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October 2025 NEWFOUNDLAKELIFE.COM The Mystery of the Moonlight
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Community
Pasquaney Garden Club Meeting & Presentation:
October 21st, 1 PM at the Minot-Sleeper Library
All are welcome; there is no fee
"Putting the Garden to Bed" will be presented by Linda Hansen, a UNH Extension Master Gardener. Attendees will learn the steps necessary to properly prepare their gardens for winter, including: finishing off annuals and vegetable beds, pre- paring perennial beds to reduce pests and disease, overwintering non-hardy plants, readying ornamental shrubs and evergreens to survive various winter conditions, and tending to tools and supplies.
Information About the Presenter: Linda Hansen
Linda Hansen has been a gardener for the past 30 years and completed the UNH Extension Master Gardener training in 2024. She volunteers at the Sacred Heart Garden in Littleton, NH, a vegetable garden that donates fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs (over 6,000 lbs. in 2023) to local food pantries in Bethle- hem, Franconia, and Littleton. Linda’s current passion is polli- nator gardening. Her yard is certified as a Pollinator-Friendly Garden by UNH Extension, a Monarch Way Station by Mon- arch Watch, a Pollinator Habitat by the Xerces Society, and a certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. Linda’s yard is “on the map” as part of Doug Tallamy’s Home- grown National Park. All these programs support pollinators by encouraging gardeners to grow native plants and maintain a pesticide-free yard.
Pasquaney Garden Club welcomes all to their activities and anyone interested in becoming a new member may contact carpenb3@gmail.com.
Boat of Newfound Lake
Long ago, before the summer cabins, the ice cream stands, and the hikers at Wellington State Park, the Abenaki people told stories about the spirit of the water. They believed Newfound Lake was alive, watching over everyone who fished, swam, or paddled on it.
Today, most folks don’t talk about spirits... except on nights when the moon is so full and bright it turns the whole lake sil- ver. That’s when the Moonlight Boat sometimes appears.
People say it’s an old wooden rowboat with a tiny lantern swinging from the bow. It always shows up when the lake is super still—so calm you can see May- hew Island reflected perfectly in the water like a mirror.
The story begins with a kind fisherman named Thomas who lived near Hebron. He knew every cove—Pike’s Bay, Paradise Point, and especially the deep waters near Wellington State
Park. Thomas never took more fish than he needed and often rescued turtles stuck in the reeds or ducks tangled in fishing line. Everyone in town loved him.
One stormy autumn night, lightning cracked above Mount Cardigan, winds howled through the trees, and Thomas rowed out to save a drifting boat near Mayhew Island before it smashed on the rocks. When the storm cleared, his boat floated back to shore... empty. Thomas was never seen again.
But that wasn’t the end.
Now, campers at Welling- ton and kids staying in cottages around the lake whisper about what happens on full moon nights:
Sometimes, a faint light drifts between Mayhew Island and the Hebron shoreline.
Other times, it glides quietly near Paradise Point or across Pike’s Bay.
Those who stay up late might
hear the soft splash of oars dip- ping into the water, though no one’s there.
And here’s the spooky—but friendly—part:
If you wave at the Moonlight Boat, the lantern flickers twice, like it’s waving back.
If you whisper “Thank you, Thomas,” the boat slowly fades away, as if it was never there at all.
Locals believe Thomas still watches over Newfound Lake, keeping kids safe when they swim, fish, or paddle under the summer sun.
So next time you’re at New- found Lake on a bright, moonlit night, keep an eye on the silver water near Mayhew Island. You just might see the Moonlight Boat, gliding silently under the watchful eyes of Thomas the fisherman—protector of the lake.
Thank You, Sponsors!
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