It's Beginning To . . .

Look a lot like Christmas in many places with less than 2 weeks to go until the big day.

The Hudson Senior Center in NH where we're members is always decked out for the holidays and even more so at this time of year. Members, including myself, volunteer to put up (and later take down) all of the trees, figures and extensive holiday village.

Above are some of the 12 trees that are displayed in every room from the director's office to the lunchroom and game areas. 

Santa and snowman are in other areas of the center along with holiday signs.

A holiday-themed village is displayed on several bookcase shelves. All of the individual pieces were unpacked and set up and will be removed and stored the same way.

The center's resident senior, Maxine, is also decked out in a holiday outfit. She's always dressed for the seasons and holidays by center members.

Several Main Street store windows and restaurants were decorated in downtown Nashua, NH.

The displays in the windows of a local jewelry store features Wee Forest Folk®, which began in 1972 as a New England business started by Annette Petersen at the family farm in Concord, MA. The company produces a line of miniatures, most of which are mice figures and handcrafted entirely in the U.S. in Carlisle, MA.

Each mouse begins as an original clay piece which is hand sculpted by one of three sculptors in the Petersen family. The finished sculpture is molded and hand cast at the mouse factory in Carlisle, MA, then selected artistisians hand paint each one. 

These mice are tiny, but their prices are not so small as many have become collectibles over the years. The cost of some of those shown in the photos above ranges from a couple hundred dollars to over 500 for three in the Santa train as each are individually priced.

Crosswalks display seasonal greenery as does Nashua City Hall.

Thanks to freezing temperatures the past week, ice sculptures created during the Holiday Stroll on Thanksgiving weekend are still in a downtown park area.

The Parc de Notre Renaissance Française, a riverfront park close to the mill apartments of Clocktower Place was opened during Thanksgiving weekend after renovations of 18 months were completed. The park honors the Franco-American community's contributions to the city's textile industry with the centerpiece La Dame et son fils Émile sculpture. It now includes a walking path, seating areas, bike racks and a covered amphitheater for summertime concerts.

Christmas trees have been set up in both lobbies Clocktower Place apartments. The one on the left is in the building we call home. The one on the right is in the other building. A resident holiday party will be held tonight including a visit by Santa.

Decorations outside our apartment entry were done last week with many familiar pieces. The interior decorations will be completed this week. Holiday card writing took precedence this past week. Yes, despite ever-increasing USPS rates, I prefer to send cards in the post versus through text messages. However, I can understand that rising costs deter many from doing the same.

Your turn — do you decorate for the holidays and/or send cards?

Bloomin' in Nashua

It took quite a long time for spring to arrive in Nashua, NH, and it wasn't until late May and early June that flowers were seen in outdoor areas of Clocktower Place (CTP), our mill apartment residence.

This display is at the main entry as people drive into the apartment parking area. The mill apartment has two main entrances referred to as CTP 1 and CTP 1

This is the large flower pot that leads up to CTP1, which is our entry.

There isn't an entry ramp at CTP2. These flowers are placed in pots close to the main door.

These flower pots of colorful blooms are also at two of the side entrances.

Downtown Nashua has a lot of colorful blooms, like these at pedestrian crossings on Main Street. Most of the Main Street restaurants that offer outdoor dining have various floral arrangements.

Martha's Exchange is a popular restaurant and brewery serving lunch and dinner daily.

Surf Restaurant is a few doors down from Martha's, and specializes in seafood dining. It has been regularly named as the Best Seafood in New Hampshire. This restaurant also benefits from its location adjacent to the Nashua Center for the Arts and on show nights, there's usually a lengthy wait time to be seated.

Nearly all of the Main Street restaurants that offer outdoor dining have various flowers.

Red, white and nearly blue flowers are popular colors in many of the arrangements.

The city's Department of Public Works does a great job of regularly watering all of these flowers so that residents and visitors can enjoy them all summer.

Speaking of enjoyment, we celebrated 🎉 a special occasion yesterday — Patrick's 🎂.

His lunch time choice was to go to the Big One, a local family-owned ice cream stand for the lunch time special of two hot dogs, soda and chips capped off with a hot fudge sundae for dessert. This local visit is a once-a year treat, usually around the time of his birthday, this year, it was a timely one as well. 

That's because today, July 16, is National Hot 🌭 Dog Day, which is celebrated on the third Wednesday in July. The earliest known Hot Dog Day began in Alfred, NY, in 1972 started by two Alfred University students as a fundraiser for local charities and community organizations.

The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC) is an American trade association that promotes the hot dog and sausage industry. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., it was founded in 1994 by the American Meat Institute, which promotes July as National Hot Dog Month and October as National Sausage Month. During the pandemic, the council designated the third July Wednesday as cause for a national celebration. According to council statistics, Americans eat about 7 billion hot dogs during hot dog season, or some 818 each second. 

That's a lot of  🌭. Patrick helped this week but won't be entering any eating contests !

A Memorial Parade

Who doesn't love a parade?

We both do and for as long as we've been living in Nashua, NH, almost 10 years, we've always attended the Memorial Day parade here. Patrick is a U.S. Navy veteran.

The parade was held downtown along Main Street and started at 10:30 am from the Holman Stadium ballpark. It was canceled for a few years because of we-all-know-what.

Nashua police and fire department honor guards always start are the first units to march.

The city holds two parades to honor those who served. A Veterans Day parade in November  commemorates the signing of the WW I armistice at 11 am on November 11, 1918.

Lots of folks turned out on a perfect parade day with blue skies and sun after rain and cloudy skies had dominated most of the holiday weekend. A police estimate placed the Main Street turnout at roughly 2 thousand out of a current population of over 91,000.  Crowds were larger years ago, according to a 1958 newspaper article, the parade that year attracted some 13,000 people, a third of Nashua's then estimated 40,000 population

There are three high schools and three middle schools in Nashua, NH; two of the high schools and all three middle schools were represented by students in marching band units. 

The American Legion and Boy Scouts were represented by these young marchers.

Sidewalk crowds were enthusiastic to the point of using a notebook PC to video the parade.

A number of younger parade watchers along the route were dressed in colorful t-shirts.

Traditionally, fire engines and ambulances have signaled the end of the parade.

However, this year, it ended with these newest members of the Nashua Police Department (NPD) which recently established a mounted unit, featuring Mac, a Belgian draft horse, and Maddie, a Gypsy Vanner cross. This is a self-funded, non-profit unit, which means there is no financial burden to the community. The goal is to enhance public safety and community outreach. (FYI the horses had pouches behind them and did not leave any on street deposits.)

This canine was in a car that passed after it the parade ended and too late to view it.

Fields of Dreams display in Hudson, NH, by American Legion

We hope that bloggers in the U.S. had a good holiday weekend, however it was observed. Ours was spent at home in Nashua; we watched the parade and visited with friends.

Same View, Different Day

As in many other states, Nashua, NH, has enjoyed a surge of warm weather days the past couple of weeks. Although, daily highs were in the mid-70s several days the past few weeks,  there's been a lack of significant rainfall.

In recent days, the views have been overly dramatic. We're fortunate in having great views from our living room window. These were seen yesterday (late afternoon) and today (early morning) from our apt windows.

The images are straight out of camera (SOOC) from basically the same location.

These views from our 5th floor window show the Nashua River looking towards downtown Nashua. The construction work on the right side is what will be the new Parc de Notre Renaissance Française (French Park) with completion expected by the fall of 2026.

These views look directly across from the river to another apt building, Lofts 34. This former manufacturing facility now houses 200, 1-4 bedroom rental apartments. (By comparison, our former textile mill, Clocktower Place apartments, houses 326, 1-3 bedroom apartments.)

Although we're now apartment dwellers living in a large city compared to our former NJ and VA residences, there's always something to see (and share) from the window. 

Thanks to all for your comments on the recent Mine Falls Park fall foliage post. We're going on another walk this weekend to see if any colors remain.

Celebrating the Arts

Nashua Center for the Arts (NH)

Saturday, April 1, was a dreary and very rainy day in Nashua, NH, but it definitely didn't dampened the spirits of those, like ourselves, who attended the opening celebration of the Nashua Center for the Arts in downtown Nashua, NH.

This sold out event at $15 per ticket was titled Nashua Celebration of the Arts, and featured a showcase of the NH performing arts community with performances from Nashua theater groups Peacock Players, Actors & Singers, also Safe Haven Ballet, Symphony NH, Ukestra, The Akwaaba Ensemble, Loce Jazz, as well as hometown singers and musicians Alan St. Louis, Ian Ethan Case, Wyn Doran, Ethan Kraus, and Fee the Evolutionist. The show was emceed by Sean McDonald of TV station WMUR in NH.

Safe Haven Ballet, Ian Ethan Case, Wyn Doran

Originally, set for 2 hours, this showcase event ran into 3 hours. But, on a dreary weather day outside, no one seemed too unhappy about the extension as they enjoyed the performances. And, as there were no restrictions on photo-taking (other than flash) I was able to capture some of the on-stage events, even with an older cell phone.

Ukestra and The Akwaaba Ensemble

Located in the heart of downtown Nashua at 201 Main St, it's anticipated that the arts center will become a community hub like buildings formerly in the same location. Its footprint holds ties to the longtime Sunlight Pharmacy and Miller’s Department Store, which sold everything for ladies from shoes to wedding gowns and children's clothing. A popular Nashua catch phrase from the 60s to the 80s was Meet Me At Millers. (In 1960, JFK was in Nashua at the start of his run for the Presidency and stopped there too.) Miller's closed in the early 1990s and was replaced by Alec’s Shoes, which became the footwear place to go. (This still popular store relocated in Nashua, but no longer in a downtown location.)

Looking at the front of the arts center, the most striking part of this building is the colorful yellow-framed square that sticks out from the facade. It's also been included in the design of its logo. 

In several news stories I read this square was referred to as an oculus (Latin for eye). Curious, as always, I checked online sources to learn that in architecture, this refers to an opening in the center of a dome or a wall, which was usually round, not square (go figure).

Designed by Boston-based ICON Architecture, the $25 million arts center is on four floors. The rear portion includes an 1898 structure known as the Dunbarton Building. Costs included demolition and construction, $4 million was raised in private funding, including $1.5 million in individual donations, businesses and foundations with New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority Tax Credit funds. The City of Nashua also issued a $21 million bond.

Seating Arrangement, Nashua Center for the Arts

Inside, the centerpiece auditorium is The Bank of America Theater which has a seating capacity of 750. Orchestra seating has 400 seats which retract into the wall, creating an open floor space for up to 1,000 people for standing events, or 250 for functions like banquets receptions and conventions. There's an additional 350 seats in the balcony. There's also two main concessions stands in the 2nd and 4th floor lobbies. Both were popular and crowded spots during Saturday's intermission. Prices were somewhat steep according to a fellow apt resident, who also attended the opening event last weekend, but that's generally the case at such events.

Orchestra Level View, Opening Celebration

No tours of the entire facility were provided on Saturday. In the opening remarks we heard about the back stage amenities that were included to entice performers to make return appearances. It's not the proverbial green room anymore. Touring artists would have access to spaces that included not only dressing rooms and lounges, but also kitchenettes, bathrooms, and showers.

(FYI, there is little agreement online as to why the place where performers would wait before going on stage is called the green room, but there's many idea available online. It turns out that no one really knows for sure.)

We haven't yet purchased tickets for an upcoming event, but plan to return in the future. This past weekend's event was GA (general admission). Our early arrival assured us of an orchestra seat. The seating was comfortable with good views due to angled rows and there's enough room between rows to let people pass. 

Scheduled shows this month include: Ruben & Clay (Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken, American Idol alumni), singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega, and A Girl Named Tom, a sibling trio that won The Voice 2021 competition. Future shows, May to October, include: Champions of Magic, Boz Scaggs, Recycled Percussion, BoDeans, Pat Metheny, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Menopause: the Musical and others.

Depending on how well known the performer is also determines the admission cost. A check of various shows had a price range from $69 to $129, plus a service fee, which ranged from $7 to $11.

On April 29, Symphony NH will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its first concert to the day with a centennial performance. This is also a GA seating event within the section purchased and discounts for students, youths and seniors. This may be our next event to attend there.

Symphony NH, Fee the Evolutionist & Ruby Chavez, Ethan Kraus

Actors & Singers and Peacock Players, two Nashua-based theater groups

Understandably there were audience members who wore masks, including one of the symphony musicians, but the majority did not. Hopefully everyone will be OK as there is still much concern about current and/or future outbreaks.

Personally, we enjoyed being out and about. This venue is very conveniently located downtown within walking distance of the mill apartments. Even though we're unsure of our next event, this one was very enjoyable due to to the shared talents of ALL the performers.