Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Alive


It's true. I am alive. Pretty much all dug out from the snow, I spent the weekend relaxing with my lady. And Brooke was sweet enough to get my sister and brother-in-law to make a surprise visit to Vermont. It was a great gift.

Since Monday I've been on the couch. The flu has gotten the best of me, and my only efforts to fight back have been to watch The View and Dr. Phil. I watched a little of All My Children too, but I would like to mention I was e-mailing through most of it. An episode of Reading Rainbow also came on. This one episode (circa 1985) had both Pete Seeger and Run-Dmc in a 30-minute program. Now that's good television.

This whole flu-ordeal has taught me something. Television isn't really as bad as I've made it out to be. Mindless, passive viewing has been crucial in my recovery. And, if nothing else, the guests on the Maury Povich Show make the problems in my life feel smaller.

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Digging Out


I've shoveled the driveway three times since yesterday. The pile by the door is what I pushed off the roof. I don't know where to put it.

Snow Storm


Route 5 in Hartland. Yesterday alone justified the cost of snow tires.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

# Seven


Happy Hour at the Seven Barrel Brewery in West Lebanon, New Hampshire.

Monday, February 12, 2007

Nancy Gets Her Blog On

My friend Nancy has been blogging from Mexico City to Kenya and back again. She is a reporter, but her blog is full of colorful photos. Blog on, Flores.

Sledding Party


Clara gives me the skunk-eye as Jen prepares to cook a turkey-in-a-bucket at her sledding party yesterday.


Shiloh is the first up the hill. He didn't sled as much as chase sledders.


Jen prepares hot chocolate for us to take on our trek.


Pre-bucket turkey.


Gathering at the house before feasting on our potluck. Everybody kept talking about how well all the dishes complimented one another. No redundancies. What are the chances?


Geoff and Emma make their way to the sledding hill.


James throwing caution to the wind.


This isn't Peter's kid. It's Ethan. But I think he got Peter to thinking.

Thursday, February 08, 2007

Logger Fred


Andy and Jen talk about body hair and hygiene at Logger Fred's benefit potluck at Crossroads Bar & Grill tonight.

Logger Fred recently had a logging accident and needs our help. The details escape me, but a tree rolled on, and crushed, his leg when he was working alone one day. With his bone in two pieces, he took his chain saw and cut himself free. When his screams went unheard, he was able to get himself to find help.

Logger Fred is uninsured. He spent four day in the hospital and has metal rods in his leg. Logger Fred is in a bad position. Hundreds of people came out tonight to support him. Hopefully the money raised will make things a little easier for awhile.

John Edwards and his universal health care plan is sounding even more appealing about now.

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Webcam


Before Channing had an SLR, he had a webcam.

Here's one of Adam close to the turn of the century.

Monday, February 05, 2007

Too Cool For School


Don and I went to school today for a story. We had to ride the bus too.

It felt a little bit like Ed Rooney boarding the bus at the end of Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

Cod


I like Peter.

He's always had an aversion to fish, but on Super Bowl Sunday he decided to change that.

Thinking he would have a better chance with seafood if he was vested from the beginning, Peter bought cod fillets, made a beer-batter and altered his culinary landscape forever. He refused to be a victim.

You have to admire that.

In My Head

I once heard an editor tell a photographer, "If you don't have the picture, it didn't happen."

Yesterday I grabbed my camera, but I forget the memory card. While on a hike in Hanover, Peter made his way to the edge of the frozen Connecticut River. Holding on to a tree, he tested the ice with one foot, then both.

The picture I couldn't take: With his arms parallel to the ice, slowly moving away from the shore, Peter finds himself twenty feet from the edge. In the foreground are two trees and their branches perfectly separated on either side of him. His isolated footprints on an otherwise smooth surface. In the background, infinite snow and ice. Clean, balanced, symmetrical. Peter as Christ-figure : )

Having no proof of this moment, perhaps I am like Ophelia in Pan's Labyrinth, which we had just finished watching moments before our expedition. Maybe this was a figment of my imagination. Without record, I can't be sure it wasn't.

Sunday, February 04, 2007

Madigan Smith. World Traveler.

Saturday, February 03, 2007

Black Beans

I danced the Maranga tonight.

I was at Gusanoz with a man I'm doing a story on. When one of the lead singers of Black Beans leaned over and asked if I knew the Maranga, I thought saying 'no' would keep me safe. However, she didn't seem to care.

And so we spun around the dance floor, and she taught me how to fake the Maranga. We twirled so much I began to feel nauseous.

When I sat down, and my equilibrium returned, I made a new policy for myself: Never turn down an invitation to dance.

But, I'm not the only one who has been dancin'.

Thursday, February 01, 2007

Liberal Poodles


I came home to find that the dogs had exercised their freedom of expression. A flag had been left within their reaches. I had suspected Madigan might be left leaning, but Bailey caught me by surprise.

On a serious, but still political note, check out this story and video of soldiers clearing out a building in Baghdad. It's tragic.

Home Alone


This is my daily trip to the basement for wood. It's not as scary as in Home Alone. But still . . .