The first day of school is a Really Big Deal. Ringing bells, rules galore! And so many new people to meet. This past Monday, my entourage accompanied me to the Ingalls Memorial Library in Rindge, N.H. so that I could help the little ones in the summer reading program prepare for The Big Day. More than 40 chattering and adorable… Read more →
Author: Chaucer
Thanks to the Animals
Allen Sockabasin (illustrations by Rebekah Raye) What happens when baby Zoo Sap falls off the family sled during his family’s yearly trip to their winter home? Alerted by his cries, the woodland creatures begin gathering around. His father soon returns to find the little fellow snuggling warm and safe inside a glorious pile of furred and feathered animals. The Boy… Read more →
Science Verse
Jon Scieszka (illustrations by Lane Smith) Who knew science could be so funny? A young student sits in class, probably wishing he were outside playing. Suddenly his teacher zaps him with the curse of science verse! Now he hears “the poetry of science” everywhere: a new rendition of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star features a nightmarish black hole, ’Twas the Night… Read more →
The Next Exit
The Most Complete Guide of What’s Available at Every Interstate Highway Exit From Coast to Coast “Dry ice two miles south of exit.” “Great BBQ here!” Our worn 2005 edition of The Next Exit is replete with so many personal notes that my travel companions and I have been unable to bring ourselves to upgrade to the latest edition. Whether… Read more →
Keene, New Hampshire: Ashuelot River Park
Ashuelot River Park West Street at Island Street (main entrance) Keene, New Hampshire Link to official web page This pretty park – the nicest I’ve nosed out in New Hampshire’s Monadnock Region to date – features a waterfall, small pavilion, summer-long flower displays, plenty of benches, a picnic table or two, bike paths, river access for canoeing and kayaking, several… Read more →
Milford, New Hampshire: Milford Drive-In Theater
Milford Drive-In Theater 531 Elm Street Milford, New Hampshire Telephone: (603) 673-4090 Website: MilfordDriveIn.com The drive-in theater – what an American institution! And the Milford theater is one of the longest running, having just celebrated their 50th anniversary. So load up the lawn chairs, blankets, and bug spray and head over for an evening of double-feature fun. Where else can… Read more →
Nashua, New Hampshire: Mine Falls Park
Mine Falls Park Google map Nashua, New Hampshire We visited this 325-acre nature area criss-crossed with trails on a heavily overcast morning with a storm front due later in the day. Which meant we had no sun to orient ourselves when we got turned around trying to follow some of the most confusing trail markers this hiking hound has ever… Read more →
Groton, Massachusetts: Groton Place
Groton Place Route 225 East of the Nashua River Groton, Massachusetts Website: NewEnglandForestry.org Hundreds of dogs visit Groton Place each week to enjoy leash-free romps and dips in the water. Once part of the Dumaine family estate, this 52-acrea sanctuary encompasses two ponds, fields, and woodlands with 1,600 feet of frontage on the Nashua River. Rhododendrons line its wide paths,… Read more →
Provincetown, Massachusetts: Pilgrim Bark Park
Pilgrim Bark Park Route 6 and Shank Painter Road Provincetown, Massachusetts Telephone: (508) 487-1325 Website: ProvincetownDogPark.org Historical records tell that in 1620 when the Pilgrims landed at what is now Provincetown, they were accompanied by an English mastiff and a springer spaniel. Thus, the non-profit group behind P-town’s new dog park named their project “to remember those first canine explorers… Read more →
Provincetown, Massachusetts: Wired Puppy
Wired Puppy 379 Commercial Street Provincetown, Massachusetts Telephone: (508) 487-0017 Website: WiredPuppy.com What better place for a literary terrier and his coffee-loving People to write and relax than the Wired Puppy – a specialty coffee and tea bar where the computer and wifi access is free, the brews have names like Sweet Puppy Love and Hair of the Dog, and… Read more →