Happy Halloween 2009

Lyndon, Vermont

Northumberland County, New Hampshire

Remember when...?

Remember when going on vacation meant stocking up on film and then dropping them off at the lab afterwards and waiting patiently to see your pictures? There was a time when I worked in a photo lab and I loved seeing people's vacation pictures. Shots of people laughing around the campfire, or mugging for the camera on a scenic mountaintop, or whooping it up on cruise ships, etc. There was also the thrill of buying new camera merchandise like filters or that great backpack carrying case. And best of all was working hands-on in the darkroom creating beautiful black and white prints that can tell a story within one frame. Now everything is digital. Editing software instantly turns color images to black and white, or cartoon pictures, or fisheye shots, or anything you can imagine. Honestly, I miss the film days when good images were the result of experience, imagination and some photography knowledge.

Littleton, New Hampshire

If you're a New Englander then you've heard the saying, "if you don't like the weather just wait a minute". The northern towns around the White Mountains in New Hampshire probably understand the concept behind that old blurb. It was sunny that day, but when we left a nearby general store to return to our car, this is what we saw in the sky. A few miles up the road it was spitting some sleet and rain on our windshield, and then it was sunny once again. On past trips we've driven through sun, wind, rain and snow on the same ride. We've had storms follow us along the road and we've seen snow on the mountains as we gawk at the scenery while wearing t-shirts and soaking up the sun. When I get back from a northern New Hampshire/Vermont trip people always ask about the weather, and that always means a long answer.

World's Longest Candy Counter

I didn't make that up either. Chutter's, on Main Street in Lancaster, New Hampshire, is in the Guiness Book for having the longest candy counter in the world. As I write this, I'm chewing on some cherry flavored bubble gum. Next to me is a white bag filled with maple candies, root beer candies, banana gum cigars, mint julep chews and Cow Tales, just to name a few. I also bought barbecue sauce (Kick Yo' Ass Hot), maple hot chocolate, a moose bookmark, moose shaped cookie cutters and cookies n cream fudge.