We left our “old” home in Mount Gilead, OH on May 1st and headed north to Wixom, MI area where we stayed at Proud Lake Recreation Area State Park for the week. Our intent was to relax and enjoy the spring weather and see some long-time friends while we were there. I wrote this earlier post with some pictures of the park. It was COLD and RAINY nearly all week, but we had a great time nonetheless because we were able to hook up with friends from WAY BACK.
We had wonderful visits with old friends. Some of these folks we haven’t seen in 30 or 40+ years. Thanks to Facebook, we’ve been able to reconnect to lost friendships. It’s so easy as we get busy with our; jobs/kids/school/sports/hobbies/parents/ etc. to lose touch with those we once considered “very good” if not “best” friends.
We left Proud Lake on Sunday May 7th and had two more visits on our agenda as we continued our travel north to Baldwin, MI for our summer workamping job.
Who’s in Delton you ask? Thanks to Facebook, I was able to find George Williston. I hadn’t seen or even talked to George since 1960 when my family moved from Detroit out to Redford Township. I had attended Kindergarten and first grade in Detroit, where I met George. I lived with my folks and two older sisters on Monte Vista and George lived with his family on Pinehurst, next street over on the other side of the alley. George and I used the alley as the shortcut from his house to mine.
The home I grew up in from 1954 to 1960 – Now just a shell
It’s a shame to see what the house and the neighborhood have become. I have some great memories of that home, our neighbors (the McGraw family) where there’s now just an empty lot, and my time playing (and causing a little trouble I’m sure) with my best friend George Williston.
Kathy and I met George and his wonderful wife Kelly where we enjoyed a light lunch in their beautiful home nestled in the woods. In addition to having been a Wood Shop Industrial Arts teacher, George is also an accomplished writer. You can order his book “This Tribe of Mine” on Amazon.
After our lunch and a nice walk around the property, we said goodbye to George and Kelly and headed further west and north to Spring Lake, Michigan where we met up with Brian Barker and his wife Connie. Kathy and I went to Junior High and High School with Brian and we had a lot of great memories to talk about. I had seen Brian and Connie when they lived in the Cincinnati area back a while but it’s been at least 20 years. Kathy had never met Connie and hadn’t seen Brian in at least 35 years.
Brian and Connie live in a beautiful home just across from Spring Lake. Great view and it’s easy to carry their kayaks over for an afternoon cruise.
Again, it was great to spend time with old friends and catch up on some mutual memories.
My next post will be an introduction to Baldwin, MI and Pere Marquette Oaks RV Resort.
That’s all for now. Stay happy.
