Category: Outdoors

Kiddie Pool 22/12/08

Family fun for the weekend

The big guy

• It’s a bird, it’s a plane … it’s Santa Claus in a helicopter: Santa Claus will helicopter in to the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road in Londonderry; aviationmuseumofnh.org, 669-4820) on Saturday, Dec. 10, at 11 a.m. Plan to get to the museum by 10:45 a.m. to park and see the landing, according to a press release. Santa will talk to kids (who will receive goodie bags) until 1 p.m., when he will depart by fire truck, the release said. The museum will be open and free to visitors on Saturday, Dec. 10, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The museum’s holiday exhibit, “Holiday Festival of Toy Planes and Model Aircraft,” which features more than 2,000 aviation-related toys, games and other items, will also open on Dec. 10. The exhibit will feature a “12 Planes of Christmas” scavenger hunt, the release said. The museum is open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission costs $10 for ages 13 and up, $5 for ages 6 to 12, and is free for ages 5 and under, seniors and veterans/active military.

Find more places where kids can talk to Santa and enjoy other holiday amusements in our Holiday Guide issue (Nov. 24); the e-edition is available at hippopress.com (toward the bottom of the homepage). This weekend you can also find the big guy at breakfast at the Milford Town Hall (1 Union Sq.) on Saturday, Dec. 10, from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Breakfast will be pancakes and sausages. Price is $9 per person; children ages 2 and younger eat free. Visit milfordnh.recdesk.com and to reserve a spot.

Relax while they play

• Leave your kids with the child care staff at the YMCA of Greater Londonderry (206 Rockingham Road in Londonderry) for Kids Night at the Y on Saturday, Dec. 10, from 3 to 8 p.m. The event, open to kids ages 4 to 12, will feature holiday-themed crafts and games for the kids as well as a pizza dinner, according to the YMCA. The program costs $45 for one child and $40 for each additional sibling. Visit bit.ly/ygl-kids-nights to register in advance.

Nutcrackers

• Turning Pointe Center of Dance presents The Nutcracker on Saturday, Dec. 10, at 2 p.m. at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St. in Concord). Tickets cost $20. Visit turningpointecenterofdance.com.

• Dance Visions Network presents The Nutcracker Suite Acts I & II on Sunday, Dec. 11, at 12:30 and 5 p.m. at the Dana Center (Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester). Tickets cost $22 plus a $4 surcharge. Visit anselm.edu/dana-center-humanities.

Special screenings

• Chunky’s Cinema Pubs (707 Huse Road, Manchester; 151 Coliseum Ave., Nashua; 150 Bridge St., Pelham, chunkys. com) will screen The Polar Express (G, 2004) at all three locations Friday, Dec. 9, through Thursday, Dec. 15, with multiple daily screenings Friday through Sunday and one 5:30 p.m. screening Monday through Thursday. Kids get a golden ticket when entering the theater and there is a surprise during the hot chocolate scene, according to the website. On Friday, Dec. 9, the 4 p.m. screening is a sensory-friendly screening with house lights slightly brighter and the movie volume turned down, the website said.

Kiddie Pool 22/12/01

Family fun for the weekend

Book fun

• Toadstool Bookshop (Somerset Plaza, 375 Amherst St. in Nashua; 673-1734, toadbooks.com) will hold a party to celebrate the release of Dav Pilkey’s newest Cat Kid Comic Club book (which hit shelves on Nov. 29), Cat Kid Comic Club: Collaborations, on Saturday, Dec. 3, from 1 to 4 p.m. The afternoon will feature games, puzzles, goodies, raffles and more, according to the website.

• Matt Forrest Esenwine will present a storytime featuring his new book Don’t Ask a Dinosaur at Gibson’s Bookstore (45 S. Main St., Concord, 224-0562, gibsonsbookstore.com) on Wednesday, Dec. 7, at 10 a.m.

Meet the big guy

In the Nov. 24 issue on page 20, we listed events where kids can get in a visit with the big guy. Find the e-edition at hippopress.com (toward the bottom of the home page). Here are a few of the opportunities to see Santa Claus this weekend.

• Have Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, Dec. 3, from 8 to 11:30 a.m. at the First Parish Congregational Church (United Church of Christ, 47 E. Derry Road in Derry; fpc-ucc.org). See the website for details about how to RSVP. TIckets at the door cost $10 for adults, $5 for 3 to 8 and free for ages 2 and under, the website said. Kids can take photos with Santa, enjoy games and crafts and more, the website said.

• Charmingfare Farm (774 High St. in Candia; visitthefarm.com) will kick off its Santa’s Christmas on Saturday, Dec. 3, and Sunday, Dec. 4. The event also runs Friday, Dec. 9, through Sunday, Dec. 11; Friday, Dec. 16, through Sunday, Dec. 18; Wednesday, Dec. 21, through Saturday, Dec. 24. Pick a time when you buy tickets for either a four-person or 10-person sleigh ride. The event also includes a stop at the North Pole, Mrs. Claus’ Bakery, a visit to the barnyard, an opportunity to shop for Christmas trees, a campfire, and a special mailbox for letters to Santa.

• The Millyard Museum’s (200 Bedford St. in Manchester; manchesterhistoric.org) will holt its holiday open house on Saturday, Dec. 3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The day will feature games, cookies, children’s crafts, a visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus and more.

• Greeley Park (100 Concord St., Nashua) is hosting Santa in the Park on Saturday, Dec. 3, from noon to 2 p.m. Come take a photo with Santa. See Nashua Parks and Recreation Department’s Facebook page.

• Londonderry Access Center TV (281 Mammoth Road) is hosting Santa live on Saturday, Dec. 3, from 1 to 3 p.m. Kids can come visit with Santa live on air (first come, first serve). See lactv.com.

• The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St. in Dover; childrens-museum.org) is hosting its annual Jingle Bell Extravaganza on Sunday, Dec. 4, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. and from 3 to 4:30 p.m. (also on Sunday, Dec. 11). Meet Santa, do holiday crafts, do a science experiment and get a special treat — and pajamas are encouraged.The event is included with the cost of admission, $15 for members, $20 for non-members; children under 1 year old are free. Reserve a spot online.

Holiday celebrations

• O’neil Cinemas at Brickyard Square (24 Calef Hwy. in Epping; 679-3529, oneilcinemas.com) will screen The Polar Express (G, 2004) Friday, Dec. 2, through Thursday, Dec. 8, with multiple screenings each day including one D-BOX screening (usually at 4:30 p.m.). Tickets, which are on sale now, cost $7 and include a bell while supplies last.

• Enjoy Mr. Aaron’s holiday party at the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord) on Saturday, Dec. 3, at 11 a.m. Doors open at 10:30 a.m. and tickets cost $13. Visit ccanh.com to purchase tickets.

• Millyard Museum (200 Bedford St., Manchester) is hosting its annual American Girl Doll Christmas tea party on Saturday, Dec. 3, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Bring your American Girl Doll for a tour followed by refreshments and crafts. Tickets cost $15 per person and can be purchased at manchesterhistoric.org.

Winter tree care

Pruning makes them pretty

Living in New England is a joy, but we gardeners do have some challenges: cold winter winds, deer, rocky soil and more. As we get ready for winter, one of the biggest challenges for many of us is the deer. They are hungry and relentless. In my part of the world, there was a crop failure for acorns this year, a staple for hungry deer. The deer don’t care that you spent $275 on a nice tree. If they want to browse it, they will, unless you take steps now to protect it.

The most expensive but most sure method to prevent deer from damaging your plants is to fence your entire property with 8-foot-tall deer fence. That will keep them from your flowers — tulips are a favorite — as well as vegetables, shrubs and trees. It’s what most arboretums do. You don’t need to have a metal fence — though metal posts are best — as plastic mesh deer fencing is readily available.

Alternatively, you can protect plants that have suffered damage in the past, or, if new, are known as “deer candy.” Yew is an evergreen favorite of deer. I recently wrapped a pair of yews with burlap for a client whose plants had suffered deer damage in the past. The plants stand 7 feet tall or so, and are about as wide. I used a 6-foot-wide roll of 10-ounce burlap to wrap the shrubs and four 8-foot-tall stakes for each plant. I left the top open to avoid breakage due to heavy snows. The burlap came from burlapsupply.com.

Various repellent sprays may deter the deer, too. But if they wear off before you re-apply, the deer will let you know. Rain and warmer weather can affect how long they last.

young tree with wire mesh wrapped around base in snow
Hardware cloth will keep rodents from chewing the bark and killing this young cherry tree. Photo by Henry Homeyer.

Voles and other rodents can be a problem, too. Years when we have deep snow are the worst because owls and hawks are less able to eat the rodents that may eat the bark and girdle a tree. Wire mesh known as hardware cloth is great for keeping away rodents, but now plastic spiral wraps are available and easier to install. Young fruit trees are the most vulnerable, so do protect yours until they are 5 years old or so. Protection should go up 18 to 24 inches of the trunk.

What about those evergreen rhododendrons that have their leaves shrivel up? When the ground freezes, the roots can’t take up water to replace water used in photosynthesis on sunny days or water that just evaporates from the broad leaves. There is a product called Wilt-Pruf that works as an anti-transpirant for up to four months in winter. It is available in ready-to-use form or as a concentrate.

According to its literature, Wilt-Pruf “contains a film-forming polymer which offers high density, good efficacy, and even coverage across foliage.” Talking with a local arborist, I was advised to spray both top and bottom of leaves or needles, and to do so late in the fall. He also said it may also make foliage less attractive to deer. Shriveled leaves do recover, come spring.

If you planted new trees this year, think about mulching with bark mulch now if you haven’t done so. Trees do much of their root growth now, after leaf drop and before the ground freezes deeply. Trees have stored carbohydrates for use by roots even though they are no longer producing them.

By now I have about an inch of frozen soil on the surface, but roots are deeper than that — most are within a foot of the surface. So you can still put down 2 inches of mulch over the roots to slow the freezing of the soil.

Although traditionally farmers pruned their apple trees in late winter or early spring, I have always assumed that the reason for this is that they had time on their hands then. But if you want to do some pruning now, after the garden has gone to bed, feel free!

Begin pruning by removing any dead branches. This is a bit trickier now than when leaves are on the tree. Just look for cracked or damaged branches. Dead branches have bark that is a bit different than the rest: dry, flakey, lifeless. Rub small branches with a thumbnail. If you see green beneath the outer layer, the branch is alive. If there is no green, the branch is dead.

The goal of pruning is to allow every leaf to get sunshine. If the density of branches is too great, inner leaves will not do their job. Leaves have two major jobs: to feed sugars to their roots and to help produce flowers, fruit and seeds. If you prune back too much, a tree will respond by growing lots of new shoots, usually those vertical water sprouts. Don’t take off more than 20 percent of the tree in any one season.

Look for rubbing branches, branches growing toward the center of the tree or branches that parallel others closely. Those are all good candidates for removal. And any time a fruit tree is getting too tall, reduce the height. Finally, pruning should make your tree or shrub beautiful to look at — especially in winter.

Featured photo: Burlap will protect these yews from deer all winter. Photo by Henry Homeyer.

Kiddie Pool 22/11/24

Family fun for the weekend

Getting crafty

• Head to Bookery (844 Elm St. in Manchester; bookerymht.com) on Saturday, Nov. 26, (which is also Small Business Saturday, when Bookery is planning live music and more) for a wolfy storytime and craft at 11:30 a.m. The featured book is Little Good Wolf by Susan Stevens Crummel and illustrated by Janet Stevens. It follows the son of the Big Bad Wolf, and how he is too good to be evil the way all the adults in his life want him to be. After the story, kids will learn how to make a paper bag wolf puppet. The event is free, but register at the Bookery website.

• The Addiction Recovery Coalition of New Hampshire (180 Elm St., Suite E, Milford) is starting a kids’ holiday craft series startingon Sunday, Nov. 27, at 1 p.m. The four-week series will have a new craft each session for kids, as well as cookies and juice. Parents can stay with the kids, get their own craft, or drop kids off. Price is $10 for the first child, an additional $5 for each child after. Register at the Evebrite page, or visit arcnh.org.

Library fun

• The Plaistow Public Library (85 Main St.) is hosting an outdoor activity called tinkergarten’s frozen treasures on Monday, Nov. 28, at 10 a.m. The event will have kids 18 months to 8 years old, as well as their parents, exploring outside to discover frozen nature treasures. To learn more about the event or to sign up, visit plaistowlibrary.com.

• Read to a dog at the Pelham Public Library (24 Village Green) on Tuesday, Nov. 29, from 5 to 6 p.m. Blondie is a trained therapy dog who will stay with children while they read. For information about the benefits behind kids reading to a therapy dog, see the Nov. 3 issue of The Hippo, under the story called “Meet Mischka” (find the e-edition at hippopress.com). To register for this event, call the library at 635-7581 or email services@pelhamweb.com.

YMCA playtime

• Join the YMCA of Greater Londonderry (206 Rockingham Road) for a “Lounge Day” version of kids’ night at the Y for ages 4 to 12 on Friday, Nov. 25, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Y’s trained child care staff will take care of kids while parents have time to themselves to do holiday shopping or other errands. Kids will have fun activities, like art and STEM projects or active playtime, and a pizza will be served. Spots are $45 per child, $40 for each additional sibling. Visit bit.ly/ygl-kids-nights to sign up. Register by Nov. 22.

Include homegrown (or local) vegetables in your holiday feasts

Eating from your garden is possible even in December

I personally think that the Canadians have the right idea: They have their Thanksgiving feast the second Monday in October, right after the harvest. By the time our Thanksgiving rolls around, many gardeners have eaten all their home-grown veggies. It need not be so, of course, if they are properly stored.

Not all of you have the time, the space and the desire to grow veggies. I think everyone appreciates that having local farmers is important, and many of you have signed up with a farm CSA to get a box of vegetables each week during the summer. Even now many CSAs have fall or winter programs to supply you with root crops and spinach or brassicas like Brussels sprouts or kale. If you can’t get into a CSA program, think about buying local vegetables at your local food coop.

Why are local vegetables important? I have read that the average vegetable in a big grocery store travels over 2,000 miles at some times of the year. That’s right, we in New England get veggies from California, Florida, Texas and other warmer places. I am interested in reducing my carbon footprint by reducing the use of fossil fuels. Those big 18-wheelers crossing the country use a lot of diesel fuel. And fruits from Mexico and South America? I avoid them. I can (mostly) live without fruit that travels long distances.

I am not claiming I have given up citrus fruit to save the atmosphere. But instead of getting a case of oranges, I can buy a few and get my citrus fix from orange juice, which is much more concentrated than fresh fruit, and easier to transport. Local apples are available pretty much year-round, store well and are tasty and nutritious.

So what will I have on my table for holiday feasts, both now and in December? Potatoes, for sure. They are easy to grow, very productive and store well. In a bed 50 feet long and 3 feet wide in full sun I can grow 50 pounds of potatoes.

I keep a large spare refrigerator in the basement dedicated to storing potatoes and other garden vegetables. Potatoes, carrots, celeriac and rutabagas store well at 33 to 50 degrees, and do best with high humidity. A modern fridge takes a lot of the humidity out, though the drawers are better at keeping in humidity. On the shelves of the fridge I store potatoes in heavy paper bags to reduce moisture loss — in plastic bags they might rot, as they need to breathe.

Brussels sprouts are very cold-resistant and will be fine outdoors until late December — if the deer don’t find them. That’s right: Deer love Brussels sprouts, kale and broccoli and will munch them unless protected. I had no problem with deer this summer because of our dog, Rowan, who leaves scents around the property and advertises himself as a wolf. But deer are hungry now — very few nuts this year — so they have moved in to my late fall plantings and are even eating the tops of my rutabagas.

If you want to eat directly from the garden in November and December, some fencing is probably a good idea. I recently spread an old bedspread over my kale plants to keep deer away until I had time to pick and freeze them. But if you just have a few plants and like to pick fresh veggies from the garden now and in the weeks to come, think about some chicken wire fencing.

Although fencing an entire garden requires an 8-foot fence to keep deer from getting in, a small space with six kale or Brussels sprouts plants can easily be surrounded with 3- or 4- foot wire. Tie it onto stakes with string or zip ties. They can’t get in, and I doubt they will lean over and grab food.

I freeze a lot of vegetables each year as it is easier than canning them. Tomatoes are the easiest. I freeze them whole, skins and all. In past years I have put them in zipper bags, but we are now trying to lead a plastic-free life.

Plastic can potentially leach chemicals onto food, particularly if the food is hot. Even “food-grade” plastic may not be 100 percent safe. So this year we started storing frozen foods in wide-mouth jars. Next summer I will cut large tomatoes into chunks to fit into jars for freezing. I use frozen tomatoes for stews and soups.

I remember that many years ago there was a recall of fresh cranberries at Thanksgiving time due to some chemical that had been sprayed on them. Afterward we all went back to eating cranberries and forgot about the scare. Now I try to get organic fruits and vegetables whenever possible, and grow my own organically — without the use of any chemicals.

I got some cranberry plants from a friend this summer and hope to be able to supply our needs within a few years. They do not require a swamp to grow, although they are found in wet places in the wild. They do require acidic soils, but that is easily provided with elemental sulfur or soil acidifier. They do best in full sun, though my friend who grows them has them in part sun/part shade and they do well for her. She uses pine needles to mulch them. Some plant nurseries sell potted cranberry plants, so I might try some next year.

Featured photo: An inch or more of gravel should be at the bottom of the terrarium. Photo by Henry Homeyer.

Kiddie Pool 22/11/17

Family fun for the weekend

Pancakes, hamsters & more book fun

• Early childhood education author Nancy Lessard Downing will be at The Toadstool Bookshop (375 Amherst St. in Nashua; toadbooks.com, 673-1734 ) to discuss and read some of her books on Saturday, Nov. 19, at 10 a.m. Downing will discuss her book series Learning Fun, which teaches parents how to introduce shapes, colors, the alphabet and basic sign language, and read her book Whitey Comes Home For Christmas, based on a true story of a Grand Pyrenees dog from New England who went on an adventure across his community.

• Fans of Lady Pancake, Sir French Toast and their nemesis turned friend Baron Von Waffle will want to check out the Mega Storytime Event featuring children’s authors Josh Funk and Kari Allen on on Saturday, Nov. 19, at 11 a.m. atGibson’s Bookstore (45 S. Main St. in Concord; gibsonsbookstore.com, 224-0562). Funk will present his newest adventure of the refrigerator pals in The Great Caper Caper, which involves “a Las Veggies heist” according to the website. Allen will bring her latest book, Maddie and Mabel Take the Lead, the second book featuring the adventures of “best sisters” Maddie and Mabel.

• The Bookery (844 Elm St., Manchester) is hosting a rodent-themed storytime and craft on Saturday, Nov. 19, starting at 11:30 a.m. featuring the book Hamsters Make Terrible Roommates, a book by Cheryl B. Klein about two hamsters with very different personalities crammed into one cage together. After the story, kids will learn to make their own paper hamsters. The event is free, but Bookery requests people sign up for the event via Eventbrite (see the website for a link).

Turkey season

• Join the Merrimack Parks and Recreation department on Saturday, Nov. 19, for the 6th annual turkey scavenger hunt atWasserman Park (116 Naticook Road) at 10 a.m. Turkey cutouts will be hidden throughout Merrimack and clues will be provided at the start of the hunt. The first three participants who find the most cutouts and unscramble the puzzle on them will win a 17-pound turkey. Registration is free and can be completed at merrimackparksandrec.org.

• The Manchester City Library (405 Pine St. in Manchester; manchester.lib.nh.us) is hosting a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Family Party on Tuesday, Nov. 22, from 4 to 7 p.m. The drop-in event will have a Peanuts-themed trivia game, as well as activities, snacks and crafts based around the animated film. The trivia game will be at 4:15 p.m. and again at 6:15 p.m. This event does not require registration.

Museum fun

• The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road in Londonderry; aviationmuseumofnh.org, 669-4820) is hosting a limited time exhibit featuring the creations of model maker Dick Zoerb from Nashua. The exhibit, which runs through Sunday, Nov. 27, has several different aircrafts, world-famous monuments and more all made to scale by Zoerb. Admission cost $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 6 to 12, seniors, veterans and active military, and children under age 6 are free. The museum is open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m.

• Join the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St. in Dover; childrens-museum.org) on Wednesday, Nov. 23, for a special turkey tie-dye craft from 10:30 to 11 a.m. and 2:30 to 3 p.m. as part of the Wacky Art Wednesday events. The craft is included with admission to the museum. Admission costs $12.50 for adults and children older than one year old, $10.50 for adults ages 65 and older. Admission is free for children under a year old and for members. Visit childrens-museum.org to purchase tickets in advance.

Get outdoors!

• The New Hampshire Audubon’s Massabesic Center (26 Audubon Way in Auburn; 668-2045, nhaudubon.org) will hold a birding walk Saturday, Nov. 19, from 8 to 9:30 a.m. The informal birding walk explores the trails with local birder Joe Mahoney, according to the website, and all ages and skill levels of birders are welcome. Registration (which is required in advance) costs $10.

• On Monday, Nov. 21, Beaver Brook Association (117 Ridge Road in Hollis; beaverbrook.org, 465-7787) will hold a free Forest Tales hour of outside storytime with kids (and their adults, but not their pets) at 10 a.m. No registration is required for the event, which meets at Maple Hill Farm, according to the website. Lindsay Shaklee, a Beaver Brook educator and master storyteller, will spin the yarns.

If you can’t make it to Monday’s event but want to check out the trails and nature of Beaver Brook, check out the “Trail Maps and Guides” section of their website for a look at the different trails including accessible trails.

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