Author Archives: Ron Haines

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About Ron Haines

Find me at https://ronhaines.wordpress.com/

A two-sheet curling club

Posted on July 27, 2014 by Ron Haines

I know about curling, of course. It’s that funny Olympic sport where grown men slide an object with a handle on it down the ice and other grown men run in front of it with brooms, sweeping like crazy. But … Continue reading →

Posted in Offbeat, Road trip, Signs | 1 Comment

Ouch!

Posted on July 21, 2014 by Ron Haines

Encountered an idiot today who doesn’t understand the concept of making sure the vehicle ahead of you is moving before stomping on the gas when the light turns green. He hit the rear of the canoe and it moved forward … Continue reading →

Posted in Grumman canoe | 6 Comments

An almost empty tank means it’s time to go paddling in Massachusetts

Posted on July 21, 2014 by Ron Haines

Unsettled weather the past week cancelled out two of the paddles I wanted to do, so when the sun came out I was eager to get going. I did short stretches of both the Pachaug and the Chicopee rivers, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Grumman canoe, Nature, Paddling | 1 Comment

War Office

Posted on July 17, 2014 by Ron Haines

Approaching Lebanon, CT, on Route 87 the other day I encountered this sign: OK, I guess maybe in these times if you live in a ­­­­­­­town called Lebanon, you’d want to be prepared. Especially if you’re just down the road … Continue reading →

Posted in Offbeat, Road trip, Signs | 3 Comments

Finally, a place for the bills

Posted on July 14, 2014 by Ron Haines

In addition to the standard ‘airmail’ mailbox still seen occasionally in rural areas, this residence along Bebbington Road in Eastford, CT, featured just the right spot for the ‘bills.’

Posted in Offbeat, Photos mostly, Road trip | 2 Comments

July 4, Contoocook style

Posted on July 4, 2014 by Ron Haines

The rain gods must smile on small town festivities. Monsoon rains most of the night and early this morning stopped almost completely for about an hour and a half today for the Fourth of July parade in Contoocook, NH, complete … Continue reading →

Posted in Grandchildren, Photos mostly | 1 Comment

Crazy white male seeks fellow canoe sailors

Posted on June 26, 2014 by Ron Haines

(Update:  I have closed down the MeetUp groups mentioned in this post.  If you live in the Northeast or in Florida and are interested in sailing with me, leave a note with your contact information in the comments section) When … Continue reading →

Posted in Appalachian Moutain Club, Grumman canoe, Sailing | 18 Comments

Turn right on Main Street

Posted on June 23, 2014 by Ron Haines

It makes my day when I am traveling down a rural, two-lane highway and my GPS says: ‘In eighteen miles turn right on Main Street.’ What it means is that after 18 miles of pleasant driving past farm fields and … Continue reading →

Posted in Offbeat, Photos mostly, Road trip | 1 Comment

Finding fellow canoeists on a woodsy paddle in the Boston suburbs

Posted on June 21, 2014 by Ron Haines

After a couple years of traveling in a plastic armada of kayaks on paddle trips with various groups in Florida and the Northeast, my vintage Grumman aluminum canoe had the pleasure of the company of five other canoes on a … Continue reading →

Posted in Appalachian Moutain Club, Grumman canoe, Nature, Paddling, Sierra Club | 4 Comments

Another recycled gas station…and baby swans.

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Ron Haines

Right near the launch site during a recent paddle on the Connecticut River near Gill, Massachusetts, I found another treasured old gas station, this one recycled into Riverside Healing and Bodyworks. I couldn’t resist taking a photo to add to … Continue reading →

Posted in Gas stations, Nature, Paddling, Photos mostly | 5 Comments