Plans Sometimes Go Awry for the Best

by John Venlet

For 28 years I’ve owned a few acres on a blue ribbon trout stream in northern Michigan. The property sits on a hill above the creek and my sons, brothers, and I would sit at the top of the hill, facing eastward, and take a path we cut down the hill to check on whether the mayfly hatch has started, and to see if the trout had begun to rise. Many wonderful memories have been experienced here.

Eastward view.

Path to the creek.

The plan, over the past 28 years, had been to build a cabin, and we had finally decided on a design 4 years ago, but then the Gain of Function Flu, more colloquially referred to as COVID-19, interfered with not only building, but the expense to build due to lumber costs. So we decided to wait a bit longer.

Well, I come home from northern Michigan in mid-December and my Lovely Melis says to me, “I found this property for sale on the creek,” the creek I’ve looked at and fished for the past 28 years, “and you should buy it.” She then pulls up a listing for the property on her computer and it is the property directly across the stream from our trout camp. So I bought it.

I now own both sides of the creek, and my trout camp is now a full on retreat, not just a camp, complete with guest quarters and 1,400 square feet I can still finish above the guest quarters, work shop, flowing artesian well, etc. My sons and I wanted our original property purchase to be a legacy, and it has turned into a legacy beyond what we imagined. I’m pleased our plan over the past 28 years went awry, because it turned out for the better. Our view now is westward, looking at the hill and the trees we looked over for the past 28 years.

Westward view.

The cabin (actually an A frame chalet)

We’ll keep our original trout camp property, and our old 1968 Fan trailer, which has served us well over the past 28 years, and build new and greater memories in the years to come.

Comments |8|

  • Wow. Congratulations. Mi. is my home state. My last visit through there was on our honeymoon trip in 2000. Beautiful country, but I couldn’t take that kind of cold anymore.

    JWM

    • Thanks, jwm. I understand about the cold, but I just layer up to deal with that. The aspect of winter that most gets to me is here we just don’t get to see the sun that much.

      • Take it from me, after living in southwest Florida for 40 years, the sun is over rated! lol
        BTW, a new property means you have to get a new mutt. Unwritten law.

        • Ghostsniper, every once in a while my Lovely Melis shows me a shelter pup, so I know a new mutt will be in my future. I don’t want to break any unwritten laws, but written laws are another matter.

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