Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

Time dulls our perceptions of the NBA stars of the 60s, 70's and 80s Bill Russell would not star in today's game? Larry Bird is overrated? REALLY? I don't agree! I will focus mainly on the Boston Celtics since I have closely  followed them for 66 years. Russell hasn't played since 1969 - when he earned his 11th Title ring . He was big (for his time), supremely athletic, and had one of the keenest basketball IQs ever. He was not a volume scorer (career 16.2 PPG) - but did not need to be . However, his rebounding (24.9 RPG), defense, team play and rim protection were phenomenal. Russ just knew how to win . And he was the ultimate team player. His comrades knew if they slipped up on defense, "Big Bill" was there to correct their miscues. Could he play, or even star, in today's game? Yes on both counts. I immediately put him at the center spot of my all-time Celtics team - and probably on my all-time NBA starting quintet. Ditto for Larry Bird . He joins R...

What cheers you up? Fame, fortune, palatial house, snazzy car? God or Nature gave us the ability to make choices , but it is up to us to try to make the decisions that improve the quality of our lives . Having choices is what has always given me a lift . It was the Spring of 1972 , and I had recently made such a choice, leaving a high-paying job as a research engineer to take a temporary position as game warden for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. My new job was to patrol the rivers and streams close to my home and enforce the fishing laws of the state. In effect, I traded the rigors of a tough commute to the Boston area and the toxic factories of the chemical industry for the clean air and b eauty of the woods and waters of central Massachusetts. It was a time when Harry Chapin's song, Taxi , was all over the car radio. I will always mentally connect that tune to one of the best choices I ever made. "It was raining hard in 'Frisco I had one more fare to make my ...

 Celtics center, Neemias Queta is known for having only a limited offensive arsenal of put-backs, lobs and short-range hook shots. That may have changed. The Portugese big man really needed a mid-range jumper added to what he already has supplied to "The Green". It now seems he may have added it to his offensive game. I could be wrong, but I don't think I've ever seen Queta take THIS. I've seen hooks, but this kind of fadeaway is new. pic.twitter.com/rUKyxgaPxv — John Karalis 🇬🇷 (@John_Karalis) September 1, 2026  Karalis is correct. Since the "Portugese Man O' War" has been with Boston, I have never seen him attempt a mid-range, fallaway or 3-pointer. This is good news for the Celtics upcoming season .

 Despite the drop in Northern New Hampshire moose sightings over the past several years, encounters with the huge creatures on the roads are still inevitable. Here are some of my experiences: Moose in my driveway - photo by Linda Lane 1.) Have you ever talked to a moose? I have! My wife, Linda and I were walking along interstate route 26 in Northern New Hampshire when an infuriated. bellowing cow moose came crashing out of the woods and headed right at us. The ears were back and the hackles were up - not good signs for our welfare. We slowly backed away as I verbally assured the enraged animal, in a clear-but- calm voice, that we meant no harm. It worked! The ears went up - the hackles came down, and the attack (either real or bluff) ceased. We continued our walk. 2.) Moose calls sound a bit like flatulence. It's true, and I have proof . I was sitting on my deck lakeside in Western Maine and having a few bouts of flatulence, with each episode resulting in chiding from my wif...

 A Tale of Lost Youth The young couple were in love with their vacation camp . It sat on the south shore - and across the road - from Merrymeeting Lake in New Durham, New Hampshire - with a 20-foot wide right-of-way to the water. Merrymeeting lake - photo credit - Sky Viking Records revealed the refuge had been built in the mid-1950s by an elderly man with advanced cancer. His name was Joe, and the camp's original name was "Joe's Haven" . The cottage was a true refuge for the new owners, but there was something strange that needed an explanation. What they originally thought was the wind blowing through the uninsulated walls was a mystery. But the sound had a human quality to it - sounding somewhat like the muffled voice of a young boy. At times, the wife thought she heard the names "Joey" and "Tony" being called and spoken in a very low tone. This continued with no explanation - and then it happened . One night the wife was awakened by ...

Late August is when deer mice start to set up housekeeping in our home in Northern New Hampshire. Old fashion mousetraps and glue traps keep them in check, but we welcome the assistance of the foxes and coyotes that roam our yard on a nightly basis. The photo below is one such sentinel - a red fox. Photo via Tactacam Reveal trail camera In years past, foxes could be seen frequently during daylight hours on our lot, but it is rare to see one during the day anymore . The population of our town hovers just below only 400 residents, but visitors and vacationers have multiplied in recent years. Red foxes (and most other wild animals) r eact to increased human activity and vehicular traffic by becoming more nocturnal.  Coyotes , on the other hand, stick consistently to nighttime activities - and since they can be hunted year-round in New Hampshire, they avoid human contact as much as possible. We get an occasional photo on our trail camera, but coyotes don't frequent our lot nearly...