A dream finally realized!
 

Well folks, I never thought the day would ever happen. I just bought a slice of heaven, island property! I can only say that this has been literally years in the making. Lots of hard work, sacrifice and financial discipline has finally paid off! I've spent years on the lake looking with envy on those of you all that are fortunate enough to have what I was so obsessed with having. I have finally realized the dream, and oh does it feel great. I cannot wait to experience that first night out there, get up in the morning, put on a cup of coffee and sit at the end of MY dock and enjoy the lake! Don't care that on the menu will be bologna and cheese, it'll be so worth it! ;)

Congratulations....

Let me be the first to say CONGRATULATIONS :)





(ooops, almost the first - slow typer :P )

Congratulations! Which Island?

Bear Island

Let Me Be Your First NEIGHBOR...
 

…to say congrats!!!

West Bear Island here!!!

:D

Indeed, a dream fulfilled!! You made it happen!! Heartiest congratulations and best wishes to you and your family! And may you have many happy years living out your dream!:cheers:

Congratulations! It must be a great feeling to reach this goal after waiting so long. Enjoy!

Been there, done that, and will never forget the feeling of that first cup of coffee on MY dock.

The wonderful news...the coffee on the dock is still just as good!

Congratulations!

Congratulations !
 

I guess you could kind of say that we are neighbors, well almost. My wife and I just bought our first lakefront near Shep Browns this past Thursday and we know the feeling excitement. :D

A good decision
 

In spite of working like dogs on our island property, as the sun sets each time, my wife and I just look at each other raise our glasses and grin. Best decision, since the wedding

Well then Welcome to the island...

Congratulations to the new homeowners! I hope you are all very happy in your new homes, and I wish you a beautiful first summer.

Congrats on your new found paradise!!
 

Just wanted to let all you lucky island residents know that we provide cleaning services you by boat. We can be found at www.greatnorthernclean.com and at our new website which is still under construction at www.greatnortherncleaning.com We currently have customers on Bear, Rattlesnake, and Sleeper Islands.

Really? A bit tacky, don't you think? Keep it to the classifieds section.

Congrats Maxum! Welcome to island life.

Congratulations! Welcome to the island.

If your house number is below 94 or above 356 you should join the Bear Island Conservation Association.

Even though it is a soft add, I would not have even thought a service like this would be available. I appriciate the knowledge and see it as tacky based that it is a small sliver within thousands and thousands of other posts.

Congrats! Would love to experience what you see through a few pictures!

Congratulations!:cool: It will be like eating a balogna and cheese sandwich in a 5 star restaurant. Enjoy:D

Congratulations! There is no place in the world like the lake!

There are a few companies that do island cleaning. People went postal over Meredith marinas ad in the forum. I did not, but thought that it should be placed appropriately as should this one.

I agree with you. I am hoping we become a little less sensitive and let the small stuff roll off our already over-burdened backs!

Enjoy the time we have!

Sitting on your dock with coffee or a cocktail makes all the stuff you went through to get there totally worth it!

Congratulations!

Welcome
 

Welcome to Paradise :)

Congratulations!! As a new homeowner (inland) I can appreciate the journey. Wishing you many wonderful days on Bear and enjoy watching the ever changing moods of the lake.

Maxum,

Welcome to Bear Island, what a great place to be.
It was 6 years ago this weekend we took ownership of our piece of the pie, and in such a short time it has been a great adventure and journey.

It doesn't get any better than sitting and enjoying morning coffee on the dock, and then there is evening cocktails :D

Enjoy!

Congrat and many happy years to enjoy

But you should it Baloney not Bologna cause its healthier

:emb:

Maxum - after seeing Bear Island South's picture, I'm even more jealous than when I first read your news. Congrats!

Congrats on your new vacation home! ENJOY:)

Nice!!
 

Nice job Maxum! Congratulations!! Welcome to the "island life".

Dan

Well thanks everyone! Pretty amazing to be so fortunate that's for sure. As many of you know I've been on this mission for a while now, matter of fact it's been years in the making. Looking forward to figuring everything out, although I have privately gotten some valuable advice from fellow (that sounds so weird to say now) islanders so I know for the most part what I'm in for and can't wait. What I can say is that you cannot put a price tag on the kind of escape from reality this is going to be. I've already started to formulate camp rules that will be strictly enforced:

-Only one cell phone allowed for emergency purposes only.
-no portable electronic devices of any kind allowed unless it's a HAM radio.
-no TV
-no computers

This is a place to unplug, unwind and and enjoy the simple things, a comfy chair, a good book and the sound of whatever is naturally making noise outside! Priceless in my book! :)

Wishing you and your family many happy days on the lake.

Just curious but why the selective membership?

I applaud your no electronics rule!

But there is an old saying that "no plan survives first contact with the enemy". I would paraphrase that to "no electronics rule survives first contact with teenagers". Good Luck!

Bear Island Conservation Association (BICA) was formed to purchase, manage and protect the land at the center of the northern half of Bear Island. Although the Association does get involved with other island considerations that is still the main and most important reason for it's existence. In writing the bylaws many years ago the founders limited membership to residential property owners that abut, or nearly abut, the lands in question.

There is another Association for homeowners on the southern end of the island. The land in the center of the southern half is owned by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests.

Congrats Maxim!
 

We have some very dear friends who are sort of going through the same deal. In fact you are almost neighbors.

Some time ago there was a thred giving advice on living on an island. Good stuff like... keep a spare set of car keys on the mainland and keep a spare set of house keys on the island. Stuff like that. I tell ya, you island folk (how did that sound?) have to deal with issues that us mainlanders don't.

It was a fun thred and very informative. Perhaps some of your island neighbors can throw a little advice your way.

Good luck!

Misty.

Nice to know dreams still come true, with lots of work of course, congrats!

Funny what constitutes unwinding.... For me just the opposite
- a good book... iPad, Kindle ( will never run out of books and can read at night when a storm blows the power out)
- writing letters to family and friends with pics and movies to share ... iPad, laptop, smart phone
- watching weather to ensure safe passage to and from the island... -IPad, laptop, smart phone
- listening to abook while doing arduous camp chores... Audible.com on iPod, smart phone.
- fixing webcam that others use and enjoy... iPad, laptop
- three days of rain.... iPad, iPod, laptop, Wii, xbox
- something broke and need to find replacement.... Browse the web on iPad, laptop, smartphone
- navigate at night.... Winni map on iPad
- go hiking... Camera, phone in case of emergency
- jetskiing... Phone, GPS
- nap.... Good book on ipad, kindle, then drift off
- sit on deck and watch the lake..... A comfy chair
- nighttime... Open windows to hear the waves lap the shore
- playing scrabble... iPad, laptop to cheat (different kind of fun...learn a lot of words)
- reading forum...iPad, laptop, phone

While electronics are not for everyone, everywhere, mine greatly enhance island life!

This is being written fron the island, rainy day, laying on the couch...on my iPad

IG

East Bear Island Association
 

Many folks who are located on the east side of Bear Island from "The Carry" south to Camp Lawrence belong to the East Bear Island Association. Originally, this group shared the maintenance of the East Bear Island mail dock. A small beach abuts this location.

I wave the white flag of surrender! Great post! ;)

No TV
 

We managed not to have TV at our cottage until July 20, 1969.......:rolleye1:

No TV
 

We managed not to have TV at our cottage until July 20, 1969.......:rolleye1:

Wahoooo for you, Maxum!!!!!
 

I am tremendously happy for you and your family! It surely has been a long time coming. Any spot on this Great Lake is heaven. :D Enjoy!

Welcome to Bear Island neighbor...

Congratulations
 

Maxum, Congratulations on your new home. I remember the first weekend on Rattlesnake in 2000. The water prime failed, the roof leaked.... And we were just happy to be here.

You will learn all about island survival. It is easy to forget life's stresses because the is wood to be gathered (walks in the woods), and split (exercise), swim rafts to blow up, (then lay on)... And of course the best of all...forgetting something and having to go for a jetski ride to the store!!!!

Oh... And for those naysayers who say..." but you have to use a boat to get there" and you reply "Yes, yes, yes!"

Other joys include, working from home on Fridays and going jetskiing during lunch, dinner on the porch with a view better than any restaurant, letting the cat and dog play outside, and the never ending borrowing and lending with good neighbors who often save the day.

Good luck on your new adventure.... No matter what... You are making memories!

IG

Congratulations! We made the leap in 2007 and haven't looked back.

And to RG's post, I am posting from my laptop while looking at the most incredible view. And taking a conference call from the island is a great thing to do, if not, I would be in the office.

Maxum, congrats. However, let me just say that I am extremely jealous!

Another good thing about island life is you do not have to worry about relatives pr friends just dropping by for the day, or weekend. Another good reason to turn your cell phone off.

Amen to that RailroadJoe!! That is one of my favorite parts of island living!!

Dan

10 o'clock rule
 

I thought the same until a friend from work launched his boat in Meredith and decide to stop by for a visit before 9 am. Met him at the dock and he could tell from from my bed hair and the half closed eyes that it was just a bit early. And then there was the time that work called at 8:01. Everyone now knows about my 10 o'clock rule. Time on the island is just a little bit slower.

I thought it was just me, time is so distorted on the island.

We affectionately call it "island time".

Died and gone to Heaven! Lucky Dog....

Had to run up to the camp today to take care of a couple of things but only had 20 minutes to sit and relax on the deck. There is no better place.

We have a sign at the camp that says "Life is Better at the Lake". Haven't figured out why its not hanging at home. When you're at the lake you don't need a sign to remind you.

As the song says.."good things in life take a long time". Wise words to be sure. Happiness is not always getting what you want, but wanting what you've got! Congratulations.:)

Our Sign Says ....
 

While not on an island, we are fortunate to have a little waterfront on Winni. Our sign says "If you're lucky enough to have a place by the water, you're lucky enough"! Says it all to me. Especially when you get to see the beautiful sunsets, sunrises, and full moons; storms; turkey, deer, fox, and an occasional bear in your backyard woods!

Congrats on your new island property!

I'm re-realizing my dream this morning. Opened up the camp yesterday and we're enjoying our first coffee on the deck of the season. Its a wonderful thing!

Great !! and what a wonderful morning for it. Enjoy !!