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As a young boy , that old log bridge on the Canada Creek and the area around it , became my seemingly private playground , where I spent countless hours swimming , fishing for trout , spearing frogs , and exploring the depths of the dark and foreboding cedar swamp .
Over the course of a few summers , and staying with relatives , my father managed to build a small 18 ’ x 24 ’ one room cabin , which became our own little slice of heaven .
In the meantime , my uncle Ira build a much larger cabin for it ’ s time , and I believe it was the first “ Perma Log ” on the ranch . Also , my cousin Ronald build an “ A ” frame cabin on the south side of Wildfowl Lake , which I also believe was the first of its kind on the property .
In 1954 , my junior year in high school , my parents started talking about moving to the ranch . “ Oh no you don ’ t ,” I protested . I was attending Dearborn ’ s Fordson High School with over four hundred kids in my class . I was very active in art and music ( plus I had a girlfriend ) and I told my mother if we move “ I will run away from home .” I loved Atlanta , but I was unable to comprehend spending my last two years in a school with its attendance smaller than my home room class .
But mostly I loved the ranch and everything about it . Usually arriving in the middle of the night . Stepping out the car and being engulfed in that instant rush of the upnorth air . Coal black sky and stars unlike anything I ’ d ever seen , and the Whippoorwills . Boy how I miss those birds and their welcoming calls .
Anyway , long story short , my parents somewhat reluctantly agreed to wait until I was out of school and then I could go or stay , and in June of 1956 , two days after graduation , I watched the pull away with a trailer full of possessions , happily on their way to Canada Creek Ranch , fulfilling a long-awaited dream .
In the following twenty years , I served six months in the Army Reserves , married Letty my high school sweetheart , had two beautiful and precious daughters , Lendy Jo and Laura Jean , who is the mother of Natalie Rose the most amazing granddaughter in the world . I was a Statistical Supervisor in the Ford Group Office of the John Hancock Insurance Company in Dearborn , worked as a time keeper at the Fisher Body Die and Machine Plant , studied Fine Art Painting and Sculpture at the Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts , attended beauty school , opened a small shop in Dearborn during the sixties called The Glass Onion Emporium , became a hippie and attended the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago . Partnered with a friend to establish Candela Products , a candle and incense factory on Woodward Ave . in Ferndale , wrecked my marriage and spent some time alone in the beautiful Montana mountains .
New Members
In 1973 , following a few lost years in the city , my second wife Patsy and I came to the ranch to stay with my parents . My father was having some health problems while remodeling the cabin , and we came up to help . Patsy was employed as a cook in the club house for awhile and I kept busy helping others whenever I could . One such
18 person was Mrs . Tinney , a wonderful woman who ’ s husband had passed away while putting rough sawn siding on their dream home , and I was able to finish it up for her .
I also did some work on Russ and Mable Murrett ’ s cabin and built an addition to Roy Perry , who was the president of the board at that time .
My father ’ s health continued to decline , and they were forced to sell the cabin . Patsy and I bought a small house in Atlanta , and moved away from the ranch , a decision I have regretted for all of these years .
After settling down in Atlanta , I established the North Woods Design and Manufacturing Company in the empty Essex building on Reiman road . Our products consisted of production picture frames for the wholesale market , and a line of solid oak bath accessories . When the factory was sold with no other place big enough for the production business , we transitioned to custom framing and opened the North Woods Gallery and Gift shop in downtown Atlanta where I continue in the art and framing business . I am the president of the 45 th Parallel Music & Arts association , and Northern Innovation Communities , an IRS recognized Charitable Organization dedicated to the community support and development . I am also the Treasurer for the Atlanta Michigan Chamber of Commerce .
In 1987 I was hired as the Briley Township Zoning Administrator , a position I held for eight years , and in November of 2004 I was elected and served two terms as Briley Township Supervisor . I sat on the Board of Appeals , was Chairman of the Planning Commission , and Secretary to the Board of Review . I ended my time in township government by serving one term as a township trustee in 2016 .
Today I am once again blessed to be back at Canada Creek Ranch . The thought of renewing old friendships , and establishing new ones , warms my heart . I have missed the joy that the ranch has given to my family and myself through the years , and now I look forward to revisiting the most cherished memories of my younger days . Memories that have lingered near the surface of my soul for these past seventy-five years .
Reminder of Rule 7.01
There has been a change in procedure for the handling of possible violations of rule 7.01 . This rule states that you cannot have a travel trailer or camper parked at your house or cabin for more than three ( 3 ) days without approval from the manager and you can never use it as a dwelling . If you plan to have your travel trailer or camper parked at your house or cabin for more than three ( 3 ) days , please notify the ranch office so it can be documented . If a member fails to do this , it could result in a rule violation and an incident report being filed with the Safety and Security Committee .