Return to NH

We’re back! We opened the NH house for Memorial Day weekend, and made our first visit of the season. We arrived Friday afternoon, and, to our surprise, the house was not full of dead mice and mouse droppings as it has been in the past. Andrew gave it a good cleaning while the girls and I went to the grocery store, and then we settled in.

Friday wasn’t the nicest weather, and we spent the rest of the day inside. We played a new game—Hedbanz—which was a huge hit. Saturday was beautiful. We went for a long hike in the woods in the morning, and then L&G picked wildflowers in the yard (which had become a meadow). Andrew got out the riding mower and started mowing the lawn, which sent the kids into a panicked, screaming frenzy of wildflower-picking. Andrew relented and mowed only a path, leaving the meadow intact. Later in the afternoon, we hiked to the top of Mount Uscutney—about a mile and a half round-trip. The kids are surprisingly good hikers, never complaining or tiring. Lucia’s like a little mountain goat, skipping quickly up the rocky surfaces. It’s a beautiful hike and was the perfect way to reacquaint ourselves with NH. (Andrew will probably point out that Mt. Uscutney is technically in VT.) We rewarded ourselves with maple and blueberry ice cream afterward at our favorite spot.

Sunday was beautiful as well. The girls just played and played outside. We spent a lot of time down by the pond. It’s still too cold to swim, but L&G took turns going out in the raft. We tied a rope to it so we could pull them back. They loved it. Andrew’s aunt and uncle, Cindy and Andy, came later in the day, and we had a lovely visit. We sat out by the fire pit after the kids went to bed, only to see them frantically gesturing to us from their bedroom window—they were irate, certain we were going to roast marshmallows without them. (We weren’t.) They’re looking forward to our next visit, when we promised they could sit by the fire pit too.

Monday, our last day, was rainy. Lots of puzzles, reading, and Hedbanz. We had an early dinner at Pizza Chef and got on the road.

It was a perfect weekend. Andrew had one small tick on his back but it was easily removed. We saw a deer in the back field. We saw salamanders, fish, and tadpoles in the pond. It’s still pretty cold at night—in the forties—and it was so cozy with the radiators hissing. It felt like October. The lilacs had reached their peak before we arrived; by the time we left, they were brown. When we go back in July, the daisies and black-eyed Susans will be out; we’ll swim. We have grand plans for fun new activities. We’re ready for summer.