A Memoir - Lakeside in Summer

Besides the bold Merrimack River which rushes over falls near the city's

 former world famous textile mills, where the water provided power in those

 long ago manufacturing days, there is a place of calm and beauty at 

Lake Massabesic in Manchester. 

We always stop at least once when in town, and it's especially

lovely on a hot summer's day, sitting on a bench waterside, watching 

sailboats and kayaks silently drift by - no motorboats permitted.

  

We pick up an ice cream at nearby Goldenrod, the best in town, and sit

 licking the huge cones of 'Frozen Pudding' our favorite old fashioned

 flavor - which we can never find anywhere else these days.

Bob tells me again of his happy childhood days here. They were mostly with

 his older brother John. The things two youngsters could get up to when sent out

 early morning and told not to come home until the street lights came on, would

 scare the heck out of today's parents whose children know very little about

 running free in their suburban neighborhoods, let alone in a bustling city.

This scenic lake is one of those places where one can truly feel relaxed and is

 just a few minutes drive from the cacophony of downtown traffic and bustling

 city sounds.

Manchester, New Hampshire has an extremely interesting history - read more
HERE if interested in the phenomenal growth of the American textile industry, 
sadly now just about gone.

I lived here for a couple years when first married. It was the town where I
 learned how family life was in America. I was fortunate as Bob's parents
 and other family members were close by, and very kind to me, and I needed
 all the help I could get! 
Although the family are gone from town, I enjoy going back and remembering
 those sometimes hard years. They were long ago, yet often feel like yesterday. 
 Sitting and reminiscing at the lake on that recent August day was perfect, and 
I'm thinking we'll be doing it again next year hopefully.

Lakeside Independence Day. . . . . . . . .

Part of our afternoon was spent at lovely Lake Massabesic in Bob's hometown of Manchester, New Hampshire.
It was HOT - reaching 96F - with brilliant sunshine.
Because this is the drinking water for the city, there is no swimming, and 
only small boats are permitted on the water. 

Mommy duck with her babies - all were enjoying a swim along the

 shoreline where we were sitting enjoying an ice cream under a shady tree.

Flying home later today - from one hot spot to another. Actually, the heat has been even 

more intense here in New England and Eastern Canada than back in North Carolina

 these past 10 days!!!

Lakeside Memories . . . . . . .

Massabesic - American Indian name meaning place of much water.

Massabesic Lake, New Hampshire

There was a spare picnic table in the shade that afternoon so we grabbed it. Sitting there without a picnic was OK. The memories were all we needed. Memories of our small children, sticky fingers, Goldenrod ice cream dripping down chins from the overfilled cones, counting sailboats, perhaps wishing for a sailboat someday. 

No swimming or paddling here, it's the city's drinking water source. It must be difficult not to sneak around to the far side of a distant island, dive in from your boat and just enjoy the calming water on a hot Summer day.

Bob grew up near this lake and recalled the days during his childhood when there was a shiny teak speed boat here - for a dollar or so, his father would take the boys on a 15 minute ride upon the hallowed waters. 

Even that far back at the Goldenrod Restaurant, est. 1951, one could buy the best ice cream cone in town, then pop over to the nearby lake to enjoy a lazy afternoon.

Last week we bought our cones, maple walnut for Bob, 

coffee for me, and sat here remembering how much my dear 

mother-in-law loved this lake on Summer afternoons.