Special places
As a child I always thought I’d live in the same house, on the same street, and go to all the familiar places I’d always gone to. One of those special places was my grandparent’s “cottage” (lake home) on Lake of the Woods, in Decatur, Michigan. For the last year or so I’ve had dreams about the place. Real dreams, while sleeping. The dreams got me wondering things like….Does the cottage look the same? Who lives there now? Have they changed it alot? I’ve also dreamed of visiting it … just driving by, unless of course the people who live in happened to be outside, then I’d have to talk to them!
Danae reminded me recently of the website local.live.com and how you can see houses really well…and that sparked an idea!

Now you too can see the current condition of the cottage I used to visit many weekends in the summer as a child. (as if you care!) (click on the photos to see a larger version)
The red box outlines the approximate property of the cottage when my grandparents owned it. Most of the homes are original to the location, some are new, many are updated (and larger) versions from what I remember.
This is the best photo I have (from 1960!) It’s taken from the end of the dock (probably by my grandfather) looking toward the front of the cottage. By the time we sold the cottage there had been several updates and additions done, but this was the beginning. This is where my sisters and I played in the “sand pile” by the lake, swung on the tree swing, learned to swim and waterski, went on MANY boat rides, fished with grandpa and collected many a memory. It is where we all became lovers of water. It’s no surprise that all 4 of us girls have a pool and vacation near the water!

p.s. That’s me and my mom & dad in the photo!