That lovely wood frame house seen through the trees was really a small hotel which burned to the ground a few years after this photo was taken. But I certainly hope not.

That reminds me of when my late mother would come from her home less than two hours away, for a meal or party at mine, and walk in with a carafe of coffee under her arm. Mom, I'd say, why do you insist on bringing coals to Newcastle? Because if there's anything you can always get at my house, it's a good cup of coffee. But she was afraid I wouldn't be serving decaf, so she brought her own to bridge the gap.

The grass curb and rock-lined gutter lends a certain charm to this bygone byway.

Across the Piscataqua River from Castle Island lies Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. The shipyard is located in Maine, but New Hampshire files periodic lawsuits, claiming that the shipyard actually lies on its side of the border.