Debra LaValley's Blog

Tom’s Team 2011

The 2012 Out of the Darkness Community Walk is in Portsmouth this Saturday (9/29). Tom’s Team is getting ready for the event. If you have not donated yet, and would like to click on My Fundraising Page.

The entire La Valley family thanks everyone for your support over the years.

Thanks again!

June 15, 2011 Sighting at my Folks’ House

I heard very disturbing news today. Someone who lives at Penwood Apartments (where the Albino squirrel has been staying around for many months) SHOT the albino squirrel! Penwood is right in the middle of a very urban area. The person must have used a BB gun! Who would KILL such a beautiful and rare creature?

It sickens me! I hope it is just a rumor – but I fear it probably is not so. There was another albino squirrel that visited my folks’ yard all summer one year – many years ago, and we heard that poor thing was shot by a kid with a BB gun!

Bad Karma – I am sure to kill such a rare and beautiful creature.

The poor wee thing! I just saw it run across the street last week and run up an oak tree. It was almost 7:00 PM and too dark to try and get a good photo. The last halfway decent shot I got of it was June 28, 2012. It was late afternoon and in the shade.

June 28, 2012 Albino Squirrel Sighting

😦

There are only a few more days of Summer left! Time flies when you are having fun! The weather this summer has been very nice overall – especially the past couple weeks. I really need to get the kayak out before it starts getting too cold! Tonight it is raining – but we really need the rain. It is better to rain during the week than the weekend! Have a great night everyone!

Debbie 🙂

Blue Moon 08/31/12

Click Blue Moon

It is hard to believe that today is the last day of August and tomorrow is the start of Labor Day Weekend! Where does the time go! Summer still has a bit of a kick left though. Tonight is also a blue moon (I took the above photo around 8:00 PM. It isn’t really blue – I tinted it blue) – the second full moon in a month. August 1st also had a full moon. There will not be another blue moon until July 2015.

Enjoy the evening and the rest of the summer!

I need to watch GREASE this weekend! That movie is the perfect summer movie! Click Summer Nights

Sunset Valley Quartet (circa 1950-2):
Betty Ross – Red Perkins – Tom La Valley, Ralph Spencer

Last night, I was up too late and caught a segment of Community Auditions (I didn’t know it was still on – but I am not usually watching tv after midnight on a Sunday). It reminded me of a story that my parents told me years ago. They were almost on Community Auditions in the early 1950s when they were in the group The Mello-Tones. The Mello-Tones were my parents (Tom & Betty), Francis aka Frank Nadeau, Ralph Spencer, Red Perkins, and Paul Tousignant. They were all set to be on the show when Frank who was their drummer was drafted (Korean War).

The photo above was of the Sunset Valley Quartet that my parents were in along with Red and Ralph. They sang at the Princess which was a dance hall. It then became the Princess Carpets building and it still a rug store today . . . Concord Carpet – I believe. It is near Cumberland Farms on Fisherville Road. My dad played the bass and the two other guys played guitar. Ralph and my mom were the main singers. My mom told me today that they also sang on WKXL. The Harmonettes – a group of 3 or 4 girls – also sang on WKXL around the same time.

I have an old scratched 45 that I believe one of my uncles gave me. It was supposed to be of The Sunset Valley Quartets or The Mello-Tones. It is very scratched – I don’t know if it would play. I have to find someone with a turntable that will play 45s and has one of those thing-a-ma-jigs that go in the middle so you can play them on the turntable.

Have a great evening!

2/19/1952 Ralph Spencer, Dad (Tom La Valley), Red Perkins

Jackie, Bill, and Matt

I can’t think of much to say today, so I decided to share some photos that my parents took yesterday. They drove Jackie and Bill to Portland, Maine to visit their son Matt. They had not seen him in about two years. They spent a very nice afternoon with Matt. They had a tasty meal at the Olive Garden too.

Dad, Jackie, Bill, Matt

Bill, Jackie, Matt, Mom

Bill & Matt

Frog Bellies

Frog Bellies

I wonder how many people are out there teaching the younger generations about Frog Bellies?

My mother taught us when we were very young. First you pull a leaf off of the Frog Belly plant. After that, you carefully pinch the leaf until it looks “wet.” Once you finish this step, you make a small tear at the base of the leaf and then put it up to your mouth and blow into it. It may take a few tries or more pinching of the leaf.

Frog Belly Leaf (already pinched – and blown up)

A Successful Frog Belly 🙂

Side View of an Inflated Frog Belly

You have to wonder – who originally thought of doing this . . . and how many years ago?

Enjoy the rest of the summer!

Summer Fun

The weeks of summer are flying by once again! It has been a very warm summer too. This weekend, I am just relaxing. It is too hot & humid to do much. We had a small shower and some rolling thunder but nothing too exciting in the Penacook/Boscawen area. My folks are in Weare camping and they have been having some very big thunder storms – with a lot of rain. My mom just called and said it they knew it was going to rain so much tonight – they would have come home. They return tomorrow morning.

My folks have always loved camping, and when we were little – we spent almost every summer weekend camping as a family in our 6 man tent. It was great times. I loved the sound of rain hitting the canvas and my dad saying “Don’t TOUCH the tent it will LEAK!” My sister Jackie and I were sitting in the canvas screen house with my folks last weekend and were reminiscing about rainy days in the tent. We chuckled about my dad always yelling to us not to touch the tent.

Food always tasted better cooked over a fire or on the Coleman stove my dad had. There is something about eating outdoors that makes food taste better, and at the same time, makes you hungrier. I always seem to have a huge appetite when eating outside.

My favorite part of camping growing up (and even now) was the fire! I love building a fire and sitting around the campfire. It is something primal in us, I think. Ever since man was able to start a fire – people have sat around the campfire to tell stories, sing, or just watch the flames dance around the logs under a star-filled sky. It is so peaceful. I love it – especially if there is little chill in the air.

Last week, I visited my folks at the campground. After supper, I built a fire and toasted marshmallows. You also have to make s’mores! What is a campfire without a s’more!

Yum!

Good times and summer fun!

Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

Cue JAWS Theme . . .

It is July and once again the news is filled with shark sightings and shark attacks. You would think folks would know by now that sharks LIVE in the ocean. It is their space. I feel sad when I hear that a shark is being hunted because it thought a surfer or swimmer was a seal or other food choice. I feel badly for the humans – but really – kill the shark? I also heard on the news that shark populations are actually decreasing – and humans going into the water are increasing. I will get off my soap box now.

The other day – there was big news about a great white shark following a kayaker. There was a photo of the guy in the kayak looking back at a large dorsal fin. A surfer was in the foreground – looking on (this surfer had alerted the kayaker about the shark). No one was hurt – but I bet that kayak had to be rinsed out big time!

I think I have mentioned this before – but this photo reminded me of something I saw back when the movie JAWS first came out. I was at Wellington State Park in Bristol that is on Newfound Lake. In the distance was a boat pulling a water skier and behind the water skier was a giant dorsal fin following him. It was one of the funniest things that I had ever seen. I wish I had a photo of it. Of course – it was funny because there are no sharks in Newfound Lake.

SO folks – this is a reminder … it is July and thar be sharks in the ocean. Just sayin’

I will take my shark in a Blue Lagoon in Honolulu thank you! 🙂

Mr. & Mrs. Thomas C. La Valley

Today is my parents’ 56 wedding anniversary! Happy Anniversary, Mom & Dad! It was hot and humid today, and my mom said it was the same 56 years ago. She and my dad went to Blake’s Turkey Farm for lunch today to celebrate their anniversary. I have been truly blessed having then as parents. They have filled my life with many memories that I will cherish forever! Enjoy your day – Mom & Dad. Thank you for being such terrific parents!