Debra LaValley's Blog

First Day of School

The first day of school seems to be getting earlier and earlier. We never stared until after Labor Day. Some kids have already returned to school and many will start in the next week or so. It is a shame because summers during my childhood seemed to last forever and were filled with many adventures!

My first day of school was MANY years ago – but I still remember it. We had recently moved to Nashua, New Hampshire, and I really didn’t know much about our new home. I was 5 years old and entered into St. Joseph’s Catholic School. I remember the nun saying I was too young to be in first grade. She was mean – or at least I remember “mean.” It was a huge class of 40 or more students. The nun had no trouble maintaining order. I remember other students getting a pointer across the hands! I was too afraid to say ANYTHING. I got on the wrong bus that first day of school and was still on the bus when the bus driver pulled into the station. I didn’t know when to get off the bus. Nothing looked familiar to me. When they asked me where I lived, all I remembered was that we lived near a cemetery. There are a lot of cemeteries in Nashua! that day, I had to wear a sign “Debbie La Valley Bus #9” until I remembered the correct bus and where I lived.

At lunch, we would walk to the nearby high school for lunch. I refused to eat. This made the nuns even meaner because they would yell at me for not eating. My mother ended up paying a mother of one of the students to feed me lunch. Kids that lived close by could go home for lunch. I remember having Spaghettios either all the time or most of the time. I would also watch The Real McCoys and I Love Lucy while eating lunch.

First grade was my only grade at St. Joseph’s. I left the catholic school system and entered public school – where I came out of my shell. In fact, I often chatted in class and ended up standing in the corner or staying after school. I like to think of it as they failed to challenge me 🙂

I ended up enjoying school – especially its social aspect. I even went on to college and got a BA in English. I know that the little shy 5 year old version of myself would have never thought I would have voluntarily signed up for more school.

I have many great memories of school now. I hope my nieces who are heading back to school in the next week or so – realize these are great times for them.

Reflections

I don’t feel like a serious topic today – but something very important has been weighing on my mind – and my hips . . . chocolate! I love chocolate and have never met a chocolate that I didn’t like. Friday, I happened to go to Shaws supermarket. It is not my usual choice – but I found myself in the “foreign” foods aisle. There was a UK, Mexican, and Oriental section. I gravitated to the UK section and gazed upon the salad cream, tea, jelly baby type candies, and assorted yummy candy bars. I decide on LION bar by Nestle. The colourful (hey-I had to add the “u” … it is an English candy bar!) image of a roaring lion on the package – sold me! Yes – marketing is EVERYTHING! I am a vegetarian – but with the right marketing – I would buy chocolate covered ants! Not far from the LION bar – I noticed a can of “Spotted Dick.” That is just wrong on SOOOOOO many levels. Perhaps – another blog will tackle that one. I certainly did not feel compelled to purchase it.

I controlled myself and purchased only the one LION bar. I consumed it as soon as I got to the car. It was something like a $100,000 Bar (aka 100 Grand Bar) by Nestle. This got me thinking. Why does a chocolate company change the names or promote similar candy bars with different names in different countries? Why not call a Mars bar a Mars bar no matter where you buy it? You would think it would be less expensive to use the same wrappers and commercials.

Even more troubling are the unique chocolate bars that are ONLY available in certain regions. For example – the very yummy Violet Crumble. It is a honeycomb center covered in smooth milk chocolate. It melts in your mouth. I know Cadbury sells these in Australia, and I have found them in Hawaii. It is a mystery to me – why it is not marketed in the mainland US. It is probably a good thing that the Violet Crumble is not easily accessible to me or I would be chubbier than I already am. I have zero will power where chocolate is concerned.

Thank goodness for the internet (you CAN buy EVERYTHING on Amazon)! The Violet Crumble is attainable without flying to Australia or Hawaii. However, ordering during the summer months is not recommended. No worries . . . I can wait! Until then, I will have to make do with a Twix or KitKat or 3 Musketeers or Snickers or Milky Way or Hershey . . . 🙂

A Bit of Fun - Painting w/ Light

It is finally “cool” enough to turn off the AC and open up the apartment. I love hearing the night noises – the cars moving along the pavement and the crickets. I love crickets! There is nothing better than listening to these little shadow fiddlers. They are really fiddling tonight! It reminds me of one of my older poems (from 1983) – so I dug out the poem and it is below:

Shadow Fiddlers

Crickets
voices of the stars
flickering overhead.
ventriloquists perhaps,
telling me things
beyond earthly dreams,
in songs I might understand.
A star falls
in a graceful arch.
Was it trying to reach me or
just an extinguished dream
lost between night songs.

Something black winks
across the sky.
A bat? Moth? Or a promise
from the shadows?

Jumping for Joy

I was jumping for joy myself yesterday afternoon when I took my Uncle Bob and sister Jackie for a little drive, and we came across this bald eagle at Crete’s farm! I NEVER tire of seeing these majestic raptors! Luckily – I almost always have a camera with me. I haven’t seen eagles in a few months – but got a quick glance of an immature eagle earlier in the week and earlier yesterday morning. Seeing the adult in the afternoon was icing on the cake. This particular eagle has an orange band on the left leg and a silver on the right leg. I have seen him/her many times in the past. I am glad that the eagle is staying in the area. What a treat to see eagles fairly regularly right here in Boscawen and Penacook! It wasn’t too long ago that bald eagles were critically endangered. A great success story. It goes to show you what people can do if they focus. Now, if only the government (Congress, Senate, etc.) could focus and do something about our pathetic debt situation! Work TOGETHER people and quit playing politics! (Like that is ever going to happen!)

At the helm of the River Lady Riverboat

I am nearing the end of my “Staycation!” I haven’t gone far – but it has been a very enjoyable vacation this summer. I have stayed close to home and have had some novel experiences. I had the chance to ride the River Lady stern wheeler last Friday evening! What a great opportunity! I was even able to steer the boat. The owners, Harold and Wendy, are very nice folks!

On Sunday, I visited friends Pat and Jim Vaillancourt at their house on Northwood Lake and photographed both loon families on the lake. I took the best loon photos that I have ever taken before. Check out my Flickr photostream!

The Truth is Out There in Lincoln, NH

Today, I went with my friends Tim and Dianne Blodgett to the north country. It was the perfect day. We stopped by the Indian Head Resort in Lincoln and we checked out the brand new NH historical marker about Betty and Barney Hill. I brought my own little green alien 🙂 This new marker was unveiled on July 20th. We didn’t see any moose but the scenery was awesome. They had never been to the Mount Washington Resort – a gorgeous 110 year old resort – so we stopped there to look around and have lunch. We had a wonderful lunch out on the porch with a fabulous view of Mount Washington.

The Back of The Mount Washington Hotel

I can’t believe how quickly the summer has passed. Time seems to go faster and faster the older that I get. No longer does the summer seem to last forever. I think there is a wormhole surrounding us all. I have a lot to do in August! I haven’t even taken the kayak out yet. I hope everyone has had a nice summer. Enjoy everyone! Take care!

The River Lady

I happened upon this riverboat yesterday evening. I went for a drive with Uncle Ralph, and on the way back from Beech Hill Farm for an ice cream, I decided to ride along West Parish Road for the view and then down Broad Cove Road. We saw this cool paddle wheel boat cruising up the Contoocook River. I tried to get a photo, but the trees were in the way – so I drove around to Runnells Road where we had a perfect view of the River Lady.

They just don’t make boats like this any more. In the early 1900s – during the days of the Contoocook Island River Park – the Modena cruised up and down the Contoocook. My Grandmother La Valley used to tell me wonderful stories about the Park. Folks from all over New England came to enjoy The Island and boat along the Contoocook. The Contoocook River is my favorite river. It is the quintessential old-fashioned New England river. There are rope swings and swimming holes and old (and new) cottages lining the banks. In the summer, it is in its glory. Tall pine trees line the water’s edge. There is a lot of wildlife in and around the river. The best thing about the Contoocook River is that it is a lazy-relaxing river. It is really a no wake river because of its width so it is perfect for slow-moving boats, kayaks, and canoes. You don’t have to worry about being run down by a speedboat or someone on a jet-ski. It is so peaceful to sit in a kayak or canoe and just glide along the river. That reminds me! I have to get my kayak out and put it in at The Island and enjoy a nice paddle soon!

The Landing Contoocook River Park (Modena shown, I believe)

"Last one in is a rotten egg!"

I can’t believe that it is July already! Time really does speed up the older you get … or maybe we are just too close to a wormhole! LOL! July is not my favorite month – it tends to be too hot and humid. However, if I am near a body of water, I am much happier! In my youth, I would have already been swimming many times by now. As of today – I have not been swimming. I purchased a new bathing suit recently and can’t believe that I now own an “old lady” bathing suit. An “old lady bathing suit” to me is one with a built in bra! I have yet to wear it out in public. The next thing you know, I will have a bathing cap with sequined flowers! Hahahahaha. Maybe when I am 90!

Many things have changed over the years in addition to gravity’s effect on my body. I remember there was always a Fourth of July Parade in Penacook – but the town hasn’t seen one in years. I couldn’t tell you where the nearest parade is taking place. It seems that folks are too busy now to take the time to have a parade. There are too many texts to send, too many calls to make, too many videos to watch, too much to do on the computer. I just saw on the tv that kids today spend approximately 7 hours a day on electronic entertainment/media. I have always loved tv – but growing up managed to spend many hours enjoying the outdoors. I still enjoy being outside. I will be grabbing my camera and heading out shortly after posting to see what nature I can photograph.

Enjoy your day – enjoy your summer! Try and spend a lot of it outdoors – and remember your sunscreen.

There is a promise of a thunderstorm today! I do enjoy a nice light show.

Summer Recipe from the La Valley collection:

Rhubarb Pie

2 cups diced rhubarb
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 well beaten egg yolks
1/4/ cup thick sweet cream
pinch of salt

Melt butter, add the rhubarb and 1 cup of sugar. Cook slowly for 8-10 minutes until the sugar melts and rhubarb is soft. Separately, mix 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, egg yolks, cream, and salt. Add the fruit mixture and cook until thick (approximately 3 minutes). Pour into shell. Top with a meringue. Bake at 300 degrees for 15-18 minutes until meringue is golden.

If you love lemon meringue pie – you will love this!

Poor Lost Souls

This afternoon, I grabbed my Nikons and headed out to see if I could find anything good to photograph. I was driving down River Road in Boscawen, I decided to snap a shot or two of the cornfield. As I approached the area – I noticed two chickens beside the road and then four more. I couldn’t imagine where they came from since the closest farm is a dairy farm. All six of the very big white chickens with red combs were huddled together under a bush. I noticed that at least one was limping and some of their skin was showing because feathers were gone. They looked scared – but let me get fairly close to them. I told them (yes – I actually spoke to them) that I would get help.

I got back in my car and drove down the road to the nearest house. No one answered my knocking. I then went to the next house and they said maybe the people at the end of the road lost their chickens. I drove to that house which is for sale and no one was home. I ended up going to the dairy farm relatives at the other end of River Road and a woman helped me. She put a large wooded box in the back of her 4×4 type vehicle and gathered some help. All six chickens were successfully rescued from the side of the road. She knew someone with chickens who she said she would bring them to. I felt good helping out these poor creatures.

I went back to collect my tarp we used to cover the box, and she told me that her friend with the chickens said these were broilers not laying chickens and that they most likely wouldn’t last the day. They were in bad shape 😦 I believe they were put out of their misery. You wonder how these poor creatures ended up on a back road in Boscawen. It wasn’t a road that a truck load of chickens would go down. We will never know how they found themselves there. I hope no one just dumped them there – figuring that they were setting them free and that the chickens would be fine. It was sad to see them huddled under the bushes. I hope they were not suffering out in the elements long. Maybe them being there was just an accident. I hope so – because the thought of someone just dumping poor defenseless creatures on the side of the road is very sad.

The ending wasn’t what I wished for these chickens, but at least they were spared suffering and a slow death.

Return of the Albino

On June 15th – I took my folks out to dinner to celebrate my father’s birthday. I was just going to drop them back home and leave. Luckily, my parents mentioned ice cream . . . so I decided to go in and have a small cone. While the ice cream was being served – my mom said – “A white squirrel!” I took a quick shot through the kitchen window with my cell phone and put my cone down. The adrenaline was surging through me as I put down the phone and went to get the point and shoot camera in my pocketbook. I couldn’t believe we were seeing another albino squirrel! Eight summers ago, my folks had another albino squirrel that paid almost daily visits through the summer. We all loved watching it. I took the chance of sneaking out the front of the house and then quietly go to the side of the house to see if I could get some better shots. The albino squirrel stayed for about 10 minutes. Though, I would have loved to have had my Nikon D90 and 500mm lens at the time – I was glad to have had the point and shoot at least (Nikon S8100 CoolPix). Folks often ask me how I get the photos I get. I reply that “I always have a camera with me.” I may not have the camera of choice with me or the lens I would have wanted – but I have a camera with me. You never know what may cross your path. ALWAYS have a camera with you because – the opportunity for the shot – may be gone in a flash!

PS: Since the 15th – I have spent many hours at my parents house with the D90 and 500mm lens – waiting for the albino squirrel to show itself again. It hasn’t! However, I know it is out there!

It is nice that Molly is having a nice sleep. Last night – actually this morning in the wee hours – I was awoken by the sound of a cat (the sleeping Angel pictured above) running around the apartment apparently “chasing something.” I sensed the something was something small and furry and my adrenaline surged through my bloodstream. I jumped out of my bed – to see Molly run like a cougar from the bathroom to my living room chair – where she “watched.” I scurried quickly to grab my sneakers and put them on – just in case “the creature” zoomed across the floor and across my bare feet! The neighbors would not want to be awakened at 3:00 a.m. by a woman’s blood curdling scream 🙂

I flipped on the lights after my feet were adequately armored against vermin – and grabbed my large MAG flashlight. Bravely – I illuminated the dark underbelly of the chair – there was nothing to be seen. Molly – ran to the other side of the apartment and started looking under the stove, behind the couch, and under the refrigerator. I found a toy mouse and threw it and she went after that for a bit. I didn’t find whatever she was hunting – which was NOT COMFORTING at all.

I went back to bed with the light on – sneakers and flashlight beside the bed – just in case. It seemed like hours before Molly finally – came into the bedroom and jumped on the bed and went to sleep. She fell asleep a lot quicker than I did.

In the daylight – I found no tell-tale signs of the creature . . . but it is probably lurking somewhere! It must have wanted to get out of the rain! Hopefully – there will be no repeat of The Hunt tonight. Perhaps, I will bait the Have-a-Heart trap tonight!