I spent this last week in New York with my good friend and colleague Jeremy Gill as we prepared for the premiere of After Rochberg.

In many ways this was a fabulous way to end 2018 — not the least of which is that this concert represented several milestones for my work on the Isomer Project. We worked hard this week. Even so, I got to visit with old friends…

taste test incredible restaurants…

try new cocktails…

rummage through bookstores in search of rare scores…

and take in early-morning NYC views.

The snow came early this year and it’s sticking around (9″ at last count). But in New Hampshire fresh snow with temps in the single digits is just another excuse for outdoor fun with the dogs.

And of course, we had a wonderful time with friends at a very New England-y thanksgiving gathering…

Mario Bava is definitely the inspiration for our interior Halloween decor this year. Oh, who am I kidding, we go for the Bava look anytime we can…

The bats are pretty cool, but it’s the powerful LED spotlight that really transforms the dining area.

And of course, Terror Fest continues. (Don’t look out the window if you scare easily!)

In other news, we saw our first light dusting of snow last week…

Time to break out the skis! #BecomingNewHampshire

Temps are dipping into the 30s at night and the crisp smell of leaves is everywhere. Fall has once again arrived in New Hampshire. If there ever was a time of year to visit the White Mountains, this is it. The colors simply defy description.

And even though Ruby Jean looks ready to go explore, there are very few camping days remaining. Of course, there’s always winter camping…

We spent an early fall weekend camping on the nearby coast of Maine.

With more than 3,478 miles of coastline, we always find something new when we visit. This trip we camped at Bradbury Mountain State Park and spent a long day hiking the Oven Mouth Preserves.

The fall color was just starting to hit in places so even a casual drive to the sample the local brew was full of interest.

The air is crisp, the leaves are turning, and the fires are lit. Get comfortable everyone, ’cause it’s time (once again!) to begin our Terror Fest cinematic countdown to Halloween!

This year we are focused on Giallo which means that (with a few notable exceptions) the majority of our selections are Italian films from the 1960s and 70s.

If there ever was a perfect time of year to be in New England, this is it!

Anytime we’re headed out West, a stop in St. Louis is required. Because we were here fairly recently, it felt (in some ways) like we had never left. I met up with old friends, stopped in at our favorite restaurants and museums, and caught up on work at Nebula. Is there anything St. Louis can’t do?

Today, Ruby Jean took me up. Higher than we had ever climbed before. The California Pass reaches 12,960 feet. And there just isn’t much up there.
Just silence. And beauty. In all directions.

Oh, and an old, abandoned mining town called Animas Forks. Now, that’s my kinda town!

This morning I awoke to find that the fall color was moving in. And quickly.

Many of the local mountain trails connect Ouray, Teluride, and Silverton, so if you’re in the area and you’re Jeepin’ around, you’ll most certainly end up visiting Silverton. Silverton is a former silver mining camp, most or all of which is now included in a federally designated National Historic Landmark District called the Silverton Historic District.

Here’s a nifty little video describing Silverton and the surrounding area:

Corkscrew Gulch was built in 1882-1883 — during the race to get wagon roads from Silverton and Ouray up to the silver mines that had been discovered on the Red Mountain Divide. For me and Ruby Jean, it’s a glorious journey to the top of the world — just in time for the fall color to arrive.