The last splash

A new month, a new destination.

This time we were off to New Hampshire. We’d been before, for about five minutes, when we’d strayed across the border while visiting Bellows Falls and I had driven through many years ago, on my way up to Maine, but we’d never been intentionally before.

At the onset of Fall, we had discussed the possibility of going as New Hampshire is famous for its foliage, but the place we would have visited was just too far,

Whereas collecting a bicycle in Keene would be perfectly manageable.

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The only slight problem being that we would be driving due east, into the rising Sun.

At times it was blinding and I could not have coped, but cautiously, Grant kept going.

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Canada geese flew over in delta-wing formation – just like Concorde.

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The Sun was just lighting the terrain as we passed abeam Bennington.

A bit like in Washington, we had to go south first in order to go north.

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The hills outside Bennington vastly changed, yet in its own way the scene was not unpleasant.

It’s a matter of adjusting ones attitude and expectations. Graphite drawings have their place.

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In Wilmington, Vermont, we passed by a statue of Molly Stark.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molly_Stark

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Not long after that, we suddenly topped a hill and Grant exclaimed:

“This is that place!”

For a long time he’d been talking of a viewpoint we’d come upon on one of our initial drives, 8 years ago. Back then perhaps my mind was still occupied with the practicalities of settling in to a new home in an unfamiliar location. Usually, I have a pretty good memory, but I had never been able to picture what he was talking about.

Apparently, this was it, but I still had no recall.

The name alone should have registered: Hogback Mountain.

Maybe he came with someone else!

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After passing through West Brattleboro, we crossed the United States Navy Seabees Bridge, the name almost bigger than the structure.

The other side, we crossed the state line into New Hampshire.

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Fall is full of surprises. Vermont’s trees may have shed their leaves but here, once again we found colour.

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Keene’s trees were stunning.

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Bicycle on board, we retraced our path.

Confession: I removed two ugly vehicles from this photo, but there was very little traffic.

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New Hampshire has a reputation for intensely red Fall foliage.

Afraid I was imagining that, I looked it up and apparently it due to weather conditions, terrain and type of tree (red maples and wetlands).

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Back at the still-unimpressive bridge.

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And leafless Vermont.

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The first sign of tamaracks displaying Fall colour.

It’s as if they wait till the end in order to – be better noticed?

Perhaps it’s Nature’s little token to lessen the suddenness of grey.

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I doubt either case is true, but these beautiful trees do stand out.

And it’s nice to have that last splash of colour.

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