LAKE PEOPLE
Joanna says that there are a number of Russians who have houseboats on the part of Lake Fontana where houseboats are allowed. We wondered if that was similar to the dachas, the country getaways, that wealthy Russians escape to in Russia.
People don’t have houseboats as an inexpensive place to stay. Because the lake is drained in the winter no one can live there year around anyway. The houseboats are cramped and are obviously just a a getaway place in the summer. There are strict rules about the height and square feet of every houseboat. There is no heating for the winter in any case. There is no plumbing so the toilet waste has to be emptied and brought to shore and disposed of somehow. There is no electricity, so everyone has solar panels on the roof. There are no grocery stores anywhere close. In order even to get to your houseboat you need another boat to go back and forth on. Joanna and Jamie have a very nice pontoon boat with a large motor with very poor gas mileage. You are really remote here. You can’t go back and forth to work. For Jamie and Joanna Asheville is an hour and a half away.
So obviously none of these things matter at all. The people who have houseboats here love it here. They love being on the water, they love riding their boats on the lake, they love being able to swim off of their deck, and they form a tight community of people who share this love of the water. It is really a complete escape from urban life. We certainly had a wonderful day visiting Joanna and riding on the lake.
BILLYBABA’S WANDERING 