An evening at Mudge Pond
In the morning the light is quite different
Three boys, two swings
The clouds haven't moved in yet...and it's hot out!
Not everyone wants to swim.
Some people just enjoy hanging out
The lifeguards are off duty
I don't want to swim when the water's like this!
It's a peaceful evening.
The clouds are moving in
Time to head in for the night
posted by Jenny at 6:40 PM
14 Comments:
the pictures are nice and the place looks peaceful and great. But how did you end up choosing this place as your current home?
my fave got to be when the clouds are moving in...Lovely set!
How did we choose it for a home? Long story! But the short answer is my husband wanted to live in the country and this was not too far from NYC (where we had been living) and the company he was working for had an office here he could work from.
Beautiful pictures bringing great memories.... I grew up in Sharon and have pictures of this beach and beachhouse being built from swamp. In one my Dad is being supervised by my a two year old brother as a merry-go-round is assembled. That two year old now owns Rick's Wine in the local shopping strip...which was a field we played pick up baseball in... across Low street from my Aunts' home which is now a bank...but I digress....
Thanks!
Bob
(bob@miata.net)
Hi Jenny. I have a question: I recently went through some old papers with my elderly uncle (age 85), and we found his lifeguard certificate from Camp Easton in Sharon. Is that place still in existence? Thanks.
Suzanne,
I believe Camp Easton is no longer in existence - ith as been incorporated in some way into Silver Lake Conference Center, a United Church of Christ retreat and camp.
Hi Jenny,
I have a question. We are thinking of moving to a house off Mudge Pond, but are looking for a little "peace and quiet". I'm nervous that the lake might be very busy during the summer, and, thus, noisy. Do you have any recollections of the traffic or volume of people or any other thoughts that you would like to share?
Much obliged,
Rachel
Rachel I don't know how to get this message to you so I hope you come back to check the comments.
In my opinion, it's never very noisy here, and the traffic isn't much. Only people living in Sharon use Mudge (including summer people, of course) but the beach is small. The parking lot fits maybe 30 cars, and is rarely full. Depending on where along the road you live, I don't think you'll find it anything other than peaceful and lovely.
Camp Easton was sold in 1958 to the state conference of Congregationalists for use as its camp and conference center. I worked there on staff for two summers in the mid-60's and have great memories of the beauty of the town and its surrounding area. One evening around dusk along the pond's north shore, I canoed over a snapping turtle that had a shell that was nearly two feet in breadth -- I glad I was in the canoe. I can tell you.
As a former camper at Camp Easton, like Finistere, I will always have fond memories of the beautiful town of Sharon and Mudge Pond (Silver Lake to us). I imagine Suzanne's uncle was one of the counselors when I was about ten years old.
Thanks for the beautiful pictures Jenny.
Rick
(wb2txf@comcast.net)
Chuck - I was a camper at Camp Easton in 1956 and have great memories of the place. It was a great sports camp as it was run by the athletic director of Steven Tech in NJ. He was my father's friend and that is how I got there a year under age at 9.
Chuck Dearborn cbd3@verizon.net
I was a camper at camp Easton from 1948 to 1951, and have strong memories of the camp ie 1) learning how to develop and print camera film, 2) swimming across the lake, 3) hiking into Sharon and enjoying a lime rickey at the store,also hiking to Lakeville. Doc Davis was the owner of the camp ( a.d. at stevens in Hoboken, nj also counselors there were buzz Seymour, tom trio,dick stone, arty, herman, skip) most of these counselors were from Stevens or Westchester state in Pa. Would love to hear from people were also attended the camp
Richard Clapp rloringc@yahoo.com
I attended Camp Easton in 1952 and 1953. I recall that Doc Davis was the director, and that Buzz Seymour was probably Davis's assistant. One Jack Rice was in charge of evening activities.
There were three sections for campers, red, white, and blue. As I remember, most of the cabins contained five inmates and one leader. The boys were required to make their beds, sweep, and stand inspection every morning.
The beds were comfortable enough, but the sanitary facilities were appropriate to the 18th Century not the 20th. There was no hot water and there were no flush toilets. Let's say the atmosphere in what was called the "lighthouse" because it was illuminated all night, was, ah, odiferous, The weekly ritual of a communal steam bath pretty much kept us clean, though. Campers were permitted to have soap and take a cold shower at their option.
A boy who could swim from the end of a dock to a raft maybe 20 feet away was allowed to use a canoe. Otherwise, rowboats were permitted.
Three times daily, the entire camp was called to assembly to make sure the whereabouts of all campers were known.
As I remember, food was plentiful and adequate. Boys took turns being waiters and others swept up the mess hall after every meal.
My sense was that a Mrs. Suarez had endowed the camp not long before the war. A tablet testifying to her generosity was set into a large rock toward the center of the campground.
Each year, the counselors, sometimes known as trainees or aides, gave a show. My recollection that it was good. Jack Rice led evening singing of camp songs, and there were at least a few movies.
Counselors I remember:
Tom Sheehan, from Massachusetts, a good piano player.
Dick Groves, from Calais Maine, called "Senator" for his booming voice and gift of oratory.
Al Goodyear, from New Jersey, I think. He was drafted during the camp year.
One year a group of junior counselors pooled their funds to buy a prewar Buick. Someone, Sheehan, probably, wrote lyrics to the tune of "Merry Oldsmobile" to describe the boys' car.
"In our Buick Built for Six,
"We'll go Rolling through the sticks,
"Over Hill and Over Dale,
"Burning Oil by the Pail,
"How the Motor Fumes and Sputs,
"Leaves a Trail of Bolts and Nuts.
(I cannot remember this line)
"In Our Buick Built for Six."
Ah, the best part of Camp Easton? Doc Davis believed in a proper celebration of the Fourth of July, and that included fireworks, legal in Connecticut. Each boy was permitted to buy and set off firecrackers, snakes, sparklers, roman candles, and rockets, though younger campers received less dangerous supplies.
The next day, the boys spread across the portion of the 50-acre campground and picked up the mess left by the fireworks.
I remember that Buick. One year our small band went to amenia, ny to pick up a visiting foreign visitor (actually counselor in disguise) great fun when he only ate the crust of bread , throwing the rest on the floor.
Also in 1048, we were kept uo to date about the resukts at the olympics - I didn't pay much attention at the time.
richard clapp
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