A Fair Stroll

The post title is a play on words combining two events we attended this past weekend. Both were in New Hampshire; only one required a road trip.

Our first weekend event was the 68th Annual Canterbury Fair in Canterbury, NH, an hour's highway drive from Nashua. In the afternoon, we walked downtown for the 2026 Nashua Summer Stroll. Both of these family-friendly community events were free to attend.

Canterbury Town Center: United Community Church, post office and general store

The Town of Canterbury, named for William Wake, Archbishop of Canterbury, is located in the central part of New Hampshire bordering the State Capitol of Concord. The town is primarily rural with an active agricultural and farming community. The population, as of 2016, was under 2,500 residents. There's a small commercial area with direct access to Interstate 93, which is how we traveled there.

Town Center set up for annual fair

The Canterbury Fair is always held on the last Saturday in July. It includes a 5K run, artisan demonstrations and music performances. It's completely volunteer run and a great example of small town community involvement. Proceeds from the fair and food sales benefit the Canterbury Fund and community service programs of the Canterbury United Community Church including scholarships and use for family emergencies. 

Vintage Canterbury Fair poster & folks lined up for shuttle bus to town center

The fair previously received recognition as part of a National Geographic Society listing of outstanding attractions nationwide.

The What-Not Sale is always a very popular fair event

This was our first time attendance. We soon saw that a couple of events were long-time favorites. The most popular was the large What-Not tag sale featuring a lot of everything from antiques to household goods, toys and holiday decorations donated by town residents and others. Items were laid out end-to-end on large tables in the historic town hall. It was packed with shoppers as seen in the above photos.

The book and video sale was the second most popular event

The used book and video sale also attracted many book browsers and buyers. The sale was housed in a large old barn. Books were displayed by subject matter. I avoided the temptation to buy books after recently donating a bagful. That said, a DVD copy of Titanic made it home. We enjoyed re-watching it this weekend, having forgotten that it's a very long movie and less costly than when first seen in a movie theater.

Canterbury, NH, one-room schoolhouse was a primary school until 1956

Stepping back in time, we toured the interior of the town's one-room schoolhouse. Built in 1844, it served as a primary school until 1956. The restored red brick building operates as a living history exhibit that's managed by the Canterbury Historical Society. The society runs an immersive One-Room Schoolhouse program which lets students from Canterbury Elementary and surrounding towns experience a full school day circa 1887. 

Prescott piano in Canterbury one-room schoolhouse

Many early schools contained a piano for music and singing lessons. This one was built in New England by the Prescott Piano Company originally established as the Prescott Organ Company in Concord, NH, in the 1830s, Prescott built a line of American upright and grand pianos in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The company originally catered to local schools, churches and parlors, manufacturing instruments specifically designed to withstand New England's seasonal humidity and temperature shifts.

Antique vehicles at Canterbury Fair

A notice of the fair included information on an antique auto display, unfortunately, there were only a handful of cars and tractors on display this year.

Main Street Nashua, NH (photo by Seth Dewey) before & during summer stroll

Later, Saturday afternoon on a perfect weather day, the 2026 Nashua Summer Stroll turned downtown Nashua's Main Street into a pedestrian-only event of art, live music, food, crafts and activities. 

The event include musical performances, boxing demos and ghoulish folks

The downtown stroll was sponsored by the Downtown Nashua Association and ran from 4 to 8 pm attracting hundreds of residents and visitors. There was a lineup of local musicians with musical performances on the corner of Main and East Pearl Streets throughout the afternoon and evening. 

Synthetic roller skating rink, chalk car painting and wall painting

Interactive attractions included a synthetic roller skating rink and wall painting. A local nonprofit group, Positive Street Art, hosted many of the art events and brought back last year's popular chalk car which members of all ages decorated.

Sunday Farmers Market in Renaissance Park, Nashua, NH

Downtown Nashua will be hosting a series of upcoming events before the end of the year, which seems to be coming up fast. Halloween decos have already been seen in local stores — way too soon! We're looking forward to these events: Coloring Main Street in September, the Main Street Monster Mash in October followed later by the Festival of Trees, Main Street Unwrapped, Plaid Friday and the annual Winter Stroll. The best part is that all of these are within walking distance of our home.

Hope that whatever you did this past weekend, it was good for you.

Memory Bear Cedric

Cedric, the teddy bear, is home in Nashua, NH. It arrived last week looking quite different than when its fur was sent to Ohio several months ago.

That's because Cedric resulted from converting a fur stole into a teddy bear.

Cedric is a jointed teddy bear made from a fur stole

 

After my mother died, years ago, my brother and I cleared out her home. We discarded or donated nearly all household items and clothing, but not a fur stole, which was the pride and joy of my mother's accessories. She enjoyed dressing up and wore the fur when she and my late father attended weddings or special events.

My late mother's fur stole

As a homemaker, she had purchased it in the mid-1960s from a former department store in Plainfield, NJ, as shown by a receipt she kept with it. 

I relocated the fur to our apt home in Nashua and it was stored it in a bedroom closet. This year, after an online search, I found Fairy Godmother Creations in Dayton, OH, and read how clothing, furs or wedding dresses could be converted into heirloom treasures. The website provided information with order forms and costs. 

Fairy Godmother Liane, who has been creating memories for over 25 years, could convert the fur into a memory teddy bear. The website included a phone number and I called her before sending it. She told me that she would send an email after it was received and examined and would provide a completion date, which would most likely be several months. 

Curious about the cost? it was just under $200 with shipping paid by myself both ways. Admittedly, it's an expense for a small teddy bear, but it's a special memory of my mother, so the cost or time to complete it were not an issue for me. 

Once the bear was done, Liane emailed a photo and then sent it with care instructions. Because this is a real-fur bear, the fur was re-enforced with a fabric-based interfacing to help it last. To keep the hide from drying out, the teddy bear should be kept out of direct sunlight and not near heating. She advised never to use water on real fur as it could cause shrinkage.

Liane asked me to email her when the bear arrived. She wanted to make sure that her creation made it home. I emailed back that this one did just that. As for the name of the teddy bear, my mother's name was Clara and the name Cedric appealed to me.

Cedric has joined other special friends in our apartment.

July Family Birthdays

This past Sunday, July 19, was National Ice Cream Day, a celebration we enjoy as evidenced by the previous post — but, it's an important day in our family for a very special reason. It's also the birthday of our oldest granddaughter. 

She shares a July birthday with her grandfather, Patrick, who helped her celebrate her birth day, 15 years ago. 

This weekend, once again, they celebrated together. The years have gone by way too fast.

Happy 🎂 Birthday 🎉

We celebrated not only their birthdays, but also National Ice Cream Day at a RI creamery.

It's Ice 🍨 Cream Day

Today is the third Sunday in July which means that it's also National Ice Cream Day.

(It’s also the birthday of our eldest granddaughter who turns 15 today.)

Not only that, but this celebration lands in the middle of National Ice Cream Month which technically means you can celebrate ice cream everything all month long. Across the U.S., top chains and local parlors will be offering freebies and discounts to celebrate today. 

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan issued Proclamation 5219 which established July as National Ice Cream Month and designated the third Sunday in July as National Ice Cream Day. He also called ice cream as a nutritious and wholesome treat. That works for us!

We celebrated early and often by enjoying ice cream at various NH ice cream shops during recent day trips. All of these places were family-owned business rather than franchise operations. Our favorite flavors include Moose Tracks, Coffee Mocha, Salted Caramel and Peanut Butter Cup. But, we're always up to trying a regional or new-to-us flavor like the Kahlua fudge I enjoyed in the photo below.

Aaron’s Specialty Restaurant in Marlow, NH

Recipes for ice cream began appearing in England and America during the early 18th century. Quaker colonists brought ice recipes to the U.S, opening the first ice cream shops in NY and other cities during the colonial era. In 1851, a Quaker businessman, C. Jacob Fussel, built an ice cream house and opened the country's first commercial ice cream factory in York County, PA, creating the first commercially produced and distributed ice cream in the U.S. 

Oldest U.S. Ice Cream Shop

The oldest U.S. ice cream shop is Bassetts Ice Cream. Founded in 1861, the legendary parlor is located in Philadelphia's historic Reading Terminal Market, where it operates the market's only original merchant counter dating back to 1892. Its founder Lewis Dubois Bassett originally churned the frozen dairy using a mule-driven machine on his NJ farm.

Kellerhaus in the Weirs Beach area of Laconia, NH

U.S. Ice Cream Capital State

Le Mars, Iowa, is officially known as the "Ice Cream Capital of the World". The town produces more ice cream from a single location. Its home to the biggest ice cream factory in a single location, Wells Enterprises. This massive facility produces over 150 million gallons of ice cream annually. The campus features a public Visitor Center & Ice Cream Parlor.

Top U.S. Ice Cream

There's no single "official" #1 ice cream brand as rankings depend on the category and if you're looking at packaged pints, regional dairies or specialty shops. Also, best is subjective, and U.S. ice cream is often defined by retail sales, consumer search trends or awards. Top brands include Häagen-Dazs, Ben & Jerry's, Tillamook and Blue Bell.

Sawyers Dairy Bar, Gilford, NH

Country That Consumes Ice Cream Most

Globally, New Zealanders eat the most ice cream per person, consuming an average of some 28.4 liters (over 7.5 gallons) annually per capita. The U.S. is a close second with 20.8 liters per person each year, followed by Australia at 18 liters per capita.  Other top countries are Finland, Sweden and Canada. 

We met up with fellow blogger, Erika (BioArt Girl), at Sawyers

Unhealthiest Ice Cream

These are typically super-premium pints loaded with cream, sugar, and mix-ins. Options like Ben & Jerry’s Peanut Butter World or Häagen-Dazs Chocolate Peanut Butter have up to 1,200 calories, over 75g of fat, and 80g of sugar per pint.

Most Forgotten Ice Cream Flavor

Tutti frutti is considered as one of the most forgotten and lost old-school ice cream flavors. This colorful, fruit-studded treat was once a mid-century staple found in nearly every ice cream shop. It disappeared from major supermarket shelves due to the rising costs of the herbs used for its green candied specks. 

Puritan Backroom in Manchester, NH

Most Disliked Ice Cream Flavor

Surveys regularly rank Birthday Cake and Mint Chocolate Chip as the less liked flavors, largely due to their sweet frosting taste. In nationwide polls, Superman and Rum Raisin also frequently top the list of least-purchased options. 

Early U.S. Presidents Liked Ice Cream

Many U.S. presidents have famously loved ice cream. George Washington liked the dessert so much that he purchased ice cream pots and an ice cream maker for his home. Thomas Jefferson is credited with penning the first written ice cream recipe by an American. Abraham Lincoln famously served various flavors, like burnt almond, at his second inaugural ball.

Later Presidents Did Too

Gerald Ford enjoyed butter pecan as a go-to sweet treat during his time in office. Bill Clinton has made a few dietary changes, including going vegan, and now opts for raspberry sorbet. At a Pennsylvania campaign stop in 2006, George W. Bush had pralines and cream ice cream. For weeks afterwards, the flavor sold out at that ice cream shop. Barack Obama worked at an ice cream shop in his youth and enjoyed pretzels and ice cream.

Your Turn — will you enjoy ice cream today, if so, what's your favorite flavor?

Friday Funnies

This is the Lexington, a custom-designed 75-foot two-level paddle wheel boat operated by the Charles River Boat Company in Boston. 

It provides passenger cruises in Boston harbor and was especially popular this past week with the tall ships docked in the harbor. A properly loaded and balanced boat sits relatively flat on the water like in the above photo.

But, when it lists as seen above, it could mean that uneven weight distribution is the cause. In the above photo, passengers were probably gathering to one side as it passed by the tall ships. Apparently, this listing is common as there have been no reported capsizes and the Lexington has safely cruised Boston Harbor for years.

Enjoy Your Weekend, Everyone

It's going to be a quiet one in Nashua, NH.

Tall Ships Celebration

Today, is the last day for Sail Boston, a maritime event that celebrated the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. It went from July 11 to July 16 and featured over 50 international tall ships and military vessels. These ships had recently celebrated in NYC with the Parade of Sails for the Sail4th 250 event.

Yesterday, we went on a day trip to Boston harbor to view some of these magnificent tall ships. It was just in time as today, July 16, the ships will be leaving Boston throughout the day on their own schedules with no official schedule of the departures. Unfortunately, several ships left before our harbor tour including the USCGC Eagle, which left this past Tuesday.

Our trip, arranged by the senior center we're members of in Hudson, NH, included transport to and from Boston with a narrated harbor cruise followed by lunch. This was one of the most popular trips this season; two tour buses left NH before 8 am and returned by 3 pm. 

The harbor tour was completed on the Charles I, a custom designed 75-foot classic riverboat owned and operated by the Charles River Boat Company which provides narrated sightseeing cruises in Boston's inner harbor and the Charles River from May through October.

The Boston event began last weekend, Saturday, July 11, with a Parade of Sail led by the historic USS Constitution (Old Ironsides). The ships then docked at various Boston locations including the Seaport District, Boston Fish Pier and Charlestown. Many ships offered free, daily dockside tours. Unfortunately, our trip didn't include time for any ship tours.

Old Ironsides is the world’s oldest commissioned warship still afloat. Launched in 1797, this three-masted wooden frigate was built to protect American merchant shipping. It gained the legendary moniker during the War of 1812 when British cannonballs seemed to bounce off the ships incredibly thick oak hull. Today, the ship is permanently berthed at Pier 1 in Boston's Charlestown Navy Yard. It's a free public museum and an active-duty U.S. Navy vessel.

Lingering smoke from Canadian wildfires created hazy skies over Boston during our tour. Also, all of the sails were furled (stowed) on the ships while they were docked. Below and in no special order or identification are some of the tall ships viewed from our riverboat cruise.

The U.S. lightship Nantucket (LV-112) is a National Historic Landmark lightship that served at the Lightship Nantucket position. It was the last serving lightship and, at time of its application as a landmark, one of only two capable of moving under their own power. It has served as the lightship for notable vessels including the liners United States, Queen Mary, and Normandie.

Some folks opt for more modern ships like the one above. The Excellence is a massive and extravagantly costly $230-million, 262-foot super yacht owned by Boston billionaire and auto mogul Herb Chambers. It was built by German shipyard Abeking & Rasmussen and is easily recognized by its futuristic reverse bow and extensive mirrored glass. 

This megayacht is often docked in Boston's Seaport district when in the area. However, its schedule fluctuates as it often cruises along the New England coast and makes stops in Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, and Newport, RI. In case anyone is interested, when not being used by its owners, it's available for luxury charters starting at over $1.2 million per week.

Yesterday was a special day not only for the chance to see these beautiful ships, but also in celebration of my husband Patrick's (aka Grenville) birthday. He enjoyed this ice cream treat on another adventure last week. I also helped him enjoy it.

Friday Funnies

Many times, I've taken photos and saved them in a photo file for future. What seems like an ordinary photo can be used as a photo phunny (an intentional misspelling and misuse).

That said, here's a few of those photos; please excuse my phun captions. These photos were taken over the past several years in museums, flea markets and outdoors.

Ball and Chain is an expression that can refer to a heavy physical restraint often used on prisoners to prevent their scape. It's also become a figure of speech used to describe any heavy responsibility or obligation that restricts freedom and sometimes, rather derogatorily, it refers to a spouse or partner.

Hosed ?

Hosed, used informally, can mean that something is broken, ruined, or totally messed up. Unfortunately, it can also mean that someone has been cheated or treated unfairly or is in serious trouble.

Nailed It ?

Nailed it is a term often used to successfully complete, execute, or explain something. This can refer to doing something successfully like a job or test. It's also been used as a popular internet slang to jokingly highlight a failed task.

Busting Out ?

Busting out commonly refers to escaping from captivity or a confined space, like a jail or prison. It can also be used describe to suddenly start an action, like laughing, or quitting a bad habit.

Unseated ?

Unseated can mean to have someone removed from a position of authority or office. When used in a literal sense, it can describe a sudden fall or being physically thrown from a seat or saddle or falling off a bicycle.

That's all for this time, folks. I hope you’ve enjoyed and/or chucked a bit at these photo selections and interpretations. As always, feel free to add your own in a comment.

Enjoy Your Weekend, Everyone

We're off on a short road trip and new-to-us NH experience.