Things I learned at the lake....

[CableBob]

Originally Posted by dpg

Never and I mean never forget to put the plug in the boat before dropping it in the water! Who me? nah...

How else do you test your bilge pump? lol been there

[dpg]

You can always live without your plug as long as you do not ever stop!!!

[Just Sold]

In my youth at Alton Bay Forum Member John A. Birdsall's boat the "Puddy Tat" accumulated water very quickly (leaks) so he had to beach the boat every night.

So how do you bail the boat in the morning or after being at a dock for a while? Take her out open the throttle wide and remove the drain plug. Worked great every time.

John, I would love to see a photo of the "Puddy Tat" here on the PhotoPost if you have one. It was a cute and unique boat for sure.

[Gatto Nero]

Time at the lake

Time spent at the lake, no matter how long, is always too short.

Broadband and telecommuting are proof there is a God and he wants us to spend time at the lake.

Staying over Sunday night and driving home on Monday morning is the next best thing to telecommuting.

Guests

It's great to see guests come for a visit.

It's great to see guests go home.

Guests that forget we're on vacation too don't usually get a second chance.

The most helpful thing a guest can bring is a big package of toilet paper.

Not all of your kids friends are guaranteed to know how to swim.

Patience

The amount of time it takes for newbies to get up on water skis increases exponentially with every year I attempt to teach them.

Patience is a virtue that I don't mind working on while I'm here.

Wildlife

Squirrels and chipmunks eat more birdseed than the birds do.

Raccoons aren't afraid of me or anything I can do to try to get rid of them.

Beavers look like seals when seen swimming at night.

Pet Peeve

Light pollution is the only thing I still allow to bug me while I'm sitting by the lake at night.

Helpful Hints

Place the roll of trash bags at the bottom of the barrel so you know where it is when you need it. Thanks Bob.

About a half hour before you leave tell the kids they can't have any potato chips.

One more time.....

Time spent at the lake, no matter how long, is always too short.

[Grant]

While thoroughly detest the fact that people continue to throw garbage in the Lake, I thoroughly enjoy searching for really OLD garbage on the bottom.

[looniac]

Never straddle a marker when water skiing...

[Rust Ponder]

I've learned that after missing the lake terribly for 24 years, I come back and feel the same way I did when I was 12. To see the lake appear through the thick forest and get down to the end of the dirt drive way and soak it all in. Awesome!
I 've learned that I will come back with my kids every year until I Keel over!

Also if you just move the fridge over a little you will find the mouse that has been causing the smell that prevented you from entering the kitchen.

See you in 25 days!

RP

[Grant]

Those sparring buoys in "The Graveyard" are there for a reason...

[Bear Guy]

No matter how old you are, your father will never think you tied the boat up properly.

Not everyone who buys a $30,000 boat will buy a $20 chart, or maybe they just don't use them.

For children, broken propeller pieces are tantamount to sunken treasure.

Every house project requires 3 trips to the hardware store. This may not be a bad thing if there is an ice cream stand next to the store.

Squirrels and mice will find any and all entrances to a cottage, and may even create their own.

A squirrel can climb in through a dryer vent. Once inside, they are capable of chewing through plastic pipe.

When opening the cottage in the spring, check under the sofa for dead mice, before mom starts the spring cleaning.

A sacrificial cotton mop left in a shed will deter mice from entering your cottage over the winter.

When returning from Wolfeboro to Meredith, there will always be a thunderstorm in your way.

Asking for a ride to/from the mainland because you boat is broken will tell you what real neighbors are.

Firewood on the island is a valued commodity, and fallen trees should be collected as soon as they are located.

Cats don't float well.

[Grant]

Originally Posted by Bear Guy

No matter how old you are, your father will never think you tied the boat up properly.

So, so, so TRUE. I love it.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by Bear Guy

No matter how old you are, your father will never think you tied the boat up properly.

Ho boy, does that ring true. I'm thinking this had to be a wood boat?

BTW, folks: There is a "Rust Pond" in Carroll County of the Lakes Region. (This new user-name doesn't relate to the contemplation of iron oxide formation).

Welcome, Rust Ponder!

[jkjoshuatree]

[QUOTE=Bear Guy]No matter how old you are, your father will never think you tied the boat up properly.


I was up there this past weekend and I took the boat for a ride. Very slow and peaceful (not a lot of boat traffic). It took me a good ten minutes to the tie the boat up when I got back, making sure I did it exactly as it was before I left.

Sure enough, Dad came down and retied it just after my little sister and I were joking about how none of us will ever be able to get it "right".

I'm 32 by the way. Maybe some day I'll get it right. But I doubt it.

[Newbiesaukee]

I'm 62 and my father, 88, still reacts the same way. The only difference from my younger years is I have learned to treasure the "criticism." Of course, I never treat my children the same......

[sum-r breeze]

Things I learned at the Lake

1 It's not fun to fall off of your boat into the water of Mountain View Yacht Club.

2 Shower is required after item 1

3 Laughing at yourself after item 1 makes it all go away

4 The sky at the Lake is unlike anyplace on earth Day and Night

5 Friends to raft/barbeque with are Priceless!

6 That warm spot you just swam through was a wide mouth bass with Gas

Hope this helps!

[Dave R]

How to swim.

How to drive a boat.

How to catch crayfish with a flashlight and a willingness to walk along a "mucky" bottom in shallow water.

How to fish.

That the markers around Pistol Island are very confusing (only place I've ever dinged a prop on the lake, knock on wood).

That pet rabbits are not at all deterred by a swim if it means getting free (turns out you cannot trap one on the end of a dock...).

That Charlie Roberts (of Roberts Cove) had about the driest sense of humor of any person I ever met.

That many people go to the lake to drink themselves into a stupor every weekend.

That drifting in the middle of the broads watching the sunset with the engine off on a Summer evening is perhaps the most theraputic thing I can do.

That grilled food is 3x better if it's grilled on a boat.

That lots of people are just terrible at putting boats on trailers.

That courtesy is usually rewarded with courtesy.

That some people are insulted if you offer help with docking and that most are not...

[Lakegeezer]

Don't take lake water quality for granted. Twenty-five years of watching the lake turn from clear to dark water has been disappointing. Educating the next generation about their responsibility of stewardship is important.

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by Lakegeezer

Don't take lake water quality for granted. Twenty-five years of watching the lake turn from clear to dark water has been disappointing. Educating the next generation about their responsibility of stewardship is important.

I recall that the lake was cloudier in the 70s. I think it's clearer now. Could be wrong though; not like I've done any testing...

[KBoater]

I had to answer Dave R because I identifed with so many of his thoughts.

Originally Posted by Dave R

How to swim.

How to drive a boat.

How to catch crayfish with a flashlight and a willingness to walk along a "mucky" bottom in shallow water.

How to fish....

Did this in my youth

Originally Posted by Dave R

That the markers around Pistol Island are very confusing (only place I've ever dinged a prop on the lake, knock on wood).
...

Add some island property I owned.

Originally Posted by Dave R

That pet rabbits are not at all deterred by a swim if it means getting free (turns out you cannot trap one on the end of a dock...).
...

This also applies to cats.

Originally Posted by Dave R

That many people go to the lake to drink themselves into a stupor every weekend.
...

Know some of these and have been there myself. The answer is to retire.

Originally Posted by Dave R

That drifting in the middle of the broads watching the sunset with the engine off on a Summer evening is perhaps the most therapeutic thing I can do.
...

THIS IS SOOO TRUE.

Originally Posted by Dave R

That some people are insulted if you offer help with docking and that most are not...

I will take all the help I can get. I didn’t get my nickname as “crash” for nothing.

[dpg]

Ever tow your boat to the gas station for a fill-up?? Put the car in park, it'll surely roll away on you in neutral!

[Rattlesnake Gal]

I thought that I would reopen this useful thread because some members might not have seen it yet. I bet that there are many more folks with helpful tips to share.

I have learned that mice will eat a comrade stuck to a glue trap.

Mice will eat soap when no other options are present. They prefer Dial to unscented Dove.

They also like to eat silicone spatulas and the buttons off of a television/VCR remote.


I have found that setting a mouse trap inside a small Havahart trap keeps the dogs safe from a nose snap and keeps a mink from running off with the trap.


This style trap worked well in catching the tiny critter that didn't set off the traditional snap trap.


Binder clips work great for keeping bags closed and for hanging towels to dry on the boat.

What have you learned at the lake?

[Jeanzb1]

GREAT THREAD!

Duck itch is easier to prevent than have to live with.

Sawyer's black raspberry ice cream is the best in the entire world!

[Island Girl]

I have learned some more things since the start of this thread in 2005....


A comfy couch on the porch is the best place for a nap.


A dead webcam is a tragedy during ice-in and ice-out.


Before opening my eyes in the morning, I stick my hand out. If it hits the wall, I am at the lake.


A jetski is the best way to get around the lake.


A washer and dryer on the island would be heaven.


Put a large 40-55 gallon trash container on a hill next to the house. Make a drain for a hose near the bottom. Attach a hose with a shut off and run to the bathroom window. (hanging outside the house with a rope) Fill the container with water and cover it. This is good for 7 flushes when the power goes out.


Take some of that water and heat on the grill. Pour into a plastic sun shower (holds five gallons). Hang in the bathroom shower for times when there is no power to run the water pump. Works well if you just heat a gallon or so to a very hot temp and mix with the cold water from the hill container.


Fresh hamburger from the Wining Butcher on the grill cannot be topped.


Gallons of water can be purchased at Hannaford for 50 cents.


A day at the lake is better than any day anywhere else.


Having to go to the store by jetski is not a bad way to spend time.



There are at least 5 places to get ice cream by jetski (or boat)

• Alton Bay (2)
• Wolfeboro (3)
• 19 Mile Bay
• Center Harbor
• Meredith
  

What I need to learn is how to get running lights on the jetski so I am not paranoid going back to the island at dusk after an ice cream run.

IG

[Grant]

Originally Posted by Rust Ponder

I've learned that after missing the lake terribly for 24 years, I come back and feel the same way I did when I was 12. To see the lake appear through the thick forest and get down to the end of the dirt drive way and soak it all in. Awesome!
I 've learned that I will come back with my kids every year until I Keel over!

Also if you just move the fridge over a little you will find the mouse that has been causing the smell that prevented you from entering the kitchen.

See you in 25 days!

RP

RP -- We grew up together down here, didn't we? When are you headed up? We GOTTA get together.

[Rust Ponder]

Yea Grant its me....July 15th I will be on Winter Harbor for 2 weeks.