Covered Bridges

There are several covered bridges within a few miles of Saint-Gaudens, so while we were in the area, we hit them up. 

This bridge spans the Connecticut River, connecting the towns of Cornish, New Hampshire and Windsor, Vermont.

Love this sign!

The Cornish-Windsor Bridge is the longest wooden covered bridge in the United States and the longest two-span covered bridge in the world.

Blow-Me-Down Bridge

The Blow-Me-Down Bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  It spans a deep gorge on the Blow-Me-Down Brook.

Blacksmith Shop Bridge

The Blacksmith Shop Bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  The bridge was used by only one family and given its name because of its close proximity to a local blacksmith shop that once stood in an area know as Slab City.

Dingleton Hill Bridge

The Dingleton Hill Bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built by James Tasker who is known to have built at least eleven bridges in the area (including Blacksmith Shop Bridge and Blow-Me-Down Bridge).

Saint-Gaudens

Our National Parks quest continued last weekend when we visited Saint-Gaudens, New Hampshire's only National Park (National Historic Site).  Saint-Gaudens is the home, studios and gardesn of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, one of America's greatest sculptors.  The grounds have more than 100 of his artworks in the galleries and on the grounds, from heroic public monuments to expressive portrait reliefs, and the gold coins which changed the look of American coinage. 

Farragut Monument - Saint-Gaudens' first commissioned public monument.

The pedestal of the Farragut monument was designed by architect Stanford White.

Angel with Tablet - this gold relief work and reflecting pool was spectacular.

There were gold turtles on either end of the reflecting pool and the park rangers told us to look for real frogs in and around the pool.  We were surprised by how many we saw.

Frog swimming in the reflecting pool.

The Puritan

Relief portrait of Robert Louis Stevenson.

At the request of President Theodore Roosevelt, Saint-Gaudens designed three coins for the United States Mint - the one cent piece, the 10 dollar gold piece and the 20 dollar gold piece ("double eagle").  With this commission, Saint-Gaudens became the first sculptor fully to design an American coin.

Lincoln

Elizabeth examines some modern art.

Diana (1/2 size) - was designed as a weather vane and was the first illuminated statue in New York City.

Little Studio - Saint-Gaudens worked here by himself.  He designed the pergola with Doric columns in 1889 after a trip to Italy.  The building now exhibits works by Saint-Gaudens, such as Diana (above).

Some of the beautiful gardens of Aspet, which was Saint-Gaudens' home.

Elizabeth was in a "mood", but nature (catepillars, in this instance) always brightens her mood.

Adams Memorial.  This recast of the bronze funerary sculpture commissioned by historian Henry Adams for his wife is a pretty haunting piece.  Saint-Gaudens called it "The Myster of the Hereafter...beyond pain and beyond joy."

The Shaw Memorial, which can also be found in the Boston Common.  This is a monument to the Civil War service of the Massachusetts 54th Regiment of African American Volunteers in Boston.

Check out Elizabeth's 'tude.

She was interested only when she could read various information for herself.

Emily worked on very hard to become a junior ranger.  Elizabeth, in a mood, was not interested.

Taking the junior ranger oath.

Showing off her junior range badge!

The Days are Long, But the Years are Short

Today is the girls' first day of school and Emily's first day at St. Mary.  The girls were both so excited to go back to school that I thought that they would never fall asleep last night.  Morning came quickly - they have to get up before 6 am! - and they eagerly got dressed, ate their breakfast, put on their backpacks and headed out to catch the bus.  They were so excited!!!  And Lee and I are excited and hopeful about the school year and all of the learning and adventures that await them.

Showing no signs of nervousness! A big first grader now!!

She's an old pro now! Third grade!!

With the birthday boy! 

Me and my girls. 

Waiting at the bus stop.

Sisters! 

When the bus came into view, Emily grabbed Elizabeth's hand. 

Blowing kisses and waving!

Another Round of Cloverisms

- "You are the best cook in the world, daughter of the best, best cook in the world.  In fact, you're from a family of great cooks - Grandpa on the grill with his ribs and Grammy with her cookies, cakes and pies!"  Only Elizabeth could come up with something like this.
- "You know, there's a McDonalds just about everywhere," said Emily after telling me how hungry she was one afternoon when we were out and about.  I told her to keep an eye out for a place to eat and that's when she let me know how ubiquitous McDonalds is....
- "Kid who get to go to summer school are soooooo lucky."  That's our little nerd.
- "I was born for reading and eating meat."
- "I was born for Lambie and eating clam chowder."
- "When Daddy gets home from work, I want to go to Home Depot, go to the fan department, and buy 150 fans."  When you don't have air conditioning, and you've never had air conditioning, it doesn't even occur to you that perhaps what you should be buying at Home Depot is a few air conditioning units, not 150 fans.
- "Daddy, you shouldn't eat and drive at the same time."  "No, Emily, that's only a rule for teenagers, because they are such idiots.  Except for Taylor and Emily."  You've got to love Elizabeth's view of teenagers (excluding her former and current babysitters).
- "I hope that they have powerlifting in the Olympics."  Oh boy!
- "Actually, Mummy,  how do a man and a woman make a baby?"  Amazingly, I was able to escape this question with "it's very complicated" - Lee, by the way, acted like a deaf mute and looked at the ceiling during this entire conversation, which started with the much more complicated question of "can two men, who aren't married but are in a relationship, have a baby?"  Not sure where Elizabeth comes up with this stuff.
- "I do declare, cucumbers are my absolute favorite vegetable."  What eight year old uses the word "declare"???
- "Well, then why did you marry him?" Emily asked after I told Lee that he was annoying.  We just cracked up....
- "I think that God painted the sunset tonight.  He did a pretty good job."  Love that Emily.
- "I thought that Sinister Citizens got up early," commented Elizabeth when we were at my parents and I told her not to get up too early because I didn't want her to wake them.  Totally confused, I asked her to please explain what she meant by "Sinister Citizens" and she said, "you know, people like Grammy and Grandpa who get to park at the beach for free."  Ah....senior citizens.
- "Boy, I hope that we get to see that tomorrow," said Emily, after Elizabeth gave us a very gory description of harpooning on the eve of our visit to New Bedford.
- "You are so beautiful.  I hope that you never get old," said Emily to me one night.  "Yeah," said Elizabeth, "I don't think that you would look good with white hair."
- "I hope that I can stay young forever.  It is so much fun being a kid.  And, you don't ever have to worry about being cool."  I love how Emily thinks.
- "When I get older, will you shave my legs for me so that they don't end up looking like Daddy's?"  Sure thing Emily.