All good advice so far.

Like JHAP say, I'd be interested to hear what your relationship is to your neighbors. I think that is one of the most important aspects of this situation.

One forward thinking item is to think about purchasing, for a few bucks, the first right of refusal to buy that finger of the pond, and some easement around it if and when the neighbors ever decide to sell.


Excerpt from Robert Crais' "The Monkey's Raincoat:"
"She took another microscopic bite of her sandwich, then pushed it away. Maybe she absorbed nutrients from her surroundings."