Merry and Bright (Bah to Bah Hum Buggers)

Happy Holidays

Winter Wassail, Solstice & It's Christmas All Over Again

Celebrate Winter Wassail in Woodstock, Vermont December 11, 12, & 13th. You don't want to miss Woodstock's Wassail Parade.  Wassailing dates back to medieval England referring to Old Norse "ves heill" ("waeshaeil") meaning "to drink to the health".  
Drive slowly through the narrow snow banked streets and have a designated scout on the look out for "Parking" signs.   Once the parade begins avoid the temptation to stand in the street!  Doing so blocks your neighbors and so they too will step out into the street, leaving no room for horse, rider, wagon. (Before you stand in front of a car look to see if it is occupied first. )

Don't rush.  Be patient, re l a x.  The parade will trot right by you.

Whipple Tree Yarn Shop and the Red Wagon Toy Children's Shop are seconds away from this shot.  These are just a few pictures.  The temp was about 5 degrees and how the wind do blow cold sometimes.

Nearby is Pentagle, Council on the Arts located in the Old Town Hall Theatre.  If you like movies, Woodstock's historic Town Hall Theatre evokes Hollywood glamour of the golden age. First-run movies are shown in Dolby Digital Sound on the biggest screen in the area, while the beautiful old-fashioned building and surroundings continue to have small town charm.

In Hanover, a production of Revels North Scottish Celebration of the Winter Solstice will be at the Spaulding Auditorium at Hopkins Center on the following dates:

Thursday, December 17 at 7 pm
Friday, December 18 at 7 pm
Saturday, December 19 at 2 pm and 7 pm
Sunday, December 20 at 1 pm and 5 pm

Call the Hopkins Center Box Office at 603.646.2422

Now I have to go and find Tom Petty's 
It's Christmas All Over Again.

...Happy trails.....

Knitting Sweaters x 2

One rainy afternoon I was hanging out with the BGITWWW.  We read books, watched a movie, baked cookies, had a tea party... all the fun things we normally do to entertain.    But the most fun we had I think is when the BGITWWW sat on my lap and surfed the internet for a new sweater pattern and yarn.

She chose a Debbie Bliss moss and rib stitch sweater pattern from the Wish you Were Here book (on sale).  She decided on a pink sweater.  She picked Rowan's All Season Cotton yarn in pink melange from the UK:  10 skeins in an unopened bag for under $20 with free shipping.   The yarn arrived in three days.  The pattern book took a week.  I think I spent 3 weeks knitting and seaming. 

The BGITWWW with Ben & Jerry's Phish Food

The raglan sweater and hat was knit for a baby boy using Debbie Bliss's raglan sweater pattern from the Baby Knits book.  I used 3 skeins of Cascade Cash Vero to knit the sweater and one skein to knit the hat. I had this knit up in a less then a week.  It was a gift to his proud Grandmother actually, so all the more fun to knit up.

...Happy trails...

Our Heroes & One Well Kept Secret

Navajo Code Talkers official website.  

(Screen shot http://www.navajocodetalkers.org/)

The Navajo Code Talkers received recognition only until the operation was declassified in 1968. The code talkers were given a Certificate of Recognition in 1982 by President Ronald Reagan and August 14 became "National Code Talkers Day."  Every day should be "National Code Talkers Day."

Local artists designed a motorcyle to auction off to establish
a museum dedicated to the Navajo Code Talkers. (http://www.pentagonchannel.com/)





1942: Navajo Code Talkers An Uncracked Code

(screen shot http://www.marines.com/)

Sending Off a Code Talker, John Brown, Jr. (Navajo Times)

Navajo Code Talkers (Fox News)

Navajo Code Talkers (Mediacom)

...Happy Trails....

The Only Flame in Town

This flame pattern is similar to my original chart with just enough changes to make a difference. My knitting charts are free to copy and use, but a link back to my blog or a reference noting the knitting chart belongs to Bikerchicknits is appreciated. Knowing there is interest will light a fire under me to create more knitting charts.

[Click on the image and print.]

Here is an example of the chart repeated three times.

[Click on the image and print.]

Flaming possibilities are endless. I have seen a tote bag, socks, head and wrist bands, cardigan, hats and a felted rug using my charts. Enjoy!

...Happy trails...

Bad to the Skull and Crossbones Chart

Plundering allowed by all ye Jolly Roger fans.

Click on the image and print.

By request, I have uploaded the knitting graph of two Skull and Crossbones. Both designs are fun to use on scarfs, hats, socks, head bands, tote bags, etc. One example of a little pirate whimsy is here.

...Happy trails...

Warner's Fall Festival 2009

The temperature rose and the sun came out. We had lots of fun with the theme being "Then and Now". There were bumblebees, dizzy dragons, marching bands, raffles too and just the right amount of confectionary sugar on the fried dough. I especially liked going down the slide. It "is very high up and very long, and shiny-like-mica, right Nan?"










With All Hallow's Eve around the corner, the next adventure should be Shipwrecks of Salem Sound boat tour at Pickering Wharf in Salem, MA.

...Happy trails...

19th Annual Keene Pumpkin Festival

The 19th Annual Keene Pumpkin Festival
Saturday, October 17, 2009
(Take the bikes & double up on sparse parking space! )

In 1991 600 carved pumpkins were lit around Central Square and the 2008 record is over 22,000! The question is "Will 2009 be the year the record is broken again?"

Community Night is Friday, October 16th, from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Take along your carved pumpkin and 3" candle and have it officially logged in.

One of the great entertainment features of the Keene Pumpkin Festival® is three stages of live music. There are special events for the children which include a Children's Costume Parade. The teens can take a shot at the Climbing Wall and enter the Seed Spitting contest.

The Bitter Sweet Season

On the homefront I like to putter out of doors; tending to the perennials and the moss garden, reading, or enjoying a day at the beach or Pow Wow, alone or with the best of company (who never complain if I bring along some knitting). It's all warm fuzzies with lots of fresh air and sun.

...but the signs that Old Man Winter is approaching are all around; leaves have reached peak color, daylight hours are shorter, nights are chilly. I really should get out the cashmere and knit some warm wear just for me. I know only three people (men) who look forward to the shorter days and colder nights. CRAZY! I know. Soon any biker festivity will be off road, confined to a clubhouse, function hall, or a good bar ;o).

Sadly, I missed the Harvest Moon Festival last weekend at the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum and the Fire & Iron Motorcycle Club rescheduled the Station 102's Fall Foliage (Benefit) Ride for today until tomorrow.

Sunday's forecast is sun. Let us hope so, as the rain has been relentless. I almost feel sorry for the leaf peepers. They travel world wide to ooh-awe over New England's Fall foliage and then it rains, it always does, but they wait for the sun. I have always wondered why when the sun is out they (leaf peepers) do not remove their sun glasses. They are denying themselves the natural splendor for which they came to see.   Do they realize that? 

With nice weather in the forecast, check out Warner's Fall Festival and Keene's Pumpkin Festival. Both festivals evoke community spirit and a lot of fun for all. October 10th is the grand opening of the Indian Museum Exhibit in the new Museum of Springfield in Springfield, MA. Vote for your favorite vintage or classic auto or motorcycle.

The Winnipesaukee Scenic Rail provides transportation into and out of Weirs Beach " for the Annual Laconia Bike Week event but you can also step aboard the Hobo or Winnipesaukee Rail Road for a Fall Foliage Tour of New England by train.

Ya just never know what purty thangs can be found at a pit stop ....

...Happy trails.....

P.S. I think we set our clocks back November 1. We "fall back" at 2 a.m. giving Trick or Treaters an extra hour of daylight on All Hallow's Eve.

The Children Sing For Peace

September 21, 2009 was United Nation's International Day of Peace.

At 11:22am my sister and I joined Montessori Schools in prayer/song for Peace Around the World .

We got goosebumps. Big ones. With over 80,000 children in 35 countries "Light a Candle" went all the way around the world. I declare we felt we could almost hear them!

At a recent and rare family gathering, it was the youngest of the tribe (the "almost 5" year old) who educated us as she (adorably) recited with appropriate gestures "Light a Candle":

Light a candle for peace,
Light a candle for love.
Light a candle that shines all away around the world.
Light a candle for me,
Light a candle for you.
That our wish for world peace,
Will one day come true.

Motorcycle Rally for Children's Hospital at Dartmouth (CHaD)

If you missed Concord Wal-Mart Store's 3rd Annual Motorcycle Run for CHaD on the 15th, and Seabrook Sam's Club Motorcycle Run for CHaD on the 16th, it isn't too late to sign up for Concord Sam's Club Motorcycle Run on Sunday, August 23, 2009.

Starting out from *Boar's Tavern, Route 106 in Loudon, NH. Registration starts at 9:00 am, with the ride starting at 11:00 am for a tour around the NH Lakes Region, and returning to the Boar's Tavern for food and entertainment at 1:00 pm. Live bands and live remote from The Hawk Radio, Classic Rock 101.5. $20.00 registration fee per bike (including one passenger).


*A favorite old haunt (pre-new owner era) who were always club-friendly.

1st Annual Lou "Black Eagle" Ciarfella Toy Run

Walmart & Sam's Club Motorcyle Run for CHaD

Below are 2009 NH Motorcyle Runs for Children's Hospital (CHaD) at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, NH. Registration forms are in pdf format:

• Walmart Concord Motorcycle Run for CHaD: Register for August 15
  
• 4th Annual Seabrook Sam's Motorcyle Run for CHaD: Register for August 16
  
• Annual Concord Sam's Motorcyle Run for CHaD: Register for August 23