Lots of Happy Memories at the Camp in Central MA

The story of 'the camp' on a small pond in Central Massachusetts began in July 1950, when Dave's father obtained a town building permit to build a camp/summer house that has became an integral part of family memories.

It's incredibly quiet and peaceful here since there are not many homes on the pond and motor-propelled boats/vehicles are not allowed.

It also helps that a significant portion of the land is designated as conservation land which prevents any new development.

Apart from the enclosed porch, the exterior of the camp has remained largely unchanged since its original construction. Even after 70 years, it is still in excellent condition.

The views from the porch are amazing and change depending on the weather, time of day and season.

Because the pond is spring feed by springs, the water can be cold in early summer, yet it remains our go-to spot on a hot day. Whether we're sitting in the sun or shade reading, floating on tubes, or taking the canoe out, it's the perfect place to be.

Last year, we purchased a 'Yard Jart Set'. These are much safer than the version we had as kids, which had sharp metal tips. There's an old story involving Dave and Deb playing Jarts with their neighborhood friends. I believe it didn't end well for one of the kids playing, but they've promised each other to keep it a secret.

For a small community, people invest heavily in fireworks for the July 4th celebration.

Visiting the Rietta Flea Market in Hubbardston is a great way to spend a lazy Sunday morning eating fried dough and watching for bargains. The late Rita Levesque launched a small entertainment venue called Rietta in 1966 and at some point in the couple of years after that established a small flea market with about 10 dealers. Today, Rietta Flea Market can accommodate up to 650 vendors and generally has up to 400 every single Sunday.

The end of July and August is an excellent period for harvesting blueberries at the camp. Several decades back, Dave's father planted blueberry bushes that have since grown large and produce a ton of berries. Unfortunately, around 2015 beavers attacked the bushes but we acted quickly by enclosing the bushes in wire fencing. Luckily we stopped further damage. These berries still need more time to ripen before they're ready for picking.

SIDE NOTE: The blueberries contribute to a great family tradition. Dave cooks a blueberry pancake breakfast on XMAS morning for the kids. It become a special part of the day.

Although we close the camp in October, we sometimes visit after a winter snowfall to inspect for fallen branches and use the snow rake to clear the roof.

Here is one final sunset to end the blog.