[jkjoshuatree]

When my Dad was a little boy growing up in Dorchester (MA), he would make the journey every summer for a week with his sister and parents. They didn't have a car yet so they'd walk to the bus station (each with their luggage in hand) which took them to the train station. A few hours later they'd pull into Weirs Beach and then (amazingly) walk the path beside the tracks into Meredith to search for a place to rent. They usually got the same place and from there, my Dad's love of the lake grew. He couldn't get over the majestic and awe-inspiring feel of the place. It was an absolute paradise packed with adventure, from every dive in the lake to every hike through the woods, for this city kid. He promised himself that he would have a place on the lake someday. Without sounding melodramatic, Dad explained to me that he put $10 aside each week for his "cottage fund" and often denied himself even a cup of coffee during the work day so he wouldn't dip into his savings. It took him more than twenty-five years to achieve his dream but he did. In 1973 (the year I was born) he bought a place on Bear Island. The best memories of my life come from that place and it would be impossible to list even a fraction of them. The one I listed earlier in the forum basically sums it up though-just being on the lake with your loved ones. The older I get the more I appreciate what my Dad did. He is truly one of the "good ones" and achieving his dream has taught me that anything is possible (anything!!!) if you believe in yourself. And although I've only told him once about how I feel, I think he knows what the lake means to me, what it means to us. But more importantly, I think he knows what he means to me.

Thanks Dad