I stumbled upon a heading which asks the question:
can one blog contain all this charm? and then continues
on to rapturize about covered bridges.
Indeed, there is almost too much charm
(and as I document our "collection" here with
so many photos, you may come to agree).
First, a report on some of this week's blessings.
With a few cooler mornings, it is suddenly, seriously Autumn.
Different apartment from last fall. So I want to capture
a photo with our Utah-plated car and the colors, even as
I preamble toward my subject.
Took a short 'final' drive to Canterbury Shaker Village on
Saturday - a misty cloudy morning. But even these LOW creepers
were showing off. Easy to ignore for half the year, and then . . .
KAPOW! Foliage season is showy from HEAD to TOE.
There, on a Canterbury side road next to a pasture,
moisture-laden air gilded this amazing spider web that
caught my eye even from the driver's seat.
I had to screech brakes, pull over, shift to park,
grab cell phone and walk back to capture it.
Wish I could share the fragrance that morning:
herbal, but also spicy, like anise and bayberries;
a little cedar but with honey and cinnamon, too.
Utah is wonderful - but New Hampshire, you OWN this!
As we studied this week's Gospel scriptures, we read
the 'beatitude' passages delivered by resurrected Jesus Christ
to new world disciples as recounted in 3 Nephi. We both enjoy
the 'hide a candle under a bushel' admonitions. But I admit I
usually think of the common wooden harvest baskets that I knew
as a little girl, and can't avoid the image of the candle catching
the bushel on fire. If NOT hiding your talents has to do with
flames, then the New England foliage has once again decided
to suppress that chlorophyll, and let her voice SOAR!
Another way our lamps were filled this week was through
our friend Anita Nickulas in the Manchester Ward.
From early in our association here, she has shared her love
for uplifting music, including a spiritual experience centering
around words and lyrics she wrote that she was "impressioned"
to write (that's a new word that I like!). Wasn't sure I'd get a chance
to hear it, but she was able to share during a District Council meeting
Friday, introduced by accounts of small miracles surrounding its writing,
opportunities to perform it during church services a few different
times when details and "coincidences" offered evidence of the hand
of a loving Father who knows us, and cares about "small" stuff.
Here we are in the hallway (curse that overhead lighting)
where Anita is holding my copy of her music "A Gospel
of Love", while I show one of her recent gifts, a jar
of maple pumpkin butter spread. Such a precious friend.
Homeward thoughts led me to "fall in" when an online
update of Salt Lake Temple grounds demolition
flashed onto my monitor this weekend. We understood
this would happen, but having been out here, I was startled.
(To see a video updating these changes, follow this LINK.)
The accompanying audio focuses on stewardship,
noting careful, responsible preservation -- easily
connecting in my mind to this planned blog post topic.
Seems like the list of notably scenic things to view and
capture here has no end. In truth, covered bridges were always
near the top for us. When we took an intentional trip
north to Warner, New Hampshire, in early summer to see
two great examples there, we also discovered this pictorial
book by a local author NH artist Arthur Conrad.
Here, below, he provides a map and list of the significant
bridges - those which have been assigned a US
historical number. This map is chock-ful, but NH is NOT
even near the top of the list of states with most bridges.
(Hard to believe!) At one time in NH there were over 400.
Mr. Conrad introduces a subject he fell in love with as
a child with a bit of poetic prose:
A covered bridge can be shelter in storm, a tunnel of love,
a gallery for carved initials and dates,
a familiar hoof-beat signaling return home.
And have you noticed that exiting a covered bridge
is usually accompanied by another look back?
If justification matters, the National Society for the
Preservation of Covered Bridges suggests that
many folks assume reasons as shelter from inclement weather
or a way to reassure horses who might balk at crossing rivers.
Real purpose is to protect the wooden bridge so that
it lasts longer, avoiding expensive replacement
and inconvenience at a river-crossing impasse.
Those impassioned about these bridges are also deeply
concerned about preservation of the styles, workmanship,
engineering and technologies that built them, as they
work hard to preserve and protect, or rebuild following fires.
Above, are Mr. Conrad's illustration of the various kinds
of truss framing - did you know there were so many?
The oldest NH covered bridge was built in 1829.
More than a decade ago, when Vince and I first traveled
to Vermont and New Hampshire, our first clue about these
wonderful bridges was a small sight-seeing footnote on a map
showing where this Quechee, VT example was to be found.
We stopped -- and fell in love!
One blessing from our extended stay here was a chance
to "collect" many more covered bridge experiences.
This, below, is the Woodstock VT Middle Bridge in front of
which we parked to watch the Main Street Christmas parade
back in December (2019).
And around the bend, so to speak, is the Taftsville
bridge which is about as picturesque as they get!
this, below, is the Dalton Bridge, off-path in Warner.
And this, below, is Mr. Conrad's watercolor of the other
Warner bridge that we saw, where a young father
had an infant in a pram next to him as he shore-fished from
near the up-hill end. (Creative baby-care.)
This is the bridge, below, that was part of the hike through
the Franconia Notch State Park natural water features.
A post card we found described this bridge as being
supported by a beam from a tall, notably-ancient tree
that fell across the gorge (then was harvested).
A surprising part of the charm of these structures
is the framed views from under the bridge's roof,
such as this one from Franconia, pictured above.
This red bridge crosses the Pemigewasset River
near the trailhead at Franconia Notch, and is
well-maintained and beautiful.
Here's one more view from entrance trail.
When car business took us north, we sandwiched in a few
sight-seeing stops, including . . .
Millennium Bridge near Plymouth, below.
It is the newest and most modern of NH's
covered bridges, rebuilt after an arsonist's fire destroyed it.
It was rebuilt in 2001, thus the suggestive name.
Though Millennium is modern, its construction aims to preserve
the flavor and feel of historic engineering and construction,
as can be seen in this artistic truss and beam joinery, above.
And here, below, is the historic sign that tells about
Centennial.
Common to encounter a covered bridge in many historic
places. This one, below, crosses the mill pond stream
inside Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts.
Most recently on our bridge collecting quest, we stopped
near Keene in southwestern NH to visit a couple
near Swanzey. Our Garmin GPS system navigated for us,
but it was somewhat surprising to realize how many
folks see these next couple of examples every day as they
drive to jobs or homes, to soccer and school,
and on local errands.
It was late afternoon when we were there.
This is West Swanzey that connected the manufacturing
town center with the residential center across the Ashuelot River.
Vince, ever the fisherman, doesn't mind hunting out
covered bridges, because -- of course --
they always cross water!
This is perhaps the shortest real covered bridge
we have visited, Carlton Bridge. Just in a regular ol'
neighborhood. Vehicles stop on each side
to make sure no one is coming across the single lane
- like many bridges NOT built for today's traffic pace.
The final bridge I show here is one shared by returning
young Elder G. Johnson just last week, as he wrote up
and submitted his "Golden Truth" about what he has
learned as a missionary.
This is the picture he selected as parting 'shot' -
Robyville Bridge, Kenduskeag, ME (near Bangor).
These bridges are beautiful, because of creative engineering,
community pride, historic provenance, and committed preservationists.
However, their practical application is why they exist in the first place:
people need a connection from one side to the other.
We had our faith renewed and grown this weekend, as we
reconfirmed our own BRIDGE between powers of Heaven,
and our humble and mortal needfulness. Our BRIDGE
was a sincere and somewhat desperate PRAYER.
We know its power from past experiences.
We confirmed our knowledge that is WORKS.
A few details: in a convergence of silly circumstances,
Vince had misplaced both his corrective glasses
and his wallet (with license, corp. credit and personal cards,
and much more). We retraced, and mentally reconstructed.
We hunted - even through a slightly-full apartment dumpster
fearing wallet had accidentally been collected in a trash bag.
We considered calling recently-visited merchants.
We both inspected the rental car he was driving
this weekend for mission business.
Together, we scoured through the apartment.
Of course, he FOUND them in the last places he looked,
and that only AFTER a humble prayer pleaded for help,
for eyes prepared to see, and for a clear mind.
We know we are connected to a loving Heavenly Father.
Take care this coming week - be even safer with prayer!
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