Ye Olde Fort

Every few years, I find myself on a field trip to the Fort at No.4 in Charlestown NH. It's a rather fascinating place, and while you'd think going to the same place every few years would get old, I see and learn new stuff each time we go.

It was a little cold at the fort today. The sun was out, mostly. But the wind blew hard and as you are mostly outdoors, or in old wooden houses that are poorly fit for winter...alongside a river, you can imagine for yourself. I'm glad to be home and in the warmth of my house.

I love all the old history. I enjoy hearing how they treated medical conditions, and how they lived and what they ate, and why they turned this little township into a fort. And how for 20 years it was the northernmost English settlement in the state and what people thought then of the french, Indians and Canadians. Great stuff and the kids enjoy it a lot. They got to make butter, and play with the same toys that children in the mid 1700's played with. They heard about how worms would be treated and why you shouldn't take a bath too often and saw a lesson on being in the militia and how to fire a musket. Beats state testing or doing math any day.

As we drove up, we passed a lot of the damage caused by that storm a few weeks past. Homes still with water to the top of their foundations, the bridge that was rt. 123 that collapsed in the middle, cornfields that are still flooded.. etc. etc. And the water in the rivers is still high and rushing. Add to that the storm/hurricane remains due to hit this weekend, and I think it's going to be ugly around these parts.