Webcam Weekly Wrap-Up Podcast: Episode 1

Initial Impressions 2.0 Blog #35: Drivers Ed, Running With Bats, Credit Score, etc.

1. On Monday nights I usually run at a local track with a friend of 30+ years. It’s a lot of fun but unfortunately will be ending for the season at some point when sunset gets too early. This week I was last to leave the track and walked another lap when I noticed a red car circling the area of the track. I got bad vibes after a 3^rd lap and started thinking about getting out of there. On the 4^th lap, I finally noticed it was a father teaching his son how to drive. Thankfully I didn’t make a scene or something before figuring out what the deal was.

2. I pulled into the parking lot at work on an early morning, around 6:40am. It was to my horror that I saw in between where I’d park and the door to my job somewhere in the neighborhood of two dozen turkeys. Rather than be calm and walk through them hoping they wouldn’t sense fear and gang up on me I took the other approach. I yelled and charged them like a madman and they all scattered gobbling with anger at me. My victory was almost ruined when I momentarily couldn’t find the key to open the front door. 24 on 1 is not good odds unless you’re fighting ants.

3. I stopped at a beach for sunrise on the way to work this week. When it’s low tide the tidal flats stretch out for a long distance. My eyes were on some great photo opportunities when I was walking down the beach when I spotted something to my right. I thought it was a really detailed sand castle in the shape of a large sea turtle. Then when I got closer I noticed it was a very real, very dead sea turtle. It was 5-feet long for sure. The nature folks had already been there as it had a tag around a back flipper and a bit of red spray paint on it since otherwise the carcass blended in a little too well to the sand. People at work asked if I got photos of it. I said they didn’t want to see photos of it, especially on an empty stomach, but I will say the seabirds were having a feast as I was leaving.

A much sweeter depiction of how it looked.

4. Every so often when going to the grocery store there are people/groups standing/sitting in front of the entrance asking for money/donations for various causes. Shockingly this is not something I enjoy. I am typically able to skate on by them by politely making it clear I don’t have cash. Adults I have no problem with giving a smile and walking by. However, if you put cute little kids out there asking for money I will produce cash for them even if I have to get cash back on my purchases. The best way out of parting with extra money might be to turn around and go back to my car and head to a different grocery store if I see little kids out in front asking for money.

5. At my job we have a lot of cutting-edge wellness products. One such thing is Pulsed Electromagnetic Field(PEMF). In short, it helps with healing, pain, and tons more that would take a whole blog in itself to fully explain. It’s my favorite thing at work, just know that. Anyway, a regular client uses the PEMF usually once a week. It’s a pad that can be folded a few times to increase intensity. It’s very safe unless you have a pacemaker. You can even be on your phone while using it. What we learned this week though is you can’t put your phone on the PEMF pad while it’s on. Otherwise, your phone looks like it’s been put in the microwave as it flashes uncontrollably. Not sure if it caused any lasting damage to the phone, but we all had a good, albeit shocked, laugh at the situation.

6. In 2024 I have enjoyed the payment plan options that come with some purchases online, specifically Amazon. Klarna, Affirm, I think there are others but you can split payments into 4 to make it easier on your budget. The things I’ve bought I could have just paid in full but I thought it was fun to do it this way. Little did I know it would have major benefits. This week I got my credit score updated and it’s gone up 40 points in 5 months all because of my payment plan purchases. Sweet!

7. On the Threads app which is still relatively new I have noticed what I enjoy interacting with people about due to what the algorithm shows me. My main interests are people who have lost a lot of weight, people who have beaten cancer, people who celebrate their sobriety, oh and Cape Cod photography. It was actually rather heartwarming to figure this out.

8. I was so sad to hear of the death of the icon James Earl Jones this week at the age of 93. He had one of, if not the best, voices in all of film. Besides that, he was in so many movies that mean so much to me. All of the original Star Wars trilogy, Coming to America, Field of Dreams, Sandlot, Lion King. He truly was a one-of-a-kind legend and will be sorely missed.

Legend

9. In my continuing content creation caper I bought myself 2 new toys. 1 is a high quality webcam for video podcasts, and the other is a selfie stick that is also a tripod. I began using the stick which could be 6 feet long as a way to get higher vantage points for photos. I was at a beach looking to get a cool sunset photo. I began lengthening the stick until it was fully extended (man that doesn’t sound right). When I gave that stick a final yank (good lord) the tripod legs sprung out. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how to close the tripod. So I was out on this dock struggling with the tripod legs and a young couple was walking by no doubt wondering what the middle-aged and crazy guy was doing. I came close to losing patience and just breaking the legs. I battle with it in my car at the beach, in the parking lot of the grocery store, and even in my own driveway. Finally, when all hope was lost I figured it out and now it’s all good.

10. Sunset running is really fun. Being outside in the nice weather as the scenery gets the golden hour orange glow is great. You don’t have to run to enjoy it, you can just walk. I do more walking than running these days anyway. We’ll bookend this blog with sunset running. I mentioned earlier my friend and I run a local track. This week was the last sunset run of the season because beginning next Monday the sun sets too early for me to make it worthwhile. I’d basically have 10 minutes of sunlight upon my arrival at the track. This past week cut it close. I like to hit 4 miles at the track. It was so close to dark by the time I got done that bats were swooping down around me around the track. I don’t know what was weirder, those bats, or the girl walking her little yip-yip dog on the track but picking it up and running with it a few times rather than just walking with it on a leash.

Sunset running leads to moonrise walking.

11. I’ll end with a funny one. My last name is Swedish and hard to spell I have come to accept that. I was invited to a local event on Cape Cod for next month. I was considering it but they misspelled my last name on the invitation and all I could think was they must not want me there that badly if they couldn’t take a minute to Google search me and spell my last name right. I have a big online presence so it’s not hard to find. Besides that, I already had plans to do an overnight road trip so even a correctly spelled last name likely wouldn’t have made a difference. 

Initial Impressions 2.0 Blog #34: Road Trip 2024 Day 3

1. Day 3 kicked off still in Brattleboro, Vermont. The motel I stayed in wasn’t as good as Pemi Cabins in Lincoln, NH but then again I didn’t expect it. Plus with the price I paid, I got about what I expected.

2. I did get on the road early. Partially because I had a lot to see, but also because the motel didn’t really feel like a place to just hang out. No screened-in porch, no rushing river, and way too many people smoking cigarettes while rolling around on those motor scooters you see in grocery stores.

3. Before I left Vermont to re-enter Massachusetts I had to play tourist one more time. I stopped at the Vermont Maple Museum. I needed to buy some authentic maple syrup for a few people. It was such a fun store. Loads of cool items, foods, stuffed toys, ceramics, and more, were all over the place. The owners were so nice as well. In the end, I was lucky to leave only spending what I did, a few more minutes and I might have maxed out my credit card again.

Vermont Maple Museum

4. One thing I didn’t get used to throughout the vast majority of the 3-day trip was the sheer amount of high-grade hills and sharp curves on the roads I traveled. Now granted I think if I had chosen to simply follow the highways I’d have avoided much of them, but that’s not the authentic Northern New England experience I wanted. My car wasn’t always happy, but I was.

5. At one point when driving in this sort of semi-circle leading me west in Vermont to catch the Mohawk Trail in North Adams, Massachusetts I was on such a desolate stretch of road that I slowed my car down to a crawl, pulled out my camera, and recorded a video while driving. Smart? Maybe not. It was definitely a good way to capture what much of my travels were like though.

6. So I lied. I ended up playing tourist again mere minutes after returning to Massachusetts. I stopped at a Big Y supermarket in North Adams. The nearest one to me is an hour away so I don’t visit them too often. How did I play tourist? By buying an insulated bag with the Big Y logo on it. I have yet to use it as of this writing.

Big Y? Because Y not?

7. It took all of my restraint not to buy a container of riblets from the hot buffet lunch. I love ribs. However, eating a boatload of ribs would likely have meant that I’d have no desire to visit any of the places on my itinerary. More likely would have been me pulling over somewhere along the Mohawk Trail to take a nap.

8. For those unfamiliar the Mohawk Trail is 63 miles of beautiful scenery throughout much of Western and Central Massachusetts. Here is a downloadable guide from the official Mohawk Trail website.

9. A favorite attraction on the Mohawk Trail is the Hairpin Turn in North Adams. The curve is so sharp it requires vehicles to turn nearly 180 degrees and head up a steep incline. The speed limit is 15mph. On this curve is the precariously placed Golden Eagle Restaurant. There are also several parking areas to look at the incredible views of the Berkshires.

The famed Hairpin Turn in North Adams

10. On my Bucket List of places to visit for years has been the Hoosac Tunnel. Why? Because it’s purportedly one of, if not the most, haunted places in Massachusetts. So call it a morbid Bucket List. There are several cemeteries and abandoned old buildings on that list as well.

11. In short the Hoosac Tunnel is a nearly 5-mile long railroad tunnel built through the Hoosac Mountain between the towns of North Adams and Florida. It took more than 20 years to construct and was opened in 1875. In all at least 135 people died in the construction of the tunnel with it earning the nickname the ‘Bloody Pit.’ Now you see why I wanted to visit?

The east portal of the Hoosac Tunnel.

12. The first thing I noticed is how out of the way the tunnel is. You have to traverse down a steep and winding decline from the Mohawk Trail to the tunnel’s east portal. By the time you’re in the gravel parking area, your phone is far out of service. That’s what you sign up for though when you go.

13. The second thing I noticed is how many more people frequent this area than I expected. No, it wasn’t hundreds, but in the time I was there, I counted at least 10 other people. Mostly they were either walking dogs or taking pictures of the Hoosac Tunnel entrance.

14. A quick heads up. The Hoosac Tunnel is still an active railway. There is even a No Trespassing sign where you would park. I don’t know how strict the police are in that area, but just be aware that you are technically not supposed to be there. Oh, and that trains do travel through the tunnel.

15. Note to Self: When planning to visit and go inside a deep, dark railroad tunnel, maybe bring a flashlight. I ventured a little over 1,000 feet into the Hoosac Tunnel with only my iPhone flashlight, otherwise known as no flashlight. I did bring my camera tripod and remote shutter so I was half-prepared.

Inside the creepy Hoosac Tunnel.

16. It had begun raining when I got to the Hoosac Tunnel and the water was dripping inside the tunnel in the dark. Needless to say when hearing random noises inside a haunted tunnel, even if you know it’s water, it will still tighten your chest a bit. If I had a flashlight maybe I’d have gone further but who knows.

17. The highlight inside the tunnel was trying to take long exposure images. I used my phone light in front of the camera and the remote shutter to get the lens to focus. Then I’d press and hold the shutter until satisfied with the length of the exposure. Two things. First I took a long exposure shot but like a fool, I was too far out in front of the camera. In other words, when I checked my photos later what I thought was a pretty obvious ghost was just my stupid face. Second, the water dripping inside the tunnel affected my remote shutter. At one point I couldn’t turn it off and again I briefly thought it was spirits messing with my camera. That was until I felt the water on the camera. That ended my time inside the Hoosac Tunnel.

18. A spot I like to stop at along the Mohawk Trail is a beautifully scenic S-curve that sits on the border of Savoy and Florida, Massachusetts. There’s a small place to park on a nearby side road. Part of me loves the scenery, especially in fall, but also I am one who didn’t know there was a Florida, Massachusetts until maybe 10 years ago. I am still a child who is easy to amuse.

The S-curve between Savoy and Florida, MA

19. I decided to give myself a challenge on Day 3 of this trip. Once I got to North Adams and began the Mohawk Trail I’d no longer use my GPS for directions. Sure I’d have the map open but I’d have to use my own sense of direction to get home. It was like the old days when I’d do road trips and print out directions from MapQuest. How did I do? We’ll get deeper into that later.

20. It would take a long time to fully reveal all of the beautiful sites and fun attractions that lay along the Mohawk Trail. Download the guide above for more details. However, what’s just as much fun is kind of going off the beaten path and finding places that weren’t on your itinerary.

21. I stopped to get gas using my Fuel Rewards app which was a part of rejoining AAA. This was in Greenfield, MA. I saved 30 cents per gallon at Shell which was already a bonus. Before I got back on the road again I looked at the map to see if there was anything around. It was then that I spotted the Poet’s Seat Tower. After seeing one image online I knew I had to go.

22. Poet’s Seat Tower is a 4-floor stone observation tower with mind-blowing views of Greenfield and much of the surrounding Pioneer Valley. It is on Mountain Road and you might at times have to park and walk out to it, but on this day I drove right up to the tower. There were some younger people there hanging out but not bothering anyone despite saying more swears in a minute than I do in a week.

Inside Greenfield's Poet's Seat Tower.

23. The only downside to my visit to Poet’s Seat Tower was climbing the stairs to the 2^nd floor and having a tiny yip-yip dog barking like crazy as soon as my head was visible. I audibly yelled and the couple apologized saying their dog thought they owned the tower. I said it was fine but part of me wanted to play Frisbee golf with that dog.

24. After Poet’s Seat Tower I focused on making my way back to Cape Cod without using GPS. It’s funny because I had other places along the Mohawk Trail I could have stopped at but I guess at some point during a road trip you just know that the adventure is over and it’s time to go home. I don’t know if that happens to anyone else or if it’s just me.

25. I won’t lie, driving from North Adams to Cape Cod without GPS wasn’t always easy. I knew I had to head southeast and used the road signs to kind of head in that direction. That being said I likely spent at least an hour in a sort of spiderweb pattern. I would go in a circle but with each loop, I’d get a little further out.

26. Eventually I got antsy and decided to jump on the highway once I got close to Marlboro. This is about an hour and a half from home, and I-495 starts there. So I broke my vow of not taking the highway, but I still didn’t use the GPS for directions so it was a half-win.

27. On Day 3 of the road trip I drove just over 300 miles bringing my total for the trip to just under 800 miles. My Toyota I’ve had for 10 years, which has 148K miles and has been paid off for 4 years, still gets the job done.

28. This was an amazing road trip filled with so many great memories and sights. It rekindled my love of travel and the content creation that comes from it. I already have plans for another overnight trip in October but don’t want to spoil it just in case plans change.

Read About Road Trip 2024 Day One

Read About Road Trip 2024 Day Two

Initial Impressions 2.0 Blog #33: Road Trip 2024 Day 2

1. Day 2 of the road trip began with a chilly but beautiful morning sitting on the screened-in porch at the Pemi Cabins in Lincoln, New Hampshire. Despite going to bed relatively late I was still up at 6am to enjoy as much of my time there as I could. I did not want to leave but I had a ton to see.

2. This included finally walking down to the river behind the cabins. I got some photos and videos but also noticed to my right what looked like a bridge over the river. It turns out it was a metal grating bridge leading down a dirt road. The bridge had a chain across the entrance so no vehicles could drive across, but I easily stepped over it to get some cool photos of the Pemigewasset River.

3. Disappointment rained down on me as I was getting set to venture out for breakfast. I wanted to revisit Flapjacks which was a 5-minute drive away. Too bad they were closed on that morning. Oh well, so I picked a popular diner that was actually a shorter drive. This was a fine replacement. Until I got there and the lot was full, cars were lined up across the street, and people were lined up out the door. So yes, the story of it being popular was true. I ended up going to White Mountain Bagel very close by. I had an excellent sausage, egg, and cheese on a wheat bagel. So my 3^rd option was still a good choice.

A worthwhile breakfast spot in Lincoln

4. I packed up my stuff and left the Pemi Cabins, but not before chatting briefly with another woman from Massachusetts. I say briefly because she seemed to be caught off guard that I was being friendly. Sorry, we’re from the same state and I just wanted to say hi. I wasn’t looking to steal your luggage.

5. Next up I drove out on the Kancamagus Highway. This is one of the most scenic routes in all of New England. In short, it’s a 34.5-mile stretch of road running between Lincoln and North Conway. It would take a few days to see all of the sites along that road.

6. Be prepared though. Driving The Kanc means little to no cell service, inclines and declines on the road sometimes at 9% grade, and also no gas, no stores.

7. I drove about halfway out to Sabbaday Falls. I figured I’d start at the furthest point I wanted to visit and work my way back. This is a short hike and a beautiful waterfall. It’s easy enough for people of almost any age. One thing I did do was not pay the parking fee which I saw when coming back. Hey, I was there for not even 20 minutes and the lot had maybe 5 cars in it so I didn’t steal a paying customer's spot.

Sabbaday Falls

8. My car is creeping up toward 150K miles. It has been paid off for 4 years and still runs great. That being said, when driving up and down the steep grades of the road on The Kanc I did not risk it, I drove slowly just in case my car decided today was the day it was going to mess with me.

9. The driving slowly and carefully paid off. When heading back from Sabbaday Falls toward Kancamagus Pass (the highest point on the road) I spotted a motorcyclist around a corner with their arms up asking me to stop. Up ahead another biker was on their back in the road. I’m not sure if they got hit or fell off on their own. Luckily I had plenty of time to stop. When I got to Kancamagus Pass I watched 2 police cruisers and a fire truck heading toward the accident. Hopefully, the biker was alright.

10. The wailing of the police sirens was replaced by the wailing of a screaming child in a van that pulled into the Kancamagus Pass parking lot a few minutes after me. I was surprised I didn’t see a herd of moose or bears running away from the area because of the noise. They didn’t stay too long and soon it was perfect scenery and weather.

The view at Kancamagus Pass, minus the screaming child.

11. Parking fees be damned Part 2. My last stop along The Kanc was Lincoln Woods Trailhead. I only wanted a few quick photos of the Pemigewasset River and a bridge going over it. My plan? As opposed to plopping down $$$? Park as close to the road as possible, take a side trail instead of the main entrance and get my photos. I did succeed but I will say that there was a park ranger standing on the bridge I wanted photos of. I had to sneak onto the bridge and get my photos while also looking inconspicuous. Done and done.

12. Next up was crossing from New Hampshire into Vermont for my first extended time in the state since 2000. This was the first time on my trip that I checked ‘avoid highways’ on my GPS so I could really see the countryside.

13. It was a total drive of 220 miles from Lincoln, NH down to Brattleboro, VT. I spent that entire time on more scenic routes. However, I think I’ve gone soft when it comes to disregarding my safety for photos. Rather than pulling off the road or screeching to a halt when I saw something I should shoot I ended up passing right by. This was mainly because there would either be a few cars close behind me, or there would be nowhere feasible to park. That wouldn’t have stopped me in the past, but here we are.

14. A few places that stood out in my backroads travel included a few historical sites in the small town of Weathersfield. Their population is just over 2,800(2020), making it 1/10th the size of Yarmouth where I live, and Yarmouth is a small town.

Weathersfield, VT is a very small town.

15. I really enjoyed the solitude of some of the places I stopped on this road trip. However, I didn’t enjoy it when it came time to post updates to social media and my phone would be on SOS mode.

16. I also stopped at the Dummerston Center Cemetery in the town of Dummerston, VT. This spot is home to a famous New England urban legend, the Dummerston Vine. In short, it is a story of several members of the Spaulding Family dying young. These deaths coincided with an ominous vine crossing over the grave of the last family member to die. Each time the vine crossed a Spaulding grave another member of the family would die.

17. The only other time I spent any extended time in Vermont was in 2000 when I went camping with a few friends in Jamaica State Park. On this trip, I visited a few places from back then. First was the Dam Diner in Townshend. Back in 2000, they had amazing bison burgers. This time they were closed meaning they could really be called the damn diner. Second I went back to Jamaica State Park. However, by this time I was hungry and a bit punchy from driving so much. I had no desire to go hiking or to even pay the fee to get in. A photo of me in front of the sign was good enough.

My reaction to the Dam Diner being closed.

18. The motel I stayed at in Brattleboro was definitely not as nice as Pemi Cabins, but for the price it was alright. That being said there were a few too many weird people sitting outside of their motel rooms. I noticed them because I immediately left after dropping off my stuff.

19. Where did I venture to? Hannaford first because of course. It was also right across the street so why not double my fun from the previous night? The intersection had talking signals which were neat and told me when I could walk. This Hannaford also had the big 16-ounce 5-Hour Energy. I’d only seen them in one other store and not for a year. I naturally grabbed a few.

20. Speaking of drinks I visited a cool nearby dispensary as well. I saw a billboard for a different dispensary on my way to Brattleboro which made me wonder if there was one near my hotel. Oh, there was. They are named Cannabis Maximus and were maybe ½ mile away. The potency allowed in their products is higher than in Massachusetts. That was another bonus.

21. Eating well was not on the menu. Well, I should say eating healthy. I went to Brattleboro House of Pizza. They call themselves BHOP which is funny because on Cape Cod one of my favorite pizza/sub places is Dennisport House of Pizza which we call DHOP. I ordered online and literally walked in and out with my meatball sub. Some of the people waiting to order seemed confused by how I got my stuff before them but I didn’t have time to explain the Internet.

The scent of meatball sub filled my car while taking this photo.

22. Besides a large amount of panhandlers I really enjoyed driving around Brattleboro. There was a couple in front of a convenience store I stopped at after BHOP. I didn’t have to pretend I didn’t see them since I was legit so excited that they had pepperoni pizza flavored Potato Skins chips. I’d never had them so this night was becoming more and more legendary.

23. After eating I surprisingly had the energy left to go find a spot to shoot the sunset. It was also partially guilt since I didn’t know when the next time is I’ll visit Vermont. Of course, being a sunset expert I found a perfect location to venture out to.

24. It ended up being an abandoned railroad bridge. How did I know it was abandoned? It had grass and flowers growing out of it. The view was excellent as when you’re in northern New England you typically have to shoot the sunset a while before the sun goes down since most places are hilly, or mountain-y. To my surprise, a cop saw me pull into a rocky parking area next to an electrical generator but didn’t come back to tell me to leave.

25. On that bridge I did take my life in my hands a few times when trying to get as close to the edge of the bridge to get certain vantage points for the sunset. In addition to grass and flowers, the bridge has loads of small loose stones. That meant that one false move and I’d be launched over the side. I highly doubt the couple fishing down below would dive in to save me either, more than likely they’d have snagged my camera and car keys.

Sunset from the abandoned railroad bridge.

26. I ended up with more time to spare before sunset so I drove a little further south to the Brattleboro Bridge. Why was this my choice? Because the bridge that’s a part of Rt. 119 crosses the Connecticut River and includes the border of Vermont and New Hampshire. Yes, that’s right, I was shooting the sunset in 2 states at once. It was very exciting. Well, except for the part where the bridge would rattle violently when more than 3 cars would be on it at once.

27. Day 2 of the road trip was filled with scenery, lots of hills, and tons of fun. My plan for Day 3 was another early morning, maybe a big breakfast, and crossing a spot off of my Bucket List.

Read About Road Trip 2024 Day One

Initial Impressions 2.0 Blog #32: Road Trip 2024 Day 1

1. This was my first road trip since my 6-day, 2,100-mile trip around the east coast of the U.S. in November 2019. It dawned on me that I hadn’t even spent a night off of Cape Cod since then. I was heading north from Cape Cod into northern New Hampshire then Vermont and back home through Western Massachusetts.

2. My goal for this trip was to take at least 500 photos and shoot at least 30 minutes of video. Did I make it? We’ll see.

3. I signed back up for AAA before leaving on the trip which ended up paying off. No, I didn’t need a tow or tire change. I got the Plus membership for half off which was a bonus. Another big ‘plus’ was signing up for the Shell Fuel Rewards and getting 30 cents per gallon off for gas for my first fill-up. I did end up using that.

4. The plan on Day 1 was to drive from Cape Cod up to Lincoln, New Hampshire, and stay at the Pemi Cabins for the first time since 2012. Since check-in time was 3pm I decided to take my sweet time and had a whole itinerary of places to see on the way up. I left the Cape around 9:30am.

   

   Packed and ready to go!

   
   

5. Of course, when driving from Cape Cod north through Boston to get to New Hampshire I met a familiar friend, traffic. I think the only way I’d avoid traffic when headed north would be to go so far west around Boston that I’d add another hour to my travel time. Not going to lie, I did debate it.

6. Even with the itinerary set I still managed to totally miss the first location I had listed. For some reason in my mind, the first location I wanted to see was the birthplace of H.H. Holmes. Who is that? Read on.

7. H.H. Holmes is widely considered to be America’s first serial killer. His reign of terror was in Chicago from 1891-1894. It would take a lot to explain his story but the main talking point is he built a ‘murder hotel.’ What? Yes, a murder hotel. Here is a link to a story about it. H.H. Holmes

8. It was fitting that when driving up to New Hampshire to visit a serial killer’s childhood home I ran into weather that almost killed me. Ok, I wasn’t that close to dying. When driving through the middle of nowhere New Hampshire though it was heavy sheets of rain and hail. It got so bad that I couldn’t see. The only saving grace was the car in front of me was white and I essentially used them as a guide to shepherd me to safety.

9. The birthplace of H.H. Holmes is in a small town named Gilmanton. The population is just under 4,000 and is about 20 miles northeast of Concord. That’s about all I got.

10. Of all the irony on this road trip I took was the fact that when I got to the H.H. Holmes house it looked like a house you’d expect a serial killer to live in. Now, I’m not saying the people who live there now have bodies buried in the backyard but they could stand to spend a few bucks to clean their yard and maybe paint the house.

    

    The Birthplace of H.H. Holmes

    
    

11. I know you want to know so the first place that was on my itinerary to visit on the way to Lincoln, NH was the Swing Bridge in Milford. It looked really cool. Has anyone been to it? Did I make a huge mistake by missing it?

12. One thing I had to get used to on this road trip was being in the middle of nowhere with no cell service and no WiFi leaving my GPS at times as a blob of green color with a little blue dot in the middle representing my car. For the most part, I enjoyed it until I needed to punch in addresses for my next stop and the GPS would be frozen.

13. This was the case at the birthplace of Daniel Webster in Franklin. If you don’t know who he is I’ll put a link to his story in this post. The house is what you’d expect which is good if you enjoy history like me. There was also a closed museum and behind that an old worn barn. These places made for great photo opportunities.

14. A purpose of planning an itinerary on the way to the Pemi Cabins was so that I’d take my time and maybe stumble upon places I hadn’t planned on. This was the case in Franklin, NH. I was on my way to the Daniel Webster house when I turned a corner heading into downtown Franklin. There on my left beside an abandoned railroad bridge was a 15-foot-tall sculpture of a man made completely out of old kayaks. This forced me to stop and get some photos of that and the surrounding area.

    

    The giant Kayak Man in Franklin, NH

    
    

15. An example of taking my time was going down a random rural back road and finding a farm with a bunch of sheep. I stopped and started taking photos all the while a dog was barking at me. It turns out it was ratting me out to the farm’s owner. I know this because when I was driving away the owner was glaring at me. Sorry I was just taking photos, there was no room in my car to steal a sheep.

16. When putting together my itinerary for this first day I was all gung ho about checking out covered bridges. They are a very unique aspect of northern New England although I know other states have them. I got lots of photos and videos of Squam River Bridge in Ashland, Smith Covered Bridge in Plymouth, and Blair Covered Bridge in Campton. By that point I was all set with covered bridges for the day. I actually had another I wanted to see but by this point, it was 4:30pm and I was hungry and a bit road weary so I headed to the Pemi Cabins.

17. Not before partaking in another tradition of visiting northern New England, visiting Hannaford Supermarket. On Cape Cod, we’re stuck with tons of Stop & Shop and Shaw’s with an occasional Market Basket or Whole Foods. So when I get a chance to check out a different grocery store it’s a big thrill. It’s like visiting different amusement parks except filled with food and fewer rollercoasters.

    

    Hannaford in Plymouth, NH because of course.

    
    

18. Also the first time I visited a Hannaford in 2010 in Maine they had raspberry Fluff. I loved it and basically have searched for it every time I go to a Hannaford ever since. Unfortunately the last time I saw it was 2016, but I still check each time.

19. I last visited Lincoln, NH in 2012 and this trip was immediately better than that because I actually remembered my memory card for my camera. Otherwise, I stayed in the exact same cabin and think that if/when I return again I’ll choose the same cabin a 3^rd time.

20. Being road-weary and starving by the time I got to Lincoln I decided to stop and get dinner at McDonald’s. I downloaded the app to my phone to get some good deals. It was raining but also sunny when I arrived in Lincoln so as I sat there fooling with the McDonald’s app I was also waiting to see if a rainbow would appear. There wasn’t one but it would have been an interesting shot of the rainbow over McDonald’s though.

21. I had to drag myself out for an evening photo shoot once I sat on the screened-in porch at the cabin. The rushing water was so soothing it was like meditating. I ended up shooting a lot of video of the cabin I think for my own memories as much as sharing with others.

22. I headed north to shoot the sunset. Not far from where I stayed is a marker for Betty & Barney Hill who were part of the first widely publicized UFO abduction on September 19, 1961. It happened on that same stretch of highway in Lincoln. I plan on making a video using my old podcast audio and the new photos I got. If you don’t know their story here is a link: Betty & Barney Hill

23. Luckily when driving north on I-93 in NH there are signs when scenic overlooks are coming up. I found a viewing area on Gov. Hugh Gallen Memorial Way. It’s a short road that ends at a dead end and then a walking bridge overlooking the mountains. I had to get to the sunset location so I didn’t have time to go walk around but I bet it’s worth it.

24. For years on Instagram, there has been a sunset spot I’ve wanted to visit. It’s St. Matthew’s Chapel in Sugar Hill, NH. The photo is typically from the right rear of the chapel looking toward it with loads of lupines in the foreground. I made it a point to leave time to drive 10 minutes north to shoot this spot. As with many places I visited on my road trip this was relatively in the middle of nowhere and the roads to it were quite hilly.

25. There were 2 issues with the St. Matthew’s Chapel shoot. One, the lupines were no longer in bloom, but hey goldenrod was fine to give splashes of color to the photos. Two, that heavy rain I mentioned earlier? Yeah, it left the area soggy and having to walk through the tall grass to get shots among the flowers soaked my shoes pretty bad. The photos were worth it, plus for some reason, I was smart enough to pack a 2^nd pair of shoes so it was all good.

    

    Sunset at St. Matthew's Chapel in Sugar Hill, NH

    
    

26. The night ended magically and that’s not hyperbole. I sat on the screened-in porch in the dark with the rushing river passing by. While there I enjoyed an edible and played Hawaiian music on Pandora. I didn’t want that feeling to end and stayed out there until it actually started getting chilly. One of my favorite nights ever.

27. Originally my plan was to grab my tripod and camera and head outside to try to get some long exposure night shots. After all, I was in UFO country , right? However the edible was too good and the scenery too soothing so I just stayed inside.

28. I had even more plans for Day 2 and had to make sure I got enough sleep. It would start with a breakfast 12 years in the making.

Finishing with the Smith Covered Bridge, I did see enough of them on Day 1.

Initial Impressions 2.0 Blog #31: Wall Crickets, Recycling Payouts, Voided Steaks, etc.

1. The other night I was trying to sleep when I heard the sound of a cricket outside my window. I figured it was close by but eventually, it got quiet so it had to have hopped away right? The next night I started hearing the cricket again but this time closer. At first, I thought it was in my wall. It turned out it was on my windowsill, but it was obscured by the towels I packed around my air conditioner so that no cool air leaked out. Once I figured that out it was game over, I peeled back one of the towels and sprayed a little Raid in there, and I haven’t heard the cricket since. Of course, the joke will likely be on me in a few weeks when I take the a/c out and a dead cricket lands on my foot.

2. I was listening to a favorite podcast of mine this week. The host was answering questions from his listeners. One question asked what the best way was to remember/honor a loved one who had passed away. The host’s answer has stuck with me ever since. He said to try to live the life that your loved one who had passed want for you. It made me step back and seriously reassess my current life.

3. I know I have mentioned it before in these blogs but I have to reiterate how much I love the downtempo music. It is like a shot of good vibes to my brain and also helps me relax, write, and think. It’s to the point that my Pandora station has at least a few dozen ‘thumbs up’ songs. I’ll put a favorite of mine at the end if you want to dip your toes in.

4. For the first time in 5 years I planned an overnight road trip. I am headed to Northern New Hampshire to stay at a place I stayed at in 2012. I can’t believe it’s been so long since I spent a night off of Cape Cod. My only hope is this return trip to Lincoln, NH goes better than the last. Oh don’t get me wrong the place I stayed was amazing, and the places I visited were as well. The only problem was that I drove all the way up there and forgot my memory card for my camera so I had to use my iPhone 3. Not exactly high quality.

Hoping to get lots of much higher-quality photos this time!

5. Being semi-smart I actually (re)signed up for AAA before my trip up to New Hampshire. I got the Plus package half-off, what a deal, $51!? Now I almost hope I blow a tire or lock my keys in my car. Almost.

6. I follow that last thought up with being semi-stupid. I scanned a steak at a supermarket and the sale price didn’t come up. I asked for help and the employee came by and voided the original scan. He then scanned the steak again and put in the sale price. I was only half paying attention and saw 2 steaks listed on the screen not realizing one had been voided. So when I asked ‘what about that steak?’ he calmly said ‘I just voided it you’re all set sir.’ I hung my head and apologized before leaving. The steak was good by the way, to end the story on a happy note.

7. When out for a run on the bike trail I was getting passed by, and then passing, a mother and her young daughter who was probably 7 on their bikes a few times. The daughter seemed really nervous when getting to road crossings and her mother had to coax her across. After seeing this once it was happening again at another crossing and instead of running past I slowed down and looked at the daughter and said ‘don’t worry I’ll walk across with you too.’ She slowly followed her mother across and I was on my way. It doesn’t take much effort to be a compassionate human.

8. I take my bottles to the supermarket to recycle them. I typically take a few weeks to fill a trash bag with plastic liter bottles. Each time I go I end up leaving with about $1.25 on a receipt. Rather than go right into the store and cash it I try to wait until I have a less embarrassing amount to get. This week I took roughly 4 months' worth of recycling receipts into the supermarket to cash in. My total? A whopping $14.10. What is my plan for it? This is the only time I will buy scratch tickets. I’ll likely lose on them all, but hey it’s basically free money so whatever.

9. With 3 full days of vacation coming up I am well aware of, and prepared for, needing to hit the gym hard upon my return to Cape Cod. I plan on driving a lot and taking tons of photos and videos. One thing I don’t plan on doing is any formal exercise. That coupled with ‘enjoying’ the restaurants of each area I visit means it’ll be running and weights aplenty starting next weekend.

10. A highlight of the week for me was recording a foolish video filled with inside jokes for my oldest friend while on a run on the bike trail. Part of it consisted of me angrily yelling at a butterfly for not staying still to allow me to get a photo. Too bad the people going by while I filmed didn’t get the memo that it was a joke, I looked like I needed to be sent to the nut house.

David Arkenstone - Falling Stars

Initial Impressions 2.0 Blog: #30 - Deja Raccoon, Pet Pigs, Rib Guilt, etc.

1. Stop me if you’ve heard this one. I was going to empty the trash in the dumpster behind my work. I opened the right flap and lo and behold there’s a sleeping raccoon in the back left corner. It was like deja vu from a few weeks ago. I don’t speak raccoon so me explaining to this animal why it couldn’t live in the dumpster didn’t work. So I emptied the trash in the corner furthest away from it and also left the flap open in case it decided to leave. I likely ended up creating an easier entrance for the other raccoons to dumpster dive.

2. 8 years ago this week I ran 2 races on the same day. I ran a less serious inflatable obstacle course race in the morning at the Cape Cod Fairgrounds and actually won it. I went home and colored my dark Mohawk hair blond thanks to hydrogen peroxide. Then I tried to stay loose before going to partake in the Brewster Brew Run in the afternoon. I didn’t win that one but did manage to chug a beer afterward as a reward. Remembering that day it’s amazing where I was in my physical conditioning. It’s also a stark reminder of how far from that I am today. Maybe I’ll get back there, but if not it’s all good because at least I was there once.

Race 2 on the left, Race 1 on the right

3. In what was just another ordinary day in my life a patient where I work brought their pet pig into the office. His name is Wookie and he’s still a baby but oh man how cute. He oinks with excitement if you feed him Cheerios. I wanted my own pet pig until the patient said Wookie would end up weighing at least 150 lbs, then I thought of food bills and said I’ll take a goldfish instead.

4. I went for a run one day this week. I parked at the far end of a strip mall parking lot since it was very close to the neighboring bike trail. This meant I could walk to the trail, do my run, and then after walk to the grocery store without starting my car. I ended up doing over 5 miles, plus my shopping, for a total of about an hour and a half. All the while sitting a few spots down from my car was some woman in her running SUV. For 90 minutes. At least that was how long she was there by the time I’d left. Who knows, maybe she is still there at this very moment?

5. My Gold Star of the Week goes to Whole Foods in Hyannis for solving my ordeal with returning the camcorder I ordered from Amazon. During this week I learned that for some reason the UPS Store isn’t associated with UPS. How is that a thing? That’s what they claimed to me when I tried to return the camcorder there after UPS had missed me 3 times at home. UPS Store was useless, but thankfully it was relatively quick and painless to return the camcorder through a kiosk in the Whole Foods in Hyannis. I didn’t buy any groceries though, that place is still way too expensive.

6. This week in the Northeast we had a trifecta of amazing photography opportunities. I wish I had paid attention more as I only found this out the day after with a barrage of once-in-a-lifetime photos on social media. These photos featured the Milky Way, the Perseid meteor shower, and the Aurora Borealis. I’d kill for photos of any of those three but all of them? I was disappointed for a few minutes until I remembered that to have gotten those photos I’d have needed to be out at 2am. It made it a little easier to handle, but not much.

Look outside? Now why would I want to do that?

7. There is a house along one of my favorite running routes that always makes me smile. They are on the river which is nice. They have a big flag outside their front door and it is a photo of their Corgi dog. They also have a large garden running along the fence in their front yard. Every time I go by during the summer they have a table next to that fence with a pile of veggies fresh from their garden. Anyone can take them for free as there is a sign that says ‘happy to share the bounty.’ Just such a cool vibe.

8. The best purchase I have made this year is my Canva Pro subscription. It’s a design site for everything from editing photos to creating documents, videos, etc. The pro version gets you access to thousands of photos, videos, fonts, and more. Every time I make a video on Canva I save lots of money snagging the videos and photos I need. Definitely worth every cent of the $14.99/mo. I pay.

9. Maybe someone can help me. Why is it called the Registry of Motor Vehicles(RMV) in Massachusetts, but the Department of Motor Vehicles(DMV) in almost all other states? Did this state feel like a department wasn’t official enough so it needed a registry? I am also researching and just finding out there is a BMV? Bureau of Motor Vehicles, in Ohio and Indiana? And an MVD? Motor Vehicle Division, in Alabama, Georgia, Iowa, and Arizona? Now I need to lie down this is all too much.

10. One of my favorite foods is a good rack of ribs. I could eat them pretty much every day. There are a few problems with that though. One, they are not cheap, and two, they are not too healthy. So as much as I’d love to make ribs as common in my life as water they’re best left to every once in a while. That way I save money and don’t pack on pounds.