Wow! My first blog of the New Year and what a lovely year it is…so far. I’ve just returned from a whirlwind trip to Pinkham Notch at the base of Mt. Washington in Gorham, NH, where I gave a slide presentation to 60 local enthusiasts who attended the International Dinner of the Appalachian Mountain Club. This year it was Cuisine of Nepal, so I was a logical speaker. But the food, itself, was worth the trip—never did I eat that well in Nepal—as was the sight of a sunrise over snow-capped Mt. Washington and weather crisp and clear, though not snowy enough to satisfy the skiers and ice climbers. I’m indebted to Lynne Warrin, with whom I co-authored the play, Thank You, Dear, and who stepped in to act as projectionist at the last minute. But she’s a nature lover, too, so it wasn’t too big a sacrifice!
On the return trip I visited the family cottage on Lake Winnipesaukee, usually covered with snow and the lake totally frozen, but now looking like the summer without leaves—complete with rippling water and pine needles. How can that be? We also stopped to see my sister, Anne Magill, and husband, Frank, who have just moved into a spacious condo in the woods of Keene, NH. from their home in Peterborough. It’s laughable that all these New Englanders, who have groaned about the snow and the shoveling over the years are now worried to death that global warming is destroying their winter wonderland. I’m sorry it’s so mild as well, for I was looking forward to a blessed contrast when I hit Myanmar and the tropical forests. Who wants to leave a spring-like New Jersey when the crocuses are poking up their heads to see what’s going on?
