New Hampshire Photo Tour

The subtitle of the blog, New Hampshire Photo Tour, says "Photos taken in and around the state of New Hampshire." What it should say is "Amazing Eye Candy From the Glorious State of New Hampshire."

I was already a fan of Ed Karjala's photographs. Now this fan club has grown dramatically to include Tracy Lee Carroll, Michael Costolo, Peter Szawloswki and the other photographers who contribute to this blog.

We sometimes take for granted the WOW! factor of the New Hampshire scenery that we drive, or walk by, daily. This blog demonstrates how we can view the sublime in the commonplace.

These photographers are working on a special project, "NH 2007 Calendar Project" where sales of a unique calendar (displaying New Hampshire scenes of course) will benefit CHaD, the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth (NH). The cost of the calendar is $15. To order them using PayPay visit the Calendar Project web site. For check or cash payment, see the address shown under comments.

This calendar would make a great Christmas gift, for yourself, or a Yankee you know).

Because of the high quality of these photographs, and the blog's specific focus on New Hampshire, I've awarded it the "Best of New Hampshire Blogs" category.

J

Pamming About

Like Pam of Pamming About once wrote, "Woah. I just had one of those whack on the head with a big wooden stick kind of revelations..."

I somehow have managed to review her sister and boyfriend, but completely forgot Pam. Doh.

She is definitely not a NH-born Mark Twain. She is more like, hmmm a lunatic accordian player with an attitude... just kidding Pam!

Actually she has led an intriguing life. In grad school she majored in "the oh-so-marketable field of Japanese classical literature," and has taught children in both Japan and the United States. That explains her self-described occupation of "molder of young minds, etc." She lives somewhere near the New Hampshire seacoast.

Her blog is a personal journal. She is bluntly honest in her evaluation of people and problems. She hates people who act like sheep (baaah baaah), but she loves the real thing (she is a yarnaholic). She also loves the Polka Party on WUNH.

I found myself being strangely drawn into both her tales of woe and hoho. Even if you don't know her, her stories make you wish you did.

Two thumbs up.

J

Be Less Boring

The Chosen One of the blog, Be Less Boring, is a New Hampshire resident ("of a town called Hell, or something like it") with many interests. Apparently boredom bothers him, as his subtitle, "Commandment 11: Thous shalt be less boring lest thou rot in hell for all eternity," may actually be his real life motto.

I spent a bit of time on his blog, reading some recent, and older articles...and discovered...

-He is interested in history (He took his children to some of New Hampshire's historical spots.)
-He is concerned about global warming. (He states, "The rest of us, well, we're off living our lives and looking forward to growing oranges and grapefruit here in New Hampshire").
-He likes driving in New Hampshire to be a challenge ("We have tote roads, skidder tracks, snowmobile trails, and Frost's two paths that diverged in the woods").

He DISLIKES, morons who can't figure out they don't pay cash in an EZPass lane, expensive gasoline prices, cities, people who misspell Rollinsford (there is no G in that word), and people who are politically-correct.

He watches his environment carefully (after all, who else would have noticed that a NH "Break for Moose" sign is in the "All Your Base Are Belong to Us" video?

I must admit his writing makes me think he is a New Hampshire-born "Mark Twain." His stories are funny, often tongue-in-cheek, and definitely not boring.

I enjoyed this blog so much that I'm including it among "The BEST OF NEW HAMPSHIRE blogs." Five stars, a must read.

J