Weekend in NH
First New Hampshire weekend! We drove up Friday (the girls missed school) and opened the house and, for the first time, were met with NO dead mice and NO mouse droppings and NO wasps in the bedrooms. What?! It was like...a regular house that had been closed up a little too long. We'd driven up with Robert, who was returning to NH for the first visit in years (we're still trying to figure out how long it's been since he was there). Lucia and Greta made themselves instantly at home in the yard, running all around; I went to the grocery store while Andrew did a quick cleanup inside. And then we settled in.
Friday was a beautiful day, so we hung out outside and just enjoyed the country quiet. Andrew lit the fire pit to smoke the flies away, and L&G discovered the magic of burning, smoking sticks, which they lit in the fire and then waved around like magic wands, casting made-up spells and pretending they were Hermione from Harry Potter. For a while they played in the elephant tent. We had pulled-pork sandwiches for dinner (Andrew had made it in the crock-pot the day before we left). It had cooled off by then so we ate in the dining room, but we went back outside afterwards to relight the fire pit and roast s'mores. We went to bed early and slept the sleep of the dead.
Saturday was a gorgeous day. Andrew and Robert drove to a John Deere dealership to deal with a flat-tire on the lawn mower, and I took the girls down to the creek. They collected rocks on the road along the way. The creek was freezing, and of course their feet got soaked, and Greta fell in. After lunch, we went out for ice cream at our favorite ice cream place (first maple creamee of the season). Andrew spent some time mowing the front lawn with a 1940s non-motorized push mower he found in the barn. We invited Nelly over for dinner and had grilled chicken with pesto.
Sunday was quiet hot, so we inflated two of our raft-boats and headed to the pond. The girls spent over two hours just floating around. Both girls swam briefly, though the water was icy-cold. There was a slight breeze, and it was so peaceful to just sit by the pond in the warm sun and the quiet. There are moments when the house and yard feel even more timeless than they usually do. After lunch, we went on a short walk in the woods and then drove back into town for ice cream. We paid a brief visit to Nelly and two relatives at her house late in the afternoon, and though we'd told L&G we were staying for only a very little while, it took only a few minutes for their "we'll just put our feet in the pool" to turn into all-out swimming in their clothes. Of course they were thrilled. That evening, we lit the fire pit again, but it had gotten too windy for the girls to be very effective (or safe) with their burning sticks. We grilled hot dogs for dinner, then had s'mores.
And now, Monday, we're back home. The weekend felt idyllic but much too short. This Memorial Day visit is always just a little glimpse of what's ahead for the summer--we'll be back at the very end of June to stay for about ten days, a visit we cherish. This was a good start, though. A good start indeed.
Friday was a beautiful day, so we hung out outside and just enjoyed the country quiet. Andrew lit the fire pit to smoke the flies away, and L&G discovered the magic of burning, smoking sticks, which they lit in the fire and then waved around like magic wands, casting made-up spells and pretending they were Hermione from Harry Potter. For a while they played in the elephant tent. We had pulled-pork sandwiches for dinner (Andrew had made it in the crock-pot the day before we left). It had cooled off by then so we ate in the dining room, but we went back outside afterwards to relight the fire pit and roast s'mores. We went to bed early and slept the sleep of the dead.
Saturday was a gorgeous day. Andrew and Robert drove to a John Deere dealership to deal with a flat-tire on the lawn mower, and I took the girls down to the creek. They collected rocks on the road along the way. The creek was freezing, and of course their feet got soaked, and Greta fell in. After lunch, we went out for ice cream at our favorite ice cream place (first maple creamee of the season). Andrew spent some time mowing the front lawn with a 1940s non-motorized push mower he found in the barn. We invited Nelly over for dinner and had grilled chicken with pesto.
Sunday was quiet hot, so we inflated two of our raft-boats and headed to the pond. The girls spent over two hours just floating around. Both girls swam briefly, though the water was icy-cold. There was a slight breeze, and it was so peaceful to just sit by the pond in the warm sun and the quiet. There are moments when the house and yard feel even more timeless than they usually do. After lunch, we went on a short walk in the woods and then drove back into town for ice cream. We paid a brief visit to Nelly and two relatives at her house late in the afternoon, and though we'd told L&G we were staying for only a very little while, it took only a few minutes for their "we'll just put our feet in the pool" to turn into all-out swimming in their clothes. Of course they were thrilled. That evening, we lit the fire pit again, but it had gotten too windy for the girls to be very effective (or safe) with their burning sticks. We grilled hot dogs for dinner, then had s'mores.
And now, Monday, we're back home. The weekend felt idyllic but much too short. This Memorial Day visit is always just a little glimpse of what's ahead for the summer--we'll be back at the very end of June to stay for about ten days, a visit we cherish. This was a good start, though. A good start indeed.
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