On Golden Pond

Today at Wash Pond (the name of Robert and Eric's lake - google earth it......) I noticed something that I had not previously seen..... The water was so clear today that as I looked down I could see these tiny beautiful flecks of gold.......not really knowing for sure what this means or what the flecks really are (I prefer not to think too much while on vacation), I prefer to just enjoy them for the beautiful site they provide. Isabel got quite brave today (increasingly so with each passing day) and ventured out into the water up to her chin refusing to use her floating duck. I was never far away, and we had a good time with her throwing a stone and me retrieving it when it went too deep for her to bend over to get it without going under the water.

Everyday at Wash Pond there are two lifeguards, provided by the town of Hampstead (as you may recall from a previous entry). The lifeguards work from 9ish to 5pm, and no sooner do the lifeguards leave, the people bring their dogs for a swim (allowed only after hours).
Usually you see labradors or some other water loving dogs, but today, at promptly 5:01pm, a lady came to the beach with three dogs - a Pug, a mutt, and an English Bulldog. The pug, named Roxie, swiftly slipped out of her collar and traipsed off into the water. The mutt, Tyson, didn't do much of anything. And the bulldog, Justice, was obviously taking the lady for a walk, as he swam right over to the buoy rope, latched on and clung for dear life for the next thirty minutes. He pulled the rope several feet inland, and required the assistance of most, but not all, of the other beach goers had to lend a hand to free Justice from the rope, all the while the lady coaxing Roxie to continue enjoying the water while Tyson stared on. We (being the witnesses only and not the Samaritans lending a hand) listened and learned while the spectacle took place.... For instance, did you know that a bulldog's lifespan is but a short eight years? Justice was only 1.5 years old, so has many swims ahead of him.

After our afternoon at the beach, we had another cookout this evening and after dinner two of Eric and Robert's neighbors stopped by to say hello. What delightful friends, Jane and Sharon. Eric (the consummate story teller) regaled us with hilarious stories of the neighborhood, often times stopping to compare Ells Road to Wisteria Lane (and believe me when I say, if the stories are true, this is almost as food as Knots Landing, too.......) those stories will remain secrets for my first best seller on Oprah's top ten.

After dinner, we took a stroll through the neighborhood. There are about five homes for sale here, two of which are cottages only (meaning that they are not meant for year round living) and the others available year round. All of the homes are darling, and with some imagination you can totally see the vision of what some of the homes could be with some TLC (just like E & R's home). Big sigh.....someday we will have our vacation home in Bavaria, and our lake house in NH........(parents.....stop panicking.....this is so far from happening........)

It's getting late and we are planning a midnight swim tonight! Eric will stay in the house with my sleeping angel........ On the travel log for tomorrow, lunch with Bela's Aunt Barb and then down to Massachusetts for the weekend.

More to come.....