Going on Safari

But only in our imaginations because we were too late to visit what was once a major New England attraction.

Benson's Wild Animal Farm in Hudson, NH was billed as "the strangest farm on earth."

It's closed now. But, in its heyday, this destination was so wildly popular (bad pun, I know) that a special Jungle Train operated on Sundays from Boston to Hudson. Admission to Benson's was included in the ticket price.

It all began when John T. Benson began an animal training center in 1924 in NH, opening it to the public after 2 years. There were exotic animals, a train ride, games, live shows and exhibits.

Benson expanded in the early 1930s, adding a permanent Wild Animal Circus. 

By 1934, the parking lot could hold over 5,000 cars. In 1940, the zoo added an animal trainer who gave performances with lions, bears and other animals. Benson’s menagerie included trained lions, bears of several species, llamas, a gorilla, elephants, monkeys, and exotic birds.

Boasting more than 100 animal exhibits and 50 rides and attractions, the combined zoo and amusement park charged one price for attractions, shows and rides. An all-day child’s pass was $5; an adult pass was $10. 

After Benson died in 1943, the property was sold and closed during WW II, reopening in 1945. It fell into decline in the 1960s. It was again sold in 1979 to Nashua, NH native Arthur Provencher, who invested money in improvements and attractions. 

"Colossus" (real name "Tony") was a 500-pound gorilla, reportedly one of the largest ever in captivity, was a feature attraction from the 1960s - 1987. Tony was entered as a candidate to run in the 1980 NH presidential primary against Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. He died at age 40 in 2006 while undergoing a dental procedure under anesthesia.

Despite his best efforts,  Benson’s remained unprofitable. Provencher filed for bankruptcy in 1985 after an unsuccessful association with outside investors. It was renamed to “New England’s Playworld Amusement Park and Zoo.” With declining finances in the 1980s, the park added features to add family interest. Its notable attraction was a large statue of Mighty Mouse for its final year. The park closed forever at the end of the 1987 season.

In the following years, weeds, overgrowth, erosion, and vandalism took their toll. Former asphalt walkways led nowhere; most of the former animal cages and other buildings were gone. These below photos show views of the bear cage (top) and elephant barn (bottom) before and after restoration work.

A former polar bear enclosure is long gone, only its base was discovered during a clean-up project. Stairs that led to the exhibit are still standing.

This A-frame is all that remains of what was once a gift shop area. It was renovated and now shelters a picnic table area.

The state of NH acquired the property in 1989; Hudson, NH purchased it in 2009 and began development as a public park and nature area. Renamed Benson Park, it reopened in the spring of 2010 for recreational use with no admission fees.

The Old Lady in the Shoe is among several structures that have been repaired by volunteer groups. The pond where hippopotamus paddle boats once swam is now open for fishing.

The pond where hippopotamus paddle boats once swam is now open for fishing. A playground was added in 2011 and its animal and nature theme recalls the former Benson’s Wild Animal Farm. 

Today's “wild” attractions include turtles, frog and deer. The exotic ones—flamingoes, bears, elephants, gorillas will never return.

FYI — Most of the vintage photos shown herein of the former Benson's Animal Farm were on display at this ticket stand which has been restored by local Eagle Scouts and is now at the park entrance. This group is also planning to bring back a motor raceway for radio-controlled cars. 

This day trip was less than a 20-minute drive from our current home in Nashua, NH. While we were sorry to not have seen Benson's years ago, imagination is wonderful.

Friday Funnies

Grenville modeled this hat in the gift shop during our maple sugar road trip.

No, he didn't buy it; however, he gave it serious consideration.

Enjoy your weekend, Everyone.

How Sweet It Is

Maple Sugar is what the post title refers to as we recently, we took a road trip to Bethlehem, NH for a maple sugaring weekend. The event included a weekend stay at a B&B and  demonstrations at The Rocks Estate, a Conservation & Education Center. 

We took a horse-drawn wagon ride . . .

And a tractor ride as part of the weekend events. Forgot to mention that this time of year is also known as "mud season."

Mid-February to mid-April is maple sugar time in many parts of New England and Canada. Each year, the NH maple industry alone produces nearly 90,000 gallons of maple syrup.

And, while that seems like a lot of syrup, it's really not. About 40 gallons of sap are boiled down to make 1 gallon of maple syrup, which is usually produced from the xylem sap of sugar, red, or black maple trees. In cold climates, the trees store starch in their trunks and roots before winter; the starch is then converted to sugar that rises in the sap in late winter and early spring.

In late February, NH maple producers tap sugar maples by drilling a small hole through the bark and into the trunk and inserting a spout. As the frozen sap in the maple tree thaws, it begins to move and build up pressure within the tree.

The sap runs into a bucket or plastic tubing fastened to the spout as crystal clear sap drips from the tree. When the internal pressure reaches a certain point, sap will flow from any fresh wound in the tree. Freezing nights and sunny days create the pressure needed for a good sap harvest. 

The number of times one tree can be tapped is based on its diameter, health and growth rate. Any maple tree 8 inches (or more) in diameter can be tapped. Larger trees can be tapped more than once a season (3 taps maximum). The regulations ensure that tapping doesn't affect growth of the trees. A hole must be drilled in a new location each year; the natural healing process of trees is called walling-off.

After harvesting, the sap is transported to a sugar house and boiled down to maple syrup over a blazing fire. Storage tank pipes feed sap to a long and narrow ridged pan — the evaporator. As it boils, the water evaporates leaving a concentrated syrup, that becomes denser and sweeter. About 10.5 gallons of sap boil down to .25 gallons or one quart of pure maple syrup. When the maple syrup reaches the right density to be classified as syrup, it's drawn from the evaporator, filtered, graded, and bottled.

For other maple products (taffy, sugar, etc.), the syrup is boiled longer in the evaporator to the temperature needed. After evaporation, the finished products are bottled or canned, then shipped.

Maple syrup is graded according to specified U.S. and Canadian scales based on its density and translucency.

This was an informative weekend excursion and we learned a lot about the production of maple syrup.

We really enjoy it, not only on pancakes, but we've also been using it in pork and fish recipes.

One of the recipes we saw prepared by a local chef was a balsamic-maple pork tenderloin. 

This one will be on our dinner menu in the next week or so. The taste sampling was so good (trust me).

It's Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day- Yiipppeeee!!!!

Yes Kiddies, Its Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day. WHAT????? You didn't know this????? Oh, my you poor dears. You must have lived such a sheltered life. Well, read on and I will elucidate you on some fine American Cuisine. 

Grilled cheese sandwiches have always been a delicious, toasted delight popular all across the world. Growing up this was a real treat. Of course back then “Wonder Bread” or whatever was on the ‘Day Old’ rack, and some yellow American Processed Cheese was the only components my mother needed. Add a can of Campbell’s Condensed Tomato Soup, and you had a feast. 

Now in Commemoration, Celebration, and Certification of Grilled Cheese Lovers everywhere, we have our own holiday, Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day. An Honored Day when it’s your sacred duty to indulge in one of these melted cheese gastronomical delights.

Now melting cheese on bread is not a new culinary concept. In fact it has been around since the time of the Romans. On the other hand, grilled cheese sandwiches of today didn’t become popular until the 1920s. With the dawning of processed cheese and sliced enriched white bread they became an American staple, which soon spread worldwide. Simple to make. Easy to cook almost anywhere.

So what is the best way to celebrate Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day? Simple, make and eat a grilled cheese sandwich. If you are a traditionalist, just put some cheese of your choice between two slices of bread. Butter the bread on BOTH sides. Slap that baby onto a hot fry pan, brown on both sides, till the cheese melts, and your DONE!!!! The Grilled Cheese purist in you will be satisfied for sure.

 BUT, if you are like us, some experimenting is in order. Tomorrow the the Panini Maker will get pulled out. Next, some Swiss Cheese will be sliced ever so thinly off our block of cheese, and then some aged cheddar will be added. These will be laid onto fresh Ciabatta rolls. Some sliced Beef Steak Tomatoes comes next, followed by slices of Avocado. 

A mix of Mayo and Horseradish Dijon will be spread inside. Then a little butter on each side of the Ciabatta and into the Panini Grill it goes. Sounding good huh!!!

So what are you waiting for?????? Let your inner child loose and make that Grilled Cheese Sandwich. You know you want too....... Just Say Cheese!!!!!

Friday Funnies

Wondering if anyone has seen the Invisible Man ? — He left some things behind . . .

Maybe, he knows the person who left this boot a few weeks ago.

(This clothes pile was on the sidewalk outside our mill apt complex; seems someone left in a hurry. No need to make this stuff up, folks, we just keep looking around.)

Enjoy your weekend, Everyone.

All Washed Up (By Mistake)

Have you ever washed something that wasn't supposed to be washed under any circumstances?

IF you answered Yes, you're not alone. We've washed pants with leftover tissues and papers (usually nothing crucial). We've even laundered currency, which thankfully dried OK for re-use :-) coins just rattled around the washer until collected at the cycle's end. 

But we've also laundered some never-to-be-washed items like a wallet, cell phone, full set of house keys and, more recently, Grenville's Apple earbuds. 

No, all these were not washed at the same time because we never remembered to check pockets first!  All went through the wash cycle — not all went through the dryer (whew).

Except the earbuds, which got the full wash & dry treatment and are working fine. Grenville claims he can hear better now.

We're going to try and avoid future mishaps and now we have a sign near the laundry to be done and in very LARGE lettering: Check ALL pockets first (including gym shorts). Yet, despite that caution, I often overlook a tissue which somehow gets washed, dried, and then get tossed !

The washed cell phone was a flip phone (pre-smart phone ownership). Grenville followed a method of burying the phone in uncooked instant rice to dry it out. After a few days, the phone worked but the home screen looked a bit worse for wear. 

If your cell phone is submerged, the recommended method is to use a desiccant, like those silica gel packets which come free in many items (start saving those packets). There's also other steps to follow as detailed in this CNET article. 

(The commercial washer and dryer shown are in our mill apt laundry room and it's where the keys and earbuds (in gym shorts) were washed. The other items were washed in VA.)

Ever happened to You?

Spring and Snow (Again)

Outdoors, it looks like a delayed April Fool's joke today only it's NOT.

The calendar may show April 4 and Spring "officially" began a week ago today with snow too. But, this is the scene outside our window early today in Nashua, NH. 

Yes, we know this is New England, but after a 70+ temperature day last Thurs, we suspect that Mother Nature has a humorous side (or just doesn't have a calendar). Maybe we should re-think putting the snowshoes in storage?

The roads were not snow covered when we went grocery shopping, just wet.

This local car wash we use regularly was closed today. It will be doing a brisk business once the weather has cleared.

These flowers purchased today brightened the mood indoors at least.

It's been a wild and sadly, destructive week of weather in many parts of the U.S. with rains, tornadoes, flooding and heavy snowfall in some states.

How is YOUR Spring going so far — any wild weather changes?

Friday Funny

NO Fooling

This was not quite what we had expected to see when snow shoeing on a trail in North Conway, NH, this past February, but there it was — a carcass.

Sorry for that bad awful pun, folks. but it was right on — this vehicle was definitely a goner.

Maybe its owner couldn't find a good parking spot?

How this car ever made it onto the trail, we were never able to learn. It was fairly obvious that, over time, the car had been the victim of human scavengers.

We asked the long-time owners of the B&B where we were staying and checked various online sources dealing with urban legends in the area.

Our searches yielded nothing; but these vintage relic was an interesting find regardless.

Enjoy your weekend, Everyone.

What We Did at Easter

We spent the recent Easter weekend celebrating with family in RI and CT.  It was hard to believe that the weather was chillier on this holiday than on Christmas Day in New England. We were outdoors without jackets in December, but not so in March.

Our indoor activities included one of our favorite "traditions" on the day before the holiday — coloring eggs.

The grandkids are just as enthusiastic as we are, it seems, so it was a fun afternoon.

And each of them has their own technique. Granddaughter called hers "rainbowing" the eggs.

Grandpa and mom were there to help and also help with the coloring and sampling afterwards.

Easter Sunday morning it was time for opening treats after we returned from services.

The grandkids "lent" us their bunny ears for our self-portrait — we really liked the noses.

The only "one" who didn't have fun was this large chocolate bunny which was demolished after a family dinner. (It was delicious.)

If you also celebrated Easter, we hope that your holiday celebration was happy (and joyous) too. 

Easter, It's Not Just Candy

Today is Easter Sunday and we're spending it with family in RI and CT.  In anticipation, we decorated our apartment entry over the past couple of weeks.

Not only do we have a lot of bunnies hanging around and some multi-colored eggs on a "Charlie Brown" tree, but we also have Cyril, the Easter snowman. 

What? You've never heard of an Easter snowman — after all, this is New England.

Here's some things about Easter which you may (or may not) know besides that it 
marks the end of Lent. 

There's no connection between Christ's resurrection and modern-day traditions related to Easter Sunday. "Easter" doesn't appear in the Bible and some Christians feel that the Resurrection shouldn't be referred to as Easter Sunday but instead as "Resurrection Sunday" in keeping with the Bible.

Unlike holidays that fall on a set date, Easter is a movable feast that can fall between March 22 and April 25. Western Christian churches celebrate Easter on the first Sunday following the full moon after the vernal equinox (or Paschal Full Moon) on March 21. Orthodox Christians use the Julian calendar to calculate when Easter will occur and usually celebrate it a week or two after Western churches, which follow the Gregorian calendar.

After Halloween, it's the second top selling candy holiday in the U.S. Today, chocolate bunnies, jelly beans, and marshmallow chicks (Peeps) form a standard part of the celebration. Easter, like Christmas is a very commercial holiday.

Many popular Easter traditions have been around for centuries. The holiday's most prominent secular symbol, the Easter bunny was reportedly introduced to the U.S. by German immigrants who told tales of an egg-laying hare. The decoration of eggs is believed to date back to the 13th century. 

The NYC Easter Parade tradition dates to the mid-1800s when high society folks would attend Easter Sunday services at 5th Ave churches, then stroll outside in their spring outfits and fancy headwear. Other folks started showing up to watch them and the tradition peaked by the mid-20th century.

Easter Parade, released in 1948, starred Fred Astaire and Judy Garland and featured the music of Irving Berlin. Gene Kelly, who had been scheduled to take the male lead, bowed out due to an injury. 

Astaire and Garland only acted together in this one film. Many people can recall the movie's famous lyrics: "In your Easter bonnet with all the frills upon it, you'll be the grandest lady in the Easter Parade . . ."

Today, 5th Ave in New York is shut down from 49th to 57th Street. And, some participants still don fancy bonnets and hats.

My brother and I (years ago) dressed in Easter finery and were treated to bunny treats.

We wish you and your families a joyous and Happy Easter celebration.

Grenville & Beatrice