018

CONCORD

VOLUME 11, NO . 3

50

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Features 42

The Perfect Autumn Weekend

BY SUSAN NYE

Fall was created by New England (right?), so live it up.

50 Trail-Running the Presidential Range

BY MARK AIKEN

Attempting all nine mountains (in one day).

58 Find Peace with a Digital Detox

58

BY CAITLIN ANDREWS

Getaway offers unplugged vacations a stone’s throw from home.

4

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CONTENTS

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FALL 2018

CONCORD

VOLUME 11, NO . 3

16 20

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32 www.aroundconcord.com

9 Editor’s Note

10 Contributors

12

28 Food & Spirits

32 The Arts

Personal Essay

66

BY JOHN GFROERER

Calendar

16

72

Neighborhood Profile

Last Word

BY KATHLEEN M . FORTIN

INN AT PLEASANT LAKE PHOTO BY JUMPING ROCKS

20 Health & Well-Being

BY SHANTI DOUGLAS

22 Humor

BY ERIC PINDER

24

Mostly . . . my thoughts turn homeward as I wonder whether I’ll make it in time to read the next chapter of Charlotte’s Web with my five-year-old at bedtime.

Short Fiction

BY SYLVIA BEAUPRÉ

6

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On the cover

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FALL 2018

Making business customers feel right at home.

VOLUME 11, NO . 3

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CONCORD community • culture• lifestyle

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EDITOR ' S NOTE |

BY JAMES BUCHANAN

Song of the

Empty Nest P

lease forgive me if I seem a little too excited for the end of summer and the start of fall. I know, many of you are sadly putting summer vacations, evening cookouts with family and friends, warmth—a bit excessive this summer—and your gardens in the rearview mirror. Some of you may even be in a state of regret that you didn’t check everything off on your summer bucket list. I share these feelings too.

But, I am also ever so happy to see fall materialize from summer’s haze. First, my youngest is off to college! So proud of her, and her brother, and miss her every day.

However, this fall will not include a pile of school forms, endless breakfasts cooked, and lunches managed. Nor will it include disturbing the sleep of a teenager who has slept through her alarm or any of the other duties (read: conflicts) of teen management.

She and her brother are off creating lives for themselves. They are armed with years of me doing my best to share the wisdom of the ages—that they outwardly seemed to ignore—and a solid set of oftentimes challenging life experiences. They have the will and tenacity to slay whatever dragons come their way. Right? (Call for help from one or both kids in 5 . . . 4 . . . 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . .).

Second, I love autumn in Northern New England. As a younger man, I moved around the country looking for my place in the world. Each time I moved from here to there only to return here because there didn’t have anything close to autumn.

When Gertrude Stein said of Oakland “There’s no there there,” she meant her sense of homeness was no longer there. I could say the same of the places I lived. Without autumn, there’s no there there.

So, as I go back to walking the world without kids in tow, I am free knowing they are off building their futures. And I am free to experience all that I love of autumn, especially the sensation of cool air entering my lungs as I run my favorite trail through the woods.

With all of that in mind, this issue seeks to offer a bit of something for everyone. For us trail-runners, Mark Aiken takes us on his Presidential Traverse. Susan Nye shares her thoughts on the perfect fall weekend. We bid a sad but fond adieu to one of the state’s greatest writers, Donald Hall. And Caitlin Andrews and Elizabeth Frantz let us know that yes, we can survive a digital detox.

I hope you enjoy.

Dream big...

We’ll take care of the rest.

JAMES BUCHANAN , EDITOR EDITOR @ AROUNDCONCORD . COM

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CONTRIBUTORS

MARK AIKEN

CAITLIN ANDREWS

JENNIFER SPELLICY

Mark Aiken is a freelance writer from Richmond, Vermont. In the winter you will find him exploring Vermont’s backcountry, instructing at Stowe, or skiing the Carpet lift with his threeand five-year-olds. In the summer you will find him running the trails with his endurance athlete wife.

Caitlin Andrews covers the city of Concord and beyond for the Concord Monitor. Born and bred in New Hampshire, she’s been reporting on a variety of topics for more than three years. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2014 with an English/journalism degree and a minor in anthropology.

Jennifer Spellicy graduated from Harvard University with a degree in psychology. She is a wife and a mom of three kids and two dogs.

Jennifer loves cooking, traveling, reading, barre classes, eating good food, and drinking wine.

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SYLVIA BEAUPRÉ

DAVID BROOKS

ELIZABETH FRANTZ

Sylvia Beaupré is a New Hampshire native who writes from her childhood home. Her sense of place informs her work, which can be found in The Comstock Review, Common Ground, Spillway, Chautauqua, Love Free or Die, and Boomer Lit Mag (pending), among others. Her poem, “What More Can Be Desired,” was a NHWP’s Poetry in Windows selection. She is the author of Tavern Village Tales, an anecdotal history of a New Hampshire village.

David Brooks has written a science/ tech column in New Hampshire since 1991 and has written his Granite Geek blog since 2006, keeping an eye on topics of geekish interest, from software to sea level rise, population dynamics to printing (3-D, of course).

David earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics but got lost on the way to the Ivory Tower and ended up in a newsroom. He joined the Concord Monitor in 2015.

Elizabeth Frantz is an awardwinning independent photographer based in New Hampshire. Raised in upstate New York, she always had an interest in people, culture, and cameras, but did not discover documentary photography until college. She was a staff photojournalist at the Concord Monitor from 2014 to 2018. See more of her work online at www .elizabethfrantz.com.

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PERSONAL ESSAY |

BY JOHN GFROERER

An Urge for

Going

A SONG AND THE NEED TO BECOME THE PERSON ONE IS MEANT TO BE

There is a song that perfectly describes autumn without ever saying the word. Maybe you know it, “Urge for Going.” Written by Joni Mitchell and first recorded more than 50 years ago by Concord native Tom Rush, it remains an anthem of sorts for me. Beautiful in its imagery, honest in its portrait, there is not a word that is out of place. And Rush’s arrangement amplifies the mood like extra wood on a fire.

And I get the urge for going when the meadow grass is turning brown Summertime is falling down, winter’s closing in.

There is no mention of the season the song describes, but there is also no question about it, you just know.

Maybe you never minimized autumn quite so much. It’s almost as if fall is nothing more than the endurance time between a bright summer and a dark winter. Not really a legitimate season at all, but just a turn of the page between two epic poems.

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I remember an early December drive to Littleton last year listening to a Tom Rush CD. As I came around that bend on I-93, just south of Lincoln where the entire Franconia Notch lies in front of you waiting, “Urge for Going” started.

The view ahead was cold, foreboding, threatening. There was a dusting of snow on top of Mount Lafayette, yet the ground below, where I traveled, still had a linger of green.

The sky was dark with clouds so black there could be no question they were full of snow—snow with the urge for going. Winter was closing in. It was one of those perfect moments where I had the right song to carry me through whatever was coming as I made my way north.

There is a deeper texture to the song as well. It is held in the refrain.

I get the urge for going, and I never seem to go.

That urge for going still lingers in my back pocket. Like a smartphone, it buzzes with a call every once in a while.

That was the line that took a firm grasp of my life back in the Western New York town where I grew up. I had the urge for going, but when the time came, would I be able to go? Or would I—years down the road, years down the street that had been home for most of my life—still be there with an unquenched urge for going, stuck in a world of regret and hopes never attained?

That thought hovered over me like dark clouds over Franconia Notch on a

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late fall day. I was not going to let myself be consumed by being stuck. The urge for going was going to be answered.

They were little jaunts at first. The urge might well up on a summer night, and I’d get a friend, hop in the car, and drive to some near yet distant place. Once we even went to a coffeehouse in Toronto to hear a performance by Tom Rush.

With time, the journeys gained length and distance. They might be a long weekend, or even a week. Sometimes I would use my youth reduced-fare card and fly rather than drive. When I got the urge for going, I went. But I always came back, back to my parents’ home and back to the stereo in my bedroom where I listened to Tom Rush albums and thought about the next urge for going.

Then came a trip in early fall when I didn’t go back. It wasn’t planned to be that way, but summer was falling down, an opportunity came along, and I took it, never to live in Western New York again. A few years later, another opportunity and late-fall urge for going brought me to Concord, and here I have remained ever since.

That urge for going still lingers in my back pocket. Like a smartphone, it buzzes with a call every once in a while.

Sometimes I go and sometimes I don’t.

What’s most important is that I know that I can and that once upon a time years ago, I did. I’m not stuck under a looming Western New York sky turning dark with winter, wondering why I’m still there.

I can hear the words to the song, still beckoning, but in a different way. Home is Concord, and there is no urge to leave except for short explorations. Though someday, I suppose it is possible, there could come a time when an urge for a warmer winter may have to be answered.

We’ll see about that one.

And I get the urge for going when the meadow grass is turning brown Summertime is falling down, winter’s closing in.

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NEIGHBORHOOD PROFILE |

BY KATHLEEN M . FORTIN , PHOTOS BY ELIZABETH FRANTZ

Angus Boezeman:

A Life on the River READING A RIVER AND THE GRACEFUL FINESSE OF CASTING A FLY

Upon first meeting with Angus Boezeman, I told him, “I don’t know a thing about fly-fishing. My family is athletic, but only in sports involving balls: soccer, baseball, basketball, and mainly golf.” Angus chuckled and said his brother is a golfer and has a career with a golf-supply company. Their joke is that they have graphite in common—golf club shafts are made of it, as are high-end fly rods. I was quickly drawn to Angus’ likeable, lighthearted personality.

Angus is a Concord resident who is well-known as a fly fisherman, teacher of the sport, and licensed guide, all of which he has been doing for 30-plus years.

His reputation spans not only the state of New Hampshire but also broader flyfishing circles.

Angus spends most of his fishing time on the Upper Connecticut River in Pitts-

burg, New Hampshire, but when he takes time to do his own fishing, he heads to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. “I can’t wait for October. The fall is a special time to fish Atlantic salmon,” he said.

Although “fly fisherman” is the term most often used in conversation, Angus uses “anglers” when referring to the growing group of women taking up the sport. I told him I’d love to learn more about that, and within a couple weeks Angus and I met on a 90-degree July morning at Sewall Falls, a public recreation area in Concord on a scenic stretch of the Merrimack River.

A BIT OF BACKGROUND Before taking a few casts, Angus and I took a seat at one of the picnic tables. Like any good fly-fishing guide, he had a cooler from which he offered me an ice-cold bottle of water. As he handed me the water, Angus exclaimed, “Look! An eagle.” I turned around just in time to watch this avian fisherman glide upstream.

The area where we sat might have been off limits had the proposed hydroelectric facility become reality back in the 1980s. Angus and many Concord leaders fought the project to preserve the natural watershed. It pleases Angus, too, that Native American artifacts were found, offering evidence that the area

Fly-fishing was recorded by Confucius in the fifth century BC. In ancient China, fishing was done using pure gold hooks and spun red silk.

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wildlife.state.nh.us

www.talltimber.com

was a stopping point for tribes riding the rapids in hand-built canoes.

Angus is passionate about sharing information, and it flows from him like a fountain. When you hear about teachers winning titles of Best Teacher, Angus would fall into that category.

Fly-fishing, he began, was recorded

by Confucius in the fifth century BC. In ancient China, fishing was done using pure gold hooks and spun red silk. The sport made its way to Rome and then the rest of Europe where long horse hair was used for the line. The sport finally arrived in the Americas in the 1800s.

While Angus and I sat chatting and watching the river flow by, a man wearing a straw hat and carrying a rod and gear bag came walking out of a trail.

“Angus,” he called. “Why aren’t you in the river?”

Angus replied, “I’ll be out there later.”

The man said he had tried some nymphs up the river. This type of fly sinks down to the cooler water, where the fish like to idle. “Fly-fishing has a lot to do with insect life,” said Angus. “Trout eat bugs.” As he spoke, he explained the importance of caddis flies, stone flies, and midges to fly-fishing.

GRACE, FOCUS, AND FINESSE While many people take up fly-fishing through family tradition, Angus is completely self-taught. The idea came from a colleague who offered to teach Angus the sport. Angus was interested, but unfortunately his friend moved away. “There were no teachers and places where you could learn. It was not at all like today, where you have guides, books, and YouTube,” Angus said.

Angus first learned to fish with a spinning rod and real, which he described as the way many fishermen get their start.

He also said many never get beyond this simple casting technique where a lure is

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NEIGHBORHOOD PROFILE

basically tossed and drops where it lands. “It’s like throwing a softball,” he said.

Casting a fly is quite a bit different because the rod is longer, lighter, and far more flexible and the line is heavier and coated in colorful plastic with a weightless fly tied to a thin, tapered, three- to four-foot-long leader. You can’t just toss a fly like you can a lure.

As Angus demonstrated the difference that hot day on the Merrimack River, his casting technique was elegant and graceful.

“Finesse is the key,” he emphasized. The ease of his movements, his focus on the line, and the melodic whoosh of the line rhythmically casting back and then forward through the hot air were mesmerizing.

“Try it,” he said as he gently placed the rod handle in my hand. Known to be an anxious learner, I was surprisingly very calm. It took a few attempts and then Angus enthusiastically exclaimed, “Perfect, Kathy.” What a feeling! I loved it.

As I took more casts and Angus explained how to read the river to find where a trout might be lurking, I could see that flyfishing is something akin to a golfer reading a fairway or green.

Before meeting Angus, I knew nothing about the art of tying flies. Angus shared several boxes of his own flies, which are mostly made of fathers, colorful thread, and other materials. When combined in specific patterns, they become dry flies (which float on the water), wet flies (which float and sink just below the surface), nymphs (these sink), and streamers (which mimic minnows). As he described each fly, he happily remarked, “I have 40 more boxes at home. My wife doesn’t know what to do with me.”

Because Angus is burly, with large hands and fingers, it’s difficult to imagine him tying such minuscule knots. Angus said he

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just loves doing it. It comes from being detail-oriented, a necessary trait of anglers.

SHARING EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE The breadth of Angus’ knowledge is impressive. As a result, his expertise is in high demand by Hippo Press, PBS, NHPR, Trout Unlimited, and Eastern Fly Fishing and other publications. A Japanese television program produced a documentary featuring Angus. For many years, Angus was the subject of the Concord Monitor column, “Anglers’ Journal.”

His secrets are also in demand. In the May/June issue of Eastern Fly Fishing, Angus finally revealed the long-held private details of one of his most famous custom flies. There are thousands of patterns for flies and, for years, fisherman had asked Angus what materials and tying techniques he was using, having heard of his success on the Upper Connecticut River. Finally, Angus told the article’s author, Christophe Perez, “At 60, it might be time to pass it on.”

Angus’ pattern for a UC Scout—ranked among the most productive flies to attract trout and land-locked salmon—is a three-inch-long fish called a pin smelt. It was fascinating to learn that fish know what’s real and what’s not—accurate details like the length of the fly, the color, and even a thread or feathers that float like the wet hairs or wings of a real insect are critical.

When we returned to the subject of women anglers, Angus shared several surprising facts. The first treatise on fly-fishing was written centuries ago by a British nun. Women have always flyfished, and the trend is growing. During a recent group class, 40 percent were young women. A woman in her 30s recently told Angus she could fill one class with women from her company.

wildlife.state.nh.us

www.talltimber.com

STEPS TO GET STARTED: 1. Take a class. Many are offered today. New Hampshire Fish and Game (wildlife.state .nh.us) holds classes two or three times a year, Orvis has the 50/50 On the Water program (5050onthewater.orvis.com), and Becoming an Outdoors Woman (www.nhbow.com) workshops offer beginners the opportunity to learn outdoor skills like fishing.

2. Consider a private class. Tall Timber Lodge in Pittsburgh (www.talltimber.com) has skilled instructors, including Angus.

3. Hire a guide. This will help you go from a beginner to a more advanced angler. A guide will be nearby to offer advice and opinions, just like a golf professional.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED: 1. Patience.

2. A fly rod, fly reel, fly line, and leader plus a fishing net, gear bag, and flies.

3. An outdoor outfit, including wading boots.

4. A hat and bug spray are mandatory!

5. More patience.

6. Keen eyes for untangling knots.

7. A true love of flowing water and nature.

8. And a good sense of humor.

When asked if he sees any differences in abilities, Angus didn’t hesitate to say that fly-fishing is about finesse and timing, traits women bring to the river. “It is great to watch them. Women learn well, are detail-oriented, and can be phenomenal casters. A 100-pound woman can outcast a 250-pound man, all because of technique.”

According to Angus, he has encountered every fly-fishing problem you could imagine. He’s made every mistake in casting, lost his net in the water, slipped and fallen into the river, missed the boat back to a lodge, and had to change a fly and tie a new one by moonlight. But he wouldn’t have it any other way. The challenges continue, and that is the fun of it.

And for Angus, it is clearly his passion.

Angus has tried to retire from guiding but can’t seem to give it up. “I just can’t say no. It’s like being in the Mafia,” Angus

joked. “Once you are in, you can’t get out.” Angus said his pure joy comes from seeing other people catch a fish or cast a great line. I heard that excitement as he instructed me and held my arm to guide my first casts.

Angus has an 85-year-old client who he has been guiding for 30 years. He also gets great enjoyment from fishing with his five grandchildren. The joy in his face was evident when he talked about how his nine-year-old granddaughter wrote a journal on how she spent her summer vacation; it was about fly-fishing with her grandfather. Angus said his six-year-old grandson wants to move to Pittsburgh someday and asked Angus if he would go with him. Angus answered, “It’s a deal.”

Maybe Angus has a retirement plan after all. However, it’s doubtful that will happen anytime soon.

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HEALTH & WELL- BEING |

BY SHANTI DOUGLAS

|

BY SHANTI DOUGLAS

Anxious &

Overwhelmed?

TAKE ONE STEP AT A TIME

One foot in front of the other. One step at a time. You walk this way, but do you live this way? In this world of constantly changing demands and deadlines, multitasking is likely your mode of operation. How could it not be when there are so many things competing for your time and attention?

But, alas, how’s that working for you? Are you truly able to complete those important priorities in a way that leaves you feeling satisfied and accomplished? Or is there part of you that’s crossing your fingers, hoping you got enough of it right and didn’t miss anything significant? And when you’re multitasking, how are your brain and body feeling in that endless mix of activity? Disheveled, confused, anxious, activated, overloaded?

In my former corporate days, I thought I was the queen of multitasking. I even had an invisible gold crown I used to wear. The sheer color of the crown should have told me

something was off—I have a serious aversion to the color gold—but I was too busy buzzing around mastering all my tasks . . . or so I thought.

You see, the brain can’t go in a million different directions. While it can take in millions of bits of information every second—about 40 million—it can only process 50 of those. A measly 50. That’s a lot of information going unnoticed. And when you’re zipping around, quickly whipping your attention from one thing to the other, everything gets blurrier and more random.

There are lots of studies out there proving that multitasking doesn’t work. I’ll skip the details here (feel free to Google) and jump right ahead to one strategy that does work—an acronym I’ve come up with that’s a great reminder to stay present with the task at hand: STEP, or Single Task Enhances Productivity.

Just like taking one step when you walk, STEP when you set out to accomplish the day’s goals.

Pay attention with intention to the one thing or person in front of you.

Ask yourself: 1. What’s really here?

2. What am I doing with it?

3. What is needed?

With your attention focused, you stay tuned in and present, and remain

While it can take in millions of bits of information every second—about 40 million—it can only process 50 of those.

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on task until you decide it’s time to move on to the next thing. You then pay attention to that task or person until it’s time to move on to the next. One step, one moment, one activity at a time.

With multitasking, not only are you expending a lot of unnecessary time and energy going back and forth trying to get things done but you also aren’t going deep into any one thing. Attention remains at the surface, like a rock skipping over water—many ripples without any depth.

This rippling has you missing opportunities for: • A deeper connection: What did my daughter really mean by that comment?

• Appropriate inquiry: There were so many questions I didn’t think to ask before I agreed to that deadline change.

• Actual task mastery: I wasted SO much of my day on meaningless things.

• A wider view: How did I not see that coming?

• Wasted energy: Geez, no wonder I’m so tired by the end of the day even though I feel like I got nothing done!

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HUMOR |

BY ERIC PINDER

The Dog Days of . . .

Fall?

SEPTEMBER HEAT WAVE LIQUIFIES STUDENTS, TEACHER Blink and summer vacation is over. The poor teachers like me who postpone work on our lesson plans and syllabi because, hey, we have the entire summer to get them done, always pay for that mistake when autumn suddenly arrives.

Panic ensues as we scurry to get everything on our to-do lists done before heading back to work.

To buy a little extra time, I once proposed a new rhyme for remembering how many days are in a month: Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November. All the rest have 26 except . . . yippee! . . . August, which has 63.

The math works out, but, alas, changing the official calendar is not so easy. August remains as short and stressful as ever. A teacher in Massachusetts once described how the whole month of August always feels like “One long Sunday night.”

It’s strange how a teacher’s calendar is a backward mirror image of nature’s

own. In autumn, everything in nature ends. Leaves fall, the wind bites, grass frosts and dies. But for teachers and students, the autumn marks the start of a fresh new year.

Reinvigorated by our summer hibernation, we leap into a bustling season of lesson prep and new classes, while at the same time bears yawn and prepare to snooze for the winter.

Still, sometimes the calendar changes but the summerlike weather does not, at least not right away.

Late last night, I was doing homework when a sudden tremor shook the floorboards. I felt more than heard the vibration. My eyes darted to the black window but saw nothing. Then . . . thud. Boom. Whump. Another distant tremor rattled the pane. Those first, distant thumps of an approaching thunderstorm sounded exactly like the T. rex’s footfalls in Jurassic Park.

Moments later, when the sky sizzled and erupted with yellow zigzags like Thor throwing a tantrum, all I could think was, “Boy, what a letdown.” Even the most amazing lightning displays are a disappointment when you’re expecting dinosaurs.

Today, back at school during a record-breaking September heat wave, I would welcome another thunderstorm, or even a dinosaur attack. Either one would put us out of our misery.

If the air gets any hotter we won’t need to open the classroom windows because the glass will melt. I’m half

If the air gets any hotter we won’t need to open the classroom windows because the glass will melt.

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THE ULTIMATE GETAWAY. FLOAT THERAPY AT liquefied as it is, before I even get to my desk, and so are the students. Sweat drips off foreheads and blots the pages of open notebooks. One student snaps her book shut and uses the cover to fan her face.

“We should take a field trip to the library,” another student announces, oozing into his seat. The library, unlike our classroom, has air conditioning. I stagger to my feet and shove open another window instead. No breeze rewards my effort. Even with all the windows open, the room bakes us like a kiln. “Let’s get out of here,” I say. “If the breeze won’t come in, we’ll go find it.”

Today would be a good day for a field trip to the ocean, if only it were closer. We barely make it as far as the picnic tables under the pine trees, about 23 steps from the door. In the shade, I close my eyes and think of the sea and the many pleasant things it gifts to us. Cool breezes wafting onto shore. Whales splashing. Icebergs.

I torment myself with these thoughts because the shade by the picnic tables provides little comfort. The pine needles, dry and brittle in the heat, crunch under our feet. There isn’t even a good puddle to splash in.

“I’m going to take my shoes off because my feet are getting hot,” someone says.

“Hope you can’t smell them from there.”

We can.

Class soon ends, but the heat wave does not. Back in my office, sweat drips off my hand onto the homework I’m trying to correct. Well, I had wanted summer to last a little longer. I guess that’s why they say, “Be careful what you wish for.”

Okay, that does it. Time to act and put some knowledge from long-ago science classes to use. I’m going to keep walking across the carpet in socks until enough electricity gets generated to create a thunderstorm, which will cause downdrafts, which will cool us all off by sucking down huge quantities of refreshingly cold air from the upper troposphere.

Ow. Ow. Ow. This may take a while.

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23

SHORT FICTION |

BY SYLVIA BEAUPRÉ

Safe Havens

Several roads spiral outward from the village that Lydia calls home. Most days, she and Tom would choose one for their morning walk, but not today.

Tom says he’s going to rake the leaves instead. It’s not much of a job in their small yard with only a few maples, but Tom equates it with exercise. Lydia agrees it is.

When Lydia selects the road for today’s walk, she’ll be sure to tell Tom. She does this when she walks alone. Not that she feels vulnerable or is fearful, but because she promised Alice, her sister. Fear is Alice’s department.

She leaves the TV on night and day.

Even when she’s not watching it, the machine spits out images and sounds of destruction, natural and manmade disasters, murderers and marauders on the loose.

Lydia has spoken directly to Alice about her penchant for watch-

ing and repeating horror stories. “Too much television,” she’s told her. “Too much crazy stuff they call news. Why watch that crap? How can you start every day with it and not have it seep into your mind, into every thought? Like malignant cells, if you give these fears room, they fester.”

Lydia doesn’t want Alice’s fears tagging along on her walk.

She prefers to examine the brook, to watch and listen to the water, to believe she can feel how smooth the stones are beneath the steady current, enhanced by recent rains.

She wishes Tom would come with her. Not for safety, but to help identify a bird whose song she hears but cannot spot among the trees. The most she can do alone is scan the roadside, try to find out where the call is coming from, and catch a glimpse even though the slanted fall sun may make it cast no more than a shadow.

“There’s been a prison break.

Two guys; armed and dangerous.” Lydia thinks that Alice even sounds like the newscasters forecasting doom.

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W W W. A R O U N D C O N C O R D . C O M

*** “Old School Road,” Lydia says to Tom, patting his shoulder as she walks by him toward the

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door. He nods from his recliner, says he’s waiting a bit for the sun to finish drying the leaves. “Enjoy, Lydie,” he adds.

She knows he will close his eyes the minute she leaves, and that that minute may expand to a half hour. But that’s okay, too. They are getting old, have grown old together, and each respects the other’s need to rest when they feel it.

Her sister would not approve of the road that Lydia has chosen. Alice has warned her that less-traveled roads are the least protected places she can walk.

“Too few houses,” she says. “You should take a gun.”

Lydia laughs. “A gun? Geez, Alice. When did you become a card-carrying member of the NRA?” “Don’t be snarky,” Alice replies. “There’s been a prison break. Two guys; armed and dangerous.” Lydia thinks that Alice even sounds like the newscasters forecasting doom.

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SHORT FICTION

Alice rambles on as though Lydia asked for more information. “Even if they aren’t in the area now, they may be headed this way from Massachusetts.” She spits out the name with a disgusted sound, as though it is an entire state filled with criminals, robbers, murderers, and insane people who will grab poor, unsuspecting Lydia from a New Hampshire back road, dump her in their trunk, and deposit her dead in some gravel bank or riverbed. They might even dismember her.

Of course, Alice finds enough gruesome violence in the world to justify her fear.

A while ago—though to Alice each story of violent death is always a recent event— the police plucked a torsoless head from the water as it floated and bumped its way down the Merrimack River. Or was it a headless torso? Alice gets a little mixed up with her descriptions. When Alice feels unheard, she brings up this grisly bit of information, which creates a visual that Lydia finds difficult to expel from her mind.

“But I’m old,” Lydia says. “Nobody’s going to bother some old lady out for a stroll.”

“Don’t be so naïve.”

“Don’t be so afraid.”

At that, Alice says a clipped goodbye.

*** On Old School Road, the only remaining dirt road in her town, Lydia climbs a small hill then follows the winding lane as it runs along the brook she swam in as a child.

Both road and brook meander along the easiest path through the forest.

Lydia can see the tumbling water and listen to its soothing sound. The still verdant smell of plant life between road and brook enchants her. There are ferns and a few late flowers, weeds really, all on the verge of turning to dust like the fallen leaves, which are brilliant this year. Deer flies are blessedly absent, and the sky looks like a child, ignorant of clouds, colored it.

Unlike many of the district’s far-flung schools, her old school was neither torn down or turned into condos and stands

26

W W W. A R O U N D C O N C O R D . C O M

She may be standing on this dirt road in the 21st century, but she is quite lost in the past. It’s the ’50s. Recess.

She is playing games: tag, baseball, dodgeball. She and her young friends are running, leaping, laughing.

shakily about a half mile up the road. Its roof is mostly open to the sky and the clapboards are in rough shape, their paint is history.

Lydia stands in the middle of the narrow road facing the aged school. Like the roof, the front two doors—one meant for boys and the other for girls—have fallen or been bashed in and she remembers climbing the steps leading to the girls’ side so long ago.

She likes places that pulse with memory, and today—since she is alone and not in any hurry—she takes a lengthy pause in front of the building. Here Lydia is easily transported to her past. She may be standing on this dirt road in the 21st century, but she is quite lost in the past. It’s the ’50s.

Recess. She is playing games: tag, baseball, dodgeball. She and her young friends are running, leaping, laughing.

It takes her a minute to return to the present when a noise intrudes on her reverie. A car? Odd for Old School Road, which dead ends. Or, to be more exact, turns into a

Class 6 road that beavers have dammed up, rendering it impassable even by foot traffic.

No. Not a car. Too loud. Too much chug and chuff. A bad muffler, maybe. A truck, no doubt.

A battered and dirty red Ford pickup emerges around a corner near the school in a cloud of dust. Lydia steps off the road suddenly fearful that they won’t see her and might run over her. But she has nothing to fear there. For they have seen her— two men—the driver braking fast.

Unbidden, her sister’s voice chatters in her head. Escapees? Heading her way?

Maybe. No, of course not. How silly to be afraid, to let that voice rule her life the way it rules her sister’s. But here they are, two men slowing way down, giving her a look that she can’t read amid the dust, but they are staring. They drive on, slowly now, and Lydia realizes she’s been holding her breath. She lets it out with a whoosh. She turns and heads back toward the village.

But their disappearance is temporary.

There is no place to go. They will turn around and come back to her. If she were on any of the other village roads she could do what they say to do—walk purposefully, as though she has a destination. Or, she could walk up a driveway as though she were visiting. Better yet, as though she were home. But she is on Old School Road and there is nowhere to go. No driveways, no houses, no haven.

She turns and runs toward what is left of the school, darts down the bank and then behind the building to hide. She’s used to walking, but the run depletes her, and her breath comes in deep, heavy gulps. She is afraid. Bent over, hands on her knees, taking ragged breaths, she admits to the fear.

The truck returns—she hears its engine race along the rough roadway. It stops in front of the school. Frantically, Lydia searches the woods behind her. Would it be safer there or just farther from help?

As the doors slam, one after the other, she flattens herself against the back of the building. Never a fan of horror films,

she realizes this is her own scary movie.

If they find her, what will she do? What will they do? Put a boot against her back, a knife to her throat? Throw her, tied up and bleeding, beneath a smeary window in the extended cab? When they find her somewhere, oh, anywhere . . . how will her sister’s grief mingle with her justification that something bad would happen?

Lydia clings to her old school as if it can save her. She hears them talking, but the words are muffled, her ears incapable of sorting it out. Almost in unison the doors slam, the engine revs, and the truck drives off. Lydia lets her body slide along the school wall to the ground.

*** When her limbs again belong to her, she rises with the help of the building, hand over hand up the rough boards. Lydia starts

back toward the village. The dust has subsided, the woods are still deep and colorful, the brook still plays about the rocks.

A swallowtail butterfly zips past her, yellow like the sun. The road is quiet, almost pleasant again. Has the world returned to normal?

She begins to rationalize her experience. “I probably overreacted,” she thinks.

“They were just guys in a truck. Perhaps something was wrong with the vehicle.”

She thinks of the careless way the men drove. The bumpy road. The sound of the muffler. “Maybe it came loose?” But Lydia is still anxious and takes quick steps on shaky legs.

As she nears her village, her heart rate settles as do her thoughts. Should she tell Tom? She’s not sure, but if she does, she decides to portray it lightly, a bit of a titter, nothing more. She’ll laugh at herself for allowing her sister’s fear to become her own.

*** She hears it before she rounds the last corner down the hill to the village. The blare, the scale-breaking wail of an ambulance. She begins to run. There’s a stitch in her side, but she must get home. It is now a compulsion. Home!

The sound stops, but not the lights, which pulse their colors against a pensive sky. The ambulance is at her house. The pain in her side threatens to stop her, but she pushes on to the corner and the patch of lawn, her chest heaving, aching, darkness closing in but not before she grasps the tableau in front of her.

Rake and wheelbarrow, a neighbor standing there.

Tom, on the ground.

Two paramedics kneeling and leaning over him.

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FOOD & SPIRITS

Rosé,

The Sublime

Pink Drink

TAKE A SECOND LOOK AT A WINE THAT’S SLIGHTLY MORE COMPLEX THAN RUMOR HAS IT

BY JENNIFER SPELLICY

R

osé wine is having a moment. It seems almost everyone—not just wine lovers and foodies—are extolling its virtues. I must admit that while I’m now enthusiastically on board with the pink drink movement, this was not always the case. My fondness for rosé wine came about unexpectedly a few years ago while living in the South of France.

My family and I were enjoying a day trip on the beach in SaintTropez when we happened upon a quaint, seaside café where we decided to grab a bite to eat. The hostess seated the five of us at a long table covered with breezy, white linens under a canopy of palm trees just a stone’s throw from the water. With a stunning view of the Mediterranean Sea, sand under our bare feet, and a warm breeze blowing, I had a pinch-me-to-see-if-this-is-real moment.

UNEXPECTEDLY FRESH AND VERSATILE Our leisurely French lunch consisted of a delightful Salade Niçoise, chunks of chewy baguette, and a few bottles of chilled rosé wine. Prior to that lunch— and based on drinking forays from my young-adult years—I assumed that pink wines were bubblegum-colored and tasted like strawberry-flavored 7-Eleven Slurpees.

So, the elegantly blush-pink Côtes de Provence the restaurant served surprised me. Rather than cloyingly sweet, this wine was unexpectedly fresh on the palate with subtle hints of red fruit and citrus. My husband and I noted how well the wine paired with our lunch, and that it would also be delicious with a variety of different foods.

Rosé wine is now a go-to drink in our home, and we regularly serve it to friends and family. I’ll always be thankful for those few magical hours in Saint-

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W W W. A R O U N D C O N C O R D . C O M

Tropez that sparked my affection for this supremely versatile pink wine.

As recently as the 1990s, many Americans considered rosé wine as an unsophisticated beverage relegated to the liquor store refrigerator along with four-packs of Bartles & Jaymes wine coolers. About a decade ago, tastes began to change, leading to rising sales of premium, dry rosé wines imported from the Provence region of France. These higher quality rosés helped create a new image and reputation.

A RANGE OF FL AVORS In the last several years, rosé wine has gained huge popularity among wine drinkers, with Americans now consuming more than 500,000 cases per year. The phenomenon is attributable to the beverage’s affordable, yet hip status. As but one example, Khushbu Shah, senior food features editor for the ineffably hipster website Thrillist, recently wrote, “Rosé’s appeal

www.liquorandwineoutlets.com

&

iner

&

nta

• scarecrows • cornstalks • hay • pumpkins • gourds

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THE ART OF MAKING ROSÉ The most common method for producing rosé wine is through a brief maceration process.

Basically, the grapes are crushed to break the skins and the juice soaks with the skins— similar to how red wine is produced—but for a much briefer amount of time than for red wine. The amount of time the grapes soak determines the color of the end product and is decided by the winemaker based on personal taste or regional style.

The maceration time lasts from 3 to 48 hours, whereas reds undergo maceration for weeks or months. Since red wine derives its

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goes beyond pure aesthetics. The pink wine is [now] deeply attached to a lifestyle, to travel magazines, and Instagram.”

Rosé wine has also developed a reputation for pairing beautifully with all different types of food, from charcuterie and cheese platters to Thai food.

The primary flavors present in rosés can be a combination of red fruit, citrus, and melon, sometimes with minerality—water flowing over a river stone or rain falling on a hot day—and even tastes akin to the scent of fresh vegetables. These flavors, combined with a light to medium body, tend to be less assertive and are delicious with dishes that range from mild to spicy.

While the heartland of rosé is in the South of France, rosé wine can be produced from almost any red grape varietal in all wine-producing regions of the world. Its various hues range from barely peach to a deep, luscious fuchsia.

A rosé’s color can give you an idea of how it will taste. In general, lighter rosés tend toward crisp and light bodied, whereas darker rosés are more fruit forward with a heavier body. For example, a deeply pink Italian Aglianico rosé can offer up cherry and orange zest flavors, while a pale-colored Grenache rosé from France might taste more delicately fruity with hints of grapefruit. Further, the type of grape and how long the skins have been in contact with the juice will greatly vary the flavor.

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FOOD & SPIRITS

SALADE NIÇOISE

Serves 6–8

This is a classic dish that originated along the Mediterranean in the southern coastal French city of Nice. Its essence of harvest, warmth, and freshness is considered by many chefs to be the best flavor combination of any salad.

THE VINAIGRETTE:

½ cup champagne vinegar Juice of 1 large lemon 1 Tbsp country-style Dijon mustard 2 tsp salt ½ tsp garlic powder ½ tsp freshly ground pepper 3 tsp Herbs de Provence ½ cup light olive oil ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil THE SALAD:

8–10 medium-sized red new potatoes, well rinsed boiled in salted water until just cooked through 6 1-inch thick fresh tuna steaks ¾ lb green beans, trimmed and blanched 1 large bunch watercress or arugula 6 medium-sized (Campari or similar) tomatoes cut into wedges 6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut in half lb Niçoise olives or mixed, pitted olives

1. Whisk together vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, salt, garlic powder, ground pepper, and Herbs de Provence. Slowly whisk in both olive oils until well incorporated.

2. Place cooked, drained potatoes in large bowl. Toss with a half cup of the vinaigrette. Add salt and pepper to taste. This step can be done up to one day in advance.

3. Grill tuna steaks on a very hot grill or cast-iron pan. Brush fish with light olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill each side for a minute and a half so center is rare. Do not overcook tuna.

4. Toss green beans and greens with a drizzle of vinaigrette.

5. Arrange tuna steaks, potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, greens, eggs, and olives on a large platter. Drizzle everything with more vinaigrette.

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W W W. A R O U N D C O N C O R D . C O M

color from the grape’s skin, an extended maceration process leads to a deeper red color and a more complex flavor. Therefore, a rosé left on its skins for 48 hours will be darker and have a more intricate flavor profile than one left for just three hours. At the right moment, the winemaker extracts the juice and the young wine continues its fermentation process.

True rosés—those that are not merely a mixture of red and white wines—ferment for approximately 8 to 15 days in stainless-steel or wooden tanks kept at carefully controlled temperatures. After that, a sommelier tastes it to ensure it meets the required AOP (Appellation d’Origine Protégée) standards set by the French government, then it’s bottled and shipped to retail locations.

EXPLORE DIFFERENT, DELICIOUS VARIETIES With its booming popularity in the United States, rosé wine is now widely available across the country. Ranging from $10 to $25 a bottle, there is a rosé suitable for everyone’s budget and taste.

Each June, heralding the arrival of summer, wine shops, especially those in wine regions of the United States and France, set up dramatic displays of rosé wines with a dizzying array of bottle shapes and shades of pink. It’s fun to visit your local liquor and wine outlet to grab some favorites and select some new, unfamiliar rosés to try.

A random selection process is a great way to discover a rosé you may not have the opportunity to taste otherwise. My personal journey into the wonderful world of rosé wine led me to a realization that the French have likely always known: in its different iterations, from pale to lushly colored, light to heavier-bodied, there exists a perfect rosé for every occasion.

Here are some of my personal favorites that can be found at your local New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet:

www.liquorandwineoutlets.com

Château de Berne Emotion 2017 Price Range: $16 to $20 Fragrant with hints of strawberry, refreshing pink grapefruit, watermelon, and a pleasant minerality. Lovely with aged Gouda and cured meats.

Château de Berne Inspiration 2017 Price Range: $21 to $24 A dry rosé with suggestions of cherry in addition to some tart red fruit notes like fresh strawberry.

Great with spicy Asian foods and saffron rice.

Miraval Rosé 2017 Price Range: $22 to $25 Ripe, red fruit and floral notes with a refreshing acid finish that rounds out the sweetness. Pair with Humboldt Fog or other soft-rind cheeses, dried figs, and roasted chicken.

Minuty M 2017 Price Range: $15 to $18 Offers up citrus zest and red currant flavors creating an acidic freshness that pairs beautifully with beef or chicken kabobs, grilled tuna, and vegetables.

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FA L L 2 0 1 8 | A R O U N D C O N C O R D

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THE ARTS

|

BY LAURA POPE

A Place Born for

The Creative Spirit

T

The Barnstormers Theatre.

Learn more 32

W W W. A R O U N D C O N C O R D . C O M

ucked between the Lakes Region and White Mountains, the five hamlets of Chocorua, Wonalancet, Whittier, South Tamworth, and Tamworth cluster in a picture-perfect, pastoral landscape to form the town of Tamworth.

Secluded and bucolic, Tamworth contains myriad vistas including that of the spire of Mount Chocorua rising above its self-named lake. This is, perhaps, the most photographed mountain scene in all New England that has been viewed by the family of President Grover Cleveland and the Quaker poet, John Greenleaf Whittier.

Tamworth is also the home—among many other

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TAMWORTH OFFERS A FALL DESTINATION WORTHY OF ANY ARTIST OR WRITER . . . OR THOSE WITH A PENCHANT FOR BEAUTY

cultural artifacts—of the Barnstormers Theatre, the oldest professional repertory theater in America. As such, Tamworth represents a portmanteau of pastoral beauty and artistic creativity that has been a beacon to artists for generations. Painters, musicians, writers, craftspeople, actors, playwrights, glassblowers, and many others have—and continue to be—pulled into Tamworth’s irresistible and welcoming orbit.

It is a community of creatives who call the area home for at least part of the year and revel in a countryside that soothes, revives, and enchants the eye. For residents and visitors alike, Tamworth slows the hubbub of modern life to a distant, almost inaudible murmur.

www.barnstormerstheatre.org

Left: Mt. Chocorua. Photo by Thad Berrier.

Above and right inset: The Remick Museum.

Right: Tamworth Lyceum.

The Remick Museum In fair-weather months, halcyon Tamworth offers numerous sites to visit and sights to see both on and off the beaten path.

Visits usually begin at the Remick Country Doctor Museum & Farm (www .remickmuseum.org) on Cleveland Hill Road, just a short walk from the center of Tamworth Village. The museum, which is a historic home and working farm, features historic buildings, a milking barn, walking trails, a children’s garden, herbal workshops, fiber arts demonstrations, and farm-based workshops and activities.

The 14th Annual Harvest Festival, set for Saturday, September 22 from 11am to 3pm, includes activities for all ages, such as games—jump the hay bale, scavenger hunt, and egg race—tractor-drawn hay rides, meet and greet a slew of farm animals, demos and participation in apple cider pressings, traditional wood sawing, corn grinding, and building a bird house. Visitors to the Harvest Festival can also enjoy live music by Brier Hill Band and scratch their shopping itch by browsing the museum’s store and farm stand. A special lunch menu is also available at the festival.

The Lyceum & The Other Store Across the street from the museum, two tantalizing eateries beckon. The charming and old-timey general and hardware store features a lunch counter

Learn more

called the Other Store. One can quite literally pick up a can of paint, odds and ends for dinner, and then a lunch consisting of locally produced ingredients followed by a slab of fresh-baked pie.

Then, next door there is the Tamworth Lyceum, an upscale café, gift shop, and grocer where you will find postcards and other trinkets. In the morning, they make one of the best espressos or lattes you’ll ever have plus a baked item or egg sandwich that is hearty and wholesome.

The Lyceum and Other Store provide outdoor seating made better with the option of dipping one’s feet into the clear waters of the ambling Swift River, just steps away.

Both establishments also feature breads from the incomparable Sunnyfield Brick Oven Bakery.

But, if you are there Saturday morning, you can pick up a fresh-baked loaf at the Tamworth Farmers’ Market (www.tamworthfarmersmarket.org). Though of modest size, this is one of the best attended and provisioned farmers’ markets in the state. With fall upon us, the harvest of apples, peaches, carrots,

www.remickmuseum.org

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Above: Mount Chocorua by N.T. Johnson (Leganger) from the collection of Bob Cram and Michael Mooney.

October in the parking lot of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Eastern Slope church.

Left: Chocorua Art Works member artist Penny Purcell is featured on the cover of Tamworth As We See It: Perspectives on Our Town at 250 Years.

Tamworth Distilling

Below: Tamworth Distilling and Mercantile.

Another prominent sight on Main Street is Tamworth Distilling and Mercantile (tamworthdistilling.com). Of immediate interest is that half the structure is occupied by a mammoth copper still.

Two smaller rooms offer several special craft spirits including an impressive array of meadow flower–infused gins, flavorful whiskeys, and a wide range of brandy selections.

Ley Line of the Arts tomatoes, potatoes, and other fresh comestibles is one not to be missed.

There are also fresh eggs, hard cider, maple syrup, berries, cutting boards, and locally produced wool as well as live music and a thrift store in the church.

You will also run into a booth hosted by the New Hampshire Mushroom Company, which itself is just a few miles from the center of town on Gardner Hill Road. Their blue oyster and chestnut mushrooms are the best in the world (in my personal opinion) and they offer guided tours on weekends. Well worth it.

The farmers’ market is held on Saturdays from 9am to 1pm from May through

Learn more 34

Ringed with mountaintops, deep valleys, and glacial lakes, Tamworth exudes a singular siren call to artists who color the community with many special events.

The Tamworth History Center (tamworthhistorycenter.org) hosts a sale and exhibit of paintings titled Impressions of the White Mountains from August 5 through October 8. Among the displayed artists are Champney, Casilear, Coleman, Gerry, and a’Becket.

The exhibit is presented by Doug and Karin Nelson of Ledges Gallery. Home to the Tamworth Historical Society, the Tamworth History Center also displays paintings, old maps, photos, books, and genealogies.

Chocorua Art Works (chocoruaartworks.com) is a nonprofit artist and craftarts organization started in 2010 by a group of artists showing their work at the Tamworth Farmers’ Market. Now working out of the Chocorua Creative Arts

www.tamworthfarmersmarket.org

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TAKE A HIKE, SWIM IN GLACIAL WATERS

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f it’s one of those warm, early fall days, go for a swim in White Lake or Lake Chocorua, each with its very own state park complete with hiking trails, perfect for taking in cool air and vivid foliage. At 3,490 feet, Mount Chocorua sits regally near its namesake lake and is the easternmost peak of the Sandwich Range in the White Mountains. You can admire it, take a photo of it, paint it, or climb it.

Above: Ordination Rock.

For more information check out Chocorua State Park and be sure to read the firsthand account of climbing Mount Chocorua.

Right: Ordination of Samuel Hidden at Ordination Rock

by David C. Baker, circa 1958. Courtesy Tamworth History Center.

Center’s gallery and studio spaces, the group offers classes and workshops, exhibitions, and openings for musical, performing, and writing workshops. They also boast a garden space for growing food, drawing, painting or sculpting, and to make dyes, fibers, and teas.

Beyond Chocorua Art Works, Tamworth knows how to put out the welcome mat for artists. Imagine a week when a bevy of painters—locals and those from all over the country—descend upon several outdoor settings to paint en plein air. Tamworth Wet Paint (wetpainttamworth .com) is a weeklong festival held in May that culminates in a Collectors Gala art show of all the works made during the week. Check their website for details as many local businesses participate by hosting nightly artist receptions and village walks.

As an aside, painting en plain air is a spectacular idea for any artist with an interest in fall landscapes. Throughout Tamworth are multiple points from which to recreate sweeping views or focus on a specific subject. It is truly an incredible place to set up an easel.

Arts Council of Tamworth (artstamworth.org) also hosts

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BLOG.NHSTATEPARKS.ORG/CHAMPNEY -BROOK-TRAIL-MT-CHOCORUA

many local art and music happenings, including the 2016 creation of the Tamworth 250th Mosaic, an Arts Council of Tamworth project celebrating Tamworth’s 250th anniversary.

Created by hundreds of adults and children from the community working with mural artist David Fichter, the two mosaics are now on view on the front face of the K.A. Brett School, Tamworth’s public elementary school.

The Arts Council also serves up year-round music events and series in public and commercial spaces including the Cook Memorial Library at 93 Main Street.

Don’t Forget the Writers & Actors With the Barnstormers Theatre set in the center of Tamworth Village, this small community has provided a

www.tamworthhistorycenter.org

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White Lake State Park is an almost 100-acre park in Tamworth. It’s open year-round and perfect for swimming, nonmotorized boating, hiking, camping, and winter sports.

Big Rock Cave Trail is a 3.5-mile (in and back) trail located near Tamworth, featuring a forest hike/walk and a cave. The trail is rated as moderate and primarily used for hiking.

WWW.MOUNTAINPROJECT.COM

/AREA/106595992/BIG-ROCK-CAVE

Especially fun for families is a trek to Beede Falls and Cow Cavern in Sandwich.

WWW.NHFAMILYHIKES.COM

www.chocoruaartworks.com

It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.

home to summer stock actors and playwrights since Other notable writers with a connection to 1931. It is perhaps the truest summer stock theatrical Tamworth are William and Henry James. experience that one could imagine. And lest one think it is local amateurs, the Barnstormers attracts Ordination Rock more than its fair share of talent from New York City As you head out of town on Cleveland Hill Road, be and members of the Actors’ Equity Association. In sure take in the scenic drive past elegant homes and short, it’s a classic experience where the quality of alpine vistas on the way to Ordination Rock. This performance and production value is quite high. unique memorial—a white obelisk perched atop a huge And then there are the writers. As but one boulder—pays tribute to the Reverend Sam Hidden.

E . E . CUMMINGS (1894–1962) example, E.E. Cummings made his home at Joy Farm, After climbing the stairs to reach the obelisk, just a few miles from Tamworth in Madison. Though the farm is privately owned, visitors will learn that Hidden was originally from Rowley, Massachusetts; served in the owners have preserved the farmhouse and Cummings’ writing cupola located the Revolutionary War; and was a reverend in the town of Tamworth for more than at the edge of the forest overlooking a broad field and the farmhouse. four decades.

It was here that Cummings wrote several his poems and created no small “He came to a wilderness and left it a fruitful field,” reads one side of the singular number of paintings. In fact, when the owners purchased the property in the 1970s, memorial. it came with his library intact—notes by Cummings could be found written in the Farther on, Route 113 turns south becoming 25 West and winds toward Sandwich. margins of many of the books—and a few paintings he’d left behind.

It is a 15-minute drive that compares to any of the world’s most scenic car trips.

E.E. Cummings died of a stroke while at the farm, which is now designated as a Picturesque fields, willowy pastures, and craggy spectacles simply enthrall.

National Historic Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places.

For those interested in viewing the home, it is best to reach out to the Friends of Special thanks to Juno Lamb, events coordinator at Chocorua Lake Conservancy, for all of her assistance in putting this section together.

Madison Library at FOMLibrary.NH@gmail.com.

The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.

Learn more

www.wetpainttamworth.com

SRB-map-ArndConc-half0218.qxp_SRB-map-ArndConc-half0218 2/8/18 10:12 AM Page 1

www.artstamworth.org

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THE ARTS REMEMBRANCES COMPILED BY LAURA POPE WRITTEN BY JAMES BUCHANAN

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CONCORD MONITOR

Where to Begin?

NEW HAMPSHIRE POETS REMEMBER DONALD HALL

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s you already know, New Hampshire lost one of its most talented literary voices on June 23 of this year. As anyone who saw Donald Hall read would attest, he cut an easygoing figure with a gentle voice, but as he read, there was an undeniable strength and passion behind his poetry. He was a generous man, too.

After seeing him read, I mentioned to the owner of the bookstore that hosted the reading how impressed I was. The owner said, “Write him a letter.”

“I don’t know his address.”

“Just address it to Donald Hall in Wilmot. He’ll get it.”

Sure enough, he did. And he was kind enough to send a reply that read like a poem.

In my letter, I mentioned a friend—a professor at Stanford—who was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. This is the same cancer that Donald Hall was diagnosed with in the early 1990s and the same type I was diagnosed with in 2006. He was also later diagnosed with a metastasis in his liver, as was I. My friend died about a year later. Donald this past summer. And I am still here. This is what he wrote to me:

Dear Mr. Buchanan, I write from a warm June day.

You mentioned Chocorua. Wasn’t that where William James had a house, which Henry visited?

Jane’s leukemia took 15 months, and the only good thing about it was that we had a chance to talk about everything.

We wrote her obituary together, both of us having thought about it before we knew for sure that she would die.

The Stanford professor’s colon cancer has metastasized to his sacrum—and I don’t really know what the sacrum is. My colon cancer metastasized to the liver. Maybe you have read me writing on the subject. It was 1992 and I had a 30 percent chance of surviving for five years. Here we are.

I’ve written so much about it! Poems and prose. There’s a prose account of Jane’s disease and death (together with memories of our years together) in The Best Day the Worst Day from Houghton Mifflin.

In November I go to Purdue to talk about cancer and literature at an annual conference.

Where to begin?

Best wishes, Donald Hall

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CAPPIES* WINNER EVERY YEAR SINCE 2005!

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CONCORD MONITOR

“He wanted to be left alone. To breathe slowly and deeply in the solitary silence that is the working well of all poets."

The following are more memories of Donald Hall.

Sy Montgomery

Naturalist and Writer first met Donald Hall and his lovely wife, the poet Jane Kenyon, after my first book—Walking with the Great Apes—won a prize from the New Hampshire Writers’ and Publishers’ Project (as it was then known) in 1991.

He and Jane joined Howard [Mansfield, her husband], me, and my editor, the poet Peter Davison, at our table for dinner after the awards ceremony. He was charming and poetic and erudite.

And even though he was warm and kind, I was scared to death that I would blurt out, “A whale’s tongue weighs as much as a school bus!” or “the inside of a kangaroo’s pouch feels like the inside of your nose!” because I had absolutely nothing to add to a conversation about poetry or literature. Animals were (and still are) all I know.

I can’t even remember what he talked about, only that he was mesmerizing and that I didn’t want to wreck it by saying anything myself. But I’ll never forget something Jane told me. The two of them had been to India, I discovered, and I was heading there soon for research for a new book. I asked her for travel advice, and she gave me one of the best tropical travel hacks ever, one I still rely upon: buy a ton of moist towelette packets—the ones that are in paper packets like condoms, not the ones in giant canisters—and always keep one handy. You can whip them out of your pocket to instantly refresh your face, hands, and arms when you are hot and sweaty, which is all the time. Particularly useful

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THE ARTS

when you need to negotiate with an official or a kind villager offers you yet another steaming hot cup of tea when the air temperature is already 90 degrees.

S Stephanie

Adjunct Creative Writing Teacher and Poet y husband, Walter Butts, former Poet Laureate of New Hampshire, passed away five years ago. He did have a couple of correspondences with Hall, but those are archived now at the Keene State library. They were early correspondences when Walter was just starting

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crowd behind us in the gilded lily lobby, and we would be alone in the quiet simple square of space. Now, I thought, I can speak to him. I wanted to gush on and on about how many times I had read Ox-Cart Man to little children in our town. I wanted to tell him how there were several days when I was a young widow where his poems stayed me to this Earth. I wanted . . .

But when I looked at him, I saw what he wanted. He wanted to be left alone. To breathe slowly and deeply in the solitary silence that is the working well of all poets.

It was enough to witness that.

He delivered his poems that night in his soft way with

“Listening to him read was a memorable experience, but somehow nowhere near as profound as sharing silence with him.” out as a poet, and Hall accepted one of his poems for a journal. Hall was often kind to younger poets.

I personally had no meetings with Hall but respected his work. I also taught some of his work over the years in my classes. I always admired his ability to write for diverse audiences—everyone from children to sports fans to seniors!

He was loved by the people, not just the academics.

He will be missed by so many.

nothing of the slapdash intensity most of our performers reveled in. I suspect he didn’t enjoy all the noise our festival made about poetry. He’d come to Portsmouth to share the best of his wares, but what he most wanted was to turn around and go home where by firelight he could stitch, carve, saw, and build the cart again.

His wares were, of course, wonderful. Listening to him read was a memorable experience, but somehow nowhere near as profound as sharing silence with him.

Tammi J. Truax

Kate Leigh

Writer of Poetry and Prose bout a decade back I was the codirector of Jazzmouth, the annual jazz and poetry festival held in Portsmouth for many years. In 2009 we had somehow gotten Donald Hall to agree to be our headliner. He didn’t ask for any of the perks, customary or unusual, that many of our guests did over the years.

Indeed, he didn’t seem to want or need anything at all, including company.

Taking headliners to dinner was a great reward to the volunteer gig, but Mr. Hall wanted to eat alone. I may have done a bit of coordinating to ensure that on the evening of our big show it was my job to get him to the green room. That meant he and I would be alone together in the elevator of the [Portsmouth] Music Hall. I extended my arm so that he might enter first, and he did. At last we could leave the already growing

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Poet and Former Poet Laureate of Portsmouth, New Hampshire y correspondence with Donald Hall extended from March of 2014 until his last letter of April 2018. I had a connection to Don because my grandfather taught him, and in one instance, harassed him, at Phillips Exeter Academy.

Don wrote about it in the book Unpacking the Boxes, and I wrote to Don to apologize on behalf of his old teacher, my sometimes-harsh grandfather. In reviewing our correspondence, I sense we were interested in one another and candid with each other.

I finally met Don for the first time at an event held at UNH last fall. I also wrote a couple of poems about him, one of which I sent to him on his 87th birthday.

He wrote to me, “I am so touched by your writing.

Long since, I have stopped dwelling on that day, and I

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probably had not thought about it for years now.”

He also remarked, “I am sorry to have contributed to your negative feelings about your grandfather, but I remember that I thought of it as an intensification of my poetic ambition!” Then we dropped that subject and often told each other stories of our past and reminisced.

After sharing a self-published chapbook dwelling on experiences of my two-year laureateship, he wrote, “I really enjoy what you are doing.” And speaking of life, he remarked, “It gets absurder as you creep toward 90.”

Goodbye, Don. Your letters remain a comfort to me. Like many other poets, I learned the value of much revision from your words, advice, and example. Thank goodness you always pushed past criticism to follow your poetic will.

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Mekeel McBride

Poet and Professor in the Master of Fine Arts Program at UNH harlie Simic knew Donald Hall pretty well, I think.

I didn’t, really. Hall came to UNH a few times to read and brought Jane with him. Charlie and Don would get into deep discussions about poetics while Jane and I gossiped and talked gardening.

He was, of course, a brilliant man and very generous with his time and wisdom. I attended his last reading at UNH, which was only a few months before his death. Honestly, he looked like he might die on the spot. But he was still so full of fire and love for poetry. It was quite astonishing.

C

Marie Harris

Poet and New Hampshire Poet Laureate from 1999 to 2004 still hear Don’s voice, its timbre, its authority, its undercurrents: now of bemused tolerance, now of nostalgia, now of righteous anger. And I often listen to its cadences when I put my own words to the stories of our lives.

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BY SUSAN NYE

The

Perfect

Autumn Weekend FALL WAS CREATED BY NEW ENGLAND (RIGHT?), SO LIVE IT UP

H

ow do you define the perfect weekend?

Two lazy days on the couch in your comfy pants and an old sweatshirt, or a nonstop whirl of family, friends, and fun?

Perhaps you’d like a little bit of both. Surely, you’ll want to get out and about. After all, autumn is when New Hampshire is at its most glorious.

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“WE WANT PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO ENJOY A GREAT CONVE RSATIO N ALONG WITH DISHES PREPA RED WITH THE BEST IN LOCAL FARM PRODU CTS.” COREY FLETCHE R , CHEF / OWNER REVIVAL KITCHEN & BAR

Of course, summer is wonderful. Yes, the winter snow is amazing. (Okay, we can all agree there is no need to bring up spring and its inglorious potholes, mud, and blackflies.) But autumn, autumn in Northern New England is nothing short of magical. You’ll want to make every minute of every weekend count. The following should help you get a start on planning your perfect autumn weekend.

your kayak is strapped to the roof. There is nothing better than a walk in the woods or a paddle on a brilliant October day.

Turkey Pond will be alive with color and wildlife. Paddle around, explore the little islands, and enjoy the sunshine. If you somehow thought it would be too obvious to strap your kayak on the car, enjoy a walk in and around the Audubon Society’s Silk Farm Sanctuary. Walk or paddle, it will be a glorious end to the day and the week.

FRIDAY EVENING

FRIDAY AFTERNOON

First things first—you need to figure out a way to get out of the office early. There are all sorts of ruses. You could feign a sudden attack of the flu or an urgent trip to the dentist. Even better, come up with a customer or vendor in Henniker or White River Junction who you absolutely must see. (If no one comes to mind, invent one.) If the boss asks, just explain that no, a conference call won’t do.

Enjoy the changing colors as you head up 89. After a few quick words and a handshake with your customer, you can get onto the real business of the day.

How convenient that your hiking boots are in the trunk and

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After a busy week, Friday night dinner should be relaxed and easy. No need to cook; Concord has too many good restaurants to stay home. Pull up a chair and enjoy a cocktail or glass of wine and dinner.

Whether you are worn out from paddling or one too many conference calls, Revival Kitchen & Bar on Depot Street is a great spot to land on Friday night. (Or any night for that matter—check out their midweek happy hour for great specials on craft beer, wine, and small plates.) Chef/owner Corey Fletcher has put together a winning menu of interesting cocktails, an eclectic wine list, and interesting farm-to-table dining in a comfortable setting.

ADDRESSES & CONTACT INFORMATION FOR GETTING THERE Turkey Pond Take Exit 2 from I-89 North. Take a left and drive about a mile. Cross a small bridge and immediately turn onto an unnamed road on your right.

Audubon Society’s Silk Farm Sanctuary 84 Silk Farm Road Concord, NH (603) 224-9909

WWW.NHAUDUBON.ORG

Revival Kitchen & Bar 11 Depot Street Concord, NH (603) 715-5723

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Concord Farmers’ Market Capitol Street (adjacent to the State House lawn) Concord, NH

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Winslow State Park 475 Kearsarge Mountain Road Wilmot, NH (603) 526-6168 WWW.NHSTATEPARKS.ORG

Rollins State Park 1066 Kearsarge Mountain Road Warner, NH (603) 456-3808

“We don’t think people should have to choose between fine food and a relaxed evening,” Corey says. “We want people to be able to enjoy a great conversation along with dishes prepared with the best in local farm products.”

Appetites big and small will enjoy Revival Kitchen’s menu, which changes with the seasons. Chef Corey fuses New England traditions with classic old-world dishes. The fall menu offers an abundance of cozy comfort food in both large and small plates.

Don’t stay out too late. Saturday is another glorious fall day.

SATURDAY MORNING

The Concord Farmers’ Market runs until the end of October. Be sure to take advantage of fall’s bountiful harvest. By all means, don’t forget to pick up a Halloween pumpkin. Once your shopping is done, you’ll want to revive yourself with a cuppa joe at any one of the little coffee shops on Main Street. It will give you a minute to plan out the rest of the day.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

Now it might be tempting to go home and have a nap, but save the afternoon snooze for January when it’s too cold to venture out. If a fall hike is not one of

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Granite Restaurant & Bar at The Centennial Hotel 96 Pleasant Street Concord, NH (603) 227-9005

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Gould Hill Farm 656 Gould Hill Road Contoocook, NH (603) 746-3811

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Northern Rail Trail Starting Points Jamie Welch Park on Depot Street in Boscawen Route 11 at Potter Place in Andover WWW.NORTHERNRAILTRAIL.ORG WWW.FNRT.ORG

Inn at Pleasant Lake 853 Pleasant Street New London, NH (603) 873-4833

WWW.INNATPLEASANTLAKE.COM

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ER TO EAT “W H ET H ER YO U PR EF R N EV ER , M EA L O BR EA KFAST AT EV ERY BACO N AN D EG GS TO FR O M TR AD IT IO N AL N D W IC H , TH ER E IS A SA LA D, SO U P, O R SA YO N E.” SO M ET H IN G FO R EV ER GE DI RE CTOR

D BE VE RA Y , FO OD AN STAU RA NT JA ME S RI LE GR AN IT E RE D AN L HOTE AL NI EN CE NT

your annual traditions, perhaps it’s time to change that. Grab your family, friends, and hiking boots and head up the road to Mount Kearsarge.

With the surrounding hills decked in red and gold, the views from the summit are spectacular. On a clear day, you can see forever or at least Mount Sunapee, Ragged Mountain, and nearby Pleasant Lake. Although the path is a bit rocky—it is the granite state—it’s a short hike and close to home.

You can begin from Rollins State Park in Warner or Winslow State Park in Wilmot. Warner is the shorter of the two routes. In either case, bring a bottle of water and a jacket; it’s breezy at the top.

SATURDAY EVENING

Wouldn’t it be nice to continue the camaraderie well into the evening? If for no other reason, you’ll want to brag about your athletic prowess.

Since no one wants to be up at dawn cooking before a busy Saturday, make it a potluck. As host, you can set a delicious tone with coq au vin or boeuf bourguignon. Your friends can

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fill in with an appetizer, salad, a side dish or two, and dessert.

SUNDAY MORNING

After your busy Saturday, you’ll want to sleep in and then ease into the day. If you haven’t splurged on a real newspaper in a while, a crisp fall morning would be an excellent time.

While you’re out, pick up a dozen bagels, some cream cheese, and smoked salmon. You deserve a no-work but stilldelicious brunch. Unless it’s been while since you went out for eggs Benedict or French toast . . . because who doesn’t love a fabulous hotel brunch?

The past meets the present at the Centennial Hotel and Granite Restaurant on Pleasant Street. The grand 19th century Victorian exterior and sleek, sophisticated interior provide the perfect setting for a leisurely brunch.

“Our goal is to delight and surprise you,” says James Riley, the hotel’s food and beverage director. He continues, “Chef Daniel Dionne works with local and regional farms to create inspired, seasonal dishes. Whether you prefer to eat breakfast at every meal or never, from traditional bacon and eggs to a

PHOTOS BY JUMPING ROCKS

A

F

Romantic Weekend Away

orget the staycation; hop on 89 and drive

If you’re celebrating a special anniversary, you

north to New London for a romantic weekend

might like to try the Romantic Escape or Anniversary

at the Inn at Pleasant Lake. With beautifully

Package. Wine lovers will want to try the Wine and

appointed rooms and one of the best views in New

Dine Package.

For a little more challenge, Winslow State Park is less than 15 miles away for a hike up Kearsarge.

Cyclists can jump on the rail trail at Potter Place, just outside of Andover. Bring your camera; you’ll

Hampshire, it will be a weekend to remember. The

The inn looks out and across Pleasant Lake to

inn’s Oak & Grain Restaurant is an award-winning

Mount Kearsarge. Throw on a cozy sweater and

gourmet delight—be sure to reserve a table for

admire the view as you sip your evening cocktail

is charming. You’ll find the New London Inn, town

Saturday night. The menu offers a choice of two prix-

on the terrace. In the fall, the mountain looms large

green and bandstand, Colby-Sawyer College, and the

fixe, five-course meals and changes every night.

above the morning mist. You may want to wander

Baptist Church on Main Street. From the inn’s front

down to the beach for a closer view while you enjoy

porch to the church’s steeple, all are quintessential

your first cup of coffee.

New England. There are also plenty of interesting

The original farmhouse was built in 1790 and became an inn in 1868. Over the past 150 years, additions have gone up and out, including a row of

As for outdoor activities, Pleasant Lake, about two

want a picture of the historic depot.

If you prefer to wander through town, New London

little shops and restaurants to keep you busy.

distinctive gables. For many years, it was known as

miles long and a mile wide, is perfect for a kayak or

the Red Gables Inn.

canoe. Along with a family of loons, you’ll discover a

put the Oak & Grain Restaurant on your list. Family

variety of ducks and the occasional eagle or heron.

celebration or a romantic dinner for two, it is a

Today, innkeepers Jen and Scott Reed are delighted to offer the charm of a historic building with every

For walkers, the loop around the lake is five and half

modern convenience and an outstanding restaurant.

miles and absolutely stunning. Or you can explore a

“We want all of our guests to enjoy a very special

number of hiking trails just minutes from the inn. Hike

experience,” says Scott. He continues, “To make it

up to the Cascades or meander by stone walls and

easy, we’ve put together packages to enhance your

visit the cellar holes from the late 18th century homes

weekend on Pleasant Lake.”

of Benjamin Bunker and his son, Nathaniel.

Learn more

Can’t get away for an entire weekend? Be sure to

perfect place to mark a special milestone.

Inn at Pleasant Lake 853 Pleasant Street (603) 873-4833 New London, NH innatpleasantlake.com

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salad, soup, or sandwich, there is something for everyone.”

No need to rush off. James invites you to enjoy the hotel’s beautiful grounds. Sit yourself down in an Adirondack chair under the giant oaks in front of the hotel and relax with one last cup of coffee.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

As for the rest of the day, in most New England homes all Sunday plans revolve around football. The Patriots are either playing or they’re not. If yes, then game time is the determining factor in any and all activities. If not, then you have the entire day and evening to do whatever, whenever you please.

For those free afternoons, apple picking is both fun and deliciously rewarding. Many area farms have pick-your-own orchards. You can wander through the rows of sweet-smelling trees and pick a peck of apples.

While you are there, be sure to grab a gallon of cider. Some farms have hayrides and corn mazes for added entertainment.

Picking apples and then baking a pie or crisp are two autumnal traditions you don’t want to forgo.

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Tim Bassett, owner of Gould Hill Farm, invites you to come picking in his Contoocook orchard. He says, “An afternoon in the sun picking apples is a New England tradition.” Tim continues, “Look through any family photo collection, regardless of the decade; you are bound to find a snapshot of everyone picking apples and smiling together.”

Along with apple picking, you can tour the farm in a horsedrawn carriage, listen to local musicians, and taste hard cider. If you don’t have time to pick that peck, the farm stand features a wide variety of apples (more than 80 varieties are grown at the farm) as well as apple pies and crisp and cider donuts. All baked goods are made on-site.

SUNDAY EVENING

In case you didn’t realize it, Sunday night is pizza night.

Happily, it pairs well with football or without. Whether you make your own or order takeout, you can’t miss with a piping-hot pie.

MONDAY MORNING

Nobody likes Monday mornings, so let’s make it a perfect three-day weekend. Take a few extra minutes to enjoy your breakfast and get ready to ride. The rail trail is call-

“LOO K TH RO UG H AN Y FA M ILY PH OTO CO LL EC TI ON , REGA RD LE SS OF TH E DECA DE ; YO U AR E BO UN D TO FI ND A SN AP SH OT OF EV ERYO NE PI CK IN G AP PL ES AN D SM IL IN G TO GE TH ER .”

TIM BA SS ET T , OW NE R GO UL D HI LL FA RM

ing you and your bike. In case you’re feeling a little stiff after your hike on Saturday, the rail is an easy ride.

Rail trails are an example of recycling at its best. In a bygone age, the railroads brought freight and tourists to New Hampshire. When automobiles and interstate highways replaced the railway, the rails and ties were removed. It’s taken more than two decades but the track bed from Boscawen to Lebanon has been refurbished into a safe, four-season surface. It is perfect for biking, walking, running, and crosscountry skiing. With a 1 percent grade, you can get a great workout and not worry about overdoing it.

MONDAY EVENING

Like all good things, your wonderful fall weekend staycation must come to an end. Take a deep breath and let out a sigh of contentment. Then, warm up the leftover pizza and relax in your comfy pants. Happy autumn!

MONDAY AFTERNOON

Alright, maybe now would be a good time to read that book or finally take that nap. It’s been a busy few days and you deserve some quiet time. Of course, that’s assuming there aren’t any pre-winter chores hanging over your head. You know the type—raking leaves, Weedwacking, and checking the gutters. Or forget the gutters and bake an apple pie.

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From top: Mt. Madison at morning light. Trail sign along the Presidential Traverse. Neil beginnning the descent.

Left: The author atop Mt. Adams. Photo by Neil Preston.

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STORY AND PHOTOS BY MARK AIKEN

Trail-Running the

Presidential Range ATTEMPTING ALL NINE MOUNTAINS (IN ONE DAY)

I

’m somewhere in the krummholz on the shoulder of Mount Madison in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. It’s 4:45 in the morning, and my world consists of everything in the beam of my headlamp. Shifting rocks of an uneven trail underfoot and two steps ahead, the twisted and jagged branches of balsam fir and black spruce. All else is blackness. At least it was when we started up the Valley Way trail a half hour before.

Surprisingly, when I switch my light off, the world opens, revealing gray morning light, lavender mist over gray and maroon valleys and hills, ghostly figures of crooked and stooped eight-foot-tall trees. I guess it doesn’t pay to stand tall at 3,500 feet in the Whites.

There’s a dark and looming shape above: Mount Madison.

It’s funny how limiting a headlamp beam can be; I’m glad to escape its confinement. It’s a reminder to maintain a broad perspective today.

After all, today’s goal isn’t Mount Madison. My running partner Neil Preston and I have come to run the Presidential Traverse. This is a point-

to-point trail run that begins with Madison but continues to cover 20 miles, 7 summits, and 8,000 feet of vertical gain.

There’s plenty of potential for things to go wrong, so keeping the big picture in focus is critical. This includes how much water is in our packs, how much food we’re eating, and—the biggie, given the notoriously extreme and rapidly changing nature of conditions surrounding Mount Washington—what the weather’s doing.

Our 4:15am start is designed to get us up our peaks—and off—before any weather develops.

So, I don’t pause as morning breaks. Rather, I climb on.

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Left top: The hut at the base of Mt. Madison.

Left bottom: Neil descending Crawford Path.

Below: The author ascending rocky terrain. Photo by Neil Preston.

We could say this is in pursuit of historical accuracy, but mostly we have families to return to . . . hopefully by bedtime.

PURELY PRESIDENTIAL I am not a champion runner, world-class mountaineer, or 5.12 rock climber. I don’t live in the Himalayas or even the Rockies.

But I am certainly capable of dreaming up challenges of selfdiscovery in the many wild and beautiful spaces of my native New England. Challenge can illuminate what sort of mettle, determination, spirit, and grit I’m really made of. That is why Neil and I were trudging up Madison in semidarkness.

“Each trip is a learning experience,” says ultrarunner and running coach Jack Pilla. Jack, who trains runners for a company called The Run Formula, has run the Presidential Traverse an estimated 15 times as part of his own training.

He has experienced heat, cold, missed turns, hypothermia, muscle cramping, running out of food, running out of water, wind, rain, and snow. One time he missed his shuttle at the end and decided to hike back. He says that miserable 19-hour day was monumentally more difficult than the 100-mile race for which he was training.

There are numerous Presidential Traverse routes, but the

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most common route starts at the Appalachia trailhead. This is in the (tiny) town of Randolph about five miles west of Gorham. It’s a major gateway to the northern Presidential mountains, particularly Adams and Madison and on any Saturday in the summer, there are hundreds of cars parked here.

The trail then heads south and can end at a few trailheads in Crawford Notch. For our terminus, we selected the Mount Clinton Road trailhead and parking area just off Route 302 in Crawford Notch.

Nearly 15 miles of our route are above tree line, which contributes to the grandeur (and danger) of the route. Of course, as with all things alpine, there is some controversy and debate as to the specific mountains that make up a full traverse. On the one hand, geography buffs and overachievers argue that a full traverse includes Madison, Adams, Jefferson, Clay, Washington, Monroe, Franklin, Eisenhower, Pierce, Jackson, and Webster. If done in this order, the trail brings one from Dolly Copp trailhead at one end to the Crawford Notch trailhead on the other end.

Peaks of a Presidential Traverse 1

Madison – 5,367 feet

2

Adams – 5,799 feet

3

Jefferson – 5,716 feet

4

Washington – 6,288 feet

5

Monroe – 5,372 feet

6

Eisenhower – 4,760 feet

7

Pierce – 4,312 feet Elevations from the Appalachian Mountain Club.

MT MADISON MT ADAMS

2

3

MT JEFFERSON

On the other hand, historians—and the detailoriented—respond that neither Senator Henry Clay, Benjamin Franklin, geologist Charles Jackson (namesake of Mount Jackson), nor United States Representative Daniel Webster were American presidents. Therefore, a full presidential traverse should not include these mountains.

Though all 11 mountains share a ridgeline, it is possible to bypass Clay and Franklin then drop down into Crawford Notch without summiting Jackson and Webster. Jack—an ultrarunner’s runner—says when running a traverse, he usually scales Madison, Adams, Jefferson, Clay, Washington, Monroe, Franklin, Eisenhower, Pierce, Jackson, and Webster. However, Neil and I opt for a minimalist and purely presidential Presidential Traverse. We could say this is in pursuit of historical accuracy, but mostly we have families to return to . . . hopefully by bedtime.

1

MT WASHINGTON BRETTON WOODS

4 WILDCAT MOUNTAIN

5

MT EISENHOWER

7

MT MONROE

6 MT PIERCE

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Left top: Fishing the 'Scoggin. Photo by Neil Preston.

Left bottom: Neil cooling off near the end.

Below: The rocky trail between Mt. Jefferson and Mt. Washington.

TALE OF TWO TRAVERSES Mount Washington has a well-documented history of ruthlessly violent conditions. Neil and I decided long before our trip that we wouldn’t even make the drive to Northern New Hampshire if the forecast seemed at all iffy. Rather, we chose two July dates: Plan A and Plan B. A questionable forecast leading up to our A dates would mean scrapping A and setting sights on our Plan B dates. Fortune smiled, however. High pressure settled over Northern New England as our Plan A dates approached.

This is not my first Presidential Traverse. With ultrarunners Dave Baird and Kelly Wilson, I ran it in 11 hours in 2013. We dallied at every summit and we ate lunch in the restaurant at the summit of Mount Washington. Frankly, I felt we could have been significantly faster. The fastest known time, incidentally, is under five hours.

“I want to run my fastest Presidential Traverse,” I tell Neil.

“Let’s do it,” he says.

Full disclosure: in 2013, I was in the midst of running 22

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marathons and 5 half-Ironman triathlons in the span of 10 years. Simply stated, I was faster and stronger then. My life was organized around training runs, long runs, speedwork, hill work, strength training, bike rides, and swimming.

Things changed. Today my life centers around childcare and school schedules, potty training, playgrounds, and playdates. I run and exercise when possible, but I haven’t run a marathon in three years. When I last prepped for a Presidential Traverse, I trained on 4,000-foot peaks. Neil and I intended to do some mountain running in our lead-up, but it never happened. In 2018, our lead-up included enrolling our kids in the same summer camp and making solid transportation arrangements for the kids in our absence.

Don’t get me wrong. We run regularly and we both have a fitness baseline. But make no mistake, I’m a 47-year-old dad who has rewired his life priorities. So is Neil. And we both still believe we can beat my personal record of 11 hours. Are we as fitness-minded? No. Determined? Yes. Mentally tough? We’re going to find out.

Mark’s Kit • Salomon Agile 12 hydration pack • Salomon Sense Pro 2 trail runners

“He said he’d be there at 3pm,” I tell Neil. “I hope he’s there.”

“I hope we’re there,” Neil says.

• Salomon running shorts • CamelBak 1-liter bladder • Two Salomon 500 mL collapsible Hydrapaks • Darn Tough quarter-height socks • Suncloud polarized sunglasses • Super-packable Patagonia Houdini jacket

There is another—perhaps more practical—reason why we are focused on a 10-hour Presidential Traverse. The Appalachian Mountain Club operates a shuttle service for hikers, but we would have had to start our traverse at the Appalachia trailhead at 2am to catch it.

The week before our run, I called the Highland Center in Crawford Notch where a seasonal guest-service rep read me some phone numbers off a bulletin board for people offering private shuttles to hikers. I tried a couple of numbers and made shuttle arrangements with a stranger named Kevin.

“He said he’d be there at 3pm,” I tell Neil. “I hope he’s there.”

“I hope we’re there,” Neil says.

SMOOTH RUNNING (NOT) Let me be clear: this running route is not smooth. We both carry trekking poles.

Much of the time I hold them in one hand as I hop from granite step to granite step, but just as often I use them for balance, stability, and leverage.

We carry less than a liter of water up the initial 4-mile, 4,060-foot vertical push to Madison, knowing the Madison hut has water at 4,825 feet—just 541 feet below the summit. When we arrive, the caretakers are preparing breakfast for more than 50 campers. The smell of bacon in our nostrils, we don’t pause

• Garmin Forerunner 35 smartwatch • Black Diamond trail poles • Slopeside Syrup (running fuel) • PB and Js—I use Teddie All Natural Peanut Butter, Super Chunky • Made Good Mixed Berry granola bars • Head running gloves with SENSATEC touch-screen compatibility • Swiss Army knife • Moleskin • Band-Aids

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Left top: Mt. Washignton Cog Railway crossing.

Left bottom: The author and Neil at the Mt. Washington summit trail sign.

Below: Neil ascending Mt. Eisenhower.

on our way to our first summit. We do return to the hut, but instead of tucking in with the hikers for breakfast, we fill our bladders and bottles knowing it’s almost five miles to our next water stop on the summit of Washington.

Next on the route is Adams, a peak that hikers often summit on the same day as Madison. The way continues to be rocky and we pick our way across granite talus and scree.

The stretches before and after Jefferson make up the mental crux of the journey. Adams, Jefferson, and Washington are the biggest peaks of the day, connected by the (sometimes runnable) largest cirque in the Whites.

We carry a change of clothes and very lightweight shells; nothing that would really protect us were we to hit bad weather. We put our faith in the favorable forecast and we made a point before the trip to familiarize ourselves with escape routes to lower elevations.

Our time spent on the summit of Jefferson demonstrates our groove and rhythm: “Need some food?” Neil asks. “Wanna take a photo?”

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“Let’s go,” I say.

We don’t spend much longer on Washington. Although the highest and most majestic mountain, we know its summit, with a complex of science buildings, parking lots, train depot, gift shop, restaurant, museums, and (mainly) tourists, is the least climactic. We snap a photo, find the Crawford Path, and begin our long—that is, 8.5-mile-long—descent.

It’s not all down, of course. We still have three peaks to climb (really two, as Pierce is just a few hundred feet off the trail). Some of the day’s best running is between Monroe and Eisenhower, which is a gradual downhill, still above tree line, on smooth(ish) terrain.

By the time we ascend Eisenhower, I’m feeling nostalgic for a traverse that’s almost over. The Presidential Traverse—by no means the only epic route of the Whites (Jack Pilla is partial to the Pemi Loop, a 31-mile, 8-to-12 peak route)—summits the biggest of the big. It combines vertical gain, distance, and logistics with terrain, views, and difficulty.

It’s a social experience, as we encounter teen groups, Ap-

“Need some food?” Neil asks.

“Wanna take a photo?”

“Let’s go,” I say.

Neil Preston’s Overnight Cold Oatmeal Running Fuel HOW TO KEEP THE ENGINE FROM RUNNING OUT OF GAS Layer the following ingredients in a 500 mL mason jar: •

cup oatmeal

•

cup sliced banana

• 1 Tbsp coconut flakes palachian Trail through-hikers, and hut caretakers. “The best job ever!” says one 20-something, laboring under a 50-pound frame filled with garbage from the Lakes of the Clouds hut. But mostly it’s two friends covering a lot of ground—both geographically and conversationally—over a full-day run and hike.

By the time Neil and I hit Pierce, we know we’re going to break 10 hours. We drop out of the blazing sun and into the trees. We are dodging afternoon tennis shoe–clad, cell phone– talking day hikers, and we are mostly consumed in our own thoughts.

What does one think about on the back end of a Presidential Traverse? My mind bounces around a variety of topics: brainstorms for our next adventure, ways to trim even more time, wondering whether our shuttle driver will show. Mostly, however, my thoughts turn homeward as I wonder whether I’ll make it in time to read the next chapter of Charlotte’s Web with my five-year-old at bedtime.

Learn more

• 1 Tbsp almond butter • Pumpkin seeds •

tsp cinnamon

•

tsp cardamom

•

cup blueberries

• Maple syrup to taste Level fill with almond/soy/cow’s milk.

Add a dash salt and pepper (if you’re into that sort of thing).

Repeat a second layer and fill to the brim with liquid. Cover and refrigerate.

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BY CAITLIN ANDREWS PHOTOS BY ELIZABETH FRANTZ

Find Peace with a

Digital Detox GETAWAY OFFERS UNPLUGGED VACATIONS A STONE’S THROW FROM HOME

W

hen it comes to determining how close to nature a place is, the dark has always been my barometer.

Growing up on the side of a mountain in rural New Hampshire meant making peace with the dark. It was necessary, so I could experience the better parts of rural, nighttime activities: catching fireflies, standing around a bonfire, a midnight game of hide-and-seek, and peering through my dad’s telescope to catch sight of Mars, all required learning to be easy with the dark.

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When you arrive, your cabin is furnished with beds, a small sitting and cooking area complete with rudimentary cooking and eating utensils, and a bathroom (no mirrors included).

This also meant being at peace with nature after the sun has gone down. One can’t grow up sneaking down to the town beach at night to go swimming without becoming comfortable with how darkness turns the scuffle of a squirrel into a rapidly approaching threat.

To live in a state that is 83 percent forested—as of 2016— was never a chore to me. Indeed, the isolated stretches of trees and rivers and mountains, and the clear view of the stars that comes with them, have become the standard by which any other outdoor experience is measured.

So, when I was asked to spend a night at the Southern New Hampshire–located Boston outpost of Getaway—a company that offers “Simple escapes to tiny cabins nestled in nature” to those living in Boston, Washington, DC, and New York—I wasn’t sure I’d get anything out of it.

The idea behind Getaway is to disconnect from every-

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thing—work, the digital-sphere, and of course your cell phone—and just be in nature. The company doesn’t tell you where your outpost is located until you book, a process that is all done online. Even your access code to your cabin is emailed.

EFFORTLESS ISOL ATION When you arrive, your cabin is furnished with beds, a small sitting and cooking area complete with rudimentary cooking and eating utensils, and a bathroom (no mirrors included; those are “analog selfies,” notes a guidebook in your cabin).

There’s a firepit outside with a box stocked with firewood.

Getaway offers you coffee, tea, oatmeal, even pasta that, should you choose to use them will be added to your bill after you leave. Truly, you do not have to talk to anyone from the beginning to the end of your stay.

Breaking a Tech-Addicted Lifestyle

BY DAVID BROOKS , PHOTOS BY SIMPLY MELLA PHOTOGRAPHY

P

arting with your cell phone isn’t always easy, even when you have paid money to do it. “Every single group, we run into people who are like, ‘I don’t know if I can put my phone away for two hours. I don’t know if I can do it,’” says Jake King, founder of Thrive Outdoors.

For four years the Hopkinton-based company has offered a variety of retreats and leadership seminars based on getting deep into the wild to help people shed stress and find strength. Instagram scrolling and rage tweeting don’t really fit well, so helping participants separate themselves from their electronics has always been a goal.

“Technology is something we really try to get people to consider, how they use it, what it does. Disconnecting has always been part of it and depending on the population we’re dealing with, disconnecting has always been difficult,” Jake says.

But don’t jump to age stereotypes, he adds. “Sometimes the teens are like, ‘Yeah, take my phone, I don’t need it,’ and sometimes the teens are, ‘What am I doing to do without my phone?’ More adults are okay with handing over their stuff, but not all of them.”

Jake, 43, is a former Army ranger, former police officer, and former operator of a Manchester homeless shelter who has been running a variety of outdoor programs since he was 19. He started Thrive Outdoors with his brother, Eddie King, and their friend Vinnie Haney, partly because his jobs showed him the damage that the stress of our lives can do to people and reinforced his certainty that experiencing the outdoors can be an antidote.

Thrive Outdoors sessions deal with everybody from preteens to business leaders and range from multiday programs to two-hour hikes. Learning outdoor skills is a major component of all of them, because you can’t de-stress if you’re worried about surviving.

Jake says being able to disconnect is becoming more important as our lives become more intertwined online. “We always understood it was something that mattered. It isn’t our primary goal, it’s just a really important part of our approach.”

As part of their work, Jake says Thrive Outdoors is trying to better figure out why people become so attached to their electronics, and the best way to ease them off an overconnection. “We are trying to pinpoint exactly why certain individuals are really, really resistant to disconnecting. Sometimes it might be a phase of life, sometimes something else. If we know, we can react to it,” he says. “Was it taught to them? Is it environment? Personality? That’s something we’d love to get to the bottom of.”

For more information, Thrive Outdoors is at www.thriveoutdoorsnh.com.

Learn more

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Getaway provides you with a few books, but the goal is to leave all your electronics behind. There’s a cell phone lockbox where you’re encouraged to drop your phone for the duration.

There also isn’t much for you to do. Getaway provides you with a few books, but the goal is to leave all your electronics behind. There’s a cell phone lockbox where you’re encouraged to drop your phone for the duration. If you need something to do, the company notes nearby parks and hiking trails.

But all these things are part and parcel to rural New Hampshire living. “Couldn’t I just pitch a tent in the woods?” I wondered to my coworkers. “Wouldn’t it be the same thing?”

Not quite. Getaway’s cabins are air conditioned as well as air and noise tight. Shutting the door feels like shutting out the world. It’s not glamping—glamorous camping—in any sense of the word. It’s more like the bare necessities already in place for you, no effort required.

But as Liz Frantz, a friend and photographer, and I settled into our cabin for the evening, it dawned on me that the effortlessness of Getaway is one of its perks. “How many things

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I don’t need,” Socrates said, and that’s one of the ideas Getaway executes well. Sometimes you just need to walk away from the staples of your daily life to reevaluate their place in your world.

THE APPEAL OF DISAPPEARING Getaway cofounder Jon Staff knows this all too well. Like me, he grew up in nature-by-default in a one-street town in Northern Minnesota whose population he said now hovers around 29. He now lives in New York, and when we spoke on the phone, the sound of police sirens cut through the background cacophony of an urban soundscape.

Pete Davis, a college friend of Jon’s, got the idea to start Getaway after they both realized they were burnt out from working too much. When they discovered tiny houses, Jon said the idea of sticking one in the woods somewhere, sans Wi-Fi, and

"When was the last time you were really bored?

For most of us it was probably childhood. It’s not a pleasant experience, but if you push through it, incredible things start happening.” disappearing appealed to him immensely.

“We want to provide people the time and space to just be, to do nothing and plan nothing” he says. “And to be bored.

When was the last time you were really bored? For most of us it was probably childhood. It’s not a pleasant experience, but if you push through it, incredible things start happening.”

I wouldn’t say disconnecting was really about boredom, at least not for me. The moments that stand out are the ones I’ve lived all my life: the joy of getting a small fire to flare to life after a few minutes of feeble flickering, or looking up into a canopy of stars I haven’t been able to see since I moved into the light pollution of Concord almost two years ago, or sitting with my cup of coffee in the early hours, alone, looking out at a wall of greenery with nothing but the sounds of birds.

Those moments were more like meditation than boredom

to me. They invoked some peace that only the outdoors can bring. It made me realize how far away my busy life had taken me from the simple joys of being in nature, even though that peace is so much more accessible to me as a New Hampshire resident than a city dweller.

THE CHOICE TO DISCONNECT Getaway’s website warns that cell service may be spotty, and that Wi-Fi will never be an option. But data was still very much available to me when I first arrived—before I put my phone in the lockbox. And walking around the grounds (clearly located on the bones of a former campground, water and electric hookups still populating empty sites), I spied a few lit phone screens.

I get it, though. It’s easy to forget that rolling over in the morning and checking your phone is a relatively new norm

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"People ask us why we don’t let work retreats happen here, why we don’t have Wi-Fi. We want to be the one place in the world where there isn’t a chance to be online.” in our society, driven by increasing demands on our time and attention. Social media makes maintaining emotional bonds easy by putting updates and snapshots of people’s lives at our fingertips. Keeping up with the news is unavoidable when headlines and daily briefs are sent to our inbox first thing in the morning.

When technology is a staple of your life, it’s hard to walk away from it. But to really enjoy Getaway means making an active choice to engage with its mission. According to Jon, a good amount of people do just that.

“It is, of course, a choice to disconnect,” he says. “Putting your phone in the lockbox prompts you to put it out of sight and out of mind. People ask us why we don’t let work retreats happen here, why we don’t have Wi-Fi. We want to be the one

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place in the world where there isn’t a chance to be online.”

And though you might think the Boston outpost would be primarily visited by residents of Massachusetts and other New England states, Jon says that isn’t always the case. “When we first opened our Boston Getaway location, I thought that everyone would be from Boston,” he states. “But then I checked the billing addresses of our first few guests, and a lot of them were actually from rural Southern New Hampshire.

“I remember thinking, ‘Wait a minute, why are they giving us their money?’ I called some of them and they said some version of, ‘I live in the woods, my house is a mess, my kids are annoying me. I just want to focus on me and have some peace and quiet.’”

For more information, visit getaway.house/boston.

getaway.house/boston

Shop Local In & Around Concord

UNIQUE SHOPPING

Caring Gifts

Joe King’s Shoe Shop

Goldsmith’s Gallery, LLC

When the presentation is as important as the present! Our magic goes into every order we fill! Custom-made gift baskets, corporate gifts, candy, wedding gifts, and more!

45 North Main Street, Concord, NH (603) 225-6012 www.joekings.com

2 Capital Plaza 57 North Main Street, Concord, NH (603) 224-2920 goldsmiths-gallery.com facebook.com/GoldsmithsGalleryNH

18 North Main Street, Concord, NH (800) 585-8382 caringgifts.com

Mon–Thu 9am–7pm, Fri 9am–8pm Sat 9am–6pm, Sun 10am–5pm

What’s In Your Closet Resale Boutique Name brand, new and gently loved clothing for women, including vintage styles, jewelry, designer handbags, and accessories.

9 Pleasant Street, Concord, NH (603) 224-2722 Tue–Thu 11am–5pm, Fri 11am–6pm Sat 10am–3pm, Closed Sun & Mon

Tue–Fri 10am–5:30pm Sat 10am–4pm, Closed Sun & Mon

Marketplace New England Unique Gifts ~ Locally Crafted 7 North Main Street, Concord, NH (603) 227-6297 www.marketplacenewengland.com Mon–Fri 9:30am–6pm Sat 9:30am–5pm

AMISH HOMESTEAD LOTS OF

NEW

!

INVENTORY

Visit us at our

New Location

80 S. Main Street, Concord NH Great selection of Amish hand crafted furniture with a specialty in shaker style and distressed finishes, and a great variety of bentwood rockers and gliders.

The Amish Homestead is a genuine one stop shop for Amish made country style furniture and country decor.

Celeste Oliva

ReChic Boutique

Artisan Olive Oils & Balsamic Vinegars 8 North Main Street, Concord, NH (603) 225-3866

ReChic Boutique and ReChic Baby offer high-quality new and resale clothing and accessories for women and children.

Mon & Fri 10am–3pm, Tue–Thu 10am–7pm Sat 10am–4:30pm, Closed Sun

10 North State Street, Concord, NH (603) 227-6101 www.ReChicB.com

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EVENT CALENDAR

|

THEATER

•

MUSIC

•

DANCE

•

LECTURE

•

ART

What's Happening In & Around Concord

November 2

Official Blues Brothers Revue Capitol Center for the Arts, 8pm CCANH.COM

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www.aroundconcord.com

September 15

Canterbury Artisan Festival

Back Channel, Turquoise Dawn by Dustan Knight.

Through December 24

Fall Art Exhibit Opening reception: September 14, 5–7pm Mill Brook Gallery & Sculpture Garden THEMILLBROOKGALLERY.COM

The Canterbury Artisan Festival is a celebration of handcrafted arts with music, food, family craft activities, farm animals, and demonstrations.

Come admire artisans’ work and find unique gifts or something special for yourself!

Canterbury Shaker Village, 10am–5pm WWW.SHAKERS.ORG

September 12

Brewing in New Hampshire Castle in the Clouds, 7pm WWW.CASTLEINTHECLOUDS.ORG

September 16

Keeping the Faith – Sisters of the Story Capitol Center for the Arts, 2pm CCANH.COM September 20

Rodney Crowell Capitol Center for the Arts, 7:30pm CCANH.COM September 22, October 13, November 10

Hatbox Performance Lab Ocean Breeze II by Soo Rye Yoo.

Through October 14

21st Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit Mill Brook Gallery & Sculpture Garden THEMILLBROOKGALLERY.COM September 12

Veronica Swift with the Emmet Cohen Trio Capitol Center for the Arts, 7:30pm CCANH.COM

September 26

Celtic Thunder X

Hatbox Theatre’s educational series for theatre artists and the public looking to explore the theatrical arts and expand their capabilities.

Each month we hold a two-hour (plus!) workshop on different topics including lighting, sound, projections, costumes, design, acting, improv, directing, publicity, and more.

Hatbox Theatre, 2pm HATOBXNH.COM

Capitol Center for the Arts, 7:30pm CCANH.COM

September 25

September 27, October 18, November 23

National Theatre Live in HD: Julie Capitol Center for the Arts, 6pm CCANH.COM

September 27

Brigade Lecture Series: The History of Seeds Pierce Manse, 7pm WWW.PIERCEMANSE.ORG

Stranger Than Fiction Improv Hatbox Theatre, 7:30pm HATOBXNH.COM

September 12, October 10, November 6

Discovering Magic with Andrew Pinard Hatbox Theatre, 7:30pm HATBOXNH.COM September 13

Blackberry Smoke: Find a Light Tour Capitol Center for the Arts, 7:30pm CCANH.COM September 14–16, 21–23

Love/Sick A collection of nine slightly twisted and completely hilarious short plays from the writer of Almost, Maine.

Hatbox Theatre, 7:30pm Fri & Sat; 2pm Sun HATBOXNH.COM

September 14

Ani DiFranco with Special Guest Peter Mulvey Capitol Center for the Arts, 8pm CCANH.COM

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CALENDAR September 28

September 21

Music Out of the ’Box

Disney Junior Dance Party

Hatbox Theatre, 7:30pm HATOBXNH.COM

Capitol Center for the Arts, 6pm CCANH.COM

September 29, November 24

Greg Boggis Presents Standup Comedy Hatbox Theatre, 7:30pm HATBOXNH.COM October 5, 12, 19, 26

Spirit Encounters Tours Learn about the growth of spiritualism as part of Shaker religion and hear firsthand accounts of otherworldly encounters on this 60- to 75-minute tour.

Canterbury Shaker Village, 6:30 & 7pm WWW.SHAKERS.ORG October 5–7, 12–14, 19–21

Invasion from Mars!

On the night of October 30, 1938, millions of Americans believed that Earth was being invaded

by Martians. It was the result of a radio show produced on CBS by the Mercury Theatre Players, under the direction of Orson Welles. How did they manage to convince so many people of the unthinkable? And what was it like to be caught in the frenzy of terror that many experienced that night? Join us as we relive the infamous night of the Invasion from Mars!

Hatbox Theatre, 7:30pm Fri & Sat; 2pm Sun HATBOXNH.COM

October 12

October 14

Open Air Landscape Art

Putting It Together

Castle in the Clouds, 10am WWW.CASTLEINTHE CLOUDS.ORG October 13

Vintage Car Show Canterbury Shaker Village, 10am–1pm WWW.SHAKERS.ORG

New World Theatre will present six new works at the Hatbox Theatre this season as part of our ongoing play development program. These productions will either be a staged reading or a workshop script-in-hand performance with minimal staging, costumes, and props.

Hatbox Theatre, 6:30pm HATBOXNH.COM October 14

October 6–7

October 13

Special Fundraising Event: 3rd Annual Fairy House and Hobbit House Festival Weekend

Capitol Center for the Arts, 8pm CCANH.COM

Bedrock Gardens, 11am–3pm WWW.BEDROCKGARDENS.ORG

October 20

Harvest Music Festival Enjoy a fun evening of traditional music performed by a variety of artists and groups including the Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki trio.

Sample the fare of local Canterbury food and drink vendors.

Canterbury Shaker Village, 4–8pm WWW.SHAKERS.ORG

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The Music of Cream: 50th Anniversary

Pink Martini Capitol Center for the Arts, 7:30pm CCANH.COM

Dining Out In & Around Concord

DINING GUIDE

Alan’s of Boscawen

Granite Restaurant & Bar

133 N. Main Street, Rte. 3, Boscawen, NH (603) 753-6631 www.alansofboscawen.com

96 Pleasant Street, Concord, NH (603) 227-9000 www.graniterestaurant.com A popular dining and socializing spot among Concord locals, our awardwinning Granite Restaurant & Bar is a beautifully styled, modern eatery.

Our talented culinary team brings creative sensibility to a sleek dining space enhanced with contemporary spirit and warm service. Using locally sourced ingredients at every opportunity, Chef Daniel Dionne infuses New American cuisine with French, Mediterranean, and Asian influences.

Alan’s of Boscawen, a family-owned restaurant, has been a local favorite in the Concord area for over 25 years providing great food, catering, and dining experiences.

Featuring live entertainment Fri & Sat 8:30pm–12am.

Open daily, including breakfast Sat & Sun.

Revival Kitchen & Bar 11 Depot Street, Concord, NH (603) 715-5723 www.revivalkitchennh.com @revivalkitchennh Casual upscale dining with farm-to-table influence. Reviving Old World classic dishes using local meats, produce, and dairy. Unique and classic cocktails and every wine available by the glass.

Open Tue–Thu 4–9pm, Fri–Sat 4–10pm; closed Sun & Mon.

Makris Lobster & Steak House Route 106, Concord, NH (603) 225-7665 www.eatalobster.com

Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse/Sushi Bar & Lounge 118 Manchester Street, Concord, NH (603) 223-3301 www.ichibanconcord.com Ichiban features 12 hibachi grills where meals are prepared in front of you, a Japanese sushi bar, and the Koi Lounge with HD TVs. Happy Hour is Sun–Thu 4–6pm with $2 drafts, half-price appetizers, and cocktails!

Vibes Gourmet Burgers 25 S. Main Street, Concord, NH (603) 856-8671 www.vibesgourmetburgers.com

An experience you wont forget! Enjoy fresh seafood and steak at an affordable price. Comfortable setting for all ages.

Banquets and catering available!

Open Tue–Sun, 11am–9pm (8pm on Sun)

Our handcrafted burgers start with Open Prairie Natural Angus®.

Raised on ranches and 100% vegetarian fed, this fresh, premiumquality beef contains no added hormones, antibiotics, or artificial ingredients. Our signature brioche buns are baked fresh daily.

Mon–Thu 11:30am–8pm, Fri 11:30am–10pm, Sat 12–10pm, Sun 12–6pm

Barous' Family Restaurant

Constantly Pizza

94 Fort Eddy Road, Concord, NH (603) 715-5183 wwww.barousrestaurant.com

39 S. Main Street, Concord, NH (603) 224-9366 www.constantlypizza.net @ConstantlyPizza Great food at great prices and a selection that can’t be beat!

We specialize in catering – office parties, rehearsal dinners, showers, anniversaries, retirements, special events, and more.

Check out our website for our full menu.

Open Mon–Thu & Sat 11am–10pm, Fri 11am–11pm; Sun Noon–9pm

From the family who owned the Cat N Fiddle Restaurant comes Barous' Family Restaurant.

Sun–Thu 7am–8pm, Fri & Sat 7am–9pm

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CALENDAR October 16

National Theatre Live in HD: King Lear Capitol Center for the Arts, 6pm CCANH.COM October 21

S’Wonderful and De-Lovely: An Evening of George Gershwin & Cole Porter Featuring Vocalist Cat Faulkner

October 12

Halloween Pumpkin Walk Castle in the Clouds, 5:30pm WWW.CASTLEINTHECLOUDS.ORG

Capitol Center for the Arts, 4pm CCANH.COM October 21

Friends! The Musical Parody Capitol Center for the Arts, 7pm CCANH.COM

October 23

Monty Python’s Spamalot Capitol Center for the Arts, 7:30pm ccanh.com

October 25

Brigade Lecture Series: The History of Bands in America Pierce Manse, 7pm WWW.PIERCEMANSE.ORG October 25–27

Absinthe & Opium Burlesque: Lore Absinthe & Opium Burlesque and Cabaret will present a journey through traditional and not so traditional tales, ghost stories, urban legends, and folklore.

Hatbox Theatre, 7:30pm HATBOXNH.COM

Capitol Center for the Arts, 8pm CCANH.COM

When one finally arrives, the inhabitants’ lives are thrown into a tailspin as they try to figure out who she is, why she’s there, and what she’s doing walking through the rubble from a burned down building across the street.

Hatbox Theatre, 7:30pm Fri & Sat; 2pm Sun HATBOXNH.COM

October 27

November 2

October 26

Portland Cello Project Performing Radiohead’s OK Computer and More

Postmodern Jukebox Capitol Center for the Arts, 8pm CCANH.COM

Official Blues Brothers Revue Capitol Center for the Arts, 8pm CCANH.COM November 8

October 29

The Met Live in HD: La Fanciulla del West Charlie Daniels Band Capitol Center for the Arts, 6pm CCANH.COM

Capitol Center for the Arts, 7:30pm CCANH.COM

October 30

November 10

National Theatre Live in HD: Frankenstein Capitol Center for the Arts, 6pm CCANH.COM

Volunteer Fall Cleanup Castle in the Clouds, 10am WWW.CASTLEINTHECLOUDS.ORG November 10

November 2–4, 9–11, 16–18

When Colossus Falls The Riverview B&B hasn’t seen a guest in ages.

The Met Live in HD: Marnie Capitol Center for the Arts, 12:55pm CCANH.COM

November 14–17

Mary’s Wedding On the night before her wedding, Mary dreams of a thunderstorm, during which she unexpectedly meets Charlie sheltering in a barn beside his horse. With innocence and humor, the two discover a charming first love. But the year is 1914 and the world is collapsing into a brutal war. In this award-winning Canadian play, their love story unfolds against the most devastating conflagration of war that the world had yet seen.

The Winnipesaukee Playhouse, 7:30pm Wed–Sat; 2pm Sat WWW.WINNIPESAUKEEPLAYHOUSE.ORG

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November 10

Bob Marley

November 17

Puddles Pity Party

Capitol Center for the Arts, 6:30 & 9pm CCANH.COM

Capitol Center for the Arts, 8pm CCANH.COM

November 11

November 25

Alan Doyle with Opener Whitney Rose Capitol Center for the Arts, 7:30pm CCANH.COM

TWIGGS Gallery at Cornerstone Design

is a unique venture conceived by local NH artist and calligrapher, Adele Sanborn. The Gallery exhibits local & regional artists. Our fall show, INTERTWINED, will offer works from Tracy Hayes, Victoria Hussey, William Turner and Gretchen Woodman.

Soweto Gospel Choir Capitol Center for the Arts, 5pm CCANH.COM November 29–December 2, 6–9, 13–16

Dickens’ A Christmas Carol In this original adaption of the holiday classic, Hatbox Theatre focuses on how the dreamlike qualities of the ghost story aspect of Dickens’ work can bring about redemption.

Hatbox Theatre, 7:30pm Fri & Sat; 2pm Sun HATBOXNH.COM November 30–December 2, 7–9, 14–16

FRUITCAKE! November 22

Official Remembrance of Franklin Pierce’s Birthday New Hampshire National Guard wreath laying at Old North Cemetery. Reception at Pierce Manse to follow.

Old North Cemetery, 10am WWW.PIERCEMANSE.ORG

FRUITCAKE! showcases three high-caliber actors in their quest to portray every aspect of the Christmas season in one hilarious, sugar-rush of a show.

Hatbox Theatre, 7:30pm Fri & Sat; 2pm Sun HATBOXNH.COM

The Shop features Duffy’s Attic full of shabby-chic antiques, shelves filled with fun greeting cards and stationery, unusual papers, ribbons, and gifts that will please all tastes.

We offer a wide variety of adult art and crafting classes.

The fall schedule can be found on our website.

Located within Twiggs Gallery is Adele Sanborn’s studio. She offers calligraphy services to create custom works of art and calligraphy for your special events. In addition, Adele’s gift works and art are always on display in the Twiggs Gallery Shop.

Make TWIGGS Gallery your next stop for a fun shopping experience!

G ALLERY at

Cornerstone Design

fine art · calligraphy · uniquities

254 King St · Jct Rte 3&4 · Boscawen, NH 603-975-0015 · twiggsgallery.wordpress.com Regular Hours: Thur-Sat 11-5 · Sunday 12-4

ADVERTISERS INDEX A&B Lumber ......................... back cover

Concord Otolaryngology ....................13

Merrimack County Savings Bank ......8

Alan's of Boscawen ......................39, 69

Concord Pediatric Dentistry ............... 7

Merrimack County Service Link.......25

Amish Homestead ............................. 65

Constantly Pizza ................................. 69

Nicole's Greenhouse.......................... 29

Annis & Zellers, PLLC ......................... 14

Endicott Furniture ...................................1

Barous Restaurant .............................. 69

Goldsmiths Gallery ............................ 65

Better Hearing Center ........................39

Graham & Graham .. inside back cover

Preview Party: Christmas at the Castle

Bow Plumbing & Heating ................. 29

Granite Restaurant & Bar ................. 69

Castle in the Clouds WWW.CASTLEINTHECLOUDS.ORG

Caring Gifts .......................................... 65

Hotel Concord ......................................35

Casa Dei Bambini ................................35

HR Clough ............................................. 41

New Chinese Acrobats

Celeste Oliva........................................ 65

Ichiban Japanese Steak House.. 41, 69

Capitol Center for the Arts, 7pm CCANH.COM

Centennial Hotel .................................. 19

Joe King's Shoe Shop ......................... 65

Century 21 Circa 72............................. 21

Johnny Prescott Oil Propane .............. 2

Christmas at the Castle

Charter Trust ..........................................9

Landforms ............................................. 17

Castle in the Clouds, 10am WWW.CASTLEINTHECLOUDS.ORG

Cobb Hill Construction ......................25

Laurie Rosato, DMD ........................... 15

Concord Antique Gallery ...................39

Ledyard Bank ........................................27

Vibes Gourmet Burgers .................... 69

Concord Eye Center ............................23

Makris Lobster & Steak House ....... 69

Vintage Kitchens ................................. 14

Concord Orthodontics ........................ 11

Marketplace New England ............... 65

What's In Your Closet ....................... 65

November 15

Keller Williams’ Pettygrass Featuring the Hillbenders Capitol Center for the Arts, 7:30pm CCANH.COM November 16

November 16

November 17–18, 23–25

Pine Rock Manor.................................. 21 Rechic Boutique .................................. 65 Revival Kitchen & Bar ........................ 69 Rumford Stone .........inside front cover Serendipity Day Spa............................23 Sugar River Bank ..................................37 Tasker Landscaping ............................... 3 Twiggs .................................................... 71 Upton & Hatfield, LLP ..........................31 Valpey Financial Services .................... 5

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LAST WORD

Autumn

is one of the most beautiful words in the English language.

Like an appoggiatura in music—a dissonance that resolves into a consonance— the somewhat irregular au passes into the smooth mn sound in a most wistful way.

It conveys its seasonal meaning, but also suggests an emotional connection to the senses of color and scent and coolness that is uniquely autumn in New England.

Its root—autu—is Etruscan and connotes the passing of a year as it relates to harvest. The Romans then added mnus to create the Latin word autumnus. However, the French removed the laggard us to give us the world l’automne, which English speakers transposed into the more succinct, perhaps prettier, autumn.

Be glad that this lovely word for the season of harvests did not evolve from the Greek Phthinoporon or the Gaelic foghar.

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Business Valuations Business Valuations – Buying, Selling and Understanding what financial components drive your Business worth before you enter in to a contract for sale or negotiations

Investigative Forensics or Fraud & Litigation Support Our Scope of Work includes the discovery of key information and data, interviews with the “people of interest”, intense analysis of the veracity of the data, interpretations of the data for reporting and disclosure for a finder of fact, in a criminal or civil matter Experience includes working with officials from:

Valuation Report

• US Secret Service • Federal Bureau of Investigation • IRS Criminal Investigators Office • United States Attorney Concord NH Laconia NH

• State/County/Municipal Police

Springfield VT

• Professional Conduct & Responsibility Boards

603-225-2944 603-527-8721 802-885-5340

www.grahamcpa.com

• Vermont Supreme Court

Founded in 1982

• Financial Reporting Engagements • Tax Topics

Around Concord One Monitor Drive Concord, NH 03301

PRSRT STD US Postage

PAID

Manchester NH Permit 792

Who Knew Vinyl Windows Could Look So Good?

Mathews Brothers Walcott family of products combines Energy Star® 6.0 performance with our legendary Maine-Made quality. Whether you’re building a new home, or remodeling an existing home, whether your project is residential or light commercial, the Walcott can meet your needs and exceed your expectations.

Available in every configuration, including single and double hung, slide, casement and awning, as well as radius and geometric units, your window style is only limited by your imagination. And because we meet Energy Star® 6.0 without resorting to “S4” or “roomside” Low-e, you don’t need to sacrifice aesthetics for performance.

LU M B ER B A R N S Division of BELLETETES, INC.

Division of BELLETETES, INC.

DivisionofofBELLETETES, BELLETETES, INC. Division INC.

www.belletetes.com

JAFFREY, NH

PETERBOROUGH, NH 188 Concord St.

80 Northeastern Blvd.

NASHUA, NH

WINCHENDON, MA

ASHLAND, NH

603.532.7716

603.924.9436

603.880.7778

978.297.1162

603.968.7626

51 Peterborough St.

245 Central St.

20 West. St.

ANDOVER, NH

SUNAPEE, NH

PEMBROKE, NH

MOULTONBOROUGH, NH

603.735.5544

603.763.9070

603.224.7483

603.253.4404

24 Ten Penny Lane

21 Sargent Rd.

129 Sheep Davis Rd.

121 Whittier Hwy.