Friday, December 02, 2016

We're getting some snow tonight, and the forecast is for colder rather than warmer weather.  The pond doesn't seem to be anywhere near the freezing point, although I'm sure that water is way colder than the air has been recently.  A few really cold days and nights will make a difference, but it may not be frozen over by Christmas.  Today the water looked dark and unwelcoming and it seems to me there's nothing gloomier than Joe's Pond on a dull day this time of the year when most of the cottages are closed up.  Of course there's beauty there - the water foul that come and go, the steam coming off the water, low-hanging clouds or snowflakes creating sharp contrast between land and gray-blue water; or mornings when the water is glassy still and the shoreline is perfectly reflected.  The people living year around on the water appreciate the changing seasons, and I'm sure to some extent enjoy the quiet after their neighbors have left; but gone is the hubbub and camaraderie of boats on one side, cars on the other, and interacting with friends and neighbors every day.

Fred and I were observing the quietness of the pond and remembering what it was like when we lived at camp year around all those years (about 18, actually!)  We agreed that whenever we were at camp, then our home, we were grateful for the quiet and chance to recharge from work, so there was never a gloomy day for us.  There were barely any year-around people on the pond then, so we really didn't even have lights across the pond or up the road to break up the darkness.  All we had was quiet and the stars overhead.  It was lovely.  

Sometimes I miss being "right on the water," but mostly we enjoy being "high and dry," surrounded by lots of grass, hills and trees.  We can see lights across the valley on the Route 15 side of the pond, and hear the traffic on Route 15 and Route 2, and from my chair in the living room, I can watch the occasional car or truck pass by and sometimes I even recognize someone.  Used to be we knew just about every infrequent car that passed, but not anymore.  Too many and a different generation.  Times and places change.

It's time to get our outside Christmas lights up - we watch for the decorations at Gerry Prevost's  directly across from us on Davidson Road.  They are usually the first to go up.  I hope they can see ours, although we don't put up anything very spectacular, so they may not even show up from there.  One year we put a ball of white lights at the top of our flag pole and brought it down on New Year's Eve - but that's another story.  It wasn't the great success I'd hoped for - think blowing snow, blow zero temperature and grumpy husband manning the video camera.  Probably won't do that again! 

 

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