THE SIGN POST

Bethlehem, CT - This is the sign post on the green pointing the way to all the hot spots.

BELTED GALLOWAYS

Bethlehem, CT - I was traveling through Bethlehem and remembered seeing some Belted Galloway cows and wanted to get a photo of them. Unfortunately the full grown cows were not out back and only the heifers were close to the road. The heifers look too lanky and don't look quite as round as the adults.

The Belted Galloway is a cross between the Scottish breed Galloway and the Dutch Belted. I just think they look cool.

Info: Breeds of Livestock

PENGUIN PLUNGE - Part 2

Even dogs were "Freezin' for a Reason".



Look...it's Pebbles.



This is Shaggy from KIX and his friend who looked like a human billboard. She had "Westwood" written all over her body.



What would the plunge be without penguins?



Toga...toga...toga




He was the "Ice King" one of the rescue people sitting on an ice chair. I wonder if he has 'roids today?



These guys are having too much fun. The guys in the black shirt to the right stayed on the water a few minutes. I think it was in honor of a friend who had died. They better be careful they might die of hypothermia.

Those people around the water have press passes. I should get one of those! I have a wider audience than them all.



Such a gentleman, helping this lady into the freezing cold water. She looks like she just got back from a date. That is a heck of a way to get over a hangover.

If anyone is in these photos wants a copy I will send you one. If you plunged and you don't see yourself just ask and tell me what you are wearing and I might have one of you.

PENGUIN PLUNGE - SOUTHWICK MA

Southwick, MA - These people braved the cold weather and water to raise money. The tempature was in the teens and I couldn't guess what the water was like. I think the worst was that the organizers made them stand around for about a half hour in various states of undress.


This guy is flying backwards over the cold water, sorry, it is just as cold anyway you go in.



It was tutu cold for this guy. Maybe his friend will share some ganja to get warm after.



I think that hula skirt will be shaking with all the shivering she will be doing after.



BELLY FLOP!



This is Marc Spencer from a local country radio station KIX. I don't think the bumper stickers kept him very warm; he actually looks in pain. I will show one of his partners Shaggy tomorrow.

STATUE OF LIBERTY - SIMSBURY

Simsbury, CT - This full sized Statue of Liberty out in front of Antonio's Restaurant.

GARAGE

Portsmouth, NH - I saw this big "Garage" sign and of course I had to take a photo of it. I'm just wondering what is actually is, a repair garage, house garage, night club, studio? If anyone knows,let us know. Anyway, it makes an interesting photo.

RHODE ISLAND COLONY / STATE HOUSE

Newport, RI - This building was the Colony House from 1739 - 1776 and the State House from 1776 - 1900. There is a plaque on the front that says."Here the Assembly met and Governors were inagurated".




Side view.



Trivia Alert - Pineapples are a sign of welcome in Colonial times. I suppose this means that all are welcome in this building.

BREAKING NEW GROUNDS

Portsmouth, NH - This is the other place to sit, sip coffee or tea and watch the world go by. Breaking New Grounds is located in Market Square, the hub of activity. It is a gathering place for man and beast, many people have their dogs with them(you can see at least one in the photo and another behind the sign). So next time you are in Portsmouth stop in and have a cup...and a pastry of course.

CERES BAKERY

Portsmouth, NH - The Ceres Bakery was founded in 1980 on Ceres Street, across from the tug boats. In 1983 they moved to their current location on Penhallow Street.

Out front of this bakery is a place where many people sit and rest while enjoying some fine baked goods. Although, I have seen signs asking people to not block the sidewalk and entrance. But I’m sure the benches out front increase business.

On the Ceres website is a paragraph on the name Ceres.
“The ancient Romans worshipped Ceres as a goddess of agriculture – one of the forms of the universal Earth Mother”.


More Info: Ceres Bakery

A WALK IN THE WOODS - ICY

This post was requested by Janey Loree, she liked my posting a month or so back and wanted to see what it looked like with ice. Well, here you go.

MORE SOUP-ALOOPA

Soup Friends



My wife helping P.J. pick out a prize.




Another big raffle winner coming to pick out her prize.




This boy wants what his mother has big time. She and the sister think it is funny, me too. There was a rumor going around that I was from the paper and it was going to be published the next day.



I couldn't leave out the dessert.

SOUP-ALOOPA

Granville, MA - Big doings in town last night. The eight grade had a soup dinner fund raiser to pay for a class trip; it was called Soup-aloopa. The students made the soups themselves and let me tell you they were good! My favorite was the Nacho soup, I love spicy food. They had quite the turnout for a small town.



The students cleaned the trays.



And bused the tables.



Everyone had a good time, even selling tickets.



I like this photo, this gentleman looks like quite the authority as he helps a winner pick out her raffle prize.

More photos tomorrow...

ST JOHN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH – PORTSMOUTH NH

Portsmouth, NH – I originally took photos of this church because I always thought it funny that the front stairs go immediately in the street. But, as I did some research about this church I found it fascinating how much history this church has. I found it odd that a church appears to be equipped with spoils or war.

Some interesting facts about the church and articles within:

The Steeple Bell: Is a prize of war taken at the Battle of Louisbourg in 1745. It was installed in the belfry of the Queens Chapel. It was damaged in the famous Christmas Eve fire of 1806 and was sent to Paul Revere in Boston to be repaired.

Vinegar Bible – This bible was published by John Baskett in Oxford, England in 1745. It is called the Vinegar Bible because on of the bible stories contains a misprint, Parable of the vinegar instead of “vineyard”. Only 12 of these bibles were published and this is one of the few remaining.

The Baptismal Font - The font was a prize of war captured from the French at Senegal by a regiment organized bu John Tufton Mason.

Brattle Organ – This organ is the oldest operative organ in the United States. It was imported from England in 1708.

There are 10 vaults along the road which hold the remains of prominent people from the Colonial era such as Royal Governor Wentworth Benning.

I never realized there was so much to know about this church; I hope to someday go inside and take a tour. You can go to there website and read about this church, this is also where I got this information.

Info: St John’s Episcopal Church

PLAYERS RING THEATRE

Portsmouth, NH - This is the Players Ring Theatre. I don't know much about the theater itself; their website did not give any history of the troupe or the building. But, it does seem like they do a lot of plays. I thought this building would make a great house. The back of the building has a view of the water; it is also located across from Strawberry Banke, the historical section of Portsmouth.

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION - WWI MONUMENT

Salem, MA - This monument was in front of the Immaculate Conception Church in Salem, MA. It is to honor the boys from the parish who served in the World War, this was before we started to give them numbers.

Nathaniel Hawthorne Statue

Salem, MA - To continue on with our Nathaniel Hawthorne theme. The sculptor of this statue was Bela Lyon Pratt (1867 - 1917) and was dedicated Dec. 23, 1925.

More Info: http://www.hawthorneinsalem.org/images/image.php?name=MMD2251

NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE’S HOUSE

Salem, MA – Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in this house in 1804. His father Nathaniel Hawthorne was a sea captain who lost his life at sea when the young Nathaniel was only five. He did not leave his family with much wealth so they had to move to Maine to stay with her family. The Hawthorne’s were descendents of John Hawthorne, a judge at the witchcraft trials of 1692.

Nathaniel was most famous for writing, “The Scarlet Letter” and “The House of Seven Gables.

This house was built in 1750 and moved beside the House of Seven Gables in 1958 with the assistance of architectural historian and conservator, Abbott Lowell Cummings

Information by: http://www.7gables.org/tour_nh_birthplace.shtml and
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/hawthorn.htm

MY GIRLS ON HILL

I got lazy today and didn't feel like looking anything up so I am posting photos of my "girls". We were out walking a last week and I snapped a photo of them standing on top of a steep hill.

ANNABELLE'S NATURAL ICE CREAM

Portsmouth, NH - This photo is of Annabelle's Natural Ice Cream, a landmark in Portsmouth. I've had a few cone's here over the years, very good ice cream. Many of the stores and restaurants have unique signs and Annabelle's is no exception; high above the shop is a huge ice cream cone. I read an interview in an online article where one of the workers used a Nietzsche quote with a twist that I though was quite funny, "Whatever doesn't kill you makes you fatter...". Um, doesn't fatter kill you? I guess but it takes longer. Oh, since I was on the ice cream cone theme I threw in an ice cream cone trash can from Salem, MA.

Read more about Annabelle's

HANGING OUT IN COLLINSVILLE

Collinsville, CT - All these people are hanging out in front of the LaSalle Market and Deli in Collinsville. They are enjoying a nice warm day in the month of January. That was last week, this week it is colder but still not January weather.

The LaSalle Market and Deli is always packed when I go in there. I've never had their food but judging by the crowds it must be pretty good.

COLLINSVILLE BAKING COMPANY

Collinsville, CT - Well you know me, no visit is complete without a visit to the local bakery. We went in and they have an assortment of baked goods, especially cookies and fresh baked bread. You can see the photo above is all the different kind of cookies. I had a molasses cookie and my wife had a sugar cookie with M&M's.

PLAYFUL OR CREEPY?

I can't quite decide if this photo is playful or creepy. These plastic horses were hung up outside a factory; I think the intent was a fun thing to look at but outside an old factory changes the perspective. I do find the photo fascinating and have it as the background on my PC.

What do you think about the photo?