In October 2000, our dear friends Maitland and Karen Peters invited our family to the lake.
Our son Alex and Preston were close friends. The beautiful home they have since built and retired to has grown over the years, but I still remember my first glimpse of the small cabin nestled by the water. It was a warm, balmy fall day and for hours our children swam, fished and explored the small island where turtles lived off the shore.
That night we all sat by the fire and made s’mores and watched the shooting stars. The next afternoon Karen and I took our kids horseback riding and when we retuned Maitland and my husband Bob were coming out of Beckwith’s place next door and Bob asked me, “what do you say we make an offer.”
And thus began our weekends at the lake every summer since.
For some of our closest friends a weekend at the lake has grown into a yearly tradition as it has for my brother who drives down from Portland ,Maine. And for our children, Alex and Becca, it has been the highlight of their summers growing up. With bunk beds added to the downstairs they usually each had a friend along and to this day their friends talk about the weekends at the lake.
We initially had a speed boat, and I spent countless hours taking kids tubing while Bob always enjoyed a morning kayak around the lake. Once our children had gone off to college, we purchased a pontoon. And on evening cruises have seen the most spectacular sunsets with the lake bathed in pink and orange tones.
Over the years we have slowly added to the house and thanks to Jim McMyne have the most beautiful deck overlooking the property. When we are on the deck for most meals it feels like we are living in a tree house. And I always thank Jim for that experience and for all the ways he enriched our life at the lake.
And we have been so fortunate, in addition to the Peters to have wonderful neighbors on Laurel Lane.
We were blessed this year with the arrival of a granddaughter Peyton, and she has already spent time at the lake with the hope that the tradition of loving Duck Harbor will become part of her history as well.
