Bear Island
 

The member name is an innocuous reference to the island on which my parents purchased a cottage in the late 1970's. I have spent at least a portion of every summer of my life on the island, including many years where the only reason we (siblings and teacher mother) left the island was for grocery and laundry trips to town. I'm a big proponent of St. John's, having the pleasure of having both my baptism and wedding ceremony in this summer chapel.

My avatar is a tribute to my 9-to-5, which now limits my visits to the beloved Lake to mostly weekends. It's the I.T. support guy from Dilbert.

No brainer... my name is Cal. Like some other here I am hopelessly trapped in Jersey. My avatar is my boat sitting still. Been coming to the lake 1953 to 1965. Had a dry spell for a while , then again thru the seventys. Missed the early and mid eightys then started back in the late eightys. My last trip in 2005 ended with trailer problems 100 miles from home and 300 miles from the lake:( . After temporary repairs we made it home. Missed last year but hope to get there this year:cool:

Oh BTW it usually rains when I come up there:emb:

The screen name BBS is simply the initials of me and my wife - not very creative I must admit.

I came to the Lake in 1970 to attend Belknap College in Center Harbor, then stayed on to work at the Brickyard Mountain Inn (now Akwa Soleil) and at the Manor French Restaurant that was part of the Inn. I loved living here but decided to move back to MA when I found a position in my field (Meteorology). Good thing too since that's where I met my wife (BBS2). We lived in exile until we decided to look for a bigger lake to sail our boat and, of course, Winni came to mind. We've owned a small place in Gilford for the past three years and spend as much time as we can there - someday permanently, we hope.

What's in a name
 

Winnilakegirl is my "call name" for posting to this forum.I am a NH native. I grew up spending my summers on Lake Winnipesaukee(and winters around the lake)---all over it from one end to the other. My family has had a boat in many of the marinas from West Alton all the way to Weirs (Family member runs one of the Weirs one). Presently I now have a boat in Wolfeboro. I have the lake's water in my blood so that is where I get my name. Can't wait for warm weather to get on and in the water.

Winnilakegirl

No More Lurking
 

The details of my life are quite inconsequential...

My wife and I live on Long Island, New York. Started coming up to NH in the 70's - a good friend of the family had a place on Cow Island. Spent 2 weeks a year in paradise there and went to Camp Belknap for 5 years.

Our friends sold the place a few years ago and we were heartsick. This Fall, we stumbled upon our own piece of paradise via the Internet (Island Real Estate) and jumped at it. We're on the south end of Rattlesnake with a view towards Wolfboro.

This will be our first summer at our own camp! :cool: Lots of work ahead but this forum has been a great source of information. Thanks to all!

Mr C's
 

Ahhhh, Mr C's. The owner is a great guy, lots of fun. Mr C's was established during a time when not alot was going on at the forum so we thought we'd bring some people into our world. Oh yes, it did exist as you can see from the picture and was a great place to socialize and just relax (and drink alot).
Oh, and GTO....Just my initials. I wish I could afford the old classic but, I bought a boat instead. (so I can go visit Gato nero on Black Cat.

Parrot Head!
 

Kind of fiqured that name meant a Buffett fan and the bottom line of the posts gives it away.

"they say there's a woman to blame!"

My screen name "IrishEyes" simply refers to my heritage. My grandfather bought a summer camp on Lake Waukewan in 1950, and I was fortunate enough to spend all my summers here in the Lakes Region. The camp is still in the family, however, I became a year-round resident of Meredith 4 years ago - another transplant from Mass. I got tired of corporate life and commuting for hours in endless traffic.

It's been a pleasure reading all of your posts in the forum. My personal favorite was the thread where everyone talked about their memories of coming to the lake, etc. Seems we all have one thing in common - our love for the Lakes Region.

Lots of Jerseyites
 

First off the avatar is what I am an old "deadhead" Grateful Dead that is. It doesn't match my politics and life style now, but I did attend 28 of their concerts into my mid 30's.

I was born in '54 in Central New Jersey for the first 8 years our family would join all my aunts, uncles, and cousins for either July or August (we rotated with my grandfather's brother's family) at the family cottage called Pineedles. That's the story of my forum name.

When my parents bought the house next door to Pineedles I was able to stay all summer! This continued until I had to enter the working world at which time my parents sold the place and Pineedles became our summer place again.

Pineedles has been in our family since 1892, and the way things look we'll be there for another 115 years.

Hi CSUHocky, I know your folks and went flying with your dad. Nice idea for a thread. I've owned at the lake for 17 years now. As of three years ago we moved up full time and it's everything we expected and more. My screen name says it all. My avitar is a fall scene around the intersection of 25B and rt 3.

fun thread - thank you csuhockey3
 

My Lake experience started in 1958 when at the age of two my family stayed at Camp Iroquois in Moultonborough right on the beach in a big WWII Army surplus canvas tent. My only recollection of that summer was the pouring rain and my older siblings telling me not to touch the canvas or it would leak! But, I was hooked and have been back at the Lake every year since.

My screen name is pretty straightforward and I got a kick out of the acronym too (and also makes my kids the PIGlets)! In 1998 the camp next door to my parents on Pine Island came up for sale and I pounced on it and have loved every aspect of island living. Late March 2002 I introduced my new honey to the lake, venturing out in the 14’ Alumacraft through the soft ice. After what she described as her version of the Titanic, she has fallen in love with “lake living” (and me), and we tied the knot last year!

We’ve got two webcams (listed on winnipesaukee.com > lake links), and when I’ve got more time I’d like to enhance the page and information. So if you have ideas/likes/dislikes please forward them to me.

Fellow forum member “Misty Blue”, “Geo”, and I have been life-long friends and lake brothers, and are now occasional brewing buddies. My avatar is a label (with photo from our deck) of a recently brewed “Pine Island Brown Ale”.

Wave to the webcam as you pass light buoy #4 or as the label says “Stop by for a brew or a few”!

Least creative forum handle ever. And it's my first name, not my last.

My grandfather (and some of his brothers), from Haverhill, went to camp at Wyanoke in the 1910s and fell in love with the place. Fast-forward to 1945, and he and his wife bought a place in Tuftonboro. My dad grew up in that house, and spends about five months a year in it now. My mom also vacationed on the Lake a few times when she was young. I was born in 1961, and have been coming to the same place ever since. It's essentially been the most consistent "home" in my 46 years. I spent summers there, and also went to Camp Belknap in Wolfeboro. My two boys both have gone there as well (one still does) and my twin daughters will be CITs at Huckins on Ossipee this year. My wife was smitten with the place after her first visit, and we've done a good job of passing along the bug. It's really not hard.

I love the Lake in all seasons, and really enjoy hiking the White, Sandwich, and Ossipee Mountains, fishing for anything, boating, taking in sunsets from Abenaki Tower and, as the avatar illustrates, pursuing my obsession with SCUBA.

T-minus nine days 'til the opening Winnipesaukee dive of the season. And the opening of my annual Fishing for -- But Not Catching -- Salmon Season.

Better be careful here.... I am sure I am not the only beer lover here, so make sure the production is up to speed this summer..... nothing worse then dissapointed beer drinkers when they find out there long awaited tasting is cut short by lack of supply......:laugh:

Mink Islander
 

Yep, have a place on Mink Island looking north between Bear and Jolly.

My wife's family has owned two camps on Bear Island since the 1940's. The grandparents were very involved with the island chapel, St. John's on the Lake, including arranging for the various summer guest ministers for many many summers.

When my wife and I moved up to the Boston area in the early 80's, we soon owned a boat and shared the family place on weekends. In 1995 we saw a place on Mink Island for sale during a home leave from an overseas work assignment. It took two days (all en route back to Buenos Aires) to arm-twist the wife to buy it after a only half hour walk-around of the property. With an unobstructed view of Mt. Washington, permanent dock and nice sandy beach area, what more do you need to know? Tore down the old kit house on the site in 1999 and rebuilt a modest post and beam lake house. Best decision we ever made.

The wife and kids (twin boy/girl 12 year olds), summer nearly full time on the island. There are now several families with young children at neighboring camps too so life is as it should be with the kids free to roam and play together.

On weekends, if you're up early, you usually see me in my Whaler Montauk trolling in the area -- often off the west side of Timber and Mark Islands. Still hoping to catch Walter....Our favorite summer outing is a boat trip to Wolfeboro to food shop and have breakfast at the Strawberry Patch.

In the winter, I'm the guy hiking out from Cattle Landing 2 miles over the ice with dog (and sometimes the rest of the family) to do some ice fishing and otherwise enjoy the quiet.

We dive a little in the lake -- though the kids find it boring unless we're treasure hunting over at Shep Brown's while we recover lost gas caps and pump out connectors.

Just got back from two weeks in Hawaii on the Big Island and left thinking, hmmm, this might be a great place to retire. We could then own a summer house with breathtaking views of the White Mountains in NH AND own a second home looking at Mauna Kea (Hawaiian for White Mountain), the tallest mountain in the world measured from the sea floor....They claim you can occasionally ski on Mauna Kea too! Pass me another mai tai.....

cool idea interesting replies
 

Well its kinda simple
OFD232 is Originally from Dorchester (part of Boston MA) and 232 was my badge number for the last 16 of years of my 30 year police career. I've been at the lake every summer for 50 years now and hope to do another fifty there. Let the summer begin:D :D :D

Meet and Greet
 

What a terrific idea! Alas, I am one of those Forum members who reads, but rarely posts threads.

My parents purchased land in Moultonboro in the early 1950s and subsequently built our cottage; we were the only cottage on the entire shoreline, running from Bryant's Point all the way down to Raoul's Cove. We spent every summer at the lake, my father driving up on weekends from Connecticut, and spending the month of August with us (my mother, brother, myself)

We had no electricity, no running water, no telephone, no TV, and went to bed as soon as it became dark. Spent lots of evenings singing and playing cards: Hearts and Canasta. One of our favorite songs was "Redwing" which had, in part, the following verse: ..."Oh the moon shines tonight on pretty Red Wing, the breeze is sighing, the night birds crying...", and my Mother announced that henceforth our cozy little cottage would be named "Redwing".

Over the couse of those early years, friends of my parents would visit us at the lake. One by one, they (a total of six families) purchased properties on our shoreline; 4 of us still remain, the other 2 sold. Our parents were close friends, we second generation of children are good friends, and our children have all grown up on the lake as good friends, representing the 3rd generation! Our property cost $1200 for the first 100 feet of shoreline we purchased in 1952; my parents purchased the second, immediately adjacent 100 feet of shoreline property in 1956 for $1500 dollars. People thought my parents were crazy to spend that much money on what they dubbed as "worthless property."

I spent all summer, every summer, at the lake until I reached the age of 21, graduated from college, and got a "real job." Worked summers at the Old Country Store in Moultonboro, among other places, when I turned 16. Great memories!

We have own at the lake for 25 years even though we have lived in four states. Currently in Phoenix but will be up this weekend. there is a sign at the Tamerack that states it all" Lake Winny one flight below heaven". By the way we feel we have achieved a great balance winter in Arizona summer in NH

"Fatlazyless" was already taken
 

My handle "JTA" is my initials. I've been coming to the lake since 1968 when my brother bought our small lot on Cow Island. We built our place there by bringing all of the materials over on a 16' old Starcraft boat.

On the Cow Island Forum I am sometimes known as General JTA or Retired General JTA. This is a result of our "attempt" to organize the Cow Island Militia in order to secede from the town of Tuftonboro (kind of a taxation without representation issue). I was the only one with military experience (Army Reserve) so I became the Commander in Chief. It was a great ride and I was able to give myself several promotions. Now I'm having a tough time collecting my pension (let alone paying my taxes).

I really enjoy the Forum and usually check in daily.

Getting to know you, Getting to know all about you.. (Sing Along!)
 

Name is easy… first name and last name initial. Avatar changes often and reflects the seasons and/or my hobby's (Addictions?)

My first visit to the lake was the summer of 69. Three friends and I dragged a rented popup tent trailer to Gunstock to celebrate our high school graduation (I'm a Saugus, MA Sachem) with my 1962 Ford Galaxy 500. We drank way too much beer and stayed up way too late. :eek: We sat through the drawing of the first draft lottery for the Vietnam War on a transistor radio around a campfire. Two drew low numbers, and ended up signing up to avoid the draft. (Both survived.. one wounded) I drew 317, and wasn't going. We did manage to go to the Weirs to see the Beach Boys at the Weirs Pavilion. That's where I met my first wife, she and her family had a place in Lake Shore Park. We married in 1971, and sadly passed away in 1973.

In 1975, I was lucky enough to meet my next great love. We married in 1976. Dianne and I managed to buy a "trailer" in LSP for $800 just as LSP was going from Renting, to Owning. Now we had a "place at the lake". In 1986 we moved from Saugus to Gilford, thinking we can sell the place at LSP. Well, we didn't sell and now our "summer place" is 6 miles from our "home".

Gilford was a great place to raise our 3 kids. Small town, safe and full of fun things to do.

We have been in Gilford for 21 years this June… and it has been great.

Love this forum… lot's of very nice people!

SteveA

What a delightful thread. I have so enjoyed meeting all of you! I've never posted, but everyday I "visit" my beloved NH!
My name comes from the fact that my heart truly belongs to Lake Winnipesaukee. If I could figure out how to post an avatar, it would be the lakeside elevation of our home. It is afterall, my screen saver and my letterhead!
I was raised in CT and as a child my parents rented a place on Dan Hole Pond once or twice. I moved to Florida in the eighth grade and NE promptly fell off the radar. Fast forward 25 years... in 2001 I came to visit a Florida girlfriend at her Lake Winnipesaukee summer home. Well that's all she wrote... I reunited with my tribe! I was instantly and hopelessly in love. And miraclulously a home was available for sale 3 doors away from my girlfriend. The only fly in the ointment was my convincing my husband back in Florida that he needed to buy a 100 year old run down fishing camp in a state he'd never been to! Well it must have been meant to be, because he flew up ( I'm certain it was just to placate me) and he too fell in love with NH, Lake Winnipesaukee and a weary, ramshackle, fishing camp on Wingate Cove.
We bought the house on 9-10-01 and flew home from Logan the day before our collective innocence was lost. After we finally found a contractor that didn't suggest we raze the place, we spent the winter, spring and summer of 2002 in renovations. 2007 will be my 7th summer on Winnipesaukee. My husband, two teenage sons and I leave FL the day after school gets out and stay until 3 days before school starts. We drive 28 hours in 2 days just to get to NH as quickly as possible, and to stay as long as we can.I feel blessed beyond description to be able to spend our summers on the lake. My children are afforded a genuine small town experience, and my husband is able to escape the pressures of running his business.We come up one weekend in the fall and for Thanksgiving. I spend the rest of the time pining away for paradise!
My husband and I will be up in 29 days for 6 days to open the house, and in 62 months my youngest will graduate high school and I will be able to call NH home! (But who's keeping track!)

Love this...
 

....I may not meet many of you, but I almost feel like I have after skimming through this thread.

Maiden Cove is the closest map point to my little piece of heaven on the Winni. Like some of you, I too have been here all my life, well at least in summer. My real name is Kelly.
My folks had a trailer in a small park near the Weirs - a wedding present from my mother's folks. I'm adopted and my parents received custody of me at 3 days old and brought me straight to the lake rather than to my home in Manchester, NH. I've had a very deep and spiritual connection ever since. :D
She still summers there at 77 and I have a trailer across the lot from her. A little too close sometimes, but when she's gone, I'll appreciate the time we had. I've only missed summers here to serve in the Army and to finish college in Arizona. Even then I tried to get a little time back in the Granite State.
While my little trailer pales in comparison to a McMansion, I feel just as much a queen here as any of the over-indebted land owner we may see on the bankruptcy pages of the paper in years to come. I don't mind having a small space...more for the birds, fish and other wild life that were here long before us and they need as much as I can spare.
I have a Sea Doo Jet Ski that I use to explore all the amazing nooks and crannies of the lake. I love to snorkel, I like to fish but my lack of patience doesn't yield much - thus my pic is of one of the bigger one's I've ever reeled in. :emb:
I love exploring, hiking, bird watching and sports of all kinds. I fancy myself a beer connoisseur and love beer tastings:cheers: . I have a Harley, but rarely ride it during Bike Week. I love meeting new people, I'm an unashamed karaoke star and I am a new Nascar fan after meeting Carl Edwards in Concord 2 years ago. Having lived in Arizona for 5 years, I very much appreciate the 4 season...even the cold one and the rain can sometimes make me smile.:)
My dream retirement is a nice simple lake property for the summers and a 40 foot travel trailer for all the rest of the calendar year so I can see what other people love about where they live/recreate....I'm just one Powerball ticket away!

This thread provides a whole new perspective on contributors to the forum
 

Really, NJ isn't THAT bad. It's just when we start heading for the lake, I do feel like we escaped! And when I needed a name for the forum, it just came to me because reading the forum helps me to "escape".

Having had just a few years of time at Lake Winnipesaukee, it is fasinating to hear all of your histories. Here's mine.... My parents had a cottage on a small lake in Ohio (Atwood Lake) and I got the "lake bug" from spending every summer weekend there over my entire childhood....no TV, no phone, no dishwasher and six kids in a small two bedroom cottage my dad bought in 1956 for $5000. He installed a bathroom and got rid of the outhouse before I was old enough to remember!

When I first brought my husband to visit my parents' cottage, I must have spoken about it with such pride and happiness that he was somewhat shocked at how tiny and modest it was. Even though by then I was in my late 30's, I never noticed how small it was until he pointed it out.

To anyone who managed to buy a place before their family was grown, I salute your brilliance. There is nothing better to install family values and closeness. In retrospect, I wish I had raised my kids in a tiny house and bought our cottage while they were still young.

Owning a cottage on a lake was always a goal of mine but it took over twenty years to save enough. We started looking for our dream about 7 years ago. My husband had spent two days at Winnepesaukee about 10 years ago and kept telling me I had to see it before we bought somewhere else. I insisted it was way too far away and resisted going to see it for years. Finally, he planned a weekend and "unfairly" put together the most romantic weekend at Church Landing that he could. I never told him this, but he could have saved a bundle and we could have just pitched a tent cause I was "sold" the moment we drove into Meredith when I saw the lake.

We looked for two years and in 2005, found our dream cottage on Little Bear Island. We both feel it's better than anything we ever dreamed it could be.

Thanks to all the contributors to the forum for making our adjustment easy and quick and allowing me to "escape" November to April.

What's in my name
 

My screen name is actually two words Kuna and Mola. It comes from my interest in the Kuna Indians of the San Blas Islands off the coast of Panama and their elaborate appliqued blouses called "molas" in their language. I have a large collection, most from the years I lived there with my Air Force husband in the early 90s.

I have been coming to Lake Winnipesaukee since I was a newborn in June 1957. My first trip up was in the back seat of the car nestled in a dresser drawer. In 1941 my dad's first wife bought a piece of property on Melvin Bay (he was serving at Pearl Harbor). In 1947 dad designed a "contemporary" cottage with a great room, contemporary by 1947 New England standards, and had it built in quickly so his wife could spend her last few months living on the lake (she had terminal cancer). Dad was a proud Tennessean but he certainly loved Lake Winnipesaukee. In 1952 dad married mom and they came to the cottage at Merrymount most every summer after. For many years it was truly a labor of love to get there before interstates and being southerners it was a long drive. I came along in '57, my sister in '64 and we have also spent some of every summer of our lives at the lake. In the 1970's I was a camp counselor at Camp Menotomy on Meredith Neck. Those camp days were extra special summer experiences. My kids, born in '86 and '92 also love to live at the lake. They feel about their summer camp days at YMCA Camp Belknap the same as I do about Menotomy. As a teacher I am lucky that we can spend most of our summer there. I am pleased to be part of Merrymount on Melvin Bay because our community is still all original camp houses without anyone tearing one down to build a McMansion. I worry about how many of us can pay our high property taxes and care for the camp style homes and life we cherish at the lake without having to sell to those who desire a more lavish lifestyle. I would love to be wealthy enough to buy Farm Island and build a small "green" family camp community there while giving rights to Camp Belknap to maintain their view and the LRCT to allow small boats to visit the island. I play the lottery for this dream!

While this isn't my first post....I'm thrilled that "csuhockey3" started this thread. The name "Hermit Cover" comes from an ancient fifth century B.C. Roman scroll found buried in a crypt just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati ...on the Kentucky side....:laugh:

Actually, Hermit Cove is that peaceful spot just off Braun Bay behind Glines Island and a right turn just before JoJo's Country Store on Moultonboro Neck. Mrs. Hermit Cover and I will begin construction on our little piece of paradise this summer.

She's a UCLA girl and I bleed Kentucky Wildcat Blue....we met in Northern Virginia where our careers took us, we married in 1971 and started our family there....on our first vacation after our wedding day we made a wrong turn on the way to Maine and ended up in the Lakes Region of NH and decided this would be a great place to vacation as the family grew....it did and we did.....Squam Lake and Winnipesaukee.....Squam they say is like a library....Winnipesaukee like Disneyland....Winnipesaukee won. We'll retire here and the 4 kids and 6 grandchildren will once again vacation as they did from their birth.....you know what they say...if you build it ----they will come.


Csuhockey3...THANKS for this great idea.....perhaps someday you'll fish with us....your Mom says you know where the smallies are.... better than most of the "guides"..

What a great website this is.......there can not be any better. The Forum Fests are a great opportunity to put faces with names...we look forward to the next!! See you all there.

Summer Breeze
 

We are from Burlington Ma. We started to come to NH when my brother in law bought a summer place near lake wentworth around 1985. He talked me into renting jet skis from "wing's jet ski rentals" in Wolfeboro. I fell over the front of it and split my chin wide open. Went to Huggins Hospital for stitches and have been hooked on Wini ever since. We bought a place near Pendleton beach about 5 years ago. LOVE IT. The Summer Breeze is our Sea Ray Sundancer. I tell you all to "Wave 'cuz I'll be waving back" because I've found that the most friendly people in the world are BOATERS. We love the forum ; it keeps us up to date with all the lake news. See you on the water!

The breeze,
Walter & Franca:)

in the blood
 

My name comes from the fact that I spend a lot of time flying to NH! My great Aunt and Uncle bought their place in the mid 50's. They never had childred so my sister and I spent our summers on the lake. College years took me to the West coast. Married here, career took off, raised my family. Brought my children back to the Lake in the 80's to meet my Aunt and Uncle. They passed on, left their place to my parents, who ended up selling it in the early 90's cuz they couldn't afford it. For the last five years I've been visiting NH and "testing" the water. Finally made the plunge and bought my "piece of heaven" at the end of 2005. So now I am counting down the time until I can retire there for the summers. Until then I have to settle for my four weeks of vacation each year there. My sister is still in CT and they can also enjoy the place with their family. One thing for sure I wish my kids could have had the same experience, but that was not ment to be....but then there are the grandchildren!

Mine should be fairly obvious. From the lake where most of you get your water after we're done using it. :D

Started as an infant sleeping in a towel covered box on a sandy beach on Newfound Lake. Mom & Dad took us to the lakes every summer for vacation. We soon moved on to Squam where we stayed for many happy years, renting with our childhood friends and next door neighbors. Soon came one of those fortunes lost stories. The place we rented for many years, with lots of land and 200'+ frontage on Squam was offered to M&D. With 3 children (soon to be a 4th), after much debate, they decided they couldn't afford it. If they only knew...

But, the seed had been planted. 8-10 years later, they bought a lot on Merrymeeting and they've been there since. I spent 5 summers in my teens working and living at Bald Peak Colony Club in Melvin Village.

Almost 10 years ago, my wife and I were lucky enough to stumble on a place on Merrymeeting that we liked and were able to purchase ourselves. The lake now serves as the base for almost weekly extended family reunions and parties, along with a growing number of close friends.

There's no place I'd rather be...and I love this merry meeting place.

astonished to see 2229 registered members! What’s more shocking is how many of these nice folks have never contributed to the forum. So I’m going to start a meet-n-greet of sorts.

HI! I haven't posted in a while because I couldn't figure out how to do it! I would log in, it would thank me for logging in, and then say I wasn't logged in... and around, and around. Somehow it let me do it this time.
Anyway, my name is Jane. duh. I am a frequent visitor to the lake and have been coming up here for decades. Lots of memories, lots of changes in my life.....but the lake and the mountains are still here. I still feel the magic, peace and strength that this area exudes and I always go back home to Ct. feeling renewed and uplifted. Yes......I would love to live here year round. Maybe some day.

:)

Avitars and Winni History
 

My avitar is a Newfie puppy (Brady for you Patriot fans) that I own, he is grown up now and really mellow. I grew up in Northern NJ, played ball with the Tuna and went to college in the Finger Lakes. After college I chased the better job all over North America ,lived in 10 places, one of which was Gilford. When I was able to pick where to live, my family choose Gilford. And here we are again, I really enjoy the quality of life on the lake. I could and have lived all over the US. Being Newfie like, I do dive in and spash arround to rescue things which appear to endanger the quality of life on the lake.:rolleye1: Ah yes vrrooom.....is my tag on my Mugello M car as we all know "the difference between men and boys is........................"

SteveA - I grew up in Saugus as well (although I was a few years behind you in graduating!) Most of my neighbors here are from the North Shore as well - it's a small world (and becoming smaller with everyone moving north!)

I had a well-rounded childhood living in the suburbs during the winter and visiting my mother's parents and family every weekend in Boston; then spending the summers on Lake Waukewan with my father's parents and extended family.

Living on the lake truly becomes a part of who you are. Our summer camp (and it is still a camp - which my mother reminds us often when we might gripe about something old - that's "it's CAMP") was and still is a great way to spend time with our family. When we were young, camp was a place to get away. There was no TV, so we played a lot of games and cards and I distinctly remember playing Pokeno with my grandmother for pennies. Since we didn't have TV, video games, cell phones, etc., we (my sisters, neighbors and I) used our imaginations to entertain ourselves. This sometimes led to being chased all the way back to our cottage by the local sherriff (at night) because we were laughing too loud at a nearby campground. Those were the days...............

It's great living here year-round although at times, I do miss the city. The nice thing is that I can go to Boston for a day or two for my fix and then return to Paradise.

As I read all of your stories and experiences, I realize how similar they are in sentiment and experience. It's a pleasure getting to know you all..............keep the stories coming.

Have a great day!

What's With Us Jerseyites?
 

. . . interesting to see how many Forum members originate from the Garden State. I left when I was 18 and have never been back! My Member name is a convoluted derivation of my last name that some jerk from high school gave me (and then sent a postcard to me at college where the nickname continued).

After spending 16 summers at my uncle's boys camp on Squam, the Lakes Region and White Mountains run in my blood. Not finding a meaningful professional career in NH, I had to settle for the occasional weekly summer house rental. Unable to afford anything on Squam, my wife and I purchased a home in Meredtih in 1999. With a little luck, we will be calling Meredith home by this time next year.

Beleive-it-or-not, with the exception of weekends in July and August, I actually like Winni better than Squam!

Simple shortcut to Linda. My mom's family bought a cottage around 1930 along the shore path at Weirs Beach. (My Aunt and Uncle for many years managed the Mt. Washington snack/store on the Weirs walkway. My Aunt's Uncle was Bryan Avery so we got many a ride on the Mount back in those early years.) Later they purchased a camp and 8 acres off of Shakerjerry Rd in Moultonborough near Little Ganzy. I and all my siblings learned to swim and boat at the lake. A family squabble ended up with the place being sold and my great aunt who had bought it for the family was left crying and very upset. My dad never got over it. We would camp at Iriquois and Arcadia for many years. When I married and had children we rented a cottage for a few years at Buzzel Cove. We would have mom and dad up and they then decided to buy a small place on the lake in Moultonborough. Unfortunately Dad passed away two years after the purchase but he was so proud of his NH property. We go up there as many times as we can get away from our jobs. I do believe I've only missed one year at the lake since 1952. When younger even my 4H club would hike the Presidentials and stay at the Allen A. We love NH and plan on moving there on retirement.

Great Stories
 

I have to say that I love reading about some of your histories. They are all so interesting.


Mine association with Winni is as follows:

As far back as I can remember my parents brought us to the lake. I remember staying at the Nasua as a young kid.

My father gave my mother a great Mother's Day gift one year when I was 10. It was a cottage in an association known as Orton Shores in Moultonboro. I grew up spending summers and making friends in the association. My brother and I both did stints driving the water-ski boat for Deepwood Lodges Cottages.

My parents were fortunate enough to sell high and buy low in 1988 when they purchased our waterfront home over in Senter Cove near Kona across from Windward Harbor. I spent a summer as a Deckhand on the "Doris E." I convinced my then girlfriend now wife to spend the summer with our family and work at the lake. So many good times as a family at that house. My sister was married at the Center Harbor Church with a reception at Red Hill Inn. That is my last memory of that house as my parents sold it in 2002.

Bad News turned into good news as my wife and I took it upon ourselves to keep the lake tradition alive. We acted on a dream to own our own piece of heaven. We searched and searched and were so fortunate to find a camp on Cow Island. We had no idea what we had gotten ourselves into. We landed on the best spot with the best neighbors and have had the best times we've ever had at the lake. Living on an island has given me a whole new respect and appreciation for the lake. We really miss the lake during the off season.

Now we continue the tradition for a whole new generation as our twins (3 1/2 year old boys) and new baby (1 week old girl) are being raised with summers on the Island.

The avitar is self explanatory and the name Hazelnut.... Hazel is my last name. I am the administrator of www.cowislandnh.com and the chat forum that we have. It is a great resource for those of us on Cow Island to share info and communicate. We have all forged great personal friendships through our website. Quite a few post here as well. JTA is my neighbor and he is a Yankee's fan boooooooooooooooooooooo! I forgive him though, especially when we sweep them ;)

Dog's Ear is the name of our camp on Whortleberry Island. If you look at a map you will see that the island is in the shape of a dog. You guessed it, our camp is right on the Dog's Ear. Although I was raised in CT, my Mom grew up in Laconia and my Dad in Alton Bay. I have been coming up here all my life. When I met my husband who grew up in Michigan I introduced him to the lake and he also fell in love with it. We always vacationed here when the kids were young and they also love it. Unfortunately, we were not able to purchase our camp until the kids were grown, but now we have three young grandchildren that will be enjoying it with us. This will be the first year we will be spending the whole summer on the island and we are really looking forward to it.....My favorite spot in the world! As a side note, my paternal grandfather had the opportunity to buy Governor's Island for $5,000. which back then was a lot of money. He has been gone a long time now but used to laugh and say "who the heck would spend that kind of money for an island with no bridge?" hmmmm.......

The avatar is a picture taken from Dog's Ear

Hello - Webmaster!!!!!
 

Webmaster - how bout you? I'm sure lot's of people are wondering like myself.:confused:

This a GREAT thread!!
 

OK, I'll take a turn-
Screen name is easy, I'm Kathy and I just LOVE New Hampshire in general- especially the Lakes Region, specifically Moultonborough! :D
We also frequent the mountains area when we can - North Conway, Jackson & Mt.Washington Hotel area in the winter, and Franconia / Sugar Hill area for summer day trips.
I fell in love with the Lake not long after falling in love with my husband of 8 years now. When we first met (10 yrs ago), he introduced me to Lake -his parents own a cottage in Moultonborough with a gorgeous beach that has just a magnificent view! We spend as much time up there as we can, long weekends April - Oct, July 4 weekend (a must!) and a full week in July/Aug.
My Avatar is a picture of the cottage.
Hopefully someday, somehow we can be there fulltime....
But in the meantime, I am constantly on this web site (which is fantastic - Thank you DON!!) most of time just "lurking" -reading posts, viewing and posting pictures, and daydreaming while watching the webcams....
I LOVE the LAKE



TO Hazelnut:
"My brother and I both did stints driving the water-ski boat for Deepwood Lodges Cottages."
This is where my in-laws own - Deepwood ! :D How long ago was it that you did the driving stints? My husband's family has been going there for a while now - before they owned, they used to rent there (starting in the late 70's I think...)

Deepwood
 

My brother was there around 87-88 and I was there around 88-89. I believe all the cottages were on a weekly rental basis then. The boat was an old brown 16 footer with I believe a Johnson outboard on it. Great times over there.

Yet another daily reader/nonposter. My screen name is taken from a boat of the same that I owned back in my college days (late 70's early 80's) and kept in Alton Bay. Have been comming up to the lake (Alton area) my whole life. I belive my "first" trip was actually when my mother had that special gleam in her eye. Now that I think of it my childrens first trip was most likely the same. Now I usually bring my own family up for at least a week or two in the summer as well as numerous weekend visits. My father has a place on Alton Mountain (one of the "early" settlers to that area). My mother has "little cottage" on Smith Point (West Alton) she bought in the mid 80's.

Reading the forum is my favorite lunchtime activity from my place of work here in MA. Helps keep me "sane" and up to date on the happenings at the lake. So I must thank all the usual contibutors for thier posts and pictures and information about my favorite place.

I was born and still live on the south shore in MA with wife and three children. My parents were smart enough to move to NH, I apparently have not attained that level of wisdom yet - but hopefully am getting closer.

"White Rook" is the call name for Sgt Saunders in the 1960's TV series COMBAT. It would go something like "Checkmate King II to White Rook, over". I've been a big fan of COMBAT since I was a kid. Even my license plate reads WHTROOK.

When I give a technical presentation and the audio setup person needs to dial in the settings, I repeat "Checkmate King II to White Rook, over" a few times. There's always at least a dozen or so individuals that perk right up. Their big COMBAT fans too! With that said, this is White Rook ........ out.:)

White Rook
 

Is it in reruns anywhere? Military channel maybe? Loved the show!:)