Looking Back & Ahead

It's been a pleasure over the years, 15+ to be exact, for Patrick (Grenville) and myself Dorothy (Beatrice) to have met many wonderful people through blogging. 

It's greatly enriched our lives to become blog friends with many here in the U.S., Canada and worldwide who have shared their lives, adventures, family and more. And, we've been fortunate to have met bloggers in person, not only on road trips, but on getaways abroad — all wonderful, exiciting and fun experiences. 

WAIT . . . this isn't a Farewell Post

Instead, it's a bit of nostalgia after time (too much) was spent time looking back at earlier posts this week and realizing this blog so long ago. And, I also, learned that text in colors, like yellow, do not work well, black always is best. Also, found out that, photos in many older posts no longer display or the alignment is off.

Yikes! Once we started blogging, we were quite active at it. In fact, there were some months when we posted more blogs than there were days in the month! The first 2 years we had over 400 posts for each year, more days than in the year. While we've become less prolific in terms of posts per month, posts have usually been longer. We're never at a loss of ideas it seems.

How did the blog name happen?

Penguin is misspelled as Penguinn with an extra "n" on purpose. Once upon a short-lived time we thought idea of starting a B&B at our VA home and giving it a unique name. We had a collection of frog and penguin stuffed toys, many were gifted to us (never share that you like something or your family and friends will add to your collection). The name The Frog and Penguinn was selected. However, the B&B plan never happened after a friend who ran one in NJ shared her experiences and later sold the business. The blog name stayed.

The first post in mid-January 2015 was written by written by Grenville T. Boyd; the next one was authored by Beatrice P. Boyd. 

What about those odd author names?

Blogging was new to us and rather than give our actual names, we used aliases that we modified a bit. The names Grenville and Beatrice were borrowed from Boyds Bears figurines we owned and we added the random middle initial for fun.

Our Boyds Bear Collection of Beatrice & Grenville still on our bookshelf

How did have so much to post about early on?

To start, especially for those who have not been reading the Frog & Penguinn blog from back then, here's why. We sold our home in our native NJ and relocated to a very small town, Onley, on the VA eastern shore (spelled differently, but pronounced as only). The VA house was our first one together after our later-in-life re-marriages and each having our own home/townhouse. We wanted an "ours" home even if we would have to do some home-work and we were not disappointed there..

The VA house at first sight and a For Sale by Owner sign

The house we bought (above) was an older 1913 Victorian-style former farmhouse and it definitely needed updating. After deciding where to relocate, we made a couple of house hunting trips to the Eastern Shore. We saw this on our last day there, then called the number, met the owner, made an offer and hand shook on the sale. Try doing something like that in today's housing market anywhere else.

When I said Onley, VA, was small, here's a comparison: In our Beachwood, NJ, town there were over 11,000 residents compared to Onley, VA, with just over 530. We now live in Nashua, NH, the second largest city in the state with over 91,000 residents.

What did we post about?

Once we were settled in, we decided to share our progress with anyone who would read about it. Everything  — not just the renovations, but the gardening for both vegetables and flowers and recipes (a lot) and meals on for how we used the veggies which was very large for only 2 people. One thing you quickly learn on the VA Eastern Shore in summer time is that a lot of your neighbors also grow veggies, no one needs giveaways. We bought a small freezer; I made many zucchini breads and zucchini-based meals.

Who commented?

It was a slow start and most posts received no comments or just a few, often from our friend and neighbor, Possum. We weren't deterred as we had a lot of projects going on with renovating the older Victorian home so there was never a lack of subject matter and if there weren't a lot of folks commenting, that didn't matter.

Also, we had internet service, but no TV connection as the local cable company was not especially reliable. Years back, streaming wasn't as popular as today. DVD movies rentals were our source of entertainment from our own collection or rented from the video store in town (remember those days?). Truthfully, after dinner and writing a blog post, it was bedtime for us.

Then it (finally) happened

After a few months, OK give or take 6 or more, we started getting comments from other bloggers. WOW! it was great to find out that folks were reading our posts.

Among the earliest folks to comment were John (AC or Anvilcloud), Lois who posted from a cruise ship on which her husband, Kjell, was an officer. There was also Doris in PA and Denise in VA (both of whom we’ve met several times), Kathleen (Eggs in My Pocket, TX), Elaine in Alaska (who we met when she and her husband Marty visited NH), Grammie G in ME (who we also net), Ludwig in GA (another meet up when visiting my cousin).

By the end of that first year, along with some regulars, we were receiving comments from bloggers throughout the U.S. and beyond, including Mona (Montana), Steve (Iowa), Connie (Iowa), Elaine (Canada), Sandra (FL), Scott (Utah), Larry (Iowa), Valerie and John (England), Christer (Sweden). It was very exciting, that's the truth!

In the years since that first post, there's been many more comments from folks who comment now and then (or no longer comment) and from bloggers from years back who still read and comment and those we've met. You know who you are; we appreciate y'all. 

Bloggers are an online community of friends

And, we miss them when they're no longer here. Sometimes, a blogger has stopped blogging completely, maybe giving a reason, or not. Sadder yet, several bloggers have passed away: Mona (Wsprsweetly of Cottages), Lorraine (Mamas Mercantile) and most recently John (By Stargoose and Hanglands). We miss all of them.

In some cases, a family member kindly posted an update of a blogger's passing. But, when nothing has been posted, we wonder if anything had happened or did he/she just decide to call it quits, as some have done. Maybe the same has happened to some bloggers you've known as well ?

There's always a NJ connection

Former blogger Goldendaze-Ginnie (NC) was born in the same (and only) hospital in Plainfield, NJ, as myself and also had family living there. Another connection was that she grew up and attended college in New England, where we now live, later moving to NYC. Ginnie voluntarily stopped blogging in 2022 at age 89. If anyone has an update, please share.

In looking back over more than a decade of blogging, not only have fellow bloggers shared their lives and interests, but been there for many of ours, including:

• Moving from our native NJ to VA
• Renovating and gardening of our old home
• Moving (again) from VA to a mill apt in NH
• Births of grandchildren
• Deaths of loved ones 
• Celebrations of birthdays & holidays
• Anniversary celebrations & special occasions
• Day trip getaways & road trips in the U.S. and Canada
• Travels abroad (more to come)
• Humor (Friday Funnies posts)
• Curiosity (What is This? posts)

As noted earlier, we don't blog as often as before, also while I do read your posts, I do not comment on each and I'm sure many also do the same here. We both have other commitments and interests, volunteering to ham radio and still enjoy road trips, near and in recent years even farther. 

We enjoy sharing our lives with all who read, regardless of any comment left. Today, Beatrice (Dorothy) is the primary blogger; Grenville (Patrick) is semi-retired from active posting, but reads and contributes (a lot). Jointly, we invite you to come along on our wanderings and anything else that interests us — and maybe you as well. 

Your Turn — Please feel share to share your blogging story & THANKS.

Diana's Baths

Spoiler Alert: what follows has nothing to do with the late Princess or her bath. (Thanks to blogger Sandra for the chuckle about the post title.)

Our May anniversary road trip to North Conway, NH, included a short hike to Diana's Baths a small series of waterfalls near the town of Bartlett, NH, in the White Mountain National Forest. The cascading falls measure about 75 feet high. The main attraction is a 12-foot waterfall which is fed by Lucy Brook and cascades over large granite boulders.

If you're wondering if the waterfalls were named after the Roman goddess of the hunt,. Yes, they were but the details are very scant. According to online sources, around 1859, a Miss Hubbard of Boston, who was a guest ay the old Mount Washington House in North Conway, christened them Diana's Baths, presumably after the mythological nature goddess. 

In the 1960s, the name became official in the when the U.S. government purchased the land and made it part of the White Mountain National Forest.

Before time, and still today, the pools were known as Lucy's Baths. The stream that flows into the waterfall is named Lucy Brook after the family that operated a sawmill here in the 1800s. 

In the 1860’s, the five-acre site was purchased by George G. Lucy, who after building a house and barn on the banks of the brook, built a water wheel powered sawmill in the middle of the cascading waterfalls. In the 1890s, Lucy who recognized the tourist appeal of the falls, built a three-story, 12-room boarding house for visitors. But, the business proved unsuccessful due to competition from five other hotels in the area. 

In the 1930’s, Chester Lucy, built a concrete dam with a water feed and turbine system to replace the water wheel used to power the sawmill. However, the site was abandoned when the invention of portable mills was introduced.

Hattie Lucy operated a gift shop beside the falls through the 1940s with an ice house behind it to cool soda that was sold to tourists. Lucy and her son, David, lived in the home through the late 1950s when the house was sold. The new owner, who also purchased the remaining land, wanted to install electric power at the property and live there. Forest officials objected as the power would need to come over national forest land. So, the land was sold to the government and became part of the White Mountain National Forest. In the 1960s, due to vandalism and deterioration any buildings still remaining on the site were torn down and removed.

Today, remnants buildings that once stood on of the site are still visible including old cellar holes and parts of the dam system, feed tube and turbine gears that were used to power the sawmill.

The waterfalls are popular with visitors, especially children, who like to explore the many rocks, ledges, cascading falls and pools in the brook. There's several levels with numerous small waterfalls and pools. The park service allows swimming here, another reason its large appeal during warmer months. 

The hike to Diana’s Baths is a fairly easy, about 6/10ths of a mile on a relatively flat, wide gravel path. It's well-kept and cuts through a forest of tall pine trees. The day of our visit in mid-May was warm and sunny and the site was fairly uncrowded with other visitors.

There's a large parking lot at the entrance to the hiking path along with a self-service pay station. Visitors must purchase and display a daily pass on their vehicle's dashboard. However, if you already have one of the various national park passes, as we do, that can be displayed instead.

If you are ever in this part of the White Forest area in NH, a visit to Diana's Baths is highly recommended. We can't believe it took us so long to make our first visit.

This N That

Today is Friday the 13th 😱 all day.

If you have a fear of this date, your fear is known as paraskevidekatriaphobia. 

But, fear not, as this is the only Friday the 13th in 2025.

This post contains That N Thats — vintage cars, a theater mural, unique seating in a downtown Nashua NH, walkway, Father's Day and knee update — all in a single post. 

On Wednesday, the Hudson Senior Center, which we're members of, had an early Father's Day  vintage car show. While the turnout was smallish, here's a few of the vehicles.

These two Jeeps are privately owned

These two Jeeps ere equipped with a lot of ordinance, including hand grenades, all of which were deactivated and served as reminders of what soldiers used in times of conflict.

Hudson's low-slung body gave it a sleek look uncommon for its time

This Hudson sedan was produced by the Hudson Motor Car Company produced sedans from 1909 until 1954, with production continuing under the American Motors Corporation (AMC) brand until 1957. Hudson was a medium-priced brand. It cost more than a Ford or Chevrolet, but less than luxury models like Packard. 

The Ford Galaxie was a best-selling convertible

The Ford Galaxie was a full-size car model produced by Ford from 1959 to 1974. It was a top-trim level car, often competing with the Chevrolet Impala and Plymouth Fury. The name was inspired by the Space Race and the excitement surrounding it. Initially, it was the top trim level for Ford's full-size cars. 

The Chevrolet Impala was in production from 1958 to 2020 for a total of 64 years. with some periods of discontinuation. It was among the better-selling American-made automobiles in the U. S. The model was discontinued primarily due to declining sales and a shift in consumer preferences towards SUVs and crossovers. 

Chevelle SS convertible is highly sought by collectors

The Chevelle SS (Super Sport) was available as a convertible starting in 1965 and continued to be produced as such through the 1970 model year. Chevelle was a mid-sized automobile produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors (GM) in three generations for the 1964 to 1977 model years. It was one of Chevrolet's most successful nameplates that was retired in 1977 with the Malibu taking its place.

Hot rods reached their peak popularity in the US during the 1950s and 1960s, often referred to as the golden age of automobiles. This era saw a surge in interest in modifying classic cars for speed and unique customization. 

Mercury was a popular U.S. car in the 1930s and 40s

While this classic Mercury sedan has undergone some engine modernization, it was still a beautiful car. This sedan was part of the Mercury brand which was produced by the Ford Motor Company from 1939 to 2011. The brand was established to bridge the gap between Ford and Lincoln models.

An Oldsmobile from 1967 was easy to identify

The Olds 67 license plate refers to the 1967 model year of this Oldsmobile which was produced by General Motors. Oldsmobile produced a variety of models in 1967. Although Oldsmobile as a brand continued to produce cars until 2004, the specific models that were introduced or redesigned in 1967 would have ceased production at the end of that model year to be replaced by their 1968 counterparts. 

This vehicle looked like a modified PT Cruiser

The Chrysler PT Cruiser was produced from 2001 to 2010. Production began in 2000 for the 2001 model year and ended in July 2010 with the last PT Cruiser coming off the assembly line. A convertible variant was available from 2005 to 2008. Car enthusiasts enjoy modifying and customizing vehicles to enhance performance, appearance or both. This car is a popular choice for such projects.  Some PT Cruiser modifications, such as those inspired by classic hot rods, are designed to attract attention and showcase creativity. 

The Ford Ranchero model was a car-truck

For car buyers who couldn't decide between a sedan or pickup truck, there was the Ford Ranchero, which was produced from 1957 to 1979. This was a coupe utility vehicle, also known as a car-truck, that combined the features of a sedan and pickup truck. Unlike a standard pickup truck, the Ranchero was adapted from a two-door station wagon platform that integrated the cab and cargo bed into the body. A total of 508,355 were produced during the model's production run. We learned that the one above had belonged to the current owner's grandfather and was all original after being stored in a barn and later a garage.

This mural was recently completed on the walls of the Court Theater which is the primary stage used by a local children's theater group, The Peacock Players.

A new mural in downtown Nashua, NH

The mural is one of the newest in Nashua, NH, completed by Positive Street Art (PSA), which has been responsible for creating many colorful downtown murals in the city.

New seating options in downtown Nashua, NH

The top photo shows a walkway that leads from Main Street to the Nashua Public Library, and is known as Library Walk. Last month, the above seating areas fabricated by MakeIt Labs were installed here. (MakeIt Labs is New Hampshire's first and largest maker-space, a unique non-profit organization run by a volunteer staff.) Full disclosure, I tried the new seating and none were very comfortable.

This Sunday is Father's Day and while the calendar changes annually, it's always celebrated on the third Sunday of June. Below are photos of our fathers, who passed away years ago.

Happy Father's Day to ours (Patrick's top & Dorothy's bottom)

Did you know that according to Hallmark — about 72 million Father's Day cards are exchanged in the U.S. annually. It's the fourth-largest card holiday (after Mother's Day). The most popular dad gifts are cards, outings, and clothing, but a survey revealed that what most fathers wanted was to stay home or spend time with family. If you are fortunate enough to have your father nearby, do celebrate this day with him. Time is priceless.

Last, an update on my left knee posted about previously. After a 6-week orthopedic follow-up and PT sessions, I’ve been discharged with at-home exercises, The orthopedic PA (physician's assistant) advised that an MRI could be done if wanted, which she neither recommended nor discouraged, so I opted out (for now). There's recurring, but not persistent, discomfort due in part to arthritis.

Enjoy Your Weekend Everyone

It's another ☔️Saturday in Nashua, NH, the 13th consecutive rainy weekends

Just a Coincidence?

The HS Graduate

Last weekend, we took a short road trip to attend the high school graduation of our oldest grandchild, Bobby. It hardly seemed possible to us that 18+ years had gone by since we had made a rushed trip to the West Coast for his birth. 

Many long time readers of this blog may recall seeing photos of Bobby in his much younger days. He has grown up to be a wonderful young man of whom we are very proud.

Graduation ceremonies were held indoors at the University of RI which was a good thing because after we were indoors and seated it did rain a bit. But was over by the time, the 2 hour ceremony had ended about noontime.

We were seated in the higher seats which gave a good view of all the proceedings down below. There were about 400 graduates in this 2025 graduating class.

These photos of our grandson going to the stage area were taken with my cell phone. While he didn't know where ourselves and other family were seated, it looked as if he had seen everyone.

The above photos were taken from that screen as our grandson received his diploma.Because of our location, which was at an angle from the stage, it would have been difficult to get a good image; however, there was a large screen close to our seating area. 

Afterwards, there was time to pose for a few obligatory family photos back at his home, including a funny one of he and his mom. 

Later, everyone gathered at the home of a family member for an outdoor BBQ which was moved to a covered area when downpours started. This gathering was small as several out of state family had other commitments. Also, we will be seeing many of them (and more) at an upcoming family wedding next month.

A very proud mother and her son, who will be attending a New England college this fall and (as of now) is planning to study architecture, but then anything could change. It will be another 4 years before we will attend the high school graduation of his younger sister, the oldest granddaughter.

Thanks for your well wishes for grandson Bobby which were made in the comments of a previous post. We shared them with his mom who was very appreciative.

Our congratulations and well wishes to family members of fellow bloggers who are also celebrating graduations this year.

Friday Funnies & Not

Here are more vanity plates for the start of  June, which really don't have anything to do a new month, but have just been spotted in recent weeks.

Some plates are easier to figure out than others, which may only have special meaning to the car owner. I've tried to group some whenever possible.

The type of car is reflected in the plates of these cars. The first is a vintage 1957 Chevrolet and the second is a newer Nissan Pathfinder. 

I-75 is a major north-south interstate that starts in Hialeah, FL, and ends at the International Bridge in Sault Ste. Marie, MI, at the Canadian border. While I 80 doesn't pass through the state of Missouri, this plate could refer to a section of Interstate 80 in the state of Missouri or a state route called Missouri Route 80. 

The number f"2" was prominent in all of these plates.

It would most likely not be incorrect to suspect that the owners of these cars are female. 

The owner of the top plate likes football. Does the bottom plate belong to someone who sells meat? 

The messages on these plates were easier to figure out. The question is whether they were descriptive of the car owner or not. 

We could always use more of what's was seen on this plate.

Recently, a friend questioned whether or not it was permissible to post images of license plates on the blog. The friend's opinion was that as they were on privately owned cars, they would be considered private property. While it's true the cars and plates are privately owned if the car and plate is visible in a public area (street or parking lot, then taking a photo is legally allowed. Why? it's because license plates are considered public information since they are displayed on vehicles used on public roads.

However, it's quite a different story if the photo was taken while trespassing on private property, which was not the case for any of these — all were a single photo taken in public parking areas, highways or city streets, which is why some are not as clearly focused. And, clearly, there's a lot of car owners who want to share their names, interests and more.

🎓🎓🎓🎓🎓🎓

Eighteen years seem to have gone by quickly, that said, this weekend, we're going on a road trip to neighboring RI for the high school graduation of the oldest grandchild, Bobby. It seems like yesterday that we had attended his kindergarten graduation. The grands are getting older (granddaughters will be 14 and 9 this year), but, we still feel young at heart, if not in other places. 

  Congratulations! Today is your day. You're off to Great Places! You're off and away! *

We're traveling to a neighboring New England state this weekend to attend the high school graduation of the oldest grandchild, Bobby. These 18 years have gone by quickly.  It seems just yesterday that we had attended his kindergarten graduation.

We are proud, as are his parents, of this young man who will be off to college in the fall. Long-time readers of this blog may recall seeing earlier grandson photos, which are not included as often as years ago.

* This is the final line from Oh, the Places You'll Go!, a children's picture book, written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel). First published by Random House in January 1990, this was the last book published during his lifetime. Since then, it's become a popular gift for graduates of all ages.

Enjoy Your Weekend, Everyone

If anyone is also attending a graduation, Enjoy & Celebrate

Thanks too for the well wishes & congrats for our grandson

It's 603 Day in NH

It's the third day of the sixth month and, in NH, that means it's 603 Day.

In 2018, former Governor Chris Sununu declared June 3 as 603 Day, also called New Hampshire Day. Since then, it's become a tradition for Granite state residents to celebrate all things New Hampshire to show their 603 pride. 

It's not a state holiday; however, Governor Kelly Ayotte supports the tradition by encouraging residents to visit the state's tourist attractions and small businesses.

Why 603?

It's the telephone area code that represents the state of New Hampshire in the Eastern time zone, also known as America/New York.

Area code 603 is one of the longest area codes to cover the entire state without being split or overlaid in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). In October 1947, this area code was created as one of the original 86 numbering plan areas. 

Area code 603 vanity plate seen recently

That said, NH isn't the only state that can claim this distinction; however, it's one of four out of the total six New England states with a single area code.

Currently, 12 U.S. states have a single area code: Alaska (907), Delaware (302), Hawaii (808), Idaho (208), Maine (207), Montana (406), New Hampshire (603), North Dakota (701), Rhode Island (401), South Dakota (605), Vermont (802) and Wyoming (307). 

The two other New England States have multiple area codes, Massachusetts with 9 and Connecticut with 4 area codes.

Interestingly, the largest U.S. state, Alaska only has a single area code because of its sparse population and large geographical area. That made me curious as to which U.S. state(s) have the most area codes as of 2025.

Not surprisingly, those honors went to the second and third largest states: California (third largest) with 38; Texas (second largest) with 28 area codes 

What really surprised me was that the next two states with the most area codes are not even in the top 10 largest U.S. states.

Florida, the 22nd largest state has 23, followed by Ohio, the 34th largest state, with 15 area codes.

Ironically, the 2nd largest U.S. city, New York, has 5 area codes and the state of New York has 22 area codes overall.

In the 1990s, the number 1 was added before U.S. area codes and telephone numbers as the country code. This lets the telephone system correctly route calls whether within the same area code in the U.S. or internationally when the U.S. country code of +1 is used.

So now you know, all about 603 day, but there's more (of course).

How did area codes start?

Lily Tomlin as Ernestine

Before 1947, most telephone calls were made with the assistance of a central office operator. Callers would pick up their phone, wait for an operator to ask, number please, then give the desired number. The operator would manually connect the call through a switchboard by plugging cords into the appropriate outlets to establish a connection between the caller and the recipient. The central operator also acted as an emergency dispatcher. 

The role of a switchboard operator was famously re-enacted by actress Lily Tomlin in the 1970s Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In sequences as Ernestine. Who can forget herl her opening lines — one ringy dingy, two ringy dingys and A gracious good afternoon, is this the party to whom I am speaking?

In October 1947, Bell Labs (now AT&T, Inc. formerly American Telephone and Telegraph Company) developed the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) to simplify long-distance calling by allowing direct distance dialing (DDD) without operator assistance. The plan divided most of North America into 86 numbering plan areas (NPAs) and each was assigned a unique three-digit NPA code or area code. The new numbering plan included 152 area codes, each could serve up to 540 central offices. Originally, only 86 area codes were assigned. 

There's always a New Jersey connection

My home state of NJ received the first NPA code in the new system, which was area code 201. The fact that Bell Labs was headquartered in Murray Hill, NJ, might just have been a factor. The second area code of 202 was assigned to the District of Columbia. The allocation of area codes was readjusted as early as 1948 before implementation of the plan started. 

The first customer-dialed direct call using an area code was made November 10, 1951, from Englewood, NJ, to Alameda, CA. Soon afterwards, Direct distance dialing (DDD) was introduced countrywide. By the early 1960s, DDD had become commonplace in cities and most towns in the U.S. and Canada. By 1967, the number of assigned area codes had grown to 129. As of 2025, there are 335 assigned area codes nationwide.

Rotary dial phone

Rotary dial phones were introduced to the public in the early 1900s. The first commercial installation of a rotary dial system was in La Porte, IN, in 1892. The first standardized mass-produced dial telephone, the Western Electric model 50, appeared in 1919. From the 1920s to 1960s, rotary dial phones were used widely replaced in the 1960s to 1970s, by push-button or touch-tone phones, discontinued in the  1980s. The rotary phone shown here was identical to the one in my parents' home which came in a basic color, black.

Today, NJ, the 4th smallest U.S. state, now has 10 area codes, the same as the lrger states of GA, NC and VA.

And, now you know MORE about area codes, maybe not all, but some more. Also, Grenville, aka Patrick, is to “blame” for this post as he informed me that June 3 was 603 day in NH. 

Although I didn't include a video link to Ernestine, you can check many of her fun calls online (YouTube). It was a fun trip for me down memory lane and may be for you too.