♪♪ -Welcome to Windows to the Wild, I'm Willem Lange.

Today we take a walk with a dedicated group of men from Exeter, New Hampshire.

-We also realize that guys don’t get together as much as women do.

-They had time on their hands, and they found a way to spend it.

A fun way.

Then it's off to Laconia, where people put the former Laconia State School property to good use.

But first, we'll visit Mount Washington's Alpine Gardens.

That's where you'll meet two artists who set up their easels side by side to capture the seasons of northern New Hampshire's outdoors.

[traffic hums] ♪♪ [traffic hums] -When you sort of, crest the trees and you get up into the alpine zone and above treeline, there's just this incredible sense of awe.

♪♪ -Wooh!

-What are you going to be doing up here?

-So, we don’t get blown off, We're gonna hike out a little ways towards the alpine garden.

♪♪ -Today is Rebecca Fullerton and Jessica Fligg’s lucky day.

♪♪ -Mount Washington handed them a gift of clear blue sky.

The two artists are about six miles up the auto road on their way to the Alpine Gardens.

Now Becky, how do you pronounce the, Oh the cairns.

-Cairns yes.

-But before they begin the hike, Rebecca has a reminder.

-So the general protocol up here, since we're in the alpine zone, is to walk only on rocks wherever you're able to, and stay on the trail itself.

So it's a lot of these plants are rare, very sensitive to foot tread.

♪♪ -That drop right there?

[chuckles] That's incredible.

On the other side of that outcropping, it's it's amazing.

♪♪ -The two New Hampshire artists are on a year long journey.

Every month they go on an outdoor painting trip.

Their goal is to capture the four seasons of northern New Hampshire's outdoors.

They'll share the beauty of what they paint at an art exhibit in Bethlehem.

♪♪ -There's a nice big flat rock-- -Okay.

-Right here next to that next cairn.

-Okay.

-That might be good.

♪♪ -They find the location-- -Surely, to make a good day bad.

-Prepare their palettes.

♪♪ -I remembered to bring the world's oldest slide mount today.

-Awesome.

[both laugh] That’s epic-- -Yup.

My little-- [both laugh] I use it to, the side-- -And get to work, side by side.

-I mean, you could literally have, like, 20 artists set up in a-- In the same spot and every painting is going to be different.

And because we all glean something different from what we're looking at.

[wind blows] It's interesting, to, at the end of the day, see that view through another person's eyes.

♪♪ -Jessica began to paint early in life, inspired by her favorite teacher.

♪♪ -I started out really young with my great grandmother.

We used to draw all the time together, and I was probably like 4 or 5 when this all started, and, ♪♪ when my parents were visiting with my great grandmother, I would sit down and try to copy her drawings into my sketchbook.

♪♪ -The next step she made took her outdoors.

♪♪ -Oh my goodness!

I grew up in New Hampshire.

My parents growing up, we spent so much time in the White Mountains camping and hiking.

And, just the more outside time as a kid that I could get, the happier I was.

-I gre up going outside doing a lot of hiking and camping, mostly with my dad and my brother, and despite lots of horrendously rainy, [Rebecca laughs] sad, disappointing, trips and hikes and places where, you know, we were tired and hungry and want to go home, ♪♪ both my brother and I are very still very outdoorsy.

♪♪ I feel very connected to this place.

It’s because it's, it's in my mind all the time, it’s in my sight, all the time.

♪♪ -Those years outdoors certainly prepared Rebecca and Jessica for this 12 month project ♪♪ Still, to capture the four seasons on canvas, they plowed through snow, fought with black flies, and work in an environment that's always in motion.

♪♪ -It's very, very different painting than in the studio, where it's a really controlled environment.

I feel like I'm-- My painting is a lot looser.

I mean, you're kind of painting at speed, too, because you're trying to beat the sun, which is changing the light, changing the shadows.

You know?

There's these shadows in the crags over here that are in an hour or two could be gone, totally.

So you have to work really quickly to kind of lay out your design and get your composition down as fast as you possibly can.

♪♪ -For 12 months, this is Rebecca and Jessica’s studio.

♪♪ There are times, when they share space with folks passing by.

-Wow that’s gorgeous!

-Awe thank you.

-It’s better than my pictures.

[Jessica laughs] Oh, look at that!

-Whether on the trail or later at an exhibit, ♪♪ they look forward to making a connection with the people who view their art.

♪♪ They might say something about, well, I can really feel ♪♪ the, the temperature, or I can really feel the wind in this, or I know I've been to that spot and I, I can-- This really seems like what it feels like to be in that spot.

And when they can connect with the ♪♪ the feeling of the painting, that's when I, I, I know that I've really I got it, I captured it, I caught it.

I love-- And that's that's the best feeling.

That's absolutely the best feeling.

♪♪ -And that's why they're here.

Brush strokes become shared experiences.

♪♪ This really sort of tells the story of the seasons in the White Mountains, and our painter’s view of those seasons and yeah, I think it'll be really just beautiful and, ♪♪ really bring people into the experience of what we're doing.

-It captivates me so much that painting gives me the opportunity to actually take the time to study it and really absorb it, [wind blows] -Trying to be able to express to another person through paint.

This is what I found when I went outside.

♪♪ [wind blows] Spark some memory of an outdoor experience in them and I love that feeling, that connect, that just instant connection that they sometimes get when they see a painting.

♪♪ [wind blows] -But yeah it’s-- it's incredible the feeling that you get out here, ♪♪ you still get that childlike, ♪♪ awe of your surroundings when you get out into the-- I mean it doesn't have to be a, mountain peak to get that.

It can be a wooded trail that just looks magical when you get out there.

♪♪ [wind blows] -For some people, retirement is a time to slow down.

In Exeter, New Hampshire, there's a group of men who have a very different approach to taking it easy.

[gull calls] ♪♪ Every Friday morning-- -Morning.

-Men from around Exeter, New Hampshire get together at this Water Street cafe.

♪♪ [indistinct chatter] -You're running out of space here.

-Well, it happens.

It happens from time to time.

[indistinct chatter] Today’s a special day, so everyone is showing up.

-I’ve heard about them.

♪♪ -I see you on TV all the time.

-This is the bunch, eh?

And now it's time to meet them.

-We've got people who are artists, people who are musicians, people with PhDs.

Several guys went to the academy and some taught there and did other things there.

Scientists.

We've got a real variety of people here.

-What do you call the group?

Is there a name?

They're known around the seacoast area as the Exeter Men's Walking Group.

The cafe is a fueling station before they head out on the streets and local walking trails.

♪♪ -Within an hour-- Well, even less, maybe a half hour walking distance from where we are right now.

♪♪ There are so many beautiful natural sites, and historic sites that we're able to take advantage of without even getting in a car.

And maybe the best thing we do is get out of a car.

And we bump into interesting, nice people and, see some beautiful sights.

And the other thing is you-- We bump into a lot of nice people, usually a lot.

But there's one nice gentleman here who owns the local bookstore.

Dan Chartrand.

And what I see-- When we go by Dan will sometimes say, oh, I see the Senate is in session.

[Kevin chuckles] -Kevin and I started walking before we retired from teaching and, then it kind of just went from there.

Some guy said, hey, can I join you?

You know?

I said, oh yeah, okay.

♪♪ -First thing you know, you had a group, then you had to have t shirts.

-Well I tried to talk him, you know, into tattoos.

[both laugh] -Tattoos when you get over 70 don't look so good.

They get all wrinkly.

[Willem sighs] -Well, what was that originally right here or was it the kit come from your birthday?

-Actually my, my daughter gave me a shirt and everybody liked it and I said, we want shirts too so, Go and talk to her and said, let's get shirts for everybody.

-And the blue you can see forever.

-Absolutely.

-It's a really good.

♪♪ Alright.

♪♪ It’s a lovely walk along this town.

-A lot of times what we'll do is we'll find out where there’s construction going on in town, and we walk to the construction site and we tell people what they're doing right, and what they're doing wrong.

-They think we're from OSHA.

♪♪ ♪♪ [indistinct chatter] -They’re easy to spot around town.

They stick together sometimes in small groups, and they're willing to stop and say hi.

[indistinct chatter] [laughter] -Thank you!

-You’re welcome!

[inaudible] You too!

-You know the other nice thing too, we talk about bumping into people, for, For a lot of us, especially being teachers, we’ll bump into former students or colleagues and the other fellows will bump into neighbors they haven't seen for a while.

-Maybe it's like-- -These people are smiling at us here.

We look like celebrities!

♪♪ -With the war.

♪♪ -What did you teach?

-I taught music.

-No kidding!

-Band director.

-Served in the Air Force for five years and I flew, flew airplanes in Vietnam and all that stuff and then I got out and taught music.

-What’s your instrument?

-It was primarily trumpet when I was growing up and then French horn.

And I played piano, too, and I sang so-- -Yeah.

I was trumpet.

Cornet.

-Really-- -And then, and then when I got older, I bought a tuba.

-Oh, wow-- -I love it.

-A tuba!

-I used to go down on the leach field Sunday mornings.

I’d sit on a kitchen chair, and play, [Willem imitates tuba] [Willem imitates tuba] [laughter] I’d play Laura, Red Sails in the Sunset.

[laughter] [indiscernible] The first Sunday somebody called the cops.

[all laugh] Lost his mind over there.

Yeah, well after they saw what it was, they never bothered me again.

[chuckling] [Willem chuckles] Who’s this big guy?

[indiscernible] ♪♪ [Willem chuckles] Careers kept these guys busy for most of their lives.

Retirement brought them together.

When work ended, they had time and the desire to stay active and connected.

♪♪ [indistinct chatter] Getting together is just what you naturally do, right?

It’s it-- You gravitate.

-Yeah it’s-- -Well, yeah, It’s-- I think it's important.

I mean, one reason that Kevin and I started the group was, first of all, we liked to other and we wanted to walk outside and do that kind of thing.

But we also realized that guys don't get together as much as women do.

You know?

When women get older, they're always in their groups and going out for coffee.

-Oh yeah, book-- Book-- Book clubs.

-Yeah and book clubs and, and, and guys don't do that, you know?

And I said, hey, well let's, you know, and then it just kind of evolved.

People kept joining and said, yeah, this is great so-- -I like the diversity of it.

Many different, careers.

-Oh yes-- -From all the group.

-Yeah?

It's very interesting-- Yeah.

-Yeah.

-So you always strike up a good conversation.

♪♪ -What day do you normally hike?

-On Fridays.

-Friday, eh?

-Every Friday, and have for 20 years, and only one day did nobody walk, out of 20 years Somebody has walked every day for 20 years.

[Willem chuckles] -What happened that day?

It was pouring rain and we just said, meh.

[laughter] ♪♪ -We're like the Cal Ripkens of walking.

♪♪ [cheering] -My morning with these guys began as strangers, but it didn't take long to get to know them.

It's been fun.

And given our shared love of music, it seems right to end our walk together with an old classic.

♪♪ [singing in unison] ♪♪ Oh my darling, Clementine.

♪♪ ♪♪ You were lost and gone forever, ♪♪ ♪♪ Dreadful sorry, Clementine.

♪♪ If that doesn’t get us the record nothing will.

-Alright.

[applause] -The Laconia State School opened in 1903 and closed almost 90 years later.

The 200 acre property is being considered for development, but, some of that land is put aside for folks who like to take a stroll in the outdoors.

♪♪ The Laconia State School has worn many hats in its 120 year history.

What began as a facility to segregate the disabled and later punish the disobedient slowly became a place of recreation, history and mystery for the people of Laconia.

♪♪ 12 acres of walking paths provide visitors with a front row seat to a hidden history and the slow, unrelenting power of nature taking back what is hers.

♪♪ Now, as the wheel of progress turns with the sale of the property to a developer, the days of the controversial and beloved campus are numbered.

♪♪ Saint Anselm’s Student Lily Lescarbeau aims to preserve this place’s history by making it the centerpiece of her senior thesis.

-I love this property.

I cannot stress how, like at peace I feel just walking this property.

It's-- It's gorgeous.

I stop all the time to take photos of the mountains, of the flowers and stuff like that, and I just, have felt this intense connection to the property that I can't really describe.

But it's just something that really has drawn me in and I knew I had to learn the history and like, share.

In 1901, the Federation of Women's Clubs petitioned the state because it was believed that there needed to be a school for children that could keep them away from the rest of the population.

And then in 1903, that was this-- This property was purchased and children moved in.

The first dorm building on the campus is Floyd, which is right back there, and that housed men.

And then its sister building, which no longer exists on the property, McLane housed the women as like the decade started going through, more buildings were built.

At one point there were over 1000 acres to the property.

I know there's around 200 these days it got very overcrowded.

The conditions were not good for a while, but as new superintendents came in, they were able to enact change that allowed the students to have more freedom.

-I was here in the late 70s and the early 80s.

I moved up to the Laconia area because I was doing musical therapy at the-- At the state school, and, it was a great job, and I really enjoyed it.

And, you know, I mean, as I was mentioning to you, some of the people probably didn't really belong here, but this is where they wound up, and some did and they got good care here.

I have to have to say.

Least it was my observation that they did.

-In the 1970s, there was a class action lawsuit, called Garrity V. Gallen that alleged abuse by the staff, which eventually caused the property to close.

But right after that, they decided to have a women's prison on the property so I think after that it slowly started shifting into something that was more recreational and more abandoned.

Most people come up here to walk their dogs, hang out with their friends.

They go over to Ahern, the state park right next door, and stuff like that.

-I come here to walk my therapy dog, Rhubarb.

You know, it's just a good place to walk.

I mean, there's a lot of vibes here when you when you come here, but if you know what I mean when I say that, it's just like memories.

-The property stopped being in use in 2009 when it stopped being a prison, and then most of the buildings were no longer in use after that.

But there were still a few, like Spaulding held a multi-offender drunk driving program.

Dwinell which is behind us, currently houses New Hampshire 911 and Lakes Region Mutual Fire Aid.

-So we currently have the Lakes Region Mutual Fire Aid there on that property, which we're having a new building constructed for them.

I was actually on the, committee in the state House that helped push that through so they could have a new building.

So that's one way the property is being used right now.

Another one is just people walk around exploring.

-There's a few different graffitis on some of the buildings that talk about like, don't destroy the property, the residents suffered here so we shouldn't-- We should remember what's going on here.

Until I believe the 1950s New Hampshire had laws on the books that allowed for sterilizations, and I know on record there were over 400 forced sterilizations here.

Would have been in Murphy, which is the infirmary building.

I think it's important to recognize that New Hampshire did do these things, and how we've progressed as a state to not do these things anymore, and I want to make sure I have a lasting contribution to what our Laconia archives have.

I just don't want the history forgotten.

That's my big thing.

♪♪ -Just a few weeks after our tour with Lily, the Spaulding Building burned to the ground.

The State Fire Marshal's Office deemed the fire suspicious and is investigating the cause.

♪♪ Thanks for joining us today.

I'm Willem Lange.

We're going to leave you with some sights and sounds from New Hampshire's outdoors.

[birds chirping] ♪♪ [birds chirping] ♪♪ [raindrops trickle] ♪♪ [water trickles] ♪♪ [birds singing] ♪♪ Support for the production of Windows to the Wild is provided by, the Alice J. Reen Charitable Trust, the John D. McGonagle Foundation, the Bailey Charitable Foundation, Road Scholar, and viewers like you.

Thank you!

-Make a gift to the wild, and support the Willem Lange Endowment Fund, established by a friend of New Hampshire PBS.

to learn how you can keep environmental, nature and outdoor programing possible for years to come, Call our delevopment team at (603) 868-4467.

Thank you.

♪♪ ♪♪