Seems to me....that over the past 23 years, boating has had it's ups and downs on our lake. I remember spending lots of time ont he lake in our 33' trojan. Many days rafting in Braun Bay or Blueberry Cove, and our weekly trips to Meredith or Wolfboro. I remember so much about those days....but what I don't remember is anyone saying....."Did you hear how loud that boat was?"
To have a boat on the winni is not an expense that many of us can afford.....nor can many of us afford to live on the edge of the lake....But for those of you that can....remember what you felt like when you first started visiting the lake...or when you got your first boat and began floating around from bay to bay.....Felt lucky didn't you. This area has such beauty. And I always enjoyed that....I always enjoyed the look of our fresh painted boat, with it's well oiled teak decks and mast that I had worked on as a child. What a sight it was.
These days best I can do is stand on the shore somewhere and watch, and remember those good times. I would think, and yes it is only my opinion which I am allowed to have, that the beauty of the lake...the light that shimmers off the water....the private little coves ect....would be more then enough to distract you from a loud boat every now and then, or a boat that cruises by doing 65, and is in and out of your lives in about 1 minute.
It's almost like people who get a penthouse appartment in a city, because they CAN afford it...complain years later because they are going to build another skyscraper...and it's gonna block their view.....Well there are certain things to expect when you gather ALOT of people, from all different areas, and all different egos together. Some anchor for the day and go swimming...and others speed from one end to the other. And yes....unfortunate things happen......Unfortunate things happen to my children sometimes too...they may run too fast and fall down...does this mean that I'm going to dress them in padded clothes, dawn them in helmets and other protective gear and put a 10 foot fence around them? NO, it means that I will say lightly too them...."You can't run too fast hun...you could hurt yourself again...ok?" And they will most likely do it again...and maybe even again...but they will learn their lesson........
You can't change the course......People will do what they will do...until they learn, regardless of law. And everytime one of these issues comes to front.....and everyone starts talking about it....the only true shame in it, is that all of you that are lucky enough to live on the shores of the good winni...or have a boat that you can enjoy....end up being uptight, and forgetting about all the wonderful things around you...and just concentrate...infact listen even more carefully for that load boat to come by...so you can look over at your company and say..."Thats what I've been talking about...these damn people go soo fast...their trying to pass a law.....ect...." And poof.......there goes 10 minutes of time that you lost.
Infact...do me a favor...maybe those of you that are so into these issues should get together once a week for a few hours to bittle amongst fellow supporters....and invite those of us that are less fortunate to spend those few hours out on your boats or property to enjoy ourselves, in what most everyone else still considers a heavinly enviornment.
Perhaps there are some wealthy folks out there that would like to just make some donations to the NH MP, so that they may better occupy the lake, and enforce the laws that we already overlook.......(quick story of reference...when I was wondering when It would be legal to take my daughter out of her car seat, and put her in a booster...I called Meredith, Center Harbor..Laconia, Gilford Belmont...and the State Police.....NONE of them were clear on what the law is. And its a moving violation, which carries a hefty fine...and can also be construed as child endagerment....and none of them new......)
Come on folks....no offense....but the only legitimate concern on the table to support a speed limit...is erosion....and I'm sure there are many people that would rather drop stones in all they way around the lake to prevent it, rather then have another law thats poorly enforced.
Sorry to have gone on for so long.....but life is very difficult right now....and this time of the year if for being positive, and thankful....not for complaining...enjoy what you have.....
