Evolution of Lake Friendships

When we bought the property that is now the Fishtaylz camp back in 2007, I think it's safe to say that we DIDN'T meet with the warmest welcome from a few of those folks who were already there.

In our bay there were three adjacent parcels of property. Ours was in the center, the property to the north was owned by a couple from Minnesota, and the property to the south was unsold. Oh, there was also one other piece of property with a small shack on it at the south end of the bay.

The owner of the latter shack and I had a little disagreement as we were purchasing an additional piece of property and its ending was not very cordial. Then I learned that we had apparently offended the folks to the north of us simply because we had built on the lot adjacent to theirs...SERIOUSLY! Was told that by more than one other person around the lake...to the point that they wouldn't even speak to us if we passed them at the landing. That silence went on year after year, except for a cordial, albeit very distant, wave from dock to dock.

Moreover...the guy that owned a barge that I had planned to rent didn't make it available when I needed it, wanted to reschedule it despite 4 trucks of materials that were due in several days and, when I decided to use someone else's barge, THAT person never spoke to me again!

We used to park at a private camp adjacent to the public landing, but that property was sold and the new owner didn't seem to want to work with us on the cost for leaving one car and a trailer there while we went to camp. Before the sale: $75 per year. After the sale: over $700.

Then, one fall at a friend's camp further north than ours I happened to mention the stupidity of one Donald Trump, not realizing that the camp owner was a devout "Trumper." Sort of cooled that relationship! Same thing with another property owner who was one of my Facebook friends when I challenged him (kindly) on a rather silly posting about Mr. Trump. Unfriended me and even blocked me from seeing his FB page.

So, we sort of kept to ourselves initially. But you know, time has a way of making things better.

We found friends who owned a camp on an island a few miles from us...our neighbors to the north (at least one of them) have begun to engage more (which I am supremely grateful for), ditto with the friend who was offended by my dislike for Trump! We've even begun to engage with the folks near the landing who wanted to charge us a bit too much for parking. The guy who owned the barge that was angry because I couldn't alter my construction date moved away and the guy in the shack has spoke to us several times.

Additionally, we've gained Chris as a new neighbor and Brian who is about ready to start his new cabin over in Walleye Alley. We've gotten to be good friends with Evelyn and Dennis, learned what a wonderful person their son, Ryan, is, become friends with Kirk just a few miles away.

Things evolve, eh? All of us in the northeast arm of Sturgeon Lake are sort of out there on our own and need each other, particularly in case of emergency. Were all friends, or are certainly moving in that direction.

As we move into our later years of life, its nice to have them all around us...and comforting in canse there's a time of need.