De-Bridging in Nashua

We will be traveling by the time this update is posted about local goings on and there has been quite a lot of projects in the City of Nashua, NH, especially near the Clocktower mill apartments.

This is what greeted us earlier this week as we sat by the window enjoying breakfast. It wasn't an everyday sight for sure. Can you figure out what this is? 

Here's a couple of views showing exactly we saw at the window — Yes, a large crane.

Piling were driven into the river bed to check how far down to the river bottom. This project is  being done to replace the wooden bridge seen in the above lower left photo and below.

The bridge is behind the mill apartments and the City of Nashua is coordinating the work which is necessary as the wood is deteriorating. Years ago when the former mill, Nashua Manufacturing Company, was in operation the area below the bridge was an outflow for the water that powered the mill. Today, the bridge receives heavy regular usage from recycling and trash removal trucks, seasonal plows and auto traffic, all of which place more stress on the old wooden timbers. 

Work started earlier this week and it has been interesting to look down and check the progress of the workmen. We have a direct view of the bridge from our apartment windows.

This mother Mallard led her seven ducklings away from the river construction site. This was the first Mallard family we've seen on the river this summer. 

However, we have seen many families of Canada Geese this summer in various stages of growth.

There's been a lot of crane activity around the mill neighborhood. A couple of months ago these cranes were used for renovations in Le Parc De Notre Renaissance Français, the small pocket park that's adjacent to the mill apartments on Water St.

In recent weeks, the cranes have left and this photo shows the current state of renovations at the park. The building with the curved roof seen above in front of Clocktower Place will serve as an outdoor amphitheater for musical concerts and other events. The built-in seating that surrounds it is all concrete and bring-your-own seat pads and/or blankets will be needed for comfortable seating.

There's another small park area being developed along Main Street. The top half of the above collage is an architectural image of how the area below is expected to look once renovations are done. The white arrow points to a walkway that will lead from the pocket park.

When completed, the walkway will continue alongside a Main Street restaurant and become an extension of what is called the river walk. According to local officials, the park projects are anticipated to be done by year end.

Unfortunately we will miss watching the progress of these projects for the next 12 days. That's because by the time this is posted, we will be far away in — Alaska. This land-sea cruise (my first) is a pre-celebration of our 🥂 anniversary later this month. As we opted to skip the very costly onboard wi-fi package, posts about our adventures will likely be delayed until our return.

Nashua River Happenings

Just Ducky is the best way to describe happenings on the Nashua River the past couple of weeks from melting snow and ice, new ducks seen on the river, favorite ducks returning and ongoing construction work in the nearby pocket park. It's been a busy time.

This is how the portion of the Nashua River viewed from our apartment window looked during most of February, snow-covered, but not frozen over, with no ducks in sight.

What a difference in the past two weeks as warming temps arrived and the formerly frigid temperatures started to moderate. The ice was breaking up and floating downstream.

The river's ever-present population of seagulls returned. This group was spotted on some of the remaining river bank ice, but no problem with cold feet. 

Why? seagulls' feet can get cold, but they're not susceptible to frostbite as they are mostly bone and tendon with little muscle or nerve tissue. Gulls have a countercurrent heat exchange system, which helps prevent blood from freezing in their feet. Here's how that works: warm arteries that carry blood toward the feet are in contact with cooler veins that return blood from the feet. So, heat transfers from warmer arterial blood to cooler venous blood, and prevents excessive heat loss in the feet. If only humans were as fortunate as seagulls.

Common Mergansers

Last week, the river had new visitors as a group (waddling or flock) of up to a dozen Common Mergansers appeared on the river below our apartment window. These ducks are part of the Anatidae family which consist of ducks, geese, and swans. It was the first time we'd seen any  on the river.

I read that in the UK, these ducks are called Goosanders. The word, merganser, comes from Latin words mergus and anser, which mean waterfowl and goose, respectively. The name roughly translates to plunging goose.

There's been some very windy days on the river

Mergansers are diving ducks and a member of the sawbill family, with serrated bills used for catching fish. It's considered a very sociable bird and whenever we've seen them, there's always several in the flock and these flocks are usually small. Unlike Canada Geese, common mergansers do not mate for life, but form monogamous pairs for at least one breeding season.

Common mergansers are carnivores (piscivores) feeding mostly on fish but also hunt a range of other aquatic prey: mollusks, crustaceans, worms, insect larvae, and amphibians. 

Male (top) and female (bottom) Common Mergenser

The Common Merganser is a sexually dimorphic bird which refers to visible differences in physical and behavioral traits between males and females of the same species. These differences can include size, color and markings. Males tend to be bigger in size and weigh. Female ducks are slightly smaller with less colorful markings. The female merganser in the above photo was the only one seen in the flock this week.

Legs of Mergansers are positioned for swimming and diving

Mergansers move clumsily on land, and can resort to running when there's a perceived threat. They assume a very upright position similar to penguins and frequently fall and stumble. As shown in the photos above their legs are positioned towards the rear. While an asset when diving, this makes it difficult for them to walk on land.

Early morning flock of Mergansers on the Nashua River

For the past week, we've watched this flock of Common mergansers hunting either in the early morning or late afternoon. (All images were taken from our 5th floor windows.) When not diving for food, the mergansers were usually swimming on the water surface or floating with the stream and would fly or fish their way back. This week, we watched as they followed this procedure for several mornings.

The river also hosted returning favorites and perhaps the most familiar of all ducks, Mallards. These very social ducks prefer to congregate in groups or flocks of varying sizes. This group of males and females were seen pairing off on the river over the weekend. Unlike mergansers, the mallards will swim closer to the river bank, especially if they anticipate that walkers on the river walk will toss bread, which is never the best thing for them. Just as for humans, bread is a poor source of protein, fats, vitamins, and minerals that ducks require for a healthy diet.

Male (top) and female (bottom) Mallard

Male mallards (drakes) have a striking iridescent green head, yellow bill, white band around the neck, rusty-colored chest, gray body, and a blue speculum (wing band) on the wings seen during the breeding season. Female mallards (hens) are mainly speckled brown and tan with a dark brown cap and brown eye stripes. 

The name, mallard, originally referred to any wild drake, and it is sometimes still used this way. It was derived from the Old French malart or mallart for "wild drake" although its true derivation is unclear. The Mallard is the ancestor of nearly all domestic duck breeds (everything except the Muscovy Duck). While Mallard pairs are generally monogamous, paired males often will pursue females other than their mates. (Perhaps, as in the above photo?)

Meanwhile, now that the weather has been improving, work has resumed in the Le Parc De Notre Renaissance Française, locally known as the French Park, which is adjacent to the mill apartments. Construction work had been halted with the snowfalls and ice, but it resumed this past week. A permanent amphitheater is being installed and walkways are being placed along the river walk. Unfortunately, we won't be enjoying this open space area this summer. Completion has been predicted by year-end 2025.

AWARDS NIGHT: The Tiny Film Festival we attended at the Nashua Public Library last weekend was a fun, if very short, film premier event. All 60-second films were submitted by community members with 15 entries jin categories ranging from grade school, high school to adult film makers. The library did have a shortened red carpet. A photographer was on hand to take photos of three winners in each group and a final group photo. Winners were awarded a small trophy and gift card. Snacks were provided by the library staff.

Friday Funnies Reveal

It was quite interesting to read everyone's comments on the "What is This" construction shown on the most recent post (Friday Funnies) and below.

There was some very interesting feedback. The most popular "guesses" were some sort of walkway/promenade followed by handicapped ramp and even one for a wheelchair races ramp (thanks, David G.) and mini railway (thanks, Boud) and boat dock (thanks, Erika). Several folks admitted that they had no idea.

Yes, this will be a ramp for handicapped access and replaces a metal stairway that had previously been in its place, but was not as long.

Handicap ramp under construction near Cotton Mill apartments

It is adjacent to the Cotton Mill apartment building which is directly across the Nashua River from Clocktower Place mill apartments. Construction is expected to take two years to complete.

This bridge over the Nashua River connects the two mill apartment buildings and is also a walkway for the river walk. This ramp under construction is the second ramp; the first one is shown below.

Ramp and stairway near Clocktower Place apartments

This ↑ ramp and a metal stairway are next to Clocktower Place apartments. Instead of being a straight run, the ramp is a switchback type as there is an access road behind it.

The new ramp is not the only construction that's been going on in the mill yard area in recent weeks. The pocket park area known as Le Parc De Notre Renaissance Française, popularly called French Park or Renaissance Park, is undergoing a complete transformation. A pocket park is a small park accessible to the general public. The locations, elements, and uses of pocket parks vary, the common defining characteristic of a pocket park is its small size. 

Start of construction in Renaissance Park

The first photo above was taken soon after work started and the second photo a day later shows the brickwork, sidewalk and asphalt being taken out.

The boxed item in the photos is this ↑ sculpture (La Dame de Notre Renaissance Française) created by Christopher R. Gowell of a young mill worker and her son. It stood in the center of the park and has been boxed up for protection during reconstruction.

Ongoing construction work at Renaissance Park

The above photo shows what the site looked like last weekend. We will be away for a couple of weeks on our first road trip of 2024 and expect it will look much different by the time we're home.

A conceptual design of a renovated Renaissance Park

According to project plans, the renovations to Renaissance Park will include a permanent performance space and more recreational opportunities.The projects are part of the Downtown Riverfront Master Plan, which is part of the Imagine Nashua Master Plan. Estimates of the total cost of the renovation projects ranges from $13.6 million to $19 million. 

Living so close to this renovated park, a short walking distance from the mill apartments, we're looking forward to its completion, hopefully within the next few months.

We're away on our first 2024 road trip, which will include stays in Maine (Brunswick and Bar Harbor) before continuing to Saint John in New Brunswick and Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. In ME, we'll re-connect with former VA friends and celebrate our 1st date anniversary (27 years ago). In Canada, we're meeting fellow bloggers for the first time. While I'll be reading blog posts while on our travels; commenting will be limited until we return home. Any blogger(s) within these areas, who are interested in meeting, please contact us via the blog email as we're checking email along the way.

Change This Year

It's been said that change is good.

Change will affect this blog going forward. 

Future posts will neither name nor show family or details about family celebrations and milestone. While earlier posts showing family haven't been removed, names have been changed to granddaughter, grandson, daughter or family.

Why? 

To make a long story short, this action resulted from the reaction of some family members to a since deleted 2023 post. Showing and naming family members wasn't new on the blog and has been done as long as this blog has existed. When family was shown, a link was sent to those included, if not, they would remain oblivious to posts. There was never any kickback.

What Changed?

This time there was a dispute about said post that named and showed family members gathered for Thanksgiving and December birthdays. Particularly as it included a senior family member who had driven a distance to visit. Later, a family member, who was also there, suggested that details of this visit remain quiet. Concern was that other family would be upset he had driven alone. In short, silence was expected and I did not follow suit.

The after-holiday post contained photos and names and a link was shared with the family who were there. Next came a backlash of angry texts and emails from several who berated me for going public and asked/demanded the post be deleted.

Their reactions seemed extreme. The family member in question when contacted, confirmed other family knew of the trip. This detail was shared, but failed to mollify the complainants as the post had not been deleted after their initial texts/emails. In hindsight, a rather stubborn reaction on my part. 

What to Do?

Let go of my stubbornness, delete the post, send an apology to avoid further conflict, explain that earlier posts would be edited to remove names and that family would be excluded from future posts. All actions needed to soothe tempers and tensions, theirs and mine. 

Beatrice & Grenville Boyd

In an aside, a comment was made that we hid behind online aliases. So, if any new or long time readers of this blog are unaware, my name is Dorothy, my husband is Patrick. 

The blogger names, Beatrice & Grenville, were chosen years ago after two Boyds Bears figurines from our collection. The blog name, Frog & PenguINN, was a fun name for our former VA home in which we had many frog and penguin figurines. We still do, but not as many. 

Moving Forward — It's all good.

While the reactions were surprising, change is not an issue. This blog started as a way to recount our experiences, travels, adventures, home life, so it returns to that focus.

If you've read this far, thanks. There's no right or wrong. After hesitating to share this reason for change, full disclosure seemed the best approach. 

Change happens all the time. For example, a Tuesday post earlier this week showed photos from a weekend snowfall of nearly 15-inches in Nashua, NH. 

These views were from our apartment early Wednesday after an overnight rain and most of the snow had been washed away

Another change by Wednesday mid-afternoon when, after a nearly 50-degree day not only was most snow gone, but a rainbow was viewed after a few rain showers.

It's Only a Test

We interrupt a planned post to let you know—there's no reason for concern.

Alerts you will hear or see today are only test messages.

Internet source

Today at 2:20 pm (ET) every U.S. TV, radio, and cell phone will air the unique electronic warning tone of an emergency alert for the Nationwide Emergency Alert Test. You'll know it's not an actual emergency as an explanation is included. 

Today's alert will air at the same time across every time zone starting at 2:20 pm ET The time varies countrywide; it will air once. If postponed due to severe weather or other significant events, the back-up test date is Wed, Oct. 11.

This alert system, which dates to the 1950s, is seen as a way to ensure that if something threatening was or were to happen that those in America could be quickly warned. Other countries have performed similar tests for alert systems.

There won't be any advance sound. It's only meant to be heard when issued so that people will pay attention. WHY? according to experts, playing it before could lead to alert fatigue, simply stated, folks can immune and won't listen. Sort of like crying wolf.

What to Know

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the test has two parts that will happen together testing both the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA). The purpose of the test is to ensure that systems continue to be an effective means of warning people about emergencies, especially on the national level.

FEMA and the FCC are coordinating with EAS participants that include wireless providers, emergency managers and others to prepare for the nationwide test, minimize confusion and maximize public safety value.

WEA Portion

The WEA portion will target cell phones. The message will display in English or Spanish depending on the device's language settings.This is the third nationwide test, but the second test to all cell devices. 

Internet source

Cell phones will get the warning as a tone, vibration and text message: 

THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System, No action is needed.

All wireless phones should receive the message once. ET cell towers will broadcast the test for about 30 minutes. WEA-compatible phones that are turned on, within range of an active cell tower, and whose wireless provider participates in WEA will get the test message.

The message will be sent over the cellular broadcast system so if a phone is set to wi-fi or airplane mode, the alert won't be received.

EAS Portion

This part will also last a minute and will be conducted with the cooperation of radio and TV broadcasters, cable systems, satellite radio, TV providers and wireline video providers. The EAS test portion will go out to TVs and radios. It will be the seventh nationwide EAS test. The message will be similar to regular monthly EAS test messages many are already have heard. 

Some Background

The first national emergency broadcasting system was created in 1951 so the U.S. Government could use radio networks to warn the nation of an enemy attack during the Cold War. It was refined and expanded in the 1950s-1960s with fears of nuclear attack. The first nationwide test of the most recent version of the Emergency Alert System was Nov. 9, 2011 at 2 pm (ET). 

Internet source

Mistakes have happened, triggering false alarms. The most recent incident was in 2018 when the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency System mistakenly sent an alert notification warning: 

Ballistic Missile Threat Inbound To Hawaii. Seek Immediate Shelter. This is Not a Drill.

What happened? During a shift change, someone made a computer error—huge OOPS 😲. It took over a half hour to clarify the alert was caused by user error.

What's Happening Here

Posting about places we've gone to on road trips is fun, but here's what's been happening at home in Nashua, NH. (There will be a few more posts about our recent anniversary road trip.)

On Monday, there was a parade down Main Street in observance of Memorial Day. It's never a long parade and participants included high school and middle school marching bands, boy scouts, veterans groups, and (of course) politicians. Attendance was surprisingly larger than in previous years spoken from our experience in attending the annual Memorial and Veterans Day parades.

The nearby town of Hudson, NH, has its annual flag display on the town square which we passed by several times last week. It will stay up through the July 4 holiday, hopefully escaping any gusty winds.

Nashua is the only city in the U.S. that hosts an annual international sculpture symposium. This year, sculptors are representing the U.S., Israel, Poland, and Iran.

Work is continuing on four sculptures that will be placed in and around the city with completion set for this weekend. The materials in use are marble and granite. Onlookers are invited to watch the sculptors. They are working outdoors at the Picker Artists studios, an artisan cooperative of nine artists in 12 studios that's within walking distance of the mill apartments. (Spoiler Alert: A future post will have more information on the Nashua symposium.)

It seems that spring took quite a while getting to Nashua, NH, however, within the past few weeks, flowers have been blooming in the garden at Le Parc de Notre Renaissance Française (informally called the French Park or Renaissance Park) near the mill apartments.

This public garden is tended to by neighbors on our apt floor. Their gardening efforts are appreciated by everyone who spends time here. More flowers will be in bloom in a few weeks.

These beauties were in bloom around the mill apartment grounds within the past few weeks.

A definite sign of warmer weather is the increase in Canada Goose on the Nashua River. This week, there were several families with 3 to 6 goslings in each. Watching them is entertaining as the young ones practice flight maneuvers on the river. However, the presence of so many often makes walking an exercise in dodging substantial droppings along the river walk. 

Unfortunately, many people toss bread products, as unhealthy for goose as for humans. Geese consistently fed bread become malnourished, filling up on junk food and neglecting natural food sources. Extreme cases can lead to a condition known as angel wing which can leave the birds unable to fly. For anyone tempted to offer food, better choices are birdseed, lettuce or other greens, foods just as nutritious for humans.

An evening of severe downpours resulted in this colorful sunset across the Nashua River. The building is Lofts 34 another apartment building that's not connected with the mill apartments.