Saturday & Sunday, January 8th & 9th - Day 25 at The Stinehour Press in Vermont.
Saturday morning we were at the press by 8:00 am as requested and had a great sheet to look at, except we had this little spot in it which we couldn't figure out where it had come from. Not in the scan, not in the film, must be in the plate. So after a new set of plates we were up and running! Since Dennis's daughter had her 13th birthday party this afternoon we only had one sheet to OK today. Which means there is now a day to play!
The plan was to drive with Warren around the east side on Mount Washington, unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate and the snow and sleet started making driving in the mountains not a good idea. So we headed back to the hotel for a restful afternoon of football watching. But Marti the mini-moose had another idea. While he loved the weather, what he really wanted to do was go to the workout room and make fun of all the people down there sweating away. Little did we know he would hop on the treadmill and run baby run! Peoples heads turned as Marti the mini-moose took off on his 7 mile run. You could see his antlers bulging as he strained to run faster. You could also tell he was stubborn enough not to give up with all those people watching. And then it happened. You could see it on his face. The pain. The sweating. Finally Marti the mini-moose got off and took a drink, but then hopped right back on it. But then he went down. OK, he stepped off the treadmill first, went to the rest room and then stumbled back into the training room, but we could tell Marti the mini-moose was in trouble. Luckily a woman in the training room came to the rescue. She was a nurse, and apparently also a veterinarian. She had someone call 911 while she asked Marti the mini-moose all the right questions to rule out a heart attack. As the ambulance arrived to take Marti the mini-moose to the hospital I gathered up all of his things. At the hospital it was confirmed he had just become wickedly dehydrated himself by being in the civilized world to long and drinking all of those drinks with his favorite bartenders. He was ordered to take it easy and drink more water, or eat more snow. We left grateful for the experience of the hospital staff and the help they gave Marti the mini-moose. As Rich helped Marti the mini-moose outside, still with an oxygen tube, I realized why I don't run...
Sunday dawned with a beautiful sunrise and we went out to photograph a bit before breakfast...

Mount Washington
We ventured west to Jefferson, NH and shoot the Presidential range and forest around there. The icicles on the roof were great, the blue sky and birches spectacular and the view of Mount Washington grand in the morning light.
The Presidential's with Mt. Washington on the right.
Two really good looking photographers, right?
We had seen the covered bridge in Lunenburg only two days before so we knew we had to stop and make a few images.
The square in Lunenburg, Vermont has several churches around the edges. Then it was time to head up to the Monroe's Sugar Shack, as they are known. This is where some great maple syrup is to be found!
Rich listens to Steve explain the sap lines which go from tree to tree in the woods and then to lines running down to the sugar house. He is not sure how many feet there are, but he did know the cost! His sharp eyes were also checking trees all of the time as we walked, or slid, and then he would trot off to fix a tap or line quickly. We also saw where Terri shot her first deer with a bow this fall. Josie and Jesse came along to laugh each time we fell. And yet they were cute too! Exactly.
We had been invited for dinner and to see Terri's Sugaring operation where they make Maple Syrup. And from personal experience it is probably the finest I have tasted! So we headed up into the sugar bush, that's what they call a maple forest here, and were guaranteed to see moose near the back where there was this swamp land. Nobody told us if they were there, we couldn't see them anyway because it was down the mountainside...Now I for one enjoy a nice 2 mile walk in a winter woods, but this time there was 6 inches or so of nice new snow, but it covered up the wicked 1" think ice sheet that waited underneath making walking absolutely treacherous, especially if you had regular hiking boots on, but then who would ever wear those? So, carrying a wicked big lens, in case of moose sightings, which of course helped to make walking even more fun, I went sliding along the trail giving Josie and Jesse something to laugh at. Who slipped the most? Who looked like a Mainer? I think we can all agree it was "Rich", yea that's the ticket. Exactly.
Now Josie had dragged this sled all the way up the trails so it only seemed polite to let her pull me down the icy hills! Finally, I let her have a ride as her dad got us started on our downhill run. Weeeee!!!

Back in the Sugar House we did a family portrait, but it seems the sensor on the digital camera had fogged up with so much snow packed around the camera - so it wehn't my fault - so Rich took out his old reliable film based system and took a family photo, which we'll see in about 1-2 months. Personally I like the fine art effect. Exactly.
Now not wanting to leave Marti the mini-moose back at the hotel after what he had done in the office on Friday and his big "event" yesterday we let him rest in the car while we were in the sugar bush. Josie couldn't wait to show Marti the mini-moose the big stuffed moose at the local store. Here they had everything for sale, groceries, tools, household stuff, hunting and fishing stuff, you name it they had it. And hunting trophies everywhere!
Now, much to our surprise Marti the mini-moose didn't exactly stay in the car while we were walking. He got out and wandered the hillsides as well. And much like Sacajawea met her brother at a critical point in the Lewis & Clark expedition, Marti the mini-moose found Grandfather Martin looking for him in the sugar bush. Grandfather Martin had heard about Marti the mini-moose's perils at the hospital and had come to check on Marti the mini-moose. Oh the joy Marti the mini-moose felt at the site of his Grandfather Martin. He asked if he could bring his Grandfather Martin back with us for, er, to, dinner. How could we say no? So while Steve and Terri cooked a delicious meal (venison kabobs, moose steaks - we said they were elk - mushrooms and vegetables, potatoes and chocaolate/peanutbutter pie!) Grandfather Martin, Marti the mini-moose, Rich and I had cocktails. Marti the mini-moose and his Grandfather Martin talked amongst themselves most of the night. I thought Marti the mini-moose was a wise old fella, but Grandfather Martin had even more wisdom for Marti the mini-moose. I could hear where the gradnson had received his wisdom. It was wonderful. Exactly.
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