About Rockingham County, NH

I decided to film a little bit of Sunset Lake aka Washpond in Hampstead NH. I used my Kodak z18 for the first past of the video clip and then used my old Canon SD870 point & shoot when we turned around and drove from the opposite direction. I think you can clearly see the difference in the quality of the video.

I had the camera mounted on my dashboard using the Panavise mount I bought and really like how steady it held my camera. The road was full of frost heaves and the ride bumpy. I edited the clip using imovie 09 on my Mac and put it through the smooth out program, I also used voice over for the audio.

Sunset Lake in Hampstead New Hampshire

What I Like about Stratham


5. The view from Portsmouth Ave of the Scammon Farm. The view is beautiful and calming on a busy day and now we don’t have to hold our breathe when we drive by.
4. Choice of Grocery Shopping. You really can’t beat it.
3. Friday nights----Blockbuster and Jade Palace take out. Without fail I see three or four local familiar Stratham faces in the walk between the 2 places.
2. Sandy Point Discovery Center. A wonderful place to bring kids. I love walking out on the docks and being out in the bay! Exploring the walking trails is also a great time. There are a lot of things to find in those woods!
1. Stratham Hill Park--Whether climbing the hill or enjoying a free concert Stratham Hill is an amazing asset to the community. If you have never visited…you should!

Market data from the Seaocast Board of Realtors shows a decline in home sales for the month of January. Although the buyer tax credit was extended, the enthusiam isn't there as it was in the fall. Many buyers that I talk with now are casually looking but don't feel the need to get in before the deadline, they don't want to feel rushed into buying a home just to get the $8,000. There is a lack of urgency. I expect the influx of spring market listings will help bring buyers away from their computers and out at open houses and showings. Let's find a house together before the end of April!

IMMEDIATE RELEASE - February 1, 2010 FOR MORE INFORMATION: Joanna Rousseau, President Seacoast Board of REALTORS Joanna@beangroup.com JANUARY RESIDENTIAL AND CONDO SALES DECLINE PORTSMOUTH - January single family and condominium sales totals declined from December totals in the nine sample seacoast towns. According to the Seacoast Board of REALTORS, single-family sales declined by 62% and condo sales were off 24%. The totals do not come as a surprise given very low December pending numbers and the time of year. January is usually the sales year's slowest month. Despite the decline, both totals surpassed 2009 figures. Residential sales were 13% better than January 2009, while last January there were only three condo closings. This time around there were 13. Of the 18 single family sales, ten were for more than $400,000 and the four sales in the $700,000 to $1 million category tied June for the best performance in that price group in the last 12 months. "Despite the decline in numbers over the previous month, sales are still up over the 2009 numbers," said Joanna Rousseau, president of the Seacoast Board of REALTORS. "The closed sales in higher priced homes, is a great indication showing us that consumers are still looking for good value. It is still a great time to buy. Consumers who have been sitting on the fence should call a local REATOR today." 2010 Seacoast Single-family sales statistics (Nine sample Seacoast towns - These statistics exclusively compiled by John Rice) Single-family residences Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Active 406 Pending 25 Solds 18 Less than $400,000 8 $400-$700,000 6 $700,000-$1m 4 $1m+ 0 2009 Solds 16 16 23 30 49 52 48 41 39 43 48 47 Condominium sales statistics Active 278 Pending 16 Solds 13 Less than $300,000 8 $300-$600,000 5 $600-$1m 0 $1M+ 0 2009 Solds 3 12 18 16 20 28 35 17 18 29 23 17

http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20100203-BIZ-100209932

Say hello to Bonjour delivery service

By Rachel Forrest business@seacoastonline.com February 03, 2010 1:30 PM

It's the dead of winter, the snow is falling and it's cold outside. Or maybe it's summer and downtown Portsmouth is so busy you just don't want to deal with the parking and the crowds.

So who are you going to call if you want some good food and don't want to cook? Just say "Bonjour" and voila! Your food is delivered to your door by a pleasant person wearing a jaunty red beret. OK, they don't have the berets yet, but they will, said Bonjour co-founder Kenton Slovenski.

"Yes, we're getting little berets for the delivery people. It will be fun," Slovenski said.

Those delivery people include Bonjour co-founder Alex Lamb, who works with Slovenski at Warren's Lobster House in Kittery, Maine. It was there that the idea to deliver food from local restaurants to homes in Kittery, New Castle, Newington and Portsmouth was born.

"We started the whole thing in mid-October to early November," Slovenski said. "Alex and I worked at Warren's Lobster House and we had some down time so we were sitting with one of the managers and thought there would be a market for this. Lots of Portsmouth restaurants don't deliver. Right now, we're just starting out slow and then move forward."

On the roster so far is Warren's, The Portsmouth Gaslight's downstairs pizza pub and Chef's Cove in Kittery.

"We're working on getting more restaurants," Slovenski said. "We want to make sure that any restaurant can afford us. The cost is based on each delivery. The customer calls the restaurant and places an order, pays for it, and the restaurant calls us. We pick up the order and get it to the customer within 30 to 40 minutes. For the restaurant there's no risk and no set fee per month."

Bonjour works with each restaurant to come up with a pricing model that fits its need, including a per delivery fee or a percentage fee based on the cost of the order. Slovenski said both the customer and the restaurant benefit.

"Right now people are weary because of the weather," Slovenski said. "They call around to find out who delivers and it's usually pizza or Chinese. We'll give more variety, more medium priced restaurants, too. We can also do bigger orders for offices. It's also cheaper for the customer. You can have your own drinks and don't need to tip a server. That can add up.

"And for the restaurant, they don't have to pay a server or busperson. They're saving on the service end. My goal is to get a diverse list of restaurants that don't already deliver. For the restaurant, they don't have to pay a delivery person."

Moon Rise over the Atlantic

Jay and I took a ride over to the beach the other night in attempts to catch the full moon rising over the ocean. I think there is nothing more magical than seeing the Full Moon rise.... no matter where you are. I've seen it crest over the White Mountains of New Hampshire and beautiful Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor Maine to name a few places but there is nothing like seeing it rise over the ocean and hearing the sounds of nature in the back ground.

I hope you enjoy my little video. It was shot using the Kodakzi8 and in high winds and sub zero wind chill. Meaning it was mighty cold outside!