The kids are alright

America does love its "community events". They lit the town christmas tree tonight. Rather than everyone just gather round the tree and get some local celebrity to throw the switch, we had a festival instead - the Holiday Stroll. Main Street is closed, stages set up and food stalls fired up.

There was ice sculpture

There was the local astronomy society letting you look through their telescopes (no really). I have no pictures to prove this but I did look at Jupiter and its four moons.

The Beer Tent was funny. America has a very odd relationship to alcohol. We had to prove we were 21 (I knew there was a reason why I went to all that effort to get a driving license), I haven't be asked to prove my age for years. Then when you get to the bar, there is a two drink maximum. I don't think America has ever really got over Prohibition.

And the bands? Well I have to say I just watched a group of 18 year olds who were better than some of the bands I have paid money to see. I'm pleased to see that are are still skinny boys with guitars who think that they are going to be the best band ever.

(Its a bad picture of the band - I really should get myself a tripod to take these pictures in the dark without a flash. But I do quite like this picture)

Walk right in its around the back, just half a mile from the railroad track*

I have just had the misfortune to have to go to the supermarket. Nothing wrong with that you would have thought. Well today is Thanksgiving eve. Think Christmas Eve in Sainsbury's and then multiply it ten. It was carnage. It appears that Thanksgiving dinner is the same as Christmas dinner in that it full of stuff nobody wants to eat and wouldn't touch the other 364 days of a year. Tinned yams anyone? And there were more tins of pumpkin pie filling that you could shake the proverbial stick at. We were here last year for Thanksgiving and I had pumpkin pie, personally I thought it tasted like something you should be putting wallpaper up with. We shall feasting on our normal christmas dinner of ham, egg and chips tomorrow, although I have relented to normality this year and I shan't be doing frites a la Blumenthal (although they are the greatest chips ever and well worth the four hours they take to prepare). And other than that we have a plethora of films to watch. So bring it on.

* - To save you googling this one, its from Alice's Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie (son of Woody). Its sort of about something that happened on Thanksgiving and it is something of a tradition for American radio stations to play it three or four times during Thanksgiving day.  It is very funny and I thoroughly recommend it. Its about the only traditionally American thing I shall be doing tomorrow.

Born under a bad sign, with a blue moon in your eyes

And continuing my obsession.....

I know, I know the last one isn't right but its a compromise - I can't take a picture of the thing which actually was in the rear view mirror and I couldn't take a correct picture of the chimneys as I was driving over the bridge at the time.

New Jersey Turnpike ridin' on a wet night 'neath the refinery's glow

We have been away again and oh, look, we have been to New Jersey again (I blame it on Giselle's customers).


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She went to an exhibition yesterday so I took myself on a drive, mainly to see trains (so I shan't bore you) but I did get to see the Statue of Liberty's arse and Manhattan in the cloud (thats a bit of Ellis Island on the right)

Rather than drive back the same way as we came, we decided to come back on a ferry from the end of Long Island to New London in Connecticut. This meant driving across Staten Island and driving over this

For all you fact fans this is the Verrazano Bridge, which is the one they jump off in Saturday Night Fever. All I can really tell you about Long Island is that they are right, its long. The ferry ride was just like being in Scotland, the ferry terminal at Orient Point being just like one in Scotland. It was gorgeous standing outside in the sun - better make the most of it, don't think its going to be like this much longer.

Down came the troopers one, two, three

Being the lazy bugger that I am, I didn't make it up to get to Manchester for the ridiculously early 930 kick off for the England Australia game. I managed to get up just as the first half was finishing and "watched" it on the Guardian minute by minute. I suddenly had a thought. And within two minutes I was actually watching it on a peer to peer live streaming site, for free. I love the internet, it is fantastic. The same site will show me the cricket and football live - oh, the joy.

Right, I'm off to watch France Fiji.......just because I can.

Edit: I assume my wizard friend is looking for this?

One country deploying MX, another country deploying SS

I noticed this a few weeks ago but today is the first time I have had my camera with me

Its on the wall of a building just off Main Street. What I find a bit concerning about it is that it only seems to have room for 260 people......

And the young people ask "what are they marching for?"

In America today isn't Remembrance Day but Veterans Day. This doesn't entail sombre vigils at cenotaphs but a surprisingly jolly parade down Main Street (certainly here anyway and I would imagine all over the US too) by assorted veterans, policemen, firemen, scouts, guides, cubs, brownies and high school marching bands. It appeared that the whole town came out to watch it (perhaps not the whole town but certainly a couple of thousand people).

We had the two rival high schools bands, Nashua North and South

Lets face it, what either of them are dressed in is not what could be described as "a good look".  They are playing those, what I think are tubas in the first photo. Rather sadly my photos of the "swaying band" don't really do them justice but I shall see if I can find a video of them on the web, it truly is a sight to behold! I have to say as much as I love Nimrod and Barbers Adagio for Strings it was nice to hear the Battle Hymn of the Republic and Liberty Bell being played at what could be a bit of a sombre occasion.

My favourite participants were the Minutemen

I think its safe to say that none of them were survivors of the war they fought in.....

Ko Niu Tireni e haruru nei!

We have just returned from the pub in Manchester having watched England (only just) lose to New Zealand. And as to be expected in a pub full of people watching Rugby, we met some very nice people. Even the Kiwis were pleasant (although they do have one eyed version of the way that Ritchie McCaw plays). And what do you know, there was a person from Cov - you come all this way and what do you meet, someone from Tile Hill. Truly it is a small world.

Back next Saturday to see the Australia game...