Treasure Hunt 23/10/05

Hi, Donna,
Saw you in the Hippo. Do you have any knowledge of these old toys’ value or the market for them? Appreciate your input.
– Tracy

Dear Tracy,

Who hasn’t played with a Fisher-Price toy!

Your collection of Fisher-Price toys does have a value in the collectibles market.

Fisher-Price is a well-known manufacturer of quality toys. The company has made toys from the 1930s to the present.

My suggestion would be to bring them to an antique shop to get a value on them. With Fisher-Price toys, condition is everything. Consider their age, the paint on the wood, the paper designs, etc., as well as whether the set is complete and in working condition.

Some prices for hard-to-find toys in excellent shape can run into the hundreds. Common and easily found ones start at $10+.

I hope this helps you find a new home for your toys, Tracy. Good luck!

Donna Welch has spent more than 35 years in the antiques and collectibles field, appraising and instructing. Her new location is an Antique Art Studio located in Dunbarton, NH where she is still buying and selling. She is a member of The New Hampshire Antiques Dealer Association. If you have questions about an antique or collectible send a clear photo and information to Donna at [email protected], or call her at 391-6550.

Important for pollinators

Migrating monarchs need their carbs

Despite my best efforts to support monarch butterflies, this year was discouraging: I only saw two monarchs visit my gardens. I have a small bed just for milkweeds, both the common one and swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata). But no monarchs laid eggs there this summer, no larvae ate the leaves, and I saw no butterflies sampling the nectar.

I know the importance of food for migrating monarchs at this time of year. They need to fill up on carbohydrates, fats and protein before flying long distances. That holds true for birds, too. Right now I have plenty of flowers blooming for monarchs and other pollinators, and seed heads waiting for the birds. I’m a bit discouraged, too, by the lower numbers of birds I am seeing. Let’s take a look at some of my fall favorites that migrating creatures could be feasting on.

According to Dave Tallamy, the guru of native plants for pollinators, the No. 1 plant we should all have is goldenrod — and we probably all do. There are dozens of species of native goldenrod, all popular with bees, moths and butterflies. Many gardeners pull them out when they show up uninvited. A few species spread by root and can take over a flower bed — but others are clump-forming. Even if you don’t want them in your beds, think about leaving them at the edges of your fields or woods.

Of those species easily found for sale in garden centers, the best is Solidago rugosa ‘Fireworks.’ This plant is 3 to 5 feet tall and stays in an ever-expanding clump in full sun or part shade, but does not take over. Its blossoms last a long time, the stems curving gently outward, like fireworks. And no, goldenrod does not cause hay fever — that is ragweed, which blooms at the same time.

Less common is blue-stemmed or wreath goldenrod (Solidago caesia). I bought a plant 20 years ago and it is blooming now in dry shade. It really has not expanded its reach very much. It grows just 1 to 3 feet tall but usually is about 18 inches for me. It has delicate flowers that help light up a dark spot.

New York ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis) is a tall native plant in the aster family with purple blossoms. It is still blooming for me, a month after starting to bloom. It does this by producing lots of buds which open sequentially — so it is not always a dramatic flower in a vase. But the bees love it. It is happiest in full sun in moist soil, but there it got too big for me, so I moved mine to dry soil with only morning sun. Now it is more manageable, but still a big plant. I’ve read that if you cut it back to the ground when it is 2 feet tall, it will stay smaller — but I never remember to do so. Sigh.

Speaking of asters, there are many native species, all good for pollinators and loved especially by monarch butterflies. This year the woodland asters are quite dramatic. They are a pale lavender and grow in shady places. Elsewhere a taller wild cousin stands 4 to 6 feet tall with deep purple or pink flowers. These grow in full sun and are often seen by the roadside at this time of year. Asters of all sorts are readily available at garden centers. Ask for native ones, not fancy hybrids.

Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium purpurea) is another tall plant in the aster family. It can get huge — over 6 feet tall if grown in rich, moist soil. A named cultivar called ‘Gateway’ has longer-lasting flowers and richer colors than the wild ones, though those are nice, too. Smaller varieties such as Little Joe, Baby Joe and Phantom are nice, and better suited for smaller gardens. I haven’t grown them but see they are sold as being 3 to 4 feet tall. Monarchs and other pollinators love them. All appreciate soil that does not dry out.

One tall annual that monarchs love is Brazilian verbena (Verbena bonariensis). It grows tall stalks that are remarkably tough — they grow 4 or 5 feet tall but rarely need staking. Its flowers are in small clusters. It often drops seeds which send up new plants the following year.

Lastly for pollinators, I have to recommend fall crocus, which is not a crocus at all but a Colchicum. This is a bulb plant that flowers on a 6-inch stem (actually the throat of the blossom) in pink, white or lavender. It sends up foliage in the spring that dies back, then each bulb sends up a cluster of blossoms in September or even earlier. They do best in full sun and rich soil, but do fine with some shade. They like to be fertilized each year. I often see small bees and wasps buzzing around in the blossoms.

I know that many gardeners are already cutting back their flowers in preparation for winter. But hold on! Flowers with lots of seeds can be left as winter snacks for our feathered friends. Among the best are black-eyed susans, purple coneflower, sunflowers, zinnias, Joe Pye weed, coreopsis, sedums and ornamental grasses. Wait until spring to cut those back so that finches, chickadees, cardinals and other seed-eaters can enjoy them, especially on those cold, snowy mornings when you don’t want to go fill up your feeder.

And of course, leaving some work for spring means less work now! So leave some seeds for the birds, and enjoy watching them in the winter.

Henry is the author of four gardening books. His website is www.Gardening-Guy.com. Reach him at [email protected].

Featured photo by Henry Homeyer.

Leafy fun

Warner Fall Foliage Festival celebrates community

The Warner Fall Foliage Festival returns Friday, Oct. 6, through Sunday, Oct. 8, after a two-year hiatus, welcoming attendees to celebrate community and culture in its 76th year.

Originating in 1947, the festival started as a community fundraising event.

“It has since evolved to feature amusement rides, craftspeople, music and food,” organizer Ray Martin said.

The theme for this year’s grand parade is “Favorite Songs, Past and Present,” with festivities including the 5K road race on Saturday, Kids’ Fun Run on Sunday morning and an ice cream eating contest at the Velvet Moose on Sunday afternoon. Live performances are schedule from various artists such as New Nile Orchestra, The DoBros and East Bay Jazz Ensemble.

Another highlight, Martin said, is the extensive array of crafts, with more than 90 crafters showcasing their wares. “The quality of the vendors is one of the biggest reasons people come each year,” he said.

Discover wooden home decor, pen and ink creations, artisan jewelry, landscape art, wildlife photography, pottery and more by local and regional crafters. There will also be homemade and homegrown goods, including fudge, organic vegetables and dried flowers.

The festival also hosts other events including an all-you-can-ride midway, the oxen and woodmen’s competitions, the library book and bake sale and a lobster dinner and chicken barbecue.

It wouldn’t be the Foliage Festival without the foliage, and Martin said the signs are promising for an abundant display that weekend. “There’s some good foliage starting to come in, so we are optimistic,” he said. The foliage “complements the festival and gives people more to experience at the event,” Martin said, but isn’t “the main draw.” Rather, the festival’s focus is community engagement and supporting local organizations and initiatives.

“All funds collected during the festival go directly into the community,” Martin said, supporting entities such as Mainstreet Stage, Pillsbury Free Library and Riverside Park; community enhancements and the procurement of new school equipment; and local culture, music, art, sports, town and school projects.

Warner Fall Foliage Festival
When: Friday, Oct. 6, through Sunday, Oct. 8
Where: Warner, on Main Street and various locations throughout town
Cost: Free admission
More info: Visit wfff.org.

Schedule:

Friday, Oct. 6
6 to 9 p.m. – Midway rides (all-you-can ride bracelet is $20)

Saturday, Oct. 7
9:30 a.m. – 5K road race (registration starts at 8 p.m. at Legion Hall)
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Crafts and farmers market in town center
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Library book and bake sale at Pillsbury Library
9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. – Oxen competition at upper school parking lot
10 a.m. – Midway and rides open
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. – The MainStreet Warner Lodge, just behind the town monument, will be open to the public. See the inside as restoration begins, and learn about the plans for this future community space and performance hall.
11:45 a.m. – Lobster dinner and chicken barbecue opens at school playground
1 p.m. – Children’s parade (assemble at post office at 12:45 p.m.)
2 to 3 p.m. – KCPA, Kearsarge Mountain Road Intersection
4 to 8 p.m. – Midway rides (all-you-can-ride bracelets are $25)

Sunday, Oct. 8
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Crafts and farmers market at town center
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Library book and bake sale at Pillsbury Library
9 a.m. – Kids’ 1-mile fun run (register online)
10 a.m. – Midway and rides open
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. – The MainStreet Warner Lodge will be open to the public
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Woodmen’s competition at upper school parking lot
11:45 a.m. – Lobster dinner and chicken barbecue opens at school playground
Noon – Ice cream eating contest at The Velvet Moose
1 p.m. – Grand parade on Main Street
2 to 6 p.m. – Midway rides (all-you-can ride bracelet is $25)
4 p.m. – Raffle drawing at information booth

Featured image: Courtesy photo.

Pumpkin season

34th annual Milford pumpkin festival

For more than three decades the Milford Pumpkin Festival has brought residents of Milford and surrounding towns, as well as our Massachusetts neighbors, together for three days of fall fun with food, music and, of course, pumpkins. This year’s festival is from Friday, Oct. 6, to Sunday, Oct. 8.

“It has been a staple in Milford for … many years,” said Wade Campbell, president of the Granite Town Festivities Committee, which has hosted the festival since 2018.

The event originally started on The Oval as a way to raise funds for Town Hall renovations. Now, the money goes to fund the following year’s festival as well as to sponsor local leagues, art students and other scholastic areas.

“We take that money and try to donate it back into the community,” Campbell said.

The festival has expanded to the downtown area with many businesses and restaurants becoming involved over the years.

“A lot of them participate by selling their wares out front, or they put on their own events, which is kind of cool because they’ll have special musicians or comedians come into their venues, so everybody gets a little bit of action so to speak,” Campbell said. “They also sponsor … the window painting around The Oval [by] having a pizza party after they’re done decorating.”

Dozens of vendors will be present, including nonprofits supporting local schools, and craft vendors selling handmade products like jewelry and knitted items. Food and drink vendors at the tasting tent include LaBelle Winery, Pasta Loft Restaurant and Spyglass Brewing; there will be a wide range of food like Thai, American, fried dough and fair food. There will also be a beer, wine and spirits tent on the community house lawn Friday and Saturday night, and kid-friendly activities during the day like pumpkin painting, face painting and scarecrow making on Saturday and Sunday.

Other happenings include a pumpkin carving and lighting display, bounce houses and games and pumpkin catapulting.

Throughout the three days there will be live music on the Oval Stage and Community House lawn stage by performers such as Fox & The Flamingos, The Slakas and The New Englanders.

Visitors can watch Eric Escobar create a pumpkin festival mural over the course of the festival, and, weather permitting, do some stargazing with amateur astronomers who will have telescopes set up at Keyes Memorial Park on Friday and Saturday evening.

One of the biggest draws, according to Campbell, is the haunted trail on Friday and Saturday night.

“There’s a little bit of something for everybody,” Campbell said. “I hope that everybody has a great time … [and] for the festival to continue to grow for many years to come. … We try to put a smile on everybody’s face.”

34th annual Milford Pumpkin Festival
When: Friday, Oct. 6, 5 to 9 p.m. (opening ceremony at 6 p.m. on the Oval stage); Saturday, Oct. 7, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 8, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Downtown Milford

Haunted trail
When: Friday, Oct. 6, 6 to 9 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 7, 5:30 to 9 p.m.
Where: Emerson Park, 6 Mont Vernon St.
Cost: $5 for adults, $1 for kids 10 and under (children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult)

Beer, wine and spirits tasting
When: Friday, Oct. 6, and Saturday, Oct. 7, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Where: Community House Lawn
Cost: $20 per person for 10 tasting tickets

Milford historical walking tour
When: Saturday, Oct. 7, and Sunday, Oct. 8, 8 to 9:30 a.m.
Where: Begins at the Carey House, 6 Union St.

Pumpkin painting, scarecrow making and face painting
When: Saturday, Oct. 7, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 8, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Community House Lawn
Cost: $15 per pumpkin; $15 per scarecrow; face painting is $1 for one cheek and $5 for full face.

Pumpkin carving and lighting display
When: Saturday, Oct. 7, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Bring carved pumpkins to Band Stand by 6 p.m. You can also bring your own from home.)
Where: On The Oval
Cost: $12 a pumpkin

Pumpkin catapult
When: Saturday, Oct. 7, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 8, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Where: TD Bank lower lot
Cost: One pumpkin is $3, two pumpkins is $5

Featured image: Milford Pumpkin Festival. Courtesy photo.

The Art Roundup 23/10/05

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

  • Just keep swimming: The Community Players of Concord will present their Children’s Theatre Project’s Finding Nemo Jr., with a cast of actors ages 7 to 16, on Friday, Oct. 20, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 21, at 2 p.m. at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St. in Concord). Tickets cost $15 to the show that runs about an hour, according to communityplayersofconcord.org, where tickets are on sale now.
  • Book shopping: The Hudson Friends of the Library hold a book sale on the second Sunday of each month at the Hills Memorial Library building (18 Library St. in Hudson; 886-6030, rodgerslibrary.org). Do a little browsing Sunday, Oct. 8, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • Book raffling: The Friends of the Bedford Library will hold their annual Books, Baskets and Beyond raffle. Buy 10 tickets for $10 or 25 for $20 and then select the baskets — featuring books, book-lover items and sweet treats — you hope to win. The raffle runs online through Friday, Oct. 6, at 5 p.m. Find the link to the online form on the Friends’ Facebook page. There is also a raffle of a signed Tom Brady Patriots jersey, with tickets for that raffle selling for $10 per ticket.
  • Open studios, part 1: Get a peek inside artist studios in Peterborough, Dublin, Jaffrey and other Monadnock-region towns in the Monadnock Art Open Studios Art Tour this Saturday, Oct. 7, through Monday, Oct. 9, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. A map to the 65 participating locations is available at monadnockart.org.
  • Season preview: The New London Barn Playhouse (84 Main St. in New London; nlbarn.org) will host a preview of the 2023-2024 Northern Stage Season’s productions with scenes from Selling Kabul, Constellations, The Play that Goes Wrong and a new adaptation of A Christmas Carol, on Friday, Oct. 6, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The Northern Stage is located in White River Junction, Vermont; see northernstage.org for more. The event is free and open to the public, seecenterfortheartsnh.org.
  • Theater insider: Kurt Steelman, founder of Steelman Productions in Keene, will be the “Stories to Share” speaker at the Jaffrey Civic Center (40 Main St. in Jaffrey; jaffreyciviccenter.com) on Friday, Oct. 6, at 5 p.m. Steelman worked as a stagehand at his father Barry Steelman’s theater Cinema 93 in Concord; today his Steelman Productions provides management and labor for live events of every scale, according to a press release. The event is free; register to attend at bit.ly/3E35bsA. Or attend virtually via www.youtube.com/channel/UCvvRObxjqvVsgZ8iOP1UOEw/live.
  • Open studios, part 2: The Center for the Arts will hold a Lake Sunapee Region Open Studios Saturday, Oct. 7, and Sunday, Oct. 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days, according to a press release. The studios of 17 local artists will be open throughout New London, South Sutton, Warner, Andover, Bradford, Springfield, North Sutton and Sunapee, featuring paintings, jewelry, photography, mixed media, printmaking and sculpture. There will be a kickoff event at Prospect Hill in Lake Sunapee Harbor on Friday, Oct. 6, from 4 to 8 p.m. featuring new art by current artists. “Open Studios brochures including the list of participating artists, locations, and contact information, as well as a map of the studios, are available to pick up at The New London Inn, Morgan Hill Bookstore, Tatewell Gallery, in New London, and at all artists studios. Visit the Center for the Arts website to view the interactive map to use during Open Studios weekend.centerfortheartsnh.org/open-studios,” the release said.
  • Artist reception: The exhibit “Seen and Heard” featuring works from the Women’s Caucus for Art Northeast Regional Juried Exhibition (nationalwca.org; see wcanh.org for more on the New Hampshire chapter) is currently on display at the Art Center (1 Washington St., Suite 1177, in Dover; 978-6702, theartcenterdover.com). An artist reception for the exhibit will be held Saturday, Oct. 7, from 6 to 9 p.m. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and you can see the online gallery at theartcenteronlinegallery.com.

Art at the Currier

Current and upcoming exhibitions at the Currier Museum of Art

This fall the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester will present works by classic and current artists in a multitude of media and styles. “Fabricating Modernism: Prints from the School of Paris,” which debuted on Sept. 7, will be joined by “Heart of a Museum” on Thursday, Oct. 19, and “Abstraction in the Currier Collection” on Wednesday, Nov. 15.

“I think one of the great things about [‘Fabricating Modernism’] is not only is the art really wonderful, but it comes from a private collection from a person who put most of it together by himself,” said Kurt Sundstrom, a curator at the museum. “He promised the whole collection years ago as a gift to the Currier upon his passing. It was a great honor to work with him, to watch his collection grow and now for him to share it with us.”

The School of Paris refers to 20th-century artists who were from, or worked in, Paris.

According to Sundstrom, these artists, such as Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, were key in innovating modernism. He says the exhibition explores the themes of modernism instead of focusing on a narrative.

“First of all there’s color theory,” Sundstrom said. “You don’t [have to] paint tree leaves green; you can paint them blue. If you want to … elicit an emotion you can use color that way also.”

He also notes how Picasso’s frustration with the two-dimensional canvas led him to develop cubism to portray three dimensions on a two-dimensional surface.

c“I think part of the strength of this exhibition … is that it provides context for the development of these different styles in conversation with each other,” adds Rachael Kane, curator of education and interpretation. “Prints are hard to display — they age really quickly in light, so we often can’t keep as much of our print collection out as we’d like to, so something like this is a really special moment to be able to see some of those artistic linkages between work that is already regularly on display around the museum.”

“Heart of a Museum” features work by artist Saya Woolfalk, whose career has shown interest in science fiction, empathy and imaginative human connection and often involves images of the human body, according to Kane. Her display will feature projections, hanging glass and ceramic objects and custom wallpaper to create an atmospheric quality that Kane says her work is known for.

“A lot of it relates back to this idea of wanting to establish this historically grounded and personal connection to the history of the institution,” she said. “I think a lot of her work is really personal for her [and] a lot of it is a reflection on how she sees herself and people like her reflected in these spaces and wanting to get at the heart of that in her own way.”

“Abstraction in the Currier Collection” will also feature work from underrepresented groups with a high proportion of art by female artists like Joan Mitchell. According to Kane, this show is a great opportunity to see the abstract work that the Currier has to offer that people don’t often get to see.

“This is an important time of year for the museum,” Kane said. “I think we’ll see a lot of really celebratory and special events connected to these shows and I think it’s such a range of material it really offers something for everybody.”

Cover photo: Pablo Picasso, Portrait de Jacqueline de Face II, 1962. Courtesy of the Currier Museum of Art.

Currier Museum of Art
Where: 150 Ash St., Manchester; currier.org, 669-6144
Hours: Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. plus 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays for Art After Work (when admission is free)
Admission: $20 for adults, $15 for 65+ and student, $5 for ages 13 to 17, 12 and under get in for free

“Fabricating Modernism: Prints from the School of Paris”
On view through Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024

“Heart of a Museum”
On view from Thursday, Oct. 19.

“Abstraction in the Currier Collection”
On view from Wednesday, Nov. 15

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