Happy Monday! -

When I read my email this morning, I had a note from Diane Rossi saying the pond is completely frozen over! That's good news! Puts us right about around "normal" - although those of us who are here year around know it generally takes about three freeze-overs before it closes in for the winter, so we may see open water again this year. We'll be watching for the ice fishermen out there - a matter of days, probably, if the cold weather holds. It always frightens me that they get out there so soon after the pond has ice - but fortunately they seem to be ok.

We have bright sunshine today - temps in the 20's, so not much melting going on so far.

I'm working on my list of cottage names from years past and will have that ready soon. Tom Dente sent photos he had of a map made by E. H. Tillotson in August of 1921 and updated in 1935 and again in 1941. I'm sure when he first drew the map there were only a few cottages; by 1941 he had a total of 169. Elsie DeForge had 237 listed in her book written in 1995. I counted quickly on the map we included in our 2003 directory, and, counting only those with access tn the water, I got a total of 250. There were interesting names on Mr. Tillotson's map, like the Clark family named their cottage "Clark Gables," H. Pigula's was "Piggy's Haven," and the Tillotson's was "The Playhouse." More later.