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2010 Calendar

Articles about Bow Lake

Got a story to tell about Bow Lake, an event you attended, or just random thoughts about one of your experiences here? Photos to share? Please contact us and let us know, and we may just publish what you send!

Never Too Young or Too Old to Connect Karen Zander
previously published in the Strafford Community Calendar (July 2005)

Earlier this summer I felt very popular. Every day the mailman came with more white envelopes addressed to my husband, Bernie Metzger, Secretary of the Bow Lake Camp Owners Association. Those approximately 160 envelopes were filled with the $15 annual BLCOA family dues. Then I reminded myself that it was not our household that drove the mailing but rather the connection to something bigger than all of us—a commitment to Bow Lake and the surrounding communities. A love of the seasons, connected to countless memories of family and visitors, Memorial Day Parades, Antique Row, entertainment at the Grange, sailing, ice-fishing, golfing, and tubing behind a boat—to name a few. Sharing the lake, the hills, and the towns with everyone else makes the dues seem painless. Anticipating the fireworks, the chicken and lobster BBQs, the Day at the Dam, and other events helps get us through very long springs, especially the one this year!

The connection extends well past New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine to such faraway places as South Carolina, Texas, Connecticut, Washington (DC), Ohio, Florida, and California. People connect with their past and their future when they send in their dues. They know the dues will go to good use in the life cycle of the lake and its immediate surroundings. BLCOA has contributed funds to the public boat access, the Lake Host, the Grange Veterans’ Memorial, the Bow Lake Fire Station, tree planting, the Bill Latham Youth Sailing Program, and the water-quality testing program. They have also given various grants to the Strafford Elementary School for various environmental issues.

One family treasures the membership so much that a membership card from every year since its inception is stapled on their cottage wall. According to Ed Cournoyer, President of the BLCOA and year-round resident of Strafford, “The BLCOA extends beyond the water to a commitment to stewardship for all that surrounds the lake as well.” Family membership extends from newborns all the way to Bill Williams (age 94) and Hazel Zander (age 95).

Every year we ask for comments, suggestions, and volunteers. Every year people are satisfied with the work of the BLCOA. This year they are concerned about moorings laws, loon health, the amount of boat traffic on the lake, and the watershed around the lake. And some just want to make sure they get corn with their lobster. (The answer is yes). So if you would like to connect or reconnect, send dues to BLCOA c/o B. Metzger, 65 Stony Brae, Newton Highlands, MA 02461. BLCOA will keep you informed about events, community information, and great opportunities to connect.
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Chili and Sage: Saluting a Good Man
Published in the Strafford Community News (August 2004)

The Bow Lake community has been blessed over the years with remarkable people, one of them being Bob McIntosh. You may know him as Buffalo Bob, the Chili Man, or just that helpful guy with the USS Sea Devil WW II submariner’s cap and the handlebar mustache. Or maybe you know him from the former Boating Safety Course, the annual kid’s Perch Derby, or as the BLCOA director who dishes out chili at the Chicken BBQ. What you may not know is that he not only organized the boating safety course, but retook the test every year; he not only ordered the trophies for the winning fishermen, but hauled away all those perch in his truck; and he actually chopped ingredients, cooked, and served chili with that engaging smile of his. He lived with his wife Muriel, their 3 sons, and many visitors on Rye Island, and that is where he died of natural causes on May 28. Bob McIntosh exemplified the competence that runs deep in this community in every season. He is not alone. I write this as my next door neighbor and his whole family completely replace their roof, and that is just the first two days of their summer vacation! Some of us grow amazing gardens, some know how to safely set off the fireworks. Bob McIntosh set the standard for skill and commitment. At his memorial service at the Grange, it was said that he had a community of friends wherever he went. He was rich in giving. Sure, he had help, but he provided the spice and the sage wisdom for all of us fortunate enough to be in his presence. We salute you.
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Island Character(s) Karen Zander
previously published in the Strafford Community Calendar (August 2005)
[edited to remove contact details about a passed event]

You’ve been looking at them for years—all those islands in Bow Lake—23 in all, according to my map. Some islands in the 1162 acres of Bow Lake are inhabited by people, some by party animals, and some by actual animals, such as loons. There are also a few uninhabited ones that beckon to be explored. When our daughters were young, they would take the peddle boat to Lid Island and bury a bottle with messages in it. They would stay there all afternoon and excitedly revisit it every year to find the same bottle. Maybe there is something in each of us that wants to be Robinson Crusoe on a Treasure Island, for just a little while, anyway.

A Mr. Vladi on the internet has sold over 650 islands to very wealthy people around the world. He advertises them as "a complete ecosystem, a world apart from the trials and tribulations of the rest of the planet, where only your rules apply—your very own kingdom." Although Bow Lake has nothing so exotic, the islands do seem mysterious to us landlubbers. When you think about it, islands are really the highest points of a lake—mountains standing in water. The islands are landmarks that definitely give the lake character, and also give the community some remarkable characters.

What is it like, living on an island? Documenting the answer required several visits by boat and phone. It turns out that island-living is a lot like camping in that the preparation requires detailed planning so that the actual experience seems worry-free. According to Muriel McIntosh whose family has lived on Rye Island since 1938, islanders have to handle everything at least 3 times—from house to car, car to boat, and then boat to island house. Just last week she moved a new stove to the island in her 14-foot aluminum boat. She, like the others in the story, not only appreciates the simplicity of island life, but the frugality, running her generator only at night. Like other islanders, she thinks a lot about electricity and water, things the rest of us might take for granted. Also, like other islanders, she knows that the Bow Lake Fire and Rescue Boat is ready if she needs it. (That boat was partially funded by the Bow Lake Camp Owners Association.)

Michelle McCoole, on Pine Island, says you have to be willing to put up with some inconvenience if you live on an island, but that everything else is worth it—especially the views. When I asked her son Keelan what his most important island equipment was, he named his swimsuit and towel. He said this after showing his cello-playing skills as his sister Maggie held his music and sister Molly formed a willing audience before both fell peacefully asleep from a sunny day of water and play.

Island people are generous people in that they like to have lots of company. According to a Beech Islander, you have to really want company because they can’t just drop in. The islands have seen a range of celebrations from weddings, anniversaries, and retirement parties with everything from bands to pig roasts to fireworks. Guests can number as high as forty or more! Muriel has a boat horn in a shed on shore to signal the arrival of guests. One day her cat was so eager to get to the island, it jumped off the boat and swam the rest of the way! The call of the islands is certainly strong.

And islanders aren’t just here for the summer, either. Some actually come to visit their camps during the winter, enjoying the experience of walking on ice to their front doors. Last year, Kerry McCoole joined his winter neighbors, the ice fishermen, for a different use of his camp.

Maybe not all islanders are gregarious, but these people certainly are. They make the rest of us look shy. As for me, I am searching for an island I can call my own "Pharmacy for the Soul" according to Vladi. For now, I will have to be content with my inner-tube tethered to a dock, balancing an iced tea, or something stronger that I’ll be happy to share if you pull me in.
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Close call on Milfoil: WE'VE HAD A SAVE! Kerry McCoole
Previously published in the Strafford Community News, August 2005
There is also a 2008 Spring News item about this program

 Bow Lake was saved from a potential milfoil infestation when Lake Host Brianna Rogers intercepted a boater about to launch at the Water Street ramp. The boat's propeller and trailer rollers were covered in milfoil, and the boat's owner was unaware, unconcerned, and a bit grumpy. He found his smile and some patience when Brianna informed him of the potential problem and the potential fine ($10,000) for knowingly transporting invasive species such as milfoil. Lake Host Jake McNaloy found plants on another boat last weekend for which we are awaiting the test results. The Lake Host program is a joint effort between the New Hampshire Lakes Association and the Bow Lake Camp Owners Association (BLCOA). The costs are shared about 50/50 between a State grant and BLCOA dues. This wonderful program's primary objective is to educate boaters on the potential risks of transporting these lake-choking weeds and the simple inspections people should perform EVERY TIME they're about to launch and after they load their boats. It is depressingly common for boat ramps to become infested when a dirty boat launches, then the weeds grow incredibly fast, get snagged on another prop or trailer, and hitch a ride to infest the next lake. We're counting on a heightened awareness and concern on the part of all boaters to keep milfoil out of Bow Lake until a permanent abatement solution is discovered. Please stop by the ramp to give some thanks and encouragement to our Lake Hosts, Brianna and Jake. While you're there, check out the posters to see how close to home (Northwood, Milton, etc.) this problem truly is. PLEASE CLEAN YOUR BOATS AND TRAILERS BEFORE ENTERING BOW LAKE!!
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