Frances Sanderson

This is my cat, Princess. Alas, Princess is no more. I found some fur clumps in my backyard, last fall, that were orange, black and cream. Yup, you guessed right. She's been eaten. (I live in a rural setting.) So this is a tribute to Princess. May she rest in peace with Chippy, the Chipmunk.

This story begins with Princess overseeing the daily gardening chores, as she rests upon a stack of slate. Quite suddenly, she jumps to the ground and runs over to the Barberry bush beside me. There was a chipmunk.

Predator

Prey

As time went on, I watched Princess chase this chipmunk around the garden and under the bushes. By this time, I had given the little bugger a name... Chippy.

Several times, I caught Chippy fooling Princess, unintentionally...

And at that time, I thought... 'Oh this is so cute... Hide and Seek between Princess and Chippy.

Then, things turned a little more frantic. Chippy was smart though, and avoided getting caught.

Eventually, I became distracted with my flowers and stopped photographing the two. My Irises, Orchids and Azaleas had me and my camera lens, mesmerized.

Alas, it was time to leave the beauty of my garden and go into the house. I called to Princess and she followed me in. I saw no sign of Chippy, so I asked her, "Where is your friend?" No response.

I gave her some water in her bowl and headed to the back deck to water the outdoor plants.

There was Chippy!

So, wherever you are, Princess, I hope you and Chippy are playing Hide and Seek once more. I thank you both for this wonderful memory.

Frances Sanderson, Franklin, NH REALTOR®, Certified EcoBroker^®

How many of you have looked up at a home which had one of these....

and said to yourself: "That must be a Widow's Walk"?

Well, you would be mistaken. According to Judson Hale, Editor-in-Chief of Yankee Magazine, in his book, titled, Inside New England, a Widow's Walk was actually a closed-in Cupola with windows.

The interesting piece of this myth-busting information is that what we've always called a Widow's Walk, (as pictured in the photo above) was actually a platform built 'to stow buckets of sand and water to put out frequent chimney fires.'

So now you know the truth!

Submitted by Frances Sanderson, Franklin, New Hampshire REALTOR®, Certified EcoBroker^®

Want a fun and "green" way to say Happy Valentine's Day? Check out this site: www.jibjab.com. They offer quite a few FREE greetings as well as a subscription for those of us who like to send humourous greetings... all of the time... like me. I chose the 6 month subscription for $9.95. (permission to embed this greeting granted by JibJab®)

Happy Valentine's Day from Fran :-)

Frances Sanderson, Franklin, NH REALTOR®, Certified EcoBroker®

I am usually the one that people go to when they need a little motivation: The positive thinker in the bunch. Today, I'm having trouble finding my happy thought; my passion.

I shouldn't have read my mail yesterday. I shouldn't have listened to the news this morning. The sun isn't shining. It's cold. My house needs a good cleaning. One of my Buyers put in an offer for $5000 above asking price and they lost the bid. And the Sellers of my short sale listing feel like they never want to buy a house again.

Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens. Bright Copper Kettles and Warm Woolen Mittens.

The news this morning said that folks were standing outside the Labor Ready office in Concord, at 4:30 this morning in order to find work for today. I woke up slowly this morning to a lick on my nose from my dog, Coco.

Brown paper packages tied up with string. These are a few of my favorite things

During the ice storm last month, many people were without electricity for 7 days or more. I only lost power for 7 hours.

When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad... I simply remember my favorite things. And then I don't feel so bad.

The person in front of me at the grocery store checkout pulled out her food stamps to pay for her groceries, and had to put some items back. She had two young children with her. I had my bottle of wine and a package of steak tips.

Cream colored ponies and crisp apple struedels. Doorbells and sleighbells and schnitzel with noodles.

I have three friends who have battled breast cancer. I have an aching shoulder.

Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings. These are a few of my favorite things.

When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad... I simply remember my favorite things. And then I don't feel so bad.

My friend's son just got diagnosed with a brain tumor at age 16. My daughter just announced that she's getting married.

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes. Snowflakes that fall on my nose and eyelashes

Silver white winters that melt into Spring. These are a few of my favorite things

When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad... I simply remember my favorite things. And then I don't feel so bad.

When I was a teen, I had a diary. When my children were born, I kept a journal. Now that I'm older, I have a blog. Interesting transition.  It still works though. My passion is writing.

Thank You Diary!

(permission to embed the scrolling lyrics granted by Stlyrics®)

Frances Sanderson, Franklin, NH REALTOR®, Certified EcoBroker®

When you mention dog sledding, the Iditarod® comes to mind, but that race is in Alaska. What about right here in New Hampshire?

The New England Sled Dog Club, Inc. is running its 80^th Annual Sled Dog Race in Laconia, New Hampshire, next weekend: February 13-15, 2009.

In preparation for the big race, the Lakes Region Sled Dog Club sponsored a race this past weekend in the Army Corps of Engineers' Flood Control Valley between Bristol and Franklin. This is part of the Heritage Trail.

Hill, New Hampshire, is smack dab in the middle of Bristol and Franklin. The race was held at Profile Falls, right on the border of Bristol and Hill.

Mushers participate from as far away as Canada and Europe. Classes included the 1-2 dog Skijors 3-dog Juniors, 4-dog and 6-dog Pro and Sportsmen, and the 8-dog Professional teams.

Judging by the size of the purse payoffs, my guess is that the competitors aren't here for the prize money.

When my husband and arrived at Profile Falls, we were greeted by the sounds of excited dogs, ready to run. Chained to sides of their owners' vehicles, their howls and dog speak said "Let's Go!"

Young ones, the Juniors, raced with 3 dogs. As I stood, waiting for them to mush past me, I could hear the children gently egging their dogs on with the command "Hike Up!" Unlike the noisy barking that greeted us when we arrived, the dogs had grown quiet with concentration and pleasure. They were in their element.

When I say that the event was absolutely beautiful, I am speaking of sparkling snow, the sun filtering through the trees, and the quiet shushing of a sled dog race in progress.

I get the feeling that it is about more than just seeing that checkered flag at the end of the race. These folks enjoy the camaraderie of their sport. Not only do they get to play with man's best friend, their dogs, but they get to do it with other friends who share the same sense of play.

If you'd like to find out more about the big race in Laconia next week, go to http://www.weirs.com/archivepdfs/wtimes020509.pdf. This link will bring you to the Weirs Times, our weekly free Lakes Region newspaper. This is a great event for children and adults alike.

Frances Sanderson, Franklin, NH REALTOR®, Certified EcoBroker®