Kinkikali

NH Mountain Hiking

Every now and then there are websites worthy of note.  Such is NH Mountain Hiking (http://www.nhmountainhiking.com/) produced here in NH.  The man behind this grand endeavor is one Fred Shirley who happens to be my old scoutmaster from the 1970’s.

Fred has lead an exemplary life, raising a great brood of fine children, giving of his time for community (getting the moniker Saint Fred), and working loyally (in our country’s defense) for Sanders for many decades.

Now retired Fred has combined passions of hiking, photography, and community service with his website. 

I have had bad experiences with hiking in the past—but never under Fred’s tutelage.  I look forward to joining a hike with Fred.  He was calm, deliberate, and responsible back in the 1970’s.  He can only have “improved” with age.

Please check out the website and enjoy!!!

April 1st

On or about November 1st of each year I plug in the heat tape to keep the water inflow pipe from freezing during the winter.  Each April 1st I unplug the thing–having spent electricity and money for my Cardboard Castle (being polite).  Not only does my electricity bill drop, but I go on to the most welcome Lava Lamp Mode. 

I have a cheap lava lamp that is better quality then the house it resides in.  It stays off all during the long, cold winter.  Last night I turned the sucker on.  The furnace off, the heat tape unplugged, but the lava lamp bright and all right, I enjoyed, no savored, the start of warm days ahead.

The lava lamp relighting tied with the last of the ice off Emerald Lake.  Four tiny pathetic “piles” of snow remain at Wooglin.  None is left on Melody Lane.  And to add the glee, PSNH is scheduled to take down a tree that has been a bother since the day I purchased my little piece of…

Spring is here and most welcome.  Please stay warm weather.  Global warming is most welcome too.

Spring

Despite a mild, tame, and comparative easy winter, I am still so much ready and happy to welcome spring and warmer days ahead. Today is between St. Patrick’s Day and the start of spring.  The mornings are cool, but quickly warm up.  And the sun is strong and sweet.  Yeah, yeah, yeah…go snow go.  The leftover snow is sickly and a joy to see in such a sorry state.  The ice is ready to follow.  Cheers to spring and all that comes—until the frost gets pushy.

Ice Out Wooglin

Lake Winnipesaukee has its annual ice out when the MV Mt. Washington can make the circuit of ports without bumping into ice.  Wooglin has its own form of ice out when the walk from home to head of the driveway (where the Union Leader box sits) is ice free from end to end.  That day happened on Tuesday the 9th.  There is still snow on the ground and ice on the pond.  But the snow is dirty and the ice has open water pools.  Spring is just waiting to bust out all over.

New Lows

Prediction here. Come April 2010, the weather in the northern hemisphere will warm in a ramped up way.  The Gulf Stream will tie in with the Jet Stream.  By May it will be in the 80’s in Greenland where recent earthquake activity has shifted the world magnetism under Greenland.  A new low sits over Greenland–pounding it with twice daily “tropical” storms (due to long day lengths).  All summer long the heat sucked off continental USA gets pumped up the Gulf Stream and fed into the endless low above Greenland.  Lots of warm rain and brilliant sun turn the Greenland ice cap into mush.  The ocean waters rise, but a portion of the ice cap remain.  The global warming nayseyers get strangely silent—a dumb silence.  Putting tonnes of auto exhaust daily into the air eventually reaches a saturation point.  Putting lots of people within the sound of the surf leads to problems if the saturation point is pushed.

Winter returns in the north pole, but summers lengthen as the ice melts.

October 23rd and Winter

For the last five years I have tested a theory: That the weather on October 23rd of any given year will reflect the winter ahead.  For instance and warm (60’s) and dry day will mean a mild low precip winter.  Why O 23, well its my birthday and that time of year assures a degree of uncertainty that January or July would not provide.  The results have been mixed–spot on for two years, mixed on two, and way off on one.

Today O 23 has coolish temps (50’s), but very sunny and dry, with little wind.  Come mid-April 2010, check back to see the results.

Leaves No Doubt

Not one to embrace the chill and drear of winter, I can’t be much happy with the days ahead.  However there is a cheap enjoyment to be found where foliage blooms.  I speak of walking through piles of dry leaves.  The swish, swish, swishas leaves are plowed through on foot or bicycle.  As a kid I had block after block of these foliage flotsam.  Leaves would fly into the air, catching wind as might be.  Or the leaves would fall on either side SWISH, SWISH, SWISH, truly a joy of short duration.  This was best had when a student at Mount Pleasant or Spring Street, but less so with Nashua High School.  Winter is going to be a downer, but at least with fleeting memories of fallen leaves.

Fall on The Ball

September 1st. 2009. The morning air is clear and cool. Not quite frosty, but gone is the steamy mornings of August. Ahh “fall”, before the winter storms, before ice and snow and cold, cold, cold.  Spring came late.  Summer was a wash.  Let’s hope that fall gradually reaches into winter.  Wish you (Fall) go nice on us in the and on the frost belt.  At least make the leaves pretty.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

What a terrible summer.  There have been some bright spots or more accurately sunny days this summer—but hardly enough to light up a dismal economy.  Alas NH tourist economy got hosed like an inmate in a fool’s prison. Any day now the workers will add to the newly unemployed.  But there is no economy to welcome them.  We can’t change the weather, but we can look for the basics for a home based economy—food, clothing, shelter.  Let’s get off the merry go-round and raise food in this land of milk and honey.