It has rained steadily all day. We were at camp for a few minutes soon after lunch and it was dismal. The water is high - again. However, for some folks I guess it was just another day to do what they come to Joe's Pond to do, so they were out there fishing in the rain. It wasn't cold, but everything was soggy and we've had a slow fire in the fireplace all day to combat the dampness.

The camp lawn looks a bit worse for having had the big whatever-you-call-it going to and fro yesterday, but we know that couldn't be helped. Like the saying goes, "you have to break some eggs to make an omelet. The water is almost over the lawn, so it's not going to be pretty any time soon - or pleasant for the carpenters when they begin work, unless we get a dry spell.

Jack LaGue posted a comment after reading what I wrote yesterday about the Sportyak going off the boathouse. I got a chuckle out of his recollection. It's a wonder nobody ever got hurt either jumping off the boathouse or in the Sportyak. The picture at right was probably taken sometime in the 70's. That's Tony Stewart in the front and Bill in the back. I think there's a third kid in the middle, but I can't be sure. This was way before anyone had heard of tubing.

Bob was with us yesterday watching the demolition of the boathouse, and we were remembering how we had to pile onto the front deck of the Correct Craft and push on the boathouse rafters in order to lower it so the windshield would clear the doorway, the water was so high in July of 1973. We thought we were going to have to take the windshield off; but we didn't dare leave the boat in the boathouse because the water was still rising. Once we had it out of the boathouse, we tied it up to the front porch. Bob said he remembered he and his buddies were cruising in the swamp across the road where Hamilton's barn is now in their aluminum boats - the road was completely covered, as were lawns all around the pond. This picture was taken after the water had begun to recede, but you can see where the road is. I think that's Bob in the back of the canoe, but I don't know who was up front. And I'm not sure, but I think that's Bill standing on the bridge. Jed Rulfo's garage and vegetable garden beyond were swamped. That was in July of 1973. Bridges and roads were washed out, boats sank, docks and lawn furniture were floating all over the place.

That's Fred fishing off the end of our dock with Bob's dog, Spike, in September of 1996.

The bottom picture was taken in the spring of 1996, of
Ned and Carolyn Hamilton's place where the brook is that flows under W. Shore Rd. The brook is actually between the house and the hedge.

There have been a lot of high water times over the years, but even so, you never quite get used to it.