Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 The winters in very-northern New Hampshire are very cold and snowy . Great for snowmobilers . Late spring and summer bring the bugs . A lot of bugs. Well, I dislike frigid weather and hate bugs. So, why do I live here ?  Riverside foliage close to our home My wife, Linda, and I just returned from a 40-mile round trip to the nearest grocery store. The route we took is an interstate highway, and there were very few cars on the road . T ailgaters are almost nonexistent in the north country, but there is a strong tendency to pull to the side of the road to allow drivers that appear to want to speed up to pass.  I must admit that when I travel "down below" (as locals call travelling south), the traffic volume and tailgaters stress me out . I am not accustomed to it. We do find that the exployees at the local pharmacies, grocery stores, health care centers and restaurants are generally courteous and efficient . People that reside in northern New Hampshire either have a be...

 My wife, Linda, and I have walked the logging roads of Northern New Hampshire and Western Maine for many decades, but things have changed . Almost totally gone are the loud eruptions of partridge (ruffed grouse) as they took flight - and the startling crashing of moose bounding away - or in one case - coming right at us. Moose in our driveway Estimates by wildlife authorities show the populations of both moose and partridge have roughly been cut in half from their peak years.    The major reason for decline in the moose population has been cited as the proliferation of winter ticks which feed on the blood of the hooved creatures. Hundreds, or even thousands, of ticks often feed off one animal. Young moose are most vulnerable. Partridge that flew onto our porch - released unharmed The decline in ruffed grouse is generally attributed to a loss of habitat . Weather, particularly wet springs , also plays a role - while predation by coyotes is certainly suspect. Our fre...

  My encounter with North Woods Law and the talking partridge -  September 12, 2018 When you watch North Woods Law filmed in New Hampshire, believe what you see. It is quite real, and these Game Wardens are called upon to do everything. Living in the North Country, my wife, Linda, and I encounter them quite often, and one meeting was quite bizarre. We were hunting for partridge on a logging road a few years ago and a guy in a pickup truck stopped and told us there was a partridge just off the road and quite close to us. We followed him, and he pointed it out, sitting in a clearing about 20 yards off the road. He wondered why I wasn't shooting it because they were in season - I was licensed - and we were in a legal shooting location. I hesitated because I knew a camp was a distance beyond the bird. That's when it happened. Partridge that flew through my porch screen. Released unharmed. The three of us heard a disembodied voice from the woods -  "Don't shoot the bird!...