Eastman Living Online Magazine

BY JIM VAN DOLAH Well, that old dog is me. I live on the west side of Eastman lake and am chair of Snow Hill Special Place. I had a very busy spring in 2019 umpiring varsity, junior varsity and middle school baseball every evening, and I loved it. I went to MLB umpire school […]

Q: A MLB umpiring carrier? A: (Laughing) Not hardly. That ship sailed in 1972. Now, 47 years, 2 knee replacements and a hip later, I was thrilled to be accepted. They knew after my interview I was serious about becoming a very competent umpire for high school- level baseball – that’s all that mattered. It’s […]

By Larry Sperber / Photos Provided by Larry Sperber Our country and the global community are so flooded with negativism that I often wonder about our tomorrows. The media generally reports on sad and tragic stories: fires, hurricanes, and global warming; armed conflict and mass shootings; crime and corruption; poverty, bigotry, and racism; on and […]

This may sound like a tall tale, but it describes an event that actually happened on Eastman Lake. It’s a mystery story that I’m happy to relate for young believers and older skeptics alike.

The following fun questions refer to stories that appeared in issues of Eastman Living in the past two years. The answers are below —No cheating! ECA Chief Maintenance Officer Michael Gornnert performed a rescue mission in the summer of 2016 to save: A lost delivery man An errant golf cart A black bear cub Two […]

By Ellen Chandler What accounts for the appeal of trolls? Reputedly homely yet rarely (OK, never) seen, their fabled Scandinavian heritage gives them instant status among Nordic enthusiasts. Eastman is one of several New England cross country ski centers that includes trolls among its denizens. According to legend, which is as close to “history” as […]

By Amy Hoffman The Little Leaf BY LARRY LARSEN Poor little leaf, asleep in the snow. Fell from its mother tree not long ago. Now on the ground covered with white. Blown to this crevice one stormy night. Memories swirled inside that leaf. Of budding and springtime and joy to keep. Of growing all wondrous, […]

By Bob Parker As Thanksgiving Day approached in 1972, three other naval advisors and I were the only four Americans on a Vietnamese naval base, but we decided to have a real American Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings. American foods were not served on base; however, in the local village, ingredients for salads and […]

By Judi Platt “Charlie, let it go. It isn’t worth it. Just give up and let’s go,” I pleaded with our group leader. The whole armada of Eastman kayakers had assembled behind us. They were a hungry group, and I was holding up our lunch break. My stomach was growling, too, but Charlie persisted. One […]

By Ethel Paquin Geologists tell us the Big One will crack California’s bedrock. That state will then gently bob west towards Hawaii and do God knows what when it docks. I really don’t want it to happen, I know how much pain would ensue. But I humbly request if it’s going to come that it […]

I can’t help but snicker when I see those ubiquitous bumper stickers bragging that “This Car Climbed Mt. Washington.”

By Judy McCarthy My Uncle Lou, from whom I inherited my gardening gene, hated rabbits. Much of his spare time was spent in his vegetable garden, and those adorable soft, furry little creatures that lived in the field near his house raided his spinach, lettuce and herbs, anything leafy and green. Lou was the patriarch of our extended Italian-American family, […]

By Bob Hartwell Several years ago I was given an apparently robust bird feeder claimed to be “squirrel resistant.” Since my deck is at least 10 feet above ground level with a very tall tree near one corner, I embarked on a project to suspend the feeder from a convenient branch. Project Phase 1.0: My […]

By Judi Platt My feet are sinking quickly into the squishy surface. My hiking boots are not high enough, and my socks are caked with mud. Mud. I leave inch-deep imprints as I tug my feet from Mud’s relentless clutches—each slow, measured step slurping across what could be a Tough Mudder training ground. Mud is […]

By George Decker Neither the South Cove Activity Center nor The Center at Eastman, where the Eastman Council holds its meetings, bears much resemblance to the British House of Commons Chamber, with  its green leather benches and intricate wood paneled walls. Yet it is in these settings with views of the lake and golf course […]