Year: 2021

Kiddie Pool 21/04/22

Family fun for the weekend

Millyard Museum. Courtesy photo.

Celebrate Earth

The New Hampshire Audubon Massabesic Center in Auburn hosts its annual Earth Day Festival Saturday, April 24, with three time slots between 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. The day will be filled with nature activities like building a birdhouse, planting seeds, going on a scavenger hunt, taking a nature-themed walk and visiting the animals that live at the center. Reservations are required; as of April 19 there were still spaces available. Sign up for one of the time slots (10 to 11:30 a.m., noon to 1:30 p.m. or 2 to 3:30 p.m.) at nhaudubon.org or by calling 668-2045. The cost is $15 per family.

Open paint

The Canvas Roadshow Studio (25 S. River Road, Bedford, 913-9217) hosts Family Fun Day, an open paint event, on Tuesday, April 27. Stop by anytime between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. to work on a craft in the studio. You can pre-register for a table or just show up. If you don’t want to work in the studio, you can “grab and go” — just stop by to pick out a project kit that you can bring home. There are project options that start at $10 for kids and adults. Visit thecanvasroadshow.com.

Yoga all week

Mountain Base Yoga (3 Church St, Goffstown) is hosting Children’s Yoga: Spring Camp during school vacation, from Monday, April 26, to Friday, April 30. Kids in kindergarten through second grade will meet from 11 to 11:40 a.m., and kids in grades 3 through 5 will meet from noon to 12:40 p.m. each day. The camp will teach basic yoga poses, skills to improve mood regulation and games to promote social interaction and cooperative communication. The cost is $125 for the week. Purchase tickets at mountainbaseyoga.sites.zenplanner.com.

Vacation exploration

Explore hands-on exhibits that show the science behind motion, light, space exploration, the ocean, human genetics and more at the SEE Science Center in Manchester (200 Bedford St., 669-0400, see-sciencecenter.org), which is open daily during school vacation, with two sessions offered each day, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m. The cost is $9 per person for ages 3 and up. Or visit both the Science Center and the Millyard Museum (located in the same building) for $13 by purchasing the Super Saturday Dual Pass at either location. The passes are available to ages 12 and up and are good for same-day admission on Saturdays only.

The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive, Concord, 271-7827) is also open daily for April vacations, now through May 2, with sessions from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1:30 to 4 p.m. each day. The cost is $11.50 for adults, $8.50 for children ages 3 to 12, $10.50 for seniors ages 62 and up, and for students age 13 through college, and free for kids 2 and under. Add a planetarium show to your visit for $5 per person per show. Current daily shows are “Beyond the Sun” at 11 a.m. for ages 6 and up; “From Dream to Discovery: Inside NASA” at noon for ages 6 and up; “The Little Star that Could” at 2 p.m. for ages 4 through 10; and “Tonight’s Sky” at 3 p.m. for ages 5 and up.

Featured photo: Millyard Museum. Courtesy photo.

A time to reflect

Contemplating potential garden improvements

This is a good time to look carefully at your garden, and to decide what you might do to make it better. Spring is upon us, trees and shrubs are waking up in my garden, but perennials are still mostly dormant and woody plants are just beginning to leaf out. It is a good time to look at “the bones” of the garden and decide what needs to be done.

The bones of the garden are the trees, shrubs, stone walls, sculpture, water features and pathways. These are visible in winter, though often covered in snow. In summer they can become focal points, or almost disappear as flowering plants shout out for attention.

Each of us reacts to spaces a little differently. Some want an enclosed garden that is quiet and private. Others want a long view of the sea, a pond or a distant mountain. If you are lucky, you might be able to divide your garden up so that you enjoy more than one type of garden: sunny, shaded, private or open to the view of passers-by. If you have just a city lot, you may have to choose just one kind of garden to focus on.

Making a garden private means creating visual barriers. You can do that overnight by hiring a company to put up a wooden 8-foot fence. Your neighbors may not like this and walls are generally monochromatic and boring. Of course you can then grow vines up them, or plant trees and shrubs in front of them, but plants take time to fill in and disguise the fence or wall. Still, if you have a new puppy or a bouncy 4-year-old child, you may opt for the immediate enclosure provided by fencing.

Alternatively, you can plant trees. There are advantages to this: trees get bigger and better every year. They provide habitat and food for birds, pollinators and all sorts of small animals. They reduce water runoff. And although some require occasional pruning, most of Mother Nature’s trees do just fine on their own. Some are fast growing; others will just inch along, holding place without shading the understory.

The street side of your house is important. What you show the world says something about you. If you plant a tall hedge, it can send a signal to others that you wish to remain undisturbed. If you have just lawn, it says you are not a gardener. If you plant beds and islands of color, you are saying, “Welcome, and enjoy!” Of course, lawns are the easiest to maintain, especially if you accept my mantra, “If it’s green and you can mow it, it’s a lawn.” I love a few dandelions and love my clover, which fixes atmospheric nitrogen into the soil — it’s free fertilizer.

Trees and shrubs are important on the front lawn as much as in the gardens behind the house. You can break up the straight lines of driveway and front walk. When thinking through your plans, take a garden hose and curve it around to define spaces. Create beds with bump-outs, and drive stakes to indicate where you might add trees, and use shorter stakes to indicate shrubs. And instead of lawn between the trees, imagine groundcovers. It will soften the look of your home, and invite birds and pollinators. You can keep some lawn, just reduce its footprint.

What other bones can you add to your property? Stone is wonderful in all its forms. The simplest stone additions are just boulders or tall, narrow standing stones. One and done. Stone walls are delightful, but expensive.

You can also build a cairn — a pile of stones similar to the markers seen on mountain trails above the tree line. The key, if piling up stones to create a pyramid or cairn, is to ensure that each stone is resting on two stones below it. And be careful that when you touch a stone it does not tumble. The earth does move a bit with the seasons, so building a sturdy structure is important.

Water features are nice, too. A simple bird bath can add interest and provide water for insects and birds. I have a blue ceramic birdbath that adds color and height to a flower bed — even though the birds seem to ignore it. I was told to put a stone in the water for them to perch on, but even that has not lured them in. Of course, I have a brook nearby, so that is probably their choice instead.

Pathways are important to gardens. They can keep your shoes out of mud and protect the soil from erosion. Flat stones are great, as are pea stone and small gravel. Chipped branches or bark mulch can be used for walkways, too. Pathways naturally lead one forward to other parts of the garden. Grassy paths are simple, and work well so long as they are not worn bare by too much foot traffic.

So go outside and do some planning — even if it is too early to take much action now.

Henry is a garden designer living in Cornish Flat, N.H. He is the author of four gardening books. His website is Gardening-Guy.com. Reach him at henry.homeyer@comcast.net.

Featured photo: A simple blue birdbath can add color and interest. Photo courtesy of Henry Homeyer.

Booked up

NH celebrates Indie Bookstore Day

Saturday, April 24, is Independent Bookstore Day, a nationwide celebration of independent bookstores and the book-lovers who frequent them. Though you won’t find as many in-store author visits, live music, food and other festivities as have been offered in pre-Covid years, local bookstores are doing what they can to make it a special day.

“We are celebrating … but we still don’t feel it is the right time to encourage in-store activities,” said Willard Williams, co-owner of Toadstool Bookstore, which has locations in Nashua, Peterborough and Keene. “Instead, we are using IBD to draw attention to our bookselling staff, who have done so much for us over the past year. We want to acknowledge them with our heartfelt thanks and hope others will as well.”

Participating bookstores will still carry IBD-exclusive items, such as special-edition books, art prints and literary themed novelty items, and some stores, including the Toadstool, will host special events virtually or outdoors.

IBD participating bookstores and special events

• A Freethinker’s Corner (652 A Central Ave., Dover, 343-2437, freethinkerscorner.com)

• Bookery Manchester (844 Elm St., Manchester, 836-6600, bookerymht.com)

Live music, gift card giveaways with purchases and a weeklong trivia contest on Instagram

• The Country Bookseller (Durgin Stables, 23-A N. Main St., Wolfeboro, 569-6030, thecountrybookseller.com)

• Gibson’s Bookstore (45 S. Main St., Concord, 224-0562, gibsonsbookstore.com)

Erin Bowman book signing for Dustborn, on the sidewalk outside the store, 1 to 2:30 p.m.

Literary Cocktail Hour, featuring authors Kat Howard, Kelly Braffet, Cat Valente, and Freya Marskem in conversation with bookstore staff, Zoom, 5 p.m.

• Innisfree Bookshop (312 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith, 279-3905, innisfreebookshop.com)

• Still North Books & Bar (3 Allen St., Hanover, 676-7846, stillnorthbooks.com)

• The Toadstool Bookshop (Somerset Plaza, 375 Amherst St., Route 101A, Nashua, 673-1734; 12 Depot Square, Peterborough, 924-3543; 12 Emerald St., Keene, 352-8815, toadbooks.com)

Paddy Donnelly presents The Vanishing Lake, Zoom, 1 p.m.

• Water Street Bookstore (125 Water St., Exeter, 778-9731, waterstreetbooks.com)

2021 IBD exclusive items

Available on Independent Bookstore Day through participating bookstores. Call ahead to find out which items your local bookstore will be carrying.

• Baby Yoda cotton onesie (size 6 to 12 months), a Mandalorian twist on the American Library Association’s iconic “READ” posters

• Signed special edition of Cook, Eat, Repeat: Ingredients, Recipes, and Stories by Nigella Lawson

• Being Alive is a Good Idea, an edited transcript of a conversation held between Nikki Giovanni and Glory Edimat at the 2020 Well-Read Black Girl Festival, covering poetry, Tupac, Black Lives Matter, aliens, pencils, Kamala Harris and more

• Special edition of Embodied: An Intersectional Feminist Comics Poetry Anthology that includes a foil cover and poster

• “Bad Citizen” Graffiti Stencil featuring George Orwell quote, “In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”

• In the Tall Grass, a short story by Stephen King and Joe Hill, available for the first time in a limited-edition book form

• Signed special edition of Hummingbird Salamander by Jeff VanderMeer

• Art print based on the picture book The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez, created by artist Lauren Semmer

• Independent Bookstore Day 2021 pop chart map of participating bookstores in the U.S.

• “Little Victories” canvas pouch (cotton, with zipper, 9” x 6”)

• Signed special edition of Sharks in the Time of Saviorsby Kawai Strong Washburn

For more information about Independent Bookstore Day, visit indiebookstoreday.com.

Zoom Play Festival
Where: Virtual, via YouTube.
When: Pre-recorded, available to watch Friday, April 16, through Sunday, April 25.
Cost: Free, donations appreciated.
More info: Visit communityplayersofconcord.org, belknapmill.org or Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative on Facebook.

Featured photo: 2021 IBD exclusive items. Courtesy photo.

The Art Roundup 21/04/22

The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities

“If Hands Had a God” by Donna Catanzaro, featured in “Retablos Reconsidered” exhibit. Courtesy photo.

• The Hatbox reopens: Several performance series return to The Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord) this month, including Queen City Improv on Fridays, April 23, May 7, May 21 and June 4, and Thursday, June 17; Comedy Out of the ’Box on Saturdays, April 24, May 8, May 22 and June 5, and Thursday, June 24; and Discovering Magic with Andrew Pinard on Wednesdays, May 19 and June 16. Mainstage theater productions will return in June with Holmes & Watson, presented by Phylloxera Productions, running June 11 through June 27. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $19 for members, seniors and students, and $16 for senior members. Call 715-2315 or visit hatboxnh.com.

• A modern take on retablos: Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen) presents a new art exhibit, “Retablos Reconsidered,” on view April 24 through June 6. The exhibit features works by 12 artists inspired by retablos, the honorific art form of devotional paintings that relate to miraculous events. “[The works] reveal themes that personally, socially and politically affect [the artists’] lives,” the gallery stated in a press release. “Some reflect traditional religious themes within a contemporary context. Others are non-religious but are created to draw awareness to broad issues in our times and some reveal deeply personal stories.” Gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Call 975-0015 or visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com.

• Virtual poetry events: National Poetry Month in New Hampshire continues with virtual poetry writing workshops on Sunday, April 25, at 3 p.m., and Tuesday, April 27, at 7 p.m., led by graduate students interning with New Hampshire Poet Laureate Alexandria Peary; and a virtual poetry reading and conversation with Peary and Margot Douaihy on Monday, April 26, at 7 p.m. “[Participating in] one of these events might give you ideas for your own writing,” Peary told the Hippo earlier this month. “I think it could also give you a sense that, with so many opportunities for engagement with the creative writing [community] in the state, it could become a really rich part of your life and social life.” All events are free, and registration is required. Visit newhampshirepoetlaureate.blogspot.com and hobblebush.com/national-poetry-month for a complete schedule and list of National Poetry Month activities.

• Shaker Village seeks artists: Canterbury Shaker Village (288 Shaker Road, Canterbury) is accepting applications for its Summer Artist-in-Residence Program now through May 1. The two-week residency is open to visual artists of all media who are interested in creating art inspired by the architecture, landscape, traditional crafts, furniture, artistic endeavors and culture of the Shakers. Resident artists will live and work onsite at the village and talk with visitors about their creative process. To apply, email csvjuror@gmail.com with a bio or resume, an artist’s statement, a paragraph about why you’re interested in the residency and what you hope to accomplish, and five images of your most recent artwork. Call 783-9511 or visit shakers.org.

Quality of Life 21/04/22

Scooter from scratch

A student in an engineering class at Milford High School & Applied Technology Center is helping the residents of Crestwood Center in Milford get around. According to a press release, senior Daniel Schongar has spent about a year building a mobility scooter that the school will donate to the residential long-term care facility in May. The school purchased parts for the scooter on Craigslist, and Schongar had to rebuild some of its major systems — a project that was made even more difficult because of the pandemic, which forced him to work at home and meet with his teacher only once a week during remote learning. Schonger said in the release that he was able to 3D print many of the accessories that he needed to build at home.

Score: +1

Comment: Everyone’s a winner here — the residents of Crestwood Center and Schonger, who said in the release that this project has helped prepare him for college, where he wants to study engineering and learn how to build robotic arms.

Safe space

New Hampshire has been the safest state during the pandemic, according to a study from WalletHub, which recently released rankings based on data that was available as of April 14. WalletHub, a personal finance website, compared all states and Washington, D.C., in the rates of Covid-19 transmission, positive testing, hospitalizations, deaths and number of eligible people getting vaccinated. Helping it reach the top spot was the Granite State’s vaccination rate, where it ranked No. 1, and its death rate, which was one of the lowest at No. 8. New Hampshire edged out Hawaii and Alaska, which ranked No. 2 and No. 3, respectively.

Score: +1

Comment:New England as a whole fared well in this survey; Vermont, Rhode Island, Maine and Massachusetts ranked 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th, respectively, and Connecticut ranked 18th.

Watch out for wildfires…

It’s Wildfire Awareness Week in New Hampshire (April 18 to April 24), and the state is trying to raise awareness about the dangers of wildfires, which are more common here in the spring as dry grasses, leaves, pine cones and fallen branches can act as fuel. According to a press release, more than 57 percent of the state is still experiencing moderate drought conditions, and the rest of the state is classified as abnormally dry, which raises the risk of wildfires even more. New Hampshire had an average of 119 wildfires that impacted an average of 276 acres each year from 2016 to 2020, the release said.

Score: -1

Comment: Ninety percent of wildfires in New Hampshire are caused by human behavior, according to the release. Common causes are brush fires and campfires, improper disposal of smoking materials, overheated engines and sparks emitted from machinery.

… and rabid wildlife

The‌ ‌‌Londonderry‌‌ ‌Police‌ ‌Department‌ ‌warned‌ ‌residents‌ ‌in‌ ‌a‌ ‌press‌ ‌release‌ ‌last‌ ‌week‌ ‌to‌ ‌keep‌ ‌an‌ ‌eye‌ ‌on‌ ‌their‌ ‌pets‌ ‌when‌ ‌they’re‌ ‌outdoors‌ ‌after‌ ‌a‌ ‌dog‌ ‌got‌ ‌in‌ ‌a‌ ‌fight‌ ‌with‌ ‌a ‌raccoon.‌ ‌The raccoon was euthanized and sent for testing because it showed signs of possible rabies, and testing confirmed that it was rabid.

Score: -1

Comment: The‌ ‌Department‌ ‌encourages‌ ‌pet‌ ‌owners‌ ‌to‌ ‌get‌ ‌their‌ ‌pets‌ ‌vaccinated‌ ‌as‌ ‌soon‌ ‌as‌ ‌possible.‌

QOL score: 69

Net change: 0

QOL this week: 69

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Mocking the draft mockers

There are seven days left in the endless lead-up to the NFL draft, when mock drafts from so-called experts have grown from being fun draft-day reading into a four-month-long marathon. All being presented by “insiders” who act like they know exactly what each team is thinking. Except since everyone is different, it shows no one is doing anything more than guessing.

Case in point, all the yacking following the 49ers trading up to the third spot to supposedly get Alabama QB Mac Jones because he’s Coach Kyle Shanahan’s kind of pocket passing QB. That caught special attention in Patriot Nation because it could impact NE’s ability to fill their long-term need at QB in a draft filled with high upside options. Except then came stories knocking Jones for not being an elite athlete and that SF really wanted uber athletic Trey Lance of North Dakota State, until Ohio State’s Justin Fields ran a 4.3 40 during his Pro Day. So the reality is they’re all just guessing about who’ll go right after Trevor Lawrence and BYU’s Zach Wilson are the first two QBs taken off the board by the Jags and Jets.

So the bottom line is don’t take it all as gospel. Just enjoy it all because it informs you about needs of teams ahead of the Pats and for how the big board ranks those who’ll be in play leading up to the Pats pick at (for now) 15. Here’s a guide to what they face next Thursday night, with a sprinkle of what I’d do if I were the GM making their decisions.

Should They Trade Up? It would be like Coach B to make everyone crazy by gambling that the QB they like will fall to them at 15. That doesn’t seem likely, but stranger things have happened. Having said that, unless they’re certain they can get who they want, they shouldn’t deal until they can guarantee they’ll get him.

Is Trading Up Worth The Price? It’ll take a combination of picks from Rounds 1-3 to go up. Here’s who they’ve taken in Rounds 1-3 since 2012. So you be the judge how damaging losing any of those picks would have been to the cause. Round 1 – Dont’a Hightower, Chandler Jones, Dominique Easley, Malcom Brown,Isaiah Wynn, Sony Michel, N’Keal Harry. Round 2 – Tavon Wilson, Aaron Dobson, Jimmy Garoppolo, Cyrus Jones, Jordan Richards, Duke Dawson , Joejuan Williams, Kyle Dugger. Round 3 – Jake Bequette, Logan Ryan, Joe Thuney, Geneo Grissom, Antonio Garcia, Chase Winovich and Anfernee Jennings. For me, out of 24 picks or tradeouts, just Hightower, Jimmy G, Ryan, Thuney and Wynn are big losses and the last four could be replaced.

Who Needs To Be Boxed Out: (1) Denver (ninth) – Drew Lock is the latest John Elway QB failure. (2) Washington (19) – they’re going with 112-year-old short-term rental Ryan Fitzpatrick. (3) Chicago (20) – with the GM and coach on the hotseat, more likely they need immediate help from a veteran. (4) Pittsburgh (24) – Big Ben is on his last legs, so beware. (5) New Orleans (28) – if you missed the news Drew Brees just retired and has only question marks behind him.

The Possible Trade-Up Slots:

4 – Atlanta: With cap hits of $48 million, $40 million and $28 million over the next three years they can’t trade Matt Ryan. So it doesn’t make sense to draft a QB and sit him for two years. Realistic trade possibility.

5 – Cincinnati: Joe Burrow got killed all year leading to a torn ACL. So an improved O-Line is badly needed, which they can get at 15. Unless they prefer a top receiver like LSU teammate Ja’Marr Chase.

6 – Miami: They’re not helping the Pats. But they can probably get one of Chase, Kyle Pitts, Devonta Smith or Jaylen Waddle among the top receivers they’re eyeing with the ninth spot they’d get in a trade with Denver.

7 – Carolina: They just gave up five draft picks for Sam Darnold so he’s probably on a two-year QB trial. A possible trade partner.

9 – Denver: They need a QB too and since the leap from 4, 5 or 6 from 9 is not as costly as it is from 15, they’re the biggest competitive threat.

Best Mock Draft Trade: Here’s the best trade-up deal I saw that gets the Pats in position to get a QB. It’s from NJ.com, which covers the Jets and Giants. They predicted a trade with Carolina for the eighth pick to take Lance in return for a first and third in 2021 and a second-round pick in 2022. Don’t know if it’s realistic, but the net is, their QB for just a second and a third. Providing I like the 17-0 in college Lance, where he never threw even one interception: done.

Is Athleticism Overrated? I guess the experts somehow missed that the 43-year-old who runs like an ostrich just won his seventh SB in February. And that 17 of the last 20 SB’s have been won by non-athletic QB’s. Which says that despite trendy thinking, QB athleticism is really a(n un-needed) luxury and that’s it.

Go QB Or Bust: I know they need one. But given that 34 of the 74 Round I QB’s since 1990 have been busts and 16 others just mediocre, picking in Round I guarantees nothing, not even for Lawrence. History shows one or more of the so-called top five QBs aren’t going to work out, and that 24 QB’s taken below Round 1 turned out to be very good to excellent, including three of the four leaders (Brady, Brees, Favre) in TD passes all-time. So we could look back in 10 years and see that likely second-rounders Kellen Mond of Texas A&M or Florida’s Kyle Trask were actually the guys who should have gone in Round I. All of which leaves me with only one clear feeling going into draft night.

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