Evening Walk with a View

With the arrival of cooler weather, we've resumed evening walks on a paved path called river walk that parallels the Nashua River. This path winds around a portion of the former Nashua Manufacturing Company, now known as Clocktower Apartments (our current residence) and along a portion of Main Street, Nashua, NH. 

These images were taken on a recent evening stroll. You can read the company name when this image is clicked on and enlarged or check out the one below it.

Here's a "zoomed in" view with the company name and incorporation date. NMC produced cotton flannel blankets and operated from 1823-1949. It housed several other businesses after the mill ceased operation, until its conversion to mill apartments in 1990. (FYI our apartment is on the 5th floor along the word "Company.")

The two clocktowers are original to the mill buildings and remain operational. They are maintained by the current building management.

The most impressive overall view of the mill is seen from the bridge that crosses the Nashua River on Main Street in Nashua. The white cupola formerly housed a very large bell that tolled to signal mill workers. The bell was removed years ago and is now in the parking area (sorry, forgot to snap a photo this time).

We stopped to take a selfie during our walk — just because we could.

The NMC is one of numerous New England mills that have been covered to residence apartments. Clocktower Apartments has 326 apartments and most feature unique interiors. More about NMC and its conversion to mill apartments in future posts.

THANKS to everyone for the well wishes on our recent Anniversary and the comments on the flowers and grandchildren, Bobby and Ellie . . . more grandchild news coming soon.

Anniversary Celebration

Thanks to everyone for the well wishes on our 17th wedding anniversary. We really appreciated your comments. Here's the beautiful way our day started with the delivery of this beautiful and very colorful floral arrangement. We've been enjoying its fragrance this past week and it's still going strong.

Two dear friends, who are also sisters, Margaret and Ruby, sent us this arrangement. It made us feel not only very special but very thankful. Since it was sent sight unseen, photos were taken and sent to both ladies with our thanks.

Our day was spent just being together, something we've heard can be difficult for some couples once they've retired. Luckily, we've never had that "problem." We took a "selfie" by our mill apt entrance, before going to for a walk, followed by a movie (Florence Foster Jenkins), then dinner at home accompanied by wine sipping and toasting — a perfect day.

We're especially Thankful for friends and family, including all of You.

Friday Funnies

Who ya gonna call?

No one, if you were planned on using these phone booths . . .

Worse yet . . . what would Superman do without a door for a fast change?

Enjoy your weekend, Everyone.

We Saw the Light . . .

And it was the Pemaquid Point Light, a historic lighthouse in Bristol, Lincoln County, Maine, at the tip of the Pemaquid Neck. The lighthouse is featured on the 23^rd quarter in the 50 State Quarters Program issued by the U.S. Mint after being voted on by a majority of Maine residents.

A previous post described a few highlights of our weekend Maine adventure. This was another one during that same trip.

Our NJ friends who we visited recently in Maine, have visited the lighthouse many times during previous visits. They drove there and waited while we waited our turn to climb to the top. There was a short wait time as once inside, space is very limited — and tight. Only 4-6 people entered at a time. We shared the climb with a family of four visiting from Genoa, Italy.

Permaquid Point Lighthouse was commissioned in 1827 by President John Quincy Adams and built the same year. Soon afterwards it started to crumble due to poor quality workmanship and mixing salt water in the mortar mix. It was replaced in 1835 and the second building contract specified the use of only fresh water. The lighthouse keeper oversaw construction to ensure this decision was upheld.

The tower is 38 feet high and is ascended by way of a spiral staircase which ends in 5 small (and narrow) steps that lead into the top. 

The lighthouse lens optic is a Fresnal lens (1856) 

that displays a flashing white light every 6 seconds and is  visible 14 nautical miles. It was automated in 1934.

The lighthouse remains an active aid to navigation. It's owned by the U.S. Coast Guard and licensed to the American Lighthouse Foundation. The Friends of Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation, is dedicated to restoring the historic lighthouse.

Exposed bedrock descends from the lighthouse to the ocean creating a unique scenic landscape. This geological formation dates back hundreds of years and has made Permaquid Point one of the most popularly photographed Maine lighthouses.

Images shot straight out of camera (SOOC)

Dramatic effects filter applied in camera

In spite of this craggy environment, there's a widespread variety of colorful flowering plants, such as rose hips and black-eyed susan, in and around the bedrock.

And, if you would you like to vacation at a lighthouse, you can rent the Keepers House is for a weekly stay at a cost of $1,200 for up to 4 people. There’s a queen bed and pull out sofa bed as well as internet access, TV, DVD/VCR, microwave, outdoor furniture, drinkable water, oceanfront. But bring your linens and towels as these are not provided. Rental proceeds are used to fund ongoing lighthouse maintenance and restoration.

Two Islands and Paris in 3 Days

Yes, you read that correct.

Last weekend we did visit two islands and Paris — in a single weekend. We never left New England — and visited ALL these places in one state.

Confused?
Here's HOW we did it. We went to Westport Island, Birch Island, and Paris in Maine. 

Maybe not quite the exotic destinations you might have expected?
But then these trips did cost less and take less time.

Our travels started with a visit to Westport Island, located about 50 miles northeast of Portland, Maine. It's separated from the mainland by two coastal salt-water rivers (Sheepscot River and Back River) and is connected to the mainland by one bridge, built in 1972. The island has year-round residences, many rental cottages and a single bed & breakfast accommodation, The Squire Tarbox Inn, where we stayed.

Longtime NJ friends, Sara and David have rented a summer vacation cottage on the island for the past 10 years. Since we hadn't seen them in nearly 2 years, we planned our anniversary trip to include a get together. This is a long-standing friendship as Sara and I attended high school some xx years ago.

We had a day full of activities, including a visit to the annual North Noble Fair, Booth Bay Harbor (great ice cream sundaes at the Ice Cream Factory) and we climbed Pemaquid Point Lighthouse (more on this in a future post). We capped the day off with dinner at the inn celebrating: David's birthday, our anniversary, and especially our friendship.

Later, we took time for an after-dinner group selfie thanks to Grenville's long reach.

Next travel stop was Paris, ME to visit friends, Chris and Pam, who also live in Nashua, NH and spend long weekends at the home that Chris grew up in. This house dates to 1789 and is in a scenic historic district, known as Paris Hill. 

After Paris, we went to Norway (the lake that is). Captain Chris provided a boat tour of Norway Lake, which is really Lake Pennesseewassee, can you see why it's been renamed after the town it's nearest ?

Our next destination was Birch Island, which houses a small cabin owned by Chris and Pam. It's very basic with no electricity and only accessible by boat or when the lake freezes over and can be driven on. You read that right. They told us that the lake freezes to 3 feet of solid ice and can support a large pickup truck, needed to get supplies there.

Last weekend was a fun-filled pre-celebration trip to visit friends and tour more of New England. While the destinations were not as far-away as the post title might have implied, did I mention that they cost less, were FUN and, most important, very special.

Today is our 17th wedding anniversary — 08-21-2016

Coincidentally, we share our anniversary date with a couple from England, Kath and Andrew. We met them several years ago when they were visiting the U.S. and only later learned that we were married on the same date just in different years. The card shown above was received from them this week. Happy Anniversary, Kath & Andrew.