One of the things I do for myself is to enjoy a fire at my outdoor hearth. I built, and rebuilt, my fireplace near the shoreline at Loon Pond in Gilmanton, New Hampshire where I live. Decorated with what are my versions of ancient pictographs and embellished with fossils and arrowheads set into the concrete I encourage a spark set in birch bark until it blossoms into fire. After that I have the star show, on a clear night, the sounds of the pond and woods as darkness settles and the occasional seemingly pure level of clarity of thought that makes everything fall into harmony with the world. What more can a person, of admittedly modest wants and desires than to be allowed to experience these overlooked discoveries. What can I say about Gilmanton? A place with its own unique history and continued human interactions reaching back into pre-Abenaki cultures. Its most famous resident of recent times, Grace Metalious of Peyton Place fame, wrote her way into the modern lexicon. The Province Road following the ancient Indian Trail leads from the coast and Portsmouth into the Connecticut River Valley and Canada. The 1793 historic B&B Temperance Tavern, a favorite on Halloween, its reputedly haunted and the town offices lie at the center of what once had been the most populous town in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. Ive written before at some length regarding the friendly business climate New Hampshire extends to out of state businesses and organizations considering relocation. The salubrious natural environment of the Lakes Region and its changing seasons. The strategic geographical location of the state at the northern tip of the population colossus of the Eastern Seaboard. And, of course, the multi-faceted natural recreation and sports environment. The focal point of which is of one of the crown jewels of New England, Lake Winnipesaukee. The great fair of the North Country, the Fryeburg Fair in nearby Fryeburg Maine begins this weekend. By the time it is over a million people from around the country will have visited it. Another of my fellow realtors and associate, Sandi Patterson, takes the week to volunteer and drive a team of draft horses in the pulls. Time well spent Id say. Most New Hampshire communities have the annual fairs and old home day celebrations, which are looked forward to by all. I think it is greater physical separation between neighbors here, more so than so the wide-open spaces of the west, that allows us all to look forward to the big rendezvous. The natural society of friendship trumps the regimented society of the mega urban environments. Always will. One listing on Loon Pond that is well worth your review, MLS#2748202, especially at this time of year, the photos will show you why.
Jim Ferriman Jferriman@spencerhughes.com 603-520-5385