-Tuesday, July 24, 2001-

10:03 a.m.

We're on our way to the beach, and a sign just amused me. Most signs have the least number of words possible, but this one said, "A Toll Road." I'm not sure why the "A" was included.

10:20 a.m.

Why do they have "No Turns" signs when you're getting on highways? You are merging into traffic, and there are frequently dividers between the directions of traffic. It's very obvious that you simply cannot turn left. I've never seen such signs before.

In addition, every bridge is numbered, but the signs vary. For example, one sign read, "Bridge 27A" (why there is an A with no B in sight is beyond me), another said, "Bridge 15," and another read, "Bridge No. 28." Speaking of signs, we just passed a little store with a sign out front that read, "The Ammo Dump. GUNS."

I was looking out the window, and we passed a little lane with a red gate. The lane wound into the woods and was just the sort of place that begs to be explored. I wanted to know what was around the bend, past the part of the lane that I could see.

10:47 a.m.

We've been driving past Lake Winnipesaukee and just passed a sign for Ellacoya State Beach. Since my Rink Nickname is often abbreviated to "Ell," this name stood out. We have been passing signs for "Cozy Cottages," so I assume that means, "small, cramped cottages."

Later

We got to Weirs Beach, found a place to park, then walked along a boardwalk area. We came to a food stand with a sign that read, "Fried Dough," and I thought that was odd. Sam and Leen looked at me in shock, barely believing that I had never eaten it, or even heard of it. Naturally, they insisted on buying one for me to try. It's what the name implies, and the dough is dipped in butter, sugar, and cinnamon. I didn't say anything, but Leen remembered just in time that I don't eat cinnamon if I can help it, so she asked them to put only butter and sugar on half of the fried dough. It was very hot at first, but also very good--and fattening. New junk foods are always neat to try, even if they leave the hands sticky.

2:15 p.m.

We are leaving the beach now. That was very refreshing, and I was able to look at the scenery for a long time. We swam out to the buoys and stayed there for a while, because the water was warm enough.

2:30 p.m.

I just saw a sign reading, "Blind Person." It was just there on the side of the road, and apparently these signs indicate that a blind person lives nearby. I've never seen such a thing, and that certainly wouldn't work in a city such as Sacramento.

We caught a glimpse of the Castle in the Clouds, a well-known mansion high up on a hillside. It's a tourist attraction, and I later saw it on a postcard.

2:40 p.m.

We're now at The Old Country Store that was established in 1781. It's located in Moultonborough, a town that was established in 1777. I had to stop to take a photo of an old outhouse behind the store.

3:45 p.m.

That was a fascinating general store. Sam and I saw a bottle marked, "Ketchupepper." The missing 'p' reminded us of the "pegame" Web site listed on a game we played at Friendly's while waiting for our food. The general store had lots of rooms, and there was a museum upstairs with lots of antiques, including fascinating old newspapers that naturally caught my attention.

4 p.m.

We just made an unscheduled stop at the Loon Center where I saw a Great Blue Heron. We didn't see any Loons, but Leen had her binoculars out and was ready to spot birds. Sam said it's funny to see Leen and his parents when they're out bird watching. Everyone will be quiet all at once, and then three sets of binoculars will go up. After a while, the binoculars will come down, and book pages will start rustling.

We drove down a little road and stopped so that I could take pictures of reflections in the water. Sam found a very good spot for me to take a good photo, although I somehow managed to step in chewing gum while taking the picture.

4:20 p.m.

I just saw a yellow "Deaf Person" sign. Earlier, we saw a funny homemade sign that read, "Open Corn." We wondered what the alternative might be. We drove past a copy store called "Miss Print," and I was amused by the name.

The girl in the car next to us apparently loves leopards. She has leopard seat covers, steering wheel cover, and even fuzzy leopard dice hanging from her rear view mirror.

We stopped at another general store that wasn't as good as the other one. It was still fun to look around inside, though. We were looking at various trinkets and saw something called a "pie vent." The object was a ceramic bird with a hole in it, and you supposedly put it in a pie to vent it while it bakes. I said the idea must have come from the "Four and Twenty Blackbirds" rhyme. At that moment, Sam rounded a corner into a different section and there, right in front of him, was some potpourri labeled, "Four and Twenty Blackbirds."

5:45 p.m.

We just played miniature golf, and it was the first time I've actually enjoyed the game. The scores were all extremely close, but Leen won with 49 points. Sam had 51 points, and I had 54. The course itself wasn't spectacular, but that made no difference to me. Walking on the hilly courses with our eyes closed was lots of fun, even though Leen just looked at us as if we were crazy. I first tried that years ago when I was 13, and I thoroughly enjoyed being able to pass on this creative bit of fun.

I just saw a "Handicapped Person" sign. Those signs still seem incredibly strange to me.

6:40 p.m.

We're coming up to another tollbooth. It costs 50 cents, or two New Hampshire tokens. The tokens come in $5 rolls that can be purchased at the booth not marked, "Exact Change." If you use the tokens, it winds up only costing half the price.

7 p.m.

We just took a detour through Rollinsford and drove past the place where Sam and Leen first lived after they were married. The "downtown" area consists of one little mini mart, and Sam made sure to point it out.

Later

To finish out the events of the day, we ate at Fogarty's, where it took the waitress a very long time to bring us our food. The garlic bread was delicious, though. Sam and Leen used to eat there regularly when they lived in Rollinsford.

Much Later

We got back from the barn and sat in the computer room talking about such things as old roommates. Somehow a small war started with a cardboard wrapping paper tube. Leen went and found another one and came out swinging. Then Sam started doing some exaggerated jousting moves with a wooden back scratcher, and I nearly died of laughter. The wrapping paper tubes were getting slightly mangled, and then Leen ran upstairs. She returned with a long wooden pole--the kind found in a closet and used to suspend clothing hangers from.

"Is that wood? What is that?" asked Sam.

"It's my wooden pole," cried Leen, at which point I convulsed with laughter. "My brother gave it to me!" Leen added. Of course, that didn't make the laughter stop. (Leen eventually explained that her brother was remodeling his home, and she took the pole to hang saddles on it at some future point.)

Sam and Leen sparred with that pole for a while, and then Leen went upstairs again. That's when Sam and I got into it with the remains of the wrapping paper tubes until Leen came back. Upon her return, Sam suddenly assumed an "I'm innocent" look, but Leen didn't buy it.