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?

Murals in Nashua, NH

Not all of our adventures are ones that take us out-of-town. There's a lot to see here in Nashua, NH, where the city is working to beautify the downtown areas with murals.

By definition, a mural is a piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other permanent surfaces so that it's made part of the area. There's nearly 30 wall murals in and around the city, most are painted on outside walls, a few are inside buildings.

Nostalgia was done a few years ago in Main St to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Chase Building on which it was painted. Years ago, it contained were three theaters — the Tremont, State and Star Theaters, all of which were gone before we relocated here. Like in many areas, there's no longer a single movie theater within the city.

The mural shows scenes from several classic movies: The Blog (The Three Stooges), Gone with the Wind and It’s A Wonderful Life. We had just relocated to Nashua and watched as this mural was being created over the course of a few weeks. The level of detail is amazing.

This unnamed mural shows the former Nashua Manufacturing Company, once the city's largest mill complex, which is now Clocktower Apartments, where we reside along with over 900 other residents. The building is located just east of this mural on the side of a downtown music store. The mural was done in 2011 by Barbara Andrews, who I read was a city resident

Vivian's Dream is a massive, 40 x 35 foot tall historic mural that depicts West Pearl Street in 1909 with the Tremont House Hotel in the foreground and is painted on a wall on West Pearl St. 

At the turn of the century, this street was the city's economic hub with shops, restaurants, coffee houses, grocery stores, and the city's first high school. The Tremont House Hotel was the "place to stay" in Nashua. It had numerous shops on the ground floor as well as a livery stable in back. The 2014 mural was done by Barbara Andrews and named for a friend, Vivian, who ran a dress shop in another building owned by her family just up the street.

Courtyard Garden is on West Pearl Street and Garden Street on the side of the Fortin-Gage building. It extends the small Garden Street courtyard into a European town plaza and was done in 1996 by artist Frances Nutter (couldn't locate information on the artist).

This unnamed and uncompleted mural (above) is along a wall below Water Street which is near Clocktower Apts. It shows a few current and former downtown businesses and some of the art looks unfinished. (I couldn't find information on the artist or group that created these.)

Two of my favorite murals are painted on the rear and side walls of adjacent and popular Main Street eateries, both of which we have dining in. 

Martha's Muse (left) is on the back wall of Martha's Exchange and shows a woman holding a mug of beer surrounded by treats and a burst of colors. The piece was done in four weeks in over 100 hours, entirely in aerosols, or spray paint. The mural captures some of the restaurant's history, which started as Martha’s Sweet Shoppe in 1932. A restaurant with seats and tables was added and eventually a brewery.

Poseidon's Grasp (right) is on the side wall of a Main Street seafood restaurant, Surf. Its location is adjacent to what will be the city's performing arts center, currently under construction. 

Both murals were done by Manny Ramirez, artist-in-residence for Positive Street Art. This local nonprofit organization was founded in 2012 by Ramirez and his wife, fellow artist Cecilia Ulibarri. Its mission is to bring art to urban areas in a positive way. The group has been responsible for completing many of Nashua's most colorful downtown murals in the past several years. 

Dance of the Herons is the newest city mural and features several images of great blue herons. This large mural is painted on a building that was formerly part of the Nashua Manufacturing Company, which is located adjacent to the Nashua River where herons have been seen. 

The 120 feet long by 12 feet high mural was completed at the end of August by Columbian artist Felipe Ortiz, who is associated with Beyond Walls in Lynn, MA. The City of Nashua partnered with this nonprofit organization to enhance the downtown riverfront. This is the first of future river art to be done under the city's $15 million Riverfront Master Plan which will also add walkways and lighting, clear invasive vegetation, and install a kayak dock. 

(To see some amazing wall murals, check out what Beyond Walls did in the city of Lynn, MA. A few years ago, the nonprofit group held a Mural Festival in which 20 graphic artists painted 15 walls over the course of 10 days. You'll find many of the resulting artwork online.)

This mural (don't know its name) was also done by Positive Street Art muralists a few years ago and pays tribute to service personnel. It's located on the wall of a city parking lot, appropriately nearby to a veterans housing facility.

Thanks for taking this short look of some public art in Nashua, NH. There's many more murals around the city as well as sculptures and future explorations will be taken.

Just wondering — have you also gone on local explorations where you live?