My Aunt Elaine operates the Golden Past Antiques store in Center Tuftonboro, New Hampshire. Her store is near the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee, adjacent to the towns of Wolfeboro and Alton and Laconia.
The leaves are changing colors. The roads from Troy to Bennington to Lebanon to Ossipee – the easiest way to get from Albany to Lake Winnipesaukee – are a rainbow of fall foliage.
You know what – this is a good time to go visit my aunt. And it never hurts to find some leaf-peeping foliage along the way.
Let’s Go, Cardachrome – next stop, one of the oldest resort towns in the United States.
On Sunday, I went to the Granite State. I specifically drove through the back roads, just so that I could do some “leaf peeping” and enjoy the day. It was great.
I arrived at the Golden Past Antiques store at about 1pm.
Lainey was there to greet me. And then I went back to the car. See, the leaf peeping was fantastic. But I had one more thing to get out of the car.
During times when my life was a complete trainwreck, I had family members like my Aunt Elaine and my Grandma Betty to offer support and comfort and care. So although visits like this are too infrequent, it’s nice to actually have these visits after all. So I needed to bring a gift, to show my aunt how much I appreciated the support and love she gave.
Flash back to Saturday night.
I stopped by the local A.C. Moore art supply store in Latham, purchased an off-the-rack 16×20 gold-trimmed frame, and asked the framing specialist on duty (Victoria) if she would be able to install my foam-boarded print of The Agfa Bridge Over Ansco Lake into the frame. With a smile, Victoria added the print into the frame, and used a special nail gun to insert rigid framer’s points into the back of the frame. She even wired the picture for hanging. That’s what I call customer service that goes the extra step.
I brought the framed print into the antiques store. Lainey was overjoyed with the gift, and she told me she would find some space in her house where the picture would be displayed with pride.
And as you can see, my aunt was very happy with the print.
It was good to see Lainey again, and I hope that during the offseason she purchases more antiques on her road trips through the southern and midwestern United States, so that the 2012 antiques season for her is one of the best in her store’s history.
And I hope she finds a good place for her nephew’s prize-winning photo.
Chuck The Writer 
Enjoyed the ride, the leaves and the company. The antiques store was great and I really could have stayed at least 3 days – or more! Thanks again.
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I love stores like this… I’ll check it out next time I drive in that direction.
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