With our crazy, mixed-up weather at the moment, I figured I’d take a flyer and guess that full heavy snowfall may be absent from our near future. And, of course, as always, I could be wrong. But as I sit writing this week’s adventure story, it’s cold and clear with a light dusting of overnight snow, only a few days after temperatures reached nearly 50 degrees. There has been some horrendous snows in other areas of the country, namely Buffalo, New York area, where I once had to tunnel out of the house due to massive drifting. We, here in the area seem to have been overlooked (a temporary condition, perhaps) by big storms. The path of significant snowfalls seems to be off to the north of us and to the south and west. I have guessed in the past that our location next to the ocean may have something to do with that. Time will tell.

So, thinking about winters past caused me to go into the archives for an old image made many years ago when we found our first house on Barters Island’s upper Kimballtown Road. The image shared today is of one “Goat Rock” which lives on the south shore of “The Island” not far from present day Land Trust's Porter Preserve. I have no idea why this location is called “Goat Rock.” I can not envision it being populated by goats, at any time of year.

Our first home on Barters Island was nestled into an old “native” neighborhood. Our next door neighbor to the south was the Barter-Little family. The family matriarch was the legendary Abbie Barter with extended family, Phil and Danny Little, Stanley, Lib and Polly, and children Donny and James Clark. Across the road, the Burnham family held down the fort. Mumma and Daddy Burnham managed an active group including Clyde and Carl, Florence, Barbara and Lizzie. Also, our beloved friend Eddie Soule lived on the property in a small trailer.

Eddie was a fascinating gentleman with all sorts of BIW, farming and timber experience. He was a quick and good acquaintance who we visited often.

Our up the hill neighbors were, Sonny and Brenda Artzer and children. Just over the West Side Road, at the top of Kimballtown, next to the Barters Island Baptist church, was home for the Lewis family. Edith Lewis delivered the mail.

Our house was in the Roberts family for a long time. Carroll “Mo” Roberts lived there. Due to some complications, the house was acquired by the bank and another good friend who I worked with at the Pink Cottages on Southport, knew we were looking for a house. She suggested we contact the bank, i.e., the late great Horace Lee, to see if it might be possible for us to purchase. Ethelyn Giles helped us navigate what became quite a complicated transaction due to some lingering legal matters. Ethelyn made some calls, as only Ethelyn could, to the then president of First Federal in Bath. After that, things moved along pretty well.

The Roberts family lived in the vicinity of the Land Trust parcel which was given by Nat Porter who had a summer place at the very end of Kimballtown Road. We got to know Nat a little, but we were generally pretty busy whenever he visited. He had a very significant Ham radio set up in a back room section of the house which kept him in touch with all sorts of people around the world.

I learned of “Goat Rock” from our neighbor Abbie. She would go periwinkle gathering down in that area and along the eastern shore. In the dead of winter it was easier to follow her foot prints to the rocks. She was extremely hearty and even in the coldest of weather would be seen without heavy clothing which might have been an impediment to her mobility along the shore.

That’s our story and I’m sticking to it. Happy Winter everyone.