She added that Maine winters were meant only for "hardy souls."

Enough was enough, even for artists, hardy souls that they are.

Mr. Kelly and his friends know they need hardy souls.

And he won't have much company, maybe half a dozen hardy souls at most.

Over all, 2006 was a dangerous year for those hardy souls handing out tickets here, with 28 attacks, up from 17 in 2005.

A few hardy souls, myself included, stayed in the lounge.

"The river was the back door for most of these communities and only a few hardy souls, like fishermen, have access to it," he said.

But it takes a fine day or a hardy soul to do that, too.

Some hardy souls had returned after a temporary death curse.

Crowds rose from a few hundred hardy souls to a season average of 5,580.