Dan get up your ornery cuss or you'll be the death of us

I think it can definitely be said to be snowing outside. I have just ventured out and it looks like this outside at the moment....

And note to self - if snow is forecast, do remember to close the windows

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)

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.....

We danced and sang as the music played in any boomtown

As you are probably aware today is Halloween. Our excellent local farm shop has a lantern lighting thing tonight and tomorrow so we went along. There are a lot of Jamaicans working there and there is a definite, erm, how shall we put this - red, gold and green vibe going on with these pumpkins.

Its probably about as far as you could get from Caribbean weather though - its starting to get cold.

Dancing on the light from star to star

Hurricane update - First, its not a hurricane anymore, now its just a tropical storm. Its going to be a "run of the mill" rain storm in Nashua apparently. Just an inch of rain and no more than 30 mph winds. Its all set to kick off in Nantucket though - 90 mile an hour winds, seven inches of rain. Proper batten down the hatches weather. It all kicks off at 8 tomorrow night, I think that the news channels can't wait.

Once I thought I saw you in a crowded hazy bar

At the best of times, America seems obsessed with the weather. And I suppose this is understandable when you have such big weather. At the moment, certainly on the East Coast this is reaching a fever pitch with the imminent arrival of Hurricane Earl, especially around what is known as the Cape area (the islands off Boston - Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket). It would seem that if Earl is to make land fall, it will be around this area.

If it does then all of the weather reports (and there are a lot of them - last nights 30 minute long 11 o'clock news had 20 minutes about Earl) reckons that Nashua will avoid the winds but don't think we will avoid the rain. It is due to be here on Friday evening/night. I shall keep the world updated.....

Feed the birds, tuppence a bag

We went for a walk this afternoon to Mine Falls Park which is about five minutes from the apartment. It goes along the Nashua river and has miles of beautiful walks through the woods. All very pretty.

There is a word that is very overused in America - awesome. However we saw something whilst in the park that I think could actually truly described as awesome. Sitting on a log, not 6 feet from us, was an enormous hawk.  Not being a ornithologist, I couldn't tell you what sort it was (having googled, it could have been a red tailed hawk) but it was something that did truly inspire awe. About five minutes later we saw its likely dinner, a chipmunk.

Certainly beats pigeons and grey squirrels on an afternoons walk.

Smokestack, fatback, many miles of railroad track

After nearly six weeks of being here and due to unprecendented demand (well three people) here, eventually is the promised blog.

We have finally moved to our apartment. For those of you interested, it is in this building and very nice it is too. And what everyone seems to want to see, what it looks like. First a couple of photos from when we had been in about an hour:

The unfeasibley large living area. Note the suicidal loft ladder on the left, there is a bed up there for anyone interested in trying it when they come.



The said living area looking the other way towards the view outside (with the handle of the truck as a handy reference from the last photo).



The one everyone wants to see - where you will be staying when you come, the spare room.



And now the after - just of the living area at the moment as that the only sort of finished room. These were taken the evening of the day we moved in so its still a bit bare:




As you will see, there is no ceiling lights, I have never had so many lamps in my life.I suppose changing bulbs in ceilings does pose problems.

And finally for now - the thing that really makes the apartment - the view. Sadly its not quite as sunny as that at the moment, in fact its pissing down and has been for two days, who says Britain has exclusivity to shit summers?