Debra LaValley's Blog

Holiday Merriment has Begun!

I bought myself an Elf on a Shelf and have been enjoying creating daily photos with “Max” the Elf. Above he has been levitated above my little Christmas tree by Grogu (aka Baby Yoda, The Child). My tree only has lights. I did not dare put ornaments on the tree because Maisey is too curious with the lights. So far, the tree has stayed upright!

December has been mild, and I am not complaining. Today is raining, and it is currently 61 degrees! I am ok with no snow. We have had an inch here and 2 inches there but it has melted quickly which is fine with me. 

I will be posting again in a few days. Have a great pre-Christmas week! Enjoy!

Maisey looking out upon the first snow of the season here in Boscawen. Everything was very brown and dreary and the blanket of snow brightened up things a bit. It is now raining so the snow will not stay long. It is getting dark way too early now that the clocks have been turned back!

Thanksgiving will be here before we know it!

Take care, and I hope this finds you well!

Halloween is Coming!

October is my favorite month! I have been busy decorating my apartment. I haven’t really put out any outside decorations yet. I limit my outside decorations since I have been going to my mom’s for Trick or Treat (Gate Night aka 10/30) to help her give out candy. I don’t want too many outside decorations since I won’t be home to Trick or Treat.

The foliage is not too colorful yet, and I fear that we will not have much color here. We had too much rain and the leaves have some sort of blight. Most of the leaves are turning brown or a light yellow and just falling off. So far we have not had a frost. If I get some good foliage shots, I will upload a few to my blog.

Enjoy your Autumn!

Happy September and Labor Day Weekend!

Labor Day Weekend this year is in for lovely weather. Today, will be about 80 degrees in my area. I would rather have it a bit cooler, but at least it isn’t humid. Nights have been cooling off nicely. Last night, we had a campfire at my mom’s house. It was great weather. There were only a few mosquitoes around and they didn’t seem to be biting. We could hear the football game announcer and cheering, etc. from Merrimack Valley High School. It appears they lost. Better luck next time. I saw three nighthawks fly over us. My first nighthawk sighting of the year. They are migrating.

I have nothing much scheduled for the holiday weekend. Traffic was pretty brutal last night. Many were heading north to the lakes and mountains. Growing up, we always went camping on this weekend. I have very fond memories of family camping trips.

Earlier this week, I was fortunate to see a 3 point buck munching on apples on Water Street in Boscawen and managed some nice photos. You can click on my Flickr photostream to see my recent photos including the buck. I rarely see bucks.

I hope everyone has a fabulous and safe holiday weekend! Take care! Debbie 🙂

Back from Vacation

My mom, Aunt Mary Jane, and I were at The Lake (Newfound Lake) again this year. We spent the last week of July and first week of August in our regular waterfront cabin at Belmore Court. We love the private beach and our our fire pit. There is nothing like having a campfire on the beach with such a great view of the lake. Newfound Lake as always been our family favorite. My sister Mary Beth and her grandson, Lucian, rented the cabin behind us for the first week. It was fun sharing time with them. We also had a big family day on our first Friday. Michael, Rachel, Ethan, and Clara were in New Hampshire visiting from Oklahoma. We had not seen them for about 3 1/2 years or so. They came to the lake. They were joined by Danielle and family, Christie brought Jaxon, Hannah, and Raegan, and Christopher arrived with Crystal and Aela. A great time was had by all. It was a beautiful day.

It is such beautiful place. So peaceful and relaxing. It was extra nice this year since I wasn’t going back to work. LOL. I am loving retirement!

I hope everyone had an enjoyable summer!

Happy Independence Day!

The photo above is from beautiful and quaint downtown Penacook, NH. The flags are flying proudly in the square. I live in Boscawen about 1/2 mile or so from the square. I grew up in Penacook, and I still consider it my home town. The weather here today is not going to be conducive for outdoor activity. It is tropically humid and thunder storms are predicted through the afternoon. I can hear one approaching as I type this. It is now pouring. We may be about an inch of rain today. We had a very wet June. Everything is very green. I will be staying in my AC.

Speaking of Independence – the eaglet fledged and is somewhere enjoying his new skill of flight. The parents will stay close to him for awhile to make sure he is eating, etc.

I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable holiday!

FYI: Last Thursday, I visited friends who live on Northwood Lake in Northwood, NH. One of the lake’s loon pair had twins. I was able to go out on their boat and captured some photos. One example below. If you want to see more, check out my Flickr page.

Enjoy!

The eaglet is as big as the parents now. It won’t be long before he fledges. By the end of the month, he should be out and flying. This photo was taken yesterday. I stopped by the nest twice. Both times, a couple of blue jays were dive bombing the adult eagle in the nest. In the afternoon, both the adult and the eaglet were screaming along with the taunting blue jays. Check my Flickr photo stream for more photos of the blue jay harassment. The adult was trying to get the blue jays, but the little dive bombers were too quick and agile. I have really enjoyed watching the nest this year, and am so fortunate that the landowner has allowed me access for better views of the nest.

Take care everyone and enjoy the spring!

Today, we had the chance to watch the Coronation of King Charles the III. His wife, Camilla, was crowned Queen as well. I had not been born yet when Queen Elizabeth II was crowned, so this was the first live coronation that I was able to watch (on television). The ceremony was toned down but was still quite impressive. There was quite a crown in London along the route from the cathedral to the palace. I enjoyed the history behind the ceremony, etc. I was up at 5:05 am and went in to start watching the event. I definitely needed a nap – especially since I didn’t go to bed until 12:30 am. My mom, also woke up and watched the entire event. She said she also watched Queen Elizabeth’s coronation (June 2, 1953).

Happy Easter Week to All – May it be Filled with God’s Blessings!

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Happy March! March came in like a Lion and brought our snow totals up to almost average. We had been having a mild winter up until recently. Hopefully, it will be out like a Lamb. Today it is back to mild. I am ready for spring. The snow has been pretty, but I am looking forward to seeing a bit of green.

The local eagle pair are currently incubating in the nest. By the end of the month, there should be a hatch. I am looking foward to seeing chicks and activity at the nest.

The picture this month is the Blackwater River as seen from Clothespin Bridge in Webster, NH. It is a very pretty area not far from me.

Hope this finds everyone well! (I am enjoying the freedom of retirement :).