Beautiful House overlooking Spofford Lake (#29424)

August 2007

Forgive me, I was not able to plug in the actual beginning and ending dates of my stay at this venerable Spofford cottage. My family owned the former Clapp cottage and I spent many happy summers from 1948 to the early '60s. My first memory is the view through the diamond-shaped window panes of sun-sparkled waters and Pierce Island beyond. Next, the smooth, broad bannister leading upstairs. Back then, I amused myself with the patterns of the knotty pine knotholes. As kids we threw things over the open partitions. The fireplace downstairs had loose terra cotta tiles on the floor. At the end of each summer I would leave a message for me to find the following year. My father gauged out our names with a hot poker above the doorway arch. Blueberry bushes were everywhere, even by shore's edge. The O'Neal kids next door and I would dig out underwater clay with spoons and have underwater tea parties. I spent all day in the lake back then and was never happier. I return to it often in dreams.